The Energon Pub

Bumblebee
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETR ... om=/search

Gears
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETR ... om=/search

Not only do we have the Naruto reveal to day but Walmart also revealed their new subline which has Generations toys in a retro packaging with colors and some tooling based on their G1 toys. The two they revealed are Bumblebee and Gears. Gears is the Legacy toy that we just got with a new toy accurate head while Bumblebee is a rerelease of the Walmart exclusive Netflix toy which keeps that head as this toy so that both can match the looks of the G1 toys Walmart released in 2018.

Preorders are available in the links below:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETR ... om=/search

https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETR ... om=/search

That Bumblebee is actually really cool! Like it much more than the 86 one. I don’t collect G1 stuff anymore but I might have to get this

EvasionModeBumblebee wrote:That Bumblebee is actually really cool! Like it much more than the 86 one. I don’t collect G1 stuff anymore but I might have to get this

I have both that mold and the 86 mold and between the two I preffer this one. The 86 has terrible tolerance in alt mode, it just doesn't stay together

I'm glad people will be able to get this version of Bee, but no battle mask? Not even a separate head? When it has 86 Bee to compete with?

Well, it's not for me anyway (already have the first release).

I half-expected Bee to be masked up but it still looks good

Oh my.

Oh my my my my my.

Those look good. Like, really good.

And I'm usually a stickler for show-accuracy.

Can… can we stick with this packaging style? Please? A plastic bubble and a cardboard flat? Like the old days?

I love that they gave Bumbleebee a tiny Penny Racers thruster on his license plate

Well there you go, that explains the weird Brawn and Seaspray listings.

Bumblebee looks good but I ADORE that Gears! Kinda wish Bumblebee had his battlemask face but I can live with it! And the packaging is sublime!

~ Grim

Look at all that plastic packaging! (clutches pearls) What would Greta Thunberg say?? (reels to fainting couch)

DeathReviews wrote:Look at all that plastic packaging! (clutches pearls) What would Greta Thunberg say?? (reels to fainting couch)

wondering when toys stores will be invaded and have soup thrown on the toys. Partly because i dont mind buying discounted toys that smell of soup.

these look great and def worth keeping in their packaging

Love these. Missed BB. Will buy!

Cool as this looks, I already splurged on that Bee mold, and Gears' toy faceplate is strangely making me want a toy of his design in the infamous roll-call splash page of TF#1, with the "Y" mask (later sported by Sideswipe) and zig-zag midriff (later sported by Elita-1).

Has any 3P ever done that one? Proto-Cogwheel?

Nice to see Ark crew members get the same treatment as those Classified Joe exclusives, but I'll pass unless I catch them on clearance.

Man, I absolutely love these! The figures and the cards are so nice looking. Ended up ordering two of each, one to open, open to display MOC. Just have to hope Walmart ships them in proper sized boxes and they don't get mangled. Probably wishful thinking, I know.

Nemesis Primal wrote:Well there you go, that explains the weird Brawn and Seaspray listings.

yeah, though where or "what" Seaspray comes from remains a mystery. I'm thinking a heavy Cosmos retool since their arms and feet end up in basically the same place, but ideally it would be another new mold.

Emerje

Gauntlet101010 wrote:I'm glad people will be able to get this version of Bee, but no battle mask? Not even a separate head? When it has 86 Bee to compete with?

Well, it's not for me anyway (already have the first release).

I don't understand why this Bumblebee doesn't have the proper head for that packaging, especially since Gears does. It's really weird. If Gears had his normal non-toy head, I'd give Bumblebee a pass but since they gave Gears the right head, it just really makes Bumblebee not seem right.

Seibertron wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:I'm glad people will be able to get this version of Bee, but no battle mask? Not even a separate head? When it has 86 Bee to compete with?

Well, it's not for me anyway (already have the first release).

I don't understand why this Bumblebee doesn't have the proper head for that packaging, especially since Gears does. It's really weird. If Gears had his normal non-toy head, I'd give Bumblebee a pass but since they gave Gears the right head, it just really makes Bumblebee not seem right.

