The Energon Pub

[william-james88]

I prefer the new kup head sculpt

I preffer the new Kup alt mode. The previous one was ultra lazy with the arms.

[sol magnus]

I prefer the new kup head sculpt

I preffer the new Kup alt mode. The previous one was ultra lazy with the arms.

I prefer the new Kup, period.

The only thing that could make him better is the Targetmaster.

[jtanimator]

So I'm probably going to get a million fans yelling at me but...Hotrod and Kup are basically the same size (in fiction, and most previous toys as well), why is Hotrod a Voyager?

Firstly, because Hotrod has a large combination of unique features that cause a higher price count, like the articulated hands and the alternate visor. and secondly, for the same reason that the leader class price point has packed Voyager figures for so long now: Accessories. Hot rod is simply a more complex deluxe size figure with a lot more accessories and weapons, similar to any leader class priced Voyager with extra weapons or a trailer. Nothing new here, just a feature being brought to the Voyager price point for the first time.

[Sentinel_Primal]

I will say this Kup is a very good representation of his cartoon shelf, and I'd expect to see similar ideas come into play for when they do the MP version. But I doubt I'll be picking him up because I'm not enough of a fan of his original design to pick up this version when I already have TR Kup

[Notimus Crime]

Yeah that Kup looks really good. I'll try and get him too. Keep these mini-masterpieces coming Hasbro.

[Sowndwave76]

"Everyone knows the only thing that matters is screen accuracy, and the best way to get screen accuracy is fake parts, how could anyone think otherwise."

No one said this... So as clever an intro you maybe thought this was... Pshhh

I don't think your problem is "understanding," it seems like you can't even conceptualize that someone might care about other things.

The fact that I said I don't see faux parts as a bad thing as many others do, actually very much addresses that I "conceptualize" people having different opinions from mine.
If my opinion on faux parts bothers you, oh well.
And if it's normal for you to assume things about people you don't even know... Good luck, buddy.

Personally, I don't consider robot mode appearance the most important factor. By that standard, RED would be the best.

The conversation was about faux parts... Because we were talking about transforming figures... So the RED line would never be the standard in this context since faux parts don't usually come into the mix for a figure with no alt mode.

There are a lot of compromises in this figure to get that appearance. For example, instead of having a rear bumper, his knees are just hanging out the back. I would rather have stubbier legs or miscolored parts or something to have it look like an actual car.

I hear you saying the robot appearance doesn't matter so much to you... Fine.
But to respond with posts that make it sound like it's weird, wrong, ridiculous, odd, etc,. for people to want figures to look as closely to the actual character as possible... THAT doesn't seem odd???
My point was if a faux part helps make both modes look better, then why/how is that a problem...
I never ever said "Sacrifice all alt mode design decisions to get a 'screen accurate' robot".

These characters are based on relatively specific appearances whether you care or not.
As I said before, now that it's very possible (and really has been for a while) to get detailed molds and accurate small details, a close likeness isn't an absurd want.
Clearly designers and people who have some vested interest decided that a Hot Rod with something like "stubbier legs" wasn't the compromise they were going to make-- seems the bot mode was in fact more important than the alt mode.
And maybe this is going out on a limb, but those types of decisions are probably based more on the confidence of what they feel people who will be spending money want and will be willing to pay for, rather than it solely being a design team's preference, or fitting a company's mission statement.
But maybe this is all my inability to conceptualize again.

I like this SS Kup, but not as much as Hot Rod...
It's definitely an improvement and has me even more excited about this line, but I want to see some other figures (including from Kingdom) before deciding.

[Nemesis Destron]

So Kup walks into a bar..."why the long face?"

[AcademyofDrX]

No one said this... So as clever an intro you maybe thought this was... Pshhh

The fact that I said I don't see faux parts as a bad thing as many others do, actually very much addresses that I "conceptualize" people having different opinions from mine.
If my opinion on faux parts bothers you, oh well.
And if it's normal for you to assume things about people you don't even know... Good luck, buddy.

The conversation was about faux parts... Because we were talking about transforming figures... So the RED line would never be the standard in this context since faux parts don't usually come into the mix for a figure with no alt mode.

I hear you saying the robot appearance doesn't matter so much to you... Fine.
But to respond with posts that make it sound like it's weird, wrong, ridiculous, odd, etc,. for people to want figures to look as closely to the actual character as possible... THAT doesn't seem odd???
My point was if a faux part helps make both modes look better, then why/how is that a problem...
I never ever said "Sacrifice all alt mode design decisions to get a 'screen accurate' robot".

These characters are based on relatively specific appearances whether you care or not.
As I said before, now that it's very possible (and really has been for a while) to get detailed molds and accurate small details, a close likeness isn't an absurd want.
Clearly designers and people who have some vested interest decided that a Hot Rod with something like "stubbier legs" wasn't the compromise they were going to make-- seems the bot mode was in fact more important than the alt mode.
And maybe this is going out on a limb, but those types of decisions are probably based more on the confidence of what they feel people who will be spending money want and will be willing to pay for, rather than it solely being a design team's preference, or fitting a company's mission statement.
But maybe this is all my inability to conceptualize again.

