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Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Most Overrated Transformers Toys

For this list, it is crucial that I define what I mean by overrated. All I mean is that I personally believe the toy gets more praise than it should. It is not necessarily a bad toy (though some definitely are), and it can be one of the best toys ever (like the honourable mention), but as long as it is said and promoted as being greater than it really is, that makes it overrated. So a very good toy seen as "Perfect" and a crappy toy seen as "fine" are both examples of overrated and this list covers all those nuances. Get ready for some Lewis Black styled TF rants as the nerd rage is spewed! Just remember that I still love you all, and come back in 2 weeks for a list of the most underrated toys.


5. Cybertron Thunderblast

I just really hate how this POS toy keeps getting a pass all the time. Sure, no one says it's the best, but it's never in the same discussion as Armada Sidswipe or other terrible toys and I feel it belongs there. What I often get instead is that it being a female decepticon makes it notable inclusion in a collection and to that I reply why don't we give the same pass to Airachnid? I just don't feel this toy is loathed enough since I really do feel it is a big crapstain on an otherwise amazing line. I mean, think about it, within that amazing transformer landscape, we got Thunderblast, which is a boat that has a small robot stored in its haul and is found by opening the big purple shell under the boat. This is pretty much, with no exaggeration, a pretender where the inner robot does not transform and is glued to the pretender shell, giving it a gigantic back pack.







This toy, as a Transformers toy, is inexcusable. And, like I said, it was sold at the deluxe price point side by side some of the best Transformers we ever got, meaning the designers were fully aware of its subpar engineering and design. And yet, when I speak bad of it I always get a similar expression like "it;s not that bad" or sure its a shellformer, but I have seen worse. WHAT WORSE?! And I even had people suggest it for my list of best water themed toys, I mean come on people! It was a simplified TF with very little articulation before those became a subline. The e-bay prices dont agree with my opinion of how worthless this toy is. But then again, that is the definition of overrated. I have placed it in this position simply because it isn't that loved a toy either, but I do feel it should get crapped on more.




4. The MP Seeker Mold

Oh boy, this mold. We can all agree that the MP 03 rendition (with the giant side kibble) was not done under the same manifesto as what the Masterpiece line has come to be known since. Alt mode detail, sure, but compare the robot mode to the classics mold and I find this later one to be a clear winner. Aside from the obvious cartoon inaccuracy of the MP mold, like the egregious amount of kibble hanging off his hips and near his head, what I really dislike is the transformation by disconnecting everything from the middle section to make room for the nose cone. This makes him so much more fragile and fiddly. And the back doesn't look good at all, it's the nosecone in a mishmash of junk. I find that very unappealing, especially when you look at it from the side.



I also, never liked how his head looked on his body. It always looks too pushed back and not in synch with the rest of his body whenever posing him at any other angle than facing you in a stiff pose. Trying to pose him with his stand in a flying pose in robot mode results in him looking like a marionette. I am also not fond of his feet both the aesthetic (they look nothing like the cartoon) and in terms of stability (in the initial mold). He should have some nice blocky triangular feet like this:



And not this:



It doesn’t stop there, because MP Starscream didn't stop at MP 03. Like Optimus, we had a new version for the Masterpiece line post MP 10 line. Since MP 03 was made at a time when the MP line was just beginning, I could see how it not being cartoon accurate was maybe an intention in an odd way. However, if that is the case, then why in the world did they use this mold again for MP 11?! Instead of it being an MP 2.0, it looks more like a 1.5 at best. I don’t consider the new seekers to be new molds more than simply retools of MP 03. The show accuracy may be better but I still have the same problem with how the mold is now. It is as fiddly as before, with the weak chest that has trouble locking and they didn’t fix the head placement, nor the feet.
But that’s not all. While people were happy seeing the side panels gone, they missed something that I find extremely crucial to Starscream: his chest is wrong. It was so in MP 03 and it is still wrong now (this mold is still being sold and released as this is written).
Check how the nose cone in every shot of G1 shows it tappered pointing down, making the chest a nice hint of a “v” shape:



The Classics toy got that right:


Transformers Classics Starscream Gallery

Now look at the "improved" Masterpiece figure:


