Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am home for the long weekend to spend it with my family, and I hope all of you had a safe and happy holiday.

I know this is a little late, but seeing as how I haven’t posted anything in a long time, I felt compelled to write something. It wasn’t my intention to ignore this blog in the month of November, but I’m just way too busy with other things, such as work, the holidays, planning for my upcoming move, some personal matters, and too many other misc issues to list. Anyway, Thanksgiving long weekend is coming to a close so I think it’s appropriate to list out some TFs I have found in the last several days.

On Black Friday I went to Target. I didn’t get there til 11am so it’s possible all the good stuff are gone, but it’s not really my style to get in line the night before and spend hours in the cold just to get some good deals. Anyway, the only TFs I saw on sale were some Power Core Combiners. Each set was going for only $10. Not a bad deal, so I picked up the only two kind they had left.

Stakeout’s limb components are called Protectobots. So I guess he’s a homage to the G1 team of the same name. Crankcase looks like a homage to Stunticons, seeing as he’s got Motormaster’s color scheme and the combined head sculpt is like Menasor. I do have Huffer so I already know how Crankcase will be like, though I haven’t opened either of these so I’m curious about their combination mechanism. But seeing as how the limb components do not transform, I’m really not too excited about these. I just figured I buy them since the price was good.

On Saturday I went to Walmart, and found some Cybertron repaints in the Universe line. Not sure if these are Walmart exclusives. I was not even aware of these so they weren’t something I was looking for. In fact, I don’t even know if these are new or leftovers from previous years. But at $4 each I bought them for the heck of it.

I opened both of these. They’re alright at $4, but if they costed anymore, I would not recommend them. They’re not worth reviewing so I’ll just state some thoughts real quick. I like both their alt modes, but each figure does have weaknesses. Brakedown’s construction leaves a little to be desired. Brushguard’s arms are always bent at the elbow, and there’s already a lot of kibble in the arm area, so posing his arms are very difficult. I do like his Wolverine like claws, however.

Oh, in case you haven’t noticed, this is Brakedown, not Breakdown. I wasn’t even paying attention when I bought it so I simply assumed this is an update of Breakdown of G1 Stunticon fame.

Well, that’s about it. I was hoping to find some new Generations figures over the long weekend, such as Blurr, Dirge, or Soundwave, but no such luck. Too bad. But I was able to find a good deal on PSP for cheap at Target. The were selling the Black Friday bundle for only $127! This bundle includes the PSP 3000, Karate Kid on UMD, Little Big Planet, and a 1GB memory stick. I’ve wanted a PSP for some time now. At this price it was a no brainer.

Sometimes I wonder what kind of holidays they would have on Cybertron. LOL. Transform and Roll Out!

It is that time again my friends! Welcome to the 3rd edition of Before Carly on this blog! As usual, I’ll start with the official description that was on Seibertron.com:

“Spike is quite the ladies man. He eventually married Carly, but she was not the only one to have fun in the backseat of Bumblebee.”

When does Spike find time to have fun with all these babes? Your guess is as good as mine.

The name of each girl is made to sound like various characters in the TF universe, and each part of every name is based on real names I’ve seen. See how many TFs you can identify. Highlight over the name of each girl (written in red) to reveal the answer.

Enjoy the pics!

In case you missed it, here are the previous Before Carly posts:
Before Carly
Before Carly 2

Transform and Roll Out!

Megatron is the only being on Cybertron who had the will and charisma to organize the destructive mechanoids into a deadly and powerful fighting force that would become the Decepticons. One does not become such a respected and feared leader without a few cool lines.

The great Decepticon ruler has a bunch of famous quotes that you can use in your everyday work life. I have compiled 10 such lines and they appear below in no particular order. Beware! Megatron’s words are aggressive to say the least. Choose to use them at your own risk.

“Peace through tyranny.”
Source: Megatron’s motto on his Tech Spec bio since G1
Context: N/A
When to use: If you are seen as rigid or controlling around the office, validate your behavior with this line. Let people know that your bossy ways can lead to harmony if they simply stopped questioning your orders and do what they’re told.
 

