The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[Scyla]

On 7/6/2017 at 3:30 AM, M'Kyuun said:

'Preciate the heads up concerning Phoenix- saving money's impossible when you're a collector of just about anything these days. Sigh.

But yeah, the transformation is brilliant, as is pretty much every other aspect of the figure. From vids I've seen, it doesn't look like his gun stores in starship mode, which seems an odd omission. If so, I can live with it.

Well the gun can peg onto the inside of the leg thrusters but that looks pretty odd.

Some one need to do an addon set with a gun that transforms into a block that fills out the gap between the legs.

The figure itself is a white beast. Which makes it a nightmare if it will start to yellow one day.

The only issue so far seems to be the peg that keeps the backpack in place in robot mode. The peg is prone to breaking when dislodged incorrectly.

It even has a functional waist swivel which is rather limited and makes not as solid since you need to disconnect the hips from the main body.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Scyla

[sh9000]

On 7/9/2017 at 9:26 AM, mikeszekely said:

Keith says they're going to show off the whole thing at TFCon. They're still pretty early on, though. They're still tweaking the colors.

Cool.  

Zetatoys is making Aerialbots but the jet modes aren't that great and I'm passing on those.

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, sh9000 said:

but the jet modes aren't that great

True story, I saw the pics of Zeta's Fireflight and I seriously thought it was TFC's from Uranos until I saw another pic next to an MP Seeker.  I'm with you on them not looking good, but I also think that's too big.

[M'Kyuun]

9 hours ago, Scyla said:

Well the gun can peg onto the inside of the leg thrusters but that looks pretty odd.

Some one need to do an addon set with a gun that transforms into a block that fills out the gap between the legs.

The figure itself is a white beast. Which makes it a nightmare if it will start to yellow one day.

The only issue so far seems to be the peg that keeps the backpack in place in robot mode. The peg is prone to breaking when dislodged incorrectly.

It even has a functional waist swivel which is rather limited and makes not as solid since you need to disconnect the hips from the main body.

Thanks for the info, Scyla. Phoenix is due on my doorstep tomorrow, so I'll be forewarned when I transform him. Getting stoked to get him; after the previous attempts, I really didn't think we'd ever get a high quality Skyfire figure. Judging from the vids I've seen, while he's not perfect, he's still getting high praise from the reviewers I've watched, including Bobby Skullface, who I feel gives a pretty balanced critique.

Now I just have to figure out where I'm going to display him- really need to invest in some Detolfs. Just got notification that my FT Stomp is now available, too. Good gravy, that damned money tree out back needs to bloom. Alas, Sludge was my one and only Dinobot when I was a kid, and I've had a soft spot for him ever since. He was the first FT Dibot I ordered, and of course he was backordered out-of-stock. In the meantime, I got Sever, Grinder, then Soar, which collectively have cemented my good opinion of FT products, and filled some gaps in my G1 collection. I'll be glad when Cesium releases and I'll finally have the whole team.

[M'Kyuun]

Just want to say, Phoenix lives up to expectations. There are a few areas that could have used another coat of paint, or just a paint job period, but overall, it's an amazing figure with an interesting, fairly straight-forward transformation. I only consulted the instructions to see what to do with the head, as it didn't seem to fit right (needed to be rotated 180 degrees for plane mode), and to see what they recommended for stowing the gun. I stow it with the barrels pointing forward matching the downward angle of the crotch- looks better to me. After handling him a little and transforming him once with only the head issue, my only real criticism is with the gun stowage. It could have, and should have, been done better, especially at the price point. I'm surprised PE or Dr. Wu haven't already cranked out a more streamlined folding gun for him. I'd give it serious consideration if the gun mode was really close. Anyway, for anyone jonesing for a cartoon accurate Skyfire, I think this will float your boat. Recommended without reservation.

