Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

[Burn]

I think inferno is a missed opportunity to include heatwave and the other rescue bots in chug. It'd be cool to get those characters.

Now that's a damn good idea!

[Sabrblade]

Aw, was kind of hoping it would be Beast Wars Inferno before I saw the pictures. No glory for the colony today.

You haven't heard? John Warden considers Beast Wars "too obscure" for this brand.

No joke.

[ArmadaPrime]

Yeah, inferno is an odd one. Doesn't look bad, but I do get the feeling it was "hey, who can we use a fire engine for?". The idea of using it instead as fire convoy/rid prime and then having the torso homage omega prime would have been very neat, expecting some shapeways heads to show up for that purpose.

Elita looks sensational, I really hope they nail her buff look as much as it seems like they will. If anything, the odd proportions for starscream (a weedy, conniving figure) might better suit elita (a stone cold badass). The only question is, how long before I take an xacto or something to the side of her helmet? I was really hoping that if the combined form had the full head, her individual robot mode would have the iconic battle damage, but it seems like I'm outta luck there.

Finally, a definitely-very-serious-and-important-question: last time around we had HandFootGuns, or HFGs. What does that make these then? HandHeelspurArmours/HHAs? I'm clutching at straws here, someone help me out
(And yes, I think the colouration of dreadwind's is deliberately meant to evoke the powermaster rather than just a tacked on black blob. Perhaps also to allow integration to the combined jet and hence bulk it up a little?)

[Sodan-1]

I love how the bios for the Prime Masters tell us to "imagine" the powers at work. You just know if they didn't someone would try to sue Hasbro for selling a toy that can't actually control time.

[Sabrblade]

I get the feeling Inferno was made because he was yet another one of the 1984-1985 Autobot Cars that were being made into Combiners in CW. The TCC prose story "Lively Pursuit" strongly implied that Inferno was to have been the torso of one more Hasbro CW Combiner that never got released called Firestormer, whose limbs would have consisted of four other unreleased-at-retail-the-time 1984-1985 Autobot Cars: Hoist (CW Trailbreaker's pretool), Ratchet (who saw release only as the BotCon 2016 custom class figure), Bluestreak (who only saw release in the TFSS), and Sideswipe (a potential straight redeco of CW Breakdown).

That Inferno gets to see the light of day at all, let alone as a mass retail Hasbro release two-three years after the line he was developed for has ended, is a bit remarkable.

[Prowl4]

I think inferno is a missed opportunity to include heatwave and the other rescue bots in chug. It'd be cool to get those characters.

Now that's a damn good idea!

They would be a small bridge from rescue bot fans to chug fans then and they already are known through their tv series and IDW could certainly expand upon them. I'm just surprised hasbro don't see these angles rather than constantly reverting to characters not really seen since g1.

[Kurona]

No, see, you don't understand. Characters like Heatwave, Bulkhead and Cheetor are faaaar too obscure to put in Generations. Now Inferno? Wolfwire? Dreadwind? Everyone knows who they are.

[Munkky]

I love how the bios for the Prime Masters tell us to "imagine" the powers at work. You just know if they didn't someone would try to sue Hasbro for selling a toy that can't actually control time.

The "Imagine the Power!" aspect of the Prime Masters is a bit lame in my opinion. They'd be better if they were like Mini-Cons or Cyber Planet Keys where you plug it in to the main figure and it unlocks some flip-out weaponry. I'd have happily taken that over more Combiners.

[Munkky]

No, see, you don't understand. Characters like Heatwave, Bulkhead and Cheetor are faaaar too obscure to put in Generations. Now Inferno? Wolfwire? Dreadwind? Everyone knows who they are.

As far as I'm concerned, the "Too obscure" argument became invalid the second Lione and Shuffler happened. Speaking of which, where the Hell is Toraizer?

[Skritz]

No, see, you don't understand. Characters like Heatwave, Bulkhead and Cheetor are faaaar too obscure to put in Generations. Now Inferno? Wolfwire? Dreadwind? Everyone knows who they are.

As far as I'm concerned, the "Too obscure" argument became invalid the second Lione and Shuffler happened. Speaking of which, where the Hell is Toraizer?

There's no point arguing when the guy in charge is clearly a diehard hater who probably goes to sleep mumbling to himself 'TRUKK NOT MUNKY!' as he start having nightmare at the fact he was forced to have a hand in a new Optimal Optimus figure.

