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Roundtable Review for Transformers Cyberverse Episodes 9 and 10

Date: Monday, October 29th 2018 1:25pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: william-james88

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Round Table Review for Transformers Cyberverse Episodes 9 and 10

Episode 9 Shadowstriker

Synopsis: Bumblebee revisits memories of his archnemesis Shadowstriker and learns there's more to being a hero than just knowing how to fight.

What you liked best about episode 9

I like how this show cements the fun premise that this show will be told out of order and that questions will be answered. We had seen Shadowstriker before for a very short time and she was acting like Frankenstein's monster, presumably with no reason given. And now we see why. I like that. Plus it's a good origin story to the rivalry between Bumblebee and his new nemesis. I also love whenever Shockwave is used properly and we see how important he was to the war effort here, being the mad scientist he is. There is also some great Transformers imagery here involving Optimus in a similar pose to the famous Wolverine cover by Mark Silvestri. - William-James88

I liked the fact that this episode gave depth to one of the completely new characters for the franchise, Shadow Striker. Up to now we didn't know a lot about her or why she looked the way she did. By shining the spotlight on her, we got to see her a lot better. -ZeroWolf

The episode, once again, is very serious and considerably darker than other episodes. The episode has a great overall mood and well-written story. This episode explains the story behind Shadow Striker, the bounty hunter lad. I don't want to get into spoilers, let’s just say, she's a bit traumatized, eh? There is a funny scene, where her Seeker guards' were having a conversation about nothing. Literally nothing. It's actually pretty funny. -notirishman

Fleshing out Shadowstriker the way they did. They kind of took a more original path with her, making her one of the best Decepticons who is ruthless and really good. And then they have the main character accidentally blow her up, and the end result is she is the core spark of her former self, but with a freakish appearance from the reconnected body parts of her subordinates, who can no longer physically do what she used to and must make do, and as make do in a very angry way. They made her scary, but with reason. Used to be good, but now struggling to make do and fueled by vengeance. They made her a good character, and this was basically her spotlight. -D-Maximal_Primal




What you liked least about episode 9

It was a tad bit confusing at times and I do not know how Windblade knows certain things if she is not part of those memories we are seeing. - William-James88

Honestly, they could have just left out the wrap around with Windblade sparring with Bee. The time could be used better to add to Shadow Striker's parts. -ZeroWolf

When Shadow Striker blames Bumblebee for her life, he seems very angry at Shadow Striker trying to shoot him, despite she clearly losing a lot more? Also, how exactly did Shadow Striker get Optimus? -notirishman

I would not have minded if Shadowstriker looked a little more Frankenstein like. I feel she could have done with a little bit more in the patchwork department, especially since she's a car and her subordinates were seeker jets (that we saw). This could have provided some fun moments too, if she had jets in her boots from the other's parts and she could jump really high or even fly. -D-Maximal_Primal



Your overall thoughts on episode 9

I love rivalries in fiction and it's fun to see a new one within the Transformers lore involving Bumblebee. Plus more Shockwave experiments are always fun and this show further proves that it can handle darker subject matters (though not as dark as destroying Bumblebee's voice box). - William-James88

This was a strong episode, showing what Shockwave won't hesitate to do, and what's motivating Shadow Striker. I can see more encounters with Bee and friends. Will she remember his act to spare her? Or is she going to take any chance to take him out.-ZeroWolf

A very entertaining, well-written episode! Definitely the best after episode, or well... second. -notirishman

Great episode, this one feels like a great origin story, and as a whole the series feels like it's getting some good legs in under it. I enjoyed the banter between Bee and Shadowstriker, and I enjoyed the pity Bee feels while also still finding her an enemy. They have a pretty decent dynamic, and it can set up for some great moments to be explored later on. -D-Maximal_Primal


Episode 10 MacCadam's

Synopsis: Bumblebee remembers MacCadam's, his favorite hangout on Cybertron, at three different points in its storied history.

What you liked best about episode 10

DEADLOCK!!!!!!! Not that Drift/Deadlock is that much of a favourite of mine, but more that this show (both the show Cyberverse and this particular episode) is the most steeped example of new IDW Transformers lore put on screen. There is a lot more that reminds me of James Robert's G1 here, such as seeing Megatron in the Macadams bar before the war, plus the story not being told linearly and that becoming a plot point in and of itself. And we get to see Soundwave show off some great dance moves. - William-James88

Everything, well not quite everything (see below) but this was the best episode I've seen yet. I loved the first memory, showing again how everyone got along before the war, seeing Wheeljack and Shockwave being friendly was hilarious. I want to see more of that time period, what other friendships were destroyed? -ZeroWolf

This episode is just... really crammed with Transformers lore! While I won't delve into it too much, I will say that this is in fact, the first time Maccadam appeared in an animated cartoon! He sneakily appears in the title sequence for the whole season! One thing in the episode I liked was that you could see the effect of the war on the bar and its customers. It was something you didn't really see in Transformers cartoons, and was very nice to see! Also am a fan of the IDW universe references, namely Chromia pleading Windblade to return to their world Caminus, and Deadlock (Drift), finding safe passage in Maccadam's. -notirishman

The entire Maccadam's setting. It is so cool to see this public fun location over the course of 3 very different time periods, and what this place means to those assembled and present. It is cool to see how the characters all interacted before they became mortal enemies, with the Shockwave and Wheeljack friendship, and the dancing Soundwave and seekers as examples. It was fun! It was enjoyable! And no matter if it was in peace or in war, the place was nice to view, and it was also great because we got moments where fighting wasn't allowed, so everyone had to interact peacefully. -D-Maximal_Primal



What you liked least about episode 10

I guess the only thing I would like at this point is for them to drop the Bumblebee radio voice gimmick in the present, but that's old news. There wasn't much to complain about here aside from that it was too short and I want more pre/early war stories. - William-James88

We didn't get any longer in the pre-war memory. Even this us a minor quibble. -ZeroWolf

Deadlock didn't talk at all, which is fine, so, I mean, this episode really had little wrong in my eyes! -notirishman

I feel like this episode really didn't have a weak spot. It was all around strong in so many ways, and between the characters, the setting, and the jump around in time, it was paced well and enjoyable! So there really isn't something I did not like, or at least liked the least, in this episode. -D-Maximal_Primal



Your overall thoughts on episode 10

Best episode in the series so far and a nice deep cut within Transfomers lore for fans of all ages to enjoy. - William-James88

More like this please. The nods to other continuities was great, and it was nice to see macadams finally animated and to get a look at this version of the character, whose face looks a little like a ships psychiatrist from an IDW series that's ending. I think it's because of the eyes. It was also a fun cameo from Deadlock, from the point where he's trying to join the Autobots, so maybe Drift is in Cyberverses future? So far this is the high point of the show for me, let's wait and see now what the next batch bring. -ZeroWolf

This was my favorite episode in the show; it was well written, was jammed full of lore, and was very entertaining. -notirishman

Excellent episode, probably one of the best we have gotten over the course of the past few years in Transformers cartoons. It's certainly up there in terms of quality, has lots of good Easter Eggs, has a lot of fun, and shows us a great look at Cybertron through time. It even finally gives characterization to its longtime bartender and owner, and I like this version of Maccadam. It's really cool and it's 11 minutes of your life you really need to watch and enjoy. -D-Maximal_Primal

Why I am Thrilled by the Heavy G1 Influence in Upcoming Toys from Hasbro

Date: Wednesday, October 24th 2018 10:44am CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

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Unless you have been living under a rock, the theme right now with all things Transformers is G1 (referring to the first generation of Transformers Toys/Characters/Show), now more than ever. I mean, everywhere you look you see callbacks to

G1



G1!



G1!!



G1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




So basically, right now the theme is G1, G1 and more G1 with the biggest toy output since the brand's inception (4 simultaneous toylines on the same shelf space, not counting retailer exclusive lines).

And I think this is all great and that it's about time we get all this product. The G1 reissues are selling like hot cakes (even at inflated prices for some) so no need to convince anyone that those are wanted and since I will be sticking to toys, I will be looking at my excitement for the heavy G1 theme of both the Generations and Cyberverse lines. While we are getting G1 characters with scales and looks matching the old cartoon for older kids and collectors in the Generations Siege line, Cyberverse provides an entire line of simpler toys at all price ranges and sizes all based on prominent G1 characters with their G1 inspired looks. And those toys are not by the same design team, meaning that the influence is not just the choice of a particular team (or manager) but company wide instead.

Just so you know, I was born in 1988, so my childhood was all Beast Wars and so is all my nostalgia. However, when learning of the brand's history, it is crazy to discount the importance of that first show and those early toys. Especially looking at this all in a retrospective fashion and as a collector, I find that my collection of G1 characters is lacking, especially when it comes to Decepticons at the right scale.

Since I have no particular attachment to a particular representation of a G1 character, what I seek is something of a uniformity. For instance, my season 3 cast is pretty solid, so thanks for that Hasbro and Takara

But when I comes to bringing out the earlier season bots to do a battle scene, I realize how much of a hodge podge it is. Here are my Decepticons with a placeholder Soundwave and Shockwave (you know, the brand's MAIN DECEPTIONC CHARACTERS!!) and of course no Starscream in sight (due to the very odd looking take of the POTP Voyager Starscream).



So that is three characters at the voyager scale fans have wanted for a long time and them missing is obvious. Now, thanks to the Siege line I will have a Soundwave, Shockwave and Seekers that fit to have a more cohesive Decepticon team. And you will notice I did not add Blitzwing in Megatron's triple changer army. I could have but it would have looked a bit weird since he has the same body as that voyager Megatron. It's actually the reverse really, Megatron has Blitzwing's body. It is kind of nuts when you think about it though, but the last time we ever had a G1 styled Megatron toy designed to be principally Megatron in the voyager scale, was 12 years ago, and that one turned into a Nerf gun. So it really is about time that we get the following:



I mean here we are after having had amazing updates to combiners, headmasters and season 3 characters and yet the main G1 cast only ever had placeholders. We are finally getting good toys of the main G1 cast at the scale where most characters are available and affordable. How could I not be excited?! And that goes true for the main character of the entire franchise, Optimus Prime.




As you can see above, the choice for Autobot representation in a classics collection is pretty good at the moment but the one character I am missing is, oddly enough, a good Optimus Prime. That character keeps getting released time and time again, for every line but it always misses the mark in some way (and always seems to be opportunistic release due to his common mold sharing). Seriously, we have not had an original G1 styled voyager Optimus Prime mold since the classics version from over a decade ago. And that one was purposefully meant not to be full on G1 themed (with the new alt mode). This Optimus is a manifesto of this line itself. No more fooling around, just a straight up gimmick free toy of a character made uncompromisingly with that character in mind, in a line everyone young or old can access.

Before I move on to Cyberverse, I will leave you with a comment from a friend in our community:

Wolfman Jake wrote:I don't understand how some people could be unimpressed by Siege Optimus Prime and Megatron. They are figures of beauty, and representations of these iconic characters that have been a long time coming. They're the right scale, look right, and aren't mold shares with classically unrelated characters. I remember a lot of people being tired of Bumblebee toys in Generations when the Titans Return Legends Bumblebee came out, despite it being the best Bumblebee toy we've ever gotten in Generations, in terms of scale, sculpt, and G1 likeness. My reaction is "at last," not "oh well, too little, too late."

I am a young father and my kids will always be curious of the toys I have. While it will be fun to have Generations toys of characters they recognize (simply from the brand's general marketing, or the Animated film) that I don't mind showing them (unlike my MP representations), the real fun will come with toys they can actually transform. There is a major aspect that is downright ignored when looking at G1, and that is how accessible the toys were for kids who had no clue what a Transformer was. Technical limitations made that the initial Transformers toys were rather simple, mostly rearranging limbs and extending parts with telescoping. We never really stop and think that this simplicity in design may have contributed greatly to the brand's success.



This was, after all, the first time toys of this sort were ever given to kids (in this part of the world) and if they were overly complex (ie, high amount of steps) and frustrating (ie. lots of panels), it might have resulted in a far more niche toyline that is only supported by one or two high end collectibles today. It wasn't the case though, these were simple toys that 80s kids could understand without their parents helping them. Sure, proportions were off and maybe some parts were not very articulated but you could do it on your own. Why can't today's kids be given the same chance 80s kids had when discovering Trasformers toys for the first time?

That is what Cyberverse is all about. It is basically G1 all over again for a new generation. Their designs are a slightly more animated/streamlined version of the evergreen designs Hasbro had developed as an update to G1 designs that can be used across different initiatives for the years to come. While there are some changes to incorporate more recent changes to characters (Bumblebee as a muscle car and Megatron as a tank), the main G1 essence is still very present and instantly recognizable to anyone. And especially recognizable to my three year old who watches the Optimus vs Megatron movie fight on a loop.