Transformers Masterpiece Starscream (MP-11) Gallery

The chest is inverted with the triangular curve of the cockpit going up instead of down. This totally changes the figure's appearance by reducing the effect of a stronger upper torso with a more slender waist. I mean, does no one else see how that chest doesn’t look like the animation model at that point?
These changes to the cartoon model, which I find hard to see past, were made as a sacrifice for the alt mode and I personally think that is the wrong priority, at least for the Masterpiece line as it is now. The worst part is the following, and it really sets it apart from its fellow MP molds: the toy made with a much lower budget representing G1 Starscream is better. The Classics version (which came out the same year or just about), has a more streamlined transformation, better stability all around and is more cartoon accurate (gets the chest and feet right for instance). While I am not trying to dissuade people from getting a Masterpiece Starscream, I do want to warn people that think of getting it, that it is far from being the best representation of Starscream possible and that the only reason it isn’t disliked to such great extent by the fan community is because the bar was set so low as a show accurate toy when the first iteration (MP 03) was released. In a way, I find MP 03 better (the Takara one pictured at the beginning, but preferably with the Hasbro deco); at least that is an original interpretation and a perfect jet mode while MP 11 (the retooled Masterpiece seeker mold) feels like a compromise. It tries to give a screen accurate (perfect) rendition of the G1 character using a mold that was never intended for that. And worse than that, they are still using this mold for the Materpiece Coneheads. The first thing I thought when I heard that was "but how can they use that nosecone to make it the top of the head, it's way too long if using that mold". The answer was simple: don't use it. Just paint a fake nosecone on top of the head and have the actual nose cone hang out the back like a giant dong. And people say Hasbro takes the most mileage from their molds, HA!


Transformers Masterpiece Ramjet Gallery

I guess Ramjet and that horse have something in common afterall.



And so much for being cartoon accurate, Takara!



Masterpiece my butt!


3. Transformers Age of Extinction: Generations Grimlock

I know this toy wasn't loved by all but I still just don’t like how the toy has gotten away scott free with some of the laziest designing/engineering of all time. I know Takara handles the engineering but you never know how restrictive they are to Hasbro’s design. I am aware that Hasbro’s cost cutting does limit as well as frustrate Takara’s engineering capabilities. Leader Grimlock is one of the best cases of this and he really feels more like a bad omen for where the brand might be going, even more so than the one steps and simplified transformers, which at least can be discarded to a different branding approach or market.

The best example I can give you to show my disdain for this figure’s design (also, just so we are on the same page, I am referring exclusively to how the toy is designed and in no way to the character model), is the exposed feet and hands in robot mode. There was no attempt made to even try to hide them. The unarticulated hands are just behind the dino feet while the robot feet hang off the side of the dino’s hips. This is unprecendented in Grimlock’s design along with the design of every single other dinobot in this line (INCLUDING THE MORE AFFORDABLE VOYAGER! And yet, there is still debate as to which is better). Some are able to hide one set of extremities but not the other. Both Slog and Slug manage to pull off not showing any robot bits at a far lower price point (budget too?), and I will never stop pointing back to the G1 Dinobots which managed to hide their hands (they didn’t have any feet to hide though). Even Warrior Class Robots in Disquise Grimlock, as cheap and simple as he is, doesn’t have everything so obviously out in the open.
The super lazy design doesn't end there. I really hate how the tail and lower back are partformed in the dinosaur mode. It reduces a lot of the potential for an inventive transformation and gives a fake idea to the transformer’s bulk. It is also insanely frustrating how they screw up in the articulation too. I spent 45$, at least let me pose it properly. But no, the elbow joints are ratcheted ball joints which limit the poses you can give.
It's worst when this is the case for the big centre piece of your toyline. Along with Leader Optimus’ giant backpack, Grimlock's exposed robot kibble is quite a let down and a great example to support how lazy the designing has become. I also hate how this marks a precedent for a cheaper product. And this is no hyperbole, these leader toys are a precedent for how little you are getting at that price level. These were the first ever movie leader toys to not have electronics and that has been copied in the current generations line.

We are no longer 1985, we can get interesting transformation with decent articulation. If they can do it for the lower priced ones, they better do it for the ones that cost upwards of 40$






2. Generations Fall of Cybertron Seekers (not the Classics mold)

This is obviously a very subjective list and it's much better to pick what I felt was overrated instead of getting a general sense of people's opinions because I can't defend those as well as I can defend my own. When it comes to this Fall of Cybertron Seeker mold, I have never felt so alone in my dislike of a mold, hence why it scores so high on this list. I am repulsed by its size and plastic quality but mostly from its engineering. I just do not get how this is a good toy. People mess with Generations Jetfire, calling him a KO, but at least his jet mode looks amazing from on top. But in this toy, not only do we have his giant legs right under the jet making it look stockier and as aerodynamic as a glacier, but we also have his head right there in the center of the jet mode. You only hide it by turning it around.



