The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[Dangard Ace]

The DNA upgrade kit for TFxGodzilla is peak.  This is what Takara Tony should've release.  

 

[mikeszekely]

46 minutes ago, Dangard Ace said:

The DNA upgrade kit for TFxGodzilla is peak.  This is what Takara Tony should've release.

I've been really looking forward to this kit.  I'll review it proper when I get mine, but painting Grimlock gray and calling it a day was a huge letdown.  This kit really looks to take the figure from dud to stud.

I like supporting domestic small businesses when there isn't a huge price difference, and with DNA it was often even cheaper to buy from TCP than ShowZ in the pre-tariff days.  But TCP has gotten to be BBTS slow lately.  If it weren't for the fact that it's CNY and nobody's shipping anything for the next week anyway I'd cancel my preorder and just buy from ShowZ.

[M'Kyuun]

6 hours ago, Dangard Ace said:

The DNA upgrade kit for TFxGodzilla is peak.  This is what Takara Tony should've release.  

 

I didn't go in for this variation, but I'll add my two cents and compliment the good changes that the DNA kit make towards making him more Godzilla-y. As you said, TT should have released it like this themselves, especially with Gojira being a Japanese icon.

[Dangard Ace]

7 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

I didn't go in for this variation, but I'll add my two cents and compliment the good changes that the DNA kit make towards making him more Godzilla-y. As you said, TT should have released it like this themselves, especially with Gojira being a Japanese icon.

13 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I've been really looking forward to this kit.  I'll review it proper when I get mine, but painting Grimlock gray and calling it a day was a huge letdown.  This kit really looks to take the figure from dud to stud.

I like supporting domestic small businesses when there isn't a huge price difference, and with DNA it was often even cheaper to buy from TCP than ShowZ in the pre-tariff days.  But TCP has gotten to be BBTS slow lately.  If it weren't for the fact that it's CNY and nobody's shipping anything for the next week anyway I'd cancel my preorder and just buy from ShowZ.

I didn’t buy this variation until I saw the DNA kit.   IMO TT half assed it and wasn’t worth my money.  
 

Too bad DNA couldn’t save Kiryu Prime.  Wasn’t feeling that one at all even with DNAs kit.  

[m0n5t3r]

On 9/24/2025 at 4:11 AM, mikeszekely said:

Me: I love a good "white Optimus" Ultra Magnus... too bad the only one Hasbro gave us is the one that makes up the core of Earthrise Ultra Magnus.  And at least that was Earthrise... I don't think we've had a Nemesis Prime since Siege!

Hasbro: Ok... we'll repaint that toy-style Deluxe Optimus as Magnus, and we'll pack him with a Nemesis repaint of Animated Optimus.  As a Target exclusive with two other guys.

Me, looking at SS86 Optimus: "Not exactly what I had in mind..."

Some guy in China, whispering: "Oh, I got you, bro..."

I'll be honest, I have no idea who's making these.  They come in a plain brown box with "MD-005" A, B, and C written on it, with check boxes that ostensibly should indicate what variant is inside but none of which were checked on either of the copies I got.  As you can see, they're knock-offs of SS86 Optimus, but in Ultra Magnus white and Nemesis black.  Note that Shattered Glass purple also exists, as well as regular red-and-blue Optimus.  I haven't decided if I want the SG version or not, and the regular Optimus version is sold out at my usual stores.

Now, again, this is MD-005.  There's another KO going around as AS-08.  By all reports, AS-08 is an inferior KO that's uses shoddy materials.  MD-005 does seem to use a different plastic than the official figure, but it's solid and feels good in the hands.  The joints are all solid, some tighter than the official figure.  In short, MD-005 feels like a quality figure.

These two versions (and the SG version) come with the rifle, Matrix, axe, and blast effects that SS86 Optimus came with, but not the trailer, repair drone, Roller, or the other effect parts.  Instead, they come with some alternate heads, a battle damage part, and some filler for the truck mode.  Regular Optimus comes with even more stuff, which I'll bring up if I can manage to get my hands on one.

