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Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys
Date: Wednesday, February 3rd 2021 9:19pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 68,638

Every month now, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

After our previous Top 5 Starscream list, an interesting discussion ensued on our boards. While other Starscream molds were brought up, many felt that some worked better for other seekers. And that gave me the idea to look at every seeker as an individual character and revisit their history within the brand. It was fascinating to see how each seeker has their own idiosyncratic molds and some molds that they just own. Today we will cover Thundercracker.

5. Action Master Thundercracker Solo Mission Jet Plane

Thundercracker is the only other seeker released in the Action Master line and while he does share the same mold as Starscream, the toy is rather unique in other ways. First of all, that deco is CRAZY but in the best ways. Definitely screams more G2 than anything else and that makes sense since this was a (totally rad) 90s toy. He does have his own unique molding in terms of accessories which is a jet that he can pilot (just adding to the wackiness) that then turns into a mecha body for him. Fun playability all around and an iconic deco that is now remembered as Shatterred Glass Thundercracker.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys


4. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Leader Thundercracker

While I was not a huge fan of this toy when it was released as Starscream, I thought it looked great as Thundercracker. It's a very imposing toy and makes a fun and affordable display piece, compared to the MP.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys


3. Studio Series Thundercracker

This is one of the few molds that Thundercracker has which Starscream does not. And unlike other instances (like the Cybertron line) this mold rocks! I really love how it blends the symmetry of the jet mode with the asymmetry of the robot mode. It also has a very satisfying and meaty transformation. Hasbro gave this release some extra attention in the deco department, as we see on the thunder motif tail and extra deco on the knees. I like that the new head sculpt is fairly Starscream-like but still unique and he is Titan Master compatible for even more fun. This was also one of the very last Toysrus exclusives ever available in the US, an extra piece of bittersweet trivia.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys


2. Earthrise Thundercracker

What a solid toy. I loved the Classics mold but the size just didn't work for me. So now that issue is fixed with the Earthrise toy and we also have him in more show accurate colours and improved articulation so it's just win win.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys


1. Siege Thundercracker

While both molds are good, I tend to preffer the Earthrise mold over the Siege one for Seekers. However with Thundercracker, there is a bit more at play since this Siege version gives us his first look in the cartoon. While Starscream is the main seeker, it was Thundercracker that we saw on Cybertron in this tetrajet form and unlike Skywarp, who accompanied him, Hasbro nailed the deco.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys


Honourable Mention

Transformers Convention Club Shattered Glass Thundercracker

While the calssics mold is somewhat covered with the Earthrise mold already on the list, I wanted to mention it again here, especially since there was an exclusive release by the Transformers Club which gave us the Action Master deco through their Shatterred Glass Thundercracker.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys
Date: Saturday, May 23rd 2020 2:11pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: TF-fan kev777

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Views: 66,820

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by your fellow editor or a guest writer, like in today's case with TF-fan kev777. These are our opinions so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Series 2 Botbots Toys


So with series 1 out of the way here(add link), it is time to take a look at Series 2 of the Botbots. This series for me is the one that solidifies the Botbtos line as a true Transformers line. Why, you ask? Repaints! Repaints everywhere! From the lazy, lets make the pink ruler now yellow, to the somewhat clever, hockey puck into smart speaker, this line combined a number of repaints with a number of new molds. Don’t get me wrong, some of the repaints are pretty useful, like the food items. I have a fairly large TF collection to feed at home so extra food is always welcome. Anyway, this list will stick to the new molds because I didn’t feel any of the repaints were really outstanding enough to warrant a spot on the list or even an honorable mention. Now onto the list.

5. Grampiano

Grampiano takes the last spot on the list for me. The alt mode does scale decently enough for your various masters (Titan/Prime/Battle/Micro) to play. It even works as a ridiculously undersized piano for your bigger bots. The transformation is fun, and I love that the sheet music becomes the hair for bot mode. It also pulls of a grumpy old man face well very well. Articulation is different from most bots with 2 rotating joints on each arm, instead of either a single ball joint or a single rotating joint. This allow you to use his arms a bit more than most bots, and I love the pincher type hands. There is virtually no kibble as all the piano parts are used in bot mode, and the black color helps the legs blend in for piano mode.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys


4. Ollie Bite

Ollie Bite is another great new mold turning from a hat into a legged shark monster thingy, basically a Sharkticon junior. The transformation is pretty fun and has a few more steps that most Botbots. Bot mode is great with good arm articulation, and the bill of the hat becoming the shark tail helps counterbalance the rest of the hat being fairly front-heavy, so he is actually pretty easy to stand and pose. In hat mode, everything hides away nicely with only the teeth line on the hat giving away that it isn’t just a hat. The hat is right-sized for most combiners and larger bots. You can pull of a 3rd fan mode of being just a shark by leaving the arms and legs tucked away. Ollie Bite also happens to be my daughters pick for Series 2, what can I say, she has good taste.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys


3. Bottocorrect

Okay, so I’m old enough to have actually used white-out in school, so this hits a little bit of nostalgia for me, but Bottocorrect makes the list on his own merits, no nostalgia needed. This mold gives us something we have not seen in Botbots before, a built in cannon complete with sights!!! That would be enough to secure a spot on this list alone, but the bot mode pushed him up to number 3. The bot mode is fantastic. Both arms have good articulation with shoulder ball joints, and the cannon arm also has another ball joint allowing you to aim the cannon. The transformation is fun, but the legs can be a little deceiving. They look like they should fold out to be straight with the rest of the body, but they don’t. The body is actually angled backward to offset the weight of the cannon in front. The bot mode face is perfect for a maniacal bot with a cannon arm, and the single eye gives me Plankton from Spongebob kind of vibe.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys


2. Big Cantuna

The alt mode of a rotting can of tuna with the lid peeled back and a dead fish head sticking out had me at first sight. The Spoiled Rotten clan was a great idea for redecos of unspoiled food from Series 1, but also they ended up with one of the most unique overall molds of the whole line. The transformation is fun and pretty intuitive for a disk to bot change. I love that the fish head is the bot head. There really is no kibble since the whole can gets used for the limbs and torso. This figure actually has some of the best articulation of the whole botbots line as well with double ball joints on each arm, ball joints for the hips and even a neck ball joint. Yep, you can give him an upside-down head if you want. The only real downside is the overall size and shape in alt mode makes it hard for many other TF’s to hold.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys


1. Javasaurus Rex

Here we are at the top of another list and this time the choice was easy. Javasaurus Rex might be my favorite mold of the entire Botbot franchise so far (up through Series 4 as of writing this list). Javasaurus Rex would take the top spot based on transformation alone, but is actually solid in both modes as well, making it a no-brainer here. The transformation is probably the closest one in all of Botbots to the mainline Transformers, and you could easily see this upscaled to be an appliance bot for the movie lines with a movie type deco. The transformation uses one of my favorite things, rotating the waist 180 degrees. For articulation, there are ball jointed shoulders giving full range of motion for the arms. The mouth can be open or closed. The legs are only on rotating joints, but when you combine that with the holy grail of Transformers, the waist swivel, you have possibly the best combination of proportions, weight balance and articulation in all of Botbots. For the alt mode of the coffee maker, the only real downside is the visible eyes, and that was nowhere near enough to keep him from the top.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 2 Toys


Honourable Mentions: I’ll once again be doing these a little differently, more of a bullet point list pointing out a few other botbots that I wanted to give a shout out for a specific reason.
Drumbeats gets a mention here because I played the drums when I was younger and really appreciate the leg detail they gave him to make each leg look like a bass drum pedal. That attention to detail really impressed me.
Hamauri gets a spot here for being the first Botbots partsformer with the ham bone becoming his knife and bringing another typical feature of the other TF lines to Botbots Alt mode weapon storage. The knife can also be held by many other bots that have the 3mm openings on their hands. For that matter, the entire ham can also be held by other Botbots with the 3mm hands.
Hawt Mess gets a spot here because everyone loves tacos and he is also a very solid mold overall, he just missed getting a spot on the list.
Overpack gets a spot here for being another solid new mold, and I particularly like how the backpack straps kind of look like dreads in bot mode. Dreads Junior for your movie line?
The Music Mob tribe in general gets a mention here as since they all scale well with the various Generation “Masters” as well as being ridiculously undersized instruments for your regular bots. Grab some masters, the Botbots instruments and a TR Soundwave or Blaster and you have yourself a concert.

Top 10 Best Transformers Action Figure Hauls of 2019

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Action Figure Hauls of 2019
Date: Sunday, January 5th 2020 12:06pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): D-Maximal_Primal

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Views: 82,048

Another year, another round of toys! 2019 offered up not only some excellent new figures, but it also provided collectors of all ages plenty of opportunity to collect older figures as well.

And that is what we will be focusing on today. Today, I will be sharing with you the Top 10 Transformers that I collected last year, and then you can comment on the hauls as well as share your own Top 10 of 2019! And remember: any figure you bought from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 is fair game for your lists! And the figures don't have to be ranked based on being technically good, they should also be ranked on how much joy they gave you.

So here we go!

10) Transformers 2007 Movie Premium Optimus Prime

This was the figure that I was hunting when I went to TFcon D.C. this year, which was also my first ever TFcon. And it was a great experience! If you haven't gotten to go to a convention like this, I highly recommend you do.

But back to Prime: I have the leader Allspark Power Nightwatch version of this mold from the 1st movie, and it is my all time favorite Transformer, the one I could not give up ever. And I wanted to find the version with the sword, very badly. But throughout the Con, I could not find a hint of it, anywhere. And then, when me and my buddies were getting ready to leave, I ran to grab one final autograph. And after getting that, I saw a Prime on top of a pile at a table; it was the Leader with a gun; underneath that, a 2nd of the same Prime; and then, somehow, at the bottom of the pile, was a 3rd Leader Prime, and it was the one with the sword.

I got him! It was a great find, and one I will cherish not only since it is a good figure, but also because of the circumstances of the score.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

9) Studio Series Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime

This one ends up on the list not for being the best Studio Series figure, but for being the one that I had been hoping to happen for 8 years.

When I saw Dark of the Moon, all I wanted was a Prime with a trailer that turned into a combat arsenal and flight tech, and it finally happened. And while it does leave some to be desired in terms of trailer detailing/paint, it is still a joy to finally get this set as I had always wanted and envisioned it.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

8 ) Ghostbusters / Transformers Ectotron

At the beginning of this year, we knew a Ghostbusters MP-10 was coming out, but we had no idea this wonderful thing was coming. And it was the most fantastic surprise ever. Not only is it a wonderful crossover of 2 franchises I love, but it is also a very very good figure in and of itself. Ectotron is a wonderful figure that is so full of fun stuff, least of all being the first ever Transformer with a Proton Pack.

Ectotron was probably the greatest surprise of 2019, and is one of the best of the year, retro-hauls and all.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

7) Siege Omega Supreme

This was a late entry to my collection this year, but ever since I have gotten him, I can't stop messing with and talking about him. Omega is the Titan that we have always deserved, he is of great quality and posability, with intricate detailing and some great paint work. Not to mention his transformation is really fun and his alt mode has so much playability. Omega is a fantastic figure, and one that everyone should get if they want a Titan figure.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

6) Studio Series Rampage

My Studio Series figure of the year. Rampage this year was a lot like Jazz from 2018 - He is immensely fun. He is the best figure, technically? No. He doesn't even have elbows. But is he ridiculously fun, and also forms a leg to a massive combiner? Absolutely. Rampage is a wonderful Decepticon figure, and is one of the best Studio Series figures of the year, and one of the best figures of the year.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

5) Siege Smashdown

I cannot stop singing the praises of this figure. For a $6 figure, this thing delivers so much. For one thing, a Minotaur that turns into a Hammer. That is brilliant. And then, a hammer, the one sole hammer that we have got in the battlemaster class, one of the few melee weapons, and one of the few hammers we got in the decade. Hammers are rare in Transformers, and I love every single one of them.

