The Energon Pub

Kurona wrote:I really would like to see more of Rodimus, actually. MTMTE's take on him is by far my favourite and nothing will top that for me, but I'd have a vested interest in seeing a new series take his whole prodigy thing and do something interesting with it. If Bumblebee can get his own show, I see no reason a way cooler character can't

Who's to say that The Last Knight won't be both immensely satisfying and have Hot Rod as its attention grabbing, series-spawning deuteragonist?

Anyway I'm kind of bitter about Animated because I lived in Japan when the line first came out, and there was no indication that the line would get released over there. As such I paid hilarious import prices for the US releases of the likes of Blitzwing and Swindle...and then the Japanese version of the line came out with better prices (compared to import prices), more interesting colour designs and some amazing exclusives, and I had to have some regrets over the figures I'd already bought.

Diem wrote:

Kurona wrote:I really would like to see more of Rodimus, actually. MTMTE's take on him is by far my favourite and nothing will top that for me, but I'd have a vested interest in seeing a new series take his whole prodigy thing and do something interesting with it. If Bumblebee can get his own show, I see no reason a way cooler character can't

Who's to say that The Last Knight won't be both immensely satisfying and have Hot Rod as its attention grabbing, series-spawning deuteragonist?

Anyway I'm kind of bitter about Animated because I lived in Japan when the line first came out, and there was no indication that the line would get released over there. As such I paid hilarious import prices for the US releases of the likes of Blitzwing and Swindle...and then the Japanese version of the line came out with better prices (compared to import prices), more interesting colour designs and some amazing exclusives, and I had to have some regrets over the figures I'd already bought.

But some of the US ones had better deco no? Like Bee, Ratchet and Bulkhead whos asbro versions were more toon accurate.

william-james88 wrote:But some of the US ones had better deco no? Like Bee, Ratchet and Bulkhead whos asbro versions were more toon accurate.

Personally I liked the metallic looks of the Takara releases more, they gave the simpler molds a lot more character and richness. But in cases where the Hasbro colours were better that worked out worse for me since I'd have either have had to pay more for imports or pay less and get the Takara versions.

Kurona wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

bluecatcinema wrote:I always loved the Animated toyline. It was amazing how they were able to replicate the cartoony proportions of the characters into their toy selves. We've never quite seen anything like it since...

I agree. Animated is literally a rich example of an awesome show and awesome toyline that made the show come to life. Nothing has really touched it since

Well... TFP had a pretty awesome show with a pretty awesome toyline. //Shoves Airachnid to the side

Yeah but animated was the heyday. Those toys were really big and beefy, had some heft, has some presence, and were immensely satisfying. They were incredibly interesting without being difficult or being too small. And the whole aesthetic was really something special too. I prefer an animated toy over a Prime toy really.

I did the thing.





More images here!

When Animated first came out I was pissed because I didn't think those designs could be replicated in toy form and I'm very glad I was proven so very wrong on that front.

Blur is great. For a time he was my classics Blur. I love how the Animated line could give us tall deluxes. It's nice to have body type variety.

I don't think this is my favourite Rodimus, though. I don't like how top heavy he is. And I agree with the guy who said the face is kinda creepy. Although he does pull off he look well.

My favorite deluxe ever! I just love animated for the toys' personality.

Surprised about Lockdown - those hands that don't fold out! and the legs just pop off way too easy.

A lot of the animated toys used double swivels for limbs instead of ball joints (not lockdown), which really made them durable.

Oh and can't forget this little activator - these guys were made with really nice detailing and stiff plastic. Some didn't work at all (Lockdown, Optimus) but Bumblee, Ratchet, and Starscream are so much fun!

I don't have 'much' to add to this. Other than by god the Animated line is one of the best lines out there.

One thing, for me. Leader-class Megatron has got to be one of the best Megatron toys we've gotten in the past fifteen years or so.

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:One thing, for me. Leader-class Megatron has got to be one of the best Megatron toys we've gotten in the past fifteen years or so.

