The Energon Pub

^^^^ this



I like this guy here a lot now after a luke warm first impression.

Nice transformation from the last time i saw this , He's looking bad ass were as that springer just looks like ass now .

Autobot Genocide wrote:Nice transformation from the last time i saw this , He's looking bad ass were as that springer just looks like ass now .

Agreed. This style suits Roadbuster moreso than Springer in my eyes.

Pain apparently made all the difference, unless there are other differences. I'm with those in a wait and see. Perhaps this guy will come out by Xmas and make me decide before Hasbro's version.

Someone asked, and I didn't really see a response. What's with the minicon? I didn't see a target-, power-, or head-master. Brain-master?

Agamemnon wrote:Someone asked, and I didn't really see a response. What's with the minicon? I didn't see a target-, power-, or head-master. Brain-master?

Isn't this part of their Steel Core line? So he either attaches to Roadbusters chest or fits inside him somehow

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:Someone asked, and I didn't really see a response. What's with the minicon? I didn't see a target-, power-, or head-master. Brain-master?

Isn't this part of their Steel Core line? So he either attaches to Roadbusters chest or fits inside him somehow

Powermaster. Check out his backpack in that rear view photo

guarayakha wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:Someone asked, and I didn't really see a response. What's with the minicon? I didn't see a target-, power-, or head-master. Brain-master?

Isn't this part of their Steel Core line? So he either attaches to Roadbusters chest or fits inside him somehow

Powermaster. Check out his backpack in that rear view photo

Good eyes, thanks So Revolver is part of their Steel Core minicon (or what ever) thing they are doing?

I'm in "wait and see" mode too, but not only about this Roadbuster but the official Has/Tak one as well. I mean, voyager Roadbaster, sure, that sounds great because Springer turned out great, but Roadbuster might as well turn out as a big let down as generations Blitzwing or FoC Grimlock were, for different reasons.

So yeah, Springer lived up to expectations and I hope Roadbaster does too. But after Blitzwing's disastrous mold and Hasbro not only turning a blind eye on its problems but also re-releasing it as Doubledealer, I'm not exactly trusting them as faithfully as a few years ago. I'll wait for reviews to decide which Roadbuster, if any, looks/works good enough.

synapse wrote:I'm in "wait and see" mode too, but not only about this Roadbuster but the official Has/Tak one as well. I mean, voyager Roadbaster, sure, that sounds great because Springer turned out great, but Roadbuster might as well turn out as a big let down as generations Blitzwing or FoC Grimlock were, for different reasons.

So yeah, Springer lived up to expectations and I hope Roadbaster does too. But after Blitzwing's disastrous mold and Hasbro not only turning a blind eye on its problems but also re-releasing it as Doubledealer, I'm not exactly trusting them as faithfully as a few years ago. I'll wait for reviews to decide which Roadbuster, if any, looks/works good enough.

I think I will wait and see on this one, too. I think the new Whirl looks amazing, so hopefully Roadbuster will be just as good. I have to disagree on Blitzwing though, because I think he is about 90% a fantastic figure. I'm hoping the upgrade kit I ordered will kill 2 birds with 1 stone (floppy nosecone and shoulder fix)

Banjo-Tron wrote:I think I will wait and see on this one, too. I think the new Whirl looks amazing, so hopefully Roadbuster will be just as good. I have to disagree on Blitzwing though, because I think he is about 90% a fantastic figure. I'm hoping the upgrade kit I ordered will kill 2 birds with 1 stone (floppy nosecone and shoulder fix)

Springer looks and works great in any mode and it's solid enough. Blitzwing only looks nice and solid in bot mode in my humble opinion, and still needs add-ons to make it work as it should have worked in the first place. I was about to sell mine until I got the SXS upgrade kit. So yeah, now the bot mode looks and works better and the head fits inside the nosecone. But what I meant was, a toy that looks good but needs fixes to work decently is not a 90% fantastic figure by any means.

Whatever. I just hope Roadbuster will look good next to my Springer and Whirl. I'm intrigued about what characters Hasbro could redeco Roadbuster and Whirl's molds into though.




(sorry for my english btw)

Arctorro wrote:

guarayakha wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:Someone asked, and I didn't really see a response. What's with the minicon? I didn't see a target-, power-, or head-master. Brain-master?

Isn't this part of their Steel Core line? So he either attaches to Roadbusters chest or fits inside him somehow

Powermaster. Check out his backpack in that rear view photo

Good eyes, thanks So Revolver is part of their Steel Core minicon (or what ever) thing they are doing?

Yes, great eye! I might just have to bit on this now. It look sooooo much better. (I think Warpath was being redecoed into hardhead, not Roadbuster, correct?)

synapse wrote:A lot of really good points over a couple of posts!

(First, your English looked good to me. I think it's better than some English as a first language people. )

You make some good points about Blitzwing, and I respect your assessment that it isn't 90% good. However, I disagree and fall more towards Banjo-Tron. The issues with Blitz were some design (nose-cone and a head that was too big) but some were in how the figure was packaged. I was actually able to fix the shoulder issue with some careful application of heat and bending the relevant pieces back into the original form. Perhaps this is also a materials issue, though I understand what Hasbro was thinking with the material. One last point, I think the plane mode is actually quite nice! It has a very Robotech New Generation Alpha Fighter feel to it. I am tempted to get one to repaint into Scott Bernard colors, probably from the DD scheme.

