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Hasbro's Blaster is spookily similar looking to the Unique toys one I'd suggest.

3rd party (again with the schtick, don't like the thread because you already know the end result then don't buy it/post it ) over the official? No contest. Anyways, will the G1 cassettes fit him too?

william-james88 wrote:

munkimus prime wrote:I never understood the earlier complaints about Blaster being to big. Blaster has always been a big bot. His G1 toy was pretty big and I remember him being pretty tall in the Cartoon and the comics.

He has been consistently shown to be as big as Soundwave:

Inappropriate touching in 5...4...3...

Rated X wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:

munkimus prime wrote:I never understood the earlier complaints about Blaster being to big. Blaster has always been a big bot. His G1 toy was pretty big and I remember him being pretty tall in the Cartoon and the comics.

You can thank Classics Optimus Prime an Megatron being Voyagers for all the "too big" complaints about Blaster, as those two have seem to become the measuring sticks that all CHUG toys should scale towards.

And that's the way it should be. Voyager size is perfect for Optimus and Megatron and Blaster should have been the same size. Blaster does not need to turn into a base for a 3rd mode and definitely does not need to be a Headmaster. That's stupid.

With the Jetfire being the exception, I feel "Leader" scale is a waste. Its a size meant for little kids don't care about scale. Usually Leader scale is reserved for fan favourite characters that little kids love. I think I'll just stick with Unique Toys SoundBlaster. They got him right. Sorry Hasbro.

I get the impression that Hasbro couldn't decide if they wanted to make a Collectables line or a Kids gimmick line - especially with RID on it's slow path to eventual obsolescence not doing such a great job of it's job of appealing to the middle age bracket of toy buying kids.

I have Unique Toys Soundmixer too - I bought him as someone seemingly didn't want him any longer due to the forthcoming 2016 "Official" TF:TR Blaster toy.

I will admit though in general I adore the little guys (lets call them "Masters" for the sake of argument). I am a little disappointed that they wanted to make everyone Headmasters as now I find myself NOT wanting things on the principle that the Headmaster gimmick poorly applied to them will make for an inferior toy.

Take Hotrod and Blurr - they really needed to be nice ordinary toys that just happen to come with Targetmasters - so I hope they realise that and put them in a special generations Movie homage wave and don't try to make them Titans Returns with transforming heads on them - as if they do that they will really fail as homages - and all it will be doing is begging for the 3rd party add on makers to make a better replacement head and Targetmaster for them as add ons something that would not bee needed if Hasbro didn't make the inappropriate choice in the 1st place.

As it is though I find myself feeling a little patronised on the childrens behalf because of Hasbro inability to understand that Targetmasters AND Headmaster fit perfectly fine in the same toyline.

Sabrblade wrote:

Rated X wrote:With the Jetfire being the exception, I feel "Leader" scale is a waste. Its a size meant for little kids don't care about scale. Usually Leader scale is reserved for fan favorite characters that little kids love.

When it first came into being in 2005, the Leader class was one of the most complex, intricate, and detailed size classes of them all. It remained as such for several years until it disappeared after 2011. When it returned in 2014 for AOE and Generations Thrilling 30, its figures were far simpler than they ever were, a pale imitation of the intricate works of art that the size class had had from 2005-2011.

And the notion of the Leader class size class being reserved for "fan favorite characters that little kids love" is broken when several minor characters have gotten Leader toys in the past for the sole reason that they were large-sized characters in the fiction. Movie Brawl, for instance, was a nobody that got no children-aimed attention from any media (he was just a background character in the first movie), yet he got not one but two meticulously-complex Leader class toy releases.

Eh, X is kind of right. Notable leader class figures are the Optimus Prime and Megatrons of Cybertron, Movie, Animated, and ROTF. Later, kid favorites Bumblebee and Ironhide from DOTM got them, as well as Sentinel Prime, one of the major characters of DOTM. Movie Brawl got one because tanks are an easy sell, and got a redeco because I think ALL the leader figures got redecos in that line. Jetfire got a leader so he could combine with Prime. Jetfire and Brawl are really the only exceptions to the Leader class being reserved for actual faction leaders or popular characters, and both of them had other motivating factors that I just pointed out.

