EPIC TRANSFORMERS MASTERPIECE FAILS FROM ALL COMPANIES

[@Getloose360]

Its funny about the Phoenix fire sale. It’s a great opportunity for those who want to get him on the cheap. I have both Phoenix and the MP and honestly the MP is nice; cartoon accuracy yeah I get it, but the materials and sturdiness it’s no contest, FT all day. Either way I’m keeping both of them to each their own.

[@israelmoreno3620]

same here

[@dustyyshellz1320]

How bout the ratchets though, THOSE ARE ANNOYING on the MP, how wide but I don’t like Phoenix at all so it’s the best for a toon collection for sure and I don’t love him and photograph him all the time

[@Getloose360]

@@dustyyshellz1320 that's totally fair. I get it. If you're looking for toon, there is no denying that the MP is the path forward.

[@MichaelPipes101]

Mp-57 was an epic fail, in my opinion. Takara had me all thirsty and ready, but to see the alt mode, smh................

[@stuartcork1249]

My epic fails would include Takara's Hound (mine arrived broken in the box) and Tracks (cheap design- robot mode is just horrible- I wish someone else would do one. I thought it was an upscaled Classic, even the Binaltech was a far superior design). From your list I would replace them wih: Spindrift 1.0 (I like mine, I never bought into the idea it was poor because it didn't have a beer belly). Takara Bumblebee 1.0 I like, I think the 2.0 looked odd.

[@dustyyshellz1320]

Yeah I want a Datsun 2.0 too from a company or takara and my wheeljack +‘s pins in the hips cracked the entire hip around it before it was even open, still functions but yeah damn frustrating

[@saysoun752]

@@dustyyshellz1320 Damn, my Wheeljack still looks and feels great. Since I'm picky about which Masterpiece figures I buy, my only epic fail would by my MMC Sphinx, aka Mirage. After transforming him maybe 5 times, his left arm started getting loose. After another 4 - 5 transformation, it fell off completely. I unscrew the arm, put it back together and it's still very loose. I had to super glue his upper shoulder in place in order to keep his arms in place. Now, he doesn't have the full range of motion but, I'm just glad it didn't affect the transformation. I thought about getting another copy but, I didn't want to waste more money on him. If I do get another Mirage, it'll be from Fans Toys. I chose the MMC because of the stylized robot mode and because the race car actually looks like a real race car. Other than this, my next worse Masterpiece would be Takara Tomy's Red Alert, which isn't a bad figure, just not a good one.

[@thebigdb1]

I still think that the MP Bumblebee (1.0) it's still a nice figure. I like certain aspects of it more than 2.0. To me I never got the second release because the fact that he looks kind of like a jumbled mess to me, and I don't like it. The only thing I don't like about the 1.0 is that the head mold I think is completely screwed up. If you put a different face on them it's improves them 10 times over. And when I look at them I think that they actually intended to do a different kind of release. I actually think that they were thinking of doing a 2 pack with him, and the daniel/spike figure was just an afterthought that they just threw in. I can easily see the 1.0 being retooled slightly to make a Goldbug, and I actually think that was their intent. Which I think is the reason why they also released a G2 version of the figure and didn't do that with any other masterpiece that I can think of. At least from Tak/Has. Third parties have done that, but I haven't seen them do that. So Bumblebee I think it's only figure that got the G2 treatment. I do think a Stratotanker from KFC is one of the best Octanes we've gotten. If you look at the old Marvel comics and you look at the cartoon, he looks pretty much like them. Thing is he's cheaply put together. I got some junkers that are just sitting boxes and the plastic that's on him, the white plastic, is just disintegrating to touch. He I think would have looked a lot better if he were actually finished. He reminds me of a figure that's been 85% worked on, they just gave up. If they did tweaks to his wings, certain parts of the sculpting, gave him joints and hinges that were made out of metal instead of plastic, he would have been 10 times a figure. You look at his head scuplt, it matches perfectly with the third season, I just don't think that they put the time and money into him. But that's my two cents from the peanut gallery on this matter.

