mikeszekely Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 47 minutes ago, David Hingtgen said: Is my stance unique? Huge fan of the original---but this is basically that toy again. I legit thought the renders were the original toy for a while. Hinge-for-hinge, post-for-post, tab-for-tab, identical transformation/engineering. It's the same toy, 10% bigger, and a few small issues taken care of. But it's really not "better" or "new". Certainly not "20 years to think about it" level of improvemements/redesign. Why does Magnus still having a gapingly hollow chest in bot mode? Same huge holes at the same angles. (honestly it actually looks WORSE from some angles) I wanted a BETTER Omega Prime. Make UM a bit less hollow, not QUITE so ridiculously-proportioned etc. For all their gushing about Prime's Super Mode having better proportions, they sure ignored the one that needed it more... It's---exactly the choice I wanted, but executed horrifically. It's, the toy I already had, with a few slight changes, but very expensive. To still have almost all the flaws I was hoping would be fixed... I don't have the original toy, but my best guess is that a lot of Magnus' hollow bits have to do with how he fits over Prime, but I could be wrong. As for his proportions, I certainly understand why his legs need different proportions, but I also know that if RID fans are anything like geewunners that if they did change his proportions too much someone would complain that it's not cartoon accurate. Aesthetically, the changes may be slight. But practically, better articulation and joints that can actually hold him up in various poses means a lot. If you were just going to stick him on a shelf in an A-stance then maybe you're already set, but me personally if a figure doesn't have ankle pivots, thighs swivels, and bicep swivels then it's due for an update. Very expensive? Sure, $250 is $250, I'm not going to make light of that, but the Takara reissue of the originals was like $270 or $280, wasn't it? So it's cheaper than that. Or, two Commanders and a Deluxe is over $200 at retail. Optimus looks like he's potentially got a higher parts count than Legacy Armada Prime, too. Throw in the chrome, premium packaging, and probably the bonus tiers and I think the price may be high, but it's not outrageous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M'Kyuun Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 3 hours ago, mikeszekely said: The discourse around Omega Prime has been... interesting. There are people arguing that it won't make its goal simply because it's not G1 (and yet, in less than 8 hours it's already nearly at 4000 backers). There are some people arguing that it's a bad deal they bought the original RiD Optimus for $30 25 years ago (nevermind that it's roughly two Commanders and a Deluxe for less money than the Takara reissue of the originals a few years back). There are a few mad that it's not two or three regular retail releases, because somehow they can afford it that way but a Haslab is less obtainable? And there are a few who somehow think Hasbro "failed" because "its the same as the original"... as long as you ignore the improved proportions, better articulation, improved stability, and the efforts to hide Magnus' bits in combined mode better. There's also the argument that Omega Prime doesn't really represent 40 years of the brand... but really, what does? I think this was the main argument for Primus, but it kind of breaks down when you start to ask, "which Primus?" Not Sunbow, Primus had nothing to do with the G1 cartoon. Marvel comics? Don Figueroa's Dreamwave design? Probably the best-known Primus design is the one from Cybertron, which isn't any more G1 than RiD. On that note, something G1 certainly represents something 40 years old, but as I'm fond of pointing out the people who were kids when stuff like RiD and the Unicron Trilogy are around the same age as us geewunners when lines like Alernators and Classics were hitting the shelves, and Transformers might mean something else to them. Ultimately, RiD definitely seem like an odd choice, as it's arguably one of the less popular Transformers shows, but I do think it represents an important point in Transformers history, the first time bringing a Japanese show over, the show that brought back the Autobots and Decepticons, the show that brought back Optimus as a truck. And, really, if there's one name that's synonymous with 40 years of Transformers it's definitely "Optimus Prime." Frankly, I'm pretty happy with this Haslab. As I said, Fire Convoy is my favorite non-G1 Prime, with a design that's just Optimus enough to be recognizable but blasted with even more Japanese super robot energy than any of the UT Primes or Go Exprime. A modern version of him has been one of my most-wanted figures since I started collecting. I'd say my only complaint is that he's looking like he's going to be a bit out-of-scale with the other WfC/Legacy Optimus Primes. I missed all the corrective posts on the stream time, but as I'm not an RiD fan, I didn't mind watching it an hour later. Regardless of my bias, as a fan who can totally empathize with a strong yearning for a character to get a toy or a much-needed, much-wanted update, I'm happy for my fellow fans, especially a certain TF fan and reviewer close to home, that these characters are getting improved figs. 1 hour ago, David Hingtgen said: Is my stance unique? Huge fan of the original---but this is basically that toy again. I legit thought the renders were the original toy for a while. Hinge-for-hinge, post-for-post, tab-for-tab, identical transformation/engineering. It's the same toy, 10% bigger, and a few small issues taken care of. But it's really not "better" or "new". Certainly not "20 years to think about it" level of improvemements/redesign. Why does Magnus still having