The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[sh9000]

[mikeszekely]

While I've pretty much quit Hasbro, I was at Target today and picked up Blitzwing and Octane.

Octane is, for a Hasbro Voyager, pretty good. Truck mode looks good, plane mode works pretty well minus the truck halves under the wings, and the bot mode looks the part but had the usual lack of articulation. He's light years beyond the Deluxe version from several years ago.

Blitzwing is less good. His robot mode is fine, looking more like Blitzwing than some other recent takes (but again, with Hasbro articulation). Things go downhill in his alt modes, though. I'm willing to give the tank bits under his wings and the tank turret in the bottom a pass in jet mode, as it's somewhat appropriate to his G1 design, but the whole thing tabs together sort of loosely. The tank mode is more solid, but looks like Blitzwing didn't quit finish transforming. There's a gap at the front of the tank with the jet exhausts super obvious in the middle, and the back of the tank is definitely a purple jet fuselage, with the wings folded over the sides (why they didn't make the underside of the wings tan and have them offline the other way to hide the purple is beyond me). It's better than the previous attempt at a Voyager Blitzwing, but it's still a reminder of why I don't really but official anymore.

[M'Kyuun]

I was patiently waiting to see the repaints of both these molds when they released as Prime and Megs, as they were obviously designed to be Octane and Blitzwing. I passed on Classics Octane back in '07, as his weapon, which made up a fair chunk of the rear of his truck mode, just looked like crap, and I wasn't really sold on him all the way around. Since I don't own an Octane in my collection, I was hoping for a good mold in the TR line. Sadly, it wasn't so. The same can be said for the new Blitzwing; honestly, I prefer the voyager mold from a few years ago, even with his shoulder issue. The TR line seems to excel in its deluxe class figures, but voyager and leader classes seem to be hit and miss. Blitzwing and Octane are misses IMHO. Octane could have been so much better if Takara had found a way to incorporate the truck cab into the plane's empennage instead of just swinging them under the wings. Alas, I guess I'll wait another few years for their next attempt, and hope it's a better figure. Same with Blitzwing.

I'm hoping the wave 4 deluxe and legion class figs will start showing up in my area- lots of wave 3 shelfwarming, but I've not seen a single wave 4 figure yet. More and more, I'm inclined to just eat the markups and shipping costs to get these things online b/c they aren't showing up in stores. I used to enjoy the hunt, where you were apt to find at least one or two figures somewhere, but anymore it's become a waste of gas and time.

[Silverstreak]

On 29/05/2017 at 8:52 AM, jenius said:

So now that a reissue of Megs has been announced, anybody have suggestions where I can buy one without the orange plug? I'd normally do robotkingdom but if anyone else has another suggestion, I'm all ears. 

 

AmiAmi still have it. That's where I got mine from.

[M'Kyuun]

Captured Prey don't install the plug, either.

[sh9000]

https://tfsource.com/titans-return/trypticon/

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS25461&mode=retail

[M'Kyuun]

So I'm looking at the various stores with MP-39 Sunstreaker preorders, and man, these things are getting expensive. Usually car-bots go for approx $80, but all the Stateside stores are charging $120, which is what we were paying for a large figure just a few months ago. Robot Kingdom has him for a more reasonable $89, but buy the time you pay shipping, it'll likely be over $120. Not real happy if this is the new pricing trend.

[technoblue]

If you are willing to pay up-front, anime-export has MP-39 available for 8400JPY which is ~$76US before shipping.  

[sh9000]

Hmm I might just get MP Sunstreaker at AE and combine the shipping with my DX VF-31F and HMR VF-1S Messers.

[jenius]

I haven't seen Sunstreeker up at HLJ or NY yet. It's not an Asian exclusive or something is it? I'm also curious to see what changes they have in store for Masterpiece Lambo.

[M'Kyuun]

HLJ still doesn't have a PO for Sunstreaker; I'm guessing it'll go for around $90 USD, since their retail price is usually a little higher than RK. RK gets you on shipping, though. HLJ are usually my go-to for MP figs, and I believe they offer free shipping if your order meets a price threshold.

I might have to check out AE. Are their shipping charges reasonable?

As far as Lambor goes, I was under the impression he was going to be a straight reissue. If anything, they'll probably put something extra in the box, like his jet pack, and charge an additional $40-50, or it will be a straight reissue without any additional elements and they'll still charge an additional $40-50.  Sorry, my cynicism is running off scale high at the moment. I'm still incredulous over the $120 that the Stateside stores are charging for Sunstreaker.

