The Energon Pub

Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:15 pm

Hi,

I recently purchased both Pointblank and Crosshairs Targetmasters when looking at them I have noticed the copyright stamps on the two transformers states "Hasbro 1987, Takara co, LTD 1987 but the part of this stamp which has me wondering, is that it has "Taiwan" at the end which to my knowledge G1 transformers that are not reissues should have "Japan" stamped on them.

What I would like to know is, have I bought knockoffs?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:39 pm

Your correct on the reissue part as they say made in china as opposed to japan but taiwan???
Toys today ie : rotf are made in china but again...Taiwan, i too would like to know. Someone chime in !!!!

Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:08 pm

Well, my Crosshairs is in storage, but I checked the stamping on my Pointblank. It does say Taiwan.

News Credits: 5749 · Wed Mar 17, 2010 7:23 pm

They aren't KO's. I know for a fact mine aren't KO's and they also say Taiwan at the end.

News Credits: 5 · Thu Mar 18, 2010 6:01 pm

Just checked Crosshairs and it says Taiwan. I've got Pointblank at my Mum's house and I'll check next time I'm there but I reckon that'll say Taiwan too. I've had these figures since I was 9 and I'm currently 32 so I'm sure there's no knockoffery going on here.

Sun Mar 21, 2010 6:42 am

Thanks alot for the replies, I'm glad I've got the real deal then and not some knock off. I don't suppose if anyone knows why they are stamped Taiwan? I also own all the decepticon Targetmasters and they do not have Taiwan stamped on them and the two Autobot headmasters I have don't have it either. :-?

News Credits: 56 · Sat Jun 05, 2021 2:25 pm

Big Necropost here, but I just had a question in general about Targetmasters (partially to do with a possible rumor of rereleases of the Titans return Decepticon TM)...but anyway...

It's been a LONG time since I've seen any of the 1987 TM's in person, and I never personally have seen any of the smaller double Targetmasters offered in 1988.

All that being said, I was just wondering how many iterations of Targetmasters themselves are there?

I mean I know the 1987 and 1988 ones have different designs, but it's ok with we lump them together in the original series.

Then we jump all the way to the 21st century and the Universe line. Are the TM's that come with (for example) Cyclonus and Hotrod somethign competely new? Or just repaints of *G1* Targetmasters?

Also there's T30 Scoop, and Needlenose/Spinister from the TFSS 4.0 (both come with 2 TM), were they something new or reused?

Then there are the Targetmasters for the TT Legends Line, and lastly the most recent Battlemasters in the WFC line.

So basically, can we say there are 3 or 4 different versions of Targetmasters? Or is it more complicated than that?

News Credits: 241 · Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:01 pm

Just to debunk the rumor mentioned: the images of "future waves" that were posted a few months ago were hoaxes, somewhat bad ones too. The next Retro wave will be Beast Wars, and has always been planned like that.

As for iterations of Targetmasters, before Siege they were mostly standalone and not really meant to be "standards" for future releases. What doesn't help is that nowadays any toy that can turn into a weapon is fair game for the "Targetmaster" moniker, including Action Master partners, the BM Deployers, Mini-Cons incl. the PCC ones...

If we limit ourselves to remakes of the G1 original characters and their redecos, we get like 3 versions at the most for some. To start things of, here's a list of G1 Targetmaster remake molds (no redecos), per line:

Universe 2008
Cyclonus with Nightstick

Masterpiece
Rodimus Prime with Offshoot aka Firebolt
Artfire with Nightstick

Legends (Not necessarily properly paired)
Pointech aka Pinpointer
Spoil aka Spoilsport
Peaceman aka Peacemaker
Blowpipe
Aimless
Caliburst
Firebolt
Recoil
Haywire

Generations
T30
Scoop with Holepunch and Caliburst aka Tracer

Titans Return (no transforming guns)
Triggerhappy with Blowpipe
Misfire with Aimless
Slugslinger with Caliburst

Siege
Firedrive
Blowpipe
Aimless

Crosshairs (pretool of Ironhide)

Legends is the only line to redo all 9 gun designs, while the rest just has 2 or 3, with the rest of the characters as redecos (Siege Caliburst is just a purple Blowpipe for instance).

News Credits: 56 · Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:49 pm

Ok thank you. So we're the Targetmasters that came with collector club Needlenose and Spinster repainted Universe TMs,or something unique to those releases?

As for the rumors,I figured as much. But with Sureshot and Pointblank still without modern updates I'm sure many a fan would like to see them in a future lineto fill tha missing gap.

News Credits: 241 · Sat Jun 05, 2021 4:09 pm

o.supreme wrote:Ok thank you. So we're the Targetmasters that came with collector club Needlenose and Spinster repainted Universe TMs,or something unique to those releases?

TFCC Needlenose and Spinister (rats, forgot about the Siege one) have redecos of T30 Scoop's.

As for the rumors,I figured as much. But with Sureshot and Pointblank still without modern updates I'm sure many a fan would like to see them in a future lineto fill tha missing gap.

I'm one of those fans. I have Siege Crosshairs here (without a Pinpointer) and I want the rest, NOW!