And when I look at the previous efforts at bringing the Cybertronian tetro jet to toy form, it makes this mold so hard to swallow. The previous one was from the Galaxy Force series, six year before. Not only does it look far sleeker, but the legs are not appendages below the jet, they actually form the jet, and the head is moved more to the back and surrounded by other details and structures, making it far less evident. And it's not like they had forgotten about it, the promotional the War For Cybertron Starscream toy that was given out years before the release of this FOC toy was a smaller version of that Galaxy Force mold. So they knew full well what came before but we were still given this sorry excuse of a toy. I am fully aware that the design may have come from the game developers but the toy makers are responsible for its engineering and they could have done a better job than this, which they showed they could with the Optimus from the previous War for Cybertron line. While people claimed the sky was falling when Hasbro said it was gearing towards simplified transformations, I didn't get why nobody could see that this toy already took that notion to heart with its non hidden legs or head and overly simplified transformation. The G1 Seekers and G2 Smokescreen knew how to hide a head and have the legs hide as part of the jet for crying out loud!




1. Generations Leader Combiner Wars Megatron

Everything I just wrote about Leader Grimlock being a dissapointement for his size class applies to Leader Megatron as well, but more so simply because he is currently being hailed as one of the best Megatron toys out there and for the life of me I just don't see why. When the Age of Extinction toyline was announced, there was a big marketing push to promote how the toys would be simpler than before. This was further continued with the Robots in Disguise line where Hasbro said transformations would not be more than 10 steps. Fans groaned, saying this was a step backward and that techinques like this would leave the toys in a corner where they would only appeal to kids. Turns out the Robots in Disguise Warrior toys are as complex as most other deluxe toys of the past five years, which also had about 10 steps, making the illustrated step count just marketing speak since several toys ended up with more than 10 steps and got truncated on the back of the box. So in the end, this simplification didn't affect the majority of toys, but not all, and Leader Megatron definitely got affected. Of all the toys since this new Hasbro Manifesto, he feels the most pushed for simplification, with only having 10 steps:

BWTF wrote:1. Detach his blaster weapons and split them up, then set them aside for now.
2. Straighten out the arms and the legs.
3. Swing the panels on the sides of the forearms forward to cover the fists.
4. Push the feet up against the front of the lower legs.
5. Rotate the cannon around so the wider end is facing down.
6. Swing the torso panel up.
7. Swing the waist panel down.
8. Bring the two arms together. The cannon has a tab sticking out the side that fits into a corresponding slot on the left arm.
9. Swing the tread sections from the back of the robot mode up, then forward. They tab into the sides of the torso panel, forming the front of the tank.
10. Swing each lower leg out to the sides then in. There are tabs on the sides of the lower legs that fit into slots on the mid-body of the robot mode.

Sure, the box states 15 steps, but as broken down above, it's really just 10, and it's already been concluded that the step count on the box is not indicative of anything. Just to keep things in perspective, the step breakdown from the same source above gives Robots in Digsuise Quillfire 13 steps, and thats a deluxe sized toy from a line that was (falsely?) advertized as being simpler. And remember that Megatron is a leader, not a deluxe, but you wouldnt know it through a stop motion video of the toy transforming, with no reference of scale. This is appalling for a leader toy. Not only that, but that transformation isn't even innovative or unique. It was initially, when it was used for Cybertron Cyber Defense Scattershot, but that was 2006. The only thing new this guys gives us in the decade since is working treads (which also arent new, since we had them in Beast Wars, but a welcome addition regardless).
So, they simplify a leader class Megatron turning him into an upscaled deluxe (or an upscaled 2006 Voyager) with underwhelming articulation/poseability and do the fans groan? No, quite the reverse. A bucket of silver paint and a nice headsculpt is all they needed to be distracted from the rest. And during that time, the Robots in Disguise line which is just as complex as this Leader Class toy and has way more innovative transformations gets totally ignored. Great going!
Look, no one has to listen to me, but I feel the reaction of this reviewer after transforming this toy sums up my emotions quite well (go to the 12:40 mark):






Honourable Mentions: I would like to use this section more as a discussion because I really wonder if I am the only person in the world thinking that Transformers Masterpiece Optimus Prime (MP-10) is not perfect. Amazing, but not perfect, and there are a few points that do tick me off, especially when his price tag averages for $160-200 US (depending he version).

