The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[Negotiator]

I don't like galvs face either

[mikeszekely]

55 minutes ago, technoblue said:

I was expecting Galvatron's face to emote a more dastardly look than Megatron's, but he's coming across as completely neutral.

I actually prefer a more neutral expression. I honestly dig the sculpt; it's like Megatron's head with a different helmet. I like that it reflects his lineage.

[technoblue]

4 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I actually prefer a more neutral expression. I honestly dig the sculpt; it's like Megatron's head with a different helmet. I like that it reflects his lineage.

I don't know. Titans Return was already kind of doing that with Galvatron's headmaster, Nucleon. I think the Kingdom sculpt could have been improved by doing something different with his face. Maybe a sneer or a piercing look? I was hoping this would rank among HasTak's better bot-mode faces, but for me it's just about average. I also miss the crescent that usually sits at the crest of Galvatron's head/helmet. The new Kingdom figure appears to have removed that detail in favor of something that looks like a crown with multiple points. It reminds me of Starscream's crown.

[mikeszekely]

4 hours ago, technoblue said:

I was hoping this would rank among HasTak's better bot-mode faces, but for me it's just about average.

I mean, I still prefer a neutral expression.  But we absolutely agree on this point.  Galvatron's not looking bad, per se, but not on the same level as other recent movie figures like Cyclonus, Scourge, or Hot Rod.

4 hours ago, technoblue said:

I also miss the crescent that usually sits at the crest of Galvatron's head/helmet. The new Kingdom figure appears to have removed that detail in favor of something that looks like a crown with multiple points. It reminds me of Starscream's crown.

If you look at the cartoon, Galvatron's helmet is basically Megatron's with at three-pronged crown.

I don't think it's that they didn't get the shape right (although the colors and the lack of a goatee, that's definitely not right) so much as the prongs are too short.  My best guess there is that it's so his head fits in whatever space it tucks into for alt mode.  We should know a bit more in next three-ish weeks.

BTW, I'm hearing reports that Galvatron left the factory and has already arrived in the States, and supposedly a couple of Hasbro employees have him in hand.  So hopefully we won't have to wait too long not just to see more, but to own him.

Edited March 18, 2021 by mikeszekely

[technoblue]

Maybe it is a design limitation or a callback to the original toy. I do still see a hint of the telltale crescent in your toon image, though, which in my head canon I always thought was a nifty stylistic link between G1 Galvatron and Unicron.

It’s even more evident in the following image from the Netflix series. And it’s interesting how the Netflix redesign made Galvatron look younger than Megs.

Edited March 18, 2021 by technoblue

[Scyla]

Got my Earthrise Cyclonus yesterday and he is good. He is like a miniturized version of FT Quietus (or the XTB one) but fun to handle.

I just wished someone would call Hasbro (and third party) and convince them to stop use swirly plastic or plastic with glitter in them to make them look metallic. It looks absolutely horrible on Cyclonus and every other toy that tried it. Just use flat plastic or paint it.

[technoblue]

11 hours ago, Scyla said:

Got my Earthrise Cyclonus yesterday and he is good. He is like a miniturized version of FT Quietus (or the XTB one) but fun to handle.

I just wished someone would call Hasbro (and third party) and convince them to stop use swirly plastic or plastic with glitter in them to make them look metallic. It looks absolutely horrible on Cyclonus and every other toy that tried it. Just use flat plastic or paint it.

Absolutely. I too wish Hasbro would budget more useful paint apps instead of the flake/glitter mix and swirly plastic. I understand they are working under design constraints, but the swirly plastic even showed up on BW MP Megatron and that didn't turn out so well for some fans.

Anyway, I like shiny bots when they're done well.

Speaking of shiny, I just saw the new leaks of Kingdom Galvatron's alt mode cannon. Now that's what I'm talking about! The cannon mode looks like a real upgrade compared to what we had before. I'm saying this just as I went further down the Legends rabbit hole too.  

Edited March 19, 2021 by technoblue

[mikeszekely]

1 hour ago, technoblue said:

Speaking of shiny, I just saw the new leaks of Kingdom Galvatron's alt mode cannon. Now that's what I'm talking about! The cannon mode looks like a real upgrade compared to what we had before. I'm saying this just as I went further down the Legends rabbit hole too.  

I'm waiting to see some better angles, but my opinion is still largely the same- it's the best Hasbro has done, but not the slam dunk that Cyclonus and Scourge were.

EDIT: Included the leaked image, for reference.

Edited March 19, 2021 by mikeszekely

[M'Kyuun]

Poor choice of backdrop for Galvatron's cannon, but whatever. That angle definitely warrants shots from other angles to get a better overall sense of the thing, but an odd pic is better than no pic. I figure they're going to prioritize bot mode, although there were some inaccuracies there already, and do what they can with the cannon, which enjoyed a generous amount of artistic license going from the G1 toy to the animation model, and also from the animated bot mode to the animated cannon mode. That said, as much as I'd like to see Galvy's cannon mode supported on thinner struts, as long as they stick to using the bot mode arms as the struts, which is, ahem, canon, it ain't happening. Anyway, curious to see the rest of him.

