The Energon Pub

Well since I'm a raging pessimist and full of negativity (:P) I thought I'd start a "Worst of 2008" thread to counter-balance the "Best of" thread...

So here's my BOTTOM pick TF action figures for 2008:


1. Universe Ironhide

I don't feel I need to explain this one at all... (And I already have anyway in other posts)

2. Universe Heavy Load

I suppose this wouldn't have surprised me had I ever seen Cybertron Quickmix...But this one actually looked cool to me ON and IN the box...Out in the open, his truck mode looked like ass (way too much robot showing) and his robot mode was clunky and rigid...

3. Universe Ravage

I pretty much love Hound (aside from the unsettling choice of green Hasbro picked for him) but Ravage really disappointed me...I really dug what I saw in pictures and even video-reviews, but once I had him in my hands I found I didn't much care for him...His head looks too bird-like, and his body is just awkward looking...I actually think (despite his anorexia) the original Ravage looked way better...He still gets bonus points for fitting in G1 Soundwave though...

4. Universe Tankor

I really only bought him because I wanted to fill out my Decepticon ranks a bit...He is flimsy and small and all three of his modes look retarded (especially, and ironically, the oil-tanker mode)

5. Movie Blackout

His helicopter mode is beautiful, and the mini-scorpinok that ejects from him is cool too...But in Robot mode, half the freaking 'copter is simply his backpack, and he's about as short as a deluxe figure...I guess I don't really dislike him greatly, but I feel he wasn't worth the money he cost...

6. Movie Starscream

Ugly, ugly, ugly...Not that I particuarly cared for the way he looked even in the movie, but the toy was even worse...Plane mode is OKAY, but way too bulky underneath...Transformation is awkward and results in an ugly robot anyway...I only bought him because he was $5 clearance at Target...

7. Movie Voyager Megatron

Oooh...Somebody needs a beat-down for this one...




I guess that's all I've got really...No real problems with the Animated line (though I don't have that many of them) and I didn't include figures I didn't actually get, otherwise Universe Silverbolt and Movie Deluxe Scorpinok would be on the list too...(#$@%ing "Stand-Up-Formers")

So let's hear it...Which toys did you hate this year?

typh0id wrote:So let's hear it...Which toys did you hate this year?

The entire Animated line.

And don't anybody waste their time trying to debate that with me. It's my opinion and nothing anyone says is going to change it so spare me your Animated luvin' drivel.

1. Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold
Didnt like this guy one bit after I opened him. He is just so ugly to me.
2.Lugnut
He is just too ugly I even cant talk about him
3.Activators Megatron/Optimus Prime
So **** cheap! There ball joint legs pop off even when I barely even touch them. The Star Saber K.O. that I bought has better durability them these idiots.

Theres my worsts of this year. I wouldve posted more but I just love the Animated and Universe line alot.

And Burn I just dont get why you hate the Animated line.

Nevermore wrote:And Burn I just dont get why you hate the Animated line.

Then you've obviously missed my dozen or more posts explaining in great detail why. Hence why i'm not going to explain it again, because i've done it too bloody often.

Burn wrote:

typh0id wrote:So let's hear it...Which toys did you hate this year?

The entire Animated line.

And don't anybody waste their time trying to debate that with me. It's my opinion and nothing anyone says is going to change it so spare me your Animated luvin' drivel.

Seconded. Animated sucks (cartoon is good though).

offroad ironhide
the person who thought this guy was ready for release needs to be hurt...BAD!

camaro concept bumblebee
once you transform him, hes pretty much stuck in bot mode FOREVER!

botcon jazz (hes a tformer released in 08, so he counts)
his head doesnt suit the mold, and his transformation sucks crap. the jazz colors just make it worse.

allspark power evac
face it, the bot mode sucks.

thats all i can think of for now...

GetterDragun wrote:Seconded. Animated sucks (cartoon is good though).

Thirded, but I'm glad I don't like them because I would probably be in the poor house if I was buying that whole line along with everything else...

Never watched the cartoon so I can't comment on that...


I would put the Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold down as one of the best, however. Guess that's why they call them opinions...

nightbolt wrote:offroad ironhide
the person who thought this guy was ready for release needs to be hurt...BAD!

camaro concept bumblebee
once you transform him, hes pretty much stuck in bot mode FOREVER!

botcon jazz (hes a tformer released in 08, so he counts)
his head doesnt suit the mold, and his transformation sucks crap. the jazz colors just make it worse.

allspark power evac
face it, the bot mode sucks.

thats all i can think of for now...

This pretty much confirms my suspicions that people are going to post really good TFs in here to get a rise out of viewers.

I'de say most of the animated line.

