Just asking do you guys really care much for transformer toys with gimmicks?I mean do you prefer your toys without them or it doesnt matter?
Depends on the gimmick. Some gimmicks are great (i.e. Nebulans, triple-changing, combining, Mech-alive, flip-out or spring-loaded weapons) others are obnoxious (cyber-keys, powerlinking), and some have sort of mixed results (energon weapons, mini-cons, automorphing, electronics, etc.). Of course I assume you aren't counting, you know, "transforming" as a gimmick.
I'm usually ok with them. Really the only time I have an issue with them is if the gimmick is very intrusive on the overall figure itself. Most Energon figures, imho, suffer from an over-obtrusive gimmick (it's the main reason I'll never consider Energon Downshift a good Wheeljack stand-in). It also helps if the gimmick itself works. TF1 Voyager Blackout's faulty automorph gimmick in his chest is why I'll likely never transform him into his copter-mode again. Though I could go a good while without there being any more line-wide gimmicks. Transforming is a great gimmick as-is, with he occasional pop-out weapon or cool accessory.
To me, personally, transforming is the gimmick. I don't need anything else to draw me into buying a figure. But if there has to be a gimmick, I prefer they be unobtrusive to the figure. Which is why I thought the Mini-Cons were great. They added to the toy. Unlike Energon's Powerlinx which screwed up the majority of that line. The Cyber Key gimmick wasn't so bad, though it left a large blemish on some of the smaller figures where the gimmick was placed. Auto Morph and [I can't recall the RotF gimmick name*] were unobtrusive, yes. But they also didn't add anything to the toy. Those were pretty worthless gimmicks to me. Mini-Cons and (blank)Masters are great gimmicks, if there has to be a gimmick. * Ah, Mech Alive. Thanks WhiteMocha.
Whatever I were to type, it wouldn't sum up my feelings on this subject better than this^. Totally agree. Thanks man!
As siad by others depends on the gimmick and how obtrusive it is however i absolouteley love transformers with partner robots gimmicks i.e. masters/minicons
They don't really matter either way with me. If there's a figure I love and want to buy, I buy it regardless of whether the gimmick is non-existent or overly obtrusive. The only factor I consider is whether or not the gimmick makes the figure stupidly expensive. I do tend to take the batteries out of any figure meant to light up or make noise, though. Usually because it makes transforming them a little annoying.
My favorite gimmick is when they don't have lights/sounds. Just transparent light eyes, great transformation and great articulation. Kids nowadays value gimmicks too much. Or maybe that's the toy designer's problem. A good transformer does NOT need gimmicks.
I don't mind the gimmicks, per se, but I do prefer when they don't have them. I mean, I look at a lot of movie toys I have that have Automorphing Parts and Spring Loaded Feet (like Mindwipe, Skystalker, and The Fallen), and I think the toys are good on their own, but then I get Generations Drift, who has no gimmicks, is just a solid figure where you pull all the parts out yourself, and it makes him more stable in bot mode, and you wonder why they bothered with those other gimmicks...
I'm going to echo Kusangi's statement that transforming is the gimmick. However, I did enjoy the automorph feature on the toys from the first movie. It was like you did a step and the figure did the next three by itself.
I'm not a big fan of the line wide gimmicks such as Energon Powerlink or teh Cybertron keys as they too often seem to be at cost of the figures (there are obviously exceptions). Figure based gimmics though I like - for example Generations Jazz has flip out speakers, which I think add to the figure.
