Well, despite my last post, I can still be bothered to do a run-down on the new TFs shown at Botcon and SDCC this year. Interestingly, while Hasbro's SDCC panel was just yesterday, Botcon was only about two weeks ago. Normally, there's a lot more time between the two events. Because of this (I think), Hasbro's SDCC showings weren't a whole lot greater than what they had at Botcon. Already, that brings an air of disappointment to the proceedings, but let's forget that for now and move onto the toys themselves:
-Ok, one more thing first - I'm not covering every single release here like I might've in the past. A lot of what Hasbro had to show were non-traditional TF toys (like the huge showing for the new Construct-bots). I'm really trying to focus on the mainline releases.
Start with Beast Hunters? Sure.
Cyberverse Legion:
-Bluestreak - this is a repaint of BH Legion Smokrescreen (surprise!). For some reason, he has neon green headlights and a neon green repaint of the now-omnipresent chainsaw gun. I pretty much have to get this, being that I already own Smokescreen and Prowl from this mold. Oh, and he's actually blue, for once.
-Rot Gut - a neon green/blue/yellow/repaint of BH Legion Blight (the G1 Blot homage). Pretty sure he's a reference to Blip from IDW's MTMTE, which is enough to spark interest, but unless the repaint every single one of the legion Predacons, I probably won't pick up any of these "extras."
- Windrazor (? I think that's his name) - This is a repaint of BH Legion Cutthroat (or whatever his new name turned out to be). Apparently this one is an Autobot defector, and it's hard not to draw comparisons to Swoop. Still, no draw unless all 5 get repainted.
- Ace Vehicon - repaint of the Air/Jet Vehicon that has normal colors, now in Starscream's "Armada" colors. Thought what is silver in the show is white on the toy. I'll probably get this, just because I'm surprised that this mold got made at all (I'll get the original too). Another damn chainsaw gun, though. Ugh.
Cyberverse Commanders:
- Unicron Megatron - well, it's just a repaint of TFP CV Megatron, but apparently it represents him after he's SPOILERS possessed by Unicron in the BH DVD movie. So, while the colors didn't really grab me, I may have to get this just for it's plot significance (especially since Unicron criminally never got his own domestic release).
- Bludgeon - a remold of BH CV Shockwave, this one is pretty impressive. New skull chest, new skull samurai head, plus an orange version of Optimus' Star Saber. Looks pretty good; I'll probably get it.
- Ultra Magnus - yep, UM gets another CV toy! I kind of called this one, after Um began with his own voyager mold, and then got one remolded from Optimus; now the same has happened here. In other words, this is a remold of TFP CV Optimus. And a pretty good one, too - it even includes a new-mold Forge of Solus Prime. This one's a lock.
Deluxe: Ok, this is where I convert to rant mode.
- Bumblebee repaint - shocker. This is a repaint of the BH BB remold into "Stealth" colors. Admittedly, this was a fun remold and now has even better colors, so there's a lot to like here, but it's still Yet Another Bumblebee.
- Prowl - this is pretty cool. It's obviously a Smokescreen repaint, but they did go out of there way to give him a new head based on the Prowl design from the as-yet-unreleased TFP-based Universe game. So that's pretty danged cool. I want to get this, if only to give my Universe 2.0 Prowl a multiversal buddy, but the mold is pretty iffy and I'd feel like I'd need to get Smokescreen, whom I've avoided until now. Not sure here.
- Bumblebee, Cutthroat, Twinstrike, and Smokescreen - Oh! Deluxe versions of some of the legion Predacons? Smokescreen gets a second shot at having a decent deluxe mold? A newer, better Bumblebee? NO. Shitty upsized legion class toys. That's really it. This is the most embarrassing thing Hasbro has done since I've been an adult collector. Sucktown. At least these are $60 less toy that I have to worry about.
Voyager:
- Optimus Prime - like the new deluxes, this is just an upsized version of the BH CV Commander. It seems to fare a bit better from the upsizing process, and his weapons looks good, but it's still unecessary.
- Predaking - Conceptually, this is another "upsize", but is really more of just a simplified new mold. It does takes some cues from the CV Commander, but not too many. Honestly, this one looks pretty good, maybe even better than the original voyager, my opinion of which has really dropped over the past few months.
I won't say anything about the larger toys except that it was a smart move to make the Weaponizer BB's deco match his look in the show (it originally was going to be some kind of stupid yellow/brown camo).
Ok, Generations!
Legends class (this is really now a 2-pack class, containing a CV Commander-ish toy along with a Micromaster-ish partner)
- Swerve w/Flanker - This is MTMTE Swerve with an Earth mode. Despite getting a G1 Swerve truck toy last fall thanks to the China Generations stuff, this is pretty hard to not want. Flanker looks like a Micromaster and probably homages one.
- Cosmos w/Payload - Cosmos, who last appeared as an impossible to find legends toy for the 25th anniversary line, gets a size upgrade. Payload is a pretty cool looking space shuttle guy. I'll probably skip this. At least it'll maybe drive the aftermarket price of the 25th anny one down?
- Tailgate w/Groundpounder - Like Swerve, this is IDW Tailgate with an Earth mode. He has flames on the hood, a la Prime Tailgate. Looks great. Groundpounder is an interesting little bulldozer with an attack claw weapon mode. If I get Swerve, I have to get Tailgate.
