Transformers Collaborative: G.I. Joe Mash-Up, Megatron H.I.S.S. Tank and Baroness: A toy almost 40 years in the making.

Don't call it a comeback...
 
With every toy release, certain things will always be prioritized over others. Some are hard limits, such as budget and complexity requirements; others are goals to strive for over others. Transformers Legacy aims to bring beloved characters from all across the 38-year history of the Transformers brand together into a unified theme. On the other hand, Transformers Studio Series tries to balance accurate robot modes with the accuracy of licensed vehicles from the six (as of the time of writing) live-action Transformers movies. G.I. Joe Classified's primary goal is to modernize the 3.75-inch 80's G.I. Joe toys while sprinkling in more modernized characters and versions of the Real American Hero icons. With every priority, something is sacrificed. Some characters in Legacy either feel too faithful to the originals or not faithful enough, thanks to the attempts at a unified theme. The need for accurate vehicle modes in Studio Series has led to large chunks of (primarily) car mode panels hanging off the robots' backs due to the complexity of the movie designs. Some designs in the Classified line feel too rooted in the 80's aesthetic, making things feel more like a hodgepodge of goals when you start looking at the line as a whole. The point of all of this? Well, it would be an understatement to say that this toy has to do a lot. 

G.I. Joe and Transformers are no strangers to each other. Many eras of comics intertwine the two brands together; references to G.I. Joe have been found in Transformers multiple times, from Marissa Fairborn in the Generation 1 cartoon being written as the daughter of Flint and Lady Jaye, Old Snake being an alias of Cobra Commander, and even in Transformers Prime where the military planes Agent Fowler uses in the attack on the Decepticon's base on earth being called Skystrikers. When it came to toys, though, while there were a few over the years, including Energon Snowcat, Combiner Wars Viper, numerous G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles repainted as Transformers characters, and a subscription service figure of Serpent O.R to name a small handful of them, none of it hit the need that a lot of fans of both brands were after. Iconic Transformers characters transforming into G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles that could interact with the 3.75-inch RAH figures. Right before this toy was revealed, I posted an opinion piece on the possibility of getting transforming Joe and Cobra vehicles in the modern Transformers scale, something that would have sacrificed the 3.75-inch compatability for cost and size, as it seemed like getting it all was going to be an impossible feet, something that this toy (depending on who you ask) confirms or debunks that belief. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, transforming into the iconic Cobra H.I.S.S Tank and including... a Retro O-Ring Baroness with it... okay, maybe not the perfect combo, but it does leave the door open for Cobra Commander coming with a possible Starscream. Is it everything fans have wanted? Well, if you got the hint from the very first paragraph, not quite. 

I'll start small and work my way up, which means we're starting with the O-Ring Baroness. "What is it?" "What does O-Ring mean?" effectively, it's a re-release of the 1984 Baroness figure. The only potential difference is that the O-Ring (a name given to a rubber ring inside most of, if not every 3.75-inch G.I. Joe toy from the '80s that held the torso together while giving the figures a waist swivel and ab crunch) is made of a different, apparently more robust rubber. Seeing this next to the H.I.S.S Tank driver that came with the Retro H.I.S.S III, I can see the differences between the two engineering styles. Baroness is noticeably smaller and a bit more restricted in certain areas of articulation, though the only thing I wish she had was a wrist swivel to help make the laser gun she comes with look more natural in her hands. She also helps to highlight the moulding changes they make in the H.I.S.S III to accommodate the taller driver, with things like the foot pegs on the back being a different, smaller size.

 
The sculpting work on her is nice, though there are certain elements where I can see what they were going for, but it doesn't quite work. The sculpting on her boots makes it look like she's wearing baggy pants hidden under black armour, while her glasses look more like large painted circles rather than eyewear. The way the rest of Baroness's face is sculpted as well reminds me of Daria from Bevis and Butt-head. She looks bored rather than threatening. The giant laser rifle looks okay, just awkward in her hand thanks to the way the hands were moulded, and you can't get her to look like she's shooting at someone. The backpack is a nice inclusion, though all it does is act like a decorative screw hole cover, with the only noteworthy thing about it being the sculpted Cobra logo on it. I don't think she's inherently wrong, but I will admit my experience with her figures in the Classified line ahead of time is causing me to be more critical of her. Sometimes it is difficult to objectively judge an older product when you've had more experience with later versions (why do you think I'll never review an original G1 Transformer?). Suppose you're a Joe fan, especially a vintage/ retro collector. In that case, you'll appreciate getting this more than any Transformer fan picking the set up as to them, she comes off more as an accessory, especially with all the ways that the 3.75-inch figures can interact with Megatron. 

