The Energon Pub

william-james88 wrote:

Rogue-Primal wrote:what about all the cool fox kids repaints of the beast wars, there's plenty of these recolors that japan never got

i'd count those as toys japan never got, at least not without imports.

Read the intro in the article when you can, you will see why the redecos were not mentioned yet.

By the way, which beast wars redecos do you like best?

The Fox Kids redecos i had in mind is Transmetal Rattrap. I thought the red looked better than his blue torso, he's also my favorite character. Fox Kids Rhinox comes in as a close second, the gray and red work quite well.

http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/FKTMRa ... attrap.htm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:(usually Canada via the UK for some reason...)

Probably because they two countries are closely related. They have the same queen after all.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:(usually Canada via the UK for some reason...)

Probably because they two countries are closely related. They have the same queen after all.

Emerje

Yup,she is still on all my dimes,nickles, quarters, loonie and twonies and even my 20$ bill (the MAIN bill). And that is one of the main reasons I hope she outlives her son. Because if ever Prince charles is King, his face will adorn all my money and I wont know which side of my quarter is the moose

Rogue-Primal wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Rogue-Primal wrote:what about all the cool fox kids repaints of the beast wars, there's plenty of these recolors that japan never got

i'd count those as toys japan never got, at least not without imports.

Read the intro in the article when you can, you will see why the redecos were not mentioned yet.

By the way, which beast wars redecos do you like best?

The Fox Kids redecos i had in mind is Transmetal Rattrap. I thought the red looked better than his blue torso, he's also my favorite character. Fox Kids Rhinox comes in as a close second, the gray and red work quite well.

Thanks for the replies, I ask because I am at odds with the list that will be coming out in 2 weeks, which is this same list but decos and characters Japan never got rather than tooling they never got. One of my main entries was Primal Prime, because that's an obviously awesome Hasbro exclusive. But it turns out he did make it to Japan so I am mising one for that. The Fox kids redecos are interesting but I wonder if there is something more obvious I am not thinking of, where Japan got the mold but not in its best deco. T-Wrecks? Prime Dead-End? TR Quake?

bacem wrote:wasn't that BM battle unicorn mold ended up got released on japan, named "magna stampede"? or was that repaint a US release too?

That repaint was a US release too.

BUT, I had not chekced if that US release was also available in Japan in any way (like a USA edition). And it is. So, that mold did get to Japan without being imported. Good thing there wasnt a solo entry for him on this list. I will go and add another awesome basic figure to the list instead.

Bumblevivisector wrote:Black Shadow seems like a case where the other shoe may just not yet have dropped west of the Pacific. Considering Big Powered's on the horizon, Takara isn't done with new releases of TR molds; maybe they're waiting for a mold appropriate for Blue Bacchus?

I felt confident posting this list now thanks to Big Powered's reveal since now that we know it is a retool of Black Shadow as opposed to Overlord, this tells me that this is how they are releasing Black Shadow's molding variation in Japan. Not saying it aint gonna happen that they release something closer to Black Shadow'smolding forever, but I cant keep postponing this list. I have had it since Combiner Wars, back when Takara was still making different releases from Hasbro.

william-james88 wrote:

Emerje wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:(usually Canada via the UK for some reason...)

Probably because they two countries are closely related. They have the same queen after all.

Emerje

Yup,she is still on all my dimes,nickles, quarters, loonie and twonies and even my 20$ bill (the MAIN bill). And that is one of the main reasons I hope she outlives her son. Because if ever Prince charles is King, his face will adorn all my money and I wont know which side of my quarter is the moose

Rogue-Primal wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Rogue-Primal wrote:what about all the cool fox kids repaints of the beast wars, there's plenty of these recolors that japan never got

i'd count those as toys japan never got, at least not without imports.

Read the intro in the article when you can, you will see why the redecos were not mentioned yet.

By the way, which beast wars redecos do you like best?

The Fox Kids redecos i had in mind is Transmetal Rattrap. I thought the red looked better than his blue torso, he's also my favorite character. Fox Kids Rhinox comes in as a close second, the gray and red work quite well.

