More TF: Prime around the corner...

Ok, we're moving into Toyfair season! kind of like with Toyfair 2010, we've stumbled on some images for upcoming toys that will undoubtedly be part of Hasbro's Toyfair 2012 offering a few weeks earlier than expected. This time, it's from a catalog for Argos, the UK retailer, and they show some of the upcoming Transformers: Prime: Robots in Disguise and Cyberverse toys.

Just for your edification, the Transformers: Prime toyline has been a unique one. The TFP toys that were/are available at Toys R Us/HTS.com were the TFP: First Edition toys. Now, US TRUs have only gotten the first wave of TFP:FE deluxes (Bumblebee, Arcee, and Starscream) in, leaving still quite a few FE toys unreleased, such as voyagers Optimus and Bulkhead, the Entertainment Pack (with deluxes Optimus and Megatron, along w/DVD and human kid figurines), and deluxes Cliffjumper, Vehicon/Eradicon, and Terrorcon Cliffjumper. This would normally not be much cause for worry, but the newer, "actual" toyline for the show is already starting to hit shelves overseas and will soon here in the US. The problem is that the new line includes toys for the characters from the FE line, but the newer toys are all new molds or remolds. For example, TFP:RiD Bumblebee has a totally new upper body and two guns that can combine and be mounted on his engine block, something that FE BB can't do. RiD Cliffjumper is a totally new toy, and while he looks a bit more screen-accurate in bot mode, he does so at the expense of a non-cheating transformation, as his car roof-chest is a fake one. Also, while he includes a new weapon, he appears to lack the FE version's deployable arm cannons. There's a new Arcee coming, too, but we don't know what she's like yet. A new voyager Optimus has emerged, which (in the reverse of CJ's situation) now has a non-cheating transformation, though his new weapons look less accurate to the show. The Eradicon, too, has gotten a newer mold, that may or may not cheat less, but certainly ends up looking much cleaner in bot mode.

Anyway, here's a quick run down of my thoughts on these newer TFP toys, ripped from the Allspark boards:

Legion (blue): I guess this is Evac. Interesting that he got an energon weapon. I thought that he, at least, would get a proper "movie" release, seeing as how he's the centerpiece of the new movie-focused ride.

Legion (red): I guess this is DotM Mirage, which sucks. They couldn't even manage to give him a new mold for this smallest size class. At least he got something, I guess, and the energon weapon is at least a blade, so it's sort of appropriate. I'm sure he won't have a new head. I'll get him, regardless.

Drill Tank: This is friggin' great. Way better than anything I expected, and while I've been pretty impressed by all but the first images of the Star Hammer, this looks way more fun. Not sure why Knockout is included with it other than we're probably not getting a Miner Drone toy.

Voy. Megatron: No surprises here, but it certainly looks good. TFP Megatron's design is remarkably consistant across his three size classes, at least compared to the various versions of the movie Megatrons. I'm glad that it has the sword, as I would have been a bit disappointed if only the CV Commander had it (as great as that little mold looks).

New Eradicon: Looks way better than the FE mold, as that was the one FE toy I wasn't worried much about missing. This also makes me think that TFP RiD Arcee will be another new mold, or at least major remold like BB. I was going to only get the legion Eradicon, but it'll be hard to resist this version. Also, as a plus, if you do manage to find the FE version and want to army build, at least now all of your drones don't have to be exactly alike. However, I'll probably hold out for the jet mode Eradicon to get a toy.

Bluebee: Looks pretty cool. Assuming this is Hot Shot, I'll probably get it, as it's the new RiD remold of TFP BB and I prefer the FE version to be BB himself. Smart of them to homage Hot Shot's Cybertron color scheme, and it's kind of neat in a "full circle" sense, as both Classics Legends BB and SG Goldbug are Hot Shot redecos/remolds. Of course, you may want to buy it just to support more non-extraneous BB repaints...though I agree with the post asking for a Wasp scheme. When, Hasbro, when?