This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor (and this week a whole bunch of special guests!). These are our opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here. Now let's get to it!
Top 10 Best Optimus Prime / Convoy toys
This is the 20th biweekly Top TF list Seibertron has published and to celebrate, the whole staff got together to discuss the top 10 Optimus Prime toys (we will go back to regular top 5 lists in two weeks). Optimus being arguably the most popular character in the Transformers franchise has a truckload of toys to his name (as does his Japanese counterpart Convoy). This list will dive into all sorts of eras and aesthetics to give a global view of the great toys this iconic character has to offer. While we can get bogged down by specifics till the cows come home, this list tries to be as straightforward as possible where any toy called Convoy/Optimus Prime counts (Optimus Primal (Beast Convoy) will be for another list since he has his own legacy of toys).
Burn- "A big shift for Prime as he took on a fire engine. In a way he set the precedent for his successor, Cybertron Prime. He had one advantage though, he could combine with Ultra Magnus to form an even more impressive figure."
William-James88- "This is a beast of a bot and I adore that super mode headsculpt. I really feel this is the point in time where Japan decided to let loose and see how far they could go in terms of complex transformations at that point in time."
While the Reveal the Shield Deluxe Optimus Prime toy was also discussed to be included on this list, it was soon agreed that there was no need with the original toy it is homaging already on the list.
Counterpuch- "Original Lazer Prime is so much better than the RTS version, in my opinion."
Burn- "This is the guy that for years could be regarded as one, if not the best, Optimus Prime. Gone are the days of little articulation. Instead we got a big hulking Prime who embraced the 80's era shoulder pads (he was a bit late to the party though) and also became one of the first toys to come with melee weapons. And he also had a nice trailer that could transform and shoot little round discs that little Johnny would no doubt injure his eyes on!"
William-James88- "This toy is ambitious for trying to merge a totally different take on the character's design with G1. It obviously isn't as accurate or the most faithful "movie prime" but that is what I like about it. Instead, it is a fusion of two distinct styles coming together in a perfect marriage. This design to me is not movie Prime but instead G1 Prime in movie form with a full on G1 alt mode and smooth panels where there would have instead been multilayered armour, were this to indulge more in the movie aesthetic. I also adore the total lack of any kibble in either mode, the engineering is top notch here and this was my favourite toy of the entire AOE line."
Instead of a quote, one of our staff members, Shajaki, showed how fond he was of this mold by attempting to buy them all and take pictures of the varied decos. Sometimes a picture (or a few more) is truly worth a thousand words.
William-James88- "While Optimus Primal is great in his own right, this toy is more what the (G1) Optimus Prime / Convoy character would be as a beast. He has an amazing classic Optimus headsculpt which is coupled with reflective eyes and viking horns honing in on the more barbaric theme this toy is going for. It is also a great example of how fun a shellformer could be, using the shell to fully disguise the robot. While the abundance of new robot detail does mean the shell can be found all over the robot, it looks like G1 Optimus awoke from his slumber during those millions of years on earth and ventured out in the ice age, battling mammoths and skinning them to wear their pelts (it's one of my favourite TF images, it will probably come up again). This is by far one of the most badass molds Convoy ever had and it contains the very first Matrix accessory. If this toy wasn't awesome enough, he has an even more badass deco provided by Hasbro when it was issued as Nemesis Prime"
William-James88- "I have never seen this level of complexity at the Deluxe class. Instead of making this just a shellformer and calling it a day, the smooth alt mode is a mosaic of smaller panels which merge together from various parts of the robot, such as the legs, shoulder pads, arms, chest and cod piece. It is also my favourite take on what Optimus looked like before coming to earth and it works very well for the character."
Va'al- "Animated Voyager Optimus Prime is a wonder of engineering"
William-James88- "What works so well with this figure is how it is practically a straight up G1 update with the head, arms and legs basically being at the exact same spot they are in the G1 toy. And yet, it feels completely fresh and refined. It is amazing how the toy replicates the hyperstylized look of the show."
Burn- "Say what you want about the movie, but it gave us one of the most complex and highly detailed Optimus Primes."
William-James88 "I cannot believe they were able to pull off this toy. The great disparity between the first movie Optimus and the CG model made us think that it would not be possible to showcase the many moving parts of the CG model in toy form, and even less have him transform into a truck. This toy proved that the impossible was not out of reach and that Hasbro was ready to evolve with the brand by making toys for a far more mature audience than before. Along with the engineering wizards at Takara, they did their best to imitate an already conceived character design made for a different medium. And once again, this hyper detailed and hulking Optimus toy transforms into a tight truck which shows barely any sign at any angle that it can transform "
Seibertron- "The original Optimus Prime toy is one of the best toys ever. It's a classic toy that will be remembered for decades to come. It is such an iconic toy that it has been reissued or recolored at least a dozen times"
Burn- "It's iconic, he's in a league of his own."
Autobot 032- "G1 wins, hands down. I'm not even a big fan of G1, either, so that should tell you something."
Burn- "Top Prime is Cybertron Prime! To me this was a great figure in both robot and vehicle mode. You could transform the cab into its own robot and use the trailer as a base platform, or you could combine him with his trailer to make one big dangerous looking Prime."
William-James88- "This to me is a true update of G1 Prime for a brave new world. He is just as simple and transforms practically the same way. However, he has a bold new look, excellent proportions, is very sturdy as well as jammed pack with new playability features making this both a favourite of young kids and older collectors. The supermode is easy to convert to and can be configured as you wish. I love how unobtrusive all the gimmicks are and how everything fits together perfectly such as the literal back pack (with straps!) and his battle mask."
