In regards to the plastic-free packaging, you forgot one detail: the Walmart exclusive Legacy beast figures. Sandstorm, Buzz Saw, and Nightprowler all have plastic windows on their boxes. And as exclusives, they are STILL shelfwarming badly.
On the topic of "where are the Transmetal reissues" Aaron Archer did an interview earlier this year where he said the molds for the Transmetal characters reused for TF Armada were permanently changed to include the mini-con ports. So the original versions of Transmetal Cheetor, Megatron, Rhinox, Airazor, & Terrorsaur can no longer be recreated without retooling the molds again. It can be done, but it'll cost more to do. The other Transmetal molds are likely fine, but I know they don't like doing chrome anymore unless it's important. Metallic paint instead maybe?
My biggest disappointment is really just how Hasbro is obviously cutting costs making cheaper figures but still jacking up prices. I've been complaining about this for a while. I was OK with the cost cutting when the prices were staying low because Hasbro said it was necessary to keep the prices low but then they continued to cut costs and the prices went up anyway. We're literally paying more for less every year. Even the Leader Class offerings, I was fine with Siege Shockwave but Astrotrain, most of his extra parts aren't even usable outside of the Train mode and I'd rather have him as a Voyager without the caboose cause it's just not worth it. Blitzwing is the worst of them all cause all he has is an extra pair of giant fists that don't look good in any of his modes. I saw it at Wal Mart and considered picking him up because the figure on it's own does look good but I just couldn't justify paying Leader price for a Voyager figure just because of 2 accessories that he shouldn't even have!
I lucked out @ a comic shop & found a loose Blitzwing for around $15 w/ 1 gun & substitute sword (no weird junky fist things). I wouldn't have paid full price for him otherwise as those 'extra parts' are clearly thrown in to justify extra cost. Now if it were part of a Build-a-Figure or BW was part of a Combiner, those things would make sense.
@@andrewgrant2990 Man I would love to find a loose Blitzwing or Astrotrain and I'd be willing to pay $30 for each since that's what Voyagers use to go for. I just don't want to pay leader cost for them. Those fist are not worth an extra $20+, they're maybe an extra $2 at the most.
@@visionop8 the weirdest thing is there people defending it talking about “engineering” or “details” like bitch we’ve been having that why’s that a talking point now smh, they’re trying to cater to hard core collectors which is what the masterpiece line was for to begin with. It’s obvious there’s some serious mismanagement going on in the back and I’m not supporting that with my money.
Designers gave it their all this year, but the corporate side BLATANTLY shot their knees. I hate those people, they're squeezing every single penny out of the consumers while not giving a proper product, QC issues ran rampant, figures had crystal clear cut corners, packaging that made vandalism and theft super easy and non-stop price increases vs non-stop size decreases, all while having abysmal distribution outside of the US. And I'm not even including the ripoff that is HasLab. Meanwhile, I look at Mattel, who have great distribution and bang-for-buck with their Mega and MOTU lines.
To be honest my biggest disappointment was the cancellation of the Beast Wars comic. I was really enjoying it. It was a nice reboot of Beast Wars with some nice new ideas and the new characters were so good. Skold and Nyx needs some figures
Nyx technically HAS a toy since his model was based on Bat Primal. They changed the head though so it doesn't look so much like Optimus in the comics. Skold I believe was also based on an existing figure but I can't remember off the top of my head which one.
@@RialVestro Snapper, although Skold’s colors are different. I’d love to see the two get released as a two-pack made from the original Beast Wars toys but with remolded heads.
@@Spike-Prime it was pretty damn good. Expressive, emotive, cartoony and kinetic. Reminded me of the Transformers: Animated art style. I'd take this over most of the generic house styles that idw would use.
For the open packaging, they could've just pack them in alt mode, less chances for head steal. Still cant tell,if the head is sloppily painted but at least we can se that they we're buying matches the one in the box art
The problem with Bulkhead is that on his own without any of the context, he is a fun toy with some clean and very fun transformations in all of Legacy. I bought him in spite of his lack of resemblance to Prime, or Animated with that. So I can see how torn fans would be with Bulkhead while at the same time loving what they did with him all at once.
One thing on the missing metroplexes minicon for 200 bucks, Deathsaurus funded and they ADDED two new mold figures at the end. Now i've seen how mini figures can hurt the main figure. I'm ok with paying a little more if both are great. but yes at 200 mangagement could totally have thrown fans a bone.
Most of the points I agree with, but personally I love Legacy Metroplex. The work mode is a lot of fun, and he mostly feels super solid. He gives the character the weight and size that he deserved. Something the original never could. He's not perfect, granted. The shoulder clasps are less than stable and I have a nearly impossible time getting him to hold his weapon. But the sheer fun and presence of the thing makes it completely worth it for me. Not to mention the extreme improvement in articulation he is over the original. Though I will easily agree the lack of an included Drillbit was disappointing. Especially since there seems to be a dedicated connection space on the end of the bucket claw, just like the original toy. Really hoping the little guy will get a core class release sometime in the near future.
The biggest disappointment with the Stunticons is that only Dragstrip and Motormaster came out in NZ stores. Waves 2 and 3 both no-showed, at least in my area. Dead End appeared online in very limited quantities, but I didn't managed to get him before he sold out. Wildrider didn't even show up in the online stores, or if he did they only had like 1 copy, he was out of stock already by the time the other Wave 2 toys showed up online. Oh, and the other disappointment was that the only online store to actually get Wave 3 ordered a Starscream Voyager case and no Inferno ones, so my preorder got cancelled and I got no ant. At least the Amazon one didn't cost that much more to ship, but now I have to wait for it and there's no guarantee he won't get crushed in the shipping process thanks to the crappy new packaging. So basically yeah, the biggest disappointment of Transformers 2022 boils down to horrific distribution or lack thereof of anything Legacy that's not Wave 1.
Aussie here. I've had to rely on JB Hi-Fi stores in my area to get new Legacy and Studio Series figures, because all other retail stores (Target, K-Mart, Big W, Myer) barely got anything beyond the first wave of Legacy figures (and even then, Myer is the only one of those four that regularly sells the Leader class assortment). And even when JB Hi-Fi got the most recent wave, half the figures were missing from shelves; no Pointblank, no Crankcase, no Bomb-Burst. If Hasbro issues some statement about shoddy sales figures in Australia and NZ, I'm going to commit a felony.
In the case of Star Wars TVC, a lot of people were complaining about the plastic-free packaging and discussing cutting down on purchases as a result of the PFP potentially ruining the Kenner aesthetic. Hasbro had to come out and issue a statement that they were reverting their decision to make TVC packaging plastic-free. It was definitely a profit-based decision for that line.