I'll stick to stuff I've actually bought:

1) TFU Tankor. Good grief, this thing sucked. Both alt modes look like crap, and the kibble piece needed for them doesn't do anything useful in robot mode. Melee weapon? Exactly what is it supposed to be? A sword? A claw? If they'd included a decent way to either mount the thing behind his wings or as a shield, it wouldn't be so bad. But... just crap.

2) Concept Camaro Bumblebee. Ok, actually he's a 2007 toy, but I didn't get one until this year. And I'm very glad I didn't rush to buy one. If you're going to make a big deal of realism, I don't want to look through the windows and be able to see robot mode arms where the driver would sit.

Come to think of it, that's about it. There's nothing else I've bought that I've regretted to anything like the level of those two. And Tankor is way ahead by a mile. I've enjoyed everything I've bought from the Animated line, and I've bought quite a bit.

The only toy I've bought and actually regretted was Deluxe Animated Bumblebee.

The Activators version was better in every way.

I'll follow along with Universe Octane.

That one was my #1 disappointment of the year, for all the above reasons, but add in that I REALLY wanted this fig from the early photos.

#2 Universe Galvatron. Again, nothing that hasn't been said, but I do like his alt mode, so he's not as bad as Octane.

#3 TFA Lugnut. I really like this guy, and I like the toy. So why is he on my list? One word, scale! Like voyager Bulkhead, he's just too freaking small for the gi-normous character he is. Hasbro, please, please, please release him in leader class size! He fits OK with activators, but I hate having 2 displays, it takes up too much space.

1. Heavy Load-repaint and a waste of money. i am guilty of wasting money on this thing. wrong decision.

2. Universe Galvatron-stupid. Why even bother making it if it can't even be close to scale. should have been at least voyager class. i'm happy i didn't buy this piece of trash.

3. Universe Ironhide-His astonishingly great robot mode does not make up for the complete lack of a good alt mode. the blue is also questionable.

4. Walmart exclusive Dive Bomb-thought i needed to start collecting more airplane alt modes............i should have asked you folks before i bought this junk. stupid move.

5. Tankor-looked like garbage right from the jump. i'm glad to still have that $8.00 in my pocket. completely uninteresting even from a character standpoint.

I'm going to g completely out of the norm here and say Universe Onslaught.
This guy is the only disappointment I had this year and it's mostly about his damn electronics and sacrifice of articulation for said electronics. Lack of a useful weapon in bot-mode, the gun stuck to the bottom of his arm is just dumb.

Maybe TFA Lockdown as he got me addicted to Animated.

1. Supreme Animated Optimus Prime: Just WHY??? Even the voyager Prime is much more detailed than this monstrosity... With a size that big the movable fingers would be a basic function, but anybody that made this must be very lazy.


2. The entire movie line*, man, they are either butt-ugly or exceptionally simplified versions of the movie transformers, or both, with bad gimmicks (Barricades arms, anybody?). And the premium line was a stab to all people who bought the first versions.


3. the Transtech "role-playing" thingies, and the "transforming" blasters (SScream, and the Movie-Animated Prime rig). What was the people smoking when they greenlighted those?



*except for Blackout: that con has a G1 feeling on it.

Well, My list is very similar to what others have said....So here's my sh*t-list:

1: Universe Octane. I had heard he was awesome, I found him and I bought him. PURE FAIL! He's wobbly in bot mode..he needs his "melee weapon" to just stand upright! His alt modes are horrific! I do not expect triple-changers to have decent alt modes due to the basic design, but jeebus! Major suckage!

2: Universe Galvatron. Ya gotta basically make the poor bot a cripple to transform him! Ripping a figures limbs off to take him from alt mode to robot mode is just FAIL!

3: Animated Soundwave. I bought him because I love Soundwave...his size is just meh...His legs in bot mode are loose as hell...you have to position them just right or he goes bow-legged and falls forward!

4: 95% of the Bayformers toy-line. Just BLARG! The bot-modes are just HIDEOUS! I understand the need to have made them more "alien" and all that, but that does not mean make them make mud fences appear super-model attractive! Sheesh!

5: Animated Voyager Megatron. Ugly. Just effin' UGLY! alt mode is a blob of unrecognizable plastic with quasi-wings. Bot mode has his cannon all out of whack and his knees are practically at his mid-section. Thank the gods for Leader Megs or my feelings for TFA Megatron would have been wounded and someone would suffer for the affront to my favorite Transformer!

That's basically all I can list now, since I won't list bots I do not own.

nightbolt wrote:camaro concept bumblebee
once you transform him, hes pretty much stuck in bot mode FOREVER!

I had that problem at first but after some practice (since I somehow ended up with three of them) I got really good at getting correctly back into the car mode...He's actually my favourite from the movie line

Sledge wrote:1) TFU Tankor. Good grief, this thing sucked. Both alt modes look like crap, and the kibble piece needed for them doesn't do anything useful in robot mode. Melee weapon? Exactly what is it supposed to be? A sword? A claw? If they'd included a decent way to either mount the thing behind his wings or as a shield, it wouldn't be so bad. But... just crap.

