The Energon Pub

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Any news about available thses on Amazon or Europe retailers?

In Demand Toys...

Currently has pre-orders up for:

Prime -£46.99

Grapple -£23.99

Starscream -£23.99

Wheeljack -£18.99

Cliffjumper -£18.99

Ironworks -£18.99

Hoist -£18.99

Micromasters Military Patrol -£18.99

[Microbot]

thanks!

[ZeroWolf]

The Micromasters are the same price as the Deluxes?

In regards to Volcanius, I think they're exempt as they became a combiner (in toy form) well after G1 so when they're released again, lacking combiner features, you won't get any complaints.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Even post-Furman IDWverse saw the merit in using First Aid as a stand alone character. Those that see the five to six character combiner teams only as the Gestalt they unite to form are literally discarding dozens of characters.

The Micromasters are the same price as the Deluxes?

Personally I was more surprised Prime is the same price as Grapple and Starscream combined. But I am a little out of the loop with the pricing of standard lines. So maybe that isn't as much of a rip-off as I imagine?

[ZeroWolf]

Ah I should point out that First Aid is focused on but the rest of the Protectorbots are on the ship with him as they then turn up on Cybertron during Combiner Wars...just in time for Starscream to use the enigma of combination on them to fuse them into Defensor.

Primes price is actually in line with Leader Class pricing, as that's what the Entrainer is still charging for Titans Returns leader Class toys

[Skritz]

they could ditch the tired recycled designs and give Megatron something previously unmade/unused in fiction...

Not in this line, buddy. Or any future line with this current design team.

Indeed. Transformers is held back by people on both sides of the franchise. Wishful thinking they would ditch Warden & Co for the final part of the WFC trilogy to offer up something new... Because they definitely don't want that...

Its the current state of IP now being 'hip' and 'nerd culture' and the '80 nostalgia especially for Transformers. Now I won't lie that Generation DOES have merit for being a modern collector line that is still a whole lot more affordable than Masterpierce and finally giving people those mostly-faithful toys of the classic characters. There is merit to it and money to be made, as Hasbro learned.

My problem isn't with the current state of Generations, as I've written many times before but rather the next few years. What happens once Hasbro has redone all the '84 and '85 characters? Do they just keep remaking them forever and ever? Because at this rate, the current Generations stuff is becoming THE definitive 'classics' line of the mid 2010-to-the-2020. But what happen when the roster is done? Its not an issue right now but it will become more quickly than we realize.

One thing I liked about Titans Return was that, while it was a very G1-heavy line, it was late G1/Japanese-era G1. Guys like Highbrow, Overlord, Powermaster Prime and Sixshot. Yes it was 'muh GEEWUN' but it was a portion of it that, at least to me, felt interesting and refreshing. Mind you this isn't so much because Hasbro got creative today with these guys so much as them already being flippin' weird in the '80, like the Monsterbots.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Even post-Furman IDWverse saw the merit in using First Aid as a stand alone character. Those that see the five to six character combiner teams only as the Gestalt they unite to form are literally discarding dozens of characters.

Combiner characters hardly ever get proper characterizations in any cartoon or anime, because it's too damn difficult deciding on unique features for every single member, and staying on them for more than 1 episode per character in a 26 to 52 episode run without the overall story flow suffering. First Aid got lucky in that with "The Ultimate Weapon" which demonstrates his pacifism (which was originally Groove's trait).

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Maybe they will do what they have done with the G1 MP line. They won't run out of 84/85 characters, because they will never allow the line to reach the end of any year?

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Even post-Furman IDWverse saw the merit in using First Aid as a stand alone character. Those that see the five to six character combiner teams only as the Gestalt they unite to form are literally discarding dozens of characters.

Combiner characters hardly ever get proper characterizations in any cartoon or anime, because it's too damn difficult deciding on unique features for every single member, and staying on them for more than 1 episode per character in a 26 to 52 episode run without the overall story flow suffering. First Aid got lucky in that with "The Ultimate Weapon" which demonstrates his pacifism (which was originally Groove's trait).

