The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[mikeszekely]

5 hours ago, tekering said:

"Novelty?"  That speaks volumes about the failure of Hasbro's marketing and distribution model, doesn't it?

Maybe? I don't know what things are like in Japan. In the States, I think Hasbro's willingness to engage with adult collectors has improved a lot with Hasbro Pulse and various livestreaming events, but it's still very much usually a "oh, you want this premium collectible/Takara import? You can buy it online." The brick and mortar space is still devoted to mainline Studio Series, War for Cybertron, and Cyberverse stuff, usually 4' or less of an aisle, so yeah, being able to buy anything Masterpiece at a physical store is a novelty.

[JB0]

Being able to buy anything Transformers-related at all in a physical store is a novelty, in my experience.

[M'Kyuun]

4 hours ago, JB0 said:

Being able to buy anything Transformers-related at all in a physical store is a novelty, in my experience.

Likewise. Target's generally better at maintaining stock, but even when they do have figs on the pegs, it's not in any great quantity. But at least they carry size classes above deluxe, which is about all my local Wally carries, in the very rare instance that they actually have anything on the pegs. I was there yesterday, and they had nary a single Transformers toy. I was at the Target closest to me the day prior, trying to score Origin Bumblebee. They didn't have him, of course, but they did have the Bee/barricade 2-pack, Buzzworthy Bee with Spike, a few copies of T-Wrecks (which were lying on the backs of the boxes on a lower shelf on an endcap a couple isles down from the TF area- I almost missed them), and one copy of the Worlds Collide Multipack. I don't recall if they had anything else from Kingdom, but I don't think so. It was fairly sparse pickings, and I left without buying any Transformers stuff, as Origin Bee was the only thing I was after. Fortunately, the Buzzworthy stuff tends to warm the pegs longer than the main line stuff, so I'm hopeful that I'll eventually stumble across it. It's not listed on Pulse anywhere, and I can't even find it on Target's site. Moreover a search at my local Targets come up nil. But good ole ebay has 'em by the barrel load, all at double and above MSRP. It beggars the question, how do these things always seem to be stocked conveniently close to where the scalpers live, but I'd have a better chance of tripping over a black-footed ferret than finding a Transformer toy at my local stores?

[mikeszekely]

11 hours ago, tekering said:

I'm the type of collector to whom these terms are synonymous.  Engineering is important, intuitive design is important, material quality is important... but visual accuracy is paramount.  It can't possibly be better, if it looks worse. 🤨

I dunno... MPM-12 looks a lot better in Emgo's review.

In all seriousness, I think every collector needs to do right for their own collection, but I personally feel like there needs to be more balance.  If looks alone are paramount then why bother with a transforming Transformer at all?  Just get the ThreeZero or Prime-1 and call it a night.

34 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

I was at the Target closest to me the day prior, trying to score Origin Bumblebee. They didn't have him, of course, but they did have... one copy of the Worlds Collide Multipack.

What's up with Target's distribution, man?  None of the stores around here have the Worlds Collide pack, but they're all starting to get Origin Bumblebee.  If you want, I'll grab one for you next time I'm there.

[M'Kyuun]

4 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

What's up with Target's distribution, man?  None of the stores around here have the Worlds Collide pack, but they're all starting to get Origin Bumblebee.  If you want, I'll grab one for you next time I'm there.

That would be cool, thanks. 

[mikeszekely]

Starts at 11:00 ET.

[M'Kyuun]

Curious to see what they, um, roll out.

  I'll see myself out.

[M'Kyuun]

Just popped in to TFW to see what's new. New Transformers Legacy/Evolution/Studio Series Listings Found - Leader Dragon Megatron, Armada Starscream, Soundwave, Energon Monster, Bulkhead, Tarantulas, Skids, Dragstrip, Ratchet, Rumble, Kickback, Laserbeak, Wheelie, & Blaster - Transformers News - TFW2005

So, just reading through that link should give those of you collecting the mainline hope for some improved figs over what we already got in the WfC line. I'm excited to see SS86 Ratchet, as Earthrise left a lot to be desired, especially those terrible feet and partsforming roof. Hopefully, this version will fix both issues in a fully integrated 'perfect' transformation, with a much better van mode. Seeing Dragstrip in that lineup, it looks like we're indeed going to get a new spate of combiners. That should make a certain fan named Mike pretty happy. Personally, I wish they'd started with the Constructicons or the Combaticons, but I'm patient. I'm curious to see how they tackle the combining gimmick without resorting once again to a huge joint that the rest of the bot needs to be designed around.

Hasbro made out very well financially for the first half of 2021, so I hope that's reflected in the toy budgets for this upcoming line in overall quality, paint apps, more ratchet joints, overall improved articulation ( give all figs rotating wrists as a minimal improvement), better engineering to cover gaps, incorporate better solutions to stuff like Wheeljack's wings or Sunstreaker's spoiler, and for the love of Primus, give these figs all the weapons and accessories that their G1 counterparts came with so we don't have to continue to rely on third parties to provide all these upgrades and accessories at the same if not higher, cost than the figure itself. They're doing a pretty good job on the figs, with a few missteps along the way, but if they're well within the black financially, it would be nice to see that reflected in the product, and not going into upper management's pockets.

I hope they redo the Triple Changers for Legacy- Astrotrain had a nice bot mode, but both of his alt modes left a lot to be desired, and we could do with a new Blitzwing, since the TR version had its issues as well.

