I know that people often talk about the idea of getting Classics or Masterpiece versions of combiners like the Constructicons (not counting the rehashed Energon version being passed off as Classics) or Predacons or Aerialbots or whatever, but I was just thinking about the combiners in their cartoon/comic forms vs their toy counterparts...

Do you think it would ever be possible to engineer a set of G1 combiners like the Contructicons, for example, that didn't rely on extra loose add-on parts to make a combined robot? As toys, they all had click-on heads, fists, feet, etc. whereas in the cartoon/comic universe, all these parts were inclusive in each separate bot thanks to the magic of animation. But do you think a toy could ever manage to hide things like fists & forearms, or thighs, or most importantly, the head of a combined gestalt team?

I love the way that the Classics are now essentially single-piece characters, where their weapons now have storage in alt form, but I just don't know how or if they could ever pull off the same thing when it comes to combiner bots who not only have to transform from robot to alt form but ALSO transform a third time to be an appendage of a larger bot. And in a weird way, I wonder if something like this could very well be a reason why we might not see a combiner in any of the movie sequels (assuming there are sequels) since those parts have to come from somewhere.

I dunno... I never saw anything like this addressed on the forums yet so just thought I'd spitball it. And again, I'm talking about new self contained G1 representations here that would look similar to what we remember, not whatever gestalts they may have created in the new lines.

 

well the tech is there - look at RID Landfill and Rail Racer. Also - Armada Perceptor. I definitely think if they put their minds to it, they could do it.

 

As much shredded, spiky metal as they have on the movie bots, I'm sure they can fashion a clawed hand or two out of all that mess.

 

Hmmm... I don't know. Although you could create feet from weapons, or possibly directly from the transformers that form the legs, large fists would be more difficult to hide. The head may be easier since it could be made to look like something else much like classic Prime's wind vane weapon.

 

The only one I don't think they could pull off (and still look similar to G1) is Devastator.

Sure, they could do it, but he'll never look the same again.

 

Totally doable, of course. All the Brave robots were self contained combinations, some of them in very unique ways. Thunder Baron in particular did the whole five unit combination, granted though he wasn't much more poseable than a G1 gestalt anyway.

 

I think it CAN be done, but it's just a matter of whether the toy engineers think it's worth their time and money. For example, I still think Omega Prime and Rail Racer are the coolest combiners ever. I'm cool with it if people disagree Omega Prime being a combiner, but come on. Rail Racer. Best combiner I've seen.

The thing with self-contained combiners is that you'd essentially have to come up with a series of triple-changers. Making one triple-changer is hard enough, much less four or five of them.

But I'd like to reiterate that Rail Racer is AWESOME.

 

I actually think the E combiners pull it off the best way personally, I mean a normal looking alt mode with an extra weapon isn't really to bad in my mind, and that weapon becoming the foot or hand, it could work with every one really, the e crane was the weakest and the jets could have done with a little more work but the idea was solid.

 

All of the Combiners that have come out since BW HAVE had the combiner parts integrated into the bodies of the individual figures. So if Hasbro wanted to re-create the G1 combiners, yes, they obviously have the technology to do this. But so far they've shown more interest in homages than direct recreations.

 

No, they totally could. I mean, he didn't even need feet. If you lose that chest shield and crotchplate, all you need to hide is the head, which could be on Hook OR Long Haul, and the fists. Make the forearms and elbows part of the other two instead of add-ons.

 

It could totally be done I'm sure...like Maximo Prime pointed out, Rail Racer had everything included in the individual 'bots. We've seen plenty of concealed heads with the BW & Energon Combiners, and even Defensor back in '86 so I'm sure that wouldn't be a big problem...maybe a little more difficult with the hands and feet, but looking at the MP and Alt. technology these days, I don't think it would be TOO hard to overcome.

 

yes.

 

what i want are revoltech type figures of the combinors as stand alone toys. kinda like Zone, where they don't seperate, but have a kick ass posable play factor, based on the more anime-esqu designs. not the g1 animation designs

drooooool

 

 
GAH! I actually typed up a Brave-oriented reply without reading the whole thread, then thought to myself, "I'd better check to see if SF already got in here to say something about Brave".

But yeah, the Brave lines are 10-15 years old at this point, and they were doing this pretty regularly... so the technology is certainly there. In particular I think the "powered-up" versions of the Brave heroes made good use of all the parts, and contained all the pieces necessary for combination - Fire J Decker, Super Fire Dagwon, Great Might Gaine, Great Goldran...

Digging wheeljaxx's idea too, btw.

 

Absolutely, positively easy-as-pie do-able!

It really doesn't take that much. Personally, I think the non-integrated TF combiners (ie: All of them) were just lazy designs. Or maybe the add-on pieces were part of the appeal for japanese toy buyers.

But if Go-bots could do a fully integrated combiner in the 1980's (anybody remember Puzzler?) then we sure as hell can do it now!  

zmog

 

SMOG beat me to it.

Puzzler

 

I was really dissapointed that this isn't what we got with the Energon "Maximus" combiners. Magnaboss, Tripredicus, Magmatron, Landfill, Railracer... they were all able to do it, and in most cases with only 3 bots. The Energon combiners should have had an easier time with 2 more bots to use! But nope.

 

if it wasn't for his big shlong, he'd be in my collection.  

 

Heh heh... yeah. Ideally, that car front could have just folded down into a sort of skirt or something. It's a bit of an eyesore on an otherwise pretty sweet combiner.

I remember the first time I saw one of the Puzzler arms, and noticed that the fist was integrated into the robot, it was like a revelation!

If Hastak could get off their butts and do something like this for a new Devastator or Predaking set, I'd be thrilled. I'd even be willing to accept a "mini-jet/chest shield" as a separate add-on if they got the rest of it right.

And would it be too much to ask to make them at least deluxe-scale? I'm tired of tiny combiners. I don't get it... if you can sell six deluxe Decepticons normally, why not six deluxe Cons that ALSO combine into a giant robot. You'd think that if they did a good enough job on the individual robots, the combining gimmick could only -increase- sales.

zmog