The Energon Pub

[william-james88]

Just as was the case with Slug last year, Hasbro has made another factory modification. This time, it is with Generations Brainstorm inorder to fix his headmaster gimmick. For those who were not aware, the initially released toys made it difficult to pull the head out of the larger robot, leading sometimes to breakage. The fixed version of Brainstorm has a head that comes out properly.

The package with the "fixed" head can be identified by having a rubberband that holds the head in place during shipping. On the case of Brainstorms that I received, the ones with the fix can be identified by the small code on the back of the box (42791) which is different than the code on the unfixed version (42551). These codes may vary and may possibly not be the codes that identify the fix. Please share your examples with us if you find something that contradicts this information.

To clarify some earlier confusion from our Facebook page and in our discussion topic about this matter, the rubberband has nothing to do with the actual fix other than it can be used to identify which ones have the fix versus ones that don't.

Here are some images showing the differences between the two releases to help you identify the different versions.






For those who still have the initial release, the video below shows you how to fix it yourself.



If you're still on the fence about picking up Generations Brainstorm, make sure you check out Seibertron.com's massive gallery of this figure. Also, if you come across this toy at a retail store, make sure you share your sighting it in our Sightings section or on our Sightings forum.

[Sabrblade]

Glad I waited before getting this figure.

[Noideaforaname]

That's cool, but between Whirl still shelf-warming and the Combiner Wars reset I doubt this'll really help anything.


I remember when Crankcase had a similar thing, 1st Edition had hastily hacked-off fingers and later editions had remolded hands. Never saw the revised version...

[william-james88]

That's cool, but between Whirl still shelf-warming and the Combiner Wars reset I doubt this'll really help anything.

You mean you dont think you'll find any? Were there any ever spotted in your area? Because I never even saw this guy. Actually, I dont think he ever appeared in Canada so far.

[Noideaforaname]

Nope, haven't seen Brainstorm. Or Roadbuster, or Nemesis Prime, or Cliffjumper, or any of the lady bots. Not that I'm really looking for any of them, but it sure seems like they're all falling victim to being the last wave.

[Cobotron]

I feel like I hear a lot of folks are having a hard time finding Roadbuster. He is shelf warming in my area. Along with Whirl of course. I live in a 3rd tier city and have found all the figures NoIdea listed above. The distribution of these figures is such a mystery.

[Sabrblade]

I've seen every Generations Thrilling 30 figure at stores except for Brainstorm.

[Cobotron]

He is certainly the most elusive of this bunch. I found the one I have. It was the only one I've seen.

[Solrac333]

i haven't seen this guy, Chromia, and Arcee at all.

[william-james88]

i haven't seen this guy, Chromia, and Arcee at all.

The fix mentioned may be a reason you have not seen him. It could be that the reports of poor quality from the initial release made them halt further distribution inroder to fix it and rerelease it. I am assuming that's the same thing that is going on with Arcee since she too had a running change (with her hand), which halted the distribution of the wave.

[Cobotron]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

[william-james88]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

Even Chromia?. But then again, if I recall you dont have the original arcee mold it's based on right? The reason I am hesitant about her is due to the mold reuse, I never get the same feeling about transforming a toy for the first time if I already know it's transformation scheme (but that's just me).

[Cobotron]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

Even Chromia?. But then again, if I recall you dont have the original arcee mold it's based on right? The reason I am hesitant about her is due to the mold reuse, I never get the same feeling about transforming a toy for the first time if I already know it's transformation scheme (but that's just me).

I do have Arcee, but I haven't had a chance to compare them as she has been packed away for some time. I will be getting her out soon. I would give Chromia a 7.5 out of 10. Her transformation isn't the best, but she has many redeeming qualities.
Knowing what I know about your collection and what you like WJ. I don't know that she is a "must have" for you.

[Sabrblade]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

Even Chromia?. But then again, if I recall you dont have the original arcee mold it's based on right? The reason I am hesitant about her is due to the mold reuse, I never get the same feeling about transforming a toy for the first time if I already know it's transformation scheme (but that's just me).

I haven't opened my Chromia yet, but reports claim that there were so many mold changes made to it that it altered the transformation scheme to the point that it no longer transforms like the original Arcee version did.

[Cobotron]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

Even Chromia?. But then again, if I recall you dont have the original arcee mold it's based on right? The reason I am hesitant about her is due to the mold reuse, I never get the same feeling about transforming a toy for the first time if I already know it's transformation scheme (but that's just me).

I haven't opened my Chromia yet, but reports claim that there were so many mold changes made to it that it altered the transformation scheme to the point that it no longer transforms like the original Arcee version did.

Now you've got me really interested. I will bust out Arcee ASAP.

[RiddlerJ]

I'm not at my place right now so I can't check until later, but I think I have the fixed version. (I was wondering why his head didn't give me any problems). I ordered my from Hasbro Toy Shop.

