Transformers Movie Part 14

Welcome to the second half of the FAST ACTION BATTLERS series! Yes yes the name sounds horribly corny. Oh well. I'm not responsible for Hasbro's marketing. But then after a while, you do gotta admit that the name does grow on you for a bit. Tee hee. Oh my gosh I went tee hee. Ah well.

Anyways, I wanted to do another wish list, but Christmas is over, so... meh. I'll do something else instead. Which is this, of course.

I really hope my Transformers blog doesn't go the way of my Dungeons & Dragons blog. I mean, not that I've abandoned it, far from it. But I play so little Dungeons & Dragons these days, and I hardly have time to catch up with the add-ons and supplements, and 4th edition is coming up, and I guess there's really no-one to talk to about D&D. I mean, no normal people to talk to. That's really important in a hobby - you've got to have at least a few people who share the same interest.

Anyways, on to the Fast Action Battlers! (cue drums)


Fusion Blast Megatron

Fusion Blast Megatron - Robot Mode

There's no lack of detail on Megatron. The only thing is... what detail is it, exactly? I'm not even sure what those lines and carvings are. Ice? Parts of his body? Bits of his Cybertronian plane form? (I don't consider Megatron to be a jet, jets are sleek and Megatron is just oddly shaped). I can see the effort that was put into him - he is the Decepticon leader, after all. It's just that... well the effort seems a little misguided.

In addition, he's got amputated hands which are actually guns. Yes, he does have hands, but they're so awkwardly placed that if he were a real robot, he'd be really irritated a lot of the time. At least he has hefty firepower, which makes up for the lack of appendages.

Fusion Blast Megatron - Vehicle Mode

I've said what needs to be said about a "Cybertronian jet" mode. It's... a cop out. As a Leader class toy... okay. As a Voyager size figure... all right. But when it comes down to Deluxe, man does his alternate mode look awful. It looks shapeless and... I don't know how do describe it. It looks literally like an alien plane, but it's not pretty. It's detailed but not pretty.

Fusion Blast Megatron - Packaging

Ah well I guess he's suitably fearsome enough, with Fusion Blasts, actually (since he's got two). Man, I don't know what to say. He's a great counterpart to Prime, but by himself... he's not bad. He's just really... odd, I guess. If you like offbeat toys, well, Fusion Blast Megatron is for you.


Battle Blade Starscream

Battle Blade Starscream - Robot Mode

I still don't agree with the idea to make the Transformers look so alien in the Movie. At least for the Autobots, it's still acceptably within limits. But the Decepticons stray far into the territory of ugly, with Megatron's mug being the ugliest of them all. I can see Starscream's fangs... but then again, I've reviewed him here, too.

Battle Blade Starscream - Vehicle Mode

As a vehicle... he looks way too kiddy. And what's with his crow's feet sticking out his exhaust pipes? He almost looks super deformed, Cartoon Network style... creepy.

Battle Blade Starscream - Packaging

Um. Well. the embarassment of realising that they were not Japanese exclusives still hangs over me, so I'll stop talking now. His packaging makes him look very, very kawaii. Not good for an evil backstabbing Decepticon.


Double Missile Brawl

Double Missile Brawl - Robot Mode

Well you can look at him in two ways. He's either a shellformer, or he's a homage to Fortress Maximus. It might be a stretch, but I do think the two panels that hang down his arms are sort of a homage to Fortress Maximus' own arms. Nevertheless, he does have all the necessary "Brawl" components - the claw, the turrent cannon, the forearm guns.

His "Double Missile" featur is rather disappointing, though. It's not spring-loaded in the traditional sense, meaning you press a button to launch. You have to pull it back, and then let go to fire it. That's okay... but the missiles don't stay in the launcher. Meaning, if you tip them with the payload end facing downards, the missiles fall out. And that happens a lot more often than apparent, especially if you move Brawl around too much. Meh. But there is a nice amount of detail on his robot mode.

