The Energon Pub

Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:16 am

just wondering if anyone choose's TF's based on the vehicle form. or if anyone trys to display them in vehicle form. for one reason or another, I tend to buy TF's based on their vehicle form,

for example, I bought I bought generations redalert for his lamborgini stlye vehicle form.

I was also thnking it would be cool to try to guess what real vehicles each TF is based after, excluding the ones from the movies, becuase they are real vehicles.

I think I'll do a little research on the vehicles of various non-movie TF's to see what they most resemble. if anyone would like to try this too, then peraphs they could put a list of their TF's and what real vehicles they seem to be based on.

Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:17 am

To be totally, utterly, and completely honest... the only TF I chose because of its alt mode (you can't just say "vehicle form", too many don't turn into vehicles) was...

Wait for it...

ROTF Ejector.

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... ctor/1837/

News Credits: 60 · Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:29 am

Pardon my ignorance.........I thought it was just a joke but an actual toaster?

Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:43 am

come to thgink of it... i did want to get ejector, but i never did. not sure why I never bought that one.

News Credits: 26 · Wed Feb 29, 2012 10:49 am

The only transformers I bought for the vehicle modes were the Wreckers from the last movie otherwise if they had been normal cars I would of passed

Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:31 am

Wheeljack35 wrote:The only transformers I bought for the vehicle modes were the Wreckers from the last movie otherwise if they had been normal cars I would of passed

Totally agree here. I'm not a NASCAR fan, but my dad is, and seeing as how he's a big red neck and yet DOESN'T give me crap about collecting Transformers (he actually thinks they're pretty cool, especially the Alternators line), I knew he'd get a kick outta them.

I had to laugh, because his comment on seeing Deluxe Roadbuster was "Well huh. I guess if Dale Jr. actually drove this thing he might win a race or two." LOL, true dat, pop.

There are a few characters here and there other than the movie Wreckers that I buy simply because I like their alt mode. I don't think I'd have bought DotM Leader Sentinel Prime (or rather asked for it for V-Day) if I didn't think his alt mode was so awesome. DotM Specialist Ratchet is another example.

News Credits: 2 · Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:16 pm

fenrir72 wrote::BOWDOWN:

Pardon my ignorance.........I thought it was just a joke but an actual toaster?

Yeah, Toaster-bot! :))

The 2 that come to my mind is Tidalwave/Shockwave (awesome purple colors) and Prime Vehicon. :VEHI:

News Credits: 7 · Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:46 pm

Alt mode is a major deciding factor. Always on the lookout for dinosaurs, monsters, vintage, construction, or just plain unusual (i.e. Ejector or the Fuzors). I don't get everything that has those particular alts, mind you --there are some "restrictions" I hold-- but I'll usually at least strongly consider any of those bots.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Feb 29, 2012 12:51 pm

There's a couple. Ejector of course, being one. Also Scalpel and Barricade in a big way. Hell, I'd get almost any version of movie Barricade for that nice vehicle mode.

I'm also REALLY tempted by Takara's MP Roddy, again, mostly for the vehicle mode. But there it's also to have the complete figure.

Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:08 pm

I'm a robot-mode kinda guy, but I've found that I'm a sucker for helicopter altmodes. Especially PCC Searchlight (which is actually what got me back into the Transformers habit), dotm Skyhammer (want him so bad D: ), and dotm HA Whirl (also because he is incredibly reminiscent of Gyroman).

Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:07 pm

When I was a kid, I wanted the Dinobots for their alt modes. I think I cared about alt modes a lot more when I was a kid, when I'd actually play with them. I loved the futurist alt modes of the '86 line on up, especially beast modes of characters like the Terrorcons, Predacons, Seacons, and the Decepticon Headmasters. I remember a few of my friends stopped caring about TFs after the movie, though, because they wanted figures that turned into real vehicle models, with metal parts and rubber tires. Didn't bother me a bit, but still, I know for a fact that Transformers lost a few customers due to the change in style for the line (let alone no more Optimus Prime and the rest of the familiar cast).

As an adult, I display almost all of mine in robot mode, unless the robot mode sucks and the alt mode isn't as sucky. I only collect the movie line (it's all I can afford), but it really gets under my skin when Has/Tak couldn't get the liscense for the vehicle make and model and have to do some approximation, ie Sideways and Mixmaster, which is weird because I only display them in 'bot mode anyways. Still, it's just the idea, just knowing they don't turn into the "real thing" that bugs me.

