Well said Captain. 

 

Just watching the new year show over here and they keep cutting to a news channel with what I hope is fake news about a fresh Godzilla attack on Tokyo. Very odd.

I hope it's fake anyway  

 

Where'd you get OSKOEP, the trailer and the metal insignias from? Any idea if I can get MPP10 as well from the same place? Cheers

 

I mean, I'm not in possession of the facts but I think we can all safely conclude unless 2016 has the mother of all twist endings, it is very likely fake.

 

But I had my banana ! Madness.

 

As long as there is no Mothra, you'll be fine.



Maybe.  

 

Tried again, still no Maz but less bad than before...

 

Alright, so I don't exactly have a top 10 of 2016 toys for you, partly because I can't be doing with putting these things in order like that but also because... well, this has been a big and expensive year for me, having got back into collecting after 6 years off (my last two purchases before this year were Generations Thunderwing and Henkei Silverstreak). So this year I've been playing catchup, trying to snaffle as many toys as possible before they were gone for good (hence putting down £37 on Gen. Arcee as it's probably the best bet I'll have in getting her).

So a lot of my favourite toys this year were actually released over the last few years, but seeing as how they're still new to me... to hell with you all. This is the Imperator Plastic Robots Appreciation Awards 2016!

(fanfare, confetti)

Best nostalgia: Titans Return Wheelie
Wheelie was my first ever transformer back in 198-. And frankly, that G1 toy is utter shit. Like a ballerina wearing an orange hooded parka but with a creepy face glued on the front... and he was a pain in the arse in the cartoon as well. Thankfully, TR Wheelie is a 1000% improvement, with a nostalgia-satisfying alt mode and a robot mode which is incredibly good. Plus he can carry titan masters around as a car! That's always a good touch. A lot of people cooled to Wheelie thanks to not tabbing together well in alt mode - I see the problem, but mine's pretty okay on that front so he's just a delight.

Luckiest find: Legends Armada Starscream
I was very excited to see that there was a Generations version of me fave Starscream, and somehow managed to miss ordering it and Windblade from Kapow. Next port of call was eBay, and finding a seller that had both, and at a reasonable price too. Imagine my excitement at opening the package from China to discover... CW Ironhide and Rook. I was pretty pissed off, but only a week or two later found an eBay sale of the far superior Legends version at the same price. I treasure the little bastard now, even if one of his swords keeps falling apart, he's the finest Starscream I'll ever have.

Most perfect rendition: Titans Return Hardhead
There's really little room for improvement with Hardhead. He looks like the original in both modes - only better, and has the kind of articulation, proportions and poseability that you'd hope from a modern release. Even has wrist swivel. The only thing that stops it short of perfection is the lack of tech specs in the chest, but I'm happy to forgo this in favour of a simply excellent toy.

Biggest surprise: Titans Return Blurr
I held off ordering the wave 1 deluxes off Kapow for ages because I was sure I didn't want Blurr. Not only was he not a traditional headmaster, I never liked the character and felt there was no room for him in my collection. Which shows I was was being dumb, because Blurr is an absolute cracker, for all the reasons people have been gushing about all year. And I'm going to be controversial here: I prefer the Hasbro version to the Takara one. Sure, the paint apps on the Takara version are better, but they're too close to the cartoon for my liking; Legends Blurr can never be anything else. By having a more subdued and simple deco, the Hasbro one is more versatile, able to be whatever Blurr you want. And that's lovely.

Best gateway drug: MMC Death's Head (Anubis)
Oh yes, I'd taken great delight in shaking my head with pity at all the money being thrown at overprice 3P toys, promising myself I'd never succumb to such a ridiculous state. And while Death's Head was not my first 3P toy, he's definitely the one that has opened my wallet to the prospect of more in 2017. He's pretty much everything I'd want from a 3P toy - a character that will never exist otherwise in Transformer form, done to a high standard. And a serious health hazard at that - his wing and fin tips are bloody sharp. Give this guy to a kid and watch them gouge their eyes out in minutes.

Imperator's "I STILL can't transform the bloody thing!" award 2016: Legends Straxus
Part of my effort to get all the non-Megatron G1 Decepticon leaders in some form, Straxus was an unexpected boon from Kapow when they somehow got their hands on a case. He's a pretty great toy, big and chunky for a deluxe, and an innovate alt mode (police artillery cannon, I guess? Seems legit). But boy oh boy is he a pain in the arse to transform. I've gone and thrown away the instructions now and I'm actually afraid of putting him in robot mode in case I can't ever get him back. Mercy is not dispensed here, only bafflement.

