The Energon Pub

Guys,

I think there'd be a lot less ruffled feathers and a lot more reconciliation if we take it that Ultimate BB is something altogether different from your usual transformer toys. Comparing Ultimate BB to Deluxe BB or Ultimate BB to MP OP is like comparing apples to oranges. Which is better? There are always going to be differing opinions.

I'm just taking him as a completely different thing altogether, a nice electronic gadget/toy to play and interact with for some mindless amusement. A cheaper, simpler form of cheap Robosapien or Aibo as it were. The fact that he can be transformed is just a bonus.

Next thing you know we're going ask, which is better, Ultimate or Beatmix...

Bonecrusher27 wrote:Guys,

I think there'd be a lot less ruffled feathers and a lot more reconciliation if we take it that Ultimate BB is something altogether different from your usual transformer toys. Comparing Ultimate BB to Deluxe BB or Ultimate BB to MP OP is like comparing apples to oranges. Which is better? There are always going to be differing opinions.

I'm just taking him as a completely different thing altogether, a nice electronic gadget/toy to play and interact with for some mindless amusement. A cheaper, simpler form of cheap Robosapien or Aibo as it were. The fact that he can be transformed is just a bonus.

Next thing you know we're going ask, which is better, Ultimate or Beatmix...

I get what you're saying, I really do.
However, logically, and with common sense...it's clear that Ultimate Bumblebee sacrifices a lot just to have electronic gimmicks. This is a given to a certain point, but once you see him and Deluxe Class standing next to one another, it really hits home.

In some ways, there's no comparison, especially in the electronics and features department. UB wins, hands down.

But in term of actual figure construction (remove the electronics from the scenario for one moment)...the Deluxe Class is made entirely of win.

I'd much rather pay $10-14.00 for the Deluxe and skip the electronics, than to pay $80.00 for a $50.00 toy, just because of the things he can do...some of the time.

I'm not saying he's not worth a purchase, he's just not worth $80.00 No way, no how. =\

Ah well, to each his own. If you get one, enjoy it to the fullest.

Hopefully these won't sell and will be heavily discounted in the Christmas sales

Craven Knight wrote:Hopefully these won't sell and will be heavily discounted in the Christmas sales

Judging by the way things have been going and by the very few number sI've seen in stock, I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

Thanks for the great positive review Getter. Quite refreshing to finally get a positive review. I do agree that UBB cannot be comapred to any other TF to date, as in many ways, he is in a class of his own.

I would not mind an Ultimate Prime or Barricade, in scale, to keep him company. I lean towards Barricade as BB and Barricade were the most featured of the bots in the movie and would be about the same size. Plus Barricade would look kick ass in that scale. Not to mention how cool would it be to hear him say, "Are you Ladiesman....." Oooh, and flashing cop lights!

GetterDragun wrote:Some quick pics

How damn he is big

meh, i still don't think he's worth the price. My money will be spent on U.S. mp screamer

Autobot032 wrote:I get what you're saying, I really do.
However, logically, and with common sense...it's clear that Ultimate Bumblebee sacrifices a lot just to have electronic gimmicks. This is a given to a certain point, but once you see him and Deluxe Class standing next to one another, it really hits home.

In some ways, there's no comparison, especially in the electronics and features department. UB wins, hands down.

I agree completely. I have both Ultimate and Deluxe, and I honestly feel that as a Transformer toy Deluxe would win hands down. Not to mention it's USD$9.99 for you guys and USD$18 for us.

But I don't see Ultimate as a Transformer toy per se. If people take Ultimate BB to be electronics first, toy second, then there would be less argument on this issue. There'd still be, but less.

Maybe the key issue here is that he has the word "Ultimate" in his title, and that's why people expect Masterpiece standard, movie accurate, etc.

However call him something else, say My Electronic Friend Bumblebee, and he'd probably just be like Beatmix Bumblebee. Still complaints on price tag, but less as a toy deserving of the tag "Ultimate".

I too would love a Masterpiece, movie accurate version with battle visor and interchangeable gun arm and then call him Ultimate. What's interesting is if Hasbro really does decide to come up with such a thing - milking the hapless fellow for all he's worth - what are they going to call him? I'm guessing Supreme Bumblebee

It's funny that people complain about the price tag. Be serious for a second. $80 for a complex transforming figure with animatronics is cheap. Really cheap. And UBB certainly is more movie-accurate than DLX '08 BB when it comes to the legs, head and left arm. And the ones complaining about the chest being too wide and flat, well, it seems very few of the owners bothered to transform it correctly.

i never thought that it would be bigger than both mp-1 and leader prime although i think the hood is really big i dunno... but look nice though...

