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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 22, 2016 14:06:19 GMT
Week 155: Household/Real Life Objects 5) RatbatI went and checked Week 12: Tapes and Ratbat came second there so in he goes at number 5 here. he only non Microchange toy on the list. 4) LaserbeakLove the tape birds and this is the better of the two. 3) PerceptorIf it's a straight fight between 2 and 3's robots then Perceptor would be one place higher as it's a really REALLY good toy and 2's robot isn't. I had Perceptor out recently for a thing and was amazed quite how good it was. 2) MegatronRobot is nowhere near as good as Perceptor. But the accessories make the toy here nudging him marginally ahead. NICK: Phil needs a Transformers Collection/Encore version! 1) SoundwaveSoundwave Superior. Others Inferior.
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Post by Pinwig on Apr 23, 2016 18:53:49 GMT
If it's a straight fight between 2 and 3's robots then Perceptor would be one place higher as it's a really REALLY good toy and 2's robot isn't. I had Perceptor out recently for a thing and was amazed quite how good it was. I've just been having a play with the one I acquired from Graham. He's really rather marvelous. Much better than I expected. The articulation is impressive for that era for a start, and the robot proportions are excellent. I love the head too. I don't think I've ever really looked at the head in detail before; it's very distinct. I'm amazed the microscope works as well as it does. In terms of toy finish and detail he makes a better match for Soundwave than Blaster. Really ace toy.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 29, 2016 14:07:53 GMT
Week 156: Gimmicks
Your top 5 Transformer toy gimmicks.
EG Headmaster, Targetmasters, Light Pipe eyes, Minicon Ports
(Late replacement subject again: spotted we'd already essentially done what I intended this week to be)
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 29, 2016 22:03:41 GMT
What happened to the Mini-Spies?
-Ralph
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Post by Pinwig on Apr 29, 2016 22:09:52 GMT
That's the XYZ thread.
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 29, 2016 22:15:18 GMT
You have passed The Test.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 3, 2016 21:11:40 GMT
5) Targetmasters Weapons that turn into other things? Fab! 4) Headmasters Headmasters is even better because the head becomes the driver in vehicle mode and interacts with it. 3) Micromaster Base Ramps I ignored Micromasters when I was younger. If I had realised back then that the bases joined together I would have bought the **** out of them. Any toy that builds something bigger with another toy is a good thing. 2) Combining TF fans love their combiners. It's the special feature that keeps coming back: Special Teams/Scramble City, Micromaster Combiners, BW Combiners, RiD Combiners, Energon through to Combiner Wars. We love it and we buy it everytime. 1) Lightpipes Simple. Oh so simple. But ever so effective! Loved it when I first saw it in 92, love it now!
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Post by Benn on May 4, 2016 7:39:33 GMT
Okay, gimmicks.
5. Combining. Only because I'm struggling to think... it was done super-well with the Special Teams, and only come close again with CW. 4. Lightpipes. Is good. Nice glow. 3. Pretenders. Two toys for the price of one! Such value! Daring space adventurer or bug ugly monster AND a transforming robot? Sweet! 2. Micros. So many toys! Vehicles, cities... so much potential. MiniCons? Less love. 1. Transforming. It's what bought us all here in the first place.
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 4, 2016 8:19:35 GMT
I nearly had Transforming on my list but personally I don't tend to think of Transforming as an extra gimmick, more a pre-requisite*. The name of the line for a start indicates what your toy should do when you get it out the box.....
*Action Masters have Transforming Companions: It's a different take on the same concept.
Well done for getting in there with some light pipe love!
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Post by The Doctor on May 4, 2016 8:44:36 GMT
Transforming IS a gimmick ie many TF lines do not transform ie decoys, early Kreo, Robot Heroes, Robot Replicas, Titans, Tiny Titans, the Action Master robots, etc.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 6, 2016 7:15:03 GMT
Week 157: Basic
Your top 5 basic sized toys please.
We'll define basic as the carded size that's smaller than a deluxe. You can make a decent aruement for several toys prior being this size but essentially the size starts in Beast Wars where it actually was called Basic and continues on from there, varying slightly in size, bulk and hand size through the likes of Scouts, PCC & Cyberverse Commanders to the present day Legends.
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Post by The Doctor on May 6, 2016 13:46:00 GMT
Animorphs had basics!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 12, 2016 12:29:27 GMT
Thursday Tease:
This week we shall wrestle with inclement weather in the stars but try not to impeded the traffic by blocking the driver's view with our extra dirty exhaust....
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Post by Baron B of Triple B on May 12, 2016 23:57:47 GMT
Em, Clouds?