[JB0]

Studio Series 86 Rumble... well, no arguments this time if it should be red, black, blue, or purple since this one's explicitly based on the good movie.

(Will the japanese import be "Frenzy" or "US Rumble"?)

 

I actually like the design of Armada Starscream, so that's pretty cool.

Edited August 12, 2021 by JB0

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Just popped in to TFW to see what's new. New Transformers Legacy/Evolution/Studio Series Listings Found - Leader Dragon Megatron, Armada Starscream, Soundwave, Energon Monster, Bulkhead, Tarantulas, Skids, Dragstrip, Ratchet, Rumble, Kickback, Laserbeak, Wheelie, & Blaster - Transformers News - TFW2005

Aw, I was just headed over to post this.  It agrees with a lot of the leaks I posted months ago... that the next series would be Legacy, that it would be a mix of G1 and other Transformers, that we were getting Tarantulas, Inferno (the ant), Skids, Blaster, and new Stunticons (happily surprised that they're starting with Dragstrip).  A new, smaller class with SS86 Rumble, SS86 Wheelie, and DotM Laserbeak is a bit of surprise, but not unwelcome.  Deluxe Kickback, very nice.  Dragon Megatron and Armada Starscream, I can dig it.

I'm not get too excited about SS86 Ratchet, though.  The price indicates that it's the same class as Rumble, something Legends/Core-sized.  I know, he and Ironhide deserve better than the Earthrise one... well, at least I have new feet coming for them.

So my guess is Friday we're going to have preorders for the rest of Kingdom and the announcement of Legacy, then?

Oh, and if we're lucky, maybe this...

[M'Kyuun]

Sorry to steal your thunder, Mike, but yeah, hopefully we'll get to see pics of everything on Friday. I didn't realize that Ratchet was of the smaller class; I figured a Studio Series version would be their way of making a better version than the lackluster Earthrise version. Guess not.

I'm guessing blue Bluestreak will probably be some sort of exclusive. While I wouldn't mind having it to add to the collection, if they make it too expensive or difficult to obtain, I can live without it. I have MP blue Bluestreak, and I'm pleased just to have that. 

[Wolf-1]

9 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Aw, I was just headed over to post this.  It agrees with a lot of the leaks I posted months ago... that the next series would be Legacy, that it would be a mix of G1 and other Transformers, that we were getting Tarantulas, Inferno (the ant), Skids, Blaster, and new Stunticons (happily surprised that they're starting with Dragstrip).  A new, smaller class with SS86 Rumble, SS86 Wheelie, and DotM Laserbeak is a bit of surprise, but not unwelcome.  Deluxe Kickback, very nice.  Dragon Megatron and Armada Starscream, I can dig it.

I'm not get too excited about SS86 Ratchet, though.  The price indicates that it's the same class as Rumble, something Legends/Core-sized.  I know, he and Ironhide deserve better than the Earthrise one... well, at least I have new feet coming for them.

So my guess is Friday we're going to have preorders for the rest of Kingdom and the announcement of Legacy, then?

Oh, and if we're lucky, maybe this...

Why is it the Smokescreen/Barricade mold and not the Prowl/Silverstreak mold?  Just when I think I've finished buying all the upgrade kits needed for a mold.

Personally on the fence with the Vanette feet upgrade, have them, put them on and immediately removed them again.  I liked the look in pictures of the feet in Bot mode but not in person. So now it's just another parts-forming option for them.

[Mechapilot77]

blue "silverstreak" aka diaclone/g1 boxart bluestreak definitely a welcome site.  wish his thighs were silver instead of white but i get it i guess.  still blue eyes vs. yellow though - same mistake they made on the mp version too.  needs yellow eyes. 

[M'Kyuun]

Figures my mother-in-law, who doesn't drive,  has a medical appointment tomorrow morning right in the middle of the Hasbro Pulse Transformers event. I was looking forward to it. Hopefully, I'll get back in time before everything is already sold out on Pulse.

Given the hoops I as an adult fan have to jump through to get TF toys, I feel bad for any kids that might actually want to get these things; their presence in brick and mortar is fleeting at best, with long interludes of little to nothing on the shelves. It definitely wasn't like that when I was a kid, and it makes me wonder why it's not being addressed both by stores and Hasbro. How do they expect to sell their products if they're never available?  It's ridiculous.

[mikeszekely]

23 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I'm guessing blue Bluestreak will probably be some sort of exclusive. While I wouldn't mind having it to add to the collection, if they make it too expensive or difficult to obtain, I can live without it.

*crosses fingers for a Gen Selects Pulse-exclusive release if it's not a mainstream release* (I don't think it's a mainstream release).

14 hours ago, Wolf-1 said:

Why is it the Smokescreen/Barricade mold and not the Prowl/Silverstreak mold?  Just when I think I've finished buying all the upgrade kits needed for a mold.

Good question. 

Fortunately I've managed to hold off on too many upgrade kits for that mold.  I know I got the gun/shoulder cannon sets from Nonnef, but just for Barricade and Smokescreen.  I thought the ones Bluestreak came with were close enough to his cartoon appearance, and Prowl didn't have them in the cartoon.  I'll probably just go with stock accessories for Actually Blue Streak...

...unlike the Sideswipe mold, where I bought five spoilers and six gun/shoulder rockets packs.  And I guess I'll be doing it again for the Earth versions.

14 hours ago, Wolf-1 said:

Personally on the fence with the Vanette feet upgrade, have them, put them on and immediately removed them again.  I liked the look in pictures of the feet in Bot mode but not in person. So now it's just another parts-forming option for them.