He sure is

I love this Top 10 list, cause Animated was one of the best lines ever. I completely agree with number one, besides the fact that he has always been my favorite Autobot since G1, this version of him is perfection. I love the look so much that I got the TAKARA/Tomy version of the figure even though it costed a bit more then the Hasbro version.

Michael Alex Kawa wrote:I love this Top 10 list, cause Animated was one of the best lines ever. I completely agree with number one, besides the fact that he has always been my favorite Autobot since G1, this version of him is perfection.

Thanks so much for your comment, it means a lot!

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

bluecatcinema wrote:I always loved the Animated toyline. It was amazing how they were able to replicate the cartoony proportions of the characters into their toy selves. We've never quite seen anything like it since...

I agree. Animated is literally a rich example of an awesome show and awesome toyline that made the show come to life. Nothing has really touched it since

I was gonna comment about Prime, but its not the same. Animated really had such a uniform aesthetic that was unlike anything before or after it and resulting in a gorgeous unified toyline. I adore the Prime line as well, but it lacks in unity with different lines giving you the same characters in different molds and some awesome molds being in the wrong classes (like Hardshell, who wasnt even upscaled when they started upscaling). Plus, I feel the designs werent as strong with being more of a merger of the film and G1 aesthetic. There are of course some amazing toys, but the line as a whole doesnt match up to Animated.
I mean, we have talked so much about it and didnt even get to the perfect realization of Wreck Gar as a garbage truck! Its insane how that toy is simply par for the course in this line, when it too is just awesome.

And Dr va'al, those shots of Blurr are making me rethink his placement on this list, as wel as making me want to go play with him!

Cool list. I learned a lot about the figures that I don't have.

I didn't like the art style of the cartoon, and I really didn't like the way the toys seemed to slavishly follow it, but I seem to remember Grimlock looking pretty okay.

Optimum Supreme wrote:I didn't like the art style of the cartoon, and I really didn't like the way the toys seemed to slavishly follow it, but I seem to remember Grimlock looking pretty okay.

It's rather amusingly the inverse; as I understand it Animated was the first (only?) series where the artists on the show and the toy engineers worked together from the earliest design stages to make sure everything looked congruent. So it's not a case of one party slavishly following another, it's a case of both parties skipping arm in arm down a yellow brick road.

Diem wrote:

Optimum Supreme wrote:I didn't like the art style of the cartoon, and I really didn't like the way the toys seemed to slavishly follow it, but I seem to remember Grimlock looking pretty okay.

It's rather amusingly the inverse; as I understand it Animated was the first (only?) series where the artists on the show and the toy engineers worked together from the earliest design stages to make sure everything looked congruent. So it's not a case of one party slavishly following another, it's a case of both parties skipping arm in arm down a yellow brick road.

Interesting, I heard the reverse. I heard this was the very first series to ever have the cartoonist come up with designs before the toy people. And that template was then carried over to the movie era and has become the new standard. Only reverting back recently with the tail end of Prime and RID.

Sabr are you around?

william-james88 wrote:Interesting, I heard the reverse. I heard this was the very first series to ever have the cartoonist come up with designs before the toy people. And that template was then carried over to the movie era and has become the new standard. Only reverting back recently with the tail end of Prime and RID.

Sabr are you around?

Per the TF Wiki:

the Animated line was a previously-unprecedented level of collaboration between toymaker and media-maker. Hasbro designers, the Cartoon Network design team, and TakaraTomy engineers all worked closely together out of the gate to make sure toy and show-character were as close as possible, to the point where even the characters' transformation schemes were consistent between 2D media and 3D toy

Not that the wiki is always 100% on the case but that matches my own recollections too.

I can't be the only one who wishes there was an Animated Brawl to go with Swindle, right? I'd love to see a "normal" tank done in the Animated aesthetic, and Swindle needs at least one Combaticon friend.

