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Post by bayushigemma on Feb 18, 2013 15:56:47 GMT -6
Wow now that is an impressive piece! How much did he cost you and where did you order him from? The original Omega Supreme didn't have a face only a cockpit like feature for his face.
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Post by countzackula on Feb 25, 2013 15:27:27 GMT -6
I recently picked up these two fellas now that new stock is finally trickling into stores for the new year's changeovers. Behold! Soundwave and Blaster. Since all the recent Transformers Generations guys are coming packed in robot mode, I'll get theirs out of the way. Honestly, the robot modes are gonna be the favored modes for these guys amongst longtime fans. These two guys originally turned into tape decks back in the 80s. Yeah, uh...no one owns a tape deck anymore under the age of thirty. So, if you are relatively young, the whole traditional aspect of these guys becoming tape players is probably irrelevant to you. Alotta older fans probably wouldn't have a problem with them being tape decks again, but that's one of those issues that seems to have been jerked around over the years. All the old classical Transformers that turned into smaller devices as opposed to vehicles or animals get new alternate modes when they get remade for modern times. Yeah, you may know Megatron got a gun mode for the Classics line, but other than that, Hasbro seems to be avoiding using non-vehicular alternate modes. Even Perceptor got turned into a truck in an older wave of Generations figures (he was originally a microscope). Nowadays, Soundwave and Blaster are Cybertronian communications vehicles...in other words, they are fancy space-age cars. In my opinion, they look more like armored transports than communications vehicles. I kinda wish they had added optional radar dishes or antennae to the car modes...just sayin'. Other than that, kinda neat. Their vehicle modes are actually fun in a child-like plaything sort of way. Soundwave came first, so I think his design is stronger in alt mode. It looks more menacing. You can see they changed the weapon and front "hood" on the car modes for blaster...as well as the wheels: You can see the wheels have a faction symbol motif to them without actually looking like the official Autobot/Decepticon insignias. Really neat! I'm semi-surprised they changed up so much stuff from Soundwave to Blaster. My only complaint, function-wise, is that the front "hood" or windshield parts (which become their chests in 'bot mode), tend to flop down flat during play. Not that big of a deal...just makes them look like flat-nosed space cars. Now onto the best part...the robot modes! I'd like to say once again that these are characters I never owned as a kid. Soundwave, especially, was one of those characters that is so iconic in the Transformers mythos. If you didn't have the figure, you probably wanted one...bad. He just looked cool, plus he was evil and had a bunch of transforming minions that popped out of his chest. Awesomeness incarnate. We only ever got one truly good Soundwave. The name and character got used over the years, but no modern version could never hold a candle to the original in most fans' eyes. I had a Transformers Cybertron one which became a stealth fighter. He was okay for a Soundwave. We also got a small Titanium version which was actually really nice except for the fact fans hated his "diaper crotch". We got a deluxe-sized version of this guy in an older wave of Generations. Soundwave is now back and better than ever (?). I really like the looks of him and his repaint/retool of Blaster. They capture the essence of the classic characters...and that's all I really need. My gripes about both are minor. I do kinda wish Soundwave came with both of his traditional "battery guns", but we got kind of a lot with these figures. The only other thing that bothers me a tad is the plow forks on Soundwave. They look bitchin' in his alt mode, but do tend to distract in 'bot mode. I'm slowly getting over it. Other than that, both these guys are great. They also released a Soundblaster figure in the first wave (mostly black repaint of Soundwave), but these are expensive enough! Good range of movement...nice articulation. I also got a new Grimlock...he was really good looking, and ideal in 'bot mode. However...Hasbro chose to use these really tough ratchet joints which hinder limb movement during play. Not that it's bad, just that you need to put a two-handed effort into posing Grimlock. Both Blaster and Soundwave move like buttah, baby! Truth be told, their shoulder kinda bonk their heads sometimes at certain angles...what can I say...big shoulder pads. These guys are still stuck in the 80s after all! Now what can Blaster and Soundwave be without their classic gimmick? Oh ho ho...you know...the ol' tape deck entourage of mini robot minions that pop out of their respective chests? Both got 'em. Only now, instead of having cassette tape alt modes, the minions are now round data disks. Each big 'bot has a eject button on their shoulders like the classic characters so that they still have that tape deck feel. Yep, and you can even position their hands over the buttons as if they're pressing 'em...classic, not perfect, but oh so classic. The chest pops open and you can see the data disk insert(s). Push on the back panel of the bigger 'bots to slide the disk forward until it pops out. The back part does jut out a bit, but it depends on how many disks you have loaded...so aesthetics aren't ruined that badly at all. The chest cavities go back pretty far. I'm not sure exactly how many disks will fit, but at looks like at least three. You can buy the rest of each characters respective data disk minions, but they are kinda pricey. I want 'em only for the sake of having 'em...they are just too expensive for what they are. Hopefully I will not give in and sucker myself on buying a two-pack of tiny robots that have horrible design aesthetics. Maybe these'll show up some day at a discount outlet for five bucks. Speak of the devil...er, make that devils...here are the tapes. D'ah, I mean... data disks. Basically, Bakugan rip-offs in my eyes. They pop out of the chests and you push a button on the backsides of the disks to activate their transformations. I think they look terrible. Laserbeak is actually okay since he's fairly simple, so I'll lay off him. I saw Soundwave's gang at the store several times and was not impressed. You get two disk 'bots and two square cases to put 'em in. I'd rather have either seen a third 'bot added to the packs or a cheaper price. The transparent cases are just dumb and will end up in your parts bin of useless accessories. Harsh, but true. A waste. The robot modes suck with the exception of Laserbeak and Ratbat...like I said, they are kinda just flattened Bakugan. At least if the add-on figure packs were cheaper, I'd consider buying 'em for the spirit of the classic characters. Who knows, though...I may cave. I'd have rather had completely manual transformations on the mini spy figures...maybe the obligation to have a spring-loaded quick transformation lead to their aesthetic ruination? Eh, whatever, pointless to whine about it now. You want 'em? Go ahead and buy 'em. I don't mean to be too TOO harsh on the mini figures. Overall, both Blaster and Soundwave are awesome on a whole. Part of me wants Soundblaster too, but...*sigh*...money, man...money. Oh well. If I was into customizing, I'd totally do one of these up like Turtle Van and make the data disks into pizzas. Make sure you credit me with the idea if you make one up yourselves, fellas!
