First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus

Friday, May 20th, 2016 11:10pm CDT

Categories: Toy News, Reviews
Posted by: william-james88 Views: 57,542

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Australian Transformers fan Nathan sent us some amazing pictures of the Titans Return Fortress Maximus toy he picked up locally. He also offered us a written review. Enjoy:

TF Fan Nathan wrote:I'll be real metroplex is the better toy, there's too much of him in Fort Max's design and it hurts the quality, playability and makes you feel like your transforming him wrong a lot of the time.

I really thought fort max was gonna have more guns, he doesn't even have the wrist gun that metroplex has. The back of the hand guns I can kinda forgive but when metroplex already had the gun? Weird choice hasbro.
Also I would gladly sacrifice the sounds in base mode to be able to have those hip guns. He just looks and feels a lot smaller than metroplex. For a guy called Fortress Maximus, I'm not getting that from his toy. The original had way more features in base mode than his updated counterpart.

Cerebros's shoulders are held in by two small tabs that pop out constantly due the rest of the joints being too tight I'm already starting to get some stress marks in the plastic and I got him yesterday.

I love this toy because I love the character and the line that he's going to be a part of and I was always a headmasters fan, it's just to me this whole figure screams missed opportunity. He's a great toy but when compared to metroplex comes up short in all three modes.

Transformers News: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus

Credit(s): Transformers Fan Nathan

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Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791331)
Posted by Hellscream9999 on May 20th, 2016 @ 11:14pm CDT

'Missed opportunity' seems to pretty much summarize this guy quite succinctly - shame, the character deserved so much more

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791333)
Posted by Wolfman Jake on May 20th, 2016 @ 11:25pm CDT

Hellscream9999 wrote:'Missed opportunity' seems to pretty much summarize this guy quite succinctly - shame, the character deserved so much more

Let's all just hope that Takara has something great up its sleeve for their release of Fort Max in September. We still haven't seen the Master Sword, that we KNOW is coming, so perhaps there are a few more nice little touches we have yet to see from them?

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791335)
Posted by Mindmaster on May 21st, 2016 @ 12:03am CDT

Going to wait and see what the SDCC version has up its figurative sleeve before making a concrete decision. If he doesn't seem to have any other improvements, I'll stick with the standard release. Not that interested in Takara's release for some reason.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791337)
Posted by Mr Skram on May 21st, 2016 @ 12:55am CDT

Kinda sounds like a bummer, but would anyone think it might be worth it for someone who doesn't have Metroplex yet?

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791340)
Posted by Black Bumblebee on May 21st, 2016 @ 1:18am CDT

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. For the price, it just doesn't have what the original G1 Fort Max had. If you're willing to pay the money for this, just put a bit extra in, and buy the reissue of the G1 Fort Max. That figure had so much play factor built into it.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791341)
Posted by Rainmaker on May 21st, 2016 @ 1:27am CDT

This still won't kill my joy for getting Fortress Maximus.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791344)
Posted by Evil_the_Nub on May 21st, 2016 @ 2:08am CDT

Mr Skram wrote:Kinda sounds like a bummer, but would anyone think it might be worth it for someone who doesn't have Metroplex yet?

I skipped Metroplex because the only thing it had going for it was how big it was. The city mode just looks like a splayed out robot, and the land cruiser thing just looks like he's doing light yoga. Fort Max looks like the better figure to me, the city mode actually looks like buildings and roads instead of just a splayed out robot, and the cruiser hides the robot features a lot better. That review wasn't really any good to be honest. The only information I got was he wanted more guns on it, which is totally subjective.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791345)
Posted by ZeroWolf on May 21st, 2016 @ 2:29am CDT

In this day and age, having more guns to be truer to the original but it would of shot the price up, by how much is unknown. The question is, would people pay the extra price? And would parents pay the extra?

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791357)
Posted by Kurona on May 21st, 2016 @ 3:08am CDT

So... he's not taller than Metroplex?

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791363)
Posted by -Kanrabat- on May 21st, 2016 @ 5:11am CDT

As a owner of Gen Metroplex and G1 Encore Fortmax, I don't feel the need at all to own the TR version. I mean, Fortmax 2.0 transform even less than Metroplex! While Metroplex sat down and made an effort, TR Fortmax just pass out drunk on the ground. Pathetic. Especially compared to the G1 original. The original toy will NEVER be beaten unless Takara decide to make a 1000$ MP.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791364)
Posted by -Kanrabat- on May 21st, 2016 @ 5:16am CDT

Mr Skram wrote:Kinda sounds like a bummer, but would anyone think it might be worth it for someone who doesn't have Metroplex yet?