[@cafe_cybertron]

I don't have Lock but I must say X-Transbots does a great customer service! I asked for parts for my Stunticons (because they break really easily!) and they sent me very quick and for free (only the postal fees, wish is fair). As for Fuzz, I have no problems with it. Yes, it's a hell of a transformation. X-Transbots usually are! But I love the design and colors. Wish they put batteries in the pack because here in Brazil we don't have LR521 and I never found a way to import them, eve from China...

[@Geewunner4life]

TFC Detective gets my vote for worst MP fail. I still remember how much I laughed while watching Bobby Skullface struggle with it and finally just smashing it against the ground in utter frustration.

[@artnandez]

You forgot to mention the bold forms gladius Megatron. Pretty much all the video reviews I saw on that thing said it was a floppy mess

[@DragoonMS]

I think that particular Megatron was more meant to go with Leader class stuff rather than Masterpiece.

[@Rangatology]

I’m waiting on a good bumblebee - every iteration (brand) so far has something I’m not happy about: the legs, the backpack, the boxy chest on some designs etc. That being said, I’ve always wanted to be able to engineer a G1-esque figure. So kudos to those engineers working for these companies. Some of these are true failures, but at the end of the day, can we do the same on the budgets they have ? (Rhetorical)

[@leirameirarc]

It's funny how Closed caption translates X-Transbots as X transbox, X trans butts, X transplants etc. 🤣

[@jmautobot]

I think it's a bit dramatic to say that just because they come out with another version of a character that the one prior to it was an epic fail. I totally get it we need to be dramatic and all that. And for some of these cases yes the first or even second issue version of the character was not good at all. But the fact that there's an iteration of a character to improve it does not imply that the first one was in any way a failure.

[@BlackArroToons]

Thanks Mike, for covering a number of these forming bots that are unable to transform due to parts issues. That sounds frustrating.

[@ddp1863]

Agree with most it I don't think KFC octane is that bad, just the face is a bit flat, Zeta Toys Jazz is a bit chore to transform!

[@kylejohnson5386]

Still have my Detective displayed proudly without any transformation issues. 👍🏾

[@hegga_nm]

Honestly, saying that figure was a failure, let alone an EPIC failure, just because company release an updated version at some point, is total BS. MP-10 was (and still is) an excellent figure, however, with current trend of chase for hyper-toon accuracy (and Takara's love for milking the heavy hitters) it was inevitable that updated version will show up. Same goes for MP-21 Bumblebee (although I can't disagree that MP-45 was a failure in a way). Imo, bigger "epic failure" is that you had MP-10 and MP-21 on this list but missed to mention MP-11 or massive QC issues MP-52 had, or not having MP-47 Hound, which was literally falling apart during transformation, and even if you managed to transform him to bot mode without anything falling off, cracks would form on certain spots, on pretty much all the figures!! (I saw a post in one of the TF groups recently, and literally every owner of original MP-47 came back with picture of a crack on the hinge located behind the head. CRAZY!) If this logic made sense I guess we could also say that FT Tesla was a failure, and that can't be further from truth, which is probably why it wasn't on the list. I think you will agree with me Tesla was a kick ass figure, and the best Perceptor for quite a while, so it would be silly to say it was an epic failure just because FT made more toon accurate figure at one point, because demand for one was there... Were there v1s that weren't great and should be updated? Of course, I agree that FT Spindrift was one of them (although I think it still sold better that v2.0 which is great imo!), but that doesn't mean they were all a failure... it just means that preference for toon accurate figures prevailed over more "realistic" design of old MP/3P figures.

[@johnn.3291]

Takara Trailbreaker looks god awful. Epic fail.

[@t.f.t.f.8522]

The KFC Stratotanker/Octane is very nice and comes with a stand for robot/plane modes. UT has more breakage risk than the KFC. SpinDrift 1.0 looks cheap. Proportions are stylized but main issue is looks like a sub $20 Hasbro figure. Takaea's Bumblebee, I like 1.0 better. Tfsource was giving away the MAAS Bee for free with orders. How I got mine.

[@BatFan1]

I dont think you'll find many that will say MP10 was a failure when it set the standard for nearly a decade. You could say MP01 was the failure hence the need for an update with MP10. MP01 and MP10 were updating the G1 toy for modern times. MP44 was a completely different design and direction going for the toon aesthetic, so in that regard MP10 was no failure. MP44 has its own failures that's for sure.