So thanks to Cyberverse I now have a full array of toys made just with young kids in mind that I can give to my 3 year old so that she can have a pretty good representation of what she sees on screen, whether she watches the new Cyberverse show or the 80s cartoon/film, and which she can transform by herself. The Hot Rod one step even has a sawblade action gimmick like in the 86 film, so she can recreate that action herself instead of me showing her my masterpiece toy from 5 feet away behind an impenetrable glass window.



So basically, Hasbro has finally given us a full blown reboot of G1 in toy for, something that was always teetering at the seams, through two lines. In a few months, I will be able to have a great representation many main g1 cast members at the voyager scale with them looking as they should. And I will have my three year old next to me with her own G1 cast Transforming them back and forth as she watches those same characters onscreen (be it the G1 show or Cyberverse). About time!

Round Table Review for Cyberverse Episodes 7 and 8

Date: Thursday, October 18th 2018 8:11pm CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: william-james88

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Round Table Review for Transformers Cyberverse Episodes 7 and 8

Episode 7 Cube

Synopsis: Bumblebee learns how he first met Windblade and relives a Golden Age encounter with a young Starscream and his Seekers.



What we liked best

I find it super cool how this show really just embraces all of what may be called G1 into one big package. In this episode we saw that Windblade retained everything we know of her through the IDW comics,like her being a city speaker, comes from caminus - William-James88

I love the idea of Cube, a sport that could be the cybertronian equivalent of football (soccer for US readers!) and a nice introduction for how Windblade met Bee. - ZeroWolf

We got to see Starscream shine, not as a backstabbing weasel, but as an impatient and devious rascal! It was also nice seeing more of the culture aspect of Transformers, since we saw a game of Cube (a mix between rugby and, funnily enough, the fictional Quidditch). Here, we get to see how Autobots and Decepticons used to act like together before the war, something that is more apparent in the later episode "Maccadam's." Something else nice was the appearance of two of the Coneheads (besides a cameo in "Allspark"). And hey, Windblade is from Caminus in this continuity too! And there was this bot that looked like Trailbreaker. I can go on... - notirishman


What we liked least

The main confrontation here is Bumblebee and Windblade vs Starscream, Ramjet and Dirge. Now that sounds like par for the course for a Transformers cartoon, but my problem with taht is that it was a flashback sequence from before the war. After the previous episode, Megatron is my Hero, went out of its way to show that it was not always the same old story and that villains were not always villains, we get this episode here that just discards all that. Starscream and his goons were always villains, which is pretty dull. - William-James88

That not much thought was actually put into Cube past the concept. This would have been a perfect chance to put some cameos into the teams. You could have had future Decepticons and Autobots on the same team, enhancing the idea that the war really separated everyone into two sides. - ZeroWolf

While it was cool seeing the Coneheads, they didn't speak at all... like at all. Also, Bumblebee is totally jet-cist. - notirishman



Our overall thoughts

I found this episode rather dull in general since I did not care much for the backdrop being a Cybertronian Quittish game. I did like seeing Dirge and Ramjet, despite of course making them act just as goons in an era where we could have seen something more interesting. - William-james88

A fun but flawed episode, while the whole subplot with Starscream could have been done away with, it had its moments, I'll echo Williams comments here about Windblades integration with a lot of her IDW backstory appearing, I love it. I also like how it is just not even going to attempt to answer the question about why there is fembots, it just accepts it and moves on. While in terms of the on-going narrative, this episode adds nothing but it is a good character episode - Zerowolf

It was a good, well balanced, fun, episode! It was generally pretty entertaining!- notirishman


Episode 8 Terminal Velocity

Synopsis: Bumblebee explores a nightmarish memory of his visit to Velocitron while Windblade pilots the shuttle in a relentless dogfight with the Decepticon Seekers.



What we liked best

It is always fun when any kids cartoon gives you some semblance of inner machinations, lie the writers really thought something through. I felt that here in a great scene where a group of Seekers, headed by Slipstream, go after Windblade who is piloting a Decepticon ship. The way Windblade looses them is by heading out into space where Slipstream cannot chase her, and I found that super cool since it revealed to me that in this rendition of the franchise, when you take on an earth based alt mode, you take on all its components, including its mechanical limitations. That was a great example of showing and not telling. I also loved everything with Blurr but I won't spoil anything. - William-james88

I liked the dual nature of the episode. We had a creepy showing at what cosmic rust was capable in one half, while in the other there was a frantic dogfight between Windblade and the Seekers. Also Hot Rod! There was also more use of the colony idea. - Zerowolf

Ooh, this episode took a dark turn. Pretty much, this episode introduces the "Plague of Rust" which you can think as Cosmic Rust, but on steroids. It is shown reducing planets to nothing! Blurr was a nice bonus to see, and so was Hot Rod, who are both well personalized in this episode. Back to what I was saying, this is a drastic dark turn for the show, as there is some major death. Also hey, Acid Storm and Thrust were in this episode! - notirishman


What we liked least

It's odd but for a show where the designs are very fun, they settled on the least exciting design for Hot Rod's alt mode. The character has always had a flashier and unique car mode that easily sets him apart from others. But here it is just a box. - William-james88

The dual nature is also a bit of a double edged sword as we could have done with seeing more about Velocitron. There was also a mystery hinted with the worker (who is a reuse of Wheeljacks animation model) but is never played upon. - Zerowolf

It was a bit anticlimactic. Since we didn't get attached to those who end up dieing within 10 minutes, their deaths didn't have much of an impact. We also only saw Blurr use his fast speed once, which I'm indifferent about, actually. But seriously, how did Bumblebee forget/ignore that there was a guy obviously holding a plague that kills planets?- notirishman



Our overall thoughts

Much better than Episode 7 with nice nods to cosmic rust and some fun action set pieces. - William-james88

This is another filler episode or at least it seems it on the surface. Nothing is really advanced but we know a little bit more about the universe this series inhabits. Will we see more about the rust in future episodes? Was Hot Rod aboard the Ark? I can't wait to see what this show has in store. The dramatic shift between this episode and the last cannot be understated, ep 7 was bee and Windblade fighting to stop Starscream being a jerk, ep 8 was about bee and Windblade fighting to stay alive. - Zerowolf

It was a dark episode, but I liked it! But, I mean, Mr. Bee, I don't wanna go... - notirishman

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

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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.












