The Energon Pub

[Wes Crayon]

Wicked cool, waaaaghlord! Another question for you: you wouldn't happen to have any of the Kabaya Cassetticons from this seller, would you? I'm curious to know how Frenzy and Ravage compare to the original figures in terms of size -- if they're about the same, I'd be all about painting them and ordering up some reprolabels.

Also, what's the ODB?

[waaaaghlord]

Sorry, afraid I haven't had any of the cassettes as yet. I think I'm more likely to go for the KO 2 packs that are already in the right colours and definately do fit Soundwave to grab those characters, that would just leave Overkill, Slugfest, Beastbox and Sqalktalk (and possibly Buzzsaw, not sure if there's a KO with his colours rather than Laserbeak's) to find vintage versions of. TakTom should so do a cassette boxed set like they did for the minibots.

The good ship ODB be where the Official Disgruntled Brits roam the waters of Seibertron, looking for threads to plunder and letting one another know where there be rich booty for the taking. We be pyrates, garrr.

[Supercollider]

Wicked cool, waaaaghlord! Another question for you: you wouldn't happen to have any of the Kabaya Cassetticons from this seller, would you? I'm curious to know how Frenzy and Ravage compare to the original figures in terms of size -- if they're about the same, I'd be all about painting them and ordering up some reprolabels.

Also, what's the ODB?

I ordered two sets of frenzy & ravage yesterday - it'll take awhile to arrive but I can let you know when I get 'em.

[blunghole]

Wicked cool, waaaaghlord! Another question for you: you wouldn't happen to have any of the Kabaya Cassetticons from this seller, would you? I'm curious to know how Frenzy and Ravage compare to the original figures in terms of size -- if they're about the same, I'd be all about painting them and ordering up some reprolabels.

Also, what's the ODB?

I have these guys, plus a Laserbeak and Steeljaw that he doesn't list anymore. And they
are FANTASTIC.

Frenzy/Rumble and Ravage are just about the same size as the originals, perhaps a little
larger. The stickers they come with are OK, but not fantastic. Frenzy/Rumble actually
has more articulation than the original because his hands rotate at the wrist. Ravage is
just as good. A word or two of advice: X-Acto knives and Krylon paint are a must and if
you are going to paint them, paint the pieces first and then put them together. A little hot
glue is nice too. It'll keep pieces from separating if you plan on transforming the figures
often.

The Laserbeak and Steeljaw figures are about 7/8 the size of the originals. Still fantastic
figures though. I'd rather have this Kabaya KO Laser beak than the original because of
the wings. Instead of stickers, the detail is sculpted on.

The transformations on all of them are smooth and the detail is every bit as good as the
originals. I think you'll be happy with these. Now if I could only get a KO Kabaya
Rewind/Eject and Ramhorn!

[Transtopias Rodimus Prime]

The Omega Supreme KO I saw a couple years back at Big lots. He is the same size as the Hasbro version.

A couple other ways to find KO's on EBAY is misspelling Transformers, like Tranformer, or Tansformer. Others are Transformable, and Transforming.

[andynsm]

All red Defensor looks great!

My ex bought me the White Defensor KO's years ago and the quality of plastic was very cheap and I couldn't get Defensor's head to stay on...

actually ZoneDaiatlas is right... i just transformed the little fellas & the point where Red Defensor's head is supposed to fit in was so fragile a little piece of the plastic there broke off & i couldn't get his head to stay on at times. trying to get some super glue to patch things up & see if it'll help.

A

[Wes Crayon]

I have these guys, plus a Laserbeak and Steeljaw that he doesn't list anymore. And they
are FANTASTIC.

...A word or two of advice: X-Acto knives and Krylon paint are a must and if
you are going to paint them, paint the pieces first and then put them together. A little hot
glue is nice too. It'll keep pieces from separating if you plan on transforming the figures
often.

Thanks a lot for the mini-review! These figures do sound kinda awesome, though now you're making me wish he still had Laserbeak in stock.

Also, do you mention Krylon paint because that's your personal preference, or because you've had bad experiences trying to paint the figures with other brands?

[yovnocrats]

ok, heres a question. you know how big lots has the 6 dollar sets with 4 figures in it? the animal one and the dino one? has anyone bought the dinosaur one?

[Decatron]

I couldn't find the set of KO Constructicons at Big Lots but I found the 2packs of them. I don't think I can combine them to form Devastator though.