 
While usually, I would go from vehicle mode to robot mode when discussing Transformers, I want to save the vehicle mode for last as the vehicle mode is one of the biggest priorities for this figure, even more than the robot mode. You will be disappointed if you're a Transformers fan who wants a Megatron. While this Megatron has an impressive size and mass to him, it doesn't feel like a cohesive blend of Decepticon and Cobra due to the reliance on the Generation 1 look. The black HISS Tank pieces hang off of the mainly grey Megatron, resulting in a very cumbersome-looking robot mode, almost on a level like many Beast Wars figures, especially Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo toys. The plastic choice and lack of weight for what is effectively a Commander Class figure also give the toy a little knock-off feel too it, though I think some who have reviewed this toy already have exaggerated this element of the toy. The toy is, unfortunately, very hollow, with almost none of the H.I.S.S Tank mass trying to hide this fact. Though it might be Commander Class in price, it doesn't feel like Commander Class in hand, likely due to the fact that this wasn't given a Commander Class budget in development due to the need to include The Baroness. This toy feels like a Leader Class toy blown up to Commander Class size, so I recommend getting it at a price closer to that Leader Class price if you can. I got the toy for just under $100, which helps make the figure feel better than it would have at $120.

 
In terms of functionality, there are some interesting elements of play that can be found here. The H.I.S.S Tank's turret is still fully functional, meaning that you can have Baroness or any other 3.75-inch figure man the Diablo Cannons while riding on Megatron's back. Said cannons, along with Megatron's Fusion Cannon, are compatible with the blast effects pieces that came with some of the War for Cybertron Trilogy figures, and due to the cannons being Transformer standard 5mm connections to the toy, you could arm any figure with the cannons, and replace them with many different combinations of Transformers weapons. As inconsequential as that might be for many, I love that because it adds a level of novel stupidity to the toy I genuinely love. Want to give the H.I.S.S Tank a pair of Optimus' Ion Blaster? You can do that. Starscream's Null Rays? Sure. Are you like me and have way too many copies of the War for Cybertron Megatron toy and want to arm the H.I.S.S Tank with multiple Fusion Cannons? Completely doable. The choice is yours and yours alone. Another thing about this toy that is funnier than it has any right to be is the fact that the plugs typically meant for standing figures behind the H.I.S.S Tank still exist on this toy, meaning that when that otherwise meaningless piece of plastic is used as "Megatron's Shield" in robot mode, you can have troopers dangling for dear life while Megatron uses them as meat shields. Sure, none of this is intentional, but it makes the figure more entertaining and helps to cover up its shortcomings in robot mode. 

Many of the shortcomings in Robot mode can be traced back to the need to be as close to a 1:1 recreation of the 1983 H.I.S.S Tank, and in the vehicle mode is where this toy shines, though I think they could have deviated a little more. One of the things I love about this toy compared to the H.I.S.S III release is that almost all the stickers from the original toy are now painted details. The 788 number at the front, the light bar, the Cobra faction logos, and the only sticker missing when compared to the H.I.S.S III is the turret control panel. However, I feel it's a missed opportunity not to have some brand crossover with the decorations. Things like a mashup of the Cobra and Decepticon logos like what they did with the Combiner Wars Viper toy, potentially a "kill count" detail on the side that could show how many Autobots and G.I. Joes have been killed, little things like those to help blend the two brands in this mode. An impressive feat for this toy is that, except for some gap lines on the body and a few Megatron pieces poking out, you can hardly tell that this toy transforms. It would almost effortlessly blend in with a collection of vintage H.I.S.S Tanks without anyone noticing (depending on if you're storing the Fusion Cannon on him, of course, that is a bit of a dead giveaway). The functionality of the original toy is also carried over into this toy, with the cockpit able to house a figure as a driver, the turret able to be manned by a figure, and two more able to ride on the back. A tow hook is also included to allow the tank to tow any of the portable artillery found in the Real American Hero toyline back in the 80s. However, I don't know how compatible it is as I don't own any tow vehicles. Unlike the original H.I.S.S Tank, the Vulcan Turrets can move independently, allowing them to look more dynamic for display and play, further emphasized by the aforementioned blast effects posts. The H.I.S.S Tank mode is undoubtedly the star of the show, but is it worth the complete package?

 
Is this a good H.I.S.S Tank toy? Yes... but there are some compromises for the sake of Megatron. Is this a good Megatron toy? No. You're likely better off getting either a dedicated H.I.S.S Tank or a dedicated Megatron toy. Does this blend the two franchises together in an ideal way? No. Does it scratch the itch? Yes. Yes it does. This is the toy that many have been wanting for decades. While it may not be great, there may be better Transformers characters to turn into a H.I.S.S Tank; there may be better Cobra characters to include as the pack-in, and there may be better ways to incorporate more of what makes the two brands unique. But considering the brief this toy has. Turn the iconic leader of the Decepticons into the iconic Cobra tank that interacts with the '80s 3.75-inch figures in all the ways the original H.I.S.S Tank did, and do it at a leader class budget. It did those to the best of its ability, and it's a great toy as a result. Maverick felt like a collector's piece. Gigawatt felt like a collector's piece. X-Spance, The Jurassic Pack 2 pack, and Dracula all felt like collector's pieces, novelties for those who like the two brands (and none of which I own, so don't ask for reviews). This feels like a toy. This feels like the toy 80's kids have wanted since they were kids. This is as fun as a toy crossing over two wildly popular '80s toy lines should be, so I recommend getting it if you can, especially if you love one of the brands and have been curious about the other.

