Official Transformers Super Thread 3

[Fit For Natalie]

Well, Amenbo, a major japanese online retailer also posted the MP Convoy with trailer reissue, too.

[ComicKaze]

Just made this, think the classic colors would be amazing.

[Dangard Ace]

The Cybetronian Beast Wars exclusive Botcon set looks AWESOME.

Classics look AWESOME!

TRANSFORMERS ARE AWESOME!

Good for Takara.  Write a story that makes some sense instead of blindly following what Hasbro says.    Especially when all the main characters don't look like the characters from the previous series for no reason whatsoever. 

Actually, bad for Takara.

History has proven that whenever Takara decides to assert individuality in Transformers story writing, it ends up being a DISASTER for them, in terms of how the japanese public and the japanese Transformers fandom enjoys the storyline, and how well the toys subsequently sell.

Case in point - when Hasbro left Transformers cartoons in G1, Takara took over, bringing a different japanese anime flavour to it. Over the course of several series, sales went WAY down.

When the US Beast Wars series debuted in Japan, it was a hit. But due to the complexities of Mainframe's CG animation, the production took too long for Takara's market requirements of 52 episodes per year, so they created Beast Wars the Second - a lighthearted slapstick anime. It bombed. Then they made Beast Wars Neo, an even more slapstick oriented series. It bombed even worse.

Then they imported seasons 2 and 3 of US Beast Wars as Beast Wars Metals, EXCEPT marketing decided to drastically change the series to better fit the anime slapstick established in BW2 and Neo. As a consequence iy lost the darker, hard edge season 2 was famous for, the japanese TF fandom hated the series and it bombed.

Car Robots was the last straw - it almost killed Transformers in Japan and damaged Takara's finances. The following year Takara prudently began working jointly with Hasbro once again on Transformers, beginning with Masterpiece Convoy and Armada.

The fact that G1 Convoy and Beast Convoy, both US characters, are the most popular versions of the various Convoy says something about how much the japanese prefer US-led TF series, and how much apathy they have for japanese-oriented TF series.

As for characters not looking much like their previous bodies - well, line refresh that keeps the line looking interesting and new to the market, despite being in the same continuity. Keep changing, or die a slow death like G1.

402407[/snapback]

Takara screws up the TF line because they try to adapt it to follow the highly successful Brave formula. Kid leads with sentient robots as backup. Kill off all the kids except for someone like Spike or Chip, who only shows up once in awhile, and they'll be fine.

Car Robots was rumored to be the next Brave series but got shuffled over to TF. And you know what, I liked it. Robots were disguised as real cars again not the non-cars of Armada/Energon. Unfortunately see above paragraph.

G1 died because of the ignoble death of Optimus in the movie and whiny Rodimus in season three. All the old favorites were gone and were replaced with these no name wankers who can't deal with stuff. All because they wanted to sell a new line of toys. Way to go Hasbro! WOoo!

Hasbro killed off the Beast Wars line with their horrible Beast Machines follow up and the designs for the supposed Transtech TF follow up to that were awful. They looked like crap from Shadow Planets.

Line refresh is fine. Now give me a goddamn good story reason why the same characters in the same continuity would suddenly decide to up completely switch bodies. That and why they completely forget about the uber powerful Star Saber, Requiem Blaster and Skyboom Shield in Energon. Forced continuity and toy marketing. They should have wrote something about the minicons leaving, TF's needing to reformat for new bodies or something. Nope they all get new bodies but no mention of where the old bodies went. Huge loopholes you can slide a planet through. Hasbro frakks up just as much as Takara.

And it's Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal not G1 Convoy and Beast Convoy. American transformers show characters get american names. Japanese shows get japanese names.

[Fit For Natalie]

Takara screws up the TF line because they try to adapt it to follow the highly successful Brave formula.  Kid leads with sentient robots as backup.  Kill off all the kids except for someone like Spike or Chip, who only shows up once in awhile, and they'll be fine.

G1 died because of the ignoble death of Optimus in the movie and whiny Rodimus in season three.  All the old favorites were gone and were replaced with these no name wankers who can't deal with stuff.  All because they wanted to sell a new line of toys.  Way to go Hasbro!  WOoo!

