Transformers: Energon & Beyond

**Adam** · 08-02-2004

Oh, and all the info from the Hasbro Panel can be found here:

http://boards.allspark.com/index.php...T&f=41&t=50058

Apparently, Hasbro underestimated how popular minicons were, and they will be returning in TF: Cybertron. (I still don't like that title..) I can't decide if I like that or not.

**JediTricks** · 08-03-2004

Nice find on OS, details expected.

I'm glad to have the minicons back, I got to really like them, by the end they were a driving force for me collecting Armada figures, I definitely bought a few partially based on the minicon they came with and how it interacted.

Thanks for the link on the Hasbro panel details. Glad to hear we're getting another studio to produce the next show, I really don't care for the Energon cartoon.

"- Primus will factor into Cybertron."
I've been wondering what happened to Primus in Energon, started out with a good introduction but went nowhere with it.

"- The Alpha Quintesson toy may not transform but can roll (and the legs spin around), and the faces inside do turn around inside the head."
I'm really surprised on this one, first TF toy in at least 10 years that doesn't transform in any way.

"- For Energon they wanted a lot of characters in the initial waves but someone was delayed in production (Scorponok, probably). They made Energon Ultra Magnus as a fillin, underestimated his demand and also for unknown reasons he was just underproduced. I yelled out "MAKE MORE!!!!!" and Michelle said "I reserve the right to put this figure into TFU" and said they didn't have plans to do it but it would be a possibility."
Grrrrr!!! Damnit Hasbro, get this figure back on shelves while there's still demand!!!

"- Someone asked why the Decepticons don't have a cool action feature like the Autobots' combining feature. Aaron said they think the "hyper power" feature is exciting."
I gotta admit, that question is how I feel about Decepticons, I think Aaron is wrong and Hyper Power is not cutting it. Look at Snowcat, he skiis and has those floppy missile launchers, but no accessory; no accessory for Demolishor 2 either; and while Starscream's hyper power missile launchers are ok, they're not as cool as the spinning wings of death on Armada Thrust.

"- Arcee is small for financial reasons and because they didn't think she'd appeal to the main market. Michelle said 7 year old boys don't want a $15 woman."
Weird, I thought she was small because a giant basic motorcycle would look tremendously dopey. Or do they mean they didn't make Arcee a $10 deluxe? If so, um... they're probably right, at $7 she's a lot easier for the little boys to accept.

"- Sounds like Takara maybe wasn't as involved in designing Grimlock and Swoop and they didn't see a place for these toys in Superlink."
After looking at them, I'm not even a little surprised.

"- The face on Insecticon is just some sort of "lucky accident"."
That Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle face is pretty funny, but I don't entirely believe it was an accident.

"- No Dinobot reissues planned.
- No plans for Soundwave"
Unwise!

"- Tracks was initially going to be yellow with a blue repaint later, but the interior was showing through the plastic. Since Takara paints over metal they could keep the yellow, but we are getting blue instead."
Awesome! Kinda wish they had simply caved to demand, but caving to necessity is almost as good considering the results.

"- They have not tried to get the license for a Lamborghini Alternator."
WEIRD! Transformers has ALWAYS had a lot of Lambos in the lines, why leave 'em out here?

"- Emergency vehicles in Alternators? "None that I'm willing to talk about"."
That's an odd response.

"No, we won't see them on boxes for the same reason as always, they'd have to be trilingual."
Lame!

"- We probably won't ever see more chrome paint schemes because it's shown itself to be too fragile over time."
Sweet!

**Adam** · 08-04-2004

I also like that little bit about fan's choice transformers figures.

**kool-aid killer** · 08-04-2004

Visited two Targets and called one up and none of them had any Unicrons.

Maybe one day TRU will knock theirs down in price, hopefully by then i will still be alive because they tend to keep things for a long time before dropping the prices.

Regarding the Hasbro rep who said Soundwave and the Dinobots wont be released as reisssues, that blows. I think Hasbro needs to seriously retool the way they go about doing the reissues. Put out some really interesting or unexpected Transformers that Takara has yet to release. Maybe some Decepticon cassettes? I would think that many people who bought Takaras Soundwave would jump at some cassettes, even if they were from Hasbro, i would. The Dinobots have a large following so i would think that they would be in consideration for the reissue treatment, but its just another Hasbro misstep in their running of this line. Another thing that i think Hasbro needs to do is improve on the packaging they come in. Its very dull and doesnt really stand out among the other toys.

Im glad to hear that Tracks will be blue, he looks better that way as opposed to being yellow. Now its just a waiting game.

**pegger** · 08-04-2004

Originally Posted by JediTricks

"- No Dinobot reissues planned.
- No plans for Soundwave"
Unwise!

Gotta agree here....very poor decision. Dinobots are screaming to be re-issued more than any other set.

**JediTricks** · 08-05-2004

I spotted more cheap Unicrons yesterday, at only $13.99, but I couldn't really afford to buy another even at that price. Targets also had Omega Supreme finally, but nothing else new sadly.

**El Chuxter** · 08-06-2004

ME, GRIMLOCK!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3129558

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/07/69/30...AV_500X500.jpg

Not what I expected, but cool nonetheless.

**Tycho** · 08-06-2004

Dude, Grimlock's cool! I like Mustangs, too.

I'll buy him.

The robot's head looks dead-on like Grimlock, too. Nice job Hasbro did there.

Still if the car became a dinosaur just this once...

Oh well. I see what people mean about the legs - they stayed true to Grimlock's transformation style with his conversion steps.

Nice job actually. I even like the color.

**El Chuxter** · 08-06-2004

Originally Posted by Tycho

they stayed true to Grimlock's transformation style with his conversion steps.

Except that the hood should be upside down on his back.

Here's a thought:

Early reports on the movie (in the works from Dreamworks, no less, in case you haven't heard) say there will be no dinosaurs, insects, beasts, etc.

However, everyone loves Grimlock.

And now we see a Grimlock turning into a Mustang.

I wonder if these might be related. . . .

**Tycho** · 08-06-2004

No dinosaurs, insects, beasts etc. - gets them out of a heck of a lot of issues...

Transformers were given their earth-appearances to disguise themselves, right?

There are some serious issues with how something mechanical can turn into something REALISTIC that's organic.

Grimlock might be the easiest: he's a big robot that turns into a big dinosaur. To be realistic, with cyborg flesh (like The Terminator) able to quickly heal over tears from his Transformation, he could possibly be done CGI to turn into a Jurassic Park replica and then back to a mechanical robot.

Just doing that though is a huge distraction from the storyline of the movie.

Kickback is incredibly more complicated. An 10-12 foot tall robot turns into a standard size grasshopper you could hit with your windshield???

OK, perhaps they have the ability to use "Star Trek Transporter Technology" to change their size when they transform: Soundwave always did unless you don't belive your walkman could ever turn into a 20 foot tall robot.

But when people accused Star Wars of being too much effects and not enough story? Transformers could top that just explaining how you get an alien shark (Sharkticon) any use in the water (a very specialized environment unless they are mining energon under water) and how it fuses its flesh to look real instead of like a robot, and stay true to its form (which is of an alien shark with legs, closer to an Opee Sea Killer from SW than a shark from earth).

Or you go for the Grimlock that turns into a metallicized dinosaur. In which case, what is the practical point of his transformation? If he were to be for demolistion, wouldn't a construction vehicle suffice, and provide a better disguise than what people are bound to call a fake-looking metal dinosaur?

There are a few problems with the "main charcters"

Autobots:

Prime - no problem
Jazz - call him Jazz not Meister and no problem
Bumblebee- fine
Wheeljack - fine
Ratchet - fine
Ironhide -fine
Mirage -fine (an Indy race car isn't so well hidden though)
Hound -fine
Hot Rod - call him Hot Rod, but what kind of "real world car should he be?"
Kup - ditto
Blurr - ditoo
Springer - fine (would be so cool in the movie to see a triple-changer!)
RC- would be great to finally see be made
Ultra Magnus - fine
Blaster - size problem. A boombox fits in Prime's front seat and then stands as tall as him?

Decepticons:

Megatron - huge problem - a P.38 you can hold in your hand becomes a 20 foot tall robot? Megatron is more likely to be a tank, but it's not traditional

Starscream - fine
Skywarp-fine
Thundercracker - fine

Soundwave - huge problem - a walkman becomes a 20 foot tall robot? A casette tape a full-grown panther? Besides, in the case of Ravage, this is 2004, shouldn't he turn into an MP3?

The Combaticons would have to be re-thought:

a space shuttle the same size as a Jeep Wrangler?

Bringing the Transformers to "real life" could be a total redesign or a huge mistake.