SS 86 Ironhide Review Provides Best Comparisons Yet

william-james88 wrote:
So enjoy the screenshots from the review below and let us know what you think.

Thanks for just posting the screenshots. Much obliged.

15+ is just the Japanese way of designating something as being for collectors since typically a 15 year old isn't buying "toys" but is likely "mature" enough for some collectibles like Nendoroids which do say 15 and up on the box. Funny thing is I'm holding a Japanese copy of Studio Series Bumblebee Movie Cliffjumper in my hands right now and it says 5 and above right on the front of the box, as do just about every other Deluxe SS figure I'm looking at online, but oddly both Bee Movie Soundwave and Ravage say 8+ (for those that want to see for themselves it's the white box at the top with a number surrounded by Japanese characters).

Checking the Seibertron gallery the only Legends figures I can find with 15+ on them is Blitzwing, G2 Megatron (same mold) and Octane which I have to assume is an error because there's nothing particularly special about those three figures and Black Convoy (using the Octane mold) is 5+ like the rest of the line.

Emerje

Sabrblade wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:This is the last Ironhide I'll ever get.

Unless Takara goes and makes a Premium Finish redeco.

For my collection? Maybe not TBH. These things are only getting more expensive and, for me, sometimes good enough is good enough.

I never went all Japanese when Japan had different decos then we had, just on figures I felt it was a real improvement on. Didn't get Buzzworthy Kup. And I'm definitely not replacing my entire collection. Just the figures that I feel really need it.

ER Ironhide and Ratchet just suck. I got them because I thought that was it for them. And they came with another figure. But here we are with a figure Hasbro should have just made to begin with. I'm getting him, but that's it. It's enough.

Looks better than ER, even if it's on the small side. I won't break by back trying to get him, but if I ever see him on a store shelf, I'll pick him up. I'm actually pretty happy with the Siege figure.

It's a difficult issue because of some folks complaints about the YouTubers ethics. This approach offered the best compromise so that we could still news these leaks and offer credit where credit was due.

If you want to watch his reviews check out the review forum where he posts them, along with all the other reviews from users like Lore Keeper, and ChuckDawg.

Now back to Ironhide please.

The video link is the first post of the previous page. So what are we whining about? That all the complaining has pushed the thread to the next page to the video or that we couldn't be bothered to look before making a fuss over nothing??

I don't think it was ever suggested to "cut kids off", but when you have a line like SS that is supposedly geared a little more toward adult collectors it would be nice if they put quality back into appearance rather than just focusing on the insides/engineering. Sometimes these bots feel no different from the following "kiddie" lines.
https://shop.hasbro.com/en-us/product/t ... 8F6DFCB4CA

https://shop.hasbro.com/en-us/product/t ... E7A42E4E58

Emerje wrote:I get that the engineering bumps him up to Voyager, but size is just too far out of scale. Even the previous deluxe figures weren't really the right height, but they were still pretty tall for the price class. I don't think I could be happy with any excuse anyone could imagine up for making him this small at this price point. I don't think expecting him to be the same size as Grapple is wanting too much, not when they've already cut so many corners by giving him just one accessory and completely hollowing out his hands.

Between Ironhide and Override I'm not at all happy with the direction Voyagers are taking, not when they keep giving us less and less and asking us to pay more and more. At least with Override you can say they'll probably only get one use out of the mold so they have to offset the cost, but we know that wont be true with Ironhide.

Emerje

This is what I was worried about a while back when I brought this issue up about seeing DLX bots in the Voyager price becoming the norm but people seemed fine as long as the "engineering" was there. It's really a blurred line separating the larger DLX bots and Voyagers but I wonder how long it will be before we see others like Hoist, Tracks, Sunstreaker etc. bumped to Voyager price point and not all that much being changed? I'd feel a little better if he were at least that same height as his predecessor in paying the voyager price, because IMHO there's not that much added engineering needed for Ironhide not to justify him being shorter. This may be an aspect where I'm very anal about scale and Bots being in scale to each other, but it does also raise concerns when being displayed because now I would have to figure out where to place him so he's not hidden behind a taller bot that Siege once towered over. If you are to buy this new version then it's must to buy a repaint Ratchet is it not? otherwise the two will be different heights. IDK...