[Scyla]

15 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Just want to say, Phoenix lives up to expectations. There are a few areas that could have used another coat of paint, or just a paint job period, but overall, it's an amazing figure with an interesting, fairly straight-forward transformation. I only consulted the instructions to see what to do with the head, as it didn't seem to fit right (needed to be rotated 180 degrees for plane mode), and to see what they recommended for stowing the gun. I stow it with the barrels pointing forward matching the downward angle of the crotch- looks better to me. After handling him a little and transforming him once with only the head issue, my only real criticism is with the gun stowage. It could have, and should have, been done better, especially at the price point. I'm surprised PE or Dr. Wu haven't already cranked out a more streamlined folding gun for him. I'd give it serious consideration if the gun mode was really close. Anyway, for anyone jonesing for a cartoon accurate Skyfire, I think this will float your boat. Recommended without reservation.

Phoenix is pretty good however I have a few nitpicks regarding the figure.

One would be the construction of the main chest piece where you can see a seam line. I guess it was easier to construct it that way and it is not as distracting as the gate marks on MP Ultra Magnus' forearms but it is still visible when you know it is there.

Other stuff I don't like is the fact that you can see the sliding grooves for the backpack extension in alt-mode. It is only a few millimeters but still distracting to me.  

I also wished that the feet had some sort of exhaust molded into them in jet mode. Something like the pieces on the Time Machine from Back to the Future 2. It would make the thruster reveal in bot mode awesome now they are just pointless. 

Like I said nitpicks. The only real issue for me is the gun that would be much more awesome if it could transform into a block that is attaches between the thrusters because I like integrated weapon storage and the gun would lend itself to that since it is so big. 

I'd also like to know the story behind the waist joint. The assembly doesn't serve any function and is fairly involved since the backpack is attached to it but is still able to rotate. It is also very well placed and would make for a natural looking swivel.  I think they designed it with a waist joint in mind but noticed during the test shot phase that it would not be stable enough for extended play and thus scratched it or that the range of motion was not large enough to compromise the design of the toy.

And while I like Phoenix a lot I think I would rate FTs Stomp higher because it is a more interesting figure. The design of Jetfire is just too plain in the G1 cartoon and since he never had a toy they couldn't draw any inspiration from that either which makes for a unique but bland design...

 

...which fits perfectly with the bland MP releases like Ironhide, Inferno and Grapple.

[anime52k8]

My biggest problem with Phoenix is that he's skyfire and therefore lame.

[Scyla]

12 minutes ago, anime52k8 said:

My biggest problem with Phoenix is that he's skyfire and therefore lame.

I wonder what a toy Jetfire would look like if a 3rd party would tackle him. If they don't draw any inspiration from the modern VF-1 toys and it is as sturdy and well designed as some of the toys from the top tier companies it could be a quite interesting item.

I think if a toy designer creates a VF toy he starts with certain preconceptions of how they finished product should look like. If you get rid of all those you could end up with something complete different while still have the same base design.

It is hard to explain what I'm trying to say though.  

[anime52k8]

ok, I will say this:

If they made a version exactly like the one on the right, I would buy it. Because that is exactly the level of stupid and silly I can get on board with.

[Chronocidal]

See, I might actually consider buying that third version myself, but I just think Skyfire is a horribly designed boxy monstrosity with a doofy looking backpack with wings and engines.  Whereas most transformer aircraft wind up as a boxy robot hanging under a jet, in Skyfire's case, they just decided to forego the jet entirely, and strap what amounts to a Buzz Lightyear backpack to a robot.  

Some of the more recent Jetfire molds actually haven't been half bad.  The recent-ish blended F-22/F-14/Skyfire/Jetfire mashup was probably one of the best jet molds I'd seen in a long time.  I still want to see him redone as a Vigilante though.  

I really need to finish building that MP-style Dreadwing model...

