Battle Ops Bumblebee Demo
Full Showroom Tour (Includes Battle Ops Bumblebee Demo)
By this point, the nine million other websites in attendance at the Hasbro media event more than beat to death the coverage of Transformers. So instead of discussing the minute detail of each thing announced at the show, I thought I would do this a little differently.
Amongst all the companies showing goods at Toy Fair, Hasbro alone shows no sign of slowing down. Each of their flagship boys lines still has that one WOW vehicle, in some cases, some lines have more than one. Their showroom is still off-site, their presentation grand, and their staff plentiful. However, there were some signs that even Hasbro was being affected by the current economic climate.
So, the toys...
Masterpiece Grimlock
Masterpiece Grimlock will be hitting the states, only the US version will come with a crown and a sword.
Mail-away Ravage
Collect points from the NEST promotion and mail away for a special edition Ravage figure - this one has vacu-formed chrome limbs. Apparently, they needed help (or permission) from TakaraTomy to pull this off.
Leader Class
The biggest standard class for Transformers we will see a new prime (with battle damage and arm blades), Starscream, and ironhide.
Power Core Combiners
These looked really nice. They are basically a series of combinable figures that come in a two pack or a 5 pack. the two packs feature a vehicle and a minicon. The minicons look really great with silver and TRANSLUCENT parts. The main robot can transform from vehicle to robot, and can also serve as a "core" robot to the 5 pack. The 5 pack consists of 5 vehicles. One vehicle can transform from robot to vehicle to 'core". The other four vehicles only have a vehicle mode and a "limb" mode. Transformation is automatic - clip the vehicle into the peg and the arm springs out of the vehicle. You can mix and match "cores" and limbs to create new vehicles.
Remember that exclusive you paid too much money for? Well here it is at mass-market.
Battle Ops Bumblebee
Another larger sized toy is the Battle Ops Bumblebee. This figure has some neat gimmicks. this is an all-new sculpt by TakaraTomy (as opposed to the Ultimate Bumblebee, which was done in RI). In vehicle mode, Bumblebee has pop-out missile launchers. but in Robot mode, there is so much more. Depending on what mode Bumblebee is in, different sets of sounds are activated. When his battle armor mask is down, the sounds are aggressive battle sounds. When it's up, the sounds are more playful. Another cool gimmick is with the arm cannon. The cannon lights up, and when you move it a certain way a hand comes out. Very cool. The press release says:
"BUMBLEBEE continues to be one of the most popular TRANSFORMERS heroes as he acts as both a defender and a warrior for good. The new BATTLE OPS BUMBLEBEE action figure continues to push the boundaries of TRANSFORMERS toy innovation and showcases two sides of BUMBLEBEE with features unique to each of these roles. For example, when serving as a guardian, BUMBLEBEE features more playful phrases along with authentic engine sounds and lights. Then, when converted into battle mode, BATTLE OPS BUMBLEBEE has missile launchers that pop out, a converting plasma cannon that lights up, and phrases that change to reflect his battle personality. "
Generations
Generations will be the catch-all line for things from universe, video games, etc. The focus of this is figures from the upcoming video game War for Cybertron. Two figures were on display (bumblebee and Optimus) and both looked.... okay. Optimus seemed mis-transformed. We got a preview of the game which looked a little busy, but it was still a work in progress.
Action Fleet
Action fleet are kind of like MASK, but not as cool and smaller. No figures to fit inside the vehicle. But one push of a button, and weapons and such pop out of the transformers vehicle modes. They do not transform into robots.
Human Alliance
Human Alliance continues, with the only one planned to be Jazz. Looks good though. They'd love to do a bigger one (Prime) but don't feel the market could support it right now.
Speed Stars
This overlooked toy was not with the other transformers. It's basically a large, kid-friendly size version of those RPM cars, but with lights and sounds. Cool thing about this one - the car alarm noise when you turn it on or off.
Weebles
Yeah, weebles. Weebles wobble and they don't fall down. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron. Take that for what you will.
We took a ton of photos of Transformers at the Hasbro Showroom. Hop on over to our gallery and check them out. Hasbro also sent over a bunch of PR images which you can view here.
Comments
22 comments postedBecause that's the action feature that kids have been demanding with their toys for years now--phrases!
