Transformer Super Thread 6

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I WANT AERIALBOTS!!

Cool planes, but the old toys, man those guys deserved better! It would be awesome to see new aerialbots, each fully articulated, with different molds, and modern jet modes. Hell keep them vintage jet modes for all I care, they had good planes, either way works.

Octane's paint job is what threw me off initially too.

[Fit For Natalie]

Don Figueroa mentioned working on some Classics figures, two of which were smaller than Deluxe classes. Could those be Bruticus' limbs?

Oh please. Why would they specifically go, "Hey, here's the past!" and show G1 and then go on and on about how Ratchet was a veteran of the Great Wars, which BW already established was G1. They would've donel like Armada and made new footage that showed events similar to G1 but different. They used actual G1 footage! Come on, what are we supposed to think? Obviously they intended to make us think it was a continuation of G1.

Because... it conflicts with all known Generation 1 animated continuity? Because Hasbro specifically said this was a new continuity?

The footage seen was from episodes that centered around G1 Prime anyway, specifically MTMTE and War Dawn, which deals with his very creation. Also, the dialogue at the end of War Dawn suggested that G1 Ratchet wasn't even online at that point, as he was the only Autobot in the group who didn't seem to know about Prime's previous life as Orion Pax or his role in the start of the Great War.

It's just the usage of footage Hasbro owns for the purpose of nods and a reference to 'the past' of Transformers.

[buddhafabio]

new AERIALBOTS...refreshed.

Silverbolt ......v 22 because he is scared of heights

fire flight..........f 22

air raid.......f 15e

skydive .....eurofighter

slingshot.....jsf

[kensei]

new AERIALBOTS...refreshed.

Silverbolt ......v 22 because he is scared of heights

fire flight..........f 22

air raid.......f 15e

skydive .....eurofighter

slingshot.....jsf

It'll be good if Air Raid was a sorta copy of SS without the arm lasers. A classic that big that would combine would be the bomb.

[mikeszekely]

Seeing Onslaught was a little weird, because most of the other Classics are quickly identified because they're at least colored similarly to their G1 counterparts. Even as far as shape goes, only Megatron and Grimlock were radically different. To me, that Onslaught just didn't look like enough like Onslaught that he was instantly recognizable to me. Besides, the one I really want to see is Sideswipe, since he was the first Transformer I ever owned.

Oh, and I know I'm late to the party, but I finally watched TF Animated last night. I was, admittedly, put off by the art when I first saw it, but it looks a lot better in action. We haven't got much characterization for any of the Decepticons save Starscream yet, but the Autobots are all well-developed characters. And Starscream is simply the best Starscream since G1. Overall, I think this might be the best Transformers cartoon since G1.

[Fit For Natalie]

According to Pete at Botcon forums, Onslaught is a Ultra class toy and is not a combiner.

[eriku]

After looking at Onslaught a little more, I have to say I don't really care for him so far. I still can't figure out exactly what it is, but he just doesn't have that "ooooohhh NEAT!" vibe that almost all of the other Classics toys did (and yes I know he's technically Universe). Hopefully there will be more figures in the line that have the same kind of 'life' that Bumblebee and Mirage have. I don't suppose anyone knows if the guy who designed those is still working for Hasbro?

[David Hingtgen]

No combining=no purchase. What's the point of being big and bulky if it's not to form the torso of a larger robot? Energon Barricade (should have been called Onslaught) did all 3 modes wonderfully IMHO. You can make combiners that look good with minimal compromising.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Hopefully there will be more figures in the line that have the same kind of 'life' that Bumblebee and Mirage have. I don't suppose anyone knows if the guy who designed those is still working for Hasbro?

I hope so. Those figures really brought my attention back to TFs (Prime's design was killer too!). As for Onslaught, it sorta looks like a bot version of Judge Dredd. Its design is underwhelming especially since I've been on an Alternators kick lately (Mirage is my fave so far).

[Fit For Natalie]

Of course, Pete could be wrong, but I'll live if Onslaught isn't a combiner. I'm pleased to get another non-tank land military vehicle.

eriku: Classics were conceptualized and designed by largely the same people at Hasbro and TakaraTomy who worked on the other Transformers toylines in the past few years, and some of the concepts were by Don Figueroa, who has done a handful for this new line. You may be thinking of Alex Kubalsky he works for TakaraTomy, though he may have left the company recently.