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).








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, Breakdown ) 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.














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).






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 Beast Machines Tankor Gallery


Transformers Beast Machines Night Viper Gallery










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 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 G1 1989 Bludgeon Gallery


Transformers G1 1989 Octopunch Gallery

Does Cyberverse Ultra Shockwave Work in a Classics / Generations Collection?

Date: Wednesday, October 3rd 2018 8:42pm CDT
Categories: Toy News, Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

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That is a question I had the moment I saw the figure. This is the first time in history we have ever had a mainline shockwave toy based on his G1 look at the voyager scale from Hasbro. Unlike other contenders for a spot on a classics shelf, he has most of the articulation points required (including awesome ankle tilt) and has the right look at every angle, especially the side and back with a G1 styled backpack.











However, this is still a toy from a line targetted at young kids with a more cartoon design than what we have seen in the Generations line. So, does he really work? Well I attempted to find out by purchasing him and taking photos of him next to various toys from the Generations line. Below are shots of him with his fellow decepticons, to show you how he scales, and to show you how the styles work (or don't) together.









Here he is putting up the good fight agains the autobots.





Here he is victorious.



And here he is ... not.



All in all, I think this works super well until we get a voyager sized shockwave in the Generations line.





The picture above is thanks to Jan who posted on our Facebook page.

Round Table Review of First 2 Episodes of Transformers Cyberverse 2018

Date: Saturday, September 1st 2018 8:26am CDT
Categories: Cartoon News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: william-james88

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Hasbro's new animated series, Transformers: Cyberverse, has just started airing. While the live action films are probably what gets the biggest reach these days, there is something special about having a Transformers cartoon on the small screen. This is where many fans first became acquainted with the characters and one of the brand's most endearing storytelling mediums. While the times are changing, there is a comfort to having another Transformers cartoon on air trying to sell kids the toys they see at local toy store. Several members of the Seibertron.com staff watched the first two episodes and we wanted to share our thoughts on this show and if it holds any interest for us going forward.



What we liked best:

I like Hasbro's intentions to finally go all out on G1. They were always dancing around it with Animated and Prime (bringing it a bit closer) but now with this show, it is full on G1. They really commit to it. To the point where it assumes you know G1 and the characters enough character's name brings a history and an importance. It's like this giant G1 sandbox that they are playing with, similar to what the IDW comics were like in that perspective but in a very kid friendly version.

I really like the designs too. It helps that some of these are similar to designs we know and already have toys of, meaning if you don't like the Windblade toy from this line you could just pick up the RID Windblade and get a toy of basically the same design/character. Of course, that is not the case for all characters, as we will see more later. Also, I love that intro. - William-James88

How the show looks, in my opinion, is a big factor in my enjoyment. The animation is very fluid, and the new evergreen designs used looks great. The show's main plot, that Bumblebee lost his memories, is a great way to world build and to see more of Cybertron's past. And Windblade's devotion to helping Bumblebee is written well and adds to her character. Episode 2 also named a generic female seeker, "Nova Storm," which was apparently one of the obscure rainmakers from the G1 show. So, yeah, cool reference! Another cool reference was the show fleshing out Windblade's cityspeaker abilities of her able to enter someone's mind easily. Also, no human characters. Yeah. - notirishman

First off, am I the only person who expected to see roadrunner racing next to Bumblebee in the opening scenes? Just me? Okay moving on swiftly. I went I to this show with low expectations after the clips that we'd seen but I actually liked what I saw. The animation was overall very smooth and the character models were expressive, most notably Windblade. Speaking of her, she was the highlight of these episodes for me, I feel that her voice actress has done a good job so far.

Like others have said before and in the threads, I wasn't expecting a stronger narrative structure than what we got and the comedic moments for the kids were more subdued than I thought, expecting a 'zany' type of humour being thrown around everywhere. - ZeroWolf

Like any new show it's hard to get a feel of things from the first few episodes, the fact that they're only 10 minutes long doesn't help the situation.

I can't say there was anything I liked "best" about the show, but, the animation was okay, not as terrible as I expected. - Burn




Of course, it wasn't all great - here is what didn't work so well with us:

I really dislike the use of a radio for Bumblebee's voice. It isn't fun and in a show trying to be as G1 as possible, it clashes pretty badly. - William-James88

Bumblebee's voicebox. The show would've been fine if he just had Jeremy Levy's normal voice the whole time, but no, his voice box is continuity jumping. Hopefully, this can be related to a backstory similar to Prime where it was from Megatron punishing him, which I can get down with. Another complaint of mine is also related to Bumblebee's voicebox, and in that a couple of times, Bumblebee's lines can just drag on forever. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's annoying. - notirishman

Bumblebee's voice actor. If you want to do the radio voice gimmick (I can understand why they would given the close proximity of the Bumblebee movie) then you have to go all out and use different voices for the clips. Having one voice doing all just doesn't work for me. It's a shame as I do like Bumblebee when he's doing his normal speaking. While it's technically more of a 'want' than something I didn't like, I would have liked to see the Decepticons have a bit more depth given to them. I mean, it took the second episode for us to hear any Cons speaking properly. Also did Thundercracker forget he could fly when Windblade kicked him into the ravine? - ZeroWolf

Things I don't like, well, Windblade's ability to pluck all sorts of things from her back. I think we now know where Optimus' trailer goes...

Bumblebee's radio voice. I mean come on - kudos to the VA, but the concept is annoying. And as far as concepts go: Autobots and Decepticons leave Cybertron in search of the Allspark which is believed to be on Earth. Haven't we been here before? - Burn




The biggest difference to previously aired Transformers cartoons is probably the 10 minute format. Here are our thoughts on that:

I don't understand the 10 minute format here. With every other kid show where it is used (Teen Titans Go, Gumball, Dorothy in Oz, etc) you get a beginning, middle and end. It makes for fun and fast storytelling. But here, one episode leads right into the other, making the idea of it only being 10 minutes inconsequential. The end of an episode is the same as a cut to commercial of a 20 minute episode, so why not just do that instead. It just doesn't make you feel satisfied at the end of an episode and you feel like little has happened (similar to my feeling watching the Machinima cartoons).- William-James88

I don't mind the 10 minute format, as both episodes ended in a cliffhanger. Due to this, if every two 10 minute episodes are one, it won't matter, as each episode appears to not have any time progression between each. - notirishman

Splitting the episode up into ten minutes bugged me at first as it followed the trend of all kids' shows at the moment, but I can see reasoning for it from a TV programming point of view as it's easier to slot it in the schedule. It's also practical for fans to catch up quickly on the last episode, like me with my already limited viewing time - ZeroWolf

Again, it's hard to tell from only two episodes. At the very least they seemed to have paced well. And for me personally I'm able to sneak in a 10 minute break easier than a 20-40 minute break. So it has that going for it at least. - Burn




The big question is though, even if this is not made for us, will we be watching more?