[@shizlick4414]

Mp Rodimus Prime?

[@choostopher5018]

WFC-K29 looks more the part than any of the others, sure he is too small but still beats the other MP Hot R

[@saysoun752]

@@choostopher5018 He's basically a Masterpiece to me as he looks awesome. The only thing that's wrong is the stupid trailer doesn't close all the way. Once I put the Toyhax decals on, he looked even better.

[@choostopher5018]

@@saysoun752 I finally got a WFC-K29 and found for my copy of I leave the trailer door down and use my thumb to keep the cannon flatter I could snap the sides together cleanly.

[@saysoun752]

@@choostopher5018 I'll try that. I'll be damn, it worked. Still doesn't close all the way but, it looks way better than before as the gap isn't as big.

[@goaway3487]

I still like MP-5 for his alt mode. Cleanest Walther P-38 out there. Robot mode is a disaster of course. I wouldn't mind having one though for the alt mode to display with my MP-36 in robot mode. MP-10 is superior to MP-44 in alt mode as well but it's not the night and day difference between MP-5 and MP-36. It was the design focus at the time they were being made. Old MPs were built with the Alt modes being the priority. Newer versions are built with the focus being on anime accuracy in bot modes. Prefer that the new focus is the bot modes but I wouldn't call the older versions failures. They sold out and plenty of KO'made being they're still in demand on the secondary market. Plenty of people who like the Takara MP-10 over the newer MP-44. Both because of the looks and the price tags.

[@waynewest6160]

The MP-05 in robot mode IS an epic fail. Gun mode wasn't great, but wasn't garbage like the robot. The gun mode was made 100% better with the release of the stock & suppressor upgrade kit. Mine stays in this mode hung on my wall under my G1 Megatron. What about the MP seekers?!?! That whole long flap that hung off the waist killing any wide stance pose & the way the arms/hands were a pain to get just right for jet mode. The only thing they got remotely right was the stand. Sure, not adjustable, but I have no worries about them falling off. Even after all these years, they are still holding up well. I've noticed that no one will compare MP-01 to anything or call it a failure. Is it because it was the FIRST, the BIG DOG, the OG of MP scale? I actually still have mine displayed on my G1 MP shelf. It does have it's flaws that have gotten worse over time, such as the joints not being able to support all the weight of the diecast. But, it's still a beautifully made figure to me because it was THE ONE that opened the door to highly articulated, fully posable Transformers. MP scale has come a long way over the years. I'm not a Takara fan because they've seemed to rely on their name & "officially licensed" as the selling point. I have found that the 3rd party has much better representations of the source material. But all this is just my opinion & how I've looked at things over the years. I did leave MP alone for years after Megatron & the seekers. But I've recently gotten into it again after checking out the Beast Wars figures.

[@DragoonMS]

I'm sure you mentioned some of these, but... Takara: Megatron 1.0 (fugly fragile mess), Grimlock (too small), Rodimus Prime/Black Rodimus Convoy (fragile mess, Hasbro's is worse), MP11 Seeker mold (that loose booty torso; KOs have fixed the issue for Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp), MP28 Hot Rod/MP40 Targetmaster Hot Rod (just a regular fail, as vehicle mode tends to not have the clearance to roll properly; MP28 KO fixed it, but MP40 was never KO'd), etc. (Can't agree with you on Bumblebee...notice that they didn't do a G2 repaint or a Diaclone red repaint of MP45, so I think Takara may have realized they screwed up hard...) FansToys: Seaspray 1.0, Perceptor 1.0, Weirdwolf (I think that's the one of their Headmasters that had breakage issues), etc. XTB/KFC: Their first version of their Wheelie/Turbo mold, Kup, Perceptor, Motormaster, etc. Toyworld/Zeta: ...are we really gonna ignore that horrendous Arcee?? 😒😒😒 And their Dinobots were pretty sucky as well, especially compared to the G-Creation Dinobots that also combined. Devastator can rank up there as well (PerspectiveEnd and several folks he knows who have "Constructor" had multiple breakage & stability issues), Springer (fugliest thing out there); wasn't their Astrotrain (Devilstar aka Evila Star) more in line with mainline stuff, though? TFC: Literally anything they intended for MP; they should've learned from how their CHUG stuff was good but not great (their Superion "Uranos" was utter 🦈💩) DX9: Astrotrain (fugly robot mode, period, but the train & space shuttle kinda compensate), Mirage (not bad, but it promptly got whooped by MMC once their Mirage came out), Galvatron (not a fail at all, it just got whooped by FansToys - I like the DX9 version more!!), etc.

