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There is a cycle that repeats for every non exclusive Masterpiece release from Takara.
A toy is announced at a show
Early preorders from importers show a high price (since the price is inferred)
The official preorders in Japan come out with official images and a lower price
We are in between the second and third step right now for the MP-46 Blackarachnia release with fans debating if they should preorder now from a stateside vendor or wait for Amazon Japan.
The ability for international fans to order toys from Amazon Japan is still recently new in the grand scheme of the online market so it has yet to be a norm. However, with the toys being priced higher now, there is a greater incentive to go buy from Amazon Japan since prices there are more indicative of the actual Japanese retail market where toys are sold at 70%-80% of the MSRP issued from Takara and the shipping is both quick and inexpensive.
That being said, this article is to show fans both the pros and cons of ordering from Amazon Japan and with the pros stated above (price and quick shipping), it's time to look at the potential negatives.
What local vendors lack in price competitiveness, they make up in the simple fact that they are local and thus ease the return process if anything goes wrong. Amazon Japan will of course be very helpful with returns as well, just as Amazon is in general, but the experience can leave a lot to be desired simply on a practicality basis.
With the recent flaw of Beast Wars Megatron, where we are still getting reports of broken pelvises today, several fans had to send them back to Amazon Japan. And now we have a much better idea of what is in store if you have a problem on your toy from Amazon Japan.
Godimus Prime over at TFW2005 wrote a very detailed description of their return process with Amazon Japan and it helps us see what is involved which I will sum up for you now.
Firstly, returns can only be done through DHL. So you need to go to a DHL (or affiliate) station to ship back your item.
Secondly, you pay the shipping cost up front and Amazon Japan will reimburse you later. In the case of Megatron, that was $228 USD.
Finally, depending on how you paid for Megatron, the return may come to you in a method you do not want. For instance, in the example from Godimus Prime, since they initially paid for their item with a gift card, the return shipping expense was refunded on an Amazon giftcard. So while everything was repaid, the fan didn't really get their money back, they got $228 worth of credit. Now they have to buy from Amazon Japan again and the same cycle can happen once more if anything goes wrong.
So there you go. Some may feel the hassle involved in the chance that you have to return an item is worth the savings and some may not. Hopefully this helped, let us know what you think!
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.
Editor's note: this list has been updated as of 06/05/2019
Top 5 Best Ironhide Transformers Toys
While Ironhide has been a staple of the Transformers brand for over 3 decades, his toys have always left fans rather underwhelmed. His initial figure is one of the most unappealing to a Transformers fan (especially a child). For some reason, there was always something off with his toys, be it in the Energon line, the universe line and even some of the movie toys. However, since the initial top 5 list in 2015, there have been 4 lines dedicated to look back on the brand's various aspects and release the best version of the character. So, we can finally have a nice list full of gems and here it is:
This is fun design, incorporating Ironhide into the Prime line and aesthetic. This design is actually phenomenal since it brings so much together at once. He is a great amalgamation of the G1 and movie look in a more animated aesthetic with the headsculpt and clear chest (G1 cues) working with the pickup truck alt mode and dual cannons (from the Bay films). Also I would like to point out brilliant the transformation is. While the Arms Micron deluxe Ironhide relied on a fake chest, the Cyberverse version actually has the truck's windshield be the robot's chest. It is impressive to see great alt mode integration on a toy which has so much new details in robot mode. Remember when I spoke of an animated aesthetic? This toy's amalgamation (along with the deluxe) also references a shelved design for Animated Ironhide who was supposed to join Optimus Prime on earth and have an earth mode. That is a lot going on for such a little fella.
4. Transformer Studio Series Ironhide
The Studio Series line is providing collectors with some great updated versions of characters from the movies. Yes, there's a Movie Masterpiece line, but it's plagued by every other release having engineering/tolerance issues and only puts out about two toys a year. Studio Series is where it's at, movie toy wise, and this was the best figure from 2018's selection. Taking some of the smarter cues from Dark of the Moon's Deluxe Class figure and refining them while adding new touches in the much more scale-friendly Voyager Class results in an Ironhide toy that is super fun to transform back and forth between modes. When he's a robot, envision how he collapses down onto his own legs and becomes a truck, and you'll end up with a truck. I'm all for following the instructions, and on Masterpiece toys I absolutely recommend it, but this is absolutely a case of intuitive design making them not necessary. If the entire Studio Series lineup were this fun, we'd all be having a blast with movie toys like it's 2007 all over again. - Scotty P
3. Transformers Siege Ironhide
I love this guy. He has the right build, a good headsculpt, a very fluid transformation that gives you a great Cybertronian vehicle, similar to what we have seen in various comic interpretations. The size is good too. This is not the greatest toy ever made but it also feels like some sort of miracle to have a deluxe Ironhide that just ticks all the boxes.
