Yolopark AMK Pro Series G1 Megatron, Optimus, and Starscream

I was a bit late to the game with the Yolopark releases of their AMK Pro Series Megatron and Optimus. But seeing more and more photos appearing online, I just couldn't resist. I was so impressed that I ended up preordering their new Starscream too, and they did not disappoint!

These model kits, with some diecast parts, or hands down the best value figures on the market today in my opinion. At roughly US$50 each, there is nothing that I can think of with the size, paint application, build quality, and array of accessories that even comes close to being as value for money.

Click through below for my reviews for the three figures over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

Each model kits comes packaged pretty nicely in its separate parts. So there is a bit of assembly needed, but thankfully there's no painting or glueing needed. The assembly process is fairly straight forward, but do be a bit careful in adjusting any tight joints in case of breakage.

Once all setup, the figures look fantastic. Since there's no transformation engineering to worry about, there's very little kibble, and the interpretations can be as faithful to the source material as it can be. The way in which the paint applications have been done is outstanding, and the battle damage and panel-lining brings out some great detail.

The latest Starscream is definitely more of a G1 cartoon aesthetic, and looks extremely similar to the MP design. I would've actually preferred some more artistic licence in a slightly different interpretation, like the did with Megatron and Optimus.

You can see in the Megatron comparison photos below that whilst the Yolopark is obviously a G1 interpretation, it has slightly different proportions from the source material and MP to give it a different character feel.

The Megatron figure also suffers from being the very first in their series. It lacks some of the technological advances in Optimus and Starscream, such as the adjustable hip joints that can extend the leg and provide more range of movement.

Optimus is a pretty accurate representation of his G1 form, and aside from the obvious scale difference, is pretty close to the MP too. The silver hips and thighs is nice from a paint application perspective that is a little more real-world. But I still prefer the nice shiny white in those areas of the MP.

Optimus and Megatron also suffer from the electronics in their eyes, so without the batteries the eyes look dead. Yolopark addressed this with Starscream using a plastic that still looks red without the light-up feature. For most displays, this is a massive improvement. I'll have to figure out a way to paint the eyes on my Megatron and Optimus figures.

All in all, if you're a G1 Transformers fan, this Yolopark G1 AMK Pro Series is fantastic. If you're thinking that you'll pass purely because they don't transform, then all I have to say is you're missing out on some great figures that look fantastic on display! I for one am hoping they announce more G1 characters soon in this series!

Storm Collectibles Fei Long from Ultra Street Fighter 2

It's always a great day when Storm finally release another Ultra Street Fighter 2 figure in their series. For 2024, it looks like only Fei Long and Blanka are on the schedule, but at least Fei Long has been released on time without any major delays.

And he's a pretty awesome release at that! Click the link below to watch my full video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can give the video a like, and also subscribe to the channel to stay tuned for the upcoming Blanka review when that arrives. Have a read further below for more photos and my thoughts.

The set comes with a great set of accessories, including Storm's typical set of swap out head sculpts. I love the loser head sculpt that is a unique aspect of this USF2 series. The paint application across the figure itself, head sculpts, and hands are all very nicely done and consistent.

The special move accessories are also a nice touch. The flaming leg is good for the odd photo, but I don't think it's very practical on display, unless you have a separate stand of some sort that can prop the figure in the air. The nunchucks round out the accessories, and it's good that they include a metal chain with it, as they should in this price range.

With all the various hands and the head sculpts, you can pretty much put him into any iconic pose, either from the game itself, or for Bruce Lee who he's obviously inspired by. The ankle joints are a little tight, as well as the top of the thighs where they join the hips. So just be careful when moving those areas in case anything snaps.

The musculature of the figure looks awesome. Storm have perfected the use of the soft, vinyl-like torso area, along with the butterfly shoulder assembly. You can get some really organic and realistic poses from the figure. The range of motion is not hindered by much at all, and the figure balances well when you spend a bit of time getting the figure in the right pose.

I didn't feel the need to heat up any joints or accessories to swap out, unlike many figures from Super7. The head sculpts here in particular swapped out very nicely, without feeling too loose or too tight. Sometimes there are concerns around paint rub or flaking when posing or swapping out hands and head sculpts, but this time I had no issues at all.

Together with the rest of the cast, they all look fantastic. He is a little leaner, especially when compared to the original Ryu and Ken. The scale seems a little on the smaller side, but only slightly. You can tell especially with the size of the head sculpts that are smaller than the others.

