Today I had some spare time so I decided to compile a list of every Transformer that I own. The list only includes TFs I purchased since 2004, the year that I got back into TF collecting. Compiling this list took a little bit of time, but I’m glad I did. Having a list like this puts in perspective just how many TFs I own 🙂

Hopefully this list will provide some street cred to my TF hardness. Or just demonstrate how crazy about TFs I really am. 🙂

Click here to see the list, or simply click on My TF List on top.

To all the Autobots and Decepticons on this list… 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!

The other day I happened upon an image of movie Optimus Prime, and seeing him with lips just don’t do it for me. That G1 mouthpiece is just too iconic, and seeing movie Prime yap his trap is just silly.

This got me to thinking, what do Transformers need mouths for anyway? Like all machines, they have infinite ways to communicate that humans can only dream of. If they feel the need to “talk”, or if audio transmission is only to communicate with humans, they can easily do it through other standard audio channels. They don’t need to eat. Ingest Energon maybe, but I’m sure they have other means to do so. A mouth for a Transformer simply serves no purpose, but it seems like most TFs have them.

But some clearly do not. So I got to thinking, what are my top favorite TFs that have no mouths? This includes TFs that either use a mouthpiece or is missing a mouth altogether. Below I humbly present my top 10 favorite Transformers that let their actions do their talking for them, instead of their pie holes.

10. Sixshot
Sixshot is unique in the TF universe for being the first TF with 6 modes (I think the only other one is Quickswitch). Truly a one-robot army, he came way too late in the US G1 cartoons to fully make an impact. In the Japanese continuation, however, he has a much bigger role. Sixshot lets all his transformations do the talking for him. It should be noted that his wolf mode does have a mouth, but that’s probably just there to bite all his enemies to shreds. I think my cousin had this toy when we were kids. I believe he was re-issued this decade in Japan, I should hunt one down. Better yet, I like to see a Classic update of this character. To accommodate 6 modes, he’s gotta be Voyager class or bigger. With the toy technology they have today, he would be so awesome. Oh man I’m getting excited just thinking about it.

9. Getaway
I have always loved the Powermasters. The idea that a Nebulan partner transforms into the engine, which then unlocks the Transforming mechanism of the TF, is… well… pretty stupid actually. If I was a TF, and I needed a partner to unlock what I could’ve done any time I pleased, I might as well shoot myself. However, the toys themselves were cool. Getaway made this list mainly because I had his toy as a kid (and I still do, complete, intact, and in good shape with tight joints), and I’m always partial to TFs that I own. But more importantly, the G1 Powermaster figures all had pretty good molds, with cool designs and robust construction. Getaway in my opinion was the best of the Autobot car Powermasters. His alt mode is supposedly a Mazda RX-7, and the robot mode looks nicely balanced. His profile is also unique for being the masterful escape artist, something not shared by any other TF to my knowledge. In the Movie line of toys, he appeared as Breakaway (repaint of Cybertron Excellion), a Walmart exclusive. Getaway did not appear at all in the US G1 cartoons. However, he appeared many times in the US Marvel Comics continuity, and has a significant role in Vol 3 of the War Within series (which is unfortunately unfinished).

8. Bombshell
I have always too loved the Insecticons. Transforming into insects is just too freakin’ cool. I also went into why Bombshell is special for me in a previous post. Bombshell is the only Insecticon without a mouth. Though all Insecticons feed like crazy so I guess they put the mouths in their bug modes to good use. Bombshell has the special ability to mind control his targets with cerebral shells. All 3 Insecticons (and maybe even the deluxe guys from G1) would be good to re-do in the Classic line. There shouldn’t be any licensing issues whatsoever, and with insects the toy designers should be able to get very creative.