It's always been a profit based decision. i've worked for multiple places where management with no experience in the product try to make broad cost cutting decisions to "save the company money" even when it often leads to higher costs and loss in profit. And they will always try to hide it under an altrusitic issue the better! (this is why the paint budget has shrunk so much over the years too)
About the packaging, I kinda noticed that the actual quality of the paper used feels cheaper. Like they're easy to tear into. I don't know how MIB collectors would be interested in these if they just get dented or teared up with little effort. Hell even I just immediately dump the boxes in the trash bin.
I have the retail version but I do kinda want to get this version and with some paint the mouthplate black to be like a beard so it’s basically even more movie Hound.
I loved Legacy Bulkhead, I'll admit he doesn't work as Prime or Animated g1ified at all, But I think it's a great new version of Bulkhead. Granted I have a soft spot for a Military vehicle type that I actually used to drive.
The retrax reissue feels like a joke. Don't get me wrong, it's hilarious, but I wonder if someone jokingly suggested it, they dug through the molds, and then died a little when they realized that retrax was at least some level of complete.
To be fair, in 2022 Cosmos and Galaxy Shuttle IIRC are the top ones that reached scalper-level demand, compared to WFC scalper-demands on Skywarp, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Soundwave, Ironhide & Prowl, Coneheads, Ratchet and medic, etc. Neither is ideal, but at least it was less highly desirable exclusives which sell too quickly and more obscure shelfwarmers that stay around longer at less profit.
Thing with the Trainbots is, they're not designed to be sold outside of Japan. Not the marketing, not the price, not the idea behind the toys is meant for most collectors outside of Japan. The Masterpiece Trainbots are targeted at middle-aged Japanese salarymen with disposable income, nostalgia for 1980's Transformers and classic trains. Heck, from what I've gathered it's cheaper in some instances to buy an MP Trainbot than to get a same model train in that exact scale. And trains are BIG in Japan, similar to cars in North America. Takara/Tomy has found a market for the MP Trainbots in their home country, anything more is just a bonus. But yeah, for what you get they are way too expensive. I can agree with you on that.
It's hilarious to me that Scourge was on this list. I wasn't going to buy him until TJ's video pointed out that he looked like Nemesis Prime and then that's just what I've called him ever sense. So I'm constantly forgetting he was supposed to be Scourge ^^;
My main disappointment was with the heads of certain characters: 1) I'd have preferred if Pointblank, Dead End and Dragstrip's heads were based on their G1 toy heads instead of their animation models. Despite this misgiving, I do like the figures. 2) I wasn't happy to see Hasbro return to the CHUG style of Pretenders where they base the robot mode on the shell. At least they could have given them a choice of heads. 3) Bulkhead wasn't remade in the G1 aesthetic. I never liked the stylised aesthetics of Animated and Prime and with the ridiculous chin, his head still looks it's from Prime.
Personally my biggest disappointment has been that the first wave of Legacy as a whole shelf warmed. I have lived in three states this year and every box store I checked still have the first wave on the shelves.
I've noticed that too, & it's not even that wave 1 wasn't selling. It was selling like mad those first few months, but then the stores just kept ordering more wave 1 even after everyone already had what they wanted. Target was the only store near me that carried wave 2 and 3.
The Deluxe Class has been the biggest problem in my experience. I have actually seen (and bought some) of the Wave 2 Voyager and Leader figures, but I have never seen the Wave 2 Deluxe Class anywhere on shelves and then Wave 3 of course has been MIA completely. Instead, it's always the same figures of Prime Arcee, Skids, Dragstrip, and Kickback hanging around.
Yep. I've lucked out in finding some of the Wave 2 stuff in a local gaming and comics shop, but none of the chain retailers near me (St. Louis Metro East) have had anything after Wave 1 and all of Velocitron minus Cosmos.
21:21 I've seen more then one messed up Legacy figure, and it's funny every time, although as sad as it is. Seeing a just totally *obliterated* Legacy figure in the wild gives me a chuckle, but definitely has to be a PITA for people trying to collect them
To me the thing about MP Raiden is... why Raiden? The first time Masterpiece does combiners and they pick him? I like him but that's just because I love trains and always have, since long before I joined the Transformers fandom, it's great for fans of Japanese G1 but you'd think they would go with a more universally known combiner like Devastator or one of the Scramble City lot to make the first MP combiner (unless they're using Raiden to iron out the kinks of a MP combiner before doing the big names)
I disagree with number 5. I’m a huge prime fan, and I loved bulkhead. It feels like bulkhead to me. Arcee is the one that set me off. It looked like arcee, but didn’t feel like arcee. Her silhouette was mediocre at best, and to me, to put it simply, arcee sucked.
This is how you solve the problem of theft of toys. You do what they did with video games since the 80’s. You take a piece of paper with the name of the figure to the cashier, then they hand you the toy from the back.
Now I want to see toys include more aspects of video games. We already have exclusives. And 3P upgrades are kinda like DLC. So when do we get Transformers with DRM codes that you have to register before you can transform them?
I've heard people say that Legacy Bulkhead is closer to his TFA likeness in some ways over the Prime one, and I can see it. I've been interested in a g1ified version of Bulkhead for years so I was pretty satisfied. Proportions could be a little bit better but it's ok in-hand.
If they do get around to reissuing Quickstrike, I hope they replace the clear plastic with that metallic mustard gold they used for DOTM Darksteel. Not only would it be more show-accurate, it would also last longer over time with transformation pins embedded in the plastic.
I remember when Lugnut came out in Reveal the Shield as a Generations styled version of the character, everyone was begging for a Bulkhead to go with him. Now we got one, and all people did was whine he wasn't a ball on legs. This figure was literally the one people had been crying out for, but for some reason, now that's not okay.
People say Hasbro never learns their lesson but just look what happened to the exclusives: the Seekers were impossible to find unless you had lotto-winning luck. So they turned it around and made the exclusives shelf-warm so hard they'll probably be on NEXT year's disappointment list 😆
I don’t mind the legacy bulkhead, but I only got him because he was on sale at a store I got him at. The transformers shelf was filled with **only** him.
You know, I didn't think about people returning wrong figures in the Legacy boxes. I bought Legacy Galvatron, and when I opened him up, it was the Kingdom Galvatron with the QC shoulder issue. I just figured it was Hasbro just repackaging left overs from Kingdom, but now idk.
Hasbro doesn't literally repackage existing toys. Once a toy is sold to a retailer, Hasbro never sees it again. Unsold product goes on clearance, sold to overstock chains, then eventually just gets discarded. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure you got toy-swapped.
@@OptimusPhillip Shame, but the figure was still in very good condition. So I'm happy to have him in my collection. He looks imposing on my movie/ 3rd season shelf.
I really hate exclusives. I still don't have Runabout and Runamuck. I only got Ratchet and Lifeline, because a fellow collector quit. Only to find out we are getting both him and Ironhide in the Studio Series. For the Star Wars cards, if Hasbro stopped releasing the figures on cards with a bubble, they would lose half or even more of their customer base. The majority of people buy one to keep carded or two to keep one carded and open the other.
