The Transformers thread

[mikeszekely]

Well I'm glad a fellow board member lives near me, jwasko. I found a quartet of them at the Greensburg TRU and bought one of them.

EDIT: Played with him a bit, and I have to say, he's an interesting case. He look fantastic in bot mode. If everything lined up right, he'd look just as great as a car. He's on par with Grimlock for being the most animation-accurate mold in both modes (colors aside). His transformation is interesting, and it's quite a feat the way so much of the alt mode folds up into his backpack while maintaining a proportional and rather slim figure.

But for every way he impresses you, he finds another way to disappoint. For one, unlike the Takara version, Hasbro couldn't seem to decide if it was going for toy colors or animation colors. We'll ignore his orangish-reddish-brickish color... sure, Hot Rod was kind of pinkish, but I remember Rodimus Prime being darker. He's got toy Hot Rod's red boots with the silver stripe and three triangles... but the cartoon's grey hands instead of orange. The vents on his shoulders are colored like the cartoon (unpainted on toy Hot Rod, blue on Rodimus), and the rest of his upper arm is bare like the cartoon (although stickers are included if you wanted to add the toy Hot Rod's silver and triangles). But his wrists, which should be orange in yellow in the cartoon, are bare like the toys'. His pelvis is also a solid color, which matches neither the animation nor the toys for either Hot Rod or Rodimus Prime, and seems to be the result of laziness more than anything else.

And his transformation, though interesting at first and not particularly difficult, quickly becomes an exercise in frustration. No matter how much you fiddle, nothing wants to stay in place. The lower part of the hood doesn't want to stay lined up with the upper part. The ankle flap that helps give the illusion of a seamless transition from his arms to the rear of the car don't always want to stay down. His shin flaps will not stay pegged in place. The hinge on his ankle will try to block his fists from tucking in right. The pipes on his forearm do not seem to line up naturally with the peg or the pipes on the back of the car, and only do so if you turn his arm in a little further than it looks like it should go. If you get it lined up and pegged in, there's a good chance that it'll pop right back out (or cause the shin flaps to pop out). To top it all off, he feels a little floppy in alt mode, not at all as solid as the previous Masterpieces. (Yes, the other Masterpieces are a little floppy in bot mode... and so is Hot Rod.)

This doesn't even touch on the fact that the Hasbro version doesn't have the trailer and can't do Rodimus Prime's space winnebago alt mode. Would it really have cost that much more? The trailer doesn't look particularly complex. I really wish that Hasbro would find some way to make it available, even if only as an online-only deal. (If anyone has an extra trailer from the Takara version they're willing to part with for a reasonable price, PM me)

At the end of the day, I'd rate Hot Rod above Megatron, but below Grimlock, Prime, and the Seekers.

Edited August 20, 2011 by mikeszekely

[knoted]

Which is fine if you like those toys, but NO ONE ELSE is talking abut them.

Well, some did (not too long after my post with the link to a video review of the deluxe version & pic gallery)... do I need to quote them to prove it ?

oh well, people should enjoy the toys they enjoy. I'm just here to say they might enjoy some other toys too, even if they think they wouldn't, based on just one sucky Leader class version.

About the Rodimus : The Takara colours are so much better & movie accurate.

Still, he's too pricey imo WITH the trailer. MP10's the one to get instead.

Edited August 20, 2011 by knoted

[vlenhoff]

I am passing on the TRU Hotrod. Not my favorite character, and apparently it is plagued with issues. If it was cleverer, I would get it in a heart beat.

On another note, yes, the igear seekers look great, but come on, it was Shoji Kawamori who did 99% of the job. (yes, I know, someone has mentioned this before)

aaaannnnd, come on, kibble is the result of poor planing and/or a ridiculously low budget. No need to defend horrendously huge kibble in any of these toys, no matter how much we love them. I personally hate the fact that my favorite character Jetfire, now a fabulous Sr-71, is pregnant with kibble. I passed on that one too, and I can't stand his robot form anyway... In fact, due to him, I gave away most of my "movie" tranformers, excpet for my Alliance Bumblebee v1.

