The Energon Pub

MasterSoundBlaster wrote:So I take it there is still no word on FoC dinobots?

Not yet.

i was going to try to hold off on some of these FoC toys but looks like i am getting brought back into grabbing these
very interesting aesthetic combination with the cassettes

RiddlerJ wrote:If they can make Soundwave's minions into random disks, why couldn't they just keep them as cassette shaped things. It's not like their alternate mode means anything here.

I think the minions have a spring-loaded self transforming thing that triggers when you eject them from his chest. I assume its easier to make that work with disks than cassettes.

This would almost qualify as an apology for the upcoming release of...well, a lot of figures actually. I plan on getting both even though I could care less about Soundblaster but if that's the only way to get Buzzsaw then I'll gladly do it. My youngest son has the deluxe WfC version and I've been kicking myself for not having snagged one. Looks like now I can rectify that and considering how much Hasbro is screwing us over with the downsizing of the figures and the up-sizing of the price tags I'll be able to get a pair of sweet looking "original Deluxe" size figures and it will only cost me $50.00

RiddlerJ wrote:If they can make Soundwave's minions into random disks, why couldn't they just keep them as cassette shaped things. It's not like their alternate mode means anything here.

ah, you must be new. Welcome to the 21st Century. Here, we store our digital media on CDs and DVDs...

Now, what I want to know is why they couldn't design the little giuys to turn into SD cards... Funny how we get an updated Soundwave and his minions are still a decade out of modern technology.

I'm glad to see Soundblaster. I seem to be the only whack here who like Prime Soundwave. The idea of an intellegence officer and spy turning into a spy plane with conspiracy theories tied to it is just too perfect for me. Add in Generations R&F as tanks, who are nowadays usually guided by intell from Predator spy planes, and Soundwave is in a wonderful position. I may get Soundblaster though, and I like the minioncons, though whether they trump Galaxy Force Blaster (also a plane) I haven;t decided...

Volrathicus Baenimus wrote:

RiddlerJ wrote:If they can make Soundwave's minions into random disks, why couldn't they just keep them as cassette shaped things. It's not like their alternate mode means anything here.

I think the minions have a spring-loaded self transforming thing that triggers when you eject them from his chest. I assume its easier to make that work with disks than cassettes.

You have to take into account the younger fans who have never seen an audio cassette before whereas everyone knows what a CD/DVD/Game disc is. Also the minions strongly resemble thicker versions of the Data Disks that were on Cybertron as mentioned in the Beast Wars series so that may also be one connection that the designers were trying to utilize.

They both look good. I never got that deluxe, so these are still interesting to me. Soundblaster looks best.

I liked Laserbeak and Buzzsaw but I think these are spring loaded transformations. I don't want Bakuformers (Bakugan + Transformers = Bakuformers).

Trikeboy wrote:I liked Laserbeak and Buzzsaw but I think these are spring loaded transformations. I don't want Bakuformers (Bakugan + Transformers = Bakuformers).

I don't see the springs in the pictures.

Wasn't sure on getting them. But I definitely will get Soundblaster. Not sure about Soundwave, need size compare.
And I already have deluxe Soundwave.

My gawd, they are releasing awesome FOC characters. It took me a while to think up one character that I'd like in toy form (Starscream and Jazz were my first choice). But I'd love to see an Arcee and Slipstream, one can never have to many fembots.

Cometh, release of awesome FOC figures, cometh!

Let's take into account, for a moment, that this game is set 70 million years in the past, technically. So the technology is allowed to be a LITTLE dated. If Cybertron was using discs as a storage media 70 mil years past, I'd say that's still sufficiently advanced over Earth technology of the time, and they had the next few millenia to completely strip the deployers of any semblance of a recognizable form, AKA "this technology is so advanced, you don't even know what it is." Referring to Prime Laserbeak, of course. That's why they're not USB sticks or SD cards, and they "happen" to also resemble a modern storage media most consumers will recognize that they can toy-ify.

Hmm, nice, but it really seems like an upscaled WFC deluxe soundwave, especially with the places the kibble forms in bot mode. Might still get it though, not a priority, I already own WFC Soundwave.

Anyone else this would pass as Rachet/Ironhide with a slanted no-opening window in the chest area? The Vehicle and Bot mode passes really well.

Dudes, it looks like the Deluxe, because the deluxe was already very game accurate.

I'm still confused at the Prime blaster, is that a reference to something from the Marvel comics maybe?

Music Label superior... FOC inferior...

