|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 26, 2011 11:48:05 GMT
What are the best three Transformers toys NEVER officially sold in the UK?
|
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
|
Post by primenova on Apr 26, 2011 11:57:46 GMT
Shock wave for one. But not too short about the others. We got Overlord, so that makes up for most of the toys that we didn't get.
|
|
|
|
Post by sf1378 on Apr 26, 2011 16:45:18 GMT
Predaking set,
Fortress Maximus,
Swoop?
Could also add Blaster and cassettes, the other Pretenders that never saw release here....list goes on!
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 26, 2011 18:12:06 GMT
Is Shockwave any good?
I reckon we like certain toys because they're high profile in the comics. But when it comes down to it, some of them aren't that much kop. Blaster is an inferior attempt to do Soundwave again, and Predaking is a poor combiner when compared to the Scramble City/special team sets that do much more.
Fortress Maximus on the other hand...... Big, and big in a way that uses his size to do more with. He's packed with playset featrures you couldn't do on a smaller TF, and does them better than the other TF Citybots.
So he'd be number one on my list by a country mile.
But after that........
Swoop *is* a possible because he's a Dinobot. But in my heart of hearts I know he isn't as good as Grimlock or Snarl. Gonna have to think on this.
|
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
|
Post by primenova on Apr 26, 2011 18:40:17 GMT
Omega Supreme wouldn't be on the list because the toy isnt that good when you get him. I got hold of the Grandstand release & is a let down on the character. At least Shockwave is what you expect.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Apr 26, 2011 19:07:47 GMT
Leo Kaiser proper.
Grand Max (well any but Grand had the most stuff)
Swoop (maybe not as good as Grimlock or Sludge, but the equal of Slag and Snarl, besides any Dinobot would be missed just because they have the best group aesthetic)
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Apr 26, 2011 19:39:56 GMT
Of course he is! Oh, Big Phil, how could you say such a thing?!?!?! (Although, I have to say, I don't like the lack of shoulder articulation.) Other than ol' One Eye himself, I'm going to go for Devastator and Swoop. Although Devastator is disappointingly (and unnecessarily) small, he was still the first combiner. And Swoop, partly for nostalgic reasons, but also for completist reasons. Good question by the way. |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 26, 2011 19:41:00 GMT
Devastator had full UK distribution through Woolworths in the early 1990s
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Apr 26, 2011 20:41:16 GMT
Shockwave, Fortress Maximus and Blaster were the three toys that haunted my childhood that I could not get.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 27, 2011 7:02:16 GMT
Have you had later liofe experience of them? If so how did they hold up?
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Apr 27, 2011 9:41:07 GMT
Devastator had full UK distribution through Woolworths in the early 1990s WHAT?!?!! |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 27, 2011 9:48:07 GMT
Yup. All 6 Constructicons were sold in their original colours and packaging as an exclusive for Woolworths UK. There's some question as to whether these are the Chinese versions but as far as we can tell, especially given the quanties involved which were huge, this is an officially sanctioned Hasbro UK exclusive. There's a Chinese TFs thread here where the subject comes up. So choose another toy! |
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Apr 27, 2011 13:37:16 GMT
Well spank my arse and call me Debbie. I didn't know that!
Ok then, Predacons. Easy. Best G1 combiner.
|
|
|
|
Post by grahamthomson on Apr 27, 2011 13:53:35 GMT
Shockwave, Trypticon, Swoop.
Shockwave is far superior to Megatron and Galvatron, plus his noises are SO LOUD!
I always wanted Metroplex as a kid and when I saw he had a Decepticon counterpart (when the Marvel UK comic ran a competition to win Trypticon in #180ish) I became mouth-foamingly excited.
I always wanted Blaster, but, boy was he a disappointment when I finally did get one.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 27, 2011 15:10:13 GMT
Well spank my arse and call me Debbie. I didn't know that! You learn something new every day Debbie. Ok then, Predacons. Easy. Best G1 combiner. I refer you to my earlier comments. I always wanted Blaster, but, boy was he a disappointment when I finally did get one. Ditto ! Shockwave, Trypticon, Swoop. Shockwave is far superior to Megatron and Galvatron, plus his noises are SO LOUD! I'll bow to G's judgement on the matter of Shockwave then. I've never owned or played with one. Trypticon..... now I've not owned Trypticon but I have owned Gigastorm. Yes he's a walking Dinosaur, but his base modes are just a ramp with bits folded out the side. I was a tinsy bit disapointed. No robot mode and his oppo's base modes are different and better. But nowhere near as bad as Blaster or the Predacons in the plastic. Still thinking about my other two. I'm leaning towards Japanese toys. Leokaiser (which Andy K has gone for already) is a pretty good nomination, and I have played with LK..... |
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Apr 27, 2011 15:11:01 GMT
My need for Blaster and Shockwave was sated by the actionmaster releases, even thought I never got around to them the fact I could buy the character helped.
