M'Kyuun

Waterslide decals come with it. At least if you order with Showz, but I'm guessing the decals are part of the package from the factory. Looking forward to getting this guy, but not the transformation so much, nor the application of those stickers, which really are a must to bring out the ultimate look of the car mode. Beautiful fig, though, and the Asurada from Future GPX CyberFormula is a great choice for an alt mode.

I don't really have a top 5, but some standouts to me were: 1. Legacy Cosmos- Shoutout to @mikeszekelywithout whom I never would have had this figure. Weve had a few official Cosmos figs over the years, including the really cool Generations Cosmos fig, but none that actually looked like his G1 namesake. The Walmart Exclusive Velocitron 500 Series Cosmos fixed that omission with an excellent chunky deluxe scaled figure that looks the part in both bot mode and flying saucer mode. IMHO, this is one of 2022's best releases. 2. SS86 Ironhide- Mike said everything that needs to be said about this fig. he filled a long, long overdue hole in the mainline, and despite a few warts (those big hinges on the side of his van mode, the lack of his yellow stripes, knee joint issues for some, the overpainted front bumper section, lack of his back cannon, multiple shades of red throughout), the base fig channels the animation model very well and as Mike said, looks better than the Masterpiece, which I hope they revisit someday, but after they've given up this slavishly toon-accurate nonsense. 3, Legacy Kickback- This fig took its cues from the original toy, and one could be excused for thinking it was the G1 toy on first sight. It's a really nice update, although I wish they'd made his wings look mechanical like the original and that they had some additional hinges to lay flat for flight in his locust mode. I also wish the lower legs retracted over the thighs somehow to shorten the legs and disable the robot knees, but you can't have everything. Hoping we'll get at least one more Insecticon update in 2023. 4. SS86 Sludge. Sludge was my only Dinobot as a kid, and I've always had a soft spot for him. I was excited when he was announced, and pretty pleased overall with him in-hand. While I don't think they need to reinvent the wheel with the Dinobots, I appreciate the novel transformation schema Hasui-san came up with for him. My only real negative was that the robot toes hang from the Bronto's stomach like a weird udder. There's a large space in the dino's chest that makes it appear as though the toes were going to rotate into that cavity, but they probably exhausted their budget and just let them hang. Fortunately, we live in a golden age of Transformers where multiple third party companies create upgrade kits to fix some of the official toys' flaws, and I used one such kit to fix the toe issue and give my Sludge the trim tummy he was always meant to have. Excited to complete the Dinobots, and hopefully both Snarl and Swoop will round out the team in '23. 5. Menasor- more to the point, the complete package of Stunticons and Has/Tak's approach to rethinking how they do combiners since Combiner Wars. Truthfully, I prefer an all-inclusive approach like MMC have been doing with their combiners- no add-ons, no parts-forming. But, I'm also pragmatic, and I understand it's simply not feasible within their operating limitations to do that. IMHO, the direction they took was the right one, and other than Breakdown's inaccurate car mode, the Stunticons turned out pretty well, minus a wart here or there. Has/Tak did a brilliant job giving us a screen-accurate, stable, and quite articulated Menasor. Still, I wonder how they're going to approach other combiners that don't utilize a framework with bots tacked-on. 6. Legacy and MP Skids- I like Skids' design, and I was happy that he not only got a fig in the mainline last year, but also a MP fig that harkened back to the good old days when Hasui-san was driving the design direction. That direction may not be for everyone, but I like it, and I was happy to add him to my MP collection, and his mini-me to my CHUG collection. 7. Legacy Tarantulas and Inferno- I'm a BW fan, and IMHO, both of these figs were done exceedingly well, really capturing the characters. I especially appreciate the articulated jaw on Inferno- I can hear his maniacal laugh every time I open his mouth. 8. legacy Override- I'm not a fan of the Unicron Trilogy, but as with all things Transformers, every now and then a design strikes a certain appeal, and that's how I feel about Override. I was happy that that they gave her a fig, and I think she turned out pretty well overall. 9. SS Hot Rod- I vehemently dislike the Bayformers films, but I have to admit that a lot of cool toys arose from that franchise. The transformation engineering on this fig impressed me, especially the way bits of his hood rotate and compact to form his torso. Too, I like how the front of his car forms his chest- it's reminiscent of G1 characters like Prowl and Jazz, and I've always been a fan of those designs. Hot Rod has mediocre articulation and the wheels on his legs don't have enough clearance for the knees to bend without scraping. However, I think he looks cool, the transformation is quite clever and a bit involved, and his car mode is beautiful. 10. Legacy Bulkhead- While I've seen most reviewers link him to the Prime design, from his truck mode to various cues on his bot mode, this design screams Animated to me. Of course, given Derrick Wyatt's very stylistic animation, the translation from that to a realistic military truck was always going to be fraught with challenges, but I think Has/Tak did ok. The result, of course, is a trimmer, lankier version of the big guy to make him fit with the G1 aesthetic. Regardless of which version of Bulkhead you associate him, the toy itself turned out pretty well. I'm probably missing a few, but these figs stood out to me for one reason or another. I'm hoping 2023's lineup is at least this good. There's a lot more non-G1 stuff coming for 2023, especially UT stuff, which isn't exactly my cuppa. Nevertheless, I'm in it for the toys, and regardless of the media to which a toy is attached, if the toy itself appeals, I'll usually pick up a copy. Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see more G1 stuff, especially those first season omissions that have yet to be filled, and maybe a deluxe Powerglide, too. Come what may, here's to an exciting new year of Cybertronian goodness and hopes that we're all able to get the toys that appeal to us. Happy collecting!

