Transformers Masterpiece MP-58 Hoist

Another new G1 mold in the Masterpiece series is always a great occasion since Takara release them so slowly these days. The previous Trailbreaker was pretty awesome, and this new Hoist is just as good. If you think the transformation is a reuse from the Trailbreaker, you'd be completely wrong! The engineers at Takara have done some incredible work to design a very similar car mode, coupled with a completely different transformation, into a bot mode that matches the cartoon aesthetic perfectly.

Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe to stay tuned for upcoming reviews.

Box and packaging is the usual standard Masterpiece style, and the set comes with a decent array of accessories. You can recreate some of the classic scenes from the cartoon episodes, such as when they all acted on set in alien masks.

There's also the swap out bumper piece to go with the more realistic chromed look or the cartoon style matte grey finish. I love the cartoon look, but I always use that bit of chrome when provided on figures, since I think it adds that extra bit of premium style on display.

The main attraction is of course the figure itself. The car mode is awesome, with a beautiful deep green and orange paint app. The rear carriage folds down and can tow other vehicles if you hook them over the little notch at the end.

I found the wheel clearance not that great, but that was resolved after a bit of adjusting after transformation. But I tend to keep my main cast of characters in bot mode anyway, so it wouldn't have been a problem for my display.

The doors and hood open just like they did on Trailbreaker. The details are slightly different under the hood, mostly influenced by the different transformation sequences. You can fit one of the human accessories from previous figures into the car, but it's pretty tight and I didn't even bother trying.

Overall, if you're a fan of car mode, you'll love this new Hoist. I think it's a pretty faithful representation of the Hilux variants that were produced back in the day.

But I'm a bot mode fa, and Hoist does not disappoint. The transformation sequence is drammatically different to Trailbreaker's and really do bring out the chunky stature Hoist had in the cartoon. The hips and thighs are a very faithful recreation of the cartoon aesthetic, and it really makes him stand out as something different amongst the MP cast.

They include a couple of swap out face plates too. I decided to go with the look he had in the episode with Grapple and the Constructicons, with the more pronounced chin guard.

There were only a couple of trickier parts in the transformation sequence. The panel rotation and folding in the shoulder areas can be confusing, so definitely follow the official Takara transformation video to make sure you do it right.

The other trickier part was making sure the backpack pegged into the back of the waist tightly. The first time will require quite some effort, but you will hear a satisfying click as it pegs in properly. Once that is done, the figure holds together very well and looks like he just jumped out of the 80s TV screen.

Side by side with Trailbreaker, the major differences in transformation and design become obvious. I love how the Takara engineers were able to factor this between the two characters, giving them the unique style that they deserve, as opposed to reusing the mold like the classic G1 toy. I think Takara has found the perfect balance in bot mode proportions whilst maintaining that realistic licensed car mode.

Displayed with MP Grapple, these two really do look like they came straight out of the G1 cartoon episode. It just makes me wish even harder for Takara to hurry up and do a proper MP Constructicon series!

All in all, I think if you're a G1 cartoon fan, then this new Hoist is a no-brainer. I just hope Takara continues this amazing design aesthetic and give us more G1 Season 1/2 characters this year.

Transformers Masterpiece MP-47 Hound

It's always great when new molds of G1 characters are released in the Takara Transformers Masterpiece series. They seem to be coming out slower and slower these days, so the anticipation really builds up. Hound is no exception, and for the most part Takara has designed a fantastic figure.....except for one key aspect in production that has ruined it for many.

Luckily for me the widely reported cracking plastic has not happened to my figure. I have only been able to see a tiny crack on the neck armature piece near the back of the head at the rear. It's show in my video review at the link below. Click through to watch the full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

The packaging is as we all know and love in the MP series. The contents are well stacked with accessories as shown below. The jeep hood and hologram effects are nice to have, but I won't be using them in my display. Many of the car parts that can be left attached during transformation I also left off, such as the rear cannon and spare wheel and fuel canister.

The new Spike figure included in this set is scaled well with the jeep mode, but this means it's quite a bit larger than the previous Spike figures that came with Bumblebee and Optimus. At least this one, with the larger size, doesn't keep popping off its arms and legs like the others!

