Toy Review - Titans Return Scourge
SCOURGE
Series – Titans Return
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 1
Released here – August 2016
Approximate Retail Price - $29.99
Approximate Size - 14.5cm
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode – Hydrofoil^spaceship (apparently)
Main Features/Gimmicks – Headmaster
Main Colours – blue, sky-blue
Main Accessories – small gun, large gun, "Fracas" Target^Titan Master
ALT MODE
I said this in 1986 and I'ma gonna say it again - it's a hovercraft! Seriously, imagine that you'd never seen Scourge appear before in the G1 cartoon, comics or anything else - as was actually the case when this toy first came out... you'd swear that it's a freakin' boat! Is it just me? Oh, fine then, it's a spaceboat! :p
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psmieq2txe.jpg
This interstellar yacht mode is clearly designed to appeal to G1 fans, and in this regard it does a reasonably good job. The colours and overall shape of the cosmic raft do bear a strong resemblance to the G1 toy's astro barge mode, only looking more slick and streamlined. Being a Headmaster there's a cockpit on the aft for Fracas with a clear blue window. There are also two ballast discharge holes on both the port and starboard stern. There is a pronounced deck with two pegs for Titan Masters to stand on. Along the hull are two panels (that form the shins in robot mode) which resemble hydrofoils. I must admit that I was initially reserved about the idea of Scourge being a Headmaster, and I'm still not entirely chuffed about the concept, but one cool pay off is that Fracas can ride inside Scourge's cockpit, just as he did in G1 during the Time Wars. Fracas can also attach to the top of Scourge's tower which resembles the way that Scourge's head occasionally popped up in alt mode in the G1 cartoon and comics.
FRACAS (or "Gunn Not Hed!")
I don't have G1 Targetmaster Scourge (as that toy was never released in Australia and has never been reissued), so here's a pic next to United Fracas instead.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psr7qj21nk.jpg
First up, the colours are all wrong for Fracas. And the mould is based on Nightstick (Cyclonus' TM partner) rather than Fracas... so all up he looks more like Fizzle. :o Was it that hard to make him grey? :confused: The head mode looks too blocky and contrasts with the slimmer proportions of the front of the head (which looks more like G1 Scourge). Scourge's head now looks like a cross between a Blockhead from Gumby and Lobot from Star Wars. :rolleyes: It looks like TakaraTOMY have tried to make this less noticeable by painting the block section in a lighter blue. The small and large guns can combine and Fracas can ride inside the large gun which can also attach to the top of the tower in Scourge's alt mode.
TRANSFORMATION
With this level of G1 accuracy it's inevitable that TR Scourge is going to be a bit of shellformer considering that G1 Scourge is a massive shellformer. And considering that the shell "wings" are an iconic part of the character's look, I don't blame HasTak for keeping that in.
ROBOT MODE
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psmov0njwv.jpg
A fairly cartoon-accurate robot mode, which is based on Sunbow's more "muscular" looking robot mode as opposed to Floro Dery's originally more scrawny or scraggly looking robot design (which the G1 toy and comic model are based off). The colours are quite bland, but G1 toy-accurately so (only that the thighs aren't grey). The TakaraTOMY version has greater diversity in colours and bears greater resemblance to the G1 cartoon; but both versions are good, it's just that Hasbro's is more toy accurate and TakTOM's is show-accurate. 15 points of articulation give this figure a good range of poseability. Unfortunately the nature of the transformation means that waist articulation has been sacrificed.
The 5mm post means that TR Scourge can also hold United Fracas in gun mode.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...psvcetrfk9.jpg
OVERALL
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pslkinj3be.jpg
Objectively speaking Generations Scourge is the better toy. Gen Scourge's alt mode is clearly a jet (actually inspired by the Boeing X-48 UAV). No Boaty McBoatface there! Generations Scourge is also not a shellformer and has a much better colour scheme and greater articulation (although TR Scourge's shoulder articulation is better and less fiddly). While TR Scourge has emotional/nostalgic appeal, objective logic suggests that Generations Scourge is still the better toy. I'm not a great fan of the Headmaster gimmick for this character, but I admit that its due to my subjective G1 fanboyness, and objectively there's nothing actually wrong with Scourge being a Headmaster. I'm sure younger fans who never grew up with knowledge of TM Scourge wouldn't give a flying hovercraft. If a G1 accurate Classicsverse Scourge toy is something that you're looking for, then this toy may be for you. The TakaraTOMY version moreso if you're into show-likeness. Either way, this is a reasonably good and solid figure. Recommended if this sort of thing floats your spaceship.
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http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pst72ok2gd.jpg
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