Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

Figures, collectables, customs and collecting.
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Tetsuro
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Post by Tetsuro »

Warcry wrote:I had a ton of Micromasters when I was little, but mostly I just pretended they were little versions of characters I didn't have toys of that had the same alt-modes. So Overload was Ultra Magnus, Tote was Ironhide, Fixit was Ratchet, Stakeout was Prowl, etc... Didn't really love them on their own merits.
Weird thing is that I didn't so much pretend the same as I thought this was actually the case - I never had all the comics which were pretty much the only source I had for knowing what toys were even out there, and even though I had the one issue where Fixit actually shows up on page, he isn't named so for all I knew there was only one Autobot medic and he was it - and I just assumed there were Micromaster versions of the other, more popular characters out there as well.

I never had complete teams though as the only way I ever got them were one by one at flea markets - and it kind of saddens me that about half the time I've bought new Micromasters as a collector, they've been in worse shape than my originals. I still need to replace Blackjack and Roadhugger with ones that actually hold together in vehicle mode.
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Post by ganon578 »

Warcry wrote:I had a ton of Micromasters when I was little, but mostly I just pretended they were little versions of characters I didn't have toys of that had the same alt-modes. So Overload was Ultra Magnus, Tote was Ironhide, Fixit was Ratchet, Stakeout was Prowl, etc... Didn't really love them on their own merits.
I didn't have much to compare them to at the time... come to think of it, I don't recall watching too much of the show when I was a kid (Season 1 only?), but the toys were fun!!!
Warcry wrote:Energon Starscream is a fantastic choice. Actually, it's probably the best G1-looking Starscream figure out there, even over and above the various Generations and MP offerings.
Based on yours and Skyquake's recommendations, I grabbed an Energon Starscream off eBay just this morning. It's the G1 paint job one, and it was brand new for a good price. The shipping wasn't that appealing, but the total cost was only $1-2 more than buying a loose one with cheaper shipping. I figured the brand new one would be better for the price. The 'dark' colored ones were a bit cheaper all around for loose, but I liked the brighter color of the G1-esque figure better.
Warcry wrote:Cybertron Starscream, at least the Voyager, I'm not so fond of. He's basically a gimmick brick, nowhere near as poseable or fun as he should be. I reviewed him, and he disappointed me.
Long ago I had the Voyager Dirge colored version, but it's been so long since I sold him off that I couldn't remember much. I think the various reviews here for the different versions pretty much touch on what I remember - good, not great, somewhat subdued in pose-ability, and the gimmicks are 'meh'. Looking at the relative cost across the Galaxy Force Voyager, Hasbro-Thrust Voyager, and Supreme Class, it's a toss up. The Thrust-version is the cheapest, seeming to run ~$30 with shipping - but I don't know if I'll be fond of the color scheme in the long run. The Galaxy Force version I like better, but the prices on eBay are absurd. For that type of cost, I would be inclined to buy the Supreme figure - which is much cheaper than the GF Voyager. though takes up so much more space. The Year of the Horse Supreme runs about the same as a used Cybertron one. I think I'll be pondering this one for a while before pulling the trigger.
Warcry wrote:Other UT stuff I liked...
Thanks for the input!

Armada OP looks nice, I've thought about that one before but never went for it.

I previously owned a Unicron before, but never really messed with it much, leading to me selling him off to save space (which ties into my thoughts on Cyb. Starscream).

I think some of the Energon Scouts are neat too, and almost got Storm Surge several times when he was re-released during the 2007 movie timeframe. I may just have to look at those again at a later time. :up:
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Post by Warcry »

Tetsuro wrote:Weird thing is that I didn't so much pretend the same as I thought this was actually the case - I never had all the comics which were pretty much the only source I had for knowing what toys were even out there, and even though I had the one issue where Fixit actually shows up on page, he isn't named so for all I knew there was only one Autobot medic and he was it - and I just assumed there were Micromaster versions of the other, more popular characters out there as well.
A totally reasonable assumption, since you weren't buying them new and seeing the toy packaging. And it probably would have been a better way to go than what Hasbro actually did, at least as far as driving sales was concerned. Come to think of it, that's basically what happened with Legends of Cybertron/Cyberverse, isn't it?
ganon578 wrote:Based on yours and Skyquake's recommendations, I grabbed an Energon Starscream off eBay just this morning. It's the G1 paint job one, and it was brand new for a good price. The shipping wasn't that appealing, but the total cost was only $1-2 more than buying a loose one with cheaper shipping. I figured the brand new one would be better for the price. The 'dark' colored ones were a bit cheaper all around for loose, but I liked the brighter color of the G1-esque figure better.
Nice! It's been ages but I seem to recall the G1-coloured figure was pretty rare back in the day, being a late-run redeco that people actually wanted. I know I wanted to track one down myself, but never had much luck.

