The Energon Pub

[nycPrime]

So I finally received my Platinum Seekers replacement from Target yesterday. This one is much better. The box isn't totally dinged up in one corner, and there are no observable defects when viewed through the plastic window panel. I'll probably get a chance to open it up tonight and play around with it. But I do have to say that the box is quite impressive. I never had the G1 toys and never got the sense of the size from photos. I don't have anything displayed in the box, but for this, I might put them back in the box after playing with them for display purposes.

And as a follow up, I had a chance to play with the TR wave 2 deluxes last night. I like Chromedome because I'm a sucker for nice car modes, and the quality feels nice. I'm not a huge fan of its bot mode though. Weirdwolf is very nice, but the legs are a bit frustrating to deal with. On top of that, mine has the QC issue of one of the lower legs constantly popping out. I'm a little conflicted with Mindwipe. The transformation is satisfying and both modes are nice, but I feel like there's something missing. Highbrow is my least favorite. On top of the extremely loose head, the whole figure seems flimsy.

[william-james88]

I'm a little conflicted with Mindwipe. The transformation is satisfying and both modes are nice, but I feel like there's something missing.

That is exactly how I feel. He's my least favourite but I dont know why.

[Bumblebee21]

I'm a little conflicted with Mindwipe. The transformation is satisfying and both modes are nice, but I feel like there's something missing.

That is exactly how I feel. He's my least favorite but I dont know why.

mindwipe is awesome. but i can happily say once i got another highbrow moved up on my list of favorites. he is no longer least favorite

[william-james88]

I'm a little conflicted with Mindwipe. The transformation is satisfying and both modes are nice, but I feel like there's something missing.

That is exactly how I feel. He's my least favorite but I dont know why.

mindwipe is awesome. but i can happily say once i got another highbrow moved up on my list of favorites. he is no longer least favorite

who is least favourite now? I personally dont know who my least favourite is really of these 2 waves. Maybe mindwipe simply because I dont like to play around with him as much (and dislike the headsculpt).

I like Highbrow a lot because none of his accessrories feel useless in any mode.

[Bumblebee21]

I'm a little conflicted with Mindwipe. The transformation is satisfying and both modes are nice, but I feel like there's something missing.

That is exactly how I feel. He's my least favorite but I dont know why.

mindwipe is awesome. but i can happily say once i got another highbrow moved up on my list of favorites. he is no longer least favorite

who is least favourite now?

i have no idea i think it might be weirdwolf with the lack of arm posibility atm.
tbh tho i cant choose a favorite or last favorite out of the deluxes.
if i do get breakaway he will be a least favorite on the list

[Kurona]

I couldn't really pick favourites at this point due to only having two deluxes, but I easily like Wolfwire way more than Chromedome. His beast mode is wonderful and I'm surprised at how much I've been enjoying his robot mode too.
Chromedome is... just okay. I honestly don't think I would have got him if there wasn't a dome-shaped hole in my MTMTE display and I do find him kinda boring - call me biased but his headsculpt is the most interesting thing I find about him. While not a retool sharing engineering with Dead End still means he's pretty repetitive. I will say though that this shared engineering highlights one of the things I think is an overall positive about the headmaster gimmick - it actually improves this transformation because it means all the stuff you shove under the hood now doesn't need to include the head, so you've got a much cleaner transformation in that area which otherwise feels awkward to me on Streetwise and Dust Up, much as I like those figures.

[william-james88]

While not a retool sharing engineering with Dead End still means he's pretty repetitive.

I forget if I wrote that before(sorry for the repetition if I did) but with holding them and having had them side by side, I totally consider Chromedome a retool of Dead End. An extensive one, but still a retool, similar to the Voyager RID Grimlock compared to the original. I dont know where people got the idea that a retool meant parts should be shared (because that was never part any definition I read) so I never quite saw how the fact that they dont share parts excludes them from retools. A retool is a newer version of an existing Transformers toy which has had parts either added, removed, or resculpted. Thats in the general sense. And you can look at Chromedome and Dead End and see what parts were added (feet), removed (combiner peg), and resculpted (everything). The part that seals the deal for me are the forearms. It is so minutious how they kept the same proportions and angles of the original mold to maintain the seamless side paneling. That is clearly them looking at the original mold and altering it. Which is the technical term for a retool according to Hasbro and Takara:

The general fandom's conception of "retools" differs from the definition used by Hasbro and TakaraTomy's designers. To them, only actual physical alterations of an existing tooling qualify as a "retool".

Its not just shared engineering (which could be coincidental), its basing a mold on an existing one, to the finest egineering details. For me, that's a retool.

[Cobotron]

That big post above

I agree with everything you said, but Chromedome is his own toy. They didn't take Dead End and add or subtract parts or detailing. They sculpted a whole new figure. For one he is just a tad bigger in every dimension.
It is interesting how similarly shaped the forearms are on both figures. So if he isn't a retool he's a ... short cut? A cop out?

Or just a good transformation that works well enough to use again. A la G1 Datsuns and Jazz.

[nycPrime]

That big post above

I agree with everything you said, but Chromedome is his own toy. They didn't take Dead End and add or subtract parts or detailing. They sculpted a whole new figure. For one he is just a tad bigger in every dimension.
It is interesting how similarly shaped the forearms are on both figures. So if he isn't a retool he's a ... short cut? A cop out?

