Toy Review - Titans Return Galvatron

[GoktimusPrime]

GALVATRON
Series – Titans Return
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here – August 2016
Approximate Retail Price - $50
Approximate Size - 18.5cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-modes – Space cannon, Space fighter (http://66.media.tumblr.com/eb69cd091b330107653e5e186b14baae/tumblr_nxtszz61D21qbwjgso2_250.gif)
Main Features/Gimmicks – Headmaster
Main Colours – Purple, grey, red
Main Accessories – particle cannon, Titan Master "Nucleon"

This is bad comedy
I really don't know why Galvatron needs to be a Headmaster. The idea of making G1 characters who were previously not Headmasters into Headmasters holds no appeal to me whatsoever and kinda feels like it's cheapening the whole Headmaster thing, because in G1 being a Headmaster was cooler because it was a rare ability or feature. Now that every 'bot and his dog is becoming a Headmaster it makes it feel less special.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/meme_syndrome_everyonesuper_zpspdpdrp6n.jpg
I've got some ideas to explain the Headmaster thing for my TR Galvatron in the Gokiverse (which I'll post later in the Creative section), but really... it's just an unnecessary gimmick IMO, and for Galvatron it proves more of a hindrance. This is due to the flip up mask which gives Galvatron Batman neck (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_yVlfxUZmh8/Uhf4fvyOVuI/AAAAAAAAVsg/MlyopEDasnM/s1600/michael-keaton-batman.jpg). Well, nearly as bad. He can turn his a leeeeettle bit to the sides, but not much.

I can understand the necessity of having an adornment for Galvatron, because with the sole exception of Fortress Maximus, Headmasters are blockheads. The only way to add better aesthetics to these heads are to either give them detachable helmets which can become part of the vehicle modes (as seen in the 1988 Autobot Headmasters), or have a helmet that clips over from above (as seen with TR Powermaster Optimus Prime) -- but the nature of Galvatron's transformation to jet mode makes the rear-mounting helmet feature from PM OP non feasible. And the more ornate shape of the mask makes it less practical to be used as say a cockpit seat. The 1988 Autobots' helmets are still pretty blocky. So unfortunately it appears to be a necessary evil in terms of having a Headmaster Galvatron with a more ornate and G1 accurate looking head, oh wait... there is something that would've worked -- don't make him a Headmaster! :rolleyes:

Okay, I'll shut up about that now.

Aforementioned issues aside, this is a reasonably good Galvatron toy. It is a darn sight better than the Deluxe Generations figure (which I've never hated) and is currently the closest thing we have to a media-accurate G1 Galvatron toy. To this end it actually does a pretty good job. The robot design appears to be more greatly influenced by Kohara Shouhei's design rather than Floro Dery's. I think this works well because Dery's design shows Galvatron with these very round legs. This would be incredibly challenging to replicate in a toy (even for an MP) because the rear section of Galvatron's cannon mode is meant to be blocky. Kohara's blockier Galvatron legs are far easier to translate into a toy, and quite frankly just looks better than Dery's.

Dery→http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/galvatron_g1sunbowox_zpsttcfjwu0.jpg←Kohara
I've heard someone criticise the location of the particle cannon as it obstructs the arm from bending, and this is true, but being a 5mm post the cannon can also be held in the hands to free up the elbows.

Nucleon resembles Megatron's head without the mask, and indeed looks like a mini Megatron in humanoid mode. Unfortunately there is virtually NO paint ops on this figurine except for the eyes. This has got to be the blandest thing I've ever seen on a Transformer since the G1 Decoys. This figurine desperately needs some colours.

The cannon mode looks pretty neat - it's a good representation of how Galvatron's cannon mode looked like in G1 media. The legs don't retract in this mode and as such the rear section of the cannon feels too long. The legs on mine don't clip together very strongly either. The starfighter mode looks like an 80s style spaceship.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/spaceship_benny_zpskrfxnuff.gif
...the "wings" look unconvincing though. But I guess spaceships don't need aerodynamics.

OVERALL
While the robot mode does visually look impressive, the Headmaster gimmick (which isn't even cross compatible with other Titan Masters) is both superfluous and hindering and the alt modes are underwhelming. If Universe Galvatron was a Deluxe that should've been a Voyager, then Titans Return Galvatron is a Voyager that should've been a Deluxe.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/jaam_shoulders.gif

PICTURES

Robot mode - that is literally as far as the head can turn with the mask on
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron05_zpsjhefnpcl.jpg

Without the mask
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron03a_zpstx93tbzf.jpg

Cannon mode
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron01_zpsoi58ceet.jpg

Spaceship spaceship spaceship!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron02_zpstlbvi18x.jpg

Nucleon: The Search for Colour
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron03_zpss5xldv0u.jpg

Spot the difference
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron06_zpsubqm5kfd.jpg

Apparently if you hold Galvatron upside in spaceship mode he becomes a gun
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron07_zps0xwi2nz0.jpg
Or more accurately, just an upside down spaceship... :rolleyes: :p

[prjkt]

by "The legs don't retract in this mode and as such the rear section of the cannon feels too long" I take it you haven't been collapsing his legs the way you do for Jet mode?

If this is the case, give it a shot that way - condenses the size a little bit, and seems to be the proper way to work the figure on both the Hasbro and Takara versions I have.

When I get some more time I'll do a detailed comparison post of the two releases.

[GoktimusPrime]

I just tried it... I heard a loud snap then a rattling sound from somewhere in the toy. I re-extended the legs and now the rattling seems to have stopped. :eek: I did notice that when the legs were retracted that they couldn't close together, so it seems that the toy is designed to have the legs extended and closed (as per the instructions too). Erhmm... I'm not gonna try that again. :o

[SMHFConvoy]

I think the toy wasn't originally intended to be part of TR because of the whopping great chest cavity that would fit Galvatron's head easily. Robot mode and canon mode is really nice though

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I think the toy wasn't originally intended to be part of TR because of the whopping great chest cavity that would fit Galvatron's head easily. Robot mode and canon mode is really nice though

I'd concur with this as well.

It wouldn't surprise me if Ultra Magnus and Galvatron were going to be part of a line where all the TFs came with a controlling robot, but it kind of evolved into the Headmasters thing. Or something like that.

[Maruten]

The robot mode looks really nice until you get above the neck. I don't think either of the alt modes are great. I've been waiting for a great G1 Galvatron but I think this is probably the biggest disappointment for me in TR so far.

[GoktimusPrime]

I agree that simply having a fold down head instead of the Headmaster gimmick would've been MUCH better. I think the cannon mode is adequate - aside from the long rear/leg section it's reasonably G1-media accurate (http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers-history/images/c/cb/Galvatron_(G1)Alt.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130517133948), which is not easy to achieve because much of Galvatron's bulk disappears in cannon mode (the legs seem to be entire absent). Strangely enough, in the G1 cartoon Galvatron's colours change between robot and cannon mode. He's purple in robot mode but toy-accurately grey in cannon mode! :eek: I doubt even a Masterpiece would be able to replicate this, let alone a much cheaper Voyager.

The spaceship mode is pretty forgettable, but appears to be something chucked in at the last minute to give the Titan Master a vehicle to pilot. Half of it is just the front fuselage kibble which sits on the back of the robot and bottom of the cannon, and the rest is the rest of the toy deformed in awkward way pretending to be a spaceship. :p It reminds me of the vehicle modes from the Beast Wars Transmetals. And in all fairness, this mode isn't too intrusive. I suspect that the legs might've been able to fold up (similar to the CW Aerialbots' legs) if not for the spaceship mode.

But other than the head and legs, I think that Galvatron is a pretty solid toy. The head bothers me way more than the superfluous front fuselage or legs though. If they were to re-release this mould without the Headmaster gimmick where the entire head maintains full articulation and folds into the chest, then I'd be all over that toy like Michael Bay on innuendo. :p

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S.: Here (http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/radicons-customs/1075954-g1-style-titans-return-galvatron.html) is a mod job someone's done on their TR Galvatron to improve it and make it more G1-accurate. The main differences appear to be the complete removal of the front fuselage section and modification of the head and pauldrons as shoulder pylons. The simplicity of neutering the cockpit section actually shows just how unobtrusive it is, whereas reversing the Headmaster gimmick required a lot more work. Rebuilding the pauldrons as pylons also seems laborious, but looking a pics of the cannon mode they don't seem to sit as flush as the pauldrons.

[crankcase76]

The robot mode looks really nice until you get above the neck. I don't think either of the alt modes are great. I've been waiting for a great G1 Galvatron but I think this is probably the biggest disappointment for me in TR so far.