Opinion Piece: Transformers x G.I. Joe, could it work? (Part 1?)

I want to take you down a thought process. With how often I review the G.I. Joe and Transformers toylines and how intertwined the two brands are, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I have been considering how a potential crossover could work. It has been something many have asked for over the years, and many of the Joe Vehicles lend themselves quite nicely to Transformers. Written before the upcoming stream announcing more of the plans for G.I. Joe's 40th anniversary, I wanted to give a pitch for how a potential crossover line could work.

 

To establish some ground rules, I will be keeping things to a standard based on the current mainlines for both brands. Generations for Transformers (Legacy, War for Cybertron, Prime Wars, etc.), and Classified for G.I. Joe. Unfortunately for those on the Joe's side, this will focus more on the Transformers standards because of the most significant issue, size. War for Cybertron: Earthrise Optimus Prime is around the same height as Classified Series Duke. Any way you want to cut it, the Joes will need to be shrunk down for this to potentially work. Perhaps at the smaller Titan Master size (Around 2 or 3cm), they can still interact with the vehicles and be large enough for things like basic paint applications. With the crossover theme in mind, this could be a good chance to modernize the Titan Masters scale, making Joes and the weapons on the other figures to be more modern armaments, or even futuristic like some of the Classified line’s weapons thanks to the Cybertronian elements.

 

The main reason for such a crossover would be to have the Joe and Cobra Vehicles have a new presence on store shelves outside of reissues. For this article, I'll be giving a wave synopsis based on how the first wave of a new Transformers line is currently distributed. From smallest to largest, these will be 3 Core Class figures, 4 Deluxe Class figures, 2 Voyager Class figures, and two Leader Class figures. 

Borrowing an element from the War for Cybertron Siege and Earthrise lines, the Core class would be based more on the Battlemasters, smaller robots that turn into weapons for the larger figures. What would make them different here is that they'd be based on the Joe and Cobra tow weapons, with each figure having a vehicle mode that can be towed by larger figures that double as a stationary weapon for the Joe and Cobra characters. It would also have a basic robot mode and can be converted into a handheld weapon for the larger robots. A few contenders for Wave 1 could be the G.I Joe H.A.L., the Cobra A.S.P., and potentially a more rigid gun that may not be able to be towed but still has the other elements of play like the Joe's FLAK. These would come with a generic trooper for the Joes and Cobra to encourage army building.

 

We'd be getting into the territory of actual characters at retail for the Deluxe class. For the Bots and Joes, a great first two would be the VAMP as Hound, with Clutch as the driver, and the M.O.B.A.T. as Warpath with Steeler. Two solid picks for the Cons and Cobra, the Cobra F.A.N.G. with a Cobra Trooper, and the Cobra Rattler as Viper with Wild Weasel. These would be in the traditional colours for the Transformers themselves, which wouldn't be that big of an issue for Hound and especially Viper. Many of these vehicles were reused multiple times over the Joe toyline, so repainting them into other Transformers, regardless of faction, wouldn't be unheard of. Viper can easily become a Powerglide later, and Hound has a lot of potential as a Stinger, though the Decepticon in question is someone I'm having trouble naming. 

 

Voyager is where things are starting to get interesting. As the figures get larger, you could include more characters with them as many of them become multi-seater vehicles of larger sizes. With the Deluxes favoring the Joes on the ground, and Cobra in the air, I'm going to flip it for the larger size. The Skystriker as Jetfire is an easy pick, with inclusions for the Skystriker as Ace and potentially Scarlett as a nod to the G.I. Joe animated series. Soundwave's often been picked as the Con for the Cobra H.I.S.S. Tank and that isn’t something I'm not inclined to disagree with. Destro or Major Bludd with a H.I.S.S. Driver would be the characters I include with the tank, and due to Soundwave being the tank, you could do the A.S.P. that I mentioned earlier as Frenzy or Rumble.

 

Finally, for the Leaders, though they rarely get Leader Class toys now, the best candidates would be Optimus Prime and Megatron. I think a good candidate for Optimus would be the Joe's A.P.C., as it would be a less drastic change for the leader of the Autobots and the vehicle style would also work for a common Optimus repaint, Ultra Magnus. I could even see Optimus transforming into a portion of the A.P.C., with the main troop carrier being the equivalent of Prime's traditional trailer. Alongside Duke, I could see the A.P.C. coming with a pair of generic troopers, or it could be an excuse to include some of the more stand-alone Joes. As for Megatron, I have to go with the Cobra Mamba, while Cobra Commander would get a couple of Gyro Vipers for co-pilots.

