The Energon Pub

BBTS preorder up.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TOW10004&mode=retail

Thread title updated. TW calls this Trace.

So it is Chase. Awesome!

Disappointed that I'm going to have to wait until October though...

Mkall wrote:So it is Chase. Awesome!

Disappointed that I'm going to have to wait until October though...

My Birthday is in October so I can wait. More time to prepare for Igear and MMC stuff thats gonna hit our credit cards in the next few months.

Rated X wrote:More time to prepare for Igear and MMC stuff thats gonna hit our credit cards in the next few months.

I'm a fan of Grind Rod but haven't picked up Aurora yet. Maybe by the time Trace comes out I'll be able to catch up. Trace does look really nice, but kinda gives me an Alternators/Binaltech Optimus vibe because of the way the chest and color scheme is. His alt mode is super nice!

ZenPrime wrote:BBTS preorder up.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TOW10004&mode=retail

Preordered! If he's 2/3rd as good as what we've gotten so far, I'll love it! I don't even care that this is an apparent gestalt!

Pre-order is in. Hopefully the last three guys will have more varied alt modes.

Love the mold the colours however are a turn off especially that blue.

Got him. Three down, three to go, right?

Preordered, this is one of the ones I've been really anxious for !

For UK collectors/Kapow users, Andy has this to say:

It is with regret that we will no longer be stocking or offering coverage of any upcoming Toyworld products due to the poor level of service and communications offered at wholesale level, if you currently have Aurora or Hardbone still on pre-order please contact us with regard to what you would like to do, we will be able to source these products for you but a full refund is also available, please accept our apologies but sadly Toyworld seem to have little to no interest in dealing with the European market. Kind regards, Andy

Looking good, hope he ships soon!

I've cancelled my pre-order, and depending on how the last three figures turn out I may also end up selling Grind Rod and Aurora.

The fact is I feel cheated by ToyWorld. Grind Rod and Aurora were pretty much perfect. They look like Throttlebots. They display the design traits of what I think makes a Throttlebot; the wheels are well hidden in robot mode, the front of the vehicle forms the feet, the windscreen is on the chest, and they've got hoods/backpack/behind head shield (whatever you want to call it). Trace has only got the 'hood', barely. I don't look at his robot mode and instantly think 'Throttlebot', and I bet they're sacrifices that have come from this set's unnecessary combining gimmick.

And the colours are off.

Yeah, I'm a little annoyed.

Sodan-1 wrote:I've cancelled my pre-order, and depending on how the last three figures turn out I may also end up selling Grind Rod and Aurora.

The fact is I feel cheated by ToyWorld. Grind Rod and Aurora were pretty much perfect. They look like Throttlebots. They display the design traits of what I think makes a Throttlebot; the wheels are well hidden in robot mode, the front of the vehicle forms the feet, the windscreen is on the chest, and they've got hoods/backpack/behind head shield (whatever you want to call it). Trace has only got the 'hood', barely. I don't look at his robot mode and instantly think 'Throttlebot', and I bet they're sacrifices that have come from this set's unnecessary combining gimmick.

And the colours are off.

Yeah, I'm a little annoyed.

I agree with you that the combining gimmick may be taking away from the G1 goodness of this set. Making Searchlight an SUV just so he can be a foot was annoying and now another Knockout style chest similar to FP Dead End. But they still look pretty good in my opinion. Im not crazy about the non G1 aesthetics of Hasbro Skids or "Trailcutter" either, but people are screaming "NEO" right ? So think of these as NEO Throttlebots that form the combiner that they probally should have formed 25 years ago instead of the silly push back and roll gimmick for babies. Just my opinion...

Rated X wrote:So think of these as NEO Throttlebots that form the combiner that they probally should have formed 25 years ago instead of the silly push back and roll gimmick for babies.

That is something I cannot do. Trace is far too generic. Were they ever actually meant to combine? I mean, a pull-back gimmick seems pretty apt for a team called the Throttlebots.

Awesome!

This looks mighty fine and I for one cant wait to add him to my collection as my Neo-Classics Throttlebot Chase alongside Grindrod/Rollbar and Aurora/Searchlight (which has just recently arrived thanks to Tony @ Chimungmung.com)!

