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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 17, 2007 21:12:13 GMT
Gimmicks Hasbro have ballsed up < RANT > 1) Minicon Gear Power This is a good one. They equip a number of Minicons with a gear gimmick. Then they give you but one toy that can power it ! We know Hoist *aught* to have had it, and I think you could argue that Overload should have too - there's nice big wheels to drive the gimmick, a large area you could attach the minicon to and house the gimmick...... 2) Armada Op's light Up Fist All well and good - but apart from his gun there's only one other Armada item - the Starsabre - that can be lit up using the gimmick. Is even worse when you take into account there's a 2nd Japanese toy that had a light up fist - Hot Shot. And then 3) Energon Weapons Lovely clear weapons that light up if you put a light source to them. One problem - no new toy released this year had a light up fist ! 4) Energon Op Only one set of limbs can be used with him - what you get with the toy. OK you can combine Wing Sabre with him too. But this would have been so much better if you'd been able to use deluxe toys as limbs with him. What have they got against OP being the centre of a combiner ? I'm of the school that believes that Hotspot was meant to be Optimus Prime and should have been in red - yet another missed Op combiner. 5) Cybertron OP & Megs - only one toy forming a replacement arm So the next year they equip both leaders with the ability to have extra snap on arms. Then they make one toy all year that could lock onto them - a lion which looks completely out of place. Wouldn't this have been so much better if one toy from each of the planets (say Crumplezone, Quickmix and Mudflap) had each had the ability to turn into an arm ? 6) Filled in lightpipes on BW basics This is just cheap - all the BW basics have their heads set up for light piped eyes. All of them have opaque plastic in their place. Just cost cutting, but it's so obvious that was what they intended. 7) Motivators without combining bits So you bring a Japanese combiner out in the UK and saw off it's play value by not including the bits to combine it  ?? What idiocy is this ? 8) Euro Yellow Constructicons The sort of idiocy that can do it again the next year with a fan favourite team finally released in a sensible colour scheme. 3rd time lucky eh ? 9) Missing RescueForce Members Or not. Not only do we loose the combining parts but 1/3 of the team goes AWOL. Which mind was behind that ? 10) Cyberkeys Admit it - it's an attempt to do Minicon activation on the cheap ! There's already a way to activate features onTFs, stick to it ! |
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 17, 2007 22:48:17 GMT
I agree with your rant old chap. The Gimmicks that they've done in recent years seemed on the cheap and ill-conceived. My personal bug-bear (what is a bug-bear actually?) is Powerlynxing. What a load of useless pig-swill. Totally ruined many otherwise perfectly good figs, eg: Wheeljack, oops sorry, Downshift. Alot of the mold was ace, but the huge legs spoilt him for me.
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Post by The Doctor on Nov 17, 2007 22:59:47 GMT
Phil needs less caffeine.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 18, 2007 8:00:01 GMT
Phil got but cup of tea yesterday !
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Post by andrewcrane on Nov 18, 2007 21:34:37 GMT
11.) RiD Bruticus's unknown gimmicks being removed/uncompleted.
I do agree with you about the Galaxy Force/Cybertron toy range. The keys are a rubbish, pointless gimmick really. And are easy to lose. Overall I think Cybertron's toys are far superior to Armada and Energon, but the keys...
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Post by Shockprowl on Nov 18, 2007 21:47:22 GMT
Yes, the individual toys in Cyb were excellant and IMO represented a gradually improvement from RiD. But as you say, the keys were naff. I still think power-trousering is worse though, simply 'cos the finished combined robot was always an ugly motherhubber.
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Post by Bogatan on Nov 18, 2007 22:18:21 GMT
Yes but I always put the improved quality of Cybertron toys over the previous 2 lines was that they did simplify the gimmick. Armada toys of the same size as Cyb had to have included in the production cost a whole separate minicon figure. Energon all the stuff required to connect two together. Its no wonder to me that the toys are better.