“The fun has begun, but it’s no joke.”
Source: Transformers (1984), Blaster Blues
Context: A captured Blaster thinks Megatron is joking about taking control of all of Earth’s airwaves. Megatron shows him how serious he is.
When to use: You are making everyone work overtime and the staff thinks you can’t possibly be serious. Use this quote to show them you are all business.
 

“I smell you, boy.”
Source: Transformers (2007)
Context: Sam’s got the All Spark and he’s hiding. Megatron lets him know that such attempts are futile.
When to use: A male coworker is stinking up the workplace. It can be anything: BO, bad breath, too much cologne, foul-smelling lunches, whatever. Don’t be afraid to let him know with this line.
 

“Personally I don’t care what you need.”
Source: Transformers (1984), The Golden Lagoon
Context: Megatron dismisses Starscream’s need for more proof of the electrum recently discovered by Thurst.
When to use: A co-worker is constantly bugging you with questions, emails, phone calls, or whatever else that might harsh your mellow. If they can’t take a hint by you ignoring them, then it’s time to throw this line in their face.
 

“I’ll crush you with my bare hands!”
Source: Transformers the Movie (1986)
Context: Megatron makes his intentions perfectly clear before his one-on-one duel with Optimus Prime.
When to use: Your office computer froze up yet again for some mysterious reason. There’s another paper jam in the office printer or copier. The coffee machine is not brewing. If you experience these or any other equipment failure in your work day, vent your frustration with this line as you pound these worthless devices into oblivion.
 

“Yeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssss.”
Source: Pick any random episode during Beast Wars and there’s a good chance Megatron says this in the episode.
Context: Megatron showing agreement, or confirming what he’s already decided.
When to use: This one has lots of uses. You can simply use it to say yes. Or you can use it to show excitement. Or you can follow up any order you give with this to let them know you really want it done. However it’s all about the delivery. You need to say it just like Beast Wars Megatron for it to be effective.
 

“I’ve got morons on my team!”
Source: Transformers (1984), Auto Berserk
Context: Megatron was driving the Negavator and about to blast some Autobots, when a bumbling Ramjet crashes into the cockpit of the weapon, ejecting Megatron in the process. An enraged Megatron then proceeds to chew out his warriors.
When to use: Your boss wants to know why a team project has stalled, been delayed, or failed entirely. Blame your idiotic team members before they can blame you by using this line.
 

“Do as I command!”
Source: Family Guy, Oceans Three and a Half
Context: Megatron appears in a gag where he orders Peter to put back some money that they were about to steal.
When to use: This quote is useful any time you want to bark out orders. Pound your fist on your desk while using this line for the full effect.
 

“It’s just such ignorance which forever relegates you to the ranks of underling.”
Source: Transformers (1984), A Prime Problem
Context: Starscream was about to harness the energy of some unstable crystals when Megatron stops him, but right afterwards he wasted no time mocking Starscream’s stupidity.
When to use: Your subordinate has made yet another boneheaded mistake and you really want to let him have it. That is the perfect time to use this quote. No feelings will be spared when this line is used on the person that committed the error.
 

“Retreat!”
Source: Pick any random episode during G1 and there’s a good chance Megatron says this in the episode.
Context: The Autobots have foiled Megatron’s plans yet again. Megatron orders the Decepticons to withdraw with their tails between their legs.
When to use: You have alienated everyone in the office by using these lines and acting like a total jerk. Your co-workers are out for blood and want to see you hurt. Get out of the office while the getting’s good. Recite this line as you exit the premises.
 

For a list of Optimus Prime quotes useful in the workplace, click here.

Megatron commands you to… Transform and Roll Out!

This following vid must be seen to be believed! This is the funniest TF vid I have seen in a long time. Thanks to Gemini for pointing this out.