Agree. I was excited for a UCS Imperial Shuttle, until I saw it and watched some reviews. I hated the nose on it, as it was completely inaccurate, and the wing mechanism seemed poorly realized in light of what fans had done in their own MOCs. I wasn't crazy about the snap-on landing gear solution either. If they attempt it again, I hope they fix all these issues, give it a proper interior, and sculpt that nose section to look like the film model. More like this

Concerning the Imperial Shuttle, while there's currently a set out, I would try to find a copy of 75094 which was larger, more detailed, and featured Han, Leia, Chewy, and a couple Rebel dudes in Endor gear. It was simply a better set, IMHO, the best version they've ever made thus far, at least in System scale. FWIW, the Imperial Shuttle is one of my top 5 favorite SW vehicles, so my suggestion carries the weight of extreme bias. Good luck completing your collection!

Sorry to hear the negatives there, especially when related to LEGO, which should be positive. Alas, the other side of your story sounds full of positives, and I'm glad for you. Moreover, as a big LEGO fan, although I'm not getting the Lion Knight's Castle myself (I'd have nowhere to put that lovely beast), I think it's absolutely brilliant and I'm envious. I hope it proves to be yet another huge positive in your life, both figuratively and practically. Enjoy it and the new Blacktron set. Hopefully the first of many more.

Hmm, looks like a cross between Ghost in the Shell, Westworld, and Battle Angel Alita. I'm a fan of all three, so I'm in for a watch. I hope it'll be well-written and adventure outside of the tropes previously established by its predecessors.

Me too. I didn't think of that, but I did pass a request to one of the LEGO designers on Twitter, to pass to the Speed Champions Team, for both a Mach 5 from Speed Racer and a GSX Asurada from Future GPX Cyber Formula. I didn't hear anything back from him, so I don't know if he passed it along or not. I'm sure they get hit with requests all the time, and I'm nobody of significance. Regardless, I felt there was no harm in asking. Speaking of Speed Champions, they're introducing a number of cool new parts to the palette this year. Of particular notice is this gem: This part will surely be a godsend, only two plates tall with a rounded back allowing rotation, and a hollow stud facing sideways. I've been wanting something like this for years and thanks to the Speed Champion Team, we're finally getting it. My utmost gratitude! The 2023 sets, as those of us who collect them have come to expect, are chock full of new and interesting techniques, often using unexpected parts in cool and unusual ways to achieve brick-built details of the real cars. These sets are always a treat to build even if cars aren't your thing. I'm not a car guy myself, although I do like the look of many of these supercars and enjoy having these brick-built replicas in my collection.

