The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1452 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:39 pm

With the Masterpiece line shaping up quite well across the Pacific, we can't let them have all the fun, right? In comes Hasbro with the two latest domestic Masterpiece releases, Optimus Prime and Thundercracker. Our version of Optimus Prime takes after the much acclaimed MP-10 Optimus Convoy, and comes with just about everything you could ask for. Masterpiece Thundercracker completes the trifecta of Hasbro Masterpiece Seekers than many fans have been clamoring for. Thundercracker utilizes the new MP-11 base, but does not come with two faces as the packaging might allude you to believe. Optimus is slated for release any time now, while Thundercracker is aiming to be in our shelves by October. Both are being released as Toys'R'Us Exclusives. Enjoy!

Stay tuned to Seibertron.com for more SDCC 2012 coverage!

News Credits: 4 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:48 pm

Doesn't the Japanese MP Prime have a human pet? I don't see that in this one. Otherwise...is good. :grin:

News Credits: 1 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 8:56 pm

OH FU@$ YEA!!!! I love them both, but I already have 2 versions of MP-01, so I am going to pass on Ops.
I would definitely buy him otherwise, and who knows, when I see him at TRU, I just might not be able to help myself.

Now as far as Thundercracker goes....Bless you Hasbro for finally seeing the light and bringing me The Cracker. I have had a whole in my collection, and buying him at 300-400 dollars was out of the question.
I may buy 2. One to play with, and display, and the other to keep in the box to commemorate this EPIC event.

I just hope TRU is prepared with the need to distribute both of these well. Otherwise these damn things will just end up being scalper fodder.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:11 pm

I'm kinda sad they swapped to the MP11 seeker body.

Now they either need to re-release SS & SW or TC will look like an oddball.

Oh well, I'll still get both.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:20 pm

As for another potential discrepancy between what we see and get with Thundie, is he seriously going to have that pic of himself on his tailfin? I mean, we can all just Sharpie that away on a black surface, but I really hope that was just some extra thing for this display.

As for Optimus, are those REALLY the smokestacks we're going to be getting on the shelves of ToysRUs Hasbro? Cuz' if the other MP Ops' stacks were some sort of safety hazard, these look even more "dangerous" by virtue of having been sharpened. I was prepared to forgive stack-cropping as a fact of life on this one, but if you cleave this Optimus's stacks off after showing us THIS, that's just playin' dirty!

As for that missing pet...leaving Spike out of this release would make an in-scale Witwicky an IMPOSSIBLE TOY for me to find...4 years ago. Heh, Heh, Heh...

Oh yeah, and these look beautiful! Thank you much!

News Credits: 4 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:46 pm

Both look great, definite must haves. Thundercracker's bio got tweaked a bit, I cannot see him attacking any creature that cannot fly, Autobots yeah, but....... It's good to see my favorite seeker getting some attention.

Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:59 pm

WOOHOO!!!! Any word on price yet? And any word on a release date for Optimus?

News Credits: 4 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:39 pm

My wallet is happier.

News Credits: 4 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:46 pm

I can't wait to buy that Prime.

And Thundercracker using the new MP-11 mold is good news for me too, love the new legs. Now I just need to buy MP-11...

News Credits: 332 · Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:21 pm

I can't believe that Thundercracker is getting a release before Starscream. Perhaps it's an homage to the fact that Thundercracker was the first Diaclone F-14?

Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:52 am

MP10 looks great! I will get that one, hopefully the price won't be to high. That Thundercracker looks great, nice vibrant colors. I'll be getting him as well, love the fact that it's the new MP11 mold. Sideswipe also looks great from previous pictures and Soundwave's coming. So yes, I'll start collecting the Masterpiece line again, started with Hasbro Rodimus.

News Credits: 14 · Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:01 am

Damn it Hasbro/TRU stop messing me about like this!!

I made the journey way across town to my local Toys R Us to collect my refund for the cancelled UK release of Thundercracker.

I even got the chap to check their systems for both of these two releases but as yet there is nothing on their books yet.

So if these are now confirmed as TRU exclusives then i would assume the U.K. may see these in the early part of 2013?

Hasbro I hate/love you!!! :twisted:

News Credits: 9 · Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:17 am

I just hope I can get one period. TRU has been a lost cause for anything new here for months and the MPs we never got more than once. When we did people were wheeling them out by the buggy. I hate TRU exclusives because they're scalper bait and the fans don't get a chance to even get one most of the time.

Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:56 am

Nice!!!
Both of them are must buy for me.

Fri Jul 13, 2012 9:52 am

Ballsy move to put the trailer out too with Op......I have a feeling that will jack the price to a point where even scalpers might wait til it clears. Then the rush will be on.

Just going to pre-order them from BBTS and be done with it.

Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:17 am

Why exclusives, why Hasbro, why do you again do this to me.

This means i have to go to eBay again, jerks.

:-x

News Credits: 11 · Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:50 am

I still think the colors on Prime are a bit too bright compared to the Takara one, but I'll still take it! I love this mold and want to get my hands on it for less than $200 or whatever the Japanese one costs.

Thundercracker looks pretty good and I'll definitely get him too to round out my trio. I really like that they used the new mold but still included the stand. I was hoping for colors closer to the G1 toy, but it's not too bad. The tailfin deco is a little silly but I guess it makes him look like a stunt plane or something. As for the rest of the colors, they seem to have emulated the Generations paintjob. Interesting. :-?

Also, rightside-up 'Con sybmols and silver plastic rather than silver paint. Oh well. I hope he doesn't cost any more than Rodimus did.

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

DMSL wrote:Why exclusives, why Hasbro, why do you again do this to me.

This means i have to go to eBay again, jerks.

Or, you know, toysrus.com or bigbadtoystore.com, or robotkingdom.com...

just sayin' you got options other than scalpBay >:oP

Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:17 pm

wow, maybe its the lighting but Prime looks like he's made of ultra cheap plastic. i'm glad i got the original 20th anniversary release, he's much bigger and doesnt look like he'll break if you drop him....though i imagine he might anyway.

Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:17 am

Mkall wrote:
DMSL wrote:Why exclusives, why Hasbro, why do you again do this to me.

This means i have to go to eBay again, jerks.

Or, you know, toysrus.com or bigbadtoystore.com, or robotkingdom.com...

just sayin' you got options other than scalpBay

No, no, you don't Toysrus doesn't ship to The Netherlands (last time I checked) robotkingdom stuff ALWAYS gets cought by customs and I get a 80 dollar bill for their services. BBTS, haven't tried it yet but I don't have high hopes for sites like that.

News Credits: 12 · Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:54 am

Motorthing wrote:Ballsy move to put the trailer out too with Op......I have a feeling that will jack the price to a point where even scalpers might wait til it clears. Then the rush will be on.

Just going to pre-order them from BBTS and be done with it.

By "clears" you mean "go on clearance sale"? TRU doesn't do that with exclusives. They'll let exclusives sit on the shelf for years, but they'll never put them on clearance.

Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:54 pm

Did Hasbro mention a more definite release date for Masterpiece Prime at SDCC? Or a definite price? I know the current conjecture is $100, but I haven't read anything officially yet. Also, will it be available at TRU's Website? I need to try and make my plans as early as possible so I don't miss it!

News Credits: 332 · Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:05 pm

User897 wrote:Did Hasbro mention a more definite release date for Masterpiece Prime at SDCC? Or a definite price? I know the current conjecture is $100, but I haven't read anything officially yet. Also, will it be available at TRU's Website? I need to try and make my plans as early as possible so I don't miss it!

Between now and October.