One of my biggest disappointments this year was the distribution I might have liked to get some Beast Wars reissues, if the last one I saw wasn't Tigatron
What's worse is that the designer tried to defend that Scourge saying "I couldn't have made it look like Scourge if I wanted to. The mold layouts made it impossible." Forgive me for saying so, but I call bullshit. There are no parts that were the same color on Laser Optimus that are supposed to be different colors for Scourge. Literally all you had to do was cast the red and blue parts in black, and make the clear plastic pink. You couldn't pull off something that simple?
I would not have paid that kind of money for the Titan Metroplex. I didn't think wildrider was that bad. I totally agree with you on the whole boxing issues. I'm still having issues with the distribution. I can never find the characters I'm looking for and once they do a repaint of it then I can't find the original I wanted to get another laser optimist prime I only wound up with one so no mint inbox for me even though the box sucks. I still haven't found rumble I haven't got my dead end yet played hell getting cosmos and now I can't find another motormaster had to take a break from mine for me and buy for the kids for Christmas. And all I see on the store shelves are lots and lots of sweeps I would like to get another scourge. They really need to work on their distribution and that stupid skids mold repaints. I've said it on other channels comments all that thing does it's clogged the pegs I can go into a Walmart or a Target and find skids anytime I want and it's the only thing there and Walmart has this nasty habit of over ordering wave one and it just sits there so we don't get any of the new stuff and they all go to big lots and ollies and all the bargain basement places involved and I never see the other waves because they're still stuck in Wave 1. And Target they still haven't restock from Christmas and here we are the middle of February. And I absolutely hate exclusives of any kind that just makes them harder to find and more expensive on secondary markets because of the scalpers. Oh how I miss the old Toys R Us KB and Lionel Playworld where every retailer stock everything except those exclusive G1 reissue that Toys R Us got right before they closed. That's the end of my rant
The reason Hasbro keeps making these bad decisions is the fact people are still _buying_ the bad decisions. So you complain about a toy that you bought that didn't meet your expectations in some way, but the problem is you still _bought_ it and Hasbro as a whole looks at sales more than they look at what fans are saying. You want the packaging improved? Only buy toys in the kind of packaging you think they should be using. You want fewer exclusives? Let them all shelfwarm. We should all be voting with our wallets when it comes to Transformers. IDW learned that the hard way, they only have themselves to blame for losing the license and now facing potential bankruptcy.
I’ve actually found EarthSpark bumblebee and Optimus prime twist and transformed figures that are mistransformed because of this open gap in the packaging.
Biggest disappointment was the lack of beast wars themed merchandise on shelves. I still am having a hard time finding a rattrap and a legacy inferno. Also I cant remember if this was a thing back on original release but I was forced to order some figures online and the plastic blisters were popped off on shipment due to a lack of glue on production causing damage to my figures. Where is the QA where is the supply to the demand where is the appreciation to the fans looking to relive the toys that were thrown away so mercilessly so long ago...that's my slagging words on my biggest dissatisfaction and disappointment for bot collection in 2022.
number 2 really gets me. one the odd shape means you can't fold them flat if you wanted to keep the box. two Legacy tarantulas, mine is missing a spider leg so is so many other people's copy. can't get a replacement part, can't get a replacement figure and hear many other figures are missing accessories and parts that in the back part of the boxes or that paper sleeve they put the guns in.
I haven't gotten Metroplex yet even on sale cause I'm still trying to figure out how to store the thing but alot of you're issues as aren't mine. Like Velocitron Override I'm not buying this thing to be a replication of everything the original was. I don't care that he doesn't have the Cyber Key or the Mini Con. I'm buying this because I like the Character and the Improvements over the Original, Namely the Articulation and Molded Detail which you have to admit are Amazing.
The reissue BW are awful in choice. It had a strong start with original season 1 characters then we got scorponok and terrasor alright another big figure and wtf are these blister packs? Dinobot, tarantulus, black arachnia, rhinox, waspinator, or bloody silverbolt but retrax and K9 come on you had the season 1 cast to do yet went with toy characters. The generations selects is kinda a disappointment in how little was added while there’s stacks of target/Walmart exclusives. Generations selects while still an exclusive is an easier exclusive to get, also the BB line you could fit half of that into selects like the toy color version of BW figures or stuff like ransack or parasite/skywasp A personal disappointment is my wreckers twintwist and bulk head got canceled and seeing how difficult that mold is to get very upsetting and .ca it’s not even listed so I either have to second market him or pay shipping in American.
Definitely agree on Wildrider and Breakdown...especially Breakdown being a slight remold of Wildrider. I mean, everyone else gets their own unique molds and then here's Breakdown using Wildrider's mold with a new head, back end, and chest. It would have been the first time since G1 the Stunticons would have had vehicle modes that resemble the real world counterparts. Like seriously, Dead End and Wild Rider's vehicle modes look almost just like the Ferrari and Porsche modes the G1 toys had.
My 5 year old son LOVES Bulkhead from "Prime". I was going to surprise him with the new toy, he took 1 look at it and asked who it was, because that wasnt Bulkhead. I decided not to get him a toy he didnt want....
With Bulkhead there are actually military trucks or APCs which do carry the proper shape and silhouette for both of his modes. Also I don't enjoy the flimsy vehicle canvas suddenly becoming a defensive shield.
I know I'm a little late but I wanna throw my hat in on a few things. One, I actually like the Legacy Metroplex. I get the greivances with it, but...I'll be blunt, I'm more than willing to pay full price for something Unicron Trilogy, or Animated, as those are my butterzones of Transformers, nearly a decade of Transformers history that gets so little attention anymore...And speaking of, let me interject my own "Biggest Dissapointment of 2022 in Transformers": The Velocitron line as a whole. What an unceremonious disgusting bait-n-switch! Everything from the name, to the design of the box, to the INCREDIBLE new Override toy that was my top toy of the year...ALL of that was very promising that we'd finally be seeing some genuine love and new toys from Cybertron, arguably the best of the Unicron Trilogy! And what toy was stocked with Override? What was the toy that came in the same damn wave? A dumbass glorified green hockey puck who has NOTHING to do with Velocitron and that no one hyped for that line and for Override gave a single iota about! How. Fucking. Wonderful. They have plenty of molds to remold or even rePAINT into homages to other characters like Cybertron Hot Shot (Not Cybertron Defense)! or Clocker! Or, hell, when Legacy Prime Arcee came out everyone was expecting a Cybertron Ransack repaint, and this is the PERFECT line to do it in and they're missing even THAT! But no, even in the toy line that seemed to be finally branching into something other than the 80s, they botched it and non-Unicron Trilogy toys now dominate the line. Here's hoping the Starscream and Hotshot from Armada in Legacy turn out okay and they make more, because as someone who enjoys Transformers from 2002-2009, I'm tired of getting pelted with Hasbro catering excusively to G1 and Beasts.
i hate that toys r us has the buzzworthy bumblebee line in Canada, they are charging $10 more for deluxe class then a "regular" delux at walmart, so $45 each, i will never pay $45 for a stand alone delux.