This is a figure where you can get 5 of them (like me) or more, and not feel like you've wasted money. Get as many of them as you can. And with a re-release coming in Earthrise, it's evident Hasbro recognized how good Smashdown is.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

4) MPM-8 Megatron

While I ranked Smashdown as the figure of the year, Megatron is the most important figure of the year to me. This was a masterpiece of my first ever Transformer, and it was a perfect update. This is a huge figure that impresses in so many ways, not least of which is the fact that he is combiner sized and heavy as heck. He is wonderfully painted, and the sculpting is perfect. This was the update I really wanted my first Transformer to have, and it was delivered upon perfectly.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

3) Armada Powerlinx Jetfire

The final 3 on my list are older figures, and those 3 start with Jetfire. I have recently been getting into the Unicron Trilogy, and bought a lot from those lines this year. Armada Jetfire was one of the very first figures I got this year, and it should say a lot that one of the first is in the top 3 of my year-long list.

This Jetfire is really good and really fun. For one thing, he is a massive shuttle, and he forms a great giant robot from that shuttle. The Powerlinx colors are great on him, and I love the faceplated head. And then he forms the pants to a giant Prime. This is an insanely fun figure by himself, and he's a team player too. I could not be happier to have him.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

2) G1 Dreadwind and Darkwing / Dreadwing

This was a pair where the story is as important as the actual find. This was a 1:00 AM Friday night hotel find at TFcon D.C., where both of these, as well as a G1 Slapdash and Flywheels, were up for a barter for a half hour, with some help from a friend of mine from the Podcast. Finally, after a half hour, I got the price I wanted, and suddenly I had 3 of the Powermasters in one go, and these 2 are the greatest of that. I now have 5 of the Powermasters, including all 3 Decepticons, and plan to finish that entire team this year.

But back to these 2: not only was getting them a highlight, but these 2 are pretty dang good by themselves. The robots and jets are really good, and then the combined jet mode is really fun and bonkers. It's a sign to me that G1 still has some pretty nice tricks up its sleeve, and I love the entire Powermaster team/concept.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

1) Cybertron Defense Red Alert

I will be fully honest, this one was a huge surprise to me. Whenever the Siege Selects Cybertron Defense Hot Shot was revealed, I ended up getting the original from a Twitter friend, and once getting him, I decided to get the other 2 members of the team if I could. And late Saturday night at TFcon, I found a boxed Red Alert and scored him for a great price with the last of my cash (and some help from previously mentioned friend/podcaster).

And wow, this figure is so good. So so good. This is a large toy that has some great weapons, poses pretty dang well, and is just fun. And that chest and head sculpt are fantastic. This is the figure of the year for me, special both for how I got it, and for just how dang good the toy itself is. It is pure joy.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

Honorable Mentions:

- Classics Optimus Prime

This was another TFcon haul, and while it was not a Top 10 of the year, it is still a great toy that is fun to mess around with and is a good toy all on its own. It feels good to experience a mold so many have had such high praise for.

- G1 Pretender Jazz

Also TFcon haul, this one was complete and a surprise to find for his price. After some Toyhax stickers, he is nearly perfect, and is a wonderful Pretender addition.

- Cyberverse Ultimate Grimlock

I got 4 Cyberverse figures, and this Grimlock is a great toy. He is one of the best Grimlocks we have ever gotten, and he's a great Cyberverse toy. He also has a fun gimmick. This is a toy that Cyberverse needed, and it's one I am glad to own.

- G1 Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor

I got this figure in the fall, and it was wonderful. This G1 toy is incredibly fun, with tons of great features and gimmicks. Every mode has something fun about it, and it is a large great toy.

2018 Seibertron.com Year in Review - We Achieved Something

Transformers News: 2018 Seibertron.com Year in Review - We Achieved Something
Date: Wednesday, January 2nd 2019 12:57am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 119,916

Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review



We have our traditions here at Seibertron.com and with 2018 coming to pass, we now share what we thought was best this year in all things Transformers, be it toys, comics and on screen adaptations. 2018 was a year of major change for the brand. We had a clearer definition on specific audiences for different toylines, the departure of Toysrus in many markets, the most abundant amount of toys released in one year to date (4 main lines co-existing on the same shelves), full brand unification between Hasbro and Takara, the end of the 13 year IDW Transformers Comic Universe, and a major change of course for the live action film Transformers films. We wrote an article about the positives some changes brought so you can click here if you want to discuss that further. Amidst all these changes, we got some remarkable toys and quite possibly the best media representation in a good while and below we will tackle all the major categories and 2018 toylines. While some countries did get Siege before the end of the year, it being 2019's Generations toyline, we opted to wait till next year to discuss what was the best from that line. Now on with the cast of opinions:

Scotty P: Our podcast superstar and Seibertron's archivist
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
Cobotron: Everyone's bro
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
D-Maximus Primal: Our top dog news hound, I'll just call him D-Max for short
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
Our latest news pups Emerje, Wolfman Jake and notirishman
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
And the one who put this all together, your friend and mine, William-James88
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Now let's get started!



Best Toy from Bumblebee line (Hasbro or Takara)

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Scotty P: Legendary Optimus Prime. The Age of Extinction was, for many, the extinction of their excitement for the Movie franchise. Despite that way too long snoozer of a movie and a mediocre toy line to go with it, the Voyager Class Evasion Mode Optimus Prime was one of the standout figures from a fun-factor perspective, and even kind of featured elbows that weren't gorilla arms - if you weren't around for AoE, this sadly was a standout feature. Legendary Optimus Prime takes that toy and improves it in every way while also making it bigger and more detailed. It even features a truly outstanding experience in how the weapon can be converted into parts of the truck's undercarriage that the robot can carry on its back. It doesn't stop there, as these parts don't have to be removed, put away, or reconfigured while turning the rest of it from robot to truck mode. Some days I feel as old as Kup actually is, so anytime a toy brings something that feels fundamentally different or new while still being a pretty, detailed Transformer that's a big deal to me.

D-Max: Leader Class Soundwave. I did not get much exclusive to the Bumblebee movie itself, grabbing a few of the little Speed Series Energon Ignitors and the Soundwave. And while all the figures from the line were good and fun looking, and the ones I did get were fun, Soundwave takes the cake. I never got the Titans Return Soundwave, but this one looked so good, and in hand it has not disappointed. The mold is really fun, nice and chunky, and beautifully colored. And I'm excited that all my data pads, the Fall of Cybertron disks, and the micromaster class members of Soundwave's crew from Siege will all be able to fit in his chest.

It also helps he turns into a mean dance studio. The mold is fun, and it really pops with the new paint job. Stellar job with this one Hasbro, stellar job.

William-James88: Legendary Optimus Prime. This was the first full year of brand unification between Takara and Hasbro where they would release the same looking toys in all lines (ie MP, MPM, POTP, Studio Series). But that didn't stop Takara from giving us a few exclusives here and there and Legendary Optimus Prime is their only exclusive mold of 2018. I love Evasion Mode Optimus Prime so getting him with added chrome and with sculpting and transformation tweaks to make him even better (and bigger) was right up my alley.

Emerje: Bumblebee Greatest Hits Frenzy. That's right, my favorite figure from the Bumblebee movie doesn't have anything to do with the movie. Who would have thought Hasbro would use this line to correct a great misdeed from Titans Return and finally reunite Frenzy and Rumble? It was a nice surprise, the only downside of which was also giving us Howlback without Garboil. Maybe for the next movie.

Wolfman Jake: This is a little tongue-in-cheek for an answer, but then again, it's reasonably sincere too. I love the Bumblebee Cassette Pack. That was a very sneaky (and well appreciated) way for Hasbro to finally give us "Titans Return" Frenzy. As a bonus, you get a recolor of Buzzsaw with gold highlights that matches better with the TR release of Laserbeak as well as a blue redeco of TR Ravage as Howlback. I wouldn't have guessed Hasbro would dig that deep for this set, but there you go! What's not to love? (The 1-Step Bumblebee, honestly.)

notirishman: Speed Series Volkswagen Bumblebee. Why? I mean, this figure is just so much fun to play around with. He's small, with a easy, yet satisfying transformation, and looks good in both modes! He also has the 5mm port in the back, allowing for some fire effects, or the energone core engine, allowing him to shoot forward. I like this lil guy. He's a sweet boy.


Best Toy from Cyberverse line

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Scotty P: Ultra Class Shockwave, for being one of the only toys in the line that has two good modes. The bar is low, and this clears it. God I miss Robots in Disguise. Next.

William-James88: Ultimate Megatron. The Cyberverse line was truly unapologetic in catering to a young target audience and I did not mind that since we had two dedicated main lines for collectors (along with Masterpiece figures from BW, G1 and the movies) and while there are figures that I don't think even kids would like, I think Hasbro really nailed it with the Ultimate class. For the price of a voyager you get a leader sized toy that reminds me of the sturdiness of the Unicron trilogy. That Megatron's transformation even reminds me of the Cybertron line where you get this blocky feel of rearranging hefty parts around to really give two very different and striking modes. I love how simple the transformation is to get him into a tank where while you see the same parts as in the robot mode, everything feels cohesive and fitting of a tank. And the elegant foot transformation into becoming part of the tank treads is something I wish the Siege voyager Megatron could have copied instead of leaving his feet out. Oh yes, you heard that right, the tank mode on this Cyberverse ultimate class toy is better looking than the Siege toy's tank mode. The toy is not for me, but it does a really good job at giving young kids a nice hefty figure with a fun transformation.

Emerje: Warrior Windblade. Now, I know what the popular answer is going to be, but as an example of the Warrior class done right look no further than Windblade. She's well painted, nicely sculpted, has some of the best articulation (bicep AND waist swivels??), and best of all, a non obtrusive gimmick that actually works as it's supposed to. It's definitely a figure that feels like it would have been just fine in the previous Robots in Disguise line.

ZeroWolf: Warrior Class Shockwave, just really fun to play around with.

notirishman: Shock of shocks, it's Ultra Class Shockwave. Yeah, I'm sure this will be on other people's lists because well, it's pretty good! While Cyberverse is alright, and the gimmicks seem fun, this toy's gimmick is only on the arm, and the switch is on the same arm. And since he turns into, what is essentially, him in a funny exercise pose, yeah. The toy has a lot of articulation, and since the gimmick is on the arm only, it only hinders the arm. Compared to other Cyberverse figures, there's a lot of possibility, similar to that of a Siege figure. And this guy is just so fun to pose. And the toy looks good in both modes. Only bad thing, is the cannon is cartoon I accurate in both modes, but I can forgive it.


Best Toy from Studio Series line

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Scotty P: Ironhide. Studio Series wants me to "collect the cast". It is a long way from allowing me to accomplish this, but even if it never really does, at least it's providing collectors with some great updated versions of characters from the movies. Yes, there's a Movie Masterpiece line, but it's plagued by every other release having engineering/tolerance issues and only puts out about two toys a year. Studio Series is where it's at, movie toy wise, and this was the best figure in this year's selection. Taking some of the smarter cues from Dark of the Moon's Deluxe Class figure and refining them while adding new touches in the much more scale-friendly Voyager Class results in an Ironhide toy that is super fun to transform back and forth between modes. When he's a robot, envision how he collapses down onto his own legs and becomes a truck, and you'll end up with a truck. I'm all for following the instructions, and on Masterpiece toys I absolutely recommend it, but this is absolutely a case of intuitive design making them not necessary. Some more integrated weapon storage for vehicle mode would have been nice, but that's grasping at straws for drawbacks. If the entire Studio Series lineup were this fun, we'd all be having a blast with movie toys like it's 2007 all over again.

