TFA Arcee
HFTD Breacher
FP Protector
and without a doubt...
TFA Rodimus

But overall, what a great year for TFs! 2011 couldn't start any better than MP Rodimus Prime!

 

I like most of the releases for 2010!  

 

I thought Legends Ravage was rather cute - it made a nice change to get a tiny little cool toy that had decent joints and didn't cost $40.00 or $50.00 for the privilage.

Sidearm Sideswipe is quite interesting too - I hope he's emblematic of what the Dark of the Moon toys are like in general (as what we have seen so far is a bit Meeaahhhh).

I can't coment much on Generations as I CAN'T FIND ANY !!!!

I agree Breacher is a little sweetheart too.

I suppose Battle Blades Optimus Prime has some good points too - especially when you compare him to the (Pigs in Space) Ahem, sorry I mean Dark of the Moon Voyager Optimus Prime.

To be honest 2010 sort of passed me by really I've been getting some fun out of catching up on old Star Wars Transformers releases. and Powercore Combiners.

But most of the year i've been playing with older toys and have not bought as much as I have in previous years. 2010 was a bit like 2008 it sort of felt like Hasbro spinning their wheels before the next movieline.

I'd probably felt more positive if I'd got more Generations in 2010 but if I ever find any more that will likely be well into 2011 by then I still be looking for items that came out in 2010 originally.

 

Lots of cool stuff this year but my vote has to go to RTS Jazz.

I've been needing a Jazz for my collection since the Classics line started. That it's a really nice looking figure is just a huge plus to filling an important part of the collection.

 

RTS Jazz, Generations Megatron, Battle Blades Bumblebee, Animated Rodimus, and the US release of MP Grimlock were my Top 5 of the year.

 

If we're counting totally new molds, then I would go with WFC Megatron. Super solid mold. Not complex, but really screams "Megatron" more so then pretty much any other Megatron. That's my preference, but if I was going to pick one that impressed me from a technical standpoint, I would say Leader Starscream. Not to troll, but while I LOVE the RTS Jazz, he has the glaring flaw that you can't move his arms up without moving his entire upper torso. That's not just an annoyance, it's a glaring design flaw and I would have preferred him to sacrifice a number of features to have that fixed.

 

Hands down reissue Predaking. Love it. He's heavy. He's awesome.

Runners up: Pcc steamhammer with constructicons, animated Arcee.

 

Most of my acquisitions this year were G1s so I guess I'm still stuck in the past...  

My choice for 2010? Was ROTF Bludgeon released this year? Let's say er... Reissue Predaking! Full of G1 diecast goodness!  

 

My picks of the year

H.F.T.D. Leaderclass Starscream, great engineering for Hasbro, really is a Transformer
H.F.T.D. Human Alliance Jazz & Skids, great versions of movie figures, plus they are fun to transform
R.T.S. Legends Class Megs, Prime, Scream, Gold BB, why can't they make these in voyagers, looks so much better than there G1 toys (sorry...)
Valkyrie (Aarcee) great rep of our fave female bot, does the character justice
Fans Project Protector and Sidearm, simply fun and a great add on piece for classics Hot Rod (Rodimus)

 

Man, I kinda have to hold back from just listing every TF released this year that isn't Skids or Mudflap...

Either way, this was the year of the Deluxe...

1ST PLACE WINNER(S): ROTF Lockdown, HFTD Terradive, RTS Jazz.

Lockdown
I actually began hunting for before he was even released. I saw the promotional pics of the figure and had -for lack of a better term- squeegasms. I'd loved the character in Animated, but felt that for the most part; his figure didn't do him justice. This one increases poseabilty, and makes him look menacing just by the way the head and neck work. Not many TFs can convey that sort of feeling.

Terradive
...Hoo boy. I've always been one of the gripers with Jetformers and their tendency to have massive undercarriage kibble. TFTM voyager Starscream is still despised. ROTF Starscream was a bit better, but the robot mode was lacking. ROTF Lugnut came out and brought his lack of undercarriage kibble...but he was still stuck with an undersized robot mode. More jets came and went, and SUDDENLY TERRADIVE. Awesome jet mode and colorscheme, fun transformation, and my god that robot mode with practically no hanging parts is amazing. Besides, he's got a goddamn TRIDENT.

Jazz.
Do I really need to explain this? People have been waiting for a CHUG edition Jazz since the line began back in 2006. Well, we finally got him and have not been disappointed  

2ND PLACE WINNER(S): TFA Rodimus Minor, TFA Arcee

Rodimus Minor
See: What everyone else has said about this guy. the TFA toys had some great personality to them.

Arcee
I just love this figure. The G1ness of her, the transformation, the appearance...everything's great except figuring out how to deal with those damn white fins on her back.

