The Energon Pub

Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:54 am

Well, I'm hoping this isn't a repeat topic.

A recent Q&A session revealed that the Universe/Classics line would see a re-launch next year. I do know this piece of information to be already old news.

What interests me, however, is the fan's expectations for next year. As far as I'm concerned, I haven't really been able to get my classics on, I missed a lot of stuff and by the time it was over, everything was off the shelves and being resold on eBay for a bajillion dollars/euros [insert your currency of choice].

I sort of understood that the Universe/Classics line welcomed more or less all figures that didn't fit the movie design theme. This is where I start fantasizing. Between 2000 and 2008, the year when I rediscovered my fandom for TF toys (damn movie this is all your fault), a lot of figures saw the light of day, which are almost impossible to find now. I would love to see re-releases of those.

For instance, Galaxy Force Optimus Prime Leader class, Cybertron Optimus Prime Leader class, RID Optimus Prime which combines with RID Ultra Magnus... Yeah, these would pretty much make my year.

What are YOU looking forward to from next year's releases?

Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:45 am

I am looking forward to a Classics Jazz, a US release of Thundercracker, the other two Coneheads, Hoist, Grapple, a decent Blaster, and more of the cassettes.

I realize some of these won't happen, but they would be nice to see.

News Credits: 217 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 8:50 am

Since many of the popular characters have been done, I'm hoping to get a few more obscure figs. Even if they're repaints like Crankcase.

News Credits: 609 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:11 am

My biggest hope is for Music Label Soundwave and Device Label Blaster, without the electronics.

News Credits: 217 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:14 am

Razorclaw0000 wrote:My biggest hope is for Music Label Soundwave and Device Label Blaster, without the electronics.

Or hey, DL Blaster, period.

News Credits: 609 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:23 am

Diem wrote:
Razorclaw0000 wrote:My biggest hope is for Music Label Soundwave and Device Label Blaster, without the electronics.
Or hey, DL Blaster, period.

I really would *never* use him as a USB Hub, so that's just a waste of money for me. But the mold is awesome and has the "Classics" aesthetic, so I really want to seem him come over here without the hardware.

News Credits: 217 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:50 am

Razorclaw0000 wrote:
Diem wrote:
Razorclaw0000 wrote:My biggest hope is for Music Label Soundwave and Device Label Blaster, without the electronics.
Or hey, DL Blaster, period.

I really would *never* use him as a USB Hub, so that's just a waste of money for me. But the mold is awesome and has the "Classics" aesthetic, so I really want to seem him come over here without the hardware.

Oh yeah, I'd like to see him in a cheaper device-free form, but fsiling that, I'd like to see him in DL form. it's such a shame he got cancelled.

News Credits: 23 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 10:42 am

I loooove my G1 updates. Love em. But I wouldn't mind seeing some updates versions from other TF lines.

I'm hoping for an updated versions of Armada Starscream, and Armada Megatron (he's close to great, but I'd like some knees).

Slight tweeking for the RiD car brothers. They are good already, but I'd wouldn't mind seeing slight updates.

As for G1 updated, howabout an Overlord? I wouldn't mind seeing Thunderwing being used and recolored from Energon Megs mold.

News Credits: 9 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:14 am

Razorclaw0000 wrote:My biggest hope is for Music Label Soundwave and Device Label Blaster, without the electronics.

Well that would piss me off as I already have ML Soundwave!

I want the rest of the dinobots and the insecticons. And I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I want a brand new combiner team with all-unique robot modes.

News Credits: 129 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:24 am

I just want to be 'wowed'. I am afraid we're going to start seeing some slight redecos as repacks of older Classics figures.

I would really like to see the likes of Tracks, Trailbreaker, Jazz, and Gears tackled finally.

I don't want to see stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid policies like REALISTIC COLORINGS over-ride core character traits and colors. I am looking at you Powerglide.

I don't want to see BS cost cutting measures now that the price hike on figures is really in true effect. For 33% more price on deluxe figures (at 13 instead of 10), I don't want an Ironhide with junk plastic and horrible paint apps. I don't want a Ratchet with pink-ish red parts and horrible paint apps. I don't want a Hound Lime Green edition. I don't want Dinobot in some idiotic purple and yellow color scheme with doo-doo brown skin.

