#squeezeplay

AGE OF THE PRIMES VS: Horri-Bull (and Kreb)

You get the horns.

More like this:

Legacy United VS: G1 Universe Squeezeplay and Lokos

Titans Return Titan Master Class Terri-Bull and Crashbash

So imagine Overlord having a son and being like: This is Squeezeplay.

Other Cybertronians: Oh that sounds like a normal name.

Humans, in which in english the suffix -play implies something very different: Do you uh... Hate your son?

Overlord: I mean, he’s also called Cancer.

Humans: Oh so you hate your son.

One of those times where the stars align juuuist wrong enough XD

(Spoilers for Transformers: Super-God Masterforce)

Overall Impression

Every complaint that I had with Transformers: Headmasters is not an issue in Transformers: Super-God Masterforce. While it's not a perfect series, Transformers: Super-God Masterforce is a clear step up from the original G1 Transformers and Transformers: Headmasters.

Action Scenes

The action scenes are certainly an improvement. The action sequences feel more dynamic and better choreographed.

Character Designs

(I crack headcanon Cancer and Buster as trans because of their designs and Cancer's feminine voice in the Omni dub.)

The designs are great. I adore Hydra and Buster's designs.

I love King Poseidon (Piranacon)'s design.

Bomb-Burst, Skullgrin, and Submarauder are fun, expressive villainous henchmen.

I wouldn't say they're as fun as Waspinator, Inferno, and Quickstrike from Beast Wars. But they're more entertaining than Thrust, Jetstorm, and Tankor from Beast Machines or Weirdwolf, Skullcruncher, and Mindwipe from Transformers: Headmasters on average.

I think the Decepticon junior headmasters being portrayed as a gang of youthful troublemakers with little real ties to the Decepticon ideology is very interesting.

Themes and Character Arcs: The Power of Humanity

I like how Cancer's redemption arc is particularly well-handled. It begins early (Episode 12) and develops gradually throughout the series. Although Cancer wanting to spread kung fu is a weird motive to join the Decepticons.

I think the Decepticon junior headmasters fit and inform their respective Decepticon form much better than G1.

For example: Wilder being a juvenile delinquent biker seemingly doesn't have much to do with Fangry as a bat-winged wolf monster at first glance. But Wilder being an anti-authority loner absolutely informs every aspect of Fangry’s psyche.

In contrast, in G1, Brisko being a Nebulan cartographer has...pretty much nothing to do with the rebellious nature of Fangry. While in Transformers: Super-God Masterforce, Transtectors feel like expressions of the human character's internal psyches which is a REALLY cool idea.

Darkwing and Dreadwind transforming themselves into true robot really emphasizes the theme of humanity.

Later, Cancer influences Wilder and Bullhorn to abandon the Decepticons, although Wilder makes it clear they're not joining the Autobots. Which I think is the right choice.

In the final two episodes, BlackZarak punishes Darkwing and Dreadwind for failing to defeat Optimus Prime (Ginrai) until they pass out from pain.

Overlord steps in to defend Darkwing and Dreadwind, arguing since as their commander it's his duty to protect them and he doesn't agree with BlackZarak's punishment.

Optimus Prime defends Overlord.

That's what Optimus Prime is all about in my opinion, standing up for what's right, even toward enemies.

The sequence captures compassion extends even to enemies when it’s about protecting life.

Optimus Prime tells BlackZarak that he underestimated the human mind. After BlackZarak's defeat, the Transtectors separate from their human partners, and Overlord and the Decepticon Transtectors leave into outer space.

Squeezeplay, the American version of Cancer from Masterforce. Got his toy in a multipack (that I picked up because it was the easiest way to get The Rock Cliffjumper, and I needed the The Rock) and now he’s one of my favs. Love that he turns into some sort of crab/scorpion/python monster thing. He’s a major fixture of my desk.

Shard. One of the Armorizers meaning she has zero story but is a cool rock helicopter lady with some badass accessories. Love assembling her thrusters and blades together into a cool bow looking thing. Plus what lore she does have ties her to Planet Dread and its Death Crystals that come from Chaos and that’s sick, based episode of G1.

Fossilizers. I fucking love the Fossilizers. I have posted about them before and I will post about them more in the future they are genuinely among my favorite guys. So cool. Skeleton dinosaurs are so fucking cool.

Slash. Littlest Dinobot, she’s based af. My buddy @tendo-the-lich is a brain genius that sold me on shipping her with the similarly sized fossilizer girly Vertebreak. He has a powerful mind. Here’s a picture of Vertebreak kabedoning Slash.

Devcon. There are like twelve Devcon fans and I’m one of them. It was Destiny that his first real toy happened to be a peg warmer right as I was getting hooked into this franchise. Devcon is an Autobot bounty hunter from exactly one episode of season 3 of the Sunbow cartoon. His main gimmicks are that he is hyper energy effect somehow and he hunts Decepticons. And by the end of the episode he has a new best friend named Slizzardo who is just a little guy.

Doublecross. So Headmasters is mostly a bad show and I would not recommend it really unless you are desperate for one additional season of Sunbow transformers. It’s got some highlights but is mostly kind of boring and it’s cast lacks charisma, especially compared to future japan exclusive shows like Masterforce and the two Beast Wars anime (which are not in this post for now because I’m sticking to characters I have toys for and I don’t consider Magmatron obscure enough but he’s dope as hell). Anyway what was I saying. Right DOUBLECROSS. They rock. The monsterbots are kinda bootleg Dinobots but weaker. Doublecross’s main thing is that his two alt mode heads have independent thoughts. They are both idiots. I love them. Sometimes they are both drunks too. Bonus. Sick ass toy. Torso is kind of weirdly long but making them a headmaster/titan master is hilarious. Like I don’t know if the power boost helps but they could definitely use the babysitter. I also love a lot of the sculpted details: they have some cool sculpting on the alt mode arms, the heads have great articulation, and the legs are neat. The guns are kind of awkward for the toy and the robot mode arms make pretty terrible arms but honestly that’s kind of to be expected with this guy so I am not holding that against him. I didn’t buy him for the robot mode he barely used in the show I bought him for the two-headed dragon himbo power.