This is a near flawless toy. I find it absolutely brilliant how the cartoon made it that both Ironhide and Ratchet share the same basic mold (which has been the case since 1984) but since Ratchet is now on earth and has an earth vehicle mode, you end up with two visually different characters. The toys do that well. Sure, there is a Ratchet who shares the same mold as this toy but I love how Ironhide makes the mold his own (as he always has). The perfect toon accurate headsculpt really helps. The design of this toy is incredible since it was made after the stylistic cartoon character models were done and it imitates that style perfectly. Also, through this mold, you get one of the most creative designs for a cybertronian vehicle. I love how they were thinking outside the box for this one, giving it almost an animal look (like a tortoise) adding some sentience and otherworldly functionality to the vehicle mode. The weapon storage in vehicle mode is also perfectly executed with simplicity and helps fill out the look of the vehicle. It's a smart design that looks just like the cartoon and has great nods to the G1 character. Sounds like pure win in my book.
Before this guy came out there really hadn't been much love towards G1 Ironhide. But we finally got Ironhide in all his glory in this Masterpiece offering. I seriously do not care what nitpicks any fan may have, this toy is better than anything I could have dreamed. The transformation is one of the best Takara ever designed and it is a true spectacle to see that van shape into this robot before your very eyes. I always thought that to have the look of the show, we would need a fake chest, no way around it. But I am proven wrong. The alt mode integration is spot on, no extraneous kibble (aside from some wheels, though they might anatomically represent something related to the bot mode, up to you) and more accessories than you would ever need. Plus, all those accessories come in that sled, bringing a magnificent homage to the G1 toy (along with other neat homages like that G1 face in can mode). I can't speak highly of this toy enough.
Oh man, would you look at this thing! It is bad to the bone. While people have a problem with the Ironhide Voyager mold, I never found it that bad. It definitely gave us a more complex toy. I always preferred the versions which hid his arms and this is one of them. The full load of weapons could hide anything, just look at the pictures below. This is Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando in toy form. Plus, this was the very first toy to integrate the c-clip system where you could clip on new guns to different toys (like clipping Generations Darkmount's guns onto Generations deluxe Warpath).
Plus, his front bumper becomes a crossbow
I really like this toy. Sure, it is easier than every other movie leader since Revenge of the Fallen, but I am not complaining about being able to go from one beautiful looking truck mode to an amazing looking robot quickly. He is by far the best looking movie Ironhide to have next to any leader Optimus Prime on your movie shelf and he has some great gimmicks. He has two sets of guns that can pop up while in truck mode (and end up being deployable from his robot arms) and some hidden armament in his legs, including a really sweet knife when he likes to get up close and personal. Along with that he has his big leader electronics gimmick (is it normal that I miss those?) where his chest open up to reveal a giant cannon barrel which spins and lights up. While he has some negative points, the only one that bothers me aside from the obvious undercarriage kibble is that the truck sides just bunch up under his robot arms. It isn't the prettiest sight but it does add some much needed bulk. While people can dislike movie figures all they want, I feel nostalgic for nice hefty Transformers Leader figures who had a bunch of fun electronics and sublime detail. I mean think about it, you get fully retractable weapons in both bot and alt mode, a gun and big knife hidden in a leg scabbard ala Robocop, great paint apps for a retail release and a battle mask!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. Nathaniel Prime also joins us this week. These are our opinions 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 10 Best Shockwave Transformers Toys
The last time we looked at Shockwave was in February 2016 and while it might only be 3 years, it feels like an eternity for this character since it was just a few months later that the floodgates opened for Shockwave toys unlike we had ever seen. With the MP line going full gear the year after followed by both two toylines betting it all on G1 right now, we are getting more of Shockwave than we probably need (or are we?). Point is, lots has happened for that character since the first list so we are doing another one. But to still keep it fresh, we are now doing a top 10 instead of just 5. So let's go!
A nice retool that works way better than plain white Jazz IMO. Plus the colors, chunkiness, and the cannon are all there, and he has nice articulation too. -Nathaniel Prime
Now this is a fun figure and a nice new take on Shockwave. He has all that you would expect from a Shockwave figure such as a gun arm (the biggest he has ever had!), a perfect headsculpt, and a hexagonal chest. This is a solid figure where everything perfectly clicks and fits together just fine. What I really love is how his cybertronian cannon mode has his head and chest visible (since as with most Shockwaves, the alt modes are rearranged robot parts with no new alt mode detail) but the angle of his head is flush with his shoulder making a smooth uninterrupted surface, hiding the head in plain sight. The robot chest also blends well by being mirrored on the back, adding a nice sense of symmetry and integrating the chest as the alt mode’s body. This figure is an interesting study of contrast between symmetry in the alt mode and asymmetry in the robot mode. It’s like Shockwave himself, perfectly logical, but dark and twisted. -William-James88
And for fun, he also has a 4th fan mode that works ok.