Double Missile Brawl - Vehicle Mode

Now, his tank mode looks pretty good. It's got a good amount of detailing on the sculpt, and it looks almost realistic except for his "Double Missile". I'm not that big a fan of realism, but it just really sticks out in a very extraneous way. Also, his turret can't swivel, although the "Double Missile" can.

The transformation involves some use of intuitive Automorph Technology, although it doesn't say so anywhere on the card. Kudos to this excellent implementation of a rather hit or miss gimmick for the Movie toys.

Double Missile Brawl - Packaging

Sigh. The packaging takes away all of Brawl's menace. Brawl, by virtue of his face, should be evil and scary. But not in the cute little Hasbro packaging... ah well.

He also suffers a little from the Lego Transformer syndrome - you have to remove a piece of him (his Double Missile turret top) from vehicle mode, and then reattach it somewhere else on robot mode. To me, if you have to remove bits that are not guns and place them elsewhere to complete the transformation, that sort of smacks a little of poor design. Oh well.

One last thing - he has no light pipe eyes. So his eyes remain black, as opposed to the usual fearsome glowing red. It's a variation, I admit... but I prefer the red light pipe eyes.

Gyro Blade Blackout

Gyro Blade Blackout - Robot Mode

All Blackouts are afflicted with the Curse of Unbalance. Perhaps it's the stick thin feet, perhaps it's the fact that the rotors are by default, much heavier than the rest of the robot. Whatever the case, it makes Blackout really hard to pose in cool modes.

Add that to the fact that Blackout's head is way too large, almost cartoony large (like Battle Shield Barricade), and that his tail propeller bit keeps falling off, and he looks like his has breasts, and he suffers from too little detail... you get the idea. Not my top choice for a Fast Action Battler.

Gyro Blade Blackout - Vehicle Mode

His vehicle mode is a toy. A toy. With a tremendous gun sticking out in front. I must say I'm quite disappointed.

Gyro Blade Blackout - Packaging

Like I've said before, for a character who was supposed to be the largest, most powerful Decepticon... he's crappy as a toy. He's actually taller than his Voyager class counterpart, if you count height by the tops of the head. He looks more like a spoilt brat than a menacing icon of destruction. I guess that dubious honour goes to Brawl, who in Transformers: Legacy, will be one of the ancient Ambassadors of Destruction. I think.


Blade Shield Barricade

Blade Shield Barricade - Robot Mode

Barricade's knees are bent so badly below his knee that it's a little tough to balance him sometimes, by agaration. His head is too big too, following the Blackout syndrome. His "Blade Shield" is not a blade nor a shield, it's a spiked wheel. That spins.

I don't really like Barricade as a Fast Action Battler.

Blade Shield Barricade - Vehicle Mode

At least his vehicle mode is not that bad. That's the only saving grace of this figure.

Blade Shield Barricade - Packaging

He just looks so plain. His arms can only swivel at the shoulders and he cannot bend his elbows. Yeah his legs move and his knees move, but erm eh erh ah... he can't pose. Sigh. The most disappointing Fast Action Battler of the lot.


Disc Blast Frenzy

Disc Blast Frenzy - Robot Mode

Frenzy is cute. In a weird way. He resembles... well, in a way, he resembles his form in the Movie - which is formless. He looks all gangly and wiry with bits of things sticking out of him - just the way I like it.

He also shoots discs from his chest. A refreshing change from the usual missiles and stuff. The only weird thing is that he's as large as the other Fast Action Battlers... but hey, that just makes him all the more cute. He is a ball of spiky metal.

Disc Blast Frenzy - Alternate Mode

At least now the Decepticons have some entertainment. I love the Soundwave homages that are inherent in Frenzy. His name, of course, belongs to one of the original G1 cassettes, and although he doesn't turn into a cassette tape player, he becomes a CD player, which is the modern day equivalent. Then again, in 20 years he'll be obsolete and we'll have an MP3 player instead (wait, isn't there an MP3 Player that transforms into Soundwave?).

