Is it just me or is the "Ultra" class assortment for Transformers not very useful? Size-wise and price-wise the Voyager and Ultras aren't that far apart. I'm basing the price-wise argument on the Target pricing and the MSRP which have the Ultras at 24.99 and Voyagers at $19.99 Also the Ultras don't really have that "wow" factor except for CD Red Alert and Wing Saber (at least to me anyway). What do you guys think?
Didn't you just name half of them? And a lot of people like Scourge, so I don't think that it's a bad class.
The only way I'd be for any price point elimination is if they eliminated the Voyager class...moved those figures to the Ultra price point and included a repainted basic exclusive to the Voyager figure to make up the value ....actually, that might not be a bad idea at all...
Yes, while I prefer Cybertron Jetfire to Energon Jetfire, I can't figure out why the Cyb version would be more expensive. Their electronics and degree of complexity are comparable, and the Energon version is not only bigger but had a superior gimmick. And this is just one of several examples where the line between Mega and Ultra is blurred to say the least. I personally liked it better in the BW-RiD days when the sizes were more clearly defined; basic = 10cm, deluxe = 13cm, mega = 15-17cm, ultra = 18 - 20cm, super = 23+.
Well while we're on the list of things that need change... 1)How about they properly label the difficulty level of these figures? lol 2)I do agree that the difference in voyager and ultra is kinda crappy. You're paying for the elecronics. Not much size difference or quality Not dissing them though, just sayin
Actually it's 40%, the other 60% would be Jetfire, Dark Scorponok, and Scourge. I'm not saying the figures themselves are bad, the class size doesn't make sense to me. Why not just shrink them a bit and release them as voyagers? Well, the marginal utility of the size difference doesn't seem to match the price increase. Let me use Vector Prime and Cybertron Defense Red Alert as an example. Size-wise those two are pretty on par, so I feel a bit "cheated" with Cybertron Defense Red Alert. Don't get me wrong, I actually like both of these figures but Vector Prime feels like a better bang for the buck. So this is basically a question of value.
I don't think they need to eliminate the ultra price point, but I do wish they'd be more selective about the figures they put in it. Some ultras seem well worth the $25-$30 that gets charged at most retail chains (such as Cybertron Wing Saber and Armada Jetfire) others are just bad choices (Bulkhead and Quickstrike's backpacks do not justify them being ultras IMO). I'll have to say that I agree with Petey in what he said about the differences between the Energon and Cybertron Jetfires... the lines are just a little to loose there.
Between CD Red Alert and VP, I'd take Red Alert, but that's me. Also remember it's hard to gauge just by one toyline. This time, the "Voyagers" have kicked ass - Evac and CD Scattorshot are just too sweet for words, and Mud Flap clearly has strong support. OTOH, if we rewind to Energon, the Ultras gave us Landmine and Bulkhead, two more of the best molds of recent years, while the Megas gave us Ironhide and Jetfire (who weren't). Of course, Cybertron hasn't given us many Ultras (just 3 new molds so far), so I don't really see the harm, especially when they've all been pretty well received.
I can see where you're coming from in a way; mostly because we Canadians get royally shafted on both size classes. Voyagers sell for 29.99$ up here and Ultras go for 39.99$ ; quite frankly hearing the prices from your end of the spectrum I don't find that to be all together fair. In the Beast Wars days the prices weren't so grossly over priced; basics were 6$ deluxes 10$ and megas 15$, while ultras were around 20, 25$ with the taxes... The economoy must be really in the crapper if everything has to go up in price just to keep giving the big shot execs their massive paychecks. Oh excuse me for the insulting mannerisms, but quite frankly I'm surprised we aren't entering another Depression the way things are; especially considering the cost of living increases and the gas prices ever on the rise. Anyway; I don't think Hasbro should cut out these size classes, because there is a market for it, but I would much appreciate it if they went back to Kenner's common sense ideas where the Mega and up price points were few and far between thus a great treat/gift for the kids when they got'em, and can the repaints of every damn big guy in the line, I know Hasbro ain't forcing people to buy them, but they do clog shelf spaces quite often at the tail end of a series thus making it harder to find the new releases amongst the ten plus repaints of guys like Energon Ironhide the crack addict and Overcast the pathetic repaint of a pathetic mold that is floppy, no longer as cool in my book as it used to be and decidedly tired.
In Beast Wars Primal and Megatron towered over megas like Scorponok(who is short anyway) and Polarclaw. Armada Jetfire and Tidalwave were really big and well worth the money I payed for them. I think Jetfire is the ideal Ultra sixzed figure. In energon the ultra figs were pretty small as andmine and Bulkhead minus their back packs are shorter than an energon megas. The extra gear that came with em jacked LM's and BH's price up. I didnt really like the fact that in enrgon, Ultras combine with themselves, I would have preffered to see a bigger bulkhead and landmine that combined with one another, without drone backpacks. In Cybertron, Vector Prime is taller than Jetfire, that seems odd. But I guess JF took up more plastic with his bulke backpack and long wings. In conclusion I just think that Ultra figs should be built bigger not bulkier.
I think voyager is the perfect size class for TFs. I think ultra is needed for those tall bots and deluxe for the shorties. So no, I don't think it's a wasted class anymore than deluxe would be.
Personally, I think Hasbro should ditch the Supreme Class, make the Leader Class the "really big guy" assortment, and focus mainly on the bottom three size classes, with Ultras coming only infrequently, as it was during the Beast era through to RiD. I don't see much need for massive robots that cost a lot to buy, I think a line focusing more on pocket-money pricepoints would appeal to kids since then they can get all their favourites without waiting for a birthday or Christmas.
I gotta agree here because there is really no size difference between Bots like vector Prime and Jetfire so why should Jetfire be more expensive
You know...I was just looking at my finances and after years of TF's riding high and pumping out a LOT of figures, I'm really ready for them to fade a bit and have a smaller line overall (Unlikely with the onset of the movie) I liked the beast era volume personally...4 Ultras, 4-6 Megas and the rest was DX and basics....good times, and easy to keep up with.
Yeah, I think I got the answer for that: when Tf changed RID and introduced Armada, they introduced the more expensives Megas and Ultras, just because they included a minicon and electronics. If you look back at bW, the megas, even on RID were cheaper like 14.99, I think.