8. Takara Transformers Cloud Shockwave
What impresses me so much about this figure is how it is a straight redeco (all the parts are the same) and yet he totally owns that Whirl mold he is from. Shockwave always had this cold creepy mad scientist vibe to him and the tall lanky bot mode just works so well for him. He ends up with the same perfect headsculpt which is very reminiscent of Energon Shockblast and the claw hands (reminiscent of Animated Shockwave) lend themselves perfectly to this bot who is always known for having odd appendages. He is also a great scale if you want a slightly taller Shockwave in your collection of updated toys from the G1 era. -William-James88
Combiner Wars Legends Shockwave is a perfectly fine legends class toy and deserves some praise. His alt mode can be both a space ship or a gun which fits in the hands of Combiners, like Bruticus, letting fans recreate a favourite G1 scene. - William-James88
6. Transformers Cyberverse Ultra / Warrior class Shockwave
The general concensus behind the Cybrverse line is that while this gimmick heavy line is far more for kids, there could be one figure that transcends it all: Shockwave (both the Warrior and the Ultra figure).
The colour, is a nice full grape colour. Not too dark ala G1 toy but still very full. The deco is pretty great, with a nice use of panel lining. There are some neatly painted pink highlights across the figures, as if to give a sense of the energy coursing through him. While the alt mode is new for Shockwave, a spider-tank, the desgners did keep gun barrel element from the G1 design on his legs. It's a nice touch. Check out the images below to see how well he can fit in anyone's collection (particularly RID for the warrior class one).
Say what you want about the Bay movies, the design for Shockwave was pretty spot on for that world. He looked like a badass sci fi robot. The portrayal is another story, but the movie design translated perfectly well into the toy, who looked a bit smoother than the usual movie figures up to that point. -William-James88
One of my favorite Bayverse designs that works well with the figure. I really like the inclusion of the rubber hose too. -Nathaniel Prime
This toy is unlike any other Transformer ever designed by Hasbro. Spoilers for the Transformers Animated series abound. The idea behind this toy is for it to be Shockwave disguised as an Autobot who looks completely different with a different alt mode. The real fun is converting him from small stocky Autobot Longarm into the Decepticon Shockwave. The little hands turn into claws, the normal looking autobot face loses his mouth, nose and eyes for only the red cyclops eye to remain and the stocky limbs lengthen to reveal a tall and lean creepy silhouette. Speaking of height, this is a tall voyager figure, just look at that picture of him next to Megatron. I can’t think of that many Transformers which had as much value as this one. Definitely one of the best Transformer toy designs of all time. -William-james88
Animated Shockwave is one of my favorite Animated figures. I love his proportions and his look. Longarm is pretty cool too, and I really like the tank mode in my opinion. - Nathaniel Prime
The G1 toy is still an amazing toy. Any lack in articulation is offset by the playability factor and heft. It's an awesome space gun that turns into a cool looking robot, the argument stops right there! -William-James88
It still holds up and I really like how he looks, his articulation, and his lights and sounds. - Nathaniel Prime
2. Transformers MP 29+ Shockwave
This is THE Shockwave anyone could ask for. I love that they just modernized his transformation, and added more articulation from his G1 toy. However, the + version is much nicer IMO, I like that purple and grey more. I personally find this to be the best Shockwave figure we have. -Nathaniel Prime
1. Transformers Siege Shockwave
I love how unlike the Mastepriece version, this being a definitive Shockwave figure was just a building block to build more upon. To me this is not the Shockwave figure to own if you can't own the MP (ala POTP Leader Prime). Instead it is simply THE Shockwave to own. - William-James88
He has everything a Shockwave could have in a CHUG size package( properly voyager size too). I really like his extra bits he comes with, and some of his combinations with them are really cool. I really like his superstarship mode, but come on, he finally gets a gun mode in this size, even if he has to Sixshot his way for one. Did I mention his colors and articulation are perfect too? -Nathaniel Prime
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor, or a guest like this week's Optimutt. These are personal 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 Beast Wars Nicknames
5. “Bowser”
Black Arachnia to Silverbolt.
Of all the nicknames that the former Predacon, Black Arachnia has for her Fuzor boyfriend, this is the most common one, and it plays up his doggie aspect quite a lot. It’s just kind of touching.
4. “Doggie-Bot”
Waspinator to Silverbolt.
“Wazzpinator not a funny character! Wazzpinator only a Predacon with vocal glitch. Why world question Wazzpinator? Doggie-Bot not question Wazzpinator. Doggie-Bot only one in whole entirety of Beast Warzz that treat Wazzpinator like actual person. He still liked to slag Wazzpinator, though. Mean old Doggie-Bot.”
3. “Chopperface”
Rattrap to Dinobot.
Much to everyone’s sadness, this is one that mostly disappeared in the second season, when Dinobot died. All throughout his time as a Maximal, Rattrap insisted upon cruelty and insult as his primary means of communication, and no nickname was more prominent or more idiosyncratically affectionate than this.
2. “Vermin”
Dinobot to Rattrap.
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The love shared between the former Predacon, Dinobot, and the New-York-like cynic, Rattrap, was not one-sided. In fact, the jibes they hurled at each other without abandon was one of the most enjoyably consistent parts of Season One. But this, more than any other insult thrown at him, summed up Rattrap to a T. That said, the last time it was used, in “Code of Hero,” it was given not as an insult, but to show the brotherly love that these two actually had for one another.
1. “My Queen”
Inferno to Megatron.
[youtube]X7FoPV0ILmw [/youtube]
That this nickname also references my name (Rob Queen) has no bearing on this choice. Instead, this is a fun glitch in poor Inferno’s mainframe that insists he refer to his commanding office (Megatron) as an ant would the leader of his “colony.” Each time he is called this, Megatron’s comments and exasperation are ignored by the addle-minded minion. Much to great viewer enjoyment.
So there you have it! The Nicknames that we will forever associate with the colorful cast of Beast Wars. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to give your two Golden Disks’ worth in the comments below.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor, or a guest like this week's Optimutt. These are personal 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 Beast Wars Catchphrases
Beast Wars. To many in the Transformers fandom, they are the two words that started two decades of love and joy. For countless others, it was the series that reinvented the franchise and brought the concept of transforming alien life forms back into existence. Not only did the line provide toy fans with ball-joints, transparent elements, colorful chromey bits and beasts, beasts, and more beasts, but it brought a whole new television show along with it.
Beast Wars (or Beasties to you Canucks out there) the cartoon was the first fully-digitally-animated Transformers cartoon. Produced by Mainframe, its renderings of its beasts evolved in very visible and interesting ways over the three years of the show’s existence. Unlike the original Transformers cartoon, which tried to include as many of its toys in as many of its cartoons as possible, Beast Wars focused instead on a small cast that carried on the tradition of fantastic voice acting established in the G1 cartoon. This excellent voice acting, coupled with the deeply character-driven story-telling headed up by Larry DiTillio and Bob Forward, made Beast Wars a wonderfully memorable series that even after 20 years is still celebrated as one of the finest examples of Transformers media since its inception.
Today, I’m bringing the voice acting and the excellent scripts together to look at one of the greatest elements of the Beast Wars, in
The Top 5 Beast Wars Catchphrases!
5. “For the Colony! / For the Royalty! / Burn!”
Inferno (Jim Byrnes)
When a crashed stasis pod is damaged, it leads to the faulty wiring that erroneously attaches the social habits of the beast form to the protoform inside. As the beast form is that of a worker ant, this creates in Inferno an implacable drive towards the protection of his home, which he calls his “colony, and everything he does is in service of his “queen.” Couple that obsession with his love of making things burn, and we’ve got a walking Catchphrase. But wow is he a fun character.
4. “Well, that’s just Prime.”
Optimus Primal (Garry Chalk)
Right from the first episode, this statement was one that was mostly used by the Maximal’s commanding officer as a sarcastic statement depicting poor humor with an unfortunate situation, but every once in a while, it really did evoke the awe and wonder that some situations called for. Though it’s never totally clear just what is so “Prime” about it all.
3. “We’re all gonna die.”
Rattrap (Scott McNeil)
With his Brooklyn accent and world weariness, Rattrap has been a little bit of everything, seen a little bit of everything, and pissed off everyone he has ever met. At least twice. Vocal and a better complainer than an American student in a classrom, Rattrap sure knew how to interject. Of all his quotes, none better described what he lived for than the simple avoidance of this particular fate. And often to very amusing responses from those around him.
In Beast Wars, we got multiple nods to the Generation One cartoon: Starscream’s ghost, the Ark, the Nemesis, but none hit us with as much force as Ravage’s appearance in the series. At the end of Season Two, in “The Agenda,” Covert Agent Ravage (who was the original Decepticon infiltrator before being reformatted into a Predacon) appeared, and was convinced by Megatron that his mission was the same as the original Megatron’s mission. During a point that elicits fangasms all over the world, this covert kitty screams this phrase before transforming into his classic cassette mode. Few moments in any series ever convey the kind of sheer joy that this one unleashes.
1. “Yesssss…”
Megatron (David Kaye)
What? Did you really think that anyone said anything with as much grace and sweeping grandeur as Megatron? Or was it conceit that drove you to consider something less ubiquitous than his signature statement? The only thing even remotely so abundant in this series are the diodes of Waspinator littering the ground after any encounter with the insect. Spoken more than one hundred times in the three seasons, and amounting to nearly 4 minutes of screen time, nothing could even remotely be so… defining of the show. No.
Honorable Mentions:
“Shut up, Rattrap!”
From Primal to Cheetor, Megatron to Dinobot, and even in a wonderfully-played joke, Rattrap, himself, just about every single member of the Beast Wars said these two wonderful words to Rattrap. Sometimes, it was a variation of it, and more often than not, it was precipitated by his trademark “We’re all gonna die,” comment, but whatever the reason, the obnoxious rodent certainly knew how to get on everyone’s nerves.
“I need no help hunting Predacons. And I prefer to hunt alone.”
Tigatron (Blu Mankuma)
As I’m classifying catchphrases here as things that people say again and again, this doesn’t actually count. Instead, it would count as more of a motto that sums up Tigatron’s essence. A loner and a hunter, the Bengal tiger was one beast of incredible love for his planet, and ferocity against those who would spoil this place. And if this really was his catchphrase, man, that would just be chilling.
So there you have it! The catchphrases that we will forever associate with the colorful cast of Beast Wars. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to give your two Golden Disks’ worth in the comments below. Special thanks to everyone on Youtube who posted the collections of the amazing vids on the site.
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 McDonald's Transformers Toy Promotions
Transformer themed toys have been part of McDonalds Happy Meals since the 80s and there have been many promotions for the brand since then where kids would get a Transformers toy in their Happy Meal. This week we look at the top 5 Happy Meal toylines that dealt with Transformers.
5. Changeables 1987
Ok so these are not branded Transformers, but this is too perfect for me not to include, and worth more than just a mention. And let's face it, if I leave these out of this list, that's all I will hear. Transformers toys in the 80s were HUGE to the point that, 30 years later, we have this site dedicated to them and there is still a Transformers section in your store with new toys coming in every year. These Changeables are some fun evidence that everyone wanted in on the transfoming toy action back in the day and in 1987, McDonalds themselves could not resist and released these toys for their happy meals that were robots which could transform into Mcdonalds food items.
While far from the best, these toys had a lot going for them. Sure, they transformed from vehicle to robot (which is ALOT more than we can say about today's toys), but they also had Minicon ports, and had individual gimmicks like wind up motors, plus they .... combined. But hey Minicon ports, which makes this the only McDonalds toyline to have a direct integration with the in store toyline.
3. Transformers Animated 2008
These are, to date, the last Transforming toys we got from McDonalds. They were not the best but looked better than the Armada toys and there was even a European exclusive Blitzwing which might be the best of the bunch.
The approach mcDonalds took with Beat Wars was really outside the box. Instead of making representations of the character we knew in simpler forms, they gave us fully new characters and some new alt modes such as a Manta Ray (remember, this is before Depthcharge). So far it is the only time we have ever gotten fully new Transformers characters intriduced as Fast Food exclusive toys and now have in universe profiles and also appeared in Comic Books. They are technically essential for any Beast Wars collection if our aim is to cover all Beast Wars characters. Also, these came in probably the coolest Happy Meal Box of all time.
And lest we forget that the toy for kids Under 3, got his own Classics update.
1. Transformers Beast Machines 2000
I simply think these are the best looking Happy Meal toys we ever got for the Transformers brand. A kid in that era could get the entire line up just from these toys, and they would be in better scale and closer in look to the more expensive options on the shelves. Plus there was great light piping. I especially like that Rattrap and blackarachnia. For some fun trivia that Rattrap toy was also used in Little Red Rooster meals at the Australian chain Red Rooster, and came in different colours. Also the Tankor toy was used as reference (among other toys) by Takara for the Generations Tankor we got a few years back.
Honourable mentions:Commandrons
Unlike the others on this list, these are actual full on retail toys sold at McDonalds. They were not part of the happy meal and had to be purchase seperately. However, they were made by TOMY (the company which also made Omega Supreme back in that era) and had a rather impressive wind up mechanism that worked in both modes. So you could wind them up and let them go in vehicle mode as you could imagine, but they also had a walking mechanism where if you wound them up and mad them stand in their robot mode, they would start walking. These were also avaiable at retail in different packaging under the name Super Alternators. If you want to know more, there is a very comprehensive review here. These were eventually brought into the Transformers Animated unviverse by being mentioned in teh Allspark Almanac II. Plus, Sterling, an Atobot from the IDW comics has his colours based off of Commandron Solardyn.
Also, if anyone is curious, McDonalds did have an actual G1 promotion with toys but they only tested it out in St Louis. The toys were non transforming and in a full range of random colours, as you can see below.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are our opinions 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 Firetruck Transformers Toys
As I was writing this list I realized something interesting: Quite a few of the best Transformers toys of all time turn into fire trucks. Sure you can say that about other alt modes, like sports cars and jets, but a firetruck is a bit more distinctive. However as distictive as that type of truck is, the amazing fire truck toys we have gotten over the years all showcase different types of firetrucks, from different nations.
