The Energon Pub

by **dinogeist** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:43 pm

The Hasbro TF Alternators you thought were more hit than miss.

Personally,I thought PROWL was more hit than miss. because he has a alt mode & vechicle mode that mimicks his 1984 prowl toy. their are definiate sculpted designs that homage the 1984 prowl toy.

Alternators tracks I thought was more hit than miss. as hasbro actually used the same exact liscensed alt mode that the 1985 tracks toy had. the toy looks great in both modes.

Alternators Hound & swindle as hasbro used a similar alt mode to hounds 1984 alt mode & swindle's 1985 alt mode.

Alternators liscensed Jaguar Ravage. while it doesn't homage the casseete mode of the 1984 toy. this is the most coolest update this character has received. the 4 leeged cat mode looks so awesome. the lisecensed jaguar alt mode is cool looking.

News Credits: 3 · by **DISCHARGE** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:52 pm

I don't think there is an Alternator that I didn't like. I even dig Skids, his transformation is fun and has a great robot mode. I like Shockblast the best.

News Credits: 10 · by **gavinfuzzy** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:16 pm

ALternator Ravage (the jaguar)

That was the best of the line IMO..

Also, is it normal that all the chrome on his missiles are gone? :-(

I got him MISB in 2008, and rarely play with him, so he's sitting in cat mode all the time... Now i realise his chrome on his missiles have flaked off...

The chrome on his rims and grill are still all in great shape... it's just on the missiles :-(

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 10:54 pm

Tracks, definitely. I think that one lived up to the original very well. Shockblast as well, in robot mode at least. Rodimus also. I didn't own many, and the only one I still have left is Smokescreen.

by **Court Jester** » Fri Dec 09, 2011 11:25 pm

Mirage. The alt mode and its color: classic.

News Credits: 5 · by **zodconvoy** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:19 am

Silverstreak, Hound, Tracks, Hot Rod/Mirage, Swindle, Jaguar Ravage, Shockwave, Skids. All awesome. But the prize has to go to Jazz. Hooked up with the Reprolabels upgrade and it's a full blown Masterpiece.

by **Valandar** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 4:02 am

Jazz and Hound were my favorites. Until the Classicsverse versions came out (which were so cartoon accurate it blew my mind, for both, and amazingly well designed), those two were my classics standins. Hound, himself, was almost the archetypical version of the character, though I think the Classicsverse has become that.

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:33 am

Tidalwavex wrote:Alternators tracks I thought was more hit than miss. as hasbro actually used the same exact liscensed alt mode that the 1985 tracks toy had. the toy looks great in both modes.

No they didn't. One is an 80s Stingray, the other is a 20XX Stingray. Totally different design.

I think they're almost all great designs apart from Sideswipe cos he barely has knees and Rumble cos he doesn't have hands or an interesting-looking transformation. Prowl is excellent if you do the leg switch.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:37 am

HOUND is defenitely MASTERPIECE Hound. Perfect vehicle mode --duh-- and his robot mode look almost like the original G!! He only need a 3rd party weapon pack. Anyone listening?

However, Optimus Prime is bad. Not complete ****, but bad. In vehicle mode, his panels won't fit perfectly. In robot mode, beside the head sculpt, everything is wrong. Not counting his engine/gun have two right sides, his shoulder kibles look stupid, his chest is boring, and the crotch panel is silly looking. Also, dorky legs. At least, he got a spirit about him that make me still like that figure for some reason.

Before I forget, those two are the only Alternator I own. I got them MIB for below 40$TOTAL each on Ebay. Shockwave and Rodimus could interest me, but I don't like them enough to pay the 60$+ship they usually go for.

by **NTESHFT** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:15 am

I liked all the ones I picked up, but Jazz, by far, is my favorite. Then Mirage/Rodimus...

News Credits: 1 · by **RhA** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 8:54 am

Shockwave and '08 Smokescreen. SOme of the greatest looking TF's ever. Also Jazz.

by **Motorthing** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 12:43 pm

Smokey, Streak, Hound, Jazz and Shockwave. The rest range from disappointing to crap. I did love that scale though.......and despite the superiority of (most of) the Classics versions the Alts do fit better with the MP's.

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Sat Dec 10, 2011 6:21 pm

I may get verbally stoned for this but I learned to hate them after a while. I hated especially Grimlock which I thought was a pain in the ass. I don't regret parting ways with them BUT now I wish I would have gotten Binaltech Shockwave/blast long ago, the greatest over all in that series...'nuff said! :VEHI:

by **Motorthing** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:51 am

No stones needed here....I agree on Grimlock/Wheeljack - they both look awful and can't stand up to save their own asses because of the worst QC on the joints I've ever had on a Takara toy(s)

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:58 am

I've got no problems with the Wheeljack mold. In fact, I think he's probably the best. Great proportions (no knees half way up the thigh like Mirage/Hot Rod), fully bending knees (unlike Sideswipe), bicep swivel (unlike Shockwave). Sure it takes some practice to transform him without knocking off the doors but other that that he's great.