William-James88- "These are undoubtedly the best Optimus Prime toys available for Transformers fans. I adore that arm and chest transformation, it's like the G1 animation come to life. These are both complex toys made very intuitive. While MP 10 may be the better of the two, I really feel both deserve this top spot since all MP 10 did was slightly improve over MP 1 (still didn't fix the cod piece being visible in alt mode though). It was the first Masterpiece Optimus which really revolutionized Transformers toys as we know them, giving them a whole new depth and showing us the possibility of reverse engineering a design from a cartoon model and turning that into a toy. This figure paved the way for the masterpiece line and MP 10 breathed new life into the line, turning it into what it is today. Also, you just gotta love that die cast on MP 1, he feels so solid. This was a toy people had been wanting for 20 years and it is still amazing today! "
Mindmaster- "If we're talking top Optimus toys, I'm throwing my hat in the ring for MP10"
Burn- "It's Masterpiece. The title by default says best."
Honorable mentions: Here are some others the staff brought up but that were cut in favor of the others present on this list.
There's a long history of Transformers video games, and with the upcoming release of Transformers: Devastation from Activision and development team Platinum Games, we wanted to take a look back at some of the games you should play if you're wanting a Transformers fix on your console right now. The rankings here are mostly just my own opinion, of course, but there is some extra input from other members of the staff here as well. If your favorite didn't make the list, let us know by replying to this topic and chatting with your fellow Seibertronians!
Without further ado, let's get to the list.
#5: Transformers: Dark of the Moon Platforms: XBox 360, Playstation 3
Some folks may be surprised to see a movie tie-in title on this list at all. With the first two movie tie-in games for 2007's Transformers and 2009's Revenge of the Fallen being not terrible, but also not great, it made sense that not a lot of fans gave this game much of a look. While it was certainly a bit of a let down after War for Cybertron, this effort from High Moon Studios still retained a lot of the fun gameplay elements found in WFC.
Transformation remained important in this game, as characters' vehicle modes were given special "Stealth Force" modes to tie in with the weaponized designs in the movie, as well as with the almost M.A.S.K. like toy sub-line of the same name.
The story presented in the game is a bit of a departure from standard movie game re-telling fare. Rather than give you a plot you already know, this serves as a very serviceable official prologue to the events of the movie. In fact, some elements of the movie itself manage to come off making more sense after playing the game.
While this one isn't going to garner a lot of replay, it's worth taking a look at if you're a fan of the movies. It's certainly the game on this list that likely least deserves inclusion, but hey, that's why it's number five!
#4: Transformers Prime: The Game Platforms: Wii U, Wii
Another easy to overlook media tie in comes in at number 4. Transformers: Prime has a pretty vast extended universe, and this game only adds more layers to it. Featuring a story that runs (supposedly) concurrent to the events of Season 2 of the show, the game has Team Prime battling Decepticons across the globe, trying to stop the ever-present menace of Dark Energon.
The gameplay itself isn't on any elite level, but it's a pretty fun romp with some clever combat mechanisms hiding just under the surface. The game isn't a graphical powerhouse, but the Wii U version offers up some delightful visuals regardless and quite honestly, the backgrounds in this game are often more interesting and alive than many of those found in the TV show itself.
To be honest, this one really adds one killer thing to the Prime universe: Thunderwing.
Just as with television leaving out the great characters and events in the Prime comics, it also leaves out any mention of this guy, and that's a real shame. Prime fans everywhere should give this one a run through, though with a pretty short story mode and only limited multi-player, just don't expect it to last long.
#3: War for Cybertron Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
2010's War for Cybertron was High Moon Studios' first effort with the Transformers brand license, and what a debut it was! Kicking off the new "Aligned Continuity" with a story set at the beginning of the Autobot vs. Decepticon war was this robust cover shooter. Incredible visuals, great voice acting, and a rich story awaited players everywhere.
Possibly the most notable contribution the game gave to the brand was a re-kindling of credibility for Transformers, as a franchise/brand, to produce an environment for great gaming experiences. The sprawling landscapes of Cybertron really come to life in the game, and for the first time I felt some real scope in regards to just how darn big this planet would have to be. The tone hits perfectly, lending great immersion into the games world.
It's hard to come up with much negative to say about this one, but since that feels necessary to only place it third on our list, I will say that there are times the difficulty felt a bit high. That's not a bad thing necessarily, it just felt like there were a few too many ambushes by a few too many enemies once in a while. The sequel took a few steps to correct this, but not entirely.
That said, this is one that not only Transformers fans, but most gamers, should give a go at if it has not been experienced.
#2: Transformers Platforms: Playstation 2
It'd have to take a pretty special game to unseat one of High Moon's more recent two headlining efforts on this list, and there is one game that not only myself, but much of the staff, remember quite fondly. 2004's simply named Transformers is based in the Armada franchise, though it doesn't canonically tie in with either the TV show or comic series. From publisher Atari and developers Melbourne House, this third person shooter let gamers control their favorite Armada Autobots in a quest to collect Mini-cons and stop the Decepticons.
This game was hard, didn't have a lot of playable characters, and while the graphics were phenomenal for the time, they certainly look dated today. It was, however, extremely fun, and gave fans some moments where our toys suddenly seemed even more out of scale than they already were.