However......

Rated X wrote:And that's the way it should be. Voyager size is perfect for Optimus and Megatron and Blaster should have been the same size. Blaster does not need to turn into a base for a 3rd mode and definitely does not need to be a headmaster. That's stupid.

With the Jetfire being the exception, I feel "Leader" scale is a waste. Its a size meant for little kids don't care about scale.

And there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you just want a big robot jet and you don't care how big he's supposed to be compared to other characters. Sometimes we need to stop taking ourselves so seriously and just appreciate the fun aspect of toys. Blaster that's a headmaster and a base? That's pretty cool.

I agree with That Bot, we take our selves too seriously with these children's toys.

@Rar who says we're getting a new rodimus and blurr?

ZeroWolf wrote:I agree with That Bot, we take our selves too seriously with these children's toys.

@Rar who says we're getting a new rodimus and blurr?

These are just rumours based on next year being the 30th anniversary for the movie. I believe Blurr and Scourge were the ones that were rumoured the most.

As for taking these toys too seriously, here is a pic from the old Takara catalogue pre transformers that I just adore:

william-james88 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:I agree with That Bot, we take our selves too seriously with these children's toys.

@Rar who says we're getting a new rodimus and blurr?

These are just rumours based on next year being the 30th anniversary for the movie. I believe Blurr and Scourge were the ones that were rumoured the most.

As for taking these toys too seriously, here is a pic from the old Takara catalogue pre transformers that I just adore:

Try checking the Macross (at least the original box art of the toy that would be Jetfire) box art too! Even back in the 80s, the Japanese way of presnting their "action figures" is truly an epic sight to behold!

Say isn't that diaclone devestator standing there? I always wanted to see more of that toyline.

ZeroWolf wrote:Say isn't that diaclone devestator standing there? I always wanted to see more of that toyline.

Diaclone Devastator standing next to Diaclone Scavenger

william-james88 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Say isn't that diaclone devestator standing there? I always wanted to see more of that toyline.

Diaclone Devastator standing next to Diaclone Scavenger

That's possible because they weren't sentient individuals, so there were many of the same Mecha.
I'll have to dig really hard, but I have that catalog somewhere.

Cobotron wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Say isn't that diaclone devestator standing there? I always wanted to see more of that toyline.

Diaclone Devastator standing next to Diaclone Scavenger

That's possible because they weren't sentient individuals, so there were many of the same Mecha.
I'll have to dig really hard, but I have that catalog somewhere.

Is it possible that he is more than double the size of Devastator's arm?

william-james88 wrote:

Cobotron wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Say isn't that diaclone devestator standing there? I always wanted to see more of that toyline.

Diaclone Devastator standing next to Diaclone Scavenger

That's possible because they weren't sentient individuals, so there were many of the same Mecha.
I'll have to dig really hard, but I have that catalog somewhere.

Is it possible that he is more than double the size of Devastator's arm?

He was the deluxe model. For construction-mecha-pilots with a midlife crisis and a definite need to compensate for something.

I thin RAR may be incorrect with RiD. RiD actually is going very well and is selling. Around here they are constantly selling out, and the kids appear to be enjoying them. Can't tell you how many parents or siblings (I assume) are standing in line with RiD guys in hand, simplified or warrior. They are enjoying them, as am I.

As for Rodimus and Blurr: those 2 characters have been rumored for the titans return line for a while. The inclusion of new characters being headmasters shows they are not afraid to do that, and so far many of the rumors have been true (Blaster, Prime, Galvatron) and still others to come that may prove true, such as these movie guys (I'm holding out hope for Rodimus so I have both LL captains), Alpha Trion, and Computron's limbs. All will have to wait.

a midlife crisis and a definite need to compensate for something.

I'm pretty sure this is everybody's reason for being here. (ignore me, 4 pints of IPA and a bottle of red wine.)

