COUNTDOWN: 10 third party attempts that took on existing Masterpiece toys (part 1)

The world of so-called ‘third party’ robots has expanded rapidly over the last decade or more.

What began with upgrade kits and accessories for existing figures has mushroomed to the point where many collectors frequently opt for an unofficial attempt at a character over a TakaraTomy Masterpiece release. However, what’s also notable is how infrequently third party efforts will opt to tackle a project where such an official toy already exists, often choosing to steer clear or push their attempt through quickly before the genuine article sees release.

So today, let’s look at ten examples where a third party figure was released in direct competition with a pre-existing Masterpiece, including how well they fared…

#10: Maketoys Meteor

It’s incredible to think that when Maketoys Meteor was unveiled, collectors were interested in the idea of another Masterpiece-styled G1 Seeker attempt, yet that was very much the case! First teased in silhouette as far back as 2015, the project didn’t see release for a further two years, but it remained of interest to many who were already unenamoured with the official MP-11 release from 2012. Whilst that design initially generated buzz, factors such as a lack of ankle tilt, an overly greebly sculpt, and some iffy quality control made it seem dated within a short window, leaving the door open for other projects to cash in. This is precisely what happened when Maketoys finally got Meteor to release, as many traded in their MP-11 in favour of the smoother style that was perceived as closer to the animation.

Meteor soon became a hot item, although that was nothing compared to the subsequent repaints, Lighting (Thundercracker) and Skycrow (Skywarp), both of which could easily fetch several hundred dollars on the aftermarket after not very long. Ultimately the bubble burst with the announcement and release of the new MP-52 Seeker mould (and perhaps further third party attempts, as we’ll see), and the perceived value of these toys dropped considerably. For a while, though, it’s fair to say the Maketoys Seekers ruled the skies.

#9: FansToys Hoodlum

Few toys in the Masterpiece line have generated as much controversy as MP-28 Hot Rod. Released in 2016, there was debate from the very first silhouette reveal about how well it represented the fan-favourite protagonist of the 1986 movie. Many collectors still maintain that it’s a heavily flawed design, with a flat chest and skinny legs, whilst plenty of us continue to love it for all it’s worth!

Bizarrely though, FansToys had originally teased their own attempt at the character in 2015 before MP-28 was even unveiled. However, the project quickly went on hiatus after those first teasers dropped, and for a long while, it seemed like it might not ever happen. Flash forward to 2019, and FansToys clearly felt enough time had passed, as Hoodlum was released at least. Unfortunately, many collectors hoping this release could be the answer they’d be waiting for were disappointed, as it proved to be just as divisive as the official figure, if not more so! The design had many quirks, but the worst aspect was the horrific paint chipping that would occur straight out of the box and seemed inevitable from the first transformation. Overall, Hoodlum was far from FansToys’ finest hour, and it feels like some collectors are still waiting for their ultimate Hot Rod representation one day.

#8: X-Transbots Dante

Here’s a third party figure still yet to be released, although once again, the journey there has been long and winding! Like Hoodlum, X-Transbots unveiled Dante (an attempt at Inferno) and Da Vinci (Grapple) back in 2015, just before TakaraTomy dropped news of MP-33. There had been other attempts at the character before, but it felt like that official figure killed this one overnight, with XTB almost immediately putting the project on indefinite hiatus. It would be a further six years before there was any other concrete news of any kind, at which point I think most of us were genuinely surprised to see the idea make a comeback! Still, it now seems as though Dante & co will finally land any day now, meaning not only will this be among the longest gestating third party figures of all time, but it will be one of the few to go up against a pre-existing official Masterpiece. Let’s see how it does!

#7: Robot Paradise Acoustic Wave (& cassettes)

Speaking of long overdue products, it’s hard to believe that FansToys (under the name Robot Paradise) eventually brought Acoustic Wave to fruition, considering it was initially set to be their second release (before Quakewave!) all the way back in 2012! This is another project that was shelved, this time after the official Masterpiece Soundwave was revealed, although it was brought back to the fore once a suitable amount of time had presumably passed. In this case, the design underwent a complete overhaul, taking it from something that would probably look quite outdated by now to an ultra-sleek anime-styled take on the character in question.

The result? Well, MP-13 Soundwave is an all-time classic, so you won’t find me knocking it too hard here. That said, it’s hard not to be compelled by what FansToys have achieved with their own attempt, and, for those seeking something a bit more cartoon accurate, this may well be the paradise you’ve been waiting for (even if it took ten years!).

#6: Badcube Steamroll & Recon

Whilst some of the other figures we’ve discussed may have started life before an official attempt was unveiled (even if they didn’t happen till much later), that definitely was not the case with this Badcube double act. MP-12 Lambor and MP-14 Alert both landed in 2012, kicking off the carbot era of the Masterpiece line to begin with. They may have paved the way, but some collectors ultimately came to feel they didn’t gel entirely with later releases such as MP-39 Sunstreaker, as the shift towards more of an animation-accurate aesthetic proved quite jarring when they were lined up together. Badcube sought to capitalise on that with Steamroll and Recon in 2018.

What’s really funny is that Badcube had also done their own Sunstreaker in 2016, named Sunsurge, which at the time was modelled to fit in with MP-12 in terms of aesthetics. There’s an argument that Steamroll stands next to Sunsurge as well as MP-12 does with MP-39, just showing how quickly third party figures were rushing to keep up with the official line around this time. Ultimately, though, it seemed like these two didn’t make enough impact to dislodge the TakaraTomy efforts in many collections, possibly due to how complicated they both were to transform.

Be sure to check out part 2!