-Kanrabat- wrote:I may have an unpopular opinion, but all that clear plastics everywhere worries me. Especially so many JOINTS are clear. Plus that clear plastic painted red over just won't color match anything.

There should have been NO clear parts at all with the windows painted a kind of blue instead. It would have been even more "cartoon accurate" and it would have been more solid.

At first I was okay with it because well real cars have see through windows. lol Which in a sense adds a bit of realism to car mode, but the issue is all you see is robot parts instead of vehicle interiors so it's kind of moot. The double issue is clear plastic being utilized too much in order to get clear windows which over time does become more brittle than standard plastic. The one aspect I like about it were the clear headlights as it adds to the detail of realism, and is why I really like Smokescreen's front end more than Jazz's. Those fake headlights really do stand out.

Otherwise I'm fine with the painted windows going forward as they really do look good on Cliffjumer.

Clear plastic is always a worry. MP Burning Convoy, for example, has lots of it. Fortunately, none connected to his joints. But even the rest is on borrowed time. I'm not sure why it is still in use. Everyone knows how brittle it is, since it was first put into use in figures. Is the risk of damage really worth it for a nicer piece of aesthetic?

Meh, still not sold on it. Especially putting him next to Wreck-Garr and expecting the same price.

H3ll, I wasn't even sold on the ER version vs SIEGE Ironhide and now this for about $8-$10 bucks more???

NOPE! That transformation means nothing to me... He should've been taller. Not SS86 Wreck-Garr tall but still taller than that is currently. So I hope HasTak doesn't try to make more of a habit of these dwarf accessory-less "Voyager Class" figures.

I know some people don't like the fact that it is the same size, but the review actually makes a decent point; the Seige mold is supposed to be the scale Ironhide is to the Modern CHUG scale, an argument that makes sense, and I agree with, I don't have the prior figures, so I'll probably pick this figure up, I do like that he has a more complete alt mode than Earthrise.

I think people need to pump the brakes in regards to the size, specifically the height of this new Ironhide...
I'm pretty sure it's not camera angle, figure pose/positioning, editing, etc., but what I'm seeing in the photo of the SS86 and ER versions side-by-side is that the ER version is MAYBE 1/4" taller at most, and probably closer to 1/8".

And yes, I said in a previous post that I would've liked him to have been a little bit taller. And by "a little", I literally meant by 1/2"-ish.

Whoever said this figure is as short or even close to the height of the Datsun bros...
Pshhhh.
I truly don't mean any offense by this, but stop and actually look at these images...
Or look on your own shelf/display and compare your Siege or ER Ironhide or Ratchet to one of the Datsun mold figures...
Saying any version (including this new one) of Ironhide (or Ratchet) is the same size as Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Prowl, etc., is absurd.
That's the same as trying to claim this new version is as tall as Inferno and Grapple.

It's also pretty bunk to compare this new Ironhide to Wreck-gar. Wreck-gar (while a legit voyager figure imo), is taller than he should be. Probably so other bots would fit better onto the cycle mode.
But Wreck-gar's figure is as tall as those of OP, Megatron, Blaster, Rodimus (or extremely close to), Cyclonus, and taller than Inferno, Grapple, Springer, and all of the ER seekers... I literally just confirmed this with my own figures.
I always thought he was the same size as Springer. But even if he's really supposed to be a bit bigger, there's no way he's supposed to be as tall as those first 5 I listed.
If anything, that photo just shows how out of scale Wreck-gar is, not that SS86 Ironhide is overly small.

Again, sure, I would've appreciated him being as tall as Hoist and Trailbreaker. But 1/4-1/2 of an inch shorter is "too short"?? No way.
It's not like he's been made the same height as Jazz or Sideswipe.
All this to say, in the grand scheme, I think the height is pretty on point.

ZeroWolf wrote:It's a difficult issue because of some folks complaints about the YouTubers ethics. This approach offered the best compromise so that we could still news these leaks and offer credit where credit was due.

If you want to watch his reviews check out the review forum where he posts them, along with all the other reviews from users like Lore Keeper, and ChuckDawg.