So 2022 has come and gone, and overall, I think it was a pretty good year for Transformer toys. My itch was certainly scratched for the vast majority of G1 figs released, as well as figs like Override, Legacy Bulkhead, and Earthspark Twitch, which added variety to my collection. I'm looking forward to what 2023 brings us as well as the discussions and reviews they inspire. Finally, I'm grateful that the Transformers brand continues to thrive, that I'm getting versions of the toys I wished for as a kid in the main line, that there are options like upgrade kits and third-party figures to fill voids otherwise unrealized, that the fandom remains passionate for these convertible robots inspiring everything from actual toy designs both official and non, cartoons, live action films, forums like this one, and the many reviewers who do us all a service by letting us see what's in the box before it hits our eager mitts. I'm thankful, and hopeful, come what may. To all my fellow Macross World members, I wish you a most excellent new year!

Me too. Great looking model. Probably a little too modern and warfare related for LEGO's rules, though, more's the pity. Pretty sure I would have plunked down the cash for that Knight Rider set, too- the submission model, at least, is gorgeous.

I was able to put in two qualifying orders, so I'll be getting a pair of Blacktron Cruisers in the near future, as well as a handful of cool new 2023 sets and the Sanctum Sanctorum. So happy. I didn't get home until close to 0200 PST and felt certain that the Blacktron set was going to be exhausted after five hours of being available. Guess the $190 threshold was a bit much for many folks. Edit: Later in the afternoon, I realized I'd forgotten to order the new Quinjet and Hulkbuster sets, so I got them and the Monkie Kid Combi mech which landed me a third copy of the Blacktron Cruiser. Feeling rather squee at the prospect of having three of those new Blacktron astrofigs with back printing. 😍 I was worried I wouldn't even get one copy, so I'm quite elated, although I dropped nearly a grand on LEGO in one day, which is pretty much a record after 40+ years of collecting.

Between that and the camera motion, it looks generated rather than real, likely from a sim game.

If I end up missing out on the set itself, I may just put one together via bit and piecing. I have a spare slope piece with the Blacktron symbol printed on it, so if I need to, I can cobble my own together. That said, I'd still like to have a copy of this just to have it. I've always had a soft spot for Blacktron I as well, but I never had the Invader as a kid. This past October, I picked up a used copy from a vendor at BrickCon in Seattle- no box or instructions, IIRC, but all the parts were there and it now resides mission ready on my shelf among a host of various CS era sets that I've been acquiring over the years. The Tallneck is a good choice; what it lacks in articulation it more than makes up in presentation. It's a fun build too, which is always kinda the point with LEGO, at least in theory if not in execution. I was hoping there'd be more Horizon machine sets to follow in 2023, but thus far the Tallneck seems to be a one-off. More's the pity; they could milk this license copiously, and I'd happily buy most or all of them. I was also hoping Optimus Prime would see another licensed Transformers follow-up set, most likely Bumblebee due to his popularity and the innocuous, i.e. non-modern warfare-related, nature of his alt mode. LEGO's stance on such things precludes G1 Seekers or a G1 Megs that turns into a pistol.

All graphics in 10497 were printed; no stickers in that set, and there were quite a few printed bits. Obviously, as an anniversary set, it had a much higher budget, piece count, and minifig count. The Blacktron Cruiser (not sure why they didn't carry its original namesake, Invader, over but whatever) as a GWP set just doesn't get that kind of budget, unfortunately, hence stickers. But, I'm ok with it just to have more Classic Space era sets. I have a dinner date with friends this evening, and I'm hoping I'll have the opportunity to get on LEGO.com and get in an appropriate order to at least get one copy of this set before it gets spammed by scalpers. We all know it's gonna happen. Kinda miss the days before the adult market for toys really opened up- at least stuff remained available for longer periods without jockeying to try and get your order in immediately or hope to find some kind of reasonable deal on the secondary market. Too many greedy people nowadays that suck the joy out of what should be a fun experience. And I don't exclude LEGO from the blame either; this is a known pattern with these sorts of limited edition sets, and yet they keep putting them out in this manner. Not the best, and certainly not good enough.