His antenna moves. So quaint!

Disc Blast Frenzy - Packaging

Well, this is one time that I actually like the Fast Action Battlers packaging. Or rather, that I feel it suits the item in question. Frenzy's cuteness has a large part to play in my endorsement of this marketing, and he may be a shelf-warmer... but he's a cute shelf-warmer. Dear little Frenzy.

And so ends this installment. Join me next time, as I showcase the last three Movie Transformers I'm going to get... I think.

On My Desk: Fusion Blast Megatron, Battle Blade Starscream, Double Missile Brawl, Gyro Blade Blackout, Blade Shield Barricade, Disc Blast Frenzy, Titanium War Within Optimus Prime, Titanium War Within Megatron, Energon Shockblast, Energon Inferno, Superlink Rodimus (yeah it's a bit crowded).


Transformers Movie Blog Series Index

Transformers Movie Blog Series Index

This is an index of the Transformers Movie Blog Series. Basically the contents for all the Transformers Movie posts.

Transformers Movie Part 1
Featuring: Bumblebee, Optimus Prime (Protoform), Jazz, Wreckage, Brawl, Barricade
Miscellaneous: Useless Trivia

Transformers Movie Part 2
Featuring: Ratchet, Optimus Prime (Leader size), Optimus Prime (Voyager size)
Miscellaneous: Wave 2 Movie Transformers Preview

Transformers Movie Part 3
Featuring: Bonecrusher, Swindle
Miscellaneous: Wave 1 Wishlist/Preview

Transformers Movie Part 4
Featuring: Scorponok
Miscellaneous: Transformers Timeline

Transformers Movie Part 5
Featuring: Blackout, Starscream (Protoform)
Miscellaneous: The Original 13 Transformers

Transformers Movie Part 6
Featuring: Ironhide, Megatron
Miscellaneous: Transformers: Victory

Transformers Movie Part 7
Featuring: Starscream
Miscellaneous: Transformers Glossary

Transformers Movie Part 8
Featuring: The Movie!
Miscellaneous: Wave 2 Preview

Transformers Movie Part 9
Featuring: Basic Optimus Prime (Deluxe, Japanese-exclusive), Basic Starscream (Deluxe, Japanese-exclusive)
Miscellaneous: Sequel Speculations

Transformers Movie Part 10
Featuring: Bumblebee (2008 Camaro), Ultimate Bumblebee, Arcee
Miscellaneous: Transformer Continuities

Transformers Movie Part 11
Featuring: Megatron (Voyager), Longarm
Miscellaneous: Wave 3 Preview

Transformers Movie Part 12
Featuring: Brawl (Leader), Payload, Dropkick, Dreadwing
Miscellaneous: Transformers I Used To Have

Transformers Movie Part 13
Featuring: Power Hook Optimus Prime, Ion Blast Jazz, Axe Attack Ratchet, Cannon Blast Ironhide, Plasma Punch Bumblebee

Transformers Movie Part 14
Featuring: Fusion Blast Megatron, Battle Blade Starscream, Double Missile Brawl, Gyro Blade Blackout, Blade Shield Barricade, Disc Blast Frenzy

Transformers Movie Part 15
Featuring: Incinerator, Stockade, Landmine

Transformers Movie Part 16
Featuring: Nightwatch Optimus Prime, Premium Optimus Prime, Cliffjumper, Stealth Bumblebee, Premium Bumblebee, Transcanning Optimus Prime, Transcanning Bumblebee

Transformers Movie Part 17
Featuring: Battle Jazz, Ice Megatron, Bonecrusher, Jazz, Bumblebee, Scorponok, Cliffjumper, Recon Barricade, Desert Blackout, Ironhide, Nightwatch Optimus Prime, Stealth Starscream, Rescue Ratchet, Brawl

Transformers Movie Part 13

It's been very long since I've done another Movie toy review/feature, eh? Almost four months now. It's not that I haven't been collecting in those four months... it's just that I've been of two minds of the Fast Action Battlers. Slippery slope, that one.

