Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

News Credits: 2 · by **xyl360** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 6:06 am

Rated X wrote:I display my classics collection in robot mode so the alt modes dont stress me.

Yep, I do to for the most part, though there are a few exceptions (mainly United Tracks and all of the Hot Rod/Rodimus repaints I've picked up).

Rated X wrote:If I had a choice though, I would prefer the 1980's vehicles for nostalgic reasons. For me personally, it's increased articulation and cartoon accuracy of robot modes that made the classics line a success. It's about them actually being action figures instead of just "box figures" like their 80's predecessors. As far as the alt modes are concerned, I always thought they might as well be as cartoon accurate as the robot modes can be, but thats just me. We got the movie line for modern vehicles.

Yep, that makes sense to me. That's one nice thing about the MP line. It offers very accurate bot AND vehicle modes in addition to providing great articulation. At least that's true for most of the MP's (the early MP's are an obvious exception, i.e. MP-01 Optimus, Megatron and the first version of the Seeker mold). These new MP's though are great and look great and pretty much spot on accurate to their original G1 cartoon appearances.

by **Rated X** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:12 am

xyl360 wrote:
Rated X wrote:I display my classics collection in robot mode so the alt modes dont stress me.
Yep, I do to for the most part, though there are a few exceptions (mainly United Tracks and all of the Hot Rod/Rodimus repaints I've picked up).

Rated X wrote:If I had a choice though, I would prefer the 1980's vehicles for nostalgic reasons. For me personally, it's increased articulation and cartoon accuracy of robot modes that made the classics line a success. It's about them actually being action figures instead of just "box figures" like their 80's predecessors. As far as the alt modes are concerned, I always thought they might as well be as cartoon accurate as the robot modes can be, but thats just me. We got the movie line for modern vehicles.
Yep, that makes sense to me. That's one nice thing about the MP line. It offers very accurate bot AND vehicle modes in addition to providing great articulation. At least that's true for most of the MP's (the early MP's are an obvious exception, i.e. MP-01 Optimus, Megatron and the first version of the Seeker mold). These new MP's though are great and look great and pretty much spot on accurate to their original G1 cartoon appearances.

I think the Masterpiece line are true works of art. But since I cant buy everything, Ive decided to go with scale over beauty. I do own MP Grimlock and 3 MP seekers. The grimlock is actually in scale with my classics collection in dino mode. (not so much robot mode) But I had to give up on MP seekers because I ran out of coffee tables to place them. I wasnt going to mix them with classics scale figures. If I did, Igear would have been $1000 richer.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 10:18 am

Rated X wrote:I read the article. I scrolled down all the way to the bottom, but couldnt find the part you were referring to describing the designers "vision" for the classics line. Is there a page 2 of the interview im missing ? If you are right, I do believe that licensing fees still played at least a small part in that classics "vision".

Also on MP-10 Prime, back in 1984 was it ever a real truck ? Anybody got pictures of the inspiration ? Ive seen the Ratchet van at Botcon 2011, but have never seen the actual G1 Prime Truck.

I display my classics collection in robot mode so the alt modes dont stress me. If I had a choice though, I would prefer the 1980's vehicles for nostalgic reasons. For me personally, it's increased articulation and cartoon accuracy of robot modes that made the classics line a success. It's about them actually being action figures instead of just "box figures" like their 80's predecessors. As far as the alt modes are concerned, I always thought they might as well be as cartoon accurate as the robot modes can be, but thats just me. We got the movie line for modern vehicles.

Weird, the site that hosted it is also gone now, but then there is this other interview:

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-new ... ew-167073/

Yuki: Though had we gone with the original car designs, it would have been considered as classic cars, so we altered the vehicle modes to match what children now see as stylish. The merchandise are for children, but children prefer something a bit grown-up looking. That is why we aim for products which look cool even to the parents. If the parents see a product as ugly, their children will not want it. This is more so now that Transformers is something both parents and children can talk about.

As I stated before he was based not on one truck alone, he does looks pretty close to the '70s Freightliner FL86, with a couple of differences.

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:30 am

Off topic but I just found this for you original Op Prime lovers out there...
Freightliner FL86

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:24 am

It seems this little guy may start shipping from the end of August/beginning of September?

I would love to have a VW Beetle version of Classics Bumblebee on my shelf, he just looks so cute!! :grin:

If this is successful for the company behind this reshell, I wonder if they might give Classics Cliffjumper a go, with a Porsche 924 body? :-?

by **hattknall** » Sun Aug 12, 2012 3:45 pm

I like it. I do not have a Bumblebee so I'll probably buy this one.

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:38 am

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 1:40 pm

Cheers for the pics Daimchoc!

But what has happened..... he seems.... different?

I was just ready to bite of a piece of this veedub but seeing those shots, well I'm somewhat disapointed?

:-(

Is it because his head looks like an eraser or that his arms look like theyve been added from an old junker?
Perhaps its the odd looking grey roof/interior..?

Darn it Art feather! :sad:

News Credits: 2 · by **Banjo-Tron** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 1:57 pm

These guys are pretty brazen, using the figure name, plus approximations of the Autobot symbols (but they look like they have been subtly altered?) What is up with the mismatching yellows? Dropped the ball or what?

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 2:11 pm

Ive just done a side by side with the promo advertising picture and one from above...

It looks like the interior and door edges have been sprayed silver very poorly? :-?

Bees head is so different too.

Such hopes... dashed?

by **necr0blivion** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:06 pm

Banjo-Tron wrote:These guys are pretty brazen, using the figure name, plus approximations of the Autobot symbols (but they look like they have been subtly altered?) What is up with the mismatching yellows? Dropped the ball or what?

Notice that the Autobot symbol is not visible on the in-box product (alt-mode) and that certain follow-up pictures show it on his chest/roof and also on the driver side of his hood/left foot, while on other pictures it is not there. Same with the "I <3 NY" on the front bumper. Can't tell if this is an actual sticker set that comes with the figure, or was something on hand just to add more decoration.

Regarding the mismatched yellows, I got a flashback of Brian from TFCC at BotCon this year, educating attendees about plastic molded in a certain color vs plastic molded in clear and painted over. I actually have one of these on order, and will try to let y'all know if this is the case or not.

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:24 pm

c/o Tigerblade from the TFW2005 forums.

by **Rated X** » Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:22 pm

So this figure is deluxe class after all.

I wonder why everyone kept in insisting it would be masterpiece scale. Here he is clearly shorter than deluxe Jazz. I see the point about the head being the wrong color. But maybe I can swap it out with universe Bumblebee once he gets new his Renderform "Bumper" noggin. Maybe I can swap out the arms too on a junker if the mold is the same size. The doors pop right off on the Hasbro mold.

News Credits: 2 · by **Banjo-Tron** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:03 am

There are marked differences between Daimchoic's picture and the ones shown before, where is all the silver etc? Unless Daimchoc has mixed a TF 2010 Bumblebee with the Art Feather one.

Cut-and-shut, Daimchoc?

*EDIT - In fact, the moulds even look different. Is Daimchoc's a custom?*

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:13 am

Yep, defo looks like someones custom in those pictures with Jazz, a good effort but not quite the ticket.

This still leaves us with the idea that he may still turn out to be Masterpiece scaled..?

I guess that may explain why the head looks a little odd, dodgy upscale of the Classics head perhaps?

Im back on the fence for the moment. >:oP

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:42 am

Yes, it's a custom. I thought I had labeled it as such. Sorry for the confusion. It's basically to show the size difference.

by **Rated X** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:31 pm

robotmel wrote::-?
Yep, defo looks like someones custom in those pictures with Jazz, a good effort but not quite the ticket.

This still leaves us with the idea that he may still turn out to be Masterpiece scaled..?

I guess that may explain why the head looks a little odd, dodgy upscale of the Classics head perhaps?

Im back on the fence for the moment.

Custom huh ??? Wel I hope it turns out to be deluxe size. I have no desire to own an incomplete Team of MP Autobots. I always said unless they are going to do every character, whats the point of oversized figures ???

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:40 am

by **ambitron** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:43 am

The user "Uranus" on the ACToys forums has posted a bunch of out-of-the-box photos of this:

Out of the box photos of ART FEATHER BUMBLEBEE

They include comparisons with the Classics toy (it's the same size), as well as with MP-10 and PP05.