Bonecrusher27 wrote:Hahah mine has finally arrived! I haven't even taken him out of the box (have to wait for an opportune moment when I have at least an hour alone at home!) and I like him lots.

When I collected him from Toys R Us, a couple of staff were trying to transform him. I question the wisdom of getting uninterested staff with no experience mishandling a toy like this roughly. They weren't able to get him to stand, so they tried searching through the instructions and managed to get one hip locked... I think they should have hired me to help out.

My fees to be offset against the cost of my BB, which surprisingly, works out to USD$83 after conversion... almost the same price that you guys are getting him!

Come to think of it... I'm two ways about opening him. keep MISB or not? If only I could have another one... he's not cheap as Deluxes where i can afford to buy two! :sad:

Damn, that's huge. I didn't even realize just how big he was going to be.

i'm very happy with mine when i finally found him here. but his hood has light scratching on the black paint...WTF? anyone else have less than perfect paint on theirs?

megatroptimus wrote:It's funny that people complain about the price tag. Be serious for a second. $80 for a complex transforming figure with animatronics is cheap. Really cheap. And UBB certainly is more movie-accurate than DLX '08 BB when it comes to the legs, head and left arm. And the ones complaining about the chest being too wide and flat, well, it seems very few of the owners bothered to transform it correctly.

I still think it looks like a pile of yellow barf. And actually the chest is not movie accurate and the blaster arm looks pretty fake. They could have given bumble so much more, and interior, an engine and maybe even a sam fig, so many other things could have been done but instead we get a camaro with painted windows and crappy electronics. Hasbro should have spent the $ on a leader blackout and bonecrusher rather than this.

Had a question btw : how do I get to the bit where BB is playing the Transformers theme? Actually, a lot of the sounds I was able to listen to in demo mode, I have yet to experience them in standard mode. Same Cyber Stomper Prime, I don't know how to access some of the sounds featured in demo mode...

Mr.Bond007 wrote:
I still think it looks like a pile of yellow barf. And actually the chest is not movie accurate and the blaster arm looks pretty fake. They could have given bumble so much more, and interior, an engine and maybe even a sam fig, so many other things could have been done but instead we get a camaro with painted windows and crappy electronics. Hasbro should have spent the $ on a leader blackout and bonecrusher rather than this.

What you want is an Alternator. You're barking at the wrong tree.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! My DLX Bonecrusher is crap! It should have been a pink scooter for Barbie!"

megatroptimus wrote:

Mr.Bond007 wrote:
I still think it looks like a pile of yellow barf. And actually the chest is not movie accurate and the blaster arm looks pretty fake. They could have given bumble so much more, and interior, an engine and maybe even a sam fig, so many other things could have been done but instead we get a camaro with painted windows and crappy electronics. Hasbro should have spent the $ on a leader blackout and bonecrusher rather than this. :-x

What you want is an Alternator. You're barking at the wrong tree.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! My DLX Bonecrusher is crap! It should have been a pink scooter for Barbie!"

You see, we can agree today.

This figure is obviously something different than we're used to and it's just going to be for everyone. And an Alternator it's definitely not. But for what it is, a huge, animatronic version of BB, it's pretty cool.

I don't mind people hating on Ultimate Bumblebee cause hopefully that means that he will go on clearance sooner. If I plan to buy any movie Bumblebee it will be Ultimate because in the future, I don't feel like I will regret not buying deluxe Bumblebee, which is just the same as any other Transformer toy, whereas Ultimate Bumbleebee is unique.

What makes it stand out is that it is not just like a regular Transformer. It's hard to describe, but it's like a Transformer x 10. Like if you hadn't seen transformers for years, and some one hands you a gigantic one and you are like "Crap, this is cool." Kind of like experiencing a Transformer after not seeing one for years. It's not that it is the biggest or most difficult to Transform, it just represents all that a Transformer should be.

Glad you guys are happy with him but he still does absolutely nothing for me. I think he's ugly and no amount of "Best. Transformer. Evar!" posts will change that for me. Different strokes though.

