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Post by Jaymz on Oct 24, 2008 23:04:30 GMT
When I got the Encore version I thought they had given him a new head, but instead they had just painted the face. Makes a huge difference!
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 6, 2008 17:33:22 GMT
From the original line...
STARSCREAM
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Nov 6, 2008 18:21:42 GMT
Not as cool-looking as Skywarp.
Martin
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Post by legios on Nov 9, 2008 21:07:46 GMT
Starscream - one of the trinity of jet mode Decepticons, and a direct descendant of the Diaclone F-15. Starscream is one of those toys that hasn't necessarily aged that well, having been overtaken by advancing toy technology to a great degree - he is extremely limited in articulation, and has the unfortunate requirement of removeable hands to achieve his humanoid mode. Despite these flaws I still have a lot of time for Starscream. Although it is a fairly simple idea - a jet fighter that can convert into a humanoid form - some toy had to go first, and in a lot of ways Starscream is that toy.
The mold actually established some of the ubiquitous features that crop up again and again - the cockpit becoming the centre of the torse in humanoid mode for example - engines becoming feet/heels. These have become almost the norm, not just in Transformers, but in transformable aircraft mecha more generally. Off the top of my head, only the Legioss in "Genesis Climber Mospeada" strays very far from this style.
Ok, so I've talked a bit about the Diaclone mold, and the things it did in terms of new territory, and being ahead of the trend, but I should talk more about Starscream himself I guess. For some reason Starscream was always the least appealing of the Decepticon jets to me. In terms of colour schemes he wasn't as appealling to me as a child as Skywarp and Thundercracker were. Ironically, now that I am older I find myself wishing he was even plainer, without the red trim, so that he would be even more a "robot in disguise". Starscream's personality, as per his bio on the box isn't bad at all - likes guile and speed over brute force(ignoring the fact that his Tech Spec numbers don't entirely seem to line up with that), wants to unseat his boss... Seems like a decent character - sadly by the time I was able to afford one (after initially buying Skywarp) his rather divergent characterisation in the comic and cartoon had overwritten that in my mind. So I in fact never owned one until the Japanese reissues came out.
I think I appreciate Starscream as a toy more now than I would have done when I was a child. He may lack very badly in the articulation department, but he is actually a quite well designed toy given the limitations of toy technology of the time. The head sculpt is decent too - humanoid without being too human. He must have something going for him, because he is one of the half-dozen toys that spring to mind when someone says "Transformers".
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 10, 2008 16:56:36 GMT
Like Megatron, it's one of those toys I thought was bobbins as a kiddy but appreciate as an adult collector. I was given a tenner from my mother (who was in hospital at the time) to go get one. This would have been around 1988-ish. I was so excited to get Starscream! But I was not impressed by the wings that came off, the easy-to-lose landing gear, the legs that couldn't move and most annoyingly of all that his hands were detachable.
Starscream was unloved, and usually ripped limb-from-limb by Galvatron.
But I have come to appreciate the mould now I know a bit more of its history. It's a nice collectors piece, but a not-terribly-great toy. I've got a Hasbro re-issue. The long missiles didn't bother me before but they do now! It would be nice to pick up a Japanese re-issue at some point. Though I do think Thundercracker and Skywarp have much better colour schemes.
I would like a full set of strike planes at some point. They've really grown on me over the years.
-Ralph
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 18, 2008 21:05:01 GMT
The original...
MOTOR MASTER
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 18, 2008 21:20:25 GMT
How did you find SS in 88 ?
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 18, 2008 21:33:13 GMT
Transformer toys stayed on the shelves for years when I was a nipper. It was not uncommon to be able to pick up a character 3-4 years after they first came out.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Nov 18, 2008 22:44:31 GMT
Transformer toys stayed on the shelves for years when I was a nipper. It was not uncommon to be able to pick up a character 3-4 years after they first came out. -Ralph Indeed - toys tended to stick around for a good many years back then. I remember being able to find a lot of the 85 toys for several years later. It wasn't uncommon to find them sharing shelf-space with Masters era characters, and they were still around after that as well. (Only four years or so ago I picked up a Cyberjet at retail up north.). Maybe it is a scottish thing, but my experience is akin to Ralph's there. Karl
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 19, 2008 9:32:47 GMT
wasn't like that at all down south !
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 19, 2008 11:47:55 GMT
It's why I get frustrated with the current situation when some toys are only on shelves for a few weeks!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 19, 2008 12:16:23 GMT
It's a complete joke isn't it ?
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 19, 2008 12:50:28 GMT
It is. It's a mad system.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Nov 19, 2008 12:57:12 GMT
It's a market system that panders to the idea of the "NEW" and that consumers have a low attention threshold and they will make substantially more money from impulse buys as opposed to having stock on the shelf for longer periods of time. Now having them all covered in dust is bad thing, that's why in retail stock rotation is very important. Keeping units available and changing displays/locations from time to time.
Andy
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Post by Dark Stranger on Nov 19, 2008 13:06:36 GMT
I love Motormaster so much, from the colour scheme to the face to the way his trailer opens up and there's a little car to drive up him, he rocks.