 

Repaint ideas have been dotted throughout this, as repaints are a staple of both brands. The vehicles above could all be made into more generic troop builders for both sides, and come with  Green Shirts or Cobra Troopers respectively. Having a Soundblaster in traditional H.I.S.S. black could be a pulse exclusive army builder that comes with two H.I.S.S. drivers instead of one. You could do a red one that comes with the Crimson guards while the twins Tomax and Xamot come in another vehicle in a later retail wave. It also means that you can satisfy both sets of fans as neither would feel like things have been badly compromised for the sake of the other. When you throw in other Transformers characters the vehicles can come with (the Skystriker as Starscream and the Seekers as noted earlier), you'd have lots of chances to build up the armies equally.

 

I'll leave it there for now, but I'd be happy to expand this further if there's interest. Feel free to let me know if you'd like to see more of these potential wave ideas and pairings or bring up any that you've come up with. Thank you to Craig Moore though for helping out with refining this piece though, helping to streamline it given that it was rushed out when compared to other opinion pieces.

Top 10 Best Transformers of 2021

2021 has come to a close, and it's time to begin looking back at the year that was. Throughout January, I'll be looking over the figures I've bought this year, seeing who's the best of the best and the worst of the worst. Both Transformers and G.I. Joe will have two posts each, today being the Best of Transformers. Between the Bots and the Joes, there's going to be a smaller miscellaneous list, covering some of the other 6-inch figures I obtained in 2021, to give them a send-off as well. However, a golden rule for all of them is that these are all figures I own. As a result, Unicron is automatically disqualified, as I don't own a copy of that toy. With that said, come with me on this trip down memory lane. Here are the Top 10 Best Transformers I got in 2021 (most of which came out in 2021).

 

10. Shattered Glass Jetfire.

 

I'm starting the list with some returning moulds that I enjoyed back then and still enjoy now. Many of my issues with Siege Jetfire still hold true with the Shattered Glass repaint; he still feels very light for a bot of this size (especially when compared to Sky Lynx). Some things also feel a bit too clunky (such as the Titan Master support), but the positives still outweigh the negatives, and the colour change on the Shattered Glass repaint makes a solid mould even better.

9. Generations Selects Galactic Man Shockwave. 

 

 

"He also looks great in black, at least based on pictures I've seen.". A quote from my 2019 Top 10 Transformers list and... Well, yeah, he does! Functionally this toy is just a repaint of the Siege Shockwave mould using the colours of the original, pre-Transformers toy in Japan. I was shocked by the little extras included in this toy, including painting some of the moulding detail to look like wires for a nonexistent light up gimmick (again to homage the original toy). I'm glad that the controversy about all the extra pieces has died down, probably because we live in a world where a Deluxe can be sold as a Voyager, Voyagers can be sold as Deluxes, Voyagers can be sold as Leaders, and a Voyager can be sold as a Commander if given enough accessories. Is Galactic Man a must buy? No, it's only for those who like the niche repaints.

8. WFC Kingdom Megatron (Beast Mode). 

 

"He's just a degimmicked re-release of the original!" Is that a bad thing? Though I haven't gotten the Beast Wars reissue of Megatron yet, it's something I've been on the fence on since learning about how similar the toys are because the Kingdom one is really good. Many of the Kingdom Beasts (and don't worry, there's more of them later on in this list) blend cartoon accuracy with realism, something that I think the brand has been missing up until recently. Sure, if they did a version of this toy in more cartoon accurate colours, I'd buy it because the cartoon colours are beautiful. Even without that, though, this is what I wanted in a modern take on Beast Wars Megatron. The dino skin is excellent; the gimmick integration is fun, the modern articulation makes him so much more dynamic in both beast and bot mode. This is the boss of the Predacons redone two decades later; what more is there to say?

7. Generations Selects Transmutate.

 

 

Representing the Fossizers and "partsforming made fun" for 2021, how could it not be Transmutate? The moulding and the gimmick work so well as a fresh take on the half a bot we all know, love and who haunts our nightmares thanks to the ugly 90's CGI and that godforsaken scream. While she's fine in official configurations, the nature of being a Fossilizer has meant that people have gone to town with configurations for her, bringing her closer to the original body horror-based design. Still don't like her as a standalone, independent fembot that don't need no Maximal's help? Well, rip her apart and turn her into a golden axe for Primal. Everybody wins! Just, please don't make her scream. I'm not kidding about that "haunts our nightmares" part.

