|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 17, 2015 7:37:21 GMT
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jul 17, 2015 12:06:26 GMT
Well I only got 3 so easy to do. The Prime from the two-pack with the better paint apps that turned into the 'G1' cab is most grand. The Energon Grimlock re-release is wonderfully shit. The AOE Grimlock he comes with has yet to be touched!
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Jul 17, 2015 14:01:40 GMT
Age of Extinction doesn't exist.
Although if it did exist I can see why some folks would like the Dinobot toys.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 17, 2015 14:43:27 GMT
Week 115: The Age of Extinction Honourable mentions: Junkheap might have been here...... if I'd been able to find one. ASDA/Wal*Mart Legend Grimlock, cos I need a small Grimlock. I'm hoping the RID Legion gets done in the G1 colours. Lost Age Clear Blue ROTS Legends Optimus cos I'm a sucker for clear plastic toys. Target/Tesco/Enetrtainer Grimlock cos he looks so much better in the chrome. 5) ASDA/Wal*Mart GrimlockThe ASDA/Wal*Mart 2 packs are the star of the show as far as I'm concerned for the AoE line. Pair a repainted older toy with a Legend/Legion figure. Here the Legend is ROTS Optimus, which I already had, with Energon Cruellock repainted as AoE Grimlock. It's nice but I'd have preferred the Grimlock to come with clear red Energon parts as the Sword/Gun for this toy are woefully not cast in many other colours (3? 4?). They have also cheaped out: The Ebergon star is glued to the chest covering the missing spark crystal and faction logo underneath. I know they're missing because in an attempt to remove it I popped the whole chest off allowing me to see what's undernath but also revealing quite how worn this mould has become. Still better than any generally available Aoe toy. 4) Lost Age Clear Red & Black RTS OptimusI did say I was a sucker for clear toy. Take the RTS Legend, do it clear. It's fabulous and it's got the metal in it's foot to activate Chomp & Stomp Grimlock's gimmicks, a toy Jonathan looks lustfully at but I'm not paying £90 for! Today I hear they're in an Argos sale for £30 but can I find one in stock? No. Further plus points to the Optimus Legend is that he has the remoulded hnds but sadly not the weapons. 3) TRU Now & Then Optimus PrimeClassics Voyager Op, with chromed Thighs. The Now and Then series was very hit and miss. BB had the recent and still on the shelves new Legends BB packed in with him. Grimlock had Energon Grimlock, which might have debateably been a good thing if Strafe (Swoop) had had Energon Swoop with him. It didn't: Strafe, like Slug, had a Minicon which we already had. To compound the error Strafe has a picture of Technobot Strafe on his packaging and not Swoop! The Optimus is a solid toy. The chrome is a bit bling but it apes the original Op so we'll let it pass. 2) ASDA/Wal*Mart StrafeStrafe's the least value for money of the two packs, but I'm using that term VERY loosely given what happened with them. He comes with a BB Legend and is himself a repaint of Beast Wars basic Terrorsaur, a smaller toy than the Energon scout of Cruellock. But Terrorsaur is Beast Wars, and therefore fabulous, and this deco in bright blue REALLY makes it sing. Gorgeous, best paint scheme it's had. As an added bonus the original Swoop's animated form was blue chested so you can make a legitimate claim you're holding Beast Wars Swoop here. 1) ASDA/Wal*Mart SlugThe only reason Strafe/Swoop isn't #1 is that the Slug pack exists. He comes with a new character, a red Legion called Strafe (I effectively had this toy as Prime Cyberverse Mirage already). Slug himself is Beast Wars Neo Guiledart, one of the best post G1 Dinosaur toys Hasbro have done. Sizewise he's deluxe class, which makes this the best value of the 2-packs, so it's obvious he was 2 per case while the others were 3. But value for money doesn't really matter here since most of us found them for £8 each which is one of the biggest Transformer bargains in recent years (I had these written up as £15 a set) Naturally they vanished at that price. The purple on Slug really works well and has the added bonus of being very close to the colours used for Guiledart's Neo remould Killerpunch, woefully unreleased in the west in any form. The Strafe paint is probably better but the size, complexity and general betterness of the toy makes this my fave AoE toy.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 17, 2015 14:44:55 GMT
Age if Extinction doesn't exist. It effectively doesn't in the UK if you want the Generations figures but I'm trying not to have that rant today. Maybe later during the week.
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jul 18, 2015 9:56:04 GMT
This is going to be a difficult one. Once I eliminate the One-step Changers *shudders*, Power Battlers *shakes head* and Titan thingies *why gods, why?* that means the entire mass-release line is out of contention. So only the store exclusives' and a few two-packs left. Many of which I didn't see due to not having a TRU in easy reach... This one might be a bit spared, and Optimusy...
Karl
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jul 18, 2015 16:28:42 GMT
Evasion Mode Prime (any version) is solid gold though.
I have remembered that I did procure some 1-step changers. I enjoyed their shitness though due to an accident I no longer have them. Drift was cool. *flicks like a knife*
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Jul 18, 2015 16:33:56 GMT
OH! OH! ONE-CHANGE PROWL!