There's another very important reason to praise this game. At the time, Transformers videogames were considered to be among the very worst examples of franchise tie-in games ever. The positive reception and sales of this game made it possible for more to follow later on, and that's probably the biggest accomplishment of the game. Too bad the Cybertron inspired sequel got canceled.
#1: Fall of Cybertron Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
This one's pretty much automatic.
The sequel to the already great War for Cybertron was followed up two years later by another stellar effort from High Moon Studios with 2012's Fall of Cybertron. Picking up some time after the events of the first game, this one follows the end of the war all the way to the departure of the Autobots on the Ark.
With improved graphics, stellar gameplay, and a multiplayer mode that remains active to this day, Fall of Cybertron is hands down the best Transformers videogame ever created, and should be on any fans "must-play" list. I can watch the E3 trailer from before this games' release and still get hyped to this day.
Combine into Bruticus, stomp around as Grimlock, or scorch the earth with Metroplex - this game has it all. If you're reading this article and you haven't played this game, do yourself a favor and go do so. Right freaking now.
We hope you enjoyed this look back. Don't forget that Activision's Transformers: Devastation comes out soon on October 6th for virtually every platform on the planet, and you can pre-order your copy today. Where will that game fit in with the other Transformers gaming efforts of the past? We'll know very soon, and it certainly looks quite promising!
Every 2 weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a top 5 list related to all things Transformers usually written by william-james88. However, today we have the list is brought to us by guest-analyst D-Maximus_Prime. These are opinions of one person, so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Transformers Holomatter Avatars
Throughout history, the Autobots have a habit of taking on a holomatter avatar as a vehicle mode stand-in driver. Some Decepticons are also known to use this trick. The reason for the avatar is to give the impersonation of an actual vehicle with an actual driver. Sometimes though, they are used for other purposes, such as going places where transformers cannot go or on occasion just for fun. What this list does is rank how well an avatar relates to the transformer that generates it as well as how important it is to the character using the avatar. So without further ado, let us get rolling….
5. IDW G1 Megatron
To almost every reader of Transformers fiction, Megatron is the big bad, the ultimate villain. He has no need for an avatar since he does not worry about disguise. But in the G1 IDW-verse, he has become an Autobot, and has stayed that way for almost a year and a half. He has been an Autobot long enough to have generated his own avatar, which in this case is a scarred old man with bad-guy styled clothes and a cane (for a brief moment with a Decepticon symbol). This is the first time we have got to see Megatron with an avatar, and it shows how unused to it he is: He cuts himself on glass within pages of generating the avatar. While the avatars appearance is important—considering it shows just how old and tired he feels—it is more how he interacts with it that is important. He remarks about how fragile the frame is, and he realizes that sometimes strength can come from not very durable sources. That, and it is yet another historical moment in his historical Autobot run.
4. IDW G1 Ultra Magnus
For anyone that has read the IDW comics, we have come to know Ultra Magnus as a no-nonsense, very straight by-the-book law enforcer. He has only smiled twice in his current incarnation. He does not appear as the type to develop a likeness for anyone or anything, yet we have seen one person who made a big impact: Verity Carlo. She stayed on his ship for a while, becoming like a family member to him. Heck, she gave him the nickname “Uncle Magnus.” We often wondered what effect she had on him, so when we first saw Magnus use an avatar in More Than Meets The Eye, we finally got proof of how much she meant to him too. His avatar was created in her likeness, even though he had the option to auto generate, he made one himself in her image. This shows to all of us just how close the two came in their time, and how they both wish they could reunite again.
3. IDW G1 Sunstreaker
When headmaster technology was introduced in IDW, it was Sunstreaker who fell victim first. Unlike previous incarnations, this version of headmaster technology was grotesque and horrifying, the results of terrible experiments initiated by Scorponok. To make matters worse, when he was kidnapped and experimented upon, a human he was escorting, Hunter O’Nion, was also taken and turned into a headmaster. To defeat this organization, known as the Machination, and Scorponok, the 2 teamed up, forming an interesting pair. They constantly argued, and Sunstreaker’s attitude and vanity did nothing to help them. When in vehicle mode, Hunter was a part of the car and so was a generated avatar. While this makes complete sense, it is worth noting and also worth being on the list since Sunstreaker’s avatar changed with his conversion to a headmaster, and it became a human he did not really like yet was stuck with. This avatar also makes the list since this is so far the one and only Autobot headmaster and it shows just how far the victims were willing to go to save themselves and many others. Plus there were several interesting “talking to themselves” moments.
2. IDW G1 Swerve
This is an interesting deal. Swerve’s main avatar is a short, rotund male surfer dude, but in More Than Meets the Eye 43, a glitch caused Swerve to develop 3 avatars at once. This makes the list since these 3 avatars did such a good job of showing off Swerves different personality traits and just how much he fought within his own mind. On one hand, he was a scientist/doctor, on another religious and another a prankster. These 3 avatars capture those 3 perfectly, and their constant arguing shows just how much Swerve doubted himself and wished he was better. In the end, they merged into his regular avatar and he was brought back from the brink, but this rare case of triple avatar generation so wonderfully shows what each character is made of and much they wish they could be a better person.
1. IDW Movie Optimus Prime
Thought all the members of this list would be IDW G1 huh? Well, the number 1 seed is as far away from G1 as possible, yet it is the best and most representative avatar ever. In the Alliance comic, as the Autobots are evacuating the Mission city area, Optimus requires an avatar to remove suspicion on the road. Who does he choose? The person who has brought life to Optimus Prime for 31 years: Peter Cullen. While this was only used for this single comic, it has to be the best use of an avatar ever. It is essentially Optimus Prime driving Optimus Prime! Nothing can ever beat this (unless IDW G1 Optimus uses an avatar like this). So it is with pride that I say Movie Prime’s Peter Cullen avatar is the best transformers avatar.
