The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[davidwhangchoi]

it looks pretty cool

 it should've had hot rod/rodimus' face to be consistant.

[sh9000]

Looking good together.

[mikeszekely]

Saw this making the rounds on social media, in case anyone else was wondering how that T-Spark Predaking stacks up with Generations...

[Scyla]

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Saw this making the rounds on social media, in case anyone else was wondering how that T-Spark Predaking stacks up with Generations...

I am looking forward to receiving mine. Partially because I love the design and I adore mecha with mechanical lion faces on their chests (not a big fan of Daltanious) and partially because I am curious if Takara can produce a high end collectible.

I heard so many good things about AM Rodimus but looking at some pictures I am shocked how bad the paint application and molded some pieces appear to be compared to the praise the piece was receiving. 

It seems to be in par with what Takara is usually putting out (just more of it in terms of paint application) but can’t hold a candle to the K3 one.

Now I am wondering if all the Transformers fans a gushing over the Rodimus because they have no frame of reference for high quality collectibles or because it is really an exceptional toy.

I am aware that this might sound "elitist" or me discrediting Takara.  However, I want to ensure you that I love many of the Transformers toys I bought in the past but in their collector focused lines their hit to miss ratio is higher than in other, comparable toy lines. 

Takara is very good at engineering fun puzzle-former toys but in manufacturing quality their output is usually lacking.

 

[sh9000]

I need an updated Predaking that is taller.

[mikeszekely]

2 hours ago, Scyla said:

I am looking forward to receiving mine. Partially because I love the design and I adore mecha with mechanical lion faces on their chests (not a big fan of Daltanious) and partially because I am curious if Takara can produce a high end collectible.

I heard so many good things about AM Rodimus but looking at some pictures I am shocked how bad the paint application and molded some pieces appear to be compared to the praise the piece was receiving. 

It seems to be in par with what Takara is usually putting out (just more of it in terms of paint application) but can’t hold a candle to the K3 one.

Now I am wondering if all the Transformers fans a gushing over the Rodimus because they have no frame of reference for high quality collectibles or because it is really an exceptional toy.

I am aware that this might sound "elitist" or me discrediting Takara.  However, I want to ensure you that I love many of the Transformers toys I bought in the past but in their collector focused lines their hit to miss ratio is higher than in other, comparable toy lines. 

Takara is very good at engineering fun puzzle-former toys but in manufacturing quality their output is usually lacking.

 

I'm not necessarily inclined to argue.  I think Takara (and/or Hasbro, by extension) are at their best making when making mass-market toys.  Like, yeah, they have their flaws like limited articulation, in some areas, limited paint, or hollow spots, and some outright misses *cough Astrotrain*, but generally you're not mad about it because they're chunky, solid toys you can mess around with and you're usually not paying more than $60 (save for the annual Titans and Commanders, or the odd Haslab).  But it's a different story when you're paying a premium for something ostensibly collector-focused. I mean, I'd have never paid $350 for MP-36, but I didn't have any problems paying that for Soul of Chogokin Dairugger/Vehicle Voltron.

Still, for your sake, I hope you're happy with Predaking.  I'm out, though, he's just too small for my collection.

1 hour ago, sh9000 said:

I need an updated Predaking that is taller.

Same.

[Chronocidal]

On 3/28/2026 at 12:13 PM, Dangard Ace said:

   I am going to have SOOOO much fun mocking this thing, it is so ugly when put next to the VF19.  and Yes I did buy it.   On tfw2005 there is a pic with fire bomber minis on the stage and that actually looks really good.   I may have to hunt those figures down.  

It's just so dorky, it's perfectly fitting for M7.

That is a good point though, that stage actually would make a pretty decent display base for HMR Sound Force (if they ever get produced, anyway).

[Hikuro]

On 3/29/2026 at 12:42 PM, mikeszekely said:

Saw this making the rounds on social media, in case anyone else was wondering how that T-Spark Predaking stacks up with Generations...

bummer, kind of short....

[sh9000]

Full views.

[mikeszekely]

This figure arrived from Pulse, like two days before I happened to go to Walmart for other reasons and find a whole bunch of them.  This is the Walmart-exclusive Deluxe-class Retro Wheelie.

When this figure was first announced I actually mistook it for a repaint of the Core-class SS86 Wheelie, and there's definitely some immediate similarities.  Both have a backpack, both have wheels on the backs of their calves, both have wheels embedded in their forearms.  But, lo and behold, it turned out to be a brand new Deluxe-class mold, and side-by-side you can see that the Deluxe is significantly larger, with shoulders that are closer in, a more tapered torso with an actual pelvis, more rounded lower legs, and feet that simply look like feet.