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I thin RAR may be incorrect with RiD. RiD actually is going very well and is selling. Around here they are constantly selling out, and the kids appear to be enjoying them. Can't tell you how many parents or siblings (I assume) are standing in line with RiD guys in hand, simplified or warrior. They are enjoying them, as am I.

As for Rodimus and Blurr: those 2 characters have been rumored for the titans return line for a while. The inclusion of new characters being headmasters shows they are not afraid to do that, and so far many of the rumors have been true (Blaster, Prime, Galvatron) and still others to come that may prove true, such as these movie guys (I'm holding out hope for Rodimus so I have both LL captains), Alpha Trion, and Computron's limbs. All will have to wait.

I wouldnt say he's incorrect, its more that most fans arent understanding the big picture that Hasbro has come up with for themselves. And I get it, no fan wants to be told "hi, this isnt for you, dont touch it, we are not making this for you", no fan wants to think that, but this is precisely what Hasbro is doing here. Fans want to own these toys, and thus wish it was a better line for them, but it isnt. In truth, the RID line can be compared to the Generations line as much as the Rescue Bots line, meaning any comparison is utterly futile. Nobody asks for better rescue bot toys, they understand that these toys arent for them. And Hasbro has told fans repeatedly that the same goes for RID. But we are lucky. Unlike with Rescue Bots, we actually have an option for a collector version of all these RID toys with Takara. This isnt made to tell us that Hasbro could be doing this instead, they dont want to. It simply exists so that fans can have an outlet for RID toys that appeal to them. Its phenomenal actually. We get to have a toyline not meant for us, but meant to get other people into this toyline and eventually support it, and at the same time we get to have all the toys we want and simply have to pay the shipping fee.
In truth, any fan who has something against the RID line is the equivalent to a fan complaining that the articulation on the Rescue Bot toys is not to their liking.

MemphisR56 wrote:I'm pretty sure this is everybody's reason for being here. (ignore me, 4 pints of IPA and a bottle of red wine.)

I could go for an IPA right now!

william-james88 wrote:In truth, any fan who has something against the RID line is the equivalent to a fan complaining that the articulation on the Rescue Bot toys is not to their liking.

I like this a lot. Well said

I have several reasons to think what I think about RID - but the short answer is :

1) Distribution is poor on the line
2) Very few new moulds and lots of repaints
3) Almost no villain toys
4) What few new toys there is a sign of for 2016 are a half hearted continuation of Minicons or a smaller armoured form of existing characters.
5) The relative lack of merchandising by licensees
6) The general vibe you get from Rescue bots of hasbro just going through the motions and not really "getting behind" their product is the same vibe I get from RID.
7) Hasbro rep saying they didn't both mentioning RID-15 at conventions and events very much as Quote : "They didn't think anyone was interested".

So in short Hasbro were happy to show their personal excitement for Combiner Wars - but you had to look much harder to find an examples of that for RID.

I have no personal Objection to RID - I just think it's a line that is marked for early death - just as the TV show also was.

william-james88 wrote:
In truth, any fan who has something against the RID line is the equivalent to a fan complaining that the articulation on the Rescue Bot toys is not to their liking.

I can't disagree more.

I have my First Transformers - They can raise their arms
I have Playskool Gobots - They can raise their arms
I've seen the Tonka 1-2-3 Transformers - they can raise their arms too
The Rescuebot Dinobots can raise their arms as well

Why do I object so vociferously to the inability of the majority of Rescuebots being unable to move their arms or heads - well Gobots and My First Transformers were not accessorised toys Rescuebots come with repeated examples of Tools & accessories designed to fit in the characters hands and yet none of those characters can hold those tools in anything approaching a convincing manner BECAUSE THEY CAN'T RAISE THEIR ARMS.

So yes I will continue to be infuriated by that - this is a basic play feature It's not asking much is it for 3-poa but it seems even this is an outrageous request - despite kids toys aimed at that age line have had 5 POA or petter as standard the entire time such things have existed.

Even ancient Fisher Price figures from the 1980's have more joints, heck PLAYMOBIL has more joints.