Don't let this being number 5 take away anything from the fact that this is one of the best Optimus Prime toys out there. It was a new design with some nice homages and while the articulation is lacking, it has fun play features, looks imposing and has this nice chunky feel to him. However, when it comes to its firetruck alt mode there is a lot to be desired. While the show is called Cybertron, this was actually supposed to be a (futuristic?) earth vehicle, specifically a fire truck. I see it enough to let it be on this list, especially given how great the toy is, but the alt mode is clearly not one fo this figure's strongest points.
This is one of the best molds from the Universe line. I really love how efficient the paneling is at filling in some crucial alt mode details to cover the robot bits and then dissapearing in robot mode. I love the itty bitty toes transforming to give the alt mode smoother surface in the back, and I love the bold firetruck front in bot mode. The G1 headsculpt is fun too and it is simply a great update to the Inferno design within a neo g1 line especially in its alt mode which is of a firetruck that is far more recognisable to western fans today. It is one of the toys I keep coming back to for a fun transformation experience and its great redecos and retools out there give us even more reasons to have it in one's collection multiple times.
While I am certain this toy could be redone to day to be mroe stable, the quality and look here is probably better than anything we could hope for today. It just looks great thanks to the use of chrome, clear plastic and generous paint. I really like the super form's head sculpt too which was a very different version of a Prime headsculpt but still has some call backs to both Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal. And this is the Transformers firetruck which has by far the most awesome ladder. It can extend to a ludicrous degree, become one hell of a canon in robot mode and it has a series of pop out missiles to boot.
This is a masterpiece in all but name. The engineering is masterful and this is the last great movie leader we got with its imposing size and complexity. When Transformers toys are compared to origami and rearanging parts to create another form, I think of this toy (and MP 36 Megatron) most. Anyone who loves Transformer toys, regardless of their opinions on live action movie designs, owes it to themselves to transform this bot and see how the robot feet and chest come toform in a series minute steps which take parts seen in the alt mode and flip, turn or fold them to create something new. There are no fake parts on this bot which is also very impressive.
1. Transformers Masterpiece Inferno and Artfire as a Mitsubishi Fuso F-Series FT fire ladder truck
We have none other than site owner Seibertron to thank for the following review:
While I still think the legs are in need of some much needed line/panel details to make it look a little less cartoony (ala Masterpiece Grapple), I can't express enough how impressed I am by this toy. Every now and then, there's an ingenious new Transformers figure that just blows me away. Masterpiece Wheeljack comes to mind, Masterpiece Prowl, Transformers Prime RID Vehicon (love the accordion style transformation), Transformers Prime First Edition Cliffjumper, and I'm sure there are a few others but those immediately jump out at me as some of my favorites from the past 5 years.
Inferno is now one of those. Not only is there "ladder magic" happening here, part of the "ladder magic" happens extremely early as in the first step or two of his transformation. There are several really cool things going on with him to achieve a realistic vehicle mode and his beautiful robot mode. While the shoulders/upper arms have a very unique transformation going on (once I figure out how to do them), I would advise caution with this part of his transformation as I foresee broken arms on future loose samples of Masterpiece Inferno and Grapple. Still a very clever transformation, as are the various panels on his legs and cab, the hoses repositioning lower in robot mode, etc. He's also very large. I don't have Ironhide out at the moment but I'm assuming he's as tall if not taller than Ironhide.
Masterpiece MP-33 Inferno is a great, great, great figure. I haven't been this excited about a Masterpiece figure since Wheeljack or Prowl, so it's great to see them do something that really amazes me once again, enough so that I have to come on here to share my excitement.
David Copperfield would be impressed. - Seibertron
Honourable Mention: Transformers Power Core Combiners Smolder as a fire department brush truck. I like that this is not a typical firetruck but still serves the same purpose. I always like when Transformers intriduce new alt modes. There is a nice fire rescue theme with the robot too with the minicon turning into an axe and the combiner head having a curved visor helmet with tubes near the mouth making it look like a cybertronian version of the oxygen supply mask on firefighter equipment.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by your fellow editor or a guest star. This week, the list is written by Black Hat!. These are our opinions 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.
Skullgrin is pretty grim for a kids’ toy, even by 80s standards. With his shell resembling a monstrous demon with a cow’s skull for a head and horribly necrotic-looking flesh and armour, he looks like he’d fit right at home with Inhumanoids’ D.Compose. His inner robot was derpy for certain but that shell was the stuff of nightmares. Brrrr.
