As a fan of Transformers since 1984, I’m always excited to see new developments and new initiatives in the franchise. Even back in G1, Transformers did not feel the same from season to season. With every new season, Hasbro introduced us to more characters, more stories, more transforming gimmicks, and of course, more toys. In retrospect, some of the things that Hasbro developed were pretty forgettable. But as true fans we still eagerly anticipated what Hasbro would come up with next.

I stopped buying TFs in 1988, and never imagined I would come back to it in 2004. During this 16 year “hiatus”, I’m only vaguely aware of developments that occurred in the world of TF. But since I came back in 2004, I witnessed growth and maturation in the franchise that I never dreamed possible. What brought me back in 2004 were G1 re-issues. It didn’t take me long to move to Binaltechs, Alternators, and MPs, being that they were direct extensions of G1. I was so impressed with the engineering put into these figures, I could not believe what I had in my hands. From there I collected whatever was in mass retail at the time, including Classics (in all forms of CHUG), Titanium, Movie (all 3), Animated, and even Crossovers. I have watched TFs actively evolve in the 7 years since my return, and I’m always thrilled to see what will be the next step in the evolution of TF.

And that brings me to Transformers Prime. In case you don’t already know, Transformers Prime is the latest animated series in this long running franchise. The show is a reboot of our favorite robots in disguise, and it draws inspiration from many of its predecessors, including G1, Movie, and Animated. To this day, I’ve only watched 14 eps (I know I’m behind), but I can already say that this is a series worthy of the Transformers name.

It goes without saying that, with the creation of every new show, the figures won’t be far behind. Although the influence from previous shows is obvious, TF Prime makes some radical changes in character design. Off the top of my head, Arcee, Starscream, and Soundwave are some prominent examples of characters that look vastly different from their previous incarnations. How this was going to translate to the actual figures remained to be seen. Toy engineers at Hasbro certainly had a challenge on their hands.

TF Prime figures appeared in online stores sometime in October (possibly even earlier). I started to see them in local retail this week. The first 3 figures in Wave 1 is now readily available. Taking a cue from the Japanese TF lines, figures in TF Prime are all numbered. 001 is Bumblebee, 002 is Arcee, and 003 is Starscream. In October, NYCC had an exclusive TF Prime 2-pack of Bumblebee and Arcee, repaints of 001 Bumblebee with New York taxi colors and patterns and 002 Arcee in her G1 pink. I wasted no time buying this set from Hasbrotoyshop.com when I learned of it. Then sometime this week I found 003 Starscream at my TRU. So I now possess the first 3 molds of TF Prime.

I’ve opened all 3 figures, so let me just say this now: Transformers Prime figures are awesome! I didn’t think it would be easy to translate the “TF Prime look” into real physical manifestations and still have working figures with both robot and alt modes resemble their show appearance, but Hasbro designers have outdone themselves. The engineering put into these figures is brilliant. Arcee and Starscream is particularly impressive, considering their skinny robot frames and sleek alt modes. Transformation of these two figures are both refreshing and ingenious. Bumblebee ain’t too shabby either, it’s just that we’ve seen similar figures of this quality from the Movie deluxe figures of the same name. But don’t let that stop you from buying one. If these 3 figs are a sign of things to come from the TF Prime line, then I’m looking forward to some great things.

But enough yapping from me. Check out the pics below for yourselves.

I may do reviews of these outstanding figures in the future. But if you don’t already have them, get them before they’re swiped off the shelves. Make no mistake. TF Prime figures are the real deal. Transform and Roll Out!

I think by now, all hardcore TransFans are aware of the serious distribution issues with Transformers figures from the Reveal the Shield (RtS) sub line. The usual hunting grounds for TFs, such as Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us, carried very little stock of figures from RtS, if at all. Being the avid TF hunter that I am, I was still able to find most of the ones I wanted from this line at the retailers I frequent. However, many figures were still nowhere to be seen.

That all changed when I started looking for TFs at discount stores. And by that I mean Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx. In the last few months, I was able to get some RtS figures that I couldn’t locate anywhere else. The discount stores also carry them at a much lower price. I’ve found Grapple, Lugnut, Deep Dive, and Strafe, all at $9.99 each. I’ve never seen the Voyager class figs at the usual places. Then came the Deluxes, usually at $6.99 each, such as Jazz, Tracks, Bumblebee, and Perceptor. These I’ve seen before, but it was still good to get extras at a discount.