- Shrapnel w/Reflector - Forget that "Sharpshot" nonsense, this is Shrapnel. It's honestly a pretty perfect G1 Shrapnel update, too, in size and appearance. What's funny is that I wanted them to make some legends-ish sized G1 Insecticons many years ago, but we are finally getting them. Reflector has the gun mode, but transforms into the entire camera (with a very long zoom lens). He's probably the weakest of the partner toys, unfortunately. Unless they make the other two Insecticons like this, I'm not sure I'll go for this.
Deluxe!
- Dreadwing - this is a remold of the upcoming Stealth Megatron into G2 Dreadwing. New head. Makes a lot of sense. Not sure if I'll go for it.
- Skids - this is straight-up a MTMTE Skids. Even has the cybertonian car mode. I like that in concept, but the toy looks a bit off. Probably skip.
- Goldbug - remold of the IDW-style new BB mold. He gets a new head. Where I will probably skip the BB version, I may go for this one, as it would look like a real upgrade compared to Classics BB. Still don't like that weapon, though.
- Waspinator! - looks really great. Getting it.
- Scoop - Eh. It's certainly a G1 Scoop, and even includes both of his targetmasters. No real interest here.
- Skywarp - repaint of FoC Starscream, this one's a lock. There's a bit more grey on the chest rather than the black I'd prefer, but I can deal. Glad that we're getting all three core seekers from this mold.
- Armada Starscream - that's right! The toy that got me into adult collecting gets a deluxe redo. He looks great. He now gets two swords (energon, not "metal) that detatch from the bottom of his wings so he doesn't lose the wings in bot mode. The missiles come from the front of the intakes this time, and the whole engine apparatus can fold flat on his back like it should be able to. Too friggin' great.
- Unknown minicon trio - these might be my favorite thing from both Botcon and SDCC. New character minicons, military alt modes, integrated, removable hand-held weapons, one is a fembot, they combine Armada Perceptor-style, and they're flippin' black and green! It's like a love letter to me and my fondness for UT. Have to get, and then give to the new Starscream (he has four minicon hardpoints!). Heck, even the jet one is vaguely Seeker-like.
Voyager:
- Rhinox - this is the one for me. Looks pretty much just like he did in the show. He'll go well with Waspinator.
- Doubledealer - remold of Blitzwing. Neat idea, as I've always like Doubledealer, but I'm not sure this was the best choice. He does get a new "face" (the helmet is the same), but I'm not sure if he has multiple faces like BW does. Nice looking, at least.
- Whirl - A very, very G1-looking Whirl. The head is sort of MTMTE, but I would have preferred the whole thing to be more MTMTE. Gerwalk mode was intentional, so that's neat, and I do like his weapons. I'm probably the only person who will skip him in favor of the FoC deluxe version (Vortex remold).
Fan-built bot: Ok, no toy images, but this one is the result of online polling from Hasbro that I participated in. It turns out that the bot will be Windblade, a female Autobot jet (called a "Seeker" by the Hasbro staff). She has a Kabuki/samurai motif, red/black color scheme, and VTOL fans in jet mode a la Thrust. I'll get her, but she won't be out until late 2014 as the capstone in the Thrilling 30 celebration. I really hope we get a G1 Slipstream remold out of her, as we've never had a deluxe female jet before.
And that's it. I guess there's about the right amount of stuff for me to be interested in in regards to me wanting to spend less, but I can't help but think that, outside of Generations, the offerings here were a bit weak. Oh well, there's still some very solid stuff coming around the corner.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Stasis Lock Immanent
So my last post was in March? Wow, time flies. This post is going to serve two main purposes: to highlight some recent TF acquisitions of mine, and to discuss my waning interest in the brand.
Yes, believe it or not, my enthusiasm for Transformers is on the decline. You can basically blame Lego. My son got several Lego sets a month ago for his birthday, and I had a blast helping him build and play with them. So much that I went and got myself a few more sets (nothing too crazy). Basically, I realized that Legos are probably the superior toy. Obviously, they are flexible in that you can do so much with them (one thing I always appreciated about TFs versus normal toys was the puzzle aspect/having 2 toys in one), but you also have multiple "universes" or franchises in one universal format. I've got Superman hanging out with Darth Vader and Gandalf. Come on, how great is that? Venom can wear War Machine's armor. Anakin can use Spider-Man's webbing. It's too great.
Thing is, Legos are hella expensive, so I can't really swing collecting both TFs and Legos. Which I guess is ok, considering how many TFs I have. I'm still interested in some upcoming releases (finishing BH Abominus, getting the FoC Wreckers, Stealth Megatron, etc), but many of them, even Metroplex, just don't look as interesting as they used to.
So, enough with the bad/sad/whatever news.
I finally did manage to get my hands on a PRiD Skyquake about three weeks ago. Nothing groundbreaking, but he does look nice and I now have him to pair with his voyager-class brother.
I also FINALLY got my first TFCC Subscription toy in the mail this week. Spoilers:
It's Scourge. C&P from the Allspark:
I will say the toy looks pretty good; though for some reason I think I was expecting metallic teal paint apps. Still very nice looking. Don't care much for the inverted G2 symbol, but it's accurate to the show and something Hasbro wouldn't have done had this been a retail toy, so it's cool. My personal take on this Scourge is something like TDKR Bane, in that he wants to physically and spiritually crush Optimus, so wearing Optimus' head upside down makes sense. I also kind of wish the bas-relief Matrix had some silver on it; not so much for fictional reasons, but just because it looked damned good on SG Magnus.
