The Energon Pub

Hey Runabout I think you need a few more symbols on your person, no one's gonna be able to tell what faction you serve.

So I pre-ordered mine (Runabout) through bbts, do we have any idea when they'll be getting them?

Hellscream9999 wrote:So I pre-ordered mine through bbts, do we have any idea when they'll be getting them?

The big optimus? I thought they should be shipping them now. unless they have to wait till its released in Japan for them to get it, which doesnt make much sense.

Well, I just got my TAV-21 Optimus Prime this morning, and...he's all right. I'm surprised that much of the plastic is of the rather soft and thin variety. To those who say Hasbro has been the driving force behind these changes in Transformer plastic quality over the past several years, I submit to you this product completely of Takara's own design, not solicited by Hasbro. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I got this figure. He's massive, Warrior class cars fit inside him like a glove, and his Transformation does some neat things, but at the same time, a lot of the steps are fiddly, some things don't want to tab in securely, and there are some odd engineering choices that leave some unfortunate gapping in parts of the figure (and I'm not even talking about the hollow legs). Overall, it's a nice, BIG figure, but for something that surpasses the size of recent Leader class toys, it doesn't quite surpass them in Leader class quality.

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:So I pre-ordered mine through bbts, do we have any idea when they'll be getting them?

The big optimus? I thought they should be shipping them now. unless they have to wait till its released in Japan for them to get it, which doesnt make much sense.

Naw, runabout, says they were supposed to get him in july

Wolfman Jake wrote:Well, I just got my TAV-21 Optimus Prime this morning, and...he's all right. I'm surprised that much of the plastic is of the rather soft and thin variety. To those who say Hasbro has been the driving force behind these changes in Transformer plastic quality over the past several years, I submit to you this product completely of Takara's own design, not solicited by Hasbro. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I got this figure. He's massive, Warrior class cars fit inside him like a glove, and his Transformation does some neat things, but at the same time, a lot of the steps are fiddly, some things don't want to tab in securely, and there are some odd engineering choices that leave some unfortunate gapping in parts of the figure (and I'm not even talking about the hollow legs). Overall, it's a nice, BIG figure, but for something that surpasses the size of recent Leader class toys, it doesn't quite surpass them in Leader class quality.

100% agree with you.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Wolfman Jake wrote:Well, I just got my TAV-21 Optimus Prime this morning, and...he's all right. I'm surprised that much of the plastic is of the rather soft and thin variety. To those who say Hasbro has been the driving force behind these changes in Transformer plastic quality over the past several years, I submit to you this product completely of Takara's own design, not solicited by Hasbro. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy I got this figure. He's massive, Warrior class cars fit inside him like a glove, and his Transformation does some neat things, but at the same time, a lot of the steps are fiddly, some things don't want to tab in securely, and there are some odd engineering choices that leave some unfortunate gapping in parts of the figure (and I'm not even talking about the hollow legs). Overall, it's a nice, BIG figure, but for something that surpasses the size of recent Leader class toys, it doesn't quite surpass them in Leader class quality.

100% agree with you.

Since I haven't received mine yet, I'll go by you feedback of the soft plastic (shades of DotM Ark and Optimus Maximus ?), the d@mn electronic gimmick is to blame! Instead of dumping cash on hard plastic, they split the funding for the voice gimmick and the body structure.

OP, Jazz, Run and Over sure look great. I can dig em!

i gotta say the con logos in these tav figures are too busy

Fellow Seibertron poster KirbyForce1 has provided us the link to JTMitchell87's YouTube review of this highly anticipated Takara Tomy import.

We've shown you images of the TAV 21 Optimus Prime, now it's time to see the video review and all the bells and whistles the figure has to offer! Lights, sounds and an armory befitting a giant semi that turns into a giant fighting robot and he's only $60.00 at your favorite Seibertron.com sponsor!

Check out the review in the embed below and then come on back to the forum to share your thoughts with us.



If you have a news submission and want to see your name on our front page, send us an email using the submission form, and remember...

Keep your optics tuned to Seibertron.com for the latest in news and updates, plus the best galleries around!

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:So I pre-ordered mine through bbts, do we have any idea when they'll be getting them?

The big optimus? I thought they should be shipping them now. unless they have to wait till its released in Japan for them to get it, which doesnt make much sense.

Naw, runabout, says they were supposed to get him in july

Yeah they just changed a couple days ago to now August 2015 as the date. Im pretty excited for this little guy. Are they still re-releasing the tank Rumble and Frenzy or was that just a rumor?

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail ... agecnt%3D1

TAV-21 still available guys!

Thadicon wrote: Are they still re-releasing the tank Rumble and Frenzy or was that just a rumor?