News Credits: 3 · by **Kibble** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 11:32 pm

Wheeljack's probably my fave, too. But I'm not quite sure what happened...once upon a time Alternators were my fave TF line, but these days I've found myself contemplating unloading them. I dunno, I think Classicsverse has done such a good job that Alts kind of became expendable. If they still went for the prices they did two or three years ago, I probably would unload them.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:58 am

I bought a Knock-off Wheeljack a while ago. He's not too bad and is a pain to transform. Maybe because of the bad quality of the toy.

Still, having the fake one makes me want the real one. And I bet the real thing will be more than the 15$ I paid for the fake.

by **SJ21** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:42 am

I don't get the Alternators bashing lately. A couple years ago these things were the mutts nuts. Now people have varying degrees of hatred towards them.

I have 8 of them Prime, Smokescreen, Swindle, Tracks, Frenzy, 4-legs Ravage, Tracks, and Jazz). I don't think any of them are a "miss". I like some better than others, but they are all "hits". I think Ravage is my favorite, followed by Jazz.

News Credits: 2 · by **paul053** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:10 pm

I was a big fan of kitty Ravage (as you can see from my avatar) and I still am.

News Credits: 3 · by **Kibble** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:00 pm

SJ21 wrote:I don't get the Alternators bashing lately.

Where are people bashing them?

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:43 am

"The Hasbro TF Alternators you thought were more hit than miss."

Thats a long way of asking which ones we liked!!

I was more into the Binaltech versions but they are basically the same.

My faves were Shockblast, Jazz, Smokescreen ( perfect update to the G1 figure ), Hound/Swindle, Wheeljack/Grimlock and Mirage/Rodimus. Tracks was also pretty good. Ravage XK was interesting. Prime was the only real let down that I can remember.

by **SJ21** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:27 am

Kibble wrote:
SJ21 wrote:I don't get the Alternators bashing lately.

Where are people bashing them?

Maybe not "bashing", but they I've seen a few threads around here that were derogatory towards them. For a while everyone was all about Alternators/Binaltech. They were the greatest things ever. Ebay prices were through the roof. Now, not so much.

News Credits: 3 · by **Kibble** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:45 pm

SJ21 wrote:Maybe not "bashing", but they I've seen a few threads around here that were derogatory towards them. For a while everyone was all about Alternators/Binaltech. They were the greatest things ever. Ebay prices were through the roof. Now, not so much.

I dunno, maybe my point of view isn't a minority one...that the Classicsverse lines have just been so good that Alternators kinda lost a lot of their luster. Plus the fact that the line is over, yet so incomplete. I still think it's a cool concept with well engineered figures, for the most part, but there's just nothing keeping me drawn to them. Just a stagnant collection that's in danger of losing its real estate as new stuff continues to come into the picture with equally impressive engineering, that are more accurate to the characters to boot.

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:12 pm

Kibble wrote:
SJ21 wrote:Maybe not "bashing", but they I've seen a few threads around here that were derogatory towards them. For a while everyone was all about Alternators/Binaltech. They were the greatest things ever. Ebay prices were through the roof. Now, not so much.

I dunno, maybe my point of view isn't a minority one...that the Classicsverse lines have just been so good that Alternators kinda lost a lot of their luster. Plus the fact that the line is over, yet so incomplete. I still think it's a cool concept with well engineered figures, for the most part, but there's just nothing keeping me drawn to them. Just a stagnant collection that's in danger of losing its real estate as new stuff continues to come into the picture with equally impressive engineering, that are more accurate to the characters to boot.

See? That's why Transformer toys are never a good investment for the future :lol:

Seriously though, I'm a Binaltech lover, for the pure fact that the cars are licensed replicas of the real thing, not approximations. You actually learn a thing or two, and Dad's really into cars, so...

News Credits: 6 · by **BeastProwl** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:24 pm

I Had Ricochet, The re-paint of Smokescreen. Loved it.
I had Corvette Ravage, though miffed I never got the Jaguar, Still loved it,
I Also had Wheeljack. By far, one of the most amazing transformers ever.
Still, Ricochet, you are my all time Alternators favorite...
Well, I only owned those three, so who knows? I may have liked way more.
I loved skidz in both modes. I didn't own him, but my friend did, and I tinkered with it non-stop, he just sort of dismissed it as something to throw in his junk box, but never let me have it. I think he pulled it out of the box and cuddled it whenever I left