When it comes to toys, it kinda does. Especially with Bayverse, where designs get by entirely on looking cool. Bring on Devcon. I want that weird Cloverfield motherfucker on my shelves.
Better molding detail and better paint? That's still subjective since this one is supposed to look like how he did in the movie and RTS was a reimagining. The car modes are also a coin toss for me. But yeah, they had a ridiculous budget back then thanks to the billions the movies were pulling in so it did have less hallowing. I will take this cartoon accurate, better articulated version as long as he stays solid when moving his arms unlike the RTS.
Now if only Takara could finally announce Armada Optimus. I don't care which line he's put in, for all I care he could be My little Pony Armada Optimus Prime. Just announce and release him alreaaadyyyyyyyyy....
I like these a lot! Jazz would be better with a darker blue, but he still looks good to me. Hot Rod is looking very cool indeed. Liking the accessories and blast effects too. I'm especially glad they included an affect for the Matrix. I wonder if it will work with ER Optimus' Matrix. This may seem a dumb question, but I haven't paid much attention to Studio Series until 86 came along - will these scale well with WFC?
I have no connection whatsoever to the A/E/C series, but man, I want that Armada Optimus. Now THAT is a cool design. I can't help but think that Jazz will be a lot better in hand than in pics. It just looks like one of those that will be surprising.
They aren't from a movie tie-in video game, but I'd be very very happy to see the Transformers Universe bots get some love as figures.
Okay, you're taking the argument to absurdity by saying the syringe doesn't transform. However, if it DID transform and looked cool, yes I would ABSOLUTELY want it, ESPECIALLY if it was a unique design. I don't need anything else. I know you're being sarcastic, but yes, I totally agree. A TLK movie display is not complete without Dreadbot (he's a HIPPIE van, man!), or Onslaught, or Mohawk, or Daytrader, or even Bulldog. Which reminds me, I need to get that Toyworld version of him... By looking at the listings that so far have proven true. RotF Bee is obviously going to be a slight remold of TF1 Camaro Bee. RotF Sideswipe is obviously going to be DotM Sideswipe with a roof. I see fewer new molds and more redecoes/slight remolds. Yeah, which was why to me the first year of Studio Series was by far the most boring. I already had toys of most of those guys. It's also why I'm probably ducking out of collecting after 23 years once Kingdom is over, because Hasbro is just re-doing the same designs over and over again now (for the most part-- of course there's new stuff like the Fossilizers, but they're by far the exception). Not much originality left, and things are getting more expensive and more difficult to procure anyways. Yes and no. I mean, yes it matters, but compare people who follow Transformers primarily for the fiction compared to those who follow Transformers primarily for the toys. I bet it's pretty heavily weighted towards the latter. It doesn't matter as much here because of the uniqueness of the concept. Botbots. Power Core Combiners. MOST of Universe 1.0 (I mean we had a couple of Botcon comics for the first few waves of toys, but that was it.) No, I understand why someone would want Hot Rod over Devcon if both were on the same level (no toys). But with Hot Rod having so many toys out already (most of which I completely disagree with your assertion that they suck), you're right, at THAT point I do find it incomprehensible.
But being unique and looking cool are not the same thing, and both can be swiftly over-written by a strong character I have attachment to. I went out of my way to get Jeep Bee not just because he was a cool toy, but because I liked the character, and I wanted him represented properly on my shelf, and I skipped over Roadbuster who's an arguably more "unique" design to do so. I remember even back then being disappointed at the lack of solid locking of the torso. No pegging or anything. You try to pose the arms and things start un-transforming, or your thumb goes under the chest he starts un-transforming. He has double jointed elbows but only a bit past 90-degree bends. It's not a very fun toy to handle. I'm really not. Devcon didn't transform in the film, we only know what his alt mode is from concept art. Out of two listings, that's kinda like saying the sky is falling, no? Again, the live action characters are going nowhere, but we're running out of characters Hasbro can reasonably solicit. You need a Bumblebee and Sideswipe now and again, not to mention recouping mould costs is still a thing. (and I don't see much redeco potential in SS86) And yet it flew off shelves. But here is the minority. For most, a character has to be a character to sell. I saw a kid picking up SS Lockdown because he remembered he was the guy who had the gun face, and this was a few years after AOE. Character still matters to a degree, and the thing is Devcon isn't someone you can shove into the deluxe class. It;s a tough pill to swallow putting an utter no-name into the expensive leader slot. (though again, I'm actually pretty confident they'll find a way) Botbots is a collectible figure line hardly comparable at all to the more expensive mainline figures. It's a totally different animal. Power Core Combiners was an abject failure, and only happened because of the height of popularity Transformers was at, and Universe 1.0 was almost entirely old characters in new bodies. Then you're kidding yourself. Hot Rod has had so many toys because he's appeared in so many things. Devcon has 18 seconds of screentime over 35 years of brand history. If you seriously can't understand how one has more merit than the other than I honestly don't know what to tell you.
Well no. See, had Hot Rod not jumped on--and tried to overpower(!)--Megatron of all bots instead of, I don't know...blasting him multiple times since energy blasts move a hell of a lot faster than running to a location, Optimus would've dropped Megatron before he drew that pistol.
I don't know, that sounds perfect to me. I'd hate to try finding every other character to match a scale that's any bigger.
Never seen nor heard of Devcon before. I've watched DotM several times, and never really noticed him at all. I'll admit, he does have a rather cool robot design and such, but definitely not surprised that he hasn't had a toy made.
Drat. I'm underwhelmed by Jazz, even though (or perhaps because) I had such high hopes for him. He just looks... very basic. Certainly nowhere near as the level of care or attention to detail as Hot Rod or Kup. The hollow thighs and forearms are especially disappointing, considering how "complete" and high-quality these other SS86 figures look. The feet jutting out the back of the car aren't too impressive either. He's not terrible by any means, of course, and I'm glad there's a new option for a classic Jazz. Just not the definitive figure of one of my favourite characters that I was hoping for. Don't care about the FansHobby one at all. I agree with Murasame completely. Give us that sweet Armada Optimus, Takara. I don't care what line it's in, or if it's a Commander-class or Selects or whatever. Just charge whatever it's worth. That mold looks way too good to waste.