3RD PLACE WINNER(S): Fansproject Protector, Fansproject Bruticus, MMC Knight Morpher Commander

Protector
"Arise, Rodimus Prime". C'mon, someone had to say that eventually. I love how it not only converts Hot Rod into his upgrade's alt mode, but even gives him a size increase that matches him about perfectly with Classics Prime. The chances for photo ops at that point are endless.

Bruticus
I still want upgrades and a Bruticus set in G2 neon colors. Still, he was the first combiner I got, and I'm quite happy with how his new upgrades turned out. Onslaught feels a bit forced as he is, but the Mutioner/Explorer sets and the original Vortex and Brawl still look great alongside them, and the combined appearance of Bruticus himself is perfect. The weapon variety's great, and the poseability of the giant guy is amazing for a combiner.

HOS Optimus Prime
He's got some things that need to be improved (neck, that shoulder lock tab, overly stiff joints) but overall he's quite the amazing figure with a pleasant number of accessories. Not to mention I love how his back end locks into the front end in that "cab and trailer" color scheme.

RUNNERS UP: Gen. Straxus, TFA Wingblade Optimus Prime, HFTD Leader Starscream, Gen. Drift, WFC Megatron, WFC Optimus Prime, ROTF Legends Ravage, Gen. Red Alert, KOLD Konvoy.

Straxus - See: What others have said about comic characters.
Wingblade Optimus Prime - Because we all liked that final episode.
Starscream - Holyshitepicfigure
Drift - Not many Transformers with goddamn swords like this. A highly entertaining figure indeed.
Megatron - Odd looking, but still quite a fun little guy. The angular design is great and doesn't even inhibit poseability.
Optimus Prime - I get the feeling not many listed him, but I like his robot mode and it's amazing just how streamlined the vehicle mode is.
Ravage - I have twelve of these damn things. They're so great for army building.
Red Alert - One of the first TFs I ever owned. I had to get him  
KOLD Konvoy - I get that people had issues, but mine came in fine and I'm quite happy with him.

 

My Top Ten (In no particular order)

1. Generations/RtS Jazz
2. MP Grimlock
3. Animated Rodimus
4. FP Defender
5. Animated Arcee
6. Generations Darkmount
7. Generations/RtS Tracks
8. WfC Megatron
9. Re-Issue Seacons
10. FP Munitioner/Explorer

 

My Top Five are as follows:
1.RTS Jazz
2.Generations Drift
3.Generations Darkmount/Straxus
4.Generations Blurr
5.HFTD Battleblade Bumblebee

Honorable Mentions: RTS Tracks, HFTD Sidearm Sideswipe, Generations WFC Optimus Prime, Animated Arcee