Mindmaster wrote:I remember a few years back (at least 2010-2011), there was some Q&A and one of the questions was were there going to be any Generations (or maybe that was Universe?) Voyagers, and the answer was that Hasbro's been talking about bringing in a Voyager Soundwave.... and a Voyager BW Rhinox. We got the Soundwave, does that mean the premonition of a Rhinox is about to come to fruition?

I remember that as well, and while I'm not a fan of BW, Rhinox might even peek my interest. While Cheetor was brutal in Universe, Dinobot was pretty good.

I'm just full out anticipating Grimlock to be a Voyager.

Down_Shift wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:I remember a few years back (at least 2010-2011), there was some Q&A and one of the questions was were there going to be any Generations (or maybe that was Universe?) Voyagers, and the answer was that Hasbro's been talking about bringing in a Voyager Soundwave.... and a Voyager BW Rhinox. We got the Soundwave, does that mean the premonition of a Rhinox is about to come to fruition?

I remember that as well, and while I'm not a fan of BW, Rhinox might even peek my interest. While Cheetor was brutal in Universe, Dinobot was pretty good.

I'm just full out anticipating Grimlock to be a Voyager.

That was about the return of Universe in the form of Generations.
He said that if Universe was to return he would want to include a deluxe Class Soundwave that turns into a truck (we got that in from of Generations WFC Soundwave) and a Voyager scale BW Rinox, which sadly never materialised.
This was said during the tail end of Universe 2.0 and the begining of ROTF in an interview.

Soundwave/blaster's gun really is a grey repaint of G1 Prime's gun. Not even a remold, you can see the grip still sticks out further than the actual peg, making it awkward for G1 prime to hold.

Hasbro: "Here, you guys asked for a G1 Soundwave".

RhA wrote:

Trikeboy wrote:I liked Laserbeak and Buzzsaw but I think these are spring loaded transformations. I don't want Bakuformers (Bakugan + Transformers = Bakuformers).

I don't see the springs in the pictures.

The guys at the Hasbro panel did say the minions pop out of the spring loaded chest cavity and automatically transform when they hit the ground.

gavinfuzzy wrote:Soundwave/blaster's gun really is a grey repaint of G1 Prime's gun.

I knew it!

What a gimmicky waist of plastic.

I would have much preferred that they had used the budget they poured into this thing on actually making the deluxe class figures deluxe sized.

If it wasn't for the fact that this line has the only Shockwave we're ever getting I'd be skipping it entirely.

LOST Cybertronian wrote:

RhA wrote:

Trikeboy wrote:I liked Laserbeak and Buzzsaw but I think these are spring loaded transformations. I don't want Bakuformers (Bakugan + Transformers = Bakuformers).

I don't see the springs in the pictures.

The guys at the Hasbro panel did say the minions pop out of the spring loaded chest cavity and automatically transform when they hit the ground.

I'm not sure if that's good thing. Yet.

Vicalliose wrote:What a gimmicky waist of plastic.

I would have much preferred that they had used the budget they poured into this thing on actually making the deluxe class figures deluxe sized.

If it wasn't for the fact that this line has the only Shockwave we're ever getting I'd be skipping it entirely.

if you don't like the figure why on earth would you buy it?

RhA wrote:

Trikeboy wrote:I liked Laserbeak and Buzzsaw but I think these are spring loaded transformations. I don't want Bakuformers (Bakugan + Transformers = Bakuformers).

I don't see the springs in the pictures.

They might not be visible. I've played Bakugan with my nephew, and I don't remember actually seeing the springs on those.

I don't really want to see "Bakuformers" either, but if the gimmick is confined to these SW/SB minions, that's fine with me.

LOST Cybertronian wrote:The guys at the Hasbro panel did say the minions pop out of the spring loaded chest cavity and automatically transform when they hit the ground.

Oh Gods DAMMIT HASBRO! WHYYYYY?

Alright, alright. I'll sit back and pray these guys are awesome.
Someone in Hasbroland is mostly on my wavelength so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. I said some time ago the feature mattered more than their being "cassettes". I'm also pleased with the companion set model for the minions because I already know it allows a single figure more value without sacrificing to budget it into one box.

I'm still hoping some 3rd party uses the cavity in the deluxe version for different styled (and delightfully articulated) minions. And if hasbro's take on this experiment are crap then 3rd parties will haven an even fresher target for easy money.

And what's with the little red seat on the roof?

Given the size of them, I don't think I'd mind them being "Bakuformers" They don't appear to have any real poseability anyway.

For anyone interested in a bakugan reference reference:


The only exposed spring is visible on the second picture.
I don't have any other examples though. I only pulled this thing out of a crane machine.