Toy Review - Titans Return Twinferno

[GoktimusPrime]

TWINFERNO
Series – Titans Return
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 3
Released here – November 2016
Approximate Retail Price - $29.99
Approximate Size - 13.5cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode – Two-headed dragon (dicephalic parapagus draco basiliscus)
Main Features/Gimmicks – Headmaster
Main Colours – grey, black, red, white
Main Accessories – small gun, large gun, "Daburu" Titan Master

What's in a name?

Evidently Hasbro has lost the trademark for "Doublecross" so they've gone with combining the English word "twin" with the Latin word "inferno" <insert.rant>. However Hasbro have at least managed to keep the "Double" part of the name alive in the Titan Master's name "Daburu," which is an Anglocisation of the Japanese word 'daburu' (ダブル), which comes from the English (actually Latin via French) word "double." So yeah, 'Daburu' is the word "Double." I suppose by Japanising the spelling they've managed to circumvent trademark.

BEAST MODE



Twinferno transforms into a daburu-headed dragon. There's a decent amount of articulation in the necks/heads, and the rest of the body is fairly basic. Clipping the robot legs together to form the hind section and tail was tricky, especially attaching the grey leg parts onto the torso. Also clipping the red shoulder parts in place was also a bit fiddly - the trick is the move the shoulders forwards or backwards until the tabs are aligned precisely and snap into position. The guns combine and attach onto the back, and Daburu (or any other Titan Master) is able to sit there. Now the weird thing is that Daburu must either be positioned to look upwards (like he's staring into the sun), or Twinferno can be placed laying down as if he's flying and thus Daburu is facing forwards. Unfortunately the weight distribution of the toy doesn't allow for it to have a horizontal body while standing up, so it's either with Daburu facing up while Twinferno stands upright, or Daburu facing forwards while Twinferno is lying on his front.


"Falkor, it's wonderful!"

ROBOT MODE



The sculpting on this mould is pretty much perfect. It's everything you could ask for for a Classicsverse take on Doublecross. The colours are also well done, there's just no real complaints about this mould visually. I wish that the hands were able to rotate at the wrist side to side, but considering that this toy already boasts a whopping 23 points of articulation, I'm probably just being greedy. The guns are meant to be able to be mounted on the shoulders, but mine has tabs that are either two small or the holes are too big, either way it won't lock in. I don't know if other Twinfernos have this problem, but this feature is pretty much useless on mine. Having said that, the guns can be held by both hands and they can be mounted on the wings (and swung forward over the shoulders anyway).

DABURU

What is with the monocled dog-face?! Was he dropped at birth?
"You are one ugly smother-trucker." #gettodachoppa
Apparently it's a homage to White Leo. Part of me thinks that it'd be cool to imagine that Daburu isn't a human or Nebulan under that armour, but a Beastformer. The Headmaster gimmick does nothing for me on this toy. I don't love or hate it, it's just... meh. Although in the G1 comics, the Monsterbots did accompany Fortress Maximus and his Autobots aboard the Steelhaven, so it's possible that they might've returned and ... whatever, a wizard did it.



OVERALL

Superfluous Headmaster gimmick aside, this is a pretty darn good toy and excellent modern update of Doublecross. Highly recommended if you're a fan of the character and the Headmaster gimmick doesn't bother you that much.


P.S.: Obviously one gimmick on the G1 toy that Hasbro can no longer replicate on a contemporary figure is the sparking gimmick, which toy companies don't use anymore since this kind of gimmick can set children's clothes on fire!