Transformer Starscream Masterpiece has arrived!

[HoveringCheesecake]

Honestly, it really seems like a great and appropriate design. MPC Prime is not exact to the original design, but a teched up and more detailed homage. Same with SS... combining full functionality with a superb level of detail representing an improved and much more believable version of the original design.

Sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you there. MP SS does not equal MP Optimus. Nooooo way. Optimus still looks like his old self. SS looks more like Thundercracker.

[wolfx]

Doesn't look like Thundercracker to me.

Looks screamish to the core. Smirk and all. Deal with it.

Despite the seekers having the same mould as the G1 toys, there was something distinct between starscream and skywarp/thundercracker's face in the cartoon. I can't quite place it. Maybe its the more sinister facial expression. Skywarp and Thundercracker were more "doh" kinda looks on their face.

Edited October 2, 2006 by wolfx

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you there. MP SS does not equal MP Optimus. Nooooo way. Optimus still looks like his old self. SS looks more like Thundercracker.

Yeah but Optimus was missing his trailer. Ultra magnus was missing his armor. And then the different gun colors, the smokestacks etc If I were a kid who could choose to own only 1, I would go with SS. Looks good in both modes.

If displaying, I would only leave prime in bot mode..

Edited October 2, 2006 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[JB0]

Yeah but Optimus was missing his trailer. Ultra magnus was missing his armor. And then the different gun colors, the smokestacks etc If I were a kid who could choose to own only 1, I would go with SS. Looks good in both modes.

If displaying, I would only leave prime in bot mode..

I think Ultra Magnus is the best example.

I don't really mind the trailerless Prime. Sure it affected nostalgia and truck mode, but it had no real impact on the robot, which is what the point was.

But Ultra Magnus without a trailer is... not Ultra Magnus.

If you aren't gonna include the trailer for a Magnus release, you may as well paint him orange and call him Stacks.

[Fortress_Maximus]

repaint and call him Scourge instead

[Hikuro]

What pisses me off is the Hasbro version now released is entirely plastic with a Blue gun.....I just don't understand why they went that route when it really didn't even drop that far in price compared to when they first released the MasterPiece Prime back in 2004.

Starscream will more likely become one of my favorite transformers.....I just wont see him till the end of october when I pay tam.

[JB0]

repaint and call him Scourge instead

Ooooh, we could call naked Magnus "Anti-Scourge!"

[HoveringCheesecake]

Doesn't look like Thundercracker to me.

Looks screamish to the core. Smirk and all. Deal with it.

Despite the seekers having the same mould as the G1 toys, there was something distinct between starscream and skywarp/thundercracker's face in the cartoon. I can't quite place it. Maybe its the more sinister facial expression. Skywarp and Thundercracker were more "doh" kinda looks on their face.

Yeah I will deal with it. By not purchasing it. I cancelled my preorder ages ago. It's a non issue for me now. And with Hasbro apparently bringing him stateside eventually, I'll just get that version (assuming the nose isn't rounded/rubber so some stupid kid doesn't stab themselves).

And yes, I was talking about bot mode when I mentioned Prime. I don't display my Transformers in vehicle mode that often. When I think of Prime I don't really think of the trailer. I think of the badass with the faceplate.

[JB0]

And with Hasbro apparently bringing him stateside eventually, I'll just get that version (assuming the nose isn't rounded/rubber so some stupid kid doesn't stab themselves).

I'd be more worried about the guns. Child safety laws tend to screw weaponry up badly.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I could live with rubber guns (like the material used for bubble hands on the yamato 1/48) but not rounded nose for MP SS.

That'd suck. Kids shouldn't be buying these. They are always finding new ways to kill each other.

Edited October 2, 2006 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[chowyunskinny]

Despite the seekers having the same mould as the G1 toys, there was something distinct between starscream and skywarp/thundercracker's face in the cartoon. I can't quite place it. Maybe its the more sinister facial expression. Skywarp and Thundercracker were more "doh" kinda looks on their face.

wolfx, I think it was that Starscream had a gray face while Skywarp and Thundercracker had silver/light gray

[attachmentid=37035]

[attachmentid=37036]

[Uxi]

The sculpt looks pretty cool, if a bit small. The colors are way wacked. Depends on the price, but I'll probably wait for the US version.

[wolfx]

That may be it , chowyunskinnny. Hmmm.

Problem with a hasbro version, i wonder what kinda "safety" measures they would add. Probably shorter gun barrels so your kid own't poke his eye out. Maybe Dr Archevile will not be included as your kid might choke from it. Battle damage as well and electronic sound base.

[David Hingtgen]

meaning what exactly? they're saying he messed up the original "G1" starscream?