In summation, this was one of the toys that I really wanted from the sub. Not as much as UM (or maybe even Slipstream), but it helped seal the deal. I'm dealing with a decline in my interest in the brand right now, so had this arrived on time (say, three months ago or so), I'd be a lot more excited, and would have done a nice blog post with photos comparing Scourge to the other 3 copies of the mold that I have. As such, I do like it, but where it would have once been a permanent part of my collection, I'm now considering selling it at some point (not now) just as I will Jackpot and Circuit.
So, there you have it.
I probably will, at some point, add some comparison photos for Scourge, Optimus, SG Optimus, and SG Magnus. But not today.
Yes, believe it or not, my enthusiasm for Transformers is on the decline. You can basically blame Lego. My son got several Lego sets a month ago for his birthday, and I had a blast helping him build and play with them. So much that I went and got myself a few more sets (nothing too crazy). Basically, I realized that Legos are probably the superior toy. Obviously, they are flexible in that you can do so much with them (one thing I always appreciated about TFs versus normal toys was the puzzle aspect/having 2 toys in one), but you also have multiple "universes" or franchises in one universal format. I've got Superman hanging out with Darth Vader and Gandalf. Come on, how great is that? Venom can wear War Machine's armor. Anakin can use Spider-Man's webbing. It's too great.
Thing is, Legos are hella expensive, so I can't really swing collecting both TFs and Legos. Which I guess is ok, considering how many TFs I have. I'm still interested in some upcoming releases (finishing BH Abominus, getting the FoC Wreckers, Stealth Megatron, etc), but many of them, even Metroplex, just don't look as interesting as they used to.
So, enough with the bad/sad/whatever news.
I finally did manage to get my hands on a PRiD Skyquake about three weeks ago. Nothing groundbreaking, but he does look nice and I now have him to pair with his voyager-class brother.
I also FINALLY got my first TFCC Subscription toy in the mail this week. Spoilers:
It's Scourge. C&P from the Allspark:
I will say the toy looks pretty good; though for some reason I think I was expecting metallic teal paint apps. Still very nice looking. Don't care much for the inverted G2 symbol, but it's accurate to the show and something Hasbro wouldn't have done had this been a retail toy, so it's cool. My personal take on this Scourge is something like TDKR Bane, in that he wants to physically and spiritually crush Optimus, so wearing Optimus' head upside down makes sense. I also kind of wish the bas-relief Matrix had some silver on it; not so much for fictional reasons, but just because it looked damned good on SG Magnus.
In summation, this was one of the toys that I really wanted from the sub. Not as much as UM (or maybe even Slipstream), but it helped seal the deal. I'm dealing with a decline in my interest in the brand right now, so had this arrived on time (say, three months ago or so), I'd be a lot more excited, and would have done a nice blog post with photos comparing Scourge to the other 3 copies of the mold that I have. As such, I do like it, but where it would have once been a permanent part of my collection, I'm now considering selling it at some point (not now) just as I will Jackpot and Circuit.
So, there you have it.
I probably will, at some point, add some comparison photos for Scourge, Optimus, SG Optimus, and SG Magnus. But not today.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Predaqueen
Ok, thanks to Walmart price-matching Target sales, I went ahead and picked up both Ripclaw and Beast Hunters Starscream yesterday. I put SS aside for Easter and opened Ripclaw this morning. I mostly got her because (as stated) she looked fun and also has been getting pretty great reviews.
I have to admit that she's a pretty solid dragon-former. I still like Lazerback, but Ripclaw has the more classics Euro-dragon look that Predaking (mostly) has, but without a lot of that mold's drawbacks. I'm not as big a fan of the tail mechanism as many others seem to be, but it's a lot better than how Preadking's works. The weapon is pretty great, though. Also, the "energon camouflage" plastic swirls work REALLY well on this mold. I'll eventually get around to writing her a review.
I have to admit that she's a pretty solid dragon-former. I still like Lazerback, but Ripclaw has the more classics Euro-dragon look that Predaking (mostly) has, but without a lot of that mold's drawbacks. I'm not as big a fan of the tail mechanism as many others seem to be, but it's a lot better than how Preadking's works. The weapon is pretty great, though. Also, the "energon camouflage" plastic swirls work REALLY well on this mold. I'll eventually get around to writing her a review.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Beware the day after the Ides of March
Just sort of updating today. I'm actually quite behind on updating the collection roster, having acquired a fair number of new-release TFs since whatever the last addition on there was. Most recently, I bought Kre-O Microchanger Warpath, which I opened yesterday afternoon.
Anyways, the local Walmart, I noticed today, has gotten in about 2 cases of the second deluxe wave of Beast Hunters toys, which were hard to resist. Starscream is the main one, being that he's my favorite character, but I also want Smokescreen for character/fiction reasons despite the faux parts problem the mold has. However, the other two toys - Bulkhead and Ripclaw - are tempting too. They just look fun, Ripclaw especially. I'd kind of been holding off on wanting to get her, hoping that we'd get a repaint (maybe even with a new dragon head) as Ser-Ket from the Rage of the Dinobots comic, if only because I like her color scheme better. However, that may not happen, so I may cave on Ripclaw. Bulkhead looks like a good toy to fiddle with, and while I think he's a bit small for Bulkhead, he'd make a pretty good TFP Brawn that could still be in scale.