EDIT: Oops, looks as though Daimchoc already beat me to re-posting the pics I put on the TFW2005 forums, sorry for repeating - damn he's fast.

But anyway, there's a fair few more pics at the link above.

News Credits: 1 · by **Gauntlet101010** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:08 am

These new pics actually make me like this quite a bit more. Especially since I'm using the United version as Goldbug, this would make that seem like more of an upgrade than it currently is. And it's not too large either! I thought it might have bad proportions, but no .... no that's not right at all. The proportions in robot mode look good. But that face is kinda odd.

I wouldn't call this "animation accurate" however - it looks totally different! Those huge doors on his arms and that backpack give it a very different look than and ... I kinda think the classics or Henkei version may be more animation true in robot mode than this. Still, this went from a total pass to a serious consideration for me.

Edit: Oh and there's different yellow there too. Wonder why they couldn't fix that ...

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:09 pm

Still not interested. If all of the other figs on my shelf were their G1 selves then perhaps I'd be interested, but they're not so I'm not.

Classics Bumblebee is still tops for me.

by **Rated X** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:52 pm

Mkall wrote:Still not interested. If all of the other figs on my shelf were their G1 selves then perhaps I'd be interested, but they're not so I'm not.

Classics Bumblebee is still tops for me.

This is 100 times better than any generic Honda dreamed up by Hasbro. I do believe the "new vision" Hasbro tried to create for alt modes was just one big front. They avoid paying licensing fees and new cars are the preferred choice of their target audience...kids. I always felt the Honda was more Cliffjumper anyways. With this new Bumblebee, Cliffjumper will finally be his own mold like the original G1 toys.

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:17 am

Rated X wrote:
Mkall wrote:Still not interested. If all of the other figs on my shelf were their G1 selves then perhaps I'd be interested, but they're not so I'm not.

Classics Bumblebee is still tops for me.

This is 100 times better than any generic Honda dreamed up by Hasbro. I do believe the "new vision" Hasbro tried to create for alt modes was just one big front. They avoid paying licensing fees and new cars are the preferred choice of their target audience...kids. I always felt the Honda was more Cliffjumper anyways. With this new Bumblebee, Cliffjumper will finally be his own mold like the original G1 toys.

Each their own. It's a good figure to be sure; but whatever Hasbro's reasons, the figures are what they are and I'm going to pay a decent amount of money for a figure that breaks the theme. I'd rather a modern take instead of a slavish G1 figure any day.

News Credits: 2 · by **Banjo-Tron** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 2:11 am

If they had come up with an original mould then perhaps they could have avoided that massive kibble on the back which juts out way over his head and ruins the figure - I guess this is what happens when you KO a toy and try to shoehorn your 'own' design around it. Hasbro version FTW.

by **Rated X** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:30 am

Mkall wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Mkall wrote:Still not interested. If all of the other figs on my shelf were their G1 selves then perhaps I'd be interested, but they're not so I'm not.

Classics Bumblebee is still tops for me.

This is 100 times better than any generic Honda dreamed up by Hasbro. I do believe the "new vision" Hasbro tried to create for alt modes was just one big front. They avoid paying licensing fees and new cars are the preferred choice of their target audience...kids. I always felt the Honda was more Cliffjumper anyways. With this new Bumblebee, Cliffjumper will finally be his own mold like the original G1 toys.

Each their own. It's a good figure to be sure; but whatever Hasbro's reasons, the figures are what they are and I'm going to pay a decent amount of money for a figure that breaks the theme. I'd rather a modern take instead of a slavish G1 figure any day.

I get your point my friend. Personally I feel this figure was meant to be. Volkswagons anti war stance was one big joke. They cant erase the atrocities of WWII by shunning the Transformers franchise. And another cool thing about this figure is the box. They flat out called it "G1 Bumblebee" instead of making up some stupid name like Hegemon, Survival Specialist, or Warbot Defender. They just jacked the TF franchises posterboy from Hasbro. Thats the kind of boldness I respect. BBTS, TF Source, Robotkingdom are all scared to sell this. What cowards. Big props to Tony !