Which ones did you get?  I held off on the various 3D-printed ones.  I might have liked to see Go Better take a stab at it, but Nonnef just released some so I grabbed two white (SG and ER Ratchet) and one red (ER Ironhide).  He shipped today, so I should have a review in a couple of days.

8 hours ago, Mechapilot77 said:

blue "silverstreak" aka diaclone/g1 boxart bluestreak definitely a welcome site.  wish his thighs were silver instead of white but i get it i guess.  still blue eyes vs. yellow though - same mistake they made on the mp version too.  needs yellow eyes. 

Yes.  To all points.  Maybe I can paint the thighs myself, but I think the eyes are going to have to stay blue.

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Figures my mother-in-law, who doesn't drive,  has a medical appointment tomorrow morning right in the middle of the Hasbro Pulse Transformers event. I was looking forward to it. Hopefully, I'll get back in time before everything is already sold out on Pulse.

Good luck.  I know I plan to make my kids' lunch early and be on the computer at 11:00 sharp.

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Given the hoops I as an adult fan have to jump through to get TF toys, I feel bad for any kids that might actually want to get these things; their presence in brick and mortar is fleeting at best, with long interludes of little to nothing on the shelves. It definitely wasn't like that when I was a kid, and it makes me wonder why it's not being addressed both by stores and Hasbro. How do they expect to sell their products if they're never available?  It's ridiculous.

I remember the movie toys being more abundant.  I suspect, but can't be sure, that the distribution problem is more on the retailers than Hasbro; they don't want to devote a ton of store space to a toy line without the media to help sell it.  I'd be curious to look at the actual numbers, but I think Hasbro's come to realize that kids bought the toys for current cartoons, but Generations is fueled more by adult collectors.

And the situation can definitely vary from store to store, even within the same retailer.  I went to the Walmart in Greensburg, maybe 20-30 minutes from me, and found both Slag and Grindor.  I went to my local Target (maybe 10 minutes from me) and they have several Cheetors, Black Arachnias, Paleotrexes, and Warpaths, and that's it.  To add insult to injury, they appeared to rearrange that aisle, and Transformers was reduced from a 4-foot section to half of that.  That's basically two pegs for Kingdom Deluxes, two for Studio Series Deluxes, two for Cyberverse of any size smaller than the big boxes, one shelf spot each for SS and Kingdom Voyagers, one shelf spot for the retro Headmasters (that they didn't even have), and the rest for the larger Cyberverse stuff.  Doesn't look like the local Target is even carrying Leader or bigger figures, so it's a good thing I found them at the other one.

Target seems a little better.  Their problems are just a) they're in the middle of setting their holiday plan-o-gram, so stuff's moving around, and b) what stuff they've put out seems to sell quickly.  I stopped at a not-my-local Target today, and the shelves were barren... except for Studio Series Voyager-class Thrust.

I didn't plan on getting this guy.  I mean, I can't keep re-buying Seeker molds.  I already have nine of the Siege mold, and seven of the Earthrise ones (with G2 Ramjet delayed but coming soon, I gather).  Starscream's the big draw, and the Cybertron scenes were pretty inconsequential in Bumblebee anyway, so I was going to stop at just Starscream.  But... look at the green on this guy!  I'm a sucker for the colors on this guy (I'd kill for an Acid Storm using the Earthrise mold with the same shade of green as Thrust's torso, and light green Maketoys used in the spots they used it).

Of course, that begs the question... why is this Thrust and not Acid Storm?  Well, a Seeker in these colors did appear in the movie, but whether it was specifically intended to be Thrust or Acid Storm I couldn't say.  Seems likely they were just throwing all the colors they could find in G1 at us.  At some point, though, a Hasbro exec decided definitively that the guy with Acid Storm's colors would be an homage to this guy instead-

-that guy being Armada Thrust.  Despite Armada Thrust clearly having a lot less green and a lot more black/dark gray.  Oh well.

Not a ton of changes from Starcream.  Same articulation, same accessories, same transformation, same bit in the instructions about the forearms tabbing together despite the lack of a slot.  He does have a different head than Starscream, which is nice.  Thrust also has a bit more material forming a pointed hood around his collar, giving him a sort of coneheaded look.

Oh, note that I have his wings up like that because that's how they came out of the box and how his instructions show him.  That's right for Starscream, but apparently they should be turned 180 degrees so they point downward on Thrust for more movie accuracy.

As mentioned, transformation is identical to Starscream's; the cavity where their heads store is big enough to accommodate Thrust's hood.  The exact color placement is a bit off.  Some of that, like the lack of green on the intakes and the extra green on the fuselage behind them is just the reality of making sure the bot mode is accurate.  Some of it, though... the green stripes on the wings are too large, and pointed tips of the wings and the vertical stabilizer aren't green when they should be.  Oh well, close enough, I guess.  Like I said, the Cybertron scenes are short, inconsequential, and I don't even know if Thrust was seen in alt mode.  I'm judging by the concept art.

So, anyway, I liked this mold as Starscream.  I like this mold in green and white/light gray.  I don't know if I like green and white/light gray as Thrust, but that doesn't stop me from just calling him Acid Storm and being content.  I think this guy might be a Target-exclusive, but don't hold me to that.  Worth buying if you didn't get Starscream, as I prefer Thrust's colors, but if you don't need multiples of this mold that's fine too.