I used to pretend his open trailer was an energon cube-producing factory due to the black line down the middle of it with the square "cube spot" at the end.
And yeah, you could get early 80s toys very late on in Ireland too, I picked up Ravage + Rumble, and the Constructicons in a local shop as late as 1994. There were quite a few of them too, I wish I had have had the foresight to pick up more. £1.99 each!
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 19, 2008 14:14:40 GMT
I love Motormaster so much, from the colour scheme to the face to the way his trailer opens up and there's a little car to drive up him, he rocks. I used to pretend his open trailer was an energon cube-producing factory due to the black line down the middle of it with the square "cube spot" at the end. And yeah, you could get early 80s toys very late on in Ireland too, I picked up Ravage + Rumble, and the Constructicons in a local shop as late as 1994. There were quite a few of them too, I wish I had have had the foresight to pick up more. £1.99 each! Blimey!!! Ravage and Rumble?!?! Love the Energon Cube thing!
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Post by grahamthomson on Nov 19, 2008 20:50:55 GMT
After reading his Tech Specs, I used to have my Motormaster endure head on collisions with Optimus Prime. Sadly, for Motormaster, Optimus always won on account of being a lot bigger. Damn Transformers scale. But ten minutes after the crash, the other Stunticons would show up, combine into Menasor and give Optimus a severe twatting.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Nov 19, 2008 21:12:41 GMT
After reading his Tech Specs, I used to have my Motormaster endure head on collisions with Optimus Prime. Sadly, for Motormaster, Optimus always won on account of being a lot bigger. Damn Transformers scale. But ten minutes after the crash, the other Stunticons would show up, combine into Menasor and give Optimus a severe twatting. Logically, Motormaster should pound Optimus in robot mode since he is the size of an entire lorry, trailer included, while in 1986 Optimus was just the size of a truck cab. Martin
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Post by legios on Nov 19, 2008 21:40:08 GMT
Surely size isn't everything, just because someone is big doesn't necessarily mean that they will win a confrontation? Mind you, in a bar-fight scenario I guess it doesn't hurt.
Motormaster is one of those toys that I never saw outside of the packaging until recent years, so my entire opinion of it has been formed in adulthood. The thing that most struck me about him was how small he felt. Compared to Onslaught he felt somewhat lacking in substance in vehicle mode, and it didn't help that he felt somewhat light and fragile into the bargain. The vehicle mode looks rather nice though - it looks like a real truck and has a good colour scheme, with the unmatched trailer and cab.
The humanoid mode doesn't work quite as well for me I'm afraid. The slab-like shape of the main body, and the rather limited arms rather sabotage it for me. It isn't by any means a terrible toy, it just doesn't do a great deal for me in honesty.
He does have a fantastic bio though - the write-up on the packaging creates a nice impression of a distinctly nasty piece of work who breaks Autobots primarily for fun, rather than for military advantage. It makes him a great "evil" character, a real "black hat" type.
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 19, 2008 21:48:21 GMT
He was 'evil Optimus Prime' for me in my youth, and his little car was 'evil Roller'. Fooled those idiotic Autobots time and time again! Ah ha ha!
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 19, 2008 22:46:31 GMT
When I went a bit mad on mini-cons a coupla years back, MotorMaster fitted right in! Oh I had some most excellent battles!
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 20, 2008 1:24:15 GMT
HONK! HONK!
I'm the MASTER of the MOTORS!
-Motor Master
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Post by grahamthomson on Nov 25, 2008 10:55:36 GMT
This Week;
COUNTER-PUNCH!
I owned this for a time, but eventually grew out of it.
Annoyingly it's one of those, like Hot Rod, that has its leg stickers mangled by the transformation.
A neat little gimmick of having two separate robot modes. Though from behind it just looks like the other robot with his hat pulled down over his eyes.
Plus the vehicle mode is one of the very few from 1987 based on an Earth vehicle.
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Post by Dark Stranger on Nov 25, 2008 12:50:49 GMT
Got Punch / Counterpunch a few months back off ebay, and I love him. Great toy, and his robot modes are satisfyingly different. Still need his weapons, but Reprolabels sorted out the mangled stickers problem.
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 25, 2008 12:52:04 GMT
Never had one, or saw one back in the day. Which still annoys me as I really wanted one! It just seems such a good idea for a toy.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 25, 2008 23:38:02 GMT
Yes, I also, would like one of these. Universe Classics designers! Are you listening?!
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Post by Bogatan on Nov 26, 2008 10:17:29 GMT
Still hoping FP will step up to the plate and use the Sunstreaker/Sideswipe miold for these guys.
Andy
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Post by grahamthomson on Nov 26, 2008 12:30:54 GMT
That would be a fantastic re-use of the mould.
All they'd need is a two-faced head with rotating hat.
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 26, 2008 19:56:38 GMT
Still hoping FP will step up to the plate and use the Sunstreaker/Sideswipe miold for these guys. Andy EXCELLENT IDEA!!!
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 8, 2008 22:48:06 GMT
METROPLEX!
-Ralph
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