Honorable mentions go to IDW G1 Skids, who’s avatar as several versions of the doctor from Doctor Who greatly fit his character and IDW MTMTE Rodimus, who’s avatar is ungodly 1980’s and combines Judd Nelson (the original voice of Hot Rod) from Breakfast Club and Marty McFly makes for a great looking avatar and an awesome take on the character. Here it is:
Here is Skids as the 9th (and least obvious) Doctor
And here he is as the 11th (and far more obvious) Doctor
And here is one that really should be mentioned before this article is over: Cyclonus as an old school headmistress.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Transformers Prime Toys
Last time, we looked at the Transformers Prime show and who were its best characters. Now, it's time to discuss this series' toys. For the life of me, I do not know why the Prime toyline isn't as venerated as other classics like Animated or Galaxy Force, since I believe it can stand toe to toe with those. The engineering on many of this line's toys is at an all time high, taking cues from all that was learnt in the past, and the designs are stellar. They combine the movie aesthetic with a more classic approach, making me wish these were the designs used in the movies. There are a bunch of great toys in this line, making these top five not just some of the best Prime toys ever but a also some of the best Transformers toys out there. For simplicity's sake, we will stick to just the Hasbro releases (First Edition, Prime Robots in Disguise and Beast Hunters).
A smooth and sleek car mode with an interesting cybertronian design, giving way to an agile but fierce looking robot mode. It's an interesting take on Wheeljack and still gives some classic elements while reinventing him. I love how his forearms and lower legs form with a series of pivoting parts that give a solid result. He also has poseable and rotating fists on a ball joint, clear plastic, spot on paint apps, ankle pivot, 2 different ways to keep the weapons in vehicle mode, this is the true heyday of the deluxe class.
This one is special. First Edition Prime could have been in this position as I hear he is excellent but I always give favour to molds that incorporate more of the alt mode. The Prime RID mold that this Ultra Magnus toy is based on was the only Prime mold (aside from the cyberverse mold) that actually used the windshield as the chest piece and did not have to rely on fake kibble. Yet, it wasn't as screen accurate as the First Edition Prime. However, this very same mold retooled for Ultra Magnus makes it look like it was meant for him all along especially with those new tall shoulder pieces which also work as missile launchers (so much G1 love here). With the Peterbilt truck alt mode, this version of Ultra Magnus is far more accomplished than the previous mold he was given, making him as screen accurate as possible. Even his Hammer is more screen accurate than any previous version of Prime Magnus. So to sum up, I am amazed at how well this Prime mold, with all its alt mode integration wonder, works better for Ultra Magnus, to a point where it is better than the mold that was actually made just for him.
This is one of the best seeker molds of all time. The design choice to have the robot mode be so slim and sleek makes him look creepier than any version of Starscream before. I am so impressed with how they were able to pull off a robot mode as skeletal as the one depicted onscreen and yet still have him perfectly transform into a tight and smooth jet mode where no robot limb protrudes, as is often the case with jets.
Transforming this Cliffjumper for the first time is one of my fondest Transformers memories. The alt mode is a 70s dodge challenger/charger type car with the distinctive long front (nose). However, the robot mode has the windshield chest with the headlights right below it. It's an interesting design for sure, but I had no clue how they could pull that off on the toy. Where would the front go? And it's just the headlights, without the distinctive grill that connects them in alt mode. How can it be possible to actually have a screen accurate toy? Well, the RID version of the mold (which I had first) gave me the answer to this question. You give him a fake kibble chest piece. With this in mind, you can imagine how amazed I was while transforming the First Edition Cliffjumper toy the first time. The windshield split from the front to form his chest and the long nose pegged into the back and then the headlights flipped forward, disconnecting themselves from the front grill and landing just below the windshield pieces to give the exact same look he had on the show by only using the pieces found in the alt mode. It was genius. In terms of engineering, this is a masterpiece figure at a deluxe scale. This is why it pains me that this actual Cliffjumper toy, seen in the picture below, took so long to make it to the US (for everyone to get in on the awesomeness). His hands also flip around to become canons but that's just gravy at this point along with the subtle fact that this marks Cliffjumper as having his own mold for once and not being a mere repaint of Bumblebee.
This is one of the all-time best Transformer designs. The architect Mis Van Derho, who created the glass skyscraper, had the motto of "less is more". And this mold evokes this notion by showing us how a great design could come from something so simple. Basically, this is a run of the mill shellformer in alt mode. However, in robot mode, the shell retreats and folds onto itself to fill out his legs to the point that it entirely disappears. This toy has a sleek robot mode that is very distinct from its vehicle mode, showing mostly new parts only seen in robot mode, and yet it has a simple transformation, a sturdy design, and no leftover kibble whatsoever. Having him be a shellformer and yet not having a hint of the shell in robot mode is as big a design feat as they come and makes him not only be the very best toy of this line but one of the best Transformers Toys of all time.
Honourable mentions: First Edition Bulkhead and Optimus Prime are obviously great pics too but I am a bit more impressed with how the others on this list turned out, like when the result comes from having less to work with, such as the smaller deluxe class. Sometimes, less is more, as Vehicon shows us.