If you have neither or Gen Metroplex nor G1 Fortmax, I say it would be better to double the money you are prepared to pay and go for Encore G1 Formax. They made way too many of him and he's been in clearance since about a year. He would cost around 300$US shipped for Canadians and Americans. If you can only afford or just want to pay 150$ max, got for the TR version. Either way, having a huge bot in a TF collection is always a good thing.

However, your money will defenitely be better spendt on the long run with Encore-23 Fortress Maximus.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791365)
Posted by Evil Eye on May 21st, 2016 @ 5:53am CDT

Ehhhhhh no. Honestly, I may very well just save up and try and track down the reissue + PE Warden. G1 Max may be a brick but he's so loaded with play features it doesn't really matter. Also, the G1 figure's city mode knocks the TR figure into a cocked hat. That thing looked like a fortress.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791372)
Posted by william-james88 on May 21st, 2016 @ 7:13am CDT

Mr Skram wrote:Kinda sounds like a bummer, but would anyone think it might be worth it for someone who doesn't have Metroplex yet?

I say yes, but wait for the eventual price reduction (like 20%). He sadly doesnt have the same functionality as Metroplex even though they use the same mold. Here is what Nathan wrote to me about how his legs still open:

they do open up but from underneath so its that back half that opens out not the gun half, means they don't really work in vehicle or base mode. hes really just lacking from not enough guns, i forgot to say the shin guns dettach and can go on his shoulder or have a fold out handle but they dont show that feature in the instructions. still dont know what that lil leg bit is meant to do though, its hollow and weird.

Black Bumblebee wrote:I've said it before, and I'll say it again. For the price, it just doesn't have what the original G1 Fort Max had. If you're willing to pay the money for this, just put a bit extra in, and buy the reissue of the G1 Fort Max. That figure had so much play factor built into it.

Yup. I just got CW Skylynx yesterday and thats another figure who's original version has a totally different kind of playability that makes it still as relevant to own as ever. What you wrote is something I totally stand by and something I did when I saw this new fort max. For 100$ more, you get one of the greatest TF toys of all time.

Kurona wrote:So... he's not taller than Metroplex?

Thats a major bummer, he also seems much smaller in width.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791374)
Posted by Roninx35 on May 21st, 2016 @ 7:40am CDT

I guess they left the arm gun out due to parts count. The remolded the panel also.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791378)
Posted by SureShot18 on May 21st, 2016 @ 7:58am CDT

I think I'll hold out and wait until Trypticon is released and they get around to Omega Supreme. I have higher hopes for those two, they can be my big robits

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791379)
Posted by william-james88 on May 21st, 2016 @ 8:17am CDT

SureShot18 wrote:I think I'll hold out and wait until Trypticon is released and they get around to Omega Supreme. I have higher hopes for those two, they can be my big robits

Or you can do what I plan on doing and just wait and see how low this goes down in price. Would you say no to this toy for 75$? You would be surprised how good a deal you can get if you dont get things right away: http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... ale/35409/

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791383)
Posted by fenrir72 on May 21st, 2016 @ 8:52am CDT

Wait for the TT version. New head for Fortress. Anime paint apps. Master sword/swords(?). Japanese voice clips and uhhhhhhhh working elevator (nope, that was in G1). 360 degree rotating radar dish (nope, that was in G1). Cog (Gasket and Grommet), nope (that was in G1). Twin Tower photon rifles,nope (again in G1). Tech spec meter built in (so is there a tech spec meter here?) Tilt/gravity position vehicle/inertia powered vehicle launchers! Nope, again in G1 figure.

OKAY! G1 version despite being a brick still knocks the new version by lightyears

Blunt force trauma object!.................I think the G1 version still wins in that criteria

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791396)
Posted by Starsaber468 on May 21st, 2016 @ 10:51am CDT

So.... I guess we can confirm that the sound gimmick for fort max being able to play the headmaster op (fort takara verison and it seems theres one in the hasbro verison too) is placed in celebros chest cause it seems that theres a sound gimmick in his chest.

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791399)
Posted by Sharkticon Soup on May 21st, 2016 @ 11:14am CDT

Anyone know if the knee joints are any better/stronger on Fort Max than they were on Metroplex?

Re: First Written and Pictorial Review of Transformers Titans Return Fortress Maxmus (1791415)
Posted by dragons on May 21st, 2016 @ 12:29pm CDT

Expected video review first not pictures video reviews don't have to be fancy and funny we all know what articulation is like thanks for pictures but I would have waited few more days to see video first compared to pictures

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