Transformers movie gigantic superthread

Sanjeev Wrote:
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> Bummer about the helicopter, but I'm glad to hear
> Bludgeon is nice! Really want to find one in-store
> ('cause these days, I just can't bring myself to
> order a new TF online!).
>
> I think Rodimus got Bludgeon recently, too...and
> said it was great.

It's worth the hunt, if only because it's so different from anything else they've done recently. In a similar vein, I'm looking forward to the ROTF Lockdown. It's got the same sort of vibe to it.

More serious than thou

The helicopter's name is Blazemaster IIRC.

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

Glad I decided to hold off the Voyager version of Starscream fo this magnificent looking beast.

[www.tfw2005.com]

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

if you want an F-22 with the proportions of a beached whale, then go for it.

Just scored the mother load of new TF's. Leader Starscream, DX: Ironhide, Battle-blade BB, War for Cybertron Prime/ BB, Voyager SeaSpray, and activators movie Prime and BB. All are really cool except for SeaSpray. He sucks, bad transformation and very uninspired robot design.



Seaspray has some kinda wanna be Zaku head.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2010 03:46PM by B00.

Damn, B00...you sure cleaned 'em out!

Bummer about Seaspray--his alt mode looked pretty righteous. I mean, it actually looked like a cool, legit hovercraft. Eh well.

Anyway, I just watched this review of Leader Starscream...and it filled me with confusion and self-doubt. I mean, I wanna hate it...but I can't deny the facts. First, this toy probably costs as much as your average fucking Revoltech figure these days...and *HALF* as much as Bandai's new Hi-Metal 1/100 VF-1's, at easily twice the mass... (And let's not even consider the "value" equation in contrast with Yamato or Bandai's 1/60 Valks.)

Oh, I can hear Veef starting his slow grind already. I know these toys are apples and oranges...and a fair comparison can't truly be made here. I don't mention those facts to campaign against modern Valk toys (or Revoltechs for that matter).

It's just that Starscream's cheap, big, sturdy and clicky, and he's got a simple transformation. Hell, the fucking pig's even got a shooty gimmick. These are features that have come to be almost too much to ask for in a single transforming jet-robot toy.

Now...just a little acetone to rid him of those dumb tattoos...

Y'all feel me?

I thought you didn't like monkey-jet

Like I said, I wanna hate it.

But the jet mode looks pretty solid, and it looks so friggin' good. It's a damn convincing F22--and I can forgive the roboty parts on the bottom because it all fits without adding too much bulk. I'd be really interested to see a side-by-side comparison with one of the Masterpiece F15's.

The robot...yeah, pretty simian. But it sure looks a lot more deliberate than any of the smaller scale toys of him. I can't help wonder how the robot mode would be without the dumb tattoos, and with a more mecha-like head (like a Legioss one or something like that). Oh, and normal hands couldn't hurt. Might actually look acceptable after a few alterations...

Bah, I still wanna hate it.

Sanjeev Wrote:
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> I'd be really interested to see a side-by-side
> comparison with one of the Masterpiece F15's.

If you're talking about the jet mode, there is absolutely no comparison. The only thing out of place on their F-15 profile is the addition of two bulges that become the knees and feet.

Oh, I'm sure there's no comparison. Looking from top down, maybe...but from the bottom, it's obvious how amazingly seamless the F15 design is. That said, I still think it'd be interesting to see the relative compromises side-by-side. I mean, movie Starscream seems to make a ton of compromises in jet mode in order for the whole toy to be more rugged and playable...BUT those compromises actually don't seem to make the jet mode so horribly ugly, it can't still be enjoyed by jet nerds.

I respect Kawamori (he designed the F15, right?) for making nearly ZERO compromises in jet mode--it's obviously gorgeous--but the overall result is a toy I wasn't terribly impressed with. And at the end of the day, a "transforming jet-robot TOY" is still what we're dealing with here. Obviously, individual opinions will vary, but like I said, it'd be cool seeing them together.

Sanjeev Wrote:
> I respect Kawamori (he designed the F15, right?)
> for making nearly ZERO compromises in jet
> mode--it's obviously gorgeous--but the overall
> result is a toy I wasn't terribly impressed with.
> And at the end of the day, a "transforming
> jet-robot TOY" is still what we're dealing with
> here.


Man you kids these days can't even accept the mere fact that it's a TRANSFORMING jet-robot toy as being enough.

And besides, safety regulations have totally nerfed shooting gimmicks for anything that isn't Nerf.

And if you really want to get technical, only one Valkyrie toy ever had a shooting gimmick. And even that was just the gun.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2010 01:18PM by VF5SS.

Having seen this guy in the store today, I can definitely say that when the funds are there I will be getting it. Starscream has really grown on me, and the toy just looks so damn nice, even with the tattoos.

More serious than thou

Leader SS is a crazy fun toy. Bot mode is spot-on, F-22 suffers bloating but I can easily overlook that. The transformation isn't too complex, and it isn't too simple, it's just right. Also the new DX Iron hide rocks, I can't put him down.

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Almost picked up Ironhide today, but Toys R Us was out of all the other new guys. Haven't seen the OP or Bumblebee WFC toys yet, which are the ones I really wanted. I was thinking of getting the Star Wars Crossover Yoda toy. Online pics made it look so good, but the real thing in package looks as lousy as the rest of those usually are. I've got a bit of non-buyer's remorse today for not having picked up Starscream, but if things hold true with the leader scale figs, there will be plenty of him around later.

More serious than thou

VF5SS Wrote:
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> Man you kids these days can't even accept the mere
> fact that it's a TRANSFORMING jet-robot toy as
> being enough.

Of course not. I think it's great that there're a decent number of options out there today. A lot of them suck, a lot of them kick ass. And the economy blows. So why not be choosy?


> And besides, safety regulations have totally
> nerfed shooting gimmicks for anything that isn't
> Nerf...

True. I don't foresee much play value added from the sole, toothless missile launcher, but hey...they tried. I guess you could leave the launcher in the box, and you'd be fine in both modes.

Hey, B00, a favor: when you get a chance, could you please measure the jet mode (nose to afterburner, and wingtip to wingtip)? I'm just curious as to what approximate scale it is.

Nose to tail roughly 11.5". Wing to wing roughly 8.5".

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Hey, 1/64. Not too bad. Thanks for the numbers, B00!

Picked up the Leader Starscream today. I honestly didn't think I was going to like it when the first pictures came out, but damn, it's just a big, fun, well-engineered hunk of toy.

The jet mode is a little distorted-looking - I can't decide whether it's just that the plane's belly looks too deep, or whether the whole thing looks a touch stubby. And I get the feeling it'll have the same problem as the similarly-sized Masterpiece Starscream (at least the US edition), where all the interlocking panels don't quite lie flat because of the tension from the surrounding hinges.

Those gripes aside, though, it's a really nifty toy. If you haven't got a ROTF Leader Optimus Prime yet, go to TRU this week and get Prime and Starscream - they have a buy one/get one 50% off sale that will net you both for about $65.

Inverarity Wrote:
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> ...And I get the feeling it'll
> have the same problem as the similarly-sized
> Masterpiece Starscream (at least the US edition),
> where all the interlocking panels don't quite lie
> flat because of the tension from the surrounding
> hinges.

Really? Why do you get that feeling?

Have you transformed it yet? I've watched a couple vid reviews of it on Youtube, and it looks pretty simple and sturdy.


> Those gripes aside, though, it's a really nifty
> toy. If you haven't got a ROTF Leader Optimus
> Prime yet, go to TRU this week and get Prime and
> Starscream - they have a buy one/get one 50% off
> sale that will net you both for about $65.

You foul temptress! ;)

I'm buying so many other things right now, it seems unlikely that I'll get this guy immediately, but I'm pretty sure I will be getting him. Leader OP needs an enemy, and that lousy Megatron toy just doesn't fit the bill...

More serious than thou

Sanjeev Wrote:
> Really? Why do you get that feeling?
>
> Have you transformed it yet? I've watched a couple
> vid reviews of it on Youtube, and it looks pretty
> simple and sturdy.

I've transformed it quite a few times now. The main area that worries me is the hinged plate that fits above the engines, between the tailfins. It doesn't want to sit flat, at least on my particular toy; it's always a few mm above the point where it would sit flush. Push down on it to get it in the right place, and it gradually moves back up again.

It's really a minor complaint, though. Between the panel lines and the visual noise from the camo up top, you'd have to be looking at a particular angle to see it clearly, and I doubt it means that the thing is poorly made or bound to fall apart.

Favorite gimmick: the gun and missile assemblies on the forearms. Push a small lever, and the armor plate splits apart and allows the weapons to lift out of the forearms into a firing position. It's the kind of nifty but fiddly thing that's tough to do on a toy unless it's at this sort of scale.

Saw this pic of Masterpiece Bayscream. It looks so, so much better without the obnoxious tribal tattoos. That shit is so 90s, man. Glad they ditched it.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2010 06:31PM by Gcrush.

Gcrush Wrote:
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> Saw this pic of Masterpiece Bayscream. It looks
> so, so much better without the obnoxious tribal
> tattoos. That shit is so 90s, man. Glad they
> ditched it.
>
> [toyboxdx.com]

Agreed, however my wallet says Hasbro release plus acetone = the same toy at a bargain price.

More serious than thou

Christ...yeah, that's kinda tough. The "Masterpiece" is twice as much. And acetone WOULD do the trick on the US version. BUT the Masterpiece does feature super-accurate camo...

...Which could go a LONG way for jet nerds. Like people who helped design the F22...people...named Sanjeev... *sigh*

Hey, maybe they throw a diecast bit in there somewhere to, you know, make it worth 60 bucks more...

More serious than thou

I like the ROTF tattoos, but the MP version does look very nice.

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Quick note - Human Alliance Jazz is every bit as good as the other HA releases. My only gripe is that the legs are a little spindly (too many joints and not enough mass). Other than that, he's great. The head is particularly nice, with a lever that will raise the transparent visor and fold it under his helmet.

He comes with a motorcycle that turns into his weapon. I can't help but think that the arrangement of the wheels in weapon mode makes it look like the world's most deadly pitching machine...

Got Soundwave yesterday. I made this scorpion fanmode for it.

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

Bumblebee was destroyed by a DC police truck yesterday:

[www.tfw2005.com]

Ok, maybe against board policy, I'm getting rid of my 2007/ROTF Transformers cheap to make room for my first love, Macross. Voyager and Deluxe toys only.

So I have some really cheap Ebay auctions, less than a day, and since there is like 2 ppl watching and noone bidding on them, you will likely get these figs really cheap.

[shop.ebay.com]

You post that kinda stuff in the TBDX market

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Sorry, did not know it existed. Next time I sell stuff I'll post it there instead.

Got Leader class Starscream. After transforming it back into robot mode, his toe broke. I'm going to return it and get my $40 back.

I'll wait for DOTM version of Screamer, as I prefer smaller TFs anyway (rarely do I buy anything larger than deluxe class).

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I asked if I have "Time For L-Gaim" but I got "No Reply From The Wind".

The Sea Spray repaint, Deep Dive, is awesome. Lugnut is awesome, too.

Not sure where this belongs, as it's a transitional figure, but it was technically part of the Hunt for the Decepticons line, so I'm placing it here - I scored a Highbrow yesterday. First time I'd seen one in this area, and it seems to be sold out everywhere. I have to say this is one of those toys that looks so much better in person than it does online. It's a really unique vehicle mode for a Transformer:



I guess he's Highbrow due to the dual props, as he was a dual-bladed helicopter in G1.

It's a unique transformation as well, but not too complex. Like most of the "Classics" toys it finds a nice balanced level of transformational complexity. The arms are a bit weird, but that's part of the charm.




Unfortunately, mine does not have the nice brass facial paint job this one does (not my photos here), and the fact that it is only a light spray over the bottom part of the face kind of makes it look worse. The flip-down mask is a neat feature. I leave the mask down on HA Bumblebee because his normal face looks like crap, and I'll be doing the same here.

This was one of those toys I didn't expect to like, but Ii you can manage to find one of these, it's a worthy pickup.

More serious than thou

fujikuro Wrote:
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> This was one of those toys I didn't expect to
> like, but Ii you can manage to find one of these,
> it's a worthy pickup.

I grabbed one of these on-line last year. It's only been within the last week or so that I've actually seen them in-store. Same thing with the battle blades Prime (another excellent figure, by the way).

I think your assessment is spot-on. It's an odd duck in some ways, but that's part of the appeal. That sucks yours didn't have the face painted in. It's one of my favorite Transformers at the moment.

The recent Lugnut figure hits similar notes as Highbrow. Weird, psuedo-plane design with oddly proportioned robot mode. Tasty.

I'm going to snap up Lugnut the moment I see him. I really like the Animated character, and their post-ROTF update of Animated Lockdown was great as well. That figure and the new Grapple are high on my must-buy list.

More serious than thou

Actually, speaking about the movie toys here, I'm kinda glad when one of these comes out. Though I do seriously like my retail robot fix, the fact is my bank account needs to rest every now and then. So far only one of the movie toys even looks remotely interesting to me (Sentinal Prime), so that's a good thing.

More serious than thou

I kinda dig the Cyberverse Ark, but I've got a thing for playsets.