I growing to dislike Energon more than Armada because even though I like them more than a lot of Armada I think they had a lot more potential wasted by their dumb ass gimmick.
Then I've never been one for gimmicks, in that way. I like gimmicks in a lets do them all in a teen titans style. Or Classics for that matter.
Back on topic. Wasn't Armada Megatron meant to have some kind of claw action.
Andy
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Post by Philip Ayres on Nov 19, 2007 10:45:36 GMT
What with the head in tank mode ??
12) Not having all of a combining team on the shelf at the same time. See RID Combaticons, Energon Combiners etc
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 28, 2015 22:07:51 GMT
What went wrong in the last 8 years?
-Ralph
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Post by blueshift on Dec 28, 2015 22:09:58 GMT
What went wrong in the last 8 years? Nothing! |
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Post by Toph on Dec 28, 2015 22:34:21 GMT
What went wrong in the last 8 years? Nothing! Oh yeah? Mechtech- a set of weapons that work in theory, but in application virtually every one of them was a failier. Several weapons just simply made no logical sense at all (Dark Iron's, anyone?), and the rest simply failed by not having a lock, making the "activated" mode next to useless as you have to hold them open. Megatron's entire gun is useless unless you physically hold it in gun mode. Either having gutted the spring system, or just a lock would have gone a long way into making this one of the coolest gimmicks TF ever had. Saving grace is that the gimmick is entirely rooted in the accessory, and does not detract from the figure. Combiner Wars- Largely successful, but completely messed up as we have 9 hasbro combiners, and extended to 12 when factoring in FP and unique Takara, all composed from basically 9 unique limbs, and 4 torsos. Generation Legends minicons- There's no reason to justify these. They're terrible. Poorly made, poorly designed, and took engineering budget away from the core figure. (Related: Generation Legends- Only gets worse once the minicons were removed because they were the same price for no better a figure.) NuRID Minicons- They have no saving grace. |
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Post by blueshift on Dec 28, 2015 22:38:12 GMT
(Related: Generation Legends- Only gets worse once the minicons were removed because they were the same price for no better a figure.) Ahahaha good times, good times |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 28, 2015 22:50:05 GMT
They did 12 again, not having all the parts of a combiner on the shelf at once.
Also:
Clip & Bar: not enough weapons. You could have sold extra lip & bar weapons and people would have bought them. Mail away, sold through club, anything to get more out there.
RID 2015 Minicons WHERE'S THE MINICON SOCKETS?
2014+ Legions: Where have the weapons gone?
ROTF Leaders: Don't get me started.
AoE: why is there just one toy that reacts to the magnet feet? And not too well at that?
Generations: where have the lightpipes gone?
Gonna disagree with Jetty about the Legends Minicon companions: I think the were great!
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Post by blueshift on Dec 28, 2015 22:56:28 GMT
AoE: why is there just one toy that reacts to the magnet feet? And not too well at that? Oh yes, that was weird! They must have had more planned for that!! |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 28, 2015 22:57:03 GMT
Combiner Wars- Largely successful, but completely messed up as we have 9 hasbro combiners, and extended to 12 when factoring in FP and unique Takara, all composed from basically 9 unique limbs, and 4 torsos. Superion Menasor Defensor Bruticus Optimus Maximus Sky Reign G2 Superion G2 Menasor Victorion G2 Bruticus Unite Galvatronus TFSS Thunderwing Botcon (Tri) Predicus I think that makes 13 combiners but there's enough spare limbs to form a Torso up into a Fourteenth. |
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Post by Toph on Dec 28, 2015 23:26:26 GMT
Combiner Wars- Largely successful, but completely messed up as we have 9 hasbro combiners, and extended to 12 when factoring in FP and unique Takara, all composed from basically 9 unique limbs, and 4 torsos. Superion Menasor Defensor Bruticus Optimus Maximus Sky Reign G2 Superion G2 Menasor Victorion G2 Bruticus Unite Galvatronus TFSS Thunderwing Botcon (Tri) Predicus I think that makes 13 combiners but there's enough spare limbs to form a Torso up into a Fourteenth. I musta ran out of fingers. I remembered every one those, but must have counted them out wrong. (I was concerned also I would OVERcount by adding a G2 Defensor that doesn't exist) For the deluxe molds, am I missing any? Car- Deadend Car2- Breakdown Pickup Formula Jet- Firefly Jet2- Skydive Helicopter Rook Tank And I know Groove technically counts, but I have a hard time considering him as valid so long as he remains exclusive to an otherwise non-distinct exclusive giftset. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Dec 28, 2015 23:36:22 GMT
Nope, that's it. All have a major retool bar the F1 car, Helicopter and Tank.