Not in the non-existant film, so he's ok.
Nice looking Prowl. I.... I would have like a full movieverse Prowl, I s'pose. But as I have grown to despise the Bayverse, I'm not loosing any sleep over it.
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 19, 2015 13:36:28 GMT
Age if Extinction doesn't exist. It effectively doesn't in the UK if you want the Generations figures but I'm trying not to have that rant today. Maybe later during the week. So, yeah, Age Of Extinction does not exist.
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jul 19, 2015 13:49:27 GMT
Evasion Mode Prime (any version) is solid gold though. I have remembered that I did procure some 1-step changers. I enjoyed their shitness though due to an accident I no longer have them. Drift was cool. *flicks like a knife* -Ralph Yeah, The Run Away Mode Prime is a great toy. I remember your one-step changers from their excursion to Falkirk. I remember laughing like a drain at Flick-Drift, who was funny for all the wrong reasons. Karl
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Jul 19, 2015 21:25:36 GMT
Evasion Mode Prime is indeed tops.
The one step changers Optimus Prime put me in mind of Machine Wars Hoist/Hubcap - less articulation obviously.
Andy
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 19, 2015 21:26:53 GMT
I may yet end up with an Evasion mode Prime if the 2 pack with Classic Optimus goes cheap again.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 23, 2015 7:12:25 GMT
Thursday Tease:
Is this the real life?
(this one replaces another subject which last night I decided was far to similar to another we'd already done this month. I'll hold that one back till later but the clue for that was "Whose Reign of Destruction is it this week?")
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jul 23, 2015 7:16:11 GMT
Animorphs!
-Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 23, 2015 7:19:37 GMT
As the setter for this thread I can tell you categorically it is not, and will never be, Animorphs!
In fact no Animorph could be voted for in this week's category anyway!
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 23, 2015 8:39:44 GMT
Seeing as Ralph bought the subject up here are some more Animorph related clues to this week's topic:
In the year Animorphs came out there are five toys that fall into this category released.
In the year before Animorphs came out there were eleven.
In the year after Animorphs came out there were two.
In the year after that there were four and then there wouldn't be any more till Cybertron.
(all numbers subject to me counting right. Some G1 related number clue to follow)
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 23, 2015 12:44:10 GMT
G1 clues:
There's no toys in 1984 or 1985 that meets this criteria.
The first is in 1986 and he's followed by more in 87, 88 & 89 by which time there's some which are Japanese exclusives.
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jul 23, 2015 13:34:25 GMT
Lets see if I can do this without using toys from other lines. 5. Slog - aside from evasion Prime the only aoe toy Ive gotten around to opening. Bit weird but I quite like it. 4. Constructbots Dino Rider Hound - Green. 3. Constructbots Dino Rider Drift - I love the dino riders, they are like super deformed elite actionmasters. Of the 4 I have Drift is my favourite. 2. Constructbot Strafe - Has the feel of an oversized KO Beast Wars toy. I mean this in the best way possible. Admittedly I still havent opened deluxe strafe, but I still think this ones better. Got the other two from Home Bargains recently, they are growing on me too. 1. Evasion Prime Alright so the Constructbots aren't branded AOE so I failed on a technicality. But if I had said do this using only moulds based on aoe, nailed it. of the reused from other lines grouping, the beast wars chaps are nice and so is Drift from the DOTM copter. FOC grimlock in G1 colours very nice, but I wish he didnt look like he is wearing red hotpants.
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jul 23, 2015 13:42:43 GMT
Classic Prime with Chrome legs is also pretty good, though its one of the rare cases when I will agree with people complaining about cheaper (feeling) plastics.
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 23, 2015 13:49:22 GMT
Transformers based on Queen song titles!
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 6:14:02 GMT
Week 116: Fictional & Mythological Animals
Your top 5 toys with fictional animal alt modes!
Obviously the most common choice here will be one of several Transformers Dragons but there's been plenty of others including a Unicorn (note spelling!) and a Cerberus. And since a Chimera is a mythological beast made up of two or more animals all Fuzors get in too.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 7:16:58 GMT
Transformers based on Queen song titles! well I suppose we could have had Mach Kick representing A Day At The Races and Jazz representing Jazz but beyond that ..... What the first clue refers to is the song's second line: Thursday Tease: Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Seeing as Ralph bought the subject up here are some more Animorph related clues to this week's topic: In the year Animorphs came out there are five toys that fall into this category released. This was 1999. The two Transmetal 2 Ultras + the 3 Blendtrons in Neo. In the year before Animorphs came out there were eleven. 1998: Ten Fuzors + BWII Galvatron In the year after Animorphs came out there were two. 2000. CarRobots Gigatron & Devil Gigatron. There's actually a third: BM Voyager Megatron. In the year after that there were four and then there wouldn't be any more till Cybertron. BM Beast Changer, Battle Unicron, RID Bruticus (a left over from BM) and RID Cryotek. Plus the US Megatron/Galvatron release of Gigatron & Devil Gigatron. G1 clues: There's no toys in 1984 or 1985 that meets this criteria. The first is in 1986 and he's followed by more in 87, 88 & 89 by which time there's some which are Japanese exclusives. 86 Sky Lynx 87 Monsterbots 88 Firecons & Decepticon Pretenders 89 Monstercons & Deszarus
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 24, 2015 10:31:00 GMT
Transformers based on Queen song titles! well I suppose we could have had Mach Kick representing A Day At The Races and Jazz representing Jazz but beyond that ..... See, I found Headstrong in the '86 line and thought "Oooo, that's a Queen song, maybe there's more."
