Bring back PRETENDERS!

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by ZapRowsdower, May 26, 2016.

  1. ssjkazer

    ssjkazer mr dyslexia

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    i hope i havent been to bad ive been trying to be netural/relistic trying to see everyones point of views though some are rather extreme from the others lol.

    on the topic pretenders as a line is a fun idea if any forms of these characters come to past ill be happy though i want beasts more lol just saying
     
  2. Fenrir Zero

    Fenrir Zero Permanently Retired (1984-2020)

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    You have been awesome here. It was those who went beyond making the point to oppose this idea that were the issue. But you? Anybody that says you were an annoyance here should be fed to the Sharktrons. :) 

    And also, with this being my last response for a while, I am hoping that they learned from their mistakes in 1989. Because they had what? Two to three years worth of ideas crammed into a single year? :lol 

    But yeah... If this is done, and handled correctly, I will hope that they eventually lead into the Beast Era stuff. Or even reinvent the Shellformers through this line. :) 
     
  3. Hanzkaz

    Hanzkaz Well-Known Member

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    The old type of Pretenders wouldn't interest me. The majority of my TFs are at least Deluxe-sized. and a tiny little transforming robot inside a non-transforming shell wouldn't appeal to me. On the other hand, a transforming 'shell' with a small non-transforming robot inside might.

    Probably about the only way I'd be happy with old-school Pretenders would be if they were more articulated and included a small transparent window in the chest showing the inner robot and perhaps have faction symbols (if not Autobot/Decepticon then Good Pretender/Bad Pretender wil do) added to the shells. And they'd better look good and be made of solid plastic.
     
  4. conan123us

    conan123us Well-Known Member

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    I think it could be cool if they had a regular vehicle or animal mode that could transform into two different robot modes. One regular and the other monstrous or human looking. Kind of like the first wave of beast wars hade those monster heads, but this would be the whole body. This way there is no shell and they still transform and they can still "pretend " to be human or an alien.
     
  5. ZapRowsdower

    ZapRowsdower Selling oddities in a shack. In the woods.

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    I fully expected this to be an obscure thread, given how low Pretenders seem to rank in the pantheon (and to be fair, I hated them when they first came out, being a completely degenerate form of our beloved franchise)...

    But HOT DAMN! 17 pages?!?! AND PEOPLE NEEDED TO BE FORCEFULLY REMOVED/RAILED IN??? :lolol 

    I guess there's a bit of potential for this line, no? :D 

    Awesome ideas. It's not like this has to be the ENTIRETY of the new Pretender line, but including stuff like this is exactly how and why Pretenders could be relevant/awesome again! I think there's room for classics such as Skullgrin, Bomburst, etc., while also introducing some newer stuff.

    Of course, if classic stuff gets completely overlooked to reinvent the wheel? Then we might see some anger daggers fly through the threads! :lol 
    Neat again... but now we're clearly moving away from Pretenders and into BW.

    I like BW a lot, too (shellformers aren't great, but they're not horrible either)...

    But mixing Pretenders with BW is wrong. Or hoping Pretenders are a prelude? Also WRONG.

    Here's the thing: BW is coming back. Eventually. THAT IS GUARANTEED. There is no question at all - the series had 2 major cartoons and lots of fans.

    Pretenders? Not so much. Where's the cartoon? Where was the fanfare and fan arguments? When was the last time someone suggested Bomburst be inducted in the Hall of Fame? THIS is why we need to really focus on the line to make it relevant again.

    And if you haven't seen "Super God Masterforce", then you have no basis/understanding. Anyone reading this that hasn't seen that Japanese show is probably thinking, "Who cares about Pretenders? Those things were lame!" GO WATCH SUPER GOD MASTERFORCE! :D 

    PRETEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
     
  6. conan123us

    conan123us Well-Known Member

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    I don't think I explained my idea well. It would be a triple changer, but instead of two vehicle modes it would be two robot modes. One a traditional robot and the other an organic appearance. So for example Bludgeon would have a tank mode, a robot mode, and his skeleton warrior mode. No shell.
     
  7. tikgnat

    tikgnat Baweepgranaweepninnybong.

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    Honestly I would love a return to Pretenders!

    But the idea of 'Pretenders' can go a few different ways...

    i) Robot hiding in an organic shell... I would like to see this, but I would expect the shell to be articulated as well, ie, the robot inside moves with the outer shell.

    ii) Human hiding in a robot shell... something my http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...-where-did-you-find-minimus-ambus-thread.html has shown me, is hiding smaller figures inside big Transformers is fun. So embellish this concept by hiding GI Joe figures inside Transformer bodies. IE, humans are Pretending to be Transformers...

    iii) Transformers Pretending to be in another brand... Hasbro are currently trying to unify themselves into their own cinematic universe yes? Well, what if we actually had Transformers pretending to be from another line? IE, Movieverse Long Nose Prime has an Alt mode that looks like MASK's RHINO. Or Animated Megatron has an Alt mode that looks like VENOM's Switchblade. Or Bumblebee (a Chevrolet Camero) as THUNDERHAWK... (A CHEVROLET CAMERO).

