To be fair, haslab’s nails the head sculpt by not having a beard slapped into a robot, but rather a goatee formed from his face. They also get a sense of scale way better by having so many details on it, something I really wish this guy had. Zeta’s just doesn’t have enough detailing on it to make me think “yeah, that’s planet sized”. Really wish they added that; because he ends up looking more toon than the cartoon...

(again just opinions. I love aspects of both and will hopefully own both)

 

I couldn’t stick with one. Had to do both. Haslab’s planet mode and size is just amazing. Cell has the robot shape down, but lacks the menace. I’m not a fan of either transformation. I’ve watched both and just waaaaay too busy for me to do more than once.

 

I don't see myself transforming either very often. If at all

 

Agreed that the detail on Haslab's planet mode looks much better. I'm just not a fan of the bot mode though. I much prefer Zeta's cleaner face sculpt in particular; it's pretty much the perfect Unicron head as far as I'm concerned.

I'm glad both are available; since they do contrast in so many ways, hopefully at least one of them will be pretty close to what someone's looking for in a Unicron figure. Always good to have options!

 

Right there with ya man.  

 

Unicron's head/face changes so often in the film and series any number of sculpts could theoretically be accurate. The Cell head and horns are more movie like, but the face is reminiscent of season three with the pointed beard. Haslab's isn't really any more 'accurate', just different.

 

That's what I feel too.

Personally, I don't think it is a compliment when people praise Haslab's Unicron for its accurate planet mode.  

(Same goes for FT-51 Arcee.)

Their alt-modes are almost independent of their bot mode!

 

See one of the things I love about Haslab is how much they were able mimmick the transformation in the movie. I see the origami folding as the blue / gray crust receeding at the beginning of the transformation. The arms opening out of back yellow / organce circle of planet mode. The legs flipping out of the body (though it sadly doesn’t do the cool knee hinge extension trick). The forearm pieces sliding up to reveal the hands. The Takara designers didn’t just lavishly recreate the planet, they did their best to recapitulate the onscreen transformation scenes.

Cell has a very cool transformation but doesn’t really do anything like the movie. You can tell the robot is the primary focus and then they just worked backwards to make a planet. It’s astonishing that they were able to do it so seemlessly and make a fairly spherical shape. But the planet otherwise largely falls short at looking very much like the source material.

And if Haslab is a shellformer, isn’t Cell a partsformer? Certainly if you want to reduce the large orange panels on the sides you need to switch out parts, and if you want a sort of more screen accurate maw, you need to add one of the stands to the front.

I’m glad the Cell version has those options. I personally don’t care that it’s a partsformer, any more than I care about people thinking Haslab is a shellformer. If we find out that the kibble on Haslab is removable in the final version, I’ll gladly call him a partsformer too and love him all the more for it.

 

I wouldn't call Cell a partsformer, no. It transforms seamlessly from bot to planet without any parts needing to be removed. You just have optional parts that you can switch or add if you want, for different display options. That's like calling Magic Square's legends figures partsformers because they have switchable hand options.

 

Tho the optional pieces have to be switched out in order to have an accurate planet or bot mode, so what do we call it? A swap-former?

 

What about just a transformer with neat alternate parts? I mean, I'm certainly not complaining as I tend to use a lot of the terms (especially partsformer), but sometimes...it's just a transformer. With extra stuff. To make all parties happy.

Or as many of them as they can anyway.

 

If by “different display options” you mean try to make it look more like the Unicron planet mode, then sure. Without those added/swappable parts, all the compromises are on full display (the 8-toothed maw, the innacurate blue / gray circle around the maw, big orange squares on the sides, etc.).

To be fair, I think most casual fans wouldn’t notice any of that stuff, but I know it would bother me. If I get Cell, it’s not a seemless transformation in that respect — I would absolutely take the added step and switch out / add the parts available. That’s me, YMMV.

Finally, we are all certainly entitled to call these guys whatever we want, so you don’t have to consider him a partsformer. For the record, I also wouldn’t call Haslab a shellformer.

 

All these long paragraphs won't settle the Haslab v Zeta dissent.
What we need is a fight- a show of physical dedication- to decide the true value of these toys.

Winners get a "The Definitive Unicron" plaque to go with their Unicron toy

Losers have to let Bobby Skullface transform theirs

 

(no offence bobby if youre reading this i love you)

 

i think we should let the toys fight it out. Haslab will have size and strength but Cell should have better balance and flexibility. These are the pictures I can’t wait to see

 

I know you posted that as a sort of dig, but that looks so awesome I can’t wait for it. And yep, there are the arms that are perfectly postioned as part of the back of the alt mode (screen accuracy!) that then have swing forward towards the shoulder position to transform into the robot

 

Mine from Taobao has been shipped by the seller. They received their stock on Sunday. Hopefully I get to ship mine from China today but it'll be surface mail so it'll take 4 weeks. Airmail is just too expensive at the moment.

So yeah, Asian sellers may be getting their stock pretty soon, and western too if they're sourced and shipped by Air from China.

 

that takes me back to my childhood and exactly how i remember it.

i bought the hascron because i simply wanted this biggest and most ridiculous unicron on the planet.

had zetacron been larger i would have jumped at the chance no questions asked. but sadly he wasnt and now i have to wait and see if he ever gets the jinbao bump.

i still might grab him for shits and giggles. but that is it my hascrons will be the pride and joy of my collection.

 

so I ask my taobao seller,he is alreay have it and start send me