Only things right now that pings my interest is "War for Cybertron", Leader-class Starscream, MP Grimlock (can I review it!?), and that Aerialbots Core Combiner.
I don't need a repaint of RotF Leader-class Optimus (not that great a mod, even though the hooks are appreciated), HA Jazz is kinda weird in the thighs department (they're really gonna make a scaled-to-HA Optimus!?), and I'm not a BB fan so I'll skip Battle Ops BB. (Does anyone else think that blue Scion xB is a tribute to "Animated" Soundwave...?)
Hasbro and TakaraTomy: PLEASE make Human Alliance Jolt and Sideways!
(Wow- fail right off the bat... In the images for the new Leader-class stuff, that's not Ironhide, and it's most-certainly not Leader-class. It is [yet another] repaint of Voyager-class Ratchet from the 2007 line.)
EDIT: I just saw something on the Power Core Combiner box. The Skill level for the toys is being changed from 1-through-5 to 0-through-5. I wonder what they have planned...
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CollectionDX Staff
I guess the skill level 0 is for non transformable toys, like robot replicas, maybe hasbro realized that some parents didn't get they toys because they thought that they had to transform it if the toys were from the TF line
I'm afraid there are just few TFs that I'm willing to get from this list... oh well, will have funds for Gundams and older toys ;)
I really like the look of some of the minicons and vehicles. I have to stop looking, it'll make me want to start collecting Transformers again, and I don't think my wallet can support another collecting obsession.
That leader class Ironhide is actually just Voyager Ratchet repainted.
Beat 'cha to it, Vincent.
=)
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CollectionDX Staff
The power core combiners & Masterpiece Grimlock are so far the only 2 things that peaks my interests.
However, my demands remain FIRM ... I want the rest of the G1 Japanese imports back!! }:{
-R78
Classics Thrust? For cheapies?
Finally I can have my Classics/modern sculpts classic 6 Seekers set completed. (Dirge is the Cybertron Starscream repaint, and Thundercracker is the Titanium.)
Am I the only one who thinks they should have just used the designs from the War Within comic books for the prequel-era figures?
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A master of mind control who hides inside a Ford Pickup
I want to review Drift-chan.
PS: Hasbro? I want my 6" Titanium line back too.
Thanks? Not likely.
-R78
They already res'd that line once, and it was a catastrophe...
http://prometheusrising.wordpress.com
That was only because die-cast construction is a lost art in this franchise to the team from Galoob who were assigned to the project, & there was no senior input from one who's familiar w/ the craft like the engineering staff from TakaraTomy. Is it not so difficult for Hasbro's toy staff to relearn their errors in their execution & improve them by gaining reference from the original context if they ever revive it?
What was once forgotten in time can be found again. Without a foundation to guide the art to progress, the future will be void.
-R78
I didn't really understand a lot of that,but those Titanium toys were absolute garbage. I understand a lot of older collectors miss the days when Transformers were die cast (i.e. when the toys were 5% metal and 95% brittle plastic) but I'd rather have a plastic Megatron that didn't literally fall apart every time I looked at him.
And for Christ's sake Soundwave was wearing a diaper.
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A master of mind control who hides inside a Ford Pickup
Well, to be fair, I had good luck with my WWI Optimus, and I really like Hotspot and Thrust... I really wanted Grimlock and Prowl but was never actually motivated to track them down. They just weren't great toys, and I don't think Hasbro could ever get past the stigma the Titanium line earned. Twice.
http://prometheusrising.wordpress.com
Just don't try buying any of them on eBay. Especially that damn Ultra Magnus.
I can't deal with those prices.
lololol.
I came THIS CLOSE to buying UM,just to have a decent representation of him in my collection,but I couldn't bring myself to waste the 15 bucks or whatever he cost at retail.
Promethium-did you ever see Prowl in person? You're not missing much. Get a Prowl Alternator instead.
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A master of mind control who hides inside a Ford Pickup
I never did see Prowl or Grimmy. I wanted them specifically because they're the WWI designs. I know the Alternators are alot better toys :P
http://prometheusrising.wordpress.com
Soundwave should've worn a thong like G.I. Joe Megatron did who was the worst of the lot.
-R78
Whoa,I can't believe I didn't notice it until Veef pointed it out,they're making a toy of Durifuto!
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A master of mind control who hides inside a Ford Pickup
Generations optimus and bumblebee.......nice..cant wait.....