Coming around the back, we can see that the backpack is a bit different than the Core-class toy.  The other big difference is that this toy is colored to match the G1 toy, rather than the cartoon.  So, even if you're not into toy-colored repaints, take note of this review as I expect most of this will apply when they inevitably release this toy again in cartoon colors.

Wheelie comes with a lone accessory, his signature slingshot.

As befitting his larger price tag, Deluxe Wheelie has a bit more articulation than the Core-class toy.  I believe his head is on a ball joint.  It swivels, and there's a little up/down tilt, but nothing really sideways.  His shoulders swivel and move laterally a little over 90 degrees.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend a hair short of 90 degrees.  His wrists swivel, as does his waist.  His hips can go 90 degrees forward, a little more than that backward, and just shy of that laterally.  His thighs swivel, and his knees bend 90 degrees.  His toes bend downward, largely due to transformation.  His ankles pivot as well, but under 90 degrees.

Wheelie's slingshot has a 5mm peg for a handle, and it plugs into either fist.  There are tabs on the sides of his backpack that his arms tab into for alt mode.  I don't think it was intentional, but a hollow slot on the handle of the slingshot allows it to plug onto those tabs for bot-mode weapon storage.

Speaking of alt mode, the engineering is actually very similar to the Core-class, there's just a bit more of it.  In both cases the chest forms a large chunk of the front, with the head hidden in the cockpit area.  The difference is that the cockpit is tucked into the backpack, not the entire backpack, which allows the rest of the backpack to form a more natural rear end to the vehicle.  The arms still make up most of the sides, including the rear wheels, but panels on the backpack hide his hands a little (which were showing by default on the original toy; mine has an upgrade kit).  The hips still shift so that the legs hang out along the bottom of the vehicle, with the front fenders coming off the legs and mating with the chest.  But rather than forming the nose of the vehicle from his feet, this time the nose folds out from behind the chest and his feet remain tucked under the vehicle.

The result is, for the most part, a better car than the core-class.  From the back, there's still some visible fingers and some transformation joints, but overall the shape is a bit more cohesive.  The nose and the rounded rear benefit the most from the new engineering, sure, but the fenders are more flush, an attempt was made to hide the hands, and there's not a massive visible ball joint anymore.

I suppose, in theory, you can use the 5mm port on the rear of the vehicle to plug in the slingshot.  However, there's a tab under the nose that's definitely meant for the slot in the slignshot's handle, giving you a more out-of-the-way option for alt mode weapon storage.

The bump in engineering this figure gets from being a Deluxe has, I feel, improved Wheelie's proportions, articulation, transformation, and alt mode.  That's all good!  Wheelie does have one flaw, though, that might make you think you're better off with the Core-class you might already have, and that's his size.  I've always thought of Wheelie as the smallest of the Autobots, as he was often depicted as just a little over a head taller than Daniel.  When they designed the Core-class toy, they took pains to make sure it was about the same size as the slug version that came with Grimlock.  But this new version of Wheelie, while still being on the short side of most Deluxes, is a head taller than SS86 Bumblebee.  So, I'm not really sure if I want to recommend him or not.  It's like, pick your poison, do you want the figure that's better in every way but out-of-scale, or do you want the one that's in-scale but a bit crap?  I mean, for an original mold, the proportions are still very obviously cartoon Wheelie and not G1 toy Wheelie, so like I said a cartoon-style version is more or less inevitable.  And, I don't know, maybe for cartoon G1 Wheelie the Core-class is good enough.  But the Retro version can pass for an IDW Wheelie, I think and in IDW he was depicted as a bit bigger.

[rsvictor1976]

39 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

This figure arrived from Pulse, like two days before I happened to go to Walmart for other reasons and find a whole bunch of them.  This is the Walmart-exclusive Deluxe-class Retro Wheelie.

When this figure was first announced I actually mistook it for a repaint of the Core-class SS86 Wheelie, and there's definitely some immediate similarities.  Both have a backpack, both have wheels on the backs of their calves, both have wheels embedded in their forearms.  But, lo and behold, it turned out to be a brand new Deluxe-class mold, and side-by-side you can see that the Deluxe is significantly larger, with shoulders that are closer in, a more tapered torso with an actual pelvis, more rounded lower legs, and feet that simply look like feet.

Coming around the back, we can see that the backpack is a bit different than the Core-class toy.  The other big difference is that this toy is colored to match the G1 toy, rather than the cartoon.  So, even if you're not into toy-colored repaints, take note of this review as I expect most of this will apply when they inevitably release this toy again in cartoon colors.

