The Energon Pub

News Credits: 174 · by **Hellscream9999** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 11:46 am

Fellow Seibertronians, Transformers Combiner Wars animated series finale is finally here, the episode entitled S1:E8 Destructions Dawn can be viewed on the go90 site for US viewers. So now that the show is finally complete, what are your final thoughts on the series? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

News Credits: 1 · by **karyuudo** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 11:46 am

After seeing this show in its entirety, I have mixed feelings. While I wouldn't say this is the worst Transformer production (Robot Masters takes that IMO), it definitely could have used a longer run time, and more dialogue to flesh the story out a lot more. Megatron (I think almost everyone agrees) stands out the most awesome character in this series. I'd love to see more of him in this manner in a future production.

As for the Combiners, I get the feeling that they're basically another race of TF in this continuity, and nothing more than drones in pieces until they merge into their combined mode. I honestly didn't like this point at all since it does remind me of TF Superlink and how they handled combiners.

I think this show had some good ideas in terms of bringing back that G1 type of look, but just poorly executed in terms of frame rate issues, and some sub-par acting by several of the voice cast.

I also didn't understand as to why and what the combiners were fighting for. And why when Windblade brings them the Engima, they don't fight for it like and just let Victorian shove it in her chest. It just seems that there should have been more story here to fill in the gaps, yet was cut due to budget constraints.

Hopefully Hasbro / Machinima will take the constructive feedback and consider doing a production with more money / time involved to plan out and execute a story that everyone can enjoy.

News Credits: 3 · by **Randomhero** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:01 pm

Well that was an ending....I guess? Didn't actually have a plot and Starscream didn't really seem to have a plan. He was already a leader on Cybertron and I guess his goal was to become powerful?

I still think Energon is worse.

by **Dude Gatsby** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:04 pm

It would never happen, but if they are going to do short episodes they should just make it a comedy/skit type of thing. Something like an animated version of the "Swerve tells a story" video.

News Credits: 3 · by **Randomhero** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:07 pm

Dude Gatsby wrote:It would never happen, but if they are going to do short episodes they should just make it a comedy/skit type of thing. Something like an animated version of the "Swerve tells a story" video.

Doesn't need to be a comedy to be short. Past few seasons of RedvsBlue has had some very serious depressing plots with certain episodes only lasting 5-10 minutes.

by **Dude Gatsby** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:12 pm

Randomhero wrote:
Dude Gatsby wrote:It would never happen, but if they are going to do short episodes they should just make it a comedy/skit type of thing. Something like an animated version of the "Swerve tells a story" video.

Doesn't need to be a comedy to be short. Past few seasons of RedvsBlue has had some very serious depressing plots with certain episodes only lasting 5-10 minutes.

That's true. Maybe just an anthology sort of thing would work. They could focus on one character at a time, but not need to worry about making a story with every character in the current line.

News Credits: 191 · by **Kurona** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:20 pm

Haven't watched the episode yet (I'm in way too happy a mood right now to let this kill it), but just popping in to say I at least love the idea of Megatron being a tank/gun triple changer... and would also very much be in favour of an Anthology series, maybe even focusing on different continuities

News Credits: 3 · by **Randomhero** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:28 pm

Kurona wrote:Haven't watched the episode yet (I'm in way too happy a mood right now to let this kill it), but just popping in to say I at least love the idea of Megatron being a tank/gun triple changer... and would also very much be in favour of an Anthology series, maybe even focusing on different continuities

It is very cool when Megatron transforms into a gun however the gun bares no resemblance to him whatsoever. He pulls an AOE Drift, dude that turns into a car with car kibble all over also turns into a helicopter with no conceivable way of doing it and when I say transform I mean morph. :lol:

Megatron just morphs into a gun but it's still an awesome scene and awesome looking gun.

News Credits: 18 · by **leokearon** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:37 pm

Mercifully this joke is over. Poor scripts, lame characterisation and the ending is no different, with Starscream is dead and everyone is now friends. Hopefully the sequel hook will not be taken up

News Credits: 2 · by **Mr Skram** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:44 pm

What a hard fought war. I didn't think any of us were gonna make it through that.

They need to have the stop motion guy take over any possible future installments of the series. The two ads were far more enjoyable than the show itself.

I still wonder how Megatron was so good while the rest of the writing was atrocious. It's like the one decent writer on the team called dibs on Megs and the rest of them were like "Yeah that's fine, you do the gray guy. It'll keep you out of our hair while we figure out how to make this story and dialogue more incoherent".

