The Energon Pub

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Thu Aug 27, 2020 11:43 pm

chuckdawg1999 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
chuckdawg1999 wrote:I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape.
Because all of the preexisting Micro Change cassette toys had already been used as Decepticons. The Autobot cassettes were new molds that didn't see release until 1986, where Blaster was an existing Micro Change mold who first got released a year earlier in 1985. When Blaster's toy first came into existence in the Transformers toyline, there were no Autobot cassettes that existed (yet).

So basically you were supposed to use and swap cassettes if you were a Micro Change fan.

Right, there were no warring factions of cassettes in the Micro Change toyline, all of them were on the same side and interacted with both Cassette Man (pre-Soundwave) and Radi-Cassette Robo (pre-Blaster). Though, Radi-Cassette Robo was itself released in 1984 a year after Cassette Man and the three micro-cassette molds Micross (pre-Frenzy/Rumble), Jaguar (pre-Ravage), and Condor (pre-Laserbeak/Buzzsaw) were released on 1983, so the disconnect was also present in that line. Though, Radi-Cassette Man also came with its own little AM radio accessory that could fit into its tape door since it was the size of a micro-cassette itself (this little AM radio was not carried over for Blaster's release in Transformers).

As for why Hasbro didn't just use the existing Micro Change cassette molds to make Autobot cassettes for Blaster in 1985, at the time Hasbro wasn't yet in the habit of sharing molds between Autobots and Decepticons (minus the Mini-Spies since their whole gimmick was their belonging to either faction, but I digress), so they kept all of the Micro Change cassette molds on the Decepticon side at the time of Blaster's initial release, leaving him with no cassette minions of his own until Hasbro started releasing all new molds made specifically for Transformers the following year in 1986. Of course, his original packaging didn't even advertise his chest door gimmick anyway, with his interactivity with the cassettes given only a passing mention in his instructions.

News Credits: 3 · by **SGMLordMirage** » Mon Sep 07, 2020 10:23 pm

I finally spotted G1 reissue Blaster. Unfortunately a pass for me but neat to see it again.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 5:02 pm

Finally got Blaster in at my Wal-Mart in Albany, GA. His legs have a brownish tint to them, and IIRC originally his legs were gray.

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 5:14 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:Finally got Blaster in at my Wal-Mart in Albany, GA. His legs have a brownish tint to them, and IIRC originally his legs were gray.

Yeah, I saw that at my local Walmart and decided to pass on that.

I already got to experience the mold with the Fun Pub/e-HOBBY Shattered Glass Blaster that uses the same mold, and didn't find it much more than a nice novelty.

Full disclosure: I own very few G1 molds as I don't really collect them.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 5:53 pm

The brownish tint is accurate to his Marvel colors (though I'm sure it's an accident). I don't own G1 Blaster because he's grossly out of scale with not only Soundwave but pretty much every other figure from G1, and when I did own him he spent all his time in boombox mode on Fort Max's shoulder. :lol:

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 6:36 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:Finally got Blaster in at my Wal-Mart in Albany, GA. His legs have a brownish tint to them, and IIRC originally his legs were gray.

Ah that means they reused the same thing as for the platinum release.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:32 pm

Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:36 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

We've all been waiting for one ever since an all-new MP mold for Steeljaw was made for MP Nightstalker.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · by **Emerje** » Mon Sep 14, 2020 11:46 pm

Hasbro/Takara Tomy have used that brownish gray on all of their reissues. It's a slight exaggeration of the dirty gray of the original.

Hasbro also used it on Fall of Cybertron and Titans Return versions.

Hasbro just really likes to use that shade on Blaster. They also like it on Powermaster Prime.

Sabrblade wrote:
Rodimus Prime wrote:Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?
We've all been waiting for one ever since an all-new MP mold for Steeljaw was made for MP Nightstalker.

I think if they ever get around to doing MP Blaster they'll make a new mold for Steeljaw. For starters MP Nightstalker is TINY!

Second I think it would be hard to incorporate his proper weapons into the mold and still have them look right.
Third, it just isn't a very good figure, it feels sub par compared to all of the other MP tapes. I think it was just something they quickly rushed out to finish the set. They've had a few years to work on it so I hope when they do make Blaster they give us a much improved Steeljaw.

Emerje

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Tue Sep 15, 2020 9:38 am

Rodimus Prime wrote:Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

You know what, I don't care anymore. This is not at all a jab at your or your question. I have a decent MP collection but now that they are releasing good toys of a ton of characters at a more manageable scale/pricepoint, the MPs have lost their lustre to me. We should have had a Blaster ages ago, but instead we got another Bee, another Prime now another Starscream and the prices have gone crazy high for not that much satisfaction over the much lower price points. So, your question makes me think that if ever they do release Blaster, which they should, it will still be too long after several fans have stopped caring, since I don't think I am alone in this.

by **Pedro Prime** » Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:14 am

Anyone hear if there will be another G1 Walmart reissue after Blaster? Last I saw him at my Walmart, he was on clearance, so it seems like we should be due for at least an announcement any time now...