Cobotron: The only SS figure I picked up this year was VW Bumblebee. Despite the frustration I experienced that first time I went from bot to alt, I really enjoy the toy. After I learned the ropes and got my bearings on his transformation, I was able to appreciate it, and just have fun with him. He has nice articulation making for a fun figure to pose, and has cool accessories (especially that battle mask!) that store nicely in alt mode. And, who doesn't love a classic VW Bug alt mode?

D-Max: Grimlock. Look, I will mention Jazz later down the line, and my rule is to not duplicate figures on this list, so it was narrowed down to figures besides Jazz, and there were 4 truly worthy contenders in Starscream, Blackout, Lockdown, and Grimlock. But ultimately, Grimlock just smashed the rest (pun intended and relished). Compared to the previous Leader figure and even the voyager, this figure rocks their socks off. He is so accurate from every angle it is incredible he transforms. And he transforms into a fairly good, not perfect, but good Knight Space T-Rex. And he is so fun! He was the very first bot I took to work, and he still stuns me to this day how good he is. This guy lives up to his movie look, and he is great fun for what he has accomplished. Kudos to you Grimlock, you blew me away.

William-James88: Leader Grimlock. I did not expect to like this toy so much. I really really love the look of the dino mode where technically all the robot bits are there but they blend into the rest of the detail. It's rather genius. You end up with a much better looking robot mode than ever before, with no backpack. And yet this one comes with not one but two full dino heads for the shoulder pads, as was done in the film. I still can't believe they could reconcile that into a toy and have it work out as well as it does. I love the size too, and the dry brush paint is an excellent effect. This was easily the leader class toy I felt I got the most value from this year.

Wolfman Jake: Voyager Starscream is easily my favorite so far from the Studio Series line. I've been waiting for over 10 years for a properly sized, sculpted, and colored movie Starscream figure. The Studio Series has knocked it out of the park! The new voyager mold takes a lot of the inspired transformation scheme of the Dark of the Moon Deluxe Starscream mold and expands upon it, giving us a Starscream that is fun and not too cumbersome to convert between modes, looks very much like his on-screen character model, at a size that fits in with the rest of the cast (not too big or too small), and in the original movie colors too! I've always preferred Starscreams "clean" look from the first movie over the tattoo deco he got in Revenge of the Fallen. If that's not your feeling, though, Hasbro had you covered by releasing a redeco WITH the tattoos for anyone fond of that look!

notirishman: 06 Voyager Class Starscream ('07 movie). This toy is fun! Very fun. It's also the best version of Voyager Starscream, which is a recurring theme in Studio Series. The transformation isn't too finicky, and both modes are good. The jet mode looks nice, and has a nice deco to it. The robot mode is very accurate, and is fun to play around with this guy. Since I don't own the Revenge of the Fallen version, I don't know which one is better yet.


Best Toy from Power of the Primes line

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Scotty P: Battletrap. Never in a million years would I have guessed that the Duocon combination of Battleslash and Roadtrap would have been such a highlight of the collecting year. I would have expected something like, well, Flywheels is out now - that. Instead, the Legends Class delivered a legacy character, whose only previous update was at Botcon 2015 as a Springer repaint, as a fully realized pair of small Transformers that combine into something close to the size of your standard Deluxe Class toy. Unlike some attempts from the last decade at similar combination schemes that didn't quite hit the mark, Battletrap has as much articulation when combined as each smaller robot does on its own. Proportions can also be a problem when a combined form has so little to work with, but that doesn't phase Battletrap in the least as Roadtrap becomes a pretty normal looking pair of pants for the broad shouldered, v-chested Battleslash's torso mode.

Cobotron: Abominus! Again! Just a fantastic Combiner. If I had to pick one member of the team as my favorite though, it would have to be Blot. Possibly the most expressive figure of the line. On first look he conveys so much character. Big, dumb, and mean! In both modes. And those unquestionably Decepticony colors tell you right away he's a brute not to be trifled with.
But the oafish clod of a troll would be up a creek without his buddies, so the title still goes to the entire team of Terrorcons.

D-Max: Rodimus Unicronus. Alright, this was another tough battle, as Abominus and specifically Blot are all really good figures. Battletrap is gorgeous and I think Optimal Optimus is a great Leader. But this figure takes the top prize. He is so evil looking and bulky! He oozes dark charisma with that gorgeous headsculpt and visor, and the purple and black look incredible together. The transformation is fun, and the space Winnebago is great. Nemesis Hot Rod is fun too, but dang does the main Unicronus look look stunning. He is a great figure, truly one of the most underappreciated figures of the past few years.

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

William-James88: Predaking. It was going to be Blot at first because I thought that toy did a great job at being original even though it was another combiner limb that had to adhere to a system we have experienced for a while now. And plus Predaking came out to very ho hum reviews from the community so I was in no rush to experience him. But man, I am glad I jumped on him on Black Friday because this is easily the best combiner I have ever played with. The combined mode just feels so solid and poseable for a rather big combiner where all individual bots are about the same size. I love his sleek look and was happy to get rid of my third party versions which could not achieve the same poses if their lives depended on it. I have never seen a combiner so well balanced. Sacrifices were made, I can't deny that, but I can't think of a better way Hasbro could have delivered us this imposing toy (aside from giving the knuckles some spikes). The individual modes are fine too and actually feel like voyagers rather than upscaled deluxe figures.

Zerowolf: If I discount Abominus, because he's the toy of the year, then the next one in line is Nemesis Prime... his deco oozes evil and new accessories sweeten the deal on this evil repaint and for a price that was cheaper then what I would pay at retail for the original Optimus.

Wolfman Jake: Power of the Primes was a bit of a mixed bag and divisive among fans, but it still had a lot to love. The stand-out for me, though was getting a new, properly "evolving" Hot Rod to Rodimus Prime toy after all these years! That's something we've only really had once before, and not even in G1, where the two forms were completely separate toys. The Masterpiece version was only released by Takara, is extremely expensive now on the secondary market, and had a lot of critical flaws that made the figure fragile to the point that it wasn't a question of IF your figure would break, but when. It IS being reissued in Asian markets currently, but not for cheap. PotP Leader Rodimus Prime is a great treat for G1 fans, particularly of The Transformers: The Movie, for a reasonable price at $50 USD. This figure also probably best showcased the "gimmick" of the Leader Class for the PotP line, where all four modes work very well (though not perfectly). It's the most "balanced" execution of the idea, even if not every mode is absolutely flawless.

notirishman: Titan Class Predaking. I liked this set a lot more than I thought! Each component was big and hefty, and the combined mode was glorious. The stickers were also much easier to apply. There were definitely some problems, but overall, it was a great package.


Best Toy from Masterpiece lines

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Scotty P: MP-41 Dinobot. although there's really not a lot to choose from here, chances are this would have ended up here anyway because this is a fantastic collector's piece. Dinobot's design in the show was so far removed from what ever seemed possible in toy form that even Universe 2.0's attempt at an updated look for the character felt like it was near the pinnacle of what you could do, at least at that time. Then Takara Tomy decides to go full-hog for this Beast Wars BBQ and delivers Dinobot, as if he just waltzed out of the TV and has invaded my home for a round of rodent extermination. Even the beast mode, which looked worrisome in some early prototype photos, has more playability than some Transformers do in robot mode, with a host of accessories helping capture the prickly yet lovable nature of our lizard bot pal. While it's a shame that extreme care must be taken in transforming the toy from one mode to another, that's what Masterpiece demands in its new paradigm of hyper-screen-accurate design. Light up eyes, the Golden Disk, and even a stand to help with ultra dynamic raptor action poses make this not only the best Masterpiece toy of 2018, but one of the best of all time. Bring on Megatron!

Cobotron: HOLY SMOKES! I think the only MP I got all year was MP-42 Cordon! I've learned patience with MPs over the last few years. I don't go for the toon accuracy they are striving for with the line these days, and that's fine. Because Takara has proven again and again that they won't forget us toy fans. My patience paid off, and Cordon delivered. A fantastic achievement in this mold. He's elegantly complicated without being annoying. And in this classic Diaclone deco and toy accurate head sculpt, he checks all the boxes of what I look for in what I consider to be a masterpiece. Also just ecstatic to add another officer to my Diaclone Police Force.

D-Max: MPM-05 Barricade. We got some great Masterpiece figures this year, including 2 great Movie Masterpiece figures, a Beast Wars Masterpiece, and a few G1 Masterpiece figures as well. And while Dinobot is an amazing Masterpiece, I have to give the MP of the year to Barricade. Barricade finally truly lived up to the Movie Masterpiece title in every way: looked the part in every way in robot mode, had a great alt mode, and the transformation was smooth and worked. The weapon on him is really good, and he is a lot of fun to pose, he looks so menacing! The die cast feels great on him, and it is so cool that we are getting die cast on all of these Movie Masterpiece figures. He is the perfect encapsulation of movie Barricade, and I don't think they really could have improved him in any way.

William-James88: Takara MP Dinobot. While my initial copy's head did break off, I did get a replacement and I can assure you that this toy is worth the money. The transformation is smart, the robot mode is killer and the deco is as premium as you can get. And we finally have a Dinobot that looks good in both modes (this feels like MP Ironhide all over again).

Emerje: MP-41 Dinobot. The Beast Wars Masterpiece figures as a whole have been amazing so it's no surprise Dinobot would be an outstanding figure. Photos can't prepare you for just how big this figure is when you first open the box and behold the massive raptor for the first time. It's an intimidating figure to hold with all of its moving parts and folding panels, but once you've transformed it a few times it's quite the engineering marvel. And then you've got all the little things like the clever dino head eye change feature, the faces, the weapons, the laser eyes, and the golden disc. I'm not even mad about the stand anymore knowing it's compatible with the upcoming Megatron. Yeah, there's things they could have done better, but I shudder to think what that would have done with the price.

Wolfman Jake: Looking back, this was a leaner year for Masterpiece figures. I was going to say MP Sunstreaker would take the cake by a stellar mile, but he was technically released in the last few days of 2017, though I wouldn't have him in my hands until January of 2018. As such, I'm going to say that Cordon is the Masterpiece of the year for me. The mold itself is a wonder, being able to covert between a licensed realistic Countach Lamborghini and the fictionalized "supertuned" model we all know and love. The robot mode looks utterly fantastic, and it was a great idea of Takara to spice it up a little bit with the original toy-inspired head sculpt and shin detailing to differentiate Cordon from Sunstreaker by more than just coloring and a police light bar. The transformation is very involved, but clever and ultimately rewarding, even if frustrating at times, and the amount of articulation in this figure is incredible too. Little touches like working pop-up headlights and the reverse opening hood in vehicle mode are icing on the cake.

notirishman: I don't own any Masterpieces that came out on 2018, buuuut, if I would have to choose something, it would be MPM-5 Barricade. The Bay movies certainly popularized this character, especially into a bad-cop persona. And as a fan of Barricade's design, this certainly portrays it extremely well. The figure looks great, looks awesome to pose, and is relatively cheap (by that, I mean it's cheaper than other Masterpiece figures, and was on sale for a while). The alt mode also looks spot on. Great!


Best exclusive from 2018

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Scotty P: Dino Cassettes. The greatest con ever pulled on the Transformers fandom was by four Autobot cassettes that managed to work their way into the stratosphere of secondary market pricing. Two of these (for now) have returned to apologize, and they brought along cool clear counterparts and some bonus Bumblebee toys. Sure, the back of the feet on the combined Legout mode is a victim of a terrible and unfixable (I think?) assembly error, but Legout really looks kind of terrible anyway. For serious G1 collectors that don't want to or can't spend four figures on elusive imported Deployers, these were an event - the freaking Dino Cassettes! I can't wait to see what other "that will never happen" reissues leave that category in the years to come.

