The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

You even kept the dog leash on the bumper-Nice!

[the white drew carey]

Thanks!

[the white drew carey]

Not to toot my own horn, but I am selling the design on merch if anyone is interested. All new designs are on sale for the first 72 hours, but the company which prints them (Teepublic) has sales all of the time. I also have some Macross, Gundam, and other anime/manga stuff on there, too.

https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/1114895-family-truckster-transformer

[mikeszekely]

Stopped at Walmart for a few groceries I forgot to get when at the regular grocery store.  Even though I keep saying I quit Hasbro Transformers, I saw Legends-class Kickback and decided to go ahead and complete the Insecticon trio.

He's... ok.  I mean, aside from the ridiculously large arms he certainly looks like Kickback.  I like that you can pose the wings so they're pointed up.  Four of his insect legs are kind of just chilling obnoxiously off his back, but they're less obnoxious than Shrapnel's.

As glad as I am that all three Insecticons eventually got made in this scale, it's pretty obvious that they're from different lines in different years.  While black is pretty much black, the purple doesn't match on any of them, nor does the gold.

(Side note... I actually had all three Insections as a kid, and they were some of the few Season 2 characters I had that weren't mini bots.  I should really pick up the Platinum series reissue...)

Kickback comes with no accessories.  Articulation is what you'd expect from a Legends-class toy; ball joints at the elbows, shoulders, and hips, hinge at the knee, no waist, ankles, or wrist.  Surprisingly, his head a hinged swivel and not a ball joint or mushroom peg.  His antenna don't move.

Again, his alt mode is pretty ok.  I wish his legs collapsed a little, but it's mostly pretty G1 and looks fine with the others.  The one big change, though, is that his arms peg behind his body and stick out the back to form a grasshopper-ish abdomen.  It looks ok from the top.

From the side, though, you can see some very obvious robot arm chilling out down there.  Also, while his forearms tab onto each other, they don't tab to his butt or connect to his back anywhere but his shoulders, so his insect body feels less than cohesive.

Due to the shape of the yellow translucent plastic at the corner of the wings, they really can't extend any more than this.

He can fold his wings down, though.  And I know that it's mostly a Titan Master gimmick, but I love that his chest opens up like the G1 toy did, something I'd have loved on Shrapnel and Bombshell.

So, here's the deal.  If you already have Shrapnel and Bombshell, go ahead and pick up Kickback.  He's not as good as Bombshell (I think I might like Shrapnel better in insect mode, too), but he's ok and he completes the set.  If you don't have Shrapnel and Bombshell, though, I wouldn't start collecting now.

[M'Kyuun]

The Insecticons actually showed up in Season 1 (S1 and TF:The Movie are all I own of G1 TF). Just keeping ya honest, Mike.   'Preciate the review, BTW. Thanks!

Anyway, I've long been anticipating this last addition to the trio, and I have to admit I'm a bit underwhelmed. I agree with all Mike's criticisms, esp the legs (really wish they'd shortened them somehow to approximate the original toy's look), but it is what it is, and he's not as terrible as he could have been.   For their scale, I thought Bombshell and Shrapnel were pretty well done, and this Kickback figure is still pretty neat . I love how the back legs can be splayed in locust mode, and the arm transformation into an abdomen, even if it could have been done a little better, is still a nice touch. I'll be happy to add him to my CHUG shelves.

[mikeszekely]

Ah, the first two sessions mostly run together for me, because they were my favorite episodes but my family could really only afford minibots. The Insecticons and Sideswipe were the only ones I remember owning, and I know I had Sideswipe well before the Insecticons, so I just assumed they were in season 2.

[M'Kyuun]

Well, to be fair, the Insecticons, along with Jetfire, the Dinobots, and the Constructicons, all of which made their initial appearances in Season 1, were not included in the '84 toy lineup, but in the '85, which may cause confusion as well.

My TF collection as a kid was fairly meager, relatively speaking, although I had a few more than you did, Mike.  Glad to know you're able to make up for it now, and with third party offerings, a lot of additional voids can be filled.  I only had Shrapnel and Kickback from the original G1 releases, and Red Alert was my only Countach figure.  Between the MP line, 3P, and the CHUG lines, I'm filling all the gaps in my collection and getting the figures as I wanted them to actually be back in the 80's. As far as I'm concerned, Has/Tak can stay on this path churning out G1 homages ad infinitum, with a smattering of otherwise inspired figs thrown in for variety and good measure. I wish they'd retired the headmaster gimmick soon after it started, or limited it to just the actual Headmaster characters, but overall, I'm really happy with the figures we've been getting in the TR line. Despite all the hype for Bay's movies, the Generations line, with its strong G1 influence, still far outsells the Bay-verse toys from what I observe in my area, which tells me that G1 still has a very pervasive and lasting influence among collectors. I'm not at all a fan of Bay's take on the franchise, but the silver lining to me is that Hasbro's pouring some of the revenue from those movies into Generations, keeping G1 alive in a sense. That's a big positive in a world full of negatives.

