Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens

Posted by Sabrblade Sep 8, 2023 at 10:48pm CDT 78,514 views

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It's that time of year again.

Voting for the Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 has opened up. Voting closes on September 17, and the winner will be announced on the 22nd in a Hasbro Pulse livestream.

https://go.hasb.ro/480wmSB

This year, the categories are:

"Favorite Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon series) character"

And

"Legacy: Evolution toy of the year"

Now, Sky-Byte was the indisputable breakout star of the RID 2001 series, and made it all the way to the final voting of 2012 Hall of Fame (but lost to Wheeljack). If anyone deserves the win this year it's him, and this could be his last chance.

And, the Hall of Fame has never guaranteed a new toy for the winner. The only fan polls that have resulted in new toys have been the non-Hall of Fame ones, like the ones that yielded Windblade, Victorion, Titan Trypticon, some of the Vintage G1 reissues, etc. So no matter who wins this vote, it won't directly result in a new toy for the winner. All that the Hall of Fame really results in nowadays is a little tiny icon in the top-right corner of a TFWiki page.

Also, Sky-Byte winning this year would be even more meaningful because... well... his voice actor, Peter Spellos, is current battling Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. He's set up a GoFundMe for anyone to help him in this literal fight for his life.

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Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by BW Megatron Sep 9, 2023

Save Peter Spellos
Don't let cancer take him now
He's a Transformer

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by ScottyP Sep 9, 2023

Pretty sure the write-in option is there so that if you are literally Sideburn, you can vote for Kelly's car

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Silver Wind Sep 9, 2023

Sky-Byte was the unironic hero of that show. 8-)

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by First-Aid Sep 9, 2023

Silver Wind wrote:Sky-Byte was the unironic hero of that show.

This.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Razorbeast88 Sep 9, 2023

I love love love Sky Byte, he is one of my favorites up there with Dinobot and Sixshot for me. Definitely got my vote

I'd love a legacy update to Sky Byte but I'd also hate to set aside my thrilling 30 Sky Byte. The articulation is a bit limited and I wouldve liked the asymmetrical eyes but I love that figure in both modes

Figure of the year was a toss up for me between Tarn, trashmaster, and skyquake/dreadwing. I chose Dreadwing because I love the chonks. I dont own any of those figures yet though lmao (except Skyquake)

Armada Prime im sure deserves it as well. Armada Prime was one of the first Prime toys my dad got me as a kid and I remember being so excited to have that toy and thought it was the coolest. I didn't get legacy version though because that design just isn't how I picture Optimus to be. G1 or animated are more what I'd want my Optimus to look like. That being said I really want them to recolor Armada Prime into the powerlinx colors so I can get it and call him Magna Convoy or something

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 9, 2023

Razorbeast88 wrote:I'd love a legacy update to Sky Byte but I'd also hate to set aside my thrilling 30 Sky Byte.

No worries about that. The Hall of Fame winners never get a new toy as a direct result of their win.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Razorbeast88 Sep 9, 2023

Sabrblade wrote:
Razorbeast88 wrote:I'd love a legacy update to Sky Byte but I'd also hate to set aside my thrilling 30 Sky Byte.
No worries about that. The Hall of Fame winners never get a new toy as a direct result of their win.

I'd seen your post after putting up mine haha im not saying he'd automatically get a figure because of hall of fame, but he hasn't had a figure in awhile so he might be due, especially with legacy's current theme of plucking the favorites out of different universes. If/when they ever get around to it

Toy talks aside, Sky Byte is hands down my favorite rid character. None of the others come close for me

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 9, 2023

Razorbeast88 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Razorbeast88 wrote:I'd love a legacy update to Sky Byte but I'd also hate to set aside my thrilling 30 Sky Byte.
No worries about that. The Hall of Fame winners never get a new toy as a direct result of their win.

I'd seen your post after putting up mine haha im not saying he'd automatically get a figure because of hall of fame, but he hasn't had a figure in awhile so he might be due, especially with legacy's current theme of plucking the favorites out of different universes. If/when they ever get around to it

Toy talks aside, Sky Byte is hands down my favorite rid character. None of the others come close for me

There was the Cyberverse Sky-Byte toy that, despite its size, was a pretty good little figure.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Razorbeast88 Sep 9, 2023

Sabrblade wrote:
Razorbeast88 wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Razorbeast88 wrote:I'd love a legacy update to Sky Byte but I'd also hate to set aside my thrilling 30 Sky Byte.
No worries about that. The Hall of Fame winners never get a new toy as a direct result of their win.

I'd seen your post after putting up mine haha im not saying he'd automatically get a figure because of hall of fame, but he hasn't had a figure in awhile so he might be due, especially with legacy's current theme of plucking the favorites out of different universes. If/when they ever get around to it

Toy talks aside, Sky Byte is hands down my favorite rid character. None of the others come close for me
There was the Cyberverse Sky-Byte toy that, despite its size, was a pretty good little figure.