News Credits: 191 · by **Kurona** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 1:00 pm

Funny thing is Megatron actually feels like he went through a positive arc and character development. So not only was he the one bright spark of the series through giving some funny lines and observations and just overall having an enjoyable attitude to him, he... was actually a legitimate developed character?
This series does so much wrong yet it nailed what Megatron should be and actually developed him better than most other continuities. What a world we live in.
And also while him turning into a gun is silly, it's much more acceptable with the more limited size-changing and him being a triple-changer with an actual autonomous vehicle mode. Makes the gun feel more like a final last stand/last resort thing which is an idea I'm a big fan of as opposed to it being his only other mode. ... also, it's always pretty badass seeing Optimus wield him. There's just something about that I always loved watching the G1 episodes that made up for his gun mode being silly.

Am I being too positive here? Sorry just everything else that happened today (for me personally) is too good so even though every single thing else about the episode and the series was deplorable I can't bring myself to go on about them :lol:

I'm just glad we at least got a great Megatron out of it.

If we're going for some negativity though, going through the youtube comments I found out something rather hilarious - this episode was originally uploaded with the title "Episode 7". When it's Episode 8. Forgivable mistake usually, sure; but I'm highlighting it here because I think it kind of sums up the attitude, care and effort that went into this series.

by **1984forever** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 1:12 pm

Starscream spent so much screen time vomiting I thought I was watching "the Exorcist".

This is the main reason why IDW should lose it'sTransformers license immediately. The IDW comics are responsible for influencing this garbage that we all just watched. I don't care if the Titans are returning to belch for 3 minutes straight or whatever they're coming to do. I just don't care. No sequel please. Just leave it alone.

News Credits: 1 · by **karyuudo** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 1:14 pm

1984forever wrote:Starscream spent so much screen time vomiting I thought I was watching "the Exorcist".

This is the main reason why IDW should lose it'sTransformers license immediately. The IDW comics are responsible for influencing this garbage that we all just watched. I don't care if the Titans are returning to belch for 3 minutes straight or whatever they're coming to do. I just don't care. No sequel please. Just leave it alone.

IDW has nothing to do with this series. If you're going to blame anyone for the way this turned out, focus your attention on Hasbro for the budget and Machinima for their execution of the series.

by **DarkEnergon** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 1:31 pm

Actually, the overall arc and premise wasn't terrible just all of the writing on the way there was.

Series smacks of writing by committee under a tight deadline.

"So near the end Starscream will become, get this, a combiner of combiners!"
"Cool!"
"Awesome!"
"Well we don't want to do that, because then people will want a toy just like that and that it's not going to happen. "
"Ok, then how about he starts as a combiner of combiners then morphs into a giant vomiting star blob."
"Ok, good"
"No I was jok..."
"Bill, where are you on that Starscream prelude?"
"Already done and animated!"
"Great! We are ahead of schedule!"

by **StJudeDad** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 1:41 pm

Oh man, this was just...so bad. The animation itself was pretty decent, so there's a positive. Also, Megatron was really the only character that was really worth investing any time in. Otherwise, there's so much wrong here. The voice acting was atrocious. Seriously, it's one thing to read a script, and another thing entirely to actually act out a script. Very wooden performances all around, again, with the exception of Megatron.

And where were the actual Combiner Wars? There was a personal vendetta that Windblade felt she needed to carry out, but I don't remember seeing a war of Combiners. Maybe that's nitpicking, but if your whole series is named for something, it would help to have that piece of plot added in.
Speaking of plot, wow. Pacing issues aside, the plot was rather weak. This entire 8 episode run could have easily been done in 4. It just seems that, for as much hype as this was given, the delivery was grossly mishandled.

I'm not sure what I expected from a micro-episode web series. Maybe I had visions of Netflix's new Voltron series in my head. Or maybe I'm just nostalgic for traditional style Transformers animation, but this series as a whole left me utterly disappointed.

by **1984forever** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 1:47 pm

karyuudo wrote:
1984forever wrote:Starscream spent so much screen time vomiting I thought I was watching "the Exorcist".

This is the main reason why IDW should lose it'sTransformers license immediately. The IDW comics are responsible for influencing this garbage that we all just watched. I don't care if the Titans are returning to belch for 3 minutes straight or whatever they're coming to do. I just don't care. No sequel please. Just leave it alone.

