The Energon Pub

It's about time that Bumblebee gets the MP treatment! I have to get this one for sure!

Trikeboy wrote:Going by the toyline, the first wave of Decepticons only included:

Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw.

All of these have seen a release sometime or another. Only two have not been in the redesigned scale and they are Megatron and Skywarp.

Going my the cartoon, you have all of the above but include:

Reflector, Shockwave, the Rainmakers, the Constructicons, the Insecticons, and an army of Seekers.

The Decepticon army seems big but they had used recoloured seekers in the background to boost the ranks. Only one of the cartoon characters has been added to the MP line, that is Sunstorm. A case can be made for retconning MP03 into Acid Storm (though there will be a Hasbro version using the new seeker mold) with MP06 and 07 being background Decepticons.

The Autobot cast was incredibly large. The first wave of the toyline consisted of:

Optimus Prime, Sideswipe, Jazz, Wheeljack, Hound, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bluestreak, Trailbreaker, Mirage, Sunstreaker, Prowl, Bumblebee, Brawn, Cliffjumper, Windcharger, Huffer, and Gears.

The G1 cartoon added the Dinobots, and Skyfire. The only anomaly if going by first season is Red Alert who was a 2nd season character in the show and a 2nd wave toy.

That was the US toyline.

The Japanese toyline however (in terms of wave 1 anyway) went as follows:

Wave 1 Autobots: Bluestreak, Wheeljack, Mirage, Sideswipe Prowl, Optimus, Inferno, Red Alert Hound, Jazz, Bumblebee, Brawn, Cliffjumper, Huffer and Windcharger

Wave 1 Decepticons: Starscrewm, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Soundwave(w/-Rumble), Reflector, Megatron, Laserbeak, Ravage, Frenzy

I had a feeling they'd get around to Bumblebee eventually, but Wheeljack is a pleasant surprise! I expected Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, and Shockwave to get the Masterpiece treatment next.

I just wish they had some metal parts, even metal frames would be nice to give them heft. They'd feel more like true Masterpiece figures instead of knock-offs. It would also justify the $80 price tag.

Everybody wants a Wheeljack. This is a good choice for the MP treatment.

Suz wrote:I had a feeling they'd get around to Bumblebee eventually, but Wheeljack is a pleasant surprise! I expected Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, and Shockwave to get the Masterpiece treatment next.

I just wish they had some metal parts, even metal frames would be nice to give them heft. They'd feel more like true Masterpiece figures instead of knock-offs. It would also justify the $80 price tag.

I don't think the final price on Bee and wheeljack will be quite that high-these are just preliminary estimates. G2 Sideswipe though, well considering Tigertrack's price he may stay that way.

But regardless, I know what you mean. But forget die-cast, I'd settle for a bit of chrome and rubber. Still,factor in the fees for licensing of the vehicles and boom! That's where it's hurting. We get what we get, we don't what we don't. A little harsh to compare them to knock offs though, isn't it?

padfoo wrote:

craggy wrote:these two being announced as a pair would be a great way to have them be the Cybertron modes shown in the first episode of the cartoon. I'd actually quite like that in a Voyager/Scout two-pack, where lil Bee could ride inside big Jacky. But yeah, I'm looking very forward to Beetle Bee and maybe even Wheeljack.

Great call out, I did not even remember that these two were two of the first transformers to appear on screen in the original series.

Very few ideas kick more ass than this.

Eagleblaster wrote:I know that this mp-20 and generations wheeljack and prime wheeljack was all based on the original g1 toy but that's where the similarities end. The prime Wheeljack character is so awesome that it made any other wheeljack character obsolete but not the figures themselves.
ITS NOW WHEELJACK THE WARRIOR REBEL AND HERO THAT. This mp-20 will be the wheeljack and only in my collection all the other ones that came before were no where near worthy to be in my great collection.

To quote a wise but crotchety old 'Bot from back in '86...
"Experience lad... you should learn to appreciate it!"

hinomars19 wrote:

Suz wrote:I had a feeling they'd get around to Bumblebee eventually, but Wheeljack is a pleasant surprise! I expected Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, and Shockwave to get the Masterpiece treatment next.