I am done. I am going to keep collecting the G1 figures I desire, and leave the movie monsters alone. Yes, Michael Bay's monsters.

I have most of the classic/generations/reveal the shield/henkei figures, except for Skywarp and cliffjumper. Plus some Masterpieces. I wish TRU Hotrod was better

I mean no offense by stating all this.

[kanedaestes]

I picked up Scourage and Wheeljack from Downtown Disney which makes them more expensive than normal retail but I can't find them anywhere else and it saves cost on online sales and shipping. I really like the generations line.

[CoryHolmes]

I now number among those posessing Hot Rod. This is a good thing.

[RD Blade]

I hate you all.

[jwasko]

And his transformation, though interesting at first and not particularly difficult, quickly becomes an exercise in frustration. No matter how much you fiddle, nothing wants to stay in place. The lower part of the hood doesn't want to stay lined up with the upper part. The ankle flap that helps give the illusion of a seamless transition from his arms to the rear of the car don't always want to stay down. His shin flaps will not stay pegged in place. The hinge on his ankle will try to block his fists from tucking in right. The pipes on his forearm do not seem to line up naturally with the peg or the pipes on the back of the car, and only do so if you turn his arm in a little further than it looks like it should go. If you get it lined up and pegged in, there's a good chance that it'll pop right back out (or cause the shin flaps to pop out). To top it all off, he feels a little floppy in alt mode, not at all as solid as the previous Masterpieces. (Yes, the other Masterpieces are a little floppy in bot mode... and so is Hot Rod.)

At the end of the day, I'd rate Hot Rod above Megatron, but below Grimlock, Prime, and the Seekers.

Mine seems to do better than yours in alt mode, but I was having similar issues until I got the ankle hinges in the right position and the hands folded properly.

The instructions say to simply ball up the hands into fists, but videos I've seen show them bending the hand 90 degrees at the wrist and then cupping the hand around the end of the arm so that the fingers are on the bottom of the car. After I did this and fiddled with the ankles, the arm just sort of pops into the correct position and the tailpipes stay in place.

It's been posted before, but you can check out Peaugh's video review here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_ZfoYB699w.

Skip to around 12.5minutes for the legs and 18:20 for the hands.

Edited August 20, 2011 by jwasko

[kanedaestes]

Though I have the original Takara one I would be will to look into the retooled version later this year. I am skipping the Hasbro though it is MUUUUUCCCH cheaper dammit I love my black boots on my Hot Rod/Rodimus

[Negotiator]

For hotrod, Its really all about getting the ankles and hands in the perfect position and everything should be snug. Think yf-21/Vf-22.

It took me hours to figure out what I was doing wrong. I thought it was just crappy fitting, but once you get it. It's sweet!

Edited August 20, 2011 by Negotiator

[mikeszekely]

For hotrod, Its really all about getting the ankles and hands in the perfect position and everything should be snug. Think yf-21/Vf-22.

It took me hours to figure out what I was doing wrong. I thought it was just crappy fitting, but once you get it. It's sweet!

I don't own a YF-21 or a VF-22. I don't own any Macross toys, as I regard them as far too expensive (for me personally to consider buying, please don't misconstrue this statement as a an opinion on the quality of Macross toys I've never owned).

And jwasko, the video you linked just makes we want that damn trailer even more.

[taksraven]

Gotta love Megatron, yesssssss.......

[Twoducks]

Soooo question of the day.... are you guys going to get the MakeToy Devestator or the TFClub one??? As we move on past this argument.

I have the fist part of the TFClub Devy and it is sure big. I think that full Devastator will be about the size of Unicron. I still want to see the full form before continuing getting the parts. They are supposed to show it today. Hope they include the chest shield too because the early shots without it make their Devy look a bit boring compared to the MakeToys one.

The MakeToy one does look more muscular thanks to keeping the treads in the G1 toy form. Really need the full TFClub to compare because the Maketoys has some great little detail.

[anime52k8]

I have the fist part of the TFClub Devy and it is sure big. I think that full Devastator will be about the size of Unicron. I still want to see the full form before continuing getting the parts. They are supposed to show it today. Hope they include the chest shield too because the early shots without it make their Devy look a bit boring compared to the MakeToys one.

The MakeToy one does look more muscular thanks to keeping the treads in the G1 toy form. Really need the full TFClub to compare because the Maketoys has some great little detail.

well, here's one mystery revealed...

check out tfw2005 article for more pics:http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/3rd-party-unlicensed-41/tfclub-hercules-sneak-peak-at-combined-mode-173162/

and Maketoy's again for comparison:

Edited August 21, 2011 by anime52k8

[kanedaestes]

Yeah i think I will go with the TFClub one. I am all about size lol.

[anime52k8]

Yeah i think I will go with the TFClub one. I am all about size lol.

that's what she said, etc.

[Dio]

I must be in the minority then... but I'm 100% going for the MakeToy version. Price point is a big factor, but I also want something to be in scale with my other two FP-enhanced combiners. The Hercules is impressive and I may one day be swayed if I find a good price, but after seeing reviews on Exgraver I'm a little concerned about the partsforming aspect. MakeToy appears to get around that by having the separate parts serve an accessory function in other modes, the same way FP Bruticus's combiner parts do.

Is there any information out about the MakeToy version aside from the Botcon photo and the original news articles? It seems like it's farther along in the design-release cycle than TFC Hercules is, but I'm not finding much info or preorders.

[SuperHobo]

At first I was going to skip the TFC Devy, due to the price and the aesthetics being just alright in my eyes, but now that has changed. The new pics have sold me. As of this morning I'm going the way of TFclub's not-Devy. I ordered a not-Scavenger and hopefully nothing is missing or stressed out of the box. However, this doesn't mean I won't buy Maketoys version,as people have said above it will go well with some of Fansproject stuff. Maybe I'm just a Devy nut. Does size matter? Yes. Can it get the job done? It better or that would make size irrelevant.

[Twoducks]

Ok, that chest shield does wonders. Sad that the other leg is just CG but the whole thinks looks real now. That said I also find, like many on TFW2005, that the head is a bit big. If they add a second smaller one with a visor this could look great. Not-Long Haul could have been bigger to help the proportions too (makes the waste look too skinny).

Still love the football player shoulders of the MakeToys one.

[Twoducks]

Photoshop added colors make this go WOW!!!

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/transformers-news-rumors/27249774d1313940787-full-looks-tfc-devy-_2697749549l.jpg

NOW the whole thing looks unified and proportioned.

And G2 style look hot too. I'll get the Maketoys also if they do a run in this scheme (nice way to set both designs appart even more).

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/transformers-news-rumors/27249775d1313940787-full-looks-tfc-devy-_1971406944l.jpg

[CoryHolmes]

Photoshop added colors make this go WOW!!!

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/transformers-news-rumors/27249774d1313940787-full-looks-tfc-devy-_2697749549l.jpg

NOW the whole thing looks unified and proportioned.

And G2 style look hot too. I'll get the Maketoys also if they do a run in this scheme (nice way to set both designs appart even more).

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/transformers-news-rumors/27249775d1313940787-full-looks-tfc-devy-_1971406944l.jpg

I need a forum account to view the pictures. Can you repost here?

[jwasko]

G1:

G2:

Edited August 21, 2011 by jwasko

[Archer]

Being a noob, but does Takara have any plans to release a re-tooled rodimus prime without any of the issues of the first release?

Want to get one, but am waiting for a Takara that will come with that winnebago

[jwasko]

Being a noob, but does Takara have any plans to release a re-tooled rodimus prime without any of the issues of the first release?

Want to get one, but am waiting for a Takara that will come with that winnebago

They are planning a retooled release, presumably with all of the Hasbro fixes.

I don't know for sure if it will have the Winnebago attachment or not...but I think I saw a preorder somewhere that showed a picture of it.

Personally, I'm fine with just the sports car...and Offshoot (the Targetmaster with the Hasbro release) is fun to mess around with, even if Hot Rod can't hold him.

