Now that I have successfully found Insections and Perceptor, my next target to be hunted is the US version of Masterpiece Skywarp.

This is a Walmart Exclusive, as the pic clearly shows. I made a trip earlier today around noon and I did not see him 🙁 However I did see the other 2-Pack that is shown in the pic here, which may indicate that my Walmart will have it soon (I already have Sideways and I already have the Blowpipe mold as Dropkick, so I will pass on the 2-Pack). I got one Walmart near my work and one near my home, and I’ll be checking both frequently until he is hunted. As of this writing there are 31 sightings on Seibertron. I shop at Walmart frequently anyway (I know, bad habit) which makes this a convenient hunt, but I have made trips to Walmart just to hunt for TFs (another bad habit :() so who knows how many trips I’ll make before I find him. MP Skywarp retails for $60.

Oh, and I did check the Walmart website. Skywarp is not on there. And I’m not willing to pay markup from Ebay or other online sellers, so I’ll be making the trips to Walmart. I really don’t mind. There is something fun about finding TFs in person that the online experience simply doesn’t substitute. It’s hard to explain in words.

The US version is different from the Japanese Masterpiece version. This post explains it pretty well in detail. Basically the US version will have the same face as MP Starscream, whereas the Japanese version has a different “high-handed” expression for Skywarp. I would prefer the Japanese one, but it’s around $100. I don’t think paying an extra $40 for the face is worth it.

“Why are my eyes yellow?”
 

“Ahh… this bed is very comfy.”

“Strike when the enemy isn’t looking… oh wait, you are looking.”

That’s all for now. Until next time… Transform and Roll Out!

In a earlier post I mentioned that I must find the 25th Anniversary versions of Insecticons and Perceptor. Yesterday I finally found them at my local TRU. I quickly bought one of each. I know… at $34.99 each they seem a tad expensive, but in the same previous post I went into why I don’t agree. There was still one Perceptor left on the shelve when I left TRU, but no more Insecticons.

Check out the pics below.

I love the artwork and the silver TRU Exclusive sticker on the front. “Decepticon Agents”?! That’s a new one.

“It’s a world where things are not what they seem. It’s a world of heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons who are known as… the Transformers!” They repeated the G1 box descriptions word for word. Awesome!

Both of them with the lid open side by side.

Look at all the details on the Insecticons! They sure don’t make them like this anymore.

Robot, microscope, and… tank! Perceptor kicks ass… or not. He’s a lover not a fighter.

I just noticed that all 3 Insecticons have wheels on the feet in insect mode. Somehow I didn’t think this was weird back in the 80s…

I’m not sure if I will be opening these. In the box they just look too cool and these may be primed to go up in value. We’ll see.

That’s it for now my fellow TransFans. Remember… Transform and Roll Out!

Over the past 2 weeks or so I have been on the hunt for these special Toys R Us exclusives of the 25th Anniversary editions of Perceptor and Insecticons. Both are G1 re-issues. These have been released in Japan, but I believe this is the first time they are re-issued in the US. Being the G1 fanatic that I am, it is my mission to have these.

The above pic is not mine. I ripped this off the net somewhere. So no, I have not found them yet.

I already have a Japanese Perceptor re-issue. I think I got him at Anime Expo 2005. Here is a pic of him below with a Japanese Stepper reissue.

But I must have the US version too. I cannot call myself a G1 TransFan otherwise.

The Insecticon set here is comprised of 3 figures: Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell. The Insecticons have a special meaning for me. In 1984 I moved from Taiwan to the US, and that was the year that Transformers came to be. As all true TransFans already know, what Hasbro did was assemble a whole bunch of transforming robots of separate lines, and re-branded them as Transformers here in the US. Hasbro was smart enough to give them a interesting back-story of Autobots vs Decepticons from Cybertron, and the rest is history. Anyway, before coming to the US, I already had some toys that eventually became part of the Transformers cast, including Jetfire and Slag, but these were Japanese versions purchased in Taiwan so they’re not branded as such. (There’s an interesting story with Jetfire, what I had was a Macross Hikaru Ichijo VF-1J without the Fast Pack. I know, not a Super 1S like Jetfire, but close enough I think. But that’s a story for another day.) So upon coming to the US in 84 and seeing Transformers as they are, I begged my mom to buy me some. And of course she wouldn’t. Finally in 85, I saw a Bombshell figure at Thrifty (remember them?) for $7.99 that no one was buying. It was on the shelves forever for some weird reason. One day I was there with my mom and she agreed to buy that for me. So, Bombshell is my first ever official Transformer figure. To this day I still have him. He’s still intact and complete, but the joints are so loose that I would rate him a C3 or C4. I would never sell him, too much sentimental value. But yeah, getting the Insecticon re-issues is a must for me.

