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Top 5 Best Ratchet Transformers Toys

Date: Sunday, March 15th 2020 12:00am CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 68,106

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.

Top 5 Best Ratchet Transformers Toys

It seems like Hasbro and Takara waited until after I wrote my first Best of Ironhide list to finally do him some justice, at least in terms of toys with his G1 design. Since both characters often share the same design and toys, the fact that I waited until now for a Top 5 Ratchet means that we can get a much better representation of that character. So let's get to it.

5. Studio Series Ratchet

While it is a slight improvement over the Dark of the Moon Ratchet figure, that still means it is building off of the best movie Ratchet we ever had. It has an involved but pleasant transformation for a deluxe which becomes very dynamic due to all the 180 turns you keep having to perform. That makes makes this one of my go to toys when I just want to experience a nice transformation. With the scale revised in the Studio Series line, this Studio Series Ratchet ends up looking better in scale with the rest of the toys in its toyline than the original Dark of the Moon mold did. Plus there are some really nice additions, like the headlights on his shoulders, which were resent in the film and easy to see since they were turned on when this character was first introduced to Sam at night time. Of course, that means the Dark of the Moon repaint is just as good, if not better depending on your preferences in the deco and weapon. - William-James88

4. Transformers Animated Cybertron Mode Ratchet

The first thing I notice when I hold any figure from this line is the quality of the plastic. The figure feels very sturdy in hand in either mode. I really wish more Transformers figures were this durable because I don't feel like I need to worry about the toy breaking. Transformers are meant to be enjoyed and played with. It's a lot easier to enjoy the experience of transforming and posing when you don't have to worry about something breaking.

Getting back to what I specifically enjoy about this figure, I would have to say that the altmode is really fun because it's a creative fantasy vehicle. It's looks like a frog mixed with a tank that is also somehow an ambulance. A tank-frog-bulance? Is that even a word? It is now. He is also unique in the way that his play feature is to use his defibrillator pads to revive his allies.

I also have to say that I like that we got a happy looking Ratchet. He's usually serious or grumpy but this figure does a great job or representing the younger Ratchet we see in Transformers Animated before he aged and grew to be more hardened by his experiences. - Wreckerjack

3. Transformers Prime: Robots In Disguise Ratchet

Fans of the Transformers Prime TV show can appreciate the level of care that went into sculpting Ratchet's features. His head and torso are well molded and the details are very accurate to the show. I am glad they chose to keep his transformation simple by molding these things and painting them. They didn't miss a beat with the doors on his chest or his grill. One of my favorite things about this figure is how the light piping is used to give our grumpy ol' docbot glowing optics to enhance his expression.

One of the coolest things is the arms are designed to hide his hands when he holds his scalpel blades if you choose to fold them in. It also works nicely with his transformation and feels satisfying when the forearm panels click into place. This makes posing him an absolute blast. Of course you can have him hold his weapons any way you'd like and still get great poses.- Wreckerjack

2. Transformers Masterpiece Ratchet

Oh man, I remember getting this toy as Ironhide and being blown away. We finally had a good update to that G1 design and it was far better than decent, it was grrrrrreat! And then we got Ratchet, which we all saw coming, and I think he looks even better. Mainly due to the pelvic area which looks less bloated, and I really like the EKG display feature you can have for his chest. This toy is the winner we all knew it would be. - William-James88

1. Siege Ratchet

Was that so hard?! All we wanted, for over a decade, was to have an updated version of the G1 toy that was not as awful and not hard to get. And yet, Ratchet always got the shaft. We got the very poor Universe toy, and then there was the slight retool in Combiner Wars that was only available if you went to the Custom Class at Botcon or ought an entire Takara Unit Warriors Lynxmaster. But that is all behind us now because Hasbro has now given us perfectly fine Siege Ratchet that, while still exclusive, was more accessible than the previous attempt at a Classics Ratchet. I really love that they went the extra mile, more than even the MP which had to stay cartoon accurate, at making him unique from Inrohide. Every surface detailing is different, even his hands. I was so impressed I wrote an entire article on just that. He even got special accessories and the asymmetric detailing on his forearms to give him sculpted surgical tools was a really nice touch. That played into the med bay mode they also gave him. Ratchet was never given as much special attention in a toy and he feels truly unique, which I think is a great way to represent a bot who I believe is an icon within the franchise. - William-James88

Honourable Mentions:

I always liked the first movie's voyager class toy. It was very well engineered and it was a nice mix of the blocky transformations of old with some more complexity thrown in for detail and good measure (like the legs morphing). It kept being reissued for every film almost, that's how good the mold was. I would also like to give a shout out to the Cyberverse Spark Armor Ratchet since I love the design and transformation. There is a lot going on for a scout class toy there.