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reynold1
Toy Aisle Terror
Sept 26, 2012 8:01:35 GMT -6
Posts: 80
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Post by reynold1 on Feb 25, 2013 19:29:16 GMT -6
I have several of the mini cassette/discs and Rumble and Frenzy are the worst of the bunch in my opinion...they don't stand up very well on their own and often fall over. Ratbat and Ravage on the other hand are much, much better. And as for the number of discs that fit, 3 fit maximum in it and makes it somewhat easier to "launch" them. I found however that it was stiff to get them to launch, did you have that issue as well? I almost want to shave off a tiny bit on the inside so the discs move more smoothly when launched. Congrats on nabbing a Blaster, I've been on the lookout for him for a while!
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Post by countzackula on Feb 26, 2013 16:27:42 GMT -6
Yeah, the disks are kinda tight...I forgot to mention that...but didn't really find it to be that bad.
Oddly enough, seems Wal-Marts were getting wave two first around my neck of the woods for some weird reason.
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Post by bayushigemma on Jun 9, 2013 17:59:11 GMT -6
Today I found at TRU the Generations Springer and Blitzwing for 24.99 each. Definitely worth getting for any G1 Transformers fan.
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Post by bayushigemma on Aug 11, 2013 23:44:17 GMT -6
Found the new Orion Pax and Stealth Bomber Megatron today at Kmart and love the looks especially seeing a young Optimus Prime figure.
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Post by countzackula on Jan 16, 2014 12:23:32 GMT -6
Wow...skipped a few characters I needed to review, but whatcha gonna do? Anyway, with 2014 still pretty fresh and new...we toy collectors know damn well that stores will be resetting after the Christmas shopping season. I caught the first wave of Transformers Generations for 2014 just the other day, despite the fact my local Wal-mart didn't officially redo their modulars yet. Here we go!!! Apparently it's the 30th Anniversary of Transformers or something to that effect. I don't pay attention to dates and anniversaries. So, I'm guessing Hasbro wants to give us a real mix with Generations this time around. Beast Wars is back again! Although I didn't find the Rhinox figure yet (in the larger size class), I got Waspinator. Waaaay back when, we got all new versions of Cheetor and Dinobot in the Generations line. Maybe they were still Classics at that point, I dunno...point is, it's been a while since we got Beast Wars characters with a modern revamp. Cheetor's reboot sucked hard. Dinobot was pretty damn snazzy, despite the fact his color scheme didn't match the TV show model. Waspinator is almost perfectly dead on, in my opinion. Color and look are dead ringers for the old cartoon model. Seems with the newer versions, Hasbro is making an effort to make the beast modes more realistic. The old Waspinator wasn't that bad, if you overlook the back set on insect legs...however, this newer version is much more realistic. Not perrrrfect, but still closer to a real wasp or hornet, or whatever the Hell he was. Waspinator's transformation is pretty easy. 'Bot mode is awesome. You may not be a fan of Transformers or Beast Wars or even Waspinator himself, but he's an enduring character. That being said, you just gotta do him up right or fans are gonna go ballistic! I think Hasbro pulled off the new Waspinator quite nicely. I see the decided to keep him classic, as opposed to the Cheetor revamp that they totally slopped up how ever many years ago. Again, he's pretty darn faithful to the way he looked in the cartoon. He has a wing flapping action feature in both modes. Sadly, this leaves his wings pointing downward in his robot mode. So, you can't display him with his wings up and open unless you rig up a way to hold the button in on his back. Gone are the launching projectiles of old. His gun still detaches from the wasp's abdomen, but no longer fires missiles. Not necessarily a bad thing, but some people might miss that feature. Aside from the wing thing, the only really other bad thing about the figure in robot mode is his knees. They don't bend back very far, making deep squats relatively impossible. A mild bummer, depending on if you play with this guy or just display him. All in all, Waspinator is easily my favorite of the first wave of 2014. I friggin' love Beast Wars! I never had an original Waspinator, but had the Fox Kids repaint. Hasbro did a repaint for a Beast Wars Anniversary set a few years ago that was a bit closer to the show appearance, but we finally got a version of Waspinator that looks very much the way he did in the cartoon. Any Transformers fan knows the whole bit about characters looking way better and more idealized in the 'toon than in toy form. Aside from a few minor flaws, Waspinator is pretty bad ass...can't wait to see more Beast Wars guys redone...as long as Hasbro doesn't pull any more Cheetors on us! Next up, Goldbug...er...Goldfire. Yeah, yeah...probably copyright stuff. Anyway, this is a modern version of the upgraded form of Bumblebee, known as Goldbug! Okay, I am abso-freaking-lutely SICK to death of Bumblebee. Ever since the first live-action movie, Bumblebee has been so milked, it's not even funny. I refuse to even look at any new figures of him! But...I bought his "ascended" form or Godbug...er Goldfire (sorry). He's some kinda gold and black car. I'm not a "car guy", so I don't know if this alternate mode is based off a real car or not. Looks very much like the movie Camaro he usually is...I dunno. Truth be told, I wonder if this toy will suffer from the dreaded GPS (gold plastic syndrome), and years from now, crumble to dust. You can add the two clear blue plastic weapons to the sides of the car as well...to use as, well...weapons or rockets or whatever. Honestly, car mode is pretty spiffy. The gold looks really cool on the car. I just pray it will last for a few good years. I'll level with ya...remember how I said that I hate Bumblebee now? I didn't realize this was a repaint until I was playing with him and the idea struck me. I the last wave or two from 2013, we got yet ANOTHER new version of Bumbleebee, and sure enough, Goldfire is just a repaint with a new noggin. Dopey me! Eh...the world still