[Wolf-1]

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

 

Which ones did you get?  I held off on the various 3D-printed ones.  I might have liked to see Go Better take a stab at it, but Nonnef just released some so I grabbed two white (SG and ER Ratchet) and one red (ER Ironhide).  He shipped today, so I should have a review in a couple of days.

 

Got them through TFSafari so I believe they are the 115 Workshop versions.  I did  pick-up Nonnef's Red Ratchet set to help my S.G. Ratchet look more like his G1 self, minus his eyes and the pin-striping he's there.  I'm intrigued by the sled's that are starting to be offered for the mold as it harkens back to the G1 toy or the pilot where B.B. gets in the rear of Ironhide and "creates a new river"; of course that will never happen.  I feel you on the spoilers, leg fillers and weapons for the Siege Lambo's, finally managed to snag a G2 Sideswipe to go along with Deep Cover.  

[M'Kyuun]

I've thought about getting the Go better upgrade for Sunstreaker and the foot kits by 115 Workshop, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It bugs me a little that these things cost nearly as much or more than the entire fig, and due to their 3D printing, have the tell-tale rough patterns that necessitates some potential finishing work.

Oh, Fan Friday starting...gotta go watch what little I can.

[mikeszekely]

Recap

First reveal, SS86 Sweep.  Hands are reversed from Scourge, different blast effect, maybe different blue.

Deluxe-class SS86 Perceptor.  Looks like a big improvement over TR Perceptor, and I liked TR Perceptor.  SS86 Perceptor can do the tank mode.

SS86 Starscream.  Told you it was coming.  Looks like a slight retool of ER Starscream (articulated hands) with the cape, crown, and shoulder pads, and a throne.  Leader-class.

The 86 movie is going to be in theaters for two days. I might go, even though I just picked up the 4K steelbook.

More Robosen Primes are going to be available.  Since that's a Pulse-exclusive, they segued into showing off the Shattered Glass figures they didn't reveal in a livestream but have been on Pulse for awhile.  Which segued into the comic book cover reveals... are they done showing off new figures?

G1 chess set from Eaglemoss on Kickstarter.  I might back it.

And then some crossover on a mobile game, Top War.  Yuck.

Did I say A mobile game crossover?  I mean crossovers, as we've got another with Mobile Legends Bang Bang.  ...I just threw up in my mouth typing that.

Yep, that's it for the figure reveals.  Kind of a weak event overall.  But it sounds like they're doing another one on the 24th.  Guess they're saving the good stuff for then?

EDIT:  Oh yeah, preorders start at 1:00pm ET.  Hopefully @M'Kyuun will be back by then.

Edited August 13, 2021 by mikeszekely

[M'Kyuun]

15 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Recap

First reveal, SS86 Sweep.  Hands are reversed from Scourge, different blast effect, maybe different blue.

Deluxe-class SS86 Perceptor.  Looks like a big improvement over TR Perceptor, and I liked TR Perceptor.  SS86 Perceptor can do the tank mode.

SS86 Starscream.  Told you it was coming.  Looks like a slight retool of ER Starscream (articulated hands) with the cape, crown, and shoulder pads, and a throne.  Leader-class.

The 86 movie is going to be in theaters for two days. I might go, even though I just picked up the 4K steelbook.

More Robosen Primes are going to be available.  Since that's a Pulse-exclusive, they segued into showing off the Shattered Glass figures they didn't reveal in a livestream but have been on Pulse for awhile.  Which segued into the comic book cover reveals... are they done showing off new figures?

 

I hope not. I'm surprised that's all the new 86 SS figs- I figured there'd be a few more, maybe another Dinobot, or an Insecticon.  Anyway, the Fanfest segued into snoozeville as soon as they were done with the SS86 figs. Don't care a lick about Shattered Glass.  I do hope they show  TF: The Movie around here, as I've never seen it on the big screen, and that'd be a nice thing to experience. Waiting for them to talk about the upcoming Legacy stuff, but they're dragging feet, and I'm going to have to go take my mom-in-law to an appointment, so I'll likely miss the part I actually care about. C'set la vie. 

Why can't we get a good TF game? That footage looked like a promo cut scene, not actual gameplay.  WfC and FoC were done very well. A G1 styled game would be great in that format.

Well, Fan thing is over. Pretty underwhelming. Guess more to come on the 24th. Hopefully Legacy stuff will be on display.

I thought they said stuff would be up on Pulse at 1100 ET, which would be about 2PM my time (PT). Either way, I'll be home by by then, and standing by, although Perceptor is the only thing they showed that I'm interested in. I'm not too plussed by the ER Seeker mold, and I never cared much about the Coronation scene regala for Screamer. Too, I never cared for the Sweeps' alt mode, so having Scourge, I don't need another flying bar of soap. I will say, however, that the bot mode for that mold is pretty striking: Scourge is standing right in front of me on my desk at present, so I'm admiring it even as I type. That alt mode though- ugh!

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[sh9000]

I’m not collecting every Transformer but I think I’ll collect every SS TFTM release.  Dorkside still has Kup, Blurr, and Jazz for sale so I’ll add them to my preorder today.

[mikeszekely]

Since Pulse hasn't filled any of my recent preorders (including the exclusive G2 Ramjet that was supposed to be out two weeks ago) I went back to Amazon.  Got preorders for Starscream, Perceptor, and a pair of Sweeps.

[Negotiator]

kingdom red alert

https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-war-for-cybertron-kingdom-deluxe-wfc-k38-red-alert

[Wolf-1]

13 minutes ago, Negotiator said:

kingdom red alert

https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-war-for-cybertron-kingdom-deluxe-wfc-k38-red-alert

Premium Member exclusive at the moment, with limited release afterward; stupid!!