Review of IDW Transformers #18

Date: Thursday, March 12th 2020 9:58pm CDT
Categories: Comic Book News, Reviews, Site Articles
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 49,377

Spotlight Arcee
A Review of Transformers #18

Spoiler free

I liked this issue. It is actually my favourite issue of the ones I have reviewed for the site. Of course that doesn't mean much, all I needed was an issue with less stairs and talking. And funny enough, I don't recall any prominent stairs here, instead it was more star wars type walkways and ramps. Now that i think of it, for a species that turns into cars, don't ramps make more sense than stairs? Why even have stairs? Eh, moving on.

This issue feels like a breath of fresh air compared to previous ones in the sense that it feels more like a spotlight issue. There is definitely still some world building, like the logic behind new bots being created, but no one is sitting around talking about it. Instead we see it through actions and other fun interactions. While she isn't spotlit on this issue's two main covers, the spotlight is really on Arcee. I do like how the idea of her being a hardened warrior is kept from the previous continuity, without being too world weary either. And we get more Greenlight here than we've ever gotten in G1 so hurray for that too.

It is a very simple story, just getting from point A to point B while kicking ass and taking names, ala Escape from New York, which works very well for these other characters born of the 80s. I did like the action, it was very well framed by the artists, though I did wonder the effectiveness of some moves. There is a really prominent shot of an antagonist throwing energon cubes at Arcee and you get the sense that he is skilled at this, but the next shot is just them bumping off her like they were empty cardboard boxes. It would have been more impressive to see her dodge them acrobatically, unless I was supposed to know that Arcee now has wonder woman gauntlets. It just felt a tad underwhelming after the emphasis on the battle.

Speaking of the artists, this issue had 2, Bethany McGuire-Smith and Umi Miyao, and I felt both their styles worked well with this issue. The change in artist never felt jarring, I wouldn't even have known if I wasn't told. It is of course helped a lot by Josh Burcham being the only colourist on this issue and giving it a very even feel. The art itself was fine, a bit reminiscent of Nick Roche (especially when coloured by Josh Burcham) but I did have some issue with the faces. Arcee especially is given a Jay leno chin and there are some shots in the issue where her Lea bunns helmet is cut off from the frame and it was not obvious it was her. Also, I never thought of Transformers sweating, but the artists give it a shot in this issue and it instead comes off as Arcee having a bad case of acnee.

The covers available feature Umi Miyao as the main cover artist and Beth Mcguire-Smith as the artist for cover B. I will say none really do it for me, especially the main cover where I couldn't even tell that was Greenlight. My favourite cover of the bunch is Kei Zama's retailer incentive which looks incredible, and does have Arcee in the spotlight. Regardless of my personal tastes, I do find it incredible that we all these covers are by talented women. It's a nice touch for international women's day, whether intentional or not, and it's nice to highlight diversity in this field which has been dominated by men since inception.
As always, you can also find images of all of the book's covers along with full credits for the issue in our Vector Sigma Database page for Transformers #18.

Verdict

Straight and to the point, just like I like em. Nothing too fancy, but it hit the spot for some Transformers fiction and I definitely wouldn't mind reading more from these characters, which is something I thought I would never say about this series.

Final Score
.

and a half
out of

Top 5 Best Jetfire / Skyfire Transformers Toys

Date: Saturday, February 29th 2020 11:38pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 94,282

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are our opinions so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.

Top 5 Best Jetfire Transformers Toys

Jetfire has had a rather consistent presence on the shelves throughout generations, even more so than Bumblebee since he was one of the main G1 bots still present in the Unicron Trilogy. And as for the now decade spanning CHUG lines, he kept getting toys released which always gave us a new interpretation of the duality of this character. You see, while the G1 Jetfire toy and the G1 Skyfire character are both supposed to represent the same thing, the fact that the original toy comes from Bandai's Macross/Robotech line means there are some rather distinctive visual qualities that are not shared by the character model in both robot mode and alt mode. The alt modes themselves are not even the same type of vehicle where one is a sleek jet while the other is a chunky space craft. All to say, whenever Hasbro gives us updates to the original toy they try to homage the widely different sources of the character's design, so what we get is always interesting. Now let's get to this list.