I meant that because the japanese market sees Transformers as a foriegn series, Takara shouldn't try to make it a japanese series. Part of Transformers appeal in Japan is its western values and the fact its different form every other mecha or Super Robot series.

I tend to agree about the deaths. Hasbro made a huge mistake in underestimating the popularity of the original core cast.

But Prime went out fighting - a death befitting a leader.

Hasbro killed off the Beast Wars line with their horrible Beast Machines follow up and the designs for the supposed Transtech TF follow up to that were awful.  They looked like crap from Shadow Planets.  Hasbro farts up just as much as Takara.

Actually Beast Machines (still engineered by Takara, except for the Beast Riders) was a relative sucess for Hasbro, just not up to the standards set by Beast Wars.

'Hasbro farts up just as much as Takara?' I beg to differ, given that in the same period (1996-2006) Hasbro has dealt more sucessfully with the Transformers than Takara, who have strugged with the series since Beast Wars the Second.

I believe the problem is Takara Marketing - they just don't know what to do with this gaijin Transformer thing they partly own. Even Takara's own Transformers division, the people who developed Diaclone/Microman, and who have been making Transformers for 20 years; have expressed some frustration with their Marketing - during the initial development of the Superlink series, they were not invited to the meetings - the series was cooked up by Marketing and WE'VE.

Line refresh is fine.  Now give me a goddamn reason why the same characters in the same continuity would suddenly decide to up completely switch bodies.  It's toy marketing but they should have wrote a story saying it was a necessary reformat or something.

I don't think kids care, so long as they (sort of) look like the character's previous incarnation and act like the same character. They're not developing some kind of adult anime where every exacting detail needs to be explained with Star Trek-like complexity.

But if you demand an answer, think of it this way - in Armada, after Smokescreen was shot by the Requiem Blaster, Red Alert managed to save his spark and put it into stasis while he built a new body. So you could say they simply had their sparks put into new, improved bodies during the non-fighting that seems to occur between each series.

And it's Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal not G1 Convoy and Beast Convoy.  American transformers show characters get american names.  Japanese shows get japanese names.

Lastly are you on this site to discuss only TF's because I don't see you engaging in any Macross discussion which is what this site is about.

402491[/snapback]

I used the japanese names of the US characters to explain it from the japanese market's point of view, which is those 'Convoys' are the most popular of the many Convoys they have

I think you're getting unnecessarily aggressive.

I don't participate in the Macross threads because I'm not knowledgable enough. Hell, I know more about Robotech.

Edited May 26, 2006 by Fit For Natalie

[Dangard Ace]

I meant that because the japanese market sees Transformers as a foriegn series, Takara shouldn't try to make it a japanese series. Part of Transformers appeal in Japan is its western values and the fact its different form every other mecha or Super Robot series.

I tend to agree about the deaths. Hasbro made a huge mistake in underestimating the popularity of the original core cast.

But Prime went out fighting - a death befitting a leader.

This I can agree with.

Actually Beast Machines (still engineered by Takara, except for the Beast Riders) was a relative sucess for Hasbro, just not up to the standards set by Beast Wars.

I was actually talking about the BW show not the toy line.

I believe the problem is Takara Marketing - they just don't know what to do with this gaijin Transformer thing they partly own. Even Takara's own Transformers division, the people who developed Diaclone/Microman, and who have been making Transformers for 20 years; have expressed some frustration with their Marketing - during the initial development of the Superlink series, they were not invited to the meetings - the series was cooked up by Marketing and WE'VE.

Takara Marketing = failure

Aaron Archer deciding that Wheeljack was a badguy name = failure

I don't think kids care, so long as they (sort of) look like the character's previous incarnation and act like the same character. They're not developing some kind of  adult anime where every exacting detail needs to be explained with Star Trek-like complexity. 

Then they severely underestimate children. Show a child(my nephews) 2 Primes and he can identify them as Armada or Energon. I tell them their the same character and they say stuff like, no this prime is cooler then that one because .....etc. Kids can live with the 1/2 hr commercials like G1 was. It's for the older audience that they try to entice with a storyline/continuity and in that they fail.