The running theory is that the head was kept the same as a sort of "apology" or "second chance" for those who missed out on Netflix Bumblebee. Which, if that is the case, kinda makes this a rather lukewarm attempt since Hasbro would be trying have their cake and eat it too by trying to appeal both to toy-accuracy fans and those who wanted Netflix Bumblebee, instead of just giving the full effort of toy-accuracy like they did for Gears.

As usual I find out about this to late and sold out! lol
Hopefully it won't be the same scenario as Cosmos and I can locate Bee once it ships.

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:I'm glad people will be able to get this version of Bee, but no battle mask? Not even a separate head? When it has 86 Bee to compete with?

Well, it's not for me anyway (already have the first release).

I don't understand why this Bumblebee doesn't have the proper head for that packaging, especially since Gears does. It's really weird. If Gears had his normal non-toy head, I'd give Bumblebee a pass but since they gave Gears the right head, it just really makes Bumblebee not seem right.

The running theory is that the head was kept the same as a sort of "apology" or "second chance" for those who missed out on Netflix Bumblebee. Which, if that is the case, kinda makes this a rather lukewarm attempt since Hasbro would be trying have their cake and eat it too by trying to appeal both to toy-accuracy fans and those who wanted Netflix Bumblebee, instead of just giving the full effort of toy-accuracy like they did for Gears.

Seems like it should just be two different releases at that point, but the "toy accurate" Bumblebee should have the mask. If they want to release the other version, that's fine, then do that. It's Bumblebee. I'm sure there's plenty of room for both figures to be made. As it is, I'm not a fan of the decision they made. I really have always liked both heads for Bumblebee. If you're doing a toy homaged line with modern figures, then it should have the toy head. Seems like someone did too much thinking about this and ended up making the wrong choice.

Or simpler answer ... there was never a battle mask toy head made for this mold and it's just not in the budget. But we all know that's a BS answer to "we just didn't feel like doing this" properly.

Seibertron wrote:Or simpler answer ... there was never a battle mask toy head made for this mold and it's just not in the budget. But we all know that's a BS answer to "we just didn't feel like doing this" properly.

There is the Goldbug head. That might have been preferable:

Sabrblade wrote:

Seibertron wrote:Or simpler answer ... there was never a battle mask toy head made for this mold and it's just not in the budget. But we all know that's a BS answer to "we just didn't feel like doing this" properly.

There is the Goldbug head. That might have been preferable:

That's Goldbug's head. It's very distinct amd very different from the toy Bumblebee battle mask head. I'd be just as irked if they had tried to pass that off as the battle mask as I am about the cartoon head.

Seibertron wrote:That's Goldbug's head. It's very distinct amd very different from the toy Bumblebee battle mask head. I'd be just as irked if they had tried to pass that off as the battle mask as I am about the cartoon head.

Fair enough. Others I've read would have preferred the Goldbug head over no battle mask at all simply because Goldbug's head is a battle-masked face of its own.

It's also possible they went with basing it on the last Bumblebee reissue.



Wish he had the blue eyes.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:It's also possible they went with basing it on the last Bumblebee reissue.



Wish he had the blue eyes.

Emerje

I'm sure that's the reason but it's still BS. The Walmart G1 reissue Bumblebee should've had the mask as well. I'm good with the G1 mold having the cartoon head, but then they ought to spend a few bucks to modify the original artwork to give him a g1-cartoon-toy-head in the artwork in the original G1 style.

If they want to replicate the G1 toy look, it should have the damn G1 toy head. If they're going to use G1 artwork, they should at least update it to have the head that matches the toy but done in the G1 style. Just make it right and consistent. That's all I'm asking for. If you want to fudge things and pretend that Bumblebee has always had a G1 cartoon head since the 80s, that's fine, but at least make the artwork match instead of this half assed crap.

Perfect solution would have been to include both heads. Maybe it's like you were saying before and they simply didn't include the G1 toy head in the mold, but then I would have to ask if it's reasonable to believe that the same crew that put a Galaxy Shuttle head in the Astrotrain mold would do that?

Emerje