I just wish they had some metal parts, even metal frames would be nice to give them heft. They'd feel more like true Masterpiece figures instead of knock-offs. It would also justify the $80 price tag.

I don't think the final price on Bee and wheeljack will be quite that high-these are just preliminary estimates. G2 Sideswipe though, well considering Tigertrack's price he may stay that way.

But regardless, I know what you mean. But forget die-cast, I'd settle for a bit of chrome and rubber. Still,factor in the fees for licensing of the vehicles and boom! That's where it's hurting. We get what we get, we don't what we don't. A little harsh to compare them to knock offs though, isn't it?

I guess, but that was my first impression when I received MP Sideswipe. He seems somewhat lacking compared to the other MP figures I have. I still like him; he's the best Sideswipe yet. I pre-ordered Prowl, Blue, and Smokescreen. I just wish they were taller and heftier.

hinomars19 wrote:

Suz wrote:I had a feeling they'd get around to Bumblebee eventually, but Wheeljack is a pleasant surprise! I expected Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, and Shockwave to get the Masterpiece treatment next.

I just wish they had some metal parts, even metal frames would be nice to give them heft. They'd feel more like true Masterpiece figures instead of knock-offs. It would also justify the $80 price tag.

I don't think the final price on Bee and wheeljack will be quite that high-these are just preliminary estimates. G2 Sideswipe though, well considering Tigertrack's price he may stay that way.

But regardless, I know what you mean. But forget die-cast, I'd settle for a bit of chrome and rubber. Still,factor in the fees for licensing of the vehicles and boom! That's where it's hurting. We get what we get, we don't what we don't. A little harsh to compare them to knock offs though, isn't it?

yeah, no thank you on the metal.. i think plastic will hold up better over time. plus, plastic is more posable.. metal feet aren't bad.. but other than that.. i'd prefer not to have it.

i agree on the rubber tires. it would be nice, but for me it's not even close to being a deal breaker.

chrome.. maybe.. but again, chrome tends not to age well. with that said, MP10 looks fantastic with the chrome (i still wish he was given more cartoon accurate colors.. like a white waist, white thighs, and solid yellow rather than translucent yellow on his cod piece.. but again, it still looks fantastic)

overall i would just prefer a solid mold over things like metal and chrome. like sideswipe.. i feel like i got my money's worth with that mold.. it's perfect. the transformation, the paint (at least on mine) the robot and alt modes.

so, as long as they just continue what they're doing. i have zero complaints.

also, i'm so happy with the attention to detail. like the heads on smokescreen, prowl, and bluestreak all being different.

i still wonder how bumblebees size is going to work. . i wonder if they'd be able to pull off scale in both modes. alt mode being only a tiny bit smaller than the others, while the robot mode, being even smaller.

which would you guys be more happy to see? a robot scale accurate bumblebee, or a vehicle scale accurate bumblebee? for me, i don't mind either way. just as long as he's not bigger than sideswipe in robot mode.

they really have a lot of work to do with that mold. the proportions in the cartoon were crazy. i guess we'll see. . hopefully they'll release silhouette's soon.

hinomars19 wrote:

Suz wrote:I had a feeling they'd get around to Bumblebee eventually, but Wheeljack is a pleasant surprise! I expected Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, and Shockwave to get the Masterpiece treatment next.

I just wish they had some metal parts, even metal frames would be nice to give them heft. They'd feel more like true Masterpiece figures instead of knock-offs. It would also justify the $80 price tag.

I don't think the final price on Bee and wheeljack will be quite that high-these are just preliminary estimates. G2 Sideswipe though, well considering Tigertrack's price he may stay that way.

But regardless, I know what you mean. But forget die-cast, I'd settle for a bit of chrome and rubber. Still,factor in the fees for licensing of the vehicles and boom! That's where it's hurting. We get what we get, we don't what we don't. A little harsh to compare them to knock offs though, isn't it?

More than a little harsh...