Thanks for the replies, I ask because I am at odds with the list that will be coming out in 2 weeks, which is this same list but decos and characters Japan never got rather than tooling they never got. One of my main entries was Primal Prime, because that's an obviously awesome Hasbro exclusive. But it turns out he did make it to Japan so I am mising one for that. The Fox kids redecos are interesting but I wonder if there is something more obvious I am not thinking of, where Japan got the mold but not in its best deco. T-Wrecks? Prime Dead-End? TR Quake?

bacem wrote:wasn't that BM battle unicorn mold ended up got released on japan, named "magna stampede"? or was that repaint a US release too?

That repaint was a US release too.

BUT, I had not chekced if that US release was also available in Japan in any way (like a USA edition). And it is. So, that mold did get to Japan without being imported. Good thing there wasnt a solo entry for him on this list. I will go and add another awesome basic figure to the list instead.

Bumblevivisector wrote:Black Shadow seems like a case where the other shoe may just not yet have dropped west of the Pacific. Considering Big Powered's on the horizon, Takara isn't done with new releases of TR molds; maybe they're waiting for a mold appropriate for Blue Bacchus?

I felt confident posting this list now thanks to Big Powered's reveal since now that we know it is a retool of Black Shadow as opposed to Overlord, this tells me that this is how they are releasing Black Shadow's molding variation in Japan. Not saying it aint gonna happen that they release something closer to Black Shadow'smolding forever, but I cant keep postponing this list. I have had it since Combiner Wars, back when Takara was still making different releases from Hasbro.

You don't have to hope she out lives him, just that she has enough sense to abdicate the throne and passes it straight to William.

Carnivius_Prime wrote:That Sharkticon Megatron looks decent. I wouldn't have it as a Megatron and I'm still not really sure what I'm looking at it in it's alt-mode but the bot and especially those colours look good.

Oh man, the alt mode at least looks like something compared to the original.

Original


Transformers Prime: Robots In Disguise Megatron Gallery


Transformers Prime: Robots In Disguise Megatron Gallery


Transformers Prime: Robots In Disguise Megatron Gallery

Shakticon Retool











Also look at that unique faction symbol on the right, there was lots of effort with this release to make it as unique as possible.

Very cool list.

I can think of one other Transformer that didn't make it to Japan.

Energon Sharkticon
Very Gundam-ish like Mirage/Dreadwing Bulkhead and Landmine. Great robot mode transformers into a jetski destroyer boat submarine thing. He has a very cool gimmick and lots of cannons.

Anybody else got more non-Japan Transformers?
Did Transformers Armada have non-Japan exclusives?

noctorro wrote:Very cool list.

I can think of one other Transformer that didn't make it to Japan.

Energon Sharkticon
Very Gundam-ish like Mirage/Dreadwing Bulkhead and Landmine. Great robot mode transformers into a jetski destroyer boat submarine thing. He has a very cool gimmick and lots of cannons.

Anybody else got more non-Japan Transformers?
Did Transformers Armada have non-Japan exclusives?

Normally he would count because he didn't get a proper Superlink release, however like the aforementioned Magna Stampede, he was released as a USA Edition by e-Hobby. At the time pretty much every Hasbro-only release would be imported in that manner, until Cybertron reduced them to a handful.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

noctorro wrote:Very cool list.

I can think of one other Transformer that didn't make it to Japan.

Energon Sharkticon
Very Gundam-ish like Mirage/Dreadwing Bulkhead and Landmine. Great robot mode transformers into a jetski destroyer boat submarine thing. He has a very cool gimmick and lots of cannons.

Anybody else got more non-Japan Transformers?
Did Transformers Armada have non-Japan exclusives?

Normally he would count because he didn't get a proper Superlink release, however like the aforementioned Magna Stampede, he was released as a USA Edition by e-Hobby. At the time pretty much every Hasbro-only release would be imported in that manner, until Cybertron reduced them to a handful.

The mold did see a release in Japan as the Axalon under Transformers: United however.

william-james88 wrote:

Carnivius_Prime wrote:That Sharkticon Megatron looks decent. I wouldn't have it as a Megatron and I'm still not really sure what I'm looking at it in it's alt-mode but the bot and especially those colours look good.

Oh man, the alt mode at least looks like something compared to the original.