[@Getloose360]

That wheelie v1 is a joke. Thank goodness for Kiki otherwise he wouldn't stand up on the shelf 😂

[@blue18404]

What were the best releases to you?

[@DragoonMS]

​@@blue18404 The best? Let me see...bear in mind, this is just what I think. Takara/Hasbro: Soundwave mold (despite the flawed Tape Minion ejection gimmick, it's a neat figure and quite simple), MP24 Starsaber (articulation may be limited even by MP standards at the time, but again, this was also a neat figure and quite simple), the Datsun mold (it's the G1 toy with extra steps! As someone who had gotten the G1 Smokescreen as a kid from a friend, I can highly appreciate that!!), MP Hot Rod for his vehicle mode failures and wonky designed torso in robot mode KINDA atones for it by also being the G1 toy with extra steps (that simplicity goes a LONG way), the MP44 mold isn't my favorite iteration of Optimus yet, but sweet mother of Primus, Unicron, and Gaea, *DOES THIS MOFO HAVE PRESENCE!!* It don't matter if it's on a shelf (or whatever your display may be) or in your hands, you gotta admit it's got mad presence. Especially MP49 Black Convoy/Nemesis Prime (which IS my favorite iteration of Nemesis; easily smokes MP10B). The MP32 BW Convoy/Optimus Primal mold is also pretty neat. MPM3 Bumblebee definitely carves his niche as a Masterpiece version of the Bayverse Bumblebee, but Hasbruh, WHERE'S THE 76 CAMARO (2007 Clunker Bee/TFB end of movie Bee) AND 67 CAMARO (AoE High Octane Bee) RETOOLS THAT WERE RUMORED!? 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 But seriously, it's a refreshing take after Takara's goofy MPM1&2 that were repaints of HftD Leader class Starscream and Battle Ops Bumblebee. XTB: Gotta give props to the KFC side of the family...their MP scale Blaster mold was pretty poppin' for the longest time, until Black Mamba/Deformation Space & FansToys brought out their more G1 show accurate offerings (but notice that NEITHER OF'EM did Twincast & Rosanna; only KFC/XTB did that). Also, their Victory Leo is STILL 🔥🔥🔥🔥, especially if you got their joint upgrade kit for Starsaber (he needs it). And on the XTB side, it seems that their second Ultra Magnus is gonna be the preferred option (even when FansToys brings theirs out) for those who DON'T care about the whole G1 toy "white Optimus in armor". DX9: Sure, their Mirage mold got smoked like cheap weed by MMC, Deformation Space, & FansToys. But did any of them do the obligamatory Crasher repaint? Nope. Only DX9. Similarly, their retooling of their Wreck-Gar into Cy-kill is pretty neat. Their Rodimus Prime looks cool, but it ain't for me personally (they totally sacrificed the vehicle mode, it's way too small for MP scale...no idea how that happened 😅) FansToys: Their Mindwipe is pretty cool looking, and should be a simple transformation (it's a big black & pink BOX that's a Ratbat wannabe with a robot mode, how complex does it need to be??)...but who am I kidding, Hasbro's Titans Return Mindwipe was unnecessarily complimacated for what it is. 😂🤣 Also, their Soundwave may be a hair more complex than Takara's, but it's still fairly simple (THIS, FANSTOYS... SIMPLICITY GOES A LONG WAY!!). I hear a lot of folks say that their Astrotrain is pretty simple...not sure about that, but it's got a hell of a presence, almost MP44 levels of presence!! MMC: They may not be the biggest baddest battlin'est when combined, but for still being the most expensive around, their Combaticons knocked it out the park!! Their Protectobots look like an incoming repeat, too. And for a time, their Predacons were a fair fit as well (but even the oversized and simplified KO by Jinbao makes that design more of a fit for mainline than MP thanks to the existence of the awful Power of the Primes Predaking). Zeta: Their Aerialbots, easily. Black Mamba and Friends: I like Blaster. But I gotta give the nod to their Mirage!! Toyworld: Not sure how far along they got in the molds, but their Seekers and Coneheads sure looked the part once upon a time...also, their Throttlebot Combiner. Definitely more intended for mainline than MP (Jinbao's OSKO seems to have proven that because it apparently sucks), but still a neat idea...I guess... better than their Dinobots, anyway. TFC: Nothing in general that they intended for MP, but, their Road Caesar (Autobot Brainmasters) does seem to cut a nice matching wallop with MP Starsaber.

