Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review

Friday, April 9th, 2010 12:17AM CDT

Categories: Movie News, Toy News, Reviews
Posted by: Blurrz Views: 93,502

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If you wanted more Bumblebee, you've got it. The Hunt for the Decepticons toy line, being the successor to the Revenge of the Fallen line, will feature two new Bumblebee figures. One of them is a brand new Deluxe, the other is much bigger and happens to be Battle Ops Bumblebee. It's in it's own class size, and armed to the teeth with new weapons and new gimmicks. Energon Pub member Pascal has uploaded a pictorial review on Cybertron.ca. He elaborates on Bumblebee's robot mode, alternate mode, transformation, gimmicks and much more.

Does Battle Ops Bumblebee kick all of the previous Bumblebee incarnations, including Human Alliance Bumblebee to the curve? You'll have to read Pascal's entire review to find out!

Keep it at Seibertron.com for the fastest Transformers news on the net!

Credit(s): Pascal

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Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062887)
Posted by Autobot032 on April 9th, 2010 @ 1:02am CDT

Well, I'll be saving money on this one. It looks good, somewhat, but still not worth the dough imo.

Ah well.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062893)
Posted by Prime Riblet on April 9th, 2010 @ 2:17am CDT

I actually thing it looks amazingly good. I would love to have one, but there is no way in Hell that Hasbro is going to get me to buy another Bumblebee figure. I think Hasbro has more than adequately saturated the market with this character. If Hasbro is going to do this, they could make a Cliffjumper repaint.....at the very least.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062924)
Posted by GEEWUN on April 9th, 2010 @ 6:19am CDT

I don't know. I already have a deluxe bumblebee. I don't think the size of this fig would go good with my other figs.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062959)
Posted by Sabrblade on April 9th, 2010 @ 8:07am CDT

It's not called "Hunt for the Decepticons", the new toyline is just called "Transformers". "Hunt for the Decepticons" is a subline in the new toyline.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062963)
Posted by Pascal on April 9th, 2010 @ 8:32am CDT

Sabrblade wrote:It's not called "Hunt for the Decepticons", the new toyline is just called "Transformers". "Hunt for the Decepticons" is a subline in the new toyline.

Whatever, it's clearly a movie toy.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062966)
Posted by Pascal on April 9th, 2010 @ 8:36am CDT

Btw, I've added a few paint apps to break out the grey. Looks much better now.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062971)
Posted by autobot-jolt on April 9th, 2010 @ 8:41am CDT

looks very cool, but I'll pass to save my money for the Transformers I really want.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1062990)
Posted by rpetras on April 9th, 2010 @ 9:57am CDT

Oh look it's what HA BB should have been. :roll:

I'll be passing on this one since it does not fit in scale-wise with anything else.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063010)
Posted by Kibble on April 9th, 2010 @ 11:07am CDT

It looks like a decent enough figure (minus the blue fingers) in all honesty, but they've just gone to the well one too many times or twenty. I'd probably be excited about this had it been one of the first figures in the ROTF line or maybe even the next movie. But between it running $60, the fact I have at least 8 other movie BB figs already, plus another new deluxe mold coming out...it's probably gonna take a helluva sale or clearance for me to even consider this.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063015)
Posted by --B-- on April 9th, 2010 @ 11:12am CDT

Meh, another movie-verse BB.

Bring on Generations!!!

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063046)
Posted by dragons on April 9th, 2010 @ 12:02pm CDT

thanks hasbro ill be buying this bee & the deluxe veersion as well oh well im glad i am sick of all these bees anyway before this guy came about he may not be in scale as the others but h=what trasnformer toy is g1 metroplex, armada series, cybertron, & others looking forwad to the new universe series more

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063069)
Posted by HighPrime on April 9th, 2010 @ 1:36pm CDT

Good review, thanks for sharing

I'm passing on this one, though. For me, HA Bumblebee was the 'end all be all.' Outside of rubber wheels and an interchangeable hand, improvement is next to impossible (for me.)

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063103)
Posted by mechabooks on April 9th, 2010 @ 3:11pm CDT

--B-- wrote:Meh, another movie-verse BB.

Bring on Generations!!!

Ditto. I want something other than Bumblebee. But, I'm guessing BB is Hasbros new flagship character so I doubt we'll see him disappearing anytime soon. A vastly different look might be interesting though! Thanks for the review!

