Transformers Titans Return Galvatron and Nucleon Pictorial Review
Friday, August 5th, 2016 8:48PM CDT
Categories: Toy News, Reviews, Site ArticlesPosted by: Bronzewolf Views: 50,853
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After seeing him featured in multiple photos from previous conventions, Galvatron was definitely one of my Most Wanted figures out of the first wave of Titans Return. So after seeing him at Target, he was definitely a buy-on-sight toy. After having him for a couple days now, I thought I would compile my thoughts. Let's jump in by looking at articulation.
Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive
He features the standard shoulders/elbows/ hips/knees articulation we're all used to, but he also sports double jointed elbows and knees as well as very nice forward, backward, left, and right ankle tilts. His head articulation is lacking because of that mask/crown, but Hasbro did put it on a small rotating disc that allows it to move one small click to the left or right. Without that crown, the Titan Master alone can swivel the normal 360°, however it still can't move up and down.
Overall the articulation is very good, definitely above average. You can tell Hasbro put some extra effort into some areas because of the lack in others. You can easily get him into some dynamic poses.
In transforming Galvatron, you'll notice he has the now common step of rotating his hands into his forearms. Normally, this limits a figure, because eventually the wrist joints will become loose. However, this time, Hasbro has seemed to have learned from their previous mistakes by adding a small ratchet joint inside the wrist. This will make it less likely to become loose over time. It's a very nice feature and I appreciate Hasbro including it, as it exponentially greatens the toy's lifespan.
Now let's talk altmodes. Most figures in The Titan's return line are triple changers, this includes Galvatron, meaning he has three modes. Let's look at the first, Cannon mode.
Canon mode is very nice and well executed. It looks the part, appearing almost exactly like it did in the original animated movie and the later animated television show. Its translucent orange barrel just adds to the effect.
Galvatron, for some reason, has little pegs on the inside of his legs that can support Titan Masters. This compatibility feature is an added bonus, though I'm not exactly sure why they added it.
On the opposite side of the spectrum his second form, his Jet mode, is very weak. It's not very well-designed and doesn't seem to hold together well. You can tell it was an afterthought and needed to be tacked on just because Galvatron had to be a triple changer. I will admit it is growing on me, but I still think it drags the figure down.
The nice thing about jet mode is it also has some Titan Master compatibility. The cockpit of the jet is openable and Titan Masters can fit inside. I'm a bigger fan of the Titan Masters than I expected I would be, because the added playability does give a lot to the figure.
Speaking of Titan Masters, let's dive in and take a look at Galvatron's Titan master, Nucleon, an obvious homage to Megatron. (why they didn't just name him Megatron is beyond me) He was my first Titan Master and he is very small. Much much smaller than I expected. I've included some comparisons between him and Kreo Megatron as well as Legends Roller, RID deployer Slipstream and legend class Skywarp, just to give a sense of scale. (And Yes, Kreo Megs' Ion Cannon can clip on to the smaller part of Nucleon's arm.)
And, just for fun, here's nucleon next to his leader class counterpart.
Nucleon is slightly bigger than some of the other new Titan Masters, in both robot and head mode. However cross-compatibility is still definitely possible. I've been having a lot of fun with the headmaster gimmick. The playability factor really does go through the roof with these figures.
Galvatron himself is pretty big for Voyager Class, standing just a couple hairs taller than Generations Springer. Here's some compairisons
And with more of his fellow '86 movie cast members
I'd also like to point out that he would have had a serious case of hollow-leg syndrome had Hasbro not gone out of their way and put panels that clip into the back of his legs specifically to fix that. Seriously, the panels serve no other purpose other than to hide the hallowness of his legs. A+ on that one, Has.
There's also been a lot of talk about QC on these new figures, so I thought I'd address it- The only problems I've had so far: There is some slight discoloration between the hard and soft plastic parts, but that is to be expected, and isn't that noticable.
The only other thing seems to be that the left arm of Nucleon fell off once and now doesn't want to stay. If the other arm pops off it'll then pop back on again with no problem, but the left one falls off and doesn't want to snap back on. It'll hold on fine if you're gentle, but fall right off of you're not.