7. Scrapper
The Constructicons are one of my favorite sub-groups of all time in the TF universe. They were the first Combiner group introduced, and Devastator gave the Autobots all they can handle. Not only powerful, the Constructicons are also master builders and engineers. It’s hard to say who is the most famous Constructicon, but Scrapper definitely deserves consideration. As the Constructicon leader, he’s always supervising the Decepticon’s latest construction project, whether it be a new weapon, space cruiser, command outpost, or whatever. He seems to take an evil delight in all his creative pursuits, and I love the way he orders the team to unite when the Autobots are about to kick their butt.

6. Wheeljack
The resident “mad scientist” of the Autobots, Wheeljack is always working on something when he’s not too busy helping Ratchet repairing their wounded comrades. Wheeljack is famous for being the first TF we see on screen in the G1 cartoons and for creating the Dinobots. He does not have a mouth at all. When he speaks, the two pieces to the sides of his head lights up, indicating he has communicated. This is actually how I anticipate TFs to talk. Rumor has it that Wheeljack is getting an update in the next wave of Classic figures, something I highly anticipate.

5. Bruticus
Of all the Combiner teams, the Combaticons are my favorite. I remember back in grade school, my classmates and I would argue over which is the best Combiner team. Many voted for the Stunticons, some liked the Aerialbots. They were both good choices, but my vote goes to the Combaticons. Let me explain why. For the Stunticons and Aerialbots, the figures that form the limbs are not at all diverse. All the Aerialbot jets transform the same way, and so does the Stunticon cars (though to a lesser degree). Once you bought one, it’s like you bought them all. The Construction toys were old and outdated by the time the newer Combiners rolled around. And the Protectobots, well, they were a bunch of wussies in the cartoon so I don’t think anyone liked them. Not counting the later seasons, this only leaves the Combaticons. They were powerful in the cartoon, many times beating the other combiner teams. And as for the toy, each limb component were truly unique from each other, in both transformation and alt mode. And they all transform into combat vehicles! I don’t think it’s any surprise that Hasbro re-released this figure set 6 times after G1! That in itself should prove this is the most popular combiner set. My first Combaticon was Blastoff, and I slowly collected the rest as time went. Finding Vortex back then was a real challenge, I think he’s the rarest one out of the five. I still have my G1 set, all complete, the pride and joy of my G1 collection (though Onslaught is getting quite loose). I think all the Decepticon combined forms has the same personality (strong and dumb), but Bruticus comes from my favorite team so I had to put him on here. And when I was compiling this list, it dawned on me that all the Combaticons except for Swindle have mouthpieces, but for the sake of variety I just let Bruticus represent all of them.

4. Shockwave
If I was re-born as a Transformer, this is how I want to look like, because no one would know what I was thinking or feeling. Nevermind not having a mouth, Shockwave is completely devoid of all facial features, except for his iconic cyclops eye. When he talks, the eye starts flashing in sync with his words. So is he talking through his eye? Does the round object on his face function as both eye and mouth? We may never know, but that quality of being extremely efficient matches well with Shockwave’s personality. In the G1 cartoons he is simply the guy waiting on Cybertron (for 4 million years!), but in the comics he is given a much bigger role, often taking command of the Decepticons and conducting unorthodox experiments, such as Triple Changing and Combining technology.

3. Grimlock
“Me Grimlock not kisser, me Grimlock no need mouth!” The bad-ass that is Grimlock represents some of the very best that the Autobots have to offer. Grimlock is one of the Autobot’s most powerful warriors regardless of which TF continuity you follow, but in the US Marvel Comics continuity (and extended in the comic prequel War Within), we see that he is also a very capable leader, even taking on role as Autobot Leader form time to time when Optimus is missing or deactivated. In the cartoons, and especially in the G1 movie, he is often portrayed as the comedy relief despite being very powerful. However, no one forgets that he was the first TF character to have a T-Rex as an alt mode, and that in itself is just too damn cool. Grimlock seems to enjoy his Dino mode a lot more so than his robot mode (in the cartoon anyway), perhaps because as a T-Rex, he’s got a much bigger mouth to chomp his enemies into itty bitty pieces.

