M'Kyuun Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Good luck! Pics of CW Menasor are up at TFW2005. http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/generations-classics-44/generations-combiner-wars-menasor-in-hand-images-182163/ Not too bad, but Dragstrip's robot arms look pretty awkward just hangin' out. You'd think with all these years of experience designing TFs Takara would be able to find more elegant solutions to issues like that. But then again, Hasbro wants uber-simplicity, so we get kibble instead. I love Transformers, but stuff like this just makes me jaded, esp when Takara have proven that they are capable of far, far better, but are mandated to design for America's lowest common denominator. Mean, but true. Quote
Gakken85 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Thanks to Icespark for letting us in on the next Toys R Us exclusive Transformer, Masterpiece Starscream! More info:Trnsfrmrs Mstpc Strscrm Item: 376475 Vendor Style: B4702 Looks like the TRU Starscream is finally coming. Quote
Guest davidwhangchoi Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 looks like Menasor's head got confused with Unicron. Quote
Dangard Ace Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 Yeah, for $20-$25-ish I didn't expect him to be. Heck, new MPs have come out that are as expensive or more so than MP-10 without being that good. A better question is, how's CW Optimus compared to the original Classics Optimus? CW OP is ratchety as heck. It'll hold any pose you put it into. The truck parts on the arms fold in better than Classics OP and the double jointed elbows are great. Beyond that it's an articulated Powermaster Prime. Proportion and looks wise I'd go with Classics OP. I'd do a comparison myself except I'm too lazy to pull off the fansproject armour I've got on my classics. There's a few picture reviews/comparisons on google images. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 looks like Menasor's head got confused with Unicron. People always make the horns too curved, instead of angular. Quote
RD Blade Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 Looks like the TRU Starscream is finally coming. Oh, happy day. It's about time. Quote
jenius Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 Looks like the TRU Starscream is finally coming. I hope it has some differences from Takara's MP-11, like maybe a lighter gray or something. Quote
JB0 Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 I concur with David H.'s statement about Hasbro overcompensating for parents' wishes for non-complex Transformers; Once you reach a point where the toy no longer lives up to its namesake, what's the point? The shelves are testament to the fact that kids are thinking the same way, b/c the 1, 2 steppers and non-transforming toys are not moving, not even on clearance. The puzzle of figuring them out is half the fun.I never viewed them as enjoyable puzzles. I've issued more than one impolite word while studying Hasbro's pathetic excuse for an instruction sheet. Their insistence on a handful of fixed illustation angles, tendency to omit steps, and refusal to include text notes about complex movements or features like lock tabs make the manuals almost worse than nothing at all, and a new Transformer can be downright frustrating. That said...No one wanted the 1-Step Changers. Hasbro took the wrong message and came away with the conclusion that no one wanted to transform their toys instead of "your staff has created an unholy trifecta of complex, counter-intuitive, and poorly documented toys" Now, I do have to say that some of the Bayverse toys were probably a bit over engineered for 10 year olds; heck, even with my 30+ yrs of experience, I sometimes had to dig out the instructions for a few to make sure I wasn't going to break them.I've got one from the first movie line that I've got a 0% success rate on robot->vehicle transformation. I've literally NEVER gotten it properly back into vehicle mode. Quote
M'Kyuun Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 I never viewed them as enjoyable puzzles. I've issued more than one impolite word while studying Hasbro's pathetic excuse for an instruction sheet. Their insistence on a handful of fixed illustation angles, tendency to omit steps, and refusal to include text notes about complex movements or features like lock tabs make the manuals almost worse than nothing at all, and a new Transformer can be downright frustrating. I've issued a few expletives of my own over the years with various TF toys across a number of lines, but probably moreso with the movie toys. But, I like figuring them out, so I stick with it. I also know to put them down and come back to them later if they frustrate me to the point of wanting to launch them across the room. That said, I've managed to figure out and transform all of my TFs, and Valks, for that matter. I always try to transform them without instructions, and I have a pretty good success rate. The enjoyment I get out of them is seeing how Takara varies the transformation method from toy to toy, and also solves engineering issues. The Binaltechs were great for this, since they had to look like their real world vehicle modes, include steering, often opening doors, hoods, trunks, and at least the driver's and passenger's seats. That the bot modes came out as well as they did is pretty impressive. But knowing that they've accomplished this level of engineering in the past makes me look at current toys with just a bit of disappointment and disdain. I'll take your word on the craptastic nature of Hasbro's instructions. I've only consulted them for a handful of toys and they provided enough instruction for me to get the job done. But then again, I used to work on military aircraft, using a lot of tech manuals; as such, I found my TFs to be relatively easy to sort out. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear that you've had issues; after all, they're toys, and they're meant to be fun and enjoyable. When they they fail at that, for whatever reason, it's a bit upsetting. I know the feeling. Quote
RD Blade Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 I've got one from the first movie line that I've got a 0% success rate on robot->vehicle transformation. I've literally NEVER gotten it properly back into vehicle mode. Out of curiosity, which one? Quote