IDW has nothing to do with this series. If you're going to blame anyone for the way this turned out, focus your attention on Hasbro for the budget and Machinima for their execution of the series.

You're partly right. Machinima is to blame for not executing this series before it could be seen by anyone.

But I still hold Idw responsible for this mess. Hasbro execs looked at the boards and deduced that adult fans like boring plots and small casts.

Also the Combiners are portrayed as a different faction from Autobot, Decepticon or Camien. Wtf?

News Credits: 30 · by **DeathReviews** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:37 pm

In a word - short. I guess we should be glad they did anything at all, but really - blink and you'll miss this one.

News Credits: 8 · by **Flashwave** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 4:02 pm

1984forever wrote:
karyuudo wrote:
1984forever wrote:Starscream spent so much screen time vomiting I thought I was watching "the Exorcist".

This is the main reason why IDW should lose it'sTransformers license immediately. The IDW comics are responsible for influencing this garbage that we all just watched. I don't care if the Titans are returning to belch for 3 minutes straight or whatever they're coming to do. I just don't care. No sequel please. Just leave it alone.

IDW has nothing to do with this series. If you're going to blame anyone for the way this turned out, focus your attention on Hasbro for the budget and Machinima for their execution of the series.
You're partly right. Machinima is to blame for not executing this series before it could be seen by anyone.

But I still hold Idw responsible for this mess. Hasbro execs looked at the boards and deduced that adult fans like boring plots and small casts.

Also the Combiners are portrayed as a different faction from Autobot, Decepticon or Camien. Wtf?

The war ended, the Combiners opted to join together (no pun intended) to be with like minded and similar people.

I love how Megatron straight up Struts away with his chin high. So proud. So Confident.

by **DeadCaL** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:01 pm

"Oh look, the titans has returned... the end" Wait what? :shock:

Anyway, I think like alot of people, I enjoyed this mainly because of Megaton. He straight up does a pun about Prime pulling the trigger and just rolls with it. :lol:

Voice acting has a huge impact on both overall presentation, and how we bond with fictional representations of our favorite mechanical life forms. Unfortunately the VA was mostly pretty dire on this. Metroplex sounded like some guy they found outside looking for change.

"Hey, can you sound like a giant ancient mechanoid?"
"I'll do anything for food"
"Then you're hired!!"

I think we could have looked past the other flaws if it wasn't for that.

Overall not exactly bad, just... disappointing.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:06 pm

DeadCaL wrote:Anyway, I think like alot of people, I enjoyed this mainly because of Megaton. He straight up does a pun about Prime pulling the trigger and just rolls with it.

That wasn't a pun. Megatron was referring to something he said to Optimus both back in the fourth episode and back further in Optimus's prelude video.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:07 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
DeadCaL wrote:Anyway, I think like alot of people, I enjoyed this mainly because of Megaton. He straight up does a pun about Prime pulling the trigger and just rolls with it.
That wasn't a pun. Megatron was referring to something he said to Optimus both back in the fourth episode and back further in Optimus's prelude video.

But it still works as a pun too :lol:

News Credits: 191 · by **Kurona** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:12 pm

That's why Megatron decided to reform at the end of the episode. All he really wanted all this time was for Prime to pull his trigger.

by **Ultra Markus** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:43 pm

i sense another series coming 8-)

by **RodimusRex** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:47 pm

It was... Eh.

I liked the performances for the core characters. They have a great cast for Prime and Megatron. Decent Windblade and Rodimus. I'm still not sold on most of the post-Latta Starscreams. I think I could do a better Starscream than most of them. Honestly, my favorite Latta stand-in in any Hasbro approved production was Rob Schrab's Cobra Commander on Community. (They worked with Hasbro licensing there. Harmon wanted to do a Transformers episode instead but Joe was easier to work with and the staff was more into Joe than Harmon was.)

The rest of the cast here was... Eh.

I'm all about Honest Trailers guy and this Megatron succeeding Cullen and Welker. Enough of the same and yet I could sense them growing in the roles even here.

News Credits: 191 · by **Kurona** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:58 pm

Know what? Megatron was... pretty much everyone's favourite character and his actor put in such a great performance; having great delivery and obviously having some fun with the role. And just because of that, and because of how sorry I feel for him being in something this bad, I'm gonna give a thanks and shout-out to Megatron's VA Jason Marnocha. Thanks man. You were great.