However, one toy I've really been having fun with lately has been Beast Hunters Legion Airachnid. Great copter mode, decent weapon, and good bot mode that bests the unfortunate deluxe mold that I skipped. One of the better legion/legends toys, well, maybe ever.
Also having fun with Lazerbeak, which I got a few weeks ago. I like how similar his robot and dragon modes are, and due to this (and to play up his sower-of-chaos thing) I imagine him rarely ever being distinctly in one mode or the other; I usually have him transformed sort of half-way, often with his bot head out, but legs & tail in dragon mode, and usually one forearm in dragon mode too (love those claws). A very fun mold that I was originally going to pass on that I'm glad I didn't.
Anyways, the local Walmart, I noticed today, has gotten in about 2 cases of the second deluxe wave of Beast Hunters toys, which were hard to resist. Starscream is the main one, being that he's my favorite character, but I also want Smokescreen for character/fiction reasons despite the faux parts problem the mold has. However, the other two toys - Bulkhead and Ripclaw - are tempting too. They just look fun, Ripclaw especially. I'd kind of been holding off on wanting to get her, hoping that we'd get a repaint (maybe even with a new dragon head) as Ser-Ket from the Rage of the Dinobots comic, if only because I like her color scheme better. However, that may not happen, so I may cave on Ripclaw. Bulkhead looks like a good toy to fiddle with, and while I think he's a bit small for Bulkhead, he'd make a pretty good TFP Brawn that could still be in scale.
However, one toy I've really been having fun with lately has been Beast Hunters Legion Airachnid. Great copter mode, decent weapon, and good bot mode that bests the unfortunate deluxe mold that I skipped. One of the better legion/legends toys, well, maybe ever.
Also having fun with Lazerbeak, which I got a few weeks ago. I like how similar his robot and dragon modes are, and due to this (and to play up his sower-of-chaos thing) I imagine him rarely ever being distinctly in one mode or the other; I usually have him transformed sort of half-way, often with his bot head out, but legs & tail in dragon mode, and usually one forearm in dragon mode too (love those claws). A very fun mold that I was originally going to pass on that I'm glad I didn't.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Fantastic voyage
I've bought a lot of voyager-class TFs lately. It started with the Generations FoC Soundwave I got a few weeks ago. Then, last weekend, I found his remold, FoC Blaster. This past Saturday, I found the Beast Hunters Voyagers Optimus and Predaking for the first time. Finally, yesterday I found Blaster's wavemate, FoC Grimlock.
I'm actually trying to decide about taking Grimlock back to the store; I feel a bit guilty about spending even more money on TFs after getting so many recently. As such, he's still in package in my car along with the receipt.
Anyhow, Blaster is pretty awesome, being a really good example of remold. Even right next to Soundwave, it's not too obvious that they are the same basic toy. Unfortunately, his databot (?) partner is Steeljaw, which is a Ravage remold. Now, Ravage, which I got back over New Year's, is not great, but it does fold up well into disc mode and has a great deco. Steeljaw has neither of these features going for him, being made of cheap-looking yellow and white plastic and having a disc mode that does not have a flush surface. And, of course, he inherits all the problems that Ravage has. But, overall, Blaster is very much worth the cost. It's a good mold, though I wouldn't own all three versions (I've passed over Soundblaster/Buzzsaw).
Predaking is interesting. He has some really awesome design/transformation features and some fairly obvious deficits. But overall he looks really good in both modes and basically does what he's supposed to do. I'll discuss him further in a mini-review later on.
Optimus Prime is a horse of a different color. This is easily one of the best voyager class Optimus Prime toys we've gotten in a long, long time. While it is recognizably an update to Optimus' TFP body, it manages to homage many other iterations of Optimus from across the years. It's also one of the best Voyager OPs in terms of being a toy; the figure is simply very fun.
I'll have to get back to you on Grimlock.
I'm actually trying to decide about taking Grimlock back to the store; I feel a bit guilty about spending even more money on TFs after getting so many recently. As such, he's still in package in my car along with the receipt.
Anyhow, Blaster is pretty awesome, being a really good example of remold. Even right next to Soundwave, it's not too obvious that they are the same basic toy. Unfortunately, his databot (?) partner is Steeljaw, which is a Ravage remold. Now, Ravage, which I got back over New Year's, is not great, but it does fold up well into disc mode and has a great deco. Steeljaw has neither of these features going for him, being made of cheap-looking yellow and white plastic and having a disc mode that does not have a flush surface. And, of course, he inherits all the problems that Ravage has. But, overall, Blaster is very much worth the cost. It's a good mold, though I wouldn't own all three versions (I've passed over Soundblaster/Buzzsaw).
Predaking is interesting. He has some really awesome design/transformation features and some fairly obvious deficits. But overall he looks really good in both modes and basically does what he's supposed to do. I'll discuss him further in a mini-review later on.
Optimus Prime is a horse of a different color. This is easily one of the best voyager class Optimus Prime toys we've gotten in a long, long time. While it is recognizably an update to Optimus' TFP body, it manages to homage many other iterations of Optimus from across the years. It's also one of the best Voyager OPs in terms of being a toy; the figure is simply very fun.