Costumes, custom weaponry to match the period, rights to shoot at fitting locations, chariots, horses, etc all add up to eat their share of the budget. Using lesser-known actors spares the budget the chunk that well-known actors command, as well. But if the story is good, the actors competent, and the director has a solid vision, I think taking the Predator through various timelines to face off against humans at various stages of technological and social development is a good formula to keep it relevant and interesting, especially if they vary the Predators' approaches to hunting the particular prey at hand. Heck, it'd be interesting to see a Predator hunting Neanderthals, who were more robust than modern humans physically, and potentially smarter given their large cranial capacities.

All prints in this set are via stickers, including the instrument panel, which is a custom print that in part replicates this old slope, which was included in the original 1987 Blacktron Invader. Honestly, while I'm not a fan of stickers, it's a concession I will happily, if gratefully, embrace if it means more updated Space sets from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. My only beef with this set is the manner of distribution- limited gift-with-purchase requiring a minimal $190 purchase; not only is the amount required rather steep comparatively, but the limited numbers mean this set is going to sell out quickly and become as all things of this nature extreme scalper bait. I would rather they had made this a regular retail set to sit handsomely on the shelf next to the beautiful 10497 Galaxy Explorer. At least then, we could get multiples if we want (I do), and it would further provide a gauge for The LEGO Group to determine the level of desire for sets of this nature. There are a lot of us Classic Space fans out there with disposable income to throw at this stuff. I own four copies of 10497, and given 40580's much smaller piece count (this set would retail for around $35-40), I would certainly have about four of it as well, with at least one set for MOCing up some of the other Blacktron sets, most prominently the Alienator for which the new canopy could be made to work admirably. Hopefully, as I saw mentioned in one of the several reviews I've looked at for the Blacktron Cruiser, we'll see some Space Police stuff in the future utilizing the new Blacktron fig (which has torso printing front and back). I'd absolutely love to see a new Spy-Trak I using that Lightyear canopy in trans-red. So much potential; I hope LEGO thinks so too and keeps doling out these updates.

MP Trailbreaker looks alright. If I didn't already have MMC's Terraegis, I'd probably bite. I've seen complaints about how he looks, but honestly, Trailbreaker is kind of a wonky design from the start, but I think Takara did ok. I agree with the complaint about the obvious window adorning his torso and wonder why they couldn't have engineered the door to rotate 180 to hide it, but they didn't. That bit of nitpickery aside, he's done pretty well with some pretty impressive articulation. I like the slide down grill to allow easier access to open his hood, which covers a well-detailed engine facade. Too, I like that his back weapons are fully integrated and chromed. Good stuff.

I thought Prey was a very well realized expansion on the Predator franchise. More to the point, it capitalized on Maria's story to Dutch and Co of a long history of these things hunting her ancestors during the hottest years. As such, it makes complete sense that they would have done their hunting all over the planet throughout human history. Given our long history of brutality, violence, and warfare, we are a perfect target for a species looking for sport that fights back. I hope the next installment is at least as good as Prey, and that they continue pitting the Predator against other notable war faring folks like the Vikings, the Spartans, the Huns, the Persians, the Incans, etc. And while the Predator will always have the technological advantage over ancient humans, I think it would be more compelling to see them rely less on their tech and more on tactics and brute strength to subdue ancient men and women fighting with much more primitive weapons. Done well, they could continue the franchise for years in this vein. I'm good with that.

Totally agree; if we want Hasbro/Takara to churn out good figs, we need to be willing to pony up the cash for them. I think Pointblank is a perfect example of a character that would have benefitted greatly from being up classed. There are certainly others, but that one's fresh, as I was just messing with him yesterday. So yeah, I think commander class is an absolute must for the nest Magnus toy, even if the resulting fig is a voyager-scaled bot with a trailer that unpacks into his armor. I say all this not even being a huge Ultra Magnus fan; however, I think both fans and the character deserve better than what we got with both the Siege and ER versions. I only mention the core bot being an ER Prime repaint since it makes sense compared to the original G1 Magnus toy's use of a repainted G1 Optimus. Too, I think the ER Prime toy is fantastic, so reusing that mold is fine by me.

Somewhat belated, but I hope you and yours had a great Christmas and that the new year brings promise of good things ahead. My Christmas was great, and your sentiment much appreciated. To all my fellow Macross Worlders, I hope your Christmas season is safe, warm, and wonderful, and as I wished for Sh9000, so too do I wish for everyone as 2023 approaches. May it be another great year for toys and those of us who love 'em, collect 'em and share our joy of them here and elsewhere on the interwebs.