a gapingly hollow chest in bot mode? Same huge holes at the same angles. (honestly it actually looks WORSE from some angles) I wanted a BETTER Omega Prime. Make UM a bit less hollow, not QUITE so ridiculously-proportioned etc. For all their gushing about Prime's Super Mode having better proportions, they sure ignored the one that needed it more... It's---exactly the choice I wanted, but executed horrifically. It's, the toy I already had, with a few slight changes, but very expensive. To still have almost all the flaws I was hoping would be fixed... Sorry the new Omega Prime doesn't fulfill what you wanted from an update. I have no dog in this particular race, but the HasLab looked pretty good to me. That said, I haven't handled my Fire Convoy fig since he was new and never had Magnus, so my recollection is myopic and incomplete. Although I bought a number of the toys (I was one of those happy to see TFs return to car & plane alts), I found the RiD and later UT designs to be, um, well, kinda crappy and the toon didn't appeal to me at all. For the disenchanted, I lament once again the reluctance of third parties to touch CHUG scale, as it's times like this that an alternative would be a welcome option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh9000 Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I'm not interested in this Haslab but good for those that want it. The only figures I had from RID when the series came out were the Car Brothers and Scourge. Passed on everything else. If an updated RID Prowl gets released I might buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 20 minutes ago, sh9000 said: I'm not interested in this Haslab but good for those that want it. The only figures I had from RID when the series came out were the Car Brothers and Scourge. Passed on everything else. If an updated RID Prowl gets released I might buy it. Haven't heard anything about Prowl, but Sideburn is coming this year. Speaking of this year, Hasbro is apparently holding back the second wave of United since the big box stores haven't even started stocking the first wave. But the inventory for the second wave is supposedly here and online retailers are getting upset that Hasbro won't let them start selling it. I'm honestly a little surprised that Hasbro has been so tight-lipped; the whole wave is going to be leaked before it's revealed. I mean, we already saw Gears. Well, this is Shard, the second rock dude. And here's Cyberverse Chromia. The other Deluxe from this wave was supposed to be Sureshot, but Sureshot was apparently cancelled. As for the Voyagers, Takara revealed Silverbolt by including him in their first wave. So we're just waiting on the Cores (Beast Wars Dinobot and Beast Machines Cheetor), Voyager Cybertron Starscream, and Leader G1 Sandstorm. As for Studio Series, I haven't heard anything on Core-class BB Starscream, and SS86 Swoop is apparently the one figure that hasn't reached port yet. But the Deluxes? We're getting a package refresh of Gnaw, then War for Cybertron Sideswipe... ... and Bumblebee Sunstreaker And the only Voyager this wave is Bumblebee Shockwave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Valkyrie Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/01/30/takara-tomy-40th-anniversary-project-our-origin-503275 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spark-O-Matic Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 13 hours ago, mikeszekely said: Haven't heard anything about Prowl, but Sideburn is coming this year. Speaking of this year, Hasbro is apparently holding back the second wave of United since the big box stores haven't even started stocking the first wave. But the inventory for the second wave is supposedly here and online retailers are getting upset that Hasbro won't let them start selling it. I'm honestly a little surprised that Hasbro has been so tight-lipped; the whole wave is going to be leaked before it's revealed. I mean, we already saw Gears. Well, this is Shard, the second rock dude. And here's Cyberverse Chromia. The other Deluxe from this wave was supposed to be Sureshot, but Sureshot was apparently cancelled. As for the Voyagers, Takara revealed Silverbolt by including him in their first wave. So we're just waiting on the Cores (Beast Wars Dinobot and Beast Machines Cheetor), Voyager Cybertron Starscream, and Leader G1 Sandstorm. As for Studio Series, I haven't heard anything on Core-class BB Starscream, and SS86 Swoop is apparently the one figure that hasn't reached port yet. But the Deluxes? We're getting a package refresh of Gnaw, then War for Cybertron Sideswipe... ... and Bumblebee Sunstreaker And the only Voyager this wave is Bumblebee Shockwave. Some really nice ones this time. Liking how they did a better job dealing with chromias wheels, hopefully a 3rd party comes to the rescue to plug the swiss cheese holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lechuck Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 5 hours ago, Black Valkyrie said: https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/01/30/takara-tomy-40th-anniversary-project-our-origin-503275 New MP and MPG reveals in April! Rumor has it that we are in for a MPG Super/God Ginrai, so maybe that will get announced then. If it does become a reality, then I hope Ginrai's bot and truck mode size matches MP-44. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 I haven't bought a Takara MP since Ironhide, but if they do God Ginrai I might have to break my streak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scyla Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 I'm probably in for a Super/God Ginrai. However, the MPG line was a big letdown for me so far so I hope they do better. On the other hand the competition with Power Baser and the KFC one is not too stiff. But I feel like with the current direction of the MP line I won't be getting a nicely proportioned figure anyway (you know, with actual feet instead of vaguely defined blobs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted January 31 Author Share Posted January 31 23 minutes ago, Scyla said: I'm probably in for a Super/God Ginrai. However, the MPG line was a big letdown for me so far so I hope they do better. On the other hand the competition with Power Baser and the KFC one is not too stiff. But I feel like with the current direction of the MP line I won't be getting a nicely proportioned figure anyway (you know, with actual feet instead of vaguely defined blobs). I like Power Baser, but I'm hoping a hypothetical MP Ginrai will be more Headmasters accurate without KFC's spotty QC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Valkyrie Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 I also wanted a Ginrai since years, the only we got, that came with Star Convoy, if you consider it Ginrai. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 21 hours ago, Black Valkyrie said: I also wanted a Ginrai since years, the only we got, that came with Star Convoy, if you consider it Ginrai. There was the Titans Return Powermaster Optimus/Takara Super Ginrai. But it's not the sturdiest figure, and it only does Super Ginrai mode. You have to get two different 3P kits from Perfect Effect if you wanted a replacement cab that could transform into Ginrai, and to have a Powermaster instead of a Titan Master. The first kit had the replacement head, thigh fillers, and the Powermaster Ginrai. You can see how PE's Ginrai looks compared to the Takara Titan Master. The second kit is an entire transforming robot that replaces the stock non-transforming cab. It came with a rifle, alternate open hands, and a replacement chest part. PE's Ginrai is just a tiny bit shorter than the modern Siege/Earthrise Optimus, which is fine by me. The PE Ginrai in truck mode next to the stock cab. And the combined Super Ginrai with the Perfect Effect head, cab, chest part, and Powermaster. On its own, I think it's a pretty good setup Ginrai/Super Ginrai. The problem is more Takara's Godbomber which is a rickety POS. Well, that and the fact that Perfect Effect's kits are super hard to come by these days. The first kit with the head and Powermaster goes for over $100 on the secondary market, and the Ginrai cab robot goes for around $300. So... yeah, I'm totally on board if Hasbro wants to a do a new, better one. MP/MPG, Haslab, as Commander-class in the mainline, whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Valkyrie Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/02/01/takara-tomy-karakuri-statue-ks-01-optimus-prime-revealed-503361 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scyla Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 I think the Haslab God Fire Convoy set is a $250 apology letter from Takara for those who bought the subpar Super God Fire Convoy reissue a couple of years ago. I think it the set looks stellar and is a good update to the original. The problem is that the closer the toys are to the show model (culminating in the UT toys) the less derivation from the original you get with a new iteration. Especially now, were "toon-accurate" is the prime directive . I think the Haslab version changes enough to value a purchase if you are a fan of RiD. If the combined mode is sturdy and playable I think the toy is worthwhile even if you have the original. For myself I think I'll wait till FansToys will eventually get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 2 Author Share Posted February 2 4 hours ago, Scyla said: For myself I think I'll wait till FansToys will eventually get to it. C'mon, back it, then get a customizer to paint it like this for you: Anyway... I've been doing a lot of thinking. When it comes to Optimus, I want to try to collect all the old G1 and G2 versions, skip the Beast era, but then I'd really like to own the RID and UT versions. I don't know why I feel strongly about those old versions, but I don't really care if I'm missing toys released since then (although I suspect I have a lot of them anyway). I think it's time to start scouring ebay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scyla Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 2 hours ago, mikeszekely said: C'mon, back it, then get a customizer to paint it like this for you: Anyway... I've been doing a lot of thinking. When it comes to Optimus, I want to try to collect all the old G1 and G2 versions, skip the Beast era, but then I'd really like to own the RID and UT versions. I don't know why I feel strongly about those old versions, but I don't really care if I'm missing toys released since then (although I suspect I have a lot of them anyway). I think it's time to start scouring ebay... While I'm all over black and teal Optimi repaints I quite like the red with orange chest stripe of on Super Fire Convoy so I would go with the original. I don’t have any black red and gold transforming trucks. To me the shade of gold (sometimes brown) is not appealing to me. Shame because I'd love to have a First Edition Optimus but the Dark Guard version is not for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 Take this with a giant grain of salt, but some leakers posted in a Chinese forum that the next MPG is indeed God Ginrai... and the next MP is Big Convoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scyla Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 5 hours ago, mikeszekely said: Take this with a giant grain of salt, but some leakers posted in a Chinese forum that the next MPG is indeed God Ginrai... and the next MP is Big Convoy. Ohh I'm interested in the black repaints of both. If God Ginrai is going to be a good figure I might even buy him in his regular colors. Power/God Masters