 

Edit: I was looking at TFW2005 a little while ago, and there's apparently a new Bay-verse Dinobot figure coming for Last Knight, and it got me thinking, I wish Has/Tak would make properly updated Dinos for the Generations line. They're making just about everything else, but not them, and they're kind of a glaring omission. Hope they'll make an appearance at NY Toy Fair.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2017 by M'Kyuun

[Scyla]

Quick question: where is the preorder for Takara Legends Triggerhappy?

I'd love the toy but there seems to be no preorders for any new toys on HLJ.... when is the next event in Japan when they announce new releases?

[mikeszekely]

On 1/25/2017 at 10:17 PM, mikeszekely said:

I should really pick up the Platinum series reissue...

Took my own advice.

Now here's the thing... I don't own much in the way of G1 Transformers, either original or reissue.  Partly because most of my favorite characters were season 1 and 2, when my parents were too poor and I was stuck pretending my Gobot ResQ was Ratchet, so I don't have any nostalgic feels for the original toys of those characters, and partly because even as a kid I was keenly aware of how poorly the toys matched their animation models.  So, these Insecticons are the only case of me owning a toy I actually had when I was a kid.  I've definitely got nostalgic feels for these guys, but I'm kind of surprised by how small they really are.  I know that stuff I played with when I was five or six seemed bigger in my tiny child hands than they would in my adult hands, but based on the other G1 Transformers I have (Optimus Prime and Soundwave) I'd have still guessed that the Insections would be roughly the same size as a modern Deluxe.  It's a little surprising to find that they're almost the same size as their newer Legends-class counterparts.

Now I want to get some 3P Insecticons.  If anyone has strong feelings about any of those, post them in the 3P thread, I'm curious to hear them.

[Scyla]

Topspin looks to be a stunning Transformer. Really wish there where some news about the next Takara releases of the line:

 

[M'Kyuun]

TR Topspin is such an excellent remake of his rather sub-par original 80's toy, and also serves an excellent example of what Has/Tak are doing so well with this line, at least in the deluxe/warrior class. They're cranking out what are arguably some of the best G1 homages that this TF fan and collector has seen in his 30+ years of the hobby, and I'm extremely grateful for it. Moreover, I hope they continue in this vein for at least another couple of waves, as there are a lot of those old toys that could do with a nice upgrade. IMHO, Has/Tak have struck an excellent balance between aesthetics and complexity with the deluxe figures- interesting yet-not-too-complicated transformation systems and very faithful G1-homaging aesthetics make these some of the most enjoyable Transformer toys that I've ever owned (my collection has hundreds of TF toys across just about every line produced since '84, not to mention third party)  That said, I don't feel that the same quality of design has been seen in the voyager and leader classes, although mileage varies. I personally believe most of these figures could and would have been better had they not tried to make them all triple changers. Moreover, I'm not really that plussed about the actual triple changer figures, as they look very compromised in their alt modes, or one alt mode is heavily prioritized over the other, which diminishes the figure. I realize t-changers are difficult to pull off with pristine alts- I get that- but some of these have alts that fail utterly in my eyes. Broadside's jet mode is a prime example; his carrier mode is recognizable and pretty believable, but that jet mode looks like they gave up after the front of the jet was done. It doesn't look like a believable jet, so heavily compromised is the aft area- it looks like they couldn't figure out what to do with the legs, so they just bent them at the knees and said 'good enough'. The voyager Optimus fig, which is obviously intended to be an Octane recolor, a character I really hoped would be well done in this line, too, is compromised in both modes (why oh why did they have to put a completely out-of-place looking translucent cockpit on top of the tank? Then there's his jet mode which looks like they were going for a Harrier (I would have adored this thing had it actually looked like a Harrier), but just made it an unbelievably fictitious jet with half a semi cab on either side of the fuselage. With all their experience, I would have expected them to come up with something better. I think of the Jizai design http://jizaitoys.seesaa.net/category/3105173-1.html ,which I'd greatly prefer to the TR design.

Perhaps my expectations are too high; these are toys, after all. However, there just seems to me a noticeable disparity between size classes in terms of design and aesthetics. One would assume the larger figures would receive more intricate design work, after all there's more toy to work with, but the opposite seems true to me. The deluxe figs and even some of the legends class figs outshine their larger compatriots within the same toyline.  It's disappointing, esp when you've waited for a really well done version of a particular character, and so much promise is shown in early waves. Triple changers, specifically Astrotrain, Octane, and Blitzwing, were my big hopefuls in this line. Astrotrain is abysmal, Optimus (Octane) barely fair, and Megatron (Blitzwing) the best of the three, actually approximating his G1 alts pretty well. With Octane, I really wish they'd tried to approximate a KC-135 alt mode, befitting the character's name and overall theme. I used to work on the 135s, so that would have added a extra touch of endearment for me. Alas, not this toy, but hopefully another toy in the future.

[Scyla]

In my opinion the Voyager and Leader class toys of the TR line are marred by the paper thin plastic they are using for their molds. TR Galvatron feels like he has the density of a soap bottle. With the smaller deluxe figures you don't feel the lack of mass that much.

