It’s funny how time flies, isn’t it?

One minute, you’re sitting down thinking you should crack on with that end-of-year list all about your favourite toys, and before you know it, twelve months have flown by, and it’s time to do the follow-up already. Which, clearly, is my way of saying that I appreciate this is all very overdue!

But hey, it’s been an exceptionally busy time of it all (not least personally, involving a big relocation and plenty else going on besides), and even if I’m a smidge behind schedule on this occasion (just a smidge, mind), it’s still a process I’ve been looking forward to and one which I hope will be of value. After all, some time may have passed, but all of the releases on this list remain highly relevant in their own way, and looking at them now with fresh eyes, they have lost none of their lustre as far as I am concerned!

Anyway, long story short, this is my attempt to cobble together a ranking of the toys I most enjoyed during 2022, and I cannot stress that last part enough. As toy collectors and reviewers, we often tend to get bogged down in analysis of everything from design, engineering, articulation, creativity, execution, quality… in many ways, I am freeing my brain from such concerns and presenting those releases which brought me the most joy, purely and simply.

To clarify: all of the toys here were released and acquired by yours truly during 2022, so if your favourite thing isn’t represented in some way, I likely never picked it up! Or, y’know, I just didn’t vibe with it as much as you did – so it goes when doing these kinds of lists, given how subjective and purely personal they are. I’m sure many also won’t agree with my choices, and that’s equally fine!

Anyway, as a little sweetener for this landing so tardy, I’ve included more releases on the list than ever before, upping it from the typical ten to fourteen (and repaints besides). That’s my way of being nice (and perhaps a little indecisive, given how much great stuff came out during this one year, it seems!).

So, without further ado, let’s get cracking with part 1!

2022 REPAINTS

RUNNER UP: Masterpiece MP-55 Nightbird Shadow

Kicking off with some of the most stylish repaints of the year, and first up is the glorious MP-55 Nightbird Shadow (or simply ‘Nightbird’ if you prefer!). I’ll freely admit that I was initially as surprised as many others seemed to be when this one was unveiled, but it didn’t take long for the concept to win me over! After all, whilst it may not be ultra-slavish to the classic cartoon depiction of the mischievous robot ninja, the toy looks undeniably gorgeous all the same.

Firstly, the vehicle mode is stunning, taking the already fantastic Masterpiece Arcee design but giving it a welcome sultry twist in black and grey. However, the robot mode is the star performer here, making every use of that impressive articulation and a boatload of interesting accessories to provide a real thrill.

I had great fun taking photos of this one, especially as it’s the kind of creativity the Masterpiece line does so well.

Check out the original review of this toy here.

RUNNER UP: Ocular Max Assaultus Regenesis

I made a big fuss about the Ocular Max Combaticons on their initial release, and if you’ve experienced them, you’ll likely understand exactly why that is. Not only are they the most cartoon-accurate Masterpiece-styled spin on the roster we’ve seen so far, but they’re great fun to boot and chock full of surprises along the way! So what could be better? Well, how about these ultra-1990s camo-flavoured Day-Glo Generation 2 colour schemes?

Ultimately, the toys themselves are identical to before. Yet the best repaints allow you to experience a design all over again and still have it feel fresh somehow, and that’s precisely what Ocular Max has achieved here. I was already sold on the very idea of this set from the mere mention of it, but somehow, it exceeded my expectations.

And, dare I say, I think the combined form wears this frankly ludicrous palette even better than its original outing, as though the vibrant colours and gaudy styling bring out the best in the design. It may be an Assaultus on the eyes (groan), but it’s captivating all the same.

Check out the original reviews and galleries of these toys here.

RUNNER UP: threezero DLX War For Cybertron Nemesis Prime

Who doesn’t love a good black repaint, eh? And Nemesis Prime makeovers are often some of the best! So it was for threezero, who unveiled this striking specimen and immediately won me over with it, perhaps for obvious reason.

After all, it takes the beautifully blocky War For Cybertron design and amps it up to eleven, including vastly superior articulation, a wonderfully weathered finish and blazing light-up chest boobs. What more could you honestly ask for?

I know some may have found these high-end, non-transformable takes on the Siege designs a bit bizarre at the time, but trust me when I say this thing is truly sublime observed up close. I’m just glad it came in black!

Check out the original gallery of this toy here.

WINNER: Retro G1 Hot rod

Come on, now, was it ever going to be anything else? The very notion of a pink G1 Hot Rod has been living lodged deep in my brain ever since I first clapped eyes on that vintage prototype in all the catalogues from the time. Despite almost four decades of loving the classic red retail version, this Retro release is the very definition of a dream finally come true.

I’m still in disbelief it even happened! Did I imagine this? Is it real? Well, yes, it is, and it’s every bit as amazing as you would hope it could be. It’s not precisely accurate to that same prototype, but somehow it’s even better, with a carefully considered and respectful makeover which brings out all the best bits of the original sculpt.

G1 Hot Rod may be the finest Transformers toy of all time (in my humble opinion), and I don’t know that it’s ever looked better. If I didn’t have a tradition of considering repaints under a separate category, this would take the top spot for 2022 overall. ‘Nuff said.

Check out the original video and gallery of this toy here.