So, over all, I think this figure is great, even with the occasional fault, and is pretty much the quintessential Galvatron. He's earned a place in my collection, and it gives me serious hope in the rest of the Titans Return line. After the wave upon wave of remolds that was Combiner Wars, this is a breath of fresh air.
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Posted by DedicatedGhostArt on August 5th, 2016 @ 8:51pm CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 5th, 2016 @ 9:06pm CDT
Posted by Autobot N on August 5th, 2016 @ 9:21pm CDT
Posted by Agamemnon on August 6th, 2016 @ 12:05am CDT
Bronzewolf wrote:Hello, Seibertronians! I've made a review of the brand-new Titans Return Galvatron and Titan Master Nucleon, and figures I'd share! Check It out below![snip]
I'd also like to point out that he would have had a serious case of hollow-leg syndrome had Hasbro not gone out of their way and put panels that clip into the back of his legs specifically to fix that. Seriously, the panels serve no other purpose other than to hide the hallowness of his legs. A+ on that one, Has.
[snip more]
I'm not trying to pick a fight! But I did want to disagree with this part. I appreciate the concerns with hollow leg syndrome, and I appreciate Hasbro's effort to fix this. But, I give it a C at best, and here's why. A big reason I love Transformers is the cool looking alt modes. Yes, sometimes we have robot kibble hanging off the underside of the alt mode. *coughSeekerscough* But, I have put up with that in many cases because of the size of the figure. But, now I have two figures that suffer from extra alt mode kibble in an effort to hide hollow leg syndrome. I don't like the panels hanging off the bottom of Galvy and have actually popped them off. It's even worse on Scourge because: a) they are pinned in place, b) the panels hinder alt mode looks more (kinda look like a permanent flight stand) and c) they form the front of the bot leg, so I cannot permanently remove them.
Or....if I remove them, then I can turn the leg around to look better and eliminate an obstacle to bending the knee....
But, yeah, there was some effort there to eliminate hollow leg syndrome in Galvy, but I think it could have been a better effort.
I found the rest of the review to be quite agreeable!
Cheers Bronzewolf!!
Posted by chuckdawg1999 on August 6th, 2016 @ 1:18am CDT
Kurona wrote:chuckdawg1999 wrote:Kurona wrote:chuckdawg1999 wrote:Kurona wrote:chuckdawg1999 wrote:Delta Magnus wrote:Agamemnon wrote:Delta Magnus wrote:william-james88 wrote:Oh and just curious, would you be up for a Headmaster Arcee?
I know this wasn't directed at me, but I felt the need to answer it.
Yes, I would be totally up for a Headmaster Arcee...IF it was done well. It would have to be substantially different from other Headmasters so she retained her classic "Princess Leia Buns" head design. Square head with Arcee face = no sell. Also, the body figure would have to be an original mold. No retools of male figures thank you very much.
Should be Daniel, right? And in the exo suit, right?
It'd almost certainly be Daniel (which is annoying as I personally prefer the "Headmasters are the actual robots, the bodies are lifeless without a head" take on Headmasters). As for the exo-suit, you probably couldn't pull it off without making the head mode look like arse. A titan master vehicle styled after the exo-suit would be neat though.
And yes I am aware she was going to be redecoed from Chromedome, but really I don't think it would work.
I think the best hope for a Headmasters Arcee is Takara. They'll make a heavy remold out of Blurr and an all new Headmaster design that includes the buns. Plus the Titan Master vehicle will look like the exo-suit vehicle mode.
Thing is though, they don't really have any reason to do that. Headmaster Arcee wasn't part of their version of the cartoon, and even if they did get Rebirth (I know they got it years later, but c'mon), it's not exactly that significant.
I didn't know either of those points (really surprised they got Rebirth)but they sometimes make figures they KNOW will sell to Americans, Masterpiece for example.
The distribution for this line has been all over thus far. I find it funny that the Wave 2 Legends are out roughly a month if not more before Soundwave shows up.
