What happened to Prime’s head? (he put on a lot of weight too) Why did Megatron attach all those LED lights on him? How does protoform Grimlock know what dinosaurs look like?

As I have just recently noticed (I am clueless) this blog has turned into a semi-Transformers toys blog. Derp. I have not shown enough love for TF:Prime — and if I were you, I’d give it a shot. It’s not quite TF:Animated (yet), but remember, we were all skeptical about that one when it was announced too.

Here’s a preview of the toy versions of TF:Prime Optimus Prime and Bulkhead:

Will the actual figure be as “cute” as his TF:Prime appearance?

Check the source: Transformers Prime Deluxe Wave 3 and Voyager Official Images for an image of the zombie-Cliffjumper toy!

The Reveal the Shield subline is now on clearance. (Half-off!) So it was time to get the RTS toys that I missed out on. (I keep forgetting that I have G2 Laser Optimus Prime from this line. I even forgot to upload pictures/make a review-of-sorts for him. Anyway, he’s part of this line and I already have him.) Here’s what I got:

• RTS Special Ops Jazz
• RTS Turbo Tracks
• RTS Solar Storm Grappel
• RTS Lugnut
• Generations Dirge
• DOTM Deluxe Class Laserbeak
• RTS Legends Class Optimus Prime
• RTS Legends Class Megatron
• RTS Legends Class Starscream
• RTS Legends Class Gold Bumblebee
• RTS Legends Class Prowl
• RTS Legends Class Trailcutter

I had a plan of which toys to get before even leaving the house. Sadly, the unavailability of one character upset that plan. They ran out of Wreck-Gar! Really happy with the lot though.

Here’s a mini-review of the figures:

Jazz – I knew I’d like this one because it’s such a great update on G1 Jazz. The kitten-ears and the speakers are a nice touch. GET HIM.

Tracks/Dirge – I got my Wheeljack before Tracks, the original user of that mold, so without consulting the instructions, I (mis-)transformed him. Dirge I got because I simply didn’t have him yet. He wasn’t on clearance. (I grouped them together because both are redecos of toys I already have.)

Solar Storm Grappel – The disappointment of the lot. His legs/arms were VERY loose out-of-the-box. That seriously limits his poseability, since he has heavy limbs. He’s just standing there. (This still isn’t the nightmare quality control issue I have with this haul.)

Lugnut – This one is clearly a leftover from the Animated series of toys. Even with the addition of more realistic details, he still comes across as an Animated toy. I like how clever the arms/hands are. I don’t like how his cockpit pieces aren’t made of solid plastic. Still, overall, something nice to have.

Laserbeak – My first DOTM toy since the movie — didn’t really dig through the DOTM stuff this time around (because there were tons of things that I liked in there, and they weren’t in the plan) but I really like his MechTech weapon and his fanmode combineability with Megatron.

RTS Legends – These are hotttt. For Php 150 (around $3.50)/each, these toys are a steal! It also helps that most of them are done in G1 style. Megatron is particularly awesome. Here’s my story: upon opening Megatron, I was wondering why I couldn’t properly tab in his left leg — turns out the one that I got has two right legs. (crapinahat, quality control!) You’d think it would be okay in robot mode — the feet part are specially molded to have his legs stand apart, and since the feet have a slant, he stands weird. Since he’s cheap, I could easily replace him — if only here weren’t a little harder to find, and also, the fact that this Megatron was among the last four that I saw in the store I bought him from. (I do have an extra, but it was meant for a friend lol)

Fun fact: since the year started, I always catalog new toys that I buy. (I went on collection-hiatus for the last two years.) So far, I have bought 45 toys, and only 4 of them are non-Transformers. LOL

The rest of the images are on this flickr set.

So. My favorite toy that I got at Toycon? WFC Optimus Prime. I also said:

“The only downside is, why didn’t they opt for making this a Voyager Class? But that’s my personal opinion on Prime being the CEO of the Autobots: he should be bigger than most of them.”

Thanks to Mikko for pointing out a certain knock-off …

From this picture alone, you could sort of tell that it isn’t made of quality plastic. But according to its product page:

suitable for repaint and modifty. [sic]

Which opens up quite a few possibilities…

Not that I’d actively look for one. Or maybe.

(P.S. I’ve posted something about a KO Prime before.)

I guess last week is the last time I buy toys ’til ToyCon. As mentioned in my Shockwave post, I got more DOTM toys! So here’s what I got:

• DOTM VC Optimus Prime
• DOTM VC Megatron
• DOTM Human Alliance Basic Backfire
• HftD Battle Blades Optimus Prime
• HftD Battle Blade Bumblebee
• HftD Tomahawk

Grabbed DOTM Optimus, Megatron and Backfire from Best Toys GB1.

I really really like this design for Megatron. Robots with a hood/cowl/poncho? Awesome. Tons of articulation and MechTech ports. I like how his MechTech is integral to his transformation process — and it doesn’t make him look silly when you attach it.