I'll have to get back to you on Grimlock.
My God. It's full of stars.
edit: Ok, I meant to get this up last Sunday. But here you go anyway:
I thought Hasbro really outdid themselves at SDCC last year. You may recall my "How Hasbro Got Their Groove Back" post. This was in the context of last year's Botcon and Toyfair, both of which (Toyfair specifically) were rather underwhelming, new-wise. So SDCC (and later NYCC with Beast Hunters) was a breath of fresh air.
I...I had no idea...
All the stuff I raved about during SDCC last year? It's small potatoes. Today, Hasbro has put on one of their greatest showings in a long, long time. Probably since I joined the fandom a decade ago. I mean, I'm sure plenty of other Toy Fairs/Botcons/SDCCs/NYCCS have had some great gems - MP-01 Optimus Prime, Armada Unicron, Alternators Smokescreen, and Classics come to mind. But I really don't think Hasbro's ever been able to cram so much awesome into one toy show. I'll try to do justice to everything, but forgive me if I leave something out. So, by toyline:
Transformers: Prime: Beast Hunters
-Legion class: No one that we didn't already know of as of this week. Still, I'm excited about that Soundwave.
-Commander class: 2 new guys:
- Shockwave: very nice; maybe nicer than the voyager. Definitely looks better than the DotM Commander.
- Starscream: remold of the existing CV Commander Starscream. Looks a bit like the new BH deluxe, but the deco is almost flame-themed, to the point that it looks like it'd be a different Seeker. Not sure I'll go for this one, not being a fan of the original mold.
-Deluxe:
- Skystalker: gracile, blue ice dragon with discs that fire from the wings. Not bad looking, and I like how the dragon mouth opens Divebomb-style to reveal the robot head. Not sold on it, but I've got no major objections, either, other than the fact that it's an ice dragon and isn't named Cryotek.
- Ratchet: ugh. Probably the only toy shown here that I actively dislike. Of all the BH weapons, Ratchet's is the most toy-looking, and that's largely due to the color. Also, like BH BB and Wheeljack, Ratchet is a remold of the original TFP toy, which was never my favorite mold. Oh, and he looks evil as hell, so that works well for him, right? Very low likelihood that I'll get this one.
- Dreadwing: Apparently not too dead, Dreadwing gets a deluxe mold that is full-on Beast Hunters. The jet mode gets beefier, almost AV-8B style intakes, and the bot mode has wings that open as feathers and has an overall avian look. Weird weapon, though. Not sure about this one.
-Voyager class: Cool stuff here!
- SHOCKWAVE: I posted about him earlier today, but I'm pretty happy about this guy. We get a better look at the "tank" mode, which take more cues from the Energon and Animated versions than the DotM one. Still digging this.
- Grimwing: green Predacon, he looks pretty good! Dragon mode was described as a cross between a bear and falcon, which is pretty accurate, but his weapon also doubles as his little monster-parrot buddy thing, as noted in the Guidebook. Strange. Good chance I'll get this guy.
- Ultra Magnus: I had pics of the prototype up about three posts ago, and here's the real thing! Already knew it was a remold of PRiD Optimus, but it's still great and looks honestly more enjoyable than PRiD Magnus himself. Love the Forge of Solus Prime and add-on armor. Really excited about this one.
-Ultimate class: I guess these are like Supremes? Not sure on the price.
- Predaking: Apparently a Target exclusive, this guy does look really nice. Instead of the two extra "hydra" head/launchers, he gets two crossbow-type guns, and of course his tail sword. Crazy 21" wingspan. I like it, but may not need it. Price is a big determining factor here.
- Optimus Prime: OK, so this is really called Dragon Laser OP or something ridiculous, but it's basically the voyager design, but larger and with the wings replaced by this crazy five-headed dragon cannon ring thing. He also has his meat cleaver sword (not the Star Saber) and a dragon head-styled shield that other toys of him lack. The variety makes him more appealing than Predaking in a certain sense, but again, necessity vs. price will play a big role here.
Ok, onto Generations!
-Legends class: firstly, let me say that after the 2 sets of Autbot data discs, it looks like those little automorphing guys are done for. Wave 3 and beyond are (apparently) 2 packs that seem to feature a CV Commander-sized figure with a sub-legends (mini-con-ish?) partner that is a bot/vehicle/targetmaster triplechanger. Pretty ambitious! Also very happy that these are inteded to specifically interact with the Titan class, discussed below...
- Optimus Prime w/Roller: This is the G1 Optimus design from the IDW Ongoing series, which is pretty cool. The chest windows even pivot open to reveal more mechanical sternum detail. Roller is a little armored truck with a decent bot mode and forms an impressive cannon that Optimus's gun can attach to. Definitely cool.
- Bumblebee w/Blazemaster: This is interesting. Bumblebee's bot mode is clearly based on his WfC/FoC/IDWRiD body, but has am alt mode that is more of an Earth car. Weird, but it looks good. Blazemaster doesn't look too much like the G1 micromaster, but still has a detachable rotor blade that can attach to BB's arm wheels. He also forms a gun. Pretty neat; I'll be getting it.
-Deluxe class: Ok, here's where I really start to get excited. Starting with wave 5 (the post-Wreckers wave), we're getting new-mold toys based on IDW designs with pack-in (full-sized) comics! Too great.
