Transformers

[anarky]

You still looking for them? I see Kup and Blurr occasionally. Haven't seen Perceptor or Wreck-Gar in quite a while, but that doesn't mean I won't. I've heard of Wreck-Gar at Marshall's, but haven't seen anything to indicate they got any TF's around here. And, given that they're at Ross, if I find Grapple or Windcharger, I'd probably be able to army-build them.

I wouldn't hold your breath for Jazz, Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Warpath, or Tracks, unfortunately, though I'll watch for them.

[Rollo Tomassi]

I have Kup and Blurr. But I bought the only Kup I ever saw. If I had skipped him that day I wouldn't have him either.

[anarky]

Warpath is, no shit, one of the finest Transformers I have ever seen. Maybe not quite Kup levels of awesome, but really close. It is a true shame that more people won't be able to know the joy Warpath can bring them.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Hey 'nark did you ever get my PM?

And now on to why I came in here to post. I was in TRU yesterday taking advantage of their BOGO Lego sale, and wandered down into the 'non Lego' building block toys just to see whats what in the "Compatible with Leading Brick Building toys" area and came across the Kre-O Transformers sets. Now, I have little interest in buying knock-off LEGOs made by Hasbro, but what caught my attention were the little G1 Lego People sized Transformers that come with each set. Adorable little Shockwaves and Prowls and Bumblebees and tons of other guys. I can't really justify a $20 shitty Lego knock-off set I don't want to get a tiny figure I do want. But I could probably talk myself into justifying it if I talked to myself long enough.

[Ran]

I saw those Lego knock-offs. The Prowl was pretty cool. And who didn't try to build Transformers with their Legos back in the day? I recall trying to make Voltron as well (the vehicle Voltron, not the lions).

I haven't seen Windcharger. Anarky, if you see one, we can make him part of the trade.

[Rollo Tomassi]

How bizarre/awesome is this?

I went to the dentist today for my 6-month cleaning. And since I was over on the opposite side of town, I decided to go into Kohl's because I've been sitting on a Credit Voucher from a shirt I returned two years ago after my sister got it for me for Christmas. Anyway, I went in primarily to look at LEGOs. I hadn't been in Kohl's in forever but that was the only worthwhile thing they might have in the toy section. They didn't have LEGOs. I walked through and was seeing some MegoBlok HALO sets and some Barbie crap and other assorted unwanted toys. I noticed they had a BOGO50% sale on ALL toys and was about to just get some crap for my kids and spend the GiftCard when I turned around and saw an endcap. I literally stared at it for a full minute before it sunk in that I was staring at an endcap of Reveal The Shield figures, including Jazz and Tracks. Priced at $14.99 each, I snagged a couple and took them up to the register. Since they were BOGO it was $26 with tax. But my GiftCard was $19 so I walked out with BOTH figures for $4.79

Booyah.

[B. Sagdiyev]

I literally stared at it for a full minute before it sunk in that I was staring at an endcap of Reveal The Shield figures, including Jazz and Tracks. Priced at $14.99 each, I snagged a couple and took them up to the register. Since they were BOGO it was $26 with tax. But my GiftCard was $19 so I walked out with BOTH figures for $4.79

Booyah.

Varah nahce! Ha fahve!

[The Congregation]

Varah nahce! Ha fahve!

AMEN!!

[Rollo Tomassi]

I just opened them. Holy Shit, I love Jazz! I wish I could timetravel and show my ten year old self how awesome Gen1 Transformers in 2011 are. It's like the cartoon version standing in front of me. He even has the speakers pop out on his back!! too fuckin' cool.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Now that my Wheeljack (and his buddies) are on their way to me, I started thinking about the Classics/Generations/Universe series Hasbro has been putting out the last couple years. I just realized of the original 11 Autobot Cars, the only one left to make is Trailbreaker. Here's hoping we see to some TB love at the SDCC in a couple weeks. And then I started thinking about ALL the Autobot Cars and how they've actually done just about everybody. Of the seven second wavers only Hoist and Skids are left. And the "third" wave of Kup, Blurr, and HotRod have all been done.

The minibots are more problematic. I'm holding out for some that are roughly the same size as the Bumblebee and Cliffjumper versions they've but out. We've had giant Powerglide and Seaspray. Very tiny Windcharger and Cosmos. Gears and Brawn have been done in bastardized "movie" versions that pay homage to the original G1 versions, but aren't close enough to suit me. A real "Classics" Brawn would just be awesome. A Windcharger the size of Cliffjumper. And Gears and Huffer always get the short straw. I wouldn't even mind if Huffer was updated to be pick-up or something as long as his Robot version looked as awesome as the Ironhide and Ratchet updates.