But still, these two right here are also some of the all time best Transformer toys ever, man was this line good!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Transformers Prime Characters
Transformers Prime was, to me, an amazing reinterpretation of the G1 story and characters for a new era. The animation was top notch and the voice work was out of this world, teaming up industry veterans, newcomers and huge stars (the first voice you hear is The Rock's). It also featured a great cast of classic Transformers characters which payed great homage to their original selves while expanding on the personalities laid down in the G1 era. Let me explain exactly what I just meant by that by starting this list of best Prime characters with...
5. Starscream
This was classic G1 Starscream but now with a sleeker body to compliment his very narcissistic personality. Of all the character on this show, he was probably the one with the least of an update to his G1 personality which gave a nice comforting sense to the series, while letting his more maniacal traits run free (ie: MURDER). Of all characters, he has by far the best introduction.
4. Dreadwing
An honourable warrior, very similar to the Dinobot character from Beast Wars and though it was less original at this point in the franchise, it was still a great role. He was smarter than most other decepticons and didn’t follow the cause blindly. The character was elevated even more with the Candyman himself (Tony Todd) giving Dreadwing a very deep and authoritative voice. It complimented this badass character perfectly.
3. Arcee
I really love how the greatest warrior the autobots had (this side of Optimus) was their smallest member. It gave a nice contrast to the role usually given to her body type. She even had that great 80s staple of the cop who had just too many partners die on him (her) and they made it work. It was great to see her balance out her anger with a softer side that she thought was probably lost.
2. Megatron
This is the best version of the Decepticon character we've ever had on a show and the second best character to own the name (yessss). I love how he had this twisted sense of ideals and his unquenshable thirst for power was a beauty to behold. I also loved how cunning (his genius plan to be able to use the Forge of Solus Prime) and ruthless (his fight against Predaking) this version of the character was. A true warrior who was fearless and would do whatever it took.
1. Soundwave
Soundwave was always awesome in G1. He was the guy who got stuff done and would never b!tch about anything. This is taken to the extreme here with an almost entirely silent role. This gives him an added creepiness factor that had never been shown to this extreme before. His loyalty to the Decepticon cause was also frightening. Calm, calculating, intelligent. As the show progresses, it becomes more and more clear that he was the Decepticon’s greatest asset in their fight vs the Autobots. Of all Decepticons, he was the one you’d want to mess with the least.
Honourable mentions: Knockout, what a fun character! The show also had an interesting take on Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 best cases of Visible Head Syndrome
Two weeks ago, we saw the worst cases of Transformers toys where their robot head was visible in alt mode. Well this week, we look at the flip side and I present a list of awesome Tansformers toys who happen to also show their heads in alt mode. The reasons for inclusions vary. Sometimes it is because the toy is made more fun because of it, and others, it's because the head being present doesn't detract at all, to the point of you now knowing it is there.
The original RID toyline from 2001 was pretty damn cool since it was a mix of a molds from previous lines like G2 molds (Scourge), Beast Wars (Slapper), G1 (Ruination), as well as taking inspiration from the Brave line (Rail Racer) and, most importantly, marking the triumphant return of transforming cars and trucks featuring new Japanese designs. Three of these new car Transformers were brothers and the one I want to point out is X-Brawn for the fun notion that when transforming him in suv mode, his head ends up in the passenger seat. In reality, since Takara designed this line (another return to form after Hasbro was the main designer for Beast Wars), he should appear to be in the driver's seat, in Japan, driving himself!
Aside from this fun factoid, the difference between this toy and the other Transformers who seem to drive themselves, like ROTF deluxe Breakaway and Armada Sideswipe, is simple : This one's better. It has rubber tires, projectiles, clear plastic, chrome in the right places, and is fully painted too, while being designed by Takara. It was the heydey of Transformers.
A good way to disguise a clearly visible head is by not attracting too much attention. This toy completely fails at this because your eyes go straight to the big bold red disk on top of the vehicle mode, and yet you wouldn't think it's the head. I was once witness to a transaction where someone was buying this toy and I asked if he minded that you could see the head in vehicle mode, to which the buyer replied "Why? Where is it?". He couldn't see it no mater how much he looked. You wouldn't think to find it there, when it's base becomes such an important element of the vehicle mode. Hiding in plain sight will be a recurring theme on this list.
A visible head no distracting you from the alt mode is great but what is even better is when that head adds to toy. For G1 Jetfire, it adds FIREPOWER! While the head is perfectly visible in the jet's undercarriage, it acts as a turret and plays its role quite well.
Speaking of adding to the alt mode, these three do something very similar. Their heads are all in the back adding a really cool detail to the alt mode. With Jetstorm, it is back fins blending in and culminating in a triangular sci fi design. With the two Scourges, it's a far more obvious alt mode detail, the Disintegrator Ray, which totally changes the look of each alt mode, making them offensive vehicles. Very fitting for a Decepticon.
While these heads are part of the alt mode, their full integration with it makes them just as disguised as if they were not visible at all. I see it less as a robot head visible on the alt mode and more as part of the vehicle visible on the robot head. But it is still more robot head than alt mode in robot mode, which is more than I can say for any Swoop mold who's head is at last 75% alt mode (hence why he isn't on this list).
This mold is one of the most beloved and praised molds from the movie era, and that's quite a feat considering how much the movie line is generally disliked. He doesnt just have the movie aesthetic against him, but he also has one of the biggest cases of visible head syndrome. His head is right there staring at you front and center with his cold cyclopean stare, in his alt mode. Not only is that accepted by me and fans, but it is also pretty damn cool. While it is very much his head and G1 Shockwave style eye front and centre on the plane, it acts as the plane's eye. This isn't Prime Megatron with his head sticking out of his flight mode, it is actually the head of the plane. Like the tip of a droid scouting the environment, and it totally works. The toys itself is great, one of the best Scout class toys of all time (another list for another time), but what really makes him number one is how he has a very obvious case of visible head syndrome but makes it work like no other.
