Leonardo wrote:But no, I don't think they are the only alternative to blocky designs. What should they have done, though? Less wiring, internal components? Less complex transformations? I don't think these are necessarily better designs than other ideas that may or may not have been rejected, but I'm not 100% convinced that they're any worse than any other designs, either.
In my opinion, it's not a question of better or worse, more better or worse for Transformers.
I love MP Prime and don't rate most Gundams.
However, as much as I prefer Prime, he makes a lousy Gundam as Gundam designs have their own look and feel, a visual identity of their own.
This is in part what the name represents.
Like I said, I do think most of the movie TFs look like Transformers; Starscream (minus head) and Blackout in particular do mix new styling with old very well.
But others; most notably Megatron and Frenzy may or may not make good robots of some kind, but if you judge them by the look defined by the Transformers name, that whole diaclone/microman mix which is part of the reason it stood out as it has, it's a totally different story.
Some people aren't fans of all mech; they like just Gundam or Macross or Transformers because of their unique identities.
It's as essential as the personalities or the mythos and they hold things up to the identity it created.
And imo, they're not wrong for doing so.