Toy Review - TR Kup with Flintlock

[GoktimusPrime]

That's fair enough. My opinion on this toy is extremely limited until I can see/handle one IRL. Donations welcome.

[doublespy]

-Infinite play possibilities. The Headmaster option opens a whole new world of options both in robot and in alt mode. Where the previous release had 1 rifle, this one has 2 compatible with Titan Masters, further enhancing it.

-Transformation: The TR version is simpler to transform back and forth than the CHUG version and cooler too. If you're anything like me and have jack hammer fingers, you'll appreciate the ease at which you can switch modes. The arms in the chest spring load trick the CHUG version utilised left me less than impressed. Kids want that ability to transform between alt modes to further enhance their play time.

-Articulation: The TR version isn't hindered by shoulder wheels or arm panels or massive sides of a pick up hanging off the sides of his legs.

All in all, I'm of the opinion that TR Kup is an improvement over his CHUG counterpart in both aesthetic and play value.

100% agreed.

Visual aesthetics (i.e. G1 bias) aside, how do you think that this toy is superior to the previous Generations Kup?

What Sinnertwin said

Aesthetics aside, TR Kup is a better transforming toy, and a better action figure hands down. I transform and pose my figures regularly and he's a ton of fun. I think starting from Titans Return Hasbro have finally found that fine balance between making great toys for kids and collectibles for fans.

I personally prefer "update" rather than "re-imagining". The combiner teams from Combiner Wars just had the perfect amount of "updating", without either being "slavishly G1" or too different from their G1 self, and Titans Return is continuing this aesthetic trend. I don't see this beats the purpose of collecting Masterpiece. MP gives me the definitive versions of the G1 characters that I set up nice display for, and occasionally take to admire their fantastic engineering. The CHUG ones are modern takes on those character that are fun action figures. I can pick them up and transform without having to be too careful about scratching paint or leaving finger prints on chromed parts, etc. And these ones don't try/need to be a definitive version of that character, but take influences from various time/space of the vast TF universe. Being "slavishly G1" only happened twice as far as I can remember: CW Devastator and TR Sixshot, both figures were designed to be MP stand-ins (gifts from Shogo Hasui to the fans the way I see it). And they can still fit right in CW and TR collections without looking too antithetically different.

Actually, like I said in my blog review, I thought that if his arms were grey instead of their current colour he would be an almost perfect match for his Marvel incarnation rather than IDW. To each their own though

I'm not very familiar with the Marvel version but you may be right. It's the beauty of an elective aesthetic so that everyone can think of it as more of one version than another.

[GoktimusPrime]

Finally got this toy.

PROS
+ Aesthetically more G1 accurate than Generations Kup.
+ Kibble-free robot mode
+ Interactive Titan Master play pattern which doesn't impede with the toy's engineering.

Much like TR Wheelie, I really like the way that TR Kup is able to extend and compact his body to make it small in robot mode but large in vehicle mode. They've added some nice features to make it not look too slavishly G1 and more reality grounded, such as an actual tailgate, compartment doors on the sides of the vehicle etc. They've managed to recreate the G1 alt mode and improve on some of its core weaknesses, particular the rear section of the vehicle - something which G1 designer Ono Koujin has said was a particularly sore point for the 80s Takara design team. So it's cool to see that Takara have been able to revisit and finally address this issue.

I also quite like how the guns, when combined, have a Targetmaster-esque quality to it (although too short-barrelled for Recoil, but still neat ). The use of yellow highlights throughout the toy is also nicely done and helps to break up some of the grey. The metallic electric blue eyes are also a nice feature, and one that might elude some people unless you look closely.

The guns can be plugged onto the sides or rear bed of the vehicle, and on the rear the guns can be combined or plugged in separately into two separate holes. There are also several pegs to allow other Titan Masters to stand on Kup's tray bed, so Kup can actually carry a small squad of Titan Masters.

CONS
- Straight up - Generations Kup is the better toy (IMHO), especially in terms of value for money
- While G1 accurate, the lighter turqoise doesn't look as nice as the darker shade on Generations Kup
- The forearms and/or hands really should be grey
- That face. Not sure why this Kup has been sculpted with a smiling duckface. I know that a lot of people weren't fans of Generations Kup's "gasping Yoda" face, but I prefer it over "smiling duckface" Kup. He's not meant to be a teenage schoolgirl.
- The weapon stowage on vehicle mode - they either clip to the sides of the vehicle (which looks silly) or they can clip onto the vehicle tray and face backwards but not forwards. Generations Kup's rifle can either be clipped on the underside (forming a second muffler) or it can be clipped on the roof and pivot 360° on its x-axis as well as up and down along its y-axis. Generations Kup's vehicle mode feels like it's better equipped for anti-aircraft combat (like the human resistance vs Skynet )
- While TR Kup's sculpt has some great features, it's sadly lost due to the lack of paint apps. And quite frankly, the G1-accurate fantasy mode just doesn't look nearly as good as the more realistic looking ute on Generations Kup, with things like a painted grill, transparent head and tail lights, better sculpted and painted tray bed etc. Generations Kup is the superior robot in disguise, so objectively speaking (i.e. removing our G1 goggles), I have to give Generations Kup the win for alt mode.

OVERALL

I don't think that TR Kup is a bad toy; there are some really nice features on it. But IMHO Generations Kup is by far the superior figure. TR Kup is still a nice toy in its own right, but I don't think that it's worth paying $25 or more for, especially considering that Generations Kup sold here for $20-25.

PHOTOS

[KingGrimlock]

I think nearly every thought I've had about this toy has been discussed above, however after receiving it I feel like it's one of those figures where it's completely different in hand than it is in pictures. I hated the colors, I hated the face sculpt and I didn't like the over all build however getting him in hand changed that, I think it's a really nice balanced figure and seeing all the details up close have made a world of difference for me. I'm still not sure whether I prefer this version or the generations, each has there own style but to me both scream kup.

[SuspectimusPrime]

I agree that the colours were far too garish, they could have wound it back by a few shades. The leg transformation is the best part of this toy. Unfortunately my fig has a floppy waist swivel, floppy legs, and his fish holes are too loose - the guns can nearly spin a full circle when I shake it.

I like that there's plenty of room in the cab section of his alt mode. Plenty of opportunity for a future third-party face swap + cygar add-on to hide there when transformed.

[shockNwave]

I could swear that the G1 ute mode (using '86 movie as reference) had a longer back section but anyway I've always found his Cybertronian ute mode uninspiring since I saw the movie when I was a kid.

P.S. I sympathise with Suspectimus Prime. My one has the handle on one of the guns poorly moulded so that it swivels way too easily in his hands.