Also I was laughing really hard when I found some KO Gundams there as well. The KO Wing Gundam in particular was prety funny.

[rodimus primal118]

i like these knock off transformers there really cool especially the optimus prime animated figures. if i see that nemesis prime animated toy i will get it.

[ZoneDaiatlas]

I've found some Transformers KO on eBay.... Enjoy!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0152044498


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0152044501




http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0143687540



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0069208286

[mechajol]

I dropped by a local mall to check if the KO classics Megatron has made its way here. Unfortunately, there's nothing.

What I saw, though, was a bootleg targetmasters Hotrod. Cool!
I checked the shelf and saw a bootleg Soundblaster! Cool!
Then, behind these toys was Perceptor!

But honestly, of these three toys, I was excited most with Soundblaster.


Here's the packaging of bootleg Perceptor. As you can see, he's also packaged with Ravage.






The cool thing is that he retains his old G1 cartoon colors. But wait, don't you think PErceptor looks... different?


The back of the card shows the instructions, which are not really that helpful. I had to rely on the pictures to discover the steps.



ROBOT MODE


Here's PErceptor!

Now, I mentioned something about him looking different earlier.
Honestly, I almost didn't buy him because when I compared the bootleg to the pictured G1 orig toy in the card, the legs are different! The feet, particularly!

But upon closer inspection, I discovered this...


See it? Perceptor is wearing elevator shoes!!!

Here's another shot, with one feet wearing the extra parts, and the other without it.


And here's Perceptor without the stilt boots.


Jeez, maybe Perceptor developed some sort of inferiority complex after the G1 series ended...

Again, compare this.

Original height-


Extra height-


Nice! The bootleggers did a good job with the boots that fit well on bootleg Perceptor's legs. (Okay, I'll stop with the puns now...)

Another thing that made me smile was the articulation and tightness of joints. Check this out-



Hell, this bootleg can even do a kick pose without any support - with and without the elevator shoes!



And check this out - the back view! Those wheels roll smoothly!


Bootleg Perceptor came with these extra items - the viewer, and a plastic gun that belongs to some other robot since it's different from what Perceptor holds in his hand in the pictures.


And yeah, there's also this Ravage included.


Too bad this Ravage got less joints.


Now he's only good for sleeping...


Good tape mode, though.




MICROSCOPE MODE



Transforming this bootleg made me excited! There were a lot of things that I discovered with each step! The articulation is good, and attention to details were present when they copied this robot! No shortcuts in manufacturing, no problems in the assembly.





Of course, the microscope does not work, unlike the original. This is still a knockoff.

Check out this sticker - it indicates MC 20 - perhaps its original deisgnation in the Microman line?


Just for kicks, here's the microscope with the elevator boots attached.



TANK MODE






ROBOT, MICROSCOPE, OR TANK?

Gotta say Robot Mode. Although Microscope is a close second. Tank mode seems like an afterthought mode.

While the quality of plastic is still bootleg level, this toy is surprisngly pretty solid and stable. I love this bootleg! The joints are tight enough to hold poses, and the microscope mode is cool!


PROS

- Solid feel in all modes
- Great articulation
- Great manufacturing and assembly for a bootleg
- Cartoon color scheme retained
- Comes with an extra Ravage
- Innovative elevator shoes make this a novelty


CONS

- Microscope does not work. But for a cheap knockoff, do you really expect it to work?

[Scaleface]

I bought the black Soundwave from the same knockoff line as that Perceptor, and it also came with a pair of boots to wear. I don't know what that is about.

[DorkimusPrime]

that Perceptor is friggin SWEET. Close enough to G1 colors and detail taht I'd easily mistake it for the original. Wonder why he was packaged with a cassette, tho....

[mechajol]

I bought the black Soundwave from the same knockoff line as that Perceptor, and it also came with a pair of boots to wear. I don't know what that is about.

speaking of which...

The second bootleg I got last night is Soundblaster. I really thought this was Soundwave until I noticed the black paint and the modified chest plate.

After playing around with bootleg Perceptor, I was very excited opening up this package.





Also comes with Laserbeak...


And the accessories-


Yes! even the fake batteries!



again, don't you think Soundblaster looks different?


Yes, elevator boots! :whack:



Here's everything out of the package. LAserbeak was so fragile, a leg broke while I was taking it out of the blister pack.



Cool batteries!



ROBOT MODE

Here's a close shot of the feet with the extra boots.


