TakaraTomy’s Tokyo Toy Show reveals land right after RFC records, so John DeLuna, Don and Exvee break them down. Masterpiece Inferno shows up in full red with swappable truck grilles. Masterpiece Thrust gets a 14,800 yen price and a debate over the Conehead look. Unite Warriors Lynxmaster swaps Smokescreen for Ratchet, to the dismay of BotCon Custom Class attendees.
Masterpiece Inferno Shows Off His Red Deco
Masterpiece Inferno appears in near-final color after earlier gray test shots. Don likes the simplified, cartoon-model design, especially the legs. Exvee notes the two swappable truck grilles, a toy look and a cartoon look. He calls them the first major swappable vehicle part in the line, unless you count Masterpiece Rodimus Prime’s shell. Don sees the extras as added value against third-party Infernos, and expects many recolors. John admits to early burnout on Artfire. One host would welcome a Masterpiece Artfire as the mold’s only distinct deco. No price was known yet. [Source: Seibertron]
Masterpiece Thrust Gets a Price
Masterpiece Thrust is listed at 14,800 yen. John likes Thrust more than the current Masterpiece Seeker mold. Don calls Thrust the best-looking Conehead, but buying one could lead to Ramjet and Dirge. Exvee explains why the mold fails as a Conehead: the 1985 Coneheads had smaller heads relative to their bodies. Don thinks the cone looks like a helmet and compares him to Golden Age hero Bullet Man. The crew suggests a telescoping cone joint. One host warns that Thrust’s wings attach to his legs in robot mode. [Source: TFW2005]
Unite Warriors Lynxmaster Picks Ratchet Over Smokescreen
Takara’s Unite Warriors Lynxmaster is a better-painted Sky Reign, but Ratchet replaces Smokescreen. Exvee is surprised it comes within months of the BotCon Custom Class blank Ratchet body. One host says most Custom Class attendees chose G1 Ratchet, while he painted a Rescue Bots Medix. Don calls it inevitable but doesn’t care. He plans to use Sky Lynx as a Liokaiser part instead. Another host finds the Takara deco a little inferior to Hasbro’s and calls it the most Hasbro-like Takara set. The crew also notes rumors that Liokaiser could land at Toys R Us or Entertainment Earth. [Source: Seibertron]
Masterpiece Optimus Primal and a Toy Story Combiner
Masterpiece Optimus Primal appears again, and it still looks good. Cheetor has not been shown yet; one host guesses Winter Wonder Festival. John is thrilled by a Japanese Toy Story combiner, with Woody as the torso and Bullseye, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm as limbs. The crew then dreams up Rescue Rangers and DuckTales combiners. [Source: The Fwoosh]
Don’s Pick: Transformers: The Movie on Blu-ray
Before signing off, Don recommends the Transformers: The Movie Blu-ray. He also recommends the G1 artwork book, available used from about $20.
Contributors: John DeLuna, Don, Exvee
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