turns. Robot mode ain't bad. We see a lot more blue now. My only real gripe is that the shoulders are kindy big and in the way when you move the toy around. The weapon can be held as two weird guns or combined into one big one. Not a huge fan of the gun...too "movie toy" and not "classical" in my personal little opinion. Goldfire is pretty cool and all, but not the most exciting. In a sense, he's just another Bumblebee. He is kinda cool if you perceive him as a new or different character, but I think the Bumblebee character is so overdone, that this figure just comes across as less exciting...so, sorry Goldfire. Hasbro really decided to mix it up with the first wave...Beast Wars, Generation One, and even Generation Two! Yep, Dreadwing is a G2 character scaled down as a repaint of the last version of Generations Megatron we got. Upon first glance, you might mistake Dreadwing for Scourge! Nothing much to say...typical stealth bomber jet. No real weaponry in this mode. Sleek and to the point. I'll openly admit right now that the Megatron this guy was based off of was way better looking, but I really didn't want another Megatron...so...I waited out for the inevitable repaint! What can I say about G2? I think I lost any interest in Transformers at that point, as a kid. The colors were HORRIBLE!!! Actually, Dreadwing wasn't THAT bad, but still...I just never paid much attention to G2 Transformers. Old Dreadwing was much larger and also a triple-changer that combined with a smaller character he was packaged with. I honestly forget his name. I know the Japanese gave us a version of that set during Beast Wars II (which I owned), and Hasbro gave us another repainted set during Armada. That Dreadwing mold rocked! I'm sad I ever got rid of my Beast Wars II version. This smaller Generations Dreadwing can't hold a candle to the original, but it is fairly close...in spirit. Much like the original G2 version, this one is also a stealth bomber. No third mode or combination gimmick. My only real gripe is the scale. Deluxe does not do him justice. He would have been nicer as a Voyager class. The weapon is formed by combining the two wing tips. Aside from the scale, the gun is the only other weak point of the toy. Just a lame gun that barely looks like a gun. Eh. Again, the old version of G2 Dreadwing is far superior, but this is a nice homage. That's pretty much it. I actually think the Megatron this toy was based off, was much better in terms of looks. You might get a kick out of the fact that he's got G2 era Decepticon faction symbols on him! Okie dokie...back to G1! Now, I was a fan of Transformers in the 80s...yet, had very few of the toys. Why? I thought they sucked. Blocky, little articulation, and often looked way different from the cartoons. After Beast Wars, my interest in Transformers began anew. When they went back to vehicles, I went along for the ride (pun kinda intended). I must admit, that I love the G1 mythos in general, despite the fact I never really read the old comics or kept a bible on the classic 'toon. I love the idea of the Generations line bringing back the classics and updating them. I persoanlly think the modern Transformers are much better, yet, they are far from perfect ideals. Case in point, the last deluxe of the first 2014 wave: Skids. Car mode is nice. A cute little car. Very 80s in design. The old Skids was a van or something, I think. I never paid too much attention to the Skids character. No real complaints about the vehicle mode, though. You can add weapons to the outside, like most G1 guys. Before I start on the figure...the guns...I love them! Now, I'm no gun nut, but I like my guns to actually look like guns. See Goldfire's "thing"? Not a gun. A giant rectal probe for a sperm whale! I love the more traditional guns for these guys. You can combine the smaller one and the bigger one to make one REALLY big one. You can attach them to the sides of the car either together or separate. Nice. Now onto the 'bot mode. First off, not to get off on a bad foot, but I looked into it...yes, there was an assembly error! Skids' upper hips are on the wrong sides. As is, he will not have proper range of hip motion. Solution? Easy! Pop of the legs, pop off the upper legs, and switch sides. Instant fix! Remember how I said I like the fact that these guys are more articulate than their vintage counterparts? Sometimes, the toys being more complex can be a curse. You occasionally get the parts that bang or rub, therefore hindering potential for poseability. Shoulders...'nuff said. If you don't count the assembly error, the shoulder articulation is the only major gripe. He looks great! Very classical! Probably the best thing about this guy is all the weaponry. For not being a major character or a well known TF, Skids here gets a lot of artillery! You can actually hide most of it and reveal it in a "battle mode" if you wish. Very cool! Lesee...pop-up shoulder cannons, fold-out wrist guns (double-barreled, to boot), and slide-down shoulder mounted missile pods. All that, combined with the two-in-one gun and DAAAAMN!!! This boy is packin' heat! Okay...one last negative about Skids. He is a bit top heavy. He tends to fall backwards. I think he coulda done with bigger or longer heels to steady the figure for display. Finally, Skids is great if you can overlook his flaws...so, in that sense, I have mixed feelings bout him. He's sort of half good and half bad. Yet, if you're just buying him for looks and that classic G1 flavah, you got a winner!
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Post by kylefromdirtnapp on Jan 18, 2014 0:28:04 GMT -6
I'm all over that Waspy if the stores here ever re-stock TF's. I was hoping you'd review Rhinox as well. Is Waspy bubble carded? I think Rhinox is Voyager, or whatever the smallest boxed ones are called now. God, that Cheetor sucked. Skid-mark's not too bad...
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Post by countzackula on Jan 19, 2014 10:35:09 GMT -6
My Wally World got so many Voyagers over the holiday season, I doubt new stock will make it to the shelves anytime soon. I try not too look too much into this stuff online anymore, but Rhinox is lookin' damn nice. Can't wait to get him. Rattrap is on the way as well, apparently!
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Post by kylefromdirtnapp on Jan 19, 2014 13:45:23 GMT -6
So Waspy is a Voyager?