And here's the full pic. For some reason, the elevator boots looked better with this robot.


Here's the regular height.


Now, the problems become obvious. Arms aren't assembled properly! I'll have to fix this later tonight.



But the chestplate opens! If you're asking, yes, the bootleg tapes that came with Soundblaster and Perceptor fits, but because of bad quality of the tapes, i can't close the hatch. Also, the hatch itself becomes a bit loose and misaligned when you open it.

Also, take note that with the chestplate open, Soundblaster reveals how hollow he feels inside...

Soundblaster's back. The good news is that I can clamp it on my belt and bring it anywhere. The bad news is that there's no hatch for the batteries...



Complete battle mode. Can't raise the elbows because of an assembly flaw.


Like Perceptor, Soundblaster is around 8 inches in height without the boots. I guess that's around the same height as the original toy.

RADIO MODE

In Radio mode, the flimsy nature of the robot mode disappears. Soundblaster looks more solid and stable in this mode. Of course, the misaligned stickers should be remedied.



The switches on the sides are movable, but are a bit flimsy.

A close shot of the peg where the elevator boots attach.


And a pic with the elevator boots attached, just for the hell of it.


In tape mode, Laserbeak is also built inferior. Too flimsy, too fragile.



ROBOT OR RADIO?

I love both modes, but because of the flimsiness of the robot mode, I choose radio.


RECOMMENDATIONS:

This is definitely a bit of disappointment. While bootleg Perceptor is good as is, Soundblaster needs a bit more work to be okay. I do recommend that you to get this, if you plan on customizing, or if you have enough patience to fix it up a bit.


PROS

-Accurate boootleg of the original
-Elevator boots look good on robot mode


CONS

-loose joints
-flimsy build
-needs more work
-compared with BL Perceptor, this is built inferior. Even Laserbeak sucks.


The only thing saving this from "SUCK" is its potential. Fix it up, and you get an okay toy.


Some comparison shots with BL Perceptor:

[mechajol]

Finally, the last bootleg I got last night.

Except for a more maroon color, I'd say this bootleg looks pretty faithful to the original...


Out of the pack, Hotrod's flimsiness becomes evident...


I've never owned a targetmaster, so I'm not sure if the Nebulon is upsized or the same size as the original. It looks bigger than my old powermaster figure, that's for sure...




ROBOT MODE



Loose joints, and flimsy build, plus brittle plastic. Take real good care of this fragile bootleg, if you get one.

And for some unknown reason, the bootleggers decided not to give poor Hotrod his elevator boots...


Hotrod comes with a whole set of guns, with only the red one fitting well in his fists.


Quality issues aside, the robot mode looks good and decent.

CAR MODE





From all angles, this alt mode looks cool. Also, it's more solid than the robot mode.

Word of warning, though, the brittle plastic makes it a chore to transform between modes. Particularly the chest/head/front hood parts.

The Nebulon weapon only fits in the engine.



ROBOT OR CAR MODE?

I'd go for car mode. Although with some work, the robot mode will be cool, too.


RECOMMENDATIONS

I'd still say that BL Hotrod is a good buy. Just be careful transforming him since the plastic seems to fragile. Buy another one and customize it into Menasor! Like bootleg Soundblaster, this also needs a few more tweaks to tighten the joints.

Not that bad, and slightly good. But with its cheap price, why not pick one up?

[Valandar]

Just a comment, the extra gun that came with Bootleg Bootstrap Perceptor looks like one of the two guns that came with Hot Rod originally (pre-Targetmaster)...

http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/HotRod/hotrod.htm

[mechajol]

oooh! the plot thickens!

[ZoneDaiatlas]

Hey Mechajol... Where did you get the KO's at and how much did it cost you? Also good find and thanks for sharing your find to us!

[zemper]

mechajol, where did you get your KOs? Quiapo or Baclaran?

[mechajol]

Marikina. My home city. Pretty rare to come across such good bootlegs in my area, so I don't post much.

[It Is Him]

This thread is amazing. Answered all of my questions without having to ask one.

Thank you!

[Bonger]

This thread is amazing. Answered all of my questions without having to ask one.

Thank you!

No, no, thank you for taking the time to read the thread rather than making another post asking a qyestion asked 10 times before. Wish more new, and old members were like you.

[andynsm]

finally opened up the KO Red Defensor so here's a pic to share with you guys...



A

[mechajol]

cool! an all fire department defensor!

the bootlegs here only have the firetruck in red