    I get that this is essentially a rebranding of Crossovers, but as long as this idea includes Human Alliance play patterns (ie, Rhino/Optimus includes Matt Trakker, Bumblebee/Thunderhawk includes Matt Trakker and are triple changers, Alt/Stealth Force/Robot modes) and is properly supported by fictional media this would be something I would find irresistable.

    Of course, we could just have Transformers simply hiding inside other branded shells, ie, Blurr hiding inside Rainbow Dash...
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2016
  8. Windsweeper II

    Windsweeper II Banned

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    Another really good idea: the vehicle mode would hopefully be based on the inner robots altmode but more elaborate, its a good idea to update them as triplechangers. But again: personally i would really miss the "shell" and the "robot" not being two seperate actiinfigures.
    I agree with Zap that this thread has pleasently surprised me. At first i expected a whole lot of Pretender-bashing but there are a lot of people who are really into this part of the franchise and there are a lot of people who openly admit they hated the G1 Pretenders but are openminded enough to be interested in updates if done well.
    I do notice some Beast War fans who are impatient for theit beloved toyline to get someattentiom and i understand, but like Zap stated: BW is a large and beloved part ofvthe franchise, it is guaranteed to get its turn in time. A litlle patience and sympathy for fellow fans who (personally speaking) also love Beast Wars but are really into a part of the franchise that needs special focus in order for it not to go to waste.
    And its a good idea advising people to watch Masterforce.
    I love Pretenders for the toys and the character the designers put into the shells - someone mentioned if they do get updates to give the Autobot "shell"characters more distinctive looks and that is definently the way to go because the G1 88 Autobot shells did look kinda bland
    But i have never seen Masterforce myself so its a great advice.
     
  9. ZapRowsdower

    ZapRowsdower Selling oddities in a shack. In the woods.

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    I gotcha. I just got lost in your BW analogy, with the beast head (which I LOVED, and wish they kept in later BW toys! :lol ). But the issue, specifically, is losing the Pretender SHELL. Kind of feels off without a shell, ya know?

    But that's not to say I don't LOVE your idea! :thumb 
    The crossover idea is intriguing, to say the least. :eek:  But again, I must stipulate the obvious: you would disappoint a ton of TF fans if you simply ignored classics like Skullgrin and Bomb-burst!

    The other issue is that of chasing two hares and catching neither. Crossovers have the tendency to please none of the fans (with the exception of fans of both crossovers). For example, you may like Iron Man, but if you don't like TFs, it's not hard to see why you think that Iron Man crossover looks like a mess. Or let's look at SW: I like TFs fine, but I don't love SW - so when I see those crossovers, I see a mess: the SW characters look f*cked up, and the TF element is lacking.

    So while it may seem like a good idea, I think a crossover would essentially dilute the Pretenders concept or delegate it to a stupid ambassadorship for promoting a superior (in sales) line like MLP.

    But that said, I wouldn't mind seeing all of that as an ADDENDUM to the Pretenders line. Maybe a special bonus figure you can mail order? I mean, I don't like MLP at all, but I'd consider an MLP Pretender for the sheer novelty of a TF toy inside a dopey horse! :lolol 
    First off: either borrow or BUY a copy of the Masterforce cartoon - it is EXCELLENT. It's also a bit Japanese, so your tolerance/enjoyment for anime will play as a factor. For example, lots of awkward laughing, conversations about responsibility, fawning over Minerva because she's a cute girl, etc. It's all in good fun, and the real feature is the awesome characterization they do of these "worthless" Pretender toys that got no personality at all in the USA. I'm certain if more fans watched Masterforce, they might appreciate the Pretenders better (that program kind of 180ed my opinon from "I guess they're neat" to "HOLY SH*T! WHY DON'T I OWN A SKULLGRIN YET?!??!" :lolol 

    But yeah, the BW hijackers are hilarious! :lol  I didn't expect that, and I appreciate their support... so long as they remember Pretenders are NOT BW. I see some similarities, sure... but to try and force Pretenders to be a prelude to a BW revival would be sacrilegious to the Pretenders concept. And I'm thinking the majority of these BW supporters have not owned (or seen, in-hand) a Pretender toy long enough to appreciate that BW is not a proper comparison at all - it's more like He-man or TMNT.