[kurthy]

No, see, you don't understand. Characters like Heatwave, Bulkhead and Cheetor are faaaar too obscure to put in Generations. Now Inferno? Wolfwire? Dreadwind? Everyone knows who they are.

As far as I'm concerned, the "Too obscure" argument became invalid the second Lione and Shuffler happened. Speaking of which, where the Hell is Toraizer?

I think you need to understand perspective. From Warden's perspective, those are integral characters of his fandom. Beast wars, Rescuebots, Animated, those are shows he's heard exist but they're not part of anything he cares about.

[DecepticonFinishline]

I get the feeling Inferno was made because he was yet another one of the 1984-1985 Autobot Cars that were being made into Combiners in CW. The TCC prose story "Lively Pursuit" strongly implied that Inferno was to have been the torso of one more Hasbro CW Combiner that never got released called Firestormer, whose limbs would have consisted of four other unreleased-at-retail-the-time 1984-1985 Autobot Cars: Hoist (CW Trailbreaker's pretool), Ratchet (who saw release only as the BotCon 2016 custom class figure), Bluestreak (who only saw release in the TFSS), and Sideswipe (a potential straight redeco of CW Breakdown).

That Inferno gets to see the light of day at all, let alone as a mass retail Hasbro release two-three years after the line he was developed for has ended, is a bit remarkable.

Well hell... Since we've tackled so many of the 84-85, let's just finish it up.

Swap Sideswipe with Red Alert. Give Inferno Jazz and the other Blue/Silverstreak deco.

Then, make a Grapple and give him Sideswipe, Hoist and Tracks and Skids, maybe?

[Flashwave]

I get the feeling Inferno was made because he was yet another one of the 1984-1985 Autobot Cars that were being made into Combiners in CW. The TCC prose story "Lively Pursuit" strongly implied that Inferno was to have been the torso of one more Hasbro CW Combiner that never got released called Firestormer, whose limbs would have consisted of four other unreleased-at-retail-the-time 1984-1985 Autobot Cars: Hoist (CW Trailbreaker's pretool), Ratchet (who saw release only as the BotCon 2016 custom class figure), Bluestreak (who only saw release in the TFSS), and Sideswipe (a potential straight redeco of CW Breakdown).

That Inferno gets to see the light of day at all, let alone as a mass retail Hasbro release two-three years after the line he was developed for has ended, is a bit remarkable.

I would love to know if thats true, but TFCC has long made figures out of current molds anyway. Inferno from Hot Spot takes about 2 seconds to come up with. So I wouldnt rely on a story to prove Hasbro intentions.

The real indicator would be if Takara Ratchet came from TFCC tooling, or if TFCC used the tooling because Hasbro said "Nah, we're not gonna get to that." that might indicate more as to whether or bot there was another combiner on the chopping block

[kurthy]

I get the feeling Inferno was made because he was yet another one of the 1984-1985 Autobot Cars that were being made into Combiners in CW. The TCC prose story "Lively Pursuit" strongly implied that Inferno was to have been the torso of one more Hasbro CW Combiner that never got released called Firestormer, whose limbs would have consisted of four other unreleased-at-retail-the-time 1984-1985 Autobot Cars: Hoist (CW Trailbreaker's pretool), Ratchet (who saw release only as the BotCon 2016 custom class figure), Bluestreak (who only saw release in the TFSS), and Sideswipe (a potential straight redeco of CW Breakdown).

That Inferno gets to see the light of day at all, let alone as a mass retail Hasbro release two-three years after the line he was developed for has ended, is a bit remarkable.

I would love to know if thats true, but TFCC has long made figures out of current molds anyway. Inferno from Hot Spot takes about 2 seconds to come up with. So I wouldnt rely on a story to prove Hasbro intentions.

The real indicator would be if Takara Ratchet came from TFCC tooling, or if TFCC used the tooling because Hasbro said "Nah, we're not gonna get to that." that might indicate more as to whether or bot there was another combiner on the chopping block

But we've known since the first aid tooling was released that there was a ratchet head.

[Tigertrack]

I like how Elita's use of Vector Prime gets her her powers used in the cartoon. Stopping/freezing manipulating time. Super like!

