The Energon Pub

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

RodimusConvoy13 wrote:

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Black Hat wrote:Anyway, the Dinobots look decent in construction but between the cheap looking paint apps and the worrying abundance of clear plastic structural parts I'll probably pass.

I have Swoop, Slug and Slash so far, and honestly, I don't think the clear plastic is going to cause much of an issue on Swoop or Slug. Slash is the one that worries me a little since it is her cockpit door, and well, Wolfwire.

Wolfwire didn't actually have clear plastic on his cockpit door. The plastic that cracked was the yellow plastic. The red transparent part was much more rubbery.

I know, but it broke at a weak point, the hinge, and the type of part (cockpit door) puts a bit of stress on that weak point when you move it. So you take the type of part that was problematic in the past (cockpit door on Wolfwire) and add in the fun of clear plastic on Slash. Now do you understand my concern?

Edit: Also Slash doesn't have red rubbery part to save the day if it cracks either.

It really isn't comparable. The reason why Wolfwire's door broke was because the yellow plastic portion of the hinge is very thin and couldn't hold up to the friction of opening and closing the door. I think Hasbro designed it with the expectation that the red portion would take the brunt of the friction and the yellow part would act as a guide, but ended up building a unique design flaw into it instead. If the entire hinge was the yellow plastic it probably wouldn't have broke.

We've seen many figures in Titans Return with clear plastic hinges and they didn't break, there's no reason to believe Slash would be any different.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

RodimusConvoy13 wrote:

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Black Hat wrote:Anyway, the Dinobots look decent in construction but between the cheap looking paint apps and the worrying abundance of clear plastic structural parts I'll probably pass.

I have Swoop, Slug and Slash so far, and honestly, I don't think the clear plastic is going to cause much of an issue on Swoop or Slug. Slash is the one that worries me a little since it is her cockpit door, and well, Wolfwire.

Wolfwire didn't actually have clear plastic on his cockpit door. The plastic that cracked was the yellow plastic. The red transparent part was much more rubbery.

I know, but it broke at a weak point, the hinge, and the type of part (cockpit door) puts a bit of stress on that weak point when you move it. So you take the type of part that was problematic in the past (cockpit door on Wolfwire) and add in the fun of clear plastic on Slash. Now do you understand my concern?

Edit: Also Slash doesn't have red rubbery part to save the day if it cracks either.

It really isn't comparable. The reason why Wolfwire's door broke was because the yellow plastic portion of the hinge is very thin and couldn't hold up to the friction of opening and closing the door. I think Hasbro designed it with the expectation that the red portion would take the brunt of the friction and the yellow part would act as a guide, but ended up building a unique design flaw into it instead. If the entire hinge was the yellow plastic it probably wouldn't have broke.

We've seen many figures in Titans Return with clear plastic hinges and they didn't break, there's no reason to believe Slash would be any different.

Emerje

We've had tons of clear plastic hinges over the years, mainly as cockpit covers and car roofs, and them breaking is a very sporadic occurance. No, TR Wolfwire's problems were all in the clear red rubbery part trying to push the yellow piece up, due to the nature of the material. Remember how DotM Crankcase's dreads hardly moved on their hinges? Same principle.

Skritz wrote:Has anyone fiddled with Hasbro Overlord's pec-holes and Prime Masters, or do they get stuck as badly as Titan Master?

Tried one Titan Master..... It still Stuck.

Skritz wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Takara will probably make the MAGA bigger and readable. Maybe they'll change it to MJGA though.

Well, someone re-opened the stale can of worms.

This Meme again?

Albatross250 wrote:

Skritz wrote:

Nik Hero wrote:Takara will probably make the MAGA bigger and readable. Maybe they'll change it to MJGA though.

Well, someone re-opened the stale can of worms.

This Meme again?

Make it go away again.

She looks alright, but those wheel chunks really detract from the sleekness of the legs.

So...first we got Universe Powerglide's heart, then Moonracer's pregnant belly. What should come after?

I have to say, I'm quite looking forward to see if Reprolabels/Toyhax (what they are called these days) can do a sticker set for Voyager Starscream. He's got truly terrible stickers but I do wonder if the whole concept of a stickered-up jet can't be improved by far better color matching on the stickers.

Alternatively I'd be curious to see a Takara version.

Quantum Surge wrote:So...first we got Universe Powerglide's heart, then Moonracer's pregnant belly. What should come after?