I have always been a fan of TF vids done by ngsmoov. Check out the website here.

Swan Dive! Transform and Roll Out!

Optimus says a lot of cool things. Most of it is very inspirational and motivates you to achieve beyond your full potential. Occasionally he’ll spew out a wacky line or two that seems kinda funny when it wasn’t meant to be.

The great Autobot leader has a bunch of famous quotes that you can use in your everyday life. I have compiled 10 such lines and they appear below in no particular order. Use them at your own risk.
 

“Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.”
Source: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
Context: Sam Witwicky, being the whiny little bitch that he is, just wants to party his head off at the local U in the middle of a Decepticon invasion. Prime urges Sam to answer his calling and help the Autobots save Earth and everyone on it.
When to use: If you are in charge of a project and your whiny staff members are just watching the clock and waiting to go home, inspire them a little by using this line. Suggest that the project is their calling and they are the only ones who can see it to completion. You can always fire their sorry ass if they are still unmotivated.
 

“Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.”
Source: Optimus Prime’s motto on his Tech Spec bio since G1
Context: N/A
When to use: If your boss wants you to work overtime on nights and/or weekends with no overtime pay, throw this line in his face. Freedom is a right, including freedom to not work.
 

“Sometimes even the wisest of men and machines can be in error.”
Source: Transformers (1984), SOS Dinobots
Context: After the Dinobots saved Optimus and most other Autobots, Prime admits his previous error in judgment of locking away the Dinobots.
When to use: This is an excellent line to use when you have made an error and people have found out about it. Not only do you man up to the mistake you made, you also make the implication that errors are bound to happen and they will be made by everyone given enough time. Almost makes you look good for making the mistake in the first place.
 

“We lost a great comrade, but gained new ones. Thank you, all of you. You honor us with your bravery.”
Source: Transformers (2007)
Context: After the battle with the Decepticons, Prime laments the loss of Jazz, but simultaneously acknowledges their new found friendship with their human allies.
When to use: Management loves to save dollars by slashing the jobs of senior level personnel and replacing them with cheaper workers of less skill and less experience. The thinking here is that the company can pay less and still get the same quality of work as before. Those of us that have been in any industry long enough know that this is rarely the case. But we all know management just loves bad decisions so this is a practice that will continue til the end of time. And when it does happen and you are welcoming the new substitutes into the fold, you can greet them with this line. Losing the great comrade refers to the senior member that was let go, and the new personnel does indeed honor you with their bravery because they have no idea what they’re getting into without the senior member present.
 

“Like us, there’s more to them than meets the eye.”
Source: Transformers (2007)
Context: Optimus ponders on how amazing the humans can be.
When to use: Let’s say you suspect a rival company is up to something. Or let’s say there’s some bad blood going on between your dept/team/group with another one in the same company and you suspect they’re up to no good. That will be the perfect time to whip out this line. You are implying they can be just as crafty as you are, and this is a light warning that you should take heed of their activities.
 

“I will accept this burden with all that I am!”
Source: Transformers War For Cybertron
Context: Cybertron/Primus has chosen Optimus to inherit a portion of his Spark to take with him to the stars. Optimus bravely steps forward and receives the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.
When to use: You have just been handed a project and you want to let your boss know he has made the right choice in letting you hold the reins. Show your enthusiasm by uttering this line, loud and clear. Don’t be shy. Management loves people who appear to take responsibility. If the project really does suck, turn around and give it to one of your underlings.
 

“There’s a thin line between being a hero and being a memory.”
Source: Transformers (1984), More Than Meet’s The Eye Part 3
Context: Ironhide tries to battle the Decepticons all by himself and sustains damage. Optimus shares a bit of wisdom with this impulsive warrior that is way past his prime.
When to use: In every office, there are individuals that love to volunteer the entire team into taking on more assignments or doing more work. While that’s great for these over-caffeinated workaholics, you rather spend your spare time napping or playing golf. Curb their enthusiasm by using this quote. Pretend you care by letting them know that if they do too much too soon, they may burn themselves out and not be able to work at all.
 