He has a waist!

The new Optimus, as you can see, is thin. Ridiculously thin. Not too crazy about how short his thigh area is, making his knee higher than the usual. This limits his poseability. Why buy him? For the BFG spam. Which is why I bought Backfire:

He turns into a robot, a three-wheeled ATV and a weapon. Combine him with Prime and you get:

BFG SPAM! Which is really what the HA Basics are about.

The downside is the quality control for the new toys — my Megatron’s left knee is ridiculously loose. Can’t pose him in some ways because he’ll fall down. Any suggestions on how to tighten a pin/friction joint? Also, my Optimus Prime DID NOT come with an instruction manual. Thanks to YouTube, I was able to transform him effectively.

Mikko got this Tomahawk for me since he’s harder to come by now. He makes a great ‘bot to match up against Terradive.

Battle Blades Prime, along with the BB Bumblebee are my favorite toys that I got last week. BB Prime is just … everything you want an Optimus Prime toy to be: well-articulated, playable and looks fantastic.

BB Bumblebee is apparently the largest Deluxe movie toy I own. The best BB in my opinion. (Aside from the reverse-axe thing.)

I guess that’s it. More after ToyCon!

Last month, we got the War for Cybertron debut trailer, here’s the new one:

Transformers: War for Cybertron features two distinct storylines: the AUTOBOT campaign tells a story of heroism to save their home planet against overwhelming odds, and the DECEPTICON campaign tells a story of an unquenchable thirst for power to control the universe.  For the first time in a TRANSFORMERS title, fans will be able to play the game with their friends through team-based online co-op, or go head to head in a variety of intense, online multiplayer game modes.  The game features a sci-fi art style that introduces to fans the entire living, metallic world of CYBERTRON, as well as all-new visualizations of the iconic TRANSFORMERS characters in their original Cybertronian forms.

Here’s something Mikko pointed out — the trailer for the new Transformers game — War for Cybertron!  Check it:

Will we get to see Grimlock as a TANK?  Exciting times.

[From GameTrailers]

Here’s a DLC I won’t mind getting, (not that I have the game) but it gives players G1 models of the characters.  Check it!

G1 models for the game, woohoo!  More info/images from Destructoid!

Imagine watching a Boeing CH-64 Sea Knight tandem-rotor helicopter carry and then carelessly drop the lifeless corpse of your childhood hero — what would you say?  How would you feel???

Like many of you, when writing reviews for books or music or movies, I seek out what someone I trust has to say about it — to maybe help in the process of expanding “Loved It!” or “Hated It!” into 250/500/MORE words.

I could sit down and maybe talk to you about everything I know about The Transformers, of the rich history of the noble Autobots and the treacherous Decepticons — and maybe, just maybe, I’ll tell you what Optimus Prime means to me, using hand gestures as I talk.  (I move my lips when I read … silently.  Bah.)

About the new movie?  I could maybe sit down and point out how the human-Decepticon, Megatron BEING a slave to a master, or how the Matrix of Leadership is represented in the movie is called MISSING THE POINT.  I could sit down and ask you why they had to scramble for JetFire to decypher the Cybertronian hallucination-glyphs, (which becomes a dropped idea later on) when all he would say is “Use your clues!”  I could sit down and ask you why the twin-JarJar-bots (as Mikko calls them) are in the Autobot lineup in the first place.  I could maybe even ask you why Jolt only does ONE thing in the movie and doesn’t get to develop a personality.  I could ask you why “21 Guns” and that new Linkin Park song was overplayed over the “romance”/”EXTREEEEMMMMEEE” parts of the movie.  I might even ask you where I could get a TF Toaster toy.  (Is it wrong of me to want one in my life?)  I could maybe even sit down, and then ask you, really, did you enjoy the last 3/4ths of the movie?  (The parts just before the final Autobot-Decepticon clash?)  Also, The Fallen?  Honestly?

Right.  I could sit down and ask you all of those questions, but someone in your life might’ve done that for you already.  For me: this is a rock-’em-sock-’em Transformers-kicking/shooting/slicing/de-spining/de-spark-ing(?)/exploding movie.  Those parts, I loved.  The other scenes?  They needed MORE robots.

Movie RAVAGEEEEEE!!!  Sideswipe — awesum!  Optimus Prime — robot god.  Jetfire’s “wheel” line?!  Best dialogue ever uttered by any robot in any movie EVER.  Also, the surprise professor cameo?  Fantastic.

3.5/5

What did you think?  Didja like it?  Hate it?  Didn’t care much for it? 

***

I mean, you could go tell off Michael Bay yourself, but remember: he has an AWESOME tiger. 

Based on this forum thread, I decided to give the fanmode combiner a try:

This, I consider to be one of the many, many reasons to get Jetfire.  (Other than his sheer awesomeness.)