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063157)
Posted by alternator77 on April 9th, 2010 @ 5:49pm CDT

what the hell is the deal with the left hands on these things is it me or do they all have the same pose. comeon hasbro at least give them a different pose or some articulation. anyways ive got ultimate bb so these are a pass.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063207)
Posted by JRFitzpatrick7 on April 9th, 2010 @ 8:48pm CDT

This looks really good actually the stock images are no where near as flattering for this figure!

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063220)
Posted by Blurrz on April 9th, 2010 @ 11:07pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:It's not called "Hunt for the Decepticons", the new toyline is just called "Transformers". "Hunt for the Decepticons" is a subline in the new toyline.

Look again.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063305)
Posted by Sabrblade on April 10th, 2010 @ 7:36am CDT

Blurrz wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:It's not called "Hunt for the Decepticons", the new toyline is just called "Transformers". "Hunt for the Decepticons" is a subline in the new toyline.

Look again.

Yes, the name of the new toyline, as stated on that box, is "Transformers". There is a little sticker marked "Hunt for the Decepticons" on that particular box, but it is only on certain figures in this line and not all of them, making them part of a subline of the whole "Transformers" toyline (something akin to the "AllSpark Power" and "N.E.S.T. Global Alliance" sublines of the two movie toylines).

If the whole toyline were use the "Hunt for the Decepticons" name, then the box would read "Transformers: Hunt for the Decepticons" (instead of simply "Transformers" with a little "HftD" sticker) and would read so on the packaging of every figure in the toyline, instead of just certain ones.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063307)
Posted by Pascal on April 10th, 2010 @ 7:42am CDT

The box for my Battle Ops Bumblebee doesn't have the HFTD sticker. Since it's an early packaged sample, might not mean much though.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063372)
Posted by Autobot032 on April 10th, 2010 @ 12:13pm CDT

I'm with Blurrz on this one. Even though it states HFTD on a sticker, it's pretty much universally accepted as this:

Yellow package: Revenge Of The Fallen
Red Package: Generations
Blue/Black (I think) Package: Power Core Combiners

So, while it doesn't say HFTD on the package, we pretty much know that's what it is. It's just cheaper and cost effective to simply print TransFormers on the box and just ship it to us.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063398)
Posted by Sabrblade on April 10th, 2010 @ 1:51pm CDT

Autobot032 wrote:I'm with Blurrz on this one. Even though it states HFTD on a sticker, it's pretty much universally accepted as this:

Yellow package: Revenge Of The Fallen
Red Package: Generations
Blue/Black (I think) Package: Power Core Combiners

So, while it doesn't say HFTD on the package, we pretty much know that's what it is. It's just cheaper and cost effective to simply print TransFormers on the box and just ship it to us.

And yet Hasbro is being completely ambiguous on the conituity stauts of the figures in this line that we cannot say for sure are movie characters. Take Voyager Se Spray for example. Some think he's a Movie character, other think he's a new modern take on the G1 Seaspray. And Hasbro won't give a straight answer about who he is and what universe he's from:

Hasbro wrote:Sea Spray is continuing under the design philosophy that we started with Classics line and continued through Universe. It is all about reimaging classic characters in a new, 21st century styling.

Their answer seems to imply that he's like a Classics/Universe verison of G1 Seaspray, yet, he's being relased in the line that features several Movie characters.

It's like Hasbro is toying with us (no pun intended) on the continuity status of several of these new ambiguous "TF 2010" characters.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063400)
Posted by Blurrz on April 10th, 2010 @ 1:55pm CDT

As someone who brings the news 24/7, I've got to pick and choose. Just can't say something is Deluxe Blah blah Blah.. gotta define it as something. Ambiguous as it is, Autobot032 is right.. Yellow = Movie, Red = Generations, Blue = PCC.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063405)
Posted by Sabrblade on April 10th, 2010 @ 2:30pm CDT

Blurrz wrote:As someone who brings the news 24/7, I've got to pick and choose. Just can't say something is Deluxe Blah blah Blah.. gotta define it as something. Ambiguous as it is, Autobot032 is right.. Yellow = Movie, Red = Generations, Blue = PCC.

