If this is how 3p will be for the next however long. I'm all in for this.

 

All in on this set
Thats sick looking

 

I'll choose them one-by-one, as I don't really like gestalt modes anyway (I haven't assembled a combiner since 1987). Regardless, all of these look great so far, so I'm probably all-in even if I don't give a whit about Superion.

 

Wait, this is a combiner?!?

 

I've never seen a so good Combiner like this

Shit they gotta add the visor to his face his head is so ugly without it

 

I cannot unsee the legs as a dude on stilts

 

The revised face actually fits the aesthetic of the rest of the figure much better than the CHUG-like one originally mocked up for it. These are detailed, stylized interpretations of the Aerialbots— not yet another slavish rendering of the animation models. Besides, the original Slingshot (the G1 toy) had separate optics, not a visor. So in my opinion, the visorless head is more appropriate homage.

 

It isn't only the visor, but also the mouth plate. Without them he looks like Metroplex (the head I mean)

 

Ah, you mean the combiner’s head. I assumed you were referring to the latest images of Slingshoot, whose head has been revised since the early renders. He’s close to finished product, but any of the images you see of the other robots are probably still a WIP. I wouldn’t count on that “Superion” head being the final one.

Regardless, this set is a stylized homage of the Aerialbots, not a show- or toy-accurate recreation. If that’s your preference, you need look no further than Fanstoys. I sincerely hope Dreamstar deviates from Superion’s cartoon head because I thought it looked terrible. However, I did like the gold visor on black face (without the mouth plate) that the original toy had.

 

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Oooh, okay, okay!

 

Hopefully it's already at production stage

 

At this point, I dont see why they even bother homaging G1 characters. Just screw G1 all together and create original characters. There is no point of even calling that Slingshot. It looks like a half robotech, half gundham mashup that happens to transform into the jet slingshot transformed into. Im not saying it doesnt look cool in its own right, but "stylized" is getting stupid. Just make new characters. They will likely sell better if they dont try to pretend to be something they are not.

 

No they wont.

 

Or just keep making new iterations of existing characters.
Like they are here.
Like Transformers has done for nearly the entire history of the brand.

 

The color and styling seems to fit right with the BBB movie series. Slingshot kinda has Blitzwing's color scheme.

 

I disagree. I think the connection to legacy characters is influential, even if it’s tenuous. If it’s a cool figure, anyone who doesn’t care about the association might buy it regardless, but the homage may sway someone who likes collecting “Transformers” and not “just some random robots”. Even if they’re heavily stylized interpretations of the character, the connection might be significant.

I for one would like to have the “Aerialbot” team (official or unofficial) in my collection, but despite being superbly executed, the Fanstoys versions of those characters don’t appeal to me at all. Those figures have that over-simplified cartoon aesthetic that is plastic crack for many collectors, but does nothing for me. Perhaps I would find the Dream Star figures appealing even without the homage, but I’m much more likely to buy them if I can readily associate them with the originals.

 

"In a world" (queue movie guy voice over)... this could have been a design we saw in the Bumblebee movie. It's not terrible and the turbine feet are a cool idea. Not really my thing as I prefer something that is more toy or toon (preferably a marriage of both) accurate.

 

I like the design and the alt mode, but nothing about the robot mode says Slingshot to me. Stylized shouldn't mean unrecognizable.