Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

shajaki wrote:

Midnight_Fox wrote:Totally offtopic, but Shajaki, every time I see your username, I have to sing "I feel for you" in my head.

It's a good thing.

iiiii.... uhhhh.... ok!

*youtubes*

*confused look*

ok!

My brain starts saying your name and it gradually turns into Shaka Khan.

It's a strange and wonderful place in my head.

Midnight_Fox wrote:

shajaki wrote:

Midnight_Fox wrote:Totally offtopic, but Shajaki, every time I see your username, I have to sing "I feel for you" in my head.

It's a good thing.

iiiii.... uhhhh.... ok!

*youtubes*

*confused look*

ok!

My brain starts saying your name and it gradually turns into Shaka Khan.

It's a strange and wonderful place in my head.

i know the screen name is odd... i made it in high school and it just stuck. its an amalgamation of my name. shawn jason king. please dont use this info to steal my identity. i watch dateline.

Too late. You posted it online for all to see. Mwahahahaha.

Voyager Soundwave and Soundblaster look nice with shinier paint, but, I think I like the Hasbro ones much better, especially for G1 accuracy purposes in my Classics collection. The extra paint details like the gold paint on the shins actually add to the cartoon accuracy. PROTIP: if you have both Hasbro Soundwave and Soundblaster, switch their guns. It helps give Soundwave an even more authentic G1 look. I guess the Takara-Tomy versions are more game accurate? I feel similarly about Hasbro's Blaster, which got the red and gray plastics spot on for the original toy. It makes me smile each time I spot him on my shelf.

Seibertron.com is proud to present their newest galleries: Armada Starscream! This is one for the Unicron Trilogy fans and it takes everyone's favorite backstabber and puts him front and center from his redesigned origins in Armada, all the way to his Generations remake of today! Everything from the Hasbro versions to Takara, and even a gallery of the Mini-Con partners, plus our always reliable comparison photos and groupshots.

Click on any of the images below to be taken to that figure's gallery:

Transformers Generations Armada Starscream
















Armada Starscream












Armada Grid





Keep your optics tuned to Seibertron.com for the latest in news and updates, plus the best galleries around!

looking good

Awesome to see a gallery for not just Generations TG-33 Armada Starcream but for Micron Densetsu MD-02 Starscream.

micron legend starscream looks pretty sweet... strange that a simple switch like grey to white can do. and the TG aramada ss is a must buy. so crisp looking!

shajaki wrote:micron legend starscream looks pretty sweet... strange that a simple switch like grey to white can do.

Not to mention a few more paint apps (check out the robot mode shoulder parts of the wings for instance).

Sabrblade wrote:

shajaki wrote:micron legend starscream looks pretty sweet... strange that a simple switch like grey to white can do.

Not to mention a few more paint apps (check out the robot mode shoulder parts of the wings for instance).

While I think the Takara Tomy version looks better, this is another instance of where looks can be deceiving. With all of the extra paint apps come extra paint flaws that aren't evident on the Hasbro version.







Just about everywhere there is a paint app on this figure there are paint flaws and chips, which seems to be fairly typical of any figure lately that has paint apps. This was also the best of the 5 I was able to choose from. The others all had other varying degrees of paint flaws. I chose the one with the less flaws to its head and face.

Takara's products with all of their extra paint apps seem fine and dandy at first and in official product images, and even in my galleries, but seeing all of the flaws up close is frustrating. I think 20 years from now, the Hasbro versions will be more desired for those who open their items to display them because they will have stood the test of time better.

that is unfortunate to see, and ive experienced it myself as well. most notably from my foc starscream and united wfc prime. but ill guess anyone overseas who buys import toys are collectors, and will look after them accordingly. but yeah... in the hands of a child? good luck hasbro wins hands down.

shajaki wrote:that is unfortunate to see, and ive experienced it myself as well. most notably from my foc starscream and united wfc prime. but ill guess anyone overseas who buys import toys are collectors, and will look after them accordingly. but yeah... in the hands of a child? good luck hasbro wins hands down.

Going forward with my Takara galleries I'll start documenting more of these flaws. Binaltechs are what really soured me on the Takara products. They were hyped as being the superior figures to the Alternators yet the Alternators with all of their plastic goodness and fewer paint apps are holding up better.

Seibertron wrote:

shajaki wrote:that is unfortunate to see, and ive experienced it myself as well. most notably from my foc starscream and united wfc prime. but ill guess anyone overseas who buys import toys are collectors, and will look after them accordingly. but yeah... in the hands of a child? good luck hasbro wins hands down.

Going forward with my Takara galleries I'll start documenting more of these flaws. Binaltechs are what really soured me on the Takara products. They were hyped as being the superior figures to the Alternators yet the Alternators with all of their plastic goodness and fewer paint apps are holding up better.

I understand why you're wanting to do that, but is it really necessary though? Documenting every single flaw on every figure wouldn't give off a good impression, and aren't paint flaws a known "risk of the trade" so to speak?

I tend to agree. I don't know how helpful cataloging paint flaws will be. Hasbro products have their share of the same issues too with paint errors, sloppiness, and blemishes, though, yes, with more extensive paint coverage comes greater risk of flaws. Again, I think it's well worth it to invest in some hobby paints to touch up your Takara-Tomy figures. The Sharpie and Sharpie-like paint pens work wonders.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Seibertron wrote:

shajaki wrote:that is unfortunate to see, and ive experienced it myself as well. most notably from my foc starscream and united wfc prime. but ill guess anyone overseas who buys import toys are collectors, and will look after them accordingly. but yeah... in the hands of a child? good luck hasbro wins hands down.

