Out of all the Transformer lines that I collect, Transformers Animated is the most recent one next to ROTF. I admit, when I first saw the Animated designs, I was like, “WTF?!” For a G1 purist, the cartoony and whimsical look of TFA was an absolute abomination. It was easy for me to disregard the show completely.

But being the hardcore TransFan that I am, I couldn’t stay away for long. I first saw the Animated toys back in the summer of 2008. I didn’t buy any, but they did grab my attention. I was impressed with the way the toys looked, but at the same time I wasn’t sure if I wanted to invest in a line in which I do not intend to watch the show. Fast forward to around April or May of 2009. I was at Target when I happened upon this Voyager Sunstorm and Activator Ratchet 2-Pack for a measly $5! I wasn’t collecting TFA, but it would have been a crime to not buy the set at such a price. And so I made the purchase and these two became my first TFA figures, one whole year after the initial launch of the line.

I opened the set sometime later, and I was thoroughly impressed with Sunstorm. I was still skeptical of the cartoony design, but I was impressed by the mechanical engineering of the toy and how well it captured that animated look. The Sunstorm figure was robust and had good articulation. The transformation from robot to jet was clever, and the toy designers succeeded in integrating the animated style as part of the transforming function to produce a high-quality figure.

As collectors, we all know that once you buy that first piece in a set or line, you have opened the floodgates to the rest of that line. And so I started to acquire more TFA figures. My next purchase actually came from Cragislist. I bought 15 figures for $80 from zversus. He’s both a big TF fan and a big Gundam fan so check out his youtube vids. But anyway, they were all in really good shape, and with a modest $85 investment I now own 17 TFA figures. Not a bad start to the collection of this line if I dare say so myself.

Between then and now, I bought about half a dozen more TFA figures. I found good deals on all of them. Ultra Magnus I found with my buddy Gemini at TRU for $20 (he got one too). I had a coupon for Wreck-Gar. The only exception was Leader class Megatron. I paid MSRP for him at Amazon, but I don’t regret it one bit b/c he’s such a cool figure. Overall, I’m very impressed with the Animated line of toys. I’m still kinda turned off by their designs, but over time it has kinda grown on me. At least now I find it tolerable. And their looks are still heads and shoulders above the bug-like designs of the Michael Bay TFs. Gemini gave me the Season 2 DVD for xmas and I shall be watching it soon.

But back to the post at hand. Prowl is a character I wanted for a while in this line because, well, he’s Prowl. He’s a very important character in G1, 2nd in command only to Prime in the first two seasons. In Animated he’s one of the 5 central Autobots. I love both ninjas and samurais so I was looking for the Samurai version. I was very happy to find him on the shelves of TRU on Tuesday. I had to pay MSRP, but at this point I’m not really complaining. TFA is officially over, so once these figures are gone, they’re gone.

I will be opening him soon and doing a full review. Stay tuned… Tranform and Roll Out!

I’m starting the new year right! This weekend I bought some more Transformers and Macross stuff and I got good deals on all of them. Here’s what I acquired:

Macross Zero SV-51r Gumma Nora Type Valkyrie 1/60 Scale by Yamato
Yamato always produces great Macross fighters. My most recent Yamato purchase before this weekend was the VF-11B from Macross Plus. Other Yamatos I have include the 1/60 scale YF-19 (with fold booster and fast pack, purchased separately) and a whole bunch of 1/60 VF-1 fighters that were made in the early 2000s (non-Perfect-Transform versions). I am happy to add the SV-51r to my Macross collection. The best part: I found a brand new one for $160 shipped! The English site of AmiAmi had one on sale at 50% off which was only about $113. Shipping from Japan is expensive, but at $160 total it’s still a steal for a Perfect Transform 1/60 scale Yamato. I’ve wanted the SV-51r for a while now. It’s very different from fighters in the VF line and I can’t wait for this piece to arrive.

Transformers Alternators Wheeljack by Hasbro
I love figures from the Binaltech/Alternator line. This line is now officially discontinued and there are figures I regret not buying when I had the chance. Alternator Wheeljack is one of these figures. Prices for Alternators are usually ridiculously high on Ebay, and for Binaltechs it’s even more so. But this weekend I was able to find one at a reasonable price. I won the auction at about $30 shipped for a brand new Alternator Wheeljack. Not a bad price at all considering what some other dealers ask for. I already have the Grimlock mold (in both Binaltech and Alternator) so I know how this transforms, but Wheeljack does have a different head mold and nice blue racing stripes that makes it worth adding him to my collection.