[technoblue]

 Okay, here are the AE links:

MP-39 Sunstreaker

http://www.anime-export.com/product/36260

MP-12+ Lambo Animated Version

(the differences are quite subtle)

http://www.anime-export.com/product/36259

Shipping is fair. No discounts, just the straight JapanPost rate. When I shipped my Spartan recently, the weight of the package was 720g and I was charged 2540JPY for EMS. I do like that AE has a pile-o-loot feature like BBTS. It makes combining multiple items into single shipments easy, as @sh9000 was alluding to.

 

Edited June 3, 2017 by technoblue

[M'Kyuun]

Thanks, Technoblue. Got my PO in for $75, far better than $120. Firefox keeps flagging AE as an unsecure site, though. The site itself claims to be secure. I took a chance and paid my PO via Paypal, but even the 'return to merchant' message on Paypal flagged as unsecure. Not getting a warm fuzzy there.

I made an initial payment via Paypal, which didn't reflect on thier site, so I reaccomplished with the same results. So, pragmatic chap that I am, I checked my email, and sure enough, two receipts for Sunstreaker. I've already contacted AE to let them know what happened, and if the monies have transferred (not reflecting in my bank account yet), I'm hoping they'll be agreeable to refund one of those transactions. Don't really need two Sunstreakers.

[technoblue]

29 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Thanks, Technoblue. Got my PO in for $75, far better than $120. Firefox keeps flagging AE as an unsecure site, though. The site itself claims to be secure. I took a chance and paid my PO via Paypal, but even the 'return to merchant' message on Paypal flagged as unsecure. Not getting a warm fuzzy there.

I made an initial payment via Paypal, which didn't reflect on thier site, so I reaccomplished with the same results. So, pragmatic chap that I am, I checked my email, and sure enough, two receipts for Sunstreaker. I've already contacted AE to let them know what happened, and if the monies have transferred (not reflecting in my bank account yet), I'm hoping they'll be agreeable to refund one of those transactions. Don't really need two Sunstreakers.

Yeah browsers like Chrome and Firefox are getting finger pointy about https security. I think it is still up to site owners how they want to manage migration, though. I get the little (!) icon next to AE's URL in Chrome warning that the site may not be secure, but I get the same icon here on MW. So, so far so good?  

Payment works like NY and HLJ, AE first sends out an email notification that payment was received and then the site gets updated.

Here is the cancellation policy from their FAQ section:

• Orders can be fully cancelled with no cancellation fees if unpaid.
• If the order is not paid in 48 hours it will be cancelled automatically by our system.
• Once paid a 20% cancellation fee applies to all orders if cancelled if 60 days from payment are past.
• Items on pre order can be cancelled if in the 60 days of payment date.
• Special items can’t be cancelled (Tamashii web items or out of production items and rare items)

Since the duplicate MP-39 that you paid for isn't a special item and you are within the first 60 days, I think you should be okay. 

Edited June 3, 2017 by technoblue

[M'Kyuun]

You are full of handy info for my benefit this morning, Technoblue. It's very much appreciated.  I wrote them a polite message explaining what happened, and I hope everything gets resolved to mutual satisfaction (i.e., I only pay for one order).

Concerning security, this was the first I encountered it on the part of Firefox. Had me a little apprehensive. I appreciate the vote of confidence for AE. For what it's worth, it's done now; hopefully, while I was fumbling through my order, the hackers were out on a smoke break or fetching some Cheetos from the cupboard.

[technoblue]

You're welcome, @M'Kyuun. I'm glad you found the info useful. 

[davidwhangchoi]

5 hours ago, technoblue said:

 Okay, here are the AE links:

MP-39 Sunstreaker

http://www.anime-export.com/product/36260

MP-12+ Lambo Animated Version

(the differences are quite subtle)

http://www.anime-export.com/product/36259

Shipping is fair. No discounts, just the straight JapanPost rate. When I shipped my Spartan recently, the weight of the package was 720g and I was charged 2540JPY for EMS. I do like that AE has a pile-o-loot feature like BBTS. It makes combining multiple items into single shipments easy, as @sh9000 was alluding to.

 

wow thanks for the link techno!