[Renato]

On another note, yes, the igear seekers look great, but come on, it was Shoji Kawamori who did 99% of the job. (yes, I know, someone has mentioned this before)

Actually I think he only did 1% of the job, as in the minor tasks of placing the fins on the hips, etc. The original prototype and plans were already laid out before he came onto the scene.

...Which means that IGear are mostly undoing his contributions to the design.

[knoted]

Actually I think he only did 1% of the job, as in the minor tasks of placing the fins on the hips, etc. The original prototype and plans were already laid out before he came onto the scene.

...Which means that IGear are mostly undoing his contributions to the design.

That's what I thought too...hence I posted the pic of the prototype earlier on.

[VF5SS]

Yeah Kawamori didn't do anything on MP Starscream like redesign the lower legs entirely or the waist or the abdomen or the wings or anything else. Might as well not even say he was there at Takara.

[Renato]

Yeah Kawamori didn't do anything on MP Starscream like redesign the lower legs entirely or the waist or the abdomen or the wings or anything else. Might as well not even say he was there at Takara.

What I meant was that his work entailed "redesigning", not "designing [from the ground up]", as some believe.

[Archer]

Here is some new stuff that you guys may be interested in:

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys--products-30/dark-of-the-moon-striker-optimus-prime-deluxe-leadfoot-new-images-173181/

Featured are the new soundwave figures, deluxe leadfoot, and striker optimus prime.

I have been interested in Striker Prime since it was first announced, but take a look at that first vehicle mode picture....is that an integrated stealth force mode i see? If it is, INSTABUY!

[JB0]

I suppose it's the higher price of button-cell batteries that prevent them from being used. Most higher-end Hasbro TF's tend to have "try me" features that allow kids to activate the voice-chips, most likely to tempt them to beg Daddy for an early Christmas gift on the spot. They'd have include the batteries if they want to keep this strategy.

Amusing note: I have the Generation 2 reissue of Optimus Prime. His sound box has a pair of button-cell batteries in it.

Button cells that were mounted in an adapter to make them functional in a battery pack designed primarily for AAs.

It is... interesting.

(No, I've never removed the store demo batteries from it. I really ought to go through and pull batteries out of all my light&sound TFs before they start leaking).

So I am assuming that button cells are not inherently more expensive than AA cells, at least not at a volume-purchase level.

Edited August 24, 2011 by JB0

[VF5SS]

Oh wow. My G2 Prime soundbox uses AAs. Must be a running change.

[David Hingtgen]

My G2 Prime also came with button-cells. VF5SS--did you buy yours new?

[VF5SS]

It's from my childhood ;_;

[Renato]

I got button cells in my G2 Prime, too (I bought it new back in the day). I always found it weird that because of the space for the two AAs, it was just a big empty box. Actually I never replaced those batteries, either. I think my brother has it now.

[JB0]

I got button cells in my G2 Prime, too (I bought it new back in the day). I always found it weird that because of the space for the two AAs, it was just a big empty box. Actually I never replaced those batteries, either. I think my brother has it now.

Honestly, I think the weird part is more that it's designed around this dual-battery design. There's a cut-in to make room for the adapter, and they use abnormal contacts to create the second path so they can mount those button cells sideways.

Also, on closer inspection, my original stock button batteries were leaking. Sound box still worked with them, but battery goop is a Bad Thing, so out they go!

Copyright 1992, so they had a good long run.

[Archer]

Lol at all the battery discussions. I went in to target today to look for some figs that might need some collectin'

It was here that the thought hit me. I love the wreckers, and would like to get all three, but Hasbro is screwing us over by not giving us a 3 character set weaponized in ANY line. Alas, only the pro customizers of the world will ever get to see all 3 wreckers in their armored form next to each other in scale (assuming someone would make a weaponized custom).

Sooooooo annoying in my opinion. Hasbro, if you're listening, do make another deluxe roadbuster that is weaponized por favor.

Edited August 25, 2011 by Archer