Review – Targetroids Megashoton vs Optiaim

Line: Transformers * Year: 2011

Released by TFC Toys (website), I got my copy of the Targetroids Megashoton vs Otiaim unofficial Transformers toys in a recent order from TFSource. I did a little searching online to see who else is carrying the set but a quick search didn’t reveal any immediate options. Anyway, on with the review.

Packaging

The Targetroids Megashoton vs Optiaim box is simple but attractive, with images of the toys on the back and windows on the front to show the actual pieces in their gun modes. The sides show the other two Targetroids — Screamer and Hot Flame — but I suspect that unless you’re a serious Starscream or Hot Rod/Roddimus fan you’ll skip the second set as soon as you finish playing with this Megatron and Optimus Prime-inspired set.

Megashoton

Starting with the weaker of the two toys in the pack, Megashoton is the primary reason that I’m going to ignore the Screamer vs. Hot Flame set. The gun mode — shown above with Cybertronian Soundwave (review here) is weird and not very attractive, with Megashoton basically doing the splits and flipping his head down to transform into this weapon mode. His arms just hang there as obvious pieces and it’s generally an unattractive mode.

Megashoton’s robot mode is a lot more attractive looking, as you can see in the photos, and really gets across the Megatron influences in the design. The toy has decent articulation for its size — just over 3-inches tall — with ball-jointed shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees and a swivel neck. The joints are tight without being stiff and the toy looks pretty good and plays nicely in robot mode.

Unfortunately, Megashoton has a tendency to lose his head and his upper torso; the pieces just kinda fall off when you move him. If you’re extra careful everything stays together, but just transforming the toy sometimes has you snapping the upper torso back in place. This is definitely a toy for collectors and not one to play with, because as a shelf piece he looks good but he has too many problems for anyone to actually want to play with it.

Optiaim

Now if Megashoton had been as good as this Optiaim that he’s packaged with there’s a chance I would have ordered the second set. The gun mode, again, isn’t spectacular; these gun modes are just too long and big for use with “Deluxe”-scale Transformers toys and since that’s mostly what I have neither one of these does a great job of taking the Targetmaster role. I suspect someone trying to use these with “Masterpiece”-scale toys will find them a lot more fun, but even ignoring the size issues the gun modes are simply ugly.

But it’s robot mode where this Optimus Prime-inspired toy really shines. Again we get the ball-joint shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees (and the swivel neck), but Optiaim doesn’t fall apart on me and feels a bit more sturdy than Megashoton. I don’t know if it’s common throughout the run — maybe I just got a bad Megashoton — but of the two I have to say that Optiaim is the better toy. I’m still not gonna use him in gun mode, but he makes a great little Optimus Prime for the Prime collection that’s on display in the living room.

Paint Issues

Both figures have minor paint problems, with sloppy edges and rough applications. It’s no worse than we see on mass-produced action figures, but when you spend $15 to $20 for a 3-inch transforming robot toy you expect a little more than from the same size toy bought for half (or less) the price. I know that these unofficial Transformers toys are produced in much lower numbers than Hasbro’s official releases, but if these small and unknown companies want to impress me then they’ll start sinking more energy into their paint apps.

Closing Thoughts

In the end this Targetroids set is a neat idea but the execution is just good enough that I am happy to display the toys in robot mode while not being happy enough to buy the second set. Poor gun modes, Megashoton’s lousy construction, and less-than-perfect paint apps combined with the high price makes this a set that I’m not recommending to anyone. There are better unofficial Transformers toys on the market and the only people who should buy this set are those who have a massive Megatron or Optimus Prime collection that just needs these in the set.

Philip Reed doesn’t hate these toys, he just doesn’t find them amazing. Would he buy another toy from TFC Toys? Possibly, but it will depend on the exact design . . . and he would totally buy a Targetroids Shockwave.