I really, really, REALLY like the Bulkhead! Head is on the Money, Accessories Rule, and A Guitar Solo of a Transformation! Arcee: Eh… Knockout: Oh That sucks Skyquake: HOLY F**K YES!!! Ans i am a HUGE Prime Fan!
Fr I’m convinced they just wanted a G1 version of Bulkhead they could add to Transformers Earth Wars and tbh im not *too* pissed about that. 15:46 me owning the raw chicken skin Dinobot and knowing it’s the third best figure I own:
On the topic of Scourge...I'm a toy designer by trade (I will not divulge which company) and repaints are typically the thing that one's boss wants done the quickest. So, I could see how whoever got tasked with coming up with the color scheme just did it like that. As they likely had much bigger fish to fry. I do think TJ's criticism of "You couldn't look up an image of it?" does still stand, though. I personally do at least a bit of image searching and wiki diving when I'm tasked with designing repaints.
The only thing I disagree on is the Retrax hate. I've had the Powerhug Beast Wars Neo version since I was a toddler and he's a cool little guy. Hoping to find a Retrax soon
I hate the removal of the plastic in the packaging, because I went into a Toys-R-Us and EVERY. FUCKING. COPY. Of Skullgrin had the horns just ripped off his head. EVERY COPY. Was damaged. And poor goddamn TFone Alpha Trion. . . he had his head removed. Somebody just stole his head. PLEASE Hasbro for Age of Primes, I really, REALLY hope you bring back the plastic screen covering the toy.
What upsets me with idw is I was collecting the collection books and they are expensive and they could have finished them had they released 1 a month since May but just decided to not complete it so now our collection is incomplete. And I love bulkhead was better then I expected don't hate wildrider either. Love scourge too but I got the toyhax set for him
Exclusivity is so frustrating. I had no problem finding two Cosmos toys at my Walmart (one for me, one for my buddy - not for flipping mind you), but I missed out on Crasher and my Walmart sure doesn't seem like it's going to get that second round because only Cosmos ever sold of the first round. The rest were peg-warmers for sure. Not a commentary on good/badness of the toys, but I got Hauler and Cosmos and I was set. Still, the worst thing about being a fan of anything is when that thing is limited to only one place or a five minute window on the website before it's all gone.
You're lucky at least that you live in the States, I live in the eastern side of Europe, we don't have Walmart or Target or any of those stores. I grew up with Cybertron so Obviously I wanted Override. Do you want to know how long I spent tracking one down? Every single day from the day they were released and up to December 23rd I stalked our onlinel market in the hopes of getting one. The one I found was also the only one they ever stocked, so if there was any horrible QC issue, I would've been out of luck getting a replacement. Luckily, it's the best figure I've gotten all year from a quality perspective, paint is clean, joints are perfect and I'm happy, but the frustration still exists because I missed out on getting Inferno, he was also the only one available. (There's only one online retailer here that actually sells legacy figures, none of our actual stores carry figures anymore, so 1 figure for an entire country is obviously a tight race)
Dishonorable mention: The Transformers ttrpg. Doesn't piss me off as much as the Power Rangers one, but there's still alot of round-peg-in-square-hole going on.
While I do love the Legacy Menasor over all, the main torso is practically perfect! There are multiple peg points, that snap together & hold tightly. It's very solid & the ratchet joints are very tight. Although Dead End in arm mode, the forearm seams to fall off easily. Perhaps Drag Strip too. My main gripes are Motor Master's trailer seems a bit stunted If it was on 20 - 25% longer, it wouldn't look so short. Also, another larger blade attachment to the sword, so it doesn't look like a knife in Mensaor's hand would've been nice! I'm not too concerned with the individual bot modes, since I'm just going to keep them in combined form. If I really wanted single forms without the hassle of the transformation, I'd have to get doubles of all the gestalts.
L take on bulkhead and metroplex, also I've seen no one when talking about cybertron metroplex even mention drillbit, it's a non-issue you make out to be a big deal when most of the time other titans didn't have an weapon so the designers instead added a figure, but metroplex comes with the spark-drinker which is like one of the biggest weapons in transformers, the rest did go to metroplex and all his engineering, transformation, and filling in the gaps
Wait...Wild rider and the team are now combaticons? They don't look very combaty. Lol (a joke for those who don't know sarcasm/jokes) But ironically I feel like the Wrecker Amazon exclusive Bulkhead feels better as bulkhead than the Legacy one
In regards to IDW Comics losing the Transformers I.P. I think the only thing that saddens me is that their beast wars comic got a raw deal, because it was great. Also, really hoping Manterror would be re-released. ToT
I was disappointed Bulkhead wasn't more like animated. If there's already 3 prime characters in Legacy why give a half assed prime bulkhead that fans didn't even like? He's originally from animated and that's still his most unique design, feels like a missed opportunity especially after seeing how good prowl is. They should've reissued First edition bulkhead for prime fans
In both animated and prime bulkhead had longer arms and shorter legs. This needed to have that. I would’ve preferred a more animated inspired figure but i would’ve been fine with something that looked like bulkhead in spirit. The alt mode is more movie hound. I’ve got my animated bulkhead and I’ve ordered a 3rd party prime bulkhead. Tis a shame though
I'd say my biggest disappointment this year was Studio Series Sideways, which is a shame because I'd rather say the opposite about that toy. He's a great looking figure, don't get me wrong, but I was unlucky with mine and ended up with one that can barely stand up and pose its legs, with the real pain being that his left arm is loose and won't stay up on its own. Sideways was always one of my favorite designs from the live action movies and my favorite character to play in the Revenge of the Fallen video game, so getting his figure only for it to have issues is a little disappointing. I haven't even seem him in stores again, so who knows if I'll be able to get a new one. I've seen others not have these issues, so it might only be a me thing, but yeah. That's my biggest Transformers related disappointment for 2022. Great video, TJ. Love your content.
I personally feel that Hasbro's decision to change scourge's colors and design for the toy, while some may feel is lazy, I see as a necessity. His original colors, whilst they may be iconic, in comparison to nearly every other character from the show or otherwise, is simply quite poor. As for when it comes to Metroplex...He's a little too expensive. Engineering is vastly improved. The minion was cool but didn't really help the original figure. And the Vehicle mode is far, FAR better. Solid redesign, the only Problems are the lack of a Minicon for some people and the price. Other than that, yeah the other figures are kind of thunkers
my walmarts didn't even get the reissues of terrorsaur and retrax in store online only. I wanted the terrorsaur if it went on sale... where is my polar claw damn it and dinobot and waspinator ect.