I'm not saying that it's wrong to say that Battle Ops BB is a movie figure. I'm just saying that the correct name of the toyline would be something like "Transformers (2010)", in a similar vein to how the two Universe toylines are referred to as "Universe (2003)" and "Universe (2008)".

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063408)
Posted by Autobot032 on April 10th, 2010 @ 2:42pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:And yet Hasbro is being completely ambiguous on the conituity stauts of the figures in this line that we cannot say for sure are movie characters. Take Voyager Se Spray for example. Some think he's a Movie character, other think he's a new modern take on the G1 Seaspray. And Hasbro won't give a straight answer about who he is and what universe he's from:

Hasbro wrote:Sea Spray is continuing under the design philosophy that we started with Classics line and continued through Universe. It is all about reimaging classic characters in a new, 21st century styling.
Their answer seems to imply that he's like a Classics/Universe verison of G1 Seaspray, yet, he's being relased in the line that features several Movie characters.

<span>It's like Hasbro is toying with us (no pun intended) on the continuity status of several of these new ambiguous "[url=<a target="_blank" href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_%282010_toyline%29]TF" class="smarterwiki-linkify">http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_%282010_toyline%29]TF</a> 2010[/url]" characters.</span>

[/quote]

I understand where you're coming from, but according to this news posting:
http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... ers/18237/

the new wave of Scout Class Transformers in the line dubbed the "Hunt For The Decepticons" which contains Backfire, Crankstart, Brimstone and Hubcap will arrive at Canadian retailers sometime in May. Thought that's just the start of it. They also report that the first wave of Powercore Combiners, Huffer w/Caliburst, Smolder w/Chopster, Searchlight w/Backwind as well as the combiner 5-packs Bombshock with the Combaticons and Skyburst with the Aerialbots.

Backfire is a repaint of a ROTF Scout Class figure.
So is Crankstart.
Hubcap's design has clearly taken a real life vehicle as it's design (which is ROTF's thing.)

They're all in HFTD packaging.

It even differentiates Powercore Combiners and HFTD in the blurb.

Plus, we've seen countless pieces of proof that this is the system, even if they haven't come forward and said so.

Hunt For The Decepticons:
Scout Class...
Crankstart
Backfire
Hubcap

Deluxe Class...
Ironhide

Leader Class...
Starscream
Battle Hooks Optimus (with a Buster Prime-esque deco)
Bumblebee (he's close enough, so I'll lump him in here.)

All of these are clearly movie inspired and tied in.

Sea Spray? He's a HFTD figure, not a Universe/Classics/Generations figure. Why? Because they need the movie figures to continue to sell, and what better way to do that than to play the nostalgia card? It worked. A good number of fans are foaming at the mouth for an updated Sea Spray. Hasbro was smart enough to give it enough movie design, while making it feel like a U/C/G figure, so it'll cover all the bases. Just like Bludgeon does.

This will ensure that at least ONE HFTD figure is purchased by non movie fans. It's a smart move, I'd do it.

Just because he's a crossover figure (as in, he covers both parts of the fandom, not the Marvel/Star Wars guys...) doesn't change the fact that he's clearly a part of the movie line, just as Dirge and Mindwipe are.

People bought into Supreme Class Devastator partially due to the names listed on the box, and it worked (to some extent...) and it's going to work again.

And I said it before, but it bears repeating because it's true: Movie/ROTF/HFTD uses real vehicle designs and licenses, and U/C/G does not. (Close, but enough changes to keep from infringement.)

That's an important key point to make note of.

And Powercore Combiners? They are clearly spun off into their own line. Their packaging scheme (not the shape, though) is completely different from the other two, and the designs of the figures aren't anything like the other subline designs.

Granted, you are right...TransFormers the name has now become a catchall label, and the sublines are Hunt For The Decepticons, Generations, and Powercore Combiners, but they're all TransFormers, no matter the labeling, and HFTD is the primary line. Both Generations and PCC are filler lines.

And with TransFormers Prime having an obvious movieverse connection (Bumblebee's look on The Hub logo), keeping HFTD alive and tying it into TF3 is the smartest and best way to go.

Sea Spray's existence is only a way to get fans to buy into new figures they wouldn't have before.

