Blog #1278: Toy Review: Transformers: Generations: Titans Return Voyager Octone & Murk

Transformers: Generations: Titans Return Voyager Octone & Murk

There are a few things I need to say about the Titans Return line.

First off, the trading cards.  Hasbro made a big deal that they were doing real trading cards and not just a picture with no meaningful back.  I guess they tried, but in the then end, they failed miserably.  The cards suck.  There are only four ratings instead of the eight that nearly all other tech specs have had for 30 years (when we’ve actually had tech specs).  There is no quote or function, and the only bio is a couple lines on the back of the package, they didn’t even bother to put it on the card.  Hasbro fails again.  What else is new?

Secondly, what the fuck is it with Hasbro that they need to focus on only one theme at a time?  Why are we getting Targetmasters and Powermasters as Headmasters?  It makes no sense.  Worse yet, the two Targetmaster converts, Blurr and Scourge, both have awful paint jobs (or I should say, barely any paint jobs at all).  They put all the work into the real Headmasters and just mailed it in on the Targetmasters that they shouldn’t have been doing in the first place.  As usual, they half ass everything, just like with Combiner Wars, where they ended the line without doing Terrorcons, Predacons, Seacons, Monster Pretenders, G2 Protectobots, and G2 Constructicons (in both colors).  I mean, they still could do those as box sets next year, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Thirdly, the Titan Masters.  Why can’t they be consistent?  Apeface, Brawn, Nightbeat, and Terri-Bull are named for the actual characters they are the heads for instead of the actual heads they represent.  Clobber and Skytread could theoretically be the Headmasters for Grimlock and Flywheels.  This makes no sense.  Pick one way of doing it.  It would make far more sense to name them for the Headmaster and not the character they partner with, as we are only getting the Headmaster.  Related to that, it really sucks that we aren’t going to get any real versions of the Headmaster Juniors or Headmaster Horrorcons.

Finally, the Headmasters are freaking tiny.  G1 Headmasters were way better than these, and had the ratings meter on the chest gimmick that they didn’t even try to reproduce.  Another thing that sucks is that the heads of the Headmasters are articulated.  This makes it so that the larger robot heads are articulated, but also makes it hard when plugging them in to Titan Masters vehicles.  G1 Headmasters were so much better, but that’s true of most G1 toys.

Anyway, on to the review.

Previous Mold Use: Optimus Prime, Laser Optimus Prime

Murk

Titan Master: I really like the Octane head sculpt.

Octone

Let’s start with the name.  This isn’t the first time they have not used the name Octane.  I am not certain why.  I believe that octane is not a trademarked word.  They should have been able to use Decepticon Octane.  The name Octone is a pretty meaningless.  As to the toy, he looks amazing.  He has a number of mold changes from Optimus Prime.  His truck mode is unchanged, but he has new wings and a new nose in jet mode.  In robot mode he has a new chest and abdomen (the button that releases the sides of his head).  He also has new front on the pieces sticking up from his shoulders.  Unfortunately, as great as he looks, he has a couple of design flaws.  One is that you can’t swing his arms up at the shoulder and out straight in front of him.  The height of his shoulders is the issue.  You can only swing his arms up to a certain point until they hit his wings.  As I am not really that concerned with articulation, this is not a big deal, but is something they should have addressed when he was designed.  The other issue is the port on his wings that plug into his back in robot mode.  It is not deep enough, and his wings tend to pop out and droop down.  This is unforgivable.  There is no excuse for that.

Overall: Even with the design flaws, Octone is a must.

Thanks for reading!