......So you could say they simply had their sparks put into new, improved bodies during the non-fighting that seems to occur between each series.

I used the japanese names of the US characters to explain it from the japanese market's point of view, which is those 'Convoys' are the most popular of the many Convoys they have

I can live with that.

I think you're getting unnecessarily aggressive.

I don't participate in the Macross threads because I'm not knowledgable enough. Hell, I know more about Robotech.

Actually I agree with you which is why I already deleted that line before you replied.

[Fit For Natalie]

Yeah, its well documented that Aaron is possibly insane in his insistance that Wheeljack is a bad guy's name because it sounds like 'car jack'.

Still, I credit alot of good stuff that's been happening in TF to his leadership. Plus, given he's a good friend of Don Figueroa, he's probably the one who champions Don's designs and gets them into the various lines.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

alot of nice new TF stuff, by the way i know we are getting a reissue of the MP Convoy. BBTS has it for preorder and they have it labeled as MP-04 (which i did not know) and it says it is going to come with a offical Takara Trailer this time (all the trailers so far have been bootlegs) does anyone know more about it?

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product...608&mode=retail

402427[/snapback]

I think it will come with the Trailer. Amenbo's site has it up with pictures of the trailer and the price is in the 16-18k yen range. The original MP01 was only in the 10k range. So the extra 6-8k should be for the trailer.

Edit: Oh, it also says Autobot Leader Convoy _and_ Container. Guess that should be it.

Edited May 26, 2006 by Retracting Head Ter Ter

[eriku]

I'll buy the trailer if it's ever offered seperate, but I have no use for TWO MP Convoys.

As for the Classics line, I like most of them, although each one has little things that bug me. The unsightly arm kibble on Prime, the weird and wonky arms on Hot Rod (not to mention his child-bearing thighs), the afterthought-feet of Astrotrain...

None of those things will keep me from buying these toys, to be sure, but they are irritating since they could have been easily avoided. Starscream I probably wont be getting since the MP Starscream is, so far, the superior of the two.

Can't wait to see Soundwave. He's the one I'm most looking forward to.

[JB0]

I'll buy the trailer if it's ever offered seperate, but I have no use for TWO MP Convoys.

If a Masterpiece Megatron comes out you can battle-damage one and re-enact Prime's death!

...

Or not.

[kensei]

Those classics are fricken awesome. I want to buy a transformer again! Definitely! I like transformers, but the G1s didn't do it for me, nor the ones that came after it. Not until the MP Convoy. I'm in for those classics!

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

Clever marketing ploy actually. Make MP01 without trailer. Have fans ranting and craving for one. Then sell the damn thing after everyone already has an MP01 and have to buy another.

If Toynami ever released a Beta fighter...

[eugimon]

looks damn good to me

[Fit For Natalie]

Hasbro's official TF site has uploaded some of these pics (and some different posed ones) along with the first pics of MEGATRON!

Remember, folks, he's in those colours so he's legal.

[eugimon]

I'll pass on megs.. I can't say I have ever bought a megatron toy but I'll be getting convoy for sure and starscream looks great but probably I'll pass in favor of MPC starscream.

[Black Valkyrie]

Very nice and for a good price ... TRANSFORM !

[Ivan]

http://www.outpostnine.com/editorials/source.html

A very funny commentary on the original TF:The Movie. (Contains obscene language)

And yeah, the Classics Hot Rod and Starscream rocks!

[Dangard Ace]

http://www.outpostnine.com/editorials/source.html

A very funny commentary on the original TF:The Movie. (Contains obscene language) 

And yeah, the Classics Hot Rod and Starscream rocks!

402602[/snapback]

Bwahahahahaha! That's right bitches! G1 Prime OWNZ!!

[JB0]

Hasbro's official TF site has uploaded some of these pics (and some different posed ones) along with the first pics of MEGATRON!

Remember, folks, he's in those colours so he's legal.

402590[/snapback]

Actually a far more tasteful paint scheme than I anticipated. The transparent green panels and purple block under the "muzzle" are all I see that NEEDS changing.

