TakaraTomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-27 Ironhide In And Out Of Box

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

wilcosu35 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

That's basically why i'm getting this one. I'm not against 3rd party stuff, but in the case of Masterpieces i will always buy official figures when i have the choice.

fenrir72 wrote:

wilcosu35 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

That's basically why i'm getting this one. I'm not against 3rd party stuff, but in the case of Masterpieces i will always buy official figures when i have the choice.

Ditto!

If given the choice between tofu steak and Kobe/Angus steak, I'd take the latter anytime!

fenrir72 wrote:

wilcosu35 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

That's basically why i'm getting this one. I'm not against 3rd party stuff, but in the case of Masterpieces i will always buy official figures when i have the choice.

Ditto!

If given the choice between tofu steak and Kobe/Angus steak, I'd take the latter anytime!

MegaDump wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:

wilcosu35 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

That's basically why i'm getting this one. I'm not against 3rd party stuff, but in the case of Masterpieces i will always buy official figures when i have the choice.

Ditto!

If given the choice between tofu steak and Kobe/Angus steak, I'd take the latter anytime!

Guys, sorry if I didn't make my position more clear. I myself only buy the official releases; if it doesn't have a Has/Tak stamp, it's not a REAL Transformer in my book. I agree that supporting companies that infringe copyright is not ideal, but I can understand WHY some people do it. But if the goal of the Masterpiece line, especially from Takara, is to make the toy look as much like the cartoon as possible, surely we can agree that this mold is poorly executed. My main point was that toy-making powerhouses such as Hasbro & Takara should be LEADING the charge with exquisite designs. Instead, third-rate Chinese sweatshops are coming up with better solutions to solving the same problems. In this instance, I've seen alternate designs for Ratchet & Ironhide that are far superior. I understand there are people who like this design, but consider previous MP releases: who has a problem with MP Wheeljack? Prowl? Sideswipe? Nobody, or I'll eat my own fist. In short, it's not the Masterpiece I was expecting. This doesn't mean I'll stoop to buying a 3rd party figure, it means I wont be buying ANY of the Ratchet/Ironhide, at least until the design is improved.

Deathsaurus1 wrote:Why do people hate his the waist kibble?
Don't compare just to the cartoon. The masterpiece representation of every character should be seen as a new iteration of said character. Nothing is bad about Ironhide. Unless he has a problem where one hinge is prone to break, like mp3's wing hinges. Or fragile like mp5. Than he is looking solid.
Kibble to me is something that hinders the robot mode.

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

munkimus prime wrote:I just don't get the hate this figure is receiving. This is probably the definitive version of Ironhide we will ever get.

Cobotron wrote:

itscramtastic wrote:#TEAMPOSITIVITY!!!!!

munkimus prime wrote:One more thing where would the side skirts and wheels on his butt go since in the cartoon his Transformation defied the laws of physics with all his vehicle mode bits just disappearing into nothing....This figure is probably the best anyone could do with the design they had to work with and all we can do is be perfectionists who nit-pick every detail.

Microraptor wrote:God, that hip-kibble is atrocious....I wouldn't mind, but the design team can do so much better.

Cyberpath wrote:I think he looks good, but the proof is in the pudding -- I guess we'll find out soon enough!

munkimus prime wrote:I don't care what everyone else thinks. I cant wait to get this guy.

munkimus prime wrote:One more thing where would the side skirts and wheels on his butt go since in the cartoon his Transformation defied the laws of physics with all his vehicle mode bits just disappearing into nothing.

munkimus prime wrote:What do you people want the designers to do, use black Magic to copy a design that in Robot mode had zero vehicle bits on show to work with and still transform into a van. I doubt even Hasui could of engineered that and still make it look good. This figure is probably the best anyone could do with the design they had to work with and all we can do is be perfectionists who nit-pick every detail.

Glarryg wrote: my ideal MP Ironhide would be a modern version of the original toy rather than the TV character model

MegaDump wrote:

fenrir72 wrote:

wilcosu35 wrote:

Randomhero wrote:

MegaDump wrote:As much as I'd like to have Ironhide & Ratchet, I just can't accept these molds as definitive versions. A simple Google search for "3rd party Ratchet/Ironhide" shows some far superior designs. Has/Tak have got to seriously question their standards when 3rd party companies start making better versions of their own characters.

Maybe some people don't mind this design and would rather have an official one and support the company that created those characters instead of buying from someone whose infringing on another's intellectual property and slapping a reprolabel symbol on it after word.

That's basically why i'm getting this one. I'm not against 3rd party stuff, but in the case of Masterpieces i will always buy official figures when i have the choice.

Ditto!

If given the choice between tofu steak and Kobe/Angus steak, I'd take the latter anytime!

Guys, sorry if I didn't make my position more clear. I myself only buy the official releases; if it doesn't have a Has/Tak stamp, it's not a REAL Transformer in my book. I agree that supporting companies that infringe copyright is not ideal, but I can understand WHY some people do it. But if the goal of the Masterpiece line, especially from Takara, is to make the toy look as much like the cartoon as possible, surely we can agree that this mold is poorly executed. My main point was that toy-making powerhouses such as Hasbro & Takara should be LEADING the charge with exquisite designs. Instead, third-rate Chinese sweatshops are coming up with better solutions to solving the same problems. In this instance, I've seen alternate designs for Ratchet & Ironhide that are far superior. I understand there are people who like this design, but consider previous MP releases: who has a problem with MP Wheeljack? Prowl? Sideswipe? Nobody, or I'll eat my own fist. In short, it's not the Masterpiece I was expecting. This doesn't mean I'll stoop to buying a 3rd party figure, it means I wont be buying ANY of the Ratchet/Ironhide, at least until the design is improved.

megatronus wrote:

munkimus prime wrote:One more thing where would the side skirts and wheels on his butt go since in the cartoon his Transformation defied the laws of physics with all his vehicle mode bits just disappearing into nothing.