Total disclosure, MP 10 disappointed me a bit when I got him. He is still one of the best figures on the market, for sure, but he is not as flawless or perfect as people say he is either, hence why I wanted to discuss him here, with you. My main problem with him is that he is supposed to be an upgrade from MP 01 and thus you would assume that the decade of engineering preceding this release would have helped fix the problems the first one had. Well, while they fix a few proportion problems with the original MP Optimus, they take so many cues from the original transformation that what I found to be the original's biggest problem was still present here: his groin is still visible in truck mode. You would think they would improve that part from the original, but no. Oh and while we are talking to changes from the original toy, the lack of a chair for a minifigure in truck mode means Optimus' head is right there in front of you when opening his front cab windows. Back to the groin, the fact that it is the only part of him that doesn't undergo any change in transformation is all the more baffling since that means that the hole on his crotch doesn't need to be there at all. And that crotch hole is also seen in the truck mode, of course. Also, for the price that you are paying for this figure, the trailer is very dull. The G1 toy had a bunch of color in his trailer. I do not necessarily need that with this release, but I would expect some paint apps to bring out the sculpt. Instead it is just dull grey with the Hasbro version and monochrome silver for the Takara version (slightly better). Standard cost on this figure is anywhere between 160-200$ depending on where you live and that is a lot when you realize that the original huge diecast Masterpiece (MP 01) was less than 100$ in the US. Although this is an amazing figure, I definitely expected a bit more and for the price I was paying. Like for him to, you know, not have a hole in his crotch.


I mean seriously, how integral is that hole so that it must be present?!

*Hands over asbestos suit to William*

In all semi-seriousness, it's an interesting list. I... can't comment on ones that may belong or shouldn't belong, because this subject feels very subjective to me. Still, you provided reasons for your choices. So kudos there.

Totally disagree with you on the MP Seeker molds. They are the ONLY Seekers we have ever gotten that are true jet modes. The jet mode looking like just a jet underneath is by far more important then some inaccuracies to a 30 year old cartoon robot mode that could never have made the transformation.

MP Prime I agree with you 100%, and to add to that, get those giant feet off the back of the truck mode.

Honest question here - Thunderblast the character is very appreciated, but has anyone ever said the toy is great? Because I've never seen anyone call that toy great. Even when it came out I seem to recall it being considered one of the weakest deluxes in the line.

I super extra disagree about MP-10 even being an honorable mention, but I suppose that's the point.

I'll get my disagreement out of the way first, the FOC Seeker. I only have Skywarp out of it and I really like it. The quality was a little jarring at first, "Oh right this is an FOC mold", but after getting used to it I enjoy the toy. Good bot mode, good articulation ,excellent deco, suitable transformation, and a fine jet mode. But like you said, the list is pretty subjective.

I agree completely on CW Megatron. But I'm surprised you didn't even bring up the terrible proportions, abysmal articulation, and those red sticks; sure they allow the turret to move but at the cost of robot mode aesthetics? No thanks. Just a terribly mediocre figure.

In my opinion MP-10 would be number one. I've never heard so many people say so many good things about a figure yet I have no desire to ever get it. But I don't have any interest in G1 Masterpieces so that might be my problem.

Wait, people like Thunderblast's character? Really? She was annoying as heck and even moreso in the original Japanese dub.

I still like the FoC Seeker (it's my only Skywarp) and it is a representation of a pretty cool design but I do have my problems. My main one though, and not one mentioned in the article - most of those are pretty negligible to me - are the weird intake things at the side of his head. It means that you have to have him posed straight on; you can't have his body facing the other way because then when you go to swivel his head, it's blocked unless you untab the weird intake thing and that just doesn't look great. Other than that I liked him quite a bit... and strangely enough he seemed to be my nephew's favourite out of the Transformers I had on me at Christmas. Even more than CW Rook.

Not sure where you've been looking Will, but I haven't heard anyone say that Grimlock is even alright, let alone give it so much praise it should be on an overrated list.