Edited July 13, 2017 by Chronocidal

[M'Kyuun]

I get the criticism that Skyfire's a box with wings, and I also agree that the leader class Jetfire is one of the best aircraft figures Has-Tak have made, and a good compromise between the Skyfire bot mode and a modern fighter. Typically, I'm not a fan of Cybertronian alt modes, as most seem lazy, fugly, or they don't really look like anything relatable at all (thinking of WoC's Shockwave). However, for some reason, I've always liked Skyfire's alt mode- it just appeals to me, boxy as it is.  But I also grew up in the 70's and 80's, and LEGO Space was also near and dear to my heart, and many of those designs were boxy, too. They're still beautiful to my eyes almost 40 years later. So, I guess nostalgia plays a part. I'm just glad that a high quality G1 faithful figure has finally been made of the character, and that I could afford it. He's been standing guard on my kitchen counter for the past two days, and I can't help but feel a little tremor of joy every time I see him- such a beauty. I get that he's not for everyone, but from reviews I've watched and read, there are a few other folks like me who've been waiting a long time for a toy like Phoenix to finally come along and light our darkest hour.  I had to.  

As for the mention of the feet and the hidden exhausts in jet mode- yeah, that makes no sense to me, either. They took the time to mold augmented exhausts, and then covered them with the halves of the feet. I like the idea of having louvres built into the heels and having the exhausts behind them- it's a nice sci-fi detail that would have added a little extra touch to the figure in his spaceship mode. Opportunity lost.

Looking forward to next Monday when Fans Toy's Stomp, who I've had preordered for months, will finally arrive and join his fellow Dinos. Looking very much forward to this figure, as Sludge was my only Dinobot growing up (still remember when I bought him), and I've long wanted an updated figure. It's such a great time to be a TF fan- more options than I would have ever dreamed possible just 10 years ago.

[sh9000]

 

[Tking22]

I'll take G1 cartoon Skyfire over G1 toy VF-1 valk Jetfire any day. I never owned the original toy, and have zero love for it, it's an old VF-1 toy. Skyfire is Phoenix, and Phoenix is Skyfire, that bright white boxy design is far more iconic to me personally.

[Tking22]

8 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

 

Looks  insane! I can't wait to get both of my pieces! I need my Omega!

Edited July 14, 2017 by Tking22

[derex3592]

Man....I have waited since 85 to see a properly good Skyfire toy!  Phoenix does look great!  But dang!  $220.00 is STEEP! That's fancy DX or Arcadia Valk money!  Sheesh!  Still might get one later one though....

Edited July 14, 2017 by derex3592

[Valkyrie2008]

Just got FT Phoenix from evil-bay ($203 cheapest I could find after evil-bay flash code), I must say the build quality is pretty good. In bot mode, I don't like the chest design, the cartoon looks better. In jet mode, front side fuselage is missing the intake (or the laser cover), the legs doesn't lock in together (you can easily move up and down). 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I figure that Omega Spreem is big enough to pass off as a playmate for my toddlers.  Sorta like My Buddy, but cooler.

[Valkyrie2008]

24 minutes ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

I figure that Omega Spreem is big enough to pass off as a playmate for my toddlers.  Sorta like My Buddy, but cooler.

That's gonna be one expansive playmate!

[mikeszekely]

I had Omega Supreme as a kid, and even then I thought he was dumb. Like, basically everything but his forearms are kind of stuck in one place in alt mode. Paying a small fortune to have a newer version so big that he needs his own bedroom is a hard no for me.

[SuperHobo]

6 hours ago, derex3592 said:

Man....I have waited since 85 to see a properly good Skyfire toy!  Phoenix does look great!  But dang!  $220.00 is STEEP! That's fancy DX or Arcadia Valk money!  Sheesh!  Still might get one later one though....

Phoenix is an excellent toy. Heavy, solid and clicky. Just be careful of how you disengage the neck/ backpack.  If you pick him up and compare him to a 1/60 V2 VF-1, Phoenix makes him look like an HMR  

[M'Kyuun]

I hadn't done that size comparison, but, yeah, Phoenix is big. Much prefer my Skyfire looking like Skyfire than a supersized VF-1, much as I like the VF-1. I guess the chunkies were a ready solution as a toy version, but even back in the 80's, nether the name change to Jetfire nor the look of the toy went skeptically unnoticed, and I always wondered why Hasbro went that direction instead of making a Skyfire brick that they could charge oodles of money for, because y'know, both of those things would have been true had it been released. Still, Phoenix was worth the wait, even with his flaws. For that backpack hinge, I engage it and disengage it the same way, just in reverse order, and it seems to work well without stressing anything. It works surprisingly well, and once snapped forward into position for bot mode, it's solid- it never feels loose or like it's going to disengage on its own. 