Cobotron: Repugnus was The COOL! And, I really enjoyed Leader Class Nemesis Prime more than I thought I would. With that dope little punk rock night ninja Nemesis Pax inside, but surprisingly the one exclusive I think I was most excited about was the Walmart G1 reissue of Starscream. I never had Starscream as a kid, and in all these almost 35 years I never hunted down a vintage or reissue of the character. He is a very premium release, with the added hand ports, Megatron blaster ,and the tampoed eyes. The construction and casting is great, and in that awesome G1 packaging, he really did open a portal to the past for me. Obviously there is nothing new about the toy. No innovation in engineering, or some fresh new take on on an old character, but I found much gratification in finally completing my classic G1 Seeker trio. Nostalgia is a strong magic! I was not expecting to be so taken by its power.

D-Max: SDCC Exclusive Throne of the Primes. I mentioned Optimal Optimus earlier in this review and how he was a pretty great figure, and now he can get some recognition as a member of this list. The Optimal figure itself is pretty good, and it has a ton of options, as the "Prime Armor" section can operate as an entirely separate unit from the little Optimus Primal figure. Armored gorilla, surfing gorilla, robot, robot and gorilla, and more. And in this release, we got the smaller and larger figures both in the original Primal colors, and it looks so sweet. And then you get the crown and the scepter that holds Prime and Titan Masters, and a throne (even if it is cardboard). The whole package is a ton of fun, and it's pretty fun to have a place for all 16 Prime Masters to gather together while still having a great mold with unique accessories. Truly some fun stuff.

William-James88: The Punch Counterpunch toy came out of nowhere. Not only is he an exclusive brand new mold, but it happens to be of a perfect new rendition of the character. And by perfect, I just mean that he retains all the original toy's gimmicks (of two distinct robot modes and one car mode) without adding any new gimmicks to fit a particular line. They went all out on this one, with a gorgeous car mode and two cool robot modes which are indeed quite different from one another. I especially love the hand switcheroo in the transformation, very clever.

ZeroWolf: Amazon Exclusive Counterpunch, a great toy, and such a surprise to see.

Wolfman Jake: Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch was the biggest surprise for me. I wouldn't have guessed that we'd get a Deluxe class figure for PotP that wasn't a combiner limb, but instead kept the complete original gimmick from the G1 toy intact! Punch-Counterpunch has a beautiful car mode, very curvy and sleek, with transparent windows (which is always appreciated). The transformation among all three modes is pretty easy, but still results in two spot on looking robot modes on top of the already mentioned fantastic vehicle mode. It's just a very satisfying figure to have in the collection, being a late and often forgotten G1 character, and fun to play with too. It's rare to have a "reverse" triple changer in Transformers that sports two different robot modes and one alternate mode.

notirishman: San Diego Comic Con Throne of the Primes, boss monkey. I don't own the Power of the Primes Optimal mold, and it's pretty good. It looks good, and turns into a hoverboard riding monkey, amongst other things. The deco is pretty good, and helps to blend the backpack Primal blend in. Also, the additional accessories, the Throne of Primes, the Scepter of Sparks, the crown, and the 4 Primes are all awesome (BTW, I bought this on HasbroToyShop, not the Con).


Best “Other” Transformer

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Cobotron: Diaclone had some fun releases this year, but they were all the little Powered System Suits, which are certainly fun. It's a shame Battle Buffalo didn't make it out in time. It would have taken this cake, for sure. So, my "Best Other" goes to Takara's Star Wars Powered by Transformers Millennium Falcon. The toy is just so silly, really. Bordering on stupid. I happen to be a big fan of stupid silly. It's a real cram sandwich of two of my favorite things ever. The engineering of the toy is fantastic, and the transformation is smart! I love the sculpts and the abstract use of the Falcon shapes to make the Han and Chewie Mechs. And, that dang Wookie head sculpt is just awesome! Also the cross playability with my Diaclone collection has proven to be a ton of fun!

D-Max: Star Wars Powered by Transformers Millennium Falcon. The Star Wars Powered by Transformers line has had 2 figures with Darth Vader as the Tie Advanced and Han Solo and Chewbacca as the Millennium Falcon. I never got Vader, but having owned the original Transforming Millennium Falcon, I really wanted this new one. And dang, it is cool. It is such an improvement over the original, and so bulky and sturdy and detailed. The Falcon is pure perfection, and then it has the bonus of the robot modes. Both heads are awesome, with the Battle Wookie and the Face-plated Solo head. And they are chunky but still really posable. The figure may have been expensive, but dang was it worth it with how unique it is. A great line that really deserves some more love.

ZeroWolf: Takara Tomy Millennium Falcon, I know many aren't sold on these but I love them.

notirishman: Flame Toys Nemesis Prime. This was my first model kit, and it was fun to build! Time consuming, but fun! I also hold this in a special place, since I bought this at my first New York Comic Con, or heck, my first convention. It was also the first thing I bought too, heh. The toy itself is also a very sleek, and has a great design. And as a model kit, it has tons of articulation.


2018 Toy you liked least

D-Max: Power of the Primes Novastar. It's not that this figure is bad, it's just lackluster. Believe me, I'm enjoying the increasing number of females bots in the lineup, and Elita-1 proved you can make a killer gal who looks good and can pull off all the modes given to them. But the Moonracer mold, and specifically Novastar, are lacking. The giant backpack, the transformation, and the tiny robot mode compared to the alt mode just don't help these figures look as good as I wanted them too. It was a bit more noticeable in Novastar to me just because of the colors and the fact that I prefer Moonracer's head sculpt. They make great arms for combiners, but the other modes don't work that well. They needed a bit more design work, and they could have been pretty great figures.

Wolfman Jake: Power of the Prime Starscream is just an utter disappointment. From his first reveal to seeing him in person on the store shelves, to reluctantly buying it to have a Starscream combiner torso, this rendition of Starscream has been very uninspiring. The robot mode is overly stylized with a tiny head, Popeye forearms, and Mega Man boots. It just doesn't work. The jet mode is extremely poor. While it's very common for airplane Transformers to have a lot of kibble in the undercarriage, PotP Starscream does little if anything to hide it. Worse yet, his chest is still a faux cockpit in robot mode. I really don't like that on Starscream figures. The one redeeming quality of the figure is the torso mode, which is fun to convert into and looks good as a core combiner piece, but the massive amount of metallic stickers are still very distracting in that mode. I had been waiting for over a decade for a decent Voyager Class Starscream to use in my "Classics" displays, and this was NOT what I was waiting for at all. At least Voyager Siege Starscream is right around the corner, so I can forget about the squandered potential that is PotP Starscream.

notirishman: My least favorite toy of the year is... Cyberverse Warrior Class Optimus Prime. Now, why you ask? Well. The figure just looks terrible in robot mode, and the gimmick doesn't look fun at all. The flip out axe causes the left arm to be at a permanent 90 degree bend at the elbow, and no hand. The proportions aren't too good too. Also, the gimmick doesn't work well, and makes the back look funky. Truck mode is, alright, I'll give it that.

Everyone else who answered picked the same thing, the Cyberverse Scouts. Scotty P wrote the best response to sum up why: One of the worst concepts for Transformers toys ever conceived was released this year: Transformers Cyberverse's Scout Class. If you just look at these in robot mode, they don't seem bad. They're smaller sculpts at a low-ish price point, kind of, with a character lineup that's somewhat diverse and each features a unique action feature. If they didn't transform at all, they actually might be forgiven and these being a case of The Brand and its characters being used to make products and toys for children as one of its goals would make sense.

This is not what happened here. In an effort to have some kind of transformation be a part of the toys, which is a respectable goal, it was decided to have them transform from robot into a half-robot-half-alt-mode thing. A "gerwalk" style Starscream can maybe be forgiven, but just look at some of these other monstrosities begging for death.

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
He probably will catch you and kill you, because you'll be too busy laughing at him to run from his... wait is that a meat tenderizer? Never mind, you'll definitely survive every encounter with Guy Megatieri over here.


Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
If this is what Cade Yeager had found he'd have left it in that burnt out rubble of a movie theater.


Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
You might think this isn't that bad and that you could just tilt it over more to make it vaguely more Dinosaur-like, but if you thought this, you'd be wrong as that only turns it into a more pathetic looking hunchback mutant nightmare robot. Any effort to use the limbs to try and salvage this poor Dinobot commander result in a frustrating exercise in futility. So close, yet so far.


It's a shame the Scout Class has had its good name sullied by these abominations. I feel bad for any children that received these for over the Holiday season from parents and relatives with the best of intentions (they do look decent in their packaging), because they're bound to yield bad experiences that make no sense within any Transformers play pattern. Avoid these at all costs and question what kids and collectors did wrong to deserve such awful representations of on-screen characters.


Toy of the Year

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review
Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Cobotron: Abominus! As a whole. Maybe one of the very best combiners of all of the Prime Wars Trilogy. Sure, Hun-Gurr is a freaky reworking of Silverbolt, and his dragon mode is lacking in some departments but, as a torso, it's as if the designers learned from every mistake they made on the Combiner Wars torso bots, fixed it, and said, "we're sorry friends. Hope this makes up for it." Everything tabs together so well. On every bot. it's the one combiner I can grab and play with knowing I won't have to waste time fiddle-farting the forearms or anything else back together.
From the amazing color palette, to the silly monster modes, to the stock feet with just enough ankle tilt, and joints that can hold a giant sword above his head. A-bom was a hit straight out of the park! -Cobotron

Scotty P: This category doesn't say best in the title, so this goes to MP-29+ Laserwave. Let me explain this choice of a straight-up palette swap of a 2016 toy, since on the surface this makes no sense. 2018 was a confused and chaotic year for Transformers, but everywhere you look, there's a single yellow eye inside of a purple hexagon. The IDW comics end, and we learn it's pretty much all Shockwave's fault. Cyberverse's end-of-season big bad? Not Megatron, but Shockwave. Several new toys for that iteration of Shockwave, plus a Generations Leader Class figure at long last, all got to newly adorn collectors' shelves this year. He even has a small role in the Bumblebee movie. This was Shockwave's year, so the definitive Masterpiece figure of him gets my nod as "Toy of the Year" for how well he represents everything about 2018 in Transformers. And that dark purple should not be underestimated, this is THE Shockwave toy for your collection.

D-Max: Studio Series Jazz. I will preface this by saying he is not the greatest Masterpiece of a toy this year. On a technical level, there are figures better than Jazz. But he is an incredibly fun figure that ticks every box of mine and is amazing in his own right. He is small, yes, but the small package is of great quality, perfectly painted, perfectly sculpted, and great fun to pose and mess around with. The transformation is involved but still fun and not overly complicated. And he is a character that was in need of a good deluxe figure, and this mold killed it.

And the thing about being a small toy that is a great posable package is that he can go everywhere and anywhere with you, and the silver paint he is coated in just pops anywhere you take him. He has become one of the best and favorite figures of my collection, he goes with me a lot, and he is the most photogenic figure that has come out in a long time. So yes, he is incredible, and proves that sometimes the best things comes in small, unexpectedly great packages.

William-James88: Lots of great toys came out this year, and while there were standouts in all categories (as you have seen), I think Movie Masterpiece Barricade is the one I would recommend most. With the rising prices of Transformers collectible figures, I was happy to see that we can still get Masterpiece engineering at a fair price. The designers were able to use a lot of the real alt mode parts in robot mode and contort them to resemble what we saw in the film. Plus this item being an Amazon exclusive meant everyone who had a computer and credit card could get it, fixing distribution problems of the past. While I was unimpressed with the other MPM toys so far (especially Optimus, where I still highly recommend the ROTF leader class toy over), Hasbro and Takara really gave us a Masterpiece here. I am not even a fan of the Bay films, but that wont stop me from admitting what a great toy this is.