Don't agree with CW Leader Megs on there at all. He's a great figure just far too big for my collection and for that reason I do far prefer Titans Megatron (also turns into tank but with jet form too).

I don't know anyone who likes that AoE Leader Grimlock. The Voyager is vastly superior in every way.

Seeker molds in general I find very overrated but that's down to their general shape and design of the characters anyways. I just always found them boring looking yet overly kibbled with those damn wings. And the numerous redecoes to get you to buy the same mold over and over and over.

Any Masterpiece figure I tend to find overrated due to their often quality control issues and price. Especially felt that way after buying the original MP Optimus Prime which fell apart and had a crap truck mode.

And various Beast Wars figures would be on my list too too. Megatron being a big one but mostly I find the overall BW line quite unappealing and 'ugly'. Same goes for Animated though at least I can understand the skill gone into making badly drawn cartoons into working transforming figures.

Also does original G1 Megatron count? Loads of people consider it a must own figure for collection but is it just based on nostalgia and importance of character? Cos the actual toy was always junk with an awful robot mode.

of course theres a pic of a crotch and discussion of the crotch
only on seibertron would that happen from a certain news stafffer

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:*Hands over asbestos suit to William*

Thanks man, and thanks for the comments. People have been very civil so far. I feel that after a few years of writing these lists, people have grown to understand where I am coming from so it was the right time to get to this discussion point that I have been keeping on the backburner for a long time.

ScottyP wrote:Honest question here - Thunderblast the character is very appreciated, but has anyone ever said the toy is great? Because I've never seen anyone call that toy great. Even when it came out I seem to recall it being considered one of the weakest deluxes in the line.

Overrated doent mean people think the toy is great, it just means I get a feeling people think more highly of the toy than I do. And that's the same for those asking about Leader Grimlock. I wanted to highlight both toys that are good but not THAT good and toys that are crap but not crapped on enough. And Thunderblast goes into that later category. Its a high in demand toy and I just dont see it. But if you are curious to know where I am getting my perspective of the community from, here are some quotes:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Thunderblast is a very fun and amazing figure. Sure, she cheat, but I've seen worst.

RiddlerJ wrote:Yeah she cheats like all hell, but both modes are still good.

I even wrote a list of the top 5 best shellformers, and got this as a comment:

zodconvoy wrote:No mention of Cybertron Thunderblast or BW Neo Dead End?

And in my Top 5 water themed TF list, we get this doozy:

Rodimus Prime wrote:I also have to note that Galaxy Force Thunderblast is also missing. That figure is also superior to all the figures you listed

So there you go, Scotty

I super extra disagree about MP-10 even being an honorable mention, but I suppose that's the point.

Yeah, that is the point, its win win. Either people agree with me (yay) or disagree which feeds into the point that it is overrated. However, for MP 10, look around in the comments, it seems I really am not alone here (which might not make him overrated afterall ).

SureShot18 wrote:I'll get my disagreement out of the way first, the FOC Seeker. I only have Skywarp out of it and I really like it. The quality was a little jarring at first, "Oh right this is an FOC mold", but after getting used to it I enjoy the toy. Good bot mode, good articulation ,excellent deco, suitable transformation, and a fine jet mode. But like you said, the list is pretty subjective.

I agree completely on CW Megatron. But I'm surprised you didn't even bring up the terrible proportions, abysmal articulation, and those red sticks; sure they allow the turret to move but at the cost of robot mode aesthetics? No thanks. Just a terribly mediocre figure.

This was a shortened version of my Leader megs rant, there is so much to say about that toy and why its mediocre, so thanks for covering about those red bits here As for FOC Seeker, what didnt help is that it was the first FOC toy I held. So it was my first time with that plastic and quality and that didnt help at all. So that toy became the herald of that cheap feeling. We all agree that the quality and plastic is bad, but while Jazz gets hate and shockwave isnt loved much (rightfully so), the seeker seems to get away from it all. And i dont want it to

Microraptor wrote:Not sure where you've been looking Will, but I haven't heard anyone say that Grimlock is even alright, let alone give it so much praise it should be on an overrated list.

Carnivius_Prime wrote:I don't know anyone who likes that AoE Leader Grimlock. The Voyager is vastly superior in every way.