are probably the toys I have the most vivid memories off when I was a child. I remember seeing Power Master Optimus Prime with the Power Master in his little window at a local toy store but of course I wasn’t able to get it. On the Haslab front I'm surprised about some of the negative feedback the toy is getting. I think it is great figure to celebrate the 40th anniversary with. He is the Optimus Prime when Transformers was coming back from Beast Wars and doing vehicles again. I think you would have trouble selling Ultra Magnus at retail and maybe even Prime since he is not in his traditional blue pants, red shirt colors. Also since that they didn’t have to take the sound box into account you probably get a more refined and playable figure out of it, even if the toy doesn’t look so different from the front. This is praise for the original toy and not a downside of the Haslab one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 5 hours ago, Scyla said: Ohh I'm interested in the black repaints of both. If God Ginrai is going to be a good figure I might even buy him in his regular colors. Power/God Masters are probably the toys I have the most vivid memories off when I was a child. I remember seeing Power Master Optimus Prime with the Power Master in his little window at a local toy store but of course I wasn’t able to get it. Although it was my favorite cartoon, my dad was laid off for a period so and we didn't really have a lot of money for the toys. Aside from Sideswipe, the Insecticons, and a handful of (mostly 2nd season) minibots most of my childhood toys were from the 86 movie and on. As such, I did have Powermaster Optimus as a kid, and I fondly remember it as the first actual Optimus Prime toy I owned (although I'd pretend Ultra Magnus' cab was Optimus Prime's ghost, who had to come back because Rodimus Prime couldn't hack it as the Autobots' leader. Something I'll mention as unlikely but an intriguing possibility is that, as an MPG figure and not a standard MP, God Ginrai could be smaller than traditional MP scale, much like the trainbots. I certainly won't complain if MPG Ginrai winds up scaling with Legacy. 5 hours ago, Scyla said: On the Haslab front I'm surprised about some of the negative feedback the toy is getting. I think it is great figure to celebrate the 40th anniversary with. He is the Optimus Prime when Transformers was coming back from Beast Wars and doing vehicles again. I'm almost tempted to go back and see if Legacy Armada Op got some flack when he was first revealed. While some fans are overjoyed to get a new figure of an old favorite (nearly 75% backed after just a week), the fact is that the toys from RiD and the Unicron Trilogy were much closer to the animation to begin with than G1. A lot of people are looking at the Haslab Omega Prime and saying, "it doesn't look that much better, so why buy a new one?" Improved articulation, sturdier joints, and a more refined combination are kind of intangible at this point. Something I don't understand are the complaints that it's a Haslab instead of retail. I guess that some people might be in a country where the Haslab isn't available, but for the rest I don't see the difference between buying through a Haslab or buying at retail- either you have the money and want to buy it or you don't. There's also a very vocal subset of G1 fans who seem to think that nothing after 1990 is worth doing. As much as I love Fire Convoy and as happy as I was to see the return of trucks instead of monkeys, in the subsequent years RiD 2001 is like the red-headed stepchild of the brand, a one-off sandwiched between the Beast Era and the Unicron Trilogy. So I do kind of get why Omega Prime might not be the best ambassador of 40 years of Transformers... but we're getting a Studio 86 G1 Optimus this year already. Personally, my only real complaint about the Haslab is that I'd have liked the core Optimus bot to have scaled better with the numerous other Optimus Primes that have turned up since Siege; scale to me is more important that a gimmick of having Ultra Magnus being able to carry Deluxe cars. Oh, and speaking of Omega Prime, I'll be ready with a comparison when it comes in. Because look what I found... Ok, sure, it's a Costco reissue during the Cybertron toyline, and the gold on Prime's chest was painted black on this release... but it was still sealed in the box! I'll find a gold chest junker on ebay and to swap parts with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 Legacy Leader-class Sandstorm. Comic book Grimlock Comic book Shockwave (with Optimus head) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scyla Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 2 hours ago, mikeszekely said: Although it was my favorite cartoon, my dad was laid off for a period so and we didn't really have a lot of money for the toys. Aside from Sideswipe, the Insecticons, and a handful of (mostly 2nd season) minibots most of my childhood toys were from the 86 movie and on. As such, I did have Powermaster Optimus as a kid, and I fondly remember it as the first actual Optimus Prime toy I owned (although I'd pretend Ultra Magnus' cab was Optimus Prime's ghost, who had to come back because Rodimus Prime couldn't hack it as the Autobots' leader. Something I'll mention as unlikely but an intriguing possibility is that, as an MPG figure and not a standard MP, God Ginrai could be smaller than traditional MP scale, much like the trainbots. I certainly won't complain if MPG Ginrai winds up scaling with Legacy. I'm almost tempted to go back and see if Legacy Armada Op got some flack when he was first revealed. While some fans are overjoyed to get a new figure of an old favorite (nearly 75% backed after just a week), the fact is that the toys from RiD and the Unicron Trilogy were much closer to the animation to begin with than