Under the Movie branding, there are two lines which are both legitimately Transformers, but are worth "less" in terms of collector status. They are the Fast Action Battlers & the Real Gear Robots. Collect one, and you might as well collect the other.

Real Gear Robots are "life sized" everyday things, like watches and handphones, that can transform into Transformers. It's cool, nifty, and weird all the same. There are six different moulds that I can identify from the RGRs, so if I do get them.... slippery slope, slippery slope. I guess if you can swallow Soundwave being a giant cassette tape player, you should be able to swallow the RGRs right? Wrong. Although they look nifty, they just seem a little... kiddish. And it's not easy to distinguish Autobot from Decepticon, either.

Fast Acion Battlers are Deluxe class Movie Transformers. They're the focus of this blog. The thing is, when I first saw them, I saw them with Takara marketing. They were branded as the "BASIC" series, and as with all things Takara, beautiful shots of them fighting and hitting each other. I wanted more... then I realised that Hasbro had branded them "Fast Action Battlers", which smelt of 2 year olds. I almost gave up on them... then I succumbed. Gotta catch'em all!

That's why it's a slippery slope. If I can collect one ostensibly kiddy toy, why can't I collect another ostensibly kiddy toy? Lack of money, for one. But well, time will tell. Perhaps I will get the Real Gear Robots. Perhaps not.

At any rate, let's take a look at the Fast Action Battlers today. I'll be looking at the Autobots!


Power Hook Optimus Prime

Power Hook Optimus Prime - Robot Mode

Well, I have sort of reviewed him here, where in my foolish goodwill in all things Takara made me say that he's a Japanese exclusive. Sigh. So there's not much more I can say here that I didn't say there, since it is a "double" review of sorts. But let's go through the pertinent points.

He has spring-loaded waist joints. So if you turn him back, he will swing back and punch you. He's got a "Power Hook" too, which is his missile. It's attached to a string, which I thought was a safety feature for kids... but it's not! As mentioned earlier, his poseability is superb, due to blocky limbs and a general squarish frame.

The downsides, as mentioned, are his square arms with fists moulded inside of the square hands. He also has the "backpack" that is the curse of smaller Movie Primes. And also, a small quibble - his missile can't fire very far because it's attached to a string.

Power Hook Optimus Prime - Vehicle Mode

And here he is in his glorious vehicle mode. Transformation is easy... they are Fast Action Battlers after all. His truck mode suffers from the giant hole in front of his cab, but on the whole it's pretty nice for a toy meant for kids. Nice as in, detailed.

I'd like to apologise for the previous post about the missile. It can be attached to his truck mode. In fact, it's a Power Hook! There's a slight hook at the end of the missile to hold on to things, and it's attached to a string to allow you to tow stuff. Very smart, very nifty. So that's why there's a string - not because kids lose the missile, but because it's meant to be a towing crane.

Power Hook Optimus Prime - Packaging

Okay, here I have to quibble about the packaging. Hasbro markets it blatantly as a child's toy - "Fast Action Battlers" - with big kiddy lettering and all. Takara markets it as it does all its other Transformers - "BASIC" - with the same standard packaging as other Transformers. Takara doesn't specifically point it at kids and say "here's a children's toy for you!". Instead, it treats it just like every other Transformers toy.

I guess you can see it that Hasbro thinks its consumers are too dumb to classify Transformers for themselves, or that they really like segmenting their consumer base. Either way, their marketing is really atrocious, to the point of almost driving away a consumer like me (who has spent way too much money on the Fast Action Battlers). Or it could also be that Takara supposedly assumes its entire consumer base for Transformers to be children, and that they treat their children way more seriously than Hasbro does. Regardless, I guess it shows my Asian roots - I like the Asian packaging more than the Western one. Ha! Take that, stupid ang mohs!