[technoblue]

You're welcome, david. I don't know what's taking Ami, CDJ, HLJ, and NY so long. 

[sh9000]

I'll preorder it at AE soon.  Saving money on shipping is always good.  

[M'Kyuun]

For those interested in the MP Beast Wars figures, early CG renders have shown up for Dinobot, courtesy of Twitter user Chromless via Seibertron. https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/cg-renders-for-takara-tomy-transformers-masterpiece-dinobot/38359/

Compared to previous releases, it's much, much cleaner than I would have anticipated, although bot parts can be seen filling out his raptor body. He's probably one of the hardest characters to translate into plastic, as his toon incarnation benefited greatly from CG magic. Like Cheetor, it looks like the dino head chest is a facade, and the actual dino head folds into the bot mode. Considering how well they pulled off both modes, I'll accept a few concessions. It'll be interesting to see him in plastic with paint apps, if only to see how well the bot parts are camouflaged, or not. All things being equal, I look forward to adding Chopperface to my growing Maximal team. I'm starting to wonder if Takara are just going to finish the Maximals before moving on to the Predacons, and whether they're just going to do the original characters from first season. That'd be fine, although I'd love a well done Blackarachnia.

[Kanedas Bike]

12 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

For those interested in the MP Beast Wars figures, early CG renders have shown up for Dinobot, courtesy of Twitter user Chromless via Seibertron. https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/cg-renders-for-takara-tomy-transformers-masterpiece-dinobot/38359/

Compared to previous releases, it's much, much cleaner than I would have anticipated, although bot parts can be seen filling out his raptor body. He's probably one of the hardest characters to translate into plastic, as his toon incarnation benefited greatly from CG magic. Like Cheetor, it looks like the dino head chest is a facade, and the actual dino head folds into the bot mode. Considering how well they pulled off both modes, I'll accept a few concessions. It'll be interesting to see him in plastic with paint apps, if only to see how well the bot parts are camouflaged, or not. All things being equal, I look forward to adding Chopperface to my growing Maximal team. I'm starting to wonder if Takara are just going to finish the Maximals before moving on to the Predacons, and whether they're just going to do the original characters from first season. That'd be fine, although I'd love a well done Blackarachnia.

Not a fan of his Bot mode (going back to the series) but Dinobot was hands-down one of the best (if not one of the most interesting) Transformer characters ever. A huge part of why I enjoyed Beast Wars so much.

-b.

[M'Kyuun]

Kaneda's Bike, I'm in the same boat regarding Dinobot's bot mode. I never cared for it either, but aesthetics aside, he was certainly one of the best characters in a show full of character and personality. The voice talent and writing behind that show really elevated it from being just another cookie-cutter kid's cartoon. First season of G1, Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime all stand out to me as favorites within the animated side of the franchise for both storytelling and character development. The various aesthetics in each informed the toys, but it's the personalities within each show that draw me in and make me want to watch and be part of that experience.

[Kanedas Bike]

13 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

Kaneda's Bike, I'm in the same boat regarding Dinobot's bot mode. I never cared for it either, but aesthetics aside, he was certainly one of the best characters in a show full of character and personality. The voice talent and writing behind that show really elevated it from being just another cookie-cutter kid's cartoon. First season of G1, Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime all stand out to me as favorites within the animated side of the franchise for both storytelling and character development. The various aesthetics in each informed the toys, but it's the personalities within each show that draw me in and make me want to watch and be part of that experience.

Fair, it's that same sentiment that compelled me to buy Cheetor, but my apprehension about the character designs to cause me to skip Optimus Primal.

It's very likely that nostalgia will compel me to pick up any released MP Beast Wars figures. So it's probably just a matter of time really...

-b.

[nhyone]

MP-39 vs MP-12, 120k yen vs 85k yen list price. That's 40% more.

Perhaps HasTak should offer a basic version and a decked-out version for those of us who just want the robot -- especially for supporting characters.

[M'Kyuun]

10 hours ago, Kanedas Bike said:

Fair, it's that same sentiment that compelled me to buy Cheetor, but my apprehension about the character designs to cause me to skip Optimus Primal.

It's very likely that nostalgia will compel me to pick up any released MP Beast Wars figures. So it's probably just a matter of time really...

-b.