G1. A lot of people are looking at the Haslab Omega Prime and saying, "it doesn't look that much better, so why buy a new one?" Improved articulation, sturdier joints, and a more refined combination are kind of intangible at this point. Something I don't understand are the complaints that it's a Haslab instead of retail. I guess that some people might be in a country where the Haslab isn't available, but for the rest I don't see the difference between buying through a Haslab or buying at retail- either you have the money and want to buy it or you don't. There's also a very vocal subset of G1 fans who seem to think that nothing after 1990 is worth doing. As much as I love Fire Convoy and as happy as I was to see the return of trucks instead of monkeys, in the subsequent years RiD 2001 is like the red-headed stepchild of the brand, a one-off sandwiched between the Beast Era and the Unicron Trilogy. So I do kind of get why Omega Prime might not be the best ambassador of 40 years of Transformers... but we're getting a Studio 86 G1 Optimus this year already. Personally, my only real complaint about the Haslab is that I'd have liked the core Optimus bot to have scaled better with the numerous other Optimus Primes that have turned up since Siege; scale to me is more important that a gimmick of having Ultra Magnus being able to carry Deluxe cars. Oh, and speaking of Omega Prime, I'll be ready with a comparison when it comes in. Because look what I found... Ok, sure, it's a Costco reissue during the Cybertron toyline, and the gold on Prime's chest was painted black on this release... but it was still sealed in the box! I'll find a gold chest junker on ebay and to swap parts with. To me an Optimus Prime is THE ideal toy for a 40th anniversary. However, the problem is that there are not that many Optimus Primes that fit the Haslab formula: regular Primes can easily sell at retail (see Earthrise and Studio Series). The only other Primes are Energon, Cybertron and Prime. The Prime one can easily be done at retail and Energon and Cybertron are part 2 and 3 of a trilogy so not as significant for the franchise as RiD Optimus Prime is. Also how fancy do you make an Optimus Prime Haslab toy: too fancy and it approaches MP-44 not fancy enough and you wasted the Haslab potential. You could argue that Power Master Optimus would fit better because it is G1 but I think the RiD one is the more important piece for the Transformers line in general. Plus, if an MPG Ginrai is coming out you don’t want the same toy offered through Haslab and the MP line. So if you want to do a Prime for the 40th anniversary RiD Optimus Prime is the only choice. And besides Masterpiece it is the only place it could exist. PS: maybe I talked myself into supporting the Haslab one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M'Kyuun Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 6 hours ago, mikeszekely said: Although it was my favorite cartoon, my dad was laid off for a period so and we didn't really have a lot of money for the toys. Aside from Sideswipe, the Insecticons, and a handful of (mostly 2nd season) minibots most of my childhood toys were from the 86 movie and on. As such, I did have Powermaster Optimus as a kid, and I fondly remember it as the first actual Optimus Prime toy I owned (although I'd pretend Ultra Magnus' cab was Optimus Prime's ghost, who had to come back because Rodimus Prime couldn't hack it as the Autobots' leader. Something I'll mention as unlikely but an intriguing possibility is that, as an MPG figure and not a standard MP, God Ginrai could be smaller than traditional MP scale, much like the trainbots. I certainly won't complain if MPG Ginrai winds up scaling with Legacy. I'm almost tempted to go back and see if Legacy Armada Op got some flack when he was first revealed. While some fans are overjoyed to get a new figure of an old favorite (nearly 75% backed after just a week), the fact is that the toys from RiD and the Unicron Trilogy were much closer to the animation to begin with than G1. A lot of people are looking at the Haslab Omega Prime and saying, "it doesn't look that much better, so why buy a new one?" Improved articulation, sturdier joints, and a more refined combination are kind of intangible at this point. Something I don't understand are the complaints that it's a Haslab instead of retail. I guess that some people might be in a country where the Haslab isn't available, but for the rest I don't see the difference between buying through a Haslab or buying at retail- either you have the money and want to buy it or you don't. There's also a very vocal subset of G1 fans who seem to think that nothing after 1990 is worth doing. As much as I love Fire Convoy and as happy as I was to see the return of trucks instead of monkeys, in the subsequent years RiD 2001 is like the red-headed stepchild of the brand, a one-off sandwiched between the Beast Era and the Unicron Trilogy. So I do kind of get why Omega Prime might not be the best ambassador of 40 years of Transformers... but we're getting a Studio 86 G1 Optimus this year already. Personally, my only real complaint about the Haslab is that I'd have liked the core Optimus bot to have scaled better with the numerous other Optimus Primes that have turned up since Siege; scale to me is more important that a gimmick of having Ultra Magnus being able to carry Deluxe cars. Oh, and speaking of Omega Prime, I'll be ready with a comparison when it comes in. Because look what I found... Ok, sure, it's a Costco reissue during the Cybertron toyline, and the gold on Prime's chest was painted black on this release... but it was still sealed in the box! I'll find a gold chest junker on ebay and to swap parts with. Wow, great find, Mike. Congrats! 