^+1, I wish I had not bought it when I transformed it.... Looks good in Alt mode but the head master thing just sucks.:(

[GoktimusPrime]

Okay, I finally worked out how to transform the legs properly. The trick for me was to flip the hip panels out. But it was still tricky to get the legs to clip together properly and even caused a stress mark around one of the tabs. The cannon mode is incredibly back heavy. I hadn't noticed it before when I had the legs transformed incorrectly because the extended legs rested on the ground like a tripod, but with the legs retracted properly it makes the back heaviness far more noticeable as there's nothing to support the rear section anymore. There's a catch on the bottom which is supposed to act as a supporting strut, but it's about as useful as the second 'r' in "library." So with the arms in a normal configuration (i.e. perpendicular to the body), the cannon ends up falling over backwards like this...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron08b_zpssa7ce0ol.jpg
Although I was able to make it stand upright but moving the arms forward, but then it also causes the cannon to aim slightly downwards.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron08a_zpsbk6uww0y.jpg
Making Galvatron's cannon mode stand up should not need to be a balancing act! :rolleyes:

I was making a side by side comparison between this toy and Universe Galvatron.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Titans%20Return/TR_galvatron09_zpsnvhewcdm.jpg
And in terms of value for money, the Deluxe - even with its flaws - is arguably a better toy. The main criticism towards Universe Galvatron has been its size and how it might've been a better toy if it had been a Voyager. The reverse feels true for Titans Return Galvatron; I think that this toy might've been better if it were a Deluxe. There's nothing really in this toy that could not have been achieved at the Deluxe size class, really. The way that the legs fold up is similar to what we see in many Deluxe Class Combiner Wars figures; it's definitely possible for Deluxes to have heads that can fold into their chests (heck, Fuzor Silverbolt does it and that toy came out in 1998!); the way that the fists flip is seen in Deluxes like TR Hardhead; having a detachable cannon is achievable in any size class... there's just nothing about this mould that justifies its Voyager price point (other than fanboys who would whinge that it's too small).

Universe Galvatron's tank mode is far more solid and satisfying that TR Galvatron's unbalanced space cannon mode. There are a lot of clever features in Universe Galvatron's transformation which allows him to transform from a grey tank to a predominantly purple robot, such as the way that parts of the tank treads manage to fold away, or how the arms tuck away etc.

My Nucleon also doesn't clip onto Galvatron tightly, it actually feels loose. Not so loose that it'd fall out, but there's no feeling of it clipping tightly into place. I tried swapping heads with Hardhead and it was impossible. Galvatron's head clip is too large for Furos and Nucleon's head is too large to clip onto Hardhead. So it appears that Galvatron and Nucleon aren't even cross compatible with other Titan Masters, so what's the bloody point of making him a Headmaster, then?!? :eek: :confused:

Methinks I need to downgrade my previous rating of this toy...

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

you must be doing something wrong there Gokster, the heads are cross compatible. I've swapped mine over with many figures. Well two headmasters no problem.

Labeling this guy worse than universe Galvatron is harsh I think, Look at your own picture. Uni Galvs' legs aren't working and he's just looking sad and depressed.;)

[philby]

hmm. i ordered this from PC ages ago, it was cheaper than the retail price so decided what the heck. It hasn't arrived yet but I'm getting some negative vibes about it so far. almost regretting it :p I don't own any other Galvatron figures though so I have nothing to compare him with.

[Sutton]

I saw a bunch of peeps over at TFW cutting off the mask and attaching it permanently to the head:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-feedback/1073545-titans-return-voyager-galvatron-3.html

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/transformers-feedback/27598001d1466912797-titans-return-voyager-galvatron-clzibevuoaayszj.jpg

[Sutton]

You lose some of the headmaster functionality but from what I've seen the whole head can just flip into the chest cavity...

[GoktimusPrime]

You lose some of the headmaster functionality but from what I've seen the whole head can just flip into the chest cavity...
^I was about to say. I take it that Nucleon can no longer fit inside the cockpit either.

I've also made up this fan profile for TR Galvatron (http://otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=23323). :)

[doublespy]

I voted no. As the lack of head articulation kills it for me. I think it's a must have for any modern action figure. It gives the figure personality.

I agree with you Goktimus that it's absolutely unnecessary to make Galvatron a headmaster, but I personally don't have any problem with him being one. In fact I'm enjoying this gimmick a lot more than I thought I'd be. The problem I have is surely they could've found a better way to make the gimmick work better and preserve the neck rotation. I don't think an external helmet would work though as it'll make the head look too big on a Voyager body. That's why only the Leaders have integrated masks (with roughly the same sized heads across the board, Deluxes look a bit bobble headed and Voyagers without any add on mask like Astrotrain and Alpha Trion look quite beefy)

I've seen him in person and he's so close to be that perfect modern Galvatron for me. The sculpt is incredibly strong and expressive and the cannon mode just captures the essence of that ridiculous design so well, better than some of the 3rd party takes imho.

Think I will pick him up eventually and mod the neck. But I don't want to compromise the head master gimmick and compatibility either.