David: At the time, Marvel/Toybiz held the trademark of Onslaught. I assume Hasbro and Marvel worked out a deal for Classics because while Hasbro may have the current trademark for an action figure called Onslaught due to the Marvel license, they might not have automatically gained the right to use the name on a Transformers brand transforming toy.

[Lord of Tetris]

Well, and this is solely my guess...

The magazine makes a hint about having 5 toys to show us, and Onslaught is merely the one that made the cover. Maybe the other 4 are Brawl, Vortex, Blast-Off, and Swindle?

[eriku]

eriku: Classics were conceptualized and designed by largely the same people at Hasbro and TakaraTomy who worked on the other Transformers toylines in the past few years, and some of the concepts were by Don Figueroa, who has done a handful for this new line. You may be thinking of Alex Kubalsky he works for TakaraTomy, though he may have left the company recently.

I don't recall his name, but I remember reading an interview with him (might have even been in this very thread, I'm too lazy to hunt for it). I think he was from Australia but I may be wrong on that. He said in the interview that he intended for Bumblebee to look like he was wearing a hoodie and sneakers. I believe he also did the MP3 player/bird Real Gear toy. The site that did his interview showed pictures of some toy he designed and was shopping around, I think it turned into a bird and robot and something else.

Anyway, the guy seemed very cool and I really enjoyed his sculpting style.

::EDIT::

Yes, it's Alex Kubalsky. Here's a link to the interview I was talking about:

http://pingmag.jp/2007/06/29/transformers/

I forgot he also did the 08 Camaro Bumblebee as well, which is probably why that's the best looking aesthetically of the whole line.

Edited December 29, 2007 by eriku

[Hikuro]

personally, if they did a combiner set id like it to be like what they did with the constructicons, all in one box....you have clue how hard it is to find the tf universe microbots to form superion?! every week I find all but 2 figures to finish it! bah!

[mikeszekely]

Isn't Ultra class the class that's one step bigger than Leader? Because I can't see myself buying Onslaught if it's anything bigger than Voyager.

[Chindenathus]

Isn't Ultra class the class that's one step bigger than Leader? Because I can't see myself buying Onslaught if it's anything bigger than Voyager.

"Ultra" is the step below "leader class".

[JB0]

Isn't Ultra class the class that's one step bigger than Leader? Because I can't see myself buying Onslaught if it's anything bigger than Voyager.

Supreme is the step above Leader.

Ultra is in-between Voyager and Leader.

[Alpha OTS]

Finally got around to watching the Animated premiere.

Really enjoying the voices. REALLY enjoying that the Carlos "Holy Frijoles!" voice is nowhere to be found! The personalities are coming through pretty decently. I don't hate any of these characters out of the gate. The Starscream voice is surprisingly close to Chris Latta, and while most likely a bone to us G1-ers, it also fits. I'm getting a Kup vibe from Ratchet, and the lines he has really adds some weight to what's happening around them. I hope they keep that up.

The animation's better than what I expected given the stills we had seen. It looks much better in motion, and I'm liking the face plates. Yeah, it's more on the cutesy side and geared towards kids, but, more importantly, it's consistent and far more fluid than the A/E/C series ever was.

The humans aren't stealing all the transformer's screen time.

It's probably more Teen Titans than it is Justice League, and it'll probably stay that way, but one thing it isn't is a poorly written, poorly dubbed, poorly animated, BORING embarrassment like the last three series were.

[mikeszekely]

Supreme is the step above Leader.

Ultra is in-between Voyager and Leader.

Huh. Maybe I'm not aware of them because I didn't start collecting until the Classics line came out, and (unless you count mini con and Legends repaints) Classics was all Voyager and Deluxe. Actually, even for the movie, I only bought Deluxe and Voyagers for all the characters who actually had screen time. Oh, and a Scout Elita-1, but only because I'm calling her Classics Arcee.

What's the price tag on an Ultra? $29.99, I'm guessing, if the Voyagers are $19.99 and the Leaders are $39.99.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

First wave might be Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Octane, Onslaught, and someone else.

