|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 16, 2015 7:46:02 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Kingoji on Jan 16, 2015 16:19:05 GMT
5. Sky Shadow. I adored this mold when I picked up Thunderwing, and didn't see any way it could be improved. And then a year or so later I laid my eyes on [Black] Shadow in person, and my god, but that deco is just so much more attractive to me. 4. Darkmount. Finally, an actual Straxus toy! And he's not made from a body appropriated from another character! Splendid ironies! 3. Sergeant Kup. This dude has really grown on me over the years. I guess the third party head and guns helped out with that, though. 2. Wheeljack. After enjoying the earlier Tracks, when I got this guy in my hands it was pretty obvious that Wheeljack was who this mold was always designed to be. Just a brilliantly fun little figure, and one of the top representations of a classic character in general. 1. Warpath. One of my oldest favourite characters given the unexpected honour of having one of the absolutely best engineered figures in the line, even to this day. There are probably only three other figures in the whole CHUG-era that are executed better.
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 16, 2015 20:00:47 GMT
1 - GDO Combat Hero Optimus Prime - how to make a decent mold sing, great redeco. 2 - Wheeljack - great update, and just feels right and as Ed points out a good representation of the character. 3 - Thunderwing - nice update of one of my favourite Pretenders that I never owned. 4 - Darkmount - not too bad, I'd have liked a more flat Straxusy head but damn! 5 - GDO - G2 Jazz, a few colour missteps stop it being placed higher.
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jan 16, 2015 20:03:10 GMT
If it's the year we make contact I want a transforming black monolith.
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 16, 2015 21:42:08 GMT
Honourable mentions: all GDO Legends for adding c-clip hands and 3mm weapons to the molds. GDO Springer for being great. 5) DriftHaving had no prior exposure to the character I judged it solely as a toy and thought it a really good car/robot. 4) ScourgeScourge was needed to twin up with Universe Cyclonus and they did a really good job updating the soap dish design into a stealth bomber. Would be higher but unlike Cyclonus he doesn't have his Targetmaster so that's a little disappointing. 3) Darkmountcos it's Straxus. Odd vehicle, great robot, and some fab clip & bar'age 2) WheeljackI liked Tracks. I'd have never imagined the could do Wheeljack from it and so well. Energon Downshift was a good Wheeljack but this is better than that and so much better than Tracks too. Great engineering to get both out the same mould. But which was designed first? My money is on Wheeljack as there are odd useless bits on Tracks' amkles that do something in Wheeljack. 1) WarpathLove it the moment I saw it, and had a factory escapee as soon as a decenetly priced one came out. I thought the Universe Legends was good enough but the deluxe gives it a good run for it's money admittedly at a larger size. Lots of 3mm bars to tool him up (I miss C-clip & bar) Fab toy.
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jan 17, 2015 17:49:13 GMT
Week 89: Generations (2010)
Honorable mentions: Drift - not a bad toy, and also for the comedy value of being the Japanese Drift racer carrying Chinese swords...Hotspot, almost my favourite use of that mould. GDO Jazz - making the RTS Jazz mould available again, with a G2 influenced colour scheme? Great idea.
5. Blurr: A remould of a really nice toy, but Blurr just edges it on the basis of better accessories.
4. Warpath: Lovely re-invention. The rather impractical quad-tread design looks suitably "off-world" to make him look like he is designed to infiltrate a very well-funded Bond Villain's lair. The transformation is very clever, and he looks wonderful in humanoid mode - chunky and solid, but still skating around on treads in homage to his original form. The extra accessories are great as well, as is the variety of mounting points to play around with.
3. Thunderwing: It is Thunderwing. For a child of the Marvel Comics era those words were enough to make it a must have. Then they turned in a really good toy - great design in both humanoid and jet mode, and even a detachable UAV (technically they both are I guess, after all - Thunderwing is "unmanned") to homage his Pretender gimmick - making it even more a must have.
2. Wheeljack: Lovely toy, captures so much of the look of the original. It has personality, and is a lot of fun to play with. If only they had included the right number of missile launchers. As it is, the only way to get the proper look is to use the little silver sticks in place of the missile-launchers and stick the launcher in his hand like a gun (that may or may not function). Still not been able to get around to getting a second missile launcher for the poor fella.
1. Darkmount: Rubbish alias Straxus, we know it is you. A really good rendition of Straxus though - no half-measures here, we get a proper headsculpt, a decent hand-weapon (sure, military pick rather than axe, but it is probably a better weapon for defeating Autobot armour anyway) and a gaggle of extra accessories into the bargain. Even the choice of alt-mode is good - going from flying cannon to semi-tracked artillery piece feels appropriate.
