Transformers: Energon & Beyond

[JediTricks]

Yes, this is the first alt mode for Arcee that's a car (which isn't a lame Japanese repaint of a male Alternators figure). It's also the first bot mode for Arcee that looks even remotely like the G1 movie. Both are thanks to the gang who worked on Transformers: Animated, both on the entertainment and toy side, they worked together to get this one done right.

Arcee has been a dedicated (rather than repainted) figure 3 times prior:
- Energon, as a motorcycle
- Movie 1, as a motorcycle
- Movie 2, as a motorcycle

There's also been a Botcon repaint of Beast Wars TM2 Blackarachnia (minus her chest armor), the aforementioned Japanese Alternators repaint from Decepticharge/Windcharger, a PVC mini-figure that didn't do anything, an Attacktix figure, and tragically a canceled Titanium Series 6" figure with thunder-thighs.

[El Chuxter]

Forgive my laziness, but are there pics of this Arcee who looks like G1 Arcee?

[JediTricks]

Forgive my laziness, but are there pics of this Arcee who looks like G1 Arcee?

You won't like it, I bet, it's TF:Animated style. Here's the Hasbro pics of the prototype, which also is sloppily transformed, has different wing orientations, and has more paint than the final version (real robots don't wear 1980s pink lipstick!!!):
http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/d/d0/An..._arcee_toy.jpg

And pics of the final: http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-...allery-168808/


Oh, I forgot to mention there are also 2 fan-company versions out there as well, 1 of which doesn't suck but also has thunder-thighs.

[El Chuxter]

I won't like it? I don't have anything against the Animated figures (though I just have one, and which one is such a no-brainer it doesn't warrant any points ), and the stylized look can be explained by her being, well, a her. I rather dig it.

[JediTricks]

I won't like it? I don't have anything against the Animated figures (though I just have one, and which one is such a no-brainer it doesn't warrant any points ), and the stylized look can be explained by her being, well, a her. I rather dig it.

I thought your G1 purist ways would overwhelm anything else. I guess I misread you.

Hmm, let's see, which Animated figure would you have? Swindle, with his salesman's tie? Bumblebee, because he's just so cute? Samurai Prowl, because even though he's a motorcycle, you dig that he has a sidecar that turns into armor? No. Soundwave, because he's a pimped out Scion Xb with an electric guitar that turns into Laserbeak? Blurr, because he's the raddest figure of all time in both alt and bot mode, and you thought he was so cool in the G1 movie? Oil Slick, because he's a biker robot wearing a green space helmet for no reason? Jazz, because he has nunchucks? Jetfire/Jetstorm, because they combine in a weird manner? Wreck-gar, because c'mon, it's Weird Al as a trash truck? Voyagers Sunstorm or purple Shockwave, because each was only $5 and came with a bonus Activators figure? Ultra Magnus, because he's armed to the teeth and says derogatory things about Optimus Prime? No, it's not any of them.

Oh, I know, cliche-bot, the most obvious Transformer in the world that panders to G1 fans like a ho' on a streetcorner. Yeah, that's who you have, they misprinted the packaging and the name on the box reads "Grimlock".

[El Chuxter]

I now own two. That's how much I hated Arcee.

I prefer G1 by a long shot. I never got into Beast Wars and that arc, but it was well-done from what I saw. RiD seemed downright lousy, and the trilogy that started with Armada, didn't care for the cartoon, which was a bit goofy, though the comic book was actually pretty good, for as long as it lasted. (I'll admit Unicron bringing in G1 characters as his heralds and wreaking havoc was the high point for me, though.)

I do not consider the live action movies to be Transformers. Bad as it was, Rise of Cobra was more GIJoe than either TF film was Transformers.

Animated was actually quite good. I just never collected the toys, and never remembered when it was on, which is a common problem with just about anything new on Cartoon Network. It came out at the point where I'd decided I had to cut back on the number of lines I get--I only got the large Grimlock because I'm just a sucker for Grimlock. The show was really a lot like The Brave and the Bold: it knows it's different from what came before, doesn't try to be a rehash, but works in lots of subtle nods into a fun, well-done cartoon.

I was really on the fence with Soundwave & Ratbat, too. That looked sweet.

[JediTricks]

Wow, you ran out and bought an Arcee that fast? Nicely done! Most impressive. What a hater.


I don't fault you for your take on the movies. I do think you missed out by avoiding the Beast era though, and some of the RID and Armada-Energon-Cybertron toys had charm but it's easy to not like them overall.


Cartoon Network seems to bury Transformers like a turd in a cat box. They did it before, moving it all around the schedule and playing constant reruns, made it impossible to catch. From what I could tell, TF:A was a lot like Teen Titans, not surprising given the team on it. Batman:TBATB I think swings a lot further than TF:A into kiddy territory to be palatable, myself.

Soundwave with Laserbeak is a fun figure if you like style over substance. Soundwave is an oddity on its own, but coupled with Laserbeak as his shredding flying-V guitar, it makes a fun character toy. Ratbat as a keytar isn't quite as cool in my book, it's a funny idea but not $12 funny.

[El Chuxter]

I didn't exactly run out and buy her. I was at TRU and saw her, and couldn't resist.

With Beast Wars, part of the reason I didn't collect was that they came out during my "too cool for toys" phase. I actually did get the RiD Magnus and Prime when they marked them way down, based on seeing the combined form in a storefront window at Universal City. That thing was a pain in the butt.

[JediTricks]

I would say that those 2 combined took the longest time of any combiner I've ever done, and the other RID combiner - Rail Racer - is a close second. The 3rd would be a tie between the 2 Beast Wars combiners, which are also the most finicky by far.

I had a too-cool-for-toys phase, but luckily it was in the early to mid '90s when all the toys sucked. Unfortunately, it was when I moved to another state so I gave away toys I would later regret horribly, or buy replacements of off ebay.

[El Chuxter]

For me, it was the late 80s through the mid 1990s. For the first part of that phase, I made exceptions for GIJoes and Transformers, picking up a few choice figures (Bludgeon, Thunderwing, trench knives Snake Eyes). I kept up with all the filecards and could rattle off what was available at any time, though. The "too cool for toys" strangely did not affect McFarlane toys for a while, since they were "collectibles," and I had to snatch up a Phantasm because Mask of the Phantasm was so awesome. After SW re-debuted in 1995, I actually held off for a few months, then slowly started up, picking up some choice Batman figures as well (any Bane or Azrael I could get my hands on, among others). I didn't even realize Beast Wars was a sort-of continuation of G1 until it had been out a while.

Funny thing, though, I bought a lot of Transformers from a guy who was a hardcore TF collector in 1999, including G1 Megatron and Galvatron, whom I'd never had, and got Beast Wars Prime (the gorilla). That's still quite an impressive figure, even though there's nothing to display with it. When the prices dropped, I also got TransMetals Megatron and the dragon Megatron (Beast Machines?), because they were just too cool to pass on.