[Alpha OTS]

First wave might be Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Octane, Onslaught, and someone else.

Please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron, please be Galvatron..........

[mikeszekely]

First wave might be Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Octane, Onslaught, and someone else.

From what I've heard, Sideswipe will be a repaint of Sunstreaker. Or vice versa. So I don't think we're going to get both in the first wave, which is good because we can get our hopes up for a second wave.

[hutch]

From what I've heard, Sideswipe will be a repaint of Sunstreaker. Or vice versa. So I don't think we're going to get both in the first wave, which is good because we can get our hopes up for a second wave.

But they DID find out a way to have two different transformations for the same figure, which is pretty cool, imo.

[mikeszekely]

But they DID find out a way to have two different transformations for the same figure, which is pretty cool, imo.

They did? But how different could they really be? I mean, yeah, they were both Countaches, but they were totally different robots with totally different transformations.

Even still, I'm really pumped for both of them, especially Sideswipe. If they do Jazz and Wheeljack, I'll honestly have all the Autobots I want (although I surely wouldn't mind Prowl and Ratchet).

I'm lukewarm on Onslaught, but optimistic about Octane. Other Decepticons I really want would be Cyclonus, Galvatron, Shockwave, and Blitzwing.

Oh, and the Seekers they said they wouldn't release because no one wanted to buy that many repaints, then turned around and made anyway in a box set that was WAAAAAY out of my price range.

[JB0]

Huh. Maybe I'm not aware of them because I didn't start collecting until the Classics line came out, and (unless you count mini con and Legends repaints) Classics was all Voyager and Deluxe. Actually, even for the movie, I only bought Deluxe and Voyagers for all the characters who actually had screen time. Oh, and a Scout Elita-1, but only because I'm calling her Classics Arcee.

What's the price tag on an Ultra? $29.99, I'm guessing, if the Voyagers are $19.99 and the Leaders are $39.99.

Maybe 25?

I only bought one Ultra, given I didn't start buying stuff until Cybertron's endgame.

[David Hingtgen]

I could easily be mis-remembering/imaginig, but I think the new Sideswipe and Sunstreaker work kind of like how Punch/Counterpunch did.

[areaseven]

The personalities are coming through pretty decently. I don't hate any of these characters out of the gate. The Starscream voice is surprisingly close to Chris Latta, and while most likely a bone to us G1-ers, it also fits. I'm getting a Kup vibe from Ratchet, and the lines he has really adds some weight to what's happening around them. I hope they keep that up.

I was feeling the same way about the personalities. They're a mix of other G1 characters:

Prime = G1 Prime + Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime

Prowl = Mirage

Bulkhead = Ironhide

Bumblebee = Japanese Wheelie (without the annoying rhyming dialogue)

[Fit For Natalie]

Animated Prime is also alot like Optimus Primal, who was essentially a nobody starship captain commanding a crew of nobodies on what was an unimportant mission.

They did? But how different could they really be? I mean, yeah, they were both Countaches, but they were totally different robots with totally different transformations.

Even still, I'm really pumped for both of them, especially Sideswipe. If they do Jazz and Wheeljack, I'll honestly have all the Autobots I want (although I surely wouldn't mind Prowl and Ratchet).

I'm lukewarm on Onslaught, but optimistic about Octane. Other Decepticons I really want would be Cyclonus, Galvatron, Shockwave, and Blitzwing.

Oh, and the Seekers they said they wouldn't release because no one wanted to buy that many repaints, then turned around and made anyway in a box set that was WAAAAAY out of my price range.

As I recall, they said the chests transform different, so presumbably Sideswipe ends up with the classic hood chest, while on Sunstreaker, the upper torso is turned around so he gets the hood on his back but the roof (with window) on his chest, giving him a reasonable facimile of his G1 chest. Probably different heads, too.

Prowl is in the line, they'd like to do Jazz and Ironhide, but Ratchet won't be around, because of the two other Ratchets.

