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As long as the feet are done right, then I'm all over this. Looking good so far.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Rated X wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:My thoughts are, if you're going to be redoing the car shell as well as parts of the transformation, you may as well create a whole new mold from scratch. They made a new mold for RtS Jazz instead of making him a Universe Silverstreak repaint, didn't they?

Thats true, but what about when Has/Tak cut costs by intergrating Sunstreaker and Sideswipe into the same mold ? In G1 they were 2 completly different molds. (a real Lamborghini Countach and a futuristic car roughly based on the Lamborghini Countach) With 2 totally different robot mode transformations. We could see something simiular on an MP scale. If Prowl's shoulder wheels mysteriously flip up for no reason and his lower legs swivel 360 degrees like FP Assualter, then we know whats coming.

I knew you were gonna bring up Universe Sunsteaker/Sideswipe

While Universe's aim was updating designs, Masterpiece's aim is for cartoon-accuracy and no cutting corners. Take a close look at Red Alert and compare him with Sideswipe. They could have left out the wheels on the shoulders and the detail on the hood chest, but they didn't.

I tend to think both the Universe line and the Masterpiece line have the same goal. For me "updating designs" means advanced articulation combined with cartoon accuracy. The good thing about the MP line is that it's target audience is NOT kids. So we can get those 80's cars we love instead of something that has to be "cool enough" to impress todays kids. Thats where the whole "NEO" debate comes in. Is "NEO" a designers reinvisioning or a kiddie marketing gimmick ? (Only Hasbro really knows the answer) The bad thing about the MP line is theyre large size and cost. It really restricts the amount of figures designed by Has/Tak as well as a collectors ability to afford and display the entire G1 cast. Not to mention those annoying licensing issues with some car companies like Ferarri and Volkswagon make getting an MP release of some characters impossible.

Doc bot wrote:Since they're being true to the original car makes, I guess we're never going to see Jazz or even Bumblebee with those German car makers avoid toys with guns. Bummer.

They could always release the figures and weapons separately, no?

Honestly, I don't see them finishing the 1984 lineup. And that has nothing to do with car licenses.

They are going to do characters that they think sell the best and then whatever repaints they can get from those... I think after they do a few more season 1 cons/bots they are going to move on to most wanted Season 2/1986 Movie characters and beyond(Armada, beast wars, etc), and by that time the line will probably lose steam and end.

This line is all about toon G1 accuracy though. They most definitely would do a new mold for Jazz. And Cliffy looks nothing like his car, they would make him look like the toon.

As much as I get tired of movie Bee, I really do hope we get a G1 MP for him. If they don't finish the 1984 line-up, as long as we have a MP-10 and a MP Bee I would be pretty happy.

Man, I'm excited about this but I have a lot of catching up to do with MP's since the redesigns, and i sold off all the old ones. I still need MP Grimlock (had him had to sell "crying in the corner") I need MP10, MP11, Got Thundercracker, Need MP12, MP13, Got Red Alert now we got Prowl coming. Oh, how am I gonna do this. It sucks being a no money havin, low wage payin; job bastard!!

Anyone want to buy a Star Wars Collection? lol

Rated X wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:

First-Aid wrote:plus a minor retool will result in Jazz/Stepper/Ricochet.

You cannot turn this:



into this:



with a mere minor retool. Forgetting about the difference in the shoulders, the chest transforms radically differently, the waist is fundamentally different and the feet/legs transformation is fundamentally different.

Yes Hasbro might try it because in their market, adult collectors make up the minority. However we are talking about Takara, whose bread and butter are adult collectors and where the Masterpiece line is a mainstream retail release. Furthermore Prowl and Meister are very popular characters, so there's no way in hell they're going to cut corners with either.

Oh the re-tool will happen. Remember Takara are the ones bold enough to paint Scourge purple, give him a new head, and call him Ratbat.

"Senator Ratbat" actually and it ties into the IDW comic design. Remember this isn't the first time Takara have put a US-based design out in the Japanese market. Just look at TF Collection Hotrod, complete with Firebolt.

Rated X wrote:Takara is also the one who were too lazy to remove the stupid light up hand gimmick on their version of G1 Unicron.

If it was laziness and cost cutting, you would have gotten the clear hand with no light up gimmick.

Rated X wrote:Takara is so lazy they dont even assemble their arms microns, they give you an unasembled kit.(WTF?)

Do you know how popular model kit-based figures are in Japan with both adult and child collectors alike? Heck between Macross and Gundam, PlaMo have made Bandai a juggernaut in the Japanese market. Did it ever occur to you that maybe Japanese fans actually want PlaMo TFs? Heck, Kabaya has been making a mint off selling "gumkits" for years.