Wheelie comes with a lone accessory, his signature slingshot.

As befitting his larger price tag, Deluxe Wheelie has a bit more articulation than the Core-class toy.  I believe his head is on a ball joint.  It swivels, and there's a little up/down tilt, but nothing really sideways.  His shoulders swivel and move laterally a little over 90 degrees.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend a hair short of 90 degrees.  His wrists swivel, as does his waist.  His hips can go 90 degrees forward, a little more than that backward, and just shy of that laterally.  His thighs swivel, and his knees bend 90 degrees.  His toes bend downward, largely due to transformation.  His ankles pivot as well, but under 90 degrees.

Wheelie's slingshot has a 5mm peg for a handle, and it plugs into either fist.  There are tabs on the sides of his backpack that his arms tab into for alt mode.  I don't think it was intentional, but a hollow slot on the handle of the slingshot allows it to plug onto those tabs for bot-mode weapon storage.

Speaking of alt mode, the engineering is actually very similar to the Core-class, there's just a bit more of it.  In both cases the chest forms a large chunk of the front, with the head hidden in the cockpit area.  The difference is that the cockpit is tucked into the backpack, not the entire backpack, which allows the rest of the backpack to form a more natural rear end to the vehicle.  The arms still make up most of the sides, including the rear wheels, but panels on the backpack hide his hands a little (which were showing by default on the original toy; mine has an upgrade kit).  The hips still shift so that the legs hang out along the bottom of the vehicle, with the front fenders coming off the legs and mating with the chest.  But rather than forming the nose of the vehicle from his feet, this time the nose folds out from behind the chest and his feet remain tucked under the vehicle.

The result is, for the most part, a better car than the core-class.  From the back, there's still some visible fingers and some transformation joints, but overall the shape is a bit more cohesive.  The nose and the rounded rear benefit the most from the new engineering, sure, but the fenders are more flush, an attempt was made to hide the hands, and there's not a massive visible ball joint anymore.

I suppose, in theory, you can use the 5mm port on the rear of the vehicle to plug in the slingshot.  However, there's a tab under the nose that's definitely meant for the slot in the slignshot's handle, giving you a more out-of-the-way option for alt mode weapon storage.

The bump in engineering this figure gets from being a Deluxe has, I feel, improved Wheelie's proportions, articulation, transformation, and alt mode.  That's all good!  Wheelie does have one flaw, though, that might make you think you're better off with the Core-class you might already have, and that's his size.  I've always thought of Wheelie as the smallest of the Autobots, as he was often depicted as just a little over a head taller than Daniel.  When they designed the Core-class toy, they took pains to make sure it was about the same size as the slug version that came with Grimlock.  But this new version of Wheelie, while still being on the short side of most Deluxes, is a head taller than SS86 Bumblebee.  So, I'm not really sure if I want to recommend him or not.  It's like, pick your poison, do you want the figure that's better in every way but out-of-scale, or do you want the one that's in-scale but a bit crap?  I mean, for an original mold, the proportions are still very obviously cartoon Wheelie and not G1 toy Wheelie, so like I said a cartoon-style version is more or less inevitable.  And, I don't know, maybe for cartoon G1 Wheelie the Core-class is good enough.  But the Retro version can pass for an IDW Wheelie, I think and in IDW he was depicted as a bit bigger.

I need to pick this up. I was at Walmart a couple days ago and saw it, but thought it was just a repaint of the Studio Series as well. After seeing various reviews though, I’m kicking myself for not picking it up then when I had the chance.

[sh9000]

@mikeszekely Do you have pics of Wheelie next to other Minibots?

I'm going to wait it out for G2 Motormaster and Wildrider.

[mikeszekely]

4 hours ago, sh9000 said:

@mikeszekely Do you have pics of Wheelie next to other Minibots?

Season 1.  Apologies if you don't have an ultrawide display, there's a lot of them.

Season 2. Just waiting on Powerglide.

And with his fellow Season 3 minibots.  Happy that Swerve should arrive soon, but we still need Tailgate, too.  It's a safe bet we'll see him before too long, though.

Edited Thursday at 09:13 PM by mikeszekely

[mikeszekely]

I'm sure the eagle-eyed among you noticed a certain fellow in that Season 3 picture, so let's talk repaints.