 

~~~~~My top 10 of 2010~~~~~

10. GENERATIONS DELUXE THUNDERWING
9. HFTD DELUXE HAILSTORM
8. HFTD DELUXE SIDEARM SIDESWIPE
7. FANSPROJECT MUNITIONER & EXPLORER
6. RTS DELUXE TRACKS
5. GENERATIONS BLUR & DRIFT MOLD
4. FANSPROJECT PROTECTOR & SIDEARM
3. ROTF N.E.S.T. DELUXE LOCKDOWN
2. PERFECT EFFECT RUMBLE & FRENZY
1. GENERATIONS DELUXE WFC MEGATRON

This list is compiled of the transformers that i cant put down and had to fiddle with the most.

I chose WFC MEGATRON AS #1 because he is a good representation of megatron and his transformation is real simple and lets him get to battle real quick. His fusion arm cannon is beasty, but he cant hold other weapons because his hand transformation.

PERFECT EFFECT RUMBLE AND FRENZY AS #2 because the play value is really high. They look super badass with any figure with a 5mm hand hole. I recommend the WFC SOUNDWAVE with these guys. They also look great as stand alone figures. BUY THEM NOW!!!

And #3 is REVENGE OF THE FALLEN N.E.S.T. DELUXE LOCKDOWN.. Didnt know how id like him. But after getting him inhand i love how much he is lanky and evil compared to his animated self. He definately has a sinister look to him and he is awesome. He has such a great story behind him that i wish he will be brought back for further spin offs. Anyway, he can battle any size class of transformers except supreme or leader. BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK (Cant wait to get axor)

 

HA Jazz (Takara version)- That reflective visor is really nice.

Runner up- MP movie Starscream. The pictures really don't do this thing justice.

Battle blades BB and Costco Gold Battle ops both get honorable mentions.

 

Fansproject's releases this year win my top pick award. Protector is amazing, and I'm pretty sure Munitioner/Explorer was a '10 release. I'd need to do research on their release dates. Hell, I'm not sure that I didn't pick up Defender this year, too!

As far as Hasbro releases, though, they had some pretty rockin' ones.

The Drift/Blurr mold is amazing. It's got a fault or two, but all in all, absolutely awesome. Drift is my pick for the better toy but, as a G1S3 fan, I love the Blurr toy. I'd have loved a Cybertronian mode like his G1 character, but I think the Drift mold works awesomely for him. For G1 fans, I'd pick Blurr for the character, but for fans newer to the franchise, I'd go with Drift. Either way, a mold not to be missed.

Generations Thrust - Easily my favorite use of the seeker mold as of yet. I've had Classics and Universe 2 Starscream, Classics Skywarp, Classics Ramjet, Generations Dirge and Generations Thrust (I sold Classics Screamer in favor of the Universe 2 version). While Dirge is definitely awesome with his high contrast colors, I still prefer Thrust's colorscheme and wings. I'm not a huge fan of the mold, but Hasbro has done an amazing job of coloring what I consider a mediocre mold into some truly awesome looking toys.

Hunt For the Decepticons Hubcap. This little scout is so much more fun than I anticipated. While it's a simple transformation, he breaks up an awesome car mode very effectively into a bot with kibble that's about as appropriate as kibble gets. I particularly like folding the hood down to the chest from vehicle to bot mode. I can't give a very concrete reason why, but I just really like it.

Hunt For The Decepticons Terradive. This one's a little odd for me. My first experience with any Cyberjet mold was a KO 2-pack of the steath bomber (Air Raid mold) and... errr... Strafe mold. Had to look that up. While neat little toys, I think the KO quality of them poisoned my opinion of them a little. Next experience was with the Korean version of "Starscrem" (that spelling on the stickers made me chuckle) and BB set. While much more solid than KO figures, my set still felt a little loose. Terradive set me right, and at the same time, showed those other guys how it's done. With a badass weapon and a Mega Man homage to boot.

The four WFC toys (this doesn't include Cliffjumper, as I haven't picked him up) deserve an honorable mention, but they don't make the "Top Toys" list for me.

Optimus is delightfully complex, but perhaps too much so. All the little panels and pieces to move can end up being a little trying. Still, he looks great in both modes.

Bumblebee also looks great, though a little big in bot mode. Transformation, well, not wild about.

Soundwave is... well, I want to like him more than I do. His transformation is solid, and I like that he's something other than a stationary object. My main gripe... is his arms. I can't offer constructive criticism, but I do wish something different had been done. They're not BAD, but I'm not a fan either.

Megatron may very well be my surprise favorite of the four. I have two gripes with the figure - his elbows and his size. If he had been voyager class, he would replace my Classics Megatron on my shelf. The Bot mode is just awesome. The elbows are kinda weird, but they're used for transformation, so it couldn't be helped. He's not a gun. I'm tired of gun Megatron. I like over-the-top-destroy-everything-I-can Megatron. Tank Megatron is good for that.



I'd LOVE to add RTS Jazz and Tracks to this list. I've been wanting a new deluxe Tracks toy since Alternators, and Jazz is just... well, he's Jazz. If you've watched the G1 cartoon, I find it hard to believe someone can't like him. Sadly, I haven't found either of these toys.

 

  Starscream was my runaway favorite, but if anyone looks at my "runner-ups", you can tell that past Starscream, I'd have a hard time. 2010 has been an EXCEPTIONAL year for Trasnformers toys. Personally, this is just what 2010 had at retail this year. In regards to simply 2010 "purchases", I think I'd have a blog of TF toys (as Kenucme well knows  ).

I foresee 2011 being just as awesome, too   (Happy New Year!)

 

Leader Starscream = my favorite Transformer of 2010, and ever. Also at least in my top five favorite toys in general ever. I'll consider some more and make a longer list later.

 

Hard choice, since it was a good year for Transformers.

I'm going to go with HFTD Voyager Mindwipe. That is how you do a jet-former. You build the robot around the jet-mode, leaving little to virtually no under kibble. And no plane backpake in robot-mode.

Honorable mentions:
HFTD Scout Breacher. RTS Deluxe Jazz. HFTD Voyager Highbrow.(If I could find one.) MP Grimlock.(If I could afford one.)

 

My top 5 are:

5- HFTD Seaspray- Love his aesthetics and transformation. Plus breacher as his partner is the cherry on top!
4- Skullgrin- I skip Darkmount because I preferred skullgrin's. Now I also want to get Darkmount as well. Amazing mold
3- WFC Optimus Prime- this toy got me back into collecting again (damn you!) I love all the ports you can put weapons at and he looks like he's ready for business. A voyager of this guy is most welcome.
2- WFC Megatron- The first Megatron toy I've ever owned (not counting BW) and I can't be more pleased. The only thing that will make him even better would be a voyager version.
1- RTS Jazz- Being the die hard fan of Jazz that I am, like most of you I've been waiting for his classics rendition for a while and I couldn't be more happy. Sure he's got a few flaws, but this guy just looks so badass and his articulation is amazing. This will the first mold I will buy from both hasbro and takara.

honorable mentions (because I don't own them)
-Mp Grimlock- do want!
-HA Jazz- do want!!!

 

official:
mp grimlock
drift
thunderwing

3rd party
bruticus add ons
defender