Speaking of Soundwave, I realized today that the ramp clips on the back of Blaster are probably meant for Soundwave. Tripticon in Base mode has ramps that lie forward so Sounwave will probably connect backwards into it.
Masterpiece figures only appeal to American fans as much as they appeal to Japanese fans. They're not made specifically for overseas markets, otherwise they'd probably make more of an effort to actually sell them overseas directly.
If Takara didn't make the Masterpiece line with Americans in mind, there'd be more figures like Star Saber and less like Sideswipe.
That's a very grave misconception based on the assumption that Japanese-exclusive fiction is more popular among Japanese fans than G1. It's like saying in America there's a larger want for Marvel G1 characters than Cartoon G1 characters.
I'm just going off the fact that Transformers really didn't get popular in Japan until they started making their own cartoons and such.
Posted by Insurgent on August 6th, 2016 @ 4:51am CDT
[/quote]
I find this to be true for all titan masters. If you look at the head sockets, some of them are actually wider at the back, suggesting that is where the wider back part of the heads on some of the titan masters is meant to go.
Posted by X3ROhour on August 6th, 2016 @ 5:26am CDT
william-james88 wrote:Z3ROhour wrote:
Never mind.
Having a real bad day.
Month.
Hey man even if this hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year, I'll be there for you (when the rain starts to pour).
All kidding aside, you seem to be a grade A hunter. I am sure you will find them soon enough, they have yet to reach saturation (aside from Skylynx, thats really not fun what happened in the US concerning his distribution).
Thanks
Posted by Evil Eye on August 6th, 2016 @ 5:47am CDT
Astrotrain looks awesome...sculpt wise. He NEEDS MOAR PAINT.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:26am CDT
The head to me is a burden considering how ugly it is with the crest, but it is manageable. I've also discovered I don't like the normal peg spot for the cannon in robot mode, so I just have him hold it like a handheld gun, and it looks so much better to me. The cannon mode is lovely and I will keep him like that. The jet mode shall be accessed not very often as the cannon mode is so awesome. Overall, not bad. could use some work around the head, but otherwise not a bad effort. Plus that alt mode is pretty big and that cannon is awesome
Posted by shajaki on August 6th, 2016 @ 5:01pm CDT
Posted by RAR on August 6th, 2016 @ 5:57pm CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:34pm CDT
Posted by Burn on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:38pm CDT
D-Maximus_Primal wrote:After having played with the guy for the past day, I can say that I really am digging Galvatron more. I've come to find some nice compromises with his cannon and crest and I really really like him. The cannon to me though is still the best part of him. That thing is massive!
I'd still prefer to see the arm retooled so it can attach to the side of the arm (and keep it so it can still be attached to the front for those that prefer) AND a second cannon.
I know traditionally he's only had one cannon, but dammit ... that would be impressive. Imagine the menacing poses!
(And yes I'm aware of the Shapeways add-on for the arm but I feel it sits too far away from the arm)
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:42pm CDT
Burn wrote:D-Maximus_Primal wrote:After having played with the guy for the past day, I can say that I really am digging Galvatron more. I've come to find some nice compromises with his cannon and crest and I really really like him. The cannon to me though is still the best part of him. That thing is massive!
I'd still prefer to see the arm retooled so it can attach to the side of the arm (and keep it so it can still be attached to the front for those that prefer) AND a second cannon.
I know traditionally he's only had one cannon, but dammit ... that would be impressive. Imagine the menacing poses!
(And yes I'm aware of the Shapeways add-on for the arm but I feel it sits too far away from the arm)
I saw that shapeways thing cause I heard everyone talking about the Peaugh solution. I don't do stuff like that, so it was a no.
And I agree about the post on the side. It would be nice. And a second cannon would be awesome too (should just buy 2)
Posted by Burn on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:44pm CDT
D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I saw that shapeways thing cause I heard everyone talking about the Peaugh solution. I don't do stuff like that, so it was a no.
And I agree about the post on the side. It would be nice. And a second cannon would be awesome too (should just buy 2)
I would imagine we'll see some 3P kits soon enough. Arm and cannon upgrades, possibly even a chest upgrade to give a proper head.