Now back to Ironhide please.

Sowndwave76 wrote:I think people need to pump the brakes in regards to the size, specifically the height of this new Ironhide...
I'm pretty sure it's not camera angle, figure pose/positioning, editing, etc., but what I'm seeing in the photo of the SS86 and ER versions side-by-side is that the ER version is MAYBE 1/4" taller at most, and probably closer to 1/8".

And yes, I said in a previous post that I would've liked him to have been a little bit taller. And by "a little", I literally meant by 1/2"-ish.

Whoever said this figure is as short or even close to the height of the Datsun bros...
Pshhhh.
I truly don't mean any offense by this, but stop and actually look at these images...
Or look on your own shelf/display and compare your Siege or ER Ironhide or Ratchet to one of the Datsun mold figures...
Saying any version (including this new one) of Ironhide (or Ratchet) is the same size as Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Prowl, etc., is absurd.
That's the same as trying to claim this new version is as tall as Inferno and Grapple.

It's also pretty bunk to compare this new Ironhide to Wreck-gar. Wreck-gar (while a legit voyager figure imo), is taller than he should be. Probably so other bots would fit better onto the cycle mode.
But Wreck-gar's figure is as tall as those of OP, Megatron, Blaster, Rodimus (or extremely close to), Cyclonus, and taller than Inferno, Grapple, Springer, and all of the ER seekers... I literally just confirmed this with my own figures.
I always thought he was the same size as Springer. But even if he's really supposed to be a bit bigger, there's no way he's supposed to be as tall as those first 5 I listed.
If anything, that photo just shows how out of scale Wreck-gar is, not that SS86 Ironhide is overly small.

Again, sure, I would've appreciated him being as tall as Hoist and Trailbreaker. But 1/4-1/2 of an inch shorter is "too short"?? No way.
It's not like he's been made the same height as Jazz or Sideswipe.
All this to say, in the grand scheme, I think the height is pretty on point.

This^

Emerje wrote:15+ is just the Japanese way of designating something as being for collectors since typically a 15 year old isn't buying "toys" but is likely "mature" enough for some collectibles like Nendoroids which do say 15 and up on the box. Funny thing is I'm holding a Japanese copy of Studio Series Bumblebee Movie Cliffjumper in my hands right now and it says 5 and above right on the front of the box, as do just about every other Deluxe SS figure I'm looking at online, but oddly both Bee Movie Soundwave and Ravage say 8+ (for those that want to see for themselves it's the white box at the top with a number surrounded by Japanese characters).

Checking the Seibertron gallery the only Legends figures I can find with 15+ on them is Blitzwing, G2 Megatron (same mold) and Octane which I have to assume is an error because there's nothing particularly special about those three figures and Black Convoy (using the Octane mold) is 5+ like the rest of the line.

Emerje

That's what I've already stated. As for the Legends figures, most of the ones we checked (both at home), and at the toy shop(s) we visited at the time had a "15+" rating. Chicken or the egg here, but it was probably related to the sexual content of the comics that came with those figures. However, the age rating wasn't bonding and toy shops were not always even aware that the rating was there. If any of the figures from Legends were below 15+, I can only assume it was down to the lack of sexualized themes in the pack-in comic at the time.

The "15+" rating is, arguably, the closest that such toys can be to bring an "adult collectible" (which, I assume, may necessitate different legal restrictions, etc). However, the point here is that there's no clear distinction between "MP" and "other TFs" as being "adult" and "kids". There's obvious evidence to suggest the average "CHUG" figure (even if they have an age rating below "8+") is aimed at collectors (in terms of aesthetics, character choices, etc), while adhering to legal requirements and/or additional features that will help it sell in its capacity,/function as a toy (for children). MPs, are also aimed at "15+", just like many "CHUG" toys in Japan, and arguably aimed at both collectors and (by the same legalities above) at minors under the age of legal adulthood (20/21 in Japan, in most cases).

I didn't want to go rummaging around for my Legends boxes (most of which do have a "15+" rating on them, from what I remember), but here are some random ones that were lying around, taken from MP, POTP, SS86 and Earthrise. All of them, barring SS86 Perceptor (which seems to be suitable for ages 3+) are aimed/suitable for ages 15+.









I would add that, in Japan, Takara has seemingly "cut their losses" with TFs aimed at kids as their major demographic (possibly due to the shrinking population, the lower popularity of TFs in Japan and/or the dominance of Bandai with their Power Ranger/Super Sentai styled toys). Takara may have joined forces with Tomy due to their shrinking market share. It might also be why, ironically, they stopped making "collector focused" toy paint jobs of most CHUG figures (sharing the costs with Hasbro) and why they doubled-down on an even smaller demographic of TF collector for their "anime-centric" MP line.

ZeroWolf wrote:It's a difficult issue because of some folks complaints about the YouTubers ethics. This approach offered the best compromise so that we could still news these leaks and offer credit where credit was due.

If you want to watch his reviews check out the review forum where he posts them, along with all the other reviews from users like Lore Keeper, and ChuckDawg.

Now back to Ironhide please.

I don't want to dwell on this topic, but is that as close to an official stance on the matter when Seibertron reports such material at the front page? I'm going to add a link from these comments (and screenshots) at the thread about "stolen" TFs for future reference. Also, my original comment was simply giving credit where it was due. There's no point always criticising a website, especially when it's performed due diligence or met different people half-way.

YoungPrime wrote:Meh, still not sold on it. Especially putting him next to Wreck-Garr and expecting the same price.

H3ll, I wasn't even sold on the ER version vs SIEGE Ironhide and now this for about $8-$10 bucks more???

NOPE! That transformation means nothing to me... He should've been taller. Not SS86 Wreck-Garr tall but still taller than that is currently. So I hope HasTak doesn't try to make more of a habit of these dwarf accessory-less "Voyager Class" figures.

Well, I have DK-Guard and SG Ratchet. It's annoying that both have that partforming roof part and that alone make them "deluxe +", meaning more expensive than regular deluxes in theory. But those default feet are unforgivable. So I had to buy THOSE REPLACEMENT FEET that cost 16$US a pair just so that the vehicle mode feel "complete" and for the bot to still have decent feet.

Just those custom parts alone boost the total price far above a voyager.

Now for the new Ironhide, appart some filler pieces for the hands, he's pretty much prefect all over and will not need any extra parts. Plus, no partsforming at all. Furthermore, the bot will not be an "empty box" with his body FULL of folded vehicle bits.

So yeah, even though he's deluxe sized, there's definitely "voyager meat" inside that thing.

I still have my old G1 Ironhide and it's definitely one of those figures that needs a modern update! Since I've missed or been disinterested in all the recent Ironhides, I'll do my best to pick this one up. The color scheme, especially in vehicle mode, is a bit bland but that's nothing the inevitable third party sticker set can't fix.

EnergonHangover wrote:I still have my old G1 Ironhide and it's definitely one of those figures that needs a modern update! Since I've missed or been disinterested in all the recent Ironhides, I'll do my best to pick this one up. The color scheme, especially in vehicle mode, is a bit bland but that's nothing the inevitable third party sticker set can't fix.

There will be a Toyhax Reprolabels set for it. Guaranteed. The irony is that usually, there's stickers that also cover the windows, making me wish furthermore that no clear plastics wre used.

primalxconvoy wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:It's a difficult issue because of some folks complaints about the YouTubers ethics. This approach offered the best compromise so that we could still news these leaks and offer credit where credit was due.

If you want to watch his reviews check out the review forum where he posts them, along with all the other reviews from users like Lore Keeper, and ChuckDawg.

Now back to Ironhide please.

I don't want to dwell on this topic, but is that as close to an official stance on the matter when Seibertron reports such material at the front page? I'm going to add a link from these comments (and screenshots) at the thread about "stolen" TFs for future reference. Also, my original comment was simply giving credit where it was due. There's no point always criticising a website, especially when it's performed due diligence or met different people half-way.

Only Seibertron himself could give an official stance, this is just the approach we discussed internally to try and keep the peace.

So that IS supposed to be Ironhide? I thought that was a prototype of the figure. The reds don't match and there is no yellow stripe. How is that a "Studio Series" when it looks wrong? Looks like a deluxe too.