I will be watching more to see the character models and just where they take this. But my expectations are back to being very very low (just above the Machinima stuff). - William-James88

Yes, I will be watching more because while yes, it's kiddish, it is still entertaining, and I am curious how the plot will flesh out and how the characters and their world develop. However, if RID'15 or the Prime Wars Trilogy cartoons taught me anything, I shouldn't keep my hopes up. - notirishman

While I'm still unsure how things will end up, I will be checking more out. I also want to see if they'll dive in and make Bumblebee and Windblade a couple *laughs* - ZeroWolf

Yeah, I mean, I'm a Transformers fan. I sat through the Prime Wars trilogy so I could critique it. It's Transformers media, I watch it good or bad. - Burn

Top 5 Best Insect Transformers Toys

Date: Saturday, August 25th 2018 2:52pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 48,381

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 Insect Transformers Toys

Insects have been part of the transformers brand since the very very beginning. They are actually the very first animal based Transformers we have ever gotten, thanks to the insecticons. Scorpions and spiders aren't insects, so I didn't include them here. But don't let that stop you when you share your own top 5 list in the comments.


5. Transformers Generations Waspinator

This was a pleasant surprise. With the previous releases of new Beast Wars toys straying very far from the show models (like Universe Cheetor or the Cybertron Optimus Primal and Megatron toys) it was a breath of fresh air to just have a new Waspinator toy looking like his good old clumsy self. The articulation was as good as I could hope for and that headsculpt rocked! The character models were done after the toys and thus took some liberties, making the toys look unlike what we saw on TV, especially for the first year. So seeing Waspinator have such a perfect headsculpt was invigorating. He's a great looking insect too with a neat non intrusive wing flapping gimmick.






4. Transformers G1 1985 Kickback and Shrapnel

I should be frustrated that both the beast mode and the robot mode use the same head, which is almost like an unsaid faux pas, but he makes it work. It looks like a locust head in alt mode and a robot head in robot mode, complimenting the rest of either mode, so I quickly got over it. He even ends up looking more like a bug than his other two insecticon acolytes due to the long grasshopper legs which really go all out to sell the insect like proportions. The deco is also gorgeous in an 80s future way with the fullest deep purple I have ever seen. G1 toys have not aged well for the most part, but when looking at the insecticons, especially kickback, you can see how these striking designs can never die.






3. Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Cyberverse Hardshell

Sure the size isn't great but for a Cyberverse collection, he is imposing. he probably has the best transformation for a Cyberverse commander class figure (well, maybe tied with prime Ironhide) and the size doesn't sacrifice intricacy or detail. He looks awesome in both modes and makes for a mean looking beetle.





2. Transformers Beast Wars Metals Scavenger (Transmetal Inferno)

Man, how I wrestled with the idea of putting this guy as number 1. He really is incredible. As a 10 year old, I truly believed that he was perfection for a Transformers toy and my opinion hasn't changed much. These were formative years and I remember looking at this guy and seeing that unlike most other toys, he didn't reuse animal limbs for his robot limbs, he wasn't a shell former, had many new details for the robot mode and yet remained sleek. Not only is he sleek, he is downright unsettling in his ultimate maniac design. This guy reeks of villainy and not the fun kind, the scary kind. The kind you can have nightmares about. So not only is it a great Transformers toy objectively, when you take a look at the design it just takes it over the top. There are very little toys out there with as much personality as this one. And I haven't even talked about his drill hands that turn when you activate them through his shoulder (well I guess now I have).











1. Beast Wars Powerpinch

I remember being ten and seriously thinking that Power Pinch was the best Transformer toy of all time (the Transformers brand was 18 years at that point). This wasn't hyperbole or a spur of the moment thought we get when we first open a toy, this was after looking at all the toys in my modest collection. While Beast Wars is a great line, the conversions often repeat or are predictable, especially with mammals when either half their limbs or all their limbs serve double duty as both the limbs of the animal and the robot (Beast Wars TM2 Cheetor felt so lazy to me as a kid). But what is amazing with insects is that their anatomy doesn't give the toy designer such an easy way out. The limbs must come from somewhere else. Scavenger above is a gorgeous example, on a technical level, of such an achievement in design. However, I always found Power Pinch to be even better simply because it was based on a realistic bug. Limbs not serving double duty means there is no robot design or kibble found anywhere in earwig mode. The great weapon (a giant pair of shears) integrates perfectly into the tail. The transformation is as complex as we will ever get for a basic class transformer thanks to a nice amount of parts count (seemingly more than modern day legends class figures). The robot mode offers lots of new robot detail. Basically, the bottom half of his body and the head are pieces not seen in insect mode and yet there is minimal alt mode kibble to hide due to how the toy is engineered. It's a little marvel really and due to it being a toy from this era you have all the ball jointed articulation you would need along with a generous amount of painted details we could only dream of getting today. This is one of my favourite Beast Wars figures of all time and easily the number 1 pick for best insect Transformers.






Honourable mentions: There are a bunch of good insect Transformers out there that couldn't make the list. To mention a few off the top of my head, that were up for consideration, we had Beast Wars Mantis and Inferno, Transmetal Waspinator, Transmetal II Scourge and Scarem and Generations Bombshell.


Transformers Beast Wars Inferno Gallery


Transformers Beast Wars Scourge Gallery

How Transformers Fans Have it Better than the Rest When it Comes to Younger vs Older Kids Toys

Date: Wednesday, August 1st 2018 9:54am CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 33,731

It is a growing concern for fans that more and more retail space is being given to Transformers toys aimed at younger audiences, with simplified or instant transformations instead of more complex puzzles, and plagued with gimmicks. While Transformers toys for young kids have been around since the beginning - they are toys after all - the option of a line of figures aimed at a younger audience sold alongside more complex toylines has been around since the first live action Transformers film (2007), with the Gravity Bots and Fast Action Battlers. And it has decidedly grown since.