6. Studio Series 86 Grimlock and Slug.

 

Wheelie and Daniel not included. I couldn't decide between the two of them which one I enjoyed more, which is why both of them made the list. Both begin to tease us with what we've been missing in our lives, a complete set of Leader Class Dinobots that tower over the cars and trucks of the Autobots. However, neither wholly outshines the other in my eyes. Grimlock's very imposing, but I'm not a fan of the transformation as it's a very safe transformation for Grimlock. On the other hand, Slug is more complex and exciting but not as burly in some areas, and the backpack looks far more cluttered when compared to Grimlocks (thanks to the new transformation. Together, both are great, I can't wait to get the other three, and Sludge had better have the Googly eyes as an accessory, dammit!

5. Netflix Optimus Primal

 

As tempting as it is to include all three versions of the mould here, I prefer the Netflix release just a bit more out of the three. The paint applications are more in line with the cartoon while still keeping the Kingdom detail, and some of the annoyingly tight elements of the original release are smoothed out here, making him effortless to move around and pose. The differences between this version and the regular Kingdom version are minor, though, so if you can't find one, the regular Kingdom release is still a great option. As for the Nemesis Primal repaint included in Buzzworthy Bumblebee, my only complaint is the black fur. After seeing all the customizers repainting the black gorilla fur white, it just looks so much nicer.

4. Golden Disc Collection Mutant Tigartron.

 

 A more recent inclusion that I only got a few days ago at the time of writing. I include it, though, because of the history of Tigartron and Cheetor. If you have Kingdom Cheetor, Netflix Cheetor or Kingdom Shadow Panther, you'll know how this mould's going to mostly work, as the original Cheetor mould was used for Tigertron back in the '90s. With the upscale to Voyager class, Tigartron gets to have more of the bells and whistles that the little cat didn't get. Extra joints, extra accessories, a few minor tweaks in the transformation, pretty much everything I wish was done for the Deluxe Class release is done here. I love the fact that this is a nod to the original plan for Tigartron, and I can't wait to get the regular release of him next year. Hopefully, I'll go into more detail early in 2022, but that will have to wait until I get the regular release. 

3. WFC Kingdom Rodimus Prime.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if this is Number 1 for many people. Rodimus is a great toy with a lot of playability and display options. I love how effortless he is to move, a perfect refinement of Studio Series Hot Rod from earlier this year (even though I got mine last year). The only issue with him is that he's a little overpriced at RRP, something that sales, especially holiday ones, easily fixed. So why isn't he Number 1 for me? Two do beat him. This year was just an excellent year for Transformers.

2. WFC Kingdom Cyclonus.

 

 

Refined Perfection. This is what the Earthrise Seekers wish they could be. An updated take on the 2008 toy is the Cyclonus toy people have wanted for years. Cartoon accurate without being bound to the aesthetic (looking at you modern Masterpieces), Voyager Class scale, with all the articulation and modern engineering tricks made standard in the 13 years since the original's release. If Starscream and his merry band of repaints got this kind of treatment last year, they would have made the Top 3 easily. Easily the best of the G1 stuff in Kingdom.

Before Number 1, a few honourable mentions. 

• Kingdom Vertibreak
• Kingdom Dinobot
• Pulsecon Covert Agent Ravage
• Generations Selects Sandstorm and Ramjet
• Studio Series Dino
• Buzzworthy Bumblebee Origin Bumblebee

And the best of the best is...

 

1. WFC Kingdom Airazor.

 

 

Beyond the perfect articulation, the beautifully sculpted feathers, and the delightful transformation, the reason Airazor gets Number 1 is because this is a long time coming. While a good chunk of the Beast Wars characters have had toys since the late '90s, some like Scorponok, Terrorsaur, and Airazor haven't. Until this year, the only other option for a Beast Wars Airazor on your shelf WAS her 1997 toy. This didn't need to be this good, and cases like Scorponok show that we still need to wait for a perfect version of some beasts. Kingdom Airazor is a perfect figure for the character, though. Not only that, she's the best female transformer toy to date as she doesn't get bogged down with alt mode junk on her back, putting recent releases of Arcee, Chromia and Elita-1 to shame. She's more dynamic than many other Aerialbots (not just the combiner team); what few faults she has are easily drowned out by the positives. Not only is Kingdom Airrazor the best figure of 2021, but I'd also go so far as to say it's one of the best Transformers figures I've ever owned, right up there with the likes of Cybertron Optimus Prime and Energon Tidal Wave. Without a doubt, Kingdom Airazor is a must-have figure.

And with that, that wraps up the best of the best. Let me know what you think if you agree or disagree, and I'll see you next week for the worst of the worst.

Hasbro Pulsecon 2021 Day 1; Transformers Legacy: THEY REMEMBERED THE S IN GENERATIONS!!!

