Transformers: Energon & Beyond

Perceptor?!? He'd be the size of SideSwipe's emergency brake lever. I want an Alternators Megatron tank and Starscream fighter jet first before we get into that area.


Another thing I noticed that may have been wrong on the assembly of Energon Stormjet is the upper arms, there are chevrons and a general shape sculpted onto one side of each upper arm, but the assembly has that side facing in so it can't be seen except when the figure is raising his arms - I'm not ready to make the jump to tapping out pins, but I've already taken 2 different sections apart on just this figure so far.

wow... i guess it was a bad joke? i thought it was funny... i mean, perceptor was such a lame guy. really, a MICROSCOPE??? sure you could kinda change him into some sort of tank-like vehicle, but i mean, c'mon! how big is a tank gonna be that comes from a microscope? unless it's an electron microscope or something, those are huge...

*phew!* I was going to ask if you were joking, but felt if you were actually saying it here, you wouldn't want to be insulted that way. ;) BTW, there is some guy who photoshopped a digital camera into a transforming robot (I'd say "into Reflector", but Reflector was 3 guys), and another who made a CD boombox into a robot (I'd say "into Soundwave", but Soundwave is WAY too cool for that insult) so there are people out there who want to see this sort of thing.

I like to pretend my Transformers are real - that is real to their scale. Hence I collect Alternators because the other neon Universe and Energon stuff is a bit over the top for me. I was originally a G1 Fan because they kind of looked real (aside from the Decepticon's choice of paint decales).

So I would not like to see stuff like Perceptor, Soundwave, Megatron, Shockwave, etc. unless they can turn into stuff that's on scale to the Autobot Alternator cars - and assume robot forms that are on that level.

Obviously it's fine for Stunticons and what Combaticons they can do (the Spaceshuttle would be ridiculous as an alternator even if it were to scale and huge).

So if they can do military hardware: Hummers, scale F-15, F-18, F-14, etc. and military armored transport trucks (missle carriers, like Onslaught), I'm all for that. Once again, I was only half-joking when I suggested they do Decepticons as environmentally damaging things such as off-shore oil platforms, drills, etc., construction vehicles (Constructicons), those sort of things.

I collected again because I have high hopes for a Transformers motion picture that was rumored, and I'd know I'd want action figures, but high quality stuff and not the mass-produced movie- promo stuff Hasbro would be sure to put out. As long as the characters stay true to the G1 cartoon, I could really enjoy the movie. It would seem logical that they'd use 2005 cars for the movie when they film it, as they'd be readily available and the logical thing for the Ark computers to rebuild the Autobots into when they crashed on earth (if the G1 legend is resurrected for the plot).

I found the first 4 basic gestalt limbs this weekend, Sledge, Duststorm, Sky Shadow, and Treadshot. I had been waiting for these for a while, I think Hasbro is nuts to release these without their repainted versions. I hate to say it, but I am not liking these gestalt robots, Constructicon Maximus and Superion Maximus (man are those lame names) just don't look that good to me, which is strange because I like all the individual figures that make them up, even Duststorm despite his many issues. And it's not just the Energon hands and feet which look like neither, it's the way the whole thing looks together, the way the figure has to stand with the legs spread apart, the way the connection joints get funky... the gestalts aren't terrible, but they're more a bonus, a fun extra mode rather than a main reason to enjoy these toys. That's the thing though, at $7, I can't get enough of those 2 basic jets, these are some great Transformers by themselves.

Except for Duststorm, they're all pretty great.

Duststorm definitely has a lot of problems, and his colors add to his troubles.

Sledge is ok, not really my thing in some ways but still fairly good, I wish his weapon had a regular peg on it somewhere else so it could be held as a gun as well as a fork weapon.

Treadshot, who probably would make more sense with the name swapped with Sky Shadow, reminds me in some ways of Beast Machines Jetstorm, but he also seems like a great little average grunt, simple robot guy with almost no vehicle mode kibble anywhere. His weapons annoy me in vehicle mode, but I like them in bot mode, either together as a twin weapons platform, or separated, with one flat pegged to the underside of his fist like a long tonfa, and the other with the rear barrel angled up 45 degrees and the small platform in front like the bottom of a rifle - the little tab even folds down to be a trigger guard.

Sky Shadow is my favorite, his vehicle mode is really neat, his transformation is quite clever, and his bot mode has fantastic articulation and good humanoid dimensions. SS's colors and A-10 design make him likely an homage (or perhaps an accidental homage ;)) to G1 minibot Powerglide. The weapon is kinda a dud in alt mode, looks ok as a gun, better as a shield, and nifty as a skyboard.


So, anybody heard about the Masterpiece Optimus Prime being repainted as Ultra Magnus sans trailer/armor? I think it's nutty, but if they had made the giant robot armor, it would have been quite an amazing set.

I stopped by Wal-Mart (in Moreno Valley, CA) earlier, and who did I see? Grimlock and Swindle staring back at me! Oh happy day this is, celebrating Christmas a few days early with my present to me. :D

Grimlock has a sword! I didn't know that. Very, very cool.

I realize that they love to re-use molds and make twice the money on them, but repainting the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime and calling him Ultra Magnus is NOT cool.

1) Needs the car carrier trailer
2) The trailor needs to transform into the armor
3) The head has to be Ultra Magnus' not a Prime repaint
4) They'd have the opportunity to do an awesome transformation technique here if only they get creative and make the trailer permanently attached to his body and part of the transformation and not an add-on to it.

If the car carrier could tow alternators, how cool would that be?

Anyway, I'm also all for Magnus getting a realistic color scheme (in line with tradition) but use a darker blue instead of that turquoiz light blue, and if they make a white cab, make it silver-steel or "simulate it being dirty," to keep with the realism on the Alternator line.

I'll keep my eyes open for Grimlock I guess. Still might skip this figure until I can get Wheeljack.

Main Autobot CHARACTERS:

Prime
BumbleBee
Ironhide
Wheeljack
Jazz (Meister)
Prowl
Mirage
Sunstreaker
Sideswipe
Smokescreen
Tracks

Hot Rod
Kup
Blurr
Springer
Ultra Magnus
Arcee
Wreck-Gar
Rodimus Prime

DEPECTICONS ARE JET PLANES (land vehicles are combiners!)

In the Transformers comics, specifically the "War and Peace" G1 series, it is revealed that Ultra Magnus looks like Optimus Prime when he is out of his armor, but with a white color scheme. So the repaint of the 20th anniversary Prime is correct. I think Ultra Magnus is okay, but i wont be getting him.

Went to a TRU yesterday, and it seemed like Energon was flying off the shelves. Lots of empty pegs. As usual, the reissues were still well stocked.