info
Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Combiner Wars Constructicons at Toy Fair 2015
53 views
Skip to first unread message
Zobovor
Feb 22, 2015, 1:05:27 PM2/22/15
to
http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/toy-fair-38/devastator-at-toy-fair-2015-hasbro-event-182100/
These guys are incredible. I keep going over the images and I keep noticing new things about them. (I love how every one of them is "Constructicon Whatever" so they could use all the original names instead of naming one or two of them Rampage or Skipjack or something stupid like that.)
BONECRUSHER: He's got little faux wheels embedded inside his bulldozer treads. That's so cool (Takara usually did this with Diaclone toys, even non-vehicles like Swoop and Bombshell, but it always bothered me that neither Bonecrusher nor Scavenger could actually roll). He actually has embossed detail on his chest that mirrors the design of the sticker on the G1 toy, and I think that's so cool. Perhaps best of all, he's got his cartoon head design. I always hoped Hasbro would make new Constructicons one day... there have been lots of third-party designs but they've always skirted the line between tributes and total redesigns, probably because they didn't want to copy Hasbro's intellectual property too closely. I'm so glad Hasbro didn't opt to reinvent the wheel. These guys are THE Constructicons.
SCAVENGER: Man, I really dig that head sculpt. I hope his shovel arm is articulated. Based on his Devastator arm configuration, it looks like the cab can still swivel independantly from the treads, which is great. Again, embossed designs on his chest. He's even got the faux Devastator connector piece in the center of his chest even though it doesn't look to be functional at all. Somehow that chest piece ends up as part of Devastator's forearm! I have no idea how this is possible, but I can't wait to find out.
HOOK: Another winner. They're knocking these head sculpts right out of the ball park. Overall his robot mode looks great. I dislike the snap-on wheels but I recognize that they're a necessary evil. You can see a little flip-out connector arms of some kind inside his chest. I'm a little less impressed with his vehicle mode (though it's obviously slightly mistransformed in the Toy Fair display). His crane hook is disappointingly gimpy and I wonder if the boom extends at all. I hope it does. Looks like Devastator's head is integrated into Hook's design... perhaps inside the aft cab?
LONG HAUL: My first impression is that his head looks weird, but actually it's not disingenuous to the cartoon model. On the G1 toy, you had the black flip-up tab where the half-head was essentially a relief sculpture on the flat plate, like Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. They interpreted that for the cartoon as giving him a black plate behind his head, while the actual head was entirely light grey. So this is authentic, but it looks weird because he's missing that plate behind his head. I'm not in love with his short, gimpy arms and his fat Suzanne Somers thighs, but I recognize that as an integral Devastator component, he's got to have load-bearing hips. Wouldn't it be great if his truck bed worked this time (the G1 toy was a dump truck that couldn't dump anything since his rear wheels went with the truck bed).
MIXMASTER: His vehicle mode is the most far removed design from any of the original Constructicons and I'm already seeing so much complaining about it. To me, it's not any more or less disingenuous than the new versions we've gotten of Ironhide, Jazz, Sunstreaker, etc. It's certainly closer than the recent versions of Scourge and Kup and Perceptor. I don't completely hate it. It's green and purple (with a purple mixing drum!); it's got six wheels. I like his robot mode a lot better. Check out the tiny little vestigial launchers above his head. Observe the faux black screws between his chest and midsection. It's still a great Mixmaster toy. He's my second-favorite Constructicons (the dude is mynock-poop crazy) and I feel like they did him justice.
SCRAPPER: Wow, it's like the cartoon model come to life. I especially like how the shovel-bucket is flush against his back for robot mode, since the G1 toy couldn't actually do this. The closed-canopy vehicle makes him look more Scoop-like, but I tend to accept minor differences to the vehicle configurations much more readily than changes to the robot mode design. You can see in his Devastator leg configuration that it is, once again, just his robot mode upside-down. Points for authenticity!
DEVASTATOR: I agree with so many choices they've made. There were a hundred different directions they could have gone in, but they stuck with his basic look and I think the end result is extremely successful. I'm concerned about his weight and how well the connection points hold him, but I have faith that they did not design a piece of garbage. I'm actually a little disappointed he's missing his head-gun, since despite its absence from the cartoon model I do like the way it looks. (I feel the same way about Jazz's shoulder cannon.) I also kind of wish he had purple fists instead of black, but that's a minor quibble. Overall I'm very impressed.
