The Energon Pub

News Credits: 131 · by **no-one** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 5:43 am

Now that's a diverse haul. Curious about ol Steamroll there.

News Credits: 15 · by **galvatron00** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 7:55 am

Hooooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

I'm curious about the Beast Wars box.

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 7:57 am

To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty disillusioned.

First off, Recon (Alert) is missing pieces. He was packaged with no face (his neutral face), and doesn't have his shoulder cannon installed, nor was it in the box. So right off the bat, I'm pretty choked, though these aren't knocks against the figures themselves. Those will come all on their own...

Now, I don't want to say the phrase "KO quality", but it's pretty close. The plastic in general just doesn't feel great. And most of my issues with these guys are in the heads and legs. Their interchangeable faces almost don't seem to fit their faces, and look slightly out of place. Not to mention their heads are made up of 3 movable pieces (4 if you include the faces themselves) and are floppy as all hell. And their legs look hollow, and feel hollow. Not only that, the plastic for them is especially thin. There aren't enough gap filling pieces, and at almost every angle there is some part of those legs that you can see through. And look at their knees. There is a gap, designed into the knee. I thought I was just transforming it wrong, but nope, it's supposed to look like that. On top of that, I hate their guns. They're hollow, look small, and weird. When displaying these two, they're probably going to be holding the official MP's guns.

Does anyone remember my review of FT's Rouge (MP Arcee)? I said it was alright, but lacked the refinement we get with official MP's. These feel like they're a step beyond that even. Badcube's Sunsurge lacked refinement, but he was a MUCH more solid figure than either of these two. By the time I dealt with the missing pieces, and disappointing robot modes, I couldn't even be bother to take pics. Perhaps later.

In spite of all this, there are still positives. Their car modes, I think, are perfect. Though with how impressive MP-39 was, I think Takara can match it if they ever make a Sideswipe V2. And the transformation (while still kind of explode'y) wasn't the nightmare that Sunsurge was. And even though it didn't really pan out, I give them props for trying to integrate the weapons. Also, they are very posable.

I was absolutely smitten with these before release. So I can't believe how it went so wrong. My advice, is pass.

News Credits: 15 · by **galvatron00** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:00 am

I've read similar things to the statements you have made. I'm sorry they aren't the best. Can you return them? You should return them and buy more things :-D

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:07 am

itscramtastic wrote:I've read similar things to the statements you have made. I'm sorry they aren't the best. Can you return them? You should return them and buy more things

I'm thinking about it, I really am. Trying to weigh out "are they that bad" and "is it worth the effort of fighting the store for the return"...

News Credits: 15 · by **galvatron00** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:08 am

shajaki wrote:
itscramtastic wrote:I've read similar things to the statements you have made. I'm sorry they aren't the best. Can you return them? You should return them and buy more things
I'm thinking about it, I really am. Trying to weigh out "are they that bad" and "is it worth the effort of fighting the store for the return"...

FIGHT THE STORE!! I'm pretty sure you're a good customer and they'd want to keep your business. Preeeeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure.

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:25 am

itscramtastic wrote:
shajaki wrote:
itscramtastic wrote:I've read similar things to the statements you have made. I'm sorry they aren't the best. Can you return them? You should return them and buy more things
I'm thinking about it, I really am. Trying to weigh out "are they that bad" and "is it worth the effort of fighting the store for the return"...
FIGHT THE STORE!! I'm pretty sure you're a good customer and they'd want to keep your business. Preeeeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure.

Ehhh.... I've been thinking about it all night and most of this morning (work is slow lol) and I'm leaning towards keeping them. While I certainly don't think they're worth the money I paid, they're passable, do have some nice features, and the sheer thought of fighting the store exhausts me.

Now I just gotta wait to hear back about my replacement pieces. Pending on that, it may yet still go sideways :lol:

News Credits: 41 · by **Cobotron** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:41 am

I feel sad inside.

News Credits: 131 · by **no-one** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:44 am

shajaki wrote:To be perfectly honest, I'm pretty disillusioned...
~
Now, I don't want to say the phrase "KO quality", but it's pretty close...
~
...but lacked the refinement we get with official MP's. These feel like they're a step beyond that even.... ~ ...lacked refinement...
~
My advice, is pass.

Sorry for hacking the quote up, but I'm trying to make a point. I've been digging down the 3P and KO rabbit hole for a bit now and I can definitely second that feeling as a whole.

Lacking refinement. That is the phrase I've been looking for. The big difference is that my purchases have been at clearance prices so my expectations were a lot lower.

Over all the 3P game is pretty hit and miss and YMMV kind of a game.

Well that's a real bummer because I've always heard such nice things about BadCube and Steamroll was on my radar before I decided to go KO for my MP Sideswipe.

Sucks bud, sorry to hear that :thumbs down:

News Credits: 15 · by **galvatron00** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:01 am

I agree with Cary. It may even be subconscious that we prefer the officials better, but I think it's very real that they are overall better. Obviously there are some exceptions, and I sure as heck hope DX9 Carry is one of them!

I would say that Reximus Prime (upscale KO w/MP8X paint) was easily as good as MP Grimlock. I had both in hand at the same time and was thrilled to hand off MP Grimlock.

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:21 am

carytheone wrote:Lacking refinement. That is the phrase I've been looking for. The big difference is that my purchases have been at clearance prices so my expectations were a lot lower.