My hot takes: The Trainbots weren't designed or marketed for anywhere but Japan. The Masterpiece line was and always has been for Japan first and the rest of the world second. Velocitron *Skurrge* does work better as a Nemesis Prime. But I can see a Selects release of him in the future in the RID 2001 colors. The new packaging is what it is. I think it's crap, but no going back now. The choices for BW reissues are haphazard and the pricing has been head-scratching (especially Rattrap and Terrorsaur). But Retrax was just funny. So much so that I actually picked him up even though I passed on his original back in the day because I could tell it was crap, lol. Cybertron Metroplex is the first Titan I had zero interest in getting. I own his original version and the update didn't appeal to me for the price. Granted, I was never a huge fan of Cybertron/Galaxy Force. While I love TFP, the Legacy versions didn't set me off like others. They're fine for what they are. Exclusives are always going to be an issue, whether it's difficulty or desirability (or the lack thereof). For me, it was far easier to get the ones I wanted than last year. With regard to HISS Megatron, I wish they had leaned further into the Joe side. I think they should have made all of Megatron out of the vehicle instead of him looking like a Joecon cosplayer. Having said that, the toy is still pretty good. Wild Rider and Breakdown don't suffer nearly as badly as other combiner members have in the past (CW Long Haul, anyone?). Also, I think you've overemphasized how much of a backpack they actually have. It's really not that bad. Not that anyone will really care once Menasor is complete. And lastly, IDW....meh. I only casually read some of their run so the fact that it ended doesn't really make me feel one way or the other.
Maybe not one of the biggest letdowns for Transformers fans, but certainly a letdown for Transformers related material was the Magic the Gathering cards.
I don’t get the butthurt over Bulkhead. I absolutely love it. My favorite of the Legacy line that I’ve gotten. The train bots are utter bs. They don’t even look like MPs. They are too small, kibble everywhere, annoying looking transformations. The 3P Raiden looks better and isn’t much more. It’s sad. I think the Hiss Tabk mega would have looked better and been better as a toy if they hadn’t been so concerned with making his bot mode look so G1. That was a weird choice they made
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
In regards to the plastic-free packaging, you forgot one detail: the Walmart exclusive Legacy beast figures. Sandstorm, Buzz Saw, and Nightprowler all have plastic windows on their boxes. And as exclusives, they are STILL shelfwarming badly.
I'm surprised he didn't mention the BW reissue toys along with the SW and Marvel retro packaging lines.
On the topic of "where are the Transmetal reissues" Aaron Archer did an interview earlier this year where he said the molds for the Transmetal characters reused for TF Armada were permanently changed to include the mini-con ports. So the original versions of Transmetal Cheetor, Megatron, Rhinox, Airazor, & Terrorsaur can no longer be recreated without retooling the molds again. It can be done, but it'll cost more to do. The other Transmetal molds are likely fine, but I know they don't like doing chrome anymore unless it's important. Metallic paint instead maybe?
which sucks, because Transmetal Airazor is one of the earliest designed as female molds. I'd be fine with the minicon ports IMHO
Then just release them with the ports. I doubt it would be that bad.
My biggest disappointment is really just how Hasbro is obviously cutting costs making cheaper figures but still jacking up prices. I've been complaining about this for a while. I was OK with the cost cutting when the prices were staying low because Hasbro said it was necessary to keep the prices low but then they continued to cut costs and the prices went up anyway. We're literally paying more for less every year. Even the Leader Class offerings, I was fine with Siege Shockwave but Astrotrain, most of his extra parts aren't even usable outside of the Train mode and I'd rather have him as a Voyager without the caboose cause it's just not worth it. Blitzwing is the worst of them all cause all he has is an extra pair of giant fists that don't look good in any of his modes. I saw it at Wal Mart and considered picking him up because the figure on it's own does look good but I just couldn't justify paying Leader price for a Voyager figure just because of 2 accessories that he shouldn't even have!
thank you sir. No one seems to want to admit this
I lucked out @ a comic shop & found a loose Blitzwing for around $15 w/ 1 gun & substitute sword (no weird junky fist things). I wouldn't have paid full price for him otherwise as those 'extra parts' are clearly thrown in to justify extra cost. Now if it were part of a Build-a-Figure or BW was part of a Combiner, those things would make sense.
@@andrewgrant2990 Man I would love to find a loose Blitzwing or Astrotrain and I'd be willing to pay $30 for each since that's what Voyagers use to go for. I just don't want to pay leader cost for them. Those fist are not worth an extra $20+, they're maybe an extra $2 at the most.
@@visionop8 the weirdest thing is there people defending it talking about “engineering” or “details” like bitch we’ve been having that why’s that a talking point now smh, they’re trying to cater to hard core collectors which is what the masterpiece line was for to begin with. It’s obvious there’s some serious mismanagement going on in the back and I’m not supporting that with my money.
yup its those jewish investors that want more and more profits.
Designers gave it their all this year, but the corporate side BLATANTLY shot their knees. I hate those people, they're squeezing every single penny out of the consumers while not giving a proper product, QC issues ran rampant, figures had crystal clear cut corners, packaging that made vandalism and theft super easy and non-stop price increases vs non-stop size decreases, all while having abysmal distribution outside of the US. And I'm not even including the ripoff that is HasLab.
Meanwhile, I look at Mattel, who have great distribution and bang-for-buck with their Mega and MOTU lines.
To be honest my biggest disappointment was the cancellation of the Beast Wars comic. I was really enjoying it. It was a nice reboot of Beast Wars with some nice new ideas and the new characters were so good. Skold and Nyx needs some figures
I liked the story. But I really wanted someone else on the Art.
Nyx technically HAS a toy since his model was based on Bat Primal. They changed the head though so it doesn't look so much like Optimus in the comics. Skold I believe was also based on an existing figure but I can't remember off the top of my head which one.
@@RialVestro Snapper, although Skold’s colors are different. I’d love to see the two get released as a two-pack made from the original Beast Wars toys but with remolded heads.
Gotta be honest, the art was so ugly and amateurish I couldn't get into the plot
@@Spike-Prime it was pretty damn good. Expressive, emotive, cartoony and kinetic. Reminded me of the Transformers: Animated art style. I'd take this over most of the generic house styles that idw would use.
For the open packaging, they could've just pack them in alt mode, less chances for head steal. Still cant tell,if the head is sloppily painted but at least we can se that they we're buying matches the one in the box art
The problem with Bulkhead is that on his own without any of the context, he is a fun toy with some clean and very fun transformations in all of Legacy. I bought him in spite of his lack of resemblance to Prime, or Animated with that. So I can see how torn fans would be with Bulkhead while at the same time loving what they did with him all at once.
One thing on the missing metroplexes minicon for 200 bucks, Deathsaurus funded and they ADDED two new mold figures at the end. Now i've seen how mini figures can hurt the main figure. I'm ok with paying a little more if both are great. but yes at 200 mangagement could totally have thrown fans a bone.