Side note: You can also find this in the "Leader for the Ages" twin pack.


Ion Blast Jazz

Ion Blast Jazz - Robot Mode

Let me tell you a secret. I started collecting Fast Action Battlers at first because I wanted to have Deluxe sized versions of Movie characters that were Voyager size or larger. Back then, I wouldn't get any character that was already Deluxe sized.

Then I went through my disillusionment phase. Then I decided, ah heck. Since I've already started, I might as well collect them all!

So, back to Jazz. He is an example of why Takara is not necessarily better than Hasbro. I bought the Takara BASIC version instead of the Hasbro version of him. Oh, how I was wrong. To begin the gripes about the QC, his hip-to-leg joints are loose, and his head is loose too. So are his knee joints. If you want to talk about QC, well, my Jazz certainly didn't go through that.

Ion Blast Jazz - Vehicle Mode

He's bigger than the regular Jazz, but also less details, for obvious reasons. Still, he retains the basic elements of Jazz's transformation. His "Ion Blast" feature is a missile on his left arm that fires. Overall, I'd pick regular Jazz just for the aesthetics, and also because this Jazz is very loose-jointed. But he's got the same hands on both toys, which is a subtle nod to each other, I feel.

In vehicle mode, meh. Too many curves make him look like a "Cars" character, it's just way too cartoony for me. I'm not expecting it to be Movie-accurate, neither am I expecting a boxy kind of retro car. What I am looking for, however, is something that is not so curvy. Sigh. He doesn't look streamlined, he just looks chubby and a tad too Disney. Still, it's a children's toy.

Ion Blast Jazz - Packaging

I'm still not sure why some of the names have "Autobot XXX" or "Decepticon XXX" in front. I mean, you'd be expecting those dudes who are buying the toy to have watched the Movie, no? Or maybe it's just to fill up space for shorter names. Still, it's a decision that irks me, largely because I like consistency and similarity amongst all my TFs. Well... mostly, at least. Everybody must have somebody to battle.


Axe Attack Ratchet

Axe Attack Ratchet - Robot Mode

I'm not exactly a fan of Ratchet, but I'm not an unfan, either. Nevertheless, I must say that Ratchet stays quite true to his Voyager sized counterpart. This is partially due to the fact that as a Voyager sized toy, Ratchet retains much of the blocky look that is common to all Fast Action Battlers. Both Ratchets have "axes" on their right hands, wheels on their shoulders, and three nipples in front.

Ratchet is superior to his Voyager version in that he has... a missile! That's right, his "Axe Attack" is just a fancy name. Although he does have an axe, of sorts, his axe has a spring-loaded missile that fires! Yes boys and girls, Ratchet's "Axe" is a missile-firing axe! Cop-out? You decide. Poor Voyager Ratchet, he's bigger but has lesser firepower.

Axe Attack Ratchet - Vehicle Mode

Ratchet, well, Ratchet. I don't know what to say, really. Right, he's a medic. He's a green medic. He's got a green, mustachioed face, and that makes him look old. Coupled with his voice, I've got to say that Ratchet strikes me as an old man, but not necessarily a wise old man. Still, there's nothing to dislike about his character in the Movie, so I shall not quibble.

He's got a surprising amount of detail for something so small, which is something that Ion Blast Jazz should have learned from. Everything is sculpted in or painted on, which is quite nicely detailed. Of course, his spare tire isn't removable, in case any of you were wondering. As a vehicle, he's pretty nifty so smack into things. As a robot, he's quite sweet to play with too. He's not an A-lister, but he's not an idiot, either.

Axe Attack Ratchet - Packaging

Once again, I don't know why it's Autobot Ratchet and later on, not Autobot Ironhide. Maybe it's trademark thing, I don't know. I really don't. Really. I think, but it's just a postulation, that there's a "registered" behind the Ratchet, which means it's not technically owned by them yet. So they have to use the word "Autobot" in front. Whereas for Ironhide, it's a "trademark" behind the name, which means they own it. But anyone who knows can tell me too.

