The Re:Master series may just be what jumps me over to Masterpiece Transformers…
Producer: Maketoys
Price: $124.95 for Wrestle at MakeToys and 124.95 for Hellfire at TFsource
Release: Feb. 2016
Height: Approx. 8.5″
WHERE TO BUY: MakeToys Shop and TFSource
MakeToys really knocked it out of the park with MTRM-03 Hellfire and MTRM-05 Wrestle. These homages to the Transformers characters Inferno and Grapple are so immaculately done that they’re hard to put down. The build, colors, and even finish are extremely impressive in-hand and even the ratcheting areas feel very strong with small enough ratchet spaces to not feel like they’re restrictive in terms of movement/posing. The accessories are simple and usable (Gun/hose/alternate faces.) They also have die-cast parts in the feet and crotch area that give them a nice and solid feel; not “heavy” but has enough weight to feel like a quality product. The only honest miff I have is the front hip skirts in that I feel they should have been able to move separately; it’s a bit odd looking having both side of the skirt pushed forward when only one leg is moved frontwards.
One thing I’m loving about this line in general is the more simplified transformations. The MakeToys Re:Master line lets you get from one mode to another within a few minutes without either mode looking as if aspects were neutered to keep said transformations so simplistic. It’s a great feature and I hope more companies jump on board as there have been Transformers collectibles that I’ve withheld even reviewing since the transformations are so laborious. The alt. modes themselves are pretty nice too. Rubber tires and extending pieces in the ladder and crane give users something to oogle a bit about and display more uniquely.
I’ve had a chance to take a look at every one of the MakeToys Re:Master series so far and even though others have had aspects that impress me, these two are the first to make me go all in on a Masterpiece-scaled Transformers toy line. Can’t wait to check out what’s next!
Overall Score: 8.5/10
