The Energon Pub

News Credits: 28 · Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:43 pm

The Official Hasbro Transformers Site Has been updated to feature Ultimate BumbleBee in several different forms of media.

You can download the pdf Instructions, View a video on the Transformatiom, and view different steps in his transformation in several step by step photos.

You can view the Ultimate BumbleBee page here!

News Credits: 23 · Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:51 pm

They really want to hype that toy up/whore that toy out, eh?

News Credits: 972 · Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:54 pm

Good idea to have a .pdf version of his instructions.

News Credits: 8 · Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:47 pm

But can I finaly order it? I think I'll go find out.

Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:41 pm

That tutorial video is awesome. No need for printed instructions.

News Credits: 668 · Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:56 pm

This is what needed to be done, a while ago.

On the one hand, it's nice to see someone competent taking their time, nice and slow, instead of the Chinese videos where the guy was bustin' his ass to get the thing transformed and slammed it around being an immature idiot.

On the other hand, it finally proves that the figures is capable of having it's chest set like the movie model. It also proves that the people buying it (and the Hasbro photographers) are completely friggin' inept.

Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:14 pm

yeahhh, Nope!! still ain't buying it!! too much money for too little articulation and crappy gimmicks that should have ended up as a freaking bank, like the crap from star wars episode -1.

Who the hell designed this piece of crap anyhOW!! it's like very annoying to transform, no wonder there has to be videos and hype, Hasbro must have a wiff that it won't sell, and such a wiff must really stink!!

Hype it all you want Hasbro, but its still in the end just a glorified "dump" with some fancy toilet paper around it!! And now you have a video on how it correctly flushes!!

Now if I could just find that elusive 08 Deluxe I'd be happy!!

News Credits: 4 · Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:27 am

The Movie toys with the exception of the Real Gear (High Score 100 is a piece of crap) basically are the poorest quality Transformers ever.

News Credits: 8 · Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:50 am

I think they should have just made a leader class version instead. Its sad when the $10 version of the toy is better than the $80 one. The only way ill get it is if its on sale for a really good price.The most id pay for is $20. Theres no way in hell thats it worth $80. I dont know whats worse, the really bad voice acting (if you can call it that) or the lack of imagination that went into the making of the figure. Kids are gonna love it but thats who its made for. All the little kids that think Movie Bumblebee is the best TF ever to come around. Ill stick with my highly superior Deluxe version.

News Credits: 4 · Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:02 am

I could've used this when I got my ultimate Bumblebee a few weeks back. The web address came listed with the instructions, but it wasn't even up by then.

My biggest issue with Ultimate Bumblebee is the amount of force you need to exert to lock and unlock things into place. You swear you're going to break it. It goes way past the comfort zone. I can see kids having a lot of problems with it.

You really don't see that in this video. The guy does an excellent job of making it look easy. But I don't think he locked the arm in correctly at the end, judging by it's lack of movement when the animatronics start. That's very tricky because you need to get 2 sets of rotating pegs to line up. It would've been better to make a video just focussing on the problem areas, because they're really glossed over here.

Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:06 am

This things is a piece of crap. It looks nothing like the actual movie bumblebee. I mean, the Deluxe version is so much more accurate to the movie. I thing a reason that the torso is so huge is that they add the movement and stuff. I would rather have traded the movement for a better detailed and more accurate toy.

News Credits: 4 · Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:30 am

I dunno, the animatronics impressed me. It doesn't bother me that it's not 100% movie accurate, what does bother me is that it doesn't look as good as the publicity photos might lead you to believe.

It looks a lot more metallic in the photo, so I was expecting some die cast parts like Masterpiece Prime, but when you actually get it out, it's a lot more plasticky and cheap looking.

News Credits: 5 · Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:59 pm

It's an expensive blunder by Hasbro, every movie has that one item that is way too expensive and really is crap, this is it guys!! I too prefer the deluxe bumblebee to that Ultimate junkion they have released. If I was Hasbro I would cut my losses and not produce that particular item anymore, ship the remaining stock over seas where it might get a better selling share, but for the masses her in the US, and I would assume Japan, this toy really is the Bomb of this whole line up, it is a shame..there could have been such a cool poseable and almost masterpiece version of Bumblebee released had they just dropped out the animatronics and had some light effects and sound only..

I would love to see them release a heavily articulated, stronger plastic and joint reinforced Bumblebee that mirrors the deluxe but with better mobility and poseability with a great realistic paint application and light up eyes and head lights that can play songs from the movie, instead of the crappy animatronic flailing arms and head movements with his doors wiggling like an idiotic babies toy..