Initially, I was going to skip Primal as well, but after looking at reviews, and considering that I already had Generations Rhinox and Rattrap, and with Cheetor being announced and looking good, I went ahead and got him. I can say honestly, no regrets. While he's not perfect, he's still a pretty neat figure, and his bot giveaways in gorilla mode (white thighs and his wonky feet) are pretty minimal. Admittedly, the original toy hid his bot parts a little better, IMHO, but in order to capture his screen likeness in bot mode, I don't mind the concessions. Concerning all these BW figs, one may as well accept that design concessions for one mode over another are going to happen, as so much CG magic was used in the animation. Short of using space age memory materials and nano-technologies, which I think would be neat to see employed in toys within my lifetime, right now they are beyond feasibility for Takara, and designers are going to have to make tough engineering decisions and prioritize one mode over another to create the most balanced figures they can. I accept it, and while I don't think they're on the same level as the main line TFs, they're still pretty neat in their own right and I like having them.

7 hours ago, nhyone said:

MP-39 vs MP-12, 120k yen vs 85k yen list price. That's 40% more.

Perhaps HasTak should offer a basic version and a decked-out version for those of us who just want the robot -- especially for supporting characters.

Yeah, the pricing has taken an abrupt hike, and, personally, I'm not seeing justification for it. For the quantities of these things they sell, the car bots, depending on size, should range between $60-80. To suddenly charge nearly twice that smacks of pure greed with no other justification, especially, as you said, for a secondary character with minimal screen time outside of the first season. As always, shop around, and vote with (or without) your wallet. To that end, my thanks once again to Technoblue for pointing me to Anime Export.

[mikeszekely]

13 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I'm in the same boat regarding Dinobot's bot mode. I never cared for it either, but aesthetics aside, he was certainly one of the best characters in a show full of character and personality.

Sure, but to that end there are a lot of shows I like for the story and characters.  But, just like I don't have toys of Ben Sisko, Sterling Archer, Sheldon Cooper, or Eleven, I don't really feel any desire to have toys of any of the Beast Wars characters.  The same goes for Animated.

[UN Spacy]

What's the difference with the new MP Optimus Primal and the new one?

[treatment]

ami's po-pages.

MP-39

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIGURE-030648

9140y

12/17

 

MP-12+

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIGURE-030647

11/17

6480y

[sh9000]

If NY has MP Sunstreaker for cheaper shipped, then I'll buy it there.  If not, then I'll just preorder it at AE.

[M'Kyuun]

An update to my Sunstreaker double-order dilemma at Anime Export: I requested a refund for one of them, and they kindly made it happen without any questions or hassles. As a first time buyer there, they've made an excellent first impression with their customer service. I just wanted to share a positive experience, as all too often all we hear are the negative ones. Anyway, they've made a repeat customer of me.

Edited June 5, 2017 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

8 hours ago, UN Spacy said:

What's the difference with the new MP Optimus Primal and the new one?

It took me a minute to figure out what you meant, especially since it reads like you asked me to compare the new MP Primal to the new MP Primal, but lo and behold there is an MP-38 Optimus Primal (as opposed to MP-32).

Well, it looks like 38 will come with some different or recolored accessories (I'm not entirely sure, because I'm not entirely sure what the 32 came with).  The big difference, the one I expect people to actually care about, is that 38 seems to be toy colored... the blue is a bright blue instead of the darker blue on 32, the gunmetal and silver chest on 32 is gray and black with a red center, and none of it has the metallic look of 32.  The gorilla fur is a similar in color, but 38 doesn't have that neat textured look that 32 does.  Finally, the dark fingers, toes, face, chest, and abs in gorilla mode on 32 are all whitish or light gray on 38.

[sh9000]

[kajnrig]

https://hlj.com/scripts/hljlist?method=category/seriesId&SaleGroup=HLJ20ANNIVERSARYJUN5&DisplayMode=images&Dis=2&Sort=std&qid=11WXY1MOVT8OQ&set=1

Part 2 of HLJ's 20th anniversary sale, items sorted by series. Looks to be a lot of Transformers stuff on there, but I haven't checked myself. You might see something you like. Cheers, all.

[sh9000]

https://hlj.com/product/TKT87715

MP Sunstreaker

[jenius]

Gull wing doors and the ability to make it a regular Lambo without huge engine kibble... so sold... but waiting on NY.

up at NY 8,280... good price. 

https://www.nippon-yasan.com/figures/21228-transformers-masterpiece-mp39-sunstreaker.html

Edited June 5, 2017 by jenius