That does look pretty neat

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by AllNewSuperRobot Sep 12, 2023

Sabrblade wrote:Now, Sky-Byte was the indisputable breakout star of the RID 2001 series

Having only ever seen Car Robots. I had no interest in the Cybershark redeco. Also as I can't stand the trope of villains being comic relief. This one however, was the main draw of that series for me:

Gigatron

To date, the best multiformer design in Transformers too.

So I voted for him (although the re-naming to Megatron/Galvtron was always a mistake on Hasbro's part). Also, from the reaction of friends collecting Legacy. I voted for Skyquake.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 12, 2023

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Now, Sky-Byte was the indisputable breakout star of the RID 2001 series

Having only ever seen Car Robots. I had no interest in the Cybershark redeco. Also as I can't stand the trope of villains being comic relief. This one however, was the main draw of that series for me:

The category isn't about toys, it's about characters. And since this is the English version, Megatron was made into being an even bigger joke character than Sky-Byte was, complete with a super wacky voice that sounded like a dime store version of Lord Zedd's voice, always YELLING everything he said whether it made sense to yell at the top of his lungs or not.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by AllNewSuperRobot Sep 12, 2023

The toy thing was just an aside.

So what I'm reading is that the RiD dub completely botched Gigatron? From name to voice. No wonder the English dub for the subsequent UT sounded like it did. Funny how the quality of VO took such a nose dive after the Beast Era.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 12, 2023

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:So what I'm reading is that the RiD dub completely botched Gigatron? From name to voice.

Just listen to how constantly manic he sounds with every line he speaks in this 2.5 minute clip:

Car Robots Gigatron, by comparison, sounded more like Animated Megatron, having a much calmer voice that was rarely ever raised.

If anything, Sky-Byte's dub voice sounded less silly than Gelshark's original voice, which was a very silly voice in that version.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:No wonder the English dub for the subsequent UT sounded like it did. Funny how the quality of VO took such a nose dive after the Beast Era.

The people who made the RID dub had nothing to do with Armada's dub being such a rush job. That was all Cartoon Network's fault, rushing the Armada dub's production to get it on the air months before the original Japanese version was even done. And at that time, CN was rushing several other anime dubs too, like the English dubs of Sailor Moon Super and SuperS (so glad we have the much-better redubs of those from Viz Media nowadays). RID's dub was actually much higher quality than Armada's dub, with extra care given to the scripts and even new animation created for the scene transitions.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by AllNewSuperRobot Sep 12, 2023

That clip ...was awful. I'm glad I skipped the dub now.

I know Car Robots/RiD was only ever envisioned as a one and done series. But it makes you think if CN hadn't rushed the UT dub, it might be remembered more fondly?

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 12, 2023

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I know Car Robots/RiD was only ever envisioned as a one and done series. But it makes you think if CN hadn't rushed the UT dub, it might be remembered more fondly?

I fail to see the relation. People do look back on the RID dub more fondly than the UT dubs. Armada and Energon's dubs were awful.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by AllNewSuperRobot Sep 12, 2023

Sabrblade wrote:
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I know Car Robots/RiD was only ever envisioned as a one and done series. But it makes you think if CN hadn't rushed the UT dub, it might be remembered more fondly?
I fail to see the relation. People do look back on the RID dub more fondly than the UT dubs. Armada and Energon's dubs were awful.

Well to my ear, that RiD clip sounded no better than the UT dub. So if, as you say, RiD was a better quality dub that is remembered more fondly among fans. If CN hadn't rushed to get Armada and Energon on the air, outside Japan. Would UT have been similarly well remembered?

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 19, 2023

Voting is now closed. The winners will be announced this Friday.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 22, 2023

Transformers Hall of Fame

Human inductee - Takio Ejima, TakaraTomy designer whose Transformers design résumé is enormous, has been called "the man who created the most transforming robot toys in the world".
Toy of the Year - Commander class Armada Universe Optimus Prime, won by more than 1000 votes
Fictional Character of the Year - SKY-BYTE!!!! FINALLY!!! Winner screencap:

They gave a shout-out to Peter Spellos in support of his current battle with cancer.
Optimus came in second, and Rail Racer in third.

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by AllNewSuperRobot Sep 22, 2023

Sabrblade wrote:Transformers Hall of Fame
Fictional Character of the Year - SKY-BYTE!!!! FINALLY!!! Winner screencap:

That bugs me. Probably more than it should. A comic relief redeco gaining more fame and recognition than the design it was based on. Poor Cybershark. Shoved into obscurity by a lame repaint...

shark1.jpg

shark2.jpg

Re: Transformers Hall of Fame 2023 Voting Opens (view post)

Comment by Sabrblade Sep 22, 2023

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Transformers Hall of Fame
Fictional Character of the Year - SKY-BYTE!!!! FINALLY!!! Winner screencap:

That bugs me. Probably more than it should. A comic relief redeco gaining more fame and recognition than the design it was based on. Poor Cybershark. Shoved into obscurity by a lame repaint...

shark1.jpg

shark2.jpg