As a kid I never saw anyone with Perceptor. I did not see him in the stores either back in the 80s. I guess I never really looked for him, even though I always liked him as a character. I liked the fact that he transforms into a microscope and he’s a scientist. He’s very unique in the TF universe. Most people don’t know this, but he does have a tank mode. You can kinda see it in the pic above. I guess this technically qualifies him as a Triple Changer, though we never saw the tank mode in the 80s cartoon, so maybe not.

These re-issues are priced at $34.99 each. Many fans complain that this is too much. Perhaps. I don’t know what Perceptor costed in the 80s so I can’t comment. But I beg to differ for the Insecticons set. Back in the 80s they costed about $8 each, so $24 for all three. It is about $35 for this set today. The difference is only $11. And if you use this inflation calculator, $24 in 1985 is $47.41 in 2008. So at $35 it is actually cheaper!

This afteroon I tried ebay for these, but lost the auction due to some last minute sniping. The Insecticon set I bid for went for about $42 shipped. Not terribly higher than MSRP and taxes, but I just hate paying more than I have to.

So until I find these… to TRU I will trek… Transform and Roll Out!

I got these sometime last week, but did not have a blog then, so yeah, posting them now. These are the new Universe repaints of Powerglide, Hardhead, and Skyfall.

G1 Powerglide in classic red

Rear engine transforms into hooters

Hardhead - tank mode is hard too

check out his stats

Silverbolt in black looks like a SR-71... kinda

I'm a G2 character 🙁

This is Powerglide as he was meant to be. The Henkei version was already this color (though some fans have pointed out that they are different and the Henkei paint slightly of higher quality), and having a US release that is even more G1 accurate is a real treat. While I’m on this topic, the only minibot from G1 season 2 that has not received an upgrade in the classic/universe line is Seaspray. Powerglide, Warpath, Beachcomber, and Cosmos have all received updates. Hopefully Hasbro has not forgotten Seaspray. This reminds me I still need to get Cosmos.

Hardhead is a repaint of Universe Onslaught. I love this mold, and for Hardhead, this is a good choice. G1 Hardhead was a Head Master that was all action and little else. In G1 he was some kind of future/Cybertron type tank, but as an heavy armor vehicle it works too. Both modes captures his persona perfectly. I especially like how he records the number of Decepticons he has terminated on this shield, and the “No Decepticon” symbol is a real nice touch.

Skyfall is probably the weakest of the three here. This mold is really only for Silverbolt, so repainting him into anything else is just plain weird. While I’m on the topic, many fans seems to absolutely despise this mold with unyielding hatred, and in my opinion undeserved. Yeah the transformation is a little simple, but I think with the complexity of TFs these days, it is actually quite refreshing to have a toy that you can just casually transform back and forth without any effort. And the homage to the G1 character and the solid construction are both pluses in my book. Anyway, I would get Skyfall last out of these 3, but some fans have pointed out the cool color scheme here, so this may or may not be a reason to get Skyfall, depending on how much you like or hate this mold.

Oh, I should point out, I found all of these for $10 each! Yep you read that right, $10. That’s cheaper than a deluxe! I found these at the Walmart near my work. They were advertised as $30 in the aisle, but luckily there was a price scanner right near where these were placed. I scanned them just in case, and to my surprise they rung up $10. I don’t know if this was a goof in their system, but whatever. I quickly went to the checkout and bought them. On the receipt, it did say $30 is the regular price and I got $20 off for each. Out of curiosity, I also checked the Walmart near my home, and these rung up as $24 each. Anyway, at $10 I bought 2 Powerglides, 1 Hardhead, and 1 Skyfall. Can’t beat that deal.

So, my fellow TransFans, your destination is Walmart… Transform and Roll Out!