I can't wait for this set to be released!
Zob (been waiting for a toy like this for about 20 years)
These guys are incredible. I keep going over the images and I keep noticing new things about them. (I love how every one of them is "Constructicon Whatever" so they could use all the original names instead of naming one or two of them Rampage or Skipjack or something stupid like that.)
BONECRUSHER: He's got little faux wheels embedded inside his bulldozer treads. That's so cool (Takara usually did this with Diaclone toys, even non-vehicles like Swoop and Bombshell, but it always bothered me that neither Bonecrusher nor Scavenger could actually roll). He actually has embossed detail on his chest that mirrors the design of the sticker on the G1 toy, and I think that's so cool. Perhaps best of all, he's got his cartoon head design. I always hoped Hasbro would make new Constructicons one day... there have been lots of third-party designs but they've always skirted the line between tributes and total redesigns, probably because they didn't want to copy Hasbro's intellectual property too closely. I'm so glad Hasbro didn't opt to reinvent the wheel. These guys are THE Constructicons.
SCAVENGER: Man, I really dig that head sculpt. I hope his shovel arm is articulated. Based on his Devastator arm configuration, it looks like the cab can still swivel independantly from the treads, which is great. Again, embossed designs on his chest. He's even got the faux Devastator connector piece in the center of his chest even though it doesn't look to be functional at all. Somehow that chest piece ends up as part of Devastator's forearm! I have no idea how this is possible, but I can't wait to find out.
HOOK: Another winner. They're knocking these head sculpts right out of the ball park. Overall his robot mode looks great. I dislike the snap-on wheels but I recognize that they're a necessary evil. You can see a little flip-out connector arms of some kind inside his chest. I'm a little less impressed with his vehicle mode (though it's obviously slightly mistransformed in the Toy Fair display). His crane hook is disappointingly gimpy and I wonder if the boom extends at all. I hope it does. Looks like Devastator's head is integrated into Hook's design... perhaps inside the aft cab?
LONG HAUL: My first impression is that his head looks weird, but actually it's not disingenuous to the cartoon model. On the G1 toy, you had the black flip-up tab where the half-head was essentially a relief sculpture on the flat plate, like Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. They interpreted that for the cartoon as giving him a black plate behind his head, while the actual head was entirely light grey. So this is authentic, but it looks weird because he's missing that plate behind his head. I'm not in love with his short, gimpy arms and his fat Suzanne Somers thighs, but I recognize that as an integral Devastator component, he's got to have load-bearing hips. Wouldn't it be great if his truck bed worked this time (the G1 toy was a dump truck that couldn't dump anything since his rear wheels went with the truck bed).
MIXMASTER: His vehicle mode is the most far removed design from any of the original Constructicons and I'm already seeing so much complaining about it. To me, it's not any more or less disingenuous than the new versions we've gotten of Ironhide, Jazz, Sunstreaker, etc. It's certainly closer than the recent versions of Scourge and Kup and Perceptor. I don't completely hate it. It's green and purple (with a purple mixing drum!); it's got six wheels. I like his robot mode a lot better. Check out the tiny little vestigial launchers above his head. Observe the faux black screws between his chest and midsection. It's still a great Mixmaster toy. He's my second-favorite Constructicons (the dude is mynock-poop crazy) and I feel like they did him justice.
SCRAPPER: Wow, it's like the cartoon model come to life. I especially like how the shovel-bucket is flush against his back for robot mode, since the G1 toy couldn't actually do this. The closed-canopy vehicle makes him look more Scoop-like, but I tend to accept minor differences to the vehicle configurations much more readily than changes to the robot mode design. You can see in his Devastator leg configuration that it is, once again, just his robot mode upside-down. Points for authenticity!
DEVASTATOR: I agree with so many choices they've made. There were a hundred different directions they could have gone in, but they stuck with his basic look and I think the end result is extremely successful. I'm concerned about his weight and how well the connection points hold him, but I have faith that they did not design a piece of garbage. I'm actually a little disappointed he's missing his head-gun, since despite its absence from the cartoon model I do like the way it looks. (I feel the same way about Jazz's shoulder cannon.) I also kind of wish he had purple fists instead of black, but that's a minor quibble. Overall I'm very impressed.