“We’re putting your company into bankruptcy.”
Source: Transformers (1984), Make Tracks
Context: Prime and company attack a Decepticon installation that was converting stolen human cars into Decepticon drone warriors.
When to use: You are negotiating with a rival company. Thing’s aren’t going well and you’ve had enough. Threaten them a little with this quote. Show them the meaning of “Hostile Takeover”, Transformer style.
 

“Until that day… till all are one.”
Source: Transformers The Movie (1986)
Context: A dying Optimus Prime addresses the Autobots with these final words as he hands the Matrix over to Ultra Magnus.
When to use: A delivery date is fast approaching and your boss wants an update on the status of the project. If the project is not going well, or if you simply don’t have any freakin’ clue on how it’s going, then it is time to answer with this line. This response is cool enough that it sounds like you have given the update and taken responsibility for its status, but at the same time you didn’t actually say anything. Your boss is free the interpret the meaning of this response. More often than not, he’ll just be too embarrassed to ask you what you really mean because he’s afraid he might look stupid. Use that to your advantage.
 

“It’s been an honor serving with you all.”
Source: Transformers (2007)
Context: Optimus addresses his troops before their next battle, where he plans to sacrifice himself against overwhelming odds.
When to use: When you’ve been fired for using any of these quotes in the manner listed above.
 

For even more great Prime quotes, visit The Quotable Optimus Prime.

And here is one quote that you won’t ever hear in the workplace… “Transform and Roll Out!”

I love the Masterpiece line. Figures made in the MP line are most definitely worthy of the Masterpiece designation. They are well-designed, show accurate, large, robust, and possess complex transformations that would appeal to the mature Transfan. MPs are the ultimate interpretation of G1 characters in their G1 incarnations. The only exception to this rule I can think of is Movie MP Starscream. In the US he is released as a Leader class ROTF figure. I’m not sure why Hasbro chose to release him as a MP in Japan. Maybe they just want to milk the MP brand.

The next MP to be released is Rodimus Prime. News of his upcoming release came out either last month or the month before. But at that time we only had very early prototype pics that were not colored. I’m happy to report that there are more finalized pics of MP Rodimus Prime. Click here for the full report. The post is in Japanese but you can still drool over the pics.

Go Rodimus! He’s getting some big time love in 2010. In addition to this, there is the FansProject Protector add-on for Classics/Henkei Rodimus that I reported earlier in the year. There is also an Animated Rodimus Minor toy that many people have already reported sightings of. 2010 is looking like the year of Rodimus! I must have all of these!

Right after Hot Rod became Rodimus Prime, his first directive to Autobots inside Unicron was… Transform and Roll Out!

Today is exactly 2 months after Transformers War For Cybertron was released, and there is already a DLC available for the game. Activision and High Moon wasted no time.

New material from the DLC includes 5 new characters and 4 new maps available for the online multi-player modes. The new characters are Onslaught, Scattershot, Shockwave, Jazz, and Demolishor. I checked PSN last night and this add-on is available to download for $9.99. Not a bad deal considering what you are getting. Check out the trailer below.

I’m glad that this DLC was released so I can have all the new characters. But at the same time, I’m a little peeved that some of these characters were advertised to be store exclusives and now they are available to everyone. I bought the game from Barnes and Noble (who gets it from Gamestop) because I thought that was the only way to get Shockwave. I had a feeling that all the “exclusive” characters were going to be available for download sometime later, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. If I knew the DLC was going to be released less than 2 months into it, I would’ve bought the game elsewhere.

Still, Jazz is one of my all time favorite characters. Onslaught is from my favorite combiner team (the Combaticons). I have a thing for the Technobots, of which Scattershot is the leader. So I will most likely be downloading this. Though I get the nagging feeling that I was nickel-and-dimed over the whole ordeal by Sony and Activision and High Moon and B&N and Gamestop and whoever else got a piece of my hard earned money.

I’ve completed the single player campaigns so its time for multi-player. Transform and Roll Out!

April 24th, 2004. I was browsing Amazon late that night. I don’t remember what I was looking for, but I stumbled upon G1 Transformers re-issues sold by Toys R Us through Amazon. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them! I loved Transformers when I was a kid, and there were a bunch of figures that I wanted but never had. My allowance was next to nothing, and my parents wouldn’t buy them (money wasn’t the issue, they were just strict). I was not going to pass up the opportunity at owning what I always wanted. So I went ahead and bought Skywarp and Grapple, the two figures that were on sale. That purchase marked the beginning of my TF collecting for the last 6+ years. It might have just started out as G1 re-issues, but then I discovered Binaltechs in the summer at AX2004. From there it went to Alternators and Masterpieces. Then came the classics, the movie toys, and then Animated toys. That one little innocent purchase on 04-24-2004 opened the floodgates to a serious Transformers addiction. It had impacted me in ways that I could not have foreseen.

I started this blog October of last year, and I thought it would be fun to list all my TFs on the TF List page. Last night I updated it and looked at the total. I now have… drum roll please… 300 Transformers. 300! I knew I was coming close to this number, but actually seeing it both amazed and shocked me. That’s a freakin’ boatload of Transformers!

300 Transformers in about 6 years and 4 months. Do the math and rounding up, that translates to roughly 4 figures a month. It doesn’t sound like a lot when you think in those terms. I guess they just add up. Check out my TF list here.

And to commensurate this momentous occasion, I present the following video. G1 Movie trailer cut to the audio of 300. Very cool. This is one of my favorite fan-made TF vids of all time.

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!

There appears to be a drought of TFs released by Hasbro over the last few months, at least for me on the West Coast. I think the only figures offered by Hasbro at this moment are the Generations figures and the “Hunt for the Decepticons” sub-line of ROTF figures. I haven’t seen the Generations figures anywhere, despite the fact their sightings are reported all over the internet now and many online retailers have them in stock. I’ve only seen the Hunt for the Decepticons figures at one Toys R Us in my area and they’re supposed to be everywhere too. Oh, btw, I picked up the leader class Starscream recently released in this line. He’s a great figure. I may do a review on him in the near future.

To illustrate my point about the drought, I looked thru my records of TF purchases and since March I have only acquired 3 newly released figures: Animated Arcee, ROTF Mindwipe, and the aforementioned leader class ROTF Starscream. I’ve reviewed Arcee, and both Mindwipe and Starscream are recommended figures. For me, buying only 3 new TFs over a period of 5 months is like Kobe Bryant taking only 3 shots in a game.

However this is not to say I only bought 3 figures for this entire period. I did buy more TFs, but they are either old figures that I never got, old figures that I decided to get more of, or non-Hasbro Transformers (such as FansProject products). And I pre-ordered some TFs recently, which is the topic today.

I’m really not a fan of pre-orders. I only do them when it appears that pre-ordering is the only way I’ll be able to get something. If possible, I prefer to just go down to the store and buy my TFs (or any other collectibles for that matter), or wait until after the whole pre-ordering period and buy them from any number of sources. I realize that retailers like this system b/c they can use it as a way to gauge demand. And sure, pre-ordering gives the impression that if you pre-order, you will have “secured” the item and thus you will be guaranteed a copy when it’s released. But this system really doesn’t solve anything for the consumer. For extremely limited items, all it does is move up the point in time at which potential buyers compete to place the order. At the time of pre-order, there are usually no real reviews of the item from other people, so if the item turn out to suck, you’re stuck with it. Pre-orders usually can’t be canceled, and the item often can’t be returned or replaced. Some retailers even require part or whole payment up front. Sometimes the retailer don’t get enough stock from their distributors, so even if you pre-order you’re still not guaranteed one. And sometimes the retailer gets way too many that after the pre-order period, they can’t get rid of them fast enough so the item becomes way cheaper than what you paid for it. And more often than not, pre-orders don’t get released at their stated release dates, so budgeting can be an issue for the hardcore collector. The whole system just sucks.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. This wasn’t the purpose of the post. I guess when I started to think about pre-orders, how much I hate the system just flooded over me. Most of the pre-order horrors that I experienced had to do with anime PVCs (which for the most part I no longer collect). Fortunately, I usually don’t pre-order TFs. But it does happen from time to time and stuff I pre-ordered recently appears below.
 

Crossfire 02 Munitioner and Explorer by FansProject
I touched on these already. Look at this post for the full details. However I just pre-ordered on these last weekend from TF Source. I got the combo deal so I saved myself $7.99, though that’s really not a whole lot considering how much they are to begin with. Supposedly their release is pushed back to late August, but some fans appears to already have them in hand! I don’t know what the deal is, but FansProject is obviously done. I can’t wait to get mine.
 

G1 Seacons by Hasbro, exclusively from BBTS

At Botcon this year, news came around of a re-issue of the complete Seacons set in their G1 colors. Supposedly the Seacons have never been re-issued since G1. I’m not sure if this was meant to be a Botcon exclusive at the time. This is an official Hasbro product, but it is released exclusively thru BBTS, and it might have first been available at Botcon. So yeah, not sure what is the exact nature of this threesome, but BBTS is making this available to everyone on their website. There is a July release that retails for $74.99, and a later August release that is slightly cheaper at $59.99. I’m on a mission to buy all the G1 combiners so buying this was a no brainer. But I’m not in a hurry to get this so I went for the August release. Check BBTS for complete details. I have two Seacons from G1, Seawing and Overbite. Seawing is complete and in great shape. I think I got him at a Osco Drug. Overbite is in good shape too, but I don’t have any of his accessories. Actually, I don’t even remember buying him. But regardless, I’m glad at the chance to own the whole set.
 

Faith Leader by iGear

The Masterpiece G1 Optimus Prime figure has been around for quite some time now. It is hands down the greatest Optimus Prime figure ever made. Size-wise, this figure was made to scale with other MP figures (up to a certain point) and figures from the Binaltech/Alternator line. While that’s great, Hasbro has been scaling down the figures in recent years. For example, MP Grimlock is only about the size of the MP Seekers, and Alternity figures are way smaller than Binaltechs/Alternators. This creates a problem for MP Prime as he is now way too big in relation to these newer figures. And so enter iGear. Like FansProject, they are in no way related to Hasbro. Their PP01“Faith Leader” is supposed to be every bit identical to MP Prime, with the exception that it’s smaller so it will scale better with classic figures and MP Grimlock. Faith Leader in truck mode is almost the exact same size as Classics Optimus Prime in truck mode, but in robot mode Faith Leader is much bigger. I’m told the first batch of PP01 sold out real fast. So when the 2nd PP01 went up for sale, I pre-ordered with a quickness. Faith Leader is about $100 with around $18 ship to the United States. It is available only thru the iGear website and they require payment upfront. These policies definitely made it a turn-off and normally I would not even consider playing by these rules. But this is something I really want and I’ve heard good things about the figure so I pre-ordered one. I normally don’t keep track of the statuses of my pre-orders, but I already paid for this in full so I’m watching it with more diligence than usual. Still, my decision to pre-order Faith Leader is somewhat questionable. It’s expensive, there’s no diecast like the MP, you gotta pay in advance, and technically it’s a smaller knock-off of a Hasbro product. This is not a feel-good purchase for me, and I put the blame partially on iGear and partially on myself. Maybe after I get Faith Leader I will have something more positive to say. Peaugh’s video review of the figure appears below.

These are all the outstanding TF pre-orders I have at this time. I’m hoping they will all get to me by the end of August, but with pre-orders you never know. I intend to do reviews of all these figures.

Stay cool my fellow TransFans, and until next time… Transform and Roll Out!