| 05.02.2014 – Almost 10 years ago Takara had a similar toy line to Hasbro’s ‘Transformers Universe’ prior to 2008. It was dubbed ‘Robot Masters’ and most of the figures in the line are recycled and redeco from previous toy line with exception to Optimus Primal (Beast Convoy), Beast Megatron, G1 Starscream and Optimus Prime.
The rest like the Japanese Beast Wars series and Cyberjets from G2 are reused to fill up the character roster. One of the Cyberjets that gets a second look is R-Blade... |
RobotMasters doesn’t have any animation series, but rather to build up the story it was released as a web comic. At the same time the product catalog that came with it also included a mini comic how the world of Generation One connects with the Beast Wars in this alternate timeline.
R-Blade is originally a redeco of the Generation 2 Cyberjet Hooligan. The Robot Masters figures are sold in a window type packaging that includes its accessories with the product catalog and instruction manual.
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All the Robot Masters figures are packaged in robot mode unlike the traditional being sold in vehicle mode. The box primary motif is white and green like any Japanese packaging the box is reusable.
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In robot mode its obvious R-Blade is a big fan of Jetfire so most of his colo scheme is based on the Generation One character. He carries a ‘Flare Gun’ which is unique in this version, and on his right hand is a built-in pressure-launch missile launcher (dubbred the “Gauntlet Frame”). He also comes with a single “Sonic Lance” missile, unlike other versions of this sculpt, which came with multiple missiles.
Transformation is considered level one as some are spring loaded to minimize your time folding and pulling robots parts in transforming them to their vehicle modes. Basically the level is easy that any five year-old can do without the instruction manual.
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The most interesting part of R-Blade not part of the instruction manual is the ability to do a mid-transformation mode, and for those long time Macross fans would get this idea immediately that R-Blade can do a “gerwalk mode.”
R-Blade transforms into the swing-wing Navalized Advanced Tactical Fighter variant of the Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor fighter jet, with a deco clearly inspired by the original Jetfire toy. If you can’t acquire the vintage Jetfire this one not only saves you space for display it almost looks like the one that came out in the original toy line.
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The diminutive size of R-Blade might give you the underscale of an Autobot Jet, but clearly one of the better looking Cyberjets with the classic redeco among the ones released by Takara for the Robot Masters toy line.
R-Blade is just one of the characters in the Robot Masters toy line exclusively released in Japan back in 2004 and did not make it to Philippine retail.
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