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 13, 2016 7:02:18 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 13, 2016 8:43:26 GMT
Explanations may be in order Thursday Tease: This week we shall wrestle Grapple with inclement weather in the stars Solar Storm, a reference to the RTS version but try not to impeded the traffic Energon Roadblock, a yellow repaint of Inferno that by all right should be called Grapple. by blocking the driver's view with our extra dirty exhaust.... Armada Smokescreen, an orange crane which in Japan is called Grapple. Quite pleased with this one TBH.
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Post by Benn on May 13, 2016 14:14:53 GMT
I WAS GONNA SAY GRAPPLE but I couldn't work out the rest of the clues goddammit Phil!
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 13, 2016 15:21:47 GMT
A small amount of cheating is involved here. There are not that many Grapples I think I expected there to be another by now but I'm still awaiting the Combiner Wars version with keen interest. 5) Micron Legend GrappleAKA Armada Smokescreen Should have been called Grapple, the Japanese got that bit right. Um..... Could be better. 4) Energon Roadblock/Inferno VoltShould have been called Grapple, especially as it's an Inferno repaint and neither the Americans or the Japanese got that right! 3) RTS GrappelRTS beats United because of the slightly more orange plastic and the black head. Plus points for having the crane arm and c-clip bars, minus points for loosing the 5mm hands :-( 2) 1985 GrappleOf the two, Inferno will always win in a straight competition. Same body, different head, different trailer mounted device. My current one is a Commemorative Series reissue as he's never had a proper Japanese reissue outside of the early 2000s limited convention run! 1) Micron Legend Grapple Super ModeAKA Armada Hoist. Actually in a straight choice between the two I prefer the western version. The brown legs work better to my eye. But still a supoerb toy and one of the stand out Transformers this century.
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Post by The Doctor on May 13, 2016 18:33:27 GMT
No no no. You can't just say a non-Grapple toy is a Grapple!
-Ralph
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Post by Benn on May 14, 2016 7:26:31 GMT
So is that one or two knocked off the list then?
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Post by blueshift on May 14, 2016 7:34:35 GMT
Does Grappel count as Grapple??
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 14, 2016 7:45:25 GMT
Of course he does!
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Post by blueshift on May 14, 2016 7:56:32 GMT
Does the Rock Lords combiner count as Grapple?
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 14, 2016 8:35:10 GMT
No
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 19, 2016 6:26:40 GMT
Thursday Tease:
Double & flip your unseen offspring and team them with some of the classes of 4 years previous.
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 19, 2016 18:13:38 GMT
Are you confused about what toy line this is?
The club were too a few years back!
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Post by The Doctor on May 19, 2016 19:33:39 GMT
Machine Wars Animorphs!
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 20, 2016 6:16:08 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 20, 2016 7:07:00 GMT
Slightly differently this week I'm going to talk about the entire line and show you how my top 5 came out: Hoist There's two requirements going on here a toy has to either look good or look like the original. This is one of the few times a Black repaint isn't a good thing. The toy is better than this and deserves a Dark Green & Orange repaint that it still hasn't had! Hubcap The Tow Truck toy actually works better in bright yellow a Hubcap but the form isn't one we're used to for Hubcap. Probably the closest to the Top 5 of any that didn't make it. Megatron his double looks more like Megatron that he does, which may be the point, but I don't see Megatron being cowardly enough to bother with a disguise. Mirage colours are wrong and even then not flash enough for a race car. Fortunately both better and more accurate were to come. Prowl isn't a race car and that colour head looks horrible! With a white head he'd be better and, like Hubcap, I'd be willing to let the vehicle mode pass. Skywarp it's not going too badly till you see that head which clashes badly with the rest of the toy. Here's a thought looking at the head: was this toy meant to be a new version of a version of the Dreadwing ATB and thus, given the other jet's Megatron head, a new version of the planned Starscream repaint? Soundwave colours don't suit Soundwave or the toy. However a better but not perfect Soundwave lies in this mould's future. Five left: 5) Thundercracker Colours work on the jet, if not the character. Head is different but doesn't clash. 4) MegaplexLooks like Megatron. Looks more like Megatron than Megatron does! 3) SandstormColours work on toy, colours are within range for the character, character suit toy. Decent job. 2) StarscreamYou can't really complain about a Blackbird done in black. Not Starscream's colours but he'd have gone there. 1) Optimus PrimeVery, very, very close. Make the top & front of the cab red and you'd almost be there. Loose the brown on the trailer. There's a few minor tweaks but this is close. I'd never noticed it before but is that a smaller gun pot on the bottom of Op's gun? Small enough for Tubomasters? Never owned but I feel the urge building ....
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 26, 2016 10:38:04 GMT
Thursday Tease:
This week some Transformers go to battle!
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