The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[anime52k8]

queue 3 hour synthwave mix

[JB0]

10 hours ago, danth said:

That grid needs more neon, and the wall needs more sunset & palm trees.

Or a black wall with purple lightning.

[slide]

On 6/2/2020 at 12:22 PM, danth said:

That grid needs more neon, and the wall needs more sunset & palm trees.

23 hours ago, JB0 said:

Or a black wall with purple lightning.

I can hear the Synthwave already...

 

[M'Kyuun]

Very interesting news on TFW2005 this morning. I'd be so down for a Studio Series line of the '86 Movie cast. Fingers crossed that's what this is.

It would also coincide nicely with the release of Unicron next year.  Argh- need more shelves!

Edited June 4, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

While I suppose they could lump the '86 movie in with the others for the Studio Series line, given how G1-accurate the WFC Trilogy figures already are and the fact that we already got Ultra Magnus, Springer, and Arcee (plus a pretty good Blurr, Hot Rod, Kup, Scourge, and Wheelie in Titans Return, especially if you got the Takara versions) I'm skeptical that that's what's actually going on here. I'll be shocked if an '86 movie accurate G1-style Leader-Class Grimlock actually shows up on stores. I'd love to be wrong, but my money's on a repaint of the existing Studio Series Grimlock in G1 colors as some kind of Walmart exclusive.

[M'Kyuun]

As much as it dishearten's me to say it, I think you're right, Mike. That said, the PotP Dinos left somewhat to be desired due to both their scaling, and the concessions for the combined mode. I'd certainly welcome a team of dedicated G1 accurate, highly poseable Earthrise leader or voyager class Dinobots, as a minimum, and doing it as an extension of the Studio Series line paying homage to the '86 film seems apropos. But again, I think you're more on point with what it's really going to be.  

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

As much as it dishearten's me to say it, I think you're right, Mike. That said, the PotP Dinos left somewhat to be desired due to both their scaling, and the concessions for the combined mode. I'd certainly welcome a team of dedicated G1 accurate, highly poseable Earthrise leader or voyager class Dinobots, as a minimum, and doing it as an extension of the Studio Series line paying homage to the '86 film seems apropos. But again, I think you're more on point with what it's really going to be.  

Hey, I'm right there with you.  I'd love to be wrong.  The PotP Dinobots missed the mark for me (PotP seemed like a big step backward from Titans Return, let alone the current Siege and Earthrise stuff), and bigger, better Dinobots with a G1-style would be great.  It's why I bought both the Fansproject and the Planet X Dinos, but something more like DX9's Legends-class Dinobots made larger would be better.

[sh9000]

I had those Dinobots a few times in my hands back when TRU used to still be open.  I almost ended up buying them but overall they didn’t look right to me.

[JB0]

I thought they were okay. I probably wouldn't have bought them if I hadn't already decided I wanted to attach them to Combiner Wars Sky Lynx.

I skipped Grimlock because he was a steaming turd.

[mikeszekely]

Well, the Studio Series '86 plot thickens, as a new Walmart listing popped up for an '86 Deluxe-class Gnaw.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm liking how this plot is thickening; hopefully it portends good things.

 

On 6/4/2020 at 3:31 PM, JB0 said:

I thought they were okay. I probably wouldn't have bought them if I hadn't already decided I wanted to attach them to Combiner Wars Sky Lynx.

I skipped Grimlock because he was a steaming turd.

Yeah, Grimlock wasn't the best, at all, but I got the whole team anyway, as I doubt we'll ever see another official release of combining Dinobots, and I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by. The other Dinos aren't terrible, but not great, either- very much mediocre. The prospect of seeing the team, or at least Grimlock, released with Earthrise levels of articulation and detail is exciting. I'm being cautiously optimistic, as we could also end up with something as lazy as the upcoming Allicon or Arcee. Historically, HasTak can be counted upon for inconsistent quality across a line.

Edit: A couple Earthrise reveals on TFW2005, including a very G1 looking Cyclonus.   Long time coming. I'm hoping Soundwave has some retooling to make him a seamless Walkman instead of the craptastic spaceship he was supposed to be for Siege. Thrust looks good, although I find the Earthrise updated Classics mold underwhelming. The Top Gun F-14 is a bit of a surprise. I don't know why, but I'm getting that sickening feeling that it'll be done in Bayverse style. 

