The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[Scyla]

I would be interested in a ML Grimlock. But that means I would want the rest of the G1 Dinobots too and I don’t think this will happen.

[JB0]

Personally, I'd like a Missing Link Tracks, as he's one of my few childhood Transformers that didn't survive and also one that turns into an awesome flying car.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

Just waiting if they ever produce the ML Seekers. 

 

[M'Kyuun]

6 hours ago, Black Valkyrie said:

 

Just waiting if they ever produce the ML Seekers. 

 

The ML Seeker would pose a little challenge, as the arms were a bit short and the hands were separate bits that had to be "partsformed". I love the transformation of the arms, though, and the only other Seeker toy to fold the arms into the F-15's spine was part of the Robot Masters line. albeit done much better. If Takara simply followed that toy's solution with a ML design, I think it'd work well. Honestly, I wish every Seeker toy followed that design, as well as more jetformers in general to reduce the number of jets with robot arms just hanging off their sides.

[Black Valkyrie]

 

@M'Kyuun You might be right about the arms, if it happens the arms would be very little, especially for the fists.  

 

[pengbuzz]

3 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

The ML Seeker would pose a little challenge, as the arms were a bit short and the hands were separate bits that had to be "partsformed". I love the transformation of the arms, though, and the only other Seeker toy to fold the arms into the F-15's spine was part of the Robot Masters line. albeit done much better. If Takara simply followed that toy's solution with a ML design, I think it'd work well. Honestly, I wish every Seeker toy followed that design, as well as more jetformers in general to reduce the number of jets with robot arms just hanging off their sides.

I imagine they would have to modify the main body to "take" some material from it to make up for the forearms. As for the knees: that's a bit more simple.

[M'Kyuun]

8 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

I imagine they would have to modify the main body to "take" some material from it to make up for the forearms. As for the knees: that's a bit more simple.

The issue, since the goal is to approximate the OG toy, warts and all, would be to reproduce the added fist without partsforming, meaning they'll have to figure a point to insert elbows and then figure a way to create that oversized fist and make each fold into a wafer the same width as the upper arm to fill in the belly of the jet as unobtrusively as possible since the OG toy didn't have anything in that space. Much like slavish devotion to toon accuracy has affected certain figs, the most recent MP Starscream's ghastly alt mode comes to mind, the Missing Link's slavish devotion to preserving the look of the original toys, many of which suffered poor proportions and other shortcomings, will prove to be the line's Achille's Heal, IMHO. The OG Seeker design hasn't aged well and most toys now emulate a cross between toon and toy or straight toon, which benefitted from some of the toy's proportions being adjusted to look better, especially the arms and legs. Unfortunately, Takara can't incorporate any toon magic to spruce up the look of these figs, so for a number of them those poor proportions and partsforming bits are going challenge the designers while also somewhat hindering the toys themselves. The old adage, "You can't polish a turd' comes to mind, and while that may sound harsh and disrespectful, that's not the spirit in which I mention it; I mean it more from a practical design perspective. Theses shape-shifting toys represented an interesting new play pattern with a lot of thought and craftsmanship put into them (the prototypes were often carved out of wood!); however, ultimately so much more focus was placed on the puzzle aspect and creating realistic believable alt modes while the robot modes remained secondary considerations, which is generally where we see the greatest weaknesses of the Diaclone and Micochange and hence G1 toys. Those weaknesses are going to carry over by dint of preserving the look of the toys in both modes and many are going to fare poorer than others. If indeed they do the Seeker, or Megatron, both are going to suffer from carrying over the minuses of those early toys. That said, I'd still pick up a Missing Link Megatron having never owned the OG toy but still finding it pretty darn cool in its own way.

To that end, I favor what Has/Tak did with the Legacy United deluxe class Optimus Prime where they closely approximated the look of the G1 toy, but made little improvements i.e. different shaped, better proportioned forearms with integrated fists and a nicely hinged cover for his back (no gaping hole like the OG). I think a furtherance of this line would be interesting, as, lacking that imperative to mirror the OG toy exactingly, they could introduce more "fixes" to correct the odd proportion or hindrance of the OG toy while still skewing very closely towards how it looked. I like that approach, and it would make for an interesting third option for folks like me who aren't really all-in on the Missing Link line and who aren't interested in collecting the G1 toys, either, due to their shortcomings. My feeling is that LU deluxe Prime is probably a one-and-done sort of figure, but I wouldn't object to more characters getting the treatment, especially at the more affordable price range compared to ML.

Edited 8 hours ago by M'Kyuun

[JB0]

Yeah, I don't see Starscream et al getting the Missing Link treatment, because as much as they'd love to(one mold with six color schemes is WAY more profitable than six molds) it just doesn't seem possible to do the arms.

But I've been wrong before, and TT has a financial interest in making it work.

[Scyla]

I wonder if the ML Ultra Magnus will be a white repaint of ML Prime, without the car carrier.

[mikeszekely]

45 minutes ago, Scyla said:

I wonder if the ML Ultra Magnus will be a white repaint of ML Prime, without the car carrier.

That, unfortunately, is an exceedingly likely possibility. 

On the plus side for you, if that turns out to be the case an ML Nemesis Prime would pretty much be a guarantee after that.