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Post by Bogatan on Jul 23, 2021 15:31:31 GMT
THE BEAST WARS HAVE BEGIN!!! Here's the pack in Comic from the vs Pack  Interesting to note that here its Razorbeast that makes the comic and is the only character in it that didnt make the TV show. Similarly on the McDonald Beast Wars Happy Meal boxes there are profile cards of various first wave toys. Of the 8 the only non show characters are Razorbeast and Polarclaw. Definitely feels like Hasbro thought Razorbeast would be a main player in the line before Mainframe got involved. |
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Post by Toph on Jul 23, 2021 16:01:36 GMT
I think Razorbeast was intended to be in the show, but was cut for budgetary reasons.
I also think Polarclaw was, too, but they went with Tigatron for the same reasons.
Edit: Wikipedia doesn't mention either of these, so I don't know where i got this idea.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 23, 2021 16:25:53 GMT
I know I've read that somewhere: it was easier to tweak Cheetor & Tarantulus' character models than do new ones.
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Post by Bogatan on Jul 23, 2021 16:36:51 GMT
Could be, but Rattrap is also missing from the 2 pack comic and the McBeast promos.
Which leaves me thinking it was always going to be one or the other same as Terroraur as the only first wave predacom basic. And Razorbeast makes a lot of sense at that time because Timon and Pumbaa were still a big deal. Actually that possibly explains the choice of a rat as a lawsuit avoiding rodent partner for the pig. But if you are going to push one, you push the knock off Pumbaa.
Ive been thinking about this a bit and I can think of a few reasons why Mainframe would have opted for the rat instead. Ive suggested before that someone just preferred Rats to Pigs/Warthogs.
But then I thought there were some practical reasons too. Rattrap is one of only 4? characters that can be bipedal in beast mode and emote in a humanoid way. He can also use a computer in Beast Mode. On a practical level thats all pretty useful. The rat body I suspect would have been slightly easier to build, rig and animate thanks to the shorter legs.
Probably not exactly considered at the time, but 25 years later a bonus is that while pigs and rats both have lots of traits that lend themselves to cartoon characters the rat ones are more personality based and the pigs physical. Like someone says you dirty rat, they are calling someone a cheat. Call someone a dirty pig or similar and its much more literal.
Essentially they accidentally (or deliberately) avoided accusations of body shaming.
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Post by Bogatan on Jul 23, 2021 16:38:12 GMT
I think Razorbeast was intended to be in the show, but was cut for budgetary reasons. I also think Polarclaw was, too, but they went with Tigatron for the same reasons. Edit: Wikipedia doesn't mention either of these, so I don't know where i got this idea. I know I've read that somewhere: it was easier to tweak Cheetor & Tarantulus' character models than do new ones. Oh absolutely, if they just wanted an arctic warrior, theres no point doing Polarclaw when a tweaked Cheetor can servethe role. Any idea who BA replaced? |
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Post by Toph on Jul 23, 2021 18:40:43 GMT
BA replaced someone's need for a cold shower
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Post by Llama God on Jul 24, 2021 7:40:38 GMT
Could be, but Rattrap is also missing from the 2 pack comic and the McBeast promos. Which leaves me thinking it was always going to be one or the other same as Terroraur as the only first wave predacom basic. And Razorbeast makes a lot of sense at that time because Timon and Pumbaa were still a big deal. Actually that possibly explains the choice of a rat as a lawsuit avoiding rodent partner for the pig. But if you are going to push one, you push the knock off Pumbaa. Ive been thinking about this a bit and I can think of a few reasons why Mainframe would have opted for the rat instead. Ive suggested before that someone just preferred Rats to Pigs/Warthogs. But then I thought there were some practical reasons too. Rattrap is one of only 4? characters that can be bipedal in beast mode and emote in a humanoid way. He can also use a computer in Beast Mode. On a practical level thats all pretty useful. The rat body I suspect would have been slightly easier to build, rig and animate thanks to the shorter legs. Interesting possibilities there. As I understand it (from the Wiki) Rattrap was originally meant to have his brain and organs exposed making him weak and vulnerable in robot mode, although they ended up not abandoning most of that because it was going to make his model too complex (although traces of the idea can be seen in his brain being kind of exposed in the final model). I'm not sure how much of that was based on the sculpting of the original toy, but if it was maybe they went with Rattrap at that early point because that story idea was more interesting than anything they could have come up with for Razorbeast. Or it might have been a combination of both - realising they couldn't go with Razorbeast for other, practical reasons they worked hard to come up with a story idea for Rattrap instead. Interesting to ponder, whatever the case. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 30, 2021 7:44:37 GMT
I think Razorbeast was intended to be in the show, but was cut for budgetary reasons. I also think Polarclaw was, too, but they went with Tigatron for the same reasons. Edit: Wikipedia doesn't mention either of these, so I don't know where i got this idea. Knew this sounded familiar, we just got some of the detail wrong: tfwiki.net/wiki/Tigatron#Notes |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 30, 2021 20:54:45 GMT
I had to scan the original BW Japan catalogue this morning for the poll thread: Here's the rest of the catalogue (click to go to Flickr for enlargements) - it's in bits so you'll need to click on different bits of the same picture But it wasn't the only one to go through my scanner today. The first BWII catalogues is one of my favourites, lots of alternate colours The coming soon bit of that catalogue - there's one on the first BW catalogue too - is an interesting glimpse into what Takara was planning But one of the best things about the catalogue is how the panels combine if you fold them right. Here's the panels as the show on the leaflet:
But if you fold the catalogue in the right way you can get either of these:
The second BWII catalogue has a much more extensive lineup in final colours:    There's a third BWII catalogue that's identical to the second save for the last half of the second side:
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 30, 2021 21:01:53 GMT
My first Neo catalogue has a nick in the top of each page from when I acquired it: The second Neo catalogue switches from going across to down: Is there a third catalogue with the Blendtrons on it? |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 26, 2021 19:19:46 GMT
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Post by Philip Ayres on Aug 29, 2021 18:09:15 GMT
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Post by Pinwig on Aug 29, 2021 19:02:59 GMT
Nice to see m'man Bonecrusher front and centre there. When it's his turn in the poll he'd better come first or I'll be going all Burns on yaw asses.