I don't know about the wheels, but those panels should have been engineered to slide, swivel, or flip up and cover the very obvious gaps in his mid-section. Or, how about they just follow the wheels and become butt kibble. That sounds a whole lot better than mucking up the robot mode and hindering the leg articulation.

munkimus prime wrote:What do you people want the designers to do, use black Magic to copy a design that in Robot mode had zero vehicle bits on show to work with and still transform into a van. I doubt even Hasui could of engineered that and still make it look good. This figure is probably the best anyone could do with the design they had to work with and all we can do is be perfectionists who nit-pick every detail.

Please.

Ironhide could have been better designed and engineered. It doesn't take black magic, it takes a budget. As nice as Ultra Magnus is, that toy definitely suffered in some areas because they tried very hard to cut costs. I would not be surprised if Ironhide was a similar case.

As far as I'm concerned, this figure is a decent placeholder, but not a definitive version of the character in any sense.

Cobotron wrote:
You have learned well, Grasshopper.

Cobotron wrote:

Glarryg wrote: my ideal MP Ironhide would be a modern version of the original toy rather than the TV character model

Wow! ... and here I thought I was the only one who felt this way. It's why I don't care if he looks anything like the show model. I could even stand to have him look less so than he does.

Emerje wrote:I wonder if people would complain if the sled folded up on his back the way Shockwave's stand does?

Emerje

SillySpringer wrote:

Emerje wrote:I wonder if people would complain if the sled folded up on his back the way Shockwave's stand does?

Emerje

Does it? It kinda looks like it maybe can...

fenrir72 wrote:

megatronus wrote:

munkimus prime wrote:One more thing where would the side skirts and wheels on his butt go since in the cartoon his Transformation defied the laws of physics with all his vehicle mode bits just disappearing into nothing.

I don't know about the wheels, but those panels should have been engineered to slide, swivel, or flip up and cover the very obvious gaps in his mid-section. Or, how about they just follow the wheels and become butt kibble. That sounds a whole lot better than mucking up the robot mode and hindering the leg articulation.

munkimus prime wrote:What do you people want the designers to do, use black Magic to copy a design that in Robot mode had zero vehicle bits on show to work with and still transform into a van. I doubt even Hasui could of engineered that and still make it look good. This figure is probably the best anyone could do with the design they had to work with and all we can do is be perfectionists who nit-pick every detail.

Please.

Ironhide could have been better designed and engineered. It doesn't take black magic, it takes a budget. As nice as Ultra Magnus is, that toy definitely suffered in some areas because they tried very hard to cut costs. I would not be surprised if Ironhide was a similar case.

As far as I'm concerned, this figure is a decent placeholder, but not a definitive version of the character in any sense.

This. TT has a certain budget cutoff point. And you follow what the suits upstairs say so. 3rd party companies are more likely a bunch of family/buddies/co-investors/designers package willing to take a gamble etc etc unlike the corporate slugs.

Before this gets relegated to which is better, 3rd party or 1st, the proof in the pie is in the "humping". So let's wait until it gets delivered.

munkimus prime wrote:I just don't get the hate this figure is receiving. This is probably the definitive version of Ironhide we will ever get. One more thing where would the side skirts and wheels on his butt go since in the cartoon his Transformation defied the laws of physics with all his vehicle mode bits just disappearing into nothing. What do you people want the designers to do, use black Magic to copy a design that in Robot mode had zero vehicle bits on show to work with and still transform into a van. I doubt even Hasui could of engineered that and still make it look good. This figure is probably the best anyone could do with the design they had to work with and all we can do is be perfectionists who nit-pick every detail.

MegaDump wrote:Well, we definitely know that no black magic is necessary because there are 3rd Party designs, particularly the Voodoo model, that DO manage to achieve the things you've mentioned. Although I suppose there is some irony in a company called Voodoo NOT using black magic lol. Again, 3rd party companies should not even be contenders when it comes to producing the "definitive" look of any particular character. Has/Tak have done brilliant jobs with previous MP releases, but I think it's fair to say that this one has divided the fan community more than any previous release. So much so, that we'll probably get an updated version at some point in the future. At least, I hope so... Because I sure wont be buying this mess in it's current form.

Cobotron wrote:

Cyberpath wrote:I think he looks good, but the proof is in the pudding -- I guess we'll find out soon enough!

I can't wait to get some pudding!

He looks great in that shot with the sunlight all bouncing off of him.

Cyberpath wrote:

Emerje wrote:

MegaDump wrote:Well, we definitely know that no black magic is necessary because there are 3rd Party designs, particularly the Voodoo model, that DO manage to achieve the things you've mentioned. Although I suppose there is some irony in a company called Voodoo NOT using black magic lol. Again, 3rd party companies should not even be contenders when it comes to producing the "definitive" look of any particular character. Has/Tak have done brilliant jobs with previous MP releases, but I think it's fair to say that this one has divided the fan community more than any previous release. So much so, that we'll probably get an updated version at some point in the future. At least, I hope so... Because I sure wont be buying this mess in it's current form.

Eh, the Voodoo Robots versions do the torsos right, but the legs (and those window feet!) are completely wrong for the TV likeness Takara Tomy was going for (and many of us prefer) and the arms look no better at all still leaving chunks of stuff on the back of the forearms. It really comes down to preference and I find more than enough faults with all of the third party versions that I'm satisfied with the official version.

Emerje

Sabrblade wrote:Man, that quite a gut he has:

megatronus wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:Man, that quite a gut he has:

And yet, his profile from the front is thin and sleek. I'm not sure if that's a positive or a negative.