Transformers Alternity Cliffjumper by Takara
When I first started this blog, I made a post about whether or not I should buy Alternity Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. Well, this weekend I finally caved and saw a good auction for Cliffjumper on Ebay, so I went for it. I won the auction at $47 shipped. This was pretty much the pre-order price at many online toy sites, but I missed my chance and now most dealers are asking for him in the mid-50 dollar range. I’m glad I was able to find one without paying any markup. The only reason I hesitated on pre-ordering these guys is b/c Seibertron made a post about his chest and mid section being too bulky, resulting in a chubby figure. But then I saw this Youtube review by Peaugh that offered a very different opinion. So yeah, had to have him. Now I still need to buy Bumblebee.

I just paid for all these guys and I’m hoping they arrive in a week. I will be doing reviews of all of these… if I decide to open them. So stay tuned…

I’m off to see what else I need to buy… keep shopping my fellow TransFans… 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!

This is a post that’s long overdue. I found ROTF Bludgeon on Christmas Eve at Walmart. He’s still quite rare as of this writing, only 24 sightings on Seibertron and only 1 on the West Coast where I am. Very happy I was able to find him right before Xmas. I would have posted about this sooner. But things have been kinda hectic for me since Xmas and the commotion still hasn’t died down yet, so I haven’t got to opening him or writing about him. But check out these pics of him in the box.

This Bludgeon might officially be in the ROTF line, but his roots are most definitely G1. In G1 he was a Pretender. His shell consisted of Japanese samurai armor with the face of a human skull, and his alt mode was a tank when he was out of the shell. In the ROTF incarnation, the alt mode remains similar, but the robot mode resembles the G1 shell. Very cool indeed. His colors stay true to the G1 version. The master of Metallikato plays a fairly prominent role in many of the comic books, such as G1 US Marvel, War Within, and Stormbringer. It’s good to see his toy done right and receive the proper attention he deserves.

I will open him soon and do a proper review. Until then… Transform and Roll Out!

Happy New Year to everyone out there! Let this mark the end of 2009 as we look forward to a new age of peace and prosperity. Until All Are One!

Maybe 2009 was a great year for you and you are tearful to say goodbye, or maybe 2009 sucked and you can’t wait for 2010. Whatever the case, for today’s special New Year post, I’m going to give you reasons why 2010 will be a great year for TransFans.

The above image kicks ass and was done by Dream-Echo. Please check out his page on deviantart. It is very fitting for today’s special post.

Transformers: War for Cybertron
There ain’t that many Transformers video games out there, and what little there is usually sucks. However, looks like there will be a great one for all TransFans in 2010. Transformers: War for Cybertron by Activision is shaping up very nicely. Believe me when I say I have not been this excited about a game in a long time. I have 2 geek loves in this world: Tranformers and video games. If I was to compile a list of my video games, it is probably even longer than my TF List. To see these two genres combined like a Gestalt into one quality package of pure gaming bliss, I don’t even have the words. Tentative release date is April 2010. Check out the vid for yourself!

More ROTF Figures
You might think that we have seen all the ROTF figures by now, and you would be wrong. Hasbro really knows how to milk us loyal fans, but fortunately they saved some of the best in this line for 2010. Take a look at scans from this latest TF catalog that I got with ROTF Dirge.

Some of these figures are already released, but many are slated for 2010. I got Dirge and Bludgeon, and in 2010 I’m looking forward to Mindwipe, Lockdown, and Brawn. Hasbro should be paying me for this announcement.

Last of the TFA Figures
In 2009 we said farewell to TF Animated, but some figures are still due in 2010. Among these I’m looking forward to Rodimus Minor and Arcee.

I am lovin’ the Rodimus mold. His alt mode and his colors are so G1. The Arcee figure is also a must have. This is probably the most accurate Arcee figure ever produced in the history of TF. In it’s about damn time Arcee got a Cybertronian car for an alt mode as opposed to a motorcycle. Come to think of it, I’ve always wondered why the fembots transform into motorcycles all the time. Are their TransScanning technology more limited than the males? Or maybe they think the sleek and sexy lines of a bike more accurately reflect themselves?