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:41 pm

Pedro Prime wrote:Anyone hear if there will be another G1 Walmart reissue after Blaster? Last I saw him at my Walmart, he was on clearance, so it seems like we should be due for at least an announcement any time now...

No more announced, and I don't see any coming. They've gone on Clearance so many times, so Walmart has decided now for something completely different (cue Monty Python's Flying Circus):

Retro Headmasters

Nothing major, just the main Headmaster characters released using the Titans Return molds with the (anime-accurate) Japanese Legends heads, but in G1-style boxes (that'll get confusing). The breakdown:

Wave 1
Chromedome with Stylor
Hardhead with Duros
Brainstorm with Arcana
Mindwipe with Vorath

Wave 2
Highbrow with Gort
Weirdwolf with Monzo
Skullcruncher with Grax

News Credits: 456 · by **Sabrblade** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:53 pm

https://www.facebook.com/groups/706571839526555/permalink/1590510671132663/

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 1:58 am

WOW.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:51 am

I'll have to check my walmart in a couple days, I would buy a G1 Blaster for that

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 3:08 pm

Sabrblade wrote:https://www.facebook.com/groups/706571839526555/permalink/1590510671132663/

Well, if there are any left at mine and they ring up like that... I'll have two cassette players :lol:

News Credits: 331 · by **chuckdawg1999** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 5:58 pm

I don't think the price was the point, the fact it rang up as Soundblaster I think is the point. Is this the first we've heard of a possible Soundblaster reissue?

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 6:02 pm

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I don't think the price was the point, the fact it rang up as Soundblaster I think is the point. Is this the first we've heard of a possible Soundblaster reissue?

Him ringing up as "Soundblaster" was quite known, and isn't indicative of anything other than Hasbro supplying a name different than what's on the packaging. Really, what would people think when they see "G1 Blaster" on a toy listing?

News Credits: 56 · by **o.supreme** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 6:03 pm

o.supreme wrote:ok, so one of my local Walmart's did a toy reset in the last week. What was odd is I was just there a few days ago and they had 4 or 5 Astrotrains, now there are none. I find it unlikely that someone would by them all since they've been sitting there for months, but I digress....

We know a Blaster reissue is coming soon, but I saw this and thought it very odd...Has there been any news about a Sounblaster reissue? I mean I know Walmart had the Siege Soundblaster for the 35th anniversary line, but this specifically says "G1"...so I didn't know what to make of it?

I posted about it back in August, it seems to have been dismissed as merely a mistaken description used in Walmarts system

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Wed Jan 13, 2021 8:09 pm

o.supreme wrote:
o.supreme wrote:ok, so one of my local Walmart's did a toy reset in the last week. What was odd is I was just there a few days ago and they had 4 or 5 Astrotrains, now there are none. I find it unlikely that someone would by them all since they've been sitting there for months, but I digress....

We know a Blaster reissue is coming soon, but I saw this and thought it very odd...Has there been any news about a Sounblaster reissue? I mean I know Walmart had the Siege Soundblaster for the 35th anniversary line, but this specifically says "G1"...so I didn't know what to make of it?

I posted about it back in August, it seems to have been dismissed as merely a mistaken description used in Walmarts system

Yup, thats exsctlybwhat it is

News Credits: 3 · by **SGMLordMirage** » Mon Jan 18, 2021 1:55 pm

I finally spotted Hardhead and Brainstorm at a local Walmart.

News Credits: 11 · by **Overcracker** » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:00 pm

SGMLordMirage wrote:I finally spotted Hardhead and Brainstorm at a local Walmart.

FWIW those aren't G1 reissues. Those are Takara Titans Return molds that got a North American nreleases in G1 styled packaging.

You aren't getting a G1 figure in there.

Here's the thread for them:

https://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/new-walmart-listings-for-transformers-headmaster-assortments-t115048s75.php

News Credits: 3 · by **SGMLordMirage** » Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:07 pm

My bad, thanks for the clarification, definitely my moron moment and not paying attention, wth.

News Credits: 4835 · by **william-james88** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 1:42 am

Can anyone who picked up a G1 stasrscream reissue in Europe or australia take a pic of the back of the box? I am curious as to the languages on there.

News Credits: 2 · by **Spider5800** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:07 am

Is this Tigatron really a brighter white, or did all our old Tigatron's just get more yellow over the past 20 + years? :lol:

I'm actually kind of digging the more silver body on the Scorponok figure compared to the original. We have any idea on pricing for him? This is the first Mega sized toy they released from the original line...

Still have the originals for both of these, so not a necessity for me, but I hope they continue this line with Transmetal characters at some point. I have almost none of those (just Optimal Optimus and dragon Megatron).