In all seriousness, if he didn't have the Titan Master gimmick, I would class this as one of the best modern updates of a G1 character ever.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:49pm CDT
Posted by Burn on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:52pm CDT
D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I'm inclined to agree, even if I do like the titanmaster gimmick and he is my first with it
Aside from Fortress Maximus (who is figuratively and literally in a class of his own), Galvatron is my first TM as well.
I don't object to him being a TM because of the whole "he wasn't in G1" argument (though that does grate on my nerves a LITTLE, but not enough to go fanboy raging), I object to it because he could have been a near perfect figure if it wasn't for the lack of range with the mask.
I guess I'm more annoyed with the mask than the actual TM.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 6th, 2016 @ 7:55pm CDT
Posted by Burn on August 6th, 2016 @ 8:10pm CDT
At least with the G1 version it triggered their little "tech specs" in their chest. It was pointless, but it did SOMETHING.
This is just a head. It sits there. Sometimes it sits in the cockpit. wahey.
Posted by Tyrannacon on August 6th, 2016 @ 8:20pm CDT
Posted by william-james88 on August 6th, 2016 @ 9:05pm CDT
Burn wrote:In all seriousness, if he didn't have the Titan Master gimmick, I would class this as one of the best modern updates of a G1 character ever.
Amen!
Posted by Tyrannacon on August 6th, 2016 @ 9:22pm CDT
william-james88 wrote:Burn wrote:In all seriousness, if he didn't have the Titan Master gimmick, I would class this as one of the best modern updates of a G1 character ever.
Amen!
Overlooked on my last post, but saw this when I was going back through the thread. I definitely agree on this about the new Galvatron being one of the best modern updates of the G1 character thus far. Especially if it was without the Titan Master gimmick he would probably be the best modern version out there of the character yet.
Posted by Kurona on August 6th, 2016 @ 9:23pm CDT
Tyrannacon wrote:william-james88 wrote:Burn wrote:In all seriousness, if he didn't have the Titan Master gimmick, I would class this as one of the best modern updates of a G1 character ever.
Amen!
Overlooked on my post, but saw this and I do definitely agree on this about the new Galvatron. Without the Titan Master gimmick he would probably be the best modern version out there of the character.
Well, he's still far and away the best modern Galvatron. Considering what his competition is...
Posted by Mr Skram on August 6th, 2016 @ 9:24pm CDT
Stoked!
Posted by Tyrannacon on August 6th, 2016 @ 9:25pm CDT
Posted by Logan. on August 6th, 2016 @ 10:48pm CDT
Posted by Stuartmaximus on August 6th, 2016 @ 10:58pm CDT
Delta Magnus wrote:Astrotrain looks awesome...sculpt wise. He NEEDS MOAR PAINT.
Maybe the Takara version is the answer
Posted by Bronzewolf on August 7th, 2016 @ 12:07am CDT
shajaki wrote:You killed it in that review Bronzey. Great job
Thanks, man! Appreciate it! Loving working here so far.
Posted by Bronzewolf on August 7th, 2016 @ 12:10am CDT
william-james88 wrote:Z3ROhour wrote:
Never mind.
Having a real bad day.
Month.
Hey man even if this hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year, I'll be there for you (when the rain starts to pour).
No one tells you life's gonna be this way.
....
....
....
....
( )
Posted by peaces on August 7th, 2016 @ 5:45am CDT
Posted by Kurona on August 7th, 2016 @ 6:34am CDT
... and then the mini-cons just, sort of. One-step transform from a shape - that every single on of them share - to something that's basically the same shape but is vaguely different and trying to convince you they're totally a robot/animal mode.
Maybe this sounds like "The revival of these old toys is WAY better than that completely new stuff!", but it honestly does feel like RiD got the shaft compared to Generations in this sense. Also note I'm not saying this about the larger size classes; we've had a lot of reviews and testimonies from people here about how good some of the Warriors are and I don't think WJ88 in particular will ever stop adoring Fracture... I just can't help but see the divide between the two lines' respective lower classes.