I don't want to have to import figures to achieve what should be a baseline standard of quality or representation.

I used to be such a nice guy...but damn. Thinking back on some of this stuff and the hoops I had to jump through to justify some of these things in my mind at the time...

Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:36 am

Counterpunch wrote:I would really like to see the likes of Tracks, Trailbreaker, Jazz, and Gears tackled finally.

Oh man, I would love to see Tracks out there. He was great in G1, and the 'Vette is a current car they could use. Perfect.

They could do a Trailbreaker mold and then add the tow hook up and repaint him as Hoist.

Since G1, this is my favorite line of TF's out there. I am getting all giddy just thinking about it.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:38 am

I totally agree with CP and let's hear it for a Universe Trailbreaker!

News Credits: 2 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 12:04 pm

Too see Jazz, Hoist and Trailbreaker would be totally awesome in the 3.0 line, but i would like see Hasbro redo or remake Galvatron, but as a voyager class figure and they can do the tank mode again or his cannon would be better with a LED in the cannon would be really cool, but it doesnt have too, just voicing out about it.

The Stunticons would be cool to add to the 3.0 line as well or a remake of updated version of the constructicons!!!

News Credits: 3 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:07 pm

Wheeljack, Jazz, & Blitzwing, please.

News Credits: 5 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:24 pm

Honestly, I expect to be underwhelmed at the re-paint choices (Universe Blaster, Dropshot, Heavy Load) and annoyed at the new mold that has some glaring ommission/defect (Ironhide/Ratchet, Cheetor, Hotshot)

What I want is some great new molds of Classic characters (Hound, Cyclonus) and some repaints of some of the less used molds (Rodimus, Inferno)

New cassetts and other new molds would be nice. I have ML Soundwave, but I would be cool with them releasing it as a deluxe sans electronics, and I really want DL Blaster.

Tue Dec 01, 2009 1:52 pm

I think they had mentioned Rhinox in one of the interviews. A new Tigatron would be cool too, the sleek body of a cheetah doesn't lend to the bulky one of a tiger, so I dont want to see a repaint.

A wreck-gar that can, while in robot mode, ride a 2nd wreck-gar that's in motorcycle mode would be great. They could repaint wreck-gar to just a generic junkion.

News Credits: 9 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 2:29 pm

I have a feeling we'll get a a few G1 characters yet to see a classics release. i'm thinking:
Wheeljack
Grapple
Tracks
Jazz
Trailbreaker
Shockwave
Reflector
Sunstorm

Hopefully a combiner team each, I would love another Superion, To balence things out it should be a Stunticon and Protectibot set.

from other lines
Rattrap
Trantulas
Sky-Byte
Rail team

But that's just off the top of my head.

News Credits: 129 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:03 pm

So, am I the only one who is kind of salty about how Universe 2.0 played out?

News Credits: 9 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:38 pm

Counterpunch wrote:So, am I the only one who is kind of salty about how Universe 2.0 played out?

Salty? if you mean disappointment in the line petering out into repaints rather than the original Classics intent of giving us updates and/or revisions, than yes. I would have perfered to see less releases if it had meant we saw more original molds.

I also would have perfered to have seen Inferno at least once around these parts instead of the endless Blades, Blasters and a few others that clogged shelves.

News Credits: 129 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:50 pm

Editor wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:So, am I the only one who is kind of salty about how Universe 2.0 played out?

Salty? if you mean disappointment in the line petering out into repaints rather than the original Classics intent of giving us updates and/or revisions, than yes. I would have perfered to see less releases if it had meant we saw more original molds.

I also would have perfered to have seen Inferno at least once around these parts instead of the endless Blades, Blasters and a few others that clogged shelves.

So, compared to what the Japanese got with the Henkei releases for Ironhide, Ratchet, Hot Shot, Dinobot, Hound, and Smokescreen you were satisfied?

Maybe it's just me. I bought one of each because I'm compulsive, but the differences with side-by-side comparisons are drastic.

News Credits: 14 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:59 pm

Rattrap is a great candidate for a Universe remake/upgrade figure. He hasn't had any love since the 1-0th anniversary BW line and evfne then it was his Transmetal self not his Original season 1 self.