2. Soundwave
Ask any true TF fan to name his top 5 favorite Decepticons, and Soundwave is bound to be on that list. The Decepticon communications officer earned his place in TF legend not by being the most powerful warrior, but through his exploits in stealth and cunning, his monotone way of speaking, his non-personality, and last but not least, his numerous henchmen that he can eject as cassettes from his tape deck. As far as G1 toys go, Soundwave is perhaps the most accurate to the G1 cartoon. Let’s face it, the cartoons made most characters look much better than their toy representations (I’m looking at you, Ratchet and Ironhide). Soundwave is the lone exception. If you looked at him in the cartoons and imagine in your mind how his toy would look, well, that’ how it looks. His G1 mold still holds up well today. In fact it’s so good that I don’t think a Masterpiece version can really improve on it, other than making him bigger and perhaps a little more detail.

1. Optimus Prime
Like I would put anyone other than Optimus Prime in the top spot. Optimus Prime is perhaps the most iconic Transfomer of all time. His dedication to the freedom and welfare of all living beings is unrivaled. Optimus has got it all, being both a powerful warrior and capable commander. He (along with Megatron) has appeared in every Transformer continuity and spin-off. The earlier renditions of Optimus all has him appear with the mouthpiece, but later versions of the character tend to give him the lips with the mouthpiece serving as some kind of lower face shield when he’s in battle (such as Beast Wars, the Michael Bay movies, and the Animated Series). I don’t know what is the reason for this evolution, but the G1 purist in me will probably never get used to seeing Prime with moving lips. And I think not seeing the lips gives a character more authority in appearance. This is the design I prefer for Prime. There are many Optimus figures where you can pose him with the mouth shield on or off. Guess how I pose mine?

Honorable Mentions: Warpath, Powerglide, Hoist, Seaspray, Cosmos

Until next time… Transform and Roll Out!

The only thing I would like to be this Halloween is a Transformer, but unfortunately I don’t have the skills or resource to make a nice TF costume. And of course I prefer if it transforms, but non-transforming costumes are still cool if they look good enough.

This reminded me of some nice TF cosplaying at this years Botcon, so I’ll post some pics of it.

And here’s a cool video of TransFans acting out their favorite characters. Too cool!

Happy Halloween everyone… 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!

Inspired by the Youtube clip embedded in my last post, I decided to act out scenes of that segment with Classic toys.

On a separate note, the beautiful Megan Fox (Mikaela in the Transformers movies) is hosting tonight’s episode of SNL. I think this is a re-run, but I’ve never seen it so it’s new to me. I’m still not convinced of her acting skill, but when you look like she does, I guess you really don’t need any…

Stay cool my fellow TransFans. Until next time… Transform and Roll Out!

So I finally got around to opening one of the new Universe/Classic Ultra class Powerglides that are repainted red like his G1 badass self. Mold-wise, the new one is exactly the same as the first Powerglide. Hasbro did not do anything to improve upon mold, so it really comes down to which color you prefer. Or you can just get them both like I did.

For those of you who are not familiar with this character, Powerglide made his G1 cartoon debut sometime during season 2. He is one of the few Autobots on Earth that can fly as his alt mode is an A-10 Thunderbolt II. His toy in G1 is a minibot (same as Bumblebee), so this Ultra class update is by far bigger. His most famous G1 appearance is probably in “The Girl Who Loved Powerglide”.

This is not a new mold so I’ll just quickly re-cap my thoughts on Classic/Universe version of Powerglide. I really like the alt mode. The A-10 is definitely unique in the TF world, I cannot think of any other. His transformation is unique as well. In robot mode he is nicely balanced. Articulation seems to be good, and the missile fires pretty far. It’s not perfect, however. In bot mode, the sound gimmicks fire way too easily. Also, where the wing needs to stick into the rear engine in bot mode, it doesn’t stay on that well. This happens on both of my Powerglides on the left side only (in fact I didn’t notice this before, I noticed this on the new red one so I went back to check on the white one and they both have this problem). Checking pics on Seibertron confirms this problem as well, so I’m inclined to think this is an issue on all Powerglides produced. Finally, in jet mode, it’s difficult to position to gun to point directly straight ahead because there is other stuff in the way.

