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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 1, 2014 10:53:28 GMT
Decide for yourself how to weigh up the relative merits of robot, vehicle and base modes.
Martin
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Mar 1, 2014 10:55:03 GMT
For robot mode, Hotspot wins out. However, I am like you Martin. Roller and the Combat Deck are important parts of Optimus Prime so Motormaster gets the nod from me.
Andy
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Post by blueshift on Mar 1, 2014 11:04:37 GMT
Paint him up as Machine Wars Prime.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 1, 2014 11:08:53 GMT
Hotspot all the way!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 1, 2014 11:19:39 GMT
I think the post I made in Special Teams = 84 toys thread bears repeating here: But 1984 Optimus Prime is not a fire engine! He's a flat-fronted articulated lorry! Plus combat deck and Roller! You're giving too much weight to the robot mode, Phil. Recolouring to resemble the original can hide a multitude of sins to make the robot mode look right. Martin The robot mode existed for the character long before the vehicle mode did! That's partially why that Age of Extinction toy is such an abopmination unto the Autobot Logo |
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 1, 2014 11:27:52 GMT
I'm in the Hotspot camp. I hear what you guys are saying about Motor Master, it's a good argument to be sure, but there's something about Hotspot that say's Optimus to me.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 1, 2014 11:46:56 GMT
The robot mode existed for the character long before the vehicle mode did! You mean the robot mode that had a two-windowed lorry front on its chest? I always take those pre-Earth robot modes with a pinch of salt. In my mind they would neither have been humanoid in configuration now have recognisable Earth vehicle parts on them before coming to Earth. When I think of most characters I think of their vehicle mode as having more character and personality than the robot mode. Exceptions include Wheeljack, who I think of as the guy with the stripy face rather than as the white car with green markings. But mostly I think of their vehicle modes first. Martin |
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 1, 2014 13:31:43 GMT
.......But mostly I think of their vehicle modes first. Martin Really? Now that's fascinating 'cos I'm completely the other way round! |
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Post by The Huff on Mar 1, 2014 15:38:50 GMT
I agree with Martin here - the vehicle is just as important as the robot character wise - especially as if the vehicle is a nod to the robots function (ie ambulances are doctors). It's a shame we've lost this a bit over the years.
Kup's vehicle mode is more iconic than his robot mode, same with the Dinobots.
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Post by Jim on Mar 1, 2014 16:50:19 GMT
After having a look at photos of both toys, I'm going with Motormaster. Even the robot mode wouldn't require a lot of work to look the hero.
-Jim
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Post by Toph on Mar 1, 2014 21:06:12 GMT
I'd rather have RiD Optimus repainted into Hotspot, and RiD Ultra Magnus repainted as Motormaster.
Optimus from either two really outdated '85/86 G1 toys is just all kinds of wrong.
Especially when the optimus toy that existed in that time period is a vastly superior toy to either of those.