There is, however, one big part we tend to forget: this distinction in age groups started happening because Transformers toys grew more complex and less gimmicky. In G1, the kiddie line was all we had. There weren’t more advanced toys. It's not like you could pick between a jumpstarter Top Spin and a Deluxe Top Spin back in the 80s - Jumpstarter Top Spin was all you had.

We are also very quick to forget that when we see toys that are today’s equivalent of Jumpstarter Top Spin (e.g. Turbo changers and One Step toys) on the shelves.

Now the status quo is changing once more, with both the Bumblebee Movie line and the Cyberverse cartoon line being made up solely of gimmick driven toys. At this point, I thought of looking at other action figure toylines available at retail and compare, principally the DC and Marvel figures, and Star Wars toys (the last two being a perfect comparison since they are made by the same company as Transformers).

And yeah, as the title suggests, we Transformers collectors are waaaaaaaaay better off than anyone collecting DC, Mavel or Star Wars figures.

A picture is worth a thousand words so let's just check out some pics from my latest visit to Walmart and Toys R Us (sorry, American readers, I don’t mean to open up recent wounds).


We have Marvel











Notice how the main attraction for parents, kids and anyone wanting a Marvel toy here is limited to either tall PVC toys with limited articulation or smaller toys based on gimmicks. The Marvel Legends line, which encompasses figures aimed at older kids and fans of the movies and comics all mixed together, are sparsely stocked, if at all. The only toys exclusively for Infinity war are only made for younger kids. Collectors have to instead try to find more articulated toys of characters from the film within a wave that has movie characters and other totally unrelated characters from the comics. And if you want to get a decent figure of the main villain in the film (Thanos), you are stuck having to buy all the figures in the wave, even the non movie ones, since this villain has his parts split amongst all these figures. Can't find a figure? too bad, not only do you not get that specific toy but your buildable figure is also missing a limb. NICE!


We have DC







Basically the same as Marvel. Sure, we have some more collector oriented toys, but it is mainly bigger and simpler products, aimed at younger kids. Right now, as with Marvel, toys featuring the characters from the movies, toys or games are not in lines of their own but lumped together. And if you want better articulated figures of the Justice League Action show, well, too bad!



Now Star Wars













Ok, this is a little different. While like DC and Marvel there is only one line for collectors, which also mixes in characters from across the franchise, the simpler toys do have a retro feel which can attract collectors as well. Basically, it’s as if alongside Transformers deluxes and voyagers, we literally had a G1 Topspin reissue somewhere on the shelf. Not just him, but other characters from recent films. Which is basically what we already have with the One Steps, but imagine all the One Steps had the same packaging as G1 Top Spin. That is basically what is going on with Star Wars. One difference though: these smaller simpler Star Wars figures overwhelm the shelf space, and most other toys are all aimed at younger audiences too, like the vehicles, playsets and role play weapons.


Now let’s look at Transformers













There are definitely toys for younger audiences, there is no denying that and it is what this article started from. But unlike every other toyline covered here, these simpler toys are not the majority of product being sold. They are just a subset - there are far more toys that are complex and made up of more than 5 steps, for adult fans and older kids alike. And we have more than just one line of those too. We have movie toys in their own line (Studio Series) and other toys looking at the history of the brand in another. Plus remnants of a previous cartoon line which also had some standard complex toys for collectors to enjoy (Robots in Disguise).

That last part is of course changing, with Cyberverse not having options for older kids, but that just means Hasbro is doing with Transformers what it has done with Marvel and Star Wars long ago (in a galaxy far ... ok I 'll stop). So to reiterate, toys targeting younger kids are usually the norm, and have been the norm since, well... toys are for kids. Yet, in the Transformers brand, we get lines dedicated to more mature kids and appealing to adult collectors, and those toys tend to take up a lot more shelf space compared to similarly marketed toys in other franchises.

So yeah, we Transformers fans have it a lot better than the rest when it comes to our options of more collector oriented toys.

Toy Fair 2018 - Hasbro Entertainment Brand Preview, including Transformers: Studio Series, Generations, War for Cybertron, Fan Poll #HasbroToyFair #NYTF

Date: Saturday, February 17th 2018 12:38pm CST
Categories: Site News, Movie Related News, Toy News, Event News, Site Articles, Company News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 117,199

After the coverage we offered yesterday of the investor meeting from Hasbro, including the various slides made available during the call itself, in two of our stories - respectively, the future of the live-action Paramount movies and the general Transformers brand from a company perspective - we return today to New York City, to cover the Hasbro Entertainment Brand Preview!

Ranging across their several franchises, the event covers the likes of My Little Pony, Star Wars, and more, including of course our favourite transforming robots. Check out below as we update the story as the event takes place, featuring figures from multiple Transformers lines like Power of the Primes, Studio Series, Masterpiece (now that Takara Tomy and Hasbro have unified their brand efforts), and more!

!!MAKE SURE TO REFRESH THIS STORY FOR LIVE UPDATES!!

Derryl DePriest (main GI Joe brand manager) is MCing the event, and various housekeeping announcements are taking place, including the HasbroPulse app. You can check out Hasbro Pulse here. The app will be free, and will allow you to create wishlists among other features.

Brief introduction to Stretch Armstrong relaunch.

First brand up is Mighty Muggs, as we have covered in our preview story here, featuring Marvel and Star Wars, plus My Little Pony and Transformers, featuring Bumblebee, Starscream, Optimus Prime, and Megatron.

Followed quickly by Marvel.

Infinity War toys to come up soon, as Black Panther currently taking the spotlight. Superhero Adventures for the younger fans. Marvel Legends talk about various waves from Spider-Man BAF Lizard onwards, plus Ultimate Rider Wolverine with motorcycle. Next are Doc Ock, Cloak and Dagger, Bullseye with new BAF SP//dr. Avengers line will include Antman and Wasp from movie-verse, using photoreal technology to capture likeness of actors. X-Men wave including Wolverine and Sabertooth. Venom wave with Eddie Brock, Scream, Spider-Ham to coincide with Sony movie. More reveals later in the year. More Deadpool offerings too, to coincide with Deadpool 2 movie, including NERF blasters. Bishop, Lady Deadpool, Deadpool in boxers - BAF is Sauron (pterodactyl X-Men villain).