Sabrblade wrote:I'm not saying that it's wrong to say that Battle Ops BB is a movie figure. I'm just saying that the correct name of the toyline would be something like "Transformers (2010)", in a similar vein to how the two Universe toylines are referred to as "Universe (2003)" and "Universe (2008)".

But you're still incorrect. Yes, it's true that TransFormers (the brand) is a catchall label now. (It has been for some time, if you really think about it.) But there really is three different series, not just one.

Yellow = HFTD/Movieverse
Red = Collector/fan oriented/Generations
Blue = Kids/fun/Powercore Combiners

Calling HFTD TF2010 isn't correct. It simply isn't.

And yes, Universe and Classics had their own toylines (especially Classics) when no other TF lines were available, but that's only because they were filler while Cybertron had finished and we were making the transition to movieverse. It was an unexpected gamble on Hasbro's part, and Classics ended up being a huge hit and spawned two sequel lines.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063472)
Posted by Sabrblade on April 10th, 2010 @ 7:43pm CDT

I understand that there are three toylines, but this is how they are named:

* Transformers
* Transformers: Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

Not:

* Transformers: Hunt for the Decepticons
* Transformers: Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

I'm trying to say that "HftD" is not the name of the entire toyline, but a portion of it.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063474)
Posted by Pascal on April 10th, 2010 @ 7:53pm CDT

That said, we still don't know if Battle Ops Bumblebee is a HFTD figure or not since in package versions have been seen both with and without the HFTD sticker. At this point, it's probably safer to assume he's indeed a HFTD figure since it's easier to omit a sticker by accident than to put on one that shouldn't be there. What's more, that sticker seems to have been sized especially for that big box.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063475)
Posted by Autobot032 on April 10th, 2010 @ 7:56pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:I understand that there are three toylines, but this is how they are named:

* Transformers
* Transformers: Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

Not:

* Transformers: Hunt for the Decepticons
* Transformers: Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

I'm trying to say that "HftD" is not the name of the entire toyline, but a portion of it.

....wow. No one said it was the entire toyline. My entire post was how it was the name of a subline and that TransFormers the brand, is the name of the toyline.

And the stickers say HFTD (yes, I know it's an online gimmick), but it's widely accepted as the HTFD portion of the toyline.

Seriously, I'm not even sure why this is so important. If you want to call it TransFormers: I Pay Too Much F**kin' Money, go ahead.

TransFormers: Brand.
Subline(s): Hunt For The Decepticons (though not officially labeled, but widely accepted...) in yellow packaging.

Generations in red packaging.

Powercore Combiners in blue packaging.

I really don't understand why this is so important, and what's so hard to figure out.

Pascal wrote:That said, we still don't know if Battle Ops Bumblebee is a HFTD figure or not since in package versions have been seen both with and without the HFTD sticker. At this point, it's probably safer to assume he's indeed a HFTD figure since it's easier to omit a sticker by accident than to put on one that shouldn't be there.

I agree. Just because a sticker isn't on the box, doesn't change which line it's supposed to be in. If he was meant to be a Generations toy, he'd have been in red packaging.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063532)
Posted by Prime Riblet on April 11th, 2010 @ 12:37am CDT

Autobot032 wrote:Seriously, I'm not even sure why this is so important. If you want to call it TransFormers: I Pay Too Much F**kin' Money, go ahead.

That is what I tend to call just about every line.

Re: Hunt for the Decepticons Battle Ops Bumblebee - Pictorial Review (1063625)
Posted by Jelze Bunnycat on April 11th, 2010 @ 11:01am CDT

Sabrblade wrote:I understand that there are three toylines, but this is how they are named:

* Transformers
* Transformers: Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

Not:

* Transformers: Hunt for the Decepticons
* Transformers: Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

I'm trying to say that "HftD" is not the name of the entire toyline, but a portion of it.

Actually, I'm willing to slightly differ on this (and derail the thread even further). From my observations there are only two lines, max: Transformers proper and Transformers: Generations. I'm saying this because Transformers: Generations has the "Generations" part incorporated into its logo, whereas the other lines don't. I'll double check the galleries again in a bit, but here's my view in the mean time:

* Transformers
- Hunt for the Decepticons
- Power Core Combiners
* Transformers: Generations

btw Generations will occupy only the Deluxe Class range.

EDIT: found them:

Transformers Generations: