The Energon Pub

News Credits: 86 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:33 am

So the major differences seem to be:

Motormaster - dark gray / black instead of gray, silver / white arms.

Dragstrip - mostly yellow with cartoon accurate head deco and some G1 car specific detailing

Breakdown - mostly identical. Removes weird text on window, may have some other cartoon accurate details like yellow eyes and blue hands that we can't see.

Dead End - Brown instead of maroon. No yellow stripe in car mode. Silver chest instead of maroon. No gray sides in car mode.

Wildrider - less red. For example arms are gray with red detailing, legs are gray instead of red. Silver chest carries over to both sides of the panel.

Menasor - his torso is mostly black with some additional purple detailing. Changes from other components carry over.

Randy

News Credits: 462 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:34 am

Deathsanras wrote:You'd have to either be hard-core into just the extremely specific IDW version of G1,

I don't understand what the confusion over being a hardcore IDW G1 fan is. Lots of people love IDW G1 over Marvel G1 or Sunbow G1. Lots of other people even love Marvel G1 over Sunbow G1. It's no different from back when people preferred the Armada and Energon Dreamwave comics over their respective cartoon counterparts, or even when people prefer any one series (G1-based or otherwise) over all others in general. Beast Wars, Animated, the movies, Prime, Rescue Bots, the new RID series... all have become top fan favorites over the years. It's not like the Sunbow G1 cartoon is some grand king that everyone automatically defaults to as the #1 series.

News Credits: 2 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:38 am

I like how Wildrider has a lot less red on him than with Break-neck which was my only complaint with him. Motormaster looks quite good having a black Cab instead of the CW's grey. Deadend's red seems a bit to dark for me but that may be accurate so I don't know and Breakdown looks the same as his CW version. I don't know about Dragstrip I like his silver cockpit but the extra black on the sides kind of ruins him for me. Hopefully when there are clearer pictures of Menasor I can give my final judgement on Pre-ordering him or not but right now the set looks pretty good. Definitely considering the pre-order.

News Credits: 4878 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:06 am

Autobot032 wrote:

I a not so gun ho to get this one over the hasbro one as I was with Superion. The hands are the same colors this time and I dont find the motormaster toy to be as influenced on G1 as the Silverbolt toy was, both the individual alt mode and the torso mode. I am surprised with the approach Takara took on the torso colors since that purple is neither found on the toy or the cartoon model. I would have found it quite cooler if they actually made those chest details red and grey like the G1 toy.

News Credits: 4878 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:09 am

Crosscheck wrote:
Deathsanras wrote:The obvious question seems to be - why would anyone buy Alpha Bravo or Offroad any more? You'd have to either be hard-core into just the extremely specific IDW version of G1, or very specifically against redecos within a team (but completely fine with redecos between teams). Taking their toys entirely on their own they stand out as being somewhat mismatched among their teams.

Because new mold beats recolor any day of the week. Especially when said new molds are great figures. Not everyone is a slave to the original. Also, the IDW fiction is quite good, so having figures based off that is good.

But in this case, hey arent new molds. It's the Blades and First Aid mode being released first.

News Credits: 241 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 9:36 am

william-james88 wrote:
Crosscheck wrote:
Deathsanras wrote:The obvious question seems to be - why would anyone buy Alpha Bravo or Offroad any more? You'd have to either be hard-core into just the extremely specific IDW version of G1, or very specifically against redecos within a team (but completely fine with redecos between teams). Taking their toys entirely on their own they stand out as being somewhat mismatched among their teams.

Because new mold beats recolor any day of the week. Especially when said new molds are great figures. Not everyone is a slave to the original. Also, the IDW fiction is quite good, so having figures based off that is good.

But in this case, hey arent new molds. It's the Blades and First Aid mode being released first.

To be exact, the molds were made with those characters in mind, and others were made on the go. It's safe to assume each mold has two vehicle shells, and 3 heads at the most, judging from Offroad (planned as "Ruckus"), First Aid and the Ironhide sketch.

Rook's status as such remains to be seen, but I have a feeling we won't find out until next year. Any idea on who he could be retooled into?

News Credits: 293 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 10:07 am

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Rook's status as such remains to be seen, but I have a feeling we won't find out until next year. Any idea on who he could be retooled into?

Put a drill on the front bumper and call him Nosecone?

News Credits: 241 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 10:13 am

shajaki wrote:
JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Rook's status as such remains to be seen, but I have a feeling we won't find out until next year. Any idea on who he could be retooled into?
Put a drill on the front bumper and call him Nosecone?

Give him tank treads while you're at it. :lol:

News Credits: 2 · Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:12 pm

william-james88 wrote:
Crosscheck wrote:
Deathsanras wrote:The obvious question seems to be - why would anyone buy Alpha Bravo or Offroad any more? You'd have to either be hard-core into just the extremely specific IDW version of G1, or very specifically against redecos within a team (but completely fine with redecos between teams). Taking their toys entirely on their own they stand out as being somewhat mismatched among their teams.

Because new mold beats recolor any day of the week. Especially when said new molds are great figures. Not everyone is a slave to the original. Also, the IDW fiction is quite good, so having figures based off that is good.

But in this case, hey arent new molds. It's the Blades and First Aid mode being released first.

Blades and Alpha Bravo are essentially the same (which is why I think Blades should have new arms that turn into helicopter landing struts), but Offroad and First Aid only share the core figure. The vehicle shell is completely different (except maybe the arms). So getting Offroad doesn't feel like you are getting the same figure as First Aid. But the only difference between Slingshot and Fireflight is color and head, same with Deadend and Wildrider. And that just doesn't do it for me anymore. Especially since they are attached to the same combiner. I can also forgive AB and Offroad sharing a mold because it is on a different figure. Also why I don't care that Streetwise and Deadend share a core figure, it is on a different combiner.

Sat Apr 04, 2015 1:32 pm

I just hope there will be more Fans Project (purple and black) hands and feet to pre-order later down the line. I got the black ones pre-ordered for Superion, but didn't have the scratch to get the purple ones,m at the time, for Menasor.

News Credits: 293 · Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:01 pm

I think the "faux" wheels on Dragstrip are really odd. Not liking the idea...

News Credits: 2 · Sat Apr 04, 2015 5:30 pm

shajaki wrote:I think the "faux" wheels on Dragstrip are really odd. Not liking the idea...

You're not the only one. It looks really weird and unnecessary.

Sat Apr 04, 2015 6:46 pm

Deathsanras wrote:The obvious question seems to be - why would anyone buy Alpha Bravo or Offroad any more? You'd have to either be hard-core into just the extremely specific IDW version of G1, or very specifically against redecos within a team (but completely fine with redecos between teams). Taking their toys entirely on their own they stand out as being somewhat mismatched among their teams.

I bought Offroad because the only way I could get the wave 2 limbs was in a set of all four, and because I just don't care that much about Wildrider the way I do Slingshot (but I'll still totally get "brake neck" if I can). I bought AB because Slingshot was still a rumor at the time and I needed to have something for Superion to use as an arm in the meantime. I figure he'll eventually wind up with Ultra Prime once I get "quickslinger" (hopefully, oh I'll want to kill myself if I don't wind up getting that)

I'm not hardcore IDW, frankly from what I hear about them, they sound like I'd loathe them if I was still buying comics. I haven't even bothered to read the comics packed in with any of the Gen deluxes I have.

News Credits: 4878 · Sat Apr 04, 2015 9:25 pm

munkimus prime wrote:
shajaki wrote:I think the "faux" wheels on Dragstrip are really odd. Not liking the idea...

You're not the only one. It looks really weird and unnecessary.

Agreed, the menasor mold itself is more classics G1 redux than straight up G1 like Superion, so adding these extra details feel less warranted and a bit more odd in the end.

News Credits: 372 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 10:51 am

Better pix:

From: http://takaratomymall.jp/shop/g/g4904810831723/

News Credits: 241 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:07 am

Huh, I just checked out the listings and the release dates are... interesting:

UW01 Superion: June 27th
UW02 Menasor: August 22nd

Two months apart. Think they'll unveil plans for next year at BotCon (Come on, Computron and Deluxe Groove!)

News Credits: 4878 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:12 am

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Huh, I just checked out the listings and the release dates are... interesting:

UW01 Superion: June 27th
UW02 Menasor: August 22nd

Two months apart. Think they'll unveil plans for next year at BotCon (Come on, Computron and Deluxe Groove!)

Are you still talking about the United Warriors line in that last sentence?

I am just increasingly curious about UW Defensor.

News Credits: 241 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:20 am

william-james88 wrote:
JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Huh, I just checked out the listings and the release dates are... interesting:

UW01 Superion: June 27th
UW02 Menasor: August 22nd

Two months apart. Think they'll unveil plans for next year at BotCon (Come on, Computron and Deluxe Groove!)

Are you still talking about the United Warriors line in that last sentence?

I am just increasingly curious about UW Defensor.

Talking Hasbro, but it relates to a certain motorcycle for UW Groove.

News Credits: 3647 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:53 am

I'm still hoping for a deluxe Groove as well from Takara

Thu Apr 09, 2015 12:05 pm

Other than the unnecessary black on Dragstrip, I much prefer these over the Hasbro versions.

News Credits: 1082 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:30 pm

Robogeek1973 wrote:Other than the unnecessary black on Dragstrip, I much prefer these over the Hasbro versions.

Maybe seeing Dragstrip's head coloring being much more g1 like, at least that's how I see it, will help you feel better about this Dragstrip.

I like the Motormaste colors. Totally pulls at my g1 cartoon memories.

News Credits: 293 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:00 pm

Damn that Dragstrip nonsense throws me off. You can't just pretend that upper arm is actually a leg (well... I can't anyways). Other than that though... really nice.

News Credits: 462 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:48 pm

shajaki wrote:Damn that Dragstrip nonsense throws me off. You can't just pretend that upper arm is actually a leg (well... I can't anyways). Other than that though... really nice.

On the other hand, since his shoulders were where his wheels are positioned in robot mode in the G1 cartoon, Takara's black shoulders do work to simulate that shoulder wheel placement.

News Credits: 241 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:56 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
shajaki wrote:Damn that Dragstrip nonsense throws me off. You can't just pretend that upper arm is actually a leg (well... I can't anyways). Other than that though... really nice.
On the other hand, since his shoulders were where his wheels are positioned in robot mode in the G1 cartoon, Takara's black shoulders do work to simulate that shoulder wheel placement.

Japan, just accept Drag Stripe has 4 wheels now... #-o

News Credits: 293 · Thu Apr 09, 2015 4:08 pm

Sabrblade wrote:
shajaki wrote:Damn that Dragstrip nonsense throws me off. You can't just pretend that upper arm is actually a leg (well... I can't anyways). Other than that though... really nice.
On the other hand, since his shoulders were where his wheels are positioned in robot mode in the G1 cartoon, Takara's black shoulders do work to simulate that shoulder wheel placement.

Not for me they don't [-(