Are you guys ready? Fair warning, its all very cringeworthy (and you can find more in the link I put in the article). Here are people comparing the leader to the voyager grimlock:

Slingshot wrote:In the voyagers Dino mode, his dino arms are way too high. He's just not as much as a good figure as the leader. The face also looks so much better in dino mode because it's not as wide.

Snake_eyes1975 wrote:i didnt care for the leader Trex mode from pics, but once I bought it, that went away fast. I really like Leader Grimlock now. both modes.
see....I dont get the thought that the voyager is better in any aspect. The dino mode looks like a dog skull with parts slapped on it, for a really funky dino mode..and bot modeinitially looked decent, but now is kinda wank after having the leader.

I pose the leader in dino mode ass up roaring and it looks like a freakin NICE statue..bot mode is awesome..I really enjoy the leader. Yea..the tail is short, but thats my only gripe with the leader..

OH..and that there is no bottom to the lower jaw..that bugs me as when looking from the front with mouth open you see right through it, but I get that its needed for TFmation.

Leader wins if you ask me...by MILES..

Liege Prime wrote:I agree that the leader wins in both modes. I have seen some unflattering pics, but once I had the dino mode in hand, it was pretty badass looking. Not to mention that I think the bot mode wins in practically every way.

Counterpunch wrote:Leader, just a cooler toy.

STINGRAY749 wrote:From someone that was had both molds, go for the leader. It blows that awful voyager away.

STINGRAY749 wrote:

Nemesis Primal wrote:Am I the only one who's satisfied with the Leader version's dino mode?

Nope. I love like the leaders dino mode a lot more. The gimmick on the voyager kills the figure.

Autobot032 wrote:I've seen the Voyager in person and the size kills it for me. I like the skirt armor in robot mode, and I like the paint apps, but it's just too small for me. I went with the Leader Class and I don't regret it. He's a pretty solid figure. The transformation is a bit of a pain and the beast mode is a bit off, but his robot mode looks great (IMO) and he handles his weapons better.

My vote is Leader Class.

Personally I would've added Gen voyager Springer. He's a really good toy, but not nearly as amazing as people made him out to be. Especially with some things in the alt modes not tabbing together completely, and the tabs on the gun for copter mode being designed to break unless sanded down.

Hm...am I the only one who thought the inclusion of MP Optimus in the thumbnail was partial clickbait?

Aside from that, I am really getting annoyed with the MP Seeker mould at this point.

Hasbro: Stop it. Get some help.

SillySpringer wrote:Personally I would've added Gen voyager Springer. He's a really good toy, but not nearly as amazing as people made him out to be. Especially with some things in the alt modes not tabbing together completely, and the tabs on the gun for copter mode being designed to break unless sanded down.

Actually I always thought that too. He's good, but not that good. The lack of an ankle tilt and the way neither alt modes tab in were the main factors for me.

Interesting list! This is always going to be a bit of a difficult one to talk about, but I think you handled this well. Anyway, here's my thoughts on your choices.

(Disclaimer: I own none of the mentioned molds, this is only from what I know.)

MP Seeker: Agreed here. It doesn't look that great, the articulation could be better and from what I hear the mold is really showing its age. The MP-03 mold at the very least was doing its own thing, though, and I feel is a bit more defensible than MP-11.

Leader Grimlock: It's a real shame, because if this guy's hands tucked away, he had a bigger, longer tail and his dino arms were less puny (and in the right place) his dino mode would actually look impressive. As it is though? Total disappointment.

FOC Seeker: This one's especially tragic as I absolutely loved the WFC/FOC designs, and seeing them shackled to one of the worst toylines in the history of the franchise is a real shame. The gatling guns are neat though.

CW Megatron: Yes, yes, yes. Aside from his epic headsculpt, shiny silver paint and working treads, I was decidedly unimpressed when the reviews rolled out for Megatron. The proportions are weird, the articulation kinda sucks, the shoulders look dreadful, and worst of all he just ain't a Leader. If he were downsized to a Voyager and given a few tweaks I think he'd be a fine toy, but as a toy that cost £60 RRP...just no.

