TR Shuffler ***Proofed Skyquake87***

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ganon578
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TR Shuffler ***Proofed Skyquake87***

Post by ganon578 »

Name: Shuffler
Function: Titan Master, Robo-elephant
Subgroup: Titans Return
Size Class: Titan Master

I would like to find a bio for Shuffler, but the of lack bios for these tiny figures coupled with the Japan only release of the original toy bars me from finding much of anything on the internet. To be honest though, Shuffler is a robo-elephant that doubles as a headmaster, a missile launcher, and a tank. You probably don’t need much of a backstory to enjoy him.

Shuffler falls into the same category as Sawback (Lione), wherein the original figures were Japan-only releases, so finding these on the open market nowadays is rare and also costly. Thankfully, the team at Hasbro has not held back when digging through the depths of Transformers toy lore, in an effort to reinvent figures that never touched soil in the US or UK. This has allowed fans of the line to grab some inexpensive toys with modern flair, which are both obscure and totally fun to mess with.

Elephant Mode:

Simple, elegant, and boxy. As far as I can tell from photos online, Shuffler’s elephant mode is nearly identical in size to the original toy, which is pretty awesome. You pretty much get a mix of two colored plastics with Shuffler – grey and purple. You won’t find too many paint apps going on here, but what is included works. The upper parts of the elephant is actually painted grey, with the legs being molded in grey plastic. The colors match well enough so you don’t even notice. His eyes are painted in a faint blue hue, and there’s a small Autobot tampo on the right side. Simple, yet tasteful.

The elephant mold itself is detailed rather well, and designed well to boot. Unlike the aforementioned Sawback, who has a gaping hole in his back, Shuffler is quite solid all around. The head/robot tucks very nicely (and snugly, too) into the abdomen, which hides it well. If you didn’t know this thing was a Titan Master, you’d be hard pressed to glance at it and think it contains a head down in there. Any tank details are blended well – again at first glance, you wouldn’t know it could be a tank. Shuffler’s snout can move up and down, and the legs (which work in tandem) can move a bit too. If you want, you can even tilt the head side to side, and up and down a bit. The handle in gun mode doubles as a ‘tail’ here, which you can move as well. There’s a surprising amount of movement for a Titan Master figure, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. While the other modes aren’t bad either, I think Shuffler is most fun as a tiny robo-elephant.

Tank Mode:

A few simple folding moves and you have Shuffler in tank mode. Tiny treads that were somewhat hidden in elephant mode are now apparent in this mode. The tail/gun handle is now a tank cannon, and the head and nose of the elephant are settled on the top of the tank, emulating a tiny cockpit and cannon. This portion has a bit of movement – again this is a pleasant surprise considering the small size. The Titan Master can ride on the back, somewhat like a dog-sled. Of the handful of Titan Master that I own, Shuffler’s vehicle mode is done well, if a little goofy that it’s a dog-sled/tank. It’s still very fun though!

Robot Mode:

As is the case with the Titan Masters, the robot mode is standard and straightforward. You won’t find any paint apps here, but that’s OK. What I like about Shuffler’s robot mode is, like Sawback, his tiny face is built just like the animal he portrays. Look closely, and you can see a tiny snout in there. It’s an awesome move on Hasbro’s part, and gives the robot a little more flair than just slapping a random robot head on him.

Weapon Mode:

Like all other Titan Masters, Shuffler has a weapon mode to be paired with the Head mode. Most of these (in my experience) have been rather lackluster. The only one I had previously came across with a decent weapon mode was Brawn. Shuffler, on the other hand, works quite well as a weapon. He appears to transform into a handheld missile launcher, with 12 missile bays as well as a double-barrel cannon from the snout, and two more guns from the sides of the elephant. It’s a sturdy weapon, and one that looks OK enough to pass as something a transformer would wield – we’re not talking about a random car turned into a half-gun-ish-thing, or a lion that turns in to a ‘shield’ with a lion face. Shuffler is fairly solid.

Head Mode:

Shuffler’s head mode has a fantastic design – a welcome and modern update to the original figure. There’s a decent amount of detail around the purple helmet, and the molded detail in the face is done well too. Shuffler features a faceplate done in grey paint, with little notches on the sides and what could be considered a faux snout running down the middle of it. That’s a nice bit of consistency through the design that I appreciate. You’ll also find some painted red eyes that make the entire face look pretty sharp. Overall, well done.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: He’s a Titan Master, so there isn’t a ton of engineering taking place. I think the design of the figure is more pleasing in each mode than the actual transformation. 5/10.

Durability: Solid and light. Nothing that comes off can’t be put back on. 9/10.

Fun: Shuffler is super fun in each mode, which is something I can’t say about other Titan Masters. Hooray for robo-elephants!!! 10/10.

Aesthetics: He’s tiny, but very close to the original toy, and overall looks good in each mode. The consistency with the snout in each mode is a nice plus. The head design is sharp and modern too. 9/10.

Articulation: Yeah, he doesn’t have a ton of joints being the type of figure he is, but compared to other figures in this class, he’s the best one I’ve seen so far. 9/10.

Value/Price: For $5 USD, this is a great deal. All the modes are fun, and I can’t think of a reason not to buy him at full retail. 10/10.

Overall: Shuffler is a fantastic and inexpensive toy. While other Titan Masters have been somewhat lackluster, or simply OK, Shuffler is an example of what these figures could have been. You’ve essentially got five modes that all work well, and the interaction between toys in the line is super fun. The low cost of this figure is an added bonus, and if you’ve got $5 to spare, you should absolutely give him a shot. 9/10.
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ganon578
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Post by ganon578 »

And here's the pleasant little robo-elephant!!!
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Skyquake87
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Post by Skyquake87 »

Proofed! He looks ace. And you said 'purple helmet'. snigger.
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ganon578
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Post by ganon578 »

Skyquake87 wrote:Proofed! He looks ace. And you said 'purple helmet'. snigger.
This made me :lol:

I hadn't caught that I actually put that in there. Great catch!
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