 

I'm also not a fan of G1 Omega Supreme; I never really understood the appeal. Now, an Animated Omega, take my money.

[sh9000]

9 hours ago, Tking22 said:

Looks  insane! I can't wait to get both of my pieces! I need my Omega!

I think I will get the FT Omega Supreme for sure.

[anime52k8]

I don't get the whole cut the toy in half and make it two releases thing.

[JB0]

1 hour ago, M'Kyuun said:

Much prefer my Skyfire looking like Skyfire than a supersized VF-1, much as I like the VF-1. I guess the chunkies were a ready solution as a toy version, but even back in the 80's, nether the name change to Jetfire nor the look of the toy went skeptically unnoticed, and I always wondered why Hasbro went that direction instead of making a Skyfire brick that they could charge oodles of money for, because y'know, both of those things would have been true had it been released.

Jetfire came first, Skyfire was second. Hasbrto licensed the VF-1 toy to release as Jetfire, drew up an animation model, did a toy commercial, and then legal was all "Ummm, you guys know that this toy came from a cartoon, right? Did you buy animation rights too? You should get on that before- oh, never mind, it's too late now."

 

Long story short: Harmony Gold ruins everything.

[M'Kyuun]

10 hours ago, JB0 said:

Jetfire came first, Skyfire was second. Hasbrto licensed the VF-1 toy to release as Jetfire, drew up an animation model, did a toy commercial, and then legal was all "Ummm, you guys know that this toy came from a cartoon, right? Did you buy animation rights too? You should get on that before- oh, never mind, it's too late now."

 

Long story short: Harmony Gold ruins everything.

That last statement- so true.

Interesting history lesson, though. Still, it doesn't explain why they changed the name of the character, but, whatever. As loose as licensing seems to have been in the 80's, I'm surprised that both Hasbro and HG couldn't have simultaneous licenses for the VF-1; after all, they used the toy, and HG didn't stop them. I'll have to do some Googling. Thanks for the info, JBO.

[mikeszekely]

14 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

I don't get the whole cut the toy in half and make it two releases thing.

People's budgets, I'd guess.  At the price FT was originally charging for Spreem I know he was a little out of what I like to budget for one month.  I suppose splitting it up would let you preorder and pre-pay half one month, then either preorder and wait to pay the other half or wait a month to preorder the other half.

[Scyla]

Before we get into all the new 3rd party reveals at TFcon I would like to know from the people in this thread think about the chrome red pieces on Phoenix legs.

Most of the test shot reviews of Phoenix state that they are not happy with Fans Toys choice on the red parts being a different color than the rest of the red accents. I for myself applaud them for making this decision because it looks stunning. 

It is the same principle why I think I adore the different shades of gray on my Gunpla model kits (RGs and MGs) because they break up a monotone area of plastic with an interesting to look at effect. I guess this is more difficult to pull of on a toy that is not broke up by an inner frame that is peeking through the armor plating like you have on a (G1) Transformer. However this makes me what to see this technique on a predominately white Transformer so I know what it would look like. I think MMCs Seraphicus Prominon would be a good canvas for that.

On the other hand I don't know that would bode well with Transformers fans because of all the flag Fans Toys got for the red highlights on Phoenix legs and one Transformers guy I know of complaining that Bandai included some discolored sprues into his RG box.

[Scyla]

In other news here are the 3rd party slides form TFcon 2017: http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/07/15/tfcon-toronto-2017-3rd-party-panel-slides-full-343994

Nothing really interesting for me here with the exception of Fanstoys Cyclonus homage called Quietus and the announcement of TFC Toys doing a Abominus (Satan).

Speacing of TFC Toys is there any buzz on the Interwebs that they plan on releasing their Seacons in the G1 toy colors? Something about the color choices of the reds and greens doesn't seem right to me. I'd also would greatly appreciate it if they would do away with the light piped eyes and paint them properly

[sh9000]

I might buy the Teletraan 1.