6 hours ago, mikeszekely said: Legacy Leader-class Sandstorm. Sandstorm is looking pretty good, with a far better balance between the alts than either Astrotrain or Blitzwing, both of which I hope to receive much-improved toys in the SS86 line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 6 hours ago, Scyla said: To me an Optimus Prime is THE ideal toy for a 40th anniversary. On that we agree! 6 hours ago, Scyla said: The only other Primes are Energon, Cybertron and Prime. The Prime one can easily be done at retail and Energon and Cybertron are part 2 and 3 of a trilogy so not as significant for the franchise as RiD Optimus Prime is. Also how fancy do you make an Optimus Prime Haslab toy: too fancy and it approaches MP-44 not fancy enough and you wasted the Haslab potential. You could argue that Power Master Optimus would fit better because it is G1 but I think the RiD one is the more important piece for the Transformers line in general. Plus, if an MPG Ginrai is coming out you don’t want the same toy offered through Haslab and the MP line. So if you want to do a Prime for the 40th anniversary RiD Optimus Prime is the only choice. And besides Masterpiece it is the only place it could exist. Yeah... I think if I were John Hasbro I still would have gone with God Ginrai. I think all of your points are fair, but the English version of RiD was still ultimately a rush job to fill a time slot after Trans Tech was canned and to give them time to develop Armada, which almost immediately overshadowed it, and I don't think it's as fondly remembered as the Unicron Trilogy. But I'm definitely not complaining; like I keep saying, Fire Convoy is my favorite non-G1 Optimus. 6 hours ago, Scyla said: PS: maybe I talked myself into supporting the Haslab one? 3 hours ago, M'Kyuun said: Sandstorm is looking pretty good, with a far better balance between the alts than either Astrotrain or Blitzwing, both of which I hope to receive much-improved toys in the SS86 line. Yeah, the G1 cartoon cheated hard on the animation model. Sandstorm looks like a reasonable balance between cartoon, G1 toy, and "actually has to work on a Leader budget." My only complaint is that I wish they'd gone with the cartoon head (especially after they went with the cartoon head on Pointblank when I would have preferred the toy that time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 So when I said I didn't have Fire Convoy/RiD Optimus Prime, that was technically only mostly true. Actually, some years ago a friend was getting rid of some old stuff, including her kid's old toys. She knew I was into Transformers, so she gave me what she found- the smaller cab robot for RiD Optimus. No trailer, no gun, missing the tires on the wheels, worn chrome on his abs, and missing the backpack with the electronics and lightbar due to a busted hinge. Not the best display piece, even worse for actually transforming, but I kept it anyway. I'm glad I did, because it turns out to be perfect for pulling an Evan! I have the Optimus set up from the set I got yesterday, but I put Ultra Magnus on the junker Prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikuro Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 think I'll pass on sandstorm, not to big on how those feetsies look. Infact, whole thing I kinda of dislike, including that headsculpt. I got a notice yesterday, my Deathsaurus is FINALLY shipping out. only took 2 months..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Valkyrie Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Grimlock looks good, I hope they produce the rest, like Starscream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lechuck Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Takara is intent on making western Transformers MP/MPG fans hate on public transport... 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radioguy Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 29 minutes ago, lechuck said: Takara is intent on making western Transformers MP/MPG fans hate on public transport... 😄 Well, if they started marketing towards the west, we'd probably get reissues of Megs in his G1 alt mode again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lechuck Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 MPG-08 Trainbot Yamabuki – October release. https://www.taghobby.com/archives/765121 That new Diaclone Raiden head is refreshing, don't see something like very often. According to text, when Yamabuki or together with Ginou is used for combined mode, then it's called "Raiden Special Formation Shiden Y" or "Raiden Special Formation Shiden" respectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 8 Author Share Posted February 8 Kind of a weird one today. I got one new figure I should review, but it's going to come with reviews for two other ones that I never bothered with. So this is Studio Series Rise of the Beasts Deluxe-class Scorponok, along with Buzzworthy Bumblebee Weaponizer Scorponok and Rise of the Beasts Battle Master Airazor. Let's start with the Scorponoks. They're both verry different in design. Which is more accurate? Well, I'm 99% sure that, like Airazor, Scorponok didn't appear in bot mode in the movie. If I had to guess, the Studio Series toy might be based on some kind of concept art, but I have no idea about the Weaponizer, especially given that its head seems to be based on fan art for a Revenge of the Fallen Dead End. Oh, and of the many robot scorpions we saw in that big final battle, most of them were actually red, but here we have one blue/purple and one green/brown. What's going on here? Well, turns out the concept art for ROTB featured three named scorpions- one red, one blue, and one green. The green one is supposed to be Scorponok. The blue one is supposed to be Double Punch, and the red one is supposed to be Sandstorm. Which is going to get awkward at some point, because I have it on authority that the Studio Series figure will