Another creepy looking Pretender, Submarauder resembles nothing so much as a mixture of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a classic Kaiju and something out of the late great H.R. Giger’s twisted imagination. The combination of the carapace-like armour design, gribbly pseudo-organic tubes on his chest, strange fin and sucker details and those horrible orange gills in place of a mouth make him look truly alien. His inner robot, whilst abstract like most Pretenders, kinda resembled a horseshoe crab in vehicle mode too.
I don’t much care for most of the Autobot Pretenders but Cloudburst is an exception because of how cool his armour design is, even if his inner robot is 200% goofy. The colours are on point, with a nice mix of red and cool grey accented with blue, and the smooth, rounded shapes of the armour are pure late 80s robot goodness, looking like it would be more at home in Bubblegum Crisis or Megazone 23 than Transformers. His whip is a cool accessory too, looking much better than most whips that come with toys.
Not much needs to be said about Bludgeon. He’s a skeleton samurai for crying out loud! And on top of that, his inner robot isn’t terrible for a Pretender either, actually making a decent tank and a nice robot mode. However, where he wins over most Pretenders is he actually did stuff in the comics, where he was a total badass and almost beat Megatron in a duel.
Unlike the others on this list, Thunderwing’s shell also had a vehicle mode, and unlike some (poor Crossblades) it actually looked like something. His robot modes were suitably imposing, especially the shell, with its organic, alien designs and sweet colour palette. And like Bludgeon, he was actually important in the comics, being part of a major story arc, being driven mad by the Matrix and having the manifolds to challenge Unicron! What a madbot. Thunderwing is the most fictionally important Pretender by some way, and combined with his unique toy and frankly awesome name he easily lands the #1 spot.
Honourable mentions: Black Shadow. A retool of Thunderwing, this guy had minimal fictional appearances, but was a very nice looking rework of an already cool toy, had a cool name and also spawned one of the best Leader class molds in Titans Return. Also the Monster Pretenders, who whilst pretty terrible toys had shell designs ranging from adorable to awesome and had very unique backstories.
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 (non movie) Bumblebee Transformers Toys
With the ridiculous abundance of Bumblebee toys released in the past 10 years, it made more sense that for this character I split his top 5 best toys into 2 lists. We got his movie toys list last time, so this week we look at all the other renditions of Bumblebee over the years and the toys that I feel are must haves for any collection. Enjoy!
A real classic if there ever was one and probably the second most iconic G1 toy (the first being Broadside, obviously). The transformation is quaint but fun and the car mode is perfect for what it is. I especially like that there is barely no hint that it transforms, with a really nice chasis underneath and that good old diecast. The sticker for the penny racer motor is a nice touch too. This being the toy that started it all for Bumblebee, I am glad it was reissued so that everyone can enjoy this fun toy.
It was tough to choose where to place Classics Bumblebee and Robots in Diguise Bumblebee on this list. Both are in it of couse, but while these are very different toys, they end up having the same amount of Pros and Cons each meaning that making any of them surpass the other a disservice the other. In the end, I prsonally placed RID Bee just a little higher than Classics. What's great about Classics Bee is how solid he is. It is a great reinterpretation of the G1 character with a more modern car that still retains the roundness. The mold is aged a bit, especially with the cumbersome arm doors but it's still a nice little package. And the boat accessory is fun. I do really like the inner car detail like the doors, which become pockets in robot mode.
Robots in Disguise was a great effort to bring Bumblebee and the fun of Transformers to a new audience without sacrificing too much in terms of engineering (looking at you CYberverse!). One of the best thigns I ever read was a Takara designer saying how he made sure that he added the need to rotate the waist 180 degrees during transformation just to give it taht extra dynamic involvement in motion. That's great because it is very easy to imagine a version of this design and toy where the robot body is already properly aligned all under the vehicle. Here are is some more love for this toy from our members:
D-Max: RiD Bee looks so much better than Classics Bee, being more streamlined and the aesthetic is one I like more than the Classics. Plus RiD Bee has the better car mode IMO. But there's the kibble. The back is alright, though I wish the wings were a bit more prominent compared to the trunk lid, and then the whole roof being on the back of the legs can be a bit of a pain sometimes, at least to me
Itscramtastic: I really like RiD Bumblebee. He's fun to toss around, satisfying to transform. While there is kibble, it's less of a problem here than on Classics Bee. Sure, there is the roof calf but I forgot about that, as the figure is just so awesome. I'm also getting used to 'Bee being a muscle car....what the heck. Let's put it this way, I have Hasbro MP21, Takara MP21G, and RiD warrior Bumblebee out to have fun with. The others are in the bin, awaiting their fates!!