Emerje: Prime Wars Trilogy Power of the Primes Punch/Counterpunch. Let me start by saying I have three of the original G1 figure, I have the Transformers Collectors Club exclusive Timelines version, I have the Subscription Service Counterpunch, I have the little Punch Kreon figure (technically Nightbeat, but just look at it), and now I have two of the latest incarnation. There's a lot of ways this could have gone wrong and it did nearly everything right! For starters it's an entirely new mold, not a recycled mold that can barely make the gimmick work. Then the transformation is smart, really doing the original figure justice. Plus there's the interesting choice of including a Prime Armor piece (since it's a PotP figure) that makes one heck of a great jet pack appropriate for a spy, whether that was by chance or by design. Yes, there was a factory issue with the shoulders, but that was easily corrected. This was everything I always wanted in a remake of one of my favorite G1 figures and it didn't disappoint.

ZeroWolf: This was a hard one, surprisingly a lot harder than I first thought. We've seen a lot of good toys this year though some I got were technically from last year... And further back. However there was one that excited me as soon as I knew he was coming... Abominus. I have found memories of trying to track down G1 Terrorcons at a car boot-sale, found Cutthroat, Blot and Sinnertwin that way. So fast forward to wave 2 of Power of the Primes and I was away.

This new update of Abominus is fantastic and while I'm never too keen on G1 these days, I make exceptions for exceptional renditions. All the team members are fun to handle and play with in both modes (I tend to be very lucky regarding QC issues), they would be toy of the year contenders just with those qualities but when they combine... Abominus is a monster for all the right reasons. He's so good he makes me want to track down the G1 toys again and the Beast Hunter Legion toys and variants just to have a display.

Wolfman Jake: It's hard to choose just one, especially from so many different lines this past year, but if I had to pick, it would still be Studio Series Starscream. You can check my answer for the best Studio Series figure for why this figure checked all the boxes for me, but suffice it to say, it was something that has been a long time coming, and now that it's here, I have a renewed appreciation and interest in collecting the live-action movie figures once more.

notirishman: Darn you Will! This was so tough. This is also my first year doing this. Buuuut, I'd have to give it to (drumroll please)... Studio Series Leader Grimlock. Man, what a figure! What a good looking figure! Seriously, just him standing there, he looks awesome. He has so many details, and has crazy amounts of movie accuracy! The dino mode is weaker, but still great! My one nitpick, one, is that his "butt flap" in robot mode doesn't stay up in dino mode if you don't bend it to grab onto the mace hand.

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review



Favourite Cyberverse Episode

William-James88: Siloed. I was never a windblade fan, but in 2018 everything changed. I finally got to finish Till All Are One, which was so good it made it in my top IDW Transformers Comics of all time list, and I watched the episode Siloed with my 3 year old daughter. This was a tight episode with some nice solid action, and it featured Windblade against a squadron of seekers. My little girl loved it and I loved watching it with her.

notirishman: Megatron Is My Hero. Certainly the most entertaining episode to me. The second flashback shows how the Deceptiocns came to be, with a public rally from Megatron. I really enjoyed this, and was not something seen from Megatron in most cartoons. The next flashback shows when Optimus first splits from Megatron, the latter of whom announces war. The final flashback is an entertaining chase scene which ends when Soundwave subdues Bee. Then Megatron tells him his plan, and rips out Bee's voice box. The voice actors and score really add weight and emotion to the scene, and I loved it.

Everyone else who answered picked the same thing, Maccadam's. D-Max wrote the best response to sum up why: This episode was so rich in Transformers lore! Maccadam was a great club tender (can't call it a bar really), and it was such a rich atmosphere with all the bots and cons pre-war, and then as things deteriorated, it stayed a place of neutrality, and it was so cool to see Maccadam scare Megatron down and make him run away. And it was so cool to see that Maccadam was secretly helping Bumblebee the whole time he knew him, planting the seeds of memories to help him in the present. The episode was pretty much perfection, and I thoroughly enjoyed this scene of no fighting and just the progression of relationships from peace to war.

Best Comic (either issue(s) or series)

D-Max: IDW Unicron #1. Unicron had so much potential, and started with a lot of potential. It sadly ran out of steam and ended short of where I had hoped it would go, but Issue #1 was a pretty great issue. After getting the destruction of Elonia in #0 complete with a Wheeljack sacrifice play, #1 acted as an even bigger all out fight, complete with some great Beast shots and some great views of the inside of Unicron. It even served to make him even scarier in that early time, as the planets and life forms he ate became part of him, still partly alive but twisted now to serve as his insides and his antibodies. Issue 1 made Unicron something to fear, and gave us some great battle shots. It was the issue that made Unicron feel like the huge deal he was meant to be.

William-James88: Lost Light #20. We had been waiting 2 years for Rodimus to finally confront Getaway and this paid off. Not only that but it was done at the hands of artist extraordinaire Casey Coller. That page of Cyclonus against Starsaber is my favourite Transformers comic book panel of all time, this is no hyperbole.

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review


Scotty P: Lost Light 16-25. I really thought that if it was going to end, it'd be a year or two from now. I was ready for that. I wasn't ready for things to end so soon. Clearly enough readers were, at least readers of the "paying customer" variety, so IDW pulled the rug out from under not only their shared Hasbro universe, but their long-running Transformers meta-series too. For Optimus Prime and its namesake character, this felt fine - the larger story arc was approaching its natural conclusion and respect is due to the creative team for not wanting to "force it" and do more.

Lost Light clearly wanted to do more. The Scavengers have been flying death flags since More Than Meets The Eye #7 when they debuted, and surely that was leading to a sad but wonderful Last Stand of the Wreckers-esque heroic departure for them. Roller returned a couple years back and looked pretty in the background, but surely one of Orion Pax's most loyal soldiers had a greater role to play. More examples exist (the haters probably can't wait to tell you about them) but the book was cut short and these adventures have been lost in time. The remaining story was compressed after the "Mutineers Trilogy" concluded, and after some final setup, we reached Lost Light #16 and "The Everlasting Voices". Compression can be bad, but in this case, compression was used as a metaphor when Rodimus' crew suddenly found themselves on Mederi. Oh, and this was also a good thing ;)

Starting there and going on through the end the final ten issues of Lost Light chew up your expectations with no remorse. Rather than returning a sloppy mess spit out at force, it subverts your expectation of even that by delivering a powerful, appropriate, and definitive-if-you-want-it-to-be ending that harvests a yield from years of seeds cultivated in a way that allowed for maximum efficiency. In other words, while some storylines never took root and a couple other minor plots died on the vine, the good stuff that you really wanted was there and left you plenty satisfied. James Roberts story handily unseats (for me) the last chapters of Simon Furman's initial Marvel run as the best Transformers comic ending there ever was. By utilizing a murderer's row of talented artists in Brendan Cahill, Casey Coller, Jack Lawrence, and EJ Su, when combined with Joana Lafuente's ability to keep a visual coherency through color, the production prowess of Tom B. Long on letters and the steady guidance of David Mariotte as editor, a full package of fun and emotion that I'll never forget made 2018 a special but bittersweet year in Transformers comics. "We've Achieved Something" never felt so appropriate.

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review


Favourite part of Bumblebee Movie

Cobotron: I saw it! And just in the nick of time. I really liked it. Wouldn't say I loved it, but I was definitely entertained and had a good time. Obviously all the Cybertron scenes where just a total cream dream. I had seen plenty of teaser and leaked shots, but when it opened with a shot right on Ratchet, they immediately had my attention. And I didn't know Brawn was in there either. I enjoyed some of the feels in the relationship between Charlie and Bee. Who knew Bee could be so cute and cuddly, then turn around and kick so much ass like a big boy? Well, actually I guess we all did.
But I think my favorite thing about the movie was all the great, well storyboarded fight scenes that I could actually see! No more 360 spinning whirlwind flying camera moves distracting my eye for the one thing I went to the cinema to see. My favorite space robots battling one another.
Oh, and I also really got a kick out of, "I like the way they pop!".

Scotty P: "Thank you for helping me find my voice" is a fantastic line and felt like a meta-contextual, fourth wall breaking moment of realization for the film franchise. This is what it could be. Unfortunately y'all were too busy with freaking Aquaman to care, from the looks of it.

D-Max: The Bumblebee vs. Dropkick battle. The Bumblebee movie has been such a great experience, and it really is a fantastic movie. The entire thing is a really fun experience and there are a ton of different things that make the movie great. But the Bumblebee vs. Dropkick fight was awesome. We got both bots slugging it out, using weapons sporadically when the chance arises, special moves are used by both bots, some of which involve the different alt modes. Transformation as a battle move! It was great. And then the imaginative end to it all, Dropkick getting chains all wrapped up in himself while transforming, and then starting to ask Bee if he really thought chains would stop him, only to blow up. And then the shot of Bee holding the chain after that, that was awesome. That was a very well thought out fight, a great scene that I really enjoyed.

The part where Bumblebee goes "Iron Giant in weapon mode" on the military was great too. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to put his foot/fist down, and it did not disappoint. I loved it. Fantastic movie and fantastic bots and content.

William-James88: I love everything about the first 15 minutes of this film. The Cybertron sequence is everything we ever wanted (can't believe it took 10 years and a new director to figure it out) and I especially like when Bee gets to earth. I love the quick scanning of a jeep and him re-emerging from the new alt mode with the newly acquired kibble, I liked everything about his fight against Blitzwing. It was just shot in such a perfect way, bot against bot. Not a bunch of crap flying everywhere with quick cuts all over the place. So refreshing. Also, it was super cool to have our man Jon Bailey in the film as both Shockwave and Soundwave (who both sounded the part).

And while a lot of the comedy didn't really do anything for me, I absolutely adored Bee's response to Cena's salute. It was perfect and hilarious.

notirishman: The first two scenes, when the Autobots fight and flee Cybertron and when Bumblebee comes to Earth. While yes, these are more action based than anything else, these two scenes were a blast. The action was better in my opinion, since less was going on (in the case of Bee vs Blitzwing) and each character gets their little quip (Cybertron). Also, Blitzwing's death was creative, and gnarly. Also hey, some John Cena humor. Nice!

Transformers News: Seibertron's 2018 Year In Review

Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time
Date: Saturday, November 24th 2018 12:09pm CST
Categories: Comic Book News, Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 68,996

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are our opinions so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

The title says it all. In light of one of the most significant eras of Transformers comics ending last wednesday, I thought of concentrating on the comics side of the brand and looking at all the beauty that adorned them throughout the years.


10. Transformers UK 322 By Stewart Johnson

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

For those who do not know, issues in the US were split up in the UK. For instance, issue 75, which dealt with the autobots vs Unicron was split up into 4 issues. And all those issues get their own cover. the finale, issue 322, has this wonderful shot of us inside Unicron looking at Optimus about to enter it's mouth using the Matrix to light their darkest hour. It makes for a truly awesome shot that I find much more impressive and evoking than most of the more recent Unicron themed covers we have gotten.


9. The Transformers #60 by José Delbo and #67 by Jim Lee

When looking at classic Transformers covers, you will come across a lot from José Delbo, who I truly believe is on of the best of that era. And of course, there is Jim Lee, who I don't think needs an introduction. I had a hard time choosing between both these shots since I love them for the exact same reason: both use perspective to show the Decepticon threat. With Galvatron, you feel the hopelessness that all is lost while with Bludgeon you can feel the dread of the autobots where the fight seems already pretedermined even if they are higher in number (and include Grimlock!!).

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time


8. Transformers vs G.I.Joe #2 By Jae Lee and June Chung

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Jae Lee is an incredible artist and as someone who has seen him draw live, it is truly mind boggling that the lifelike quality he brings to drawings can be done with no reference and no digital effects. That's why even the smallest of Transformers (Ravage in this case) can look so nightmarish and immense. While he has drawn characters who may be more popular in higher profile books he is very proud of his work on this book to this day and it is hard not to see why.


7. Transformers: Till All Are One #10 by Sara Pitre Durocher

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

While Sara Pitre Durocher is a fine monthly artist, her cover work is just on another level as you can see above. She is like the Transformers' equivalent of Alex Ross and Marko Djurdjevic. While the cover above is my favourite of the lot, the whole arc run is a very good lesson in composition and the effect of symmetry.