But in the original game, he did have a slightly smaller body, and it mostly aligns with his character profile in terms of his height and weight. Looking at Ryu and Ken, I really do wish Storm would re-issue them with the new body proportions that they've designed with their newer figures. Ryu and Ken still look too stocky, with legs that are too fat and short.

But in the scheme of things, I think they all look fantastic. As a long time SF2 player since the early 90s, the cast of figures just brings so much nostalgic awesomeness to my collection. I can't wait for Blanka to release, which should happen in August if all goes to plan. Stay tuned for that review!

Transformers Masterpiece MP-44S Optimus Prime

After MP-44 Optimus Prime was released, it took a while for all the controversy to die down regarding that figure. But once it did, and people started wanting a toy accurate Optimus to go with MP-36+ Megatron, the hope for a repaint of the MP-44 mold grew. Takara is always one to cash in one repaints, so this release of a toy homage of Optimus in the new mold was inevitable.

Unfortunately, the love and detail that Takara put into MP-36+ toy Megatron did not transfer completely to MP-44S Optimus. In a lot of ways, Takara could have made this a truly magnificent release, but chose to cut corners in some very disappointing ways.

Click through below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Make sure to give the video a like, and subscribe to the channel to stay tuned for more reviews!

For me, the car mode is an improvement over the older MP-10 Optimus. The rear is certainly cleaner on the MP-10, but the I prefer the detailing in the MP-44 mold and the way it sits closer to the ground. In this toy homage, they've painted in the silver stripe around the cab. I like that they kept it fairly simple otherwise, with no other detailing such as no silver lining around the windscreen.

This version doesn't come with a trailer to cut down on cost, so I used the one from the original MP-44 release. I think the complete setup looks better on the new mold too.

In bot mode, this figure truly shines, but then this also highlights where it fails. It was surprising that the red on the newer figure is a brigher hue than that of the original MP-44. There is still a gorgeous paint application, and the silver areas on the thighs and hips look fantastic.

However, the laziness in using stickers instead of tamped on decals like MP-36+ really put this figure to shame. Takara have been able to use tamped on details on the likes of Megatron and Artfire to great effect, and it should've been a no-brainer to do this with Optimus.

They also did not include a toy homage head sculpt, but just reused the hero headsculpt from the MP-44 release. The use of yellow eyes just doesn't cut it for me. The MP-36+ included multiple face plates and a toy accurate head sculpt, so they definitely should've treated Optimus here with the same level of respect.

The use of a darker hue in the blue areas is both an homage to MP-10 and the original G1 toy I think. It does look great and goes really well with the brighter red. Overall, I'm still happy to have this toy homage in the collection. But Takara definitely leaves a bad taste in the mouth with the shortcuts they've taken with what should've been a flawless release.

Transformers Masterpiece MP-58 Hoist

Another new G1 mold in the Masterpiece series is always a great occasion since Takara release them so slowly these days. The previous Trailbreaker was pretty awesome, and this new Hoist is just as good. If you think the transformation is a reuse from the Trailbreaker, you'd be completely wrong! The engineers at Takara have done some incredible work to design a very similar car mode, coupled with a completely different transformation, into a bot mode that matches the cartoon aesthetic perfectly.

Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe to stay tuned for upcoming reviews.

Box and packaging is the usual standard Masterpiece style, and the set comes with a decent array of accessories. You can recreate some of the classic scenes from the cartoon episodes, such as when they all acted on set in alien masks.

There's also the swap out bumper piece to go with the more realistic chromed look or the cartoon style matte grey finish. I love the cartoon look, but I always use that bit of chrome when provided on figures, since I think it adds that extra bit of premium style on display.

The main attraction is of course the figure itself. The car mode is awesome, with a beautiful deep green and orange paint app. The rear carriage folds down and can tow other vehicles if you hook them over the little notch at the end.

I found the wheel clearance not that great, but that was resolved after a bit of adjusting after transformation. But I tend to keep my main cast of characters in bot mode anyway, so it wouldn't have been a problem for my display.

The doors and hood open just like they did on Trailbreaker. The details are slightly different under the hood, mostly influenced by the different transformation sequences. You can fit one of the human accessories from previous figures into the car, but it's pretty tight and I didn't even bother trying.

