I think for an animated TF series that has a toyline, TF:A has raised the bar from years past. But, still to me G1 rules the roost with it's vast number of toys that have been revisited over the years.

 

The show itself pretty much picked up the bar, dusted it off, and placed it back around where Beast Wars raised it to.

As for the toyline. It is probably my favorite TF line bar none, and is the only one I really have felt any want or need to do what I can to complete it to my own standards (not gonna go for repaints, unless it is a new character that warrants a repaint, gonna try and stick to one rep of a character). However, I still feel Alternators hold the title for raising the bar on engineering. That said, Animated is probably the most show accurate line ever, and that says something.

 

The show itself pretty much picked up the bar, dusted it off, and placed it back around where Beast Wars raised it to.

As for the toyline. It is probably my favorite TF line bar none, and is the only one I really have felt any want or need to do what I can to complete it to my own standards (not gonna go for repaints, unless it is a new character that warrants a repaint, gonna try and stick to one rep of a character). However, I still feel Alternators hold the title for raising the bar on engineering. That said, Animated is probably the most show accurate line ever, and that says something. With all t

 

Somewhat. I think the reason it feels so fresh is that everyone felt the toys wouldn't resemble the show so closely. I still think the ball joint QC needs much improvement.

I will only be dissappointed in this line if they fail to release all Starscream clones. If they could do it with G1, they can do it now. Just make sure that if they're exclusives, you make them available to Hasbro Toy Shop. And please remold the Femscream. Don't just make her a repaint. I just wish they would show what molds are up and coming, and if they're going to be more leader class molds than the 3 we know of. I would think this line should carry at least two more leader class molds (Lugnut and reserve one for a future character.) It even bothered my nephews when I bought Lugnut for them, they were like WTF?! why is he so small?

But overall, I feel this line has brought me back to like G1, where I wanted nearly every toy.

 

I dunno where this stuff about Beast Wars raising the metaphorical bar comes from; there was some nice figs to be sure, but there wasn't really anything there engineering-wise that hadn't already been done in G2.

 

G1 ? Some of the toys doesn't even look like the characters in the cartoon. (Ironhide anyone...)

I think there has been a definite upgrade in the toys and the shows!  

 

Even TFA non-fans have to admit that TFA has certainly raised the bar in at least the following areas:

- A show that is generally well-received and has a coherent theme/idea; a refreshing change from the dubs for many folks
- Having exceptionally show accurate toys; I only have Prowl, but this thing looks and poses JUST like the show; you can hardly imagine a pose he can't do
- A strong appeal for both the target demo and many adult fans; definitely a win-win

It is at least as good as what came before in regard to:

- General toy engineering and transformation patterns
- Character selection and development. The bios read pretty good, and the handful of shows I've seen have been good at bringing out the character of the individuals, in a fairly intelligent manner.

For me, it fails only in having toys that are more like friendly dolls than buttkicking robots. Obviously, we've always been collecting children's toys, but TFA toys leave no room for doubt. The over-stylized look makes it challenging for me to see them as toys AND adult collectibles.

So I'd say I'm 25% warmed up to TFA, thanks mostly to what I've read and seen here from others. It's been a long journey from 0%.  

 

I think Animated has easily the most dynamic looking bots in any series. They replicated the show pretty well. Now, as far as engineering goes, I can't say they really are better or worse then Cybertron or Classics. When it comes down to it though, it's what's important to you. If you're looking for a dynamic look, I'd say animated raised the bar. As far as articulation goes? Not really. Complicated Transformations? Stick with alts or MPs. I also think that several of them suffer from gimmicks. (yeah, we all wanted Voyager Primes legs to spin down like that instead of less hollow plastic and more solid articulation)

I know people like to talk up Beast Wars, but I'd say it isn't fair to compare a line where a four or two legged beast has to turn into humanoid to a line where vehicles have to turn into humanoids. Different engineering tasks.

I do love the animated figures now, but I know better then to let the newness of them blind me. Maybe they will turn out my favorite line, but at this point the excitement of just having them has to pass.

 

I think with regards to a mainline, the movie line raised the bar. Only after the movie line did we see automorph become almost a standard gimmick in the new Classics figures, and the Animated line. Classics 2.0 continuing with more realistic alt modes in some way is due in part to the movie line.

 

Recently, the movie line raised the bar. Everything they learned from producing that line, has helped them make exceptional figures in the animated line.

 

Yup, movieline = bar raiser. Animated not so much but they're still good toys.

 

TF toys today far surpass the stuff that came out in RiD. The Car-brothers were all shell formers, simple in design but pain-in-the-ass in execution toys where all their limbs just folded up inside car parts. The two combiners were ok at best, and horrid when not combined, and most of the other stuff were repaints from G1. The Movie figures were some of the most technically advanced figures made in recent years, especially ones where the Auto-morph actually worked as intended.

 

Animated toys raised my bar. Rawrrr.

 

Yes.

 

Animated really hasn't raised anything. It has a decent storyline but otherwise the look of the show still really hurts it and the toys that I have seen anyway are all floppy big time. It is just kind of blah for me.

 

Every line raises the bar in one sense or another, even Armada.

 

Could not agree with you less. Omega Prime and Rail Racer kick the bejesus out of any combiners since. I don't understand the problem with "shellformers." It's not like we're talking about some of the Beast era shellformers, where you could remove the kibble and construct the alt mode out of it without the robot. And the Movie figures were arse. Yes, some great ideas, but they didn't work. I'll take a well-executed simple idea over a failed clever one any day.

 

Yeah Id say it did. Raised the bar for less kibble going into figures. Only if they could get less kibble in the movie line. I liked easy transformations so you could get them from car to robot fast. While the movie lines transformation wernt really hard as kinda annyoing instead. But I still need to get my hands on some universe to determine my full opinion so far. Most likley Shockwave will be my favourite TF toy.

 

For me, I think the Animated line has definitely raised the bar because what you see on the TV is almost exactly what you get in the toy. The movie toys didn't do that too good and I am not a huge fan of the designs. These new toys not only represent the show amazingly, they got me and a few other collectors I know back into the line. Because when they stopped Alternators and then Classics I honestly thought I could move on so-to-speak (I have amassed a huge collection). After I finally saw the Animated line, I knew I wasn't quite done just yet!