G1 Blaster Walmart Reissue Found in Stores

Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

It's because Blaster was only ever sold by himself in 1985-1986. This line recreates the original G1 packaging (sans the new packaging created for Optimus Prime, but which was still heavily based on his original box).

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

It's because they are replicating how he was released initially.

william-james88 wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

It's because they are replicating how he was released initially.

I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape. Perhaps it was due to size or as I mentioned initially, there were going to be fewer Autobot cassettes. Fascinating.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape.

Because all of the preexisting Micro Change cassette toys had already been used as Decepticons. The Autobot cassettes were new molds that didn't see release until 1986, where Blaster was an existing Micro Change mold who first got released a year earlier in 1985. When Blaster's toy first came into existence in the Transformers toyline, there were no Autobot cassettes that existed (yet).

I wonder what the point of Preordering anything from WalMart is when they show up in the stores before they ship the preorders.

Rodimus Knight wrote:I wonder what the point of Preordering anything from WalMart is when they show up in the stores before they ship the preorders.

Pretty much this. I know people on Twitter still waiting on their Netflix Megatron pre-order when he's been in stores for months

i hope they reissue his tapes as well

Sabrblade wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape.

Because all of the preexisting Micro Change cassette toys had already been used as Decepticons. The Autobot cassettes were new molds that didn't see release until 1986, where Blaster was an existing Micro Change mold who first got released a year earlier in 1985. When Blaster's toy first came into existence in the Transformers toyline, there were no Autobot cassettes that existed (yet).

So basically you were supposed to use and swap cassettes if you were a Micro Change fan.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape.

Because all of the preexisting Micro Change cassette toys had already been used as Decepticons. The Autobot cassettes were new molds that didn't see release until 1986, where Blaster was an existing Micro Change mold who first got released a year earlier in 1985. When Blaster's toy first came into existence in the Transformers toyline, there were no Autobot cassettes that existed (yet).

So basically you were supposed to use and swap cassettes if you were a Micro Change fan.

Right, there were no warring factions of cassettes in the Micro Change toyline, all of them were on the same side and interacted with both Cassette Man (pre-Soundwave) and Radi-Cassette Robo (pre-Blaster). Though, Radi-Cassette Robo was itself released in 1984 a year after Cassette Man and the three micro-cassette molds Micross (pre-Frenzy/Rumble), Jaguar (pre-Ravage), and Condor (pre-Laserbeak/Buzzsaw) were released on 1983, so the disconnect was also present in that line. Though, Radi-Cassette Man also came with its own little AM radio accessory that could fit into its tape door since it was the size of a micro-cassette itself (this little AM radio was not carried over for Blaster's release in Transformers).

As for why Hasbro didn't just use the existing Micro Change cassette molds to make Autobot cassettes for Blaster in 1985, at the time Hasbro wasn't yet in the habit of sharing molds between Autobots and Decepticons (minus the Mini-Spies since their whole gimmick was their belonging to either faction, but I digress), so they kept all of the Micro Change cassette molds on the Decepticon side at the time of Blaster's initial release, leaving him with no cassette minions of his own until Hasbro started releasing all new molds made specifically for Transformers the following year in 1986. Of course, his original packaging didn't even advertise his chest door gimmick anyway, with his interactivity with the cassettes given only a passing mention in his instructions.

I finally spotted G1 reissue Blaster. Unfortunately a pass for me but neat to see it again.

Finally got Blaster in at my Wal-Mart in Albany, GA. His legs have a brownish tint to them, and IIRC originally his legs were gray.

Rodimus Prime wrote:Finally got Blaster in at my Wal-Mart in Albany, GA. His legs have a brownish tint to them, and IIRC originally his legs were gray.

Yeah, I saw that at my local Walmart and decided to pass on that.

I already got to experience the mold with the Fun Pub/e-HOBBY Shattered Glass Blaster that uses the same mold, and didn't find it much more than a nice novelty.

Full disclosure: I own very few G1 molds as I don't really collect them.

The brownish tint is accurate to his Marvel colors (though I'm sure it's an accident). I don't own G1 Blaster because he's grossly out of scale with not only Soundwave but pretty much every other figure from G1, and when I did own him he spent all his time in boombox mode on Fort Max's shoulder.

Rodimus Prime wrote:Finally got Blaster in at my Wal-Mart in Albany, GA. His legs have a brownish tint to them, and IIRC originally his legs were gray.

Ah that means they reused the same thing as for the platinum release.

Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

Rodimus Prime wrote:Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

We've all been waiting for one ever since an all-new MP mold for Steeljaw was made for MP Nightstalker.

Hasbro/Takara Tomy have used that brownish gray on all of their reissues. It's a slight exaggeration of the dirty gray of the original.



Hasbro also used it on Fall of Cybertron and Titans Return versions.





Hasbro just really likes to use that shade on Blaster. They also like it on Powermaster Prime.

Sabrblade wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

We've all been waiting for one ever since an all-new MP mold for Steeljaw was made for MP Nightstalker.

I think if they ever get around to doing MP Blaster they'll make a new mold for Steeljaw. For starters MP Nightstalker is TINY!




Second I think it would be hard to incorporate his proper weapons into the mold and still have them look right.
Third, it just isn't a very good figure, it feels sub par compared to all of the other MP tapes. I think it was just something they quickly rushed out to finish the set. They've had a few years to work on it so I hope when they do make Blaster they give us a much improved Steeljaw.

Emerje

Rodimus Prime wrote:Since we're on the subject of this character, what do you guys think are the chances of a MP Blaster any time soon?

You know what, I don't care anymore. This is not at all a jab at your or your question. I have a decent MP collection but now that they are releasing good toys of a ton of characters at a more manageable scale/pricepoint, the MPs have lost their lustre to me. We should have had a Blaster ages ago, but instead we got another Bee, another Prime now another Starscream and the prices have gone crazy high for not that much satisfaction over the much lower price points. So, your question makes me think that if ever they do release Blaster, which they should, it will still be too long after several fans have stopped caring, since I don't think I am alone in this.

Anyone hear if there will be another G1 Walmart reissue after Blaster? Last I saw him at my Walmart, he was on clearance, so it seems like we should be due for at least an announcement any time now...

Pedro Prime wrote:Anyone hear if there will be another G1 Walmart reissue after Blaster? Last I saw him at my Walmart, he was on clearance, so it seems like we should be due for at least an announcement any time now...

No more announced, and I don't see any coming. They've gone on Clearance so many times, so Walmart has decided now for something completely different (cue Monty Python's Flying Circus):

Retro Headmasters

Nothing major, just the main Headmaster characters released using the Titans Return molds with the (anime-accurate) Japanese Legends heads, but in G1-style boxes (that'll get confusing). The breakdown:

Wave 1
Chromedome with Stylor
Hardhead with Duros
Brainstorm with Arcana
Mindwipe with Vorath

Wave 2
Highbrow with Gort
Weirdwolf with Monzo
Skullcruncher with Grax

WOW.

I'll have to check my walmart in a couple days, I would buy a G1 Blaster for that

Sabrblade wrote:https://www.facebook.com/groups/706571839526555/permalink/1590510671132663/

Well, if there are any left at mine and they ring up like that... I'll have two cassette players

I don't think the price was the point, the fact it rang up as Soundblaster I think is the point. Is this the first we've heard of a possible Soundblaster reissue?

chuckdawg1999 wrote:I don't think the price was the point, the fact it rang up as Soundblaster I think is the point. Is this the first we've heard of a possible Soundblaster reissue?

Him ringing up as "Soundblaster" was quite known, and isn't indicative of anything other than Hasbro supplying a name different than what's on the packaging. Really, what would people think when they see "G1 Blaster" on a toy listing?

o.supreme wrote:ok, so one of my local Walmart's did a toy reset in the last week. What was odd is I was just there a few days ago and they had 4 or 5 Astrotrains, now there are none. I find it unlikely that someone would by them all since they've been sitting there for months, but I digress....

We know a Blaster reissue is coming soon, but I saw this and thought it very odd...Has there been any news about a Sounblaster reissue? I mean I know Walmart had the Siege Soundblaster for the 35th anniversary line, but this specifically says "G1"...so I didn't know what to make of it?

I posted about it back in August, it seems to have been dismissed as merely a mistaken description used in Walmarts system

o.supreme wrote:

o.supreme wrote:ok, so one of my local Walmart's did a toy reset in the last week. What was odd is I was just there a few days ago and they had 4 or 5 Astrotrains, now there are none. I find it unlikely that someone would by them all since they've been sitting there for months, but I digress....

We know a Blaster reissue is coming soon, but I saw this and thought it very odd...Has there been any news about a Sounblaster reissue? I mean I know Walmart had the Siege Soundblaster for the 35th anniversary line, but this specifically says "G1"...so I didn't know what to make of it?

I posted about it back in August, it seems to have been dismissed as merely a mistaken description used in Walmarts system

Yup, thats exsctlybwhat it is

I finally spotted Hardhead and Brainstorm at a local Walmart.

SGMLordMirage wrote:I finally spotted Hardhead and Brainstorm at a local Walmart.

FWIW those aren't G1 reissues. Those are Takara Titans Return molds that got a North American nreleases in G1 styled packaging.


You aren't getting a G1 figure in there.

Here's the thread for them:

https://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/new-walmart-listings-for-transformers-headmaster-assortments-t115048s75.php

My bad, thanks for the clarification, definitely my moron moment and not paying attention, wth.

Can anyone who picked up a G1 stasrscream reissue in Europe or australia take a pic of the back of the box? I am curious as to the languages on there.

Is this Tigatron really a brighter white, or did all our old Tigatron's just get more yellow over the past 20 + years?

I'm actually kind of digging the more silver body on the Scorponok figure compared to the original. We have any idea on pricing for him? This is the first Mega sized toy they released from the original line...

Still have the originals for both of these, so not a necessity for me, but I hope they continue this line with Transmetal characters at some point. I have almost none of those (just Optimal Optimus and dragon Megatron).

My guess is Voyager pricing for Scorponok. Or Hasbro will just say “fuck it” and call him an Ultra Beast and price him as Leader Class. I mean, look at the Rattrap reissue…

TOO MUCH ENERGON! wrote:My guess is Voyager pricing for Scorponok. Or Hasbro will just say “**** it” and call him an Ultra Beast and price him as Leader Class. I mean, look at the Rattrap reissue…

By today's standards, Rattrap is pretty much a deluxe.
Still, I have no idea what is the size of Scorponok. But if he comes in a box, it will be priced as a 45$CAN voyager like Tigatron at the bare minimum.

I do find it amusing that on the back packaging of the reissues they classify both Cheetor and Rattrap as “MEGA.” Bruh, I remember buying these toys when I was 11 in 1996 and neither Cheetor nor Rattrap were Mega Beasts, lawl.

Not MEGA sized, just MEGA priced for the modern age

o.supreme wrote:Not MEGA sized, just MEGA priced for the modern age

Indeed.

I was 20 when BW came out, but my overly-simplistic memory wants to say that Basics were $5 USD. Deluxe were $10, Mega were $15, and Ultra were $20, and it stayed that way from 1996 at least through 1999 (The last 2 I got were TM2 Megatron and Tigerhawk).

Optimal Optimus being the one "bigger" toy in that line costing $30 USD.

So 25 years later, Cheetor Doubling in Price is not surprising, but Rattrap going 4X is just highway robbery. The Ultra's could have been sold for double the original price at $40 (there's a LOT of empty space in that packaging), but I think they wanted to try to align it closer to Modern Generations leader Price Point of $50.

So, based on my memory of my original BW Collection I had:

1996 Tigatron (was gifted to me by a friend)
1997 Magnaboss & Tripredacus (Spent $40)
1998 TM Optimus and Megatron (Spent $30), Depth Charge and Rampage (Spent $40), and Optimal Optimus (Spent $30)
1999 TM 2 Megatron and Tigerhawk (Spent $40) TM2 Dinobot (spent $10) and

*Optimus Minor was gifted to me by some friends' kids'. I was indoctrinating them into TF's since I wasn't married yet or had kids of my own. Could they have picked a worse toy . Of course I never said anything and gladly accepted it.

So basically all-in-all from 1996 to 1999 I spent just under $200 ($190) on my entire standard BW Collection! (I say standard because I was starting to go to Conventions and was heavily getting back into Original Transformers, I got some convention exclusives and was getting several BW II and Neo toys) Of course I was going to college part-time and had a job that paid less than $7 USD an hour, until 1999 until I Got into the banking industry and started making a whopping $11 dollars an hour.