Most of the points I agree with, but personally I love Legacy Metroplex. The work mode is a lot of fun, and he mostly feels super solid. He gives the character the weight and size that he deserved. Something the original never could. He's not perfect, granted. The shoulder clasps are less than stable and I have a nearly impossible time getting him to hold his weapon. But the sheer fun and presence of the thing makes it completely worth it for me. Not to mention the extreme improvement in articulation he is over the original. Though I will easily agree the lack of an included Drillbit was disappointing. Especially since there seems to be a dedicated connection space on the end of the bucket claw, just like the original toy. Really hoping the little guy will get a core class release sometime in the near future.
The biggest disappointment with the Stunticons is that only Dragstrip and Motormaster came out in NZ stores. Waves 2 and 3 both no-showed, at least in my area. Dead End appeared online in very limited quantities, but I didn't managed to get him before he sold out. Wildrider didn't even show up in the online stores, or if he did they only had like 1 copy, he was out of stock already by the time the other Wave 2 toys showed up online.
Oh, and the other disappointment was that the only online store to actually get Wave 3 ordered a Starscream Voyager case and no Inferno ones, so my preorder got cancelled and I got no ant. At least the Amazon one didn't cost that much more to ship, but now I have to wait for it and there's no guarantee he won't get crushed in the shipping process thanks to the crappy new packaging.
So basically yeah, the biggest disappointment of Transformers 2022 boils down to horrific distribution or lack thereof of anything Legacy that's not Wave 1.
Aussie here. I've had to rely on JB Hi-Fi stores in my area to get new Legacy and Studio Series figures, because all other retail stores (Target, K-Mart, Big W, Myer) barely got anything beyond the first wave of Legacy figures (and even then, Myer is the only one of those four that regularly sells the Leader class assortment). And even when JB Hi-Fi got the most recent wave, half the figures were missing from shelves; no Pointblank, no Crankcase, no Bomb-Burst. If Hasbro issues some statement about shoddy sales figures in Australia and NZ, I'm going to commit a felony.
In the case of Star Wars TVC, a lot of people were complaining about the plastic-free packaging and discussing cutting down on purchases as a result of the PFP potentially ruining the Kenner aesthetic. Hasbro had to come out and issue a statement that they were reverting their decision to make TVC packaging plastic-free. It was definitely a profit-based decision for that line.
It's always been a profit based decision. i've worked for multiple places where management with no experience in the product try to make broad cost cutting decisions to "save the company money" even when it often leads to higher costs and loss in profit. And they will always try to hide it under an altrusitic issue the better! (this is why the paint budget has shrunk so much over the years too)
About the packaging, I kinda noticed that the actual quality of the paper used feels cheaper. Like they're easy to tear into. I don't know how MIB collectors would be interested in these if they just get dented or teared up with little effort.
Hell even I just immediately dump the boxes in the trash bin.
Legacy Bulkhead was great as a toy. The Wreck N Rule version, especially.
I have the retail version but I do kinda want to get this version and with some paint the mouthplate black to be like a beard so it’s basically even more movie Hound.
I chose to get the wreck and rule version, it looks superior to the original release
While i disagree i do see how someone would think that.
I loved Legacy Bulkhead, I'll admit he doesn't work as Prime or Animated g1ified at all, But I think it's a great new version of Bulkhead. Granted I have a soft spot for a Military vehicle type that I actually used to drive.
Great figure, bad Bulkhead
The retrax reissue feels like a joke. Don't get me wrong, it's hilarious, but I wonder if someone jokingly suggested it, they dug through the molds, and then died a little when they realized that retrax was at least some level of complete.
To be fair, in 2022 Cosmos and Galaxy Shuttle IIRC are the top ones that reached scalper-level demand, compared to WFC scalper-demands on Skywarp, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Soundwave, Ironhide & Prowl, Coneheads, Ratchet and medic, etc. Neither is ideal, but at least it was less highly desirable exclusives which sell too quickly and more obscure shelfwarmers that stay around longer at less profit.
Yeah. I had a Cosmos but I traded it for SS86 Cliffjumper as I couldnt find one at all. Im also trying to get Galaxy Shuttle without paying double too
Thing with the Trainbots is, they're not designed to be sold outside of Japan. Not the marketing, not the price, not the idea behind the toys is meant for most collectors outside of Japan.
The Masterpiece Trainbots are targeted at middle-aged Japanese salarymen with disposable income, nostalgia for 1980's Transformers and classic trains. Heck, from what I've gathered it's cheaper in some instances to buy an MP Trainbot than to get a same model train in that exact scale. And trains are BIG in Japan, similar to cars in North America.
Takara/Tomy has found a market for the MP Trainbots in their home country, anything more is just a bonus.
But yeah, for what you get they are way too expensive. I can agree with you on that.
It's hilarious to me that Scourge was on this list. I wasn't going to buy him until TJ's video pointed out that he looked like Nemesis Prime and then that's just what I've called him ever sense. So I'm constantly forgetting he was supposed to be Scourge ^^;
I’m glad I got my Velocitron Scourge on sale for $39 at the local Walmart
My main disappointment was with the heads of certain characters:
1) I'd have preferred if Pointblank, Dead End and Dragstrip's heads were based on their G1 toy heads instead of their animation models. Despite this misgiving, I do like the figures.
2) I wasn't happy to see Hasbro return to the CHUG style of Pretenders where they base the robot mode on the shell. At least they could have given them a choice of heads.
3) Bulkhead wasn't remade in the G1 aesthetic. I never liked the stylised aesthetics of Animated and Prime and with the ridiculous chin, his head still looks it's from Prime.
Personally my biggest disappointment has been that the first wave of Legacy as a whole shelf warmed. I have lived in three states this year and every box store I checked still have the first wave on the shelves.
I've noticed that too, & it's not even that wave 1 wasn't selling. It was selling like mad those first few months, but then the stores just kept ordering more wave 1 even after everyone already had what they wanted. Target was the only store near me that carried wave 2 and 3.
The Deluxe Class has been the biggest problem in my experience. I have actually seen (and bought some) of the Wave 2 Voyager and Leader figures, but I have never seen the Wave 2 Deluxe Class anywhere on shelves and then Wave 3 of course has been MIA completely. Instead, it's always the same figures of Prime Arcee, Skids, Dragstrip, and Kickback hanging around.
Yep. I've lucked out in finding some of the Wave 2 stuff in a local gaming and comics shop, but none of the chain retailers near me (St. Louis Metro East) have had anything after Wave 1 and all of Velocitron minus Cosmos.
I certainly can agree with the MPG Raiden problem, you ain't alone there TJ
21:21 I've seen more then one messed up Legacy figure, and it's funny every time, although as sad as it is. Seeing a just totally *obliterated* Legacy figure in the wild gives me a chuckle, but definitely has to be a PITA for people trying to collect them
19:20 Smart and "interesting" take on the situation with Scourge. Very "interesting" indeed...