[Sabrblade]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

Even Chromia?. But then again, if I recall you dont have the original arcee mold it's based on right? The reason I am hesitant about her is due to the mold reuse, I never get the same feeling about transforming a toy for the first time if I already know it's transformation scheme (but that's just me).

I haven't opened my Chromia yet, but reports claim that there were so many mold changes made to it that it altered the transformation scheme to the point that it no longer transforms like the original Arcee version did.

Now you've got me really interested. I will bust out Arcee ASAP.

Generations Chromia is what I was talking about, in comparison to the original Prime RID Arcee mold.

[Cobotron]

If it helps anyone who's hunting, I've only found them at Walmart Super Centers. Brainstorm a good 4 weeks before Xmas, and The Fems last week. I really hope these don't get swept under the rug,as they are all really great toys.

Even Chromia?. But then again, if I recall you dont have the original arcee mold it's based on right? The reason I am hesitant about her is due to the mold reuse, I never get the same feeling about transforming a toy for the first time if I already know it's transformation scheme (but that's just me).

I haven't opened my Chromia yet, but reports claim that there were so many mold changes made to it that it altered the transformation scheme to the point that it no longer transforms like the original Arcee version did.

Now you've got me really interested. I will bust out Arcee ASAP.

Generations Chromia is what I was talking about, in comparison to the original Prime RID Arcee mold.

Yes. I know. We are on the same page.

[megatronus]

I haven't seen Skybyte, Brainstorm, Arcee or Chromia. Come to think of it, I never saw Legends Acid Storm or Gears either.

I saw one Roadbuster at a Target 2 months ago, but it was so banged up I passed on it. It paid off: last week I saw 6 Roadbusters at the Kmart in Penn Station (NYC). Picked up two, and I'm fairly pleased with him.

I just hope the latter waves of the Thrilling 30 Generations figures are distributed along with the first waves of Combiner Wars so we can properly cap 2014 product before moving on to CW proper.

[jogunwarrior]

Hasbro should offer a deal where we can mail them the original, and they can send a "fixed" version in place of it.
I'd even be willing to pay shipping for that.

[SW's SilverHammer]

Hasbro should offer a deal where we can mail them the original, and they can send a "fixed" version in place of it.
I'd even be willing to pay shipping for that.

[shajaki]

@ brainstorm fix
finally! being a canadian late to the party finally pays off! hopefully if/when he finally shows up itll be the fixed version.

as for what ive seen... the newest generations ive spotted came from our ill fated target: skybyte/roadbuster, gears/acidstorm, and windblade asst. all of which was pre-xmas, only once, and not spotted since.

[william-james88]

Hasbro should offer a deal where we can mail them the original, and they can send a "fixed" version in place of it.
I'd even be willing to pay shipping for that.

Cant you just write to their customer service and say you broke yours? I did that whenever my toys broke and when it was a current toy, I got that same toy brand new in the mail. Didnt even have to send them my original broken one (why would they pay unecesary shipping).

[Shockwave7]

I'm not sure how distribution is managed in the US, but it seems unpredictable and skewed. It seems like they divide all the figures in a particular line, and in a particular wave into four big boxes. One of the boxes has ALL of one of the figures in that line/wave, and NONE of the others, and so on for each of those boxes. And one of those boxes is delivered to upper right quadrant of the US, one is delivered to the lower right, one to the upper left, one to the lower left, and that's it. So some parts of the country wind up with gazillions of one of the figures in the line/wave, and none of the others, and vice-verse.

Our quadrant seems to have all the Whirl/Roadbuster/Skrapnel figures, but no Arcee figures, no Chromia, no Brainstorm, no Jetfire, Cosmos, etc. etc. etc.

So I don't doubt that other parts of the country are awash in Arcee/Chromia/Jetfires, and wondering where the (bleep) all the Roadbusters, Cosmos, and Whirls are.

I can't abide political socialism and all their hypocrisy about 'equal distribution' - but in the case of Transformers, it looks like we could use equal distribution of all the various figures in a line/wave so that each state has equal access to all the figures in a particular line/wave. Right now we've got some weird, inexplicable system where some states get all of one figure, none of the others, and so everybody winds up with only the figure in their particular zone, and all the extras wind up shelf warming.

[Revimus Leo]

I dunno about Seibertron's new Brainstorm, but that was NOT the case with mine. The Brainstorm I got indeed had the rubber bands on the head as well as the "fixed" version's code, but "Arcana's" head was jammed in as tight as I remember hearing others say with the original. I wound up popping Arcana's head out of his ball socket. I had to use something with the force of pliers to get the head out of Brainstorm's body. And yes, I made sure that the locking mechanism was releasing the head. Fortunately, I was able to attach Arcana's head back onto Brainstorm's head without it being overly loose, and now it releases properly when holding down the release for the locking mechanism. But be careful, just because some are fixed, doesn't mean ALL the Brainstorms with these changes have been fixed.