ALL THINGS TRANSFORMERS!!!!

[franpincho]

New pics of Fans Toys Kickback & Hound



The bug wings are obviously not in the right place in robot mode but that's a mistake on the part of whoever posed it. The figure otherwise looks fantastic.



The eyes on the new face look too small and squinty which reminds me of Snarl's face before they tweaked it. I don't suppose it'll be too noticeable from across a room when he's on the shelf but it'd be nice if it got fixed before the figure goes into production.

The green has changed from the last prototype to a shade that's closer to the cartoon. I would have preferred a darker green like the G1 toy.

It looks like the alternate head is meant to be the diving mask from when he jumped into the water after Rumble in "More Than Meets The Eye".

I'm not quite as excited for Hound as I was prior to this pic but I still intend on getting two as my '84 alt mode shelf needs something other than sports cars and Optimus on it.

I love Kickback, but that HS is a bit lacking. And so were Shrapnel's and Bombshell's TBH. Not all that bad, but FT can do better. Hound's HS isn't any better to the one shown before, but the overall figure looks fantastic and can't wait to get it.

FT probably needs to get some other dude/gal in the HS department, then their figures would truly be perfect.

 

[thecorsair]

I love Kickback, but that HS is a bit lacking. And so were Shrapnel's and Bombshell's TBH. Not all that bad, but FT can do better. Hound's HS isn't any better to the one shown before, but the overall figure looks fantastic and can't wait to get it.

FT probably needs to get some other dude/gal in the HS department, then their figures would truly be perfect.

Can you be more specific on what it is you're not fond of?

If you think they could be improved then fair enough, I'm just intrested to know what your ideal versions should look like.

Incidentally there has now been a closer image of the second Hound head and it turns out it's actually on a small stand that's obscuring the face which kind of made it resemble the breathing mask on the image I posted earlier.

 

[franpincho]

I guess it's just a matter of preference TBH. TT's so far are just like the cartoon, and FT (IMO) aren't as good representation. Not to say they are bad, but maybe just not all that cartoon accurate enough. Look at Ironhide's or even Tracks (regardless on how you feel about the figures) and the HS are unmatched. It's like they literally came out of the cartoon.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they are that good. Serviceable, yes. And the figures themselves are amazing.

This is all, of course, personal preference.

In other topic, Maketoys wrestle arrived today and he's amazing! Love that chubby bastard!

 

[thecorsair]

I guess it's just a matter of preference TBH. TT's so far are just like the cartoon, and FT (IMO) aren't as good representation. Not to say they are bad, but maybe just not all that cartoon accurate enough. Look at Ironhide's or even Tracks (regardless on how you feel about the figures) and the HS are unmatched. It's like they literally came out of the cartoon.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they are that good. Serviceable, yes. And the figures themselves are amazing.

This is all, of course, personal preference.

In other topic, Maketoys wrestle arrived today and he's amazing! Love that chubby bastard!

If cartoon accuracy is your priority then I can see where you're coming from.

One point I would make is that the cartoon was so inconsistently drawn that characters often looked different within the same episode so designers could easily get caught between which reference image to stick to and end up doing something that didn't match anything which I think is the case on MP Sideswipe and FT's Perceptor, which I think is their worst face so far.

Congrats on getting Wrestle, any chance of a pic with some other figures?

 

[Misterscruff]

I've got to agree with Franpincho regarding Kickback's face, I really don't like it either. It looks like he's gurning or something. Hound looks great, and I love the colour but again IMO the squinty headscupt lets it down. I'm still on the fence with him; it's better than I thought it would be as there's no overuse of tacky chrome, but there's still something bugging me that I can't put my finger on.

I agree on FT's Perceptor's face being their worst so far thecorsair, I'd even go so far as that being their worst figure. It was a total disappointment when I received it and it hasn't grown on me at all since.

 

[thecorsair]

I've got to agree with Franpincho regarding Kickback's face, I really don't like it either. It looks like he's gurning or something. Hound looks great, and I love the colour but again IMO the squinty headscupt lets it down. I'm still on the fence with him; it's better than I thought it would be as there's no overuse of tacky chrome, but there's still something bugging me that I can't put my finger on.

