The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, Alex GS said:

somebody knew this Masterpiece was coming?,

Yeah, it came up awhile ago.

Because it's a Target-exclusive here and I'm usually in Target at least once a week I'll probably end up checking it out, but like @Negotiator I'm not very impressed with what I'm seeing. I can actually live with the forearms, but the bent smokestacks aren't my first choice and the cat ears on the can are just lazy. 3Ps have done this better, even ones that put out OS modified versions of the Studio Series toy, and even if I get the MPM I'll likely still buy a 3P one when I find one I like that isn't taller than MP-10/44.

[Negotiator]

the promo pics at hlj for mpm-12 prime still has the cat ears....that is awful.

[Alex GS]

lol true , I didn't realize those after I put the PO on AmiAmi, still overall for the price, size and detail as Robot mode I think is great in my opinion, it really grab my attention Takara selling this MP Optimus Prime with a similar G1 front and with this size for this price, usually I would expect from them to sell this at Y20000 but for Y15000?, ok you have a deal, well at least for me, I hope the plastic quality is good and have some diecast parts, and going back to those awful cat ears, I hope I can flip them over or I will sand those suckers 

 

[technoblue]

The movie masterpieces usually don't fly on my radar at all; however, this nyan-cat prime is the most tempting and unique one of the bunch.  If the reviews are favorable, I may add it to my tiny movie collection. At the moment, I'm content with the studio series release.

Edited May 14, 2021 by technoblue

[M'Kyuun]

Here's a pic of the real truck from the film. His pipes are straight with hinged lids at the top, yet the SS version had a subtle, but not unsightly, curve at the top. Not sure what they were thinking when they did the MP version's pipes- such a pronounced curve looks terrible as well as being inaccurate to the source. Since it's a real truck, thus likely requiring a license to produce, one might be inclined to think that the subtle details of the real truck would be captured in the toys, but apparently not. Guess Freightliner has more to worry about than whether or not toy details are on the money. Anyway, you can look at the real thing and pick out any number of details that are inaccurate; I can excuse a lot of it on the SS version, but the MP should skew closer to the source, IMHO. Those subtle details are kinda what sets it apart as, well, Masterpiece, y'know. Anyway, I'm happy with my SS toy, and feel no compunction whatsoever to get the MP. Too, as others have mentioned, I think some of the third party efforts did it better. 

Why do they insist on putting glare shields on this guy when he had none in the film, but details that he does have are ignored or poorly represented? Stuff like that bugs me. It feels like deflection- they f'd this, and this, and this, and this up, so -glare shields!

Edited May 14, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

The bent smokestacks and cat ears are undoubtedly to give the bot mode details from the scenes on Cybertron.

Other inaccuracies, like the grill and sunvisor, are inaccurate to the actual truck but they're consistent with the Studio Series toy, which makes me think they're working from an earlier design (perhaps the "evasion" truck from AoE).

[Alex GS]

Starting to get very hyped for this Optimus Prime, I mean the robot mode looks freaking badass! 

 

 

[M'Kyuun]

Sad state of affairs when a 67 second toy commercial has Peter Cullen voicing Prime, but not their Netflix animated series.

And while the bot mode looks good, the truck mode suffers.

[David Hingtgen]

On 5/14/2021 at 10:25 AM, mikeszekely said:

The bent smokestacks and cat ears are undoubtedly to give the bot mode details from the scenes on Cybertron.

Other inaccuracies, like the grill and sunvisor, are inaccurate to the actual truck but they're consistent with the Studio Series toy, which makes me think they're working from an earlier design (perhaps the "evasion" truck from AoE).

It is the AOE truck, and not the BB/G1 truck.   They simply don't care, or don't even realize, that it's a different brand/model of semi.  They are making whole new sculpts, off of the wrong reference material---how hard is it to "watch the movie" and maybe google "what type of truck was Optimus in the Bumblebee movie?  And that's not even accounting for them likely having access to official movie production material etc.  And at this point, they certainly don't have the "have to work off of early concept art, and get it on the shelves by the time the movie comes out" excuse.   They've had YEARS.   