Posted by Stuartmaximus on August 7th, 2016 @ 6:37am CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 7th, 2016 @ 10:10am CDT
Posted by william-james88 on August 7th, 2016 @ 10:11am CDT
Posted by Kurona on August 7th, 2016 @ 10:15am CDT
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 7th, 2016 @ 10:18am CDT
Posted by Kurona on August 7th, 2016 @ 10:26am CDT
Posted by Stuartmaximus on August 7th, 2016 @ 12:09pm CDT
Kurona wrote:Having now looked at that review... Chromedome's leg transformation is VERY impressive. I don't have the Dead End mold - not yet, anyway - so I don't know if Dead End's is the same but I assume it's the same accordion thing as the Aerialbots and Offroad? In any case it's still really impressive how the legs transform like that yet still have the cockpit be that accessible. I really love having my Transformers be pilotable in vehicle mode; something about it just feels more... I don't know, authentic and believable to me. So it's definitely a really big selling point.
Speaking of pilotable vehicles....it's a pity Hasbro(or Takara) don't give us human Titanmaster sized versions of Arcee ect(sort of what they did in the episode of Almost Human).
Posted by Kurona on August 7th, 2016 @ 12:25pm CDT
Stuartmaximus wrote:Kurona wrote:Having now looked at that review... Chromedome's leg transformation is VERY impressive. I don't have the Dead End mold - not yet, anyway - so I don't know if Dead End's is the same but I assume it's the same accordion thing as the Aerialbots and Offroad? In any case it's still really impressive how the legs transform like that yet still have the cockpit be that accessible. I really love having my Transformers be pilotable in vehicle mode; something about it just feels more... I don't know, authentic and believable to me. So it's definitely a really big selling point.
Speaking of pilotable vehicles....it's a pity Hasbro(or Takara) don't give us human Titanmaster sized versions of Arcee ect(sort of what they did in the episode of Almost Human).
I think that could be cool, yeah. Like even for creating silly mass situations from the cartoon where Galvatron rode in Cyclonus' cockpit, Octane was in Sandstorm's, Hoist was driving Huffer etc.
Posted by Autobot N on August 7th, 2016 @ 12:58pm CDT
Posted by Stuartmaximus on August 7th, 2016 @ 2:20pm CDT
Posted by Hellscream9999 on August 7th, 2016 @ 2:53pm CDT
Stuartmaximus wrote:On the subject of Alpha Trion....is it me? or does anyone else notice the resemblance of his spaceship mode to Iron Gear Xabungle's spaceship mode
No, not in the slightest, but it's a flat top, only so many ways you can make one of those - especially ones that also turn into a lion
Posted by RAcast on August 7th, 2016 @ 3:09pm CDT
I gotta say, it was totally worth the wait. With ALL of the vehicle/vehicle titanmaster/minicon sets, they just fall flat; they don't feel like they do much, and the titanmasters don't really integrate in any kind of way that matters (you could replace the vehicle ones with a 2x2 lego brick and never know the difference. However, the beast mode ones are all spectacular so far. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday fawning over the newest addition to my shelf, and taking pictures aplenty. Oh, and the silly fanmode potential? THROUGH THE ROOF. I'll post some pictures later, but they're pretty grand.
Oh, and that smirky little face is great.
Posted by Randomhero on August 7th, 2016 @ 3:42pm CDT
D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I think Soundwave and Rumble are the only two from the wave that I am not getting
I really want soundwave for the sake of finally retiring my FoC soundwave off my Classics shelve and he's a cassette playe...in 2016. Rumble and all the other cassette/tablets(except rewind) I'm fighting the urge because I already have the United rumble Frenzy tanks and those are still the best reinterpretations of those guys.
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on August 7th, 2016 @ 4:03pm CDT
Randomhero wrote:D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I think Soundwave and Rumble are the only two from the wave that I am not getting
I really want soundwave for the sake of finally retiring my FoC soundwave off my Classics shelve and he's a cassette playe...in 2016. Rumble and all the other cassette/tablets(except rewind) I'm fighting the urge because I already have the United rumble Frenzy tanks and those are still the best reinterpretations of those guys.