Some the other G1 Cars that haven't had acknowledgments lately are good candidates too. I'd love to see some stunticons. Maybe one or 2 Headmaster homages would be nice. I'd totally kill for a Micromaster base.

Realistically, I think Hoist/Trailbreaker stand a decent chance.

As to how it played out. I think we got a small amount of good new molds, and the inevitable repaints. There's no way to avoid the repaints that's just a fact.

Distribution could have been better, but other than that I think the offerings were good.
I really think some of the repaints like the Ratbat vs Springer, and Dirge vs Roadbuster were nicely made.

The only defect was making them store exclusives.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 5:09 pm

Counterpunch wrote:
Editor wrote:
Counterpunch wrote:So, am I the only one who is kind of salty about how Universe 2.0 played out?

Salty? if you mean disappointment in the line petering out into repaints rather than the original Classics intent of giving us updates and/or revisions, than yes. I would have perfered to see less releases if it had meant we saw more original molds.

I also would have perfered to have seen Inferno at least once around these parts instead of the endless Blades, Blasters and a few others that clogged shelves.

So, compared to what the Japanese got with the Henkei releases for Ironhide, Ratchet, Hot Shot, Dinobot, Hound, and Smokescreen you were satisfied?

Maybe it's just me. I bought one of each because I'm compulsive, but the differences with side-by-side comparisons are drastic.

I'm nowhere near as experienced as a collector as you guys but I personally prefer the Henkei versions of most of the figures. I wouldn't say I got salty, hehe, over it but I definitely thought that, aside from the love affair with chrome, Henkei offered better looking colours and colour schemes for the most part. I got into collecting late so I could only get Henkei Ratchet and Convoy at good prices. Everything else was either not available or selling at super high prices.

News Credits: 11 · Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:29 pm

Counterpunch wrote:So, am I the only one who is kind of salty about how Universe 2.0 played out?

Nope, same here, I ended up collecting half Henkei and half Universe, because some of the Universe versions were just plain fugly, even without ridiculous chrome.

And I especially agree with this next bit...

Counterpunch wrote:I don't want to see stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid policies like REALISTIC COLORINGS over-ride core character traits and colors. I am looking at you Powerglide.

I don't want to see BS cost cutting measures now that the price hike on figures is really in true effect. For 33% more price on deluxe figures (at 13 instead of 10), I don't want an Ironhide with junk plastic and horrible paint apps. I don't want a Ratchet with pink-ish red parts and horrible paint apps. I don't want a Hound Lime Green edition. I don't want Dinobot in some idiotic purple and yellow color scheme with doo-doo brown skin.

I don't want to have to import figures to achieve what should be a baseline standard of quality or representation.

I used to be such a nice guy...but damn. Thinking back on some of this stuff and the hoops I had to jump through to justify some of these things in my mind at the time...

Haha, you always say "I used to be such a nice guy...", but it is kind of hard to be that way when we keep getting lackluster versions figures that SHOULD be no-brainers.

Realistic color schemes? Classics is supposed to be updates of old characters, for god's sake, leave the 'realism' to the movie line.

And since they're so damn good at perfectly recreating actual G1 figures, how hard can it be for them to get the freakin' colors right? I sometimes feels like they do the first mix and go "Whelp....good enough, start pouring boys!". Or it's some sort of bizarre HasTak conspiracy, but I don't think they're that crazy.

Anyway...yeah, more quality in general would be good. Along with:

Kibble wrote:Wheeljack, Jazz, & Blitzwing, please.

And Tracks. Maybe an honest-to-goodness G1-styled Arcee. Hell, I wouldn't mind Kup either. And Springer, who hasn't gotten version that did him justice since the original.

Now this is pure fairies and rainbows, but if they do another combiner, how about Predaking? I could certainly get behind that. And I'd wet myself if they announced an actual real updated G1 Star Saber. Sixshot too!

Tue Dec 01, 2009 6:59 pm

i want to see:
blitzwing
jazz
wheeljack
shockwave
trailbreaker
drift
bludgeon
arcee(like that will happen)
sunstorm
the other dinobots
springer
wreakgar
and thats it! if those came out i would be happy! please hasbro! PLEASE! MAKE JAZZ AND BLITZWING! I AM BEGGING YOU!