 

[mikeszekely]

27 minutes ago, Negotiator said:

kingdom red alert

https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-war-for-cybertron-kingdom-deluxe-wfc-k38-red-alert

Thanks, ordered!

13 minutes ago, Wolf-1 said:

Premium Member exclusive at the moment, with limited release afterward; stupid!!

 

As someone who paid for Pulse Premium, it's nice to have a benefit beyond free shipping on all the orders I had to cancel because I found the figures in store before Pulse shipped.

In any case, it's actually a Walgreen's exclusive.  I don't see it online, but most of the other Walgreen's exclusives I've found in my local stores, so keep an eye out.

EDIT: While we're at it, it's listed as "coming soon" and you can't actually preorder it yet, but here's the link for Covert Agent Ravage.

https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-war-for-cybertron-deluxe-covert-agent-rave-and-micromaster-decepticons-forever-ravage

Edited August 13, 2021 by mikeszekely

[Wolf-1]

6 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

 

As someone who paid for Pulse Premium, it's nice to have a benefit beyond free shipping on all the orders I had to cancel because I found the figures in store before Pulse shipped.

In any case, it's actually a Walgreen's exclusive.  I don't see it online, but most of the other Walgreen's exclusives I've found in my local stores, so keep an eye out.

Oh I'll be checking the one Walgreen's we do have in town but knowing this town, I doubt they ever actually make it to the shelf.  R.A. may just have to stay in the background is all.  

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, Negotiator said:

kingdom red alert

https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-generations-war-for-cybertron-kingdom-deluxe-wfc-k38-red-alert

Just got back and checked in- glad I did. 'Preciate the link! Got him and perceptor. I'm happy.🙂

[mikeszekely]

Man, just saw the backer prices for that Eaglemoss chess set. $600!  Would be cheaper to make a board big enough and play with my actual WFC figures.  I like Transformers, I like chess, but I don't like Transformers and chess together enough to drop that kind of cash.  

[mikeszekely]

On 8/13/2021 at 1:41 PM, mikeszekely said:

As someone who paid for Pulse Premium, it's nice to have a benefit beyond free shipping on all the orders I had to cancel because I found the figures in store before Pulse shipped.

Speaking on this... I preordered a lot of my first wave SS86 and first and second wave Kingdom stuff from Amazon.  And it seemed like a lot of people here who were preordering from Pulse got theirs first, so this time around I preordered Rhinox, Galvatron, Tracks, Scorponok, Wingfinger, Rodimus Prime, and the Ark from Pulse, since I'd already bought into Pulse Premium.  @Wolf-1 sent me a Galvatron he got from BBTS, which I already replaced with one from Amazon.  Canceled on Pulse.  Rhinox and Wingfinger, bought on Amazon, canceled on Pulse.  And after a trip to my local Target and a non-local Walmart that initial preorder is down to just the Ark.😒

But hey, that means you guys don't have to wait until next month for my review of Deluxe-class Kingdom Tracks.

We're off to a pretty good start, aesthetically.  He's the same size as the other WfC cars, and the thinner limbs you'd associate with a lankier bot like Tracks.  The head sculpt is spot-on, he's got the red-on-yellow insignia on his chest with silver windows splitting the difference between the cartoon's sometimes white, sometimes black ones.  He's got the hood guns, the wings, and a simplified version of the red-and-yellow forearm details.

Looking closer, though, and things started to bug me.  There's no red-and-white details on his knees.  No blue on his shins.  He's got the white on his pelvis, but not the red or yellow.  There's no red or yellow on his wings, either.  Maybe they didn't have to be as detailed as the gunmetal over blue with red trim as the cartoon, but black feet is just lazy.  And I'm kind of not sold on how his hood guns work.  Maybe if the central part were a bit wider and painted...

He's got a few issues with his build, too.  Hollow forearms with peg holes you can see right through, a backpack that's largely made from translucent plastic (painting it blue is where most of his paint budget went, I guess), fairly insubstantial torso under the backpack, feet that aren't totally connected to his legs, and legs that are a series of double hinges with a swivel on the outside that don't lock together too well.

Well, onto accessories.  You already saw his hood guns.  Aside from that, he comes with a black pistol, similar to the one he had in the cartoon if the cartoon had a bunch of hollow cutouts drawn into it.

Tracks' head is is on a ball joint.  He can look up and swivel, but he doesn't really have much to work with as far as downward or sideways tilt goes.  His shoulders rotate, taking the wings with them since they're attached to his shoulders, not his back, and move laterally 90 degrees.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend 90 degrees.  No wrist swivels.  His waist swivels, though.  His pelvis flap moves up as a single piece, giving him the clearance to move his hips 90 degrees forward, 90 degrees laterally, and somewhat less than that backward as his thigh bangs into his backpack.  His this swivel.  His knees bend 90 degrees.  His feet are kind of weird.  There are ball pegs pointing inward from the outside edges of his legs (near the wing mirrors) that run parallel with the bottom of his shins.  The feet connect to them via a ball joint, and the visual is like he's actually floating a little above his feet.  There's room for plenty of up/down tilt, but his ankle pivot is just about 45 degrees.

Tracks' pistol plugs into either fist.  There's a 5mm port on top of his hood that his cannons plug into, and they themselves have a 5mm port on them in case you wanted to plug something else in.  He's got ports on top of either shoulder, on the outside of both forearms, on the back of his hood, on the outside of his lower legs, and under each heel, as well.

Tracks' transformation feels a bit over-engineered, especially since he's a touch shellformer-y.  As I alluded to, the outside of his legs spin around, taking his feet with them, and use an armature with hinges as both ends to line up properly, while the rest of his leg opens and uses a similar double-hinged armature to collapse before closing back up.  Seems like they could have accomplished the same thing much more solidly if his legs opened, then the lower part rotated at the knee to encapsulate his thighs, like Sideswipe's do except forming the front of the car instead of the rear.  But what do I know?  Size-wise he's got a similar length to Sideswipe and the other cars.  He's narrower that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, but so were the Datsuns, so it should be fine.

Whatever my issues with the bot mode, I have to admit that they did a great job with the car.  It skirts so close to a late '70s/early '80s Corvette that I actually had to go back and look at the box to see if there was a GM logo or anything to indicate that Hasbro did, in fact, license it.  Doesn't look they did.  I guess the minor tweaks to the nose, the square taillights, and the vents on the sides were enough embellishments to skirt the license.

I wanted to complain that the red flames on the hood seemed a bit simple, lacking the yellow I associate with him.  I double-checked, though, and it turns out the simpler red-only flames are cartoon accurate.  I'll also note the absence of a badge on his roof.  This is something the MP pulled off with a flipping gimmick, but I kind of think the badge was still on the roof in the cartoon.  I know the G1 toy had a rubsign.  In any case, I'm not sure if I like the clean roof or would have preferred a badge.

Tracks has a peg hole on his tail, the one that was on the back of his hood, where you can plug in his cannons.  Then, you can plug the pistol into the hole on the cannons.  There's also the one on between his exhausts, and one on either front fender just behind the tire.

A Transformer that turned into a Corvette was already something that appealed to my five year old self.  But a Transformer that could turn into a flying Corvette?  Blew my kindergarten mind, so I'm glad to see Hasbro was able to work a flight mode into the Kingdom figure.  That said, it's barely a mode.  You basically unfold his arms and wings like you're going back to robot mode; they don't tab in or lock in place or anything.  Then, instead of continuing to transform him into a robot you flip up the tail fins.  And now we can start to guess why they didn't make the hood cannons wider; Hasbro wanted them to fit between the fins so his weapons could still store in that spot.  Oh well.  The same ports are available as in regular car mode, except now you also have access to the ones on his shoulders.  Turns out between those and the one on his rear (where his hood cannons go in bot mode) you have some good spots for blast effects.

Oh, yeah... the lack of red paint isn't limited to his wings.  With the fins folded out, you can see they're unpainted, too.

So Tracks is... ok.  Good scale, average articulation, appropriate accessories.  Looks more accurate in both modes, despite some missing details, than the older Reveal the Shield toy.  I'm a bit concerned about the longevity of all that translucent plastic, though, especially where the top of the car tabs into the hood, and his legs are over-engineered and prone to coming undone, which can leave him feeling a bit fiddly.  That said, some of the early reports I'd been hearing made it sound like he'd fall apart just standing on a shelf, and that definitely doesn't seem to be the case with my copy; as long as you pinch near the knee when you manipulate him to hold the side of the leg and the shin together he's fine.  Might have to do a bit of paint work, or hope Toyhax does a set for this guy, but I'd recommend him overall.

Edited August 14, 2021 by mikeszekely

[M'Kyuun]

11 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Speaking on this... I preordered a lot of my first wave SS86 and first and second wave Kingdom stuff from Amazon.  And it seemed like a lot of people here who were preordering from Pulse got theirs first, so this time around I preordered Rhinox, Galvatron, Tracks, Scorponok, Wingfinger, Rodimus Prime, and the Ark from Pulse, since I'd already bought into Pulse Premium.  @Wolf-1 sent me a Galvatron he got from BBTS, which I already replaced with one from Amazon.  Canceled on Pulse.  Rhinox and Wingfinger, bought on Amazon, canceled on Pulse.  And after a trip to my local Target that initial preorder is down to just Rodimus and the Ark.😒

But hey, that means you guys don't have to wait until next month for my review of Deluxe-class Kingdom Tracks.

We're off to a pretty good start, aesthetically.  He's the same size as the other WfC cars, and the thinner limbs you'd associate with a lankier bot like Tracks.  The head sculpt is spot-on, he's got the red-on-yellow insignia on his chest with silver windows splitting the difference between the cartoon's sometimes white, sometimes black ones.  He's got the hood guns, the wings, and a simplified version of the red-and-yellow forearm details.

Looking closer, though, and things started to bug me.  There's no red-and-white details on his knees.  No blue on his shins.  He's got the white on his pelvis, but not the red or yellow.  There's no red or yellow on his wings, either.  Maybe they didn't have to be as detailed as the gunmetal over blue with red trim as the cartoon, but black feet is just lazy.  And I'm kind of not sold on how his hood guns work.  Maybe if the central part were a bit wider and painted...

He's got a few issues with his build, too.  Hollow forearms with peg holes you can see right through, a backpack that's largely made from translucent plastic (painting it blue is where most of his paint budget went, I guess), fairly insubstantial torso under the backpack, feet that aren't totally connected to his legs, and legs that are a series of double hinges with a swivel on the outside that don't lock together too well.

Well, onto accessories.  You already saw his hood guns.  Aside from that, he comes with a black pistol, similar to the one he had in the cartoon if the cartoon had a bunch of hollow cutouts drawn into it.