Or just a good transformation that works well enough to use again. A la G1 Datsuns and Jazz.

I enjoyed the dead end mold despite its shortcomings. Part of the reason I like chromedome is because it's like a better version of that mold. What you call it in relation to that mold is just semantics.

[william-james88]

I enjoyed the dead end mold despite its shortcomings. Part of the reason I like chromedome is because it's like a better version of that mold. What you call it in relation to that mold is just semantics.

Well said!

[Cobotron]

I enjoyed the dead end mold despite its shortcomings. Part of the reason I like chromedome is because it's like a better version of that mold. What you call it in relation to that mold is just semantics.

Well said!

INDEED!

[Kurona]

True, true.

I guess my big problem with it is that despite being a slight improvement on the mold... it's disappointing for a Titans Return figure. For a Combiner Wars figure it's simplicity and shortcomings are acceptable because sacrifices need to be made for a combiner; no matter how you look at it, needing to be a deluxe limb for both arm and leg mode while still retaining vehicle and robot modes is a very intrusive gimmick. Titans Return has no such limitation - the most intrusive thing is incorporation of a titan master cockpit - and hence they can pull off more impressive and less generic transformation and engineering than Combiner Wars.

[no-one]

A bunch of stuff about Chromedome and other TR figures

I agree that CD is like the final version of the DE mold and very much his own figure. Even though he is a spectacular figure, I do get some deja vu when transforming him though. Who ever said there was a "dome" shaped hole in their MtMtE display hit the nail on the head. I knew what I was getting into when I got CD and I may have skipped him otherwise. I do enjoy the DE mold quite a bit even though CD makes like the 5th and final form of the mold. super saiyan?

I just got Mindwipe this week and I feel a little oddly disappointed in the figure, but I cannot put a finger on it. He strikes all the right notes, but there is just something lacking. I think the rubber bits annoy me the most, where the bat head just wont peg worth a flop because of the nature of the soft peg.

I do feel that overall the last two lines of figures are starting to suffer because of shoehorning in certain gimmicks; combiner, triple changer, headmaster...

[shajaki]

[Ironhidensh]

I look forward to your thoughts on Primal.

[william-james88]

Wow, awesome haul!!

[Burn]

Oh thank **** Shajaki posted and got the thread back on topic, I thought I was going to have to remind people that we have an entire Titans Return thread to discuss the figures in.
*throws bricks at the staff members who should know better*

[william-james88]

My haul was stickers that I could apply to these guys!



I really like those stickers for diaclone wheeljack, they had some nice homages for the diaclone toy as an option, those are the ones I picked. This was money well spent. I dont feel the same for the others though, they look better but maybe not by that incremental amount I paid.

[Kurona]

My haul was stickers that I could apply to these guys!



I really like those stickers for diaclone wheeljack, they had some nice homages for the diaclone toy as an option, those are the ones I picked. This was money well spent. I dont feel the same for the others though, they look better but maybe not by that incremental amount I paid.

Oh my, that Wheeljack is lovely!
Decided to skip out on the add-on parts for him and Laserbeak?

[william-james88]

My haul was stickers that I could apply to these guys!



I really like those stickers for diaclone wheeljack, they had some nice homages for the diaclone toy as an option, those are the ones I picked. This was money well spent. I dont feel the same for the others though, they look better but maybe not by that incremental amount I paid.

Oh my, that Wheeljack is lovely!
Decided to skip out on the add-on parts for him and Laserbeak?

I find those quite expensive by comparison, I rarely ever buy add on parts.

[Rodimus Prime]

Found TR Mindwipe, Highbrow and Rumble at Walmart this morning. Now I need Chromedome and Triggerhappy.

[-Kanrabat-]

Cute littel haul today.

First, TR Astrotrain, the only voyager I really wanted. Paid full 30$+tx without hesitations.

Next, POKEMON MOON! First time ever that I bought a Pokemon game on opening day.

And finally, this Lego Creator set. Because it was on sale and freaking adowable.

[william-james88]

Congrats on that astrotrain. I feel the same way. I have no regrets paying full price, its the best Astrotrain we have ever gotten (so far) and he looks phenominal in bot mode. I am sure this is one of those figures that will be going for much higher amounts when all are of the shelves, like the classics hot rod with a clear windshield.

[bodrock]

I just got back from Ross, looking for Bruticus or Computron - all they had were doubles of CW Optimus (white), Onslaught, Motormaster - and only one Sky Lynx, for $12.99 each.

I picked up 'Lynx as an Xmas gift for my friend.

[-Kanrabat-]

Congrats on that astrotrain. I feel the same way. I have no regrets paying full price, its the best Astrotrain we have ever gotten (so far) and he looks phenominal in bot mode. I am sure this is one of those figures that will be going for much higher amounts when all are of the shelves, like the classics hot rod with a clear windshield.

Just played with Astrotrain and I transformed him in all of his modes. Verdict: PERFECTION!
Tight all over. Nothing feel cheap, nothing feel soft. The design is brilliant and I end up adoring the INTIMIDATING train fortress. Even the spaceship mode hide the bot very well. His only flaw is the usual lack of paint, typical from Hasbro. Maybe reprolabels can fix that but I dunno if I want to pay the price.

Anyway, guys, find Astrotrain? Grab him. Don't even wait for a sale. He's that much worth it.