Original


Transformers Prime: Robots In Disguise Megatron Gallery

Retool:



Also look at that unique faction symbol on the right, there was lots of effort with this release to make it as unique as possible.

I really love this version. So much that I sold the original, keeping Sharkticon and the 1st Ed Deluxe.

Hey, Animated Megatron's real Cybertronian mode, the one from the show, was just fine. The toy incarnation on the other hand... Yeah, that's a mess that the designer pulled out their arse. It's a trainwreck that was obviously designed by someone who didn't know Animated Megatron was based on Super Megatron and thus what to use as supplemental reference for his Cybertronian altmode.

Regarding Japan not getting Bludgeon and Octopunch... That's because Japanese kids evidently didn't take to the Pretender concept and toys the way American kids did. Takara was obviously expecting them to take a shine (what with making Metalhawk from whole cloth and giving Grand a pretender suit), but it didn't pan out that way. Just look at how none of the Wave 2 or later 1988 Pretenders saw a Takara release, the Wave 1 Pretenders were relegated to second or even third banana in Masterforce, the 1989 Pretender Classics were released as standalone figures without their shells, and the Mega Pretenders were retooled into the all-robotic Crossformers. It all paints a very clear picture that Pretenders were NOT the hit in Japan that they were over here. Their appeal was minor enough that the only new Pretenders kept as Pretenders for their Victory release were the Pretender Monster molds as the Dinoforce, and that still involved havint to tool new shells that would have more perceived appeal than the Hasbro "deformed monster" shells.

Bumblevivisector wrote:And is there any TR mold, voyager or larger, that could make any sense as Blue Bacchus/Crossblades? Even after seeing Misfire's astounding retooling into Sonic Bomber, I'm still drawing a blank.

Don't forget that Crossblade's copter mode is this abortion:




So retooling Broadside would make perfect sense. The "spaceship" would be the copter, while the aircraft carrier would be the inner bot's vehicle:



Dunno if the bot could retain the "clothed" details, but he should keep his very human face. Adding the side "towers" for the head's "helmet" in green, while the headmaster would retain the colors of the inner bot original.



If such a retool is ever done, I'd preorder this so badly!

Wouldn't you rather Blue Bacchus be a Leader to fit with Black Shadow, though?

Emerje

the Sharkticon Megatron actually featured in media.

A few years ago there was a series of 3 books published that detailed the journey of the Autobots and Decepticons from Cybertron to Earth post Fall of Cybertron, in the third book (Retribution) there was a period of time that Megatron was reformatted into the design that is sharkticon megatron.

william-james88 wrote:The Fox kids redecos are interesting but I wonder if there is something more obvious I am not thinking of, where Japan got the mold but not in its best deco. T-Wrecks? Prime Dead-End? TR Quake?

I think T-Wrecks would be a fine choice. I actually like Prime Dead End more than Wheeljack. He’s so unapologetically loud and vibrant. And the light piping for his huge open mouth is so unique to that figure. And those bright green swords? That mold wears those colors very, very well.

The Fox Kids redecos mostly all look great, with the exception of Rhinox. His beast mode looks fine, but the color scheme on that bot mode has never worked for me. But Tarantulas is the real winner out of those. The silver, black, and green deco is just so slick and striking. It’s gorgeous. They could have called him Double Agent or Elite Agent Tarantulas, and it would have worked perfectly




There has to be a fair number of decos to chose from from the various movie lines, right? Something from HftD or RotF must stand out somewhere, I don’t think Takara ever put out that yellow Rampage variant. Granted I think the screen accurate red looks superior, but the yellow still looks good. There must be a Ratchet that only Hasbro manufactured.


And the more I see of that Sharkticon Megatron, the more I appreciate him. I’ve packed up more than a few Prime/RiD toys out of disappointment with how poorly they look and fit in, or just because they never showed up on screen (Seriously the disparity between flat out awesome looking, well made figures, and zero effort given, bottom of the barrel scraping toys is startling). But I don’t think I’ll ever pack Shark Megs away. He looks to awesome.

Bucky wrote:

william-james88 wrote:The Fox kids redecos are interesting but I wonder if there is something more obvious I am not thinking of, where Japan got the mold but not in its best deco. T-Wrecks? Prime Dead-End? TR Quake?