[@blue18404]

@@DragoonMS LOL. My friend you really a a true fan and have a love for these toys. Thank you for your detailed response. This will inform my later decisions. I I love MP18 but I think it's too small. Is there an oversized KO out there of Bluestreak. Also what is your opinion of Fanstoys Maverick?

[@DragoonMS]

​@@blue18404 I don't think that the Datsuns ever got oversized KOs. Maverick, Maverick...that's their Hot Rod, right? It's okay, but it seems pretty divisive right down the middle. Some think it's a superior robot mode to Takara's MP28/MP40, but at the cost of a not quite as good vehicle mode, others think that being an older FT design that wasn't updated in any way just hurt the figure all over the place, and the transformation doesn't do any favors. I think it's alright for what it wanted to do. If you can find it for a great price, go for it.

[@jon-580]

Spindrift 1.0 isn't a failure just because they made a 2.0... by that logic MP-1 and MP-10 are both failures because MP-44 exists when both MP-1 and MP-10 were both amazing FOR THE TIME PERIOD THEY ARE RELEASED IN. Manufacturing capabilities change, design tools change and aesthetics change which is why new versions of older products come out.

[@jamawebb13]

good list. pretty spot on. just one little pet peeve... there is no "O" in the single diget MP's. It is just MP-1 through MP-9. :) Just look at the box. No "O"

[@ShaharLevy]

While fanstoys seaspray is obviously a fail, it fits great with a chug collection. happy it came out

[@choostopher5018]

Re Bumblebee MP-21 is great, sure it could have used a the upgraded head, actual yellow and maybe a deformed alt mode but they would have been tweaks not that abomination MP-45

[@Thor13332]

Mp Rodimus looks great but is badly engineered. Mp 10 was at least affordable when he came out. Unlike mp44.

[@darwinxavier3516]

MP10 Optimus was a good base for upscaled KOs like the cell shaded/comic one. The MP44 looks way too over engineered and IMO was beaten by both Transform Element and Magic Square. And of course the absurd price. My most infamous fail was reimagined Soundwave called Sonicron. That thing barely tabbed together and felt like an old school KO.

[@jimoinj]

U missed Takara MP Hound!

[@Transformoholic]

I have DX9 Chigurh sitting on my desk and I just pick him up and transform him from mode to mode it’s a very solid transformer just not an accurate representation of astrotrain imo

[@choostopher5018]

Can you do a video on the Fanstoys game changer for Bumblebee?

[@johnlatella674]

I loved when Bobby skullface ran it over. I think it is awesome you threw him a shout out. You and he are my favorite reviewers

[@blue18404]

MP 10 was the greatest toy ever made

[@Jayce_Alexander]

Spindrift 1.0 was a pretty great figure. Was it screen accurate? No, but neither was the XTB Huffer you describe as a great looking figure. At that time Fanstoys mostly did stylized takes on G1 characters, and Spindrift 1.0 fits squarely in that category. If you want a screen accurate take, 2.0 is available. Does that make 1.0 a fail? No, of course not. It's a well designed, quality figure, made from great materials that woule put most Takara releases to shame (including the incredibly overpriced likes of MP-44 and MP-52), quite heavy, but can hold a pose better than just about any other figure in my collection (including Spindrift 2.0). You can literally put him in a ballerina pose with one leg in the air, and in spite of his heavy hovercraft feet he'll remain standing. A really fun figure. Your definition of what an epic fail is is ultimately pretty silly. Especially considering you immediately disprove it with Bumblebee and MP-10/MP-44. 🤷‍♂️

[@wasabi-in-my-eye3134]

I'm surprised megatron triple changer didn't make it to this list. I think it's made by lone wolf. It's so bad no one heard of it. Megatron can change into a modern gun and tank. All modes look fantastic but transformation is just terrible.