If they split them up now, that could give them the chance for characterisation. All it takes is one writer to take an interest in Drag Strip or Blast off and away you go.

[Skritz]

Honestly if they want to keep doing more G1, which is entirely what Generation is (lets remove the 's' at this point!) its fine but...at least finish what you start, Hasbro. We went through Titans Return without the Horrorcons, Scorponok and without the 'junior' Headmasters on either side barring individual Titan Masters for some.

Well, I guess at least it keeps people like me interested to see when they'll show up, right?

[AllNewSuperRobot]

I've waited patiently for so long for both a new Scorponok and MP Galvatron. That is all I want from G1.
One of those is finally coming true next year... 33 years after the original!
The other? Well, how many years since MP Rodimus Prime and two MP Hot Rods has it been now??

[Deadput]

Yes, but it never came to pass. So we can only work with what was released in the final product. Since Volcanicus now exists, does that mean whenever the Dinobots reappear in fiction some self-entitled fanboy will throw a fit if they aren't a Combiner Team?

Clearly no because the Dinobots weren't originally combiners while those other guys were.

It's about staying true to the characters, why make a non combiner version of a character when the mold could instead go to a different character who would be better slotted for a mold?

If they split them up now, that could give them the chance for characterisation. All it takes is one writer to take an interest in Drag Strip or Blast off and away you go.

They don't need to split them up to give them characterization, sometimes characters are good because they work off each other because of different personalities.

I'd like to see the Combiner team guys get more characterization but what's the difference between taking say Dead End from the Stunticons and put him with a different group of characters if he still didn't get any defining characterization?

But what is the difference between First Aid getting character development with the Lost Light crew and getting development while he's with the Protectobots?

If your going to take a character away from the team completely why even bother with that instead of using a non combiner team character for the role like say Gears?

So basically why can't they just develop the whole team in a way where their just as good with the team as the times when their not with them?

[Unicron Magnus]

THERE'S the Starscream I've been waiting for!

[AllNewSuperRobot]

I'm saying why not use them as independently as Gears or Ratchet? Why not release their figures in the same vein? Just because they were part of a combiner team in one continuity 34 years ago, shouldn't condemn the character to never being anything else. Mix it up, reinvent, keep things interesting. Make Ironhide a Dinobot, Have Soundwave the name of a Gestalt created by the Cassettes etc etc

[Jelze Bunnycat]

I'm saying why not use them as independently as Gears or Ratchet? Why not release their figures in the same vein? Just because they were part of a combiner team in one continuity 34 years ago, shouldn't condemn the character to never being anything else. Mix it up, reinvent, keep things interesting. Make Ironhide a Dinobot, Have Soundwave the name of a Gestalt created by the Cassettes etc etc

Or turn Optimus Prime into a Gorilla...

[Skritz]

I'm saying why not use them as independently as Gears or Ratchet? Why not release their figures in the same vein? Just because they were part of a combiner team in one continuity 34 years ago, shouldn't condemn the character to never being anything else. Mix it up, reinvent, keep things interesting. Make Ironhide a Dinobot, Have Soundwave the name of a Gestalt created by the Cassettes etc etc

Because such things does not exist in the current era, where Hasbro is concerned with a recognizable and stsble 'brand identity'.

[DMSL]

Looks like Starscream is just an upscaled version of the old mold.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Looks like Starscream is just an upscaled version of the old mold.

He reuses the transformation for the most part, differing in the legs (CW-style I hope, not the sliding mechanism) and feet (folding down instead of up). Other differences include the wings folding back and the addition of heels.

I already have all 6 Classics Seekers (with Skywarp needing a new bar for the cockpit), so the new mold is a skip... Unless Red Wing returns.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Looks like Starscream is just an upscaled version of the old mold.