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Post by countzackula on Apr 8, 2014 10:04:47 GMT -6
I've been kinda skippin' around with my reviews about these guys...it's been a while, but I'll give it a "whirl" (heh)! I finally...FINALLY found some new stock in the Transformers Generations Voyager class of figure. Like I think I mentioned once or twice before, I pretty much only collect the classical-looking Transformers any more and turn a blind eye to the cartoon and movie product. I also have generally not been keeping up heavily on news and releases either. So, it's a mild surprise when I do finally find new TF goods. I had thought we were getting Rhinox and Doubledealer first, but I found Rhinox and Whirl at TRU. Yeah, Wal-Mart is so stuffed with last year's old stock, it's not even funny. So, I splurged and got these sans 10% discount. We had gotten a Whirl not too long ago as part of the Wreckers combiner set. Sadly, although I have it, I neglected to do a review on him! Anyway, I'm glad to see a version closer to his classic appearance. Hell, "closer"? Practically dead-on! Helicopter mode is lookin' good. Blades spin. You know the routine. Now the 'copter mode may not necessarily be all that exciting (after all, we got many 'copters over the years), but the accessories add extra pizzazz! See, you get four interchangeable weapons you can add on in any mode. Missile pod, rocket launcher, gun, and what I believe was called a "paralyzo-box" on the original 80s figure. Also, you get a set of decals. Yes, decals. I never got the new Metroplex, but aside from him, we haven't gotten a figure with decals you personally apply for a looooong time...at least not to my knowledge. Then again, I'm not a super-duper hardcore fan that collects every single Transformer toy. This was a surprise to me. I had wondered why the box art showed an Autobot sigil on Whirl's chest, yet the toy had none! Anyway, I have yet to apply my decals. Maybe later. As you can see, the add-on weapons work wonders! This boy is ready for WAR!!! You can clip or peg these into various places on the toy in all three modes of the figure. You can even combine certain weapons. The secondary mode is called a heliped mode or something along those lines. This is indeed an official mode as per the instructions. Yeah, I know a lot of TF fans make up a third "gerwalk" mode for their flying Transformers inspired by Macross/Robotech or any similar mecha anime. I kinda find it a pointless halfway point mode, but it looks kinda cool...I...er...guess. Finally, the robot mode! Again, pretty darn close to the classic...less so that the vehicle mode, though. The original Whirl was kind of almost a spindly stick figure. I never owned one, but have seen plenty of pictures over the years. They still manage to capture that, yet made him seem not so "stick-like" anymore. I like that. He no longer has helicopter landing struts for feet, but now kinda has chicken legs. Some fans may frown on this. Technically, you can face the legs to seem more humanoid, but the feet will be a tad weird. Yes, the pincher claws open and close. Most fans seem to hate when Transformer figures get non-fist hands, but for me the occasional non-humanoid hands are cool. I love that head! As a kid, Whirl and Shockwave were the two Transformers that went the cycloptic, no-mouth route in cranial design. I never had either figure, but in either the cartoon or other media, I remember them standing out because of that. Careful on that antennae though. Seems like it may be prone to breakage. I really wish they'd have made it out of a more pliable plastic or even rubber. My only real complaint about the figure! Whirl is a great figure as far as I'm concerned. I had been yearning for a modern remake for years, and I'm quite glad we finally got one that's properly classical. Even if you don't like decals (I think they often end up looking sloppy), the toy still looks fine without them. I know TF fans like the more traditional robot modes that are bulky and boxy, with more humanoid heads...but you gotta admit, it's great to see the occasional oddball. Glad to see Whirl on board my Autobot team! Now for Rhinox...yes, Rhinox! We had gotten Waspinator in the first wave of 2014 Generations deluxes, and now we get a Beast Wars voyager in Rhinox. For me, Beast Wars really was the era that truly made me a Transformers fan. So, I'm quite fond of the idea of seeing more modern and (ideally) improved versions that look more like the TV show models. Rhinox does not disappoint! The beast mode (a rhino, duh!) looks fairly realistic. Sure, you can see seams and certain green robot parts at certain angles, but he looks better than the original for sure. Transformation was not as annoying as I feared...see, sometimes the more realistic beast TFs end up with a lot of annoying "kibble" or beast parts flapping about during transformation and hanging off in 'bot mode. Not too shabby. The actual 'bot mode looks waaaaaaaay nicer than the original! Articulation is also pretty damn snazzy. No super tight, but not loosey-goosey. Most of his beasty kibble is located on his back, so it isn't that annoying during playtime. He looks very much like the show version! FABULOUS!!! Close-up of his head. Part of me wishes they'd have given him at least a partially open mouth, showing some teeth. His accessories are his two mini chain guns. Granted, this is more of a convention brought on by the TV show. See, the original Rhinox toy had ONE spinning melee weapon that came in four pieces: a box, a saw blade, and two chained maces to all attach together. The show designers kinda streamlined and idealized that weapon into a stylized mini chain gun and DOUBLED it. Fans will fondly remember Rhinox whipping out his dual guns and pelting Predacons with bullets while usually letting out a shout or a yell. Always so cool! Now, we finally get a Rhinox that not only looks awesome and almost just like the cartoon, BUT has his two guns...just like on the show! My one complaint about the figure as a whole is that they didn't make the saw blade-like front of the guns a gold color instead of the tan. Oh, and they spin too, via a small button on the tops of the guns. Now, I actually own an original Rhinox...okay, not original per se...but one of the many repaints using the original 90s mold. Here you go! I always thought the original Rhinox toy resembled a samurai. As you can see, the new one is obviously much bigger with less beast kibble. No more mutant head. He now has two of his saw weapons (now guns...officially). I do kinda miss the sword, even though it was never used on the cartoon. Excellent remake. Like I mentioned earlier, Cheetor's remake was horrible. Dinobot's was good. Waspinator's is great, and now so is Rhinox's! I'm very much looking forward to the new Rattrap coming soon. I also really hope we at least get the original TV show cast remade in modern form.