Going forward with my Takara galleries I'll start documenting more of these flaws. Binaltechs are what really soured me on the Takara products. They were hyped as being the superior figures to the Alternators yet the Alternators with all of their plastic goodness and fewer paint apps are holding up better.

I understand why you're wanting to do that, but is it really necessary though? Documenting every single flaw on every figure wouldn't give off a good impression, and aren't paint flaws a known "risk of the trade" so to speak?

Didn't say I'd document every single flaw on every single figure. Just said I'd start documenting via photos more of these flaws. Takes just a minute more a gallery to knock out a few extra pics like I did for Armada Starscream. Not necessary at all, but nor are a lot of the shots that I take.

I often use Seibertron galleries to make decisions about whether to buy a figure or not, especially when it comes to imported figures that cost more. So if the photos highlight flaws, that's great to know before I buy.

The question I have, aren't flaws going to be different from figure to figure? I think what we're getting at in this thread is either that QC in TakTom's paint is going down, not adhering as well, or the figures themselves are not being handled as delicately as they should be in house?

For me, I think inherent, across-the-release issues, sure, let's lump together at the end of the gallery. Things like asembly erros, I'd love to know that. and if we're getting reports of consistent (and usually those come in after the galleries come out because Seibs' is on top of things like that) errors, the TFCC paint issues come to mind, bu how likely is it that my Starscream's paint (If I had one) is already faking around the wrist like yours?

Flashwave wrote:The question I have, aren't flaws going to be different from figure to figure? I think what we're getting at in this thread is either that QC in TakTom's paint is going down, not adhering as well, or the figures themselves are not being handled as delicately as they should be in house?

For me, I think inherent, across-the-release issues, sure, let's lump together at the end of the gallery. Things like asembly erros, I'd love to know that. and if we're getting reports of consistent (and usually those come in after the galleries come out because Seibs' is on top of things like that) errors, the TFCC paint issues come to mind, bu how likely is it that my Starscream's paint (If I had one) is already faking around the wrist like yours?

I just want to shed some light on the fact that Takara products have just as many, if not more, QC problems than Hasbro's products have. Many fans still maintain the false belief that Takara's products are superior to Hasbro's. I just want to provide some visual evidence that this is not usually the case. All of those extra paint apps come at the price of additional QC problems which is frustrating when paying import costs on these items (i.e. a $12 deluxe toy now costs $30 to $40). That's all I want to do is just shed some light on that.

One other issue with Takara's Armada Starscream (at least on mine) ... his head was misassembled. I had to unscrew the head to pop the back part of his head onto the ball joint properly and then screw the head back together. If you look at the first half of his robot mode pics, you'll notice that he's kind of looking at an upward angle because the head is not attached to the ball joint properly.

Takara's knack for outlining symbols properly is a reason why ML Stsrcream was such a good figure. Plus that pure white plastic <3

I am incredibly excited for Fireblast Grimlock and Thundercracker. I love love love the Cruellock figure from Energon and have every version of the mold. There are several of those cues here from Dinobot magma type and I think it came out great. No place in my actual collection for it but it will be a lovely desk toy. Thundercracker is a welcome addition to my WFC/FOC collection and a great way to end that. I'd love to get more characters from the games but I think we're at the end of that. We'll see after the next game hits.

We're still going! Before we get the avalanche of new Transformers: Age of Extinction toys hits, Seibertron.com is making sure as many products are covered in its famous, professional galleries - and it's time for some more Takara Tomy Generations. Check out below some highlights from the galleries for TG-19 Grimlock and TG-09 Starscream, featuring metallic repaints of their Hasbro counterparts, and both based on their Fall of Cybertron appearances. Click on any of the images for the full gallery!


Transformers Generations Grimlock












Transformers Generations Starscream

I covet that Takara-Tomy Grimlock with his G1-accurate red abs and pelvis. I've got the Hasbro one from the two-pack with Bruticus, and that chromed gold looks lovely, but I'll settle for the more subdued golden/bronze chrome if it means better paint applications elsewhere on the figure.

Wolfman Jake wrote:I covet that Takara-Tomy Grimlock with his G1-accurate red abs and pelvis.

Not to mention game-accurate.

True, but I want that one specifically for my Classics shelf! I don't know why this mold doesn't get more respect. It's a very good update for the original G1 Grimlock and manages to homage the vintage Transformation scheme quite well. Plus, he scales REALLY nicely with Classics Voyager Optimus Prime.

Sabrblade wrote:

Wolfman Jake wrote:I covet that Takara-Tomy Grimlock with his G1-accurate red abs and pelvis.

Not to mention game-accurate.

I bought one during a "toy hunt" in Hong Kong. It's awesome.

If only he were leader class, he'd be my definitive neo-G1 Grimlock for my MP collection. I know there's already an MP Grimlock, but I just have this peeve against the non-accurate T-Rex alt mode. I know that's how he was depicted in the G1 cartoons as well as the original toy, but I just prefer a more "updated" T-Rex mode.