The Energon Pub

Dead Metal wrote:I think we can now put the whole claim of wanting to finish the 84 an 85 guys up before moving on as no-longer the case. After all, the original excuse for this coming out now was that it's just a repaint of MP10 with armor.

This^

Dead Metal wrote:I think we can now put the whole claim of wanting to finish the 84 an 85 guys up before moving on as no-longer the case. After all, the original excuse for this coming out now was that it's just a repaint of MP10 with armor.

That may have been the original plan but it evolved when they got wind of Citizen Stack and set out to totally out do it, which going by the pics, they have done. This is definitely a case of showing them how it's done.

megatronus wrote:

mooncake623 wrote:Anime-export has this for $121. But you have to pay upfront. which I did. =D


http://www.anime-export.com/product/19423

What was the total with shipping?

Also, HLJ patrons: what do you think shipping at HLJ will be on Magnus, based on prior experience?

Not sure, they charge you shipping when it comes in stock, same with HLJ. Depends on weight but I find shipping out of Japan is usually cheaper than shipping out of China and HK. I believe I was charged 20 bucks for shipping MP Ratbat with soundblaster from HLJ

Dead Metal wrote:I think we can now put the whole claim of wanting to finish the 84 an 85 guys up before moving on as no-longer the case. After all, the original excuse for this coming out now was that it's just a repaint of MP10 with armor.

I was thinking the same thing. I am sure that more Autobot cars will be done, but it's no longer set in stone that they must be done before any other character later in the series.

The cab is a new mold. The panel lines dobt matxh with MP-10

Trikeboy wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:I think we can now put the whole claim of wanting to finish the 84 an 85 guys up before moving on as no-longer the case. After all, the original excuse for this coming out now was that it's just a repaint of MP10 with armor.

That may have been the original plan but it evolved when they got wind of Citizen Stack and set out to totally out do it, which going by the pics, they have done. This is definitely a case of showing them how it's done.

Personally, I'd rather TT put out good product, not Grandstand against competition. (Of course I understand the business side of that...)
However, to be fair Stack was never a thought for me. Everything was pointing to an MP Magnus being built around MP 10. Stack had no chance for me, because I love the play ability and options of the original toy (just to add; I don't like what Dreamwave started. For me, Ultra Magnus was always the big blue and red dude, the character born when combining cab and trailer. I guess I saw the cab robot as more of a drone, like Magnus had the added ability to seperate into components for various reasons. It didn't detract from Magnus to me, it added something cool)
However, after the reveal of this...I did give Stack a look, because now I had options. When the products were different things there was no competition for me-now I thought 'right, let's see who is doing it best'. I'll be honest, from what we have seen so far, Stack seems to have a lot of pluses over this. I like how Stack solved the shoulder articulation issue for one. I also like that whilst Stack has the cab at the back, it does add form, as opposed to Takara's which pretty much flat packs the cab like a cardboard box and hangs it down to his backside like a cape, because hell, where else do we put it?

Stak is simpler in approach, yes. But something about a lot of the moving parts on this guy don't make him better, they just look more pretentious and complex.
Don't get me wrong, ultimately I wouldn't buy Stack. He doesn't look like G1 Magnus enough. I have stuck with Takara's MP's because they give me what I look for-the guys from the cartoon I grew up with. Takara have done that. I also love the attention to little details, and the matrix chamber is awesome. But if Stack wasn't designed by a third party, who is to say he couldn't look just as cartoon accurate? What I mean is, Stack's approach could easily have the cartoon aesthetic. It's design is not the cause of the lack of cartoon accuracy, they simply had to (or chose to) avoid cartoon
accuracy. Stack is weirdly tall and thin, I'll give you that. He looks...stretched...

I know I'm speculating based on early prototypes and lack of different angles and information. I want to be wrong here, but this is my honest thought at this point. I will buy MP-22 regardless, it's still awesome (And better than Stack) it isn't what I wanted, it isn't what seemed to be originally hinted by Mr. Hasui, who all the way back from MP-10's release couldn't help but point out how he had designed Convoy with Magnus in mind (possibly mis-interpreted or translated, but he did say it a few times I think, so I believe it).