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Post by The Doctor on Aug 29, 2021 19:10:36 GMT
Hullo.
-Ralph
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Post by Benn on Aug 29, 2021 19:17:46 GMT
ILLEGAL RESPONSE!
(maybe)
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Post by Shockprowl on Aug 31, 2021 18:56:13 GMT
Nice to see m'man Bonecrusher front and centre there. When it's his turn in the poll he'd better come first or I'll be going all Burns on yaw asses. No no no, DRILLBIT is where it's at, baby! |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 5, 2021 18:03:35 GMT
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Post by Llama God on Sept 6, 2021 7:30:00 GMT
I can certainly spot one Manterror. |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 7, 2021 10:40:36 GMT
Found another. This is from 97 and the catalogue is only marked Ani-Mutants. The selection matches that on the back of the Ani-Mutants Ultra Op I have, perhaps lending weight to the possibility there may have been early Ani-Mutants assortments missing some of the later basic & deluxe  |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 9, 2021 19:37:57 GMT
From when we did 1996 BW Megas in the poll thread: Never been keen on the drones for these. They work ok by themselves - has anyone ever noticed they're effectively smaller versions of other BW characters? - but break or loose one and the larger toy is knackered. Scorponok is particularly liable with the clear blue plastic forming the claw, bee and trigger being particularly fragile. The lack of symmetry has bothered me here - bee one arm, missile on the other - but it's only just this week I've realised a solution. A second, Cyberbee less, Scorponok is winging it's way to Phil's DFiS and I intend to swap one toy's damaged/incomplete bee claw for the other's missile claw. I will report back on how it goes.... That took slightly longer than expected. Second Scorponok arrived missing a leg - not that I needed it - and I could not for the life of me get the screw to shift in the elbow. Stupid CMT afflicted hands. Tonight we had our general all purpose dutchman in to update the broken bed fix. I said "while you're here....." and passed the toys over. The screws were a little reluctant even for his hands but they did eventually pop out and the swap of parts was simple as anything. So I now have a BW Mega Scorponok with TWO missile launcher claw hands and I am very happy! Pics tmw in better light. |
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Post by Shockprowl on Sept 9, 2021 19:44:29 GMT
You.... have a general purpose Dutchman?
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 9, 2021 19:57:38 GMT
Oh yes. His name is Hubert and he can do all the odd job tasks I can't. Several members of the forum have met him I think.
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Post by Benn on Sept 9, 2021 20:47:52 GMT
Such luxuries!
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 9, 2021 21:23:13 GMT
I think that's the chap I met once who came round to do things to a bed.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Sept 9, 2021 21:27:44 GMT
I see...
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 10, 2021 10:43:58 GMT
From when we did 1996 BW Megas in the poll thread: Never been keen on the drones for these. They work ok by themselves - has anyone ever noticed they're effectively smaller versions of other BW characters? - but break or loose one and the larger toy is knackered. Scorponok is particularly liable with the clear blue plastic forming the claw, bee and trigger being particularly fragile. The lack of symmetry has bothered me here - bee one arm, missile on the other - but it's only just this week I've realised a solution. A second, Cyberbee less, Scorponok is winging it's way to Phil's DFiS and I intend to swap one toy's damaged/incomplete bee claw for the other's missile claw. I will report back on how it goes.... That took slightly longer than expected. Second Scorponok arrived missing a leg - not that I needed it - and I could not for the life of me get the screw to shift in the elbow. Stupid CMT afflicted hands. Tonight we had our general all purpose dutchman in to update the broken bed fix. I said "while you're here....." and passed the toys over. The screws were a little reluctant even for his hands but they did eventually pop out and the swap of parts was simple as anything. So I now have a BW Mega Scorponok with TWO missile launcher claw hands and I am very happy! Pics tmw in better light.    |
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 10, 2021 11:41:02 GMT
No, Phil, no.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 10, 2021 12:04:13 GMT
Why, Ralph, WHY?
I've taken an existing broken toy and made it better!
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
Posts: 4,244
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Post by The Huff on Sept 10, 2021 12:36:23 GMT
Now do one with twin Cyber Bees!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 10, 2021 12:42:52 GMT
The one legged junker now has twin Cyberbee launcher claws!
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