Karl
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 17, 2015 18:43:46 GMT
2. Wheeljack: Lovely toy, captures so much of the look of the original. It has personality, and is a lot of fun to play with. If only they had included the right number of missile launchers. As it is, the only way to get the proper look is to use the little silver sticks in place of the missile-launchers and stick the launcher in his hand like a gun (that may or may not function). Still not been able to get around to getting a second missile launcher for the poor fella. Soloution is simple: Steal Tracks' missile gun and get him a better hand rifle
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jan 17, 2015 18:47:01 GMT
5. Darkmount: Sweet baby Straxus! Little disappointed in the ankles of this one, but otherwise he's a joy. 4. GDO Hot Spot: Sweet as this is, it is the third use of the mould that I own. I bet Botcon were kicking themselves after doing Pyro and then that head happened... 3. Dirge: This one really works, and I think it's my favourite of the coneheads. 2. Thunderwing: Really, really nice. I suspect that Black Shadow is better, but I've never held one so... 1. Drift: Ah, sue me. It's a nice little toy, and I think it's a better Drift than Blurr...
Honourable mention to WfC Bumblebee, he's fun and good but too damn big.
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jan 17, 2015 18:52:41 GMT
5. Twincast - I dont like the Universe/Cybertron version and dont like the look of the binaltech toy so Twincast or other repaint of the original mould it is by default. Encore makes the list thanks to the pair of cassettes it came with. 4. FOC Blaster - I've never been completely sold on this mould. I currently prefer the Blaster version, but still wish there had been a Blaster from the WFC soundwave instead. 3. G1 Blaster - A friend at school had Blaster and I was so jealous. At that time I had only ever seen one in the US checklist that came with Broadside. It was many years later that I got my own junker and while it looks rather silly amongst its G1 brethren it works surprisingly well with the MP line. 2. Device Label Broad Blast - It's very silly as Blaster essentially ends up with a laptop on his back, but it makes a great classic Blaster and unlike Music Label Soundwave the robot mode feels like Blaster. (soundwaves skinny little legs look completely wrong.) Being very picky I just wish the torso was not all yellow, the absence of the red strip down one side and across the bottom would have been perfect. I wonder if Reprolabels ever did one? 1. Actionmaster Blaster - It seems that my priority with Actionmasters was getting characters I didn't already have at least for the carded line which is why I didn't have Grimlock, Snarl, Bumblebee, Devastator, but for some reason I also never got Blaster or Shockwave. This still annoys me. Blaster does look like he stepped out of the comic. There is really very little I dislike among the options here. 5. Wheeljack - Having just gotten MP WJ, the Generations one is probably looking a bit second best right now, but no doubt its a great mould. 4. Wapath - I know it is in every respect an amazing toy and yet it has never really held my interest as much as it should. 3. GDO Hotspot - CW will soon make him redundant, but it was a really good remould at a time the idea of a new mould Hotspot seemed a fantasy. Let alone one that combined. 2. Straxus - Hasbro gave us Straxus, no matter how many stupid things they have and will do, we can never take that away from them. 1. G2 Jazz - Jazz mould with added blue and orange bits for some reason. I don't know why but it makes me happy. Bubbling under pretty much all new moulds from this period, even the annoying WFC ones. But closest to making the list is Kup, if it had come with either of the 3p heads direct from Hasbro and in the colours of the Ehobby release it would have been fighting for top spot. GDO Megatron is brilliant too. Skyshadow just misses out as well, great mould with slightly better colours than Thunderwing, but sometimes a toy just feels like it should be bigger. I cant help but think if Thunderwing had been part of the generations 2013 onwards line it would have been a voyager (admittedly a simple one) and the drone would have been transformable.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 22, 2015 8:41:52 GMT
Thursday Tease:
Think Small. Again.
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jan 22, 2015 18:37:33 GMT
They're not just micros. They're micromasters. The only micros that transform.
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 22, 2015 21:16:20 GMT
Nope!
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jan 22, 2015 22:02:33 GMT
Then...this place isn't crawling with Micromasters!!!