Weird how the open packeging thing works with the Jurassic Park/World toys, but not with the Transformers.
To me the thing about MP Raiden is... why Raiden? The first time Masterpiece does combiners and they pick him? I like him but that's just because I love trains and always have, since long before I joined the Transformers fandom, it's great for fans of Japanese G1 but you'd think they would go with a more universally known combiner like Devastator or one of the Scramble City lot to make the first MP combiner (unless they're using Raiden to iron out the kinks of a MP combiner before doing the big names)
I disagree with number 5. I’m a huge prime fan, and I loved bulkhead. It feels like bulkhead to me. Arcee is the one that set me off. It looked like arcee, but didn’t feel like arcee. Her silhouette was mediocre at best, and to me, to put it simply, arcee sucked.
I'd venture to guess the more popular Beast Wars characters, including the Transmetals, are being held for the movie to come out.
This is how you solve the problem of theft of toys.
You do what they did with video games since the 80’s. You take a piece of paper with the name of the figure to the cashier, then they hand you the toy from the back.
Now I want to see toys include more aspects of video games. We already have exclusives. And 3P upgrades are kinda like DLC. So when do we get Transformers with DRM codes that you have to register before you can transform them?
Theft can happen off the production line, too. Or even in the backroom.
The Stolen toy theft was much worse last year.
Theft in general is a problem in the US, especially in California:/
I've heard people say that Legacy Bulkhead is closer to his TFA likeness in some ways over the Prime one, and I can see it. I've been interested in a g1ified version of Bulkhead for years so I was pretty satisfied. Proportions could be a little bit better but it's ok in-hand.
If they do get around to reissuing Quickstrike, I hope they replace the clear plastic with that metallic mustard gold they used for DOTM Darksteel. Not only would it be more show-accurate, it would also last longer over time with transformation pins embedded in the plastic.
Legacy scourge was a fantastic toy
I know a couple people were actually excited for Retrax and happy they finally own one so idk why TJ is being super critical of it
I remember when Lugnut came out in Reveal the Shield as a Generations styled version of the character, everyone was begging for a Bulkhead to go with him. Now we got one, and all people did was whine he wasn't a ball on legs. This figure was literally the one people had been crying out for, but for some reason, now that's not okay.
People say Hasbro never learns their lesson but just look what happened to the exclusives: the Seekers were impossible to find unless you had lotto-winning luck. So they turned it around and made the exclusives shelf-warm so hard they'll probably be on NEXT year's disappointment list 😆
(I'm ignoring the exclusives that were impossible to find like Galaxy Shuttle for the sake of the joke)
I don’t mind the legacy bulkhead, but I only got him because he was on sale at a store I got him at. The transformers shelf was filled with **only** him.
You know, I didn't think about people returning wrong figures in the Legacy boxes. I bought Legacy Galvatron, and when I opened him up, it was the Kingdom Galvatron with the QC shoulder issue. I just figured it was Hasbro just repackaging left overs from Kingdom, but now idk.
Hasbro doesn't literally repackage existing toys. Once a toy is sold to a retailer, Hasbro never sees it again. Unsold product goes on clearance, sold to overstock chains, then eventually just gets discarded.
I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure you got toy-swapped.
@@OptimusPhillip Shame, but the figure was still in very good condition. So I'm happy to have him in my collection. He looks imposing on my movie/ 3rd season shelf.
I really hate exclusives. I still don't have Runabout and Runamuck. I only got Ratchet and Lifeline, because a fellow collector quit. Only to find out we are getting both him and Ironhide in the Studio Series. For the Star Wars cards, if Hasbro stopped releasing the figures on cards with a bubble, they would lose half or even more of their customer base. The majority of people buy one to keep carded or two to keep one carded and open the other.
One of my biggest disappointments this year was the distribution
I might have liked to get some Beast Wars reissues, if the last one I saw wasn't Tigatron
What's worse is that the designer tried to defend that Scourge saying "I couldn't have made it look like Scourge if I wanted to. The mold layouts made it impossible." Forgive me for saying so, but I call bullshit. There are no parts that were the same color on Laser Optimus that are supposed to be different colors for Scourge. Literally all you had to do was cast the red and blue parts in black, and make the clear plastic pink. You couldn't pull off something that simple?
I would not have paid that kind of money for the Titan Metroplex. I didn't think wildrider was that bad. I totally agree with you on the whole boxing issues. I'm still having issues with the distribution. I can never find the characters I'm looking for and once they do a repaint of it then I can't find the original I wanted to get another laser optimist prime I only wound up with one so no mint inbox for me even though the box sucks. I still haven't found rumble I haven't got my dead end yet played hell getting cosmos and now I can't find another motormaster had to take a break from mine for me and buy for the kids for Christmas. And all I see on the store shelves are lots and lots of sweeps I would like to get another scourge. They really need to work on their distribution and that stupid skids mold repaints. I've said it on other channels comments all that thing does it's clogged the pegs I can go into a Walmart or a Target and find skids anytime I want and it's the only thing there and Walmart has this nasty habit of over ordering wave one and it just sits there so we don't get any of the new stuff and they all go to big lots and ollies and all the bargain basement places involved and I never see the other waves because they're still stuck in Wave 1. And Target they still haven't restock from Christmas and here we are the middle of February. And I absolutely hate exclusives of any kind that just makes them harder to find and more expensive on secondary markets because of the scalpers. Oh how I miss the old Toys R Us KB and Lionel Playworld where every retailer stock everything except those exclusive G1 reissue that Toys R Us got right before they closed. That's the end of my rant
The reason Hasbro keeps making these bad decisions is the fact people are still _buying_ the bad decisions. So you complain about a toy that you bought that didn't meet your expectations in some way, but the problem is you still _bought_ it and Hasbro as a whole looks at sales more than they look at what fans are saying. You want the packaging improved? Only buy toys in the kind of packaging you think they should be using. You want fewer exclusives? Let them all shelfwarm. We should all be voting with our wallets when it comes to Transformers. IDW learned that the hard way, they only have themselves to blame for losing the license and now facing potential bankruptcy.
Another bad thing about the new packaging is the slanted tops. These make it impossible to build display walls of unopened figures.
Man I saw Retrax in the store and just had to smile. Thinking that this toy's legacy is getting dumped on by this channel, lol.
I’ve actually found EarthSpark bumblebee and Optimus prime twist and transformed figures that are mistransformed because of this open gap in the packaging.