TOP TEN FOURTEEN FIGURES 2022

#14: FansToys FT-40A Hannibal

When FansToys unveiled plans to do a ridiculously massive Fortress Maximus design, it’s only fair to say that many of us questioned if such a thing would ever see fruition. After all, the very idea of it is almost nonsensical, a complete practical improbability that surely will never see the light of day. And yet, FT-40A puts us one step firmly on the road towards that happening.

To be honest, even if the rest of it never comes to pass (which might be a blessing as much as a curse!), just having a Masterpiece-styled realisation of Max’s head makes me slightly giddy. That it’s so well done is but the cherry on top of a yet-to-be-realised gigantic chunk of plastic.

Besides, Hannibal is a lovely thing all by himself, with a superb robot form and a surprisingly straightforward conversion into the bargain. The idea of the full Fort Max is still rather bizarre to imagine, but this lad is worthwhile even as a standalone prospect.

Check out the original gallery of this toy here.

#13: Masterpiece Movie Series MPM-13 Blackout

I’ll freely admit to two things regarding this toy. Firstly, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the initial reveal, and secondly, I haven’t given it nearly enough time of day since it was actually released. Both are a direct result of having already been bowled over by one particular unofficial attempt at this character in Masterpiece scale, but that’s not fair, either, especially as it pays short shrift towards a figure which is really rather remarkable.

Consider that this design goes from such a superb vehicle mode, which, honestly, is almost scale-model-levels of cohesive and detailed, but then goes through some incredibly elaborate twisty-turny action to spit out such a screen-accurate monstrosity of a humanoid guise. This character remains one of the most iconic parts of the first live-action Transformers film, and that legacy is more than done justice in toy form on this occasion.

So yes, I shall make it my mission to spend more time getting to appreciate this MPM release in the near future because the reality is that Masterpiece Blackout is a surefire knockout.

#12: FansToys FT-25 Outrider

“The best things come to those who wait”, as the saying goes, although whoever wrote that saying most definitely collected FansToys. First unveiled in 2016 (yep), FT-25 was the long-term light at the end of the rainbow for many a Trailbreaker fan during years (and years) of other third-party attempts. That it ended up landing in 2022, mere months ahead of a spectacular official effort, is quite comical, yet it also means that it would be easy to overlook this thing altogether.

In reality, though, MP-56 was only released right at the very tail end of the year, so including it here would have been a misrepresentation of when it made it into my hands. That at least gives Outrider his time to shine, and deservedly so, because it’s a great design which was (almost) worth the long wait.

Sure, it may have had unfortunate timing, and yes, it’s likely to be overshadowed by the subsequent TakaraTomy figure, but still, FT-25 deserves a look. After all, he may not be fast, but he is tough.

Check out the original gallery of this toy here.

#11: Ocular Max PS-21 Medicus

I’m sure I don’t need to repeat how much I enjoyed Ocular Max’s Combaticon set on its first and, indeed, second outing. So imagine my utter glee when it was confirmed that the same company would be tackling my most anticipated set of good-guy combiner lads in a similar style! I knew I would find plenty to enjoy with this lot, and based on the initial evidence, that’s entirely correct.

However, Medicus arrived at a point when I was peak house move, so he definitely didn’t make quite the initial splash he should have done. Fortunately, his charms were more than evident and fully appreciated on a repeated evaluation, since which he’s very much cemented himself as the go-to masterpiece-styled First Aid I’ve long been looking forward to.

After all, it’s as sleek and smart a design as anything Ocular Max cooked up for their Combaticons, gliding easily between three modes and requiring no additional parts when becoming a limb. If the rest of the set proves as irresistible as this and the follow-up effort Navigant, we’re onto a good thing indeed.

Check out the original gallery of this toy here.

#10: FansToys FT-47 Rig

If my enjoyment of FansToys Rig ever needed re-enforcement, look no further than my very recent assertion that it’s the current best entry in an otherwise impressive roster of Minibots from the unofficial outfit. I never imagined saying that of a Huffer design, but everything about FT-47 is set to impress once you have it in hand.

I appreciate that, even now, such a statement might be hard to fully fathom unless you have some up-close experience with the toy, but trust me, that transformation alone is not the kind of thing you want to miss. It’s so bizarrely yet wonderfully topsy-turvy, with the cab section forming the lower-leg boots, for one thing, which is incredible to behold firsthand.

Yet there’s a lot that’s right about this design besides, and not least how it superbly captures the awkward essence of Huffer’s robot form, droopy shoulders with pipe arms and all. Assuming we never get around to an official take on the character, this will be more than sufficient.

Check out the original review of this toy here.

#9: threezero MDLX Bumblebee

A lot of Transformers collectors remain puzzled by threezero’s offerings. “They don’t transform”, I’m always told, as though such a thing hasn’t been a staple part of the franchise since the early days. Still, putting that particular quirk to one side, there’s often a lot more to them than meets the eye, which is never better exemplified in the new MDLX line-up, starting with this little lad.

Smaller, leaner, and cuter than anything the company has done before, this take on the franchise’s most child-friendly character looks and feels like the classic 1980s iteration yet given a wholly fresh spin thanks to threezero’s in-house design wizardry. Even better, it’s super articulated and chock full of gorgeous details, to the point where it looks like it should transform even though it definitely doesn’t.

MDLX has only gone from strength to strength since, of course, but even as a standalone, there’s surely room on your desk for such an adorable teeny-tiny super-poseable ‘Bee like this.

Check out the original review of this toy here.

Be sure to join us for part 2 soon!

TTFN