TimothyR wrote:yeah, no thank you on the metal.. i think plastic will hold up better over time. plus, plastic is more posable.. metal feet aren't bad.. but other than that.. i'd prefer not to have it.

i agree on the rubber tires. it would be nice, but for me it's not even close to being a deal breaker.

chrome.. maybe.. but again, chrome tends not to age well. with that said, MP10 looks fantastic with the chrome (i still wish he was given more cartoon accurate colors.. like a white waist, white thighs, and solid yellow rather than translucent yellow on his cod piece.. but again, it still looks fantastic)

overall i would just prefer a solid mold over things like metal and chrome. like sideswipe.. i feel like i got my money's worth with that mold.. it's perfect. the transformation, the paint (at least on mine) the robot and alt modes.

so, as long as they just continue what they're doing. i have zero complaints.

also, i'm so happy with the attention to detail. like the heads on smokescreen, prowl, and bluestreak all being different.

I agree with not including diecast parts, as they would just increase the chances of future issues. SS is fantastic and I don't need chrome or rubber tires as they also wouldn't stand the test of time.

TimothyR wrote:i still wonder how bumblebees size is going to work. . i wonder if they'd be able to pull off scale in both modes. alt mode being only a tiny bit smaller than the others, while the robot mode, being even smaller.

which would you guys be more happy to see? a robot scale accurate bumblebee, or a vehicle scale accurate bumblebee? for me, i don't mind either way. just as long as he's not bigger than sideswipe in robot mode.

they really have a lot of work to do with that mold. the proportions in the cartoon were crazy. i guess we'll see. . hopefully they'll release silhouette's soon.

For me personally, I hope they continue with size being based on the bot mode. That said, I'm sure Takara will be able to do something great with BB. SS compacts rather well for alt mode and everything from MP-08 on has looked fantastic (Yes Rodimus has a boat load of issue, but he does look good) so Takara should be able to make this happen

TimothyR wrote:which would you guys be more happy to see? a robot scale accurate bumblebee, or a vehicle scale accurate bumblebee?

In-scale robot mode, it's a no brainer considering what has come up until now.

yeah, i trust takara to pull some magic.

i also agree that robot mode is more important.. i'd rather have a smaller alt mode than a larger robot mode.

now.. would you guys want the toon accurate round bicep/elbow area.. or would you want them to change it up?
i'd prefer them try to keep everything as toon accurate as possible, but something tells me that those parts of his arms are going to be blocky rather than round.

TimothyR wrote:yeah, i trust takara to pull some magic.

i also agree that robot mode is more important.. i'd rather have a smaller alt mode than a larger robot mode.

now.. would you guys want the toon accurate round bicep/elbow area.. or would you want them to change it up?
i'd prefer them try to keep everything as toon accurate as possible, but something tells me that those parts of his arms are going to be blocky rather than round.

I'm cartoon accurate all the way. Those parts will most likely be round, and might even collapse into the forearms We just have to be patient and wait for images.

This is great news! I love Wheeljack! Time to switch back to ramen so I can pick this guy up...

Both preordered. Keep em' comin' Takara !

Indeed I have also preordered those two, maybe now we had a little chance to gain a Masterpiece Jazz/Meister.

Jazz813 wrote:Indeed I have also preordered those two, maybe now we had a little chance to gain a Masterpiece Jazz/Meister.

Is Has/Tak shutting its doors?

Why would they just stop making the figures when they have plenty more characters to make, and they're selling well?

Yes. We're going to get Jazz eventually, along with every other bot people want.
That's the whole point of the line....


It's not the "lets-update-five-bots-and-then-call-it-a-day" line.

Rotoraptor wrote:

Jazz813 wrote:Indeed I have also preordered those two, maybe now we had a little chance to gain a Masterpiece Jazz/Meister.

Is Has/Tak shutting its doors?

Why would they just stop making the figures when they have plenty more characters to make, and they're selling well?

Yes. We're going to get Jazz eventually, along with every other bot people want.
That's the whole point of the line....


It's not the "lets-update-five-bots-and-then-call-it-a-day" line.

Harsh, much?

There's a chance that they won't make Jazz and Cliffjumper due to licensing, you know.

Mindmaster wrote:Harsh, much?

There's a chance that they won't make Jazz and Cliffjumper due to licensing, you know.