For Ratchet, at least, I feel his packaging is justified. Maybe because he's a second-tier character or something. Compared to the other Fast Action Battlers, he's one of the better ones. Compared to Jazz, at the very least.


Cannon Blast Ironhide

Cannon Blast Ironhide - Robot Mode

In Transformers: Legacy, Ironhide and Armourhide are going to be brothers. I would just to re-iterate how sad I am that for all his vaunted firepower, Ironhide wasn't even able to take out one Decepticon by himself. No point showing off your cannons in beautiful sequences, if you practically are not able to take out a Decepticon solo.

He is noticeably shorter than his Voyager incarnation, but not significantly. Unlike Ratchet, his Voyager version isn't so big, so although they aren't the same height, they could vaguely pass off as being the same size. His transformation is a tad more complicated, mainly because his chest is made of the front bonnet of a car, but split into half. He also has only one piece of artillery, which is his "Cannon Blast". Unlike his Voyager counterpart, who has at least 8 cannons.

Cannon Blast Ironhide - Vehicle Mode

It's simple. It's not as intricately detailed as say, Ratchet or Optimus Prime... but then you might be able to see the details anyway, seeing that it's all black. So I'm not quibbling. Black's always a winning colour if you're too lazy to sculpt a bit more.

But did you notice that Ironhide's face looks a lot like a dog? To be precise, Ironhide reminds me of Ravage, Soundwave's pet Decepticon dog. Such a cute piece of fur. No seriously, scrutinise his face a little. He does have a doggy nose, and his mouth is kind of snouty, and his ears are like doggy ears. I bet he was a homage to Ravage, although I haven't read anything to say as much.

Cannon Blast Ironhide - Packaging

Wait wait wait. So... Ironhide isn't an Autobot? I mean, Ratchet & Jazz explicitly state that they are Autobots. What about Ironhide? Isn't he an Autobot? What happened to Ironhide?

I would have preferred him in the Takara packaging. Somehow, a cool black Transformer should go into a cool Japanese package.


Plasma Punch Bumblebee

Plasma Punch Bumblebee - Robot Mode

Finally, we come to Bumblebee. First off, who does he look like more? Neither. But if I had to pick, it would be the '08 version, because because because... of the colours. Yeah, his colour is more orange than yellow, and the 08 Camaro is orange, as opposed to the yellow 74 Camaro. Size-wise, Bumblebee is actually larger than his Deluxe counter parts. He looks really fat, because his chest is ginormous and his lower legs look very big. But he's way more durable, since he doesn't have loose pieces sticking out that can fall off.

Plasma Punch Bumblebee - Vehicle Mode

Oh right, the "Plasma Punch". It's more like a missile, although he has the spring loaded waist as well, just like Optimus Prime. He also has the license plate penis visible on all versions of Bumblebee. As a car, meh. He looks very much like a toy (not that he's not), somewhat like Jazz. He suffers from a lack of detail, to me, and it translates into his vehicle mode.

Of course, in vehicle mode, it's much clearer what he's supposed to be - the 08 Camaro.

Plasma Punch Bumblebee - Packaging

Well... let's see. I don't particularly favour any one packaging over the other. Still, I think Plasma Punch is just silly. How about Mega Blast or something else with a "B" in it? Plasma Punch is such a... fake out.


Miscellaneous

No more Miscellaneous columns... largely because there's they can and will be expanded into full-fledged articles, in and of themselves.


Transformers Movie Blog Series Index

Transformers: Energon - Megatron or Galvatron?

Yes, I know I usually like to refer to it as Transformers: Super Link, instead of Transformers: Energon. But there's a special reason for that.

Loyal readers will know that I got ahold of Megatron from Energon. At any rate, I got the Takara one, which means the Japanese one. Mainly because it was on sale, also because it was Japanese, which you know, is by default better than the US versions.

