The Energon Pub

I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I'd really, really, like to see a Masterpiece Megatron with a realistic tank alt. mode. As much as I love the Soundwave, Shockwave, and G1 Megatron characters I've never really cared for their Microchange-scale alt modes and after the tiny Classics tank Megatron and the lousy Titaniums I'd like to finally see a nice, big, fully-articulated G1/G2/War Within/or IDW tank Megatron.

Masterpiece Voltron

1bigray wrote:Masterpiece Voltron

...I don't think Takara Tomy has the Voltron license (since the Voltron brand is American. Maybe they can get the GoLion license?)

Plus Toynami has already released a 'Masterpiece Edition' Voltron.
http://www.toynami.com/voltron.html

I know I was just kidding around

Repair Bay wrote:hehe i'd love to see a Masterpiece Unicron

Actually I think that might be a possibility since it will be the sixth mp figure and six is usually associated with evil...
and so is unicron...
Now I wants a mp unicron!

1bigray wrote:Masterpiece Voltron

The original lion Voltron was a masterpiece in all its diecast glory. I had that sucker too. Hearkening back to the folly's of youth thread, it all ended badly when I got bored with the toys and decided to break out mr. screwdiriver to see how they work and lacked the wherewithal and discipline to put them back together. (Predaking shared Voltron's fate.)

OptimusPrive wrote:

1bigray wrote:Masterpiece Voltron

The original lion Voltron was a masterpiece in all its diecast glory. I had that sucker too. Hearkening back to the folly's of youth thread, it all ended badly when I got bored with the toys and decided to break out mr. screwdiriver to see how they work and lacked the wherewithal and discipline to put them back together. (Predaking shared Voltron's fate.)

I made the black lion fly

I tohught they said cats always land on their feet

MP06 Devastator (Why no combiners?)

AbsumZer0 wrote:

1bigray wrote:Masterpiece Voltron

...I don't think Takara Tomy has the Voltron license (since the Voltron brand is American. Maybe they can get the GoLion license?)

Plus Toynami has already released a 'Masterpiece Edition' Voltron.
http://www.toynami.com/voltron.html

It's pretty much the same as the old die cast. I got to look at one, and realized that it wasn't orth the $130 for the masterpiece when I already had the original die cast Voltron complete in Mint Box. (Got it years after it was discontinued from Children's Palace when they were closing their store and clearancing all the stuff they had in the stockroom from years of being unable to sell the last bits of some toys.)

Shockwave or Soundwave would be my choices.
Preferably Shockwave since he's had so few homages/re-releases.

Personally, I'd love to see a Masterpiece Star Saber.

Any of the g1 predacons. I just think that they would intresting at this size. If we are talking vehicle I would have to say any of the g1 combaticons.

Well, any of you can guess my first choice. True, he's gotten an American & Japanese re-issues, & for the first time since 1984, he had at least a homage in Cybertron w/his face & Laserbeak. Other than my beloved Soundwave, I would definately love a MP Shockwave. But I wouldn't mind MP Insecticons. Especially Bombshell. Other than them, I expect either MP-06 or 07 to be Seeker re-paints much as I hate to admit it. If they're not, I could see Grimlock w/an Energo-Sword. I'd also like to see a MP Head or Targetmaster, namely Fort Max or TM Scourge. If I had to pick a Gestalt to recieve the MP treatment, I'd go w/the first & the best: Devastator. If all 6 Constructicons were released as a set, that would be pretty expensive. I'll just wait & see what comes down the MP road though.....................

Erroneous wrote:MP06 Devastator (Why no combiners?)

I agree to have MP Devastator. I'd like to see MP Sixshot as well.

Well.. I ventured a theory in a different thread, so I'll venture it again and expand a bit:

First - obvously it's possible we might get repaints, but I am thinking about the "next unique MP" - so it could be 7 and not 6, but the point is to guess the next character to get the treatment, and not to guess whether anime Starsrcream is coming...

So...

1. No cars/no jets. The reason is simple: Binaltech have already given us the cars, and any car Autobot from season 1 would have to be to scale with MP01, aka it would have to actually be a BT...and that's just pointless. No jets for the obvious reason that we have the SS mould.

2. Possible Thrust?
This raises the interesting point of whether they will pull a trick on us and retool the Starscream mould into someone like Thrust?