But I agree the TR line shines with most of the Deluxe toys. I'd love to get my hands on more of those. 

[sh9000]

This is awesome.

[M'Kyuun]

Yes, it is. 

More pics?

[sh9000]

[M'Kyuun]

Cool. Thanks!

[M'Kyuun]

G1 Trypticon fans rejoice, Has/Tak have heard your pleas: http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/02/13/titans-return-trypticon-first-full-image-333308

While the titanic Titans aren't really up my alley, I gotta admit seeing this pop up on the TFW homepage made me smile- the cup o'nostalgia runneth over. I'm thinking that he'll be showcased at NY Toy Fair next week- I almost wish they'd kept him under wraps until the show, but now that he's been revealed, I look forward to seeing more pics.

 

God, how I wish they were still making Animated stuff. Seeing the scale of this thing, I'd love to get an Animated Omega Supreme around this size.

Edited February 14, 2017 by M'Kyuun

[sh9000]

I'd probably get Trypticon to go in my G1 collection.

[David Hingtgen]

Speaking as a HUGE Trypticon fan---it's just the G1 toy with more panel lines.   I'm not seeing a whole lot of improvements.  

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, David Hingtgen said:

Speaking as a HUGE Trypticon fan---it's just the G1 toy with more panel lines.   I'm not seeing a whole lot of improvements.  

Out of curiosity, what more were you hoping for?  If they ditched the motorized walking gimmick I'd think the new Titan Trypticon should have hips and knees that bend, plus bending elbows, rotating shoulders, hands that open and close, a mouth that opens and closes, a neck that can bend up and down, and it looks like he might have ankle tilts.  Beyond that, I'd really expect neck rotation, but you can't tell if he does or doesn't from this pic.  Lateral movement in the hips and shoulders would be nice, and again we can't really tell if he does or doesn't have that.  I think it's a safe bet that he doesn't have any waist articulation, but I just don't see Hasbro putting in the design and engineering to get him one.  Tail articulation also seems like something a 3P could pull off in a $500 toy, but not something Hasbro would bother with.

Besides, too many improvements would probably change the design enough that people would be pissed at Hasbro, anyway.

[JB0]

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Besides, too many improvements would probably change the design enough that people would be pissed at Hasbro, anyway.

Aren't people always pissed at Hasbro anyways?

[mikeszekely]

6 hours ago, JB0 said:

Aren't people always pissed at Hasbro anyways?

Yep. So they might as well do their Titans as cost-effectively as possible.

[dizman]

I'm with David on this one, that's a pretty low effort Trypticon. I wouldn't be surprised if HasTak put the walking gimmick into this toy like the original and said good enough lets charge $150, the older collectors will pay for anything that's like G1.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm not really into these huge figures, but honestly, as G1 fan, this hits all the right notes for me as an update. I've never been much of a fan of motorized gimmicks, so I'd like this updated version better if it wasn't motorized, but had a nice range of articulation. I doubt mine is the popular opinion. It remains to be seen what Has/Tak went with in this regard, but looking at old pics of the original toy and this figure, it's a very faithful homage, at least in its aesthetics. That works for me; it's why TR is quickly becoming one of my favorite lines ever released-  it feels like those old 80's toys are finally being made the way I wanted them to be when I was a kid. Although the MP line is also bringing the G1 toys to modern standards, I'd love to see some of the other Classics figs that weren't very well done redone in the TR line ( even if it means they come with the crappy headmaster gimmick). I'm thinking of the Lamborghini twins, Prowl and Silverstreak, and Ironhide/Ratchet.

NY toy fair is this weekend, and I'm intrigued to see what Has/Tak (and LEGO) have in store for 2017. 2016 was great year for this TF fan, and I hope , despite the inevitable deluge of new Bayformer toys clogging the pegs, the TR line has another great lineup of updated G1 goodness. I just hope Hasbro gets their distribution issues sorted- hunting for Generations figures in my area is like looking for lost cities or pirate treasure.

[Scyla]

More Trypticon images: http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/02/17/generations-trypticon-full-reveal-333577

[treatment]

welp!

Got these two delivered finally.

http://imgur.com/zFs9dol

Prolly my last foray into the Titans Return/Transformers Legends line...

[sh9000]

Yeah I'll add Trypticon to my G1 collection.

[Dangard Ace]

Munkey!   Not Trukk!    Primal won Power of the Primes.   

[mikeszekely]

Gah, this power of the Primes crap better not muck up the comics the way the Headmasters in Titans Return and the whole Combiner Wars thing did.

[Dangard Ace]

Primal wins and the next MP is BW Dinobot?   Hmmm......cue x files music.  

[David Hingtgen]

Working on a Dispensor:

 

[mikeszekely]

Nice! What are you using for the body?

[David Hingtgen]

Behold, Dispensor:

(Yes, it's laundry day)

 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Cute! Do the Dew...or else.

[mikeszekely]

I love it!  How'd you get him looking so good?