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Post by countzackula on Oct 3, 2014 11:26:11 GMT -6
Picked up a Rattrap a while back and never got around to posting pics or a review, so here goes! What can I say? Beast Wars was awesome. It single-handedly got me more interested in Transformers moreso than I was in the 80s...and back in the 80s, I mainly just liked the cartoon. The toys never really did it for me that much. Way back in the mid-90s (God, I feel so freaking old), Rattrap was a favorite Beast Wars cast member. The original figure was a dinky basic figure that ran about five bucks at retail (God, I miss those days). His transformation was quite single as he was a spring-loaded flip changer. I never got a Rattrap. I was in Junior High and supposed to be uninterested in toys. I fondly remember doing what I mentally referred to as "sneak buying" my toys and playing with them when no one was around...you know, like some kinda freak. Anyhow, Rattrap was one that eluded me. Hell, most of the initial Beast Wars figures slipped through my fingers, and I was only buying basic class figures since I had like NO money. I did look into getting a Rattrap when I got on the eBay bandwagon, but he cost waaaay too much. I eventually found some random bootlegs at Big Lots and settled for that. The fake Rattrap I had was made from a pirated mold, so he was pretty much the same except made of crappier plastic and had crappier paint apps. Still, for a bootleg it was a nice figure! Anyway, years later, Hasbro gives us a new Rattrap figure...now upgraded to a deluxe class with a much more complex transformation. How does he stack up? Let's see...... Right off the bat, he looks great! Lots of detail that even the original did not have. Most people know that the creators of the CGI cartoon often heavily idealized the characters and added or even took away certain details or aspects of the toys. In his 'bot mode, he looks great. Like most Transformers in the Generations line, he's packaged in this form. They head is spot on and even goes for the whole "brain" look of the head. I love it! In terms of looks, the figure is great and fits right in with Rhinox, Waspinator, and yes...even Dinobot (despite his inaccurate colors). Cheetor? He just needs to burn. Bit of trivia: apparently the writers/designers of the cartoon planned to make Rattrap a deformed robot, probably inspired by the exposed brain look. Yep, they were supposedly gonna make him sickly with exposed veins and lanky limbs, but I guess it was too dark for a kids' show. Neat, though! I'm glad he was the wise-crackin' smart mouth that he was, though. He comes with a gun. I was initially hating the fact they made it clear, but it looks like the final product is now a smokey kind of clear. Better that straight-up transparent, but I do wish they'd have just given us a grey or silver gun. Sometimes I just shake my head at these seemingly dumb decisions toy companies make. Not THAT bad though. I remember near the end of the Beast Wars line when they were crackin' down on toys brandishing guns and started nixing them altogether from Transformers toys. By the time Beast Machines started, no one used a traditional hand-held firearm. Looks like those days are over! Even Cybertron has a Second Amendment! Unlike the tiny original toy, this new Rattrap has an opening storage compartment in his left arm...just like on the show! Yeah, again, the writers added all kindza cool stuff to the characters. Rattrap usually stored bombs in there (probably other stuff too, but my memory is fuzzy). The wrist panel lifts and you pull out another smokey transparent accessory. It kinda looks more like binoculars, but I'm sure it's a bomb. Rattrap was always setting explosives and all that jazz. Now, onto the last bit...the beast mode. I had been busy with running off to the community theatre when I got Rattrap, so I never really sat down a transformed him until I took these (crappy) photos. I must say...he's probably one of my least favorites when it comes to the actual transformation. Ummmmmm...yeah...I guess this is one of those rare cases where I just did not have the patience to fiddle with this guy. Let's face it, occasionally you get a Transformer with a really irritating transformation. A few of the Japanese Beast Wars were tough. A lot of the Alternators were tough as well. Masterpiece Megatron was a pain and parts stuck (which is why I never transformed him). Maybe I just was in a bad mood, I dunno, but Rattrap SUCKS. The toy is great. The articulation in 'bot mode ain't bad. He looks cool. Weapons aren't too shabby. It's just that he has one of those transformation were you gotta get every piece in JUST the RIGHT place. Naw. Couldn't do it. Lost my cool on this guy. So......he transforms into a squished rat. There!
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Post by countzackula on Oct 30, 2014 8:22:52 GMT -6
I picked up a Roadbuster a while back, but couldn't find time to post some pics until now. Well, how do I feel about him? Here he is in his vehicle mode. Not bad. It's hard to keep track, not being a super-duper hardcore TF fan, but this guy seems to have mainly been around in the form of repaints and/or retools of previously existing Transformer molds. Nice to see a truly new and updated version of this character. I have a version of Roadbuster (somewhere around here) that used the Cybertron Defense Hotshot mold and came in a Target 2-pack as well as the repainted/retooled combiner Swindle from the Generations line. This version is obviously the CLOSEST to the classic, being an all-new mold. The vehicle itself is compact and sleek, while still looking rugged. I like that a lot, despite the fact I prefer the 'bot modes on all Transformers. The real fun comes when you start adding the many weapons to the chassis. Awesome. This dude is ready for WAR! Much like Whirl, Roadbuster comes with a slew of removable armaments. You can also combine them separate weapons in several different ways, if desired. Speaking of Whirl, Roadbuster also shares his fate as being on of the original Transformers that never got onto the cartoon since the toy was apparently lifted straight from a toy design form another series. I forget which one...remember, I'm not THAT hardcore. Roadbuster was featured in the comics, though, as a prominent member of the Wreckers subset. The transformation to robot mode is actually quite simple and clean...unlike that FREAK Rattrap, who was a royal pain in my ass! Bah! There ya go! Not bad. I mean, as usual, not PERFECT...but still fairly solid with free and movable joints. He's generally lookin' pretty darned close to his G1 predecessor. He does come with decals, which I have yet to apply. Again, as with the vehicle mode, once you add the weapons...this guy is lookin' kick-ass. Also again, you can combine certain weapons into larger ones or even combine them all into one BIG gun. Roadbuster has several places to plug in weapons on his body, so you can customize his look! OOH! All in all, the 'bot mode is great. Here's a shot of the decals: Much like with Whirl (again), I've decided not to bother with applying these. Eh. I just feel that decals end up being sloppy-looking, pube catchers. There...I said it. But that's just me. I assume other collectors have an absolute blast applying these tiny things to uneven surfaces under a magnifying glass...but not me, baby! In conclusion, Roadbuster is a welcome addition to Transformers: Generations. Nice to see this character finally get a new figure with a body all his own. Speaking of which, I assume he'll get retooled and repainted as someone else in the future. He may not be iconic to the general public, when it comes to Transformers characters, but he's always been one of the best-looking characters out there!