Gakken85 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 Some pics that haven't been seen before: http://imgur.com/a/fAKaf Quote
GU-11 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) Some pics that haven't been seen before: http://imgur.com/a/fAKaf From this angle, the cement mixer foot looks a lot better. Not sure if this has already been posted, but here's CW Menasor sans "birthing hips": It's a "fan mode" though, and is apparently not as stable as the official way of transformation. That said, articulation won't be impeded in this better looking mode. Edited February 24, 2015 by GU-11 Quote
Guest davidwhangchoi Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) so is the combiner wars voyager cl devastator coming to target, walmart or is it exclusive to a particular store like tru? i freakin hated hunting for grimlock soundwave mp at TRU. so i don't want to do it for something that i'm mildly interested in. titan Metroplex i saw at cosco for 79 bucks. Edited February 24, 2015 by davidwhangchoi Quote
JB0 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 Out of curiosity, which one?Barricade, actually. I got 99% of the way there, but could never get his trunk to hook back in properly, and it felt like something was gonna break every time I tried. Quote
Mechapilot77 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 Some pics that haven't been seen before: http://imgur.com/a/fAKaf its far from perfect but i want it. 18" of devy. box art coloring is wacked...worse than TFC's hecules. glad the actual toys are color correct. noi'mnodavehingtentenanyonecanseethis Quote
M'Kyuun Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 False advertising; the Devastator boxart depicts the original G1 toy, esp Mixmaster. Quote
JB0 Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 False advertising; the Devastator boxart depicts the original G1 toy, esp Mixmaster.Contents and colors may vary. Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 25, 2015 Author Posted February 25, 2015 It's not that I really mind getting a Combiner Wars Defensor, or that Blades is a redeco of Alpha Bravo, even though I don't think they look that similar. I just really want Bruticus, given that Alpha Bravo looks exactly like Vortex. Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 25, 2015 Author Posted February 25, 2015 Got tired of having four limbs and no torso, so I ordered CW Optimus from Amazon, as he was a little cheaper than Silverbolt. Should be here tomorrow. Quote
Scyla Posted February 25, 2015 Posted February 25, 2015 I still don't get the color of the threads on Devastator are not black. I mean black is present on other parts of the toy. In addition this doesn't look like a painted rapid prototype toy which means that the steel molds are probably cut and thus the color distribution is fixed into place. So my biggest fear is that they will stay this way on the final production version (correct me if I'm wrong). Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 25, 2015 Author Posted February 25, 2015 I still don't get the color of the threads on Devastator are not black. I mean black is present on other parts of the toy. In addition this doesn't look like a painted rapid prototype toy which means that the steel molds are probably cut and thus the color distribution is fixed into place. So my biggest fear is that they will stay this way on the final production version (correct me if I'm wrong). When were they ever black? The G1 toys were purple, and although they don't really look like treads in the simplified cartoon look, Devastator has purple bands running down his sides where the treads should be. Purple treads are the reason why Scavenger has purple legs, for pete's sake. Quote
Scyla Posted February 25, 2015 Posted February 25, 2015 When were they ever black? The G1 toys were purple, and although they don't really look like treads in the simplified cartoon look, Devastator has purple bands running down his sides where the treads should be. Purple treads are the reason why Scavenger has purple legs, for pete's sake. Ok I see what you mean. I guess I'm spoiled by all the giant and herculean Robots over the last years.... ....and the box art. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted February 25, 2015 Posted February 25, 2015 Toon Devy has black forearms. And "tread forearms" is a thing now. Plus, "realism". (though treads are often brightly colored on construction/farm equipment--they're not military tanks) Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 25, 2015 Author Posted February 25, 2015 (edited) Toon Devy has black forearms. And "tread forearms" is a thing now. Plus, "realism". (though treads are often brightly colored on construction/farm equipment--they're not military tanks) Toon Devy did have black forearms, and it looks like CW Devy will too. Tread forearms are a thing now in IDW, but G1 Devy didn't do it, and CW Devy isn't doing it. AFAIK, Hercules didn't either, although Hercules did use black treads. Just Giant. And while the tread forearms thing makes for a good-looking Giant with black forearms like toon Devy, it also makes for a Scavenger with black legs instead of purple, and that's just not right. Edited February 25, 2015 by mikeszekely Quote
David Hingtgen Posted February 25, 2015 Posted February 25, 2015 Hercules totally has black tread forearms. Now, if you use the "Rage" add-on kit he no longer does, because it includes new forearms---but that's not the original design, and actually looks worse IMHO. Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 25, 2015 Author Posted February 25, 2015 Hercules totally has black tread forearms. Now, if you use the "Rage" add-on kit he no longer does, because it includes new forearms---but that's not the original design, and actually looks worse IMHO. Huh, I guess the Hercules I saw had the Rage add-on. Probably contributed to why I thought Giant looks better. But again, Scavenger with black legs? That just isn't right. Quote