5. Transformers Generations Thrilling 30 Jetfire

I always found this toy to be rather underrated. What Hasbro gave us here is a budget Macross toy, which is pretty awesome when you think about it. Both modes look super sleek, I just LOVE the macross type mask we can put over the G1 cartoon headsculpt. It just looks incredible. Plus Hasbro took a note from the Takara United playbook and gave us some chromed weapons, and lots of them. This was the first leader class toy in the Generations line (and all CHUG lines) and this was the perfect character to bring out for such an occasion. While the previous effort in the Classics line was very nice and is also a good toy, it was lacking in size, which this one definitely makes up for. Little did we know there would be even more room to grow from here.

4. Transformers Studio Series SS35 Jetfire

As mentioned in the intro, Jetfire is covered in almost every generation of the Transformers line and that most definitely includes the films. While most characters are just reused G1 names that are ever so slightly linked to their G1 namesakes, Jetfire was one of the few movie characters which truly was a reinterpretation of the G1 character and storyline. He too had the backstory of being a dormant Decepticon turned good. So that always made him stand out a bit more. Plus that SR-71 Blackbird alt mode was amazing. The original toy while impressive in size (for the alt mode especially) was not that fun to transform. The new Studio Series fixes that problem and gives us the definitive movie Jetfire. It really impresses me how the design team found a totally new way to give us the same alt mode and robot mode, and also giving us the option to take him apart to equip the Studio Series Optimus Prime to recreate what happens in the film.

3. Transformers Cybertron Jetfire (Dreadrock)

Cybertron will always be one of the best Transformers toylines of all time. All great new designs and transformations but still invoking that G1 feel, especially the idea of the robot being made up of the alt mode parts, just reconfigured. And Jetfire, who was also present at every step of the Unicron trilogy, is one of the best toys from this line, making him a must own for anyone wanting to collect awesome Transformers figures. And that headsculpt is just so good!

2. Siege Jetfire

So yeah, we had our leader Jetfire, the biggest size class in the Generations line at the time and he looked fine on the shelf, but Hasbro was not done yet. They decided to go all out and give us a toy to scale with the other bots in the G1 cartoon. Being leader sized just didn't cut it, so we got a totally new class made just for him, the Commander class. This is the first Jetfire toy that also went all out to look as close as possible to the cartoon Skyfire model. So not only in proportions and scale but also with the alt mode which is closer to the space craft than the sleek macross jet. But, there was still something for the fans of the original toy with Hasbro giving us some armour parts that include a visor mask.

1. Transformers G1 1985 Jetfire (Skyfire)

I wanted to put Siege Jetfire at number 1, I really did, but the truth is it would not reflect what I truly feel. While it's a cool toy, I just still prefer the G1 version. I really like the craft of that toy. I think it was awesome of Hasbro to incorporate several different 80s Asian toy brands together into one new Transformers brand and this introduced kids in the west to different styles of Transforming robots. The armour components are fun, both modes are nice and sleek and he has this great weight to him. Usually a G1 toy will lose out to the updates since they are more complex, and sleeker, have no partsforming, or closer to the show model, but in this case the original toy was its own design that simply couldn't be portrayed on screen for legal reasons, and it's as complex and sleek as any update, as you can see below.

Honourable Mention: There are many good and fun Jetfire toys out there. Many do not share that name, but we all know are Jetfires and really nice ones at that. The one I wanted to most mention here was Armada Jetfire. While not as good as the toys on this list, he has a really nice design with the space shuttle and makes a great pair of pants for Armada Prime.