Easy, Pop the Alpha Trion prime master in there as the baby. Then, once he is born, cut to CW Powerglide chasing TR Alpha Trion with Trion's own sword.

To return everyone's question about the alternate Grimlock Torso Mode: the official way with the wide shoulders is the most stable out of all of them. The official way is tabbed in two places:

1) the small claws on the dino feet are tabs, one pair tabs into a slot on the back of the robot shoulder joint
2) the whole thing tabs into the inside of the "wings" with the T-Rex arms

Oh my gosh, guys!!! I just realized something!!! Grimlock's enigma of combination would go perfectly with TLK Nitro to make him a Shockwave!!!!

I don't have Grimlock, but I got the idea watching emgo's review when he put it on Hot Rod

Nik Hero wrote:Do those Dinobots have actual gold plastic? Not just gold painted clear plastic?

Aside from Grimlock, who has a gold chest, the gold is paint. The Dinobots have clear plastic with a detailed interior painted gold on the inside.

I thought this was a brilliant way to emulate the G1 look while cutting down on the number of parts and amount of plastic. (which is a necessity these days) Bravo to the designers for figuring this out. Great job delivering some authentic G1 feel in the new toys. Knocking the styling out of the park.

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Oh my gosh, guys!!! I just realized something!!! Grimlock's enigma of combination would go perfectly with TLK Nitro to make him a Shockwave!!!!

Doesn't Nitro already basically have a Shockwave head?


Shockwave on the left, Nitro Zeus on the right.

Emerje

I got bad news, boys and girls...

Seems like the Takara versions are literally identical to the Hasbro versions, awful stickers and all. If the mainline continues like this I might give up on newer official Transformers figures. There's rumours circulating the web that Hasbro gave Takara a slap on the wrist for making the Legends figures (mostly) much better than the TR ones, and told them to make them identical to the Western releases.

If that's true then congratulations Hasbro, you dun f***ed it up.

Same Prime, same Mold, Except it has no stickers whatsoever.

Black Hat wrote:I got bad news, boys and girls...

Seems like the Takara versions are literally identical to the Hasbro versions, awful stickers and all. If the mainline continues like this I might give up on newer official Transformers figures. There's rumours circulating the web that Hasbro gave Takara a slap on the wrist for making the Legends figures (mostly) much better than the TR ones, and told them to make them identical to the Western releases.

If that's true then congratulations Hasbro, you dun f***ed it up.

And we're sure these aren't just placeholder images of the "overseas" versions? That's happened MANY times before, FYI. It's usually a few months after an initial announcement that we get pictures of the actual Takara Tomy samples to be produced.

Emerje wrote:

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:Oh my gosh, guys!!! I just realized something!!! Grimlock's enigma of combination would go perfectly with TLK Nitro to make him a Shockwave!!!!

Doesn't Nitro already basically have a Shockwave head?


Shockwave on the left, Nitro Zeus on the right.

Emerje

His toy has a different, inaccurate head...but its still a cyclop head.

Through a variety of sources, we have what may or may not be placeholder images (but probably not, given the actual finalised source) for Takara Tomy's take on the third part of the Prime Wars Trilogy toyline: Transformers Power of The Prime (the added 'the/za' is newly confirmed)! The images are found on both Amazon.co.jp and via the web page for Dengeki Hobby Magazine.

We're mirroring below what we have so far from the line, but it appears that the shift from Legends to its own line also carries a lack of differences in decoration between Hasbro and Takara Tomy's releases - at least given these initial looks. Check out the images below, spanning from PP-01 Micronus to PP-09 Optimus Prime, and let us know what you think in the Energon Pub discussion board!

Is there any difference between Hasbro and Takara this time?

Realistically I don't think we can be surprised that they're the same as the Hasbro ones. Disappointed, sure, but after we saw the prices not surprised.

kurthy wrote:Is there any difference between Hasbro and Takara this time?

Packaging and import costs are all I can see. I'll be curious to see if Takara uses the prime master cards, I'm guessing no.

Amiami is going to be severely disappointed in my purchases next year. Walmart and Target should be thrilled.

I guess Rated X got his wish regarding Takara not being different from Hasbro.

Looks like Hot Rod's legs become Rodimus's arms, meaning some partsforming. A little unsuprised but kinda dissapointing.