More Black Panther figures being announced, including Walmart exclusives, and wearable Infinity Gauntlet. Plenty of Fantastic Four figures appearing at Walgreens, including Silver Surfer.

10 products for each of the 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from Iron Man (2008) to Infinity War (2018): Walmart Iron Man two-pack with new head; Iron Man 3 Pepper Potts and Mandarin; Target two-pack for Age of Ultron Hulk vs Hulkbuster; Crossbones vs Captain America with new Chris Evans.



Moving to My Little Pony.

In a first time of showing actual products during the presentation, we have new products of characters Trixie, Lulamoon and Starlight Glimmer from fan series. New Tempest Shadow from My Little Pony movie, with lightning glow. New animation accurate of Mane 6, and Cutie Mark Crew, a new line of cutesy collectibles.

Season 8 of the Friendship is Magic animated series will introduce Sea Ponies, premieres on March 24th.

Introducing new characters: Yona Yak, Smolder (dragon), Cozy Glow (new pony).


Next is Power Rangers, as pre-announced during yesterday's news cycle.

Introduced by Brian Casentini, executive producer of the series, partnered with Nickelodeon through 2021. 26th season launches in early 2019: Power Rangers Beast Morphers, as the new direction takes hold. No products shown yet, as launch is still far away.

Next brand, finally, is TRANSFORMERS.

Ben Montano and the brand team presenting, wearing I LOVE 84 t-shirts, with Takara team also present, thanking the fan community for their support, several rounds of applause.

Sean Carmine Infantino presents the Transformers: Cyberverse animated series with some test animation, to illustrate how the series will eventually look, showing the lore, backstory, history and characters - effectively the story of Autobots and Decepticons, their origins, teammates thrugh the perspective of Bumblebee. Animation style looks to be a mix between Rescue Bots and Robots in Disguise.

For the toyline: On the Decepticon side Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave on the Autobot side Optimus, Windblade, Bumblebee, Grimlock. Shadow Striker - new Decepticon female character - will arrive later.
Brought a fresh take to G1 designs for the toys, with Cybertronian influence, to new Scout, Warrior, Ultra, Ultimate classes of figures. Infusing new play pattern: "action attack" uses conversions to power a "signature move" which is accurate to the show.

John Warden introduces the Generations line, which as of March 9th will include ALL of the music for Transformers to be available on colored Vinyl. Lead into Machinima's Power of the Primes animated series, with poster featuring Optimus Primal.

Prime Master Quintus Prime with Bludgeon Decoy Suit
Megatronus with Bomb Burst Decoy Suit
Solus Prime with Octopunch Decoy Suit

Wave 2

Legends: Tailgate, Battletrap

Deluxe Terrorcons forming Abominus, revealed in a black box, with G1 accurate paint and deco, and new tooling.

Voyager Elita-1, with combined form called Elita Infin1te. The 1 is intentional.
New product: Nova Star, looks to be a Moonracer retool to join the Elita-1 team.

Leader Optimal Optimus, as seen previously.

Predaking shown on stage. One of most popular combiners, comes with Matrix of Leadership that houses only Onyx Prime Prime Master of entire toyline. Divides into five voyager Predacons, Cybertronian animals - Tantrum is renamed Torox.

Next direction for the line is War for Cybertron Trilogy, different from the old videogames (but same name, totally not confusing), going to correspond to 35th anniversary of G1, starting in 2019. Sounds like this is Cybertronian war pre-Earth, Tetra Jets will likely be there.

Fan vote poll for a deluxe class:
#Needlenose vs Tracks (brother vs brother),
#Spinister vs Wheeljack (Saboteur vs Scientist),
#Impactor vs Mirage (Greater Good vs Greater $$$)


Vote by hashtag Tuesday 2/20 - Friday 2/23 on Facebook and Instagram (hashtags above). Winners will be sold separately, but share story.



Studio Series:

Deluxe / Voyager / Leader classes
Most accurate newly rolled figures fans have experienced, licensed vehicle modes, in scale with each other, numbered packaging.

New Deluxe Jazz and Lockdown
Also shown are Ratchet Crowbar Stinger and Bumblee, as covered here.
Voyager Starscream
Voyager Optimus and Megatron from ROTF
Voyager Brawl
Thundercracker from Nitro Zeus
Leader Grimlock
Leader Blackout, with licensed helicopter.

Release due for April 2018.



Next brand is Star Wars.
They're really excited about Porgs
Presenters dressed as Han Solo and Chewbacca pajama jumpsuit.
Plenty of villains to appear in Solo spin-off movie, NERF blasters, tiny little Black Series Porgs, Amazon exclusive R2-X2 astromechs, most figures feature photoreal technology, Kessel run Millennium Falcon, new Stormtroopers, new force link 2.0 figures (Han, Qi'Ra, Chewie), NERF glowstrike, and ultimate co-pilot Chewie.

Showing Tobias Beckett, Walmart exclusive Mimban Stormtrooper with weathering, Range Trooper. Kylo Ren from Jakku. The Vintage Collection featuring Death Trooper, Assault Tank Driver, Han Solo, Dr. Aphra, Cassian, Luke from TFA, Range Trooper and more from Solo movie, all series will be numbered. Imperial Assault Tank with molded coffee cup on the dash. Coming in 2019 is Saelt-Marae (Yak Face). Introducing #TheVinmtageConversation to discuss toylines with fans and get feedback.

Final reveal is the Hasbro Crowdfunding platform, HasLab, launching with Star Wars (but hoping to expand to other brands): funding for the largest Star Wars vehicle... Black Series Return of the Jedi Sand Barge. Big enough to fit a Jaba The Hutt inside of the barge, has pilot seat, prison cell, galley/kitchen, smuggler's compartment, Jabba will be included (with photoreal technology), all sorts of cool stuff. Over 2.5 sq ft of display area.

The new site is live now: https://www.hasbrolab.com/

Everyone moving to showroom for images, stay tuned!

Top 5 Best Ultra Magnus Transformers Toys

Date: Friday, February 9th 2018 10:44pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 59,738

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. This week, I am joined by Cobotron. 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 Best Ultra Magnus Transformers Toys

From day one, Ultra Magnus toys were always closely related to Optimus Prime toys, with his first toy being a redeco with a different trailer which turned into a powersuit giving him a totally different look from Prime. Toy designs and ideas evolved from this giving a wide variety to Ultra Magnus toys where some are Prime redecos, others more extensive retools and others being fully original. We will explore the rich history of this autobot's toys by looking at the best ones to have come out so far.