I'll still buy the XTB Stunticons.

Edited July 16, 2017 by sh9000

[JB0]

12 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

That last statement- so true.

Interesting history lesson, though. Still, it doesn't explain why they changed the name of the character, but, whatever. As loose as licensing seems to have been in the 80's, I'm surprised that both Hasbro and HG couldn't have simultaneous licenses for the VF-1; after all, they used the toy, and HG didn't stop them. I'll have to do some Googling. Thanks for the info, JBO.

The licensing thing cut both ways, it is worth noting. The 1/55 Valkyrie toy was never in the Robotech line, even though it rapidly wound up on the most-wanted list.  Matchbox couldn't get the rights to the mold because of Hasbro, and had to make do with the Joke Machines. 

 

Best guess on the renaming is that Hasbro intended to make a new toy based on Skyfire, and didn't want to explain how two completely different toys could be the same character. I mean, they forced Bumblebee to take a new name when he was upgraded to Goldbug later, so they seemed to have been on a strong "one name, one design" mentality at the time.  (Which kinda makes sense as the company viewed them as toys first, characters second at the time.)  

 

 

Anyways, I would like a Phoenix, but can't really justify paying that much for one. I always thought Skyfire looked pretty rad.

[mikeszekely]

7 hours ago, Scyla said:

Nothing really interesting for me here with the exception of Fanstoys Cyclonus homage called Quietus and the announcement of TFC Toys doing a Abominus (Satan).

Satan looks too funky for me (and still looks like Cutthroat is an arm while Blot is a leg), so I think I'm going to stick with Ordin.

I find myself surprisingly interested in Quietus myself, especially since I tend to shy away from FansToys.  Maybe it's the IDW accessories...

You didn't mention (because you're probably not interested in) Generation Toys' Defensor, which is official now.

And MMC's making The Pet for their DJD.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it, but GT also showed a prototype for an Optimus Primal design based on Transformers Doujinshi called "T-Beast," with the indication that they're also going to do Sideswipe and Hot Rod from the same book.  The Primal looks cool... to be honest, they all look cool, but I've really been enjoying their IDW-inspired semi-MP stuff and was hoping they'd do more of that.

Speaking of, it was nice to see progress on GT's Megatron which I want.  Maketoys also had their prototype for Howling Meteor, which I want, but I guess they're both old news.

As for XTB's Menasor... I kind of like what they're doing with the Stunticons, especially Motormaster.  And if the limbs are still $40, I guess I'm in for at least the four cars.  But that combined mode looks cartoon-accurate to the point of awful.  I'm guessing Motormaster is going to be expensive because it looks like he transforms into Menasor, and the other four are like optional car decorations for his arms and calves.

[sh9000]

I think DX9's Menasor will turn out something similar but I'll stick with XTB's Stunticons.

[technoblue]

A few things caught my interest from the third-party tfcon reveals this year:

• Planet X Pluto (Megatron) and that work in progress Ultra Magnus.
• GT-3 Leader (Bomber Megatron), should look good with GT's Optimus and Jazz.
• FansToys Quietus (Cyclonus), the IDW parts are sweet.  This just might get me to pick up FansToys Galvatron if they reissue it.
  I'm already in for Arcee, Springer, Kup, and Caesium (Slag).
• MMC The Pet (Dominus Ambus), more DJD is always good.
• MMC Calidus Asterisk, I think I like this "Lost Light" version better than the standard release (I hope I can get one)

It's too bad MakeToys didn't have any new Cross Dimension announcements. I was hoping to see something new for that line. 

Edited July 17, 2017 by technoblue

[anime52k8]

all of the XTB stunticons look terrible in robot mode. I get that there going for G1 cartoon but they just look pathetic.

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, technoblue said:

It's too bad MakeToys didn't have any new Cross Dimension announcements.

Maketoys was rather quiet, weren't they?  They had Howling Meteor and Galaxy Meteor on display, and that's about it.