I like this SS Kup, but not as much as Hot Rod...
It's definitely an improvement and has me even more excited about this line, but I want to see some other figures (including from Kingdom) before deciding.

I was trying to be snarky but not actually rude, and based on your response I missed that mark, so I want to apologize. I don't want to make anyone's opinions seem wrong or less valid than my own. My criticism of "I can't understand this" is that preferring one aesthetic priority over another, like screen accuracy or alt-mode or poseability is just that: personal preference. One isn't right and the others wrong.

My point about liking this figure as a Studio Series figure was to accept that different lines are going to value different things. While there's nothing wrong with faux parts, I don't want it to become the norm. More generally, I think it would be a mistake for screen accuracy to override all other considerations across all lines.

[sol magnus]

No one said this... So as clever an intro you maybe thought this was... Pshhh

The fact that I said I don't see faux parts as a bad thing as many others do, actually very much addresses that I "conceptualize" people having different opinions from mine.
If my opinion on faux parts bothers you, oh well.
And if it's normal for you to assume things about people you don't even know... Good luck, buddy.

The conversation was about faux parts... Because we were talking about transforming figures... So the RED line would never be the standard in this context since faux parts don't usually come into the mix for a figure with no alt mode.

I hear you saying the robot appearance doesn't matter so much to you... Fine.
But to respond with posts that make it sound like it's weird, wrong, ridiculous, odd, etc,. for people to want figures to look as closely to the actual character as possible... THAT doesn't seem odd???
My point was if a faux part helps make both modes look better, then why/how is that a problem...
I never ever said "Sacrifice all alt mode design decisions to get a 'screen accurate' robot".

These characters are based on relatively specific appearances whether you care or not.
As I said before, now that it's very possible (and really has been for a while) to get detailed molds and accurate small details, a close likeness isn't an absurd want.
Clearly designers and people who have some vested interest decided that a Hot Rod with something like "stubbier legs" wasn't the compromise they were going to make-- seems the bot mode was in fact more important than the alt mode.
And maybe this is going out on a limb, but those types of decisions are probably based more on the confidence of what they feel people who will be spending money want and will be willing to pay for, rather than it solely being a design team's preference, or fitting a company's mission statement.
But maybe this is all my inability to conceptualize again.

I like this SS Kup, but not as much as Hot Rod...
It's definitely an improvement and has me even more excited about this line, but I want to see some other figures (including from Kingdom) before deciding.

I was trying to be snarky but not actually rude, and based on your response I missed that mark, so I want to apologize. I don't want to make anyone's opinions seem wrong or less valid than my own. My criticism of "I can't understand this" is that preferring one aesthetic priority over another, like screen accuracy or alt-mode or poseability is just that: personal preference. One isn't right and the others wrong.

My point about liking this figure as a Studio Series figure was to accept that different lines are going to value different things. While there's nothing wrong with faux parts, I don't want it to become the norm. More generally, I think it would be a mistake for screen accuracy to override all other considerations across all lines.

Hey, I enjoy both you guys posts. Just sayin'.

I do think Kup's head is a bit on the long side. 3P can probably make some money with a replacement head. A miss by Hasbro, but not egregious. Earthrise Prowl having Bluestreak's head? That's egregious.

[Flashwave]

Soo, I like the playability of TR Kup. I used his stock gun in its jetpack form and gave him his Classics rifle and he looks really great... But this is definitely a better Kup. Just gonna be sad when I retire the previous one

[AcademyofDrX]

I have most of TR, so my solution is that Kup for my season 4 shelf/bin, and this one for my movie/season 3 shelf/bin. Every Kup in his right place.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

So pardon the stupid question, but I've been going through my Studio Series toys and... does anyone keep the backdrops? I have them, but I'm running out of room and seriously thinking of tossing them. They don't really add much except a pretty background... that many of them share.

Just looking for confirmation I'm not alone in tossing them before I do, I guess. Thanks.

[Tuned Agent]

Kup is pretty underwhelming, not gonna lie. Something is just off about him, he just looks kinda... frail. There's really no other way I can discribe it. Plus his shoulders are set weirdly low on his body. Maybe it's just me.

But I'm a seemingly rare Generations Kup fan, so I don't really care about this one anyway.

[First-Aid]

Kup is pretty underwhelming, not gonna lie. Something is just off about him, he just looks kinda... frail. There's really no other way I can discribe it. Plus his shoulders are set weirdly low on his body. Maybe it's just me.

But I'm a seemingly rare Generations Kup fan, so I don't really care about this one anyway.

Its not just the shoulders, its the whole torso. The color is off and it makes it look...odd.