Transformers Armada Jetfire Gallery

Seibertron Covers Earthrise Reveals at #HasbroToyFair 2020 With Sky Lynx, Allicon, Arcee, Scorponok

Date: Saturday, February 22nd 2020 3:36pm CST
Categories: Toy News, Event News, Site Articles
Posted by: Stargrave

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Views: 36,194

Our Seiber-squad is on the scene at #HasbroToyFair 2020 and are bringing you all new images from Transformers War for Cybertron Earthrise's upcoming products! Here you'll see Scorponok, Smokescreen, Arcee, Snapdragon, Runamuck, and Sky Lynx! You'll also see all new angles of the reveals we've seen so far with some nice new bonuses like Snapdragon's kaiju mode, Slitherfang, Allicon's tail, and many many others fans have been clamoring about over the last 24 hours of reveals. Enjoy the bevy of images below and make sure and share your thoughts in the forum. Be sure to stay tuned to Seibertron for the ultimate in #HasbroToyFair 2020 Transformers news!

Top 5 Best Transformers Line Wide Gimmicks

Date: Saturday, February 1st 2020 8:11am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

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Views: 83,308

Transformers Cybertron Dark Crumplezone (Arm Bullet) Gallery

Transformers Cybertron Cybertron Defense Scattorshot (Backgild) Gallery

Transformers Cybertron Downshift Gallery

Transformers Cybertron Scourge (Flame Convoy) Gallery

Transformers Cybertron Starscream Gallery

Transformers Cybertron Sideways (Noise Maze) Gallery

4. COMBAT System in Siege

While turning 5 mm ports into a weapon gimmick were a thing since the Energon days, Siege took it to a whole new level while having the customizable weapons be parts of characters released at retail. And thanks to the detail in these toys, the 5mm ports seemed much less out of place than when takara attempted this in their arms micron line. Plus what you can do with these weaponizers is really on another level than what Energon let you do with their weapons. You can make a trailer for Optimus out of Cogs!

Transformers War for Cybertron: SIEGE Cog Gallery

Transformers War for Cybertron: SIEGE Cog Gallery

3. Minicons in Armada

So, while some of the most poorly designed toys of all time come from this line, I am not going to let some rotten apples spoil the juicy barrel that was minicons. This was the true beginning of line wide gimmicks and ecosystems. G1 had loads of gimmicks at every corner after the first few years but it was always just a few toys and nothing uniform. Armada made Minicons a thing for everyone. Even Megatron's sneak knife attack relies on a Minicon at this side. There was a nice symbiosis between larger transformers and smaller ones. Also, regarding Minicons themselves, while they were small they were very diverse. Both in style, transformations and what they could do. Some had their own gimmicks, like rotating saws, some could combine and some could become targetmasters or headmasters. All while also serving as the same key to unlock special features on larger toys.

Transformers Armada Megatron Gallery

2. Combiners in Combiner Wars

An obvious pick, but no less great. Combiner Wars brought combiners back in a big way. Having all deluxes and voyagers be combiner compatible meant you could do all sorts of mix and matches, more than was even possible in their G1 hay day. Plus, the engineering definitely evolved in 30 years, adding nice articulation to combiners. The fact that their heads were no longer combining ports meant you could have greater diversity in the look of the bots. My personal favourites were the more outlandish and random outputs like Grand Galvatron from Takara. Combining was already one of the most fun concepts from the brand (asdie from transforming of course) so it was great to see the designers have fun with it too.

Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Ultra Prime Gallery

Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Computron Gallery

Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Superion Gallery

Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Galvatronus Gallery

1. Titan Masters in Titans Return

I personally have 0 issues with making everyone a headmaster if that doesn't hurt the overall toy and aesthetic. And for the most part, that was the case. Making everyone a headmaster meant you had extra playability since now every bot gave you an extra small bot to use for your base, or in the vehicle's cockpit. Plus, it gave you the option of switching heads, which could be fun and a blessing to customisers. It also helped give us some cool engineering since new possibilities were opened up by not needing to cover or hide the robot head. And we did get some marvelous molds, like Trigerhappy, Blurr and Kup just to name a few.

Transformers Titans Return Apeface (Spasma) Gallery

Top 5 Best Transformers Botbots Series 1 Toys

Date: Saturday, January 18th 2020 7:32am CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: TF-fan kev777

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Views: 48,696

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by your fellow editor or a guest writer, which is the case today with TF-fankev777. These are our opinions so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.

Top 5 Botbots Series 1 Toys

This toyline grabbed me right from the start, not only for my own kooky tastes, but especially as a line they me and my youngest daughter could enjoy together. And boy has it been a hit with her as well. Our current collection stands at the complete Series 1-3 and SDCC exclusive set, with Series 4 and the elusive for the US series 1.5 in progress. This list will cover just the first series. Even just using Series 1, picking a top 5 out of 61 candidates was no easy task. So when making this list, I considered things like the transformation, articulation, kibble, alt modes, compatibility with other TF’s and yes, even cuteness. So let’s get onto the list.

5. Transformers Botbots Nobeeoh

Nobeeoh is my daughter’s pick, so I had to include her favorite as her love of this figure in particular is what lead me to go all in on this line. And I actually don’t disagree with her choice either. Every time we play, she makes me put on some “deodorant” and cackles like a madwoman, and really it makes for an amusing gag photo opportunity with any of your TF’s with hands big enough to use it like Primus/Unicron or the CW and PotP combiners. There are visible legs in alt mode, but everything else is covered up pretty well. For bot mode, Nobeeoh has good arm articulation, and only a little bit of alt mode kibble hanging off the back. He is pretty balanced and easy to stand up, which isn’t the case with all the Botbots. The eyes in bot mode have a slightly menacing look which I like as well. But I won’t lie, my daughter’s love of this figure is the biggest reason we included him on the list.

4. Transformers Botbots Sudsbeard

It’s a soap pumper, its a pirate, its Sudsbeard!!! This one I feel is the best of all the first series. They really put together an excellent pirate bot mode complete with hook hand and wooden leg, and use a great red and black color scheme. I like how the transformation uses the curve of the pirate hat to become the side of the soap pumper. The arms have good articulation including being able to move the pumper handle/hook. He is pretty easy to stand up and pose. There are visible robot parts in the alt mode, but the bot mode is what really puts this figure on the list. I also think this original deco is the best of any of the future re-uses of this mold.

3. Transformers Botbots Clogstopper

The alt mode of a plunger? I’m in! If deodorant makes for a fun enough gag with your transformer figures, then pairing up Clogstopper and King Toots (toilet paper) certainly takes things up a notch. (Or would that be down?) Anyway, I put Clogstopper here because I find him grossly adorable and fun to play around with. Gross because it’s a plunger, but that bot mode is adorable and gives me sort of a Dark Helmet from Spaceballs vibe with the huge helmet for a tiny little guy. He is pretty easy to stand in robot mode and has good arm articulation. The split waist/legs lets you lean him slightly forward or backward if needed when posing his arms. The transformation is a bit unique in that his waist and legs split in half front to back to form the bottom of the plunger and help hide the rest of the bot in plunger mode. The rest of the robot conceals pretty well in plunger mode. I feel the biggest missed opportunity in this entire line is that they did not make the handle 5 mm so it would be compatible with most other transformers (it is a little too big). As it is, he can easily be handled by most and other transformers with opening hands.

2. Transformers Botbots Hawt Diggity

I thought the inclusion of food items was one of the best ideas for this line as it makes for some great accessories for your regular transformers, and I think Hawt Diggity is the best of the group for the greaser gang. He can be held one handed by most bigger bots with opening hands like the planet bots or combiners, but is a little too small to scale with the titans. Smaller bots can even hold him 2-handed if you can balance things right. In hot dog mode he hides the robot completely. In bot mode, the kibble is minimal with a couple panels that hang off behind his head, and a couple that are attached to his arms. The arms have good articulation and he even has ankle tilts! Okay, well sort of, the way his feet transform basically gives you ankle tilts, and although the legs don’t move, you can use the ankle tilts to let him lead slightly left or right by over rotating one ankle and under rotating the other.

1. Transformers Botbots Unilla Ice Queen Cone

Here we are, at the top of the list, and this was no easy task. I choose Unilla Ice Queen Cone, the best of the sweets. Her only real negative is that her alt mode doesn’t really work that well with your other transformers, as the Sunday is just a little too big for most bots to be able to hold one handed. However, she makes up for it by having the ability to take micromasters for a ride in flying unicorn mode. Yep, your heard that right, Flying Unicorn Mode!!! She will slay you with the power of her cuteness, or gore you with her horn, depends on how she’s feeling that day. The unicorn mode is outstanding with zero kibble since the sundae dish becomes her wings and the sundae with cone becomes her head. She has 4 articulated legs, and articulated wings offering you a bunch of options for posing, which includes being able to rear up on her hind legs if you balance the wings right. Plus, she is simply adorable, how can anyone tell that cute little face that she is not number 1?

Honourable Mentions: I’ll be doing these a little differently, more of a bullet point list pointing out a few other botbots that I wanted to give a shout out for a specific reason.
Lolly Licks gets a spot here for being the only food bot that can fit down Trypticon’s throat and into his stomach.
Burgertron gets a spot here for hitting all the right nostalgia buttons from the old McDonald’s toys from my youth.
Laceface gets a spot here because I like football and he allows your other transformers put a game together.
Chilla Gorilla gets a spot here for being able to fit on Cybertron Primus’ and a few combiners’ heads.
The Toilet Troop tribe in general gets a mention here as brilliantly silly and a great set of items in general.

Then and Now - The Updates to my Original Transformers Toys and the Joy and Nostalgia They Bring

Date: Sunday, January 12th 2020 1:11pm CST
Categories: Movie Related News, Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): D-Maximal_Primal @Seibertron

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Views: 78,105

Every person in the Transformers fandom has that special piece that brought them into the fandom. For some, it might have been an episode of a cartoon. For others, it might have been a comic. Others a toy. Others a movie.

But no matter what that source is, every Transformers fan holds that piece near and dear to their hearts. Even when they've been in the fandom for 5 years, 10, 20, 30, or even 35, they still can remember that one thing that brought them here. And despite whatever else they experience and come to love, they still will always remember and hold dear that entry point.

For me, my introduction to the fandom was the 2007 Live Action Movie. The movie, while not the best and by no means the least controversial piece of media, is still very important to me, as are all of the followup movies. I enjoy the movies for what they are, and I love both the action and the designs that they have brought into the Transformers lore.

And that leads me to the primary subject of this article: my first and second ever Transformers toy.

After watching the movie sometime in August of 2007, 12 year old me wanted a Transformers toy badly. And on Christmas Eve, I got me first: the original Voyager Class Megatron toy. And then on Christmas morning, I got the 2007 Camaro Concept Deluxe Bumblebee. My first Decepticon and Autobot, within 24 hours of each other. And ever since, I have loved and held dear both designs and toys.

Looking back at these toys, the Megatron was a simple and not very accurate toy, but I loved the ice effects and the speed of which I could Transform him. And Bee is a bit limited, but he still has some great design cues, such as how the wheels and wings work, that have not been replicated but I still love.

Ever since these 2 toys, both designs have held a high place in my mind. My definitive Bumblebee design remains his movie design, specifically the 2007 Concept Camaro design, and while there have been many different Megatron designs that I have loved, this was the first, and is important for that reason.

That is where we come upon the present time, and more specifically the last 2 and a half years. About that time, we got word that a Generations line exclusively for Movie toys was in production, and the first new Movie Masterpiece figure was hitting shelves.

The first new Movie Masterpiece was the 2007 Bumblebee, and I got that toy as fast as I could. And I have loved that toy ever since. It brought the 2007 design to life in near perfect detail while also still transforming. It has the mask, the Bee face that I have come to know and love, the little mirrors on the collar, the wheels integrated into the heels, and even the proper wing locations. The only thing missing was the shoulder missile cannons, but that is a minor thing.

And then, in 2019, we got the announcement and release of the 2007 Movie Megatron toy. This was the first use of that design in forever, and it was a Masterpiece! I snagged that toy up, and holy crap was it fantastic. This was a huge, heavy, larger than life, and perfect update to his 2007 design. And that jet mode is huge and wonderful.

Both of the Masterpiece toys lived up to expectations, and they have filled my heart with so much joy, having these perfect replicas of my first 2 toys.

But we weren't done there! Not long after that, we got the reveals of the first wave of 2020 for Studio Series, and in that wave, side by side, were the 2007 figures updated! Unbelievable!

And those 2 figures were pre-ordered and accepted into my home with open arms. And just like the Masterpiece toys, they lived up to their expectations. The new deluxe Bumblebee also perfectly nails that original look, and it feels wonderful to have a 2007 and 2020 deluxe of the same character side by side. And then there is Megatron, the same thing, but at voyager scale. And while he traded in a fusion cannon for a giant mace, I love the mace, and I love seeing these 4 toys side by side. Sure Megatron has the wrong chest, but the paint work is so intricate and perfect, it can be excused.

Having these 6 toys, 3 for each different character, is such a huge deal to me. I can look at these 6, and I can see my adventures through the 13 years I have been in the fandom. I can see where I started, with the limited engineering of the 2007 line that still produced some great toys. I can see where I have gone with the Generations updates, expanding my Generations shelves in all forms, but most specifically for my movie toys. And in the Masterpieces, I can see how I have matured, from simple figures that were gifts or took a month to save up for if I bought my own, to high end collectible figures of my favorite characters.

These 6 have given me an incredible journey, a nice representation of my Transformers adventure. My favorite designs, some of my favorite characters, and my favorite Transformers universe.

It is a joy to have these toys, both original and different updates. They bring me incredible joy, but also strike that nostalgia bone just right. These toys make me feel things; I can feel my journey, my adventures, my life in the fandom.

When other fans get their updates to their original toys, whether they be Generation 1, Beast Wars, Armada, etc. I know exactly how they feel. I can see why they have such an overpowering nostalgia for their firsts and their updates. This is my MP-1, my Classics Prime, my Galaxy Force Optimus Prime, my Power of the Primes Optimal Optimus. The feeling is wonderful, and I could not be happier with where my journey has taken me.

The movies have been my introduction, my driving force, my favorite universe. And here, they have come full circle. My hope is that others who have not felt what I now feel will one day get to experience this nostalgia trip, that they can feel that satisfaction of that perfect update to their first.

Top 10 Best Transformers Action Figure Hauls of 2019

Date: Sunday, January 5th 2020 12:06pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): D-Maximal_Primal

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Another year, another round of toys! 2019 offered up not only some excellent new figures, but it also provided collectors of all ages plenty of opportunity to collect older figures as well.

And that is what we will be focusing on today. Today, I will be sharing with you the Top 10 Transformers that I collected last year, and then you can comment on the hauls as well as share your own Top 10 of 2019! And remember: any figure you bought from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 is fair game for your lists! And the figures don't have to be ranked based on being technically good, they should also be ranked on how much joy they gave you.

So here we go!

10) Transformers 2007 Movie Premium Optimus Prime

This was the figure that I was hunting when I went to TFcon D.C. this year, which was also my first ever TFcon. And it was a great experience! If you haven't gotten to go to a convention like this, I highly recommend you do.

But back to Prime: I have the leader Allspark Power Nightwatch version of this mold from the 1st movie, and it is my all time favorite Transformer, the one I could not give up ever. And I wanted to find the version with the sword, very badly. But throughout the Con, I could not find a hint of it, anywhere. And then, when me and my buddies were getting ready to leave, I ran to grab one final autograph. And after getting that, I saw a Prime on top of a pile at a table; it was the Leader with a gun; underneath that, a 2nd of the same Prime; and then, somehow, at the bottom of the pile, was a 3rd Leader Prime, and it was the one with the sword.

I got him! It was a great find, and one I will cherish not only since it is a good figure, but also because of the circumstances of the score.

Transformers News: The Top 10 of 2019 - The 10 Best Figure Hauls of the Year

9) Studio Series Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime

This one ends up on the list not for being the best Studio Series figure, but for being the one that I had been hoping to happen for 8 years.

When I saw Dark of the Moon, all I wanted was a Prime with a trailer that turned into a combat arsenal and flight tech, and it finally happened. And while it does leave some to be desired in terms of trailer detailing/paint, it is still a joy to finally get this set as I had always wanted and envisioned it.

8 ) Ghostbusters / Transformers Ectotron

At the beginning of this year, we knew a Ghostbusters MP-10 was coming out, but we had no idea this wonderful thing was coming. And it was the most fantastic surprise ever. Not only is it a wonderful crossover of 2 franchises I love, but it is also a very very good figure in and of itself. Ectotron is a wonderful figure that is so full of fun stuff, least of all being the first ever Transformer with a Proton Pack.

Ectotron was probably the greatest surprise of 2019, and is one of the best of the year, retro-hauls and all.

7) Siege Omega Supreme

This was a late entry to my collection this year, but ever since I have gotten him, I can't stop messing with and talking about him. Omega is the Titan that we have always deserved, he is of great quality and posability, with intricate detailing and some great paint work. Not to mention his transformation is really fun and his alt mode has so much playability. Omega is a fantastic figure, and one that everyone should get if they want a Titan figure.

6) Studio Series Rampage

My Studio Series figure of the year. Rampage this year was a lot like Jazz from 2018 - He is immensely fun. He is the best figure, technically? No. He doesn't even have elbows. But is he ridiculously fun, and also forms a leg to a massive combiner? Absolutely. Rampage is a wonderful Decepticon figure, and is one of the best Studio Series figures of the year, and one of the best figures of the year.

5) Siege Smashdown

I cannot stop singing the praises of this figure. For a $6 figure, this thing delivers so much. For one thing, a Minotaur that turns into a Hammer. That is brilliant. And then, a hammer, the one sole hammer that we have got in the battlemaster class, one of the few melee weapons, and one of the few hammers we got in the decade. Hammers are rare in Transformers, and I love every single one of them.

This is a figure where you can get 5 of them (like me) or more, and not feel like you've wasted money. Get as many of them as you can. And with a re-release coming in Earthrise, it's evident Hasbro recognized how good Smashdown is.

4) MPM-8 Megatron

While I ranked Smashdown as the figure of the year, Megatron is the most important figure of the year to me. This was a masterpiece of my first ever Transformer, and it was a perfect update. This is a huge figure that impresses in so many ways, not least of which is the fact that he is combiner sized and heavy as heck. He is wonderfully painted, and the sculpting is perfect. This was the update I really wanted my first Transformer to have, and it was delivered upon perfectly.

3) Armada Powerlinx Jetfire

The final 3 on my list are older figures, and those 3 start with Jetfire. I have recently been getting into the Unicron Trilogy, and bought a lot from those lines this year. Armada Jetfire was one of the very first figures I got this year, and it should say a lot that one of the first is in the top 3 of my year-long list.

This Jetfire is really good and really fun. For one thing, he is a massive shuttle, and he forms a great giant robot from that shuttle. The Powerlinx colors are great on him, and I love the faceplated head. And then he forms the pants to a giant Prime. This is an insanely fun figure by himself, and he's a team player too. I could not be happier to have him.

2) G1 Dreadwind and Darkwing / Dreadwing

This was a pair where the story is as important as the actual find. This was a 1:00 AM Friday night hotel find at TFcon D.C., where both of these, as well as a G1 Slapdash and Flywheels, were up for a barter for a half hour, with some help from a friend of mine from the Podcast. Finally, after a half hour, I got the price I wanted, and suddenly I had 3 of the Powermasters in one go, and these 2 are the greatest of that. I now have 5 of the Powermasters, including all 3 Decepticons, and plan to finish that entire team this year.

But back to these 2: not only was getting them a highlight, but these 2 are pretty dang good by themselves. The robots and jets are really good, and then the combined jet mode is really fun and bonkers. It's a sign to me that G1 still has some pretty nice tricks up its sleeve, and I love the entire Powermaster team/concept.

1) Cybertron Defense Red Alert

I will be fully honest, this one was a huge surprise to me. Whenever the Siege Selects Cybertron Defense Hot Shot was revealed, I ended up getting the original from a Twitter friend, and once getting him, I decided to get the other 2 members of the team if I could. And late Saturday night at TFcon, I found a boxed Red Alert and scored him for a great price with the last of my cash (and some help from previously mentioned friend/podcaster).

And wow, this figure is so good. So so good. This is a large toy that has some great weapons, poses pretty dang well, and is just fun. And that chest and head sculpt are fantastic. This is the figure of the year for me, special both for how I got it, and for just how dang good the toy itself is. It is pure joy.

Honorable Mentions:

- Classics Optimus Prime

This was another TFcon haul, and while it was not a Top 10 of the year, it is still a great toy that is fun to mess around with and is a good toy all on its own. It feels good to experience a mold so many have had such high praise for.

- G1 Pretender Jazz

Also TFcon haul, this one was complete and a surprise to find for his price. After some Toyhax stickers, he is nearly perfect, and is a wonderful Pretender addition.

- Cyberverse Ultimate Grimlock

I got 4 Cyberverse figures, and this Grimlock is a great toy. He is one of the best Grimlocks we have ever gotten, and he's a great Cyberverse toy. He also has a fun gimmick. This is a toy that Cyberverse needed, and it's one I am glad to own.

- G1 Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor

I got this figure in the fall, and it was wonderful. This G1 toy is incredibly fun, with tons of great features and gimmicks. Every mode has something fun about it, and it is a large great toy.

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