Guest davidwhangchoi Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) this came today: Trailbreaker G1 was one of my favorites:) i don't know the disney mickey mouse prime but just threw him in the order bc he looked interesting. Edited February 26, 2015 by davidwhangchoi Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 26, 2015 Author Posted February 26, 2015 Combiner Wars Optimus Prime came today. With Hasbro's simplifying and plastic cost-cutting, combined with the need to make a Prime that's also a torso, I honestly wasn't expecting to like him. In person, he's really not too bad. Yeah, he's got gorilla-ish proportions and a rounded head that combine to give him a sort of cartoonish look, but he manages to be much less kibbly than the old Classics Prime. His feet are kind of weird, and I wish they were blue. Speaking of coloring, I think he could use a little more paint on his abdomen, and I wish the gold on the tops of his legs stood out a little more. As far as articulation goes, he's about the same as Classics. He's got some nice ratchets, but sadly he's knees are a little loose. He transformation reminds me a little of Powermaster Prime, in that you fold his arms up over the fake windshield and grille. The difference, though, is that his legs fold backward instead of forward, and instead of having a the real truck front of the truck on his back his arms become the front of the truck. The back has some minor kibble from the super robot waist, and the hollow feet are pretty ugly here, but on the whole it's not horrible. Everything locks together tightly. I'm not sure if I like the smaller Euro-style truck for Optimus Prime, but honestly it could be much, much worse. His torso mode is a little underwhelming, which is a little disappointing since I feel like some of the flaws Prime does have in truck mode would be totally fixed by not having a torso mode. Basically, it boils down to a few things. First, the super head is on a bar that moves out from bot-mode's back, and there's a big gap between the bottom of the bar and Prime's body. Second, the lose knees and tight ratchets make posing the gestalt's legs tricky and a little unstable. Third, while the open chest is a nice homage to Energon Optimus Prime, the side panels are larger and rounded, which gives the open chest an odd appearance. Personally, I prefer to leave it closed. There's a hint that you might want to do that in the design, in that there are windows molded onto the panels that serve no purpose in bot or truck modes, but give the gestalt torso an Optimus-like chest without being the exact same chest. Despite those complaints, gestalt mode has pretty good articulation. And I found some neat things, like the fact that Prime's bot-mode fists can still hold weapons. So I put Prime's rifles together and used the hole in the top to peg on Firefly's weapon and put that in the gestalt's hand. Then I put Skydive and Alpha Bravo's weapons into Prime's bot-fists, making them sort of shoulder-mounted weapons on the gestalt. Oh yeah, size-wise, the gestalt Ultra Prime is shorter than Energon Omega Supreme, a little taller (but not hugely so) than FoC Bruticus, and about the same height as the Ultimate-class Beast Hunter Prime if you ignore the spinny dragon thing on his back. Quote
mikeszekely Posted February 27, 2015 Author Posted February 27, 2015 It's amazing how much a red Gundam marker can improve CW Optimus. I did a little work on Alpha Bravo, too. Basically, in the comics and in the test shots he has some blue on his shoulders that I added back. I also painted the backs of his shoulders white, so they blend into the helicopter mode better. I'm wondering if I should touch up the others. I really don't think Skydive needs it. I'm strongly considering putting more red on Fireflight, but I haven't settled on how much and where. Dragstrip's a little tougher, because he's got so much purple that doesn't belong, and I'm doubting whether my yellow paint matches the yellow plastic. At the very least, I might try to get the purple paint off his thighs. Oh, and doesn't anyone know if the gray plastic on the connector part in his chest is of the unpaintable variety? I'm cool with the actual square peggish part being gray, as it's analogous to the silver on the G1 toy's tummy, but the round joint part really needs to be yellow. Quote
Scyla Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 I received a package from BBTS with MP Jaguar and Frumble. It has a huge paper sticker on the backside. Does anyone has an idea how to remove this without damaging the box? I tried to peel it but it's the kind of sticker where the glue adheres more the surface than to the sticker so there is no way to remove without messing up the box. Quote
Gakken85 Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Great stuff david. If I ever had a bunch of spare money and nothing to buy I'd go back and buy boxed G1's. They worked so well as art on their own. Quote
xrentonx Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I received a package from BBTS with MP Jaguar and Frumble. It has a huge paper sticker on the backside. Does anyone has an idea how to remove this without damaging the box? I tried to peel it but it's the kind of sticker where the glue adheres more the surface than to the sticker so there is no way to remove without messing up the box. You mean the sticker is on the actual nice box with the pictures and logos and stuff? Or is it on a brown shipping box? Got a picture? I'm pretty good at removing that stuff but it depends. Sometimes it can be a lot of work... Quote
RD Blade Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 This is what I would do, but it's risky: Apply a tiny bit at a time of Goo Gone with a Q-tip, waiting about 10 minutes between each application. Eventually, it should dissolve or soften the adhesive enough to simply peel the sticker off. Wipe excess with a clean, dry paper towel. Quote
xrentonx Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) I try not to use Goo Gone on paper products as a rule. It might work or it might end up warping the cardboard... If you try it, use very little. Pics of what you're working with might help though. Edited February 28, 2015 by xrentonx Quote
Dangard Ace Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 It's amazing how much a red Gundam marker can improve CW Optimus. IMG_20150227_140326.jpg Nice. I did that and painted Ultra Primes 'matrix' gold and the surrounding red. World of difference. Speaking of differences I've started on my 'additions' to CW Superion. I'll post some more pics in the 3rd party thread. Quote
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