New Figures from FansProject
FansProject looks to have a big year in 2010. I’ve already touched on TFX Warbot Defender (AKA Springer) in this previous post. And it looks like they have a Gestalt add-on for the Combaticons that will embarrass Hasbro for not making it in the first place. Check the FansProject website for pics an details.

Return of Classic/Universe figures
I don’t have anything solid on this, but word is Hasbro will bring back the Classic/Universe line in 2010. I’ve mentioned repeatedly that this is currently my favorite line of TFs, so to see these make a comback in 2010, I cannot be more thrilled. I’m hoping they complete the G1 cars of Season 1. This means Jazz, Wheeljack, and Trailbreaker. Rumor has it that Wheeljack is in the works, but that is purely speculative. Has it occurred to anyone else that, not counting repaints, the Classic/Universe line does not have any Leader Class figures? I think Omega Supreme would be a good choice to be the first Leader Class in this line. But whatever they decide to do, I’m glad 2010 will mark the return of this line.

Botcon 2010
I attended Botcon 2009, and had a blast! Botcon 2010 is set to be in Florida. I would love to go again, but l live on the West Coast so I’m gonna have to think it over. But TransFans in the area should definitely go. Heck, every TransFan should go, even if you live in, say, Mongolia. (No offense to any TransFan in Mongolia. From my blog stats I have not seen any one from Mongolia, so it seems like a safe place to pick on 🙂 )

No Michael Bay in 2010
That in itself is good news. I can sleep soundly at night knowing that, in 2010, Michael Bay will not be making another atrocity that will further disrespect my beloved TFs. He might in 2011, but that’s for another post at least a year away.

So what do you think? Will 2010 be another banner year for TransFans? I have no doubts. Let us look forward to the future in 2010 as we continue to strengthen ourselves and our commitment to the TF movement. We as TransFans stand for justice and stability, but we do not fear change. We strive for peace and friendship that will unite us across all galaxies. We will rise above hatred, deceit, and evil in 2010, and this is the year we will once again defeat Megatron and his evil minions!

I am Hsunami Prime, and I send this message to all TransFans taking refuge among the stars… Transform and Roll Out!

I am still home for the Holidays, and today I am going to show you all my figures from Transformers Generation 2.

Yes, I admit it, I have G2 TFs. In my “About” page and some other posts, I mentioned that my TF “hiatus” ran from 1988 to 2004. That is not technically accurate. In the summer of 1994 (right after sophomore year in college.. oh how I miss those days) I bought several G2 figures, all of them you see in the pics below. 1994 was also the first year that I attended Anime Expo (and had a blast), and I think that may have helped to get me looking at toys again. But this TF love affair lasted only a few short months, and let’s face it, G2 was a very forgettable era in TF history. So can you blame me when I usually don’t mention G2? Heck, most casual TF fans don’t even know what G2 is.

Back in college I never thought I buy toys again for myself (oh how wrong I was!). I remember the first time I saw them in 1994, I was at Fedco. I kinda miss Fedco. Anyway, I went to the toy section looking for video games for my Sega Genesis. Back then I was not in the habit of going to the TF aisle so I’m not sure how I ended up there, but now looking back, I’m glad I did. I saw the G2 version of Sideswipe and my jaw dropped to the floor. I was under the impression that TFs were dead for good (again how wrong I was), so you can imagine my amazement when I saw them revived. I have always loved the G1 Sideswipe mold and I never had him during G1. I wasn’t really digging the black, but heck, I was beyond thrilled at seeing TFs make a comeback. And so I quickly bought him. I think in that same trip I also saw some G2 Aerialbots and a G2 blue Grimlock. But being the poor college student that I was, Sideswipe was really all I could afford at $14.99.

G2 may have started out as all repaints of G1, but eventually G2 came out with brand new figures of original characters. They were mostly forgettable. G2 certainly had very little impact as a whole, and even I stopped buying them after that summer was over. But it did make one lasting contribution: it indirectly coined the term “Generation 1”. The 80s toy line were retroactively termed G1 to distinguish itself from G2, and are officially referred to as such even though the term was never used during its original run.

Below are pics of all my figures from G2.

G2 figures, like G1, have no articulation whatsoever. About all you can do with them in robot mode is have them stand there with raised arms. All my G2 figures are in pretty good shape still. I would rate them C8 or better. I think I got most of them at either Fedco or K-Mart.

I have a total of 7 figures from G2. I will describe each of them in depth, starting with the G1 repaints.

Sideswipe
He needs no introduction. Mold-wise, the G2 version is identical to G1. I think this mold still holds up well today. He is diecast, something sorely lacking from today’s figures. The black and red colors on this figure appears to be swapped from the G1 version. I don’t like the green stickers that say “Sideswipe”, and instead of his G1 shoulder-mounted launcher, G2 gave us a green hand-held launcher with blue missiles that look completely out of place. It is also possible to mount this launcher on him in alt mode, but having this awkward weapon attached on the car takes away from the sexiness of the Lambo, so I rather leave it off.

Beachcomber
He is the florescent green dune buggy in the front. In G1 he was blue. Another mold where G2 is identical to G1. He’s got rubber tires and he rolls well on a flat surface.

Cliffjumper
Officially, he is Hubcap. But my theory is that Hasbro meant to do Cliffjumper and someone simply messed up when it came time to do the profile. I mean, why do Hubcap? Cliffjumper is much more recognizable. Plus he’s got the red. I think of this figure as Cliffjumper and I’m listing him as such.

The following are unique G2 figures.

Rapido
He’s the red sports car with number 19 on it. He’s part of a group called Axelerators. I guess the gimmick here is that their engines “become” their weapons. Notice I didn’t use the word “transform”, because it doesn’t. I know this sounds silly today, but back then this was a new-ish feature. All the Axelerators have fairly simple transformations, but for the size you can’t really complain. I like Rapido’s alt mode, nice and sleek. He’s the leader of this bunch.

Skram
Another Axelerator, he’s the blue Corvette-looking one. Kinda reminds of Tracks.

Windbreaker
The last Axelerator in the pic, he’s the orange Camaro-looking one. In the pics here he looks more yellow, so he kinda reminds me of Movie Bumblebee.

Jetstorm
The only Decepticon in this post, he’s the larger Dune Buggy in the back. He’s part of a sub-group called Color Changers. The gimmick here is there are parts of him that will change color on contact with water. Not only that, his weapon can be loaded with water. Pushing the pump will squirt it out thru the nozzle. Kind of a crazy gimmick, but entertaining. As for the figure itself, I like his alt mode and his bot mode.

Well, there you have it, my G2 Collection. G2 figures are pretty cheap on Ebay so I may buy more if I see some good deals. They’re not as cool as G1, but can be a fun distraction from time to time.

G2 Transformers… Transform and Roll Out!

I am home for the holidays, so I once again have access to some of my old stuff. Last time I scanned in a really old Diaclone catalog. Today I’m going to scan in some of my old Transformers artwork from the 80s.

As I look at these now, I can’t help but laugh. I guess I had a lot of time on my hands when I was a kid if I was going to sit there and draw these. I should point out that none of these were traced. I drew them while looking at the box art.

I know I drew more of these, but can’t seem to find them now. If I find them I will scan them in as well.

Until next time, this is Hsunami Prime reminding you to… Transform and Roll Out!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all TransFans out there. I hope your holiday has been as relaxing as mine.

As promised, here is the review of ROTF Dirge. I have had a few days to mess with this figure now, and let me say first that I am very impressed. I’ve been very pleased with some of the new ROTF molds, and I think as a whole, ROTF molds are better than the 2007 Movie molds.

Let me start by doing some size comparisons.

Next to ROTF Thrust

Next to Henkei Dirge

ROTF Dirge in jet mode looks like some kind of VTOL aircraft. The nosecone, intake, and wings of the jet really reminds me of the Harrier, but the tail section looks modified. Maybe the modification is a G1 homage. In G1, Dirge was a modified F-15, so perhaps now he’s a modified Harrier? I certainly have no problem with that.

The first thing you will notice about the jet mode of this figure is that he is NOT bulky, much like ROTF Thrust. This is perhaps the best thing about the jet mode. Let’s face it, most other jet figures, especially those from the first movie, the bottom side is pure bulk. The recent ROTF jet figures have done a really good job of hiding robotic body parts into the transformation, the result being a sleek and sexy looking jet mold. Dirge is no exception. I give high marks to the overall shape of the jet mode.

As for detail, the jet mode is really nice. There are many lines outlining the body and wings. I like his colors as well. My buddy Gemini mentioned that the production colors are really close to the prototype colors, and I agree. He is mostly in a unique shade of blue and parts of yellow on the wings and intake. These colors are another homage to the G1 figure.

Dirge is quite solid in this mode. All parts snap and together nicely. This is another figure where you don’t realize how tightly everything comes together until you transform it back into the jet from the robot mode. The legs become the side and intake of the jet, and they snap nicely into the main body. The wings also fit snugly where they are. No dangling parts in this mode at all.

The missiles on the wings can be removed. They fire pretty far. This seems to be the trend in all the new figures. It’s nice to see Hasbro not afraid to put in powerful springs in the launchers.

Here’s a bottom view of the figure. The landing gears can be extended or retracted.

Now let’s take a look at the robot mode.

“Hi I’m Dirge. Let me shake your hand.”

Dirge has a solid robot mode as well. He’s got one of the most unique transformations from jet to robot that I have ever seen. I already mentioned that the sides of the jet becomes the legs. The main body of the jet form the arms. The nosecone becomes the right arm, while the center of the body becomes the left arm. The tail fin fold up and snaps in nicely into the main body to form the back. I know this sounds goofy on paper, but it works when you see how well the figure turned out.

The first thing most G1 fans will recognize right away in robot mode is his iconic cone head. This is another nice G1 homage on this figure. The transformation of the cone head is unique too. The head mold hides into the body in jet mode, and to make it appear in bot mode, you move up this center back piece that will move the head out. The cones of the head is split in jet mode, and they come together in bot mode. Very cool.

The robot mode looks nicely balanced and none of his body parts look too big or too small or out of place. I like the detail in his chest section. The “fans” and “cockpit” on the chest design does not transform into anything in jet mode, but I suppose they are another G1 homage. Hasbro certainly did not forget us true fans when this figure was designed.

Dirge has got some good articulation in robot mode. He is capable of a wide range of poses. The missiles can be placed on the wings or on the arms. The left arm has a panel piece attached. This becomes the top fuselage cover in jet mode, but I’m guessing it serves as a shield for Dirge in bot mode. Nice touch.

Some size comparison pics in this mode:

Dirge is pretty much standard deluxe size. In robot mode he’s taller than ROTF Thrust, but shorter than Henkei Dirge.

Coming Soon: Dirge On Ice

I highly recommend ROTF Dirge. He’s a cool figure and an excellent addition to your Decepticon air force. He’s got a nice jet mode, nice robot mode, good detail, and is a great homage to the G1 character. And considering the fact that he’s NOT a repaint, this purchase should be a no-brainer.

Once again, Happy Holidays. Transform and Roll Out!

Today after work I decided to visit Toys R Us. I’m not entirely sure why I decided to go. It might have been that I have not visited any stores for TFs since I found MP Skywarp, and I was suffering from TF hunting withdrawals. Or maybe because I did most of my Christmas shopping online this year, that I actually missed doing some good old-fashioned physical in-store shopping with the crowds of other xmas shoppers to better get me into the holiday spirit. Or maybe because I knew that ROTF Dirge was recently released, and my TF sense was tingling.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad I stopped by TRU. The Thrust figure from the ROTF line is very impressive, so Dirge is another one I looked forward to. I knew that other fans have spotted him for a while now. As of this writing, there are 12 sightings on Seibertron. I’ve also read other WordPress blogs that reviewed Dirge already. So you could say I had feeling I would find him soon. After I fought my way to the TF aisle, I saw that Dirge was indeed on the shelves.

Check out the pics below. Dirge looks like some kind of VTOL type fighter jet. I think this might better fit Ramjet, but it works for Dirge too.

His G1 motto is “Fear is the element that unites all losers”. And his courage is 2?! I guess he must be talking about himself.

I will open this figure soon and give it a proper review. Stay tuned… Transform and Roll Out!

Today I stumbled upon some of the funniest and cutest TF images ever. There is a cat out there called Tsunami that loves playing with Transformers boxes. Check out one sample image below.

 
Tsunami? Hsunami Prime? No relation. Go to the full gallery here.

All TransFans and cat lovers need to check this out! Transform and Roll Out!