Takara Transformers

[pcsguy88]

I've loved the butt wheels since Takara put the prototypes up on the slide projector. Greatest use of wheels ever and it actually makes logical sense to me. Hip kibble is the only flaw in my eyes, but easily forgiven since you can't hide everything and they atleast try to mimic hip flaps every Gundam has had since the begining of time.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

I still haven't picked up a Reflector set and KFCs is looking good! Yeah, a hint large, but at $110 or lower...finger over the "add to cart" button. My only hesitation...the Con's ridiculous alts.

 

[pcsguy88]

To all those that nitpick MP-27:

30+ years...

 

[nacho]

Poor IH, by far the worst G1 mold by a wide margin . However, that does not excuse what I think are some really terrible design choices for the MP figure.

Magnus has a weird butt flap, Tracks seems to be universally reviled, the van design is sub par, Shockwave is a joke compared to either of the 3P options, and in between they do Star Saber, Road Rage, and some beast wars figure (EDIT: and hunchback midget Hotrod!). As much as I loved pretty much every figure they put out from Sideswipe through Wheeljack, I really feel like TT is in a major slump.

I've heard rumblings about this designer or that being a difference, but all I know for sure is that TT needs to step up it's game, or I'm going to end up being a 3P-tee-total-er. Not because I have anything against Takara, but they need to give me a reason to give a damn. Half-ass = no-sale.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

I wouldn't even say it's half-assed. It's more ugly designs and poor character selection.

I know a lot of guys dig this slavishly toon direction they are going in, but I also know a LOT of guys don't. They just don't blend with what they (and 3Ps) have been doing for the past however many years that's more toon/toy mix. I have no desire to get sucked into Hasbros/TTs reinvention cash re-grab. "Hey guys! Heres a bunch of versions of the guys we already sold you, just toonier! Start over! Buy them again!"

 

[pcsguy88]

I agree with most of you guy's points with the new toon weighted designs, but it just works for Ironhide. I guess it's because I only have nostalgia for him in the toon since we never had a toy to get attached to. The rest can just fucker off since I want modern versions of my 80's toys. Luckily I only need 4-5 more characters and I'll forever be done. Shockwave, Jazz, Mirage, Hound and maybe a Megatron (but I much prefer Shockwave running things).

 

[nacho]

I'd like to finish the S1 cast of bots. Jazz, Trailbreaker, Cliffjumper, Windcharger... and while I like Omni sunstreaker, he's a placeholder until someone does it better. I own but don't really love either 3P Mirage. Both do some good things, but neither is perfect. Wouldn't mind somebody taking another crack at him too.

And if I'm completely honest, I'll likely finish S3 as well. Kup, Springer, Arcee and a couple of cons, and I'll be there.

As for Ironhide, I completely agree that his toon interpretation is the only one worth having any nostalgia for, but I suppose I'm looking for something more along the lines of the a modern version of what his toy should have been with some toon influences. Instead what we got was super-toony-to-the-max, and it looks ridiculous to me next to the other MPs. Same with their really short lavender shockwave (he should NOT be shorter than megatron, soundwave, and starscream... WTF Mattel!). Ugh.

But Eddie's right, there will be no re-buying of TT's extra toony re-releases. I'm sure they appeal to some people better than the original release (not me), but even those people likely already have the first version. How many people are really going to double-dip? Screw that. Until TT shapes up, 3P will be my only avenue to continue my collection.

When I get an MP Sharkticon, then I'll know it's time to quit

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Wait, what the hell is with PF-01? How'd I miss that? Is it FansToys as a spinoff?

 

[pcsguy88]

Omg... This cements my decision to go 3rd party. They look ridiculous together and Soundwave is my personal measuring stick.

 

[nacho]

That's what I'm saying... Quakeblast is vastly superior with the correct toy colors and big feet.

TT shockwave reminds me of the novelty shampoo bottles they had when we were kids. Darth vader, the batmobile, etc. Dull, faded, borderline-pastel colors and lots of overly rounded edges.