Yes, because before Kawamori's "tweaking" of the MP Starscream mold, it was like 99% identical to the animation model, and one heck of a nice (and accurate) F-15. I mean, it looked more like Starscream than MP Prime looks like Prime. It WAS Starscream, utterly. After HFH's revisions to that mold---it's Starscream-esque, with hip kibble and funky curved feet and intake kibble and giant Popeye forearms.

I think a lot of the ire (mine included) is the result of seeing the "before" version of the mold. If we'd never seen how amazingly awesome it was BEFORE, we wouldn't complain so much about how it looked after all the changes.

[Radd]

Er...I thought Kawamori did the first version of MP Starscream that everyone had been drooling over? It was announced that way in these forums. It wasn't until much later that we saw the revised version.

[JB0]

Yes, because before Kawamori's "tweaking" of the MP Starscream mold, it was like 99% identical to the animation model, and one heck of a nice (and accurate) F-15. I mean, it looked more like Starscream than MP Prime looks like Prime. It WAS Starscream, utterly.

Maybe you saw an earlier one than me, but the first one I saw had a giant mess of kibble on the legs that was nothing whatsoever like the animation and just looked nasty.

Prime is a hell of a lot closer to the animation than either version of Starscream.

I agree the added conformal thingies on the sides/arms were stupid.

And that I'm holding out for a vintage paintjob before I even consider buying one.

[Ali Sama]

The sculpt looks pretty cool, if a bit small. The colors are way wacked. Depends on the price, but I'll probably wait for the US version.

more chance of elvise announcing that he is alive

[chowyunskinny]

I liked the Pre-Kawamori version better also (except I thought the feet were weird on that one too), but there's nothing we can do about it except look at pictures of what could have been.

When I get mine i'm gonna see if there's anything that can be easily done to remove the conformal tank stuff

[attachmentid=37038]

[attachmentid=37039]

Edited October 2, 2006 by chowyunskinny

[Macross73]

I was under the impression that it was going to be taller

either way i should be getting mine shortly

I think it looks good and if they make a US version i may get

one of those just to compare them. however i'm looking forward to a

true colors for SS, which may be the US version, I hope so.

[Radd]

Can anyone confirm that one inset in the pic chowyunskinny posted wasn't done by Kawamori? When the first posts about MP Starscream appeared here, it was photos of THAT design, saying that it was designed by Shoji Kawamori.

Later I'd heard Takara had asked Shoji to redesign it a bit and then we got the current version.

I hadn't heard anything to the contrary until this very thread.

[Twoducks]

Actually I was surprised Kawamori even did something; the original information listed him as in charge of Design Dupervision not as designer (to me that sounded like he could just sign a paper and get paid for it). Guess he had to put his own personal touch on something with his name.

Now forgetting about the changes that made some people go bananas, there where other changes that made the figure look a lot better like:

- The redesigning of the stomach area (which gives SS a waist line making him look less like a brick with arms and legs); something more show accurate.

- The padding SS has on the sides of the intakes (which can come off) in the older mold were on the wings. Look at the second picture chowyunskinny posted, those “spikes†world have limited leg movement. More movement is more show accurate.

-The wings are 100% better in the final version. Look how they now angle up now and how low they looked in the prototype. Again, something better looking and more show accurate.

-Thanks to the arm padding and less chunky legs fighter mode doesn’t look like a robot under a plane shaped kite. The padding is not show accurate but helps in making a great looking show accurate alternate form.

Colours scheme aside, SS benefited from these changes. The leg kibble can be taken off leaving him more show accurate. People should say they liked the legs of the prototype better, not all of it. Or that a mechanism should have been made that made the tailfin kibble shorter when stuck to the legs instead of the hips .

[David Hingtgen]

I'll say I politely and completely disagree with all of your points. I think the earlier version of the mold had much better stomach, wing position, etc. I find it visually superior in EVERY way. I actually find the new version of the mold very top-heavy, and frankly almost feminine in appearance.

As for leg movement: just angle the wings a bit. They're effectively ball-jointed. Sure there could be interference it you basically intentionally matched the wings to the legs, but it'd only happen if you had the wing "points" (technically the wingroot fairings) right behind the calves and bent the legs right at the kneees. Just angle the wings in or out like 5 degrees and rotating them the same will give clearance either inside or outside the leg. The G1 mold has that ability, even though it doesn't need it of course.

And the original mold was a better F-15, too. Adding "junk" to help hide some robot bits doesn't help, if lots of it is inaccurate. It'd be like adding ground effects to an Alternator to hide robot bits on the underside----if they're the wrong style, the car guys will notice and not be happy. The conformal tanks on MP SS are wrong in so many ways, from front to back, top to bottom. Plus other changes completely unrelated to the conformal tanks, that were apparently either "Kawamori thinks the F-15 would look cooler if it was like THIS" or "sculptor tried too hard to make it symmetrical, when the real thing (and the original mold) are asymmetrical in those areas."

[Fit For Natalie]

how do you know what the budget was?