 

[mikeszekely]

20 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

That said, as much as I'd like to see Galvy's cannon mode supported on thinner struts, as long as they stick to using the bot mode arms as the struts, which is, ahem, canon, it ain't happening.

Hasbro pulled the struts off better than Fans Toys, at least.

I found this extremely poor image going around, too.

 

[M'Kyuun]

I wonder if that second pic, distorted as it is, is mistransformed for how short the back end of the cannon looks. Well, with leaks making their way out onto the web, it likely won't be long before official clear pics are released. Or one of the usual early-appropriating reviewers gets a vid up.

Thanks for sharing that pic, Mike. More fuel for speculation, anticipation, or perhaps indignation.

[mikeszekely]

Still not loving the Siege crud, but Galvatron's looking a bit more flattering from this angle.

EDIT: Stopped by a Kingdom Rodimus thread at a certain Transformers board to see if there were any new leaks like this for him... nope.  Still a bunch of man-children arguing about why he should have been a Leader and how this is all a big money grab on Hasbro's part peppered with the occasional "I cOMpaReD te 5mm pORts!" to "prove" that Rodimus will be as tall as SS86 Grimlock.   Seriously, I know some of you guys do visit those boards, but for those of you that don't, be glad that I sift through that mess and bring you just the good stuff so that you don't have to.

Edited March 21, 2021 by mikeszekely

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Still not loving the Siege crud, but Galvatron's looking a bit more flattering from this angle.

EDIT: Stopped by a Kingdom Rodimus thread at a certain Transformers board to see if there were any new leaks like this for him... nope.  Still a bunch of man-children arguing about why he should have been a Leader and how this is all a big money grab on Hasbro's part peppered with the occasional "I cOMpaReD te 5mm pORts!" to "prove" that Rodimus will be as tall as SS86 Grimlock.   Seriously, I know some of you guys do visit those boards, but for those of you that don't, be glad that I sift through that mess and bring you just the good stuff so that you don't have to.

Galvy's not looking too bad. Like Mike, I generally prefer a neutral expression, unless they do an apropos little sneer or smirk for a character like Starscream. But this looks good so far. Just pulled my TR Galvatron down from the shelf and transformed him to cannon mode for the first time in probably a year or so. Other than the headmaster gimmick and the crappy pop-up face mask, I think it still holds up as a decent take on the character.  Some folks may not like the additional jet mode, but I do and I think they executed it with minimal compromise. I think the folding barrel mount is more compromising than the cockpit/support bar in cannon mode.

Referring to "that site which must not be named", man-children is an apt description, with a heavy leaning on the childish side.  It's amazing how quickly nearly every topic devolves into puerile loss of emotional control and subsequent hate mongering, flaming, and name calling over something so arbitrary as toys. It's disconcerting, even frightening to think that these people may hold jobs, like EMT, police, or teachers for example, where controlling emotion and being rational is necessary and  the loss of control could be detrimental to themselves and others. Anyway, I tend not to participate much in those boards, as they often spiral into hostility, and I'd rather celebrate my hobbies and , generally, look at the positives. The way I see it, if your hobby just consistently pisses you off, maybe its time to find a new one.

[JB0]

1 minute ago, M'Kyuun said:

The way I see it, if your hobby just consistently pisses you off, maybe its time to find a new one.

You misunderstand. For some people, being angry IS the hobby. That it is being angry about plastic robots is secondary.

[M'Kyuun]

Just now, JB0 said:

You misunderstand. For some people, being angry IS the hobby. That it is being angry about plastic robots is secondary.

How truly sad for those people.

I'm not the rosiest guy on the block , and I have little patience, but I endeavor to not let my negative emotions color the entirety of my views or my overall experience. Life's too short, and there are too many good things in it, to waste on dissatisfaction, anger, and discourtesy. Better to focus and reflect on the good.

[JB0]

30 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

How truly sad for those people.

I'm not the rosiest guy on the block , and I have little patience, but I endeavor to not let my negative emotions color the entirety of my views or my overall experience. Life's too short, and there are too many good things in it, to waste on dissatisfaction, anger, and discourtesy. Better to focus and reflect on the good.

Well said.

[technoblue]

That is one cool photo. I dig how the camera angle is at or close to Galvatron’s eye level this time. The creative lighting is casting a fun shadow too and that is picking up a few details that I missed in the face sculpt. I would describe it more stern or severe than neutral and that works for me.

Of course, I still have my nitpicks, but no more than I had with Siege Megatron. The paint splatter is the most visual downer now that Galvy’s shoulders are in the right place. With any luck, Isopropyl will clean those light purple marks right up. I do like how close Hasbro matched Galvatron’s base color palette. There are some fine details missing that I would have given up the splatter for (like a red belt buckle), but these should be easy to fix.

[lechuck]

Anyone have experience shopping Transformers at Mandarake?

What does the specific condition "Opened, package damaged" imply, is the plastic tray still sealed and only the tape on the outer box been opened?

Only purchased unopened or tape resealed from them so far and have obviously fared well with that type of condition.

[jenius]

I would read that as "opened" meaning the box is no longer sealed, and "packaged damaged" being their standard disclaimer on all exterior boxes that they may have some scuffs. I would assume that the interior tray is no longer sealed unless there's something else in the description specific to the tray or something like "unused" 

[tekering]

3 hours ago, jenius said:

I would read that as "opened" meaning the box is no longer sealed, and "packaged damaged" being their standard disclaimer on all exterior boxes that they may have some scuffs.

Yeah, what Mandarake calls "packaged damaged" action figure collectors refer to as "shelf wear." 

[mikeszekely]

Maybe something going on with the camera, because his head looks a lot longer than previous leaks.  I think this one looks better than the previous leak overall, but there's something strange going on with his proportions.  He looks like one size from the waist up, but one size-class smaller from the waist down.

Also, ew.  That paint on the cannon.

[sh9000]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Generations-Toys-Retro-Headmaster-Autobot-Brainstorm-Collectible-Action-Figure-Adults-and-Kids-Ages-8-and-Up-5-5-inch/580294946

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Generations-Toys-Deluxe-Retro-Headmaster-Hardhead-Collectible-Action-Figure-Adults-and-Kids-Ages-8-and-Up-5-5-inch/371732489

Generations Retro Brainstorm and Hardhead are the only two listed at reasonable prices if anyone is looking for them.

[technoblue]

45 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Maybe something going on with the camera, because his head looks a lot longer than previous leaks.  I think this one looks better than the previous leak overall, but there's something strange going on with his proportions.  He looks like one size from the waist up, but one size-class smaller from the waist down.

Also, ew.  That paint on the cannon.

Yeah. The odd lens effects and camera angles seem intentional at this point. I'm going to hold final judgement until we see the official product shots. The leaks were fun and informative at first but now they appear to be getting silly. 

Edited March 22, 2021 by technoblue

[Scyla]

45 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Maybe something going on with the camera, because his head looks a lot longer than previous leaks.  I think this one looks better than the previous leak overall, but there's something strange going on with his proportions.  He looks like one size from the waist up, but one size-class smaller from the waist down.

Also, ew.  That paint on the cannon.

It is very odd looking indeed.

[M'Kyuun]

What's wrong with using a little classic inspiration for Galvatron?

 

[mikeszekely]

Sigh.

[Scyla]

 

I‘ve seen these body proportions before:

There is no reason why the arms should have these proportions since they are only used for the cannon struts in alt-mode.

@mikeszekely sigh indeed. 

Edited March 23, 2021 by Scyla

[Negotiator]

LOL.  i truly hope this is just some photoshop foolery as i don't have any kind of galvatron yet.

[mikeszekely]

Looks like he'll be a bit taller than Megatron if he's this close to Magnus is in size.

[tekering]

Dammit, I was thinking a leg mod could extend the thighs and correct for the stocky proportions, but he's already too tall...  

He's supposed to be Rodimus height, not Magnus height. 

On 1/10/2021 at 2:15 PM, mikeszekely said:

Hasbro is apparently very proud of Kingdom Leader Galvatron.

I'm starting to question the veracity of your source. 

[Scyla]

4 minutes ago, tekering said:

*snip*

I'm starting to question the veracity of your source. 

Well at least this Galvatron provides ample opportunities for the 3rd party manufacturers to create upgrade sets like new legs, new arms, news chest and a new head.

[technoblue]

22 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Looks like he'll be a bit taller than Megatron if he's this close to Magnus is in size.

Galvatron should be so much better than ‘can’t deal with standing up straight’ Magnus, but these two look very ho-hum together here.

[tekering]

7 minutes ago, Scyla said:

Well at least this Galvatron provides ample opportunities for the 3rd party manufacturers to create upgrade sets like new legs, new arms, news chest and a new head.

Oh, I'd happily buy a head, chest, arms and legs upgrade set for Kingdom Galvatron.  The stock crotch piece is properly-scaled and well-proportioned, so there's no need to replace that. 

2 minutes ago, technoblue said:

these two look very ho-hum together here.

Typical mainline Hasbro releases.  We got lucky with SS'86, but clearly our luck has run out. 

Looks like my "Mania King" will be staying right where he is.

[M'Kyuun]

Just a quick interruption of the Galvatron talk to say I've gotten a shipping notice for a 14lb package from Hasbro due to land on my porch on Thursday, requiring a signature no less. Suffice it to say, it's Unicron. Thought I'd mention it for those of you who also bought a copy to be on the lookout. Given the size of this thing, it's probably good to have a space cleared for it before it arrives. I've got a corner of my man cave ready.  

 

[jenius]

My brother received his. I asked if I could borrow it for a review, he told me I didn't have a vehicle capable of grabbing it!