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Post by kylefromdirtnapp on Nov 16, 2014 21:49:36 GMT -6
I may no comment every time, but I read every one of your posts. My Roadbuster is on his way!
Rhinox might have the coolest paint of any TF ever. One of my guns spins forever and the other for about 1 second!
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toydejour
Garage Sale Scavenger
Jul 15, 2014 12:50:18 GMT -6
Posts: 39
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Post by toydejour on Nov 18, 2014 18:45:18 GMT -6
This was fun to flip through. Thanks for posting all of these. I'm pretty confused how you scored some of these back in January, like the wave with Gold Fire and Waspinator. I just saw Waspy for the first time this week and picked up Dreadwing and Gold Fire a couple weeks ago. I have yet to ever see Skids. Skids and Cross Cut for that matter.
I might have missed this, but are you over seas? Or is Chicago really getting stuff slow?
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Post by anna on Nov 26, 2014 16:51:04 GMT -6
I've finally warmed up to this line(Thanks to buying some data disks at a comic store) and They're coming(or have I don't know the release date) Arcee and chromia(Suffice to say They are on my wantlist lol!
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Post by countzackula on Nov 30, 2014 14:27:22 GMT -6
I actually got the latest wave of deluxes a few weeks ago and have just recently sat down to play around with 'em. I noticed an influx of older waves at retail for some reason, leading me to think it would be a good long time before I saw anything new on the shelves. I was wrong! I happened to be helping stock the toy department (due to it being busy around the holiday season) and I passed by the Transformers only to notice NEW Generations deluxes! Sure enough, someone jammed the pegs to overfull. It's been I while since I had a true geekout freakout, but I was on the clock and these guys were ripe for the taking. Luckily, I lasted the hour until lunch and scampered right out to pick up the four newest deluxe figures. First up is Crosscut. He's a repaint of Skids with a new head. They fixed the upper leg problem too, I see. Apparently, Crosscut is a "new" character added by the Japanese using a retro design. THIS Crosscut is the quasi-modernized version of that. Yeesh! If only I realized how blurry my crappy photography was before I uploaded. Oh well, though. Not as fun as Skids, but more realistic and tame. Not bad, though...mind you. Not too much to talk about with this guy since the only mold change is the head. Color-wise, Crosscut is not bad at all. Doesn't stand out as an iconic Transformer character, but he is a nice addition to the Autobot ranks. Again, I do really LOVE the whole "brimming with weapons" thing with this figure mold. Switching gears now to the only bad guy of the wave: Jhiaxus. He's labeled as a Decepticon by default. He's actually not really on either of the traditional Transformer sides. Jhiaxus is yet another comic book character brought to life in toy form. I'm not a huge follower of the TF mythos. I only know what I know due to exposure from other fans. In that respect, I've got no special connection to non-toy line characters made up for the vintage comics, YET...I do respect them and am somewhat fascinated by them. There's Jhiaxus' vehicle mode, which is a repainted and extensively retooled Armada style Starscream. The original Armada Starscream was actually a Voyager class with Mini-con gimmick. He was remade as a deluxe for the Generations line. I specifically avoided it since I was sure a repaint/remold would be on the way. Oddly, for some reason, instead of paying TRUE homage to the comic book Jhiaxus...we got this flying creamsicle. See, we got a version of Jhiaxus at retail during the early 2000s as a KB Toys exclusive in the RID (Robots In Disguise) era. That one was NOTHING like the comic character. Jhiaxus is a mostly white Transformer with read, yellow, and green accents. KB Jhiaxus was orange, white, and black. HUH?! Physically, that version was just a repaint of Beast Machines deluxe Jetstorm...and looked absolutely nothing like his comic namesake. Here's the 'bot mode. Not bad. I never got the Starscream version, so it's new to me. The wings, head, weapons, and robot chest/jet nose are all new pieces. Transformation is pretty easy. Range of movement is pretty darned nice too. I really wish he could have been a Voyager, though. The colors? Eh, I think I'm on the fence. Why choose to pay homage to a crappy homage of a comic book character? The colors aren't bad, just not very special or imaginative. At least he won't get shot during deer season. Safety first! The new head sculpt is at least a pretty decent likeness to the comic. Dang, though...why oh WHY did they not give him his REAL color scheme?!?! Lastly, Jhiaxus has the same action feature as Starscream. His "backpack" flips up with two pressure-fire projectiles. Articulation in the shoulders gets cut down in this position, though...but that's hardly enough for me to condemn the toy. He also has two large handguns which he can hold or attach to the wings. I don't own any Mini-cons any more, nor have I bought the new set, but