Worst things ever in TF?

[Onslaught Six]

Machine Wars Starscream - This is a tough one to say is the worst because I do dig him so, but he's big and simplistic. He's just on the list for fairness.

You are no longer cool. Skyquake is one of the coolest toys ever.

Beast Machines Megatron - tiny and lame in both modes. Lots of character sucked away by weak deco and small size.

Indeed. That's why we call him Not-So-Mega Megatron! Or it may have been because he's a Mega toy but distinctly not Mega-sized. I forget which. Let's go with both.

Armada Smokescreen - still a controversial entry, but I stand by it, one of the most disappointing figures I've ever bought.

I knew what I was getting into with him, so he wasn't so bad for me. Still a horrible toy, mind, but he's only $10.

The thing is, 'so many' of the Armada toys would be ten times better if they were simply Basics. Smokescreen would be a great Basic.

Classics Astrotrain - 'nuff said.

Huh? He's awesome.
[quote[As I understand it, it was that team's first foray into vehicle designs at all. This was still the Kenner design team, IIRC, and they came in on Beast Wars and a touch of Machine Wars. Personally, I like a lot of what came out of Beast Machines in terms of toys, the style worked well and many were fun toys, the few bad choices like Supreme Nightscream notwithstanding.[/quote]

Actually, the MW Flipchangers were all unused G2 moulds, so those probably wouldn't have been designed by Kenner's guys either.

Nightscream was an Ultra.

I kinda like the transformation and the weapon vehicle, but TFs should have some semblance of a head or face.

Why?

One thing I've always actually liked to think of is seeing the windshields 'as' their faces. It works especially well with Ratchet, he could display various diagnostic crap. I dunno, I like it.

[JediTricks]

You are no longer cool. Skyquake is one of the coolest toys ever.

I'd be stung if that came from someone with any taste.

Skyquake at least has a more interesting face and crazy colors, and his wacky mirror gimmick works better than Screamer's. But there's no denying that this figure is a simplistic brick with 1 good gimmick (the bombs) and 1 overblown gimmick that takes up too much space.

Classics Astrotrain - 'nuff said.

Huh? He's awesome.

Awesome like an open sewer fire, perhaps. Or do you mean "awesome" as in "we're awed by how poor he is"? That figure is hot blooded crap in bot and train mode, and shuttle mode has train halves on the back.

As I understand it, it was that team's first foray into vehicle designs at all. This was still the Kenner design team, IIRC, and they came in on Beast Wars and a touch of Machine Wars. Personally, I like a lot of what came out of Beast Machines in terms of toys, the style worked well and many were fun toys, the few bad choices like Supreme Nightscream notwithstanding.

Actually, the MW Flipchangers were all unused G2 moulds, so those probably wouldn't have been designed by Kenner's guys either.

Optimus Prime and Soundwave were new to that line, but looking at them again, I wouldn't be surprised to learn those were holdover molds.

Nightscream was an Ultra.

Right, whatever. He was too big at any scale.

I kinda like the transformation and the weapon vehicle, but TFs should have some semblance of a head or face.

Why?

Because otherwise they just look like arms and legs, it's not a believable sentient character without something to take in information and convey a personality.

One thing I've always actually liked to think of is seeing the windshields 'as' their faces. It works especially well with Ratchet, he could display various diagnostic crap. I dunno, I like it.

Wasn't there hologram stickers for the faces in some release, possibly diaclone?

[Onslaught Six]

You have other points too, but I don't feel like responding to them with actual answers because I'm lazy.

Optimus Prime and Soundwave were new to that line, but looking at them again, I wouldn't be surprised to learn those were holdover molds.

Er...they weren't? They're Thunderclash and Stalker, respectively, from the Euro G1.5 line. Same place Skyquake came from.

Wasn't there hologram stickers for the faces in some release, possibly diaclone?

No, not Diaclone, especially, but all the TF ones did as far as I know.

[onslaught86]

Skyquake at least has a more interesting face and crazy colors, and his wacky mirror gimmick works better than Screamer's. But there's no denying that this figure is a simplistic brick with 1 good gimmick (the bombs) and 1 overblown gimmick that takes up too much space.

I dig the mirror gimmick a lot, and while the Scopemaster schtick was a bit more elaborate than it should've been, Skyquake's among my favourite jet TFs. So very swooshable, and the bombing gimmick does add a lot. For a while, he was my most-wanted TF, and I became rather well-known for asking everyone if they had one, heh. Pre-ebay saturation and all.

Awesome like an open sewer fire, perhaps. Or do you mean "awesome" as in "we're awed by how poor he is"? That figure is hot blooded crap in bot and train mode, and shuttle mode has train halves on the back.

I really don't get this, I don't find anything inherantly bad about Clastrotrain. His forearm armour should lock, and both modes suffer from the basic issue of cramming three forms into a toy, but it's a lot better in all three modes than Octane. Colours are a bit lame, this is solved by the very cool Henkei release. Love that thing, it stirs an odd sense of nostalgia in me with those colours. Strange, as I never owned G1 Astrotrain or really cared for him. Bonus points for having the best gun of the Classics line, too.

Optimus Prime and Soundwave were new to that line, but looking at them again, I wouldn't be surprised to learn those were holdover molds.

Like O6 says, they were gutted versions of European figures too. Thunderclash in particular is a good sight better than Prime, having a very impressive missile gimmick. Soundwave's just boring without Stalker's weapons and scope gimmick.

Right, whatever. He was too big at any scale.

Yes, yes he was. That alone doesn't make him terrible, though, I prefer to judge toys on their own merits vs. those of the others in the line. He's floppy and doesn't hold together as well as he should, but I dig the disks and the lights, and those wings are neat. They crammed a lot of toy into the Ultra size, he and Jetstorm are among the largest Ultras we've ever had, and dwarf today's Supers.

Because otherwise they just look like arms and legs, it's not a believable sentient character without something to take in information and convey a personality.

I agree that they make poor Transformers, to be sure. No drivers kinda kills it, much as it does with SWTF now. They're good mechs and rather MASK-y, but poor TFs.