Must update the table I did!
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 28, 2015 23:41:45 GMT
Indeed, there are the voyagers to consider too.
I'm now almost decided that I will about face and get Victorion, then if I got white Prime I could say I'd at least got the basic retail releases. The Botcon set is just too much for what it is.
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 29, 2015 8:39:10 GMT
I would say that deluxe Groove does count as it does actually exist, occupying three dimension of space.
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 29, 2015 9:18:55 GMT
I still can't believe that we won't see that figure outside the gift set, along with the Takara Blast Off. It's easy money to to a Quickslinger type release.
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Post by Llama God on Dec 29, 2015 11:40:53 GMT
I half agree with the Generations Legends comment - whilst I agreed at the time that more of the budget could've been spent on improving the core figure, I think the subsequent Generations Legends figures, with their complete lack of weapons and barely-decreased price - have shown that to not quite be the case. And also, I found them to be fun - tiny little Chip Shop, Waspinator and Reflector were great fun.
But the lack of light-piping does piss me off. Especially in figures that were clearly engineered to have light piping.
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 29, 2015 12:51:57 GMT
He should absolutely have been called chip shop.
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primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
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Post by primenova on Dec 29, 2015 18:27:25 GMT
Number 5 - we did see the extra limbs but Hasbro pulled the concept.
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Post by blueshift on Dec 29, 2015 18:31:31 GMT
Number 5 - we did see the extra limbs but Hasbro pulled the concept. We did? Only Liobreaker (and repaints) I thought |
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 29, 2015 19:30:03 GMT
He should absolutely have been called chip shop. Yes. -Ralph |
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Post by Bogatan on Dec 29, 2015 19:55:21 GMT
Personally Im a fan of the legends minicons. And Botcon put them to good use this year as Diaclone pilotish type things.
And shush about ROTF Leaders. 2 out of 3 are fantastic, even Jetfire is just odd rather than bad.
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Post by Pinwig on Dec 29, 2015 22:13:05 GMT
Leader Jetfire rocks! Bags of character. I was so proud the day I finally got him into jet form. It's recorded on here somewhere.
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Post by blueshift on Dec 29, 2015 22:15:53 GMT
Leader Jetfire rocks! Bags of character. I was so proud the day I finally got him into jet form. It's recorded on here somewhere. Leader Jetfire screams "OH GOD DONT SNAP MY TINY FRAGILE WAIST" to me. It's G1 Mirage come again. |
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Post by The Doctor on Dec 29, 2015 22:22:05 GMT
JETFIIAAAR'S MA NAME!
-Ralph
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primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
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Post by primenova on Dec 30, 2015 22:09:06 GMT
Number 5 - we did see the extra limbs but Hasbro pulled the concept. We did? Only Liobreaker (and repaints) I thought On the Botcon cover of the first IDW comic where it shows character designs & we see that designs where done for a ladder limb & some other ones. Just trying to find a image to remind myself. comics.tfw2005.com/infiltration-0-566Wolf like creature then joins to become an arm. back cover Botcon half way up right side. Then see bottom left. Also top shows twin guns. |
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?? What idiocy is this 