But one class still eluded me: the small Legend class figures. I’ve seen the Legend RtS figs at BotCon, but I was not gonna pay what the dealers ask on them. BBTS had them for a while, but they quickly sold out. Sometime in the summer after BotCon, I was at a TJ Maxx near where the GF lives, and found Gold Bumblebee. I kept telling her what a rare find this was. And of course I quickly grabbed it. That was the only time I saw one. Until today! Feast your eyes on all the Legends that I was able to snag at Marshalls.

I grabbed everything I could find. Toys at discount stores are usually piled in a mess so you really have to dig through things. But it was well worth it. Like I said, I already have one Gold Bumblebee (and also its original repaint, Bumblebee from Universe), but it’s still good to get one extra. Besides that I found one Optimus and two Trailcutters. As far as I know, Trailcutter is the only update to Trailbreaker in any of the modern TFs, so I must have one (or two). At only $3.99 each, they were very affordable.

Unfortunately, RtS Legend Megatron was still nowhere to be found. That’s the one I really want too. Oh well, guess I’ll keep looking. Starscream and Prowl would be good to get too, if I see them.

As a sidebar, other than the 3 Legend figs that I can’t find, the only other RtS figures that I’ve never seen at any retailer, discount or otherwise, is deluxe Wreck-Gar and scout Windcharger. I got Wreck-Gar direct from Amazon one night when they had it for $14.99. Prices are usually much higher, and BotCon dealers wanted $40 to $50 for one. My buddy Gemini found a Wreck-Gar at Ross. Windcharger is officially cancelled by Hasbro so technically he shouldn’t be available anywhere, but some fans have reported seeing him in stores. I got mine from the Hasbro booth at BotCon, but I was forced to buy him along with many other figures.

I had started to give up on finding the Legend figs, but today’s hunt proved they can be found. Keep looking my fellow TransFans! Transform and Roll Out!

I recently had my pile of loot shipped out from BBTS. The first order in this pile was placed in early September, and I had it shipped middle of this month. This is the first time I’ve used POL. I gotta say, it’s a pretty cool feature to save on shipping. More on this later, but here’s what I had in this order:

• CA-03 Thundershred
• CA-04 Stormbomb
• CA-05 Backfiery
• Hercules Exgraver
• Voyager 2010 Series 02 – Battle Blades Optimus Prime
• Japanese Transformers Animated – TA02 Bumblebee
• Headrobots: Blood the Dark Warrior Upgrade Kit

As you might expect, all this stuff requires a Big Bad Toy Box.

It only cost about $10 to ship this. If you can combine orders into one shipment, which is what the POL feature is intended for, you can really save $$$. If I shipped all this separately, shipping cost would have easily came to around $40.

As of now I’ve only opened Exgraver and Bumblebee. Exgraver is an awesome figure! I plan to do a full review soon. The Japanese Animated Bumblebee is way better constructed than the US version. The shiny paint is a plus too. BBTS had this on sale. I recommend getting this one over the American Hasbro figure.

I can’t wait to check out the FP Insecticons. I had Battle Blades OP before, but it was defective so I returned it. Hopefully there are no issues with this one. Blood the Dark Warrior Upgrade Kit is designed to work with ROTF Bludgeon. I had to get this after seeing these pics.

Most of these are not official Hasbro/Takara products. I salute the 3rd party companies that will give us fans what Hasbro and Takara will not. Transform and Roll Out!

Today I’m showing off all my Human Alliance TFs. They’re called that because each TF comes with a human figure. All HA TFs are of the Movie-verse. Hasbro started this in ROTF. I don’t have that many. Here they are in a group pic.

The following are my scout class HA figs, all from DOTM.

Tailpipe and Pinpointer, with Sergeant Noble
Tailpipe is the black motorcyle, and Pinpointer acts as his Targetmaster weapon. The pic above has Tailpipe in robot holding Pinpointer as a weapon, while in the first pic, Sergeant Noble is riding Tailpipe as a bike while Pinpointer is a robot standing to the side. This figure is alright. Tailpipe is not a bad figure with both decent robot and alt modes. But Pinpointer is very poorly constructed. I like him as a weapon, but his robot mode is a joke. It’s difficult to place Sergeant Noble on Tailpipe to make it look like he’s riding. Attaching Pinpointer as a weapon on Tailpipe in bike mode also takes some work.