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 23, 2015 8:30:32 GMT
Week 90: Minibot Remakes
Your top 5 remakes of the 1984-1986 Mini Autobots please
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 23, 2015 20:52:34 GMT
LOTS to choose from this week. Honourable mentions to: Pretender Bumblebee, Wal*Mart Universe Ultra Powerglide, Generations Legend Cosmos, Generations Legend Tailgate and Universe Legends Wheelie. 5) Legacy of Bumblebee BumblebeeThe Classics BB is a good example of updating a toy but having to avoid the exact original vehicle mode. This is probably the best version: the all yellow ones are too yellow andn the black works best at breaking it up. I'd rather he had the black seats of the Japanese version but.... 4) HFTD SeaspraySeaspray is probably the loosest adherant to the original here: it's got all the right colours, but they're in different places with both vehicle and robot looking different. But it such a good toy throwing in compatability with smaller toys being able to transport them, c-clip bars for weapons, spinning fans, a great lightpipe, diving gear head and flippers on the feet. There's probably room for a more slavish Generations Legends update but I do love this toy and even more so because it's a hit in a mocie influenced line. 3) Generations WarpathI spoke about this last week, fab toy. There's a reason it's at three though..... 2) Universe Legends Warpath..... and that's because a lot of what the Generations Deluxe does was done first on the Universe Legend which is a wonder for it's size especially when you slice the chest box off giving the turret it's mobility. 1) Generations Legend SwerveLOVE this toy. Simple, but everything done right. SCREAMS Swerve at you in both mode.
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jan 23, 2015 22:40:01 GMT
Week 90: Minibot RemakesYour top 5 remakes of the 1984-1986 Mini Autobots please Oh man I bet thats a long list by now. 5. CW Powerglide - initially I was ever so slightly disappointed by Powerglide in comparison to the rest of the CW line, but its rapidly grown on me. Feels like a very direct upgrade on the original which is always fun to see. 4. Henkei Bumblebee - best colouring of the mould even if it does make it a better Goldbug or G2 Bee. Actually best use of the mould might be Botcon Bugbite 3. Universe Brawn - Something about he look I just like. 2. Animated Cliffjumper - Not a character that has ever connected with me. But the activator mould is so full of personality. And he looks great riding Samurai Prowl. 1. Swerve - I Gears had gotten the care and attention Swerve got it would top my list. But Swerve is just joy. Bubbling under: GDO Wheelie one of the best moulds out there and oddly effective as Wheelie. Slingshot and all. DOTM and Universe Powerglide, 2 more great moulds for Powerglide. How Powerglide has managed 3 great updates while Huffer and Pipes have yet to have a single dedicated new mould is baffling.
|
|
|
Post by Kingoji on Jan 23, 2015 23:30:32 GMT
5. Generations Gears - This toy was perfect as Swerve, and I have to confess I didn't see myself loving Gears because I figured that if they could change the guy's chest between the two 30 years ago then there was damn well no excuse not to do it now. But, dammit, those colours and that head... they just make me happy.
4. Henkei Bumblebee - Granted, mine has been 3rd-party-add-onned into an absolutely amazing Goldbug, but there's no denying that this guy pretty much set the high standard for deluxes from his release onwards. Best toy of his wave, easily.
3. Reveal The Shield Windcharger - Once, years ago, I was inspired by EJ Su to try and design a fully-transformable update for Windcharger. with the exception of the torso, this toy is pretty much exactly what I came up with. And he is also, in my mind, the perfect scale for Minibot updates, and it's a damn tragedy that he was the only one to be made in Scout form.
2. Generations Warpath - For the same reasons as he was in my last top five list.
1. Masterpiece Bumblebee - This chap is probably my toy of the year for 2014. The Masterpiece line was always top tier, but experiencing this guy was about as magical as when I first got the original Masterpiece Optimus Prime. Plus, the first time Bumblebee has been a VW Beetle in how many years!? The joy and significance of that fact cannot be overstated, especially since the trend of making him a muscle car began.
Honourable mentions for the most recent Powerglide and Tailgate as well.
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jan 23, 2015 23:34:08 GMT
Okay some how forgot about MP bee.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 29, 2015 8:07:13 GMT
Thursday Tease:
Prepare yourselves for a cutting edge top 5 toys....
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jan 29, 2015 9:34:10 GMT
Week 90: Minibot Remakes
Ah, Mini-bots. Something quite dear to my heart - Mini-bots were the affordable toys when I was a youngster, so they made up a large chunk of my Autobot forces.
5) Combiner Wars Legends Powerglide: So much like the original I spent ages trying to work out how to slide the legs up to transform him into aircraft mode. Really looks and feels like a rework of the original, and if he has a slightly less accurate aeroplane form I'll let them off because they were clearly dodging licensing, and carefully dodged "just far enough". I prefer the face on this version to the Movie one, and I love that his arms have the bays for his concussion bombs. Just a shame they can't be faced downwards properly in his alt-mode.
4) Movie Scout Windcharger: Vehicle mode does a really good job of feeling like the Trans-am of the original, and the humanoid mode is great fun to play about with. The deployable electromagnets in the arms are a lovely touch as well - at that size and price-point I wasn't really expecting much if anything in the way of "extras" so it is a lovely bonus.