I agree 100% That figure is just baffeling...It's like they just gave up somewhere in the design process...

Chaoslock wrote:3. the Transtech "role-playing" thingies, and the "transforming" blasters (SScream, and the Movie-Animated Prime rig). What was the people smoking when they greenlighted those?

Well to be fair, those are obviously intended for children...You can't forget that Transformers are still primarily a "kid's" property...

I have no interest in that stuff because I'm an adult, but my four-year-old loves those transforming arm-gun things...

TFU GALVATRON! Infact G1 Galvatron refuses to have any association with this figure. He could crush this guy easier than he did Starscream!

The 3 of my least liked figs that I've gotten this year:

Universe Tankor - Fairly blocky and WTF's up with his melee blade?
Universe Galvatron - While I don't mind the fig, he is very loose so I don't fiddle with him as much as I would other Figs. Superlink Galvatron G is my TFU Galvatron.
TFU Powerglied - The figure is fairly good, but Hasbro dropped the ball when they decided to make him white. The red version is much better.

Classics Tankor was a disappointment but I don't have many triple changers so he'll probably get played with a fair bit.

TFA Leader Megatron but only because the transformation's way too easy, bonus point for the G1 transformation sound though.

Movie Voytager Thundercracker. Bought because I hadn't bought a Starscream and I wish I hadn't wasted £20 on this ugly a toy, in either mode.

PS, Animated rocks!

I honestly like TFU Galvatron...Granted, I absolutely wish he was a larger class (and it's damn-near a crime that he's not) but other than that I pretty much dig him...And I am fortunate enough to have one that actually stays together when I transform him (yes, even his left arm)

Pyrostrata wrote:2: Universe Galvatron. Ya gotta basically make the poor bot a cripple to transform him! Ripping a figures limbs off to take him from alt mode to robot mode is just FAIL!

Huh? Are you implying it falls apart easily or that it actually requires limbs to be pulled off to transform? If you literally mean the latter you're not transforming it correctly...

NotEnoughKibble wrote:

Pyrostrata wrote:2: Universe Galvatron. Ya gotta basically make the poor bot a cripple to transform him! Ripping a figures limbs off to take him from alt mode to robot mode is just FAIL!

Huh? Are you implying it falls apart easily or that it actually requires limbs to be pulled off to transform? If you literally mean the latter you're not transforming it correctly...

The balljoint at the left shoulder is notoriously loose, and frequently pops off by accident for LOTS of people, no matter how careful you are. It's worse than the door balljoints for TFU Prowl.

As for my worst...

1 ) TFU Galvatron. The torso and head are rockin'... the rest, meh. And the backpack is worthless. It is just kibble, and doesn't even LOOK like a backpack / jetpack / what have you, unlike many others with a pack.

2 ) Animated Blitzwing. Yes, he has a good robot mode. But his other two modes are floppy, half-a**ed POS's that don't clip or stay together in any way, and just look like the twin children of a jet who was raped by a tank.

3 ) TRU Titanium Prowl. Robot mode is awkward at best, car mode looks like parts of different vehicles held together by duct tape and PVC Pipe.

Nickolai wrote:

nightbolt wrote:offroad ironhide
the person who thought this guy was ready for release needs to be hurt...BAD!

camaro concept bumblebee
once you transform him, hes pretty much stuck in bot mode FOREVER!

botcon jazz (hes a tformer released in 08, so he counts)
his head doesnt suit the mold, and his transformation sucks crap. the jazz colors just make it worse.

allspark power evac
face it, the bot mode sucks.

thats all i can think of for now...

This pretty much confirms my suspicions that people are going to post really good TFs in here to get a rise out of viewers.

I'm not jokeing. these transformers , contrairy to popular belief, really do suck (gasp, almost just like g1!).

but thats my opinion, and if you have a problem with opinions, then what are you doing here?

nightbolt wrote:

Nickolai wrote:

nightbolt wrote:offroad ironhide
the person who thought this guy was ready for release needs to be hurt...BAD!

camaro concept bumblebee
once you transform him, hes pretty much stuck in bot mode FOREVER!

botcon jazz (hes a tformer released in 08, so he counts)
his head doesnt suit the mold, and his transformation sucks crap. the jazz colors just make it worse.

allspark power evac
face it, the bot mode sucks.

thats all i can think of for now...

This pretty much confirms my suspicions that people are going to post really good TFs in here to get a rise out of viewers.

I'm not jokeing. these transformers , contrairy to popular belief, really do suck (gasp, almost just like g1!).

but thats my opinion, and if you have a problem with opinions, then what are you doing here?

And yet you don't give REASONS why they suck.

As for the Concept Bumblebee, they suck FOR YOU. Other people seem to have NO problems putting him back in car mode.