TF Views

I like Kickback's pointy wings, but I loathe the stickers. It really says something when reprolabels makes better stickers than Hasbro.

Dominic wrote:The thing to remember about Bandai is that their customer base consists of wee children, (who really cannot recognize good or bad toys), and adult collectors like BWP who will probably buy them anyway.

They coast through on brand recognition and and ignorant customer base.

But for $20-$25, I expect 'knees' for God's sake. Even when I was a child, I disliked a lot of elements of the MMPR toys. I didn't get the Megazord until years later, via eBay, but even then I was only maybe nine or ten, and still disliked the limited articulation. When I was younger, I was disappointed that the Red Dragonzord basically sucked in his robot mode, and he couldn't properly ride the Tigerzord like he could in the show.

It's just not fair, there really should be knees. If the Dragonzord doesn't significantly improve, I'm passing on both.

Prowl wrote:Hey, don't make me feel any worse than I already do! Besides, I think the Ranger figures are actually quite good. Well worth six bucks, anyhow.

He is, actually. Only missing biceps and ankles, and mid-thighs I guess--although GI Joe also lack mid-thighs, and I've got twenty or thirty of those. I also wish the legs were ball-jointed and looked better when seperated more, but as-is they're pretty good. Oh, and I wish the ball joints on the head were done better so they could actually look up or down more.

Goldar does suck, though, there is *no* excuse for him and his suckittude.

Dom again wrote:I am not even sure there is anything coming out for the rest of the year that I want, customizing aside.

Word. Though I found this awesome pack of McQuarrie-style SW figures at TRU. So want! Always liked those designs, and it has Deak Starkiller! He's my favourite proto character. (He's named as Luke Skywalker, but whatever.)

Shockwave wrote:I like Kickback's pointy wings, but I loathe the stickers. It really says something when reprolabels makes better stickers than Hasbro.

Does it really? I mean, Reprolabels charges $11 or so for their stickers--Hasbro is mass-producing them and throwing them in for no extra money.

Still haven't opened my Insecticons, might do so tonight.

Well I think it does. I mean it just speaks to the lower quality standard that Hasbro is putting out by making stickers that don't stick *at all*. I think it also says something when the fanmade stickers are better than the mass-produced official ones. On the reverse side of that, it could also speak to the quality of reprolabels products that they now make a better product than Hasbro does.

I hardly ever put the stickers on my re-issues. I like them sticker-free, with the usual exception of faction stickers.

Picked up the trade paperback for Spotlight: Revelations today. Yeah, I'd read most of it in the bookstore a few months ago, but the bookstore isn't a library, and I liked the story enough to buy it. So I did, and now I'll get to relax in my comfy chair this evening and enjoy the book properly. I still enjoy the way so many of the plots set up in -ations and the early spotlights are wrapped up in these four stories. It makes for a satisfyingly dense and rewarding read.

And I love Hardhead's line to Nightbeat when he gets shot in the head. "Ow! Hardhead... it's not just a name."

Well I think it does. I mean it just speaks to the lower quality standard that Hasbro is putting out by making stickers that don't stick *at all*. I think it also says something when the fanmade stickers are better than the mass-produced official ones. On the reverse side of that, it could also speak to the quality of reprolabels products that they now make a better product than Hasbro does.

The Hasbro stickers seem to too rigid. I am having trouble with Bombshell's/Hardshell's foot and head stickers.


If those "Star Wars" packs were cheapers, I would be more enthusiastic about them.


Dom

The head sticker is sticking ok, but the foot stickers are giving me problems too. Shrapnel's arm stickers, shoulder stickers, Kickback's upper foot stickers and logo. Fortunately I had some reprolabels insecticon stickers laying around so I applied what I could, but I might get another set and replace 'em all.

Dominic wrote:If those "Star Wars" packs were cheapers, I would be more enthusiastic about them.

I only found out about the second one while researching online last night, but I'm still only interested in the one with Vader. I love those early Droid designs, but everyone else in the pack is kind of meh. Plus, Christmas is coming up and that's always a decent excuse to go to someone and go "Buy this $45 box set for me."

Considering opening the Insecticons tonight.

Mirage wrote:Picked up the repaint Leo Prime from Target. Much better than the original, but... I kinda miss the gold, especially on the mane. Might have to remedy that...

Hey Mirage (Or..anyone, for that matter), I'm super-keen on getting hold of one of those Leo Prime repaints, since I heart Lioconvoy an awful lot, and love that colour scheme despite the crappiness of the gold. Target doesn't exist here, so it's import or bust, and evilBay prices are pretty nasty last I checked. Any chance someone could grab one of those for me? Can likely arrange paypal payment.

Shockwave wrote:I like Kickback's pointy wings, but I loathe the stickers. It really says something when reprolabels makes better stickers than Hasbro.

Heh, to be fair, Reprolabels is a company that makes stickers and nothing else. It'd reflect pretty poorly on them if Hasbro's stickers were better.

I haven't seen mine at my Target, and I was there two or three times this week. Also if I bought you one, you wouldn't get it for literally years anyway.

onslaught86 wrote:Hey Mirage (Or..anyone, for that matter), I'm super-keen on getting hold of one of those Leo Prime repaints, since I heart Lioconvoy an awful lot, and love that colour scheme despite the crappiness of the gold. Target doesn't exist here, so it's import or bust, and evilBay prices are pretty nasty last I checked. Any chance someone could grab one of those for me? Can likely arrange paypal payment.

My Target has plenty of them. Let me know, and I can get one for you. I might require a little compensation on the shipping costs, but whatever.

Anyway, speaking of Target exclusives, I totally got Target-Exclusive The Fallen On Fire today! He's beautiful, and I'm violently happy that I waited for this version. The blend of orange and charcoal black is really nice, and works with the clear orange bits quite nicely. I like his feet a lot too. The flamey toe bits are entirely orange, so it looks like he has pointy claw feet with flames billowing out from under them. Awesome. Vehicle mode is also better than I expected. Everything pegs together, which is awesome and sadly non-universal in TF, and it looks decent for a flying piece of burning shrapnel. Which has its own appeal. My only issue is that I wish his darn head could move. Damn that would add so much to the toy. At least he has a joint up *near* his head, but that's more functionally a waist joint. I want that damn head on a nice, universal ball joint! Oh well, enough complaining about what isn't; The Fallen On Fire is awesome. He's Robot Satan. And he's On Fire. If you still don't have a toy of ROTF Fallen, you'll be glad you waited, this is the one to get.

Also, you all knew this was coming, so I'll cop to it right now: I got the MMPR 2010 Dino Megazord and oh lordy does it meet my expectations in the worst way. This thing is a brick with a capital BRICK! The legs can kick forward at the hips a bit, the knees bend backwards on transformation joints, and the arms can only move up and down at the shoulders, stopping at, like, eight predetermined ratchet points. Oh, and his elbows can bend sideways inward a touch. Wow. You are getting *no* dynamic poses out of this thing. Still, it's a lot of toy for only twenty bucks, and a fun one to fiddle with, combining and separating, and putting them into their surprisingly cool tank mode. And it looks nice when displayed behind my 2010 Ranger figures; gonna put them all on top of my kickass glass display case in a bit here. So yeah, just *barely* worth twenty bucks, and that's to me. Your mileage will most definitely vary. The only things left I think I'm gonna get from this line are the Dragon Dagger, and the Dragonzord, whenever that shows up. Will be nice just to play with all the various combinations.

God I'm such a tool.