- Trailcutter (Trailbreaker): His packaging/comic wasn't shown, but this guy looks great. I think the bot mode is meant to be a bit MTMTE-ish, but it definitely has an Earth truck mode. The camper shell detaches to become the weapon. I'll be happy to finally get a decent-sized G1 version of this guy. And between this, his Kreon, and the BH Ironhide remold, Trailbreaker's finally getting a break this year.
- Orion Pax: yup! Not Optimus, this toy is based (at least the bot mode) on Optimus's pre-Prime body that first showed up in Spotlight: Blurr many years ago. The cybertronian trcuk mode is new (and featured in the included SL: Orion Pax comic) as are the energon axe and signature ion cannon. It's great that we're getting a dedicated Orion Pax mold; that's something I never saw happening. Really want this.
- Megatron: this is B-2 Megatron from the IDW Ongoing! Don's design actually surfaced sometime earlier than it did in the comic a couple of years ago, so this is a toy I've wanted for a while. Awesome.
- Bumblebee: again from the IDW Ongoing, this is BB's "leader" body. Having ditched the VW alt mode, he now transforms into a sports car and has door wings, taking cues from the Movie version. The design is a bit different, with the headlights/fenders forming the shoulders rather than the windshield doing so. Most anticipated BB toy in a while, that's for sure.
-Voyager class: triple changers!
- Springer: it's pretty much perfect. This is Springer as we see him in Last Stand of the Wreckers, and yes, he actually has two alt modes that are decent and don't suffer and the benefit of the other. Looks to be one of the greatest voyagers ever.
- Blitzwing: While I would have liked him to be a deluxe to go with the other two 'Con triple changers, this guy does look great. Both jet and tank mode are fantastic and distinct, and the head apparently changes faces Animated-style while otherwise being a G1 homage. Very cool.
-TITAN class: the piece de resistance.
- Metroplex: I was convinced that we'd never get stuff like this from Hasbro ever again. Metroplex gets a tried-and-true Classics-style G1 update, but, oh yeah, he's also TWO FEET TALL!!!! Apparently someone at Hasbro figured we needed another giant transformer, one for the modern era, and we're getting it. The "Titan" class will cost about $125, but when the toy's this big, it's fine. He comes with a legends class Scamper toy (which hasn't been seen yet, I don't believe) and is still a triple changer in the same vein as the G1 toy. This is really incredible. Makes me feel ok for not dropping the same amount of cash on the newer MP Optimus at TRU!
-Generations: Platinum Series: We already knew about Platinum Optimus and Omega Supreme (neither of which really impresses me for the price), but know we know about two new releases:
- Ultra Magnus: This is TFP/BH Ultra Magnus, using the same basic design as the BH voyager toy. That said, it's also a remold of Optimus, this time Weaponizer Optimus. This version also has a larger Forge of Solus Prime, which looks a little better than the voyager's, as you'd guess. I've never been too keen on Weaponizer Optimus, but this remold looks good overall, and I love the kind of attention Magnus has been getting this year. Like the BH Ultimates, price is a big determining factor here.
- Grimlock vs. Bruticus: no pics of this so far, but this is apparently FoC Voyager Grimlock packaged with the FoC Combaticons with more metallic paint apps. Sounds kind of neat, and I don't have Grimlock yet, and if Bruticus looks good enough, I'd be fine with handing my retail version off to my son. However, it's pretty crazy that there's yet another Combaticon redeco set. Maybe Hasbro saw how many people missed out on the SDCC version. I'd really love to see the pics so I can know if I need to pass on retail Grimlock or not.
-Generations: Masterpiece: Yep, more money-draining releases. No pics yet, though.
- Acid Storm: Apparently a repaint of the remolded MP Seeker, like Thundercracker was last year. Not sure if it's a more cartoon/Bot Shots-like deco or more like the camo of the Universe deluxe. I'm interested, but I don't know that I need to spend ~$75 on Acid Storm. Sunstorm would have been a no-brainer, but I guess Hasbro was trying to avoid copying Takara. We'll see.
- Soundwave: Comes with all 5 tapes in package! I'm assuming "all 5 tapes" means Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage. The Japanese version just got released and looks fantastic, so I'm very happy this is being released here. Hopefully the price is reasonable. Some people are worried about the deco in reference to the Takara version, but I'm not.
Ok, what about Kre-O?
-Microchangers: Oh man, they have went into over drive with these guys. Both waves 2 and 3 were shown. Here's the list:
- Abominus
- Piranacon
- Defensor
-Random stuff:
- Autobot Base
- Special Edition Kreons
I thought Hasbro really outdid themselves at SDCC last year. You may recall my "How Hasbro Got Their Groove Back" post. This was in the context of last year's Botcon and Toyfair, both of which (Toyfair specifically) were rather underwhelming, new-wise. So SDCC (and later NYCC with Beast Hunters) was a breath of fresh air.
I...I had no idea...
All the stuff I raved about during SDCC last year? It's small potatoes. Today, Hasbro has put on one of their greatest showings in a long, long time. Probably since I joined the fandom a decade ago. I mean, I'm sure plenty of other Toy Fairs/Botcons/SDCCs/NYCCS have had some great gems - MP-01 Optimus Prime, Armada Unicron, Alternators Smokescreen, and Classics come to mind. But I really don't think Hasbro's ever been able to cram so much awesome into one toy show. I'll try to do justice to everything, but forgive me if I leave something out. So, by toyline:
Transformers: Prime: Beast Hunters
-Legion class: No one that we didn't already know of as of this week. Still, I'm excited about that Soundwave.
