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
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.

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. 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!

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→←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.

...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.


PICTURES

Robot mode - that is literally as far as the head can turn with the mask on


Without the mask


Cannon mode


Spaceship spaceship spaceship!


Nucleon: The Search for Colour


Spot the difference


Apparently if you hold Galvatron upside in spaceship mode he becomes a gun

Or more accurately, just an upside down spaceship...