I can't wait for this set to be released!
Zob (been waiting for a toy like this for about 20 years)
banzait...@gmail.com
Feb 23, 2015, 9:57:24 AM2/23/15
to
This is indeed news! This looks to be hands down the best product Hasbro has come out with in YEARS! Bold statement, I know, but a Devastator gift set?! My god, please pinch me.
The toys look phenomenal, all around. My only real concern is some of the weapons the robot modes are holding look pretty bad, but they nailed Devastator's gun. Scavenger looks like he is holding a giant block. Also, $150 is an outrageous sticker price. I am assuming these are all silverbolt/motormaster sized?
-Banzaitron
The toys look phenomenal, all around. My only real concern is some of the weapons the robot modes are holding look pretty bad, but they nailed Devastator's gun. Scavenger looks like he is holding a giant block. Also, $150 is an outrageous sticker price. I am assuming these are all silverbolt/motormaster sized?
-Banzaitron
Zobovor
Feb 23, 2015, 1:42:39 PM2/23/15
to
On Monday, February 23, 2015 at 7:57:24 AM UTC-7, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> I am assuming these are all silverbolt/motormaster sized?
Yeah, they're all Voyagers.
> I am assuming these are all silverbolt/motormaster sized?
> Also, $150 is an outrageous sticker price.
> The toys look phenomenal, all around. My only real concern is some of the
> weapons the robot modes are holding look pretty bad, but they nailed
> Devastator's gun. Scavenger looks like he is holding a giant block.
My thinking here is that at least they made some kind of an effort. G1 Devastator had so many parts sitting around when the Constructicons were in robot mode. Even when attaching the combiner parts in vehicle mode, it was pretty obvious Hook was wearing Devastator's head, Scrapper used the chest shield, etc. Given a choice between the parts laying in a pile or allowing the robot modes to carry them somehow, I like the attempt at parts integration. (And there seem to be fewer parts than before. Nobody's carrying around Devastator's head, and there's no ugly purple pelvis connector.)
Zob
Cappeca
Mar 2, 2015, 1:18:42 PM3/2/15
to
Em domingo, 22 de fevereiro de 2015 15:05:27 UTC-3, Zobovor escreveu:
> http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/toy-fair-38/devastator-at-toy-fair-2015-hasbro-event-182100/
>
> These guys are incredible.
Yes, they are. And it kinda makes me bitter. It's been almost 10 years since Classics, and *now* they decide to release faithful reincarnations of G1 characters? Hasbro is like that soon-to-be-ex trying to fix a relationship at the last second, just so you stay home for another couple of months. I'm assuming the Arcee kid is behind the whole Combiner Wars line, because everything is amazing. I believe 2015 seems to be a good year for faithful Transformers fans, but for me it's too little too late.
> http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/toy-fair-38/devastator-at-toy-fair-2015-hasbro-event-182100/
>
> These guys are incredible.
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
Mar 2, 2015, 11:33:57 PM3/2/15
to
On Monday, February 23, 2015 at 12:42:39 PM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:
> On Monday, February 23, 2015 at 7:57:24 AM UTC-7, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > I am assuming these are all silverbolt/motormaster sized?
>
> Yeah, they're all Voyagers.
>
>
> Zob
> On Monday, February 23, 2015 at 7:57:24 AM UTC-7, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > I am assuming these are all silverbolt/motormaster sized?
>
> Yeah, they're all Voyagers.
>
>
I know the box says voyagers, but the tooling and joints make them look like deluxes...
banzait...@gmail.com
Mar 3, 2015, 8:31:19 PM3/3/15
to
-Banzaitron
Zobovor
Mar 4, 2015, 1:10:21 AM3/4/15
to
On Monday, March 2, 2015 at 9:33:57 PM UTC-7, Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People. wrote:
> I know the box says voyagers, but the tooling and joints make them look like
> deluxes.
I agree! There isn't much else in the photos to use as a size comparison, either. As it stands, they're going to tower over a lot of the other Classics/Generations toys in their robot modes. Part of me kind of wishes they were all Deluxes, but I am really looking forward to seeing this gigantic Devastator for myself.
> I know the box says voyagers, but the tooling and joints make them look like
> deluxes.
Zob
0 new messages