Transformers Super Thread 9

[RD Blade]

MP Grimlock is a TRU exclusive and was up for pre-order on their website before selling out.

I know nothing about the KO MP Optimus.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Is that the TRU that was featured on "That's Incredible" in the '80s??

Yep, it's the one in Sunnyvale, CA. Really it's just the traffic I face when going there after work that's scary. It's the one where I got Arcee, so I'm hoping I get the same luck with Rodimus.

[areaseven]

Hmm... went back quite a few pages but could someone recap for me:

Where's this KO ("Knockoff"?) Prime coming from? Joons style thing?

Is MP Grimlock going to be in TRU stores or is it online only?

I bought my KO MP Prime at a local hobby shop. KOTOYS.com has it for around US$80 + shipping.

[kaiotheforsaken]

The MP Grimlock will be in TRU stores, there have been some sitings of him already posted on sites like seibertron. As for the knock off Prime, the story is that he is fairly good quality for being KO but beyond that I personally know very little about him other than what was posted here.

[Golden Arms]

I picked up HA Jazz today at one of my local targets. They had a ton of other TF related toys. They also had the HA bumblebee with the repainted Sam (white T-shirt). I may have to go back and get the War for cybertron Bumblebee and Thrust.

[areaseven]

They also had the HA bumblebee with the repainted Sam (white T-shirt).

Be warned that this version is a completely different mold of the Sam figure, as it lacks the chest articulation of the ROTF version. He also seems to have a beer belly. So if you can find the ROTF version, get that instead.

[kaiotheforsaken]

I heard he fits better in BB though, if that matters. I for one will probably toss the human figure when Jazz gets here on Monday. The HA line seems good just for the (mostly) nice sculpts, though I wish Sideswipe would have gotten better treatment.

[Guest sh002]

if anyone wants to trade a mosc animated arcee for an animated rodimus lmk. didn't find rodimus but maybe they haven't put them out yet. would love to pick up mp grimlock if i saw it just sitting there on the shelf. in other news i found like 7 generations thrusts and 2 drifts at target so i'm thinking when red alert, dirge, and the rest come out they won't be that hard to find.

[areaseven]

I heard he fits better in BB though, if that matters. I for one will probably toss the human figure when Jazz gets here on Monday. The HA line seems good just for the (mostly) nice sculpts, though I wish Sideswipe would have gotten better treatment.

HA Sideswipe has been marked down to borderline Deluxe price out here. Is he really just not as good as the Deluxe version?

[kaiotheforsaken]

Well he has like half the car strapped to his back, his blades are tiny and made of soft plastic (like Drift's swords) and imo his shoulders are seriously borked in design and dont look right at all. I never saw his deluxe version in retail stores, maybe I'll see if I can find him cheap online.

Edit: Though maybe if he gets a decent amount of time on screen on TF3 he'll get a new mold of some kind.

Edited August 6, 2010 by kaiotheforsaken

[areaseven]

Well he has like half the car strapped to his back, his blades are tiny and made of soft plastic (like Drift's swords) and imo his shoulders are seriously borked in design and dont look right at all. I never saw his deluxe version in retail stores, maybe I'll see if I can find him cheap online.

Edit: Though maybe if he gets a decent amount of time on screen on TF3 he'll get a new mold of some kind.

Yeah, it's too bad that HA Sideswipe is kibble-tastic. Deluxe Sideswipe is hard to find at a good price, as Hasbro under-produced the regular version and flooded stores with Swerve and other repaints. I have Swerve, and I'm happy with that figure; so I'm not much concerned with getting Sideswipe.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Yeah, I wish I had seen some kinda of version of that mold in stores. I'm not dedicated to Sideswipe (I mean he only said a few words in the flick) but he looked really cool and the deluxe mold seemed really slick.

[Max Jenius]

Actually, the Japanese G1 reissue seems to be the quintessential Galvatron at the moment. It's in the cartoon-accurate purple and comes with a better face sculpt and the Matrix of Leadership. It even has original sound clips from the Japanese dub of the series.

Now if only Hasbro released it stateside. If they can't afford to have Leonard Nimoy record his lines for the toy, I'd still be happy if Frank Welker's voice screaming, "BWAAAAA!!!" is part of the sound effects.

Eh, I'm going to need a little better sculpt for that. I think it's definitely possible with the MP line. I want something fierce like Tyra in Galvatron form.

[Arthurius]

how and where can i get the igear transformers, mainly the new seakers, and the small prime?