But we've got a pretty good Skyfire. The Grimlock from the early waves is alright, but I think all the Dinobots could be reworked to be a little larger. And a new Optimus Prime with a trailer. The early one is just too small now, especially since we got Inferno and Grapple. I also think it would be cool to get Topspin and Twintwist with new fully articulated bodies. And I wouldn't mind them tryng a new Mirage. In light of the later versions like Kup and Jazz, that first Mirage is looking a little weak in comparison.


And for the Decepticons, we've got all the Seekers finally. Heck they even did Acidstorm. I wouldn't mind a Sunstorm and the Purple Guy (we should name him. Something with "Vapor" in it). A decent looking Soundwave(at least in Robot mode). The Megatron and Galvatron are a bit shrimpy and I wouldn't mind them taking another crack at those two. But the Cyclonus and Scourge are fine. For cassettes the only "real" one I've seen was the pack-in Ravage that came with Hound.

I don't think they've done any Insecticons, but I would welcome updated versions of them. And Constructicons. I know they released a box set a few years ago, but those were repaints of an earlier set and they just didn't seem like genuine "Classics". And lastly, a really nice "Classics" Shockwave.

So, In conclusion, I'm really hoping to see a Trailbreaker, Brawn, Huffer, Gears, and Shockwave in the Hasbro Display in two weeks. But mostly Trailbreaker. Or whatever his new TM name is (Trailblazer? Trailmaker? TrailMix? Whatever...)

[anarky]

The Dark of the Moon figures include a really sweet Powerglide who's closer to the original size, and looks nothing like a movie figure.

Also, in case they show up at Ross, there was another line of minibots that includes (oddly enough) Trailbreaker.

[Rollo Tomassi]

Yeah, I almost bought that Powerglide like two or three times. Now he's pretty much the only minifigure thats gone. 20 pegs with 300 mini figures and he's the only sellout.

But I'd want one just a smidge bigger. I'm kinda looking at the Cartoon as the template for all the size relativity amongst the figures.

I've been hit and miss on the Classics since they started coming out. I didn't get HotRod the first time around(I got the RTS two=pack version and I think thats not the same one, but an inferior redo. Am I correct?). I didn't get Megatron. I didn't get Astrotrain. I didn't get Galvatron. I didn't get Ramjet because they fucked us over on Thundercracker. I've been pretty reticent about the 'Cons so far. Everytime I saw Inferno, I just didn't have the money to get him. I hate that. I'm also leery of getting clearly repurposed figures from other lines. Like that Springer that came out last Christmas. I'd love to get Springer, but that guy looked like ass. The same goes for that Blaster wannabe they released a couple years ago. Painting a figure red and yellow does not make him Blaster. I've been leaving Thunderwing and Scourge on the shelf, but now that I have Wheeljack coming, I'm more inclined to pick them up the next time I'm out.

[anarky]

I passed on the Springer/Ratbat set, since they were both repaints of unrelated RID figures. I passed, stupidly, on Wheelie, Cosmos, and Warpath 1 the first time I saw them, since I didn't want to stand in line, and never saw them again. I passed on the WM repaints (red Powerglide and Hardhead) and TRU repaints (Dreadwing and, IIRC, Countdown).

But I got Blaster and Blades, even though they were also unrelated RID repaints. At least they sorta looked right.

Also passed on Hot Shot, Cheetor, and Dinobot. Don't want to get into non-G1 figures. The RTS Outback was also just plain wrong; I want a retool of Classics Brawn instead.

[Rollo Tomassi]

My Wheeljack, Thundercracker, and Warpath arrived today. Warpath is awesome. Nice touch on the ZOW-333 and K4-90W on his legs.
I got a question for you about Wheeljack though. On the packaging his legs are extended higher than the figures legs will go and he looks stumpy as is. But I can't seem to make them go up any higher and I don't want to bust it. Is that just how he looks?

[anarky]

I'm not looking at him, but I recall him being a bit stubby-legged. I thought it was amusing that the cardback shows him with Tracks' shoulder cannons as wrenches and Tracks' guns as a shoulder cannon, but the instructions have them in the same position as Tracks. Obviously, the cardback is the classic look.

I'd say how much I think the mold works better with the Wheeljack retooling, but I don't want this to be a Wheeljack wankfest. However, I was not nearly as impressed by Jazz as you were. He's too floppy, and the lack of a locking mechanism in robot mode hurts him.