But it's smaller. Fuck.

It's an Ultra sized toy. That wouldn't be so bad in and of itself... except that Grand Convoy is Leader class! That means Megatron looks damn wimpy next to Grand Convoy, who can additionally Super Link with a gigantic Omega Supreme to become Omega Convoy. So Megatron basically looks like a wuss.

If you're like me, you're a fan of symmetrical things. Meaning that your leaders have got to be the same size. Okay well they're not always (not in G1), but then I just feel so conned la.

I must have both leaders. I must.

Galvatron & Megatron

And so I have a decision to make. Spend $120 for a Megatron, or $110 for a Galvatron. Let's look at both.

Galvatron & Megatron - full frontal

See, the entire Megatron/Galvatron sculpt is basically a homage to G1 Galvatron. The crown, the abs, the cannon, the fat legs, it's all reminiscent of him. Purple only serves to accentuate it even more, which is Galvatron's colour scheme. Basically, Energon Galvatron is really a sort of "remake" of G1 Galvatron, which I really dig. Even down to the colour of the cannons.

Megatron & Galvatron - backside

But then Megatron's colour scheme is basically what he was for about 80% of the show. That's who I remember Megatron to be. He got his recolours for about 20% of the show, and I'm like... well, okay. I remember the toy and his character in Energon to be in Megatron colours, which are white and green. So basically what I'm saying here is, I'm getting him because he represents Energon Megatron's character.

Galvatron & Megatron - who has bigger boobs?

The question here is, do I want the toy because of Energon Megatron, or because of G1 Galvatron? I already have a G1 Galvatron, by the way. It's just that you look at Energon Megatron and you think, so cool. He looks like G1 Galvatron. Then you see Energon Galvatron and you think, fuck, so that's what they had in mind all this while!

Galvatron & Megatron - vehicle mode

Maybe I should just wait. $100 is pretty steep, and I'm not even paying that for my Armada Super Convoy. I missed an offer for an MIB one, and I'm still kicking myself for it. Sigh.

I think... I'd take the cheaper one. They're both evenly split in my mind.

F.A.Q.

Why does this blog even exist?

Well, it's a dedicated blog to talking about Transformers all the time. It's mainly because 9 out of the 15 readers of my blog don't want me to talk about Transformers on my blog.

Should I start a separate blog for my Transformers posts?

Yes	9 (60%)
No	3 (20%)
Who cares?	3 (20%)

I'm cool with that too, because I don't feel so pressurised into having to explain bits and pieces of Transformers lore while I'm blogging about Transformers. Take it that I have more freedom in this blog to talk about Transformers.

All. The. Time.

Tada!

What I Want For Christmas, Part II

Wow. So why the change to this blog?

Well after the third consecutive "there are too many Transformers" on your blog comment, I give up. Okay. This blog is all Transformers, all the time.

This post is a continuation of this post.

So let me continue with my Tranformers wish list. :D

4)Alpha Quintesson

Evil alien bastard

I can already foresee the questions. "Why are you buying such an ugly Transformer?" "Why are you buying a Transformer toy that doesn't transform?" "Why are you buying a Transformer toy that is not a Transformer?"

Well I have to say that in G1, the Quintessons were really... weird creepy alien things. They were Transformer sized, and they were just so... Lovecraftian. They were the stuff of nightmares. They weren't like the Decepticons, whom you could beat up. They were the kind of enemy that couldn't ever be defeated, only temporarily stopped. I guess that was the endearing aspect of their character.

Minion of Unicron

In G1, the Quintessons were sort of the slaves of Unicron. But in Transformers: Super Link, he was Alpha Quintesson - the last survivor of a planet destroyed by Unicron. He was a tragic figure, because deep down he was actually a scared little child who wanted his home back. He went up against Unicron, stealing his head, and gave up his life fighting Unicron, so as to create an Energon Sun to give life to all the planets that Unicron destroyed.