I'd've given him dark gray forearms(if it wasn't for the scope on the right hand, they'd be black) and black or dark gray transparent panels. Heck, make all the purple dark gray. Meggie's always worked very nicely as a monochrome toy.

Maybe they'll do a Galvatron repaint further down the line.

Now then... "The first wave of the DELUXE CLASS figures will include Bumblebee, Rodimus, Astrotrain, STARSCREAM and will be available in November at the approximate retail price of $9.99)".

BUMBLEBEE! Annoyingly, he's the only one that isn't illustrated. I wonder how close to the bug they'll land without a VW license.

Edited May 26, 2006 by JB0

[Black Valkyrie]

Maybe they'll do a Galvatron repaint further down the line.

402610[/snapback]

I do prefer a new Galvatron figure. BTW JBO is that you ?

[JB0]

Maybe they'll do a Galvatron repaint further down the line.

402610[/snapback]

I do prefer a new Galvatron figure. BTW JBO is that you ?

402625[/snapback]

I think I'm still me...

[Black Valkyrie]

Oh yes cuz of you new avatar. The New Prime`s double shotgun is awesome.

[JB0]

Oh yes cuz of you new avatar.  The New Prime`s double shotgun is awesome.

402631[/snapback]

Ah, that... I'm in consumer-whore mode.

Haruhi owns my attention for the moment, and I've never been very fond of my Komillia avatar due to the JPEG "dirt" in it. So Yuki takes the avatar for the time being.

Among other things, I need to fire up a PCEngine emulator and get some Macross 2036 screenshots again. I used to have a pretty nice Komillia avatar from one of the cutscenes in there, but it got corrupted.

I'm really not sure about Prime's gun. It looks nice, but it's also reminding me of the Wing Zero's twin rifle.

And I just realized... I don't see any train parts on Astrotrain.

I hope he IS a triple-changer and they just aren't showing it, but I'm a tad skeptical.

[Black Valkyrie]

And I just realized... I don't see any train parts on Astrotrain.

I hope he IS a triple-changer and they just aren't showing it, but I'm a tad skeptical.

402633[/snapback]

Look carefully especially in the shuttle mode.

[DeeLux]

I'll be all over these.

[Doctor Reggae]

Megatron looks funky...but who am I kidding? I'll buy him.

[JB0]

And I just realized... I don't see any train parts on Astrotrain.

I hope he IS a triple-changer and they just aren't showing it, but I'm a tad skeptical.

402633[/snapback]

Look carefully especially in the shuttle mode.

402637[/snapback]

DOH!

They were right there in front of me, too...

Ah well... Clearly I was thinking a tad TOO oldschool. Haven't seen the name in a while, and sort of forgot they look a LOT better now.

[Veritas]

http://www.outpostnine.com/editorials/source.html

A very funny commentary on the original TF:The Movie. (Contains obscene language) 

And yeah, the Classics Hot Rod and Starscream rocks!

402602[/snapback]

Bwahahahahaha! That's right bitches! G1 Prime OWNZ!!

402607[/snapback]

That was one of the funniest things i've ever read Ivan, thanks for the laughs. A def. must read.

Edited May 26, 2006 by Veritas

[eriku]

Megatron's sculpt is very nice. Although the colors aren't quite as obscene as many other Transformers, I would still like to see him in a silver/grey/black/red deco. I might make him my first repaint project.

[Greyryder]

Megatron's sculpt is very nice.  Although the colors aren't quite as obscene as many other Transformers, I would still like to see him in a silver/grey/black/red deco.  I might make him my first repaint project.

402654[/snapback]

I'm planning the same. Lose all the purple, except on his insignias, replace the yellow and orange with red, paint the end of the scope black, and put some transparent red on the inside of that gun shell, and the exterior parts of it, that stay transparent. On mine, his cheast and forearms will be light grey, like the rest of him.

I've seen a photoshop that's pretty close to that, that put some brown on his grips. I might do that, too. I've still got plenty of panzer choco.... panzer chocau.... panz....

Tank chocolate brown.