 

[nacho]

Wait, what the hell is with PF-01? How'd I miss that? Is it FansToys as a spinoff?

It's FT trying to have their cake and eat it too. They learned enough from the other dinos that their first looks weak in comparison (to them... I'm fine with scoria). But they knew that if they released it as FT, people would lose their shit about rebuying a v2 and whatnot.

So they made a spinoff company that is supposedly only doing this one figure. And because of the different name, we're supposed to ignore the fact that it's the same people. Silly toy shenanigans.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

I own but don't really love either 3P Mirage. Both do some good things, but neither is perfect. Wouldn't mind somebody taking another crack at him too.

I'm just dumbfounded by this. I personally don't think there's a better example of a figure that looks like he stepped straight out of the toon while also retaining some of the toy like details that keep him from looking too bland than Sphinx. He's so perfect!...says the guy still waiting to get a copy in hand.

And if I'm completely honest, I'll likely finish S3 as well. Kup, Springer, Arcee and a couple of cons, and I'll be there.

S3 can get bent soooooooooooo hard! I wan them as much as i want a reinvented Cabbage Patch line.

When I get an MP Sharkticon, then I'll know it's time to quit

It'll have to be a Quintesson(sp?). Then they'll have jumped the shark. :drum:

Omg... This cements my decision to go 3rd party. They look ridiculous together and Soundwave is my personal measuring stick.

That thing looks more like a Hasbro mass market TF than an MP figure. They should be ashamed to put the MP logo on his box.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

I mean, Scoria clearly is lacking compared to the last 2, but then Swoop would be tiny as all hell. The new Scoria under the spinoff company does look good mind you, and the hips on Scoria are slightly annoying (as are the looser shoulders and slightly-off gold that matches MP-08 and not the FT Dibots) but I honestly can't stomach spending $200 to get essentially the same figure with a few fixes and scaled up. Grimlock needs the redo, as he's their leader and is waaaay too small and has fiddly hips and a gimp hand. But Scoria still looks pretty solid. I like that he also bridges the heights between Swoop and Sludge/Snarl.

 

[nacho]

I have the toy version of scoria, and they eliminated most of those QC issues with that release, so I have no reason to upgrade. And I agree, he gives the team some height variety rather than having four huge dudes and a little mascot Swoop.

Now that I have the oversized grimlock, I seriously question whether or not I'll bother with any others to fill that slot. Waiting on FT sludge to go on sale somewhere, and then I'll probably be finished with dinos.

I'm just dumbfounded by this. I personally don't think there's a better example of a figure that looks like he stepped straight out of the toon while also retaining some of the toy like details that keep him from looking too bland than Sphinx. He's so perfect!...says the guy still waiting to get a copy in hand.

S3 can get bent soooooooooooo hard! I wan them as much as i want a reinvented Cabbage Patch line.

Sphinx is grossly overhyped IMO. I have him b/c I admit he's more G1 than Invisible, but he's a major placeholder. Short torso, short thighs, no chrome, derpy face, and some serious QC issues. I don't know why this guy isn't absolutely crucified like Spinout. He has all the same problems. His car mode is nice and clean, but the bot is a bit of a mess. TF fandom is really inconsistent in their love/hate dynamics.

I like S3... it's S2 that I hate. If I put on my analysis hat, it's likely because S2 displaced S1 characters I really liked. Their goofy accents and sheer stupidity.... oh how I hated S2. When S3 displaced them all, I didn't like the S3 guys as much as the '84 crowd, but they were so much better than Warpath, Hoist, Cosmos, & Inferno that I happily accepted them. If it meant I didn't have to hear Seaspray gurgle any more stupid lines, I could live with Blurr and Wreckgar.

I treat S3 almost like a separate universe/toy line, and in that regard, I like it. Hotrod, Springer, and Arcee give off a very Luke-Han-Leia vibe that works for me. But they don't mix with my '84 display

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Well like Eddie, I despise S3. I also love Sphinx. I think only an official one could outdo it.

Isn't the OS KO Grimlock all different in silver/robot color though? It looks different than the texture/finish of MP-08 and the FT dinos.