Truth hurts, and no; there's really not a chance of that. They'll get the licences, the same way they got them for 'bee and jack. They wouldn't have started an entire Masterpiece line if they were not confident they could bring it to fruition.

Arctorro wrote:

hinomars19 wrote:

Suz wrote:I had a feeling they'd get around to Bumblebee eventually, but Wheeljack is a pleasant surprise! I expected Jazz, Ironhide and Ratchet, and Shockwave to get the Masterpiece treatment next.

I just wish they had some metal parts, even metal frames would be nice to give them heft. They'd feel more like true Masterpiece figures instead of knock-offs. It would also justify the $80 price tag.

I don't think the final price on Bee and wheeljack will be quite that high-these are just preliminary estimates. G2 Sideswipe though, well considering Tigertrack's price he may stay that way.

But regardless, I know what you mean. But forget die-cast, I'd settle for a bit of chrome and rubber. Still,factor in the fees for licensing of the vehicles and boom! That's where it's hurting. We get what we get, we don't what we don't. A little harsh to compare them to knock offs though, isn't it?

More than a little harsh...

TimothyR wrote:yeah, no thank you on the metal.. i think plastic will hold up better over time. plus, plastic is more posable.. metal feet aren't bad.. but other than that.. i'd prefer not to have it.

i agree on the rubber tires. it would be nice, but for me it's not even close to being a deal breaker.

chrome.. maybe.. but again, chrome tends not to age well. with that said, MP10 looks fantastic with the chrome (i still wish he was given more cartoon accurate colors.. like a white waist, white thighs, and solid yellow rather than translucent yellow on his cod piece.. but again, it still looks fantastic)

overall i would just prefer a solid mold over things like metal and chrome. like sideswipe.. i feel like i got my money's worth with that mold.. it's perfect. the transformation, the paint (at least on mine) the robot and alt modes.

so, as long as they just continue what they're doing. i have zero complaints.

also, i'm so happy with the attention to detail. like the heads on smokescreen, prowl, and bluestreak all being different.

I agree with not including diecast parts, as they would just increase the chances of future issues. SS is fantastic and I don't need chrome or rubber tires as they also wouldn't stand the test of time.

TimothyR wrote:i still wonder how bumblebees size is going to work. . i wonder if they'd be able to pull off scale in both modes. alt mode being only a tiny bit smaller than the others, while the robot mode, being even smaller.

which would you guys be more happy to see? a robot scale accurate bumblebee, or a vehicle scale accurate bumblebee? for me, i don't mind either way. just as long as he's not bigger than sideswipe in robot mode.

they really have a lot of work to do with that mold. the proportions in the cartoon were crazy. i guess we'll see. . hopefully they'll release silhouette's soon.

For me personally, I hope they continue with size being based on the bot mode. That said, I'm sure Takara will be able to do something great with BB. SS compacts rather well for alt mode and everything from MP-08 on has looked fantastic (Yes Rodimus has a boat load of issue, but he does look good) so Takara should be able to make this happen

Some good points there on the longevity of said materials. It's just my preference I guess. But the lack of them on the MP cars is by no means making me want and like them any less, I love them, and as many would say 'not a deal breaker'

I just preordered both. Theres no guarantee I'm a get both though. That g1 bumblebee's proportions are not that nice in both modes hopefully Takara can do some tinkering and some how make him look more like a Hero transformer. And less like the baby transformer of the Autobots wearing pampers and all. Come on takare, pimp bumblebees ride/toy, lml.

As for Wheeljack, there is a big chance I'm a get him but they have to make him up to the standards of the mp-12 mould. But at the end of the day the mp-12 mould is worth the big price tag. I'm hoping that the mp-17, mp-19 and mp-20 moulds are worth the big price tag as well.

TimothyR wrote:yeah, i trust takara to pull some magic.

i also agree that robot mode is more important.. i'd rather have a smaller alt mode than a larger robot mode.

now.. would you guys want the toon accurate round bicep/elbow area.. or would you want them to change it up?
i'd prefer them try to keep everything as toon accurate as possible, but something tells me that those parts of his arms are going to be blocky rather than round.