I don't. But I do know its Takara. They're always under a budget. Everybody is, but especially Takara

What pisses me off is the Hasbro version now released is entirely plastic with a Blue gun.....I just don't understand why they went that route when it really didn't even drop that far in price compared to when they first released the MasterPiece Prime back in 2004.

Starscream will more likely become one of my favorite transformers.....I just wont see him till the end of october when I pay tam.

I believe he's still diecast metal - Hasbro said the one on display at SDCC was plastic, though painted and the release would be metal. Edited October 2, 2006 by Fit For Natalie

[Limbo]

Got my creamer today... Mixed feelings. The jet mode is really really nice, and if you plan on displaying as a jet it probably pays the admission right there. The color is not as bad as I expected, but quality control on this thing was kind of sloppy. Think chipped paint to lose screws. Also the jet parts fit so tight that I'm freaking out because I feel something will break really soon. I got stress marks behind the wing folds on the first transformation. This reminded me why I never preorder stuff. I was hyped and sold over the MP1 quality and this was a big slap in the face. While not as regretful as getting a Toynami, but still kicking myself for paying 80 bucks for this thing... Should have got a VF0A.

Heres him next to a 1/48...

[wolfx]

hey limbo,

I don't think those "paint chips" are real paint chips, but i think they are intentional. Cuz all the SS pictures i seen have the "chips" on the more or less the same areas on the shoulder stripes, most notably. And if you took a finger nail and tried to scratch the white paint off from the chipped areas, it won't come out and feels like its part of the plastic, not like thick paint. So its either intentional or the tampo print machine was abit whacked.

And attached here is the part that bothers me most about Starscream. All picstures i've seen online have it, the unpainted cockpit canopy hinge. It really affects the aesthetics of starscream's robot mode.

[eugimon]

OMG a debacle!

[eugimon]

I don't. But I do know its Takara. They're always under a budget. Everybody is, but especially Takara

I believe he's still diecast metal - Hasbro said the one on display at SDCC was plastic, though painted and the release would be metal.

boo, I thought you had a "source." haha. oh well.

[Subotnik]

I'll say I politely and completely disagree with all of your points. I think the earlier version of the mold had much better stomach, wing position, etc. I find it visually superior in EVERY way. I actually find the new version of the mold very top-heavy, and frankly almost feminine in appearance.

You must date some ugly women.

I'm glad I got mine. While I would've preferred an anime coloured version, I'd rather have this one in my hands now. It beats waiting for the following stars to come into alignment:

1) Hasbro decides to actually release it. So far it's uncomfirmed, which means that it aint coming any time soon.

2) They not only decide to release it, but they choose to do it in the correct colours. After all, they only said "original colours" at Botcon, not "original toy colours" or "original cartoon colours"

3) They not only decide to release it in the right colours, but they also do it without any embellishments (cheesy battle damage, awesome!!!) or skimping on the wash for panel lines.

4) Not only do they release it with the absolutely correct and unkiddified paintscheme, but they also don't butcher it for safety reasons.

Anything less than that and I wouldn't really want it, although most transfans would probably gobble it up. So for them I add one last requirement, the absolute dealbreaker for 90% of the TF community:

5) It can't cost more than $40

Edited October 3, 2006 by Subotnik

[Graham]

As an FYI, since BotCon is going on this weekend,

They should really change the name of that convention. Sounds like it's a gathering for......ahem, how can I saw it politely, those with a fetish for the backdoor exploration.

Graham

[Subotnik]

They should really change the name of that convention. Sounds like it's a gathering for......ahem, how can I saw it politely, those with a fetish for the backdoor exploration.

Graham

Some of them do get awfully drunk...

[Hikuro]

I believe he's still diecast metal - Hasbro said the one on display at SDCC was plastic, though painted and the release would be metal

Well what I saw was diffenetly plastic, right down to the smoke stacks.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Well what I saw was diffenetly plastic, right down to the smoke stacks.

The only one with plastic is the prototype they showed@SDCC. The people who already do have the DVD prime now(he's out) and the ones who saw the prototype overseas confirm that its got diecast metal.

Anyways I think it will be hard for me to resist buying starscream@a con if its under $100

[wolfx]

http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20060321.html

[Hikuro]

if I could take one at of the box from there and feel it I'd probably change my opinion, but from what I was looking at based off the color coating and close look, he diffenetly looked like he's got more plastic then he does diecast in my opinion. Maybe it's just how they dressed him up that he looks plastic.......the Hasbro version I got from 2004 is more "glossy" like.

[Doctor Reggae]

They should really change the name of that convention. Sounds like it's a gathering for......ahem, how can I saw it politely, those with a fetish for the backdoor exploration.

Graham

Lol...I've never thought of it that way.

I haven't been to a BotCon in years...whenever I tell my girlfriend about it and she gets that horrified look in her eyes, I tell her that I'm actually the closest thing to normal at the convention.