Tracks' head is is on a ball joint.  He can look up and swivel, but he doesn't really have much to work with as far as downward or sideways tilt goes.  His shoulders rotate, taking the wings with them since they're attached to his shoulders, not his back, and move laterally 90 degrees.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend 90 degrees.  No wrist swivels.  His waist swivels, though.  His pelvis flap moves up as a single piece, giving him the clearance to move his hips 90 degrees forward, 90 degrees laterally, and somewhat less than that backward as his thigh bangs into his backpack.  His this swivel.  His knees bend 90 degrees.  His feet are kind of weird.  There are ball pegs pointing inward from the outside edges of his legs (near the wing mirrors) that run parallel with the bottom of his shins.  The feet connect to them via a ball joint, and the visual is like he's actually floating a little above his feet.  There's room for plenty of up/down tilt, but his ankle pivot is just about 45 degrees.

Tracks' pistol plugs into either fist.  There's a 5mm port on top of his hood that his cannons plug into, and they themselves have a 5mm port on them in case you wanted to plug something else in.  He's got ports on top of either shoulder, on the outside of both forearms, on the back of his hood, on the outside of his lower legs, and under each heel, as well.

Tracks' transformation feels a bit over-engineered, especially since he's a touch shellformer-y.  As I alluded to, the outside of his legs spin around, taking his feet with them, and use an armature with hinges as both ends to line up properly, while the rest of his leg opens and uses a similar double-hinged armature to collapse before closing back up.  Seems like they could have accomplished the same thing much more solidly if his legs opened, then the lower part rotated at the knee to encapsulate his thighs, like Sideswipe's do except forming the front of the car instead of the rear.  But what do I know?  Size-wise he's got a similar length to Sideswipe and the other cars.  He's narrower that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, but so were the Datsuns, so it should be fine.

Whatever my issues with the bot mode, I have to admit that they did a great job with the car.  It skirts so close to a late '70s/early '80s Corvette that I actually had to go back and look at the box to see if there was a GM logo or anything to indicate that Hasbro did, in fact, license it.  Doesn't look they did.  I guess the minor tweaks to the nose, the square taillights, and the vents on the sides were enough embellishments to skirt the license.

I wanted to complain that the red flames on the hood seemed a bit simple, lacking the yellow I associate with him.  I double-checked, though, and it turns out the simpler red-only flames are cartoon accurate.  I'll also note the absence of a badge on his roof.  This is something the MP pulled off with a flipping gimmick, but I kind of think the badge was still on the roof in the cartoon.  I know the G1 toy had a rubsign.  In any case, I'm not sure if I like the clean roof or would have preferred a badge.

Tracks has a peg hole on his tail, the one that was on the back of his hood, where you can plug in his cannons.  Then, you can plug the pistol into the hole on the cannons.  There's also the one on between his exhausts, and one on either front fender just behind the tire.

A Transformer that turned into a Corvette was already something that appealed to my five year old self.  But a Transformer that could turn into a flying Corvette?  Blew my kindergarten mind, so I'm glad to see Hasbro was able to work a flight mode into the Kingdom figure.  That said, it's barely a mode.  You basically unfold his arms and wings like you're going back to robot mode; they don't tab in or lock in place or anything.  Then, instead of continuing to transform him into a robot you flip up the tail fins.  And now we can start to guess why they didn't make the hood cannons wider; Hasbro wanted them to fit between the fins so his weapons could still store in that spot.  Oh well.  The same ports are available as in regular car mode, except now you also have access to the ones on his shoulders.  Turns out between those and the one on his rear (where his hood cannons go in bot mode) you have some good spots for blast effects.

Oh, yeah... the lack of red paint isn't limited to his wings.  With the fins folded out, you can see they're unpainted, too.

So Tracks is... ok.  Good scale, average articulation, appropriate accessories.  Looks more accurate in both modes, despite some missing details, than the older Reveal the Shield toy.  I'm a bit concerned about the longevity of all that translucent plastic, though, especially where the top of the car tabs into the hood, and his legs are over-engineered and prone to coming undone, which can leave him feeling a bit fiddly.  That said, some of the early reports I'd been hearing made it sound like he'd fall apart just standing on a shelf, and that definitely doesn't seem to be the case with my copy; as long as you pinch near the knee when you manipulate him to hold the side of the leg and the shin together he's fine.  Might have to do a bit of paint work, or hope Toyhax does a set for this guy, but I'd recommend him overall.

'Preciate the insights, Mike. While I was never crazy about Tracks as a character, the Corvette alt mode & flying car gimmicks won me over as a kid, and continue to do so, as I also have the RtS and MP versions. Prior reviews I've watched of this toy had me a wee bit leery for all the seeming lack of fidelity in the lower legs. Sounds like it is an endemic issue with the mold, but perhaps not as egregious as other reviewers have made out. Still, it sucks that it has issues at all, and I think your suggestion would have given us a sturdier figure. Alas, naught to be done about it.

The unpainted wings are a bummer as well, as to me, they're one of those defining parts of his overall look, and just having them stark white doesn't look quite right. I also wish they'd integrated the back cannons by having them fold away into the alt mode, but again, no.  And though it's never been part of Tracks' design, I've wished since owning my G1 Tracks that the front wheels would tilt downwards in flight mode to complete the look. Still do. As far as the wings and roof crest go, a sticker sheet would have been a nice low cost option in lieu of paint or tampo.  Alas, all this wishing doesn't make it so.