The heads are probably the most interesting bit.  A lot of people seemed to not like the original SS86 head (left), though I thought it was fine.  But here you also get a season 1 head (middle) and 86 movie head (right), plus a battle damaged version of the movie head.  Personally I kinda like the SS86 head on Magnus, but the movie head for Nemesis.  Swapping them is as simple as yanking one head off the ball joint and popping another one on.

There's a notch in the panels on the sides you have to flip up when you spin the upper body for transformation.  The battle damage part takes advantage of that by using a small tab to plug into it.  Undoubtedly this part was created for the regular version of Prime, to recreate his iconic wound from his battle with Megatron, and whoever's making these figured they already had the part might as well stuff it in with all the colors.

As a (nearly) 1:1 copy of SS86, the transformation is the same.  They did replace the plastic wheels with rubber tires, though.  I didn't test the Season 1 head, but the movie head transforms just fine.

Which brings me to that last filler piece.  It's filler for the back of the cab, designed to look like an AC unit.  One side is flat, the other sloped, so you'll know which way it fits in.  And it just wedges in place, it doesn't tab or lock in.  It's a nice idea, and I don't even mind partsforming it, but there's no place to store it on the robot mode, so I doubt I'll ever really use them.

At roughly $40, these are high-quality figures that deliver the repaints that Hasbro can't/won't.  The extra heads are an especially nice touch.  My only real complaint is that I wish they painted the tops of their crotches, the way the official figure did.  If you're a fan of Magnus, SG Optimus, or Nemesis (@Scyla) then I can comfortably recommend them.  Heck, I'd be in for Delta Magnus, Shining Magnus, or Pepsi Optimus repaints, too. 

Sorry for resurrecting an old post. Wasn't sure where this goes... thanks for this and other YT reviews, I finally received my regular MD005 OP copy. Although I had to wait almost 3 months for this 4th batch to become available... good thing though, cuz I got in before the price increase. 

Amazing. All this for only $35. And the subtle aesthetic improvements make a world of difference... better colors (imo), no visible screws and seams, windshield options with no holes, head options, chrome wheels and rubber tires. Plus, qc on this thing (at least my copy) is close to perfect, which, sadly, I can't say for 1 out of every 2 or 3 Hasbro TFs I get, especially when they started with those open window packaging (paint touchups, joint tightening etc.)

Wishful thinking, but I wish all TF releases would be like this.

 

Edited February 21 by m0n5t3r

[mikeszekely]

1 minute ago, m0n5t3r said:

Sorry for resurrecting an old post. Wasn't sure where this goes... thanks for this and other YT reviews, I finally received my regular MD005 OP copy. Although I had to wait almost 3 months for this 4th batch to become available... good thing though, cuz I got in before the price increase. 

Amazing. All this for only $35. And the subtle aesthetic improvements make a world of difference... better colors imo, no visible screws and seams, windshield options with no holes, head options, chrome wheels and rubber tires. Plus, qc on this thing (at least my copy) is close to perfect, which, sadly, I can't say for 1 out of every 2 or 3 Hasbro TFs I get, especially when they started with those open window packaging.

Wishful thinking, but I wish all TF releases would be like this.

 

My original thinking was that I'd be fine with SS86 Optimus for regular colors, and that I'd just get the Magnus and Nemesis versions of MD005... but then I went and preordered the Optimus colors.  My just arrived this week, and I showed it to my wife alongside SS86.  I asked her to guess which one was the KO, and she picked the official.

One of the smokestacks on my copy was a little loose, but that wasn't a big deal since I'd bought some aftermarket stacks for the official.  Once I swapped them onto MD005 the figure is darn near perfect.  My only serious complaint with the mold is that the fillers they added to the parts of Prime's legs that fold up from his calves do too good of a job; one of those cutouts on the official figure is the right shape to plug in the magazine of Prime's rifle, allowing you to store it without putting it in the trailer.

Speaking of trailers... I prefer the blue stripes of the G1 toy (among other toys).  I ordered the Toyhax trailer labels.  I'll put them on the MD005 trailer and get the look I want while allowing the official trailer to remain pristine.