[tekering]

4 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

They simply don't care, or don't even realize, that it's a different brand/model of semi.

Time to update the corporate branding.

[mikeszekely]

45 minutes ago, tekering said:

Time to update the corporate branding.

To be fair, this one's on Takara, not Hasbro.

[M'Kyuun]

Which is odd, as I would expect Takara to be more careful about trying to get the details right, starting with the right model of truck.

The new Hasbro branding isn't wrong; it's just not applicable in this case.

[lechuck]

My very first ThreeZero DLX Siege Optimus Prime came in this week and I must say that I am impressed with the product. I figured not many have bought into this product, so thought I would share a quick review...

That battle worn appearance in sculpt and paint work is just bonkers how good it looks. From the outside Optimus is mostly plastic with the exception of the die-cast feet.
But there is still a lot of heft to him, because metal is used everywhere internally for structural integrity. It could be a full endoskeleton, but definitely metal along the crucial articulation points.

Speaking of which, the articulation is great - head goes all directions, double-hinged shoulders that can pivot inward, beautifully smooth torso and ab-crunch movement, bicep swivel and deep elbow bend, hands are on a ball joint, there is a drop-down mechanism at the pelvis for hips/legs to moved forward nicely, thigh swivel and double-jointed knee bend and the feet can be placed in any position you want. There is an integrated light-up feature (requires two LR44 batteries) for Optimus that will make the eyes, windscreen and the cab roof lights illuminate.

Size wise the figure is about 25-26 cm tall or slightly bigger than MP-44, a bit unfortunate as I would have liked to mix this guy in with the other MPs. For accessories ThreeZero packs in a couple of different hands, Optimus' signature gun, the Siege axe and shield and a adjustable stand.

As for complaints... I suppose my biggest issue is related to the light-up gimmick or better said dead eye syndrome. I wish ThreeZero would have provided a second head with painted eyes, because I normally don't keep toys like these continuously lit up. Also getting to the battery compartment and on/off switch is not quite as elegant as I would like, it requires removing the back plate and then removing a screw to finally remove the head. I could accept doing that for the batteries once in a while, but the switch should have been placed somewhere outside.

That being said, ThreeZero have understood that without the usual transformation gimmick their robot toy must deliver a USP that can offer a different kind of substantial value to the potential buyer and personally I think they have achieved it. This is a great product worth spending on if this type of toy is your thing.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2021 by lechuck

[altermodes]

Apparantly Mpm12 can use MP44 trailer

[sh9000]

[mikeszekely]

Well, we know pretty much everything left in Kingdom, and we've had a few leaks, so I'm guessing Studio Series Wreck-Gar, Slag, maybe the Sweep. The a few Gen Selects, store exclusives, or more of that Shattered Glass line.

[sh9000]

[tekering]

Looks like a scaled-down version of KFC's "Crash Hog," which is precisely how it should look.

[mantisfists]

2 hours ago, sh9000 said:

[M'Kyuun]

Digging this guy. Wish there were a few paint apps to pick out the wires and such on his side panels/wings, and that his horns weren't hollow- seriously, Hasbro, how hard would it be to make those things solid or put some gap fillers in the box? Instead we get Daniel.  I do like the weapon storage solution, but I don't like that it's white against the proper gold of the tail. I think it would have been better executed if the gun was completely ensconced within the tail. It's a concession, and better than just pegging it onto his shoulder or some other odd place on his dino body. The back feet definitely look disproportionate in this view. It's not too bad from the side, but, yeah, it would have been nice had they found a way to make those feet wider. 

Fans Toys, a la Perfect Fusion, managed it with Cesium using a similar folding technique. Has/Tak should have taken notes. Ah Hasbro, why try when nobody makes them.

Still, it looks to be a good fig, and I'm sure third parties will come along with solutions for the hollow horns and swords, and probably some removable slip-ons for the back feet. The horns stand out to me as something that shouldn't have passed , but Hasbro. I do think it's interesting that they came up with a new transformation for the legs, and that it's not terrible. Perhaps someday they'll do a 'behind the toys' segment explaining the departure- I always enjoy that sort of thing. Anyway, it's nice to see another G1 leader sized Dinobot in the official line, and all things considered, looking pretty good with minor nitpicks. Sure beats the slag out of the PotP Dinos.  I'll just be going now.....

[Negotiator]

 

[Mechapilot77]

so that bb movie mpm prime... that is one frankenass truck.  its not teh freightliner nor the marmon but a combination of both plus cat ears.  lol.  wonder if it was done to avoid having to pay either truck maker.  lol.  also i guess the studio series toy is as much a source as the movie at this point being that people have lived with the toy but maybe seen the movie once or twice.  aside from teh cat ears and bent pipes...its frankensteiny but not TOO horrible.  bot mode aside from arm kibble and helmet shape is pretty damn nice actually.  importantly its not in teh giant ass 12" bot mode 3zero scale.  3P did it "Better" but did they?  i say that as someone who has toyworld's effort.

[Mechapilot77]

18 hours ago, tekering said:

Looks like a scaled-down version of KFC's "Crash Hog," which is precisely how it should look.

kfc's crowning achievement so far i think.  i agree.

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, Negotiator said:

 

PvP's effusively enthusiastic reviews are always fun; one could make a good drinking game from his constant repetition of descriptors like 'fantastic', 'awesome', and 'superb'. I sometimes wonder if he's a paid reviewer for Hasbro, as he seldom has much negative to say. I hope not, and that he legitimately enjoys these figures as much as he seems to. If he ever gets tired of doing toy reviews, he has a future in advertising with his rapid well-enunciated elocution and lovely British brogue.

As to Rodimus, I think it's nigh beyond dispute that this is the best official Rodimus figure made to date. It's certainly not without its flaws (the break in the exhaust pipes, the back wheels of his car mode clearly visible when attached to the trailer, too much car poking out of the trailer when attached, very little ground clearance because of transformation hinges, trailer a bit too long). Some may not like the face sculpt either, but I do; I think it gives him an air of gravitas, and it actually makes me wish that they'd written him as a competent leader in the old toon instead of a self doubting whiner, which was out of character from how he was portrayed as Hot Rod. I digress. The aforementioned nitpicks aside, I'm pretty impressed with what Hasbro's done here. This looks so much better than the MP toy, and does much more right than not. I also appreciate the little drawer on the trailer's underside, as it's a great storage solution that doesn't mar the look of the vehicle mode, and provides a better option than having accessories strewn willy-nilly about the vehicle. Crappy weapon/accessory storage is one of my biggest nitpicks with Transformers in general, so when I see efforts like this, I have to give credit. Although I've never been a huge Rodimus fan, there's a lot to like here, and I'm very glad that I put in a PO for this guy. Looks like a great fig, and likely one of those iconic ones that we're still talking about twenty years down the road.

[lechuck]

Shamelessly copying & pasting from TFW2005 a translated interview with one of the MP designers which was done for the Generations 2021 book (translation originates from -> here).

Quite interesting to read were we stand with the MP line, looks like Takara is changing the approach and deciding for each character how far they want to go premium with the toy. Anyway here is the interview:

Quote

I've translated Kōjin Ōno's interview from the HeroX Generations 2021 book:
Kojin Ono
Masterpiece Team
● Profile:
Kojin Ono was born on the 11th May 1959 in Tokyo and joined Takara in 1980. A legendary member of the team (as well as being the oldest active member) who has been integral in the Transformers development since Microman and Diaclone. He is currently a member of the Masterpiece team.
● Have fun with the new direction of the upcoming Masterpiece toys.
Masterpiece Skids / Reboost
- Do you feel the Masterpiece series has entered a new stage with Skids?
The overall series has been changing with the likes of War for Cybertron and I felt it was time to go in a new direction. I discussed this approach at length with the whole Transformers team. I took the lead with Onishi (Yuya) and considered several directions. I considered previous products such as MP-12 Lambor and MP-17 Prowl as a good starting point.
- Mr Ono, speaking of Skids, isn’t that an item that you worked on in the Diaclone series?
I had a lot of fun working on it. Skids is a Honda City which was a popular car at that time, I even owned one. The decisive factor for Skids development was that the car had recently celebrated its 40th anniversary which attracted a lot of attention, especially with the current 80’s boom. Technologies have improved dramatically since the Car Robot series and we have more options at the development stage. As this is a high-target product we also have a different budget. There are plenty of movable parts to achieve a range of articulation and in vehicle mode we were very particular over the detailing. Another focus was the cost. We wanted to achieve a high quality product with a relatively inexpensive price tag. Maintaining the play value without including unnecessary accessories was a difficult balance.
- You are demonstrating your commitment to real cars with the opening and closing doors and bonnet.
The Car Robots had similar gimmicks and it was something I wanted to revisit. It’s the same reason that a figure can be placed in the driver's seat. It's also why I included the Motocompo, but since it was not included with the original Skids, it's instead being included with the new character, Reboost.
-It’s unique to release two colour variations simultaneously.
The simultaneous release of multi-coloured products for general retail is a first for the Masterpiece series. Our marketing department is also considering new ways for promoting products; they are currently making a special website and PR videos for our Transformer products. I hope this effort will generate great results.
Masterpiece Starscream Ver 2.0
- Can you please tell us about Starscream Ver 2.0?
This is another product that I have history with. This product is based on the cartoon, a completely different approach from Skids. Now we are exploring a new direction with the Masterpiece series and we will continue to take on challenges according to the character and how the final product will look.
- Was the tail section most particular for this version update?
This time round the challenge was to fold all surplus parts within the robot form. From the design sketch drawn by Oshima (Yuki), we wanted to work out how to hide the horizontal and vertical stabilisers which the robots in the cartoon don’t have. I eventually came up with the idea that we should fold the “vertical stabilisers” in the main wings. Another new feature was the recreation of the “alternate transformation” or hovering form. As this was frequently used in the cartoon I definitely wanted to be able to recreate the look.
What's the future for the Masterpiece series?
- Could you please tell us about your future lineup?
I wanted to release a Transformer unique to Japan so I chose to focus on Raiden who was “born” in Japan. The rights to the vehicle designs are split amongst several Japanese Rail companies so I was overjoyed when we received permission. We are currently in the process of development and have considered various options in order to release Raiden. As a start we are focusing on Shouki. We hope you can't wait to see the completed Heavy Union Warrior Raiden.
- You mentioned that Skyfire was under development in the Masterpiece series.
It’s been in the works for a while now, it began when Convoy Ver 3.0 was in development and we have now inherited the project. With the release of the Siege version I pushed back the schedule. During its development we set up 3 goals. First, it has to be a big Transformer, it has to be cartoon accurate and it has a transformation mechanism to switch to the alternate transformation mode. I had the idea of a “giant flying base”. In the cartoon he was portrayed as a transport plane so we plan to include miniature figures of Convoy, Meister and Wheeljack in order to recreate these scenes.
Memories of Transformers The Movie
- As “Transformers the Movie” is heavily featured in this book, is there anything you can tell us?
The 1986 products that appeared in the movie were the first actual Transformers we developed. It was at this point that toy development completely changed. I was given the design in robot mode and vehicle mode and was told to “make it like this”, so at first I was a little resistant (laughs). Since we didn't have the internet back then it was difficult to develop a three dimensional product from limited sources. When I saw the final movie I did feel a little regret. The ‘86 series is currently undergoing a resurgence. I’m sure Kunihiro shares my opinion.
- Speaking of the Movie, the unreleased Unicron looked rather impressive.
That was most regrettable. At that time the US market accepted high priced products so we were enthusiastic about making the largest Transformer yet. I’m a movie buff so when I received the prototype voice tape I was surprised it was actually Orson Wells’ voice! This was the first time we had the actual voice cast on tape. WFC Unicron is the ultimate item that could only be released now. It’s fitting that Kunihiro, who was a rookie back then, was able to finish it now as a veteran.