I like my FoC Soundblaster, so I fear not getting the leader class one. Plus, the only cassette I don't have is Laserbeak, and I really want a good Ravage for the Lost Light shelf, otherwise I'm good
Posted by Autobot N on August 7th, 2016 @ 4:05pm CDT
Posted by Kurona on August 7th, 2016 @ 4:10pm CDT
Soundwave - FoC Voyager
Rumble - United/Adventure
Frenzy - United/Adventure
Laserbeak - FoC
Buzzsaw - FoC
Ravage - Titans Return/Device Label/Masterpiece/Universe (omg he is hard to decide on)
Overkill - Titans Return dinosaur mode
Wingthing - Titans Return Clobber dragon mdoe
And I don't even have a Ratbat!
Yeah, Wingthing seems a pretty weird choice, but... I think it works.
And as for Slugfest... well. If they're doing Grimlock and Swoop as Titan Masters, they're probably doing the other Dinobots, right? And if they're doing Snarl, they'll probably make Slugfest out of him. Hell, he's more likely than other to get a toy because of that redeco opportunity.
... jeez I need a Squawkbox.
Posted by Randomhero on August 7th, 2016 @ 4:22pm CDT
D-Maximus_Primal wrote:Randomhero wrote:D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I think Soundwave and Rumble are the only two from the wave that I am not getting
I really want soundwave for the sake of finally retiring my FoC soundwave off my Classics shelve and he's a cassette playe...in 2016. Rumble and all the other cassette/tablets(except rewind) I'm fighting the urge because I already have the United rumble Frenzy tanks and those are still the best reinterpretations of those guys.
I like my FoC Soundblaster, so I fear not getting the leader class one. Plus, the only cassette I don't have is Laserbeak, and I really want a good Ravage for the Lost Light shelf, otherwise I'm good
The Titans return Ravege looks pretty solid even with those wings folded like they are. I'm still using the Universe Ravege that came with hound in 2008 with the G1 missiles attached.
TF-direct has deluxe wave 2 instock for $59.99 but not boxed. I ordered them, and once I saw they weren't in package I contacted asking how they got them. They said "we're direct" so now I'm a kinda worried I just bought figures that were stolen from the factory. Honestly I'm not sure what to think but the word "guilty" comes to mind
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on August 7th, 2016 @ 4:25pm CDT
Kurona wrote:And as for Slugfest... well. If they're doing Grimlock and Swoop as Titan Masters, they're probably doing the other Dinobots, right? And if they're doing Snarl, they'll probably make Slugfest out of him. Hell, he's more likely than other to get a toy because of that redeco opportunity.
Trends have shown Grimlock and Swoop to be the most famous, having been released the most times and sometimes together (Dinobots, Energon), so I wouldn't necessarily expect the rest to be released just for completion sake. SlugSlag and Snarl are pretty much equal, so they may get a chance, but poor SlogSludge. Hasbro is so prejudiced against Sauropods...
Posted by Randomhero on August 7th, 2016 @ 4:27pm CDT
Kurona wrote:My preferred collection of Soundwave and his tapes is... quickly getting VERY confusing.
Soundwave - FoC Voyager
Rumble - United/Adventure
Frenzy - United/Adventure
Laserbeak - FoC
Buzzsaw - FoC
Ravage - Titans Return/Device Label/Masterpiece/Universe (omg he is hard to decide on)
Overkill - Titans Return dinosaur mode
Wingthing - Titans Return Clobber dragon mdoe
And I don't even have a Ratbat!
Yeah, Wingthing seems a pretty weird choice, but... I think it works.
And as for Slugfest... well. If they're doing Grimlock and Swoop as Titan Masters, they're probably doing the other Dinobots, right? And if they're doing Snarl, they'll probably make Slugfest out of him. Hell, he's more likely than other to get a toy because of that redeco opportunity.
... jeez I need a Squawkbox.
I have KO Mp ratbat i got from tf-direct for like $15 last year for my Ratbat in my collection
it doesnt feel like a KO its pretty awesome and fits well.