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jul 24, 2015 12:06:50 GMT
Week 116: Fictional & Mythological AnimalsYour top 5 toys with fictional animal alt . The Animorph wolf toy had a certain terrible charm. -Ralph
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 24, 2015 15:55:21 GMT
Oh. My God.
Animorphs.
Why.... who...?
Nuuuuugh.
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 16:05:52 GMT
NOT ANIMORPHS!
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jul 24, 2015 17:10:57 GMT
Week 115: The Age of Extinction
I'm not doing this by "new moulds only" because if I do the answer is "Runaway Mode Prime" and done. So I am allowing reuses of moulds from other lines just so that I have something to write about.
Dishonorable mentions:- The UK Mass Market line. There are reasons that there are still acres of the great big two-and-a-bit step changers, one step changers, Power Battlers and the like, still clogging up Smyths stores in massive quantity.
Honorable Mentions: Target Two-Pack Optimus Prime (I think he was a shared Tesco/Entertainer exclusive over here?) - repaint of a previous LAM Line Optimus Prime, a simplified Prime, left orphaned when his colour scheme was deleted from the Movie. Poor Fella. But he looked quite good, and sufficiently different to the general pile of Movie Primes that he did catch my eye. I also rather liked that he came with a great big sword (possibly one of the best melee weapons an Optimus Prime has had since Laser Rod Optimus(the proper one)).
Honorable Mentions:
5. Target Two Pack Grimlock: I was not a big fan of this toy when it was in Animated. Nothing that I didn't like about it then has been fixed by this release, and it has been given a rather uninspired new deco. The thing is that compared with everything around it (one-step, three-step, flip-and-change, Dinosparkers), it looked like it had descended from another planet let alone a different era. Whereas the AoE Dinobots remind me of the *shudder* Bio-Zoids from the tail-end of the NJR line, the aesthetic of this toy feels more Transformer-ish to me.
4. Now and Then Energon Grimlock: Apparently he combines with another toy which was not reissued to make a very rubbish "shirt and trousers" combiner. But that doesn't worry me. In his own right he has a Fisher-Price esque chunkyness and bright colour scheme which I actually find quite endearing. He has a nice simple but fun transformation and has decent play value in both modes. He is fun and toy-etic in a way that most of the AoE line wasn't and it does make him stand out.
3. Voyager Autobot Drift: A really nice retool and redoc of a fantastic toy. The helicopter mode is a wonderful cut-and-shut which seems to be some unholy fusion of the Kamov "Alligator" and the in-bred offspring of two different "Hind" variants. (And I think it looks marvellous for it.) The new head is pretty good
2. Now and Then Runaway Mode Optimus Prime: I actually think this is close to my favourite Live-Action Movie Prime to be honest. It plays down the "cogs-and-gears-and-parts OH My!" kibble which mars so many of the others, has a fairly sane transformation and comes with a big chunky gun which he can't quite hold in a way which looks entirely sane and comforting. He'd be a winner if it wasn't for the fact that he comes packaged with...
1. Now and Then Optimus Prime: Take the Classics Optimus Prime - my personal favourite of the modern retreads of Ol'Oppy - add a bit of redecoing to make him "pop" a little more. Job done really. This may be an older mould, but against the rest of the things I was seeing out of AoE it stood out like a very redened sore thumb.
Karl
|
|
|
Post by Shockprowl on Jul 24, 2015 17:23:38 GMT
Fictional/Mythological-
Well I can't come up with a top 5, but I freakin' love the Firecons!
Hang on, the Terrorcons qualify, Surely?
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 17:36:33 GMT
They do :-) as do the Monsterbots. Now go away and make a top 5!
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 17:44:22 GMT
Week 116: Fictional & Mythological Animals Straight top 5 this week: 5) SinnertwinFave Terrorcon. Sorry Blot, but there's just something about Sinnertwin that I've always loved. 4) DoublecrossDoublecross has intrigued me ever since I saew him on the back of the 1987 box. I played with one once and he's good fun. Looking at him now he's a little plain and simply scuplted and I'm sure will look better in a Generations version. Oh **** AoE Strafe IS Doublecross. Paint it grey and slapthe right head on it and I'll be tempted. 3) TMII MegatronSuperb. A VERY decent dragon which pulls the trick of doing a VERY good Megatron in a non traditional colour. 2) TigerhawkI LOVE Tigerhawk. Wonderful, fun toy. 1) BWII GalvatronBut Galvatron is even better. A few of my all time faves in here.
|
|