If Takara want to present Magnus faithful to the 'impression' the cartoon gave, then fine. Either choice would make sense to somebody. I just can't help but think they have gone the long and weirdly complex way about it, which from here makes him look thin and ready to fly like super man. (again, hopefully I'm wrong and this thing kicks my balls into orbit)

I realise it's time for me to start dodging bullets now, but this is the first MP I have ever spoken of negatively (and hastily at that)...first time for everything right? Right?

Trikeboy wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:I think we can now put the whole claim of wanting to finish the 84 an 85 guys up before moving on as no-longer the case. After all, the original excuse for this coming out now was that it's just a repaint of MP10 with armor.

That may have been the original plan but it evolved when they got wind of Citizen Stack and set out to totally out do it, which going by the pics, they have done. This is definitely a case of showing them how it's done.

I doubt this release has anything to do with KFC personally. Hasbro put out two versions of MP-10 now, Takara moves on to Ultra Magnus. Makes sense to me.

Va'al wrote:

Burn wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:Okay, where's the discussion for Grimlock?

Unfortunately it's locked up in this topic.

I'm getting everything to link to this thread instead, moved out all the posts pertaining to Grimlock and the clear Targetmasters.

Cool, thanks!

Doctor McGrath wrote:

Trikeboy wrote:

Dead Metal wrote:I think we can now put the whole claim of wanting to finish the 84 an 85 guys up before moving on as no-longer the case. After all, the original excuse for this coming out now was that it's just a repaint of MP10 with armor.

That may have been the original plan but it evolved when they got wind of Citizen Stack and set out to totally out do it, which going by the pics, they have done. This is definitely a case of showing them how it's done.

I doubt this release has anything to do with KFC personally. Hasbro put out two versions of MP-10 now, Takara moves on to Ultra Magnus. Makes sense to me.

It also wouldn't make any sense if this was done in response to KFC, just not enough time.
It takes over a year to get a toy from concept drawing to finished product. KFC announced theirs a few months ago when everything had already been finalized, they started production right after the poll for its size were done.
At the time of that poll Takara was already working on Ultra Magnus. It's more a coincidence really.
I believe that the original plan was that he was a repaint of MP10 with armor, but was changed during the concept stages. After all, there is the matter of MP10 having apparently been designed with UM armor in mind, and there was the mock up using the G1 trailer.

Besides if KFC was such a big competition to Takara that they feel the need to change their product accordingly, then why aren't they putting pout everything KFC is doing, like the cassettes?

From how I see it, I'd imagine that the project for MP-22 originally did begin with it being an armored MP-10 (after all, we did see Hasui Tweet a photo that hinted at MP Magnus being exactly that), but a change in plans might have occurred along the way for reasons we don't know, which resulted in them going the extra mile of creating an almost fully new mold figure that takes show-accuracy up to the eleven by having it transform straight from Vehicle to Super Robot while omitting the non-show Standard Robot.

What, exactly, the reasons for the change were I can't say. Maybe they figured doing an armored MP-10 was too difficult a task for them to do when trying to maintain their standards of show-accuracy. Maybe the end result of armoring up MP-10 just wasn't up to snuff with their creative visions for this figure. Maybe the figured that it would be easier or simply more beneficial for them to forgo trying to work the Standard Robot of the MP-10 mold into the Super Robot armor, and instead just remove it in favor of easing the transformation from Vehicle to Super Robot.

Whatever the reason, they also probably figured that, despite creating a nearly all new mold for this figure, since they were already this far into the project, they might as well stick to their commitments and finish it, even if it isn't a 1984 character. But, it still does borrow some elements from MP-10, so like Alert, Tigertrack, G2 Lambor, Soundblaster, and Smokescreen, they were able to do this figure partly because of MP-10's existence, and MP-10 is a 1984 character mold.

I'd really like them to continue with the year one cast, but am happy to see Ultra Magnus. If they happen to also make a certain Decepticon to hold onto the top of his cab as he turtles down an overpass, all the better.

You know what would really make this a "masterpiece" to me? Is if it came with a slide down or fold down visor similar to Generations Metroplex so that you can do the visor eye look for Magnus. For some reason I always picture Magnus with the visor and not with regular eyes. And now that I refreshed myself via Google images, I see why ... he's got the visor in the cartoon and the G1 toy has the eyes.

Seibertron wrote:You know what would really make this a "masterpiece" to me? Is if it came with a slide down or fold down visor similar to Generations Metroplex so that you can do the visor eye look for Magnus. For some reason I always picture Magnus with the visor and not with regular eyes. And now that I refreshed myself via Google images, I see why ... he's got the visor in the cartoon and the G1 toy has the eyes.