6. Transformers: Unicron #3 by Nick Roche

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

We have the best Transformers artist we have ever had on the books right now. However when it comes to covers, many put just too much. While that amount of detail on any Alex Milne Unicron cover is astounding, a simpler composition can be more striking and eye catching, as we saw in the fist Unicron cover mentioned on this list. Nick Roche, another all star, defied the conventional standard by giving us as much if not more detail than any modern day cover artist but in a clean and smart composition, making this one of the most eye catching and awe inspiring covers of all time. It is a great companion piece to the Stewart Johnson shot from above by focusing on a different angle, making this as epic as possible.

5. The Transformers: Windblade #3 by Sarah Stone

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

This was one of the favourite covers of my mentor on this site and I will leave you with his succint review:
This one will always hold a place in my spark casing. - Va'al


4. Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #28 by Alex Milne

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Not only does this cover show us of Megatron's new allegiance (WHAAAAAAT????) it did it in the most playful and fun way. That cover is an homage to Roche homaging Maguire (DC's Justice League), as Milne signed it.

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Which was then subsequently re-homaged by Roche (homaging Milne homaging Roche homaging Maguire) and then by Jack Lawrence.

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Its a great cover layout too, giving you a sense of all the main players in the team.


3. All Hail Megatron #1 by Trevor Hutchison as well as Casey Coller and Josh Burcham.

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

This storyline has its fair share of dislike from the community, deserving so, but you have to give credit where credit's due, it had incredible covers. Two of the all time most eye catching covers in the history of the brand were used for the first issue. I adore the standard propaganda-esque poster which just sums up perfectly what the series aspired to be: the story where Megatron finally wins. Peace through Tyranny never looked so good.

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

For those not in the know, one of the greatest comic book covers of all time (if not THE best) is Brian Bolland's cover for Batman: The Killing Joke and it perfectly recreated with Megatron and Reflector. Both Brian Bolland and Casey Coller hold a very special place in my heart in terms of their art so seeing the product of both truly is a treat. It's crazy to think that both awesome Transformers covers described here happen to be for the same issue, that means I can cover two entries in one go!


2. The Transformers #80 by Andrew Wildman

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Marvel US issue #80's Andrew Wildman cover is just about as perfect as it gets. It represents all the hopelessness of knowing it's the end, but despite another hero being in the foreground about to get cut down by Bludgeon, there's that shadow of Prime in the background that always feels like it arrived just at the right moment. To this day, this cover gives me chills. Circumstances have been just plain bad for months in the comic for the Autobots and our other heroes, including you because for the last year only very few shops were sporadically getting in new issues. Despite being a little bit lost about the totality of events, among all that darkness and ruin you see that shadow back there. In some form, in some way, Optimus Prime is going to show up and save the day. It all might be about to end, but the bad guys are finally going to get what's coming to them. - Scotty P


1. The Transformers #5 by Mark Bright

More than three decades later and this comic cover still stands unrivaled and has only kept growing more iconic. With only one character on the cover, we can gather what happened (or what will happen). Just the smoke coming from Shockwave's cannon tells us that all hope is lost. The fact that the artist replicates many mechanical details from the toy but in a pose impossible for said toy to be in adds a great sense of realism to this image which is enhanced by the textured feel of the cover thanks to the mixture of light and shadow. This gave us the best sense of what Shockwave would look like in the real world, where we would have no chance of defeating him. I can keep talking but I fail to see the point when all you need to do to see that this is the greatest cover of all time is just to give it a glance.

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Comic Book Covers of All Time

Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools
Date: Saturday, October 13th 2018 6:40pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 53,065

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are our opinions so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Transformer Toys Japan Never Got (Molds and Retools)


Western fans whose purchases are predominantly Hasbro's standard Transformers toys sometimes feel like the grass is greener in Japan. And why wouldn't we? Just look at the exclusive molds, remolds and redecos Japan got in the Transformers Prime line and more recently in the Generations Combiner Wars and Robots in Disguise lines. Just to shove it in our face, they even re-released at retail the Tank Frenzy and Rumble molds for the cassette characters which Hasbro never released at retail (even though Hasbro designed it)(LINK). Plus there are all the Masterpiece Transformers we may never get and the list goes on.

But with all that going on, it is very easy to forget that Hasbro themselves have had dozens (hundreds?) of exclusives, many of which were just found at retail, and this list is to remind all Westerners (and Oceanians) that we sometimes get things Japan doesn't get (and might never ever get). Yes, many of those Hasbro exclusives are toys nobody wants (like Supreme Beast Machines Cheetor, Supreme Cybertron Starscream and quite a bit of the Titanium line) but we have some really good stuff too that quite a few Japanese fans had no choice but to import (now it's their turn to pay that shipping muahahaha). I will stick to just retail here (we will leave show exclusives for other lists), and in the next two weeks, I will try to mix it up with a wide array of exclusive molds, remolds and decos that both Japan or Takara (they can be mutually exclusive) didn't get. For now we start with tooling so either a new mold or a retool that Japan never got at retail.


5. Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Sharkticon Megatron

While not show accurate in the least, this is by far the best toy to come out of this design. I loved Prime Megatron's robot mode but the vehicle left a lot to be desired. There was that visible head syndrome, robot arms just hanging out in the back adding nothing to the vehicle mode, and I couldn’t quite get what the front was all about. Was it a head? Couldn't really make heads or tails of it (not quite as bad as Megatron's Animated Cyertronian design of course) and not something I cared to Transform this excellent robot mode into.

But man, talk about an overhaul with the Beast Hunters retool of Sharkticon Megatron. Many problems I had with the original vehicle mode design were fixed. No more visible head syndrome for starters but more than that, the ship looked like something. It had this incredible bio mechanical look to it, which reminded me a lot of HR Geiger, with a very prominent head and fins in the back. Those are the obvious bits of remolding but when actually taking a good long look at this toy you realize it's mostly new parts. The arms and legs and even head have all been changed to add detail contributing to the more underwater theme. The deco is pretty stellar too, reminding me of the colour palette in the Bioshock games. And he comes with the Tartarex Warp Sword which not only is a badass shark sword gun made for pure slaughter but also a very clever reference to the abyss from Greek mythology, Tartarus.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools


4. Transformers Beast Wars Transmetals 2 Ramulus

There are several Beast Wars Transmetals toys Japan did not get at first but some eventually found their way there in one way or another. This one never did. I will be honest, that pun of a name scores him some pretty high points but the toy is great overall as well. The Transmetals 2 line is known for inventive designs, premium deco and serious gems (with the notable exception of Cheetor) and Ramulus is all of that. Add to that the very original beast mode, that of a Nubian Ibex (wild goat from the Middle East), which I think is his better looking mode. I do like that as with many Beast Wars toys, the robot head takes inspiration from his beast mode, and he has these adorable horns (which are only beaten by that adorable little goat tail).

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools


3. Transformers Prime Voyager Beast Hunters Predaking (Cyberverse upscale)

What, 2 Transformers Prime toys on this list?! Well what can I say, Transfomers Prime was the paragon of cartoon based toylines which has yet to be beaten, so you bet your ass it had some damn good toys. Japan got some excellent exclusives for that line (Ironhide, Jet Vehicon, :-x Breakdown :-x ) but we got some too, like this awesome dude right here. He is beautiful, nice and lean, imposing with a terrific transformation, which I prefer to the far more expensive Ultimate Predaking. Despite being classified officially as a voyager, he's HUGE, which gives this toy incredible value. Plus he has a generous amount of paint apps and I love those translucent wings. This is the best Predaking toy from the Prime line.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools


2. Transformers Titans Return Sky Shadow (aka Black Shadow)

In the G1 era, Japan got Black Shadow, a toy that was never released by Hasbro (we got Thunderwing instead). But now it's payback time with Hasbro releasing the best rendition of that character through leader Sky Shadow, a toy that just oozes cool. Even for those who don't know the character, the design and colour scheme are undeniably stylish. He just looks intense and a Decepticon truly worthy of being in the highest ranks. The transformation was simple but clever and all modes look great. The chunkiness also reminds me of the Cybertron era, but with today's articulation - it's awesome! I like him even better than Overlord, a toy we have been waiting agse for, since this seems like an evolution in design (which I always like) rather than simply just doing G1 with articulation (which often ends up rather dull).

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools


1. Practically all the best Beast Machine Toys

Japan skipped so many molds from Beast machines that the line might just as well been Hasbro exclusive (and it technically was until 2004 when a dozen molds showed up in Japan). Basically, Takara only released their version of the toys for show characters, and only 1 toy per character (the more show accurate one). So for instance, they only released the Tank Drone as their Tankor instead of the awesome Mega toy. They also missed out on all those incredible basic class toys of non show characters like Quickstrike, Longhorn, Night Viper and Scavenger, all toys that I would recommend anyone to have in their collection. And yes, many of these toys mentioned are better than the previous toys mentioned on the list, I just didn't want this list and the upcoming "Top 5 Beast Machines Toys" to be the same.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools
Transformers Beast Machines Tankor Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools
Transformers Beast Machines Night Viper Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools


Honourable Mentions:

Titanium The Fallen

He's here for two reasons. Firstly, it's possible that Titanium The Fallen might've been imported to Japan by Tomy Direct and I am not sure if that counts or not. Secondly, it's not as good as the other toys on this list. The idea though is that the Titanium line was Hasbro exclusive and Takara didn't release their version of it. I know, I know, good for them. They were able to avoid some of the worst toys ever made for the Transformers line, and I say this with no exaggeration. They were also able to avoid an Optimus Primal toy which didn't have a Beast Mode (well done on that one Hasbro). But they still missed out like with Fire Convoy and the Fallen. People forget, but this toyline got us our first figure for The Fallen (aka Megatronus, one of the Primes). And fun fact, this toy's design is taken from the IDW comics Stormbringer Megatron design, so that's one more Stormbringer design for fans to have in toy form.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools
Transformers Titanium Series The Fallen Gallery


G1 Octopunch/Bludgeon

It is very hard to judge G1 toys in fairness due to their iconic status. I love Bludgeon and collect his modern toys, but I would be hard pressed to say that the original holds up to everything else on this list. Pretenders are very love em or hate em in this community while I remain indifferent on the subject. I do love both Pretender designs. Of course, it would help to talk about it more if it was available for me to purchase at a decent price. I still find it very bewildering that of all the G1 toys not to be released in Japan, it is the one deliberately styled after a part of their culture and the first Transformer to bring in the Samurai motif. That has since been found across different characters. It's an aspect I like a lot since in the more modern era I find it fascinating how designers will use pieces of the alt mode to turn it into a samurai style armour, for example. And yes, Octopunch, the tentacle monster Transformer, also never made it to Japan.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools
Transformers G1 1989 Bludgeon Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Transformers Toys Japan Never Got: Molds and Retools
Transformers G1 1989 Octopunch Gallery

Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's
Date: Saturday, April 7th 2018 11:11pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 58,443

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was better than Hasbro's

Last time, we checked the times when the Hasbro was better than the Takara version. Now, we will do the flip side, where we check the times Takara outdid Hasbro. Many fans often expect that to be the case, but with us now being in a new age of brand unification where the same toy gets released in both markets, it is a good time to look back at the times when it was really worth getting the Takara version over Hasbro's. I am well aware there are a lot of examples that can apply out there so I welcome people to let me know which toys they feel the Takara version is really worth seeking out. Also, they had to all be good toys rather than simply mediocre toys with a good paint job.