They can't use the age bracket as an excuse as it's clear that the bracket spread is greater than they say it is on Rescue Bots anyway and they have made Rescuebots that can move their arms (Dinosaur Optimus Primal for one).

Gobots has already solved this design problem with the slanted shoulder joints grasping a Gobot to transform them (say Speed-bot) naturally closes the arms into the body to the correct position in my view they have no excuse to not do the same with Rescuebots as long as they are also trying to sell tools for them to hold.

Not to mention why can't they move their heads - in most instances the inability or ability to move the head makes no difference to the Transformation and there is NO EXCUSE why they can't move the head either - when it's often moulded separately anyway.

I just have this concern that the only reason that they can't move their arms in some cases is to save a few cents on the production cost as
"It doesn't matter as they are only baby toys".

So why do I not feel the consumer is being patronised by say Fisherprices's Imaginext line then ? which is aimed at the same sort of age kids.

william-james88 wrote:

Cobotron wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Say isn't that diaclone devestator standing there? I always wanted to see more of that toyline.

Diaclone Devastator standing next to Diaclone Scavenger

That's possible because they weren't sentient individuals, so there were many of the same Mecha.
I'll have to dig really hard, but I have that catalog somewhere.

Is it possible that he is more than double the size of Devastator's arm?

Angled perspective of the artist. You are viewing not Scavenger from a higher elevation than the not Devastar.

Remember how G1 Hound was drawn in the box? His hologram gun look short when in the toy it was as long as a rifle. Yet the cartoon rendered the gun short and stumpy.

Sabrblade wrote:Fans have asked for Generations Rescue Bots toys in the past, though.

Aww man THAT would be incredible!

RAR wrote:I have several reasons to think what I think about RID - but the short answer is :

1) Distribution is poor on the line
2) Very few new moulds and lots of repaints
3) Almost no villain toys
4) What few new toys there is a sign of for 2016 are a half hearted continuation of Minicons or a smaller armoured form of existing characters.
5) The relative lack of merchandising by licensees
6) The general vibe you get from Rescue bots of hasbro just going through the motions and not really "getting behind" their product is the same vibe I get from RID.
7) Hasbro rep saying they didn't both mentioning RID-15 at conventions and events very much as Quote : "They didn't think anyone was interested".

So in short Hasbro were happy to show their personal excitement for Combiner Wars - but you had to look much harder to find an examples of that for RID.

I have no personal Objection to RID - I just think it's a line that is marked for early death - just as the TV show also was.

Not to beat up on RID but yeah. I get that too. It is a kind of wasted effort by someone in Hb who keeps on pushing for the TFA style product when they should be focusing on the original style circa G1.

fenrir72 wrote:

RAR wrote:I have several reasons to think what I think about RID - but the short answer is :

1) Distribution is poor on the line
2) Very few new moulds and lots of repaints
3) Almost no villain toys
4) What few new toys there is a sign of for 2016 are a half hearted continuation of Minicons or a smaller armoured form of existing characters.
5) The relative lack of merchandising by licensees
6) The general vibe you get from Rescue bots of hasbro just going through the motions and not really "getting behind" their product is the same vibe I get from RID.
7) Hasbro rep saying they didn't both mentioning RID-15 at conventions and events very much as Quote : "They didn't think anyone was interested".

So in short Hasbro were happy to show their personal excitement for Combiner Wars - but you had to look much harder to find an examples of that for RID.

I have no personal Objection to RID - I just think it's a line that is marked for early death - just as the TV show also was.

Not to beat up on RID but yeah. I get that too. It is a kind of wasted effort by someone in Hb who keeps on pushing for the TFA style product when they should be focusing on the original style circa G1.

What we need are more figures based on the MTMTE and LSOTW IDW comic designs of the characters, and all go together with the Generations figures that were designed like that like Gen Springer. I would love to see an IDW style Chromedome, (leader) Optimus Prime, Prowl, and other figures.

Edit: I think a cartoon or animated series based on the comic designs that is aimed towards an older audience kinda like some of the DC comic animated movies (Under the Red Hood, etc.) would be in order too.