[Sabrblade]

I get the feeling Inferno was made because he was yet another one of the 1984-1985 Autobot Cars that were being made into Combiners in CW. The TCC prose story "Lively Pursuit" strongly implied that Inferno was to have been the torso of one more Hasbro CW Combiner that never got released called Firestormer, whose limbs would have consisted of four other unreleased-at-retail-the-time 1984-1985 Autobot Cars: Hoist (CW Trailbreaker's pretool), Ratchet (who saw release only as the BotCon 2016 custom class figure), Bluestreak (who only saw release in the TFSS), and Sideswipe (a potential straight redeco of CW Breakdown).

That Inferno gets to see the light of day at all, let alone as a mass retail Hasbro release two-three years after the line he was developed for has ended, is a bit remarkable.

I would love to know if thats true, but TFCC has long made figures out of current molds anyway. Inferno from Hot Spot takes about 2 seconds to come up with. So I wouldnt rely on a story to prove Hasbro intentions.

The real indicator would be if Takara Ratchet came from TFCC tooling, or if TFCC used the tooling because Hasbro said "Nah, we're not gonna get to that." that might indicate more as to whether or bot there was another combiner on the chopping block

Takara Ratchet uses the same headsculpt as BotCon Ratchet. Fun Pub confirmed at BotCon 2016 that the new headsculpt toolings for Ratchet, Reflector/Flash Sentry, Counterpunch, and Toxitron all came from Hasbro, who gave those toolings to Fun Pub and told them to use them so as to get them out to the fans since Hasbro at the time had no plans to release those toolings themselves.

Toxitron's head was even originally supposed to be Nemesis Prime, but since Takara had already gone ahead and made the very similar-in-concept Grand Scourge figure, Fun Pub chose to use the Nemesis Prime head for Toxitron instead.

[Kurona]

Power of the Primes Skywarp

[Qwan]

Power of the Primes Skywarp

Nice try, but that's clearly fake.

...His legs are much too in proportion - where are his big dumb boots?

[Burn]

No, see, you don't understand. Characters like Heatwave, Bulkhead and Cheetor are faaaar too obscure to put in Generations. Now Inferno? Wolfwire? Dreadwind? Everyone knows who they are.

True fans know who Inferno, Wolfwire and Dreadwind are that's for sure.

[bodrock]

Weirdwolf > Wolfwire tho ;p

[Sabrblade]

To clarify something I mentioned before, I wasn't kidding when I said that John Warden called Beast Wars "obscure". Behold this interview snippit:

AS: On that note, in Titans Return, every mold got a second use except Hot Rod and Galvatron. Is there something else in the works?

JW: No, I think it’s that some characters are more unique designs, so it’s a little bit more difficult to make a second head for them. But we do plan ahead and build in a second head into the toy plan from the beginning. So we’ll work with Takara and kinda get their suggestions, and some of them end up being kinda weird and obscure, like a lot of the little Titan Master assortment guys, they’re like Beast Wars characters or characters produced in their markets.

[Skritz]

To clarify something I mentioned before, I wasn't kidding when I said that John Warden called Beast Wars "obscure". Behold this interview snippit:

AS: On that note, in Titans Return, every mold got a second use except Hot Rod and Galvatron. Is there something else in the works?

JW: No, I think it’s that some characters are more unique designs, so it’s a little bit more difficult to make a second head for them. But we do plan ahead and build in a second head into the toy plan from the beginning. So we’ll work with Takara and kinda get their suggestions, and some of them end up being kinda weird and obscure, like a lot of the little Titan Master assortment guys, they’re like Beast Wars characters or characters produced in their markets.

I guess in Geewunner language, obscure translate back into english as 'beloved characters for fans of the franchise who grew up in the mid '90'. Then again, Beast Wars characters do get figures here and there. Can't imagine how horrible it must be for RiD 2001 or Unicron trilogy fans who are adults by now. That Thrilling 30 Starscream and that Titans Return Tidal Wave must have been quite the event for them...and probably the only love the part of the franchise they grew up with is going to get for the next 10-20 years.

[Rysquad]

I think inferno is a missed opportunity to include heatwave and the other rescue bots in chug. It'd be cool to get those characters.

Now that's a damn good idea!

They would be a small bridge from rescue bot fans to chug fans then and they already are known through their tv series and IDW could certainly expand upon them. I'm just surprised hasbro don't see these angles rather than constantly reverting to characters not really seen since g1.

Sign me up for CHUG Rescue Bots.

Heatwave/Hot Spot
Chase/Prowl
Boulder/Rook
Blades/Blades

Salvage/First Aid
High Tide/Broadside
Quickshadow/Jumpstream
Medix/First Aid
Brushfire/Beachcomber
Blurr/Blurr

Etc.

[Qwan]

To clarify something I mentioned before, I wasn't kidding when I said that John Warden called Beast Wars "obscure". Behold this interview snippit:

AS: On that note, in Titans Return, every mold got a second use except Hot Rod and Galvatron. Is there something else in the works?

JW: No, I think it’s that some characters are more unique designs, so it’s a little bit more difficult to make a second head for them. But we do plan ahead and build in a second head into the toy plan from the beginning. So we’ll work with Takara and kinda get their suggestions, and some of them end up being kinda weird and obscure, like a lot of the little Titan Master assortment guys, they’re like Beast Wars characters or characters produced in their markets.

I guess in Geewunner language, obscure translate back into english as 'beloved characters for fans of the franchise who grew up in the mid '90'. Then again, Beast Wars characters do get figures here and there. Can't imagine how horrible it must be for RiD 2001 or Unicron trilogy fans who are adults by now. That Thrilling 30 Starscream and that Titans Return Tidal Wave must have been quite the event for them...and probably the only love the part of the franchise they grew up with is going to get for the next 10-20 years.

All I want is a good Vector Prime update...

But for serious, while Cybertron was my absolute jam back in the day ("the day" being just over 10 years ago ) and I'd love to see some updates of designs from that era, I've really grown to love a lot of the G1 stuff that's been/being updated. Call it developing appreciation for the classics, call it Stockholm syndrome, I don't honestly know which it is myself. All I can say for certain is that the same hasn't really happened for Beast Wars/RID01/other parts of the franchise that I wasn't into as a kid, which suggests to me that it's simply the oversaturation of G1 making me respect it moreso than any inherent "greater value" as some of the design team seem to be under the impression that it has.

That said, BRING ON THE DINOBOTS ALREADY PLEASE I NEED THEM SO MUCH EVEN THE WEIRDLY-DESIGNED ONES LIKE SLUDGE

[Skritz]

which suggests to me that it's simply the oversaturation of G1 making me respect it moreso than any inherent "greater value" as some of the design team seem to be under the impression that it has.

Yeah I'm fairly certain any fan who grew up on anything beside the G1 cartoon (and, eventually, this WILL become a majority within the fanbase) will invariably and reluctantly come to accept that it's always going to be G1 that dominate the serie simply on the basis it was there first and was 'the original'...

...even if, in my humble opinion, most of the new G1 content ever since its earliest revival is very much its own 'generation' by now. IDW comic may be labelled as G1 but it has diverged so much in tone, characterization and ideas from the G1 cartoon (or Marvel comics) that may as well be 'G-whatever-we-are-at-now'. I'm aware this is being pedantic but aside from character name and design I find it hard, at times, to consider the 'Neo-G1' stuff to be really truly G1. Now, mind you, personally to me this distinction doesn't really matter but it is nonetheless worth noting. Its like saying, say, modern Marvel or DC is really the same as the comics from the '60, '70 or '80. These may be the same characters but the stories, history and writing is so radically different that you may as well count it as an adaptation. Which, in Transformers case, make to me Neo G1 not truly that different from the Unicron Trilogy, Animated or Prime. They may be closer to the 'OG Transformers', which is the evergreen part of the brand, but they aren't the same.

But the thing to take out of this rambling rant is: I've come to accept that G1 inspiration and characters will invariably be what drive forward the franchise and that Beast Wars, what I grew up with, will invariably be relegated to a something which gets a bone thrown at once in a while. And all things considered, Beast Wars is doing fine given it got some Masterpieces now and had some figures in Generations.

Edit: I forgot to mention that, because it had such a small cast, I'm not too bothered by a lack of Beast Wars figures as frankly most of the memorable designs were those in the show anyway and arguably, compared to the G1 figures, they've aged slightly better. Oh don't get me wrong these things are old and outdated but its nowhere as bad as some of the guys who only got updates 30 years later in Titans Return. Barring damage, wear and tear or GPS most Beast Wars figures are still good enough that I don't feel a need to replace them.