Edited June 6, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[mikeszekely]

A Weibo account called TFClub put up some interesting pictures.  It's been suggested that these would have been SDCC reveals, prior to SDCC being canceled.

This appears to to be an Earthrise Cyclonus.  Judging by Megatron's feet in the corner I'd guess it's a Voyager.

An Earthrise Thrust.  The remolded wings have the fans molded in instead of being a pegged-on part, and they don't look to have the hinges that fold the wings around in robot mode, leaving them to dangle down like the G1 toy and Sunbow character model.

Looks like Transformers is doing another crossover with an '80s movie.  Given that Ectotron was an extensive remold and not a totally new toy I'm curious to see more of Maverick's robot mode than the box art.  I can't say I'm totally in for Maverick, but I'm down with the general idea of Transformers X other '80s franchises.  Gimme a Transformers X Knight Rider Kitt or a Transformers X TMNT Party Wagon.

TFCLub Weibo also showed a picture of Earthrise Megatron in package, a bagged Cyberverse Thunderhowl, and a Soundwave.  The Soundwave figure did appear to have a new deco, with bright yellow instead of gold on the tape deck door and none of Siege's dirt.  From the angle of the photo you can't see his back kibble, but from what you can see it looks like the same parts as Siege.  If it's an Earthrise version with a tape deck alt mode it's a minor retool and not a new mold (which I guess technically describes Megatron, too).

[M'Kyuun]

I don't know about you, but that watermelon pattern has all my attention.  I'm stoked for Cyclonus; I've always liked his design, and none of the previous official releases came close, although I admit a soft spot for the Universe figure. But this new mold is full on G1 and I'm digging it, especially how close the jet mode comes to the original.

Since Megs is a barely retooled version of Siege, with a huge and ugly weapon attachment, I'm gonna pass, as I have the Siege figure. Good enough. I never got Siege Soundwave, betting on a retool for what I hoped at the time would be Earth mode versions of the figs. As I mentioned above, I hope he's retooled enough to create a seamless and somewhat realistic Walkman, like the original toy, which is still my Soundwave on the CHUG shelf.

'86 Grimlock, Gnaw, and now a G1 accurate Cyclonus. Good trend. I'll keep trading dollars for plastic if they keep making these guys.

[mikeszekely]

I'm super down for Cyclonus.  Yes, the Universe figure was good for it's day, but with it's smaller size and somewhat gappy alt mode it's not the Cyclonus I wanted.  The Combiner Wars version was terrible.  I picked up KFC's Tempest to try to get closer to what I actually wanted, but it's still too small and still has some issues (I'd have been mad if I bought it for full price back in the day, but I got it for pretty cheap well after).  That Cyclonus on that watermelon pattern, though?  Time will tell, but it certainly looks like it could be the one.

[M'Kyuun]

22 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

I'm super down for Cyclonus.  Yes, the Universe figure was good for it's day, but with it's smaller size and somewhat gappy alt mode it's not the Cyclonus I wanted.  The Combiner Wars version was terrible.  I picked up KFC's Tempest to try to get closer to what I actually wanted, but it's still too small and still has some issues (I'd have been mad if I bought it for full price back in the day, but I got it for pretty cheap well after).  That Cyclonus on that watermelon pattern, though?  Time will tell, but it certainly looks like it could be the one.

Indeed. When I first looked at it, I thought it kinda looked Cyberverse-y, but upon second glance, I realized that the thighs are still retracted into the lower legs, giving it that stubby look. Being unpainted also gives that less sophisticated appearance that I generally associate with Cyberverse. Anyway, looking past that, and imagining it with paint and full legs, this is looking very promising. Hopefully, with the apparent leak of these pics, official ones will come soon and we'll see how the final product is intended to look. Just looking at the silhouette of the jet mode, it's capturing the angles of the wings closer to the G1 model than just about any other version I've seen. The G1 toy's bot mode was utter crap, but that jet mode. Chorus of angels in the background.  And I normally  loathe Cybertronian alts, but I dunno, Cyclonus' jet mode speaks to me. I'm pretty excited for this figure. I hope it turns out to be one of those notable figures that is referenced years after its release due to how well it was done.

[derex3592]

Cyclonus was and still is a fantastic jet and robot design that no-one at least to my knowledge has done justice to yet. I REALLY wish NewAge would give him a go! 