Honourable Mentions: Cybertron Override but it was like a cross between Jetstorm's and X Brawn's case to be included and doesn't work as well as either of those.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Worst Cases of Visible Head Syndrome Among Transformers Toys
I was totally thrown the first time someone told me a transformer had "VHS". I then learnt it was an acronym for "Visible head syndrome" which is when a Transformer's robot head can be seen in alt mode. Sometimes, it isn't noticeable at first glance, but there are times when it is just bad. The worst part is usually how they try to "cover" it, which is usually quite laughable. Lets look at the worst cases of the robot head found on the alt mode.
People seem to really like this mold and I never understood why. Sure, it's accurate to the game but that doesn't mean it is an amazing design. G1 Ironhide was accurate to his debut appearance in Marvel comics and nobody finds that awesome.
Back to these FOC seekers, the robot head is right there, literally center stage for all to see. The face is just flipped on the other side but that doesn't in any way help hide his head which is just a black square front and center. It doesn't blend in with anything and doesn't seem part of the alt mode at all. It is just a vestigial part of the robot, and it happens to be his head. There are many jet transformers where the head is just brought under the jet and we call those lazy, so what's this?
These are both dumb to me. I get that the movie and "aligned" universe take hints from one another and one of them is the boldness of Megatron to have his robot head be exposed in alt mode. I would assume he has optics elsewhere than his head, and this also throws the robots in disguise idea out the window but OK, he wants to be bold. He wants to stick it to the man by exposing his head, fine. So why is there this minute and poor attempt to still "hide" it? In both of these movie toys, there is this ever so small panel that is placed over his exposed face. This, to me, just adds insult to injury. Sure, the idea of a voluntarily exposed robot head is dumb to me and takes away from the robots in disguise idea where you wonder what the point of transforming is, and results in very lazy and uncreative alt modes and engineering, but at least it's justifiable in terms of the creator's intention. Trying to then hide that voluntarily exposed head and have it both ways doesn't make a lick of sense and just results in an even lazier looking alt mode and a terrible case of visible head syndrome. And we are only at number 4.
This guy's visible head is just sad. Like the seekers above, the only "attempt" to hid it is by turning it around to hide his face. But it's worse than Starscream since it isn't in this neat little kibble bed, filling up the alt mode. Instead it is just an extra piece of kibble hanging off the truck's butt. It looks totally out of place and can be spotted a mile away. It's like the engineers got to a point where they had this nice alt mode but were stuck with a left over piece of robot they just couldn't fit anywhere which lead them to set it down randomly. And once again, that extra piece is the head!
This guy is like those earlier mentioned Megatrons only worse due to his exposed face not being intentional (he wants to disguise himself right?). They even have his helmet tilt down ever so slightly to hide his eyes but that doesn't take anything away from having his head and face right there in front of you on top of the truck. This is laughably bad, and I can only think of one toy worse than this.
How could Beast Machines Silverbolt beat Energon Ironhide? Not only is there nothing done to hide the head in any way, which is not boldly meant to be exposed, but it is placed right between his legs! He becomes a literal d%&khead. This was one of the easiest number one picks ever.
In two weeks you will get the Best cases of Visible Head Syndrome, see you then!
Honourable Mentions: He might be loved by all, and might possible be one of the best Transformer toys of the first decade of this new millennium, but Galaxy Force Optimus Prime still has a very exposed noggin. It is stark blue against a full red cab, instantly taking away any illusion. I mean come on, the G1 toy found a way around that. But hey, it’s Cybertron / Galaxy Force Prime, I couldn't put him on this list. But I will give you a picture!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Transformers toys sold at retail but NOT in the US
I live in Canada and I can say that the US is one of the best places in the world to be a Transformers fan. Transformers usually cost less there than almost anywhere else in the world. Not only that, but the US has a greater access to exclusive Hasbro Transformers such as the SDCC and Botcon sets. Even lines which were found elsewhere first, like GDO, Masterpiece and Prime First Edition, eventually find their way to US retail. However, a few figures sometimes fall in the cracks and never make their way. Either Hasbro wont pick up distribution of particular Takara products or a particular figure will simply never be spotted. Even laws can come into play. These are a handful of such cases, just to give an idea of the variety of stuff that was found elsewhere throughout the years, and I didn't want to just stick to G1. Let us know which toys you would have loved to find in stores but never did.
For some reason, there is a bunch of criticism over the Alternators line and I don't understand it. This was a great project from Hasbro and Takara, going back to the Diaclone roots of favoring the alt mode and making perfect model cars that can fit with other lines from different companies. Except the technology changed and you could get more articulated robot modes by then. I thought it was an incredible line and I still think so. In any case, the alternators line lost some steam in the US and when Japan came up with the follow up Alternity line featuring a 1:32 scale (rather than 1:24), Hasbro didnt pick it up. That is too bad because it had some very cool ideas, like having the seekers be cars with the car's shell forming the robot wings. Like that they keep their distinctive seeker motif while also having an alt mode that stray from tradition (which would still scale with the rest of the line). They also featured die cast parts, rubber tires and style money can't buy (check out that Megatron below!). There were only a handful of original molds but they all exuded style and are the most minute toys ever made. And they were never distributed outside Japan.
