Opening Salvo
Well the posting schedule is all crazy now so I have no clue when you’ll be reading this. I’ve got news, a review, and my opinions that are always 15 degrees off cool. Saddle up it’s time to Transform!
Toys: What I got, what they got, and some news too
Nothing new on the TF front; Music Label Soundwave should be here soon so all will be well. Slow news week too.
The love affair between the Japanese and Mini-Cons continues as various Classic Mini-Cons will be repainted and sold as various store exclusives. One that has caught my eye is the T-Rex mold redone in a metallic purple paint scheme like Transmetal Megatron. These are cheap and easy toys to make so I think Takara are doing a smart thing by selling them as exclusives. I’m sure Alessandro will try to get his hands on them.
American Greetings have unveiled a new G1 Transformers Optimus Prime ornament. OK help me out here, did they make one 20 years ago or am I just crazy? Either way I’ll be all over this bad boy.
Big rumor is that Nokia will be making a special Transformers edition of their N93i phone. It will look the same and come in the same box but the phone will be preloaded with all Transformer movie goodies. If this is your thing then enjoy; I’m quite happy with my Envy.
Remember that Giant Optimus Prime statue I mentioned a few weeks ago? Remember the rule that every Optimus Prime figure has to get repainted into Ultra Magnus thanks to Dreamwave? Well it’s happened. Apparently the company that’s making giant Prime has made a limited edition repaint as Ultra Magnus. This is a very limited edition, try one only, so don’t think about bringing this guy into your home.
A happy note about the new movie; apparently for the Brazilian release they were able to secure the G1 voice actors for Megatron and Starscream as well as the voice actor of RID Optimus Prime. It’s starting to look like that the US is the only country that didn’t use more classic Transformer voice actors.
Alternators Rodimus is already out in South East Asia so keep an eye out for him on the international auction market. What this means is like Nemesis Prime, both the SDCC exclusive and the general release will see a slightly higher price on the secondary market.
If the Asian market is any indication expect to see a wave of Real Gear two packs to go along with the various other two packs already out there. This stinks for the completists out there who have to have one or two of everything.
Remember years ago when 3H ran the TFCC they had a continuing story that followed the Wreckers? Well the new TFCC has announced that that story among others will be part of a new fiction section of their web site. I wonder how Glen feels about this.
Surfing The Space Bridges
Do you think it is unfair for Hasbro to release the movie figures as two packs without anything new added to the sets?
Sixty-Second Review
Breakaway
MSRP: $50.00 membership to the club
OUT NOW
Well three years ago when Master Collector took over the TFCC we were promised a free club figure every year. This figure, we were PROMISED, would be heavily remolded and not just a straight repaint from the current line. Then they saw how much that would cost, then they made the “mistake†of making the molds out of metal, and then the word promise all but disappeared. The first four exclusive club figures will be repaints of the Energon combiners while the fifth figure, if we get that far, will be a remolded combiner torso. Seeing as we’re into the third year of the club we are up to our third figure, Breakaway.
Breakaway is a repaint of Energon Treadshot and Windrazor. Some parts of his body have been done in clear plastic like the previous two exclusives and like the previous two look gaudy and out of place. All of his weapons and parts are here and unchanged. Transformation and articulation are the same as the original Energon molds; if you liked it then, you’ll like it now. Really this figure is the same as the $9.99 one you bought three years ago so the question becomes is he worth the price. Well to be honest the answer is yes and no; if you’ve been in as long as a few others and I have then it pays to see this bad boy through to the end. If you haven’t joined the club yet then I think it really doesn’t pay to since the club has yet to fully prove its self and has yet to deliver on all of its claims. It’s worth noting that you can’t just buy the figure, when you try you will be charged the club membership fee plus the cost of the figure. On Elohims’ Energon cube ranking scale I give Breakaway a solid five cubes. Still not wowed by these figures yet.
Parting Shots
Next week more news that you need to know and my glorious wit to keep you entertained, yeah right.
The King of the Fanboys,
Charles