I think T-Wrecks would be a fine choice. I actually like Prime Dead End more than Wheeljack. He’s so unapologetically loud and vibrant. And the light piping for his huge open mouth is so unique to that figure. And those bright green swords? That mold wears those colors very, very well.

The Fox Kids redecos mostly all look great, with the exception of Rhinox. His beast mode looks fine, but the color scheme on that bot mode has never worked for me. But Tarantulas is the real winner out of those. The silver, black, and green deco is just so slick and striking. It’s gorgeous. They could have called him Double Agent or Elite Agent Tarantulas, and it would have worked perfectly

I completely forgot about Fox Kids Tarantulas. He's one of the best ones out the whole lot.

He really is. I’d say he’s on par with his regular color scheme.

I don’t think any of the Fox Kids ones are bad on the whole. I just don’t care for TM Rhinox’s bot mode colors. But TM Waspinator in that yellow, gold, black and clear green plastic is stellar. I might actually prefer it over his red version. TM Airazor is great, but doesn’t actually differ from her original colors much at all. I like that having her pontoon/turrets brown actually makes them look more like guns, in her redeco. It might be the most tame of the Fox Kids decos.

That FKTM Tarantulas is the only Tarantulas I've ever had in my collection. Sometime's I forget he's not the OG.
Also FKTM Rat Trap is the only BW Era Rat Trap I have. (Not counting T30)

Nice to know i have a few pieces that sets my hoard apart. Now to have a Japanese collector over to brag to.

Well I guess that cements it, thanks guys! Now as for this particular list, are there any hasbro exclusive molds you feel particuarly glad you didnt have to import as you would a takara exclusive mold? I am pretty surprised that RID Soundwave and Blurr have turned out as Hasbro exclusives, they are fun molds.

Well, I don't think RiD Bruticus ever got a Takara release, so there's that.

Hmm... Does G1 Jetfire count? Japan did get that mold from its original source, true, but they never got a Transformers release and most likely never will. The same goes for the other Takatoku-originating molds (Roadbuster, Whirl, the Deluxe Insecticons) except for Venom, whose Takatoku Beetras version never saw release. Granted, the Deluxe Insecticons are not exactly among the greats when it comes to their molds.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Well, I don't think RiD Bruticus ever got a Takara release, so there's that.

Hmm... Does G1 Jetfire count? Japan did get that mold from its original source, true, but they never got a Transformers release and most likely never will. The same goes for the other Takatoku-originating molds (Roadbuster, Whirl, the Deluxe Insecticons) except for Venom, whose Takatoku Beetras version never saw release. Granted, the Deluxe Insecticons are not exactly among the greats when it comes to their molds.

HOLY ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why did I not think of that. Sure, the Japanese got the toy so its not a new mold for this particular list, but this is perfect for the other list in two weeks. Might even dethrone who I had for number 1.

Also,fyi, RID Bruticus was released in Japan as a USA edition. It's release was actually pretty cool as it was part of the toycard initiative. You can read more about that here: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Toy%27s_Dream_Project

Its the same way that Energon Sharkticon (in its hasbro colours) was released in Japan.

Thanks for the clarification on Bruticus.

I think Sky Lynx deserves an honorable mention since Toybox's Tomy-developed "Shuttle Dinosaur" mold went unreleased until it was licensed by Hasbro, so Japan didn't get the mold until the Encore release

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Thanks for the clarification on Bruticus.

I think Sky Lynx deserves an honorable mention since Toybox's Tomy-developed "Shuttle Dinosaur" mold went unreleased until it was licensed by Hasbro, so Japan didn't get the mold until the Encore release

I will leave those be since its not just sky lynx ut Omega Supreme as well. So its not an exeption anymore.

Didn't have a chance to read all of the answers ... but I wanted to suggest the Decepticon Micromasters, something Takara sadly neglected.

They also didn't get the 1993 and 1994 G2 figures like the large G2 tank Megatron, the G2 Constructicons, Aerialbots, the Seekers, Autobots Cars, etc. They also didn't get most of the G2 Gobots (they only got Soundwave, Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Hm. And now I realized this was for molds and retools. Takara also never got Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx until their Encore versions about 10 years ago.

They didn't get any Action Masters (except for Optimus Prime as part of the New Year Convoy set).