From the beginning, the Prime line and the States were at odds. The First Edition figures were available worldwide aside from the US at first for quite a while. Instead, they had the less accurate and less detailed Robots in Disguise subline toys in stores. Sure, some were fine (like Vehicon and Arcee) but for a while, it seemed the collector oriented First Edition line would never see the light of day. Eventually though, every toy found its way to Toysrus though not every location got them and there were not too many to go around. Worse, by that time, many fans had already paid a premium to get these toys they thought they would not see at retail.
That was not the end of woes with the Prime line though. While there were a bunch of fun redecos like the seekers and Transformers Arms Micron Ironhide (who was supposed to be the original version of the Kup mold Hasbro released, just look at that head) found in the Takara line that Hasbro never distributed, none of those decisions hurt more than not distributing Breakdown. Unlike most other toys never gotten in the US, this was an actual show character. Someone who simply wanted to have the Decepticon team on his shelf just couldn't depend on retail releases. And unlike the Unicron mold that was also Japan exclusive, this was a phenomenal mold. I can't confirm that though since none of the other uses of that mold (such as Swerve and Silas Breakdown) were distributed by Hasbro either. While he leaves the biggest gap in the Prime line, there were other cool releases for the line that never came to the states, and actually were distributed by Hasbro, such as Beast Hunters Cyberverse Ultra Magnus, Unicron Megatron (both the Construct bot and the Cyberverse toy) and freaken BLUDGEON!
This is the only mold from the Masterpiece line that is guaranteed to NEVER EVER be released in the US, due to toy gun laws. And it happens to be Megatron, the main antagonist in all the Transformers brand. Your Walmart 20th Anniversary Optimus is thus left rivaless unless you import him. You would think that this alone would propel him to the top spot but he is held down a bit by a week design. While it is impressive that he was designed in two weeks, the thin legs and ultra fiddly transformation do give a hint at the rushed process. However, the engineering present here is utterly insane, by far one of Takara's most complex transformers ever engineered. While the toy has its faults, its take on the transformation is so smart that this has been the default guide for companies trying to make their own unofficial version years later.
G1's best combiner never came to the US. He was part of the Victory line where quite a few other molds never came (that could be a list of it's own)and he is the very first combiner to integrate the fists and feet with the components. This is something Hasbro couldn't even pull off with Titan Devastator in 2015. All you needed to keep was his combiner head. But beyond that, there is a lot to love in this toy. The design itself was totally unique at the time, with an animal themed combiner while none of the alt modes were animals. Instead, the individual robots had shamanistic helmets representing their animal link as well as a breastplate which could transform into an animal and serve as a gun. Don't be surprised if you see this guy again on a list of most needed reissues.
This number one is almost by default. This is one of the bigger G1 Transformers sets, with three modes (like G1 Scorponok) and made up of a bunch of parts including two seperate alt modes. It was available in Japan, Europe and Australasia. However, unless the planets align and some miracle like an "encore" happens, it will never come out in the North America, let alone the US. Instead of feeling sad (please don't check EBay), just sit back and bask in his glory:
Honourable mentions: SO MANY. Let's see, there's G1 Thunderclash, Binaltech Arcee, the Action Masters Elite (at least those somewhat transformed), BWN Chorada, the G1 Predators, G1 Star Saber and so much more. It would be easier saying which ones we'd rather not get (like the Big Rescue Force) so let us know in the comments which ones you wished came out in the US. Or even better, let us know which ones you wished came to your country.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 best Shellformers
Shellformers get a bad rap among the community due to the loads of panels which end up clumsily gathered around the robot mode. However, they can also make for very interesting and effective transformations by helping conceal the robot element. They help add the "disguise" part of "robots in disguise" and it is a treat to see the lengths designers will go to make the shell work in robot mode. The last list was about how they could go terribly wrong, so this week we look at how a good toy can come from this design approach.
This toy has flaws, sure (the Hasbro deco doesn’t help), but no one complains about its shell. This is a shellformer done right by using the shell to help disguise the robot and enhance the alt mode while not distracting from the robot in robot mode. It gets the top 5 spot by being a great improvement in terms of the shell over its original toy. What used to look like an amazon canopy in the back is now reduced to two small wings that can be rearranged any way that suits you making it customizable kibble. And if you add that sweet Takara deco, then that's just the icing on the cake (chocolate icing with bits of Reese and Toblerone crumbled across it).
Leader Sentinel Prime makes it on this list simply because we know how horribly wrong this could have gone if poorly executed. Unlike the voyager class figure, which relies on a fake kibble chest and does nothing with the shell, the Leader version owns up to his shellformer self and wears his shell with pride and dignity. Firstly, the front of the firetruck folds away inside his chest cavity and the window front contorts to create a stylish chest. The top of the firetruck splits into several panels to circle the figure and create an intergalactic cape which does not look like just the the roof of a firetruck. It adds to the complexity of the figure, and makes this one of the most arduous transformations you will ever undertake. That complex transformation shows how much the designers and engineers wanted to integrate the shell and use it to embellish the robot mode instead of detracting from it.