Actually, after we started talking about Energon Starscream I pulled mine out of storage and he's still great. Mine is the half-transparent version, but the smoky dark green looks really nice. Unfortunately time has gotten the better of him, and he's got some pretty loose hips and a fair bit of paint damage. Still a top-notch figure though. In fact, he's hanging out with my Generations 'Cons now while the Classics mold has been banished to storage.

Maybe I'll track down the redeco myself so that I can have a version of the mold that's not so beat up?
ganon578 wrote:Long ago I had the Voyager Dirge colored version, but it's been so long since I sold him off that I couldn't remember much. I think the various reviews here for the different versions pretty much touch on what I remember - good, not great, somewhat subdued in pose-ability, and the gimmicks are 'meh'. Looking at the relative cost across the Galaxy Force Voyager, Hasbro-Thrust Voyager, and Supreme Class, it's a toss up. The Thrust-version is the cheapest, seeming to run ~$30 with shipping - but I don't know if I'll be fond of the color scheme in the long run. The Galaxy Force version I like better, but the prices on eBay are absurd. For that type of cost, I would be inclined to buy the Supreme figure - which is much cheaper than the GF Voyager. though takes up so much more space. The Year of the Horse Supreme runs about the same as a used Cybertron one. I think I'll be pondering this one for a while before pulling the trigger.
Looking more closely at the different versions, it still amazes me how little difference there is between not just the Supreme and the Voyager, but even the Legends-class figure! And honestly, the engineering is better-suited to the smaller side of the spectrum. The robot design and alt-mode are nice, though, and I'd love it if Hasbro looped back and made a Generations figure based on it like they did with Armada Starscream. Without the Cyber Key gimmick holding the design back I think you could make a fantastic Deluxe out it.

If you decide to go with the Thrust-coloured version you're welcome to mine, though I'd honestly say it's probably the ugliest of the whole lot and you'd probably be happier with any of the other options, including the Dirge you already got rid of.
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Post by ganon578 »

Warcry wrote:Nice! It's been ages but I seem to recall the G1-coloured figure was pretty rare back in the day, being a late-run redeco that people actually wanted. I know I wanted to track one down myself, but never had much luck.

Actually, after we started talking about Energon Starscream I pulled mine out of storage and he's still great. Mine is the half-transparent version, but the smoky dark green looks really nice. Unfortunately time has gotten the better of him, and he's got some pretty loose hips and a fair bit of paint damage. Still a top-notch figure though. In fact, he's hanging out with my Generations 'Cons now while the Classics mold has been banished to storage.

Maybe I'll track down the redeco myself so that I can have a version of the mold that's not so beat up?
I seriously debated on having the green one, which probably would have saved me $5, and I would have had a more cartoon authentic version. Couldn't If I like the mold enough, I might be tracking down the original like you might track down the G1. :)
Warcry wrote:Looking more closely at the different versions, it still amazes me how little difference there is between not just the Supreme and the Voyager, but even the Legends-class figure! And honestly, the engineering is better-suited to the smaller side of the spectrum. The robot design and alt-mode are nice, though, and I'd love it if Hasbro looped back and made a Generations figure based on it like they did with Armada Starscream. Without the Cyber Key gimmick holding the design back I think you could make a fantastic Deluxe out it.

If you decide to go with the Thrust-coloured version you're welcome to mine, though I'd honestly say it's probably the ugliest of the whole lot and you'd probably be happier with any of the other options, including the Dirge you already got rid of.
I used to have the tiny Sunstorm one too (and Ramjet and I think Thrust from the Universe 5 pack), and you're right the engineering isn't that much different. I don't know how that translates to the monstrous Supreme-class, but I agree that the engineering is more appropriate for a smaller size. Seems like the larger size class would be overly simple, and it takes up a ton of space to boot. I'm only considering the Supreme based on cost, plus it would be kind of funny to have a massive Starscream on the shelf. That said, the size might wear on me over time, whereas a Voyager sized-one is easier to live with, and far easier to get off the shelf and fiddle with.

