Like with Apeface, there was very little to say about Snapdragon in terms of his character. The only thing that makes him well-known was the fact that he mauled Daniel Witwicky in his dino mode. If only he obliterated the little shitstain into smithereens along with Wheelie! So with all that said, let's see how cool the other triple changer Decepticon turns out. I'm interested in seeing what makes Snapdragon better than Apeface as well as worse than him.
Here is Snapdragon in his Dragon mode. It's more of a dinosaur, really, and a very toyetic one compared to the Dinobots. Whereas the Dinobots did feel like robotic dinosaurs, Snapdragon feels more like a toy that's trying to be a dinosaur yet feels more like it's made from Lego bricks or is actually a fan mode. It doesn't feel quite as elegant as Apeface, but on the plus side, the cannons on the back do add a nice bit of firepower, and the gray plastic doesn't look as soapy as with Apeface; admittedly, that was because the tabbing on the toy required a more durable base, which is why Apeface looks a little weird. Speaking of weird, while we do have a tail that's jointed from the hips and the nosecone of the cockpit, you can't really get much tail movement.
While it's not really that of a dragon and more of a dinosaur, I will say that the articulation isn't that bad. The dino jaw can move up and down because of its functionality as legs, the shoulders move up and down, and the forearms can bend up and down as well as swivel. The hips move front and back as well as in and out slightly. The knees bend, and you could sort of swivel the thighs of the dino legs.
Here he is with fellow Horrorcon Apeface. I feel that Apeface's design looks much stronger in terms of looking like what it should in comparison to Snapdragon. The head alone has that mechanical aggressiveness that an ape would have if it was a robot whereas the Snapdragon feels more half-assed. Also, while it's cool that their colors are consistent with one another, it's interesting that Apeface has more of that hot pink compared to Snapdragon's teal. So in terms of beast modes, Apeface wins this round despite his weird soapy color for his plastic.
Now let's cover his jet mode. It's fairly easy to get to because you just hinge the chest back for robot mode position, straightening the front of the jet, and attaching the arms to the back of the jet mode. It's a pretty decent jet mode if you ask me, and much like fellow Decepticons Cyclonus and Scourge, it feels like quite the contrast from the Seekers, Aerialbots, and even Jetfire. It looks pretty sleek, and while the guns don't feel quite as nicely integrated on the wings compared to the normal Seeker, it still feels badass if you ask me. The cockpit could be confusing because the front section isn't the actual cockpit when the middle of it serves that function.
It's a pretty good thing Apeface also has a jet mode, as he has quite the comparison to make next to Snapdragon. I feel Snapdragon wins this round in terms of jet mode because of how sleek it is unlike his partner's. I also prefer the more cohesive color scheme, with Apeface having random bits of the hot pink here and there while Snapdragon feels more uniform.
They both have spots for the Headmasters to sit in, but while Krunk's a little closer to the front of the vehicle mode, Spasma's far away from the cockpit! Neither method of putting them in the cockpit is practical, though; Apeface can really be accessible if the shield is removed while Snapdragon's cockpit pieces are too tight to open and maybe suspect to damage.
Now we have their undercarriage. They're both sharing another thing in common with their chests being all the way in the back!
Before we take a proper look at their robot modes, here we have Krunk and Spasma for a comparison. Both get a similar Takara Legends treatment in terms of having painted faces and parts that are colored instead of looking minimally detailed. They're almost like mini versions of their full-sized partners, but one thing worth mentioning is that they work a little differently from the Titan Masters seen in Siege (and TLK Cogman); while they are compatible with any Deluxe, Voyager, and Leader, Krunk has spikes for the legs and arms while also serving as the jaw of the beast mode's head. Apeface's differences are apparent from the back, as he has a faceplate that's mainly for the beast mode while the legs are the actual face, a reverse of the Titan Master gimmick.
Now for the transformation into robot mode, it's a lot simpler than what Apeface had. The arms need no real changing aside from swiveling them around and hinging the tailfins, the cockpit nose can be pushed back, and the feet hinge down. It's a little more involved for the dino transformation, but that's not saying much. The robot head snaps on, and the rest of it is kind of a mixed bag if I'm being honest. I don't hate it, but it doesn't feel quite as cool as Apeface does. Maybe it's because of how straight up and down he is, or maybe it's because of how his arms and lower legs look. He just feels a little mistransformed. The same could be said for his back, too. Not an awful toy, but I feel it could be better.
Head sculpt is quite good, and I think it's better than Apeface's non-Titans Return head if you ask me. He's also got bits of dino head details that are what the G1 toy used to have. Articulation is almost good, though two joints are inhibited by their range and that honor goes to the elbows. They bend at 45-degree angles because of the design, and I don't understand why no form of engineering was added so the range would be better. I hate to be a dick because everything else works fine, but come on, son! His guns are at least able to excuse the so-so elbow range, because if he had a sword, then he's screwed!
Now it's time to compare him with Siege Apeface. Both of them look pretty good with each other, though they do have their pros and cons. Apeface feels more like a dynamic design thanks to his proportions while Snapdragon feels stiff; Snapdragon's gray plastic is better than the soapy white on Apeface. But at least it's cool that they're able to be released around the same line duration.
The way their heads work is interesting. As mentioned, Apeface is the reverse of Snapdragon and all Titan Masters in terms of functionality. As a result, Snapdragon has a more normal head than Apeface.
That being said, you can easily switch Apeface's head and effectively make all hope not seem lost after all! Overall, this guy's not perfect like Apeface is, but it's still a decent addition to your Decepticon display. In fact, these two are making me excited for the Retro Headmasters line coming soon at Walmart! I can almost hear the Headmasters theme, and as much as I dislike the Japanese G1 sequels, I do kinda like the theme song. So if you can still find a handful of Snapdragons, you may not feel obliged to get him, but if you do then do it!
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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