If it was the ones I wished I could get growong up (so no japanese stuff) it would be
Fort Max ( I watched Headmasters a lot and saw one of the contest prize Maxs at my local toy shop and was in awe)
Swoop (still)
Probably Predaking or Sharkticon just because I got an American catalogue with Broadside and of all the toys on it we didn't get those are the one I spent longest looking at, probably longer than I spent playing with Broadside.
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 27, 2011 18:01:40 GMT
I always wanted Metroplex as a kid and when I saw he had a Decepticon counterpart (when the Marvel UK comic ran a competition to win Trypticon in #180ish) I became mouth-foamingly excited. Did you never wonder at who the giant flying dinosaur was in the 1986 back-of-the-box art? Martin |
|
|
|
Post by grahamthomson on Apr 27, 2011 20:19:48 GMT
That was Trypticon?!
|
|
|
|
Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 27, 2011 20:58:14 GMT
Well, half-dinosaur, half-base... Me, I want to know who the little orange guy is flying below Octane and Dead End. Is it supposed to be Wheelie? 86 BoxartMartin |
|
|
|
Post by grahamthomson on Apr 27, 2011 21:04:25 GMT
I figure that orange fella is Rampage.
|
|
|
|
Post by blueshift on Apr 28, 2011 7:31:24 GMT
|
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
|
Post by primenova on Apr 28, 2011 11:47:04 GMT
[tr][/tr] Devastator had full UK distribution through Woolworths in the early 1990s WHAT?!?!! They came out at the same time as the monster pretenders - but where priced about £7 each compared to normal £4. |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 28, 2011 12:19:48 GMT
Hmmm. £6 maybe, they weren't £7
It was a while ago now so....
|
|
|
|
Post by legios on Apr 28, 2011 19:37:37 GMT
Hmm. The best three toys we didn't get.
I would have to agree that Fortress Maximus has to be on that list. Having owned one I finally understood why he was a good toy, instead of just a big toy. The size is used to create what I still think is arguably the best base mode that Transformers has had, but he also has the impressive fortress mode which carries enough sizeable dakka to be well and truly in the Battlefortress weight class and if you get bored of that he turns into a truly huge and satsifyingly chunky humanoid mode.
I'd also include Roadbuster on the list. He isn't hugely innovative, being basically a mish-mash of the same influences that created the late Diaclone designs but he is well-designed and he looks great in both modes.
My third pick would be Shockwave. Mostly because it is the first toy of Shockwave and therefore carries a vast number of associations for me (I'm counting this as my nostalgia pick for the list).
Swoop doesn't make the list on the grounds of feeling terrifyingly fragile in the plastic. In my opinion a toy isn't a lot of fun if his survivability is very low
Karl
|
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Apr 28, 2011 20:03:35 GMT
[/tr] They came out at the same time as the monster pretenders - but where priced about £7 each compared to normal £4. [/quote] Well, now I'm a woman, may I suggest all you boys try hangbags instead of silly plastic toys? Just a suggestion. |
|
|
|
Post by grahamthomson on Apr 29, 2011 7:56:33 GMT
You find me a handbag that has full command of the electromagnetic spectrum and I'll consider one.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jaymz on Apr 29, 2011 8:48:18 GMT
Hmmm. £6 maybe, they weren't £7 It was a while ago now so.... Something like £6.49, I still have a price sticker on my Hook card, will check next time I'm at the parents. Monster Pretenders were about £5, maybe £4.99. |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 29, 2011 9:27:26 GMT
Ta James.
After an hour thinking on this in the bath I believe I've reached my conclusions:
1) Fort Max - reasons given above.
2) Victory Saber - A jet, that looks like Optimus Prime, that combine with a lion? sold
3) Star Convoy with Micromaster Hot Rodimus - I've said for some while that the Micromaster line in the west lacked interaction with larger robots. Here we get it, we get the nostalgia factor from it being Prime & Hot Rod, we get a space age Optimus, we get mechanisms, we get a base mode. Like Victory Sabre who didn't go wow when they first saw this? Would have sold a shed load.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 29, 2011 9:41:35 GMT
Ta James. After an hour thinking on this in the bath I believe I've reached my conclusions: 1) Fort Max - reasons given above. 2) Victory Saber - A jet, that looks like Optimus Prime, that combine with a lion? sold 3) Star Convoy with Micromaster Hot Rodimus - I've said for some while that the Micromaster line in the west lacked interaction with larger robots. Here we get it, we get the nostalgia factor from it being Prime & Hot Rod, we get a space age Optimus, we get mechanisms, we get a base mode. Like Victory Sabre who didn't go wow when they first saw this? Would have sold a shed load. Worthy mentions: Sixshot: best multichanger by a long way, with some modes that actually work and fits in with the aesthetic that year but did get a large scale grey import release in the early 90s. Needs a second reissue. Leokaiser: on my list till the end. Genuinely the best G1 combiner, so good that 2/3 of the parts made a decent release by themselves recoloured. Decepticon Clones, Monsterbots and Slugfest/Overkill: fab. |
|
|
|
Post by grahamthomson on May 2, 2011 17:11:36 GMT
Weirdly, none of the Japanese Transformers occurred to me at all while considering my three choices.
|
|
