The Energon Pub

News Credits: 5749 · Wed Jul 17, 2013 11:49 pm

Our SDCC 2013 Preview Night Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Gallery is now live! Nothing that we didn't already see at BotCon last month, but a nice new gallery none the less. Items on display include the Target exclusive Predacons Rising line, and the new simplified Deluxe and Voyager figures. The full gallery can be found here.

Thu Jul 18, 2013 12:10 am

Neat-o! Still waiting to see some new stuff (i.e. Armada SS), but I'm guessing they're saving those reveals till later?

Ironically enough (with Abominus set so close on the horizon), I'm starting to see more Hun-grr figures in stores (Target & TRU)... though, it's still anyone's guess if the individual Abominus figs will appear before the set hits shelves (nice one, Hasbro #-o

).

Is Hulk Optimus just a green version of the Voyager? I think it had a shield, too...

EDIT: Nevermind... I think Hulkimus is supposed to be the upscaled Commander fig. :-?

News Credits: 388 · Thu Jul 18, 2013 1:47 am

I still think those simplified figures don't look very good. I can accept their posability and articulation limits in a Cyberverse figure, but with all the amazing things you can do with articulation now days, why would you go back to the oversimplified transformation of the G1 era for a larger toy?

Also, who is the red repaint of Blot/Blight supposed to be? The writing on the card is too blurry to make out.

Thu Jul 18, 2013 2:33 am

They really should've used Legion Cliffjumper, Arcee, Air Vehicon and/or Airachnid instead of Bumblebee and Smokescreen if they really wanted to make an impression with these upsized figures. Not only are that BB and SS two of the worst looking figures in the legion class but they've both been recolored to death recently. Both have the Beast Hunters releases, they both have playset releases, Target exclusive releases, normal repaint releases and then SS has two new character repaints and BB has how many releases without the Beast Hunters upgrades. Sinnertwin and Cutthroat are great choices but BB and SS just show how bad an idea this can be.

I'm also a little upset that Blot has gotten TWO recolors already but Sinnertwin and Hun-Grrr don't have any (not including the giftset or the GO! releases). That makes three extra Abominus legs and one extra arm. I just hope they try to balance it out more and recolor some of the others into Sparkstalker and Flamefeather to go with Cindersaur (who didn't seem to be in the pictures anywhere).

As for that upsized Optimus Prime...is that green the new Allspark blue or something? I'm fine with the translucent green windshield and sword on the current voyager and I'm ok with the shield and sword on this "new" one but the solid green on Prime is just awful. It really does make him look like he's slowly turning into Toxitron. That Predaking looks fantastic with it's new parts though.

News Credits: 2 · Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:08 am

I didn't buy the Cyberverse Predacon combiners but I'm definitely considering the upcoming upsized versions.

Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:45 am

Help me out here guys, Armada Starscream?
- Upscaled Legion Beast Hunters Optimus?
- Upscaled Legion Terrorcons?

WHAT's GOIN On!!!??!

Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:04 am

noctorro wrote:Help me out here guys, Armada Starscream?
- Upscaled Legion Beast Hunters Optimus?
- Upscaled Legion Terrorcons?

WHAT's GOIN On!!!??!

-A few weeks ago they announced a deluxe Generations Armada Starscream but there's been no pictures of it yet. We have however finally gotten the pictures of the voyager Whirl that was announced at the same time.
-Upscaled COMMANDER Optimus AND a retooled upscaled commander Predaking
-Terrorcons and sadly, Bumblebee and Smokescreen. It also appears that the connector pegs on the legs of Windrazor and Twinstrike are absent and may or may not be able to form Abominus if all the Terrorpreds get upscaled.

Hasbro is trying to "go back to their roots" with Transformers. They Want to start making Transformers that are simple to transform like the G1 toys. So they decided that the best way to go about this was to upscale legion and commander class figures. They also seem to be filling out their toy quota for the year by doing this and biding time for the new movie toys to come out.

Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:40 am

Thanks for the explanation Alpha Weltall,

I seem to have missed a few very interesting defelopments.
Also pretty sure a huge amount of the fandom doesn't like that simle-transformation story. But I happen to be one of those who actually like that.
I think I'll be getting most of these upscaled Commander class figures. I don't mind simple transformations as long as both modes look good and there's decent articulation in robot mode.

+ Armada Starscream is my second favorite Seeker mold, Great news in my book!

News Credits: 9 · Thu Jul 18, 2013 5:53 am

Why do they keep putting out OP toys with spikes on the bumper and stomach? He doesn't have them in the cartoon.