News Credits: 101 · Wed Feb 29, 2012 9:43 pm

HftD scout Hubcap. His robot mode is just standard fare, but what sold me over is his very fun and awesome 1930's roadster look.

News Credits: 9 · Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:34 am

Valandar wrote:To be totally, utterly, and completely honest... the only TF I chose because of its alt mode (you can't just say "vehicle form", too many don't turn into vehicles) was...

Wait for it...

ROTF Ejector.
http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... ctor/1837/

I was going to agree but then I remembered how crazily ugly his li'l robot mode is! He's just so great in both modes!

I don't buy figures solely for the alt mode but it is a consideration. I wouldn't have bought DotM Soundwave if he wasn't in the film and I've mostly not bothered with 'alien' designs because they don't seem as clever as earth modes. Making a robot turn into something that would actually fit in amongst other vehicles at, say, a supermarket car park is much cleverer than designing a robot that folds into a random spikey thing.

AS for the display, it changes. Figures do get displayed in alt mode at times. They're Transformers - they can be displayed in so many ways and alt mode is one of them.

News Credits: 7 · Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:51 am

I used to hate any Transformers alt modes that weren't realistic vehicles. Back in 1984, I wasn't really in touch with any TF fiction, just with the toys, and to me, the alt mode was always more important than the 'secondary' robot mode. Loved the Diaclone based designs but, like Dean ML's friends, I hated the way designs went after Transformers The Movie, with the likes of Hot Rod, UM and Kup.

I stopped asking for TF's then, and moved more to MASK, still often looking at the Transformers they were selling in teh years after, and just loathing the unrealistic alt-modes and the weird colors.

Nowadays, I've grown to love those wonderful chunky blocks of colorful plastic, like the Headmasters... although the love is often based more on character than on alt-mode (and I still think Chromedome is one UGLY car).

With modern TF's, the alt modes are usually pretty nice anyway. hen again I will never like or buy 'alt modes' like RotF The Fallen or the Megatron from the first two Bay movies, or just badly configured out alt-modes like RotF Jetfire.

Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:19 am

I prefer to keep most my tfs in robot mode but there are some I like the alt form of and keep em more in alt than robot. At the moment only have my movie-verse set out due to space.

Tomahawk - Probably the best aircraft/chopper there is ( prefer him vs skyhammer )

Shockwave/Thunderhead/Mindset - I've always loved cannons and weapon platforms so they both kinda fit in to that theme.

Oilpan/Sonar - Nice little scouts with flawless alt forms.

Sometimes I like to display my military tfs in their alts aswell.

Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:50 am

-Kanrabat- wrote:HftD scout Hubcap. His robot mode is just standard fare, but what sold me over is his very fun and awesome 1930's roadster look.

thanks for that link, never seen this reviewer before and he's hilarious

News Credits: 101 · Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:36 pm

Rushie wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:HftD scout Hubcap. His robot mode is just standard fare, but what sold me over is his very fun and awesome 1930's roadster look.

thanks for that link, never seen this reviewer before and he's hilarious

Everybody love Thew! Check out his other videos. They are all short, funny, and to the point. One thing I also like about him is he review old figures too.
(Changing the video in the quote for another one I like)

News Credits: 7 · Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:56 pm

I really don't like transformers that turn into everyday cars... they are just plain boring, and the robot mode has to be a major character with cool personality to convince me to buy it. I mainly collect robotic animals (dinobots, transmetals, and stuff) - they are a happy change compared to todays lineup.

Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:18 am

It plays a big part sometimes - I love Movie Longarm, he's always gonna stay a tow truck. Love muscle cars Lockdown and Cliffjumper, but they are awesome 'bots to, so I transform and play with them a lot

ROTF Sideswipe - I didn't love his robot mode, but when I transformed him to pack him up and return him, I didn't have the heart - now he's just this beautiful corvette with shiny silver paint that we'll probably never see on any transformer ever again.

I wanted Tomahawk, but never sprang for him because his head weirded me out - but now I'm sad I don't have him

News Credits: 2 · Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:51 am

Beast Machines Megatron. Bought it because of the dragon mode (not vehicle mode).

Alternator kitty Ravage. I love that car.

60% of the reason I bought HA figures because of their awesome vehicle mode. I only owned Bee, Jazz, and Barricade. Still consider the other 40% though and that's why I didn't pick up HA Sideswipe.