[@diamon8125]

Ouch, I actually bought Detective ( Hound). I'm always looking for a better knockoff though!

[@Rangatology]

I would like Takara to take on an Insecticon 3 pack. I love the aesthetics of my Bad Cube trio, but there have been some QC issues due to tight tolerances when transforming (at least with mine) And so far, I’m not content with what other brands have put out there.

[@scottblanco5991]

Takara Hound should definitely be on the list just for the horrible plastic they used. Looks wise it’s fantastic. Horrible QC

[@matthewbloom3869]

another vote for Bold Forms Gladius

[@Hustler281980]

Takaras Skyfire ia a epic fail. They missed to beat Pheonix. They should hace beaten him by a mile.

[@scottblanco5991]

It’s a fail yes, but not a epic all time fail. The head sculpt is lacking big time but it nails the toon aesthetic. There are a lot worse figures out there

[@saysoun752]

There were sacrifices made in order to get it to be toon accurate. I'm keeping mine as I think he looks really good.

[@chrchaves]

Really? I was undecided between both, but think I'm choosing TT due to articulation

[@boxingmmafighter4-life258]

Are you kidding?? It’s better than Phoenix not to mention it’s just different. It’s more like the cartoon. It was not a fail. I love it! Everyone I know loves it!

[@saysoun752]

@@boxingmmafighter4-life258 Yep, I didn't even bother with Phoenix as I didn't care for him at all. That all changed once TMReviews reviewed the Jetfire upgrade kit as I immediately bought him and the upgrade kit. I should have both of them within the week. I can't wait as now I can get something that looks like Jetfire without giving up an arm as I only had to chop off my pinkie for this. It's too bad I don't know anyone who can actually paint him in the Jetfire color scheme as that would be freaking awesome. Anyway, once I saw Skyfire, I pre-ordered him immediately as that's how much I loved the figure. He lookes freaking awesome to me.

[@davidwhatsthatabout7404]

G creation Ultra maxmas and perfect DNa Susanoo. Plastic quality is sooo bad. Feels like dollar store plastic

[@reymed1670]

Cliffjumper is out on a video checks N see

[@whaddyathink949]

The MAAS toys Bumblebee is awful. DO NOT BUY IT! A floppy mess. I put mine back in the box & would give it away for free. The 1st MP Rodimus should make the list for breaking. Mine broke inside the box! I'll admit i love my original MP Megs! One day i dropped the cannon on the floor. The light stopped working, so I stripped the electronics out. Afterwards, he could hold the cannon properly!

[@henrymatos9551]

Hi Mike great topic discussion for the week. In your honest opinion, do you think there will be a new Takara Optimus Prime Masterpiece? I understand Hot Rod was a created character for the movie where it would be a challenge to create a MP figure. I did not mind the Takara version. I did pick up the DX9 Carry (non-metallic version) to represent Rodimus Prime as I really appreciate the character. ✌🏼

[@felixsare9808]

its good thing i did nt buy these items coz their way too EXPENSIVE

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

I don't know which is the most epic failure but I can say one that is increasingly becoming an "epic"...several non-transforming Transformers from Threezero, Action Toys and several statue-makers that have been sold out in just a few days.

[@reymed1670]

Epic fail is any company that caters to Ritch kids everyone should able to have a masterpiece transformers we are losing Fans !!!!

[@SBDL13]

I missed Takara Hound. That one breaks very easy too. Most Takara bots are a failure to me, very expensive, and very poor quality.

[@imoweenlodestone5447]

Xtransbot is an epic fail you could have made 2 hour video documentary just on them