5. Transformers Legends Gelshark (Sky-Byte) vs Generations Sky-Byte

This is an extremely underrated toy which came and went with few caring. And that is a shame. Not only was this the representative of the Robots in Disguise 2001 / Car Robots line in the thrilling 30, he was also one hell of an update. He was still a shell former like his previous Beast Wars mold roots but unlike his original toy, the shell was very compact and made for elegant wings in robot mode which did not take any attention away from the robot mode. Also, and I can never stress this enough, Takara outdid themselves on the engineering of the chest. The original toy was a shark who transformed into a robot who had a shark-like face on his chest that was a different colour on each side (giving a hint to his states of mind). Of course, the real shark head was still somewhere on the toy (part of his massive shell) so the chest was more of a reference that he was a shark and not supposed to be the shark head. This update however had the shark head actually be the chest as well. No fake parts this time, reducing the shell considerably and making the robot far more sleek. There was even a nice panel flip on the shark's nose to give the chest new robot mode detail and to further look like the original cartoon model. As you recall, the whole theme of that chest is that it had a different colour on each side, showing how he was this unstable killer. So now that Hasbro has this opportunity of having the actual shark head be the chest how do they colour it? Just all light blue. Not even one of the shades that should be there. You might think that it is for it to work better as a shark head in shark mode, but no, that shade of blue isn't found anywhere else. Takara however jumped on the opportunity of this update to give him the split colour deco on his shark head so that when it transforms into robot mode, it gets the signature look. These same colours are also made to match the shark's body which make for a better looking shark mode. Takara has often outdone Hasbro in the deco area, just look at the entire Beast Wars Returns (Beast Machines in Japan) line. However, with Gelshark the improved deco goes a long way, longer than any other improved deco, turning a toy many dismissed into, what I consider, a must have. I am a huge fan of when the deco honours the wit of the engineering and this guy does that in spades.

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's


4. Transformers Binaltech Override vs Alternators Windcharger

Right off the bat, I think the name is better in the Takara release. Windcharger was a minibot while Override was a sleek sports car. If the Binaltech line was about giving new classic version of G1 characters, Overdrive would suit it much better since they are all the same size and any hope of semblance of scale with Windcharger would be lost (if that even matters). More than that, just look at the head. The toy issued by both companies has a visor and that is totally Overdrive's deal more so than Windcharger (and you DO NOT want to see what a Windcharger head on this guy would look like).

I mean between this

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

and this

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Which one would this guy be representing?

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

The name isn't even the biggest deal with the release, far from it. Hasbro's was made of molded plastic while Takara had a nice die cast body which was painted red. This was the case for all Binaltech (Takara) versions of the of Alternators line. You really felt you had your money's worth with these guys (when you forgot how you disliked transforming them). But that is not all, oh no, that is not all. What makes this release far ore noteworthy than the rest of the line though is the weapon. You see, licensing agreements are handled by each company separately in their home country. Honda Japan was totally cool with Overdrive having a nice long barreled gun but Honda America didnt like their brand associated to violent toys and Hasbro had to literally circumcise neuter the gun and turn it into a non violent scanner. Yay.


3. Transformers Henkei Megatron vs Classics Megatron

Another big difference between Takara/Japan and Hasbro/USA are the laws they have to deal with. Japan is not as severe when it comes to toy guns (G1 Megatron came from them afterall) but the states is a different matter. For Megatron to be a gun again, they had to give him a Super Soaker deco. Takara, on the other hand, gave him an appropriate deco for a character who finally had a semblance of his original alt mode back. He had two appropriate decos actually, one being silver (United) and the other having more orange highlights (Henkei) which I think works even better.

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's


2. Transformers Unite Warriors Devastator vs Generations Combiner Wars Devastator


In most cases, the reason to get the Takara version over the Hasbro one (or vice versa) is if you prefer the differences in deco. With Devastator's case, the deco was a side note. Sure, there were a few differences here and there (with the Unite Warriors version being a bit more accurate to the cartoon) but the real deal here is that your Constructicons had improved articulation in their individual robot modes. They all had functional elbows for one and some had better knees, and they all had individual weapons. There are pegs and specific sculpting details found on the alt modes which are for the sole purpose of holding/storing the robot's weapon in that mode and what is saddening about the Hasbro version is that those details and holes are still there but you don't get the weapons. Along with the extra joints, this just adds to what Takara has confirmed that Hasbro's Devastator is a result of taking a Takara design and build and removing parts from it. There isn't just that, the combined robot has a new head which had an optional visor and ratchets on his shoulders. It's not so much that the Takara version is better than Hasbro but instead that it is THE toy Hasbro had signed on for initially. This is the Devastator we should all have had, while the deco would have been the main difference. Instead you get the actual Titan Devastator toy from Takara and a shadow of it from Hasbro.

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's


1. Transformers Galaxy Force Cybertron Starscream vs Cybertron Starscream(s)

Yup, while a Starscream toy was the best time Hasbro had the upper hand over Takara, this character pops up again when we flip the conversation around. This case is practically a travesty all around and while at its core it's about the deco there is more to it. Looking at the mold alone, which is an excellent toy, Takara had him in perfect show accurate deco while the release of this Voyager Starscream toy by Hasbro was in a near random red colour. It was to the point where a fellow board member was talking about him to me and referring to him as Thrust since he truly believed that it was a redeco of Starscream into Thrust. Sadly, no it's not, that red thing is Starscream. Also, if you wanted him in the states, you could only get him in a two pack with Vector Prime who you probably already had, goody! So we established why the Takara release is the better one, but the reason behind the "failed attempt" for Hasbro to give fans this toy was because Hasbro was pushing another Starscream toy: Supreme Starscream, a toy which is all kinds of suck. It's just a giant Starscream which isn't even its own mold (even the craptacular Supreme Cheetor has that over him). It's just an upscaled version of the voyager, slightly retooled for the gimmicks. So all the fine details you would see on the voyager end up looking like broad strokes on the supreme class version. And while Starscream did become that big in the series, it wasn't for very long and much after this toy was released. There is a great air of disgust over this toy and a big part of it is the sacrifice of Hasbro never releasing a cartoon accurate version of the best Starscream figure of the Unicron Triogy, Cybertron Voyager Starscream, which is exactly what Takara provided.

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's

Transformers News: Top 5 Transformers Toys whose Takara version was Better than Hasbro's


Honourable mentions: There is a bunch of G1 stuff that was far superior when released in Japan by Takara than by Hasbro. However, I did not find it as fair since they were technically rereleases of the earlier toys from the Microchange and Diaclone lines and not specifically reworkings of a Hasbro version. Soundwave is a great example of a toy who's Japan release is awesome since it had firing missiles (something that was taken away from may Hasbro releases) as well as Headphones and a mic. However, this was all holdovers from the original release of the toy in the Microchange line which Hasbro changed for the Transformers. So it's more of a case of the Original pre Transformers version being better and not necessarily the Takara version of the Transformers toy. A very fine line, I admit, but I felt it would work better as an other list than to muddy this one.

Speaking of G1, Powermaster Prime was far superior in Japan, but since he wasn't the same character and release, I didn't really find it fair. The recent Legends line output from Takara has several deluxes coming with an extra Target Master while the Hasbro versions don't so they do offer you more, but at the same time you are paying an extra 10$ for that Target Master even before you add the import fees (plus you don't get the Hasbro weapons). So I don't know if paying more to get more counts as a fair comparison, they aren't even the same price points. However, this all deserves mentioning, and that's why you find them here.

Top 5 Marvel Comics Transformers G1 Decepticon Leaders

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Transformers G1 Decepticon Leaders
Date: Saturday, October 21st 2017 3:40pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: Kurona

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 68,718

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers, written by a fellow Seibertronian. These are our personal opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders

When it comes to Transformers, leadership is usually fairly straightforward. Optimus Prime leads the Autobots, and Megatron leads the Decepticons. On rare ocassions someone might have to temporarily fill the role for them like Ultra Magnus or Starscream; and back in the 80s cartoon Rodimus Prime and Galvatron got a very long run of it. But in the original Transformers comics by Marvel, straightforward is the last word you could use to describe the seat of command -- deaths, power struggles and plotting behind the scenes were aplenty in both factions; leading to a much more varied and ever-changing selection of faction Leaders for avid fans of the comic. And so today, we're going to count down the Top 5 Leaders of the Decepticons in the Marvel comics. Focusing on the US side of things with only a tinge of UK material, let's dig right in and see on whose shoulder Laserbeak deserves to sit most.


5. Bludgeon

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders


Bludgeon, admittedly, doesn't get a lot of time in the driver's seat. With the post of Decepticon Leader left an open vacancy after the thrilling epic Edge of Extinction, the new leader only has a handful of issues to prove his worth before the comic's unfortunate end at Issue 80 -- and it's impressive to see how easily Bludgeon throws himself into the role. Immediately appointing a second-in-command and usurping the Autobots' attempts at peace before sneakily taking all the working shuttles off-world, he successfully leads an invasion of an innocent planet and personally chopping down a handful of Grimlock-led Autobots himself. His limited panel-time as leader is what lands him so low on the list, but what he does with that time still impresses me enough to give him a spot.

4. Ratbat

It's very difficult to leave this guy off the table when talking about unique Decepticon Leaders. While usually we see a powerhouse like Straxus or Galvatron take control, it's certainly different to see a small Cassette take command of the main Decepticon forces. Not content with just being unique in stature, Ratbat sees fit to employ a unique command structure as well; focusing all his efforts on saving and conserving energy after deeming the earth-bound Decepticons' fuel consumption to be inefficient. While he usually had to share the role with Shockwave or Scorponok and only got the spotlight to himself for a short time, he nevertheless struck an impact with his unique approach and his characterisation would prove to be inspiring enough to get echoed in the likes of IDW and the Aligned continuity.

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders


3. Thunderwing

Marvel saw fit to go all-out when it came to unique styles of leadership. From Grimlock's ruthlessness to Ratbat's fuel conservation... to Thunderwing's addiction. While he only steals a small squad of Decepticons rather than assuming control of the entire faction, Thunderwing still proved to be probably the most terrifying Decepticon leader in the comics since Galvatron. Driven by his obsession for the Autobots' sacred Creation Matrix, having the power to back it up and not caring a jot for the units under his command other than a means to an end, the Mega Pretender fought as a one-man army against everyone in his way and winning every time - and actually succeeded where Megatron continually fails in obtaining his coveted Creation Matrix. How better can it be put than the High Councillors who named him leader in the UK comic -- "You exhibited single-mindedness, ruthlessness and fighting prowess! The perfect qualities for leadership!"

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders


2. Scorponok

On the face of things, Scorponok might seem fairly basic for a Decepticon leader. He's big, he's powerful, he's mean, he's shouty; everything you'd expect from your standard 'con in control. And, in fact, he does start off like that when we first see him on Cybertron - but then we introduce the human factor.

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders


The Headmaster gimmick is something that is always criticised as being very confusing in both toys and the G1 cartoon, but I will always applaud how the Marvel comics handled it; clearly showing a distinct bond and melding of minds that when focused upon can make for some truly compelling characterisation, especially when Marvel was so good at characterising its humans. And it is Zarak - Scorponok's Headmaster - that really makes this Decepticon Leader work. As the comics go on, we keep seeing subtle little hints that Scorponok's bloodthirstiness is being quelled and reined in by Zarak's more calm and intellectual mind. Forging truces; eventually coming round to seeing Optimus Prime's concerns about Unicron -- and even, finally, making the ultimate sacrifice near the end of the comic. Scorponok is an entertaining Decepticon Leader on his own, but it's the binary bonding that truly lands him a spot so high on this list.

1. Megatron

Megatron, much like Scorponok, seems like just your standard Decepticon leader at first sight. Much like early Scorponok, all the bullet points are there -- he's a lot more ruthless and intelligent than his cartoon counterpart to be sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's an incredible character on its own.

So what makes this one stand out from the rest? What nets Megatron the Number 1 spot? His burgeoning insanity. It's clear right from the start, but with each issue we see more and more of Megatron's sick, twisted mind and every major loss and event drives him further and further into a pit of despair. Constant power struggles with Shockwave and blows to his dignity and power in battles with the Autobots contribute to a shattered psyche that finally culminates when his eternal foe, Optimus Prime; dies -- and not at his hands. In Gone But Not Forgotten - a story this user considers to be one of the best of Marvel's Transformers stories - we see the end result of this madness as a space bridge catastrophe orchestrated by Shockwave finally brings death to the babbling madman, brought about by his own crippling insanity.

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders


Honourable mentions:

Shockwave is usually the one that most minds drift to when someone thinks of alternate Decepticon Leaders in the Marvel comics, so his not being on the list may be surprising. It is, quite simply, because this reader found the 5 on the list to be more entertaining characters -- but that's not to say Shockwave doesn't deserve a mention, far from it. When he takes over from Megatron it turns the Decepticons into a very intimidating and formidable fighting force; a logical, well-oiled and efficient machine committed purely to expanding their forces and their fuel resources before moving on to domination. While later issues wouldn't portray him as solidly, Shockwave's original Decepticon Leadership was still pretty damn impressive.

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders


Soundwave is a very interesting character when it concerns Decepticon leadership, though moreso when he's pulling the strings and mediating between power struggles rather than assuming full command. He's a constant presence all throughout the comic; always somehow surviving and always taking up a main role among the Decepticons. And, rest assured, he does get his own run of the place in a few UK future timeline stories -- which are absolutely glorious. Soundwave superior!

Transformers News: Top 5 Marvel Comics Decepticon Leaders

Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Date: Saturday, June 3rd 2017 1:02pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 56,037

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Worst cases of Undercarriage among Transformers Toys

This list is all about the most poorly disguised robots. We are talking here about the Transfomrer toys which wish to remain inconspicuous (so of course, no random cybertronian spaceship) but have just a bit to much robot showing which removes any illusion. That protruding robot kibble usually sprouts from under the robot and while I would never knock against kibble that can only be seen when a car is flipped over, I am really not fond of when I see so much undercarriage from the sides. Here are 5 examples of the worst cases of that:


5. Transformers G1 1989 Vroom

While the articulation of today wasn't present, the G1 era will always be a place for great design in my book. They are probably the best era (aside from Masterpiece and Alternators/Alternity) for the most realistic vehicles with well disguised robots. However, that specific era I am referring to encompasses the first few years of this rather expansive era we now call "Generation 1". The alt mode wasn't always prioritized and by the end it was a line made up of gimmick after gimmick. Case in point Vroom. He sure looks like a fun goofy toy but the alt mode doesn't try hiding the fact that there is a whole man under there with his hands hanging out the side and a big belly as the undercarriage. The motorcycle becomes simply a mode of transport (like Transmetal 2 vehicle modes) rather than an actual disguise. Why this guy takes the cake though is because his underside is all organic and doesn't mesh with the mechanical motorcycle which makes the undercarriage really distracting.

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers G1 1989 Vroom Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys


4. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Ironhide and Transformers Dark of the Moon Leader Ironhide

Ironhide kept the same voyager mold for a long time (as did Ratchet) and while it was always the same, different versions worked depending on how they handled the underside. Movie Ironhide having a real life recognizable GMC truck alt mode would make any extraneous kibble look really off. It just so happens that the voyager mold has his arms hanging there in the undercarriage. Certain versions hid them well by placing weapons on either side but the ROTF version just let it all hang loose for all to see and for the disguise to fail. The leader figure, while quite good in my opinion, went for a very streamlined and efficient transformation, meaning that most of the bot is already there under the vehicle. As you can tell from the pictures, it isn't hid very well either.

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers Dark of the Moon Ironhide Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers Dark of the Moon Ironhide Gallery


3. Transformers Age of Extinction: Generations Strafe

It really pains me that this toy did not take any cues from any Pteranodon transformer that preceded him when it comes to handling his robot arms. For crying out loud, the G1 toy hid them better and all that was done there was have them compact within his chest (which G1 Divebomb also did to an even better result). A transformation I fnd quite brilliant was the Animated Swoop where his robot arms were in plain sight in Dino mode but merged with the wings to become the arms of the Pteranodon. AOE Strafe did none of that. The robot arms are just right there spread far and wide, under the wings (which feature their own dinosaur claws). It's not just the arms you see, but practicaly the entire robot. The chest doesnt transform at all from dino mode and the head just nods a little for you not to see the eyes. It looks like he's got four hands and three heads.In the end, the dino mode look more like a robot playing peek-a-boo than a legitimate attempt at a dino mode (I do find the robot mode quite nice though).

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys


2. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Jetfire Gallery

If it wasn't for number one, who is a very special case, this guy would take the cake for most extraneous undercarriage. There is absolutely no one kidding themselves that this is just a jet and not some mechanical alien hidden under it. It's a very weak and cheap way to make a toy and what's worse is that while the design is lazy and the transformation is overly simplistic, they made it one of the most annoying transformations on the planet (unlike say, AOE Leader Optimus who is also simplistic but not annoying in any way). I don't know why they wasted so much time putting all the necessary panels needed to make the top of the jet look ultra lifelike. It just makes the panel forming more frustrating when you know the end design wont benefit from any attention to detail since all we are paying attention to is all that kibble underneath.

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys


1. Silverbolt, (almost) all of them.

Oh man, this is the ultimate poorly disguised robot, with a heavy undercarriage loaded with all the robot kibble possible. What I find quite funny is how the fact that this was the case in the G1 era seems to give it a free pass for designers to continue imitating it. Quite frankly, I think it is a rather easy way out when supporting design. Silvebolt is one of the most iconic jet transformers (he is at least surely the representative for the concord jet in this brand) and yet perpetually suffers from his whole body being under the jet. I think he deserves better, and should at least be disguised better.

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers G1 1986 Silverbolt Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers Universe - Classics 2.0 Silverbolt Gallery

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Silverbolt Gallery

And I know it's a different character, but it just fits so well here as the most poorly disguised robot, here s another Silverbolt with very exposed kibble in his "undercarrage":

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys
Transformers Beast Machines Silverbolt Gallery


Honourable Mentions:

There is one toy I want to mention here that should be on the list as well but I don't feel is fair. You see all toys above have an undercarriage as a consequence of converting between two modes that dont share the same pieces but of course are connected to eachother. There is one toy out there with an egregious undercarriage isn't stuck to his undercarriage though, Gunrunner.

It's a robot that only turns into a "jet" because you plug a jet body on top of it. So you end up with a jet with a robot plugged under it. An odd toy indeed.


Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Worst Cases of Undercarriage Among Transformers Toys

Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys
Date: Saturday, May 20th 2017 11:50pm CDT
Category: Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 58,980

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.

Top 5 Best Disguised Robots among Transformers Toys

I made a list of the Transformers toys which look least like the robot can transform into something else and this is pretty much the opposite. Transformers have always been called Robots in Disguise and some toys really pushed the disguise angle. There are some Transformers that one would never guess are anything more than their alt mode. Of course, the important factor here is that we are talking about their alt mode and not just a pretender shell that hides the robot. I am sure it was assumed, but I am mentioning it just in case. A brick wall would definitely help hide a small robot standing behind it, but what I give you today is the list of Transformers toys who's alt modes provide the best disguise!


5. Transformers G1 1984 Bumblebee (Bumble)

Most G1 figures are great examples of well disguised robots since the alt mode was the one that was emphasized in the two main lines contributing to Transformers. The idea was to have toy cars and real life objects that could blend in with others but also hide a robot. However, for the Diaclone cars at least, the illusion only lasted until you looked under the car and saw some flashy robot mode stickers. I wouldn't count the jets or Optimus Prime either since their robot mode kibble was detached and it wouldn't be a fair comparison. The most well disguised traditional G1 figure, to me, then ends up being good old Bumblebee. The head flap being hidden by a tire detail is very smart and he is super clean underneath, aside from some sculpting for the fists (but its not emphasized in any way, helping the illusion). He just looks like your average little toy car that any kid from the previous decades would have a bunch of. It must have been awesome for kids in the 80s to show their friends that theirs actually turned into a robot.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys


4. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Deadlift

While G1 were an early hay day in alt mode realism, that came back full circle with the movie lines which went all out with the licensing and trying to give us faithful alt modes. You got some great results, alt mode wise, but aside from the human alliance figures, you could tell there was a robot hiding there either with the massive undercarriage, the great amount of panel lines or when you would peer inside the windows. There is one toy though which I feel really looks like it isn't hiding a robot and that is Deadlift, the forklift Transformer (and the only Forklift Transformer mold we have ever gotten in the history of the brand). The forklift alt mode is so distinctive that it distracts us from thinking this actually transforms especially since it is so compact and has so many dedicated part for the alt mode. There is also the very open nature of the the forklift with the cockpit being clear and empty with a nice steering wheel and unoccupied seat.
This version of the mold also happens to be an homage to Gobot Spoons so that scores even more points in my book, but even if you didn't care about that, the fact that this version is a nice burnt orange rather than neon green makes it look more grounded in reality.


Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys


3. Transformers Masterpiece Grimlock (MP-08)

The reason for his inclusion here is because this toys defies everything else really. Someone knowing you like transformers would assume any car you present them, or is spotted in your home, transforms. You also would probably have them in robot mode if taken out of their nice boxes. BUT this guy is a whole other story. In fact my brother commented on how awesome my Mecha Godzilla toy was when he saw my MP Grimlock on my shelf. Speak of an amazingly disguised robot. Unlike any of the others on this list, this toy in alt mode looks complete and accomplished, with the idea that this toy would sell as a non transforming separate entity to the Transformers brand. It is functional with it's own gimmicks and is probably kept even more in this mode than the robot mode. Unlike the G1, you can't even spot his robot hands under his feet, the robot is fully hidden (in plain sight too!). His amazing, detailed and unique alt mode distracts anyone from thinking that it can also transform into a robot.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys


2. Transformers G1 1984 Megatron

G1 Megatron realism has caused so many problems in the past, to the point that Hasbro can never release a realistic gun Megatron again. I myself had my own problems importing it from Japan. It was held up at customs for over a month until the Canadian government opened the box and inspected it.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Better yet, this toy was involved in a 3 hour standoff in Windsor Canada (of all places) when a 25 year old man who was just fed up of his life, held his neighbours at gunpoint... using g1 megatron in gun mode. They even had to lockdown a nearby school due to the gun scare. This is a quote from the actual news article:

The three-hour standoff forced the lockdown of a nearby elementary school, and drew a police response that included tactical officers, body armour, submachine guns, sniper rifles, a police dog and the mobile command centre.


All this due to how well disguised G1 Megatron is.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys


1. Transformers Alternators Grimlock

The alternators series brought it back to the G1 days where autobot cars had interactive and somewhat detailed cockpits, and were meant to resemble other toy cars. This series went for that very same idea, having alt modes that resembled licensed car models perfectly, with visible motors, detailed dashboards, opening doors, everything you'd expect from a high quality model car. Except it also transfomred into a robot. The alternators are all great replicas of licensed cars but the mustang model went an extra mile by having an entire piece cover the bottom to give extra detail and hide more of the robot. This gives the robot a whole lot of shell but also an amazing disguise. No one can guess this guy Transforms unless they know exactly what kind of toy it is.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys


Honourable mentions:

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime

The big factor here that distinguishes this mold from other releases of the movie Peterbilt truck is the back of the cab section that removes any holes giving hint that this is more than just a truck. The view from the bottom gives nice symetrical pannels that hide the head and most of the robot kibble.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

Transformers Classics Megatron

There is not one single angle or part that would make anyone think this is more than a kid's toy gun. There is even a crosshairs in the scope and the trigger gives a satisfying click. The main reason it didnt make it is due to the less realistic nature of this alt mode.

Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys
Transformers News: Top 5 Best Disguised Robots Amongst Transformers Toys

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Transformers Podcast: Twincast / Podcast #345 - The Roast
Twincast / Podcast #345:
"The Roast"
MP3 · iTunes · RSS · View · Discuss · Ask
Posted: Saturday, March 9th, 2024

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