According to Planet Iacon Takara will be releasing both Jumpstarters as Targetmasters!
You can read more on TFW2005 and Seibertron.
I was already debating the Takara versions before this announcement but now I’m eagerly awaiting the preorders!
Tag: Jumpstarters
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Bringing the Unexpected: Part Four – Twin Twist
Twin Twist has finally arrived at Junkion HQ and the Jumpstarters are finally complete!
In photos Twin Twist’s tank treads can look very thin and Topspin’s wings do not lock in place so I had been a little concerned about how the treads would work. But with the actual toy in hand I’m happy to say that they stay in place very well in both modes. There’s no real lock but they are tighter than Topspin’s wings.
Like his mold-mate, Twin Twist has a great transformation that compacts everything into the vehicle mode for a very solid feel. Not only is it a great update of the original, but the cockpit is very well integrated and feels like it should always have been there.
Also like his mold-mate, Twin Twist’s biggest difference from the original is the height difference. There is no question that these are the same ‘bot. You may notice that my G1 Twin Twist is not exactly pristine – it is my original toy and features a catalog Autobot symbol that I glued on after the sticker wore off.
After seeing a solid color parts swap of Twin Twist and Topspin on TFW2005 and realizing how much I loved Topspin I decided to double-dip. After much debate I finally settled on donating these bodies to Clobber and Ptero. I thought that he blue for Ptero would evoke the Diaclone figure while the white Clobber would have a Beast Wars feel.
Swoop was another figure that I owned “back in the day” and I was very excited when Ptero was announced, especially after seeing how great Clobber’s beast mode turned out. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by Ptero’s mini-vehicle and am much happier with him in his new form (at least until we receive the true Swoop next year).
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Bringing the Unexpected: Part Two – Comparisons
Yesterday’s post was inspired by the arrival of Topspin and I didn’t take the time to dig out the original G1 figures for a full comparison. Part Two corrects that omission:
Clone Generations
Both Clones are roughly the same height and are clearly the same design.
That shared design extends to the vehicle mode where the two have pretty much the same transformation.
Sadly, Fastlane is missing his spoiler, he probably left it “somewhere safe.”
Jumpstarter Generations
It is clear that these are both the same bot. But it is equally clear that the Titans Return version is a much more advanced and modern design that greatly benefits from the removal of the Jumpstarter gimmick. For my money exchanging the G1 gimmick with the Titan Master is more than a fair trade.
-Hey buddy, don’t loose your head!
-Quiet tiny!One of the trademarks of the G1 Jumpstarters was their transformation: step one – fold in half, step two – there is no step two.
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Bringing the Unexpected
Titans Return is a line full of the unexpected. We’re seeing toys based on G1 figures that I thought would never have been considered, much less released. I’m still kind of stunned that I have modern versions of both a Clone and a Jumpstarter sitting beside me on my desk. The very idea that the Twin Twist and Pounce are already announced and Cloudraker and Wingspan practically guaranteed is just mind boggling.
The Clone
Part of the Chaos on Velocitron box set, the diminutive Fastclash (Fastlane to his friends) is the first modern clone to arrive on the scene. The figure itself is pretty simple and has, except for the missing hip swivel, about the expected amount of articulation for a figure of this size. In the center of the chest is a tribute to the heat sensitive sticker unique to the G1 Clones that identified which vehicle each clone transformed into.
Transformation is simple, fold in the fists, pivot the arms onto the chest, snap the legs together, fold down the feet then pivot the head so that the spoiler is on top.
Just like with the G1 version, the drag racer mode is, let’s say; not quite an accurate representation of a real-world vehicle. However, the new fold up driver seat for Titan Master drivers is a nice touch.
The oddest thing about Fastclash, aside from actually being released, are the extra hinges built into his hips. These strange hinges seem to imply sort of secondary combined configuration with the yet to be announced Cloudraker. I can’t quite imagine what that configuration could be but there must be some reason for it aside from enabling cheerleader poses.
The Jumpstarter
Part of the fourth wave of deluxes, Topspin is an impressive modernization of the character. Back in the day, I only had Twin Twist in my collection so this purchase was just a preview of the figure I really wanted. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like this mold. The transformation is fun and the robot folds up in a fashion similar to Combiner Wars limbs to give the vehicle mode a nice solid feel.
As with all headmasters, transformation begins by decapitating the figure. The back panel of the legs pivots out allowing you to fold the feet into the robot calf. Pushing the calves up will slide them over the robot thighs, the legs then snap together. The hips fold forward and the knee flaps fold in to become the air intakes of the jet mode. The bottom half of the figure rotates to move the back of the legs so that they face the robot chest. The front of the robot chest then spins so that the hips can be locked onto the robot shoulders. The nosecone folds down to reveal the Titan Master cockpit. Make sure that the peg on the back of the Titan Master legs is pushed in at the very front of the slot in the floor of the cockpit or the canopy will not fully close. A door on the back of the robot forearms opens so that the fists can fold in and the forearms can be folded back over the upper arms. After closing the flaps the arms slot snugly beside the cockpit and snap into place. The robot weapons slot into the underside of each wing to complete the transformation.
The Conclusion
I’m quite pleased with both of these figures but Topspin is, by far, my favorite. My anticipation for Twin Twist is even greater now that I’ve had such a great introduction to the mold.
An Aside
Perhaps, it’s all just monkey business…