Cybertron Thunderblast: I watched Cybertron as a kid on Hasbro's website and I always loved Thunderblast. She was pretty funny, being a silly version of the "power-hungry femme fatale" stock character, and I always wanted her toy as a kid. I never got it, and now I'm kinda glad. The really sad thing is that the actual "design concept" has potential- if she'd shifted a bit more of the boat kibble to her shins and maybe her arms, added more hinges and folding points to the boat "wings" and taken advantage of the lack of actual transformation engineering in the robot body itself to include more articulation points, we could have had a really dynamic, super poseable, fun fembot toy on our hands. I really wish she'd been one of the characters that had gotten an update in the RTS/2010 line, as the basic concept with a drastically improved partscount and engineering standard would have given us a really fun toy of the bazooka-toting sea siren. As it is, though, we're stuck with a shellformer with somewhat wonky robot mode proportions and an inflated aftermarket price based solely on her being a Decepticon fembot.

I'm not a fan of the MP seekers, I also am not especially huge on the Datsuns either. I find both non-fun to Transform.

I can't comment on CW Leader Megs as I thought he looked boring so I've yet to bother to buy one of any colour.

I really really really dislike Generations Jetfire - and I think the seeker remoulds are even worse.

Because he feels hollow and gappy and cheap and his Transformation gets stuck to easily.

Don't like Generations Springer much either - and i'm pretty vanilla on skids, Roadbuster, Whirl.

I really wanted like Rhinox and Rattrap and waspinator - but they are all a bit lacklustre awkward to play with fragile or non-fun overall.

In fact I don't really like ANY Generations/Thrilling 30 toys - I think that whole section of toys was pretty dreadful overall. Classics are dating very poorly now too - they look positively old and creaky now.

I really don't think they are going to beat 2010 for quite a while.

That said I do actually like what they have done the last year or two (overall) and I only have small niggles like lack of paint & use of poor quality stickers, and I still want Rescue Bots that can raise their arms like Playskool GoBots can.

I can't comment much on AOE due to the screw up with them being TRU exclusive combined with low stock means I've never seen them to buy and I didn't feel the need to chase them.

I'll eventually buy the Wei Jiang KO Dinos though as I like their size better.

Id throw cybertron leader prime on the list cause i just dont get the love for that figure at all. Its s fine representation of optimus but i just dont see how its the be all end all. I do agree with most of what was said but with the wfc seekers you forgot to mention the hollowness. If it wasnt for that, the sub par plastic, & the lack of paint it be a great figure. It is screen accurate and looks good on the shelf but once you pick it up you cringe a little. As for thunderblast this is the first ive heard anyone say shes great, maybe im just out of the loop but i cant think of one instance where i heard someone say her toy is awesome or the character in the show is great. Being a fembot she obviously has some fans but ive never met them.

As i was about to hit submit i thought of another one, generations voyager grimlock. I dont see how anyone could think thats a good figure, fragile plastic, both modes are hollow, wonky joints that could snap at anytime, ugly looking plastic, i could go on but i wont. Good head sculpt and weapons though

Black Hat wrote:
Cybertron Thunderblast: I watched Cybertron as a kid on Hasbro's website and I always loved Thunderblast. She was pretty funny, being a silly version of the "power-hungry femme fatale" stock character, and I always wanted her toy as a kid. I never got it, and now I'm kinda glad. The really sad thing is that the actual "design concept" has potential- if she'd shifted a bit more of the boat kibble to her shins and maybe her arms, added more hinges and folding points to the boat "wings" and taken advantage of the lack of actual transformation engineering in the robot body itself to include more articulation points, we could have had a really dynamic, super poseable, fun fembot toy on our hands. I really wish she'd been one of the characters that had gotten an update in the RTS/2010 line, as the basic concept with a drastically improved partscount and engineering standard would have given us a really fun toy of the bazooka-toting sea siren. As it is, though, we're stuck with a shellformer with somewhat wonky robot mode proportions and an inflated aftermarket price based solely on her being a Decepticon fembot.

I have to throw money at the screen, now. That would've been awesome! Nicely thought-out!

Classics Deluxe Hot Rod. Not because there's an overwhelming popularity for that the figure, but HasTak, Club and 3Ps certainly loved it; they repainted the crap out of that figure for no good reason

Lol!!

I couldn't disagree more with this list. However, it IS very well written, and gotta' respect yr opinions, m8.

Just funny, is all.

I have to question Thunderblast's place at #1. Not because it's a good toy, but because I don't recall ever seeing anyone say they liked it.