Overall, if you're a fan of car mode, you'll love this new Hoist. I think it's a pretty faithful representation of the Hilux variants that were produced back in the day.

But I'm a bot mode fa, and Hoist does not disappoint. The transformation sequence is drammatically different to Trailbreaker's and really do bring out the chunky stature Hoist had in the cartoon. The hips and thighs are a very faithful recreation of the cartoon aesthetic, and it really makes him stand out as something different amongst the MP cast.

They include a couple of swap out face plates too. I decided to go with the look he had in the episode with Grapple and the Constructicons, with the more pronounced chin guard.

There were only a couple of trickier parts in the transformation sequence. The panel rotation and folding in the shoulder areas can be confusing, so definitely follow the official Takara transformation video to make sure you do it right.

The other trickier part was making sure the backpack pegged into the back of the waist tightly. The first time will require quite some effort, but you will hear a satisfying click as it pegs in properly. Once that is done, the figure holds together very well and looks like he just jumped out of the 80s TV screen.

Side by side with Trailbreaker, the major differences in transformation and design become obvious. I love how the Takara engineers were able to factor this between the two characters, giving them the unique style that they deserve, as opposed to reusing the mold like the classic G1 toy. I think Takara has found the perfect balance in bot mode proportions whilst maintaining that realistic licensed car mode.

Displayed with MP Grapple, these two really do look like they came straight out of the G1 cartoon episode. It just makes me wish even harder for Takara to hurry up and do a proper MP Constructicon series!

All in all, I think if you're a G1 cartoon fan, then this new Hoist is a no-brainer. I just hope Takara continues this amazing design aesthetic and give us more G1 Season 1/2 characters this year.

Tweeterhead Masters of the Universe Trap Jaw

Sideshow started this "Legends" series of MOTU statues back in 2016, and handed over the reigns to Tweeterhead that has continued the series since about 2021. And for MOTU fans, Tweeterhead have given us some of the best interpretations of these classic characters that have ever been produced.

I'm glad that Tweeterhead have taken this series to the next level. I've loved every one of their releases, and this new Trap Jaw is no exception. Click through below to watch my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel!

Thankfully there is no exclusive version for this Trap Jaw, so every release has all the swap out parts to tailor this just the way you like it. For me, I like to have that hint of the original cartoon style, mixed in with some new interpretations. So I decided to go with the classic, almost NFL-like, head sculpt as opposed to the new orc-like interpretation.

I also coupled it with the more basic hook arm that is also more reminiscent of the cartoon. Together, I think the two swap out pieces pay perfect homage to the 80s cartoon, whilst coupled with the incredibly detailed body and paint application of the rest of the statue.

Every single angle of this piece is amazing to behold. The blue of the skin texture brings that perfect burst of colour to offset the dark purples, silvers and greys, and the muted green and browns in other parts of the statue.

The dark purple of the base is almost grey or dark gun metal in hue, but it does fit in nicely with the older statues from Sideshow that have a slightly more purple tinge. The body of the statue itself is incredible, with sculpted details across the board.

I love the silver and grey metallic paint application for the boots and armour pieces. The browns for the leather sections looks great too, and matches well with the muted jade green in the thighs and belt areas. The swap out pieces are fairly easy to attach, and it all comes together beautifully.

The alternative cannon arm is very intricately detailed, and is monstrous in size. It's almost too big, but does give him a great menacing option for that more modern style. The alternate head sculpt has a nice little open mouthed growl to it, but it reminds me too much of orcs from Warcraft, so I chose the classic portrait instead.

Either of the options will still look incredible on display. The sheer size is impressive, despite some complaints that this series is only 1/5th scale, not 1/4 scale. I'm actually glad they're slightly smaller, and can fit more easily in my display cabinets.

The bad guys together from both the Sideshow and Tweeterhead simpy look amazing. As a MOTU fan from way back in the 80s, these interpretations are how I imagined them in my childhood brain to be. Tweeterhead have produced the perfect mix of adult mature aesthetics with that awesome nostalgic feel to the characters we love.

I've preordered the Beast Man exclusive from Tweeterhead, and cannot wait for that to arrive later in 2024. With teasers of Sorceress and Man-At-Arms, I hope this series continues to release characters from that awesome universe.

Hot Toys MMS616 Marty McFly and MMS617 Doc Brown

My 1/6th scale collecting has slowed down considerably the past couple of years. This is mainly due to the lack of figures being released from source material that I grew up with. But luckily Hot Toys still seems to want to release some Back to the Future characters, with the BTTF3 Doc and Marty releases.