The prime toyline has some of the best Transformers toys ever made. Almost every character they touched resulted in some of their best retail toys these characters ever had (like Cliffjumper and Wheeljack) along with the best transformations schemes we have ever seen (Vehicon). So it's no surprise that Bumblebee would get an excellent toy in this line as well. He actually got two main deluxe molds and while they both have their charm, I really like what they did with the first edition Bumblebee. Like with First Edition Prime, Bulkhead, Cliffjumper and Starscream, you could really feel that Hasbro designers were stepping it up a notch for complexity in a cartoon line and aiming their toys at collectors (they even came with display stands). In many ways, this is as perfect a toy as you get with a great looking and accurate bot and car mode and a satisfying transformation to get you from one form to the next. The design itself is great too with it being a really cool hybrid of Bumblebee's movie look and smoother/curvier G1 look. I can't recommend the Prime line enough (except for that one major stinker) and same goes for this Bumblebee.
While the Bumblebee movie may have given us more VW themed toys than ever before, we can't forget that for a long time, the G1 toy was all we had for a Bumblebee turning into a Beetle. So when this Masterpiece came out, it was truly a time to celebrate. Not only did we finally get an actual Bumblebee that turned into a Volkswagen Beetle but it turned into a model Beetle rather than a super deformed version like in G1. And yet the amazing designers still found a way to give us the same look in bot mode as if it did turn into that same alt mode, with the recreation of the full car roof on his torso.
I really love that Transformation. The legs, for instance, do give homage to the G1 transformation but with added complexity to integrate kibble better and give him a nicer shape. And Takara provides all the articulation you would need.
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 Movie Bumblebee Toys
Bumblebee has so many movie verse toys out there that making one general Best Bumblebee list including all his incarnations was impossible. So, two lists were done, the best movie toys and everything else. This week we look at the best movie toys, which was a rather hard list to do since so many of his toys are mere improvements from one to the next. Of course, there were plenty that making a top 5 proved more than feasible. Let's get to it!
First of all, the base mold is pretty good and one of the best deluxe class movie Bumblebee toys we ever got. It's better than any other deluxe we got since (spoilers for the rest of this list) and it was the mold chosen by Takara to commemorate the best of the best for the movie lines (twice even). The Cyberfire redeco brings all that up an extra notch and it being such a striking CyberHellfire deco, especially with the light piping, that he was nicknamed Murder Bee. With such a singular deco, it means that no matter how many Bees they keep releasing it will always have a place in one's collection.
Speaking of striking decos, we have this gorgeous gold redeco of the awesome Battle Op Optimus mold (which was released as a literal Masterpiece in Japan). While Bumblebee is a smaller character, him being so present in toylines and marketing means he has a lot of larger toys too and out of all the leader (or larger) sized movie Bee toys, this is the best mold we got. It had cool gimmicks that came with the size such as the ability to change from guardian to warrior mode in robot mode, which would give him different weapons and sound effects. Speaking of sound effects, pressing down on the front left end of the vehicle three times will play the first verse of the original Transformers theme song, and pressing it three more times will play the second verse. Plus he looks just plain awesome, and even better covered in that gold paint.
This was the closest we got to a Masterpiece Movie Bumblebee in the right scale until we actually got one. It was even heralded as one of the best toys of the decade and I can see why. The impressive aspect here is that while it has a very accurate robot mode, the car mode has the extra accuracy of having an interior with seats. Even the later Masterpiece toy did away with that idea using the extra available space in car mode to store more robot parts. The fact that you can actually use this toy as a model car that can also seat figures inside is a true achievement in Transformers engineering and really sets it apart from anything that came before or since.
Easily the best deluxe Bumblebee toy and quite possibly the best value you ever got for your money. For the price of a deluxe, you get a toy with a very tall robot mode (so tall, it was repackaged as a voyager later) with integrated weapons and battle mask. Plus both modes looks great with a very accurate vehicle mode. While it is a rather complex toy, it is very solidly built, with tabs connecting well, unlike more annoying releases of movie Bumblebee that came out recently.
For a character that has so many movie toys, it is surprising how few stand out (aside from deco) and are actually good or worthy of a top 5 list. They feel like the transformers equivalent of the Call of Duty franchise where each one is slightly different than the previous one, with minor technical improvements, and little effort is put into making it truly amazing since it will sell regardless. Masterpiece MPM3 Bumblebee truly stands out though. A fully new mold, and the most accurate yet. I especially love how the feet come together and how the entire car shell collapses. I always love when a figure gives a hint of what is actually happening in the film, where the bot's insides are the car and vice-versa. You see where everything goes and that fascinates me. Lots and lots of smart designs here, like the tiny back wings, and well worth its name.
Honourable Mentions: MPM Volkswagen Bumblebee. It's a very good toy and far better than any other Bumblebee toy that came out in 2018, the year he got his own film. You can tell that Hasbro really wanted to give its best output possible, it's just too bad that the CG model they used was so inaccruate. In the years to come, when Hasbro will have released more accurate looking toys, this will always remain a decent, yet expensive, toy that doesn't really represent a specific version of the character well enough (a lot like Legendary Optimus Prime).
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