-Commander class: 2 new guys:
- Shockwave: very nice; maybe nicer than the voyager. Definitely looks better than the DotM Commander.
- Starscream: remold of the existing CV Commander Starscream. Looks a bit like the new BH deluxe, but the deco is almost flame-themed, to the point that it looks like it'd be a different Seeker. Not sure I'll go for this one, not being a fan of the original mold.
-Deluxe:
- Skystalker: gracile, blue ice dragon with discs that fire from the wings. Not bad looking, and I like how the dragon mouth opens Divebomb-style to reveal the robot head. Not sold on it, but I've got no major objections, either, other than the fact that it's an ice dragon and isn't named Cryotek.
- Ratchet: ugh. Probably the only toy shown here that I actively dislike. Of all the BH weapons, Ratchet's is the most toy-looking, and that's largely due to the color. Also, like BH BB and Wheeljack, Ratchet is a remold of the original TFP toy, which was never my favorite mold. Oh, and he looks evil as hell, so that works well for him, right? Very low likelihood that I'll get this one.
- Dreadwing: Apparently not too dead, Dreadwing gets a deluxe mold that is full-on Beast Hunters. The jet mode gets beefier, almost AV-8B style intakes, and the bot mode has wings that open as feathers and has an overall avian look. Weird weapon, though. Not sure about this one.
-Voyager class: Cool stuff here!
- SHOCKWAVE: I posted about him earlier today, but I'm pretty happy about this guy. We get a better look at the "tank" mode, which take more cues from the Energon and Animated versions than the DotM one. Still digging this.
- Grimwing: green Predacon, he looks pretty good! Dragon mode was described as a cross between a bear and falcon, which is pretty accurate, but his weapon also doubles as his little monster-parrot buddy thing, as noted in the Guidebook. Strange. Good chance I'll get this guy.
- Ultra Magnus: I had pics of the prototype up about three posts ago, and here's the real thing! Already knew it was a remold of PRiD Optimus, but it's still great and looks honestly more enjoyable than PRiD Magnus himself. Love the Forge of Solus Prime and add-on armor. Really excited about this one.
-Ultimate class: I guess these are like Supremes? Not sure on the price.
- Predaking: Apparently a Target exclusive, this guy does look really nice. Instead of the two extra "hydra" head/launchers, he gets two crossbow-type guns, and of course his tail sword. Crazy 21" wingspan. I like it, but may not need it. Price is a big determining factor here.
- Optimus Prime: OK, so this is really called Dragon Laser OP or something ridiculous, but it's basically the voyager design, but larger and with the wings replaced by this crazy five-headed dragon cannon ring thing. He also has his meat cleaver sword (not the Star Saber) and a dragon head-styled shield that other toys of him lack. The variety makes him more appealing than Predaking in a certain sense, but again, necessity vs. price will play a big role here.
Ok, onto Generations!
-Legends class: firstly, let me say that after the 2 sets of Autbot data discs, it looks like those little automorphing guys are done for. Wave 3 and beyond are (apparently) 2 packs that seem to feature a CV Commander-sized figure with a sub-legends (mini-con-ish?) partner that is a bot/vehicle/targetmaster triplechanger. Pretty ambitious! Also very happy that these are inteded to specifically interact with the Titan class, discussed below...
- Optimus Prime w/Roller: This is the G1 Optimus design from the IDW Ongoing series, which is pretty cool. The chest windows even pivot open to reveal more mechanical sternum detail. Roller is a little armored truck with a decent bot mode and forms an impressive cannon that Optimus's gun can attach to. Definitely cool.
- Bumblebee w/Blazemaster: This is interesting. Bumblebee's bot mode is clearly based on his WfC/FoC/IDWRiD body, but has am alt mode that is more of an Earth car. Weird, but it looks good. Blazemaster doesn't look too much like the G1 micromaster, but still has a detachable rotor blade that can attach to BB's arm wheels. He also forms a gun. Pretty neat; I'll be getting it.
-Deluxe class: Ok, here's where I really start to get excited. Starting with wave 5 (the post-Wreckers wave), we're getting new-mold toys based on IDW designs with pack-in (full-sized) comics! Too great.
- Trailcutter (Trailbreaker): His packaging/comic wasn't shown, but this guy looks great. I think the bot mode is meant to be a bit MTMTE-ish, but it definitely has an Earth truck mode. The camper shell detaches to become the weapon. I'll be happy to finally get a decent-sized G1 version of this guy. And between this, his Kreon, and the BH Ironhide remold, Trailbreaker's finally getting a break this year.
- Orion Pax: yup! Not Optimus, this toy is based (at least the bot mode) on Optimus's pre-Prime body that first showed up in Spotlight: Blurr many years ago. The cybertronian trcuk mode is new (and featured in the included SL: Orion Pax comic) as are the energon axe and signature ion cannon. It's great that we're getting a dedicated Orion Pax mold; that's something I never saw happening. Really want this.
- Megatron: this is B-2 Megatron from the IDW Ongoing! Don's design actually surfaced sometime earlier than it did in the comic a couple of years ago, so this is a toy I've wanted for a while. Awesome.