 

[tekering]

5 hours ago, lechuck said:

Another new feature was the recreation of the “alternate transformation” or hovering form. As this was frequently used in the cartoon I definitely wanted to be able to recreate the look.

I wonder what this could possibly be referring to...?

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, tekering said:

I wonder what this could possibly be referring to...?

Are you being sarcastic? I think he means the semi-'GERWALK' form Starscream and Skyfire adopted in an ep or two, coming in for landing with their legs extended while the rest of their bodies remained in jet mode.

I couldn't find a screenshot of Screamer landing like this, but I believe he did in at least one ep.

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Are you being sarcastic? I think he means the semi-'GERWALK' form Starscream and Skyfire adopted in an ep or two, coming in for landing with their legs extended while the rest of their bodies remained in jet mode.

I couldn't find a screenshot of Screamer landing like this, but I believe he did in at least one ep.

Yeesh. I know Takara likes to hide the real alt mode parts and use fake ones for robot mode, but given their love of Sunbow accuracy they'd almost have to make Skyfire's chest from faux parts instead of the actual nose just to recreate that screenshot.

[M'Kyuun]

It can be done with WFC Jetfire and FT Phoenix:

Of course, the WFC fig doesn't have the ventral structures shown in the animation screenshot, and Phoenix approximates it, but without the blue window. Phoenix's landing gear are housed in that section where the blue window should be.  I assume that Takara's MP will have the same bit of ventral detail, and very likely, the blue window. After all it's in the animation.

[Mechapilot77]

so the new direction of the MP line is they review on case by case or character by character basis what the figure will be like?  its encouraging he references MP prowl and lambor though....at least to me it is.   i think prowl may be the best of all worlds in terms of giving us a real robot look with some details, an accurate alt mode, AND a cartoon inspired silhouette.  i can't think of another MP release that balances those things more to my liking.  wheeljack (in either deco) comes close but he has some evidence of a cost savings approach (like the hollow bicep area) too.

 

mp skyfires "alternate" form.  lol.  hopefully they can make the jet mode look cooler but that won't be accurate to animation.  phoenix'x alt mode is better than WFC but still not clean.  i can't say find a lot of bad things to say about WFC jetfire though.  his very plane jane robot design actually benefits from the detailing (although it could have use a bit more restraint there) that uber toon purists dislike.  oh well...he was wfc jetfire and not g1 skyfire so technically IS accurate.  his size was too big for WFC though.  he was  big guy in the series but not that big.  in fact his size relation to mp-10/44 is closer to what you see on screen size wise than his size next to the siege prime figure.

[M'Kyuun]

8 hours ago, Mechapilot77 said:

   i think prowl may be the best of all worlds in terms of giving us a real robot look with some details, an accurate alt mode, AND a cartoon inspired silhouette.  i can't think of another MP release that balances those things more to my liking.  

I may be biased , as Prowl's my favorite G1 Autobot design, but objectively, I think your observation is right on the money. Incidentally, Prowl is also Hasui's favorite character, and he personally designed the MP toy, so there's a a case to be made that Prowl benefited greatly from that personal attachment and Hasui's design philosophy of striking a good balance between the real world car details and the toon look. In Prowl's case, it's an impeccable marriage. I wish his approach had continued throughout the life of the line, as the plain Jane hyper-toon look and many of the subsequent concessions  don't enthrall me. However, Skids is looking to mirror the old approach, with articulation regressing back to early 2K levels. I wish they could step up the articulation and maintain the early Hasui look, but if that's what it takes, so be it. 

Concerning WFC Jetfire's scale, I think they got it pretty close. https://reflector.tfw2005.com/wp-content/plugins/justified-image-grid/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Freflector.tfw2005.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F14%2F2019%2F08%2FSiege-Jetfire-090.jpg&h=330&q=90&f=.jpg

 

The toon's capricious scaling from scene to scene makes exact scaling nigh impossible, so there's wiggle room. To me, he scales well with the rest of the line. I'm also a fan of the mechanical detailing on the WFC figures, so I'm pretty happy with him. He's a 'dream' figure, one that I never thought would get an actual official toy, especially after thirty-plus years, so I remain grateful, and grateful that he turned out as well as he did. 