he also has non-functioning pegs to mount the smaller Transformers on. Jhiaxus isn't bad, but he's not awesome. I've seen way better customs online using all manner of bodies. The color is the main drawback. If you're gonna do an homage, do it right! The body itself isn't bad. Again, all the customs I've seen generally look great and different artists chose different bodies to work from. A retooled Starscream isn't bad, but I'd have rather seen Hasbro use the Thunderwing mold or an all-new one. I only hope we eventually see a proper Jhiaxus in the future...maybe as a Voyager. Back to the Autobots. Next up is Nightbeat. He's a Transformer detective...a gumshoe, if you will. Nighbeat was one of those guys that had "Playskool colors"...bright pastels. Not only that, but he had flames painted on his sides. I never owned the original, but I imagine kids being attracted to him. Although he's not super iconic, he's still fairly well-known amongst TF fans. This new Nightbeat once again uses one of many Bumblebee molds. Nightbeat has received many incarnations over the years...some at retail, some as exclusives. He often keeps true to his original color scheme or something close enough. The car itself ain't bad. Still has that "Playskool" look. My only gripe is the robot parts visible in the clear windshield...complete with a serial number. Such a faux pas! Much like Crosscut, Nightbeat is mainly just a repaint...but with a new head. As for an hoamge to the original...he KIND OF works. He's not that bad, but not that great. I think they coulda made his chest yellow so that he'd have looked more like his classical version. If you want my opinions of the body, refer back to Goldbug (or Goldfire or whatever the Hell). The gun is still a piece of crap. I literally hate it. Hate it! In the end, Nightbeat is fairly iconic. I always thought that his detective role never fit his look, but oh well. I do think this homage is just one of those times when Hasbro just said "eh...close enough", though. *DING DING DING* Onto the main event folks! The last of the four latest new Transformers: Generations deluxes is indeed a special one. Mainly, this is the only all-new figure in the wave. Windblade (not to be confused as Wingblade) marks as one of the few female Transformers characters that exist. She's totally new. Apparently Hasbro held a poll with the intent on making an all-new character based on fan opinions. Since I've had kind of a falling out with Transformers in general, I didn't know this until it was too late...since I wasn't keeping tabs on TF news much. Anyhow...here she is: Upon first glance, I kind of had the thought that she was just a "girl Thrust"...I'll admit. She's actually an Autobot. From that dark color scheme, you'd swear she'd be evil, no? Anyway, she's a sleek jet with VTOL capabilities. Here she is in her robot form. Now, gender has always been an odd thing in the Transformers world. Since Transformers are robots, you'd naturally question a need for separate genders...after all, it's not like they mate. Whatever. It's fiction. Not even gonna go into a nerdy debate about it. However, as a female, seems the designers opted to go the stereotypical route and give her traits often identified with idealized female humanoid forms: Windblade is thin and lightweight. She has "breasts" and high heels too. Part of me (even though I'm neither a feminist nor a pretentious feminist) kinda rolls my eyes at the fact that because a robot is "female" it has to have features stereotypically profiled by human culture. Eh...again, it's a friggin' toy. I'm not gonna get all preachy. You can, if you like. I don't have the energy to spur a debate on an action figure forum. Bottom line, she looks friggin' cool! Transformation ain't too hard. Because she is more delicate, I do worry about breakage. I did manage to cause the back of her knee joint to stress and whiten as I transformed her for the first time. Not too much vehicle kibble in her bot mode either. Wings and nosecone. That's it. Articulation is pretty free. Only problem is the hip sculpt does cause rub with the upper thigh at certain angles. A tad irritating, but not a major problem. Windblade's head design clearly seems to be influenced by kabuki or something. I like it. Just a great sculpt. More ornate than the usual Transformer head. Also, that golden part in the back detaches to become a fan or blade. Pretty cool little detail. Careful not to lose it, though! Little touches like that are always welcome. Windblade's weapon of choice is a big sword. It comes in a sheath which attaches to her underside in vehicle mode and onto her side leg in robot mode. Granted, it's not a tight hold and will probably fall off during play, but the sheath on her side looks pretty cool. The sword itself is a curved transparent purple blade with a black handle. There's even a turbine design in the hilt. Such a beat little detail! Oh! Did I mention her wing turbines pivot? Well, they do. Windblade is a welcome NEW character. True, I am wary of her more delicate construction, but so far she looks great and plays fairly well. Even if you pass up on the other characters in the wave, pick her up. I can't wait to see what other fan poll-characters we might get in the future.
