The Energon Pub

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:12 pm

Of course. I do think OpOp is the weakest of the TM 1 line by a wide margin. One bad one out of a line of thirteen strong (fifteen, if you include the Tigatron and Ravage retools) is overall an extremely positive average.

TM 2 was 17 strong (18 with Ravage) and only really missed the mark with Megs, Cheetor and, to a lesser extent, Dinobot 2.

This level of quality folks, is why the TM line is still so highly regarded.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:15 pm

Outside of the issues with the hands, I love Dinobot II. That is such a good toy, and was my first Transmetal II toy. I love the dino mode a ton

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:19 pm

I still think he would have been better served as 'Grimlock' in name and on the show. Leaving Dinobot with one of the best episodes in all of Transformers. Meanwhile at the same time tapping into the G1 mixing themes of Season 3 and giving a nice nod to the white redeco of base Dinobot.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 3:49 am

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:To be fair, I did take these pictures yesterday, just took this long to get them up:

I meant to ask when you posted these, but do you have Ultra Mammoth? He's my favorite of this mold.

by **Skritz** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 12:57 pm

Am I the only one who unironically like Optimal Optimus as a design? But maybe it's just because he was among my favorite toys and de-facto 'leader' of any Maximal (and non-Transformers good guys) when I was playing as a kid. He was a big, impressive toy and Beast Wars was my favorite show as a kid and the excellent Franco-Belgian dub helped me appreciate it even more as I understood what was going on. So maybe at the end of the day my attachment is purely because of the show, the character and having played a ton with the toy more than any strength to the design.

Somehow I can't bring myself to hate the Optimal Optimus design and was among the first people to be hyped as **** when it was leaked that it would show up in POTP once we knew Primal had won the vote.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 2:34 pm

I think Season 3 based toys were a hard sell. Season 3 didn't air on TV in the UK. I only saw it when they released the complete series as two VHS volumes (dated that a little).

So for me, Transmetals are the ones I'm the most fond of. Because Season 2 was the only one I got to watch from start to finish in order, when it first aired. Depth Charge is the only Season 3 figure that I bought before even knowing he was going to be in the show. He and Tigerhawk are the only two show figures from that season I really liked.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 3:32 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:I meant to ask when you posted these, but do you have Ultra Mammoth? He's my favorite of this mold.

I do not have him, He's a pretty sweet use of the mold, but I definitely love my Anime Big Convoy, that is my favorite use

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 3:45 pm

Skritz wrote:Am I the only one who unironically like Optimal Optimus as a design?

No, a lot of people like it, myself included.

Skritz wrote:Somehow I can't bring myself to hate the Optimal Optimus design and was among the first people to be hyped as **** when it was leaked that it would show up in POTP once we knew Primal had won the vote.

I like the Optimal Optimus design, but I think it ends up suffering on the PotP toy because of the evolution gimmick.

by **Skritz** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:30 pm

Aside from Optimus Primal turning into a space turd log I found it to be quite a good update, especially in the full super robot mode, as it has much better proportions and poseability than the original. Yeah it has a big flat backpack, but at least now the backpack is folded along the backside of the robot mode and you have the option of 'retracting' the guns like the show's cgi model, even if its done via partforming. The original had this humongous perpendicular brick of an electronic part that look really awful.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:04 pm

The PotP Primal is a really good mold. For the retail release, I removed the pin to disconnect the small Primal, but he can still combine for the necessary parts (jet mode, surfing monkey mode). The figure is just really good and enjoyable!

The SDCC one, I kept Primal attached since he actually blends right in nicely. Plus, I love that crown

by **Skritz** » Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:20 pm

The SDCC Optimal Optimus is a great figure and really locks the best elements of the Optimal Optimus design (if you're into its weird design, like me) with the advantage of the more coherent and arguably 'saner' color scheme of season 1 Primal. Given its got a smaller robot mode and a 'super mode' it makes me think of 'What Optimus Primal got a Powermaster Prime-style upgrade' since it basically does something similar to Powermaster Prime with a dash of Ultra Pretenders.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sun Apr 26, 2020 4:12 am

I think in terms of design, OpOp worked better in Beast Machines. Certainly better than the default show design for BM Primal. He almost has a Vehicon look to his aesthetic. Remove the Beast Mode and he could have passed for one quite easily. Which is why I think the design worked so well in that shows finale.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:52 am

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I think in terms of design, OpOp worked better in Beast Machines. Certainly better than the default show design for BM Primal. He almost has a Vehicon look to his aesthetic. Remove the Beast Mode and he could have passed for one quite easily. Which is why I think the design worked so well in that shows finale.