Hipster's choice: Thrilling 30 Brainstorm
Yeah yeah yeah, you kids with your TR Brainstorms. Try as you might, you'll never get me to see it as anything other than Blurr with wings. T30 Brainy on the other hand is an absolute star, with gorgeous proportions in robot mode and an X-Wing-esque alt mode. And it brings a nice bit of variety to the headmasters to have Brainy stand taller than the rest. He's a jet after all. I don't mind going against the grain here - T30 Brainy's just adorbz.

Sleepiest Sleeper Hit: Combiner Wars Armada Megatron
Yes, my no-Megatron rule only applies to G1 iterations after all. Amanda Megatron was passed over by most as they excitedly gobbled up the other use of the tooling - G1 megs. But in all honesty, I think this works far better as Amanda, and as an update to the old 2002 character. It happily merges visual cues from both G1 and Armada to make a very good-looking robot, and has a simple but efficient transformation that leaves it with only a few bits of kibble. And working tank tracks! Such luxury! Oh Amanda, you do spoil me so! (flutters hand fan)

Best main-line: Robots In Disguise Scorponok
RID rides a thin line between characterful, emotive designs and plain, poorly-deco'd paintjobs. Strongarm for instance looks half-finished. But Scorponok manages to take the deficiencies of the line and work them to an advantage - yeah, there aren't many paint apps, but the use of different plastic colours makes it less noticeable. the RIDface disease is there, sure, but it works as an animalistic snarl, as opposed to Sideswipe's... whatever is going on with Sideswipe's head. A great Animated or RID toy tells you about the character's personality when they're just stood in a basic pose, and Scorps has this in spades - hunched over and snarling, clutching a serrated scimitar close. There's lots to be enjoyed in RID but gems like Scorps, Megatronus and Fracture are hidden under a huge pile of old toss - Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Strongarm were none of them great ambassadors for the line.

Best CHUG: Titans Return Triggerhappy
You know, I discarded the handheld guns pretty quickly. They're plain, unpainted and boring. And Triggerhappy doesn't need them! When he wants to fight in robot mode he can just flip those massive jet cannons around and let rip. Now, the word perfect has been bandied around with Triggerhappy - he's not perfect. The lower legs are hollow. The thighs are visible in jet mode. And... that's about it for criticisms. Everything else is fantastic, a brilliant deluxe jet, a really well-proportioned and poseable robot mode. And from Triggerhappy, to boot! Until this year, Triggerhappy was just another grunt in the G1 'Con army, a character you only remembered if you happened to have had him as a kid. Now he'd the proud owner of one of the best moulds... possibly the best mould of the year. (Nearly) Perfect.

 

Sign me up for a checked shirt buttoned all the way up, ultra skinny jeans, a dyed beard and those ridiculous earrings that give you massive holes in your ears! I'm a double dochio half-caf, superskinny pumpkin seed-encrusted single-origin artisan Kalahari tribesman-farmed latte drinking urban ironic (but not by definition) fan of the hipsters choice too!

Translation - love me some Thrilling 30 Brainstorm too! Mine even has a briefcase...

 

Lol... It may be the best unexpected end to 2016 that nobody saw coming.

 

I keep looking at him seeing bits i love and bits i hate, if he wasnt an expensive (more than the hasbro version) import and I wasnt unemployed I probably would have got him but fortunately my lack of money and those feet/truck cab/bot chest have quashed any enablement those hand/guns may have triggered

ok WTF does that announcer have in his hand?

 

I am dying too see the new Toho Godzilla, no one has leaked it yet D; Also does anyone remember if Unite Warriors come out at the start or the end of the month?

 

Stage one complete, invitation sent. I'm being a right girly  .

Romance and all that stuff though.

 

Pffft. Mothra isn't the one to be scared of... it's King Ghidora you need to be worried about!

 

All right UK people, almost time to go, wish you all an awesome new year's eve night !

 

Also, yes, King Geedorah's the best. Specially with Biolante.

 

Takara releases are almost always the last weekend of the month (?)

 

What about pointed sticks ?

 

See above.