[GoktimusPrime]

The problem I have is surely they could've found a better way to make the gimmick work better and preserve the neck rotation. I don't think an external helmet would work though as it'll make the head look too big on a Voyager body. That's why only the Leaders have integrated masks (with roughly the same sized heads across the board, Deluxes look a bit bobble headed and Voyagers without any add on mask like Astrotrain and Alpha Trion look quite beefy)
I would've preferred for Hasbro to entirely forgo the mask and just stick with Nucleon. Because Nucleon is actually sculpted to resemble Galvatron's head anyway, just not as pronounced and the detailing is obscured by the completely bland lack of colour. But if you look here (http://www.seibertron.com/images/events/437/r_nycc-2016-titans-return-045.jpg) and here (http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/TRgalvatron.JPG), you can see that if Hasbro had instead just added purple to Nucleon then the head would already look like Galvatron without the mask.

[Zommael]

Blah blah blah Universe Galvatron this, blah blah blah Universe Galvatron that. Can we all stop pretending there's more than one toy this thing needs to be compared to?

http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o525/zommael/20160819_171857_zpsq68rfenr.jpg (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/zommael/media/20160819_171857_zpsq68rfenr.jpg.html)

The proper comparison is clearly to Superlink Galvatron General! Because unlike Universe Galvatron, Galvatron General isn't a damn mess, and unlike his larger counterpart Energon Galvatron, Galvatron General scales relatively well with modern figures.

Honestly, it's tricky to actually say which is the better version of Galvy. There are a few elephaorcas in the room we need to get rid of beforehand, though. First, neither is really meant to be G1 Galvatron. Galvatron General is a separate character from a separate universe; TR Galvatron is based on the IDW comics which is kinda-sorta-not-really based on G1. Both are based on G1 Galvatron, but neither is exactly the guy people remember from cartoons and comics 30 years ago. Both are clearly based on that design, but "level of G1 accurateness" isn't exactly a fair consideration here.

Secondly, weight. Galvatron General is notably heavier than TR Galvatron, which will probably upset the people who are concerned about such things. However, this is because TR Galvatron has the advantage of 10 years of engineering developments over General (I'm just gonna call him General now, okay?), which aside from allowing the designers to do more with less actual material, also result in better articulation and a more intricate transformation. However, improved engineering alone does not a better toy make.

TR Galvatron is let down a bit by the Titanmaster gimmick. Well, not the Titanmaster gimmick exactly. It's the battle mask that's the problem. Back in Combiner Wars, Hasbro failed to make every character actually be a combiner, with the leader class toys missing out completely on the gimmick. Someone at Hasbro clearly thought that was a misstep, and so with TR everyone has a detachable head, which is cool. But unfortunately, when they were designing Galvatron, some bright spark decided that instead of integrating the head sculpt properly into the Titanmaster component, they'd save on paint (I guess?) by making Galvatron's iconic helmet into a mask, and leave the Titanmaster mostly Hasbro grey (blech). I really wish they'd just changed "Nucleon's" (it's really Megatron, everyone can see that) design a little bit so the helmet was incorporated somehow, or at least painted it a matching purple, but they did not, and the result is... frustrating. I plan on customising my Galvatron anyway, so I'm going to see if painting the head purple salvages it, but the battle mask just doesn't quite work. It limits head articulation when it is up and is hardly ever in just the right place. When down, Galvatron has an unpainted grey head that doesn't match the rest of the body at all. It's irksome, most irksome. On the other hand, General's gimmicks, I'm glad to report, aren't so limiting. So 1-0 to the older toy, so far.

I mentioned paint and Hasbro grey in the previous paragraph. I'm sad to report that while TR Galvatron is a beautiful deep shade of violet (the same as CW Cyclonus), he also has a copious amount of Hasbro grey on his legs and kibble. This is really disappointing. Hasbro grey has never once in its pathetic existence done anything other than blighted this toyline looked anything like silver or metallic or anything other than unpainted plastic. Sure, Galvatron has a vaguely similar colour on his legs in G1, but it just looks lame translated to 3D. General, on the other hand, doesn't use this awful colour at all. On the other hand, his purple is slightly less awesomely vibrant, and he doesn't have the detailing on his abs that TR Galvatron does. He does use a copious amount of black which kinda makes his purple parts look oddly disconnected from the rest of him. It's actually tough to call this one, because despite the Hasbro grey, TR Galvatron does look good... but that boring shade just ruins it for me. I guess it's 2-0 to General.

Where TR Galvatron wins hands down - like his wavemate Sentinel Prime - is sculpted detail. There's a copious amount of panel lining, tech detailing, every kind of sculpting you could want in this toy. It's a shame Hasbro's budget doesn't stretch to actually highlighting this, but they've never been early 2000s McFarlane Toys as far as paint is concerned, so I'm not surprised. General just doesn't have that. He has some, sure, but it's not as intricate or as well designed as TR Galvatron's, so 2-1.