News Credits: 11 · Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:49 am

Yikes. I'm so glad I'm mostly bailing on this line. These upscaled Legion toys aren't appealing to me at all. The only upcoming figure I might get from BH is deluxe Prowl, and he's based on the Smokescreen mold.

That said, who's the dark blue & grey dragon guy with the orange beak? He looks a LOT like a beastified Dreadwing. Which would be pretty sweet in concept, though not something I'd be adding to my collection.

News Credits: 2 · Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:59 am

Mykltron wrote:Why do they keep putting out OP toys with spikes on the bumper and stomach? He doesn't have them in the cartoon.

This is just speculation but considering the development cycle for Transformers toys can be up to nearly 3 years or so, perhaps the Beast Hunters Optimus Prime concept artwork used for the toys changed by the time season 3 of TFP went into production. So we don't have the spiky bits on the show but the toys were already developed and molded.

News Credits: 241 · Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:59 am

kirbenvost wrote:That said, who's the dark blue & grey dragon guy with the orange beak? He looks a LOT like a beastified Dreadwing. Which would be pretty sweet in concept, though not something I'd be adding to my collection.

Darksteel, a repaint of Grimwing. He's exclusive to Target as part of the Predacons Rising line.

Thu Jul 18, 2013 11:41 pm

I'll buy the Cutthroat deluxe only because it was the only Terrorcon i owned as a kid.

News Credits: 3642 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:25 pm

Two new reveals were on display this afternoon in Hasbro's display area at SDCC. This time around it's the newest versions of the Transformers Prime Weaponizers Bumblebee and Optimus Prime in new Beast Hunters colors, packaging and with new accessories. Bumblebee even comes with a remolded head featuring his mouth! Check out these brand new pics of Talking Bumblebee and Tracker Optimus Prime by clicking here.

News Credits: 251 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:44 pm

...So what - exactly - prompted the choice of changing only the color of red to green, and giving him the Ultimate toy's cleaver-sword?

I swear, I feel that they're just trying to set themselves up for failure with ending the PrimeBeast Hunters line.

News Credits: 462 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:51 pm

Prime actually looks good in green.

Hope be has some voice clips actually recorded by Will Friedle.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:53 pm

BB doesn't really "talk", does he? The title is misleading. If the toy had some voice clips, that might be interesting... but I still don't understand why I need giant BB's or Optimi.

Not being ungrateful, as we ARE getting Metroplex, but shouldn't this effort be devoted to a new, I don't know, Trypticon? =P~

I get that "kids love Optimus and BB!!!! :BOOM:

", but in the simpler times of yesteryear, you would get far more excitement over a giant T-Rex TF that could turn into a city. :roll:

Guess Hasbro knows kids better than anyone, and surely these will not warm the shelves into Xmas and beyond. Surely.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 4:58 pm

Optimus Prime? Or Johnny Canuck Prime? He looks like he should be wandering the North Cascades!

News Credits: 462 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:00 pm

Metrosuplex wrote:BB doesn't really "talk", does he? The title is misleading. If the toy had some voice clips, that might be interesting...

Why would he not? He's gonna speak in the cartoon, he's remolded head with a mouth, and they've made other talking TF toys in the past.

News Credits: 7 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:05 pm

Optimus looks like fun(HUGE SWORD!)
Reminds me of that conversation with Sabrblade about a green Optimus.

Bumblebee is very cool looking.

News Credits: 101 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:12 pm

GREEN Optimus Prime? Lol wut?

That Bee is awesome looking! I have the original Weaponiser Bee and I love it. There's high chances I'll buy it. However, what will it say? Bee-boop-pip-bee-bop?

News Credits: 462 · Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:17 pm

-Kanrabat- wrote:However, what will it say? Bee-boop-pip-bee-bop?

Sat Jul 20, 2013 5:21 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
Metrosuplex wrote:BB doesn't really "talk", does he? The title is misleading. If the toy had some voice clips, that might be interesting...
Why would he not? He's gonna speak in the cartoon, he's remolded head with a mouth, and they've made other talking TF toys in the past.

My bad!

The box adverts mention the talking. Why my doubt? Well, Optimus doesn't talk. #-o

I was also going to ask how many TF's in that scale have actually talked in the past. :???:

So it's a bit out of left field, IMO - but I understand: the focus on BB's speech event in Prime. Personally, I just don't see how BB talking is a great way to end the show... but I guess I can only be amazed (at this point) by either fantastic writing or amazing self-confidence from the writers. :roll:

The writing has been quite good in the past, but sometimes when you slip, you fall hard on your face. :GHOST: