The Energon Pub

Hello fellow seibertronians, I've kinda been taking a step back from the forums and collecting of late.. But recently, I visited this site, and took a look at the Toyfare images of the new coming products fro both the transformers Movie line up, the Animated, and Universe/classics 2.0.

I gotta say wow!! Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and a couple others are sweet!! I wasn't tooo terribly impressed with the Galvatron design though.. kinda weak and too much kibble on a Blocky design.. I wasn't too impressed with the Movie Allspark line up.. and the Premium megatron coloring was a big let down..

But here's the kicker to my post...


I was simply amazed by the Animated line up!!

they all looked awesome, and is it me, or does the animated line just have that 80's feel to it?? For all the older guys out there collecting, I mean, as I was looking through the images of each figure, Jazz was cool by the way, but each figure I came accross was exceptional and Brilliant! I was reminded heavily of the 80's booklets that accompanied the original G-1 toylines, and I kept feling as if this animated toyline was a updated mirror of that feeling and time.

I was originally very sckeptical of the toys themselves, and though i heard many fans state that they grew on them, I was still sckeptical, but to see many of my favorite lesser characters emerging with such a G-1 Homage and clean, no blocky kibbleness, and great looking fluidity.. I'm actually stunned..Megatron is Badass!! He's sooo cool, finally a Earthen Megs I can Get behind.. I love Transformers Animated!!

To me, and I know this is gonna be bad, but I'm avctually only going to pick up a Few Classics 2.0, and some of the older ones released from Japan.. just because...


But honestly, and to the older fans out there... I'm sorry to say this..I like the Universe offerings from hasbro, but...


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Animated RULES!!!!!!

the initial (and admittedly rather poor) image of animated prime on that promo poster had about 95% of posts in utter dismay/fury and hate, as more and more info came available people have warmed to it, now with the cartoon nearing the end of series 1 and most of the first/second waves of toys being seen most posts are in praise. Once toys of ultra magnus/blurr etc are seen it should hopefully show that animated is something that has really livened up TF.

2 years ago i was looking through the cybertron line looking for toys that i thought were good enough to buy, i bought a few that i thought were ok like excellion, i did the same with the movie, i wanted to like them and bought the 'best of a bad bunch' so to speak(now sold)

As soon as i saw animated toys i realised i was being a fool, its not enough to buy just because its the best of a bad bunch, one has to buy when one goes 'that is damn nice!' pretty much all the animated make me think that, its an automatic reaction.

From the last 12 years i own about 10 of the main line TF toys (BW/energon/movie). Animated is going to change that, i pretty much want to buy them all. they are bright, bold, have a dynamic sculpt, you know like the contrast between bulkheads little legs and the massive top half like a bodybuiler cliche, modern archetypes if you will. I really feel that the designer/s have really captured something unique with animated, a blend of character, playability (from what weve seen on the videos) and incredibly aesthetics and transformations.

cybertron and movie toys by comparison just seem really dull, the movie toys seem especially dull. heck even beast machines evokes some response, a big negative one but the movire toys for the most part are utterly forgettable (i do like target jazz, a lot!!)

anyway thats my pro-animated/anti-movie rant over

microclone wrote:the initial (and admittedly rather poor) image of animated prime on that promo posterhad 95% of posts in utter dismay/fury and hate, as more and more info came available people have warmed to it, now with the cartoon nearing the end of series 1 and most of the first/second waves of toys being seen most posts are in praise. Once toys of ultra magnus/blurr etc are seen it should hopefully show that animated is something that has really livened up TF.

2 years ago i was looking through the cybertron line looking for toys that i thought were good enough to buy, i bought a few that i thought were ok like excellion, i did the same with the movie, i wanted to like them and bought the 'best of a bad bunch' so to speak.

As soon as i saw animated toys i realised i was being a fool, its not enough to buy just because its the best of a bad bunch, one has to buy when one goes 'that is damn nice!' pretty much all the animated make me think that, its an automatic reaction.

From the last 12 years i own about 10 of the main line TF toys (BW/energon/movie). Animated is going to change that, i pretty much want to buy them all. they are bright, bold, have a dynamic sculpt, you know like the contrast between bulkheads little legs and the massive top half like a bodybuiler cliche, modern archetypes if you will.

I think you hit the perverbial Nail on the head, I was not so excited about classics when it first arrived, and the BOTCON fiasco reallyput me off, Energon/Cybertron/Armada, were a great line but there were only a few figures from those series that I really went "Wow".. but you said what I was trying to say in my first post on this subject.. and actually coined the phrase..

"its not enough to buy just because its the best of a bad bunch, one has to buy when one goes 'that is damn nice!' pretty much all the animated make me think that, its an automatic reaction."

I completely and utterly feel that when I look at animated, none of those figures comes accross as bad to me.. in the context of what they represent, which is that style, everything looks amazing!! by itself, the designs do look off, when compared to past transformers toys and their incarnations, but in the hub of the "Animated" context, they excell, and really make me feel nostalgically 80's when I veiw them. well said...

and as far as "the Best of the Bad bunch" theory, your absolutely right on, I mean I have felt that with almost every series, there has just been a few good ones I'd buy, and i do, but with animated I feel an Adult Pokemon mentality coming on...and I...

"Gotta Catch them all!!!"

I have to say that if you thought that the animated and universe figures looked great you should check out the upcoming G.I.Joe 25th anniversary stuff as well. Hasbro is going to have a great year money wise with everything that is coming out.

I, for one, will most likely be happily adding both lines to my collection. The Animated line for it's unique engineering and slick new designs, and Classics 2.0/Universe for its continuation of the cool G1 homage started by the original Classics line.

Classics ftw yo.

skywarp-2 wrote:and is it me, or does the animated line just have that 80's feel to it??

Not for me.

I really am rather disappointed with animated, its been the first Transformers series I’ve seen were I can look at a figure and think “I don’t want that” on impulse. I see a couple figures I’ll get from this line, but with the other transformer lines I’ve wanted every figure I could possibly get my hands on, animated I can live without. They’re ugly, have horrible proportions and generally look kind of boring IMO.

Oh well, Hasbro still gets my money with classics coming back and Takara bringing back Binaltech should keep my wallet nice and dry.

You're back! I missed you.

Oh, and Classics for life!

I'll be picking stuff up from both lines they'z both nize.

I will pick up some from both lines but will get more on Universe/classics 2.0 side than on the Animated side.

I like some of the Animated figures (Oil Slick, BA and Leader Megatron are a must have!) but I like each of the Classics figures (except the Cyb repaints...No Comment on those.) !

While TF animated will never get my eyes (not watching), I may buy the toys from that sereis becuase of the fact that they look like their show counterparts. This is something that strikes me and I think I will enjoy everthing it has to offer.

The Classics2.0/Universe line is hit or miss. Why? Unlike the first wave which was all new molds. Although we got a little few repaints (Bumblebee/CliffJumper/Optimus Prime/Ultra Magnus), and a great remold (Ramjet)...I enjoyed the line. Despite the seekers, I had them all. The only repaint was Energon Devastator, but it was very G1 inspired.

Now as for this 2.0 line up, we get used molds from Cybertron, which is ok...but Blaster was a BIG dissapointment. Then there's Powerglide, which looks like Jetfire. Powerglide should be Red and deep gray, not white with some red....sounds like Jetfire to me.

I will be skipping Animated, but watching out for the Universe line with anticipation. I will get EVERY Classic, and all the Classic club exclusives.

The only good thing to come out of Animated for me seems to be my 4 year old nephew likes the new show. It is a show for 4 year olds, and it works. I know because he came over to me the other day and said "Optimus Prime is cool!"

Universe rox! To me all the animated toys look like they were designed by a five year old. Very unpreportional, crappy weapons and even worse are the vehicle modes. The universe line is way better. It looks like hasbro actually tried on this one. And to whoever says the movie line sux, hold an 09 BB in your hands and tell me that

Counterpunch wrote:Classics ftw yo.

word. I am counting down the days. While I can concede that the animated figures are well engineered, I'm really picky about the faces of my transformers, and I can only bring myself to like bulkhead and bumblebee so far, but not enough to buy them. However, if prowl were to come out with a battle mask to hide that big chin and make him look even more ninja-like, I will be sold, considering all the positive reviews that are already out.

For me, classics 2.0 will definately be a "gotta catch em all" situation. Most likely a "gotta catch duplicates of them all" actually, so I won't be scared to go nuts with my opened figures.

bvzxa wrote:While TF animated will never get my eyes (not watching), I may buy the toys from that sereis becuase of the fact that they look like their show counterparts. This is something that strikes me and I think I will enjoy everthing it has to offer.

this is what i dont understand about some collectors. each to their own about their reasons for buying a figure but to buy figures because they are close to the cartoon (one that you dont watch) just doesnt makes any sense to me.

ah well, maybe my reason for collecting a given figure isnt understood by all either.

Mr.Bond007 wrote:Universe rox! To me all the animated toys look like they were designed by a five year old. Very unpreportional, crappy weapons and even worse are the vehicle modes. The universe line is way better. It looks like hasbro actually tried on this one. And to whoever says the movie line sux, hold an 09 BB in your hands and tell me that

the disproportion of animated is highly intentional, its no different from the disproportion seen in many TF toys. as for BB08, well i bought him, held him, transformed him but ultimately found it looking like a hotch potch of pieces in the wrong places....so i sold him, heathen that i am.

That's what he's supposted to look like. He's got great poseability, awsome weapon, and a great alt mode. You passed up one the best treansformers my friend. As for animated it's just too kiddie looking. And look at Bulkheads little legs they hardly fit a robot of his size. I'm sorry but the animating style just dosen't seem very believeable. How could that bulky of a truck like prime turn into a skinny robot like prime? Where's it all go?! I'm sorry but thsi kind of animation just dosen't fit tfs very well. And the alt modes are just hidious. Primes fire truck mode is hardly a firetruck at all. And Bumblebee's alt mode looks like a go-bot. And that ugly face! And what's up with the chins? It's like 90% chin 10% face on alot of em.

You do realise you're probably opening a real can of worms here?

Anyway,

... I like 'em both, but from what we've seen so far, Classics 2.0 is hit and miss, but with some major hits.

Animated looks to be the class act. It's a fresh new aesthetic, with some of the boxiness of G1, but none of the clunkiness. Classics 2.0 is both yesterday's news in terms of design, and appears to be an afterthought in terms of execution.

I really like what they're doing with Sunstreaker and Prowl, but the rest don't seem anything special.

It depends on your perspective. To those who disliked the movie and animated designs to varying degrees, it can be seen as a welcome return to a 'back to basics' approach to transformers. That appeals to me too, however I was actually hoping they'd surpass what was achieved with Classics 1.0, and so far I'm not impressed that they have.

microclone wrote:this is what i dont understand about some collectors. each to their own about their reasons for buying a figure but to buy figures because they are close to the cartoon (one that you dont watch) just doesnt makes any sense to me.

ah well, maybe my reason for collecting a given figure isnt understood by all either.

Well, if you don't watch a cartoon because you think the character look stupid, then a toy line with is "show accurate" would be at a disadvantage wouldn't it? I'd be much happier if they toy line DID NOT look like the "Transformer: Deformed Chinformers" show.

Like many I'm looking forward to both lines, and part of me is more excited for the Animated figures.
Partially because I think they look awesome.
Partially because I'm a little disappointed with a few things in the Universe line.
(Powerglide being an Ultra, and the repaints of Blaster and Dump Load).

I'll be getting all of the Animated figs. except:
Black Arachnia
Deluxe and Voyager Bulkhead
Supreme Prime
Deluxe Prime
Deluxe Megatron
(I'm on the fence about Ratchet)

From Universe I'll get all of them (and probably two each)
except for the 3 disappointments I listed previously.

Lastly, if MP Grimlock is released, I won't hesitate.

Lots of goodies to be excited about!!!!

Bumblethumper wrote:You do realise you're probably opening a real can of worms here?

Anyway,

... I like 'em both, but from what we've seen so far, Classics 2.0 is hit and miss, but with some major hits.

Animated looks to be the class act. It's a fresh new aesthetic, with some of the boxiness of G1, but none of the clunkiness. Classics 2.0 is both yesterday's news in terms of design, and appears to be an afterthought in terms of execution.

I really like what they're doing with Sunstreaker and Prowl, but the rest don't seem anything special.

It depends on your perspective. To those who disliked the movie and animated designs to varying degrees, it can be seen as a welcome return to a 'back to basics' approach to transformers. That appeals to me too, however I was actually hoping they'd surpass what was achieved with Classics 1.0, and so far I'm not impressed that they have.

maybe the premise is wrong, and I forgot how touchy the fandom is, I wasn't stating that classics is worse then Animated, rather that animated actually brings me a feeling of 80s zen that classics has a hit or miss with, animated hits it all the way on the toys and their looks...so for me, animated rules, classics rule as well, but not everything that classics has released I'd buy, however in animated I would.. but to each their own.. I was simply trying to see if I wasn't alone in this..


Also Binaltech is coming back???


F-ing sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!


sigh, I'm gonna get broke...

animated looks sick so put me down for animated

Counterpunch wrote:Classics ftw yo.

Preach on my brotha! Share the gospel with our TF bretheren.

I appreciate the work and thought put into Animated but the style just deosn't appeal to me. However, I have to confess the show is entertaining. I have been dying for the Classics line to make a comeback. And I am very impressed with the upcoming figures for 2.0. With the movie line finishing out I have time to save money for the Minibot & Omega Supreme reissues and utilize evil-bay to add to my G1/G2 collection before Classics 2.0 hits the shelves.

But I must side with Counterpunch for this one,

Classics ftw yo!

I'll be focusing my dollars on Classics. Animated doesn't appeal to me at all, which is cool because my wallet wont get clobbered too badly