News Credits: 4 · Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:56 pm

skywarp-2 wrote: If I was Hasbro I would cut my losses and not produce that particular item anymore, ship the remaining stock over seas where it might get a better selling share, but for the masses her in the US, and I would assume Japan, this toy really is the Bomb of this whole line up,

Why would they stand any better chance selling them overseas? Do you think the rest of us are somehow less discerning? Japan and the U.S. are 2 of the richer countries, so it would stand to reason that they have a better chance of selling them there. In some countries this thing probably costs the equivalent of a month's wages.

What I don't understand about the whole movie line is why Hasbro saw the need to have 3 different electronic/robotic Bumblebee toys. What's the deal with Cyber-Stompin' Bumblebee and Beatmix Bumblebee? Ultimate Bumblebee may be a rip off, but from what I've seen it does the job better than the other two.

Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:17 am

canbo wrote:This things is a piece of crap. It looks nothing like the actual movie bumblebee. I mean, the Deluxe version is so much more accurate to the movie. I thing a reason that the torso is so huge is that they add the movement and stuff. I would rather have traded the movement for a better detailed and more accurate toy.

I beg to differ. Even since I got it he's been my most prized movie toy. I love the transformation (especially the feet) and the electronics are fantastic, I'm discovering new features every time I play with it. I showed it to a couple of my wife's friends tonight and they were blown away. You see, some of us can enjoy toys for what they are and not only because they're show or movie accurate. Who cares for accuracy when the toy is full of awesome? I want to be entertained. I'm not buying toys to compare them to images. Just to hear the transformation sound when you start changing it from car to robot is orgasmic. ****, the bastard KNOWS what's happening, can it get better than that? I think not.

News Credits: 2 · Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:19 am

off topic but Jedi Kermit, you have the best sig I have ever seen, would you mind if I used it as well?

We could start a whole Blu Ray TF movement lol

News Credits: 2 · Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:07 am

I love this figure.. I picked one up today at Walmart .. The bot mode is cool as hell , its close to master piece i think. The electronics are pretty cool although it does say a cheesy line like " you are my first human friend " i think it is. But other then that the rest are pretty good, its also motion sensitive or sound sensitive, i couldnt tell if it reacted to my claping from sound or movement.. Its just a bad as hell bot mode.. But the Vehicle mode is the best i think .. You got the reving engine and horn basic stuff , but then you also got the sounds of the car hitting bumps when you bounce the car around as if its hitting bumps. If you stop it short while rolling it sounds like screaching tires ect.. And the robot is bigger then the MP Prime i would guess cause it is pretty huge in bother bot and Car mode..

I think its well worth the price for him, if you pass this toy up i think you will be kicking yourself later.

News Credits: 1 · Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:22 am

megatroptimus wrote:
I love the transformation (especially the feet) and the electronics are fantastic, I'm discovering new features every time I play with it...You see, some of us can enjoy toys for what they are and not only because they're show or movie accurate. Who cares for accuracy when the toy is full of awesome? I want to be entertained. I'm not buying toys to compare them to images.

Really well put. My feelings as well. I'm surprised more hasn't been said about the feet; I love how they transform. I also like the way guests seem delighted by him in a way they simply aren't when I plonk a Voyager or Deluxe in front of them with Hasbro's sterling instructional sheets :grin:

I bought and like Ultimate for different reasons to that for which I bought the Deluxe and Voyager toys. I enjoy them all.

But speaking of discovering something new each time we play with the thing, why on earth would Hasbro still have such crappy instructions? Following the pictures were okay, but for all its features I'm surprised they don't have some sort of feature list so that we can get to try everything out.

Does anyone here have a list of features and how to activate each in a 100% surefire way? I'm going by trial and error here. I can only get the song Whip It, there are supposed to be others, and I don't know how to activate them all.

Also, does anyone have this problem, or is it a problem. In car mode, when turned on and activated, the engine sound goes on and on like forever. Is it supposed to go for this long?

Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:48 am

Just watched the vids,
Saw one briefly in TRU,
Dont think I need to spend 80 notes on it now

Mind you, if it ever gets redicued (Redimus - Buy It Now...)
I may have to get one.

Gaaar,
Doug

Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:23 am

I bought this figure last night - I almost didn't because of the price but I caved. Having a gift card from work helped though....

I really really enough this guy - he is freaking huge and has lots of detail. The lights and electronics are great - there are couple of cheesy lines though (See "first human friend", etc).

I do have two small gripes though, maybe someone would be kind enough to help me out?

1) the 'cables' for the doors. How do you get them to fit inside well enough that they don't interfere with the doors? I have trouble stuffing the cables in and they make it so that the doors don't quite close right....

2) The gun is pretty wimpy. Has anyone found a way to give it more "juice" when firing? Also: does anyone know what the sliding portion is for? Just for effect?...

Thanks!
S.P.