Finally, articulation. TR Galvatron is significantly better here, with ankle tilts (who doesn't love ankle tilts), a full range of motion in the legs, and the same in the arms. General on the other hand barely moves. Well, not barely, but Energon/Superlink was a sort of transitory line between the absolute bricks of Armada and the more articulated toys that were the bulk of Cybertron. His legs and arms are impeded by ratchets that are way too wide. TR Galvatron's only impediment is the tank tracks on his arms. So 2-2, with this one going to TR Galvatron.

The alt modes of both toys are much of a muchness. I probably prefer General's just because I like the design of the spaceship, but people have different standards. TR Galvatron's is more Geewun, I'll allow, but that shouldn't be a consideration. What is is that it works remarkably well, unlike the third mode which is just a little odd and underdesigned. It's like someone said that they needed to have a third mode because all the other toys in the line did, so they decided on spaceship to homage Energon/SL Galvatron, but then didn't manage to make it look anything like General, gave up, went home, and moved on to the next toy in the morning. It's okay, I guess, but I can't really compare a toy with two modes to one with three and find it better because the third mode is a bit of an afterthought. It's a tie, so no point.

Honestly, the reason TR Galvatron is going to win this one is because of availability. Really, it's a fine toy, at least as good as its predecessor. You should definitely get it if you don't have a modern Galvatron or only have Universe Galvatron which is a disaster. To be honest, with the way the design of these toys has been going, being as good as a toy from ten years ago might be seen as a compliment by some fans. But TR Galvatron is a good toy in his own right. It's just that some of the choices made are perplexing. All that said, I would definitely recommend it. It's a good toy. Just only as good as a ten year old obscure Japanese repaint. :p

[shockNwave]

At one point I was put off buying this toy because of the horrible spaceship mode (you're right Zommael, it looks like an afterthought) but as the Meatloaf song goes "Two out of three ain't bad" and so the robot and cannon modes save the day. Also the only other Galvatron in my collection is the Universe one, so I'm happy to find one that has a ton of integrity for the spirit of the G1 movie and the memory of Leonard Nimoy RIP.

[philby]

I just acquired mine this morning and it opened it up. This is my first ever Galvatron toy. Initial first up thoughts are that this mask thing is stupid and why can't he have rotating wrists. Hmmm.

[Dimi194]

Just got this guy today and hmmm....

I think he looks great (except the head), but the actual figure is a bit painful. Legs are nice, but the tiny side armour pieces keep popping off on mine and disappearing into the never never.

Arm are okay, but the awkward attachment of the big cannon is a pain and the hollow forearms are the worst on any TR/CW figure that I've noticed (not sure why, maybe the colouring?)

Jet mode is fun, cannon mode doesn't mean anything to me (know nothing about G1 hahaha).

Now the head.... I actually think it looks okay (would be nice if Nucleon was purple like TT) but the biggest annoyance for me is the lack of rotation; considering they knocked Alpha Trion, Sentinel/Astro and Blaster out of the park re: add on mask-y things, idk why they mucked this one up so much, esp considering the need to turn the figure sidewards to get any meaningful poses with the arm cannon!

Overall great idea, but a lot of small niggles... he was the Voyager I was most keen for but he's coming in a solid last :P

[philby]

yeah i pretty tempted actually to check out some options for this. I know there are at least an arm/cannon thingy from people 3d printing on shapeways and possible a head thingy as well.

[CHILENO20]

yeah i pretty tempted actually to check out some options for this. I know there are at least an arm/cannon thingy from people 3d printing on shapeways and possible a head thingy as well.

Shapeways 3rd party cannon joint is recommended. I have it on my TT Galvatron and it works really well.

[philby]

I've transformed him to cannon then spaceship spaceship spaceship! and back to robot again. I voted 'only if something else' - if you have no other galvatron like me. I just don't feel very wowed about it. You can't move his head. Pretty much at all! That's just not on. The tailfin thing gets in the way of the waist rotation. There are no swivels or anything on the arms or wrists. The cannon and attachment are really bulky on the arms. The tank treads just sit there behind his arms. In cannon mode there is no attempt to hide or smooth out any of the robot mode leg details. I don't know if my expectations are too high but I feel like in this day and age there should have been more effort on some of these aspects for this size and price toy.

I dunno, it is a bit of a letdown and I'm surprised at how negative I am about it. The robot mode has heaps of fantastic detail but it seems a bit of a waste.