[Metal_Massacre_79]

Prime, Hot Rod, and Starscream all look bad ass. Astrotrain is OK, and Megs just looks terrible. I think they need to officially give up on the whole Megatron/gun thing and find a new form for him.

[Twoducks]

http://www.outpostnine.com/editorials/source.html

A very funny commentary on the original TF:The Movie. (Contains obscene language) 

And yeah, the Classics Hot Rod and Starscream rocks!

402602[/snapback]

Bwahahahahaha! That's right bitches! G1 Prime OWNZ!!

402607[/snapback]

That was one of the funniest things i've ever read Ivan, thanks for the laughs. A def. must read.

402652[/snapback]

Best retelling of TF:The Movie and "Return of Optimus Prime" you can find.

"Cut to Pussimus…er, Rodimus..."

Thanks for the link!

If Megatron had the wing parts in a grey color instead of that green, he would look a lot better. I mean there's more green present with him as a robot than in gun mode (which is the one mode that is supposed to have the flashy colors to look less like a real gun).

Edited May 27, 2006 by Twoducks

[David Hingtgen]

"Schokoladen Braun". German Panzer Chocolate Brown, an excellent color for all sorts of things.

[Fit For Natalie]

Maybe they'll do a Galvatron repaint further down the line.

402610[/snapback]

I do prefer a new Galvatron figure. BTW JBO is that you ?

402625[/snapback]

I think Energon Galvatron is more than adequate.

... Megs just looks terrible. I think they need to officially give up on the whole Megatron/gun thing and find a new form for him.

402698[/snapback]

Which is what they been doing for the past 13 years (counting from the first new Megatron, which was G2 tank Megs)

This is the first time Megatron has been a gun since 1984.

Gun

G1 (1984)

Classics (2006)

Tank

G2 (1992-93)

G2 Combat Hero (1994)

Armada (2002)

Armada Galvatron repaint (2003)

Plane or Space Ship

G2 ATB Megatron (1995) cancelled

Energon (2004)

Energon Galvatron repaint (2004)

Beast

BW Megatron (1996) Crocodile

BW Megatron (1996) T-Rex

BW Transmetal Megatron (1998) Robotic T-Rex

BW Transmetal 2 Megatron (1999) Dragon

BM Megatron (2000) Dragon

Multi-Changer

RID Megatron (2001) 6 forms - Robot, dragon, jet, gargoyle, race car, and giant hand

RID Galvatron retool (2001) 10 forms - Robot, dragon, jet, gargoyle, race car, giant hand, dinosaur thing, elephant, hydralisk... I can't remember.

Cybetron Megatron (2005) 3 forms - Robot, car, jet

Cybertron Galvatron repaint (2006) - Robot, car, jet

Giant Head

RID Megabolt Megatron (2003)

Car

G2 Gobot Megatron (1995)

Edited May 27, 2006 by Fit For Natalie

[Radd]

The G2 tank magatron design was actually very nice (thought the toys were chunky and pretty bad). It also remained pretty true to his original G1 robot mode, just moving his big gun from his forearm to his shoulder. I imagine it could not be too difficult to do a modern version of Megatron as a tank which kept his G1-ish robot mode and made it so the gun could move to his shoulder without being removed and reattached, or that if you preferred you could move it to his forearm to give him even more of a G1 look.

I'm not too keen on his new look, with the right colours it would be alright, but nothing to get really excited about. Still, it's better than every Megatron toy since the original. Actually, other than the silly gun mode, colorus, and shell like parts it's even better than the original toy design. Megatron was always coolest in animation.

[Metal_Massacre_79]

What I meant was that they shouldn't have even thought about going back to the G1 idea of him being a gun since they can't make him look like a real gun anymore. I would rather have a tank or plane than something that looks like it came out of a gay sci-fi B-movie.

From the Hasbro site:

“Through advances in design and technology, we have been able to redesign the original ‘G1’ characters for today’s kids, while giving fans a chance to relive their childhood with the most realistic AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS figures available.â€

You can't tell me that there is a weapon on the market that looks like that. Your target would die laughing before you were able to shoot.

Edited May 27, 2006 by Metal_Massacre_79