 

[Negotiator]

havent received anything from pulse lately

[mikeszekely]

You might have guessed, from the wording in my review yesterday, that Tracks wasn't my only Target find.  I also came home with Deluxe-class Scorponok.

I don't know why, but Scorponok never made an impression on me.  Ask me who the main Maximal cast was after the first few episodes and that's no problem; Primal, Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot.  Ask me the Predacons, though, and chances are I'd tell you Megatron, Waspinator, Terrorsaur, Tarantulas, and Blackarachnia, forgetting all about Scorponok.  But once you remind me about him I'll start remembering some things.  For starters, I might say... isn't Scorponok a little short?  I think he should be taller than Blackarachnia, but he's something like halfway between Bumblebee and Blackarachnia (Blackarachnia is about the same size as Cheetor, though, and I think she should be a little shorter... maybe the toy designers mixed her and Scorponok up on scale?).  The sculpt is pretty good, though.  The head nails it, and he's got a lot of his important details like the dot on his chest and the gold pattern on his shins.  Not sure about the texture on his thighs, though, and isn't that dot supposed to be red?  His tail has some unfortunate hollow spaces, and I can't get that seam in his chest to stay flush.  I think some of his gray parts could use a little brown, and like Galvatron his purple could be a little bluer.  I guess that's mostly minor stuff, though.

I'm not sure if there's a proper way to arrange his beast mode legs, but I kind of wrap the shorter ones around his back, fold the tail up over them, then lay the longer legs along the sides of the tail, so the bends in the leg follow the contours of the tail.

While you're looking at that angle, note that one foot has a gray heel, the other a purple one.  That's important for the transformation later.

Scorponok has two accessories.  One is a sort of double missile.  The other is a fly, with painted eyes and wings.  I know he used the missile in the cartoon, but what's the story with the fly?  Is it supposed to be a bee?  I know the original toy had a bee, but with the purple wings and unpainted gray body it certainly doesn't look like a bee to me.

Like Tracks, Scorponok's head is on a ball joint that lets him swivel it and tilt it up a little, but nothing down or sideways.  Shoulders rotate and move laterally 90 degrees.  Elbows bend 90, and he actually does have a wrist swivel.  His hands can open and close.  He has a limited waist swivel.  Hip go 90 degrees forward, but a little less laterally because his bug legs are in the way, and a little further less backward due to his tail.  Thighs swivel, knees bend over 90 degrees.  His feet tilt down, but not really up, and have nearly 90 degrees of ankle pivot.  In this mode, there is a hinge on his tail behind his head that'll move the stinger over his head and in front of his chest, and the stinger itself is on a ball joint so it can bend down or swivel.

His hands don't really hold anything, but there are peg holes inside each one.  You can attach the missiles and/or the fly/bee plug plugging them into those holes.  Unlike many other WfC figures, the only other peg holes are under his robot feet.

Scorponok's beast form largely conforms to the other Beast Wars figures to appear in the Kingdom line.  He retains the purple and red colors of the cartoon, but eschews some of the cartoonier elements like the goofy face, the visible shoulder pads, and the spiky blades on the tail for something a tad more realistic.  Even the way the shoulder pads turn in sort of makes them look like mouth parts.  Hi still retains a lot of articulation in his arms, with movement at the shoulders, elbows, wrist swivels, and claws that open and close.

Unfortunately, it's not all good news, though.  The legs flat out suck.  They don't have much range at the base, then they each have just one ball-jointed knee (which pops off super easily).  Oh, did I say each?  Actually, the front leg and the rear leg have their own joints, but the middle two actually share a joint.  And his tail, which seems lke it should have a lot more articulation, is limited to just what he had in bot mode.

The reason for this is a fairly interesting transformation that involves splitting his torso, turning his waist 90 degrees, and then stuffing one leg into the tail and one into the split in his torso.  You'll know you're doing it right if the purple heel, which folds with the rest of the foot, is on the leg going into his chest and the gray heel, which doesn't move when you fold the foot down, fits through a hole in the tail.  It's the leg stuffing up the tail that prevents it from using all the hinges that are actually built into it.

Since his claws open in scorpion mode, the missiles and the fly/bee still plug them in.  His claws can even close around them.  Not much else to say about the scorpion mode, though.

So... Scorponok is mediocre, maybe even a tad underwhelming.  But, maybe it's because that's how I feel about the character?  Really, he definitely should have been a little bigger, and the scorpion legs a little better, but I guess other than that he does what he really needs to and has a pretty neat transformation to boot.  If you're not really into the Beast Wars characters then you can skip him, but if you've been collecting them then you'll want him for your main Predacon cast... even if I keep forgetting about him.

 

[lechuck]

Not officially announced, but it seems MP Cliffjumper is coming.

https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/mp-cliffjumper-prototype.1217784/page-29#post-19446542

 

[mikeszekely]

44 minutes ago, lechuck said:

Not officially announced, but it seems MP Cliffjumper is coming.

Oh look, someone's finally getting Cliffjumper's chibi car mode right.

*scrolls down*

I've seen a couple of MP-ish Cliffjumpers, and none of them are perfect, but that's easily the worst one.

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by mikeszekely

[anime52k8]

It's a re-shelled bumblebee, how utterly unsurprising.

[tekering]

52 minutes ago, anime52k8 said:

It's a re-shelled bumblebee, how utterly unsurprising.

It's a re-shelled MP Bumblebee 2.0, how utterly disappointing.