The Seekers - at the time Hasbro wasn't considering making any more Classics toys (bearing in mind they plan out toylines months and months in advance). They didn't want to clog pegs with what are essentially six near-identical toys in a kid's toy market for a line that only lasted 6 or so months. Sure, adult collectors would buy them up, but wouldn't sell the majority of of them. So they let the BotCon team release the remaining three seekers in the Botcon set so the toys would come out in *some* way instead of never coming out. Hasbro doesn't really profit from BotCon stuff, Fun Publications/Master Collector does.

[hutch]

I could easily be mis-remembering/imaginig, but I think the new Sideswipe and Sunstreaker work kind of like how Punch/Counterpunch did.

I believe you're exactly right. It's merely a torso rotation and flip. I'll try to find pictures.

Also, pretty cool to see that Japanese Classics Megatron has that Neo-G1 paint job. I think I'll probably pick that one up even though it's a pretty steep price.

[mikeszekely]

The Seekers - at the time Hasbro wasn't considering making any more Classics toys (bearing in mind they plan out toylines months and months in advance). They didn't want to clog pegs with what are essentially six near-identical toys in a kid's toy market for a line that only lasted 6 or so months. Sure, adult collectors would buy them up, but wouldn't sell the majority of of them. So they let the BotCon team release the remaining three seekers in the Botcon set so the toys would come out in *some* way instead of never coming out. Hasbro doesn't really profit from BotCon stuff, Fun Publications/Master Collector does.

Frankly, I'm not buying that rationale. Hasbro can tell themselves, their shareholders, whoever until they're blue in the face that Classics were for kids, but I've only ever seen adults buy them. Prior to the movie, I've seen plenty of kids walk past even the Cybertron toys and scream, "Oooh, Power Rangers!" or "Mommy! Spider-man!" If they were really worried that people wouldn't buy that many Seekers in the regular retail chain, they could have made Thundercracker a Wal-Mart exclusive, Thrust a Target exclusive, and Dirge a Toys R' Us exclusive. I mean, slap that word "exclusive" on a toy, and suddenly collectors are driving to every Wal-Mart in a 50-mile radius every day for six weeks until they find it.

As for the BotCon team, maybe they're stuff has to be more expensive because they make limited quantities and don't have the same kind of resources as Hasbro, but I still think they were underproducing/overcharging and generally exploiting the people who could pay at the expense of those who couldn't.

[Metal_Massacre_79]

How can they say that the other seekers wouldn't sell? You know the eBay whores are just going to buy those up like crazy. Adults and kids alike wanted the classics. My son and I each have a set, one for him to play with and one for me in the boxes.

[Vermillion21]

If they do Jazz and Wheeljack, I'll honestly have all the Autobots I want (although I surely wouldn't mind Prowl and Ratchet).

Wasn't the movie repaint Target exclusive G1 Jazz suppose to be Hasbro's Classics version??

And yeah, I'd love the Classics seekers set too .... someday.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Wasn't the movie repaint Target exclusive G1 Jazz suppose to be Hasbro's Classics version??

No

How can they say that the other seekers wouldn't sell?

No doubt they would to collectors, but its all in the hands of retailers, would they think they would sell to kids? While the tf design team may think so, ultimately retail would make that decision, not the design team. Given the divided opinions on the issue, I doubt Hasbro will ever let Fun Publications create any figure that has both collector's appeal, and brand recognition, again. I personally, wanted a chance to get the rest of the seekers at retail, either mass market or as an exclusive, and not the exact ones in the box set. I was not too happy with Thundercracker's pale greenblue paint apps, could care less about Dreadwing, same for the decepticon Bumblebee, thought Dirge just getting repainted wasn't worth it, and thought Thrust's wings were too stubby.

Hasbro could have told Fun Publications that they couldn't use those characters, and could have waited til a retailer jumped for the chance to release the seekers. Not to say this would have happened, but it could have.

[Chindenathus]

I believe you're exactly right. It's merely a torso rotation and flip. I'll try to find pictures.

Also, pretty cool to see that Japanese Classics Megatron has that Neo-G1 paint job. I think I'll probably pick that one up even though it's a pretty steep price.

Here you go:

[hutch]

Here you go:

Thanks!

On further examination, it doesn't really illustrate what they said at the panel, but it is the picture I was thinking of. Much appreciated.

[Alpha OTS]

Different heads, different weapons, it looks like.