First up, yes, we have the Walmart-exclusive Retro Outback.  The nice thing about Outback is that a toy-style figure is also a cartoon-style one, as unlike Brawn his animation model is much closer to his toy.  That being said, Brawn's toy is based on his cartoon appearance, and while it makes sense that Outback would be a retool of Brawn (since the G1 toy was a retool of Brawn's), it actually leaves the Retro toy less accurate, as he's missing the weird proportions, shoulder windows, and skinny wheeled legs he was animated with.  Oh well.  He does, at least, have a brand new head and chest.  He also has a new gun, which matches the G1 toy (which I believe was the only G1 minibot to come with a gun in the first place).

The only remolded parts you see in alt mode is the gun, mounted on the tire just like the G1 toy.  Like the G1 toy, the center of the hood is black with the Mysterion "M", as is the windshield, and the rear windows aren't painted at all, simply tampoed with the Autobot symbol.  The front side windows are painted, though, which doesn't match the toy but does match the animation model.

Look, as near as I can tell Outback appeared in a grand total of two out of the ninety-eight episodes of the G1 cartoon.  Would it have been cool if Outback was more extensively retooled to better match the G1 toy/animation model?  Sure.  But I didn't expect them to, and frankly Brawn in different colors with a new head and chest is honestly good enough for me, and probably good enough for you guys to pick up and check off your list.  He gets a recommend from me.

But Outback isn't the only recent repaint in my collection.  I also got the new 2-pack of G2 Dinobots.  That pack includes Swoop here, packing the same wing rockets and same pair of swords as the G1 toy (which technically means you're getting a sword for G2 Grimlock with this set!).  Swoop isn't just sporting some EXTREME new colors (which I happen to LOVE, by the way).  He's got a remolded noggin, swapping the caveman-browed cartoon face for a visored look closer to the G1 toy (which makes sense, since the original canceled G2 toy would have been the G1 toy but EXTREME).  Now, I think most of the the other SS86 Dinobots are neatly enough between absolute Sunbow G1 and the G1 toys that I don't really need toy versions of them, but if Hasbro wants to release a red Swoop with this face they could get another easy $60 out of me.

As with Outback, none of the remolded parts come through in alt mode.  But man, that neon green!  Man, I just want to go back to the '90s, watch some Gargoyles, eat some Soda-Liscious, play some SNES, then pump up my Reebok Pumps, go to the mall, and swing by Kay-Bee before hitting the arcade.  Maybe we'll hear some Offspring or Green Day in the car on the way over.

Needless to say, love G2 Swoop (even if the right wing on mine doesn't like to stay together), and I'd totally recommend him as a standalone, but to get him you also have to buy...

...G2 Sludge.  Who gets no remolding at all, just a new coat of paint.  Orange is a bright color, but pairing it with black and blue is a bit less EXTREME, I guess.  I can't really blame modern Hasbro, though, they're just going by the concept art for the original canceled G2 toy.

There's some nice silver paint here, I suppose.  I dunno what else to really say... Sludge has always been my least-favorite of the Dinobots, and I think he's arguably the worst-executed of the five SS86 Dinobots (not saying he's bad, just less good than the other four), so it stands to reason I'd be a bit underwhelmed by a straight repaint for G2.  But hey, he comes with Swoop, who's like a must-have.  And if you're weird like me, you'll want him just because you need him to complete your set of G2 Dinobots.

That is, assuming he does actually complete your G2 Dinobots.  Because when we're talking about G2 Dinobots, we're not talking about one set of five Dinobots, are we?  We're actually talking about two sets of three.  One set is Grimlock, Slag, and Snarl, who have traded in their silver parts for blue, green, and red, respectively.  They're part of that early G2 stuff, where you were mostly getting G1 toys with slightly altered decos.  But on the other hand, you have another Grimlock, Swoop, and Sludge, based on canceled decos for later in G2 when G2 was all about EXTREME '90s colors.  So maybe for you, three G2 Dinobots is enough.  Maybe you don't need this set.  But I happen to like both!  If I'm being honest, I like tiger stripe Grimlock better than blue Grimlock, and green-and-blue Swoop better than Slag and Snarl's G2 decos (though Slag and Snarl beat Islanders-fan Sludge).  So yeah, indulge yourself!