Thanks for the offer on Starscream! I won't be buying any of them just yet, so if you're not itching to jettison him please do so. Otherwise, I may come back later and ask you. I'll have to consider if I can wrap my mind around the not-Starscream colors; I guess he's not too far off the Armada scheme though? It's also tough to pay nearly triple for the better colored Galaxy Force version, so the after-market may force my hand anyways.
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Post by ganon578 »

Energon Starscream showed up in the mail a couple days ago. Very nice figure like you all mentioned. I've been fiddling with him quite a bit, and I like the 'hyper mode' play features he has, though it is a little strange to have to flip out his wings just to shoot the missiles. His ginormous weapons are ridiculous! They're fun, but I wish they were a touch smaller - the combined sword is so gargantuan that he can barely wield it. All in all though, very solid figure for it's age, and I'm glad I got it 'new'. The packaging is nice, though I'm surprised at how large the backing of the bubble is for a deluxe figure. Maybe it just seems bigger since it's flipped sideways compared to modern ones. Also of note - I appreciate the art/specs card that he comes with, as all the CW/TR/PotP figures I have came with one, so it's a nice 'throwback' to add to the collection. :)
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Post by ganon578 »

Also ended up with a Galaxy Force Starscream that didn't run me too much $ on eBay. Didn't come with his gun/missile, but overall I'm very happy with him. The mold is pretty chunky, he's got minimal arm range, but I'll deal with it. I really like the color scheme, and as Warcry mentioned, the engineering seems more suited to the 'smaller' class (not Supreme). The figure I got is in great shape, but a tiny bit dusty. Getting him into some dynamic poses is a pain sometimes, since the angles everything comes off at can leave him unbalanced. I guess that's due to the multitude of ratcheting joints, but I'd rather have that than floppy pin joints on him.

The funny thing is, I was watching a video review of Cybertron Optimus Prime, and as the guy was fiddling with him, the toy sounded very creaky. My GF Starscream has the same issue, creaking all over, and it's not the joints. Just the way the plastic parts were put together. Not an issue, just an oddity. I haven't noticed that symptom on most of my other figures.
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Post by Warcry »

After this thread reminded me of Cybertron Hot Shot I found where mine was hiding. Five minutes later my son had claimed him for his own, so I didn't really get a chance to appreciate him, but the two and a half year old sure does! He's not super interested in transforming him (aside from flipping the feet in and out and laughing like a madman about it), but apparently he's the coolest car ever when you're that little. Or as my little guy says "Vrummm! Vrummm!"
ganon578 wrote:Energon Starscream showed up in the mail a couple days ago. Very nice figure like you all mentioned. I've been fiddling with him quite a bit, and I like the 'hyper mode' play features he has, though it is a little strange to have to flip out his wings just to shoot the missiles. His ginormous weapons are ridiculous! They're fun, but I wish they were a touch smaller - the combined sword is so gargantuan that he can barely wield it.
I'm not even quite sure where my Starscream's big weapons have gotten to. I don't think I've ever equipped him with them because they're just impractically huge for a Deluxe. Also, being trans-green doesn't really help matters much because you can't make out any of the molded details.

Actually, most of the time I'll pop his missiles out and pose him using them as batons if I want to display him with weapons.
ganon578 wrote:The funny thing is, I was watching a video review of Cybertron Optimus Prime, and as the guy was fiddling with him, the toy sounded very creaky. My GF Starscream has the same issue, creaking all over, and it's not the joints. Just the way the plastic parts were put together. Not an issue, just an oddity. I haven't noticed that symptom on most of my other figures.
Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure my Cybertron Starscream is afflicted with the same problem. In the hips, I think? It's been a while since I've handled him but the moment you mentioned it I started getting flashbacks.
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Post by Heinrad »

While reorganizing my living room, I wound up spending some time getting reacquainted with my Animated Ironhide and Rodimus Major figures, and I have to say, they’re even better than I remember. The thing that really surprised me was the fact that Rodimus’ paint didn’t flake off in my hands like I thought it would. Although I am hoping Roddy doesn’t fall prey to gold plastic syndrome......
As a professional tanuki (I'm a Japanese mythological animal, and a good luck charm), I have an alarm clock built into me somewhere. I also look like a stuffed animal. And you thought your life was tough......

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Post by Tetsuro »

I saw Maz's comment over at TFW about how the fuel hose on his New Year's Convoy reissue had disintegrated, so I took mine out of the box to treat the rubber parts...only for the fuel hose on mine to fall into pieces as well. :wall:
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Post by Skyquake87 »

Is that the one with the Action Master Prime packed in?
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Post by Tetsuro »

Yeah.