[M'Kyuun]

I like my XTB Eligos, although he's a bit on the chunky side, and the transformation is a PITA. But, I think it has presence, and I like how it looks in both modes; it's unmistakably Cyclonus.  The FT version isn't too bad either, although I prefer the chest sculpt of Eligos to the plainer FT version. I never picked up the FT toy, and I kinda regret it sometimes. Years ago, I thought about picking up one of the Jizai-based Cyclonus figs. There were a couple third parties, KFC among them, selling versions of it, and I remember thinking, at the time, what a good design it was, along with his excellent Powerglide. Then again, the Jizai Cyclonus was pretty much the first G1 updated toy, and it was homemade, so much leeway and kudos for making it as good as it was.  The universe figure was cool, but not the G1 update I was hoping for. It's still a fun figure, but I've been wanting that G1 accurate toy for a long time, and it's looking like we might finally be getting it.  One thing I notice about the G1 jet mode that nobody, including this Earthrise reveal, does is the double taper of the jet's nose. Viewed from above, it's shaped like a subtle elongated diamond with the outer points smoothed to a lovely curve. It really is a beautiful, graceful design, and nobody's done it since the original toy. Such a shame, as it imparts a cool look to it, like a flying dagger. Apropos for Cyclonus.

I looked at Magic Square's; robot mode looks great, but the jet mode lacks that smooth blended-fuselage look that makes the G1 toy so appealing. I hope New Age takes a crack at it, too. I have their Seekers, Megatron, Prowl, and Cosmos, and I think they're all really well done. If they can get closer to the smooth lines of the G1 jet mode and still make a good bot mode, I'm all in for a copy.

Edited June 7, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[Hikuro]

I’ll be all over that cyclonus for sure. Makes me wonder if we’d get a galvatron, or new sweeps but I’d doubt it....this line seems to almost be a blink and you’ll miss it.

[Scyla]

I want a Galvatron in this line so badly. While I have fond feelings for the Universe (?) Deluxe  tank, the TR one was super disappointing and probably the worst toy of the Trilogy: all the baggage of CW with none of what TR made great.

 I received my WfC Nemesis this week and he is a stellar toy. 

[sh9000]

I might buy the Transformers X Top Gun Maverick F-14.  I would have preferred G1 packaging like Ectotron.  I'd definitely buy a Transformers X Knight Rider KITT.  The figure can just be called KITT.  Give it a Super Pursuit Mode and Convertible gimmick.  I think the Transformers X line is for movies though so off the top of my head, I would love a vehicle/transforming robot from each of these movies:  1989 Batman, Back to the Future, Blade Runner, The Road Warrior, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Aliens, A-Team, Robocop, and one of the Star Trek movies.

[JB0]

Transformers X Stealth. Make it happen, Hasbro!

 

*runs away*

[M'Kyuun]

5 hours ago, JB0 said:

Transformers X Stealth. Make it happen, Hasbro!

 

*runs away*

Hey, I'll second on that. I kinda dig those designs; the movie was utter tripe, though. Except the waterfall scene.

With the leaks this week, and speculation, it's sounding more and more plausible that the Studio Series is going to incorporate the '86 Movie as well. I'm down with that; I just hope they're not released as elusive exclusives that make them all but impossible to find, only to show up on Ebay at exorbitant prices. I'm already worried about my chances of finding the Decepticon Clones and Seeker two-pack at Target. The Decepticon Clones are already showing up on Ebay for $50 and up. 

Edited June 8, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[Mechapilot77]

that cyclonus figure looks more than 75% like a downsized eligos.  lol.  pretty sure some designer had eligos on his desk making that one.

 

i welcome topgun x TF....there has never been a decent real to life-ish F14 for TFs has there? 

also what was ectotron a remold of?  I never picked it up but i kinda want to.

Edited June 9, 2020 by Mechapilot77

[technoblue]

Ectotron was a remold of one of the Combiner Wars torso bots I think, but I didn't collect the line. Maybe Hot Spot?

[mikeszekely]

7 hours ago, technoblue said:

Ectotron was a remold of one of the Combiner Wars torso bots I think, but I didn't collect the line. Maybe Hot Spot?

Yes, Hot Spot.

And that's why I really need to see more before I commit to Maverick.  While Hasbro put a lot off effort into remolding parts and making Ectotron's alt mode look great the base figure is pretty dated and Ectotron lacks a lot of the articulation that contemporary Siege figures were sporting at the time.  So I want to know what's Maverick's robot mode look like, and if he's a remold of another figure I want to know which one.

[Scyla]

Maybe Maverick is a remold of CW Silverbolt? 