be repainted at least one in either red or green. Not sure what else to say about their designs. Both have a bunch of legs stuck on them, but the Studio Series wears his on his back while the Weaponizer has them on his calves. The Weaponizer also has more hollow gaps on his butt and the undersides of his arms. As far as accessories go, Studio Series Scorponok just has this "weapon" that's clearly his scorpion tail. Meanwhile, Weaponizer Scorponok has a sword of sword-ish weapon, plus his Battle Master partner, a scorpion named Sand Spear. I choose to ignore the Sand Spear name, though. To me, he's also Scorponok. And speaking of Battle Masters, I did say I was going to cover Airazor, too. And, yep, she's still a bird. So, on to articulation. SS Scorponok has his head on a hinged ball joint that gives him very limited ability to look down, but he can look straight up. He's got plenty of sideways tilt as his head spins on the ball joint, but he can't really turn his head sideways. His shoulders are also ball joints, but they kind of suck because the balls are in his chest. So, his shoulders rotate, no problem, but lateral movement is limited to about 45 degrees and then only when his arms are at his sides- no lateral movement if he raises his arms. His biceps swivel, and his elbows are double-jointed so they can curl 180 degrees. His wrists are ball joints so they swivel but they also have some in and out wiggle, and the ball is cut so that that he can bend his hands up 90 degrees. He has a limited waist swivel, and ball-jointed hips that can do 90 degrees forward or laterally but only 30-40 degrees backward. His thighs swivel, and his knees bend 90 degrees. The purple part of his foot is on a ball joint, so it can swivel a little, tilt up and down a little, and pivot about 45 degrees. His weapon uses a hinged 5mm peg to plug into a 5mm port on the inside of either forearm, with his hand kind of meshing into the back side. ' As for the Weaponizer Scorponok, his head is on a swivel, but lacks any sort of tilt. His shoulders are ball joints, with the balls correctly in the shoulders and the stems in the chest, that can freely rotate and move laterally 90 degrees. His elbows are also ball joints, bending 90 degrees and pulling double-duty as bicep swivels. No wrist or hand articulation, and no waist swivel. His hips are also ball joints, moving 90 degrees forward and backward and about 60 degrees laterally. He lacks dedicated thigh swivels, but his ball-jointed knees swivel in addition to bending 90 degrees. He doesn't have any foot or ankle articulation. Scorponok's sword plugs into the 5mm port that's on either of his fists. As for Sand Spear, you straighten his tail, flip the gun on the end of it into a blade, tuck his claws up under his legs, and fold a 5mm port out of his face to turn him into a bladed weapon. Which again brings us to Airazor. Unlike the other Battle Masters, Airazor kind of has two alt modes. First, straighten her wings, then unplug her tail from the barrel in her back. Flip her entire back over and unfold the 5mm peg from behind her head. Then you just tuck her legs against her body and flip her tail around to hide her face, and she becomes a sort of crossbow gun. Alternatively, use the ball joints in her wings to swivel them forward and bend them up so that they tab into each other. Then, take the rest of her body (as it is for gun mode) and swivel it up so that a pair of tabs under her tail plug into the underside of the wings, and she becomes a kind of shield thingy. Given that we only saw robot scorpions in the movie, it shouldn't surprise you that both Scorponoks turn into scorpions. The Weapoonizer is pretty simple. His shoulder pads fold against his biceps, and his arms rotate to become his scorpion claws. A flap on his back folds over his head to provide the scorpion face. The bug legs on his calves fold out, and then his hips and knees bend so that they plug into the hollow gap on his back revealed when you flipped the flap. Lastly, his sword plugs into a port created by locking his knees together, with hinges at the base and tip allowing it to mostly pose as a tail. Meanwhile, the Studio Series toy is a bit more complicated. His head hinges upward to remain his alt mode head, and his arms swivel and curl so that his hands tab into the sides of his shoulders. Then, his whole chest opens up. This first allows his sides to swing out on hinged armatures to complete the change into his scorpion claws, but it also allows his pelvis to double hinge up and into his chest cavity. His shins unfold while tabs near his knees lock the legs in place inside his torso before closing his chest back up. His open shins swivel on ball joints, then tab back together to form his rear-most scorpion legs. The other four legs fold down from his back, with the front pair swiveling into place. Like the Weaponizer, his weapon plugs into his scorpion butt to form a tail. Aesthetically, the Studio Series toy's claws aren't very pinchy, and the Weaponizer has a more scorpion-esque face. I think the rear legs are kind of weird on the Studio Series toy, too, but at least he's got a nice, flat back. If I have to be honest, the Studio Series toy is clearly the superior scorpion mode on the whole. Although it's improved aesthetically, it's not doing a whole lot better in the articulation department. The Studio Series figure has some head articulation... that real scorpions don't. His six legs have more articulation that the Weaponizer, but there's really only one "right" position where he can sit with all six feet on the ground. Weaponizer Scorponok's claws enjoy the same bot-mode articulation that four ball joints provide them. Meanwhile, the Studio Series toy has two hinges and a ball joint on each claw, but they're all more or less for in-out movement. I guess the one real