Not a rumour, it's happening:



http://tfsource.com/transformers-adventure/tav-32-rumble-frenzy/

Although I have read that these molds werent great. Of course, all the reviews take the really big price of back then into account so its hard to judge.

Runabout looks cool, but not the same without Runamuck by his side. As for Override, I really really want that figure. Looks awesome in those colors!

fenrir72 wrote:http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail?gcode=FIGURE-011306&page=top%2Fsearch%2Flist%3Fs_cate3%3D986%24s_maker%3DTakara+Tomy%24pagemax%3D40%24getcnt%3D0%24pagecnt%3D1

TAV-21 still available guys!

Aww dang it, I always assume Amiami is out of stock on everything ever, and with many of the regular stores like BBTS and TF Source already out of stock on this or not even carrying it at all I just dropped $74 shipped on it at Toy Arena.

I'm gonna go pretend the shipping from Japan would totally make that irrelevant even though I know better.

ScottyP wrote:
I'm gonna go pretend the shipping from Japan would totally make that irrelevant even though I know better.

I am sure the shipping from Japan would totally make the extra savings totally irrelevant

william-james88 wrote:Although I have read that these molds werent great. Of course, all the reviews take the really big price of back then into account so its hard to judge.

They're not bad, just a touch fiddly. Pretty ambitious design to have the tank treads try to double as piledrivers and, while they got close, the final outcome is not quite completely satisfying. I'd still recommend them as a pretty good Classics Rumble/Frenzy, but it might be worth waiting to see what Hasbro does next year (assuming Buzzsaw and the leaked Blaster image are bell-weathers for all the cassette characters)

Was going to submit this but somebody beat me to the punch.

TAV-21 is an okay figure. But something tells me that Hasbro designed the toy and Takara was able to release the mold first before Hasbro. Just speculating.

OptimalOptimus2 wrote:TAV-21 is an okay figure. But something tells me that Hasbro designed the toy and Takara was able to release the mold first before Hasbro. Just speculating.

Hasbro paid the TT engineers to design and TT to manufacture. Correct.

fenrir72 wrote:

OptimalOptimus2 wrote:TAV-21 is an okay figure. But something tells me that Hasbro designed the toy and Takara was able to release the mold first before Hasbro. Just speculating.

Hasbro paid the TT engineers to design and TT to manufacture. Correct.

Hmph, guess it shows that Takara's toy designers know how to make a simpler toy but preserve the interactive play value.

OptimalOptimus2 wrote:TAV-21 is an okay figure. But something tells me that Hasbro designed the toy and Takara was able to release the mold first before Hasbro. Just speculating.

Interesting speculation, what gives you that idea?

In any case, here is the proof that he was fully an in house design. It's an interview with the designer and you see him proudly holding holding the grey scale. He was introduced in the magazine similarly to how deluxe Groove was introduced:

Madeus Prime wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:

OptimalOptimus2 wrote:TAV-21 is an okay figure. But something tells me that Hasbro designed the toy and Takara was able to release the mold first before Hasbro. Just speculating.

Hasbro paid the TT engineers to design and TT to manufacture. Correct.

Hmph, guess it shows that Takara's toy designers know how to make a simpler toy but preserve the interactive play value.

I am not sure about that Fenrir, I dont think hasbro was involved with this Optimus although the design of the animation model was done before the toy (unlike the olden days) so technically, it is a Hasbro based design. But the toy was concieved by Takara, check proof above. So it remains, that Takara designed the toy.

Also, Madeus, from what I hear, this Prime isnt simple at all. I am assuming he is no less complex than the Animated or Cybertron Leaders.

Although what I find crazy is how it is the guy who made Masterpiece Sideswipe and MP 10 who came up with the Transformation for 3 step Bumblebee and 3 step Grimlock.

william-james88 wrote:Also, Madeus, from what I hear, this Prime isnt simple at all. I am assuming he is no less complex than the Animated or Cybertron Leaders.

No, I meant compared to the crap we're getting in general from the RID and TA (the one-steps, etc.). This guy I'd snap up for $40 bucks in the states, a purchase I wouldn't normally consider for something from the RID line, of which I own only one figure, Strongarm.

Madeus Prime wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Also, Madeus, from what I hear, this Prime isnt simple at all. I am assuming he is no less complex than the Animated or Cybertron Leaders.

No, I meant compared to the crap we're getting in general from the RID and TA (the one-steps, etc.). This guy I'd snap up for $40 bucks in the states, a purchase I wouldn't normally consider for something from the RID line, of which I own only one figure, Strongarm.

Oh I see. I would recomend Drift as well (maybe the Drift and Jazz takara exclusive set with IDW Drift colours), he is as complex/simple as any other TF and has a very nifty transformation and excellent Weapon storage.