[RD Blade]

Yep, it's the one in Sunnyvale, CA. Really it's just the traffic I face when going there after work that's scary. It's the one where I got Arcee, so I'm hoping I get the same luck with Rodimus.

Freakin A. I only saw that episode once, but I guess it messed me up for life.

Anyways, good luck finding it. Distribution here in Jersey is hit or miss...mostly miss.

[Uxi]

Especially if they do Rodimus... they must must MUST do Galvatron. I'd also like to see Megatron redone as a 'primitive' form of Galvatron (mobile artillery piece in addition to a kid-sized hand-gun).

[eugimon]

TRU has shipped my MP Grimlock today, cool.

[RD Blade]

TRU has shipped my MP Grimlock today, cool.

Did they have a "release date" for Grimlock in the pre-order confirmation email? Mine said August 15 and they haven't sent me any more emails. Not even the 30 day cancellation one that had you worried.

[eugimon]

Did they have a "release date" for Grimlock in the pre-order confirmation email? Mine said August 15 and they haven't sent me any more emails. Not even the 30 day cancellation one that had you worried.

Yeah, it had a ship date of 8/15 listed

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

A big consideration was simply "I ran out of space". I really have to sell some stuff off. (plus, frankly---MP Grimlock is little more than a bigger G1 Grimlock) I'm a big Grimlock fan, but cost/size considerations sealed it for me.As for new Prime--probably, but will it be better than ROTF Prime? Or are they going to simplify it so that Prime+trailer is cheaper than it'd otherwise be? Or just reduce the paint apps even further, to cut costs.

I have a feeling we will see 2 leader class Primes in TF3:

• Voyager or ultra sized Prime with trailer in leader class box, maybe in-scale with deluxe figures
  
• Leader sized Prime sans trailer with no gimmicks aside from light/sound
  

Yeah, I have the same complaint about MP Grimlock. I would really have liked to see more articulation built into him in bot and dino mode but oh well. I'm confident we'll see a brand new sculpt for TF3, they didn't need to redo Prime for TF2 either but they sill did it.

Well they did kinda need to redo it since the first movie Prime sucked pretty bad....actually most of the original movie figs were just awful.

The primary difference between the 2 movie lines is that for TF1, Haskaromy worked off of concept art and not all of it was even finished. With ROTF they worked off of completed CGI models. I am not sure if Starscream will get an all new leader figure but I have a feeling we will see an all new voyager version. The leader version is relatively new. Bet we will see an all new Prime in leader class.

What I want to see is a leader Megatron that isn't compromised like the last 2 figures.

The pessimist in me says some gimmick that'll compromise sculpt/articulation. Like quad-light-up forearm blades or something.

Hopefully it's like ROTF leader Prime where the compromises weren't that bad. The combining gimmick was much easier to conceal and hidden much easier on ROTF leader Prime than on Jetfire.

HA Sideswipe has been marked down to borderline Deluxe price out here. Is he really just not as good as the Deluxe version?

I would see the HA is a better figure but it did not live up to the standards of HA Bumblebee. HA Bumblebee raised the bar; Barricade came close, Skids is decent, and Jazz is up there too with Bumblebee. HA Sideswipe is the worst HA figure but by all means, not terrible. The leg articulation is hindered due to the rubber pipes at the hips, and the knee pistons from the back were confusing to figure out. They don't lock into place.

[RD Blade]

Yeah, it had a ship date of 8/15 listed

Gotcha. Thanks.

Edit:

Correction...I did get a back-order notice. Not the 30 day cancellation one, though.

"We have received your order # **********. However, there has been an unexpected delay in the shipment of the following item(s):

Please note: Your item(s) will be shipped once it becomes available. You will receive a shipping confirmation email with updated tracking information once your item(s) has shipped.

We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Thank you again for shopping at Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com.

Sincerely,

The Guest Service Team"

Edited August 7, 2010 by RD Blade

[mikeszekely]

I had to work this morning, but my wife was going to go to a grocery store near the part of town where my TRU is located. I asked her to stop in. She said she wouldn't, but she did, and I'm glad she did, because she found me a MP Grimlock.

EDIT: Had some time to play with him. He might be my favorite Masterpiece so far. In dino mode, he's very faithful to his animated counterpart, but more detailed (what looks like a plain red stripe on the cartoon is a red and gray patch of some mechanical stuff) and the pale yellow on his underbelly and neck are a translucent gold. He also has some red stripes on his legs/bot-mode shoulders that are not in the animation, but I think they were on the original toy. He's likewise very accurate in bot mode as well. His shoulders are bigger, and again his pale yellow cartoon coloring is replaced with gold. He has some extra white on his pelvis (that's on the original toy) and some paint on his thighs (that I have no idea where they came from). I especially like how his tail folds up into his legs so that a big chunk that folds onto the outside of his lower leg on the G1 toy (and the Animated toy, for that matter) is neatly tucked away. The result is a toy that is faithful to his animation model and his toy, and is relatively simple for an MP, but is still much more dynamic and life-like and much less block in bot mode than the original toy.

However, and I don't know if this is just mine, common to the US release, or common to the mold, but while things fit seem all fine and dandy when he's fully transformed into either mode, he's very floppy and loose mid-transformation. For example, part of his transformation has you fold back the dino-mode torso, then bring the bot-mode torso up. It's supposed to clip together, but it won't stay there until his waist slides up. Also, there's a small slot on his back that's supposed to peg into the top of his dino-head, so his dino-head rests flush against him. I can't get that to stay pegged for the life of me.

One final complaint I have is his price, and what you get for that price. He's got a bit more girth, I suppose, but he's really not much taller than the MP seekers (not even a head taller), and significantly shorter than MP Prime (the top of Grimlock's head barely makes it to the bottom of the white stripe on Prime's arm). And Prime came with his gun, an Energon Axe, a little Megatron gun, and a talking display stand. Heck, even the Seekers came with a stand, null rays, missiles, and a little Dr. Arkeville. Considering that the Seekers wound up retailing for $49.99 and Prime was going for $79.99, you think Grimmy would be closer to the Seekers in price. Nope. $20 more than the Seekers, and just $10 less than Prime. And what do you get for that price? Grimlock, his sword, his gun, and the crown he wore when he was the Autobot leader during the Marvel Comics run. That's it. You'd think for $70 they could include the brain gizmo, the serving tray, and the apron that the first Japanese release had, but no.

I'm not complaining too hard, because on the whole I love him. He looks fantastic in both modes, which is more than I can say for Prime (awesome bot mode, truck mode had some issues and the trailer never even had a US release), Megatron (gun mode ok but missing parts, bot mode had spindly thin legs holding up his heavier upper-body on small feet and a narrow ball joint) or the Seekers (realistic jet modes that, as David will tell you, aren't make for kibble on the bot mode). And while his transformation is less-complicated than some newer Deluxe figures, that beats so frustrating I'll never do it again, like Megatron. As much as I was awed when I first saw MP Prime back in the day, I really think MP Grimlock takes the cake.

Edited August 8, 2010 by mikeszekely

[Guest sh002]

if i find mp grimlock at tru that would be cool. if i don't it's ok i still have my takara mp grimlock.

it would be cool to find animated rodimus on the shelf at tru. if anyone finds an extra one let me know and get it for me. thanks.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

how and where can i get the igear transformers, mainly the new seakers, and the small prime?

Your best bet is to go to their site and order directly from their shop. Incidentally, they're offering pre-orders for a KO of Impossible Toys' not-Arcee figure. It looks leagues better than IT's lackluster offering, but it costs $100 .

[areaseven]

Want a G1 Arcee? iGear will be releasing their version later this year. And it seems to be more accurate than Impossible Toys' TRNS-01 Valkyrie figure.

iGear MGT-01 Delicate Warrior

[Grand Admiral]

I'd like an Arcee fig, but I'm not a big enough fan to pay that much for one.

I found Peg/Drift on Friday night. Panel lined him. Really great poseability.

[protostar8]

I had to work this morning, but my wife was going to go to a grocery store near the part of town where my TRU is located. I asked her to stop in. She said she wouldn't, but she did, and I'm glad she did, because she found me a MP Grimlock.

EDIT: Had some time to play with him. He might be my favorite Masterpiece so far. In dino mode, he's very faithful to his animated counterpart, but more detailed (what looks like a plain red stripe on the cartoon is a red and gray patch of some mechanical stuff) and the pale yellow on his underbelly and neck are a translucent gold. He also has some red stripes on his legs/bot-mode shoulders that are not in the animation, but I think they were on the original toy. He's likewise very accurate in bot mode as well. His shoulders are bigger, and again his pale yellow cartoon coloring is replaced with gold. He has some extra white on his pelvis (that's on the original toy) and some paint on his thighs (that I have no idea where they came from). I especially like how his tail folds up into his legs so that a big chunk that folds onto the outside of his lower leg on the G1 toy (and the Animated toy, for that matter) is neatly tucked away. The result is a toy that is faithful to his animation model and his toy, and is relatively simple for an MP, but is still much more dynamic and life-like and much less block in bot mode than the original toy.

However, and I don't know if this is just mine, common to the US release, or common to the mold, but while things fit seem all fine and dandy when he's fully transformed into either mode, he's very floppy and loose mid-transformation. For example, part of his transformation has you fold back the dino-mode torso, then bring the bot-mode torso up. It's supposed to clip together, but it won't stay there until his waist slides up. Also, there's a small slot on his back that's supposed to peg into the top of his dino-head, so his dino-head rests flush against him. I can't get that to stay pegged for the life of me.

One final complaint I have is his price, and what you get for that price. He's got a bit more girth, I suppose, but he's really not much taller than the MP seekers (not even a head taller), and significantly shorter than MP Prime (the top of Grimlock's head barely makes it to the bottom of the white stripe on Prime's arm). And Prime came with his gun, an Energon Axe, a little Megatron gun, and a talking display stand. Heck, even the Seekers came with a stand, null rays, missiles, and a little Dr. Arkeville. Considering that the Seekers wound up retailing for $49.99 and Prime was going for $79.99, you think Grimmy would be closer to the Seekers in price. Nope. $20 more than the Seekers, and just $10 less than Prime. And what do you get for that price? Grimlock, his sword, his gun, and the crown he wore when he was the Autobot leader during the Marvel Comics run. That's it. You'd think for $70 they could include the brain gizmo, the serving tray, and the apron that the first Japanese release had, but no.

I'm not complaining too hard, because on the whole I love him. He looks fantastic in both modes, which is more than I can say for Prime (awesome bot mode, truck mode had some issues and the trailer never even had a US release), Megatron (gun mode ok but missing parts, bot mode had spindly thin legs holding up his heavier upper-body on small feet and a narrow ball joint) or the Seekers (realistic jet modes that, as David will tell you, aren't make for kibble on the bot mode). And while his transformation is less-complicated than some newer Deluxe figures, that beats so frustrating I'll never do it again, like Megatron. As much as I was awed when I first saw MP Prime back in the day, I really think MP Grimlock takes the cake.

If you don't mind me asking, what part of the country do you live in? So far, no mention of him being in GA, but if you're only a state away, might be a good sign he might be here soon. Though I'd guess you're in the west half of the US b/c the west gets stuff sooner???

Edited August 8, 2010 by protostar8

[mikeszekely]

If you don't mind me asking, what part of the country do you live in? So far, no mention of him being in GA, but if you're only a state away, might be a good sign he might be here soon. Though I'd guess you're in the west half of the US b/c the west gets stuff sooner???

I don't mind you asking. I'm about an hour east of Pittsburgh, in Greensburg PA. So I'm not exactly one state away, but you can take some solace that I'm East Coast.

I'll say this, if you're lucky to find him, he sells fast. They get trucks on Saturday mornings, and my wife was there 20 minutes after they opened. She said they had two when she got there.

[Guest sh002]

does anyone know the case assortment for the animated figures? is it 1 rodimus and 1 ironhide per case? I found animated ironhide but that means someone got rodimus. now I have animated arcee and ironhide available for trade for rodimus if anyone is interested.

Edited August 9, 2010 by sh002

[RD Blade]

does anyone know the case assortment for the animated figures? is it 1 rodimus and 1 ratchet per case? I found animated ratchet but that means someone got rodimus. now I have animated arcee and ratchet available for trade for rodimus if anyone is interested.

I'm pretty sure that the Rodimus case includes Ironhide. Like the Arcee case included Ratchet.

[protostar8]

I'm pretty sure that the Rodimus case includes Ironhide. Like the Arcee case included Ratchet.

Yep. I'm kind of curious why a TRU I visited the other day suddenly had Wave 1 Animated figs again. Bumblebee and Cybertron Prime's galore. What are the other figures that accompany Rodimus and Ironhide?

[Guest sh002]

oops I meant to write that I have tru exclusive animated ironhide for trade

Edited August 9, 2010 by sh002

[areaseven]

I'd like an Arcee fig, but I'm not a big enough fan to pay that much for one.

I found Peg/Drift on Friday night. Panel lined him. Really great poseability.

Awesome panel lining, dude. Looks like I'll be getting Peg later this month because of this pic.

[Chindenathus]

I too got 'Peg' on friday and am very pleased with the design.

Blurr is going to so 'rock' with this mold.

[Guest sh002]

i had drift but i returned him. sticking to g1 type figures from generations.