Probably one of the biggest example of a shellformer. Yet, you can’t help yourself but marvel at the awe that is Big Convoy. This is one of the most interesting forms Prime/Convoy has ever taken. The sculpt is filled to the brim with the most amount of minute details I have ever seen (to this day). The details are asymmetrical all over the place (chest, arms, thighs, shoulder-pad missile holes) yet it all looks uniform at the same time. And he is the first Convoy to ever have a removable matrix! This amazed fellow reviewer Ben Yee so much that he was a bit let down with Fire Convoy (another amazing toy) not having one. This is a fun toy to transform and despite all that kibble, he is super poseable. The fact that he is totally covered up enhances the transformation process by uncovering one of the most imposing robot modes from the beast era and the most detailed sculpt ever made. This is what shellformers are all about, having two incredible modes that look nothing alike and uncovering different colours and aesthetics without being lazy in design. This guy knows he is a shell former and does so with great pride. Most of the shell becomes a gigantic gun, freeing up the robot mode, and the rest is worn like the total Nordic badass he is.
Both of these deserve the number two spot because they are there for the same reason. The use of the shell in both of these is genius. They both have great alt mode integration in the form of arms and feet that stick out but the shell surrounds the contortioned robot in a way to give the complete illusion that everything is cohesive and all part of the very same object. In both cases, you can’t tell where the shell starts and ends until further scrutiny. In both cases, the shell goes onto the robot’s back giving the mode a more regal appearance. These are shellformers done right. They also happen to both be Megatrons. Yessss
This is a shellformer, think about that for a second. Isn’t that pretty amazing? The shellformer without the shell gets the easy number 1 pick. No shell was ever managed and stored this effectively and I doubt we'll be seeing anything like this again for a long time.
Honourable mentions: I was hard pressed to not be able to include Beast Wars Cybershark as he is another great example of a shellformer done right, however it results in a restrictive alt mode and both Megatrons are similar toys but more accomplished. Also, I didn’t want to include more than one shark on this list.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Worst Shellformers Transformers Toys
As Beast Wars fan, I grew up on shellformers. Since an animal is not metallic in nature (they soon found a way around that)it always made sense to me that part of the animal couldn't integrate completely into the robot mode. I only realized later that they got a bad rap and I understand why now: it can yield to very lazy and unattractive designs. Shelformers are a sad sight when you know it's possible for the robot to have some alt mode integration or, even worse, when the character model shows alt mode integration. In that scenario, a fake piece of kibble is made to make up for the shell kibble that they couldn't bother integrating. That's DOUBLE KIBBLE!!!! Before I pull an aneurysm, let's just get to the list...
The extent of how poor a shellformer this is, is entirely due to the contrast against the leader size mold of this character that actually uses the shell in a far more interesting way. For one, this toy doesn't incorporate the shell into the figure in any way. While the leader version uses the front of the firetruck as his chest, this one resorts to leaving the front of the truck to fold on it's back and relies on a fake kibble piece to make up the chest. Also, while the leader figure uses the shell of the truck to create a stylish cape or celestial garment of sorts, the voyager just has the entire truck shell just stay unfolded in it's back making it look like a robot just skinned a truck to wear it like a tortoise shell. It also makes a horrible backpack that is placed far from the figure as if neither modes want anything to do with one another.
What did I write above again? Oh, right: Using a shell can result in a very lazy looking and unattractive design. It is made worse when the excess shell kibble results in a massive backpack, which detracts from the sleek robot. Man, Sideswipe here must be studying for all his courses tonight because look at the big backpack he needs to carry all his books!
3. Beast Wars Neo Break
While the Beast Wars Neo line took the idea of a shellformer to a whole other level, the results were usually very intriguing, and sometimes pretty bad ass, making its use of kibble endearing to the line as a whole. But Beast Wars Neo's Break is just too much to bear. While animals disguised as robots may get more of a pass over being a shellformer, due to necessity, this guy just pushes it too far. He looks like a giant kinder surprise egg that someone smash opened to find a robot inside. Without hyperbole, this is the equivalent of a G1 Pretender who's robot mode had pieces of the outer pretender shell glued all over it. That penguin head just sitting there among the debris right in the open is the icing on this terribly tasting cake.
You would think that by 2014, robots entirely covered by a shell and just brought to the back would be a thing of the past. But no, they were (are) still alive and well and that year even gave us one of the biggest shellformer offenders. There are even photos all over the internet showing both the robot and truck mode of First Editions AOE Optimus side by side, WHILE USING THE SAME TOY!
This is an extremely inefficient transformer whose body length shell serves as the main disguise to a robot that doesn’t pose at all. It also has barely no alt mode integration (only her feet). The joke of having a robot surprise in a shell that is usually done to poor Break above is brought to the extreme here. The shell is so big and overwhelming that she can’t stand on her own and it limits any motion she might have. If anyone cares, this mini review was quite easy as I simply used something I had written for Beast Wars Cybershark and just wrote the opposite of every positive aspect about that figure. And Thunderblast came out 10 years after that figure! I really could not think of a better toy to show how bad shellforming could be.
Honourable mentions: I didn't want to fill this list entirely with Beast Wars Neo figures for several reasons. Firstly, as mentioned in the intro, the use of a shell for robots disguised as animals makes sense. If you went for total alt mode integration, Long Rack would look like a buffoon (more so). However, as you saw I couldn't resist but include the biggest shellformer offender that line had to offer. I would say Beast Wars Ironhide is probably the most intense shellformer ever but it works for the awesome combined form of Magnaboss and I didn't find it fair to fault him on that.
I would like to thank Cobotron for the image.
In two weeks, the BEST Shellformers. Talk to you then!
Goto Page: <<1, 2, 3 ... , 15, 16, 17>> 170 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
![[Valid RSS]](/images/rss/valid-rss.png "Validate Seibertron.com's RSS feed"){kind=small}