[M'Kyuun]

16 hours ago, Scyla said:

Maybe Maverick is a remold of CW Silverbolt? 

You really know how to suck the joy out new toy speculation.  For the love of all that's good and right in the universe, I hope not.  Hopefully it's a new dedicated mold that's more in line with the Seeker than just about every other bot-under-a-plane Transformer jet.

 

Official pics are up on TFW2005 for Snapdragon, and he's looking downright excellent. Along with Earthrise Prime, he's one of my most anticipated figures for 2020, and there are a lot of good figs coming out this year. Definitely a good year to be a 'GeeWunner'. 

 

With all the other obscure bots they've made between Titans Return to the present, I'm a bit dismayed that as of yet there haven't been any Omnibot updates. With the uptick in quality for the WFC lines, I'd love to have updates of those guys (I still have my Downshift- a bit yellowed and very loose, but still cool).

Edited June 10, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, pleasantly surprised with Snapdragon.  "Not being made of milk-jug plastic" alone makes him 10x better-looking than Apeface.  And Snapdragon just inherently "works" a lot better as a triple-changer.   SR-71-ish to T-rex is a lot easier to do than spaceship to gorilla.  Really, the only they could have screwed him up, would be to use that awful not-white plastic.  

[mikeszekely]

No review, because I really don't have anything new to add from my earlier Siege Mirage review except that I think this is a pretty cool deco.  I do think he'd have looked better with the toy-style head the used on invisible Mirage, though.

Also I'm kind of mad at Walmart.  I preordered Mirage and Hotlink as soon as they went up way back in February.  I got an email months ago saying that they wouldn't fulfill my order until June 17th.  The 17th came and went, my order is still listed as "delayed," but I walked into a store and found three of them on the shelf (plus plenty of Hound, Sideswipe, and Chromias, and one Megatron, but no Ultra Mangus, Scrapface, or Hotlink).  Maybe fill your preorders before you start sending them to store shelves?

[DeductiblyBonkers]

On 4/26/2020 at 2:23 PM, David Hingtgen said:

Needs a lot more red---most of the tops of the wings should be red, tailfin mostly black:

And of course, none of it is gunmetal-silver-grey. 

(it's not a screencap, but this is the final scheme they went with---even freeze-framing the movie doesn't help THAT much, but it's enough to tell that what actually shows up in the movie, is definitely this version, and not any others floating around out there)  

PS----does the toy completely lack Decepticon logos? 

Where'd you get this? Got any better views of Dropkick and Blitzwing's alt modes?

[mikeszekely]

Sounds like Hasbro's planning a Transformers-related livestream this Friday.  I hope they reveal some new stuff (like maybe some of the stuff from those leaks I posted about awhile back, like the possible Earthrise Cyclonus or the Transformers x Top Gun thing) and they're not just showing off figures due for this fall that have (somehow) already made their way into the hands of Youtubers that already put up reviews (yes, I'm a little jelly).

[mark-1s]

New pics of Blitzwing: https://news.tfw2005.com/2020/06/23/transformers-studio-series-ss-65-voyager-blitzwing-new-stock-images-413314

Bot mode isn't too bad, but that plane mode.....mother of god.

 

[Mechapilot77]

yeah that plane mode not only has teh bot underneath look.....it doeesn't know what plane it wants to be on top.  bot mode is ok....i'll wait for a good 3P option.

[M'Kyuun]

Well, y'know, the Bumblebee designs were an artifact of the Bayformer aesthetic, meaning there was neither rhyme nor reason to the transformation. It has what appear to be four landing gear struts for toes on an aircraft with standard tricycle landing gear. Need I say more?  I can't really blame Takara for making a non-plane from a nonsensical robot design. I'll never understand the people who defend Bayformer designs as realistic; if you have an iota of engineering sense, they couldn't be further from. 

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Well, y'know, the Bumblebee designs were an artifact of the Bayformer aesthetic, meaning there was neither rhyme nor reason to the transformation. It has what appear to be four landing gear struts for toes on an aircraft with standard tricycle landing gear. Need I say more?  I can't really blame Takara for making a non-plane from a nonsensical robot design. I'll never understand the people who defend Bayformer designs as realistic; if you have an iota of engineering sense, they couldn't be further from. 

Not that I disagree with your opinion of the Bayverse designs in general, but I'd bet that Blitzwing's alt mode has a lot more to do with HasTak not licensing the F-4.