Sandstorm, with Private Dedcliff
In my opinion, this is the best of the HA scout figs. Sandstorm has both a spectacular dune buggy alt mode and a balanced robot mode. He’s well constructed and he holds poses well. Transformation is refreshing for a scout class figure. There’s good amount of detail too. Getting Private Dedcliff to ride in the dune buggy is also easy since there’s plenty of room and the roll cage can be lifted to get him in. If you can only get one one scout class HA fig, get this one. When the DOTM toys came out, this was one of the first TFs that I got and that was a good decision.

Whirl, with Major Sparkplug
Whirl is not too bad. I like him a little better than Tailpipe, but he’s not as good as Sandstorm. I like the helicopter mode. The chest area is a tad bulky in robot mode, and he appears as if he’s on skis. Transformation is fun. Major Sparkplug can fit inside the helicopter without too much trouble. I’m pretty sure this Sparkplug is an homage to the G1 character in name only.

Technically, all the scout class HA figs are triple changers. They all have a 3rd “weapon mode”. However, this 3rd mode doesn’t really do it for me. It seems like the toy designers simply chose some halfway configuration between the alt and robot modes and called it a 3rd mode. I usually don’t bother with this weapon mode.

Below are the full size HA figs.

Leadfoot and Steeljaw, with Sergeant Detour
Leadfoot is the red Target Impala. I like the alt mode. The sports cars is nice and sleek. He rolls well on a flat surface and all the pieces come together well. However, getting Sergeant Detour inside takes some work. There’s not enough area inside for the legs. Leadfoot has probably got one of the worst robot modes in recent TF memory. And because of that, I can’t really recommend this figure too much. Steeljaw is the robot dog next to him. He turns into a weapon.

Bumblebee, with Sam Witwicky
These two partners need no introduction. Some fans have argued that this is the best Movie Bumblebee figure ever made, while others think this figure is pure crap because of how the seats appear on the arms in robot mode. Personally I can’t decide which is the best Movie Bumblebee figure. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. But as for me, I like the HA figure. I have no complaints about the alt mode, and in robot mode the seat issue is not nearly as distracting as some fans make it out to be. If I’m forced to pick one, I probably choose deluxe Battle Blade Bumblebee from ROTF as the best Movie Bumblebee. But the HA figure would be a close second. The human figure looks kinda like Sam too so that’s a plus.

Jazz, with Captain Lennox
HA Jazz is without a doubt the best Movie Jazz made, and to my knowledge this is something most fans agree on. The deluxe Movie Jazz is a horrible figure. HA Jazz has none of those weaknesses. He’s got both a solid alt mode and a robust robot mode. This figure comes with a bike for Captain Lennox, and the bike becomes a weapon for Jazz in robot mode. He does have one weakness in car mode. There’s too much stuff underneath the vehicle, so on a flat surface there will be other things touching the ground in addition to the wheels. As a result he does not roll well, but that’s a small gripe. The Captain Lennox figure leaves a lot to be desired though. He looks nothing like Josh Duhamel.

Roadbuster, with Sergeant Recon
Roadbuster is the green Chevy Impala. He is by far the most difficult HA figure that I have come across. In fact, I think the difficulty here rivals most Binaltechs and Alternators. The HA figure is way better than the deluxe. He’s got a good alt mode and a good robot mode so definitely pick him up, but smaller kids will most likely need help to transform the guy. He’s also quite large when he’s standing in robot mode. If you can only get one HA fig from DOTM, get this one.

I really should have took pics of these guys in robot form, but I was too lazy to transform them all. Oh, BTW, all of these are Autobots. I think some Decepticon HA figures are slated for later, but we’ll see. Transform and Roll Out!

Sightings of TFs from the Generations line have been reported all over the web. On Seibertron.com, there are 97 sightings of Cybertronian Optimus Prime from WFC as of this writing. Amazon, Hasbrotoyshop, and TRU have been taking orders for them online. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for their availability in stores for some months now. For some odd reason, here in the West Coast they are still very scarce. But I finally located some at my local TRU this past Monday.