The jeep mode is beautiful, has that official licence aesthetic to it, and the paint app is a gorgeous matte green which I really like. I'm glad they went with this colour and not a darker green like the original G1 toy. I much prefer the cartoon style.

The first thing pretty much everyone will do when unboxing in this jeep mode is check it over for cracks. Straight out of the box, mine was fine. The usual places for cracks include the side footrest hinges, the front pins/hinges near the front wheels, and the hinge at the rear panel that needs to be pulled out slightly.

It will do well for people to watch transformation videos on YouTube that clearly show where you should avoid placing pressure. This will definitely help in preventing cracks or breakages with your figure.

The transformation is rather complex, at least for me. I took my time and slowing manipulated every panel as I watched transformation videos. The engineering in the feet and lower legs is fantastic, and definitely the Masterpiece Moment for me on this one. If you go slow, and make sure the panels are all folded in the right way, the lower legs and feet will collapse together really well, and shouldn't stress the plastic.

The upper body transformation does have a couple of scary parts, especially the cannon and head armature piece. There is a single screw at the rear hold that armature in place as it swings, and it is screwed in very tight. Moving the arm is what causes many of the cracks. General advice has been to loosen that screw, but even as I did that I saw the tiny crack appear.

Luckily that's the only place that I've seen cracks, but many also have cracks at the back of the knees along the hinges there, and near the sides of the chest. Now that I've transformed mine into bot mode, he'll be staying that way pretty much forever in my display cabinet.

The bot mode is simply amazing, and for me is by far the best looking Hound out of all the options at the moment. There's barely any kibble that people love to complain about, and he looks very accurate to the cartoon. He fits in beautifully with the new Optimus and Bumblee, and complements the + versions of the Lambor and Nissan molds really well too.

Overall, I think Takara designed a fantastic figure, but let themselves and collectors down with sub-standard plastic. The hinges or the pins are simply putting too much stress on the plastic, resulting in many reports of breakages. It's certainly ruined the experience for many collectors. Hopefully if they do a repaint or a reissue, the plastic quality is improved, because this design deserves to be given the best production value it can.

If it wasn't for all the reports of breakages, I'm pretty sure Hound would go down as one of the best figures in the MP series. But as of now, it's really a matter of what could have been! Mine's still holding up ok with a few pose changes, but here's hoping it doesn't start falling apart!

Vintage G1 Transformers Retrospectives

It's the 30th anniversary of Transformers this year, so I thought I'd join in the celebration by doing some retrospective videos on the vintage G1 Transformers figures that I still have.

Back in 1984, my grandfather bought my brother and I our first Transformers toys for Christmas, which started my love of Transformers ever since. After I moved out of home, I had packed all the toys into several boxes and left them at my parents house. About 10 years later after I had built my new place with my family, I got a call from my parents saying it was probably time for me to move my crap out of their place! :)

And lo and behold, the boxes I had packed and forgotten about were still there! Thankfully my parents hadn't thrown anything out, and the Transformers I had packed away were all still there waiting to get some much needed fresh air!

I initially thought about selling them, but once I started looking over them more closely, I couldn't just throw away all that nostalgia and memories about my grandfather helping us put the stickers on, and opening them up on Christmas Day! And now that I'm going through them now, and playing with them with my son, I'm definitely glad I kept them.

So here's my first retrospective video on Optimus Prime, definitely one of the most iconic toys from the 80s era. This was actually my brother's first Transformers toy, but luckily it fell to me to look after it :)

And here's my second video, this time of my own first Transformer. Soundwave and his cassettes are a little worse for wear, but I love these guys so much! My affection for these grew even more when the Masterpiece versions were released, and I could see in hand the amazing transition from the iconic toys of the 80s to the engineering marvels of today!

I'll be doing videos for the rest of my G1 collection too, with some of the Autobot Season 1 cars next. So I hope you can tune in and check out my thoughts on these great toys. Subscribe, like, and comment with your own thoughts! I love responding to all the comments on my videos! :)