From In Demand Toys in the UK who have the set in stock.

Goldbug confirmed as VW alt mode.

 

Holy shit, I can't believe Goldbug is actually the VW mold. I was so prepared for him to use Cliffjumper's mold like every other non-Netflix Bumblebee release of the toy. Now that exclusivity on the mold has evidently passed, maybe we could get some of the other Beetle characters as they were intended? A Selects 2-pack of Glyph and Tap-Out, perhaps?

Although this does bring up the question of why they went with Siege Soundwave for the rerelease of the character in Legacy. Presumably the exclusivity rights are for both of the new molds and not just Bumblebee, so why not wait another wave to release the Soundwave they know fans want?

 

Best news is that this is a Volkswagen Goldbug and that the Parasite Waruder is named Skywasp.

The Skywarp wannabe I wrote the original bio for on the final day of the old TCC.

 

Where is In Demand Toys located anyway?

edit: Nevermind, found it.

 

The UK.

 

Gracias.  

 

I love that Goldbug is all gold too.

Things like this and Runamuck and Runabout being all white and all black show that the current Hasbro and TakaraTomy team get it.

 

Skywasp.

Sky. Wasp.

Sky.

Wasp.

I'm going to go. I'm taking this off and I'm stepping out.

 

They named an evil helicopter robot Spinister and a robot who turns into a front-end loader Scoop, I think this sort of name is on-brand. At at least here, they're riffing on an existing Transformer name.

 

Surprised that the bugs' painted alternate heads aren't pictured on the back. Hopefully that doesn't mean they're excluded after all.

The box artwork is very cool. Almost makes me feel bad that I'm only in it for Scorponok.

 

"Skywasp" ...

...

Huh.

Oh, and Goldbug actually is the VW mold. Looks like this set may just have passed the threshold for me to buy it.

 

Well, Skywasp was written in a kind of obsolete vernacular.

 

Shipping notification received. Bloody hell.

 

So I guess the alt heads we saw with all the factory copies were just lunchtime specials.

 

Thank God is actually the VW mould.

 

Dunno, maybe. We'll know for sure soon enough.

 

I actually chuckled at "Skywasp". Because I understood that it’s supposed to be a portmanteau of Skywarp and Wasp.

And I really wasn’t expecting them to use the VW Bee mold for Goldbug. I guess Walmart's hold on that mold is done now?

 

That box art is awesome.

I wonder if he originally was going to be named Skywarp until they remembered they used that for the bald eagle from Battle Across Time.

If that's the case, could bode *very* well for SG Soundwave.

 

Yeah, the odds are certainly against our little golden friend.

 

Great. I'm only really interested in Goldbug aaaaaaaand maybe Ransack if the other Bandai Insecticons are incoming. But I'm not paying £90 for the full set and being saddled with other figures I don't want. It's Fangry all over again. Takara, please come to my rescue!