I agree on FT's Perceptor's face being their worst so far thecorsair, I'd even go so far as that being their worst figure. It was a total disappointment when I received it and it hasn't grown on me at all since.

All cool with me....if we all liked the exact same things it'd be a pretty boring thread as nobody would have anything different to say.

I agree on Perceptor, I liked it, but not nearly as much as my other FT figures. The headsculpt didn't help but the overall feel of the figure was somewhat lightweight as well which after Quakewave and the Dinobots was a bit lame.

 

[karamazov80]

I like their Perceptor quite a bit. The only real drawback for me is that I don't care much for the character.

 

[soundwave]

Loving the look of Kickback & Hound both look awesome.
Appreciate the comments on the faces though, both not quite there but certainly not horrendous.

Speaking of Build quality & general QC I went to transform my Hot Rod today only to notice some glaring issues with the paint & the exhausts.
On one side the paint is chipped & there is a scratch & on both sides the exhausts suffer from horrendous mold lines & just look really poor.





I've emailed Kapow Toys to see if I can get anything sorted for a replacement on this, it's pretty poor showing & actually my first Takara piece that has been like this.

Neil

 

[teemu]

I got my Hotrod and wasn't blown away by it.It's a nice figure but there is just something off about it as far as the engineering.The wheels can't roll because of the clearance.I think the "official" transformer label doesn't always means superior to other 3rd party transformers

 

[franpincho]

All things transformers!!!!

If cartoon accuracy is your priority then I can see where you're coming from.

One point I would make is that the cartoon was so inconsistently drawn that characters often looked different within the same episode so designers could easily get caught between which reference image to stick to and end up doing something that didn't match anything which I think is the case on MP Sideswipe and FT's Perceptor, which I think is their worst face so far.

Congrats on getting Wrestle, any chance of a pic with some other figures?

You betcha!

It is actually quite amazing that Ironhide can mass shift this way. He's actually taller than Grapple in robot mode! Insane!

Chromedome and Hardhead:

I love Wrestle, I think he fits great with the MP line IMO.

His transformation is great, and one thing I can say about Maketoys now is that they do make quality figures. You gotta appreciate how everything locks in place and feels secure.

As far as Chromedome and Hardhead are concerned, they are great, but transforming them can be a chore. It's like you have to make the Figure explode and then start placing things together. They were their first two MP inspired designs I guess, because Chromedome is actually a bit easier than Hardhead is, but nothing compared to how easy and intuitive Wrestle's is. Then again, they are complete different designs, so who knows. It was bad enough getting those two in vehicle mode, I'll attempt to transform them back sometime this week.

I haven't been able to transform my FT Insecticons yet, but I doubt they are anywhere as complex as damn Hardhead.

I truly recommend Maketoys Grapple. These guys (while they can still improve the transformation on future offerings), much like FT, know what they are doing and they seem to absolutely love the source material. If these are any indication, their Megatron (and why the hell not, their seekers) will be no brainers.

As far as Hot Rod, I truly think that is one of the finest Masterpiece figures period. It has everything. Mine, luckily, does not seem to have the unfortunate QC issues some are reporting regarding the chrome.

As far as the clearance problem, I think he's just being misstransformed.

 

[teemu]

Re: All things transformers!!!!

As far as the clearance problem, I think he's just being misstransformed.

He comes that way in the box.I have yet to transform him back to car,so we'll have to see about that.

I think they should of given him some ratchets in the legs.Seems like over time of playing, the legs could become loose.

 

[lerath666]

I got my Hotrod and wasn't blown away by it.It's a nice figure but there is just something off about it as far as the engineering.The wheels can't roll because of the clearance.I think the "official" transformer label doesn't always means superior to other 3rd party transformers

he rolls just fine, unless he isn't transformed and pegged in properly. he has very small clearance, but its there. mine had similar issues out of the box, but once i changed him to bot and back to car, he rolled fine

 

[EndoSickness]

Ironhide truly is gorgeous! And I have a feeling I'll like Ratchet even more.

I will get Ratchet right away then.
But first getting the others, also coins.
Those are addictive. Immensly cool looking wathed out already for those acrylic stands.

 

[soundwave]

Quick update on my Hot Rod issue.

Kapow Toys have been great & have offered me a replacement which I will be taking up.
I know there are lots of issues with the chrome on Hot Rod & in all honesty if that was all that was wrong with mine I'd probably just live with it but the paint chip on his arm is too much to put up with.

Hopefully the next one will be better.

Neil

 

[Misterscruff]

Just watched a review of Willy on the Chosen prime's facebook page. I know what was bugging me that I couldn't put my finger on; the metallic paint. I don't get why they would do that to a military vehicle and I would have preferred it to be matt. In close up the eyes don't look quite so squinty on the silver v2 head, and I'm warming to the idea of ordering now. It does look great with all the others in bot mode, it's just huge in vehicle mode but I don't think that could be avoided, and I would only display him in robot mode anyhow.

I had some marking on the chrome exhausts on my Hot Rod too Soundwave. Mine ore only on one side and a lot less visible than on yours, I'm glad kapow could sort it for you. The marks on mine were done in the factory when cutting the parts from the sprue after they'd been chromed. I'm not sure why Takara couldn't have molded them so the sprue connectors were on the ends of the parts instead of the sides as that would have minimised and hidden any marks like that.

Welcome to The Chosen Prime: Fanstoys FT-15 Willis / Willy Preview Video

 

[thecorsair]

Re: All things transformers!!!!

You betcha!

It is actually quite amazing that Ironhide can mass shift this way. He's actually taller than Grapple in robot mode! Insane!

Chromedome and Hardhead:

I love Wrestle, I think he fits great with the MP line IMO.

His transformation is great, and one thing I can say about Maketoys now is that they do make quality figures. You gotta appreciate how everything locks in place and feels secure.

As far as Chromedome and Hardhead are concerned, they are great, but transforming them can be a chore. It's like you have to make the Figure explode and then start placing things together. They were their first two MP inspired designs I guess, because Chromedome is actually a bit easier than Hardhead is, but nothing compared to how easy and intuitive Wrestle's is. Then again, they are complete different designs, so who knows. It was bad enough getting those two in vehicle mode, I'll attempt to transform them back sometime this week.

I haven't been able to transform my FT Insecticons yet, but I doubt they are anywhere as complex as damn Hardhead.

I truly recommend Maketoys Grapple. These guys (while they can still improve the transformation on future offerings), much like FT, know what they are doing and they seem to absolutely love the source material. If these are any indication, their Megatron (and why the hell not, their seekers) will be no brainers.

As far as Hot Rod, I truly think that is one of the finest Masterpiece figures period. It has everything. Mine, luckily, does not seem to have the unfortunate QC issues some are reporting regarding the chrome.

As far as the clearance problem, I think he's just being misstransformed.

Nice!

My overall opinion of the Takara vanbot mold is not great but I agree that the mass shifting it does is very clever. Not many figures pull that kind of thing off, Badcube Warpath is the only other recent one that springs to mind.

I am very impressed with the Make Toys Grapple and Inferno mold, I just like the MMC one even more. It's a total win for collectors having such great options....and for those that like constantly having to fix things there's XTransbots

Sounds like the Headmasters have similar style transformations to Badcube Warpath and Sunstreaker which might be a problem for some people but I don't transform my figures very often and usually keep them in robot mode so it's not something that would put me off.

I am burnt out on the various versions of the official Seeker molds but a completely new one that did something new for the transformation and that had a more posable robot mode would be tempting especially if it was cheaper than the ridiculously overpriced Asia Exclusive Skywarp & Thundercracker.

I got an Apollyon with no major issues and for the price (£100) think it was decent enough. The Make Toys one will cost more but if the robot mode looks better I could be tempted to upgrade.

soundwave,
Glad Kapow were able to sort you out, hope your replacement is OK.

 

[franpincho]

All things transformers!!!!

Nice!

My overall opinion of the Takara vanbot mold is not great but I agree that the mass shifting it does is very clever. Not many figures pull that kind of thing off, Badcube Warpath is the only other recent one that springs to mind.

I am very impressed with the Make Toys Grapple and Inferno mold, I just like the MMC one even more. It's a total win for collectors having such great options....and for those that like constantly having to fix things there's XTransbots

Sounds like the Headmasters have similar style transformations to Badcube Warpath and Sunstreaker which might be a problem for some people but I don't transform my figures very often and usually keep them in robot mode so it's not something that would put me off.

I am burnt out on the various versions of the official Seeker molds but a completely new one that did something new for the transformation and that had a more posable robot mode would be tempting especially if it was cheaper than the ridiculously overpriced Asia Exclusive Skywarp & Thundercracker.

I got an Apollyon with no major issues and for the price (£100) think it was decent enough. The Make Toys one will cost more but if the robot mode looks better I could be tempted to upgrade.

soundwave,
Glad Kapow were able to sort you out, hope your replacement is OK.

Thank you!

I'm thinking on grabbing MMC's Inferno, as I like how the mold works better for him IMO. I remember him being a bit slender than Grapple was in the cartoon. But I love the chubiness on the Maketoys mold, I think it works for Grapple.

I might get my Sunsurge later today, and I just PO'd MMC's Mirage (cartoon, 2nd version color).

After a bit of review watching, I think I'll be passing on Perceptor at the moment. If no one else attempts him in the next couple year or so, I can still get the FT version for retail, I think. He just doesn't look all that great.

And I guess I'm passing on Reflector totally. Completion be dammed, I never cared about him, lol.

Agreed on how great a time it s to be a TF collector.

I was inside the TT only box for too long, but there's nothing like seeing your collection growing with other great characters that TT may be too busy to even look at at the moment. I still respect them, and, without a doubt, would chose official over 3P any day. By until that happens, I'm perfectly happy with the 3p options available to us, specially when they are made with so much love for the source material.

 

[thecorsair]

Re: All things transformers!!!!

Thank you!

I'm thinking on grabbing MMC's Inferno, as I like how the mold works better for him IMO. I remember him being a bit slender than Grapple was in the cartoon. But I love the chubiness on the Maketoys mold, I think it works for Grapple.

I might get my Sunsurge later today, and I just PO'd MMC's Mirage (cartoon, 2nd version color).

After a bit of review watching, I think I'll be passing on Perceptor at the moment. If no one else attempts him in the next couple year or so, I can still get the FT version for retail, I think. He just doesn't look all that great.

And I guess I'm passing on Reflector totally. Completion be dammed, I never cared about him, lol.

Agreed on how great a time it s to be a TF collector.

I was inside the TT only box for too long, but there's nothing like seeing your collection growing with other great characters that TT may be too busy to even look at at the moment. I still respect them, and, without a doubt, would chose official over 3P any day. By until that happens, I'm perfectly happy with the 3p options available to us, specially when they are made with so much love for the source material.

A tip for MMC Mirage,

Don't clip the shoulder weapon where the instructions say as it restricts the ability to turn the head on that side and you can't really raise it up to a firing position. If you clip it to part of the back kibble you get a nicer range of elevation for the missile and the head articulation isn't compromised eg,


I think FT's Perceptor will be the one figure of theirs that should remain around the same price, if somebody else does a better one it might even become a bit cheaper.

Reflector was little more than a drone in the cartoon and he wasn't even in the comics so he's not someone I'd consider an absolute must have. I got it because I wanted something else to fill out my Decepticon ranks a bit as I've only got one Seeker (Starscream) and am not intrested in the Coneheads.

I watched a video review of Make Toys Hardhead and it's moved up my wants list, I really like how solidly everything tabs together for the vehicle mode and the robot mode is nice and chunky, it'd be nice to have another big Autobot displayed amongst all the carbots.

 

[MPCanes]

Got Ironhide and Hot Rod this week - love them both. Really, really love Ironhide's transformation, one of my all time fav's.

 

[thecorsair]

Fans Toys have said Sludge will start shipping to retailers at the end of April.

Hound & Kickback will be June.