I'd like him to be as toon accurate as possible, and given the last few releases, that's likely what we'll get. I was extremely and pleasently surprised by MP Prowl. It's the perfect mix of what worked from the character model, and what worked and what is practical from the toy.
As for BB's size, I'd want it dictated by the robot mode, although I'd be happy so long as he was a noticeably head shorter than Sideswipe. I know that would make him a bit bigger than that character line up sheet they are using, but so long as he is shorter than the others, I think that's a nice compromise and still result in an alt mode that looks 'right' next to the cars, even if it isn't 'accurate'. Stand either Alternity BB or classics BB next to Sideswipe, and that looks pretty much right in both modes. Yes, the alt modes are smaller than accurate scale, but these fellows are not Binaltechs, so I think it's OK

Eagleblaster wrote:I just preordered both. Theres no guarantee I'm a get both though. That g1 bumblebee's proportions are not that nice in both modes hopefully Takara can do some tinkering and some how make him look more like a Hero transformer.

As a 5ft 1 stubby man, I actually like how G1 BB didn't have to be buff to still be a hero. I'll take one Masterpiece G1 Bummblebee just as he was in G1 thanks. There are PLENTY of buff-ass Camero Bumblebee's out there for you to choose from.
This incessant need to make everything hardcore to be considered valid really burns me.

Rotoraptor wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:Harsh, much?

There's a chance that they won't make Jazz and Cliffjumper due to licensing, you know.

Truth hurts, and no; there's really not a chance of that. They'll get the licences, the same way they got them for 'bee and jack. They wouldn't have started an entire Masterpiece line if they were not confident they could bring it to fruition.

Sure there is. Otherwise they would have already secured the licenses for all of them in advance instead of doing them one at a time. If the auto makers don't agree to whatever terms/money Takara is willing to offer, there's nothing Takara can do about it.

As for Takara's intentions with the line, are you employed by Takara? I ask because I've never heard them say anything about what their precise 'intentions' were with the MP line, at least nothing stating specifically that they planned on bringing every single G1 character, complete with accurate and licensed alt mode, into it.

I'm not saying it won't happen, or even that I believe it won't happen. I think it will simply because they've been able to secure licenses for alt modes previously believed to be impossible (particularly Bumblebee's), but I won't assume, as you do, that it will happen either.

At this point, no one knows what decisions Has/Tak will make with the MP line, and they may eventually decide to stop doing G1 altogether and move onto other lines/continuities/shows instead, even without completing the G1 lineup. Only time will tell.

Also, I agree and disagree on some of the things you all are saying whether takara will keep making the mp line g1 accurate and my opinion is No. Its all about the money for these reasons 1: they can increase profits if they avoid licencing fees by going with none licenced vehicles. AND 2: why would takara make mps such as g1 shock wave, or purple galvatron and a lot of other g1 transformers that didn't have great figures unlike those other mp sports cars (mp-12, 17, 20) that will bring in the dollars. I mean we want the kind of masterpiece toys like I prefere which is what most ppl prefer and you know what that is.

Almost everybidy likes a sports car or even a nice sports car toy that rolls. Not ever likes a toy that they never saw in real life or can even imagine seeing in real life.

xyl360 wrote:As for Takara's intentions with the line, are you employed by Takara? I ask because I've never heard them say anything about what their precise 'intentions' were with the MP line, at least nothing stating specifically that they planned on bringing every single G1 character, complete with accurate and licensed alt mode, into it.

Can't remember where I read it (somewhere here, I know that much) But the current designer of the MP line, the man responsible for re-focusing it, pretty much said his intentions were to do all season 1 G1 characters. I asked a friend of mine (Japanese) if she knew where/ if he had said that, but she wasn't sure where to find it either. Bear in mind he is the guy who desperately wants to do Ultra Magnus to the point he made that proof of concept and built engineering (his words more or less) into the Convoy mold to allow for it, so he is definitely wanting to carry the line on in the way it is heading, all the way to season 3 it seems.
This doesn't mean the Takara boffins will let him have his way, nor does it guarantee the needed licenses for every character can be obtained, but I think that says quite a lot for us to assume we know it's the intended goal