At this moment, my TRU is the only place that has them in very limited quantities. They are nowhere to be seen at my Walmarts or Targets. But I’m just glad I was able to get some. I will be opening these very soon and doing reviews. Until then, feast your eyes on these pics of them in the package.

Sharp TransFans will notice that Hasbro tweaked the Transformation Level on the package to more accurately describe the difficulty of the toy. Hasbro used to simply let the size of the toy dictate the Level, which was absurd. For Generations, Hasbro has extended the scale from 0 to 5 instead of the usual 1 to 4. All 4 figures in the above pics are Deluxe size, but their Levels are different. Prime and Bee are rated 4 for Advanced, Drift is 3 for Intermediate, and Thrust is 2 for Easy. I commend Hasbro for going with this approach.

The Classic line is currently my favorite line of TFs. Generations toys are a direct extension of this, so I couldn’t be more thrilled. There are many more toys planned for this line already, including Red Alert, Dirge, Cybertronian Soundwave, Blurr, Cybertronian Megatron, and many more that I’m forgetting. I eagerly look forward to all of them. Transform and Roll Out!

Transformers: War For Cybertron was finally released last Tuesday on June 22nd. I pre-ordered my copy from Barnes and Noble, who has an arrangement with Gamestop when it comes to fulfilling their video game orders. I had a B&N gift card, and I knew that Gamestop had exclusive content for Shockwave as a playable character. The game was shipped out on the 21st, and I received it on the 23rd.

I’ve had about a week to mess with the game now. Hands down, this is the best TF game ever made to date. In fact, I’m tempted to say this is the best game I’ve played all year, but I’ve only played for a about a week so I will reserve giving out such high praise until I’ve had more time. I’ve completed 5 solo campaigns on normal difficulty so there’s still much to be done. Besides, for this post I’m just going to throw out some random initial thoughts. I might do a full review later.

I love how the campaigns are set up. There are 10 chapters total. The first 5 chapters are Decepticon campaigns and the last 5 are Autobot campaigns. Only Chapter 1 and Chapter 6 are available initially, the first chapters of each faction. Completing one chapter will unlock the next chapter. Story wise, the events in each chapter occur sequentially to form a coherent story. So for the first half of the game, we learn how Megatron and his army set the stage for invasion, and in the last half of the game we see how the Autobots counteract this threat.

There are 3 characters for each campaign. It’s different for each chapter and they are pre-determined. For chapter 1 it’s Megatron, Brawl, and Barricade, while in chapter 6 it’s Optimus, Bumblebee, and Ratchet. You get to choose which one you want to play as in solo mode, and the other 2 will be computer controlled. You can also play the campaign in multiplayer co-op, up to 3 players per game. I can’t wait to try the multiplayer.

Each campaign is freakin’ long! It takes about 2 hours to do one. It’s a good thing the game will save automatically upon every check point, so you don’t have to do the whole 2 hours in one sitting. The game also automatically saves in the middle of a long boss fight (most of them go through multiple modes of attack), so if you die you don’t have to re-start the fight from the beginning.

WFC is essentially a third-person shooter. You move with the left analog stick and aim with the right. The controls are spot on and the gameplay is tight. You transform by pressing down on the left stick. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses. There are a bunch of different weapons in the game. You can only have 2 at a time, and the character you use will determine which ones you can equip. There are also special ability that each character can perform, for example Sideswipe has a spinning melee attack and Breakdown has a knock-down push attack.

Story wise, WFC takes place on Cybertron, long before the TFs arrived on Earth. Character designs and overall look and feel are most certainly G1 inspired, but many elements from War Within are here as well.

Graphically, WFC is a beauty to behold. This, along with FFXIII, are the best looking games I have seen on my PS3. The game only runs at 720p max which is disappointing as far as stats go, but I can’t seriously imagine any noticeable improvements even if they managed to get this to 1080p.

And the voice acting, they need to be mentioned. Those of us that are familiar with anime voice actors will be thrilled to know that this game feature some of the best talent in this industry. Long time anime voice veterans such as Crispin Freeman, Kari Wahlgren, and Steven Blum are here to lend their talents. And of course the great Peter Cullen is back as Optimus. Oh, Johnny Yong Bosch does the best Bumblebee I have heard since G1. They should permanently cast him as Bumblebee for every TF series from this point forward. Even the narrator, I don’t know who was cast in WFC, but he deserves big time props. He totally sounds like the G1 narrator that went “It is the year 2005” in the G1 Movie.

To sum up, I’m very impressed thus far. I might do a full review later. All TransFans go to your console of choice now! War For Cybertron has begun!

One Shall Stand. One Shall Fall.
War For Cybertron will make TransFans of all.
The game is out, so spread the news.
Failure to play, there is no excuse.
Choose your character and prepare for battle.
Get your game on, like Frenzy and Rumble.
Play it solo, dare to make your stand.
Or go for multiplayer, find a helping hand.
Play the game now, all day and all night.
Autobot or Decepticon, it is time to fight.
WFC kicks ass, there is no doubt.
Until All Are One… Transform and Roll Out!

Today is the final part of my 2009 BotCon pics. Part 2 appears here.

Cosplayers

Warpath
 

Sideswipe
 

Now that is one sexy Cobra Agent. I let her terrorize me any day.
 

Contest Entries

I’m not sure what the contest was for exactly, but there were plenty of impressive entries.

I’m not sure what this was so I’m just gonna lump this in here. Looks like some kind of Photoshop tutorial for TFs.
 

Last but certainly not least…

Tyrese! Yes ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Tyrese Gibson! Chief Master Sergeant Epps made a surprise appearance on the last day of BotCon, and the crowd just went wild! The fans stormed around him to get a chance to shake his hand and get his picture taken in the dealer’s room. I don’t know if Hasbro planned this or not, but the whole thing really felt like a surprise b/c it was not advertised at all. The lucky fans who were close enough during the surprise lined up for a chance at his autograph, but he only stayed for like 20 min and they ran out of stuff to sign real quick. I only managed to snap this pic of him from a distance, but it was still cool. Good to know that Tyrese cares about his fans.
 

Well, there you have it, my experience at BotCon 2009. It was unforgettable to say the least and I’m disappointed that I won’t be going this year. It is definitely on my radar for next year. But before I sign off this post, I should mention the stuff I bought at BotCon 2009. No trip to any anime/toy/comic convention is complete without acquiring some loot, and so with that, I proudly present a list of my BotCon 2009 Haul:

Henkei Thundercracker
Alternator Prowl (used)
Alternator Hound (used, and missing gun)
Alternator Skids
Sound Label Soundwave (spark blue)
Revoltech GR-2 (no. 021)
a Decepticon pillow
… and probably some other stuff that I can’t remember now.

TransFans unite… and heed this call… Transform and Roll Out!

BotCon 2010 is coming up in about a week. To celebrate this upcoming event, I thought I post pics of BotCon 2009.

Last year I attended my first BotCon. It was in Pasadena, in Southern California, not too far from where I grew up. Now I live in Northern California so in a way it was kinda like a homecoming, but of course I’m there for the robots.

BotCon 2009 was awesome! To be surrounded by people as passionate about Transformers as I am, the feeling was just overwhelming. I would love to go again this year in Florida, which also gives me a chance to check out Walt Disney World. However, going cross country would require some planning ahead of time, which I never really got around to. Maybe next year.

I did not have a blog in the summer of 2009, so this is as good a time as any to post the pics. Enjoy!

Convention Displays

“Revenge is Coming!” At the front entrance.
 

From a different angle.
 

That little girl snuck in there when I was taking this pic :).
 

Real life movie Optimus Prime in alt mode!
 

How did they get this truck in there?
 

Close up of the Autobot insignia. Now that’s bling.
 

Movie Bee!
 

Bee’s about to pee on that guy. I call it Bee Pee.
 

Dealers

This was one of the first dealer’s booths near the door. I think this was the official Hasbro booth where they sold toys (they had another bigger booth for events). At the time the TF figures you see here were all either unreleased, or just barely released.
 

Same dealer but to to left. I was feasting my eyes on these deluxe figures for the first time.
 

This is the “Gears of War” set, all accessories to make Classic figures more G1. I really wanted a set, but at $45 it was kinda hard to justify. Also a preliminary figure of Optimus in his Hearts of Steel incarnation, later released as Knight Morpher.
 

Same dealer, just slightly panned up in angle to show their nice statue of G1 Optimus. Looks like this was the RobotKingdom booth. I do not buy from them online b/c their shipping is simply ridiculous.
 

Stay tuned for Part 2… Transform and Roll Out!

February looks like another good month of robot action. I have acquired even more transforming robots. They are:

Robotech Masterpiece BETA Fighter VFB-9H by Toynami
This is a figure I have wanted for quite a while now. Toynami has made a reputation of producing figures of sub-par construction (I heard the Maia Sterling Shadow Alpha was even recalled), but the Beta appears to be the exception. I’ve seen very favorable reviews of this piece on many Youtube videos and blogs, so I look forward to this fighter with high anticipation. Word is that Toynami contracted a new factory in China to produce their figures, and the improved results are reflected in this piece. Prices over the holidays hovered around $130 to $140 at the low end while some dealers were asking $160+. So yesterday when I saw this on Ebay for $114 shipped Buy It Now, I jumped on it immediately. Actually, this was the price of many dealers and I don’t know what accounted for this price drop. Maybe all of a sudden Toynami recovered a lost stash somewhere, or maybe they simply decided to make more, who knows. But I’m glad I waited. I paid this morning and I’m hoping to get it by this weekend. I will be doing a review of this for sure. Stay tuned.

Transformers Animated Leader Class Bulkhead by Hasbro
Transformers Animated is officially over so I’m buying its figures while they’re still up for grabs. There’s not a whole lot left in the stores at this point. Last week I was once again at TRU to return my Samurai Prowl because of the broken peg issue. While I was there, I saw that they were clearing out all TFA Leader Class figures at $20 apiece. The only thing they had was Bulkhead. I’ve heard good things about him, and he is one of the central 5 Autobots in TFA, so I went ahead and bought him. That was a good decision b/c I am very impressed with this figure. He’s got a sturdy frame and nice clicky joints. The toy captured the Animated look extremely well, and his transformation is unique without being overly difficult. I won’t go into all the details here since I plan on doing a full review. But at $20, you owe it to yourself to get this if you haven’t already. At this price he’s one of the best TF values around.

Transformers Alternity Bumblebee by Takara
I was very impressed with Alternity Cliffjumper, and so I was also on the lookout Alternity Bumblebee. I generally don’t like buying repaints, but I’m a sucker for repaints of G1 characters. About 2 weeks ago, my buddy Gemini informed me that OtaCute had these on sale at $24.99 each. They also offer SAL shipping, and for one Alternity figure its about $8. I thought this was way too good to be true. But at this price we could not resist. Gemini already had Bumblebee and needed CJ, so we decided to combine our orders and save even more on ship. The grand total for 2 Alternities plus SAL ship came to only about $60. I still had my doubts, but this week they arrived just fine. OtaCute came thru no problem! These prices are unbeatable and I will definitely check OtaCute from now on when I need Japanese TFs. I already opened CJ so I will most likely keep Bee in the box.

More Robots = More Awesome. Transform and Roll Out!

TransFans rejoice! War For Cybertron has a new trailer! This one is more than 2 min long and contains narration by none other than the great Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime! Thanks to my buddy Gemini for bringing this to my attention.

I am absolutely lovin’ the designs of the WFC universe. This is without a doubt G1 inspired, with hints of War Within, Classics, and perhaps some Animated (minus all the cartooniness). Quality of Activision’s games have been kinda hit and miss recently, so I’m praying for TF:WFC to do well, which would maybe lead to a full line of TF figures and a CG major motion picture.

This reminds me, last summer at a party I met a girl that worked for Activision. She was a project manager for one of the Guitar Hero games. Damn I should’ve got her number. Not only was she single and cute, she could provide me with details of this game. Without going into details, she’s 3 degrees of separation from me, so I hoping to see her again…

But I’m getting off topic. The atmosphere of War For Cybertron is very much like that of War Within. The story is geared towards the mature TransFan. “The Autobots will never sacrifice freedom.” This line is giving me goose bumps. Go Optimus! Everything looks so good, I might even pre-order! If memory serves, I have not pre-ordered a game for over 10 years. That’s saying something.

One Shall Stand. One Shall Fall.
War For Cybertron will make TransFans of all.
Michael Bay knows not what TFs are about.
Until All Are One… Transform and Roll Out!