The Energon Pub

Metrosuplex wrote:

RAcast wrote:

El Duque wrote:...

Yup, definitely prefer the beastie squad. They may sacrifice a lot on the alt-mode side, but the robot modes are spot on. Frankly, it's kind of amusing that the beast modes look so weird. I wonder if you can swing the legs around give the phoenix(?) rocket boosters.

Yeah, Beast squad looks better. I like the shark thing the most. Still, what's with the awkward beast modes?

Were these guys designed by interns working on weekends? They just seem like such a step backward, engineering-wise. Or, on the other hand, I tip my hand for making such bold design decisions.

Well, if you look back at the Super Link/Energon line's Autobot's, you can tell that these share a lot aesthetically with them, and that they combine in a similar fashion. It's not so much as a step backward in engineering as doing something they already know how to do. Kind of a shame they didn't improve on what they learned from the Super Link line. They definitely made the legs -too- long on the Samurai team. Ninja team looks fantastic and I can't wait to see more of them combined.

As for the weird altmode designs, I feel like the shark is definitely supposed to be a Shark-submarine...though I can't think of a good excuse for the other two. The lion is super deformed and the phoenix packed on the pounds for thanksgiving. Seriously though, I like them, and find their weird designs oddly endearing.

You know what grinds my gears? People call the movie toys TINO. (Transformers In Name Only)

Apparently, they haven't seen these yet.

Metrosuplex wrote:

RAcast wrote:

El Duque wrote:...

Yup, definitely prefer the beastie squad. They may sacrifice a lot on the alt-mode side, but the robot modes are spot on. Frankly, it's kind of amusing that the beast modes look so weird. I wonder if you can swing the legs around give the phoenix(?) rocket boosters.

Yeah, Beast squad looks better. I like the shark thing the most. Still, what's with the awkward beast modes?

Were these guys designed by interns working on weekends? They just seem like such a step backward, engineering-wise. Or, on the other hand, I tip my hand for making such bold design decisions.

To be honest, it's hard to make a three-way combiner with individual modes.

those are pretty bad, is there no hope left for this franchise?

These are so japanese. Very reminiscent of the old web diver/dai gander toys. I love that purple shark!

now that we've seen proper pics of these and the vehicle boys, I gotta give it to the vehicles. I'm still amused by the fat shark, but its bot mode isn't all that and the lion looks a bit awkward in both modes. I like the phoenix though. maybe this one will look better in combined forms?

Looks like I'll be passing on this combiner as well. Shame really. They look so awkward and detached from the rest of the PRIME/Go! line.

Mindmaster wrote:To be honest, it's hard to make a three-way combiner with individual modes.

Magnaboss, Tripredacus and Rail Racer beg to differ

TBH, these at least look better in robot mode and should look better combined. The beast modes are garbage save for the shark. What happened to Takara's designers?

Is it me, or does that bird-guy remind me of Doubledealer? Color him blue-purple and whammo, you got yourself a backstabbing powermaster.

Not sure how much I like the lion. Basically looks like you fold back the front paws, straighten the legs and fold down the lion head, revealing the robot head. Seems a bit simple. But then again, it is a combiner, after all...

I'm not sure what I think about these.

You know, I wish they had decided the beast mode AFTER the initial concept because the lion looks like a porcupine, the phoenix might look better if they add 2 extra arms and turn it into a griffon, and the shark be repainted to be a Killer whale

But I like the fact that at least they have their combined mode heads integrated better than the vehicle team's giant head weapons.

Autobot032 wrote:You know what grinds my gears? People call the movie toys TINO. (Transformers In Name Only)

Apparently, they haven't seen these yet.

I do find it odd they look more like something that would come from Bandai and not Takara.

But at least they are not 2-fingered terminators with bird legs (please everyone, that's a joke, there are a LOT of movie designs and toys I'm quite the fan of)

craggy wrote:now that we've seen proper pics of these and the vehicle boys, I gotta give it to the vehicles. I'm still amused by the fat shark, but its bot mode isn't all that and the lion looks a bit awkward in both modes. I like the phoenix though. maybe this one will look better in combined forms?

Nothing "happened" to them, the end result is clearly what they intended, going for something similar to Brave/GaoGaiGar/etc

Lord Onixprime wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:To be honest, it's hard to make a three-way combiner with individual modes.

Magnaboss, Tripredacus and Rail Racer beg to differ

I'm talking about interchangeable positions. Those three only combined a certain way; these combine into three different configurations.

I'll reserve judgement on the combined mode until I actually see it.

The lion seems to have come out the strongest. The beast mode head is WAY too big, but that aside it looks good and the robot mode is good.

The shark is...interesting. Whilst I kinda dig the submarine vibe, it looks a bit weird, and I don't know if I like the robot mode.

The phoenix has a decent robot mode, but the beast mode looks like a turkey.

Still, they do look very well engineered at the very least.

Courtesy of e-Hobby we have some updated official images of Takara Tomy's upcoming Transformers Go! Gekisomaru, Hisashimaru, and Sensuimaru otherwise known as the Swordbot Shinobi Team. These images give us our best looks to date of the trio including nice up close shots of the figure's faces. The team can combine in three different configurations to form a larger robot. Check out the new official images mirrored below:

I wanna see someone take Gekisomaru and spread out his bottom two mane blades to make him look like a Blade Liger from Zoids.

I really like the shark-guy.

I really love how these figures look. They just look fun. What action figures should be.

Lights, gimmicks, and crazy weapons. What can go wrong?

All of these go combiner teams look like crap. They tried to homage lio convoy and divebomb from the predacons but failed horribly. Dont even get me stated and possibly the worst sharkticon yet.

I thought Takara made the better looking transformers now it looks like they have decided to just throw out stuff that looks worse than some KOs. Hell with the rise of the high quality 3rd parties you would think its time for Takara to step up its game and make better figures.

happylock wrote:All of these go combiner teams look like crap. They tried to homage lio convoy and divebomb from the predacons but failed horribly. Dont even get me stated and possibly the worst sharkticon yet.

I really don't think they were trying to homage anything. Just because they share alt-modes doesn't mean it's an homage. I can't even think of a previous Transformer that was a phoenix, and then there's the fact that the lion's head was on the shoulder on the robot mode of the original Lio Convoy. Personally I'm finding these figures fairly unique, even if the phoenix figure actually reminds me of the Digivolving Birdramon figure Bandai produced years and years ago.

But yeah, they do still look like crap.

Sabrblade wrote:I wanna see someone take Gekisomaru and spread out his bottom two mane blades to make him look like a Blade Liger from Zoids.

Was thinking the same thing, love my Zoids! It is probably why he is the only one I like from both teams. Still not getting him though