Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

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Warcry
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Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by Warcry »

Between Masterpiece and the recent Generations stuff, a ton of characters that I've been waiting for new figures of forever are now standing on my shelves. But there's still plenty of ground left to cover and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's still got a list of favourites who are still MIA. Whether it be someone who hasn't gotten a figure since the 80s, or someone who's current modern incarnations just don't do it for you, which characters are you still waiting for?

Titans Return actually knocked off a lot of characters who'd previously have been at the top of a list like this for me: Blaster, Blurr (via Takara) and especially all those 1987 Decepticons that came out as Deluxe figures. But there's still some members of the class of '87 that haven't been touched, including the Autobot Targetmasters. It was rumoured before that the last wave of Titans Return would bring us new versions of them, but that didn't happen. I'm actually a bit relieved that it didn't, because the rumour was that Crosshairs (one of my favourite Transformers ever on account of the original toy actually surviving my childhood) was rumoured to be a Kup repaint, and I don't think that'd work for him. I'm pretty sure that a new deluxe-class Crosshairs with the right silhouette and colours would make me happier than anything else the Generations line could bring out, right now. Hell, if Hasbro gave him the toy head and Takara did an anime head, like they've done for a lot of TR figures, I might actually buy both!

Also hailing from 1987, I'd absolutely love a new Grotusque! I actually think that TR Skullcruncher would have served as a good base for him, since they transform very similarly. But with Doublecross and (a tiny) Repugnus both making an appearance I'm actually surprised that we didn't get one.

Not as surprised as I am that we made it through a whole year's worth of Headmasters without a single Scorponok, though! I get that they're holding out on the character because they want to do a Titan, and that they boxed themselves in by doing a fan poll for the next one after Max without telling anyone that it would be a Headmaster. So as much as it disappoints me, I get why they didn't make him a Leader-class figure. But you'd think he'd have some representation in the line, even if it's just a Titan Master with a mini-vehicle. This one is actually pretty frustrating, because I know they're going to make one in the near future, but that it's going to be a two foot tall Titan figure that I'm not going to have any interest in owning. :(

Spinister, obviously, because this is me we're talking about. I know Funpub did a couple, and they're neat and all, but they're also expensive and not as good a representation of the character as a new mold would be.

And Bludgeon, of course. That probably sounds like a strange one because Hasbro has made a few Bludgeons lately. But the movie design (while cool) is very distinctively a movie design, and no matter how many third-party kits you put on it, it's still a movie figure that doesn't represent the classic Bludgeon. And the more recent figures (in the Prime and RiD lines) have both been based on the ROTF figure, so they don't really fit my expectations either. Heck, even the recent third-party Bludgeon is just another spin on the ROTF toy! I was momentarily excited to see his name on the leaked list of POTP figures, but then I saw he was a Prime Master, meaning that his first official Generations toy is going to be tiny and may actually be less complex than the original. That's not very helpful either.

I could go on all day, but Crosshairs, Grotusque, Scorponok, Spinister and Bludgeon are definitely the top five.
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Hound
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Post by Hound »

There are so many...

The Multiforce/Landcross...
Dinoforce/Dinoking
Seacons/Piranacon
Trainbots/Raiden
Victory Leo
Titan class Scorponok
Impactor
Astrotrain

Legends Class versions of:
Outback
Pipes
Hubcap
Searchlight
Rollbar
Wideload
Freeway
Goldbug
Cliffjumper
Huffer

That's off the top of my head, I'm sure there's more that I want if I really went through a list of G1 TFs.
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Sunrunner
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Post by Sunrunner »

There's plenty of G1 characters yet to do in the Generations line, but if the last couple of years are anything to go by, they'll get round to doing them sometime. It's amazing how many lesser known and obscure characters now have a modern toy representation.

The surprising thing to me is that IMO we have yet to have a good Generations release of either Optimus Prime or Megatron
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Post by Warcry »

Hound wrote:Legends Class versions of:
Outback
The recent leaks make it sound like you'll have this one sooner than later. Hopefully you like the TR Brawn mold!
Hound wrote:Hubcap
I'm really, really hoping that the reason why we got Chase instead of Cliffjumper in TR is because someone at Hasbro has finally decided that Cliffjumper is something more than cheap repaint fodder, and that he deserves his own distinct mold. Not so much for Cliffjumper's sake, but because I'd really like a Hubcap myself. And as long as Cliffjumper is reduced to being just a red repaint of Bumblebee, it's almost impossible that we'll ever get a Hubcap.
Sunrunner wrote:There's plenty of G1 characters yet to do in the Generations line, but if the last couple of years are anything to go by, they'll get round to doing them sometime. It's amazing how many lesser known and obscure characters now have a modern toy representation.
It really is. Especially considering how much of it has come in just the last couple lines. Before Titans Return came along I think Hasbro had made accurate new figures for, what, four post-86 G1 guys? Thunderwing, his repaint Black Shadow, Scoop and Brainstorm are the only ones that come to mind. For the longest time characters from that era used for maybe a lazy repaint at best, and now we've gotten spot-on representations of more than twenty of them in about a year.

And Combiner Wars was just as good. After such a big portion of the fandom got up in arms over them making a non-combining Silverbolt and Onslaught in Universe, Hasbro shied away from those characters entirely beyond a brief foray with the FoC Combaticons. And then they're suddenly putting out Devastator, Superion, Menasor, Defensor and Bruticus in a single burst.

In both cases the biggest complaints about the line seem to be that we wanted more, which I think bodes well for Hasbro continuing to delve deeper into their character roster. I look forward to the day when I can find Generations toys of the likes of Rage, Skram, Jackpot, Leadfoot and Stalker on the shelves.
Sunrunner wrote:The surprising thing to me is that IMO we have yet to have a good Generations release of either Optimus Prime or Megatron
It's less noticeable with Optimus because in the same timeframe he's gotten two really well-received MP figures, along with good figures in the Animated, Movie and Prime lines. And before that in the UT lines and RiD as well. And they all basically look like Optimus Prime. But there's so little consistency in Megatron's design that it's a lot more obvious that all of his Generations toys have either been bad toys, or decent toys that don't represent the character at all (like the IDW bomber or the WFC figure). But you're right, they've both fared poorly. The best Optimus we've gotten was the Classics Voyager, and it's firmly into "alright for its time" territory now.

Since it's been a decade or more since the Classics figure came out, I hope they'll revisit G2 Megatron some time soon. He'd make for a really solid Leader-class figure.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Warcry wrote: Thunderwing, his repaint Black Shadow, Scoop and Brainstorm are the only ones that come to mind.
I'd still like to know how the **** Scoop got in there.

Dear God, was it Scoop that opened the floodgates? "Well Ian Hasbro, turns out Scoop was the most successful Generations toy by miles. Turns out the people love Scoop!" "Do they by jingo? Then let's mine that well! Monsterbots! Chase! Another Black Shadow, only this time we'll put him out before Thunderwing!"



The main toy I want is just a proper Nightbeat. Not a head. Not a Bumblebee repaint. I'll live with him sharing with Jazz if he must.
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STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
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Post by Warcry »

inflatable dalek wrote:I'd still like to know how the **** Scoop got in there.
I vaguely remember hearing that the process went something like this: We need a Construction vehicle in the line! -> No, we can't make one of the Constructicons! We're making a Devastator next year! -> No, we can't make Armada Scavenger, there's already too much Armada stuff in the wave! -> Screw it, just pick someone whose trademark we can get easily!

And so we got Scoop. Which was awesome! Except for the part where I had to paint a whole bunch of him because his yellow was anemic and they made the shovel orange. And also the part where his transformation is awful and his alt-mode doesn't hold together.

At least he looks good hanging out with TR toys.
inflatable dalek wrote:The main toy I want is just a proper Nightbeat. Not a head. Not a Bumblebee repaint. I'll live with him sharing with Jazz if he must.
Chromedome would have made a great base figure, if he has to be a repaint. The transformation and proportions are pretty close, just give him a new face and chestplate and you're good.
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Post by Skyquake87 »

I'd like to see some more Generations Beast Wars toys. After pooh-pooing them, I've been really impressed with Rhinox, Ratttrap and Waspinator, so it'd be nice to get some nice new versions of the 'Season 1' cast bodies - Tarantulas, Inferno and what have you.

I'd like to see Scorponok, so fingers crossed he comes out for Prime Wars. The Terrorcons and Predacons I'd like to see updated.

Some of the less obvious stuff from the European lines would be most welcome too. I liked that custom Stalker someone made Thew from the TR Hardhead mould was cool, so that would do if Hasbro want to give it a go!

I'd like a Ruckus and Crankcase also. And proper new Pretenders (not loads, maybe just the ones that had a decent showing in the comics - Skullgrin and so on), not those farty little Legends things we saw previewed for Prime Wars.
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Post by Warcry »

Skyquake87 wrote:I'd like to see some more Generations Beast Wars toys. After pooh-pooing them, I've been really impressed with Rhinox, Ratttrap and Waspinator, so it'd be nice to get some nice new versions of the 'Season 1' cast bodies - Tarantulas, Inferno and what have you.
Now that Masterpiece has started in on the BW cast, I'm curious if we'll see more Generations BW toys. I'd hope we do, because the previous Generations toys fit pretty well with the 90s figures in a way that the show-accurate MPs don't. I wouldn't mind seeing them take a swing at some of the later character designs, either. Rumour has it that we might get an Optimal Optimus in Power of the Primes, and that'd be a nice start. Dragon Megatron could do with being revisited too.
Skyquake87 wrote:I'd like to see Scorponok, so fingers crossed he comes out for Prime Wars. The Terrorcons and Predacons I'd like to see updated.
Sounds like you might be in luck, then!
Skyquake87 wrote:Some of the less obvious stuff from the European lines would be most welcome too. I liked that custom Stalker someone made Thew from the TR Hardhead mould was cool, so that would do if Hasbro want to give it a go!
A fair number of those Euro G1 characters would work as redecos/retools of more familiar characters, too. Stalker, like you say, is pretty close to the Hardhead pattern. Rotorstorm would match up well with any cockpit-chested helicopter. Flash and Scorch are basically Prowl and Trailbreaker. Rage and the other Stormtroopers are all basically just a Sideswipe or Hot Rod redeco away from reality. The small Predators all use the familiar seeker/Cyberjet arrangement.

At some point you'd have to figure they'll start showing up!
Skyquake87 wrote:I'd like a Ruckus and Crankcase also. And proper new Pretenders (not loads, maybe just the ones that had a decent showing in the comics - Skullgrin and so on), not those farty little Legends things we saw previewed for Prime Wars.
Triggerbots/Triggercons would be neat. Hopefully in a form that maintains the spirit of the original gimmick without actually stuffing the toys full of spring-loaded pop-out guns.

I don't mind them doing some Pretenders in that tiny size class (in theory at least, they're a better fit than Headmasters were), but I'm disappointed that that's the only size class they're (apparently) going to show up in. The originals were across the entire size spectrum, from tiny little guys like the Pretender Monsters to gigantic multi-shelled monsters like Skyhammer and Roadblock, and I was hoping that's what we'd see if and when Hasbro eventually brought the concept back.
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Post by Clay »

I've happily eaten crow over a number of things I'd sworn they would never make.
Warcry wrote:Since it's been a decade or more since the Classics figure came out, I hope they'll revisit G2 Megatron some time soon. He'd make for a really solid Leader-class figure.
I was thinking that, as much as they put thought into molds doing double-duty with a bit of retooling, a voyager G2 Megatron would be a snap to turn into Impactor. Parts layout is the same, so they'd just need a new head, shoulder cannon, and hook hand.
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Post by Warcry »

Clay wrote:I've happily eaten crow over a number of things I'd sworn they would never make.
Same here. If you'd told me even three or four years ago that Hasbro would have done an entire line of nothing but Headmasters I would have laughed at you. Even Combiner Wars seemed outlandish when they first announced it.
Clay wrote:I was thinking that, as much as they put thought into molds doing double-duty with a bit of retooling, a voyager G2 Megatron would be a snap to turn into Impactor. Parts layout is the same, so they'd just need a new head, shoulder cannon, and hook hand.
That's a great point, actually. Big chest, boxy legs, shoulder cannon, tank alt-mode...it'd be a natural fit.

I always assume that a new G2 Megs would be Leader-class, because the 90s toy was so gargantuan compared to the rest of the G2 line that I always think of him as being massive, and he was pretty damn big in the G.I. Joe crossover too. But the design is simple enough that it would work fine as a Voyager, and I don't think he was any bigger than Optimus in the actual G2 comics.

But whatever size they make him, they need to steal the engineering from the Classics Deluxe that gave it a functional rotating turret! There's been way too many "tanks" in recent lines that are nothing but completely nonfunctional blocks.
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Post by Brendocon 2.0 »

Flak
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Post by ZeldaTheSwordsman »

Old!Leader-size DOTM Megatron
Generations Apeface and Snapdragon
Generations Seacons
Generations Dreadwind
Generations Joyride, Slapdash, Getaway (the latter could be made from Universe Sideswipe mold)
Generations Quickswitch
Generations regular Optimus trailer
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Post by DDog »

Natron or Freezon.
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Decepticharge
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Re: Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by TformerFan55 »

Animated Lugnut
Animated Blitzwing
Prime Soundwave
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Warcry
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Re: Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by Warcry »

TformerFan55 wrote: Mon Jul 05, 2021 7:50 am Animated Lugnut
Animated Blitzwing
Prime Soundwave
It does sound like TF:Prime is going to see some love next year. I'm surprised that Animated doesn't seem to get much attention from Hasbro in the last decade or so considering how popular it was in its day.

Also, wow, looking at this thread four years later really puts things in perspective! Hopefully the folks who want new stuff have as much luck in the next few years as those of us who were hoping for Beast Wars or less-prominent G1 guys have!
Warcry wrote: Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:54 pmI could go on all day, but Crosshairs, Grotusque, Scorponok, Spinister and Bludgeon are definitely the top five.
I'm 4/5 here, even if Scorpy was a giant Titan instead of the smaller Marvel/IDW-sized toy I'd wanted. Maybe call it 3.5/5? They also made a Hubcap from a unique Cliffjumper tooling, which was a prospect I was drooling over above, and both flavours of G2 Megatron (though both were just repaints of a G1 Megatron rather than having their own mold). Not to mention all the crazy shit they've done in Selects that I never would have guessed would get a pseudo-retail release, like Powerdashers, unproduced G2 decos or Diaclone stuff. And Rotorstorm!

As for what I'd like to see in the next few years, the fact that they did something with all my other top wants from a few years ago leaves Bludgeon as the undisputed #1. Obviously a fully poseable Pretender with a transforming inner robot is the dream, but a RED figure done up all Wildman-style would be a nice consolation prize too.

I also really want a new Thunderwing! The old Generations toy is, um...cute, I guess? Nice to have but not what I think of when I think "Thunderwing". I'm shocked that we got a full-fledged Leader-class Black Shadow and they never made this guy out of it. And we can keep the Marvel train going with Nightbeat, Jhiaxus, Needlenose, the Triggercons, Goldbug and Xaaron. Maybe a Siege Ultra Magnus in comic/toy light blue and a bluish-grey Galvatron to go with them?

I'd also love to see the G1 Constructicons get the Studio Series Constructicon treatment. The Combiner Wars figure was an okay Titan-class Devastator but the individual figures were pretty awful. I would like to see what they could do with the individual team members if they released them as a bunch of individual figures that had to stand on their own, instead of the combiner being the main focus.

On the BW side of things, with how much of a success Kingdom has been I'm sure they'll get around to Tarantulas, Terrorsaur and Inferno sooner than later. I'd love to see Selects of some of the old BotCon characters, though! Packrat, Fractyl, Sandstorm, Double Punch...but most especially, Antagony!

I'd also love to see more late-G1/early G2 guys show up in Selects to go with Rotorstorm. Ideas like Doubledealer as Stalker, the Siege Datsun as Skram, the Earthrise one as Flash or Hoist/Trailbreaker as Scorch seem like they'd be pretty easy to do, and shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility given I own a Selects version of the unreleased G2 desert camo Ramjet concept art...
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Re: Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by Skyquake87 »

Hasbro are doing Galvatron in toy colours, which as far as the comics go is close enough. It'll do me, anyway :P

I'd second seeing some of the Euro G1 characters. Rotorstorm was a treat and I'd love to see the likes of Clench and the Stormtroopers (Rage, Drench and, uh, the other two), and Skyquake and the Predators (good band name).

Devastator's a good call. The Studio Series movie figures are so good and the combined form (currently raging over my printer - try switching it on, mate) is a work of art. It'd be great to see them done with a similar amount of effort. And in G2 colours. With proper G2 badges - none of this doing the colours and then slapping G1 badges on. Wrong wrong wrong.