[m0n5t3r]

My thinking now, of course, is I saved some money . I canceled my preorder for the SS86 when I heard about the heel issue and I never got around to getting one whether online or when I saw it in a couple of stores in HK (Takara ver.). Didn't think it was worth the price anymore and I had also just gotten DCS OP to replace the Earthrise OP I sold off... and I was content at the time. I am planning to get that Magnus version when it becomes available from my go-to seller.

Edit: I was pleasantly surprised to find that my fusion cannon already includes batteries . The one I was watching online didn't have any batteries included in his copy.

Edited February 21 by m0n5t3r

[sh9000]

GX-85 Upgrade Kit.

[mikeszekely]

Go Better's stuff has kind of gone downhill.  I try to avoid the 3D printed stuff these days, unless it adds something more substantial than gap fillers.

I just had TCP ship my stash.  It's all DNA kits.

[rsvictor1976]

I love this Godzilla Megatron upgrade.

[Dangard Ace]

Behold....Galvatron.   

 

 

[mikeszekely]

Is that the XTB one?  How are you liking it?  Both it and Sovereign 2.0 look like an improvement on Sovereign 1.0, just not enough to make me feel like buying either of them.

[Dangard Ace]

Yup it's XTB Abaddon.  I like it just fine.  Only messed with it for 30mins.  Spent more time trying to find a faction symbol I liked.   Eventually used a metallic purple waterslide applique.  It's not overly heavy like Sov 1.0 and I don't have Sov 2.0.   No wish to own Sov 2.0 either.

[mikeszekely]

Takara, left to their own devices, has done or is doing some wild stuff, like a sorta Prime that turns into the Fire Valkyrie from Macross 7, but also a (kind of) a truck.  So it was kind of disappointing that, to celebrate Godzilla's 70th birthday, Takara took Studio Series Grimlock, swapped his robot head with Sludge's, painted him black, labeled him Megatron Type Godzilla, and then called it a day.

While Takara's unwillingness to actually remold any parts made the figure difficult to recommend to any but the most hardcore Godzilla fans, it left a huge opportunity for frequent upgrade kit maker DNA to step up and "fix" the figure.  And what they ultimately delivered was DK-67 Monster King.  This kit includes a new robot head, new beast mode toes, new beast mode arms, a new beast mode head, robot feet fillers, robot forearm fillers, a beast back part, a beast tail part, a beast tail extender, and a connector part.  It should also come with a pair of screws, but mine didn't.  😒

So we'll start in beast mode.  Remove these three screws on the stock head.  It'll pull part into all these pieces... which you can put back together and toss in a bag or drawer or something.

The DNA head also needs to come apart, but there's no screws involved.  Line the cutout in the bottom of the neck with the mushroom peg, and fit the rest of the head back together.  Be careful to make sure that this post sticks into his mouth.

To swap the arms, push the stock arms back until the ball joints pop out of their sockets.  Take the new arms and just push them into the sockets.

For the new toes, remove these three screws from the inside of the beast leg.  Pull the inner half off, and you can wiggle the dino toes off the screw post.  Pop the new toes on, then replace the inside of the leg and start screwing him back together, except for the screw through the dewclaw.

If you're going to use the robot arm filler, line up the screw hole on the hinge with the screw hole on the dewclaw.  Instead of using the stock screw, use the longer screws DNA provided.  In theory, the hinge allows this part to open like a flap so you can fold the wrist out, then fold it back over to cover the gap.  In practice, it doesn't lock in place or even sit flush, and it protrudes a bit from the rest of the limb.  If you're mostly going to keep him in beast mode, where the back of his robot fist fills that gap, I think this part kind of makes it look worse.  I wouldn't bother even if I wasn't missing the screws.

Anyway, now we've just got to do the back and tail parts.  Get used to these steps, because removing and replacing them is going to become a necessary partsforming step.

For the small back part, you'll note that there are hinges between the rows of spines.  You need to fold the outer rows so that they're sticking out at about a 45 degree angle, then line the part up (so the small peg is pointing down into his tail).  Once it's lined up, straighten the spines, and tabs on the sides will kind of slide and grab into hollow spots on the hinges on his back.

Grab this little connector part, and it can store on the underside of this piece as indicated.  Then this piece will sit over the stock tail, with these hinged bits using pegs to grab into peg holes that will lock it into place.

Finally, the tail extender has a 5mm port on it.  It just plugs into the 5mm peg on the end of the part you just attached to the stock tail.

Godzilla mode complete!  And, like @Dangard Ace said, this is what Takara should have done in the first place.  Just a few remolded pieces was all it took to take Grimlock in Godzilla colors and actually make a robot that looks like Godzilla.  As a bonus, the new parts add some articulation.  The new toes aren't just hinged like the stock ones, they're on ball joints so they can swivel into faux ankle pivots.  The new arms have actual working elbows, bicep swivels, and wrist swivels.  The tail extension has a few ball joints that allow it to bend and curl.

As happy as I am with the greatly improved Godzilla mode, this is still a transformer, so lets go to bot mode.  Transformation works mostly the same, except for two things.  First, as I already mentioned, you have to remove all the new back and tail parts.  Second, rather than simply flipping the beast head back, you need to rotate it 180 degrees, then slide it back before you flip it over so that it has the room to sit on the robot's back.

The we have the robot mode parts.  Remove this screw on the back of the stock head, then gently pull it apart and pop the back off of the ball joint.  Open the DNA head the same way, push the back of the head onto the ball joint, fit the front on, and screw it together.  I'll be honest, I didn't mind the Sludge head... it actually did have a sort of IDW-ish Milne-esque Megatron look to it.  But the new head has a more traditionally G1 Megatron face, and a helmet that looks more like Godzilla opened his mouth and Megatron's face was just in there, like how Voltron's face pops out of the Black Lion.

The feet fillers are pretty self explanatory.  Line them up with the cutouts for the hinges and the 5mm ports, then just push them in.

The question now is what to do with all the leftover back bits.  One of the simplest things you can do is take the part where we stashed the little connector part and to move it into the 5mm port, so that a 5mm peg is kind of sticking out.  Then you can take the entire tail and plug it onto an arm, fusion cannon style.  This is Megatron, after all.

Doing that doesn't really leave any place for the smaller back part, though.  So, take the extender off the tail.  Fold the long handle out of the back part, and again angle the outer spines out at about 45 degrees.  The tail can then plug onto the back part to create a handheld weapon.  And, again, we fold the clips under the other tail part and arrange the connector part into the 5mm port with a 5mm peg sticking out.

I'm not sure what you'd call the weapon... a sword?  A lance?  Regardless, he can hold it in one hand, while the rest of the tail can use the connector to plug into a forearm and become a shield.  This is my preferred robot configuration.

But you still have options.  Arrange the connector so that it sticks out a bit further, with the 5mm peg pointing down instead out straight back, and you've got a handle on the shield that he can hold in his free hand.  Or, turn the connector upside down and you'll have enough clearance to plug it into the 5mm port on his back, on the beast mode neck.

DNA can be a very hit-or-miss sort of company.  Their worst upgrade kits can fail to address issues I have with figures while introducing a host of new problems, like the ones they did for Siege Magnus and Galaxy Upgrade Optimus.  Their best kits can fix the biggest complaints I have with a figure, like the simple kit they did for SS '07 Megatron that replaced the ROTF chest with one that was '07 movie accurate.  Most of their kits fall somewhere in the middle.

But this kit?  My friends, this is one of their rare kits that not only fixes my complaints with a figure, it does so in such a thorough and complete fashion that it elevates a figure I wouldn't actually recommend in the first place into a figure I'd happily recommend.  The only downside is the price.  This kit costs nearly as much as the figure, which was already a premium over the standard Leader-class price.  But if you already bought this figure, then this kit is a must-buy delivering night-and-day results.  And if you're into Godzilla and Transformers but wasn't happy with Takara's feeble stock attempt at a crossover, the upgraded results are honestly good enough to made you reconsider buying this toy.