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Post by countzackula on Jan 28, 2015 22:46:04 GMT -6
Okay, it's 2015 now. It has been for almost a whole month. It's basically clearance season and some stores have yet to start putting out stuff for the new season. Luckily, I caught some of the smaller Generations figures at Kmart this afternoon. Hungry for new product, I quickly pounced on these with nerdish delight. Generations is starting kind of a new subset this year called Combiner Wars. Yep, looks like we're supposed to get mostly gestalt teams for the next year or so. Hey, no problems here! So far, I've only seen these Legends scale figures. Truth be told, I fondly remember back in the Beast Wars days when you could buy a Transformer this size for $4.99 rather than $9.99...*sigh*...also, the Basic size class seems to be replaced with the Legends class, which was initially even smaller than they've been for the past year or so. At any rate, we got four in the first wave. I skipped on Thundercracker since I just didn't need a smaller version of a character I already had. First up is Windcharger. Windcharger was born a "mini" and seems to generally wanna stay that way. While I do remember having a large Alternators version of the character, he was also a small Basic during Reveal The Shield (I think). I'm pretty sure he was one of the Basics that had a limited release. I wanted one, but couldn't get it cheap. Meh. Car mode is actually quite plain and boring. He's a repaint of Tailgate...who initially came packed with a miniature Targetmaster style companion. You can see the peg hole of the hood that was meant for weapon attachment. Sadly, none of these guys have weapons. Robot mode. Not bad, but nothing great. Articulation is fine, except the shoulders are hindered by the design. I mean...if you're the type who MUST have every Transformer, you are totally buyin' this guy. If not...you can live quite easily without Windcharger in your life. Hasbro basically used an old mold to recoup some money. I think the head is new. I dunno. I actually wanna punch myself in the neck for blowing ten buck on this guy. He's a space filler for your display or a cannon fodder "first to get shot" when you play. Villains are awesome. I live for action figure villains. Sadly, we often get shortchanged in the villain department. For every two Autobots, it seems we get one tow zero Decepticons...and said Decepticon may or may not even be entirely new! ARGH! Well, good news for bad guys...we got this cool Bombshell figure. We got a similar Insecticon in the Legends packs that came with the Minicons. Shrapnel...renamed Skrapnel or something to that effect. So far we now have TWO of the three original Insecticons in this scale. We did get Kickback as a Deluxe, but he was a video game version. Bombshell here is lookin' damn good, though. I love his beetle mode. So compact and visually appealing. Believe it or not, those legs even have a bit of hinged articulation. The robot mode is equally awesome. Very nice throwback to the classic version! To me, Bombshell was not only the most iconic of the Insecticons, but was generally an iconic looking Transformer. I always loved his whole look. Articulation is quite good. The legs are a bit odd, though. See...the shape of the upper legs hinders movement a tad. You kind hafta move them deliberately. The knees get hindered by the bug legs too. However, if you fold them outward, you free that up. True, you compromise the prescribed transformation, but for playtime, it shouldn't matter...unless you're totally anal about that kinda stuff. Bombshell is just great, aside from the leg articulation snafu. I do wish he had a gun or something, though. Sadly, it seems the Combiner Wars Legends class is deigned to come accessory-less. Okay, okay...I passed on Thundercracker, lamented my purchase of Windcharger, and loved Bombshell. So, what about ol' Powerglide? Yes...indeed...what ABOUT Powerglide?! Well, I love him too. Powerglide, like crappier Windcharger, originated as one of the mini bots. He had a few versions over the years. I got the version of him that was mostly white, back when Hasbro decided to give him a comparatively huge size upgrade. The color wasn't classical, but the figure was okay and made more sense being bigger. However, they eventually released a more accurate color scheme...and I flipped since I didn't feel like springing for an alternate color. Bah! Anyways, this new Powerglide goes back to his smaller-scale roots. As you can see, he still has his usual plane mode. It's a real kind of plane, or heavily based on a real one...I just can't remember what it's called. Neat mode, and fun-looking. Bot mode is equally fun! Part of me wonders why Hasbro released two mostly red guys at once. I mean, I always think of red and blue as Autobot colors. There are so many red guys, it's almost hard to keep track. Red may be the traditional color of Powerglide, but to me, a plane that's bright red just always seemed odd. Then again, the color scheme on the big Voyager class version was admittedly bland. A great traditional look that's also an upgrade. Articulation is the best out of all of them. Very little quibbles with this guy in the freedom of movement department. He's just a great little Transformer. Unlike the other Legends class guys in the Combiner Wars series, Powerglide has a THIRD mode. Yep, he becomes a gun to be used by the larger combined robots. As is often the case, the weapon mode is kinda vague. I currently own no new Combiner Wars combiners, so for now, this gun is floppin' on the ground. So, in time, I shall post Powerglide being held in gun mode by a gestalt team. One thing we get with these guys are these collector cards. Nice art, but to me these are just instruction drawer filler. I mean, I'd have much rather seen these guys packed with even a SMALL gun instead of this designer card stock collectible. I kinda hate pack-in stuff like this. You know how many old coins, hologram disks, and screen cells I threw away after getting frustrated when I still had my 90s Star Wars figures?! Lots! Eh. You think they'd have put character stats on the back, but no. Oddly enough, the package cardback no longer has the usual stat chart or extensive character bio. We get a very brief description of the character's abilities...and that's it. In a retail market sense, it's still early. Obviously, we'll eventually see new stock showing up. Combiner Wars is off to a good start...at least for me. While we got the usual rehashes in the form of Thundercracker and Windcharger, Powerglide and Bombshell more than make up for it. True, part of me wishes the Insecticons could be deluxes, but the two we got so far are cool. Powerglide is the only Legend scale that has a "combiner" aspect to him. I surely hope to see more of this in the future!
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Post by anna on Mar 14, 2015 9:26:23 GMT -6
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Post by toyworks on Mar 14, 2015 17:38:22 GMT -6
I got Arcee!! (Now I need Chromia ans Windblade) Hey Anna, are u having trouble finding Windblade? cuz my local TRU had pretty much nothing but her =( I cant find Arcee =p
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Post by anna on Mar 14, 2015 19:01:43 GMT -6
If you can find an Arcee I recommend her(Even if you have to do bigbadtoystore or something) And I don't spose you'd pic and windblade up for me would you?
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Post by toyworks on Mar 15, 2015 11:54:34 GMT -6
If you can find an Arcee I recommend her(Even if you have to do bigbadtoystore or something) And I don't spose you'd pic and windblade up for me would you? Totally! I'll hit TRU today and grab one. PM me ur addy and it'll be in the mail tomorrow =)
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Post by anna on Dec 31, 2015 22:43:38 GMT -6
I got Jetfire for Crhistmas and he's awesome!!
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Post by bowspearer on Jul 2, 2016 2:08:06 GMT -6
I have to say that in terms of the previous 12 months, I haven't been that impressed with Hasbro's offerings with Combiner Wars and have entirely gone the Unite Warriors route instead.
Where Takara will only reuse a mold if it works and bite the bullet if it doesn't, while trying to be true to the G1 version, the Hasbro releases have been a bad case of mould overuse or poor choices, with Computron and Blast-Off being the worst offenders of all. Conversely with Unite Warriors, Takara have hit it out of the park right from the getgo - even giving us combiners like Grand Galvatron which was a great Unicron Wars Trilogy/Prime homage.
I have to say, it's shaping up to be a similar story with Titans Returns. While I'll definitely be getting the smaller Titanmaster/vehicle packs, I'm going strictly Takara for anything Legends Class or larger.
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