- Bumblebee: again from the IDW Ongoing, this is BB's "leader" body. Having ditched the VW alt mode, he now transforms into a sports car and has door wings, taking cues from the Movie version. The design is a bit different, with the headlights/fenders forming the shoulders rather than the windshield doing so. Most anticipated BB toy in a while, that's for sure.
-Voyager class: triple changers!
- Springer: it's pretty much perfect. This is Springer as we see him in Last Stand of the Wreckers, and yes, he actually has two alt modes that are decent and don't suffer and the benefit of the other. Looks to be one of the greatest voyagers ever.
- Blitzwing: While I would have liked him to be a deluxe to go with the other two 'Con triple changers, this guy does look great. Both jet and tank mode are fantastic and distinct, and the head apparently changes faces Animated-style while otherwise being a G1 homage. Very cool.
-TITAN class: the piece de resistance.
- Metroplex: I was convinced that we'd never get stuff like this from Hasbro ever again. Metroplex gets a tried-and-true Classics-style G1 update, but, oh yeah, he's also TWO FEET TALL!!!! Apparently someone at Hasbro figured we needed another giant transformer, one for the modern era, and we're getting it. The "Titan" class will cost about $125, but when the toy's this big, it's fine. He comes with a legends class Scamper toy (which hasn't been seen yet, I don't believe) and is still a triple changer in the same vein as the G1 toy. This is really incredible. Makes me feel ok for not dropping the same amount of cash on the newer MP Optimus at TRU!
-Generations: Platinum Series: We already knew about Platinum Optimus and Omega Supreme (neither of which really impresses me for the price), but know we know about two new releases:
- Ultra Magnus: This is TFP/BH Ultra Magnus, using the same basic design as the BH voyager toy. That said, it's also a remold of Optimus, this time Weaponizer Optimus. This version also has a larger Forge of Solus Prime, which looks a little better than the voyager's, as you'd guess. I've never been too keen on Weaponizer Optimus, but this remold looks good overall, and I love the kind of attention Magnus has been getting this year. Like the BH Ultimates, price is a big determining factor here.
- Grimlock vs. Bruticus: no pics of this so far, but this is apparently FoC Voyager Grimlock packaged with the FoC Combaticons with more metallic paint apps. Sounds kind of neat, and I don't have Grimlock yet, and if Bruticus looks good enough, I'd be fine with handing my retail version off to my son. However, it's pretty crazy that there's yet another Combaticon redeco set. Maybe Hasbro saw how many people missed out on the SDCC version. I'd really love to see the pics so I can know if I need to pass on retail Grimlock or not.
-Generations: Masterpiece: Yep, more money-draining releases. No pics yet, though.
- Acid Storm: Apparently a repaint of the remolded MP Seeker, like Thundercracker was last year. Not sure if it's a more cartoon/Bot Shots-like deco or more like the camo of the Universe deluxe. I'm interested, but I don't know that I need to spend ~$75 on Acid Storm. Sunstorm would have been a no-brainer, but I guess Hasbro was trying to avoid copying Takara. We'll see.
- Soundwave: Comes with all 5 tapes in package! I'm assuming "all 5 tapes" means Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, Rumble, Frenzy, and Ravage. The Japanese version just got released and looks fantastic, so I'm very happy this is being released here. Hopefully the price is reasonable. Some people are worried about the deco in reference to the Takara version, but I'm not.
Ok, what about Kre-O?
-Microchangers: Oh man, they have went into over drive with these guys. Both waves 2 and 3 were shown. Here's the list:
- Arcee: Nice! A good G1 version, but still a nice Airrachnid counterpoint
- Acid Wing (Acid Storm): Looks good. Same as Sunstorm.
- Blot (Blight?): To go with Abominus (below)
- Bombshell (Hardshell?): A G1 version - very creepy!
- Bulkhead: The Animated version. I'm digging it.
- Groove: First Kreon motorcycle! Not a bad attempt, either.
- Hoist: Serviceable, but not too exciting.
- Scourge: G1 version; good alt mode, but bot mode suffers for lack of wings.
- Vehicon: A lot more blue than the multi-pack ones. Looks better, though.
- Lugnut: Seriously? This is awesome.
- Perceptor: Good bot mode, fun microscope mode that is close to the G1 toy's.
- Powerglide: Not bad. Plane mode is similar to Lugnut's.
- Beachcomber: Pretty good, but again, not too exciting.
- Cheetor: Fun; we need even more BW Kreons, though!
- Guzzle: very LSotW, looks great.
- Huffer: Don't care for the character, but pretty spot-on.
- Kickback: Neat, though not as spot-on as Bombshell.
- Long Haul: All right! The Constructicons are completely rounded out.
- Nemesis Prime: Decent truck mode, but overall more a Black Convoy.
- Nosecone: Looks really goo; evidence of Technobots down the road?
- Ramjet: Yes, please! Same as Dirge.
- Seawing: To complete the Seacons! Not bad.
- Sharkticon: Really fun. I like it; the mace is ace.
- Thrust: Again, same as Dirge, but now all the normal Seekers are complete.
- Abominus
- Piranacon
- Defensor
-Random stuff:
- Autobot Base
- Special Edition Kreons
- Starscream
- Optimus Prime
- Ironhide
- Soundwave
- Megatron
- Bumblebee
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