[william-james88]

So pardon the stupid question, but I've been going through my Studio Series toys and... does anyone keep the backdrops? I have them, but I'm running out of room and seriously thinking of tossing them. They don't really add much except a pretty background... that many of them share.

Just looking for confirmation I'm not alone in tossing them before I do, I guess. Thanks.

I tossed mine out. Not using them so they are a waste of space

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

So pardon the stupid question, but I've been going through my Studio Series toys and... does anyone keep the backdrops? I have them, but I'm running out of room and seriously thinking of tossing them. They don't really add much except a pretty background... that many of them share.

Just looking for confirmation I'm not alone in tossing them before I do, I guess. Thanks.

I tossed mine out. Not using them so they are a waste of space

Thanks, William. Yeah, I'm gonna toss mine out too. They are a waste of space.

[EvasionModeBumblebee]

So pardon the stupid question, but I've been going through my Studio Series toys and... does anyone keep the backdrops? I have them, but I'm running out of room and seriously thinking of tossing them. They don't really add much except a pretty background... that many of them share.

Just looking for confirmation I'm not alone in tossing them before I do, I guess. Thanks.

I keep the boxes, so I keep the backdrops as well. I usually don’t have them out for display, but I do use them whenever I’m taking pictures of customs or whatever. It’s a much better backdrop than my wall! xD

[blackeyedprime]

I'd like to say I'm not buyng Kup but then they went and made his limbs removable

Would have preferred the front wheel arches to be fully painted and the side autobot symbols to pop more. Needs a chest sticker to cover up the unsightliness but I'm sure that will be done by toyhax.

Takara Legends still has some better design choices over it (head, solid underarms, targetmaster)

[dirk2243]

So pardon the stupid question, but I've been going through my Studio Series toys and... does anyone keep the backdrops? I have them, but I'm running out of room and seriously thinking of tossing them. They don't really add much except a pretty background... that many of them share.

Just looking for confirmation I'm not alone in tossing them before I do, I guess. Thanks.

I tossed mine out. Not using them so they are a waste of space

Thanks, William. Yeah, I'm gonna toss mine out too. They are a waste of space.

I've only kept a few that I thought were really good. The ones you mentioned that shared backgrounds like the constructicons, I kept just one of the Leader Class backgrounds. Some are great for pictures and displays but I honestly don't need 68(plus if continued) backdrops. That is a lot of space taken up.

[-Kanrabat-]

Packaging of normal retail toys, to the recycling bin!

Also, I don't mind faux-parts at all. That is, as long that the real ones disappear from the bot mode. Prime was bad in that regard with all those fake and UNPAINTED wheels on so many bots. Plus Ratchet's chest that are made of the vehicle doors while they were right there on his legs.

So MP Optimus (all) SS Hotrod, and many more do it right.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Sorry I'm late to the party, just didn't care for these Kingdom rejects ending up in the line and don't care for another major thread overrun by G1.

I'll oblige thoughts: Scourge is iffy, Kup is shite, and Hot Rod looks decent and at least has a saw.

Looks like I am going to soon be passing on SS in general, which is a shame, the line put in 3 really solid years that I loved, even if I'm still waiting on my Blitzwing and Skipjack.

[Deadput]

There's still listings for future live action movie figures such as Jolt so not to worry there will be more of that style at some point.

[TF-fan kev777]

Honestly, the more I think about it, I really think the SS86 figures are a combination of 1) not being able to fit everything they want to do in Kingdom with the 86 movie cast needing to mostly be regular releases and available around when Haslab Unicron comes out, and 2) a stall tactic for SS in general to eat up some slots until the next movie is ready to go and figures from that movie can be released.

If they didn't pad the line with SS86 figures, then there could be a good chance of running out of figures that have not been made yet before the next movie drops. Heck with the current status of the film industry, that might still be a possibility even with SS86 eating up slots.

I know some will say there are plenty of figures still in need from the previous movies, and that isn't wrong, but all the heavy hitters have pretty much been done. From a marketing standpoint, I would assume that Hasbro would want at least 1 or 2 figures with some name recognition in each wave. I definitely want Jolt, Dino, Queue, Hatchet, Devcon, Onslaught, Hooligan and others, but none of them has as much name recognition as say Hot Rod, Kup or Scourge.

Hopefully this will be more of a temporary thing until there is another movie with figures to add to the line.

[sol magnus]

It's a movie. It's THE Movie. Those figures, characters and likenesses fit in for 'Studio.'

[Wolfman Jake]

I hope we get a re-release of Siege Springer in the Studio Series, but without the battle damage paint applications and a few more touches to make him more screen accurate, like changing the blue-gray plastic to plain gray and painting the hands light green. I'd call for a redo of Earthrise Arcee for Studio Series as well. Some additional paint apps (especially on the face) could maybe save that mold, but she's already slated for a repackage in Kingdom, so my hopes are pretty low for that possibility.