FP Revolver looks better than I expected. Perhaps there is an opportunity to use both this and the Has/Tak mold. I wish we had some inkling what the Has/Tak offering looked like...

guarayakha wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:Someone asked, and I didn't really see a response. What's with the minicon? I didn't see a target-, power-, or head-master. Brain-master?

Isn't this part of their Steel Core line? So he either attaches to Roadbusters chest or fits inside him somehow

Powermaster. Check out his backpack in that rear view photo

Urgh. Why, FansProject? Why?

I'm fine with a figure getting a pilot for vehicle mode, but why does Roadbuster have to be a Powermaster? I suspect we know how they're going to justify it, but who actually asked for it?

Revolver's not too bad as it's pretty well buried out of the way. I just hope FP aren't going to get into a habit of making all of the figures some kind of Master.

Something else I thought of in regards the Hasbro vs. FansProject discussion was about how the upcoming Generations Whirl is very G1 inspired. I realise that was intentional, but I can't say I like it. (I find it too G1 for Classics, and too Classics for G1. ) If the rumoured voyager Roadbuster follows a similar style (what with both being Wreckers) then Revolver may be my figure of choice by default.

Agamemnon wrote:The issues with Blitz were some design (nose-cone and a head that was too big) but some were in how the figure was packaged. I was actually able to fix the shoulder issue with some careful application of heat and bending the relevant pieces back into the original form. Perhaps this is also a materials issue, though I understand what Hasbro was thinking with the material. One last point, I think the plane mode is actually quite nice! It has a very Robotech New Generation Alpha Fighter feel to it. I am tempted to get one to repaint into Scott Bernard colors, probably from the DD scheme.

My point is simply, if a toy NEEDS fixing, it's just not an excellent (9/10) toy. That's all. I still like it though. You're right about the Robotech feel, now that I think of it

I just feel like we've gotten used to tolerate certain things from Hasbro that we would never tolerate from 3rd parties.

synapse wrote:I just feel like we've gotten used to tolerate certain things from Hasbro that we would never tolerate from 3rd parties.

That's a pretty big difference in price point though.

I can tolerate a bit of slop in a $12-$20 figure, but I'm a lot less forgiving at $60, $100 or more.

rpetras wrote:

synapse wrote:I just feel like we've gotten used to tolerate certain things from Hasbro that we would never tolerate from 3rd parties.

That's a pretty big difference in price point though.

I can tolerate a bit of slop in a $12-$20 figure, but I'm a lot less forgiving at $60, $100 or more.

I give a lot of credit to Hasbro for pulling off figures like Generations Blitzwing, Springer, Sandstorm, & Doubledealer that have mainstream kids appeal as well as collector appeal. That's a tough tightrope to walk.

3rd Parties have a more homogenous audience - that's not to say we're easier to please (just the opposite!) but the expectations are much better defined. This, combined with the price points, means I am much less forgiving with those groups' products.

rpetras wrote:

synapse wrote:I just feel like we've gotten used to tolerate certain things from Hasbro that we would never tolerate from 3rd parties.

That's a pretty big difference in price point though.

I can tolerate a bit of slop in a $12-$20 figure, but I'm a lot less forgiving at $60, $100 or more.

I know, I know... but Hasbro has the means (and the stablished fanbase, and the promotion tools, and the... well, you get the idea) to make it right the first time and to listen to their fans if they didn't. Which didn't happen with Blitzwing. Most 3rd parties nowadays are aproachable and willing to solve any problems we may have with their products at no additional cost.


Ah, whatever. I still prefer a good product by the official owner, of course. If all voyager toys from now on were like Springer, my wallet would be in serious trouble. Sadly, we know it won't be the case.

synapse wrote:

rpetras wrote:

synapse wrote:I just feel like we've gotten used to tolerate certain things from Hasbro that we would never tolerate from 3rd parties.

That's a pretty big difference in price point though.

I can tolerate a bit of slop in a $12-$20 figure, but I'm a lot less forgiving at $60, $100 or more.

I know, I know... but Hasbro has the means (and the stablished fanbase, and the promotion tools, and the... well, you get the idea) to make it right the first time and to listen to their fans if they didn't. Which didn't happen with Blitzwing. Most 3rd parties nowadays are aproachable and willing to solve any problems we may have with their products at no additional cost.


Ah, whatever. I still prefer a good product by the official owner, of course. If all voyager toys from now on were like Springer, my wallet would be in serious trouble. Sadly, we know it won't be the case.