Honestly never liked that rubber hose. I think the original came with a hollow tube, but this reissue came with a solid rubber cable that was so stiff that Prime could've lifted Roller just by holding the the other end.
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Post by Clay »

Spent some time playing with some older figures. 2010-ish Terradive, Hailstorm, Tomahawk, and Scourge. I had forgotten how fun Tomahawk and Hailstorm are, but I well remembered just how great Scourge and Terradive are.
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Clay wrote: Wed Nov 07, 2018 10:56 pm Spent some time playing with some older figures. 2010-ish Terradive, Hailstorm, Tomahawk, and Scourge. I had forgotten how fun Tomahawk and Hailstorm are, but I well remembered just how great Scourge and Terradive are.
I rotate up my shelves a ton but Terradive is on a short list of figures that never, ever gets put into storage. Just top notch in every way. Sadly, mine no longer has his trident. It wound up breaking in three or four places over the years and I'm not sure why. Tomahawk and Scourge are good stuff too!

Earlier this week, my Legends Repgunus and Grotusque set came in the mail. And with the reveal of the new Siege Springer, I was inspired to take another look at T30 Springer and his mold-mate Sandstorm. So that got me thinking about my favourite retools, and, well...out came the camera!

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The mechs in question! Only Doublecross qualifies as "old" to me, and even then, I only got him three years ago. But at the breakneck pace that we're going through Generations themes these days, that was three whole lines ago and even the new duo feel like a major throwback to better days. The shared parts are pretty evident between Doublecross and Grotusque, and less so with Repugnus. But all three of them cut a unique silhouette in both modes, and they're all good fun.

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This mold is just a triumph. So much fun to handle, and both versions of it are amazingly unique. While I like Springer a lot, I love Sandstorm -- he'd definitely make the top ten if I listed off my favourite Generations molds, and maybe even the top five. I do kind of wish he was Skyhammer instead, though, and I'm afraid that repainting a Triplechanger and having something that was still transformable afterwards is probably beyond my skill.

But you know...I don't disagree with the people who say they're going to replace this with Siege Springer. Because I've said ever since the toy came out that it really doesn't look like Springer at all. Springer's meant to be an angular pile of boxes arranged into a humanoid figure with traditionally heroic proportions, and however many great things I have to say about this mold, it definitely isn't that. If the Siege one gets good reviews I could see it displacing this Springer from my shelves, but I don't think this Sandstorm is going anywhere in the near future. With Siege's design influence being way more rooted in the old character models than the old toys, I don't think any new Sandstorm they might make is going to appeal to me.

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Sideswipe and Sunstreaker! Not the first example of retoolling, not by a long shot, but one of the first to put some serious thought in at the design stage about how they were going to make two distinct characters out of a single figure. It's a less-complex effort than some more modern figures, with only the heads really differing between them, but that's because they designed one body with two distinct, fully-functional robot modes. It gets a lot of flak these days for not being as GEEWUN as MP Sunstreaker or Siege Sideswipe, but I still really appreciate what they were going for and the engineering work that went into it.

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Overlord and Black Shadow are an example that really shouldn't have worked, but Hasbro pulled it off really well. It's still really weird to think about, since Black Shadow is traditionally thought of as a retool of a completely different big, bad Decepticon with a completely different gimmick. It's a bit disappointing though that their modern gimmick, which allows for trivial body part swapping, was sort of wasted because their colour schemes clash so strongly with one another.

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The TR Targetmaster jets! I have a hard time even talking about these guys without veering into hyperbole, so I'm just going to steer right into it! G1 Misfire was the first Transformer I ever picked out for myself -- I clearly remember my mom trying to talk me out of buying him, both because he was pink and because he was a bad guy. Obviously it didn't work! I never owned a Triggerhappy as a kid but he was one of the toys I drooled over in the toy catalogues the most. The fact that these two not only got new toys, but that they got new toys that are so good that they rank as my two favourite figures from my favourite modern TF line...it boggles the mind. From my perspective, they're easily the best thing to happen since I started collecting Transformers as an adult, and I'm not even sure what Hasbro could do to top that feeling.

Oh, and Slugslinger exists too I suppose.

The engineering for this trio is basically brilliant in every way, building three clear, distinct robot modes up from the same skeleton and not compromising them in any way. They also each have their own unique wrinkles to their transformation, which I adore. The only real critique I could come up with is that they all have Misfire's shins, but that's basically accurate for Slugslinger anyway, and Triggerhappy's jet mode is much-improved with the added tail fins.

I'm wracking my brain for any older figures in my collection that have this degree of retooling, but I'm drawing a blank. The Japanese BW lines had several amazing examples (Sharp Edge from Cybershark being the first that comes to mind) but I've never managed to track any of them down. Can anyone else think of any top-tier retooling jobs that compare well with these?
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Re: Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

Post by Denyer »

Apparently the new Ectotron (Ghostbusters' Ecto-1 as an Autobot) is a heavy retool of the CW Hot Spot / Onslaught mould, although I doubt the combining ports have been retained.

All fab character incarnations and all ones I picked up apart from the leader-class ones (and that may change with Overlord at some point, I should have gone for him at the time but the Sixshot was more of a novelty that year at TFN).
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Post by Clay »

Warcry wrote: Mon Feb 18, 2019 6:10 am I rotate up my shelves a ton but Terradive is on a short list of figures that never, ever gets put into storage. Just top notch in every way. Sadly, mine no longer has his trident. It wound up breaking in three or four places over the years and I'm not sure why.
Mine finally snapped at the hinge recently, too. The staff is crazy thin to begin with, but seems to have been made out of that brittle gold plastic that they had otherwise quit using (or is brittle for different reasons).

I'm wracking my brain for any older figures in my collection that have this degree of retooling, but I'm drawing a blank. The Japanese BW lines had several amazing examples (Sharp Edge from Cybershark being the first that comes to mind) but I've never managed to track any of them down. Can anyone else think of any top-tier retooling jobs that compare well with these?
In what context? Remolding into different characters, or the same character? A pair of molds, or a trio like the targetmasters? Planned in advance, or done as afterthought?

I think the variance and the high rate of use which remolding or pretooling or whatever you want to call it is fairly new for transformers. The more extreme examples come from Combiner Wars-onward, with all the notable mold reworkings before being just a here-and-there thing.
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Re: Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

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Denyer wrote: Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:50 pm Apparently the new Ectotron (Ghostbusters' Ecto-1 as an Autobot) is a heavy retool of the CW Hot Spot / Onslaught mould, although I doubt the combining ports have been retained.
I'd heard that. I'm kind of surprised that they reused a normal TF mold for a figure based on a different franchise, but it works really well. They're not even vaguely the same kind of vehicle.
Denyer wrote: Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:50 pmAll fab character incarnations and all ones I picked up apart from the leader-class ones (and that may change with Overlord at some point, I should have gone for him at the time but the Sixshot was more of a novelty that year at TFN).
Even though the body was clearly meant for Overlord, for what it's worth I find Sky Shadow to be significantly nicer in-hand. Not even sure why, but when I take one down off the shelf to mess with it's almost always him.
Clay wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:45 pm Mine finally snapped at the hinge recently, too. The staff is crazy thin to begin with, but seems to have been made out of that brittle gold plastic that they had otherwise quit using (or is brittle for different reasons).
Mine snapped I think three times before I finally tossed it out. At the hinge first, of course. After that I just had him carry around a spear and a stick separately, but both of those snapped too. The thing is just so flimsy, but I do wonder whether DOTM Space Case has the same problem, or if it really is a gold-plastic issue.
Clay wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:45 pmIn what context? Remolding into different characters, or the same character? A pair of molds, or a trio like the targetmasters? Planned in advance, or done as afterthought?
Any and all of the above, as long as the resulting figure is significantly different from the original. A couple other examples that I've thought of recently are TM Cheetor and Metals Ravage (who I only wish I could take pictures of!) and Cybertron Crumplezone's two figures.
Clay wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:45 pmI think the variance and the high rate of use which remolding or pretooling or whatever you want to call it is fairly new for transformers. The more extreme examples come from Combiner Wars-onward, with all the notable mold reworkings before being just a here-and-there thing.
I think you're right...pre-2013ish, it was a bit surprising when a retool got anything other than a new head.
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Re: Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

Post by Clay »

Warcry wrote: Wed Feb 20, 2019 7:01 pm
Any and all of the above, as long as the resulting figure is significantly different from the original. A couple other examples that I've thought of recently are TM Cheetor and Metals Ravage (who I only wish I could take pictures of!) and Cybertron Crumplezone's two figures.


Hmm. Let me percolate on this.
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Re: Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

Post by Clay »

Yeah, the Titan Return targetmaster guys are way up there on the list of notable different iterations of a mold (meaning=more than just a new head). As we said, from about CW onward, it's not uncommon for mold pre/retools to do double or even triple duty, but the decepticon jets are really nicely done. I think it's the extreme nature of the different parts that makes them so distinct. Triggerhappy even transforms differently from the others, yeah? They're one of the very few instances that I've double-dipped and have both the Hasbro and Takara versions.

Another relatively recent example of inventive remolding is Drift. The AOE blue version is a bughatti or whatever, and the TLK black version is a mercedes. What's interesting is that the orientation of the car parts are flipped 180* from the AOE version. Like I told Tom, I don't recommend the TLK version on its own, but it is a neat complement to the AOE figure.

Come to think of it, the new dinobots and terrorcons are pretty dang clever. Slag/Sludge, Rippersnapper/Blot, Sinnertwin/Snarl, and Swoop/Cutthroat sharing molds isn't just creative, it also helped them get made. I can't imagine new-mold terrorcons were high on the list, but... we got `em.

I suppose the quality we're looking for is remolding or retooling that doesn't just change the look, but is also incorporated into the transformation. For example, the Beast Hunters figures from the back half of Prime never left much impression on me as they're essentially just external parts added on, and don't require rethinking how the toy actually works (fair point, I did like wheeljack, though). Something like Drift where everything had to be reincorporated, or the targetmasters where they actually transform a little differently, tends to be more memorable. I suppose that's why BW Metals Ravage stands out more than the BW2 Cyborgs, which are more like curios nowadays, as it actually works a little differently than TM Cheetor.

2013 Springer and Sandstorm are a hard, hard pair to beat in that regard.

I still say that the new Impactor should have been a pretool for a new G2 Hero Megatron. They have the same parts layout.
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Re: Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

Post by Warcry »

Clay wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:36 amTriggerhappy even transforms differently from the others, yeah?
All three of them transform differently, but the differences between Misfire and Slugslinger (basically just the wings) are pretty minor compared to those two and Triggerhappy, yeah.
Clay wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:36 amAnother relatively recent example of inventive remolding is Drift. The AOE blue version is a bughatti or whatever, and the TLK black version is a mercedes. What's interesting is that the orientation of the car parts are flipped 180* from the AOE version. Like I told Tom, I don't recommend the TLK version on its own, but it is a neat complement to the AOE figure.
I don't collect movie stuff, so I wasn't aware of that. That's actually a pretty neat way to reuse parts (for the same character, yet) and still have it feel fresh.
Clay wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:36 amCome to think of it, the new dinobots and terrorcons are pretty dang clever. Slag/Sludge, Rippersnapper/Blot, Sinnertwin/Snarl, and Swoop/Cutthroat sharing molds isn't just creative, it also helped them get made. I can't imagine new-mold terrorcons were high on the list, but... we got `em.
I'm not even sure if an average shopper could tell that Rippersnapper and Blot, or Sinnertwin and Snarl, were the same basic figure as each other. Cutthroat and Swoop are a bit less impressive to me, but that's probably because their similar designs have always been pretty evident. But they're still very well done.
Clay wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:36 amI suppose that's why BW Metals Ravage stands out more than the BW2 Cyborgs, which are more like curios nowadays, as it actually works a little differently than TM Cheetor.
That's a good point. Changing the transformation is definitely going to be more memorable change than just cosmetic alterations. Though I think Ravage's case is a combination of that, being an on-screen character from the US show and being a member of the original G1 cast in a day when new toys for those guys were pretty scarce.
Clay wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 12:36 amI still say that the new Impactor should have been a pretool for a new G2 Hero Megatron. They have the same parts layout.
I don't really see it, myself. The front of the tank becomes his legs as best as I can tell, not his chest. And that's probably the biggest thing missing from most tank Megatron molds...since the Classics tank, they've all tried to emulate the G1 cartoon chest more than the chest of the Megatron that actually turns into a tank.
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Clay
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Re: Remembering that our old toys actually exist!

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Warcry wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:07 pm I don't really see it, myself. The front of the tank becomes his legs as best as I can tell, not his chest. And that's probably the biggest thing missing from most tank Megatron molds...since the Classics tank, they've all tried to emulate the G1 cartoon chest more than the chest of the Megatron that actually turns into a tank.
Nonono, not the mold they actually made for siege, I mean this: Image

Right shoulder cannon, orientation of the chest to the tank mode (like the datsuns or jazz), legs folding underneath and behind, etc. Granted that it wouldn't actually match the artwork for impactor's alternate mode, but who cares? It's impactor, and a g2 hero megatron is actually a pretty reasonable base to make one. But, it doesn't matter since impactor won that poll and they made a new mold for him anyway. But still! I'm convinced it would work.
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