[mikeszekely]

I'm not saying any of this will turn up in tomorrow's Fan First Friday, but a reliable leaker put up some interesting EANs.  Half of it is for that RED line... I don't care about it, but if you do you can expect G1 Shockwave and Galvatron, plus Prime Optimus and Megatron.  Moving onto WfC and Studio Series, there's a listing for SDCC 1, as in some sort of San Diego Comic Con pack, Voyager-class Kingdom Blaster, a listing simply labeled "Studio Series 86 Voyager Hot Rod Variant", a Voyager-class Studio Series Movie 6 (aka the Bumblebee movie) Soundwave, and a Leader-class Studio Series 86 Starscream (before anyone gets to excited about that one I'm told it's probably the Earthrise Voyager packed with the extra coronation gear).

There's also been some buzz about a Target-exclusive 4-pack.  While it's going to have WfC remolds/retools I'm hearing that it's going under the Buzzworthy Bumblebee label, and that there's a good chance that one of the 4 figures will be some kind of Bumblebee.

[sh9000]

[mikeszekely]

My local Walmart finally got the new wave of Netflix Deluxes (no voyagers, and not the spoiler pack, though).  Of course, by now I'd already sourced copies of Deep Cover, Deseeus Guard, and the Sparkless repaint of Barricade, so that just left Cheetor.

The most immediate, most obvious difference is that the baby blue on the Kingdom version has been largely replaced with a darker metallic blue, and it's much more original Beast Wars accurate for it.  OK, sure, they didn't put the blue on his weapon or his shins, and the orange eyes are technically more accurate for robot mode, but it's such a night and day improvement over the Kingdom release that it's easy to overlook those minor issues.

The joints feel a little tighter on the Netflix one, but it could just be because it's brand new while the Kingdom version's been sitting on my desk for a few months.

Especially because they're not issues for beast mode.  Here, the green eyes become the more accurate choice.  It's a robot mode sacrifice that's worth making for the beast mode, short of a color-changing gimmick you'd find on the MP.  Likewise, the missing blue shins translates to solid yellow cat legs in the rear.  If I'm being honest, though, maybe the Kingdom version got that right.  It's a sacrifice to the back of the rear legs in beast mode for more accurate colors in robot mode.

The only other real difference is that the yellow, like the blue, is a bit darker on the Netflix version.  By itself, I don't think it's a problem.  The darker yellow seems like a better robot-mode choice, and is probably closer to the original toy.  You could make a case that the cheetah in the cartoon was a bit lighter, but it's not a dramatic difference either way.  That said, if you got the 3P, 3D-printed gut-gun I reviewed awhile back it's color-matched to the Kingdom release, and the difference with the Netflix version is pretty noticeable... in cat mode, at least.  So I wouldn't store it on him, but I think he can still get away with using it in bot mode.

Alright, while it's made collecting them a pain sometimes having Netflix-exclusive characters has allowed me to add stuff like Hotlink and Elita-1 to my collection.  Meanwhile, when they've repainted characters already in the WfC lines like Optimus, Sideswipe, or Wheeljack they've been interesting alternate decos I haven't really needed but were probably good for people who missed the Siege/Earthrise releases.  But Cheetor?  I'm going to come out and say it, Kingdom Cheetor should have been painted like this in the first place, because if I'd know this version was coming I'd have skipped the Kingdom version entirely.  The colors are so much better on the Netflix version that I felt like I needed the upgrade, making the Kingdom version a waste of money.

Oh, one more thing.  That tab on the cheetah neck that broke on seriously every copy of the Kingdom release?  Hasn't been redesigned at all, and broke on the first transformation of the Netflix one.  It's just a bad design, because you have to put pressure on it to unlock the cheetah head from the robot torso.  Fortunately it doesn't seem necessary to hold the cheetah mode together.

[M'Kyuun]

On 5/17/2021 at 9:33 AM, sh9000 said:

Friendly reminder that this is happening today.