Never thought of it that way, but it makes a degree of sense

News Credits: 7 · by **TulioDude** » Sun Apr 26, 2020 1:00 pm

I have one unpopular opinion,from what I can gather from these forums,but I think when talking about OpOp,his "car" mode is the better of the two vehicles modes.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:43 am

Objectively, at least the "car" looks like an altmode. The "jet" is essentially just the Superman pose, with his head tucked in.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 2:24 pm

Having all 3 uses of this mold now, I really wish they could have gone ahead with the million dollar publishing repaint design for this, which was Transmetal Silverbolt. This mold would fit so nicely!

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:10 pm

Loved the Beast Hunter Predacons, though sadly I never got that one.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:16 pm

Oh is that what that is from?

I thought it was some 3P thing of this guy. Also googled 'Transmetal Silverbolt' too. It showed of pics of Reappropriating TM 2 Jawbreaker, with wings. That would have been awesome.

EDIT: Fixing Links!

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:28 pm

If I remember right, it placed 3rd behind Goshooter and another one, can't remember though. Would have been sweet to see another Transmetal Fuzor

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:27 pm

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:If I remember right, it placed 3rd behind Goshooter and another one, can't remember though. Would have been sweet to see another Transmetal Fuzor

Here are the full results from the poll:

1: Goshooter out of Gen. Nightbeat
2: Alpha Trin/Alpha Trion out of Gen. Scourge
3: Metals Silverbolt out of Prime Grimwing
4: Autobot Drift in AoE deco from the Gen. mold
5: The Fallen out of Gen. FoC Onslaught, with Ruination head
6: Sunstreaker Police Type (aka Cordon) out of Universe Sunstreaker
7: Decepticon Smokescreen out of Universe Silverstreak. Deco is based on G2 Smokescreen that came with Dreadwing
7: Overdrive out of Universe Silverstreak
9: Camshaft/Downshift out of Gen. Wheeljack
10: Downshift/Camshaft out of Universe Ironhide

For a BW character among G1 ones he did really well. :APPLAUSE:

I did some work in the storage shed, moving stuff to sturdier containers, but I decided to pull out some gems I brought from the Netherlands. One of them is BW Spittor, and got him more for my wife really. She loves the colors of Poison Dart Frogs.

I initially lost track of him, and forgot I put him in a ziplock bag with other smaller toys (TIP: don't do that with white toys, it seems to accelerate yellowing, especially in excess heat!) He makes me wish I was able to find the EU Transmetal one:

He looks like a pre-TM2 Slapper, doesn't he?

I have his Claw Jaw counterpart, incomplete, at home still, like all my other mascots:

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:44 pm

I love that Claw Jaw with those colors, if it weren't for Scuba in BWII I would probably get those colors instead of regular Claw Jaw/Scuba (I don't have the mold yet at all FYI just future fun plans).

Tako Tank is probably my grail item left to find in terms of BW figures

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 7:44 pm

Do you happen to have Ga'mede? He would go with that tank a lot better than its nominal pilot.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:42 pm

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Do you happen to have Ga'mede? He would go with that tank a lot better than its nominal pilot.

Have who?

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Tue Apr 28, 2020 8:53 pm

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:
ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Do you happen to have Ga'mede? He would go with that tank a lot better than its nominal pilot.

Have who?

Ga'mede, the Microman guy who came with Magnificus:

Basically... Niagara Base and the Tako Tank have long been suspected of being leftover product from the then-most-recent Microman line, given that they were obviously designed for figures smaller than Transformers.

by **Rogue-Primal** » Wed Apr 29, 2020 7:43 am

Just wondering with the siege line already pulling out micromaster and targetmaster sets...does anyone think beast wars might get a chance instead of being stuck with only getting masterpiece figures. I'm talking about remastered transmetal figures or new updates to first versions of figures like rattrap silverbolt rampage and even tigatron or tarantulas or blackarachnia from the show as the main lineup.

Personally i'd really love to see a new version of Rattrap since he did not show up when the Generations came out. and preferrably not a battle armor, 1-step or any other silly version in the cyberverse line.