 Welcome to the two-part recap of Hasbro Pulse Con for 2021. For those who want to see a full recap of the two days, unfortunately, I won't be able to provide that as some brands that I'm interested in either won't do well here or likely won't do well here based on number tracking from the first sight. Other brands, on the other hand, like Power Rangers and Fortnite (brands I'm not interested in), will probably be me going, "it looks fine?". As such, Part 1 is focused on Transformers; Part 2 will be focused on G.I. Joe (and potentially NERF, if for no other reason than curiosity on how they can show off NERF guns in this style...) Anyway, onto the reveals. 

 

The opening parts of the Transformers section were focused on external brand elements, with things like game tie ins, new games, and a walk through attraction. For the two people in the world who wanted a crossover between Transformers and Smite, that is apparently going to be a thing. Missed opportunity not having God Neptune and King Poseidon in the crossover. Actual God Neptune and Transformers God Neptune would be a fight I'd want to see! The only thing of real note was the trailer for Transformers Beyond Reality, a VR experience for Playstation VR and Steam VR. However, the reason it's of note is because of the sluggish animation. The fight between Optimus and Megatron at the end of the trailer felt more like one of those old Street Fighter/ Mortal Kombat knock-off games, thanks to that slow, sluggish feeling. Considering as it's launching soon, I doubt it is going to be improved by release. Another thing to bring up is the release of the Transformers Devastation Soundtrack, which, if I heard right, is coming out September 5th next year? Maybe that's a teleprompt issue, as they seemed to have problems with it during that section of the stream. Perhaps it was a typo? If it's right, though, did they need to try and hype up a soundtrack that, based on how fast the internet handles game soundtrack rips, people likely already have access to? It would have been an excellent time to announce a sequel or a re-release on current hardware, but apparently, that's not happening. Strange.

For the toy reveals, I was expecting a full-wave reveal. Legacy (given that name because they're going to be doing new toys for other characters outside of G1) will follow the release structure of Kingdom, with Core Class, Deluxe Class, Voyager Class and Leader Class being the main wave structure. From previous years in the War for Cybertron trilogy, we've become accustomed to 2 Core Class figures, 4 Deluxe Class figures. 2 Voyagers and 2 Leaders making up case assortments. Usually, this doesn't mean that all of those will be brand new toys, but for Earthrise and Kingdom, the bulk of Wave 1 was new figures, only the second Leader being a re-release (Astrotrain for Earthrise, Optimus for Kingdom). Here, we got to see the four Deluxe Class figures, one of the Voyagers and the Leader, leaving a good chunk of the wave missing. If this was to give Studio Series some attention, I could understand that, but no, it didn't happen. Time limits for the stream maybe? Anyway, for reveals, we got a new G1 Skids, G1 Drag Strip (with a tease of Menasor on the horizon), Transformers Prime Arcee and G1 Kickback as our four wave 1 Deluxes. Prime Bulkhead for the Voyager showed off, and G2 Laser Rod Optimus Prime was the new Leader Class toy revealed. Out of the three G1 figures shown, I love the look of Kickback the most; it's a nice upgrade from his Titans Return release. My only hope is that Bombshell and Shrapnel are just as good because the last releases of the team didn't look great together. Skids looks fine; I often find G1 Skids to look a bit dull, so a G1 faithful Skids isn't exciting for me. Drag Strip seems decent, but without seeing the other Stunticons, it's hard to judge him on his own. I am a little concerned about the sizes of the Deluxes when compared to the past War for Cybertron trilogy, they seem to be smaller, but it's hard to tell based on how the stream was shot. 

You know, just a few differences...

Prime Arcee and Bulkhead. I'm torn on these two, Bulkhead more so than Arcee. With rumours floating around the line bringing other characters together, people assumed it would be more faithful to the sources for those characters. It's not an unreasonable assumption to make, as Generations has previously been focused on bringing new versions of G1 and (in this past year) Beast Wars characters that are modernizations of their original designs. Seeing that kind of care put into more modern designs was an exciting idea. Unfortunately, what we're getting isn't a modernization of those designs but rather a G1ification of those characters. The issue I have with that is the marketing. If it was presented as "Hey, we're designing a new Bulkhead that's inspired by Generation 1 design cues", I would be fine with that; it's not a bad design for Bulkhead after all. But because they're explicitly saying that this is meant to be Transformers Prime's Bulkhead, I'm expecting something more in line with his Transformers Prime design. Arcee is better off in this regard. Except for a more squarish face, it's a lot closer to the Prime Arcee design; it's what many, myself included, were expecting. As for Laser Rod Optimus? It looks cool, but I'm more excited for it inevitably turning into a new version of Robots in Disguise (2001) Scourge. 

 
The new play pattern for the year revolves around combinable Energon weapons. Their implementation on individual figures seems to be well-executed (the use of Arcee's front tire in particular as an Energon weapon was an excellent use of an otherwise useless part in robot mode); I wish they showed they showed off how some of them connect together. With this apparently being line-wide for all classes, though, it does lend credence to my theory regarding leaked listings for the line. There are some figures later on in the line labelled as "Energon Monsters". With this weapon pattern reminding me so much of the Energon weapons from Transformers Energon, I think there's a decent chance of the Energon Terrorcons getting new toys in the future (something I'd be interested in seeing as those designs are fun for army builders). 

 
When the event was talking about the toys, the event was okay. There are just some things I wish they would improve on when it comes to this direct to consumer marketing strategy. Things like showing off the whole wave of figures (I was hoping to see that Voyager Blaster) and not focusing so hard on one line per stream. I hope we're not waiting long to learn more. I'll cover the Pulsecon exclusives in some way, shape or form later, but for now, I'll be back later today to talk about the Day 2 content. 

Transformers Generations Selects GS01 Combat Megatron and GS14 Megatron (G2): Time to roll out the 90's repaints!

 What do you do when you need to repaint a so unabashedly designed toy to be one specific character? Well, you pander to younger fans and give it a paint job inspired by other toys of that character. While you're at it, why not get some free brownie points by picking versions that you can no longer sell to the general market because even in this day and age, the '90s refuses to die. While I have plans to review the most significant part of the Decepticons representation in Earthrise, Starscream and his merry band of repaints, that will take some time. I want to wait until I can get some specific versions of the Siege Tetrajet and see if the rumours of another G2 repaint are true. So until that time, why not look at some unique versions of the recent Mega Tanks?

 

First, a bit of backstory, as while most of the traffic for these posts do come from knowledgeable people, I can't guarantee that's all of the traffic. So, what the frag is Generation 2? Starting a few years after the original Transformers toyline finished (for parts of the world, but let's not go into that here), Hasbro tried to revive interest in the brand by launching the Generation 2 toyline (which retroactively renamed the original toyline into what we know it as today). The plan was solid in theory, mixing new toys with repaints of older toys with more gimmick variety and a colour scheme fitting of the '90s. It bombed, hard, so much so that their next attempt to breath new life into the brand was to give it to the staff they inherited from the Kenner buyout, which in turn threw out the rule book and gave us Beast Wars. Probably the best visual explanation of this was the first release of the two leaders. While Optimus was a rerelease of his original G1 toy with extra accessories like a soundbox and spring-loaded weapons, Megatron got a new toy. No longer a gun, he was released as a green and purple slab of a tank, and it's for that reason, among others, that I'm starting this review with GS14, the G2 repaint of War for Cybertron Earthrise Megatron.

Starting in tank mode, and it should be said upfront that, while there aren't any major shared parts, the engineering for this toy is almost the same as that of the WFC Siege version (which I will get back too later, as that's what Combat Megatron is a repaint of). Sculpted to look more like a traditional tank rather then a Sci-Fi H-Tank, but the arms become the turret, the sword becomes the tank barrel, half the treads are legs, the other half is a backpack, and the head is still poking out from under the tank if you look underneath it. That last part is far more noticeable here as the front of the tank between the treads is now almost wholly exposed; they do not attempt to cover it up. However, what they do cover-up is the back of the tank. They do this with a panel that doesn't do much to hide the fact that it's his legs contorted in a weird way as it's just as hollow and exposed as the front. Effort for trying, I guess? While the general retail release (or what would have been the readily available release) kept things to the Generation 1 colours. Black, grey, and a bit of red, I guess that you know what Megatron looks like if you're reading this review. G2 Megatron, on the other hand, goes for the 90's colours that the original toy had, green and purple camouflage with patches of orange (and black for the treads, that didn't change). It is loud, obnoxious, completely impractical, but it is accurate to the original toy and design; I can't fault it for that. It is a treat, though because of how loud the colours are, it stands out hard compared to other Decepticons. Regardless of what mode you have Megatron in, he is going to stand out, and you are going to see him on a shelf (unless it's populated with other loud and obnoxious colour schemes, I didn't pull my G2 Stunticons out to test that). But, if you want something more subdue, you go for Combat Megatron. 