Whilst typing this, an email just popped up on my phone regarding Toyworlds Orion/Optimus Prime, so Im hoping hes about to ship soon too?

Sodan-1 wrote:

Rated X wrote:So think of these as NEO Throttlebots that form the combiner that they probally should have formed 25 years ago instead of the silly push back and roll gimmick for babies.

That is something I cannot do. Trace is far too generic. Were they ever actually meant to combine? I mean, a pull-back gimmick seems pretty apt for a team called the Throttlebots.

I was never a fan of any of the gimmicks geared towards toddlers. Push Back throttlebots, jumping Jumpstarters, Spark shooting Firecons, etc. All these gimmicks just took away from what the original G1 toys could have been. Did the Throttlebots need a "push back" gimmick any more than any other Autobot toy did ? I think not. Toywise, the Throttlebots were 1987's Fast Action Battlers, Bot Shots, Rescue Bots, etc. But what might the Throttlebots have been if they werent part of the "ages 3 and under" line ? This could very well be it. Did you like the Mech Ideas Jumpstarters ? I wasnt crazy about the drills on Twin Twist's shoulders, but I learned to accept it as moderate neo.

Rated X wrote:

Sodan-1 wrote:

Rated X wrote:So think of these as NEO Throttlebots that form the combiner that they probally should have formed 25 years ago instead of the silly push back and roll gimmick for babies.

That is something I cannot do. Trace is far too generic. Were they ever actually meant to combine? I mean, a pull-back gimmick seems pretty apt for a team called the Throttlebots.

I was never a fan of any of the gimmicks geared towards toddlers. Push Back throttlebots, jumping Jumpstarters, Spark shooting Firecons, etc. All these gimmicks just took away from what the original G1 toys could have been. Did the Throttlebots need a "push back" gimmick any more than any other Autobot toy did ? I think not. Toywise, the Throttlebots were 1987's Fast Action Battlers, Bot Shots, Rescue Bots, etc. But what might the Throttlebots have been if they werent part of the "ages 3 and under" line ? This could very well be it. Did you like the Mech Ideas Jumpstarters ? I wasnt crazy about the drills on Twin Twist's shoulders, but I learned to accept it as moderate neo.

I agree with you from a G1 toy stand point that the gimmicks such as the push-backs, sparks, and jumpstarters hurt the design and the transformation. However, their bios and IDW comic book explanation add to the characters.

Personally, I am happy with this particular figure. It's a nice design. The transformation is interesting and Toyworld's quality on the Throttlebots has been above average so far. Maybe I have gotten used to the idea that figures alt modes can change but the figure still embodies the same bot personality I have read about.

Rated X wrote:

Sodan-1 wrote:

Rated X wrote:So think of these as NEO Throttlebots that form the combiner that they probally should have formed 25 years ago instead of the silly push back and roll gimmick for babies.

That is something I cannot do. Trace is far too generic. Were they ever actually meant to combine? I mean, a pull-back gimmick seems pretty apt for a team called the Throttlebots.

I was never a fan of any of the gimmicks geared towards toddlers. Push Back throttlebots, jumping Jumpstarters, Spark shooting Firecons, etc. All these gimmicks just took away from what the original G1 toys could have been. Did the Throttlebots need a "push back" gimmick any more than any other Autobot toy did ? I think not. Toywise, the Throttlebots were 1987's Fast Action Battlers, Bot Shots, Rescue Bots, etc. But what might the Throttlebots have been if they werent part of the "ages 3 and under" line ? This could very well be it. Did you like the Mech Ideas Jumpstarters ? I wasnt crazy about the drills on Twin Twist's shoulders, but I learned to accept it as moderate neo.

You've got some good points there, I agree that I can always live without the damned gimmicks (this combining gimmick included).

I'm still getting this because I agree with your "Neo" point of view (you know this about me already ), but I was hoping for something closer to how they looked in the cartoon where they were just blocky bots colored based on their car modes etc., but I have the first two of these and I can't say they aren't epic figures so I'm sure in that regard this guy's gonna be a welcome addition to my Classics/Generations shelf.

Any new info on Trace? He's due out this month, correct?

Thanks for the photo update. Wonder if Toyworld plans to release info on combiner mode.

Nice to see him this far along. Hopefully we'll see him next month