He reuses the transformation for the most part, differing in the legs (CW-style I hope, not the sliding mechanism) and feet (folding down instead of up). Other differences include the wings folding back and the addition of heels.

I already have all 6 Classics Seekers (with Skywarp needing a new bar for the cockpit), so the new mold is a skip... Unless Red Wing returns.

I might get it if they make a Thundercracker. that would work out since I'm not getting Siege Thundercracker.

but my guess is that Starscream is first and then we get 3 coneheads. Or maybe a Sunstorm and other seekers not yet done for the mainline. I wouldn't mind a Nacelle

[Microbot]

No! No please, no more combiners Dinobots! I hope Hasbro releases GREAT new Dinobots in this line, on the right scale as a Leader ( Grimlock) 2 voyager ( sludge and slag) and 2 deluxe ( swoope and snarl) - will be perfect!

[Emerje]

I'd much rather see more new characters like Iornworks than reimagining established characters just for the sake of trying something different. I have no problem with them doing something radical in a new continuity, but as long as they're still calling this G1 they should try to keep things familiar.

Since Megatron can't be a gun I do think a tank of some sort really does fit him best. I've always been partial to this unused prototypes:



Emerje

[Deadput]

I'm saying why not use them as independently as Gears or Ratchet? Why not release their figures in the same vein? Just because they were part of a combiner team in one continuity 34 years ago, shouldn't condemn the character to never being anything else. Mix it up, reinvent, keep things interesting. Make Ironhide a Dinobot, Have Soundwave the name of a Gestalt created by the Cassettes etc etc

For toys, in this day and age why would anyone want non combiner versions of those characters?

Like sure if we are talking a new continuity like Cyberverse or Prime I would get your point and agree then but in Generations which is mostly about bringing updates of old characters why would they go with this? I would prefer new characters altogether like Ironworks or updates of characters who haven't gotten figures since their original counterparts.

[Wolfman Jake]

With the explanation of why Primes hands are gray I can live with that.

What was the explanation? I missed that.

someone did ask Warden about the color changes on Prime. His response was that they were having issues with the molding where parts that were not supposed to be blue were ending up getting molded in blue, and to fix it they had to trade off the blue hands and repair drone.

Wait, does Warden mean that's the "fix" they did to get a sample ready for the show? Or is that THE fix for putting this figure into production? One means we'll get the blue hands at least...the other scares the crap out of me.

[Nemesis Primal]

With the explanation of why Primes hands are gray I can live with that.

What was the explanation? I missed that.

someone did ask Warden about the color changes on Prime. His response was that they were having issues with the molding where parts that were not supposed to be blue were ending up getting molded in blue, and to fix it they had to trade off the blue hands and repair drone.

Wait, does Warden mean that's the "fix" they did to get a sample ready for the show? Or is that THE fix for putting this figure into production? One means we'll get the blue hands at least...the other scares the crap out of me.

It's the one that scares the crap out of you, someone asked for the same clarification as soon as he said it.

[Emerje]

With the explanation of why Primes hands are gray I can live with that.

What was the explanation? I missed that.

someone did ask Warden about the color changes on Prime. His response was that they were having issues with the molding where parts that were not supposed to be blue were ending up getting molded in blue, and to fix it they had to trade off the blue hands and repair drone.

Wait, does Warden mean that's the "fix" they did to get a sample ready for the show? Or is that THE fix for putting this figure into production? One means we'll get the blue hands at least...the other scares the crap out of me.

Seeing as how those were all finished products shown at NYCC and they'll be in stores in only a few months I'd say they gray had to be done for production purposes. That doesn't bother me, but it does bother me that they did just paint his hands instead. I guess that's because of the finger joints making it tricky. I wouldn't find it so annoying if they hadn't done the same with PotP Prime's gray fists, too. I'm sure they thought the yellow eyes were a clever way to call it a tribute, but then they went and explained the truth, plus Star Convoy beat them to it.

Emerje