GetterDragun wrote:What makes it stand out is that it is not just like a regular Transformer. It's hard to describe, but it's like a Transformer x 10. Like if you hadn't seen transformers for years, and some one hands you a gigantic one and you are like "Crap, this is cool." Kind of like experiencing a Transformer after not seeing one for years. It's not that it is the biggest or most difficult to Transform, it just represents all that a Transformer should be.

I don't collect any Transformers merchandise beyond the toys.

I know Ult Bumblebee is essentially a toy, but because he is not part of a line or compatible in any way with any previous released toys, he will never see my shelves.

Counterpunch wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:What makes it stand out is that it is not just like a regular Transformer. It's hard to describe, but it's like a Transformer x 10. Like if you hadn't seen transformers for years, and some one hands you a gigantic one and you are like "Crap, this is cool." Kind of like experiencing a Transformer after not seeing one for years. It's not that it is the biggest or most difficult to Transform, it just represents all that a Transformer should be.

I don't collect any Transformers merchandise beyond the toys.

I know Ult Bumblebee is essentially a toy, but because he is not part of a line or compatible in any way with any previous released toys, he will never see my shelves.

Punch, I know that's you. Where's CP?

GetterDragun wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:What makes it stand out is that it is not just like a regular Transformer. It's hard to describe, but it's like a Transformer x 10. Like if you hadn't seen transformers for years, and some one hands you a gigantic one and you are like "Crap, this is cool." Kind of like experiencing a Transformer after not seeing one for years. It's not that it is the biggest or most difficult to Transform, it just represents all that a Transformer should be.

I don't collect any Transformers merchandise beyond the toys.

I know Ult Bumblebee is essentially a toy, but because he is not part of a line or compatible in any way with any previous released toys, he will never see my shelves.

Punch, I know that's you. Where's CP?

(I really wanted to just reply with 'He's f'n dead dude!!!', that struck me as really funny for some reason...)

It's just a boundaries thing for me. I'm sure it's a very cool toy and display piece. I just wouldn't know what to do with one if I had it. It's kind of like how I don't buy Revoltech or anything else that falls only under the 'collectable' category.

Counterpunch wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:What makes it stand out is that it is not just like a regular Transformer. It's hard to describe, but it's like a Transformer x 10. Like if you hadn't seen transformers for years, and some one hands you a gigantic one and you are like "Crap, this is cool." Kind of like experiencing a Transformer after not seeing one for years. It's not that it is the biggest or most difficult to Transform, it just represents all that a Transformer should be.

I don't collect any Transformers merchandise beyond the toys.

I know Ult Bumblebee is essentially a toy, but because he is not part of a line or compatible in any way with any previous released toys, he will never see my shelves.

Punch, I know that's you. Where's CP?

(I really wanted to just reply with 'He's f'n dead dude!!!', that struck me as really funny for some reason...)

It's just a boundaries thing for me. I'm sure it's a very cool toy and display piece. I just wouldn't know what to do with one if I had it. It's kind of like how I don't buy Revoltech or anything else that falls only under the 'collectable' category.

I sort of agree, but my line is if it is produced by Hasbro/Takara or not. I don't see the need to buy TF figures not made by them.

Mr.Bond007 wrote:They could have given bumble so much more, and interior, an engine and maybe even a sam fig, so many other things could have been done.

Oooh. That is a really great idea. Sad we won't see it.

And after seeing the pictures of Bumblebee all over the 'net, it still confounds me....how can all of these people not know how to form the chest correctly? Granted, it might not be in the instructions...(I've dealt with the Hasbro instructions and well...to say they leave a lot to be desired..well, heh.)

But pictures of the movie model, the Robot Replicas, etc...you can see how the chest is formed, along with the hinges in UB's chest....

I don't get it. It's one thing to do it because they choose to (that's just personal preference, that's fine) but if they sit there and say "I don't think it's supposed to do that..." um...what?!

megatroptimus wrote:Had a question btw : how do I get to the bit where BB is playing the Transformers theme? Actually, a lot of the sounds I was able to listen to in demo mode, I have yet to experience them in standard mode. Same Cyber Stomper Prime, I don't know how to access some of the sounds featured in demo mode...

yeah, it only does that in "try me" mode. when i leave it on my display shelf, i leave it in try me mode. its a little bit better than being off: it won't spring to life and repeatedly ask "permission to speak, sir!" or wear down the battery quickly, but I can still make it do a few sound effects at the press of a button. and they're sound-effects that it doesn't do in regular mode.

I wouldn't say Ult. BB is the best TF, but he's pretty damn cool...and BIG!