3) Generations Warpath: Fantastic toy, as per our previous discussions. Captures so much of the spirit of the original even whilst it diverges in the detail.
2) Classics Bumblebee - Almost perfect. I love the fact that they have stayed with the same sensibility for his vehicle mode. The VW Beetle was, in its day, an inexpensive vehicle which could be made surprisingly sporty. What's the modern equivalent? A "hot hatchback" young boy-racer mobile. It feels more appropriate for 'bee than a prestige classic muscle car to me. The humanoid mode is wonderful, the proportions of it just feel right for Bumblebee, and reminiscent of his original toy. I love the fact that he is packaged with an accessory which makes a nod to his Actionmaster toy as well. A nice bit of historical continuity. If he only had the proper Bumblebee head then he would be as good as perfect.
1) Generations Legends Swerve: As the most evil frog in the world put it - "Nailed Eeet!" Fantastic toy - a great vehicle mode, which keeps pretty much in line with his original, only updated, and a fantastic humanoid mode too. I don't think we are likely to see a better Swerve toy.
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jan 29, 2015 21:04:43 GMT
I should add a small caveat to the above list. After examination of the recent Powerglide last week there was a general consensus amongst Scots Contingent members who were present that he did not quite feel like a ten pound toy, and he could possibly have done with a little gun or something. Actually, I think that is a decent idea - give him something to represent his maser, IR laser or whatever else his "thermal beam" is supposed to be. (I'm presuming it is an IR spectrum laser - otherwise it is just a beam that makes things hot, or as we call them "a regular laser beam")
Karl
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 30, 2015 7:37:49 GMT
Week 91: TF Swords & Hand Weapons
It's an accesories week and this week we're mainly looking at any weapon that a Transformer can use to hit another Transformer with. Given the toys it'll mainly be Swords but there's a few axes, morning stars and other assorted melee weapons out there too.
So your top 5 TF swords and hand weapons please
|
|
|
Post by Kingoji on Jan 30, 2015 8:18:35 GMT
5. Optimus Primal's twin swords. I just love the bonkers shape to them. They're very distinctive next to the hundreds of other swords in the franchise. His maul was fun too, shame it never made it into the series. 4. Laser Optimus' Sword. It's big, it's bright, and it lights up! 3. TM Tarantulas buzz-saw. The idea of using one of those as a weapon is so sadistic that it makes perfect sense with this character. 2. Darkmount's pickaxe. It just looks savage and nasty, and I can't really think of another character with that type of weapon. 1. TM Megatron's Tail/claw. It may be most often used as a firearm in the show, but on the toy it's an awesome and unique weapon for hand to hand combat, being as flexible as a whip but with that nasty sharp gripper on the end. The weapon is like 50% of that figure's overall charm.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 30, 2015 13:31:19 GMT
5) GrimlockOne of the Dinobots needed to into the top 5 as they were the characters that introduced TF hand weapons to the west. If his was Chromed like the Diaclone version he'd be a bit higher as it's a fine sword. I love me some chromed swords. The MP version is nice too, with it's clear light up feature, nother fave. 4) Star SaberLovely sword, defining aspect of the character. 3) StrongarmEnergon Strongarm's axe is a great weapon, wish I'd got some more colours of it. Ditto Cruellock, who really should have been done in red. 2) Dark Matter CaliburMinicons & Swords have a mixed history with the original Minicon Combining Weapon the Star Saber being prone to falling to pieces. Dark Matter Calibur has none of those problems and is so big a deluxe can't hold it. Currently it's being weilded by CW Superion as he awaits his opponent.... Desperately needed a few differently coloured clear versions! 1) Menasor/MotormasterI'm not fond of the original Motormaster/Menasor for many reasons. The sword isn't one of them. Lovely piece of chrome (told you I liked chromed swords) with a decent shape to it. They're trying with CW version but the original is so much better. Upscaled version for CW Menasor please!
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 13:55:16 GMT
Transformers can only hold the weapons they come with! Nnngh.
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 30, 2015 14:03:03 GMT
Then only vote for the weapons that come with TFs if extra weapons being used in spare hands troubles you so much!
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 15:11:30 GMT
Transformers can only hold the weapons they come with! Nnngh. -Ralph But...but...YOU put the shotgun from AOE evasion mode Prime with the reissue Energon Grimlock. Andy
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 30, 2015 15:19:13 GMT
Gasps!
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 30, 2015 17:10:38 GMT
I know. His secret shame revealed.
Andy
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jan 30, 2015 18:31:11 GMT
I did not!
-Ralph
|
|