Click the link below for my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel, and more pics if you scroll down further.

Hot Toys have done a pretty awesome job with these two, with some incredibly detailed clothing and accessories. Together they look like they jumped out of the screen into my display cabinet! I'm glad they didn't reuse Doc's head sculpt for a third time, and went with a more stoic look. Marty similarly gets a pretty straight face. I would've like more of an expression, but at least the paint application brings out the nice details and glassiness in the eyes.

Doc comes with several different layers of clothing, and two outer jackets. You can go for the look from the dance, or the early scene where he saves Marty from the hanging. I prefer that older style with the tan long coat, and it fits beautifully on the figure.

I love the little details with the watch and chain that hangs nicely in the inner coat. The material used is fantastic for each different piece of clothing, giving a real sense of authenticity to the movie. It's unfortunate that the hat is not removeable, and is only plastic, but it's a minor negative in amongst some awesome 1/6th scale tailoring.

Marty is pretty great too, and also comes with his poncho that he wears for most of the movie. But I actually prefer the traditional cowboy style that he had just before the duel. The gun strap was a pain to get sitting right arcross the waist, especially trying to get that angled look. But once set up, he looks very natural.

Again the material in the clothing is outstanding, and lays very well on the body. If you put the poncho on, you need to put some effort into getting it to lay close to the body as it does tend to balloon out which does not look natural.

I'm glad that Hot Toys decided to complete the figures from all three movies. I'm glad to finally have all three versions displayed in the collection. Across the board, I think Hot Toys have done a pretty awesome job with Marty.

They did pretty well with Doc too, although the reuse of the same head sculpt in the first two version is still disappointing. But I love the outfits that are so iconic, and the accessories just add that nice touch to the display too.

Hot Toys doesn't seem to do too many figures from classic 80s action or sci-fi anymore, but here's hoping they do more from that era.

Super7 Silverhawks

It seemed like ages waiting for Super7 to release the Silverhawks figures. Each Super7 release always appears to be accompanied by controversy either in changed sculpt, changed paint, or both. The release of the main cast of the Silverhawks team was no different, but overall I'm pretty happy to finally have them in the 80s cartoon collection.

Click the link below to watch my review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel! See below for more pics.

Super7 aways does a great job for collector packaging, but all of that ends up in the recycling for me. Each figure comes with a pretty good assortment of accessories, including swap out arms/wings, head sculpts, hands, weapons, and companion birds.

Sculpting and paint application overall is pretty good too. The body paint is not the chromed look that many would like, but I don't mind the more matte finish with that slight pearlescence. It matches more of the cartoon look from their other figures in my collection, so that's fine by me.

Bluegrass for me has the best accessories, with the guitar pieces. The smirk and wink on the head sculpt also gives his character some personality in the display. Steelwill looks pretty good, but I would definitely prefer if he was slightly larger in scale. The sculpt has the bulk, but overall size seems smaller than Quicksilver.

That might be mostly cartoon accurate, but the sculpts I think would just look better in proportion to each other if he was either bigger, or Quicksilver slightly smaller. Either way, they still look great as a team.

I also got Mon-Star in his transformed, larger form. As you can see below, he is a pretty massive figure, which scales nicely. Articulation is pretty limited at that size, but overall I think articulation is not great on any of the figures. Steelheart in particular limited around the torso and waist, so she's pretty much a standup statue.

Took me ages to manage to get Tally-Hawk perching nicely on Quicksilver's arm. I had to use the right arm because the left was just too loose and could not hold out horizontally with the bird on top. Now I just need a Copper Kidd to finish out the team.

As I said, overall I think these look pretty damn good on the shelf with other 80s cartoon characters. They're not the greatest figures in this scale, but definitely a nice bit of nostalgia for those that grew up watching the old show.

Figma Table Museum SP-151 The Birth of Venus

This Table Museum series of figures is just so interesting and different, that I can't resist buying more! This release from back in 2023 was my latest addition to the series. I'm not just waiting on the Mona Lisa to release later this year!

Click through the link below to watch my full review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe to stay tuned for more reviews in this series! Scroll down further for a few more pics showing how you can also have fun with these figures!

Great looking standalone display piece!

Looks great with the others in their classic forms too!

Tut trying to give David a scare! 😂