And you might not like the Masterpiece seeker mold, but I honestly don't think the classics one is that much better. The jet nosecone on the back of the head is really not appealing and restricts head articulation, and the missile launchers can't point forward in robot mode and seriously block the shoulder articulation. The coneheads are an improvement (Thrust less than the other two since his wings still block his launchers), but they don't seem to be as well-liked because of their faces being visible under their vehicle mode (which to me seems comparatively minor, since most Transformers weren't made to be looked at from underneath).

And "Hunt for the Decepticons" leader Starscream, too. Sure, it's a very faithful reproduction (of an ugly design), but it has some less-than-pleasing aspects to his transformation (particularly in the chest area, IIRC) and the transformation in general was kinda over-involved and fiddly. Plus, like most movieverse Decepticons, Startscream in the films was a pretty minor character and I'm not sure he really needed a toy that big.

Also, am I the only one who doesn't think Generations Arcee is that great? It's okay (except for the ridiculousness regarding the hands), but I'd have to call it inferior to Chromia and only better than Windblade because Windblade has terrible feet.

People like Thunderblast? I mean sure her Elita one repaint was neat but the character and design is just...huh?

william-james88 wrote:The super lazy design doesn't end there. I really hate how the tail and lower back are partformed in the dinosaur mode. It reduces a lot of the potential for an inventive transformation and gives a fake idea to the transformer’s bulk. It is also insanely frustrating how they screw up in the articulation too. I spent 45$, at least let me pose it properly. But no, the elbow joints are ratcheted ball joints which limit the poses you can give. Added to the lack of wrist swivel, you fail to get a decent angle for Leader Grimlock to hold his weapon properly.

IIRC (I admittedly put mine on eBay a while back), he actually does have wrist swivels. And personally, I like what they did with the weapons. I prefer when the weapons are integrated into the alt mode (especially for beast modes) than when they just get stuck on somewhere as an afterthought or put them off to the side entirely (and some figures still do the latter even today, usually recolors that have extra stuff tossed in that the mold wasn't designed to accommodate).

Not saying it's not flawed, but it did do a few things right at least.

Zeedust wrote:

william-james88 wrote:The super lazy design doesn't end there. I really hate how the tail and lower back are partformed in the dinosaur mode. It reduces a lot of the potential for an inventive transformation and gives a fake idea to the transformer’s bulk. It is also insanely frustrating how they screw up in the articulation too. I spent 45$, at least let me pose it properly. But no, the elbow joints are ratcheted ball joints which limit the poses you can give. Added to the lack of wrist swivel, you fail to get a decent angle for Leader Grimlock to hold his weapon properly.

IIRC (I admittedly put mine on eBay a while back), he actually does have wrist swivels. And personally, I like what they did with the weapons. I prefer when the weapons are integrated into the alt mode (especially for beast modes) than when they just get stuck on somewhere as an afterthought or put them off to the side entirely (and some figures still do the latter even today, usually recolors that have extra stuff tossed in that the mold wasn't designed to accommodate).

Not saying it's not flawed, but it did do a few things right at least.

He does in fact have wrist swivels. I actually really like the leader grimlock. I think he looks better than the lumpy voyager in both modes and has better weapon integration. Sure there's a bunch of ways he's not perfect but I still think it's a pretty cool figure.

Totally agree about the MP Seeker molds. First one I got was the original Takara Skywarp way back when. I thought it was neat, but wasn't crazy about the hip kibble and feet. Fast forward to the most recent TRU Starscream as a second shot and while it was an improvement I really didn't like the way the torso came together or how the head sits on a pedestal way above his shoulders. Sadly they've made all of the worthwhile Seekers now (some in multiple) so the chances of them doing the mold for a third time to be more cartoon accurate (or just aesthetically pleasing in bot mode) are slim.

I don't know if the demand for Thunderblast is really indicative of her popularity. She was a regular character in the cartoon and has only ever had one figure so if you want to complete a set of the Decepticon lineup you have no choice but to buy that figure. And to be fair, no matter how bad of a figure she might be, she is cartoon accurate in the end.

Emerje

Out of curiosity, Will, do you have any thoughts on the RobotMasters Seeker mold? It was the very first time that the original 3 Seekers got new-mold modern toys based on their classic G1 (both cartoon and toy) designs, making them like a precursor to or a dry run for the Classics Seeker mold.

Also, it's funny that you mention G2 Smokescreen in the FOC Seeker section since, like both the Energon Starscream mold and the 2010 Terradive mold, the FOC Seeker mold shares the same core transformation scheme as the G2 Smokescreen mold.