advantage that the Studio Series toy has is the tail. The Weaponizer just has the hinges at the base and tip, so it's mostly straight. The Studio Series toy has a total of four hinges and a more natural curl to work with. If we're just talking about which Scorponok best completes your Rise of the Beasts cast on your shelf, then its obviously the Studio Series one, though I say that with the caveat that it's probably not one of the better Studio Series figures to come from the movie. But... ...if you want a Battle Master version of Scorponok (hence me rejection of the whole "Sand Spear" thing), then the only way to get him is to buy the Weaponizer version of Scorponok. Which, honestly, isn't necessarily the worst thing, since A.) he's one of the better Weaponizers in the line, and B.) Scorponok is a character primed for troop-building anyway. Airazor, meanwhile, is a bit harder to find since most stores are still clogged with the first round of Battle Masters, but if you can get one she's definitely up there with Optimus Primal as one of the best in the line. So I say it's worth picking up all three figures in today's review. That way, assuming you've picked up the other Maximals and Battle Masters, you can have Studio Series versions of all five beast characters from Rise of the Beasts wielding themselves. That's so awesome that I want Hasbro to stop doing beast Battle Masters and give me Battle Master versions of the Autobots and Terrorcons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 9 Author Share Posted February 9 Unicron wouldn't have gotten funded without an extension. Victory Saber and Deathsaurus took about a month to hit their minimum backers. It took Omega Prime ten days.😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dangard Ace Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 That's just Prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB0 Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 5 hours ago, mikeszekely said: Unicron wouldn't have gotten funded without an extension. Victory Saber and Deathsaurus took about a month to hit their minimum backers. It took Omega Prime ten days.😁 In fairness, Unicron was an ugly panel-sandwich mess, VSaber and Deathsaurus are almost completely absent in the US media, and Omega Prime has the name Optimus Prime on it. I'd have been surprised if this one HADN'T broken records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeszekely Posted February 10 Author Share Posted February 10 3 hours ago, Dangard Ace said: That's just Prime. Technically, it Prime and Magnus. 😜 1 hour ago, JB0 said: In fairness, Unicron was an ugly panel-sandwich mess, VSaber and Deathsaurus are almost completely absent in the US media, and Omega Prime has the name Optimus Prime on it. I'd have been surprised if this one HADN'T broken records. And yet, there were plenty of people who argued right up until the last minute that it was going to fail, that Haslabs should only be G1 stuff, that RiD 2001 was a flop, and that the initial surge was the few RiD fans jumping on it but there wouldn't be enough to carry it over the line, and that Hasbro should have done Primus instead. Yeah... I dunno about that last one. I mean, do you do Primus the Marvel G1 version, who was never seen in robot mode? Dreamwave Primus, who appeared in a sourcebook but not the comics? Cybertron Primus, who isn't G1 but at least appeared in a cartoon (and whose original toy shelfwarmed hard back in the day)? I mean, Unicron had to have more demand than Primus, and Unicron needed an extension to get funded. I didn't even back that one- $600 was too rich for my blood. No chance I was buying Primus. I'm not exactly a fan of any of the Japanese-made shows be it the ones that stayed in Japan like Victory or the ones that made it to the States like Car Robots/Robots In Disguise. But I am a fan of cool robots. Victory Saber, Deathsaurus, and Omega Prime (well, really more RiD Optimus alone) all fit that bill for me. Now the hard part begins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JB0 Posted February 10 Share Posted February 10 4 hours ago, mikeszekely said: And yet, there were plenty of people who argued right up until the last minute that it was going to fail, that Haslabs should only be G1 stuff, that RiD 2001 was a flop, and that the initial surge was the few RiD fans jumping on it but there wouldn't be enough to carry it over the line, and that Hasbro should have done Primus instead. There's always some smurfs that believe their personal tastes are universal in spite of all evidence to the contrary. I know there's people who have an "All the Primes, only the Primes" Transformers collection, which gives this a leg up regardless. And that slapping the Optimus Prime name on a random toy someone successfully got approved is a common tactic to boost sales, because a toy named Optimus Prime sells better(most jarringly with the Canon x Transformers toy, where Reflector was a repaint of a toy camera because Optimus Prime was first). 4 hours ago, mikeszekely said: I'm not exactly a fan of any of the Japanese-made shows be it the ones that stayed in Japan like Victory or the ones that made it to the States like Car Robots/Robots In Disguise. But I am a fan of cool robots. Victory Saber, Deathsaurus, and Omega Prime (well, really more RiD Optimus alone) all fit that bill for me. Now the hard part begins. Same. Cool robots are always cool. As it happens, I think Robots In Disguise 2001 Universe Optimus Prime is ugly as heck(and Hasbro's naming sense is ridiculous, but that's unrelated). But Omega Prime is a dang cool super robot. One of those places where you can tell at a glance that the same people did the Transformers and Brave Robo franchises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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