What? No he didn't. He had eyes in the cartoon. They were just really big. It's not a visor if the nose fully divides it:








Same in Japan:

That is one seriously hefty lookin UM! He's enormous.....in a girthy sorta way. Just big blocky chunks of plastic that remarkably enough look ergonomic and not brickish. Well done. Looking forward to some color pics.

Speaking of hefty, I'm sure the price tag will be much the same.

Sabrblade wrote:From how I see it, I'd imagine that the project for MP-22 originally did begin with it being an armored MP-10 (after all, we did see Hasui Tweet a photo that hinted at MP Magnus being exactly that), but a change in plans might have occurred along the way for reasons we don't know, which resulted in them going the extra mile of creating an almost fully new mold figure that takes show-accuracy up to the eleven by having it transform straight from Vehicle to Super Robot while omitting the non-show Standard Robot.

What, exactly, the reasons for the change were I can't say. Maybe they figured doing an armored MP-10 was too difficult a task for them to do when trying to maintain their standards of show-accuracy. Maybe the end result of armoring up MP-10 just wasn't up to snuff with their creative visions for this figure. Maybe the figured that it would be easier or simply more beneficial for them to forgo trying to work the Standard Robot of the MP-10 mold into the Super Robot armor, and instead just remove it in favor of easing the transformation from Vehicle to Super Robot.

Whatever the reason, they also probably figured that, despite creating a nearly all new mold for this figure, since they were already this far into the project, they might as well stick to their commitments and finish it, even if it isn't a 1984 character. But, it still does borrow some elements from MP-10, so like Alert, Tigertrack, G2 Lambor, Soundblaster, and Smokescreen, they were able to do this figure partly because of MP-10's existence, and MP-10 is a 1984 character mold.

I agree with you both. I don't think there is any way to keep show accuracy by putting armor onto MP-10. The figure would just end up being too big. I'm happy with the decisions made and the way it turned out.

Seibertron wrote:You know what would really make this a "masterpiece" to me? Is if it came with a slide down or fold down visor similar to Generations Metroplex so that you can do the visor eye look for Magnus. For some reason I always picture Magnus with the visor and not with regular eyes. And now that I refreshed myself via Google images, I see why ... he's got the visor in the cartoon and the G1 toy has the eyes.

Amazon Japan exclusive visor? Doctor Wu maybe?

sorry... but i couldnt help myself...

I sincerely cannot recall having ever seen G1 Ultra Magnus with a visor.

Sabrblade wrote:I sincerely cannot recall having ever seen G1 Ultra Magnus with a visor.

Me neither, he's always had eyes, really big eyes at times, but never an actual wisor, you could say he had shades though.

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:You know what would really make this a "masterpiece" to me? Is if it came with a slide down or fold down visor similar to Generations Metroplex so that you can do the visor eye look for Magnus. For some reason I always picture Magnus with the visor and not with regular eyes. And now that I refreshed myself via Google images, I see why ... he's got the visor in the cartoon and the G1 toy has the eyes.

What? No he didn't. He had eyes in the cartoon. They were just really big. It's not a visor if the nose fully divides it:








Same in Japan:

They look like 1980's sunglasses. Raybans!

Sheesh, even MP Magnus's butt flap is show-accurately shaped:





Also, someone came up with this idea as to how the arms transform:

looking at the pics and looking at my MP prime the Ultramagnus cab looks different in the way
some parts are look at where the trailer connects to the cab and compare it to Prime its significantly different plus on the cab it looks like the windows are not split and were the arms on prime would go theres nothing indicating shoulder joints
i dont think there is a smaller robot the way that prime looks

Magnus had a visor in the comics sometimes.

craggy wrote:Magnus had a visor in the comics sometimes.

Got any pics or know of any cases of this?

Sabrblade wrote:

craggy wrote:Magnus had a visor in the comics sometimes.

Got any pics or know of any cases of this?

had a look on his wiki page, can't see any where it goes over the bridge of his nose. know what? you're probably right.

Can't believe he's so cheap I don't know where to preorder him. I was waiting to see whether he comes with Amazon Exclusive or not. MP WJ/BB amazon exclusive were announced real quick after their prototype pic, so maybe UM does not come with one just like Smokscreen...