Speaking of, is Animated Swindle any good? He LOOKS awesome but I heard he has tolerance issues.

Diem wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Interesting, I heard the reverse. I heard this was the very first series to ever have the cartoonist come up with designs before the toy people. And that template was then carried over to the movie era and has become the new standard. Only reverting back recently with the tail end of Prime and RID.

Sabr are you around?

Per the TF Wiki:

the Animated line was a previously-unprecedented level of collaboration between toymaker and media-maker. Hasbro designers, the Cartoon Network design team, and TakaraTomy engineers all worked closely together out of the gate to make sure toy and show-character were as close as possible, to the point where even the characters' transformation schemes were consistent between 2D media and 3D toy

Not that the wiki is always 100% on the case but that matches my own recollections too.

As I recall it, both assertions are correct. The cartoon designs were conceived first, but the toy designs were put into motion early enough in the cartoon designs' development that both were influencing each other in the early stages. Like, Derrick Wyatt would make a cartoon design, then the toy designers would look at it and work with Wyatt to try to figure out how to make the design work as a physical toy, with requests being made to Wyatt for cosmetic changes needing to be made to the cartoon design. This was especially the case for Arcee, as she originally appeared in the show without a toy in mind, but when it was later decided that she would be getting a toy, her cartoon design was slightly amended for her Season 3 appearances to better match how her toy was going to look (i.e. - some altmode kibble was added to it).

The made exception to this was Oil Slick, who was designed as a toy long before his cartoon model was designed.

Sabrblade wrote:The made exception to this was Oil Slick, who was designed as a toy long before his cartoon model was designed.

Why didnt they stick to the toy model then and make him so different?

Black Hat wrote:Speaking of, is Animated Swindle any good? He LOOKS awesome but I heard he has tolerance issues.

I think all Animated toys (at least deluxe and up) should be experienced and I dont mind getting him at all. But he hasnt really left me with any awe. He's a bit fiddlier than others and has breakage issues due to the use of clear plastic for structural parts/joints (not the wisest idea).

william-james88 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:The made exception to this was Oil Slick, who was designed as a toy long before his cartoon model was designed.

Why didnt they stick to the toy model then and make him so different?

They did keep his toy look in the comics, in which the chapter he appeared in was set in the past. Maybe the cartoon design was supposed to be an upgraded form, as there was also going to be a redeco of the toy in the colors of the cartoon, called "Toxic Oil Slick", so maybe the cartoon wanted to resemble the newer toy that would have been on the shelves closer to the time of his cartoon appearance (alas, the "Toxic Oil Slick" toy ultimately went unreleased).

Also the toy had an Earthen vehicle mode, while Oil Slick in the cartoon was on Cybertron and had likely never even heard of the mudball. Cybertronian and Earthen robot mode designs have been shown to be pretty different, even beyond reasons of vehicle mode.

Alright Will, I went out and bought 3 more animated figures, 2 of which were on this list. I have some things to add with the recent additions.

1) Blurr should be much farther up the list, like top 3. This figures is literally perfection. If he had wrists and a slight bit more shoulder and neck movement, he would be a masterpiece at a deluxe pricepoint. there is no way around the fact that this figure is the ultimate Animated figure in my opinion.

2) Jazz. I feel he is about right for the list and right where he is at at #8. He's pretty good, I do like him, but he is the least awesome of the 3 new figures I got. Now mind you I fully agree with all that you said on him and I do think he is really cool, but he is just outshown by Blurr and...

3) Ironhide. Wow is this figure awesome. This is the one I really love to mess with. the alt mode is huge! the transformation is so smooth and he has this awesome smirk! I love this figure. It is so big and so bulky for a deluxe, it is incredible! and he is super posable, the alt mode is posable and fun, and the colors are perfect on him, just like Blurr! This guy should have made the list, maybe bumping in around #5 or so.

"There are certainly more amazing toys than there are duds and I can't really think of one terrible toy, at least in the more collector oriented classes."