As I said before, Combat Megatron is based on the Siege version of Megatron. The version of Megatron found at general retail in both the original Siege toyline from 2019 and the Netflix repaint in 2020 (which, though I'm not reviewing that one here, I will say the paintwork on it is great and a far better battle damage decor than the original). Combat Megatron, though, was originally unreleased. In 1993, Takara released a different Megatron for Japan known as Hero Megatron. This toy would be imported into Europe as Archforce (though it was missing the "Megatron Rules" sticker the Takara version had on the chest. Same basic engineering as G2 Megatron, but with better gimmicks and a retooled Tank gun that dropped the Gravity fed missiles and electronics for an air pump and missiles. Hero Megatron was going to get a western release with arctic camouflage colours instead of the black, purple, blue and orange of Hero Megatron. While I still hope they reuse the Hero Colours on a toy at some point (that or I get my hands on the Takara repaint of Titans Return Megatron), it is a bit of a treat seeing these unreleased colours get a toy. Sporting all the Sci-Fi details of Siege Buckethead, Combat Megatron goes for a white, dark grey (I think that's the colour at least) green and black paint job. I can see why they didn't release this, and I don't think this works as well as the G2 colours do. The camouflage feels unfinished, especially on the arms/ turret, and the black comes off as a bit of an eyesore. Out of the three Siege Megatrons I have, this is probably the weakest of the three in terms of the painting design, but a large part of that comes from the far more simplified designs of Siege and Netflix Megatron. While both Megatrons are novelty pieces (along with Generations Selects as a whole), Combat Megatron feels like the more novelty of the two, something you get because of how deep of a cut the reference is more than anything else.

I had no plans to get Earthrise Megatron initially. Aside from the fact that it was the Siege version with fresh sculpting, there was one thing about it that I hated the look of in promotional material and something that I knew I wasn't going to like on the G2 version even when I put the order in for it. On the Siege version of the mould, the front half of the tank barrel detaches from the Fusion Cannon, and two blade pieces underneath the turret rotate up and peg together over the barrel to form a large and impressive looking sword. Combat Megs gets to have this weapon, and it still looks impressive. The Earthrise mould works similarly to a point but looks infinitely worse. On the Earthrise one, you take off the front barrel and the front wedge (I don't know tanks) of the turret where the sword is already complete. You plug the cover panel from the back of the tank underneath the barrel, you then plug all of that onto the side of the left arm, and this looks completely ridiculous. There is no way to make this assembly look good because of the tank kibble. The part of it that looks like a sword can't be used as a sword, but instead as an awkward arm blade looks tiny. If you rotate it so that the tank barrel is facing forward, while it seems a bit better thanks to the wedge following the direction of the barrel (compared to the wall that it is on the Sword side), the backplate looks awkward no matter what side you have facing forward. Thanks to a change that they didn't need to make over the Siege version, a missed opportunity with this mould was the inability to try and replicate the overkill cannon of the G2 toy. On the original toy, the tank cannon dominated the chest plateau (which made no effort to hide the fact that it was the front half of a tank) by sticking out the front and the back. There are no C.O.M.B.A.T ports near Megatron's shoulder blades, and the two that were on the top of the tank treads backpack on the Siege version no longer exist. As you can probably tell by how long of a rant I went with, I hate this sword weapon. The sword is the number 1 reason I keep this guy in tank mode. 

 

Long-winded discussions about awful melee weapons aside, due to the nature of them being repaints of pre-existing toys, they don't lock down the look of the original toys. They do in deco but not in sculpt. Like it or not, these are repaints of moulds meant for Generation 1 Megatron. However, the Siege version of G1 Megatron looks excellent, and the remoulding done for Earthrise looks just as good, if not better, in cases like the new chest. This mould commands power and authority as any good Megatron toy should. Just because they don't physically look like the G2 Tanks doesn't mean they're bad Megatron's. Far from it (encase the fact that I own three of the Siege version isn't enough of an indicator of that fact). If you've seen my review of the first Siege Megatron (https://mediaholicstoybox.blogspot.com/2019/06/transformers-war-for-cybertron-siege.html) then you know my views on the articulation and possibility of these two. Nothing's changed in the joints department other than better ankle tilts that aren't a struggle to get back into place like one of the ones on that first release. I could point out minor issues I have, like Combat Megatron not having any paint on the tank treads on the back of his legs. I could also bring up the odd moulding choices leading to redundant paint applications like Combat Megatron's crotch being painted white (thank you, minor paint chip on the tab). But that's all they are, negligible. It doesn't drown out how great these robot modes are. I do like that Combat Megatron got a new head sculpt to add more detail to the bucket head while G2's was painted to be an almost perfect replica of the G2 toy, the only difference being the smaller eyes in the sculpting.

For as much praise as I give them, do I recommend them to general consumers? Not really, no. These are niche repaints at the end of the day. I only really recommend them if you like the look of the painted decor or have a strong connection to their original toys (you'd be delusional if you have a strong connection to Combat Megatron as, again, he was initially a cancelled toy). Do I recommend getting the Siege mould? Yes, absolutely! Do I recommend getting the Earthrise mould? If you can look past the melee weapon and desperately need an earth tank Megatron, maybe. But if you're getting it for the robot mode, I would personally get the Siege version; I think it's better overall when compared to the Earthrise release. I don't believe the Earthrise version's positives outweigh the weapon issues, and in terms of engineering, the two moulds are the same anyway. It comes down to style at the end of the day because they tie in every other way. Next week... I shouldn't have said what I said in the Duke review. Curse my curiosity; we're looking at some Marvel Legends stuff.