I DOUBT it. Here's why: Given Takara's decision to go with a realistic paint scheme for Starscream, the company clearly wanted to have the MP line be a line of realistic alts turning into good representations of cartoon characters. Thrust is not a realistic jet, and not even a very exciting "fantasy" jet, so there would be little point of bringing him out - or the other cone heads for that matter.

3. Soundwave? Shockwave? NO.
here's why:

Soundwave - it's the scale thing. Making him to scale with Megatron would make him overtly big as a tape deck. Now, you can do that with the Walther P-38 because it's not THAT much of a stretch, but I just don't think it'll be credible with Soundwave. Revamping him into a bigger sound system would also miss the point of remaining faithful to the original. Takara's plans for Soundwave are obvous - MP3 Soundwave is the direction they're taking the character - not MP.

Shockwave - well, I would say NO. Here's why:
BT Shockwave is already a good representation of the character, and a "space gun" that is basically the robot crouched over is really not enough of an engineering challenge to warrant an MP representation. That and Shockwave doesn't fit into the "realistic" vehicle/thing" category which seems to drive the MP line.

4. Instecticons? Constructicons? Combiners? No. No. No.
Here's why:

The 5-part combiners are not going to happen because 4 of them would actually fall into BT scale and in some cases you'd have a really hard time with scale given that guys like Blastoff are technically much bigger in alt mode than guys like Swindle.

Devastator, as a fairly homogenously scaled combiner would be technically possible BUT - is Takara really going to churn out designs for SIX MPs right at the outset (they'd have to) and then sell them over the next...six years? That is highly unrealistic. I don't see it happening.

As for the Insecticons: IMO that's just absurd. They have simplistic insect modes that look cool for what they are, but just would be pointless in an MP scale.

5. Grimlock

Grimlock would be a semi-rational choice and plausible if not for the fact that he's just a mechanical dinosaur. So this would really be a decision hinging on whether Takara thinks that an MP T-rex would appeal to the monster lovers on the market, or whether people would be turned off by an over sized elaborate dino?

Remember too that MP Grimlock would have to be faithful to the cartoon - and let's face it - that's not too exciting a dino... he's retrograde with posture and pretty lacking in detail. Sure, they could "upgrade" his dino mode, but I think that would border on making him more unrecognizable than grey MP Starscream - a risk they might not take.

So -- no...my guess is they'll shy away from that idea too...

6. Rodimus Prime: Well - I dunno. The alt mode is just so unrealistic and dated that again - I just don't think they'll risk something like this at the MP pricepoint...

7. Galvatron: Same argument as with Rodimus - unrealistic alt mode and also - I think with Megs and SS done, they'll want to do another Autobot now...

Who does that leave?

we can answer this by looking at 3 possible angles:
1. Realistic appealing Alt form
2. Very popular character
3. Radical departure from precedent

1. Who has a really appealing Alt form from the major characters of G1? Hm...

Here's my really wierd guess: Masterpiece....

Octane

Say what?

Well - Octane. He's a jumbo jet and a truck. Now, it is an engineering challenge to make a triplechanger and both of Octane's alt modes are credibly realistic. He could certainly be in scale with Starscream...

But he's a Decepticon...

So if they were going to do an Autobot that would leave...

Broadside!??!

Yes - why not? Imagine an MP Broadside! The scale would be ridiculous...so maybe they won't do that?...

What about Sandstorm?

Would it be realistic to have a copter/dune buggy Triple changer? Sure...

The only problem is that Sandstorm is not extactly one of the first guys who comes to mind when you think "G1"....

Who else would qualify? hmmm....

Ratchet.

Now - this is sort of a stretch, but an ambulane would be significantly bigger than the BTs, and although dated, it is a universal type of vehicle that - like Prime's flat nosed truck - doesn't "get old" in the same way as some of the other cars and is not going to fall under the "but this is just a BT" category... I think...

Not sure - but it's possible they'll do ratchet with an elaborate med bay for BTs.... why not?

Ratchet is a key character in G1, he's very G1 in fact - and it would possibly work...

Plus having an MP Ratchet would be some big achievement - and you all know what I mean with the head coming out over a boxed in body never having been done - well - kind of with the Botcon exclusives, but you get the gist...

This would necessarily one day maybe lead to an Ironhide repaint...

But yeah - I would bet on those two - Ironhide and Ratchet...

But it's a good question...

The obvious three candidates -ss Megs and Prime... are done...

2. Characters:

Well - this would open the door up for Rodimus, sure - and probably for guys like Starsaber - and naturally I love Starsaber - but I wonder whether the alt mode isn't just too much of a fantasy thing to be wasted on this scale?

3. Surprises:

I highly doubt we'd get an MP Unicron - that just would make no sense since Armada Unicron IS an MP Unicron in every possible way - I can't see them improving much on him unless you want to make him much much much bigger....

Fort Max? Metroplex? Possible - but again most consumers in Japan might see this as a cop out. Engineering a fantasy robot city that sits up is not as complex as making an ambulance turn into Ratchet from G1...

In any case - it's going to be an Autobot - of that I'm almost positive...

which one?

Ratchet!

The problem with making and MP Triplechanger is that most triplechangers' alt modes are very much out of scale with eachother. Take Sandstorm for instance and you've got a dune buggy and a helicopter of about the same size. That's either one enormous dune buggy or a very small helicopter.

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:We shall see....Young Skywalker..(in darth vader voice..LOL

I'm 67 years old.

Ahhh yes, but wisdom is not in age, but in the heart and mind of experience..

skywarp-2 wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:We shall see....Young Skywalker..(in darth vader voice..LOL

I'm 67 years old.

Ahhh yes, but wisdom is not in age, but in the heart and minds of experience..

I was in 'Nam man, don't tell me about experience.

I still get flashbacks....

Ok, maybe its me, or maybe its just when you reach 30 you become a fan of long winded conjecture, but I'm kinda more inclined to read Seibertron forums in the morning versus the news paper...its more exciting and certainly more interesting then corrupt politicians and war or global warming. With that said this is a formal rebuttle to Autobot Skids assertions about the MP line..

By the way, Skids, your conjectures are a breath of fresh air. I love reading your posts, though long, they are great fun..

So lets see:

Autobot Skids wrote:

First - obvously it's possible we might get repaints, but I am thinking about the "next unique MP" - so it could be 7 and not 6, but the point is to guess the next character to get the treatment, and not to guess whether anime Starsrcream is coming...

So...


I completely agree


Autobot Skids wrote:

1. No cars/no jets. The reason is simple: Binaltech have already given us the cars, and any car Autobot from season 1 would have to be to scale with MP01, aka it would have to actually be a BT...and that's just pointless. No jets for the obvious reason that we have the SS mould.

2. Possible Thrust?
This raises the interesting point of whether they will pull a trick on us and retool the Starscream mould into someone like Thrust?

I completely agree

Autobot Skids wrote:

I DOUBT it. Here's why: Given Takara's decision to go with a realistic paint scheme for Starscream, the company clearly wanted to have the MP line be a line of realistic alts turning into good representations of cartoon characters. Thrust is not a realistic jet, and not even a very exciting "fantasy" jet, so there would be little point of bringing him out - or the other cone heads for that matter.

Ok here is where I disagree, My belief is that the MP toy line is to make as realistic alts and robot toys as possible, and that they can look and almost feel like their g-1 tv show counterparts..that is to say if they stepped out of the TV, and became real. That includes rivets where there was none, pipes, hoses, and or engine parts where in the cartoon there was none as well. Thats a given being brought to "reality" as a posed to a cartoon.

That said, I do not believe that in the Starscream mold and coloring choice, Takara was trying to bring us a faithful representation of Starscream, rather on the suggestion of Kawamori Shouji and his asthetic design changes. he was more inclined to produce a Starscream with realistic colors and altmode proportions. Which inevitably caused most fans to buy Starscream , but still wishing to get an accurate G-1 colored version.

Link to interview:
http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=6672

I agree with 3, 4 and 5..but

Autobot Skids wrote:

6. Rodimus Prime: Well - I dunno. The alt mode is just so unrealistic and dated that again - I just don't think they'll risk something like this at the MP pricepoint...

7. Galvatron: Same argument as with Rodimus - unrealistic alt mode and also - I think with Megs and SS done, they'll want to do another Autobot now...



6 and 7 are NOT something I agree with you on, and thats simply because the Nature of the Masterpiece toy line is that its for Transformers, and them as in realistic masterpiece formats. they have articulation, look like very closely to their cartoon counterparts, and have functionality. the ultra realism aspect that your opinion has is kinda taking it too far. I think that even though Rodimus Prime's alt mode is dated and obscure, it is none the less unique, and A TRANSFORMER..which is what this series is about, the characters and not just the altmodes..Same is true for Galvatron..IMHO Galvatron and Rodimus Prime are the most likely candidates simply because of their popularity and the fact that they are well known.

The fact that Takara/Tomy could give them realistic altmodes, and make fully articulate and realistic representations of them in Robot mode would definately be a big seller.. Which is also I think the main core of what the Master piece line is, realistic and faithful robots, with realistic alt modes..


Autobot Skids wrote:

2. Characters:

Well - this would open the door up for Rodimus, sure - and probably for guys like Starsaber - and naturally I love Starsaber - but I wonder whether the alt mode isn't just too much of a fantasy thing to be wasted on this scale?


As far as Starsaber is concerned, I believe he could see the light of day, this is only because as a design challenge, and the popularity factor he excells. I doubt that Kawamori Shouji would even pass up the challenge of bringing him to life considering his complex transformation, and not to mention his space Jet mode is fantastic and awesome in its self.. I would love to see a highly posable version of Star saber, so you could pose him with his Saber in a typical anime style.. legs spread, body twisted slightly with sword raised at an angle coming across his face..That would be sweet!! Fan boy love aside, I hope they do make an MP Starsaber down the line, but as far as it just being a reality based simply on Realism, or Character..its more then that.. he's complex and a huge fan favorite, even outside of Japan. Not to mention Hasbro could import him as a memeber of the Universe line, or in my dreams..DUBB the freaking Victoruy show and make "Victory Classics" which is a complete fantasy.. but one can dream can't he??


Bottom Line, I don't see Ratchet coming out, i see Rodimus Prime, popularity, cool gimmick factors, adn the fact that he is an autobot leader, hasd the Matrix, and is popular in Japan..as well as here in the States and world wide.. I mean lets face it, Rodimus Prime was in the TF movie, he was the first successor to Optimus Prime, so he's legendary simply because of that fact.. not to mention his cool flame pattering ties in to the Optimus Prime Movie version..Transformers are toys and transform, their realistic nature is lost in by just them being transformers, Takara went off on the Starscream mold and paint based on Kawamori Shouji, I just think that was one instance, and Takara/Tomy has learned from it..

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:We shall see....Young Skywalker..(in darth vader voice..LOL

I'm 67 years old.

Ahhh yes, but wisdom is not in age, but in the heart and minds of experience..

I was in 'Nam man, don't tell me about experience.

I still get flashbacks....

your picture clearly shows a man of a younger stature, and as far as "NAM" is concerned, My uncle was there in his 20s and he's now a therapist for those who have mental issues arising from trauma.. so I reprise my statement earlier, Experience, does count in Wisdom, but it can also make you Crazy!! Besides I was in Iraq a fews years back, before I got out of the Marines and formed my own Title company.. lets compare notes on premature Kidney failures due to Government injections and vaccines..

Besides I was being playful in my earlier comment and was not trying to disrespect your age..

Ratchet and Ironhide do make some sense, but boring.
I mean, minivans? C'mon!

I see the arguments for Rodimus, but I just don't see it happening.

skywarp-2 wrote:Besides I was being playful in my earlier comment and was not trying to disrespect your age..

No worries.

And I'm still positive that we're going to see a reuse of Starscream as the next MP.

From what I understand, the original release didn't do too well in Japan and it is likely that a rerelease would be beneficial in recouping initial production costs.

I think we are all missing one important figure.

I know everyone mentioned grimlock/ dinobots. They also mentioned soundwave and bumblebee. Though imagine if soundwave came with all his cassetes that could fin inside him.

However, what about Ironhide. I would love to get a cartoon acurate version of Ironhide without the windsheild face. We have had nothing even remotely resembling Ironhide ever.

AbsumZer0 wrote:

1bigray wrote:Masterpiece Voltron

...I don't think Takara Tomy has the Voltron license (since the Voltron brand is American. Maybe they can get the GoLion license?)

Plus Toynami has already released a 'Masterpiece Edition' Voltron.
http://www.toynami.com/voltron.html

I was going to mention that. The box the set comes in looks like a book.

I just saw on http://agesthreeandup.com/ that they are doing repaints of MP-03 in Anime Colours.