Although he was the villain at first, he ended up being one of the most noble characters. He was a useless coward at heart, and his cowardice was depicted so many times. But when it came to restoring his planet and going up against Unicron, although you could see he was quaking in his boots, although you knew that he would lose against Unicron, he went all the way. And what did he get for his troubles? He died. So that others could live.

It's very... matyristic. Perhaps that's why I like him so much.


5)Super Convoy (Micron Legend)

Only a mother could love that face

I have no luck with Convoys, or Optimus Primes. You see, if there are two different versions of it in the series, I will be able to get one but not the other. Or if I have both, one of them will be defective. There seems to be no way to get two perfect Convoys in the same series. Yeargh.

I am not even going to deny that his face looks ugly in this mode. This is his biggest, bestest, most powerful mode, by the way. So there's a trade-off. Luckily, he stays in his more handsome mode most of the time in the series.

Optimus Prime vs Megatron

Well, Super Convoy (as he is colloquially known) has two modes. This is his smaller, more "default" mode, wheras the first one is his Super mode where he combines with his trailer. It's really sad that I don't have the big one, but I have the small one. And for Super Link, I have the big one but not the small one.

I have got to say that although he's smaller than Megatron in his normal mode, he is way bigger than Megatron in Super mode. It's a nice give and take, you know. Combined mode, well, Megatron loses out lah. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Optimus Prime with his combining buddies Jetfire & Overload

The great thing about him is that he can combine. With Jetfire. With Overload. And also with Jetfire & Overload to become Magna Jet Convoy (in Japan). In the US, he has no real name for his triple combined form - he's either Jet Optimus, or Optimus Megaweapon. Maybe when he combines with both, he will become Jet Optimus Megaweapon. That just sounds weird.

In the show, Optimus Prime is quite fearless and invincible. Maybe it's that Gary Chalk voice. Regardless, nothing can stop Optimus - he even dies and comes back to life. Although he's not dead for very long, you've got to admit that's a pretty bold move for what is predominantly (or at least, started out as) a kid's story.

Jet Optimus Megaweapon

This is the ultimate result of buying all those Armada toys. So that this big boy can fight Unicron. Well... Omega Supreme can fight Unicron too. I wondered what happened to Overload in Super Link. I think he just became the drones that are Grand Convoy's limbs.

He may not look pretty, per se, but you have to admit he looks good. Really good.

I almost forgot to say... see the Bumblebee like robot on him? That's his Minicon, Sparkplug. Nice homage all around.


6)Jetfire

Jetfire, Sub-Commander of the Autobots!

I don't know what to say of Jetfire, really. He's got a RBG, and a distinct, unique head that reminded you of a Macross toy and his G1 incarnation. That aside, his head sculpt was unique enough that you could identify the same character across all 3 incarnations of the Unicron Trilogy.

He never was a skilled or good character... he was more the flashy, show-0ff kind of dude. He wasn't irritating, just... I don't know. Forgettable, I'd have to say. Sadly.

Space shuttle mode

Well, he's a space shuttle. Apart from non-realistic, futuristic spaceships... you can't go wrong with a "realistic" space shuttle, no? You can't. At any rate, space shuttle-ness aside, Jetfire was an arrogant showboater in Transformers: Armada. It's not to say that he was bad or anything, it's just that he was really over-the-top in the first few episodes. They toned down his character later, which was easier I guess, since he would merge with Optimus Prime.

Jetfire Pants

When he merges with Optimus Prime, they become Jet Optimus, or Jet Convoy. Yeah I guess it's not fantastic or fantabulous looking, but bear in mind that he is part of the holy trinity of Magna Jet Convoy, or Jet Optimus Megaweapon. However you see it, he is an integral part of the mighty Autobot gestalt.

If he didn't combine with anyone? Well... I might get him. Note, I might.


The wish list continues next time, with the (ARGH) Super Link Galvatron saga, and some Classic Transformers.