And I did go into deeper thought on that in my Rouge review. I bet the official figures have way more people involved, and way more boxes to check off. You know the saying, a fresh pair of eyes and all. With these 3P pieces, it's almost as if it's just a couple guys with no oversight handling things.

carytheone wrote:Well that's a real bummer because I've always heard such nice things about BadCube and Steamroll was on my radar before I decided to go KO for my MP Sideswipe.

I only have 1 Badcube'r (well, 2, but same mold) and he was fantastic. Surgio and Burnio may have been outclassed by MP-39, but are in no way poor figures.

itscramtastic wrote:It may even be subconscious that we prefer the officials better, but I think it's very real that they are overall better. Obviously there are some exceptions, and I sure as heck hope DX9 Carry is one of them!

Maybe for some people... but I think I'm pretty accepting of both sides. 3P aesthetics are all over the place, so they either hit my button or they don't. But when they do, I'm usually all in, unless they're severally disappointing since they're in hand. Which might seem to be a trend with me, but it's only the most recent 3P figures that have upset me. I have plenty that I love.

And I wouldn't worry about Carry. We already know its a solid figure, and you'd already have to accept the aesthetics of him to be interested in the first place. I've already said I have no place for him in my collection, but I don't care because he just looks so cool 8-)

News Credits: 15 · by **galvatron00** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:57 am

shajaki wrote:..but I don't care because he just looks so cool

THE COOLEST you mean!! He's gonna be my Rodimus forever. Probably. :lol:

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 5:16 pm

Sorry to hear your bad experience with the 3P guys

I am liking that MP-32 and Pacific Rim movie though! MP-32 is on my list to hunt down sometime this fall/winter

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Tue Jun 26, 2018 5:34 pm

Oh right, 32 :lol:

Obvs, I already have one. I've wanted a second one for a while, but the cost is hard to justify. To the rescue, a local buddy selling for cheap! The Primal on my shelf is mask up, and geared to the teeth like in "Gorilla Warfare". But I wanted one mask down and looking normal (and 38 is wearing the mutant mask). I still feel having two is kind of unnecessary, but if I'm feeling silly enough I can always resell and recoup 8-}

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:40 pm

This whole Badcube thing (and Rouge before it) kinda makes me want to swear off 3P MP's entirely. I'm pretty soured at the moment. It just feels like such a gamble. On one hand I've had 3 disappointing figures in a row, on the other hand there was the likes of MT's Meteor and FT's Phoenix before that. It just really sucks that the experience seems so personable, and that you can just never know until it's in hand :-?

News Credits: 41 · by **Cobotron** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:52 pm

It's personal when you spend that much money, only to end up with a pile of doo doo in your hands. I'd be mad too if my hands smelled like ****.

What about Girder? Did he disappoint?

He was easy for me because the mold came with two recommendations from trust worthy bros. Otherwise buying 3Ps is a big crap shoot.

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 4:38 pm

Forgot all about Girder. He is a damn fine piece of toy

News Credits: 25 · by **Ironhidensh** » Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:06 pm

shajaki wrote:This whole Badcube thing (and Rouge before it) kinda makes me want to swear off 3P MP's entirely. I'm pretty soured at the moment. It just feels like such a gamble. On one hand I've had 3 disappointing figures in a row, on the other hand there was the likes of MT's Meteor and FT's Phoenix before that. It just really sucks that the experience seems so personable, and that you can just never know until it's in hand

I hear ya, but I also feel that way about official figures. I think it just has to do with the high end nature of MP collecting. For the price of the figures, you expect, demand, and deserve perfection. That's a hard bar to live up too.

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:45 pm

Ironhidensh wrote:I hear ya, but I also feel that way about official figures. I think it just has to do with the high end nature of MP collecting. For the price of the figures, you expect, demand, and deserve perfection. That's a hard bar to live up too.

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:53 pm

News Credits: 15 · by **galvatron00** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:08 pm

Scribble yeah!! :lol:

News Credits: 41 · by **Cobotron** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:10 pm

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 10:00 am

It works. Which is more than I can say for the knockoff I got last summer 8-}

And lemme tell ya, these things are EVERYWHERE. My niece works at a Walmart, and told me on Thursday they got a bunch in to be put out Friday morning. Which you would think gives me an in, but she was told no employees could buy any for the first 24 hours! So I skipped out of work at 7am to make sure I got at least one, got two (for me and her) but no spare controllers. There were about 20 of us in line, 50 systems, and 12 controllers :roll:

Out of curiosity I went to a Best Buy after work, and they had a literal mountain of NES Classics. I think this time around, everyone who wants one, is going to get one :DANCE:

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Fri Jul 06, 2018 9:22 pm

My Transformery Falcon came in, along with a couple Figuarty Star Warsy pals!

News Credits: 293 · by **shajaki** » Fri Jul 06, 2018 9:36 pm

Why the sudden Star Wars intake? You, you buggers :lol:

I'm sort of disinclined towards standard action figures in general these days. I had a crazy Power of the Force collection back in the day, but fell out of it as Beast Wars became a thing and the Prequels reigned. As for the present day, I find Marvel Legends to be far too expensive for what they are. Star Wars standard figs feel lacking, and Black just feels off - not enough for the price or something.

But I've been jonsing. You guys have been geting some fun stuff lately, and after stewing over TLJ, seeking comfort in the Origtrig, I thought it was time to re-enter the world of SW toys. SWTF Vader might have spurred it along too. On all the JP sites I monitor, the Figuarts ROTJ Luke had just been Reissued, and that was by far my most treasured figure from the POTF days. So I thought, why not. Figgy Vader... a companion piece, and I've been so fangirl'ing over him since Rogue One :lol: