I was thrilled with Universe/Classics started coming out. They are basicly the only reason I became a collector again after 20 years "away"

Now I expected mostly G1 remakes with a couple of surprises along the way. I mean "Acid Storm" does have his generation 1 roots right?

Then we have Cheetor come out, fair enough. Beast Wars has a rabid enough following. and seeing side by side comparisons with the original Cheetor toy showed a new toy wasn't out of line. And Beast Wars WAS over ten years ago right?

But now we have a remake of Armada Hot Shot coming out?

for one Armada was what? six...seven years ago? does that really qualify Hot Shot as a "classic"?

also part of the allure of classics is seeing the characters done "right". Not having collected any Armada figures, can anyone tell me if they really left anything out as far as detail or poseability when compared to thier animated counterparts?

really curious what many of you think, what qualifies characters from other series for a new "classics" toy....especialy when we don't have our classics 2.0 Wheeljack yet  

 

I'm perfectly fine with them. The Universe, specifically the 25th Ann. section of it, isn't meant to homage just G1, but more or less everything we've gotten out of Transformers. As for Armada, many will agree with me that the toys weren't all that good. And as for Hot Shot specifically, even Hasbro reps are disappointed with how the original came out (even the people who designed it). Also, this line really isn't "Classics", though there is a subsection of it that's called the "Classics-series", which as far as I know has consisted of only G1 homages. The other line homages are under different "series" within the Universe line. Like RID Bruticus and the RH Prime vs. Megs two-pack are a part of the "RID-series", and Hot Shot and the minicon 12-pack are a part of the "Armada-series".

In theory this line should make a lot of people happy, as it homages more than just one line. Though there have been a lot of complaints. Good example of this is fans who are big supporters of G1 homages getting miffed that other lines are getting attention, even while most of the line has been dedicated to G1 homages (not saying their the only one's complaining, it's just easy to put into words, and the one I've seen the most).

 

The first Hotshot toy was'nt very good with articulation. This new version looks alot better. Far more of an improvement than Cheetor is to his original. I actually liked Armada so having an improved update of a toy from that line is fine by me but I wouldnt want to many Armada updates. Most of the toys from that line are good enough as they are imo.

 

I'm happy with any new molds they inject into the line, though I do want to see the rest of the 84-85 G1 toy line finished. I doubt it will happen, but I can always dream.

 

As long as the Classics don't get bumped aside for more recent characters, I'm happy. I simply have no plans nor interest in picking up either Cheetor or Hot Shot. Same way I've had little to no interest in picking up "Classics" that are just repainted Energon and Cybertron figures.

 

You should really note that there are no more "classics" in universe after wave 3. Hasbro changed it to a more exact series label. Cyclonus and Hound are G1 series. Along side G2, Beast Wars, Armada, possibly Cybertron series. Hasbro also said that there update equation has an "original toy was crap" part.

 

I'm fine with G1 and Beast Wars remakes, just leave Armada/Energon/Cybertron out of it.

 

In general, I don't mind other lines getting the nod, but I don't like that some G1 figures that have yet to see a reissue or a redesigned figure (the non-Grimlock dinobots) while figures from more recent lines get a reissue. Since G1 is so popular and most people think of when they think of Transformers, why not keep a main 'Classics' line to the originals, with a separate reissue/redesign line for Beast Wars and anything else with a strong following?

 

I personally don't intend to buy any of the non-G1 remakes. I probably wouldn't buy them even if I thought they looked good, and the ones we've seen so far don't look good to my eyes anyway.

 

It says a lot about how terrible the Armada toys were that they need a Classics-style "updating" a mere six years after they were on the shelves. Sheesh.

Anyhow, I think it's nice that Universe is dipping into non-G1 characters. The more the merrier. While Armada and Beast Wars aren't my personal cup of tea, they both have/had a LOT of devoted fans, and those fans deserve some Universe love too. It's a line that celebrates the history of Transformers as a whole, and those franchises are as much a part of that as G1.

Although, ask me again in two years when the entire cast of Armada is Universized and G1 Wheeljack, Tracks, and Jazz remain drifting in toyless limbo. I might have different feelings about it at that point.  

(Oh, and as for the figures themselves, I'll be skipping the Beasties but I am DEFINITELY picking up the new Hot Shot. G1 or not, he looks like a great toy. And really, isn't that the most important thing in the end?)

 

*dodges bullets*

I actually wish there were MORE non G1 charcters in Universe. Like a Tigatron that looks like a Tiger, Tidal Wave with knees and in jap colors, new show accurate BM toys (mainly Silverbolt), new BW Inferno and Scorponok... my list can go on.

 

well, playing devils's advocate here, but I think they want to get as much milage out of the molds as possible

after Prowl and Silverstreak, we're using the same mold again for Smokescreen?

using the sme same mold for Ratchet and Ironhide is historicly accurate, and there is a precedent for why Sideswipe and Sunstreaker use the smae mold (with a literal twist) but I geuss that means we can expect a classic Red Alert to use the mold a third time?

I geuss this means I can accept Hot Shot and Cheetor, after all at least it means new molds. But I can honestly see them using prowl/Silverstreak/Smokescreen's mold a fourth time for Jazz

as for Tracks (props by the way, I love that guy) I can almost see them doing a Sunstreaker/Sideswipe variant mold for a Tracks/Windcharger mold

of course means either no firepower for Tracks or overdoing it for Windcharger

 

Like it has been said before, Universe 2.0 is covering the entire TF timeline. Personaly, some of the non-G1 toys in this line, such as G2 Inferno, look awesome. In fact, the only toy in this line I personaly dislike is the Overload figure comming out soon, which is simply another Cyb. Def. Scattorshot repaint, and Dropshot, the original Universe 2.0 repaint of that mold, is starting to look like a shelfwarmer at my local target.

 

I don't mind the Beast Wars toys in the line since I never got them and wouldn't mind having a decent Cheetor and Dinobot. However I do really love what they're doing with the G1 characters very much. I even like Prowl and Silverstreak even if TF'ing them is as much fun as stubbing a toe.

But Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are awesome, alot of them are awesome.

Please Hasbro, gimme a Classics Jazz and Wheeljack!!!!!!!

 

Put simply, it's the 25th Anniversary of Transformers as a whole, not just G1.

Anyway, most of the non-G1 stuff falls under either "token presence" or an attempt to put a update/improvement to the original toy.

 

Meh it's a good thing. Brings some variety to the line you know. The thing is though that there were only so many toys that fulfilld the horrid, in need of an update, AND notable bracket. For example I wouldn't expect to be seeing any new transmetals any time soon. Perhaps we may see Tankor from BM?

 

I'd personally prefer if Universe (and Masterpieces) stayed exclusive to G1 characters... and that's simply due to me not liking any other series since G1 (with the exception of Animated). IMO, a lot of the Beast Wars figures were already good enough that they don't necessarily need to be given new versions just yet. Plus I'm selfish - when I see a new Universe figure like Cheetor, I immediately wonder which revised G1 figure that could have been instead.  

 

Classics was created as a filler line between Cybertron and the Movie, with no intention of ever returning to it. Sales figures and fan interest caused them to rethink that, and now they've revived both Universe and the Classics line into one new line to take advantage of buyer interest in both classics and universe figures, of which there were many.

Extending out that Universe is a line that as mentioned, aims for the 25th to showcase every series over the course of the last 25 years, and it should be expected that we're going to get some figures that were out not that long ago. Don't think of this as any figure as "Stealing" a spot from Classics character, but that here and now, Universe figures are more then just G1 updated designs, and in all likelyhood as long as Universe figures sell, you'll eventually get your Classics character. Personally, I see it as a good thing, as a chance to revist the past characters that got screwed figurewise compared to the characterization that the comics/show gave them. And yes, Hot Shot is one of them. The figure had a major design flaw and had to be seriously reworked at the last minute, requiring the figure to lose much of it's articulation in the arms to accomodate his major gimmick, so getting a figure devoid of the gimmick and filled with articulation, especially a character that was popular with the kids at the time, seems like a natural choice for them to make, given how even the production staff were displeased with the compromises they ended up having to make.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see a Headmaster, Powermaster, Pretender, Vehicon, Maximal (BM), G2, and probably another Unicron Trilogy figure or two over the next year, just as part of that idealology. That doesn't mean they'll stop making updated G1 designs, but that they're diversifying their offerings in part of a celebration. In other words, anyone who thinks Classics 2.0/Universe is just for G1 is missing the point of the line.

Classics and Universe both came back from the dead, and even with Animated and the sequel coming, it'll survive them as well. While there may be a lot of repaints in them, it doesn't mean they'll stop making new ones either.

 

It really doesn't bother me that they are making characters outside G1. Doesn't mean I have to buy them, and I'm sure they make other collectors/fans happy. Actually I welcome non-G1 characters mixed in to the same waves. It just means spending a little less at each wave release.

 

Absolutely fine with it. The Transformers Universe is celebrating 25 years... that includes things BESIDES G1. Purists don't have to buy it all - in fact, none of us do!

And I must be the only person around here who liked a lot of the original Armada toys...