The Energon Pub

[fenrir72]

that groove is one heck of a retool.

Retool of what ?

United Wreck-gar?

Did some computations. If we buy them from amiami......saves me Y400 off compared to the Hasbro domestic releases. But of course, not factoring in the shipping........makes the set cost roughly equal the Hasbro versions.

[LE0KING]

Replace the windscreen and wheel with a nosecone and put wings on it and you're looking at quickslinger. The core robot design is the same. It may just be the cw aesthetic, but they share a lot of aspects.

[Autobot032]

Replace the windscreen and wheel with a nosecone and put wings on it and you're looking at quickslinger. The core robot design is the same. It may just be the cw aesthetic, but they share a lot of aspects.

Whoa...you're right. I missed that! That's quite impressive, actually. What's not impressive? How those hands just dangle off the sides. UGH.

[fenrir72]

Replace the windscreen and wheel with a nosecone and put wings on it and you're looking at quickslinger. The core robot design is the same. It may just be the cw aesthetic, but they share a lot of aspects.

You're squinting and doing a Spongebob right?

[SW's SilverHammer]

If it shares any molding, or tooling with any figure, it's Alpha Bravo because of the hand/foot/gun.

[Wolfman Jake]

No real surprises seeing Deluxe Groove in color at last. Of course Takara was gonna nail the paint job. This is quite a nice hors d'oeuvres for the Tokyo Toy Show, the color prototypes of the next series of fembots from Takara's Legends line along with the latest TAV reveals are a savory starter, but I'm still saving room for the main course. Come on, Takara, show us your hulking green and purple masterpiece!

[Flashwave]

I liked Legends Groove. gave up and ordered me one since the rest of Defensor is sitting to my ruight. I hope his chest mode pegs in better than Blackjack did, but even if it doesn't, It'll be nice to have him complete. And, Relative scale is a thing for me (big alts big, small alts small), but that bike looks AWESOME in color.

Replace the windscreen and wheel with a nosecone and put wings on it and you're looking at quickslinger. The core robot design is the same. It may just be the cw aesthetic, but they share a lot of aspects.

Whoa...you're right. I missed that! That's quite impressive, actually. What's not impressive? How those hands just dangle off the sides. UGH.

I think what your seeing is the shared design of the CW series, the same way Offroad/Ironhide/First Aid share the same bodies (well, legs) as most of the Airialbots, but are NOT retools of such.

[fenrir72]

Replace the windscreen and wheel with a nosecone and put wings on it and you're looking at quickslinger. The core robot design is the same. It may just be the cw aesthetic, but they share a lot of aspects.

Whoa...you're right. I missed that! That's quite impressive, actually. What's not impressive? How those hands just dangle off the sides. UGH.

I think what your seeing is the shared design of the CW series, the same way Offroad/Ironhide/First Aid share the same bodies as most of the Airialbots, but are NOT retools of such.

Yup. Same way the Scramble City components shared the basic designs.

[Va'al]

Adding to the recent full colour images of Takara Tomy Unite Warriors UW-03 Defensor, from the Tokyo Toy Show 2015, we have an update from TakaraTomyMall showing the official stock photography for both the Protectobot gestalt and the deluxe Groove figure - plus the other four Protectobots: Hot Spot, Streetwise, Blades and First Aid in their Takara deco! Check out the images mirrored below.

[Autobot N]

I hope to high heaven that the Groove mold will be released in the US, at least as Afterburner.

[BlueBefore]

Groove's head sculpt is pretty ugly.

[prjkt]

Groove- Big Win
Blades - Very G1, I like
Streetwise - Kinda bland compared to the Hasbro version
First Aid - same deal as Streetwise
Hotspot - Not a great deal of difference - the white box at the end of the ladder is kinda cool, but the extra blue on Defensor's chest... I'm not quite sure I like this.

So for me this a Takara 2/Hasbro 3 type deal. Only just.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

*drools* Got my Christmas wishlist sorted now (including Rook). All in all:

Superion: Hasbro
Menasor: Hasbro
Defensor: Takara

Any chance we'll see a Guard City?

[Thormind]

Huumm decision decision. To buy hasbro now with TRU discount or to wait for Takara quality but a 1 1/2 the price...

[Optimizzy]

wow. I don't really care about Groove, but that mold is awesome, and so much potential.

[Randomhero]

Kept looking at defensor and saying "why is everyone painted but Streetwise? Why are they using a prototype for promo shots?" Then i noticed it is painted. Robot looked great, limb mode looks so disingenuous

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Is it bad to say I do not like this? The chest area has the extra paint yes, but it doesn't look good. Streetwise and First Aid don't look near as good as the Hasbro versions, Groove kinda looks funky here, funkier than his legends version, but Blades is alright, but not outstanding compared to Hasbro in my opinion, and Hot Spot really doesn't look different. I like the legends class Groove and deluxe Rook, so I think the Hasbro version is better for quality. This looks, in some cases little different and in others different but not exactly better.

[Tigertrack]

I'm very much into this and the hopeful repaints into g2 and Guard City versions... Please.

The grey/off white Streetwise is pretty G1 accurate. I like it, even though I am a minority on that. The painted rims on the wheels look good on all of them, the more white First Aid, Blades is good, Groove is great.

I do agree the blue chest looks less good than Hasbro's for Defensor, but for me I think it's minor enough.

[Alpha Dominus]

For my money I'd say Hasbro's versions f'sho. Although, I really love that Groove. Not sure if it's cuz the Hasbro version is so awkward or what. That alt mode is pretty snazzy though.

[Wolfman Jake]

Yep, these are lovingly G1 screen accurate. I'm not sure how anyone could be surprised or disappointed at this point. We all know what to expect from Takara.

[Sabrblade]

So much adherence to show-accuracy on molds sculpted to be anything but show-accurate (barring Groove, that is).

[Randomhero]

Yep, these are lovingly G1 screen accurate. I'm not sure how anyone could be surprised or disappointed at this point. We all know what to expect from Takara.

Shiny over blown chrome paint jobs, pushing G1 cartoon accuracy even when it doesn't work and price points that are double the price of hasbro's? Pretty much

[shajaki]

Stunning. I was worried that Groove would look a little out of place, but it looks fantastic.

Everything is perfect, though I'm surprised that both Hasbro and Takara went with a blue head on Hotspot.

[Randomhero]

Stunning. I was worried that Groove would look a little out of place, but it looks fantastic.

Everything is perfect, though I'm surprised that both Hasbro and Takara went with a blue head on Hotspot.

Because he had a blue head in the cartoon. Why do people asking that? Hotspots head is sculpted like the cartoon hence why it's blue. His head looks nothing like the toy head

[Tigertrack]

Stunning. I was worried that Groove would look a little out of place, but it looks fantastic.

Everything is perfect, though I'm surprised that both Hasbro and Takara went with a blue head on Hotspot.

Agree. I was kind of hoping for a blackhead too. (Sounds funny)

Maybe on one of the subsequent repaints that don't have show accuracy to rely on? Gotta check up on the colors on the other, later versions.