5. Transformers Generation One Ultra Magnus

This is the grand pappy of all Ultra Magnus toys and probably the most important Ultra Magnus toy out there. Unlike even the Masterpiece toy, this toy includes an extra level of playability by having the trailer become the armour for the transforming cab. This gave everyone the option to form their own stories and ideas about this character. Is he a white optimus with armour? Or is the that simply the transformation process for his one and only form being that big armoured fellow? It was and still is ultimately up to you to choose. This legitimizes every future attempt at having Ultra Magnus be simultaneously a redeco/retool of Optimus Prime as well as his own mold. - william-james88







4. Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Ultra Magnus / Transformers Adventures Ultra Magnus

Speaking of being an offshoot of Optimus, this is by far the best version of that (well, maybe tied with the commander class version which is a gorgeous G1 homage and a perfect retool). So much love went into this retool, making him look just two smokestacks away from his show model, and making him own this mold even more so than Optimus. It almost feels like this is who the mold was made for all along especially when comparing to the show models.The added shoulder cannons work great and let you position them as you wish, giving you extra fire power in a sweet G1 homage (while the earlier PRID Magnus only gave you one shoulder cannon, why?!). You even get a nice hammer and a pair of wings, just for added playability. While simply having Ultra Magnus be a redeco/retool of Prime always felt a bit lazy, this is one instance shows us how that can sometimes work, and work wonders. - william-james88








3. Transformers Animated Ultra Magnus

This is THE titular leader class Ultra Magnus toy. This is the best Ultra Magnus toy from the golden age of Transformers toys where it seemed no expenses were spared. This toy is beefy, the plastic is solid, the transformation is complex yet intuitive, he has a bunch of pop out weapon gimmicks, none of which are intrusive, along with electronics. This toy happens to also be a perfect rendition of the cartoon model which was a fresh new take on the character where he, and not Optimus, was the leader of the Autobots. You can feel that magnitude in your hands as you play with this toy or when you see him on your shelf. All of the top three toys on this list are amazing and the only reason why this toy is not higher is simply because his alt mode is a little underwhelming, especially in the back area, and his hip ratchets are quite restrictive. - william-james88










2. Transformers Masterpiece MP 22 Ultra Magnus

Like all Masterpiece figures, 22 is a work of art. On heft alone this figure is awe inspiring. While I was always a fan of the idea that Ultra Magnus was a smaller bot in a suit of armor, I can't deny that the feat of engineering it took to get the character to be all-in-one is amazing. For me, the fact that I made it through his intense transformation without instructions was a huge relief. I can't say that for every Masterpiece.That meant I could enjoy this highly detailed representation of one of my favorite characters without the burden or fear of being bogged down by the process. It's involved, but it's intuitive. Which equals fun.
While I would have prefered a little more painted/tampoed detail and color, he is till an amazing design. In robot mode he retains all the design elements I loved about the original, but is presented (obviously) in a much more contemporary package. 22 has great articulation for the hoops he has to jump through to transform. He has that "mighty leader" posture no matter how you pose him. And he is a huge and intimidating presence on your shelf.
The carrier mode is perfection. Everything you would want it to be. It's hard to believe it's NOT a white MP-10 pulling that trailer, and of course it can fit any of the Autobot cars. The Fun-O-Meter shoots straight through the roof when you have the ability to roll out an entire team on some perilous adventure all contained in the mighty Magnus in MP scope and scale! - Cobotron






1. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars / Legends Leader Ultra Magnus

An overly involved puzzle of a transformation is one kind of fun, but it can get in the way of another kind of fun. When I'm imagining my way through an intense adventure situation on my coffee table, I can't be bothered with overly difficult transformations. I lose steam. The adventure losses momentum. And that's why Combiner Wars Leader Ultra Magnus beats his Masterpiece counterpart out of 1st place. Playability!
While his transformation is really kind of a truncated version of the MP's, it's simplified enough to be fast and efficient. With enough twists and turns to be fun and you get really close to the MP version, but for a fraction of the cost of the MP.
Another merit is his aesthetic design. He sports a fresh modern updated design in both modes that pulls from some great sources, but maintains his iconic stature. I was absolutely thrilled with the inclusion of the hammer. For me, with this figure,it declares that that is Magnus's weapon now and it's here to stay. And with Minimus Ambus we still get the smaller bot in a suit of armor mythos we expect from the character.
In a world of wonky scale his size class puts his robot mode right in the sweet spot among Voyagers and Deluxes. He's got good articulation where he needs it, and is a joy to pose.
Would I have prefered that his carrier mode could tote Deluxe class cars? Sure, but I'll take what I can get. He can hold a fare amount of Legends class figures and he looks good doing it.
When I walk into my collection and get that Magnus hankering, he is now the one I reach for first. He is fun to transform, fun to play with, and looks great. In the race for best Ultra Magnus figure, he is a hard bot to beat. - Cobotron












Honourable Mention:

Transformers Subscription Service Ultra Mammoth Gallery

Now I know William James likes to keep the lists to main line releases, and I agree. It's the broadest stroke and allows the lists and the conversation to reach the largest audience. But I would be remiss if, on a list of possibly my 2nd favorite heroic Autobot character of all time, we didn't include one of my most favorite versions. I talked it over with Will, and he said he'd let it slide. This one time.
I'm honestly not a huge fan of a lot of the TFCC toys, but I think Ultra Mammoth is one of the smartest repaints they ever did. Before I ever saw the Beast Wars cartoon, I assumed that Beast Wars was just a new iteration on a classic theme, and that the Transformers had rescanned their alt modes to fit some new scenario. I like where the cartoon took us, but I still revert to my original interpretation for fun and play sometimes. When I saw Ultra Mammoth I think I fell over. I had to add him to my Beast Wars collection. The mold fits the character really well. Those tuskes as a new take on Magnus's iconic shoulder pylons is just brilliant. And instead of just painting this Prime white, they went the extra mile and designed his color scheme to emulate Magnus's complete form. He's the appropriate size, and an appropriately powerful beast to use as this large and in charge character for the Beast Wars world. -Cobotron


Transformers Subscription Service Ultra Mammoth Gallery


Transformers Subscription Service Ultra Mammoth Gallery