I'm waiting on Grinder. FT has killed it with all of the others, why stop short with a Grimlock that's just an oversized MP-08? That figure is fine as a standalone but he's got a lot of room for improvement in almost 10 years.

 

[nacho]

OS Grimlock is closer to the lighter silver of the FT "x" variants. Honestly, I guess I don't get hung up on varying shades of silver. I know it's a deal-breaker for some, but I'm not sure it bothers me. If Grinder is out of this world, I might bite... but the renders thusfar have been underwhelming. Time will tell I guess.

 

[pcsguy88]

Nacho, what Hound is that?

 

[nacho]

Gundog 2Y

 

[XOC2008]

Just put in an order for the Badcube bugs. I've looked at the rest and these just appeal to me the most.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

I like S3... it's S2 that I hate. If I put on my analysis hat, it's likely because S2 displaced S1 characters I really liked. Their goofy accents and sheer stupidity.... oh how I hated S2. When S3 displaced them all, I didn't like the S3 guys as much as the '84 crowd, but they were so much better than Warpath, Hoist, Cosmos, & Inferno that I happily accepted them. If it meant I didn't have to hear Seaspray gurgle any more stupid lines, I could live with Blurr and Wreckgar.

I treat S3 almost like a separate universe/toy line, and in that regard, I like it. Hotrod, Springer, and Arcee give off a very Luke-Han-Leia vibe that works for me. But they don't mix with my '84 display

Your display looks like my MOTUC display. The good guys and bad guys are an inch away from each other. :lmao:

I think i've mentioned it before, I never got into their personalities. It was always more about the cool alts. Thats the biggest reason i dislike most S3 characters...their stupid cybertronian alts.

That same reasoning also applies to S2 AND S1, though. You got a dumb alt or a wildly out of scale alt, GTFO. Being that way makes it so incredibly difficult to like the Decepticons. Most of them are just tardy. As a kid i liked them. As an adult they annoy the crap out of me.

It's tough being a TF fan with my particular hang ups.

Well like Eddie, I despise S3. I also love Sphinx. I think only an official one could outdo it.

With their overly toony designs? No way. Unless that kinda thing is your bag, baby.

 

[nacho]

I agree, one of the premiere 3Ps needs to take a run at Mirage... at least while the current TT designer is in charge. If/when Tak gets someone new, maybe they'll swing back to the MP-10 thru MP-21 aesthetic.

Eddie, my display is six feet wide, and it just won't contain S1. But we don't lack too many characters. I might hang a couple of flyers from the ceiling. I've left room for a Devy, but TFC's is no longer cutting the mustard, and I'm playing the wait-and-see game with the more recent offerings. They're too expensive to back the wrong horse again.

 

[pcsguy88]

Ugh... I got metallic Prime down from above the cabinets and the asthetics clash pretty bad with Ironhide. My like factor just dropped a notch, but he is still a damn fine robot.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Eddie, my display is six feet wide, and it just won't contain S1. But we don't lack too many characters. I might hang a couple of flyers from the ceiling. I've left room for a Devy, but TFC's is no longer cutting the mustard, and I'm playing the wait-and-see game with the more recent offerings. They're too expensive to back the wrong horse again.

I'm hoping someone else tries their hand at an MP Devastator as i'm not pleased with the existing one. Odds aren't good that it'll be any time soon.

Theres so much right with TWs, but theres also so much wrong. Picking up a $80-$100ish place holder figure is fine. Picking up 6 $100 place holder figures, not so fine.

 

[Videoviper]

Ugh... I got metallic Prime down from above the cabinets and the asthetics clash pretty bad with Ironhide. My like factor just dropped a notch, but he is still a damn fine robot.

Time to get some metallic red paint?

 

[nacho]

Picking up a $80-$100ish place holder figure is fine. Picking up 6 $100 place holder figures, not so fine.

That's exactly it. I have no desire to perpetually collect and replace combiner teams. That's too much jack for too little enjoyment.

