The Energon Pub

So I came across the train Prime...wait it combines with what??? Eww hate the legs! Wait, they combine with what? Can there be some beefier legs for prime? dagnabit...Ooooh, he looks awesome!

Optimus ExPrime serves as the torso of both Samurai and Ninja combiners. Looks great in the anime but doesn't quite look as good in practical sense. Oh, I have all three sets and I love 'em despite of this.

To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

Think Hasbro could have done a Beast Wars Magnaboss update toy using the GO Ninja team.

Tsutsukakushi wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

Think Hasbro could have done a Beast Wars Magnaboss update toy using the GO Ninja team.

This line was overlooked by Hasbro for several reasons:

1) The series was really Japanese. I mean REALLY Japanese. The Samurai and Ninja Teams were Japanese enough as it is, but aside from Predaking and Legions, the Predacons got new head sculpts based on Japanese oni, complete with horns and a face-like headdress. Kinda similar to the oni from Kamen Rider Hibiki.

2) Aside from the reused molds (the Beast Hunters Deluxes and Voyagers, and Beast Fire Predaking), the toys' price points would have been a problem. TakaraTomy's prices are much more flexible compared to Hasbro's rigid Classes, and considering three of them (Kenzan, Gekisoumaru and Optimus Exprime) had electronics complete with spoken phrases (which would need translating), the toys would have been hard to fit release- and price-wise.

3) Transformer GO! was written during the production of the regular Prime series, outside of Hasbro's influence. TakaraTomy planned it all the way which explains some of the decisions made. Plus, the only cartoon the line got was released via DVD's packed in with magazines (Televi-Kun and TV Magazine).

So yeah, as much as I'd like to see Hasbro try, I wouldn't count on them being released state-side.

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

If you have Amazon Prime, prepare your wallet for extermination: Many Go! toys are really cheap there

ScottyP wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

If you have Amazon Prime, prepare your wallet for extermination: Many Go! toys are really cheap there

Pretty much! I bought the line...but on that same token sold several high profit items on Amazon. Our rule of thumb is profits online are not house budget, so my wallet didn't take the hit.

I think I'm going to display them with MP Star Saber as the seem to have the same inspired designs...or the combiner display, haven't decided.

ScottyP wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

If you have Amazon Prime, prepare your wallet for extermination: Many Go! toys are really cheap there

On the topic of "GO!", a friend of mine was in Japan this summer and he bought me Senseimaru (the purple shark dude). Is the rest of his combiner team worth getting?

ThatOneMoose wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

If you have Amazon Prime, prepare your wallet for extermination: Many Go! toys are really cheap there

On the topic of "GO!", a friend of mine was in Japan this summer and he bought me Senseimaru (the purple shark dude). Is the rest of his combiner team worth getting?

If you liked the shark, then yes. The Lion is just so-so, the phoenix is pretty cool, and the combined mode is actually pretty good. Much better combiner than the Samurai team, about on par with them when considering quality of the individuals.

ThatOneMoose wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

If you have Amazon Prime, prepare your wallet for extermination: Many Go! toys are really cheap there

On the topic of "GO!", a friend of mine was in Japan this summer and he bought me Senseimaru (the purple shark dude). Is the rest of his combiner team worth getting?

$70 total for a Japan exclusive (and looks to remain that way) triple changing combiner with electronic lights and sound is a no brainier to me.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Tsutsukakushi wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

Think Hasbro could have done a Beast Wars Magnaboss update toy using the GO Ninja team.

This line was overlooked by Hasbro for several reasons:

1) The series was really Japanese. I mean REALLY Japanese. The Samurai and Ninja Teams were Japanese enough as it is, but aside from Predaking and Legions, the Predacons got new head sculpts based on Japanese oni, complete with horns and a face-like headdress. Kinda similar to the oni from Kamen Rider Hibiki.

2) Aside from the reused molds (the Beast Hunters Deluxes and Voyagers, and Beast Fire Predaking), the toys' price points would have been a problem. TakaraTomy's prices are much more flexible compared to Hasbro's rigid Classes, and considering three of them (Kenzan, Gekisoumaru and Optimus Exprime) had electronics complete with spoken phrases (which would need translating), the toys would have been hard to fit release- and price-wise.

3) Transformer GO! was written during the production of the regular Prime series, outside of Hasbro's influence. TakaraTomy planned it all the way which explains some of the decisions made. Plus, the only cartoon the line got was released via DVD's packed in with magazines (Televi-Kun and TV Magazine).

So yeah, as much as I'd like to see Hasbro try, I wouldn't count on them being released state-side.

Aaaaand because of this post I am downloading the Go! fansubs from TV-Nihon as we speak.

And they arrived today!

SkyWarpt wrote:

ThatOneMoose wrote:

ScottyP wrote:

SkyWarpt wrote:To be honest, I like the combined forms of Samurai and Ninja teams more than the OP combining. Still got OP on good measure though Was this line slept on? IMO this should've been the grand finale of the Thrilling 30.

If you have Amazon Prime, prepare your wallet for extermination: Many Go! toys are really cheap there

On the topic of "GO!", a friend of mine was in Japan this summer and he bought me Senseimaru (the purple shark dude). Is the rest of his combiner team worth getting?

$70 total for a Japan exclusive (and looks to remain that way) triple changing combiner with electronic lights and sound is a no brainier to me.

The ninja team is awesome, but I prefer the samurai team. Really cool stuff regardless and I definitely recommend collecting all teams. My lion came in without instructions, all of these were supposed to be New, but his tape had been cut. Amazon refunded and are sending me (hopefully) a "new" one, and I'll be shipping one back. Great customer service though, kudos to Amazon!

"Oh Yeah, that's how he's displayed"

Still loving these guys! For anyone thinking of purchasing, the quality brings back memories of Cybertron. I still think the Ninja Team has better lights and sounds, but the Samurai Team has become my favorite of the 2 teams for the display factor. As far as alt modes go, the police car is my favorite. I'm a big fan of the Lion and fire truck, and I get nervous transforming the bird. I love the shark's design but I wish it weren't a brick. The jet sucks. I never display them in bot modes because they all remind me of Steve Urkel.

In case you didn't know, I collect Optimus Prime. EX Prime still gets displayed without combining. There is a small QC issue with Prime. The button for lights and sounds doesn't work in bullet train mode. I can hit the button from underneath but it would be nice if it worked properly. If anyone has suggestions they would be greatly appreciated. Even withe the QC issue, he's one of my favorite Primes...bullet trains ROCK!!!

That configuration rocks!