You are absolutely right. I think it is just a matter of motivation. Hasbro is going to put enough effort into a product to maximize profit. Minor fixes can actually cost a lot in engineering and tooling costs. If kids will play with it, and parents continue to buy these for their kids, we'll continue to see some slightly shoddy design. (FoC Bruticus, anyone?) For me, then 9 out of 10 comes from Hasbro's typical offerings. Some figures are constructed nearly perfectly. (Generations Jetfire) Some are shoddy like Blitzwing (I'd give it a 4/10 on assembly and materials, and a 8/10 for overall design) but the playability and coolness factor may diminish those flaws to give an overall likability rating of 9/10. But that is just my own opinion. I can actually see a justification, especially based off of the design flaws, of something less than that.

The robot mode looks like it took a few sacrifices to make the alt mode look like the 1985 version. I just don't like the robot boxy lower limbs & overly boxy upper chest piece. Is that a headmaster?
I don't need this as the Hasbro 30th voyager version of Roadbuster is getting made.

Shadowstream wrote:

Rated X wrote:

megatronus wrote:

Rated X wrote:After how they [Hasbro] butchered Springer

I thought we've been through this... Springer rocks!

Oh we have...Springer has fembot legs.

If horizontally thin means "fembot" legs then let's count Megatron in the same boat. Apart from which I seriously don't get your "burly guy" ideology for Springer, since I always saw him as what he was; a Han Solo analogue, who as I recall wasn't all that muscular.

That said, I'm going to join the new sentiment that this does look better now than it initially did, but if I can save some money on a half-decent looking Hasbro release then I will. Until we see for sure I'm keeping my options open and my wallet holstered.

Comparing Springer to Han Solo is like comparing apples and oranges. While Springers Role in the G1 movie mightr be similar to that of a Han Solo type character, that doesnt mean he has to have the physique of Han Solo. Springer was stocky in the movie. And I dont count Hasbro winged Megatron for anything. Hasbro dropped the ball on that figure pointblank. Hegemon rules.

synapse wrote:I know, I know... but Hasbro has the means (and the stablished fanbase, and the promotion tools, and the... well, you get the idea) to make it right the first time and to listen to their fans if they didn't. Which didn't happen with Blitzwing. Most 3rd parties nowadays are aproachable and willing to solve any problems we may have with their products at no additional cost.

I dunno - Hasbro has this large corporate structure that prevents them from moving nimbly on things like this. 3rd Party groups can better pivot and make the changes by virtue of being smaller and fan-driven. But that's just my humble opinion.

Not to say the Blitzwing issue shouldn't have been fixed. It should have. But there may have been beaurocratic challenges to overcome. I really am sounding like the Hasbro apologist, aren't I? Oh well...

Wonder when we'll get pricing on Revolver/Roadbuster.

Agamemnon wrote:You are absolutely right. I think it is just a matter of motivation. Hasbro is going to put enough effort into a product to maximize profit. Minor fixes can actually cost a lot in engineering and tooling costs.

They could have fixed it for the Takara release and/or Doubledealer

I actually said that Blitzwing was 90% a fantastic figure, not a 9/10 figure, there is a difference. In that 'fantastic' to me does not equate to 'perfect'. Anyway, my review is below if anyone is interested.

http://teletraan2.blogspot.com/search/label/Blitzwing

Regarding Doubledealer, im expecting t he nosecone o be at least partially mitigated by the different headsculpt.

synapse wrote:

Agamemnon wrote:You are absolutely right. I think it is just a matter of motivation. Hasbro is going to put enough effort into a product to maximize profit. Minor fixes can actually cost a lot in engineering and tooling costs.

They could have fixed it for the Takara release and/or Doubledealer

Why spend the money fixing it when we'll probably still buy the figure? (Anybody have DD in hand yet? Are the same issues present? Maybe they did already fixed them?)

megatronus wrote:Wonder when we'll get pricing on Revolver/Roadbuster.

Yeah...at this point, the price may be the one thing that could sway me. If it's $100 at BBTS, then I'm probably out.

Agamemnon wrote: (Anybody have DD in hand yet? Are the same issues present? Maybe they did already fixed them?)

Peaugh has one in hand:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4aCHTipoSc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUt6y380FcB6E4rdLae4o2sA

I simply don't like the FP Roadbuster in either mode. The sculpt is too overly boxy & too many panels. as far as beauty goes it's not.
The Hasbro version in 2014 will be the better product.

Fanprojects has a more miss than hit record. Out of all the stuff they made. I only think the City commander,Protector,crossfire combaticons & stunticons are decent.

Putting Protector on the decent list is kinda pushing the envelope. as it not as high end quality in plastic or design as the others on that above list. It barely makes the decent list.


It sure seems like FP has different teams creating different products. I just think the WB001-WB004 stuff & the Headmasters are inferior products.

In the case of WB001-WB004 toys,The toys are too overly boxy in all modes. The sculpts are just weird & don't look that great.

The FP Headmasters are not bad sculpts. These toys needed to be voyager scale not deluxes. The small scale ruined the toys due to FP using thin fragile plastic. Had the toys been Voyager scale,FP would of had been forced to used thicker more durable plastic by default.

The Crossfire Insecticons are nice toys. sadly the toys are vastly over priced. Paying $75 for a scout sized toy is way over priced.

Like others have stated in other threads here. The FP toys are not meant to be played with. the toys are simply to fragile to handle the stress of being played with or getting transformed.