Honestly, one of my few collecting regrets is the early 3P combiners (Herc, FP Menasor, etc). At the time I never dreamed the 3P scene would take off like it did, and I fully expected that Herc would be the largest and closest-to-perfect devastator we'd ever get. I could not have been more wrong. Definitely wish I hadn't bothered... so that experience colors my enthusiasm for any of the current sets. I'll wait for the winner of VHS vs Betamax, and maybe I'll jump on... if nothing else on the horizon looks better.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

Yeah I regret the shit out of Hercules. He'd fit in great with Chugs but he's way out of scale with any MPs. And I am too lazy to even transform him back and put him into his individual boxes!

If it looked slightly better, I'd have gotten the Takara United or whatever version of CW Devastator. But I didn't bother, and kind of glad I dumped him from my POL.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Funny that both Menasors are reimagines. You know a G1 version would sell like hot cakes...whats the hold up?

 

[nacho]

I bought the hasbro CW devy for my son for x-mas with the intention of getting the Takara version for myself. After seeing his, it's a cool toy, but it's not acceptable for my MP collection.

However, he loves it, as devy is his universal bad guy. Doesn't matter if he's playing transformers, legos, angry birds, zombies... Devastator is always the big bad. That level of brand/genre/scale mixing would have driven me insane as a child, but it's actually pretty funny to watch him having a blast with it.

When I bought herc, I was still getting CHUGs, as MP was still a pretty sparse line. But a couple of years ago, I sold all my CHUGs (MISB) for a pretty penny, and I was glad to be rid of them. I still have Herc, Uranos, and Intimidator on top of a bookshelf, but I'm rather indifferent towards them. Intimidator was the worst. People complain about KFC & XTB, but fansproject stunticons are the most fiddly pieces of crap I've ever encountered. Most early 3P figures are terrible by today's standards, but I guess that just speaks to how much better we have it now.

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

Here are the cuts i made on SO allowing his legs to rotate outwards.

 

[nacho]

Nice. I'm just making mental notes, and anything that Omni's shapeways pack doesn't address, I'm going to just do it all at once.

 

[pcsguy88]

KO's of 3rd parties now.

KO MAKE TOYS - GREEN GIANT - SET OF 6 PIECES,Anniversary Promotion

 

[nacho]

They're KO-ing Warbotron Bruticus too. Anything that sells is fair game these days. Heck, FT raised a big stink b/c they thought Quakeblast was a KO of Quakewave. It certainly borrowed heavily from it, but they changed/improved so many things that it's hard to scream KO.

Plus, it's hard for any 3P to take the moral high ground when it comes to IP theft

 

[pcsguy88]

I'm certainly tempted. Never have owned a complete combiner, but Bruticus was always my favorite for obvious reasons.

 

[Mandingo Rex]

What in the blue fuck is this?

MP-25L Masterpiece LoudPedal - Transformers Masterpiece Masterpiece

 

[G.I.*EDDIE]

A repaint that only 3 dudes in all of the world want?

 

[pcsguy88]

Just saw that email. I guess being a Japanese exclusive will suddenly make the whole of tfw2005 willing to pay $200 for it?

 

[nacho]

A third deco of an underwhelming figure. I have zero fucks to give.

 

[XOC2008]

I'll buy a KO of it to fill out my Decepticon shelf but that's an only if scenario.

 

[nacho]

Yeah, but if you're filling out your shelves with newly-invented repaint cons, why bother? Might as well get some gobots and gundams for your shelf too

FYI, speaking of gobots, I'm all over the machine robo pseudo-gobot figures. They are cool as hell, even though there are only about 6 gobots I could identify by name. The only negative I can see is that since it's not based on US gobots, the figures don't scale with one another quite like we'd imagine, i.e. Eagle Robo (i.e. Leader-1) is noticeably larger than Bike Robo (i.e. Cy-Kill) because they aren't the leaders in the the other anime.

Eddie should like them because the alt modes, while not perfectly scaled, appear to be following some semblance of scale. I guess we'll know more as future figures are revealed.

 

[CoreyD]

I like those machine robo bots as well. A little pricey for the size though.