Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found
here.
Top 5 Transformer Toys that will shed the most tearsIs there any worse feeling for a collector or child then a piece giving way and it remaining in your hand while you pull away the toy? Or hearing that
snap sound? Transformers have so many pieces, unlike other action figures, that some are bound to fall off or break off and it can sometimes break a child's heart, or an adult's heart too. I hope once you have read this list (which is both personal and general) that you can share yours as well!
5. Transformers Reveal The Shield Wreck-Gar
This is one of the best robot modes around and a really smart cool motorcycle transformer. Except there is one slight issue: he will break if you play with him too much! And it sucks too, it's one of the motorbike's handlebars, which then makes the sweet bike mold look totally uneven. And the added play value of having another Junkion ride the motorcycle kind of becomes moot since his bike is now inoperable. The sad fact about this breakage is that it will happen regardless of if you use it properly, just normal wear and tear will do the trick (though not transforming properly will make it happen sooner). You can't glue it back on because it is part of an automorph gimmick which also gets crushed when the handlebar breaks. So while he can still transform, your handlebar will never get back there and cant be fixed. In this day and age where breakage is supposed to be solved, this is kind of abhorrent. It happened to mine:
4. MP 09 Masterpiece Rodimus Prime and Transformers Masterpiece Starscream (especially Ghost Version MP-3G) Why do the most fragile toys have to also be the most expensive ones? The initial Masterpiece Starscream mold is very fiddly and there are a lot of things that can happen to even make the manliest of men shed a tear. The transformation is tricky, involving careful thought and understanding of where parts are going to end up and how they need to get there. Although, I found the construction to be sturdy, it has plenty of points where excess force will cause it to break, if mishandled. And then Takara decided to make one version which was all clear plastic, genius! While clear plastic can be sturdy too, it wont bend. So if you turn something the wrong way, it wont start bending and resisting, letting you know you are doing something wrong, it will just snap. I broke the ghost version's arm while I transformed it the 4th time and the thin pointed ends of his tail fin fell off too after rubbing off something (it was like they were there one moment and gone the next). I am not the only one to have had problems with this mold, you can search online for a bunch of reports about broken Starscreams (or any seeker sporting the MP 03 mold). A common one is the
wing connector pieces which appear to weaken the more it is transformed, which is something you never want to hear.
Another Masterpiece with similar negative points is MP 09 Rodimus, which is also very very delicate. The way it is built, it is inevitable that every single copy will eventually break if posed in robot mode on a shelf. There have been interesting reports of people just one day hearing a
clunk coming from their shelves to see that some piece of their Rodimus had succumbed to gravity. A number of joints can break on this toy, here is an example from fellow Seibertronian Itscramtastic:
And there is this gut wrenching testimony I found online from a user called Robotmonkeys:
Worst purchase was Hasbro Masterpiece Rodimus. I bought it aftermarket at double the price in the summer of 2014. He was my first Mp since Mp 1. I had him for nearly a week when I decided to take him out of the box.
As I carefully removed him, his left arm stayed behind in the blister pack.
My heart sank! After trying all kinds of fixes, I finally got a replacement shoulder. To this day, his arm is limp and not fully assembled due to not being able to successfully push the pin all the way through.
Both these cases are very sad and while I doubt any child would experience this since these toys are collector oriented, big boys and girls can cry. And an expensive collectible breaking may be just that threshold.
3. Transformers Generation 2 Electro (Effectro)Here is the first case of Gold Plastic Syndrome (GPS) I will address. To get a certain gold pigment or shiny effect in the plastic, different plastics are mixed together and the combinations break down more quickly making the toy crumble before your eyes. While this has happened to differently coloured toys, toys all made of gold plastic in the G2 era (early 90s of Transformer toys) famously suffered from this. G2 Electro is one of the best examples to the point where if you were to buy him mint today, he would probably break when you start handling him or transforming him. Take a good look at the photo below because that it the best way to see an unbroken G2 Electro these days.
2. Transformers Beast Wars Transmetal MegatronThis toy broke apart in my very hands. It was a sad and pathetic sight. I was unaware that he was prone to breakage and thought it was just my clumsy self. So I set to repair him with krazy glue. But as I would glue together one piece another piece would fall off. I tried some more but eventually gave up when I had his chest in my hands and his feet, and separate arms on the floor. Turns out I am not the only one this happened to, not by a long shot. I feel bad for all the kids who had their Megatron fall to pieces as they played with him in the 90s. Just look for Broken Megatron on e-bay and you will see plenty.
1. Transformers Generation 2 Slingshot (Sling)This here is the second case of GPS I want to bring to our attention with this list. What makes this case extra sad is that he completes a combiner so without him, you don't get a nice G2 Superion. I will let Seibertron, the site owner himself, share a word regarding this toy and his gallery:
Seibertron wrote:Slingshot is everyone's favorite gold-plastic Transformer. The figure is a ticking time bomb before it literally crumbles in your hand. I somehow managed to take an entire photogallery of him with only one non-essential piece cracking. Fortunately, his arms, legs, wings and head stayed intact for the purpose of this gallery. I carefully wrapped him in bubble wrap after this and placed him in a small Ziploc tub intended for food in the fridge. Hopefully that'll keep him in decent shape until needed again but I wouldn't bet any Energon on it!
Transformers Generation 2 Slingshot (Sling) GalleryHonourable mentions: There are a ton of more toys that are prone to breakage, like the roofs on some G1 cars and Mirage breaking in half, that this list could go on and on and on. So instead of writing more, I would love it if we could turn the entire discussion into the Honourable Mentions section and share which toys of yours broke and which times it hurt the most in your childhood or adult lives. When your toy breaks, no matter if it's a known issue, it will hurt just as bad, so this list is more of a starting point for a discussion.
Pictures are more than welcome (of the broken toy, not of you crying).
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Shaun
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