    And yes, update the f*ck out of the Autobot shells! :lol  Those couldn't be more generic! :lol  Ironically? The Decepticon ones are amazing... Maybe the mutant theme works better than generic humans that look like circus people? :lol 

    Big thanks for replying and contributing to the thread, though! I appreciate everyone's feedback, and honestly? The fact that we can get 17 pages of opinions/comments (in one week!!!) shows there's enough interest to revive this brand. We need better shells, for sure, and I think that can happen - we're talking about using the same Hero Mashers technology, but hollowed out for small robots inside. I think it can be cheaply (but well) done, so there's hardly a reason NOT to relaunch Pretenders. Except if Hasbro believes no one cares. And I think people care a lot more than we think they do. I'm seeing lots of "I'd buy X character, but not the rest" comments - the same comments you read for every toy line. I think that's a good thing: it shows curiosity and interest. All Hasbro needs is to launch the brand right, make good toys, and then watch the money roll in! :D 
     
  10. WheelWave140

    WheelWave140 Hate's not cool, dudes!

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    IDW did update the concept as like a shielding mechanism, so maybe to build on my previous idea, you get the figure with several snap on armor pieces that evoke the original shell (The Autobots get helmets with a visor instead of a human face)
    Then those can be the Deluxe level figures. Mega Pretenders will be voyagers, and the Armor can then combine with the vehicle mode of the robot to create a larger vehicle. Leader class figures do the same thing, but also have a small inner robot along the lines of Minimus Ambus that transforms.

    There's basically no way to have the shell gimmick the same way it used to be without a major price change and a lack of articulation.
     
  11. Windsweeper II

    Windsweeper II Banned

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    Wich Pretender characters would you imagine Hasbro doing as Leaders ?
    I know some people want Thunderwing as a Leader class toy, personally i think Voyager is enough for him, all the Mega Pretenders were Voyager size and i think it would be the best size for all Pretenders (complete with "shell" whatever way Hasbro chooses to go).
    Obviously Hasbro is reserving the Leaderclass for the most popular characters so i think it would be a wise move if the "classic" Pretenders where released in that class.
     
  12. shellformer

    shellformer @

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    The only pretender leaders I can see them doing is either Thunderwing/Bludgeon or similarly extra big pretender-original character OOORRR an Optimus and maybe also a Megatron.

    Bumblebee, Grimlock, Jazz and Starscream may be the classic crew but I'm not sure they would be first choices for a leader-class pretender toy.
     
  13. SG Roadbuster

    SG Roadbuster SG Wrecker

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    I see the Ultra Pretenders done as Leaders.
    Legends class core bot.
    Voyager class MegaPretender shell
    Vehicle shell, maybe with an additional base mode. the bulk of which beefs up the pricepoint to Leader class.

    sooo Roadblock and Skyhammer.

    though I could also See Megatron happening here, core bot with a pistol mode, MegaPretender shell having a tfp inspired jet mode, with the Vehicle Shell being based on his Action Master Neautro Fusion Tank.
     
  14. zeroblue2099

    zeroblue2099 Well-Known Member

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    I could see Bludgeon and Thunderwing released as Leaders.
    Though I could easily see some of the shell designs rolled into/cannibalized for a new Visionaries, Micronauts or MASK line.
     
  15. Windsweeper II

    Windsweeper II Banned

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    Good point, theres little chance of doing them right if not at the Leader class. But would Hasbro take the risk ?
     
  16. Windsweeper II

    Windsweeper II Banned

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    I doubt they will mix the toylines. Its one thing to mix the fiction but mixing the toylines would not be practical i think.
     
  17. shellformer

    shellformer @

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    Well, if the whole playset thing in TR works out then the only real risk would be the pretender gimmick. The large vehicles could easily be designed to be usable by legion and minicon figures and maybe outright turn into stations in addition to their pretender duty.

    They did make those big vehicle things for legion figures during TFP and those turned into bases, too. If those were considered successful and the pretenders are judged worthy to revisit in full then ultra pretenders aren't implausible. The big IF is of course whether pretenders will happen and how.
     
  18. Windsweeper II

    Windsweeper II Banned

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    Good point! i hadn't thought about those Prime bases.

    And designing the bases so they can be used by minicons or Titanmasters might provide a connection with Titans Return.
    Kids would have a Pretender that could be used by Titanmasters, that's a great salespoint.
     
  19. Bass X0

    Bass X0 Captain Commando

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    I'd have liked a range of detailed articulated armored humans vs. monsters action figures line from Hasbro to rival the modern He-Man toys. They would not be called Transformers as they would not transform or have a smaller robot inside them but they would still be the same characters as the old Pretenders.

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. DOTM Bumblebee

    DOTM Bumblebee Funny Little Man

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    I think it would be a very neat idea. You could have traditional Pretenders like Thunderwing, Bludgeon, Skullgrin, Bumblebee, Jazz, Grimlock, and Starscream, but also, for a new gimmick, Pretender Beasts, which could incorporate, say, Transmetal Beast Wars characters, combining G1 Predacons, and Dinobots inside organic looking shells of their Beast Modes.