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Post by Toph on Mar 1, 2014 21:35:56 GMT
I agree with Martin here - the vehicle is just as important as the robot character wise - especially as if the vehicle is a nod to the robots function (ie ambulances are doctors). It's a shame we've lost this a bit over the years. Kup's vehicle mode is more iconic than his robot mode, same with the Dinobots. I would kinda disagree, because as we've seen hundreds of times, a character can be given new alt modes and still be completely recognizable, with the "correct" robot mode. This can even be seen in as extreme an example as many early beast wars, homaging many of the most iconic G1 designs (cheetor follows the Prowl layout almost exactly.. Head design, too. Terrorsaur follows the starscream layout, megatron follows megatron's. Scorponok was a direct homage to his namesake, down to the Wildman style face. If you put any of those in G1 decoes, they would be instantly recognizable for what they are) Despite not being a beetle, classics and animated Bumblebee are both instantly recognizable as Bumblebee. The movie and prime versions which only uses his yellow, absolutely is not. Completely different alt mode, completely different robot mode. RiD and Cybertron Optimus are both fire engines and are 100% recognizable as being intended as Optimus. BW ultra class Optimus Primal is 100% recognizable as Optimus. So are Lioconvoy and Big Convoy, despite being a lion and wooly mammoth. Energon Galvatron is completely recognizable, despite not being a cannon. Classics Galvatron, too. And alternators Ravage is completely recognizable as ravage, because of his robot mode, dispite not turning into a tape cassette. However, if you painted Rumble or Frenzy black and called it ravage on the merits that the have the same alt mode, no one would understand it, because it's his robot mode that everyone knows. Shockwave has been redesigned as a car, a tank, a satellite, a spacecraft, and an ironhulled steam warship. All versions have been just as recognizable, because of his robot. But if you reversed that and made him a repaint of megatron gun toys, because his original alt mode was a gun, no one would understand it. I agree that many alt modes are iconic to a character, but it's far from a hard and fast rule. And even those that have an iconic alt mode can still be just as recognizable in an alt mode that's completely different. Even the Dinobots (war within, anyone?). |
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 1, 2014 23:08:35 GMT
Motormaster. As a child it was obviously meant to be an evil version of Optimus Prime, right down to having a scout car and a base mode.
-Ralph
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Post by The Huff on Mar 4, 2014 11:18:24 GMT
Not saying all Transformers are remembered just because of their vehicle mode - Shockwave will always be the one-eyed guy, Ravage will always be the 'panther one' because it's individual. But Hound was always the 'jeep one' as opposed to 'the one with the tiny arms as a toy' Soundwave was the 'tape deck guy' rather than the one with the cannon on his shoulder etc. Beast Wars characters were also recognised by their Beast modes.
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Post by The Huff on Mar 4, 2014 11:20:39 GMT
Actually, this would make a good game - describe a character not using the obvious and see who can guess who it is. Who is the blue guy with the cobra type helmet?
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 4, 2014 16:36:23 GMT
Mirage.
-Ralph
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 4, 2014 18:08:19 GMT
Actually, this would make a good game - describe a character not using the obvious and see who can guess who it is. Who is the blue guy with the cobra type helmet? I agree some are more associated with their humanoid modes in my mind than with their other modes, but that's generally because they have strong non-humanoid features: Shockwave is the cyclops. Brawn is the one with the letterbox for a face and square claws. Huffer is the one wearing a baby's pram cover on his head. Cyclonus is the one wearing a lady's hat from the Middle Ages. But Ironhide is the red van, Grapple is the crane, Inferno is the fire engine, Tracks is the flying car with flames, Scourge is the flying hovercraft, and Hot Rod is the pink, non-flying knock-off of Tracks. The small Special Team members are all defined by their vehicle/creature modes because their humanoid modes are so similar to one another. Martin |
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 4, 2014 20:51:42 GMT
Good point about the beast based figures. I never think of the Terrorcons in their robot modes, perhaps with the exception on Hun-Garr. Blot never transforms into robot mode!
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 4, 2014 21:41:40 GMT
Blot knows that if he transformers to robot mode all the stars will go out.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 4, 2014 21:54:04 GMT
Blot is the centre of The Universe.
Doc', do you pose your Blot square upright, or more forwards on his arms, ape-like? I tend to go the latter. He looks more agile, more dangerous.
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Post by The Huff on Mar 4, 2014 22:12:29 GMT
Is there much of a difference between Blots robot mode and his..erm...other mode? Who would know if he transforms?
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 5, 2014 8:50:26 GMT
Blot is the centre of The Universe. Doc', do you pose your Blot square upright, or more forwards on his arms, ape-like? I tend to go the latter. He looks more agile, more dangerous. Blot poses the way he wants to pose. I have no control over him. -Ralph |
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Post by Shockprowl on Mar 5, 2014 20:39:38 GMT
Blot is the centre of The Universe. Doc', do you pose your Blot square upright, or more forwards on his arms, ape-like? I tend to go the latter. He looks more agile, more dangerous. Blot poses the way he wants to pose. I have no control over him. -Ralph Of course, of course. |
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