Aaand I would still like to see something new too. And not Cyberverse new. Those toys are just awful.
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Re: Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by Warcry »

Skyquake87 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:03 pm Hasbro are doing Galvatron in toy colours, which as far as the comics go is close enough. It'll do me, anyway :P
I saw that! Mostly I was just sad that they didn't remold the head. My cousins had a Galvatron when I was a kid so the toy colours hit me right in the nostalgia, but it's all for nought without a head that looks like a chess piece. Was he greyer in the UK comics? The US ones just flat out coloured him blue thanks to Nel Yomtov the more limited colour range.
Skyquake87 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:03 pm I'd second seeing some of the Euro G1 characters. Rotorstorm was a treat and I'd love to see the likes of Clench and the Stormtroopers (Rage, Drench and, uh, the other two), and Skyquake and the Predators (good band name).
How could you forget Hydradread? He has to be in the running for "coolest name ever"! (I had to wiki Aquablast though.) I'd love an official Rage to go along with my old custom! These guys have the logistical problem of "work exactly like Sideswipe" though. It looks like Aquablast spins at the waist while Rage and Drench have shoulder kibble, but conceptually they're all basically the same toy and if Hasbro made them now they'd 99% just reshell the Siege toy. Why that's a problem is that they've already used that mold eleven times and haven't even gotten around to making a Clampdown yet, so the Stormtroopers must be pretty low on the list. You could say the same thing about the G2 Gobots, who are also the same basic body pattern.

(If the toys weren't so difficult to disassemble nowadays I'd probably have already made made a few of these guys for laughs.)

A big ol' Skyquake would be right up my alley! Any of the ultra-colourful Euro characters would make a nice addition, though. I love how much Rotorstorm pops on a shelf, no matter who I put him with.
Skyquake87 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:03 pmAnd in G2 colours. With proper G2 badges - none of this doing the colours and then slapping G1 badges on. Wrong wrong wrong.
The badge confusion is kinda 90s-accurate. Most of the reused G1 molds still had G1 badges because Hasbro didn't bother to update the sticker sheets with G2 ones, so the only G2 logo they had was the little yellow tampograph. Heck, even G2 Prime's new-mold sound box/trailer cooler unit thingy had the G1 symbol molded into it. Though I'd also prefer they shy away from strict accuracy and just put G2 badges on all G2 decos regardless because the G2 faction symbols are awesome.

Speaking of G2: I know they've put out every possible colour scheme of G2 Megatron as redecos of G1 Megatron toys in the last few years, but I'd still love a proper, dedicated G2 Megatron mold.
Skyquake87 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:03 pmAaand I would still like to see something new too. And not Cyberverse new. Those toys are just awful.
Kingdom has the dinosaur skeleton guys. That's something?

But I agree...since the "new media" lines have been made to a clearly lower standard with lower budgets since Prime, I hope they find a way to get more new designs into Generations-style lines. They usually make a handful every year but I wouldn't mind seeing more.

Another thought I had: Firecons and Sparkabots could be fun as smaller Deluxes that come with a few different fiery blast effects and accessories each.
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Re: Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by Denyer »

Agree on all of Firecons, Triggercons, Stalker, Thunderwing and Leader class Scorpy.

I'd like to have seen full Micromaster teams at a higher price point. Some of them like the Rescue Patrol and Astro Squad have a lot of nostalgia.

A few modern Pretenders at voyager size (and probably leader price the way things have gone) would be welcome -- basic action figures and a folded up vehicle plugs into the back of them rather than splitting apart. That gives you enough space to work with to include a legends class figure and some articulation.

Junior headmasters.
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Re: Which characters are you still waiting for a good toy of?

Post by Warcry »

I was really excited when Hasbro reintroduced Micromasters with Siege, and really underwhelmed by what they actually did with them. A lot of them weren't even better than the original 80s Micromasters, and don't they compare well to UT Minicons. Third parties have done some great work close to that scale but I feel like you'd have a hard time convincing people to pay $150 for the Off Road Patrol.

I think the basic problem that kept Hasbro away from Pretenders in the past is that the Decepticons are well-remembered and distinctive but the Autobots are mostly a collection of interchangeable dorks. Now that they've moved away from the idea that every toy in a line all have to include the same gimmick, they can make Bludgeon or Bomb-Burst or Thunderwing without having to have a corresponding Pincher or Groundbreaker or Vroom in the lineup. You'd have to think that helps their odds a lot.
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