So which color do I like better? After looking at it for some time now, I’m tempted to say I like the white one. I know that the red is more G1 accurate, and I was guilty of expressing my share of curses when Hasbro first announced that the US version would be white. But now that I have the red and have had a chance to really compare, I think white just looks better on this mold. It’s hard to explain and I know the pics above don’t do it justice. You would have to see it for yourself.

But you won’t lose either way. This is still a great TF no matter which color you get.

Until next time… Transform and Roll Out!

The next figures to come out in the Alternity line are the yellow and red Bumblebees, at least officially that’s what they are. Bumblebee in this line is a Suzuki Swift.

Any TransFan worth his energon will tell you that the red figure here is really Cliffjumper. So why is he labeled as Bumblebee? My theory is that they can sell more figures using the more recognizable name. However they did not forget us true fans. Cliffjumper does have his own unique head mold that looks very much like his G1 counterpart in the cartoon.

So am I gonna get these? I’m not sure. I do have both red and silver Optimus Primes in this line (as the Nissan GTR). I haven’t opened mine, but I’ve played with them so I know they’re nice. These should be no exception. However, at around $50 a piece, I’m just not sure. Alternities are much smaller than Binaltechs. They are really only the size of a deluxe figure. Yeah I know they’re diecast and all, but $50 is still kinda hard to justify. This reminds me I still have to get a Alternity Megatron.

I have a feeling I will eventually decide to buy these. They’re just too good to pass up, and seeing how they actually gave CJ some love this time around (instead of just cloning Bee exactly like they always do), I have to do my part and honor a purchase.

Until next time… Transform and Roll Out!

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen comes out today on DVD and Bluray. I have the first movie on both DVD and Bluray. For the DVD version, I have the Target exclusive version where the case transforms into a movie Optimus Prime. Sometime after that I got a PS3, so then getting the Bluray for true HD quality goes without saying. The first movie was not without its faults, and of course I wished it was more G1 in nature. But overall I thought it was a good update for 2007, the movie TF universe managed to be interesting in its own right, and Michael Bay proved that he could still direct good movies like when he did The Rock. The first Transformers movie was something I recommended to everybody.

I really looked forward to ROTF this summer. I even watched on IMAX. Truth be told, I was disappointed. The story was a convoluted mess that barely made any sense. Sam getting flashes of the All Spark knowledge seemed like a good starting point, but after the story gets into gear, it was never really mentioned again. The on-screen action was probably even more confusing than the first because there are many more TFs this time around. Michael Bay also proves he has the mental maturity of a 12 year old. Skids and Mudflap are some of the worst characters to appear on the big screen, there are way too many jokes about dogs and TFs humping people’s legs, and the “anatomically correct” scene just leaves me shaking my head. And Jetfire, WTF? One of my most beloved TF characters of all time reduced to an old senile robot that needs a walking stick to move around. His ability to transform into Prime’s armor does not impress me either. Devastator seemed impressive at first, but was quickly taken out by… Mudflap and some humans?! Double WTF?! I wanted to like this movie, I really did, especially when TFs mean so much to me. But honestly, this is not something I can wholeheartedly recommend.

So will I be buying ROTF on Bluray? Probably, eventually. But only if I see it on sale or something, and I’m not even gonna actively hunt for it. If memory serves, this is not even 4 whole months after the initial release date for the movie. I know ROTF made boat loads of money worldwide, but I dunno, still seems a little quick for the home version to come out. My theory is that only bad movies get a quick home release, and this is pretty quick.

I hope Bay does not come back for a 3rd one, but I think it is already confirmed that he will be. That’s too bad. I hope he will do some growing up between now and then and give us a more mature treatment of the subject, kinda like how Star Trek was done this summer. Now that is one Bluray I will get on day one.

So until we get a good TF movie… 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!