[M'Kyuun]

I made a Wally run early this morning and they had a peg full of Outbacks so I picked one up. They had one copy of Wheelie as well, but I've been waiting on the one I POed with Pulse and, sure enough, my copy showed up on my doorstep later in the day, so I have both now. While I'm not a big fan of Wheelie's character per se, I like his design, and I think this is a well-done figure in both modes. They really nailed the car mode, The bot mode, of course, looks like his toon incarnation instead of the fugly G1 toy's bot mode, a saving grace IMHO. Hasbro simply left various bits unpainted, like the knees, so I'll be picking up the SS86 version when it releases. My copy apparently came sans slingshot; I didn't pay particularly close attention to whether it was in the package before I opened it, but once I had it opened and extricated Wheelie, I noticed the absence of the slingshot, which was nowhere to be found after a search around the general area. Not the first time something was missing from a fig I bought from Pulse. Little frustrating, especially given the price of these things and Hasbro's odd insistence of addressing broken or missing items by sending random toys that decidedly are not the ones with which customers are having issues. So, I'm gonna hold out for the SS86 version, perhaps at retail, to ensure I get at least one copy with a slingshot.

Outback turned out really well. This is my first and only toy of that character, but the Brawn mold was done so well that I felt this was a worthy double-dip. I really like the mocha color they chose for him.

[mikeszekely]

34 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

My copy apparently came sans slingshot; I didn't pay particularly close attention to whether it was in the package before I opened it, but once I had it opened and extricated Wheelie, I noticed the absence of the slingshot, which was nowhere to be found after a search around the general area.

Take the copy you got from Pulse to the Walmart where you found Wheelie.  Tell them you don't have a receipt, but yours is missing a part and you just want to do an even exchange.  Having worked for far too many years in retail, I can tell you that Walmart will just send it back to Hasbro, so Walmart doesn't gain or lose anything on it.

[sh9000]

Thanks for the Minibot pics @mikeszekely.  I'll continue to collect the Retro G1 line.  I wouldn't mind if a Huffer, Pipes, and Windcharger were released in that line with G1 toy heads.  I wish Bumblebee from that line came with a G1 toy head.

Looking forward to cartoon release Seaspray and Wheelie.

[Scyla]

Nice review on the G2 Dinobots @mikeszekely. To me G2 Swoop and Sludge always look out of place to me with the other Dinobots. 

I think a mustardy yellow or a muted purple would be a better match for the muted blue, green and red of Grimlock, Slag and Snarl.

In your pictures Sludge doesn’t look that out of place. Could be that Hasbro muted the orange a tad or that Grimlock is cast in a too vibrant blue (to how he should look in my mind’s eye).

The group of new G2 Dinobots looks too much like a hodgepodge of colors instead of a cohesive group.

[M'Kyuun]

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Take the copy you got from Pulse to the Walmart where you found Wheelie.  Tell them you don't have a receipt, but yours is missing a part and you just want to do an even exchange.  Having worked for far too many years in retail, I can tell you that Walmart will just send it back to Hasbro, so Walmart doesn't gain or lose anything on it.

I appreciate the advice, and I'm all too aware of Walmart's lenient returns policies having worked there myself a short while after I retired from the military. However, while the slingshot is a lamentable omission, I can live without it as long as the eventual Movie version comes with it. While I don't lay awake at night worrying for the Walton family (I think they'll get by), the amount of theft and abuse of the returns policies that I saw working there were appalling and I doubt that things have gotten much better, especially post-Covid. The Walmarts in my area have all hired full-time security, and we regularly have police officers inside or hanging out in their vehicles between the exits, Moreover, those in high-crime areas (like my old store) have taken to ensconcing most or all of their LEGO product s (and other high-theft items) behind locked glass doors, often still with Spiderwire. The necessity for such measures is sickening, and after only seven months of working there, my view of humanity darkened considerably. Given the world situation, I still find myself thinking we're a bit overdue an extinction event, one that just targets us and leaves everything else alone. Cynical, but an earned cynicism.

This isn't the first fig I've received from Pulse that was missing something; my copy of CW Seaspray, which I'd also seen on the pegs at retail beforehand, came missing a propeller. Maybe that's just my luck. Most of the time, however, my figs show up complete, so it's more of an annoyance than a serious issue.

Harkening back to your review of Devastation Bumblebee, I got my copy about a week or so ago, and yeah, he's quite an impressive little figure. The transformation kicked my butt for a minute, but I eventually sorted it out. I'd love it if they just remolded the toes to look more VWish, as everything is nigh perfect for a G1 Bee.

[mikeszekely]

On 4/2/2026 at 12:55 PM, sh9000 said:

@mikeszekely Do you have pics of Wheelie next to other Minibots?

I'm going to wait it out for G2 Motormaster and Wildrider.

Mark Maher confirmed on IG that the Takara set will be out first, but that they are definitely still doing G2 Wildrider and Motomaster.

[sh9000]

7 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Mark Maher confirmed on IG that the Takara set will be out first, but that they are definitely still doing G2 Wildrider and Motomaster.

It will take a while but that's good news.