Rated X wrote:Takaras strength is paint and they will make this mold look just like Jazz. The feet will spin around to simulate the proper look, and the wheels on the shoulders will probally flip up. Shoulder cannons will be clip on.

Do you even own G1 Jazz and G1 Prowl? The fact is that no amount of paint will make both chest, groin and leg designs mesh up.

Rated X wrote:4. Remember we are talking about re-tooling here. The transformation is very similar to adapt a porcshe re-shell. The legs can be turned around and the wheels on the the shoulder can be flipped up. If Has/Tak doesnt modify it, Igear might like they did with the seekers.

Several points here - first up, Hound has a more similar chest transformation to Prowl than Jazz does. Despite how both look, the internal mechanics are radically different and there is no way you can mask those differences, particularly with how much is packed into a Masterpiece figure- every bit of space counts.

Secondly the basic inner frame of the waist and legs on both figures are fundamentally different- paint wont hide that.

Rated X wrote:Thats true, but what about when Has/Tak cut costs by intergrating Sunstreaker and Sideswipe into the same mold ? In G1 they were 2 completly different molds. (a real Lamborghini Countach and a futuristic car roughly based on the Lamborghini Countach) With 2 totally different robot mode transformations.

Except that if that was going to happen, then why haven't we seen it already? The fact is that if it was going to happen, then we would have already seen a Sunstreaker retooled from Sideswipe and released before Prowl was announced. The fact that we haven't is glaring proof that it wont happen with Prowl and Jazz either - remember that even in CHUG Prowl and Jazz were given separate moulds.

Rated X wrote:I tend to think both the Universe line and the Masterpiece line have the same goal. For me "updating designs" means advanced articulation combined with cartoon accuracy. The good thing about the MP line is that it's target audience is NOT kids. So we can get those 80's cars we love instead of something that has to be "cool enough" to impress todays kids. Thats where the whole "NEO" debate comes in. Is "NEO" a designers reinvisioning or a kiddie marketing gimmick ? (Only Hasbro really knows the answer) The bad thing about the MP line is theyre large size and cost. It really restricts the amount of figures designed by Has/Tak as well as a collectors ability to afford and display the entire G1 cast. Not to mention those annoying licensing issues with some car companies like Ferarri and Volkswagon make getting an MP release of some characters impossible.

Actually the Masterpiece and CHUG lines have radically different goals. The CHUG line has always been about highly articulated, modernised forms of original characters. In fact I recall Hasbro saying as much when Classics was announced.

Conversely the Masterpiece line is about quite literally applying modern day toy engineering to the original designs and producing a super articulated, super detailed version of the original designs from the 80s. Both are radically different approaches.

warzon3 wrote:Honestly, I don't see them finishing the 1984 lineup. And that has nothing to do with car licenses.

They are going to do characters that sell the best and then whatever repaints they can get from those... I think after they do a few more season 1 cons/bots they are going to move on to most wanted Season 2/1986 Movie characters and beyond(Armada, beast wars, etc), and by that time the line will probably lose steam and end.

This line is all about toon G1 accuracy though. They most definitely would do a new mold for Jazz. And Cliffy looks nothing like his car, they would make him look like the toon.

As much as I get tired of movie Bee, I really do hope we get a MP for him. If they don't finish the 1984 line as long as we have a MP-10 and a MP Bee I would be pretty happy.

This scenario is as likely as Pokemon dying out in Japan 10 years ago. The fact is that the current approach to the Masterpiece line has proven to be a cash-cow for Takara (look at the frequency of releases compared to before), adult fans make up the core demographic in Japan and that core demographic primarily leans towards G1. Also with the decreasing size scale, costs have also gone down, making the line much more affordable than previously. Quite simply put, licensing issues aside (and considering Lamborgini were on board, there's no reason to think that Porsche and VW wont be either), there is no reason, short of some global catastrophe, that the Masterpiece line wont continue for many years to come.

I'm still a little niffed that they decided to make Prowl and friends over a Galvatron/Megatron Version 2. Not that I don't like Prowl: I'm really digging the mold, looks fantastic thus far. But I feel that the leaders take a little bit more priority over the lesser ranks.

Mindmaster wrote:I'm still a little niffed that they decided to make Prowl and friends over a Galvatron/Megatron Version 2. Not that I don't like Prowl: I'm really digging the mold, looks fantastic thus far. But I feel that the leaders take a little bit more priority over the lesser ranks.

You can't repaint Galvatron...

I just want them to do a real cartoon accurate Ironhide in his true Nissan Onebox Cherry Vanette form. Those things are so ugly that they're awesome. They already work with Nissan and can even remold it as Ratchet. Come on Takara!

The only thing I can say is, thanks to the lightened picture, I have verification that it's a 280 ZX. WAHOOOOOOOOOEY!!!!