Transformers: Energon & Beyond

[JediTricks]

Where did you find them T?

I'm surprised you're not raving about Masterpiece Starscream there.

[Tycho]

I haven't seen Masterpiece Starscream! Is that out? When is it coming? To what stores?

I saw the Star Wars Transformers at Target today (Palpatine, Clone Pilot, Jango).

[JediTricks]

So far, no news of the US release, but it'll happen probably just like Masterpiece Prime did.

I linked to MP Screamer 2 posts before, here's the link again: http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=5983&mode=flat

[Tycho]

Starscream looks pretty darn good. I think he's as big as MP Optimus Prime to say the least (sort of Alternator Scale). That's what I want. I wished we's see the painted pictures.

Then if this mold is good, I actually would be Skywarp and Thundercracker repaints (with new head sculpts of course).

[darthvyn]

A Scion tC would be cool, they're not going to do one unfortunately because Toyota doesn't market it in Japan. That's so lame!

is hot-rod/rodimus prime as popular in japan as optimus? if they made a tC into hot-rod, and if he's a draw, it might happen... it "worked" with the pickup...

Check it out, Masterpiece Starscream prototype photos: http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=5983&mode=flat

yeah, that looks sweet... can't wait to drop my money...

[JediTricks]

Starscream looks pretty darn good. I think he's as big as MP Optimus Prime to say the least (sort of Alternator Scale). That's what I want. I wished we's see the painted pictures.

Ha, funny you mention his size, Tformers posted the translations of the article and here are the numbers...

In Japan, he'll cost 10290 yen, that'd be $91 here.

The jet mode is 320mm, that's 12.5" long.

The bot mode though is 220mm, that's only 8.7" tall.

is hot-rod/rodimus prime as popular in japan as optimus? if they made a tC into hot-rod, and if he's a draw, it might happen... it "worked" with the pickup...

It didn't work with the pickup actually, Takara didn't end up releasing it after all that fuss, stupid jerks forced us to have Prime instead of Ironhide or another truck-bot and for nothing. I don't know if Hot Rod is popular there, I've never heard he is.


EDIT - That was quick, Alternators Nemesis Prime boxed pictures already: http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=5990&mode=flat

[Tycho]

Ha, funny you mention his size, Tformers posted the translations of the article and here are the numbers...

In Japan, he'll cost 10290 yen, that'd be $91 here.

The jet mode is 320mm, that's 12.5" long.

The bot mode though is 220mm, that's only 8.7" tall.

Starscream needs some Viagra! How tall are regular Alternators? - It sounds like Starscream will only be about an inch to an inch and a half taller than them? MP Optimus is at least a 12" figure!

If the jet is 12.5" long, where does his height disappear to? He should be getting even larger (taller) when he turns into a robot. Maybe whoever measured him transformed him wrong?

And I still want to see full-color pics of Starscream. My Decepticons are non-existant now, and Rumble and Starscream will hardly be an army when their release-day comes.

Meanwhile:

It didn't work with the pickup actually, Takara didn't end up releasing it after all that fuss, stupid jerks forced us to have Prime instead of Ironhide or another truck-bot and for nothing. I don't know if Hot Rod is popular there, I've never heard he is.

I don't know what all this is about - such as who Takara is - a Japanese toy company that makes these things for Hasbro for their US release I guess.

Ironhide or Kup would have done so much better. Rodimus Prime (for as much as well all loathe his character) would have also been cool for a pickup - Hot Rod should always be a sports car of some sorts (Lamborghini Spyder?) But I thought Hasbro doesn't even have the name Hot Rod, like they lost Jazz and Blue Streak (resulting in Meister and Silverstreak, and previously, Hot Shot).

That sucks. Some of us are buying these because Alternators give us the "G-1's" that we always dreamed of. For the exact same reason, we are not buying Optimus as a pickup truck. That and melted doors or whatever JT has reported. Grrrrrr.

EDIT - That was quick, Alternators Nemesis Prime boxed pictures already: http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=5990&mode=flat

Nemesis? I thought that was a Star Trek movie? Nemesis Prime? I THINK that's a lame name. Megatron, Soundwave, and Starscream are the main baddies in Transformer-Lore, followed by Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge. Let's stay away from the Lame-Bots and fire whoever thought of Richochet, Rollbar (though I think he was once a mini-bot), etc.

I'll still take Skids repainted as Broadblast (Blaster) - that came out nicely for BinalTech (didn't buy Skids here and still have plenty of opportunities, just don't typically dig Scions -and definitely not in THAT color!)

[JediTricks]

How tall are regular Alternators? - It sounds like Starscream will only be about an inch to an inch and a half taller than them? MP Optimus is at least a 12" figure!

Alternators are around 7" tall, Prime is 11.75" tall.

If the jet is 12.5" long, where does his height disappear to? He should be getting even larger (taller) when he turns into a robot. Maybe whoever measured him transformed him wrong?

I dunno about "taller", after all the jet's nose folds away and the wings fold up, I don't know if the legs telescope down at all. It does seem like losing 4" is a lot though.

And I still want to see full-color pics of Starscream.

This is a full-color pic of Screamer right now, Takara's prototypes are clay-gray.

I don't know what all this is about - such as who Takara is - a Japanese toy company that makes these things for Hasbro for their US release I guess.

Takara is who created the toys known as Transformers, Hasbro merely partnered up with them, rebadged Takara's various transforming robot lines under the new brand name "Transformers" which they released here in the US. Soundwave, Bumblebee, and Megatron are from an entirely different Takara line than Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, and Starscream. Takara is Hasbro's partner in the Transformers line, you'll see Takara's copyright on Transformers just as you do Hasbro's, Takara does a lot of the design work on modern Transformers so they can release them in Japan. Takara's design work and Japanese releases on Alternators shares the high cost of the expensive new molds required for these things, Hasbro is partly at Takara's mercy in Alternators-related issues, for example if Takara won't market a Scion tC robot because the Japanese don't recognize the car, then Hasbro cannot afford to create a mold for it because they'll have to pay for the whole mold.


"Nemesis Prime" is a name Hasbro's been using lately for when they repaint Optimus Prime figures as "evil", before it was "Scourge" but then they started using the name for an unrelated character. Nemesis Prime is always black, teal, and tan.

[Da18thcustomizer]

I dont particularly care for TF's but goodness...

That MP SS looks NICE. Id prefer it all grey like that though as opposed to painted.

[Adam]

Actually JT Prime is getting a BT release. Originally he was to be released as Ginrai, (AKA Powermaster Prime in the US). That was cancelled and he's now coming out as part of the radio drama that is going on in Japan right now. He comes with a mini anime figure (like the BT-A's) and a surf-board weapon. No I'm not making that last part up.

How could you possibly say that Cybertron feels done? Primus is still coming. And personally I am really aniticipating Quickmix too. I refuse to judge him on those poorly Transformed shots we've seen.

I picked up Metroplex this weekend and he used his giant axe to knock Red-Alert down from his spot as "best-friend." He comes packaged in his "worker-mode" DONT LET IT FOOL YOU! His fully extended combat mode is very articulated and looks awesome. He's as tall as a supreme figure. He's pretty stable, I have him posed with one foot kicking in the air similar to the picture in this here gallery: http://members9.tsukaeru.net/ty1_toy...galoConvoy.htm ( Metroplex's colors differ slightly from Megalo Convoy's. ) Seriously, don't miss this one if you a fan of the Cybertron line. I can make no excuses for the alt mode, except for the fact that it is actually is based on something. http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Workshop/Trencher.htm