Likewise; I'd buy multiples if I could. Beyond my love of Classic Space themes, I want to show LEGO that there's still demand for Space sets outside of Star Wars. While I hope it doesn't sell out in seconds like some of their promos, I do hope that there's an abundance of qualifying purchases by folks trying to score a copy of this set. Unfortunately, it's also going to attract its share of scalpers, too, but that's just the way of things these days.

Woah! First time seeing this. I've been on the LEGO website and haven't seen this anywhere. Is it a promotional? Edit; So I answered my own question; it's going to be a gift with purchase beginning on Jan 1, 2023. Totally getting at least one copy. Ironically, I just picked up a copy of the original set, one of the few Blacktron sets I didn't have as a kid, back in October. First a new Galaxy Explorer and now this! Keep 'em coming, LEGO! I'll take all the Classic Era Space set updates you can give me.

Again, I hope it works out for you. In the meantime, you can't go wrong with Space LEGO. Ever. Best gift for every and all occasions and non-occasions. I may be a little biased. 😁 A titan class Nemesis to park alongside The Ark is pretty cool. No idea where I'm gonna put another huge fig, but I'll sort it when the time comes. I'm, for one, very happy at the prospect of a Studio Series '86 Ultra Magnus, as I thought the Siege and ER versions were utter travesties. Additionally, although I'm traditionally an all-in-one fan for Magnus, for the SS86 version, I think I'd prefer to see them use the ER Prime mold and create a trailer that parts-forms into his armor, as I think that would be the ideal way to realize the character as well as pay homage to the original toy. I already have a decent all-in-one Magnus from the Combiner Wars line, so that itch is sufficiently scratched. If they do go the parts-forming route, I hope they make the trailer capable of actually carrying a few of the Autobots in their car alts like the original and that the arms can lower down to form a ramp so the cars can drive up onto the second deck. I'm probably asking too much. Although Armada Prime doesn't interest me nearly as much as other Prime designs, I'm curious to see how it turns out. I have a copy of the original toy courtesy of my sister, who years ago gifted me a big box full of TF toys from across a number of lines that she came upon in her ebay pursuits, and honestly, it wasn't too bad a fig for its time, especially given the combiner concessions. I don't think I have the trailer for it, just Optimus himself. It'll be neat to see how they handle the update, as well as any potential Armada Jetfire figs to keep the combining aspect. After all, in for a penny, in for a pound. I hope Hasbro does right by the fans - they've waited a long time for updates to these toys, and I hope they can give them as close to the original experience as possible.

Just popped in to catch up on the latest and I'm dismayed for those of you who got your Star Saber orders canceled by Zavvi. I've not used them, but this situation certainly doesn't speak to their reliability, especially on a specialty item. I hope Haslab doesn't just wash their hands of this, either; if they're going to continue doling out orders to other retailers, they need to make sure that those entities are requesting the proper number of products to fill their orders. Or maybe they should keep Haslab products inhouse completely to avoid this situation altogether. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear this is happening. Hopefully, good resolution will follow, even if it happens after the holidays. Come what may, a safe and Merry Christmas to you all, my fellow Macross Worlders, and all good hopes for a happy new year.

That Wreck-gar is new to me, but I saw that G-1ified Animated Prowl over on twitter before popping in here for the morning perusal. Honestly, instead of redoing all these other lines' figs, I wish they would just reissue the original toys for those who didn't get them back in the day. That said, this take on Prowl is ...interesting. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. I like the Animated aesthetic, so seeing this cubed and squashed iteration is a bit off-putting, although it does look like they tried to carry over the original's transformation and salient features- looking at him, there's no doubt who he's supposed to be, so that's a feather in Has/TT's respective caps. Too, though I'm not in any way a motorcycle enthusiast, for some reason Transformers who take that particular alt appeal to me, and Prowl here is no exception.

Bear in mind we have no idea what progress has been made under wraps by DARPA, Sandia, Los Alamos, and other secure govt labs that deal with far-reaching science; one of them may have already matured the technology, but the general public won't know it for another fifty years or so.