Target Master Ricochet

In 1987, new gimmicks began to infiltrate the Transformers toy line. These gimmicks included the Headmasters and Target Masters. The idea was that the Transformers' head or weapon could transform into another smaller robot partner. In Japan, two additional Autobot Target Masters were released. The first was a white repaint of Inferno called Artfire, and the second was a slick repaint of Jazz as Stepper, who in the United States around 2004 became known as Ricochet. Those two figures weren't originally released in the United States, and to date, only Stepper (Ricochet) has been released.

This toy was released stateside for the first time as part of the Toys R' Us exclusive Commemorative Series which ran from 2002 until 2005 with random figures being relased as part of other classics lines after. The figure was a remold of Jazz, but he now featured a black and gold paint job. He also had flame stickers on his hood and down the sides. His Target Master partner was Nightstick. Long time fans and collectors may remember that Nightstick was originally Cyclonus' Target Master in the United States. In Japan, Cyclonus and Scourge never became Target Masters, so their weapons were given to Artfire and Stepper.

This figure was available in huge supply by the conclusion of the Commemorative Series line. The only thing that kept me from purchasing him was the price. All of the figures in the line retailed at a minimum of $35.00. I was a casual collector about that time, but it just didn't make sense to me to blow that much cash on a smaller figure. The reason for the high price for Ricochet and the other Commemorative Series figures is because of the die-cast metal pieces in each figure. They are great nostalgia pieces, but get them if you can find them at a good price.