Biggest disappointment was the lack of beast wars themed merchandise on shelves. I still am having a hard time finding a rattrap and a legacy inferno. Also I cant remember if this was a thing back on original release but I was forced to order some figures online and the plastic blisters were popped off on shipment due to a lack of glue on production causing damage to my figures. Where is the QA where is the supply to the demand where is the appreciation to the fans looking to relive the toys that were thrown away so mercilessly so long ago...that's my slagging words on my biggest dissatisfaction and disappointment for bot collection in 2022.
number 2 really gets me. one the odd shape means you can't fold them flat if you wanted to keep the box. two Legacy tarantulas, mine is missing a spider leg so is so many other people's copy. can't get a replacement part, can't get a replacement figure and hear many other figures are missing accessories and parts that in the back part of the boxes or that paper sleeve they put the guns in.
I haven't gotten Metroplex yet even on sale cause I'm still trying to figure out how to store the thing but alot of you're issues as aren't mine.
Like Velocitron Override I'm not buying this thing to be a replication of everything the original was. I don't care that he doesn't have the Cyber Key or the Mini Con. I'm buying this because I like the Character and the Improvements over the Original, Namely the Articulation and Molded Detail which you have to admit are Amazing.
Great list. THANK YOU.
The Beast Wars reissue had basically NO distributions around me. That was so annoying :/ I would have boguht Optimus or Megatron!
The reissue BW are awful in choice. It had a strong start with original season 1 characters then we got scorponok and terrasor alright another big figure and wtf are these blister packs? Dinobot, tarantulus, black arachnia, rhinox, waspinator, or bloody silverbolt but retrax and K9 come on you had the season 1 cast to do yet went with toy characters.
The generations selects is kinda a disappointment in how little was added while there’s stacks of target/Walmart exclusives. Generations selects while still an exclusive is an easier exclusive to get, also the BB line you could fit half of that into selects like the toy color version of BW figures or stuff like ransack or parasite/skywasp
A personal disappointment is my wreckers twintwist and bulk head got canceled and seeing how difficult that mold is to get very upsetting and .ca it’s not even listed so I either have to second market him or pay shipping in American.
After Studio Series Devastator, I'll never buy combiner components without seeing the finished product first.
Definitely agree on Wildrider and Breakdown...especially Breakdown being a slight remold of Wildrider. I mean, everyone else gets their own unique molds and then here's Breakdown using Wildrider's mold with a new head, back end, and chest. It would have been the first time since G1 the Stunticons would have had vehicle modes that resemble the real world counterparts. Like seriously, Dead End and Wild Rider's vehicle modes look almost just like the Ferrari and Porsche modes the G1 toys had.
Last weekend I was at Walmart. Came upon 10 Headless Arcee's.
My 5 year old son LOVES Bulkhead from "Prime". I was going to surprise him with the new toy, he took 1 look at it and asked who it was, because that wasnt Bulkhead. I decided not to get him a toy he didnt want....
With Bulkhead there are actually military trucks or APCs which do carry the proper shape and silhouette for both of his modes. Also I don't enjoy the flimsy vehicle canvas suddenly becoming a defensive shield.
2023 has been so so much better for TF fans
I know I'm a little late but I wanna throw my hat in on a few things.
One, I actually like the Legacy Metroplex. I get the greivances with it, but...I'll be blunt, I'm more than willing to pay full price for something Unicron Trilogy, or Animated, as those are my butterzones of Transformers, nearly a decade of Transformers history that gets so little attention anymore...And speaking of, let me interject my own "Biggest Dissapointment of 2022 in Transformers":
The Velocitron line as a whole. What an unceremonious disgusting bait-n-switch! Everything from the name, to the design of the box, to the INCREDIBLE new Override toy that was my top toy of the year...ALL of that was very promising that we'd finally be seeing some genuine love and new toys from Cybertron, arguably the best of the Unicron Trilogy! And what toy was stocked with Override? What was the toy that came in the same damn wave? A dumbass glorified green hockey puck who has NOTHING to do with Velocitron and that no one hyped for that line and for Override gave a single iota about! How. Fucking. Wonderful.
They have plenty of molds to remold or even rePAINT into homages to other characters like Cybertron Hot Shot (Not Cybertron Defense)! or Clocker! Or, hell, when Legacy Prime Arcee came out everyone was expecting a Cybertron Ransack repaint, and this is the PERFECT line to do it in and they're missing even THAT! But no, even in the toy line that seemed to be finally branching into something other than the 80s, they botched it and non-Unicron Trilogy toys now dominate the line. Here's hoping the Starscream and Hotshot from Armada in Legacy turn out okay and they make more, because as someone who enjoys Transformers from 2002-2009, I'm tired of getting pelted with Hasbro catering excusively to G1 and Beasts.
The Megatron hiss tank looks like he's just wearing armor
i hate that toys r us has the buzzworthy bumblebee line in Canada, they are charging $10 more for deluxe class then a "regular" delux at walmart, so $45 each, i will never pay $45 for a stand alone delux.
I really, really, REALLY like the Bulkhead! Head is on the Money, Accessories Rule, and A Guitar Solo of a Transformation! Arcee: Eh…
Knockout: Oh That sucks
Skyquake: HOLY F**K YES!!!
Ans i am a HUGE Prime Fan!
Fr I’m convinced they just wanted a G1 version of Bulkhead they could add to Transformers Earth Wars and tbh im not *too* pissed about that.
15:46 me owning the raw chicken skin Dinobot and knowing it’s the third best figure I own:
On the topic of Scourge...I'm a toy designer by trade (I will not divulge which company) and repaints are typically the thing that one's boss wants done the quickest. So, I could see how whoever got tasked with coming up with the color scheme just did it like that. As they likely had much bigger fish to fry.
I do think TJ's criticism of "You couldn't look up an image of it?" does still stand, though. I personally do at least a bit of image searching and wiki diving when I'm tasked with designing repaints.
The only thing I disagree on is the Retrax hate. I've had the Powerhug Beast Wars Neo version since I was a toddler and he's a cool little guy. Hoping to find a Retrax soon
i have probably said this before elsewhere but for RID scourge my main gripe is the red clear plastic in the shoulder pieces
I hate the removal of the plastic in the packaging, because I went into a Toys-R-Us and EVERY. FUCKING. COPY. Of Skullgrin had the horns just ripped off his head. EVERY COPY. Was damaged. And poor goddamn TFone Alpha Trion. . . he had his head removed. Somebody just stole his head. PLEASE Hasbro for Age of Primes, I really, REALLY hope you bring back the plastic screen covering the toy.
What upsets me with idw is I was collecting the collection books and they are expensive and they could have finished them had they released 1 a month since May but just decided to not complete it so now our collection is incomplete. And I love bulkhead was better then I expected don't hate wildrider either. Love scourge too but I got the toyhax set for him
Exclusivity is so frustrating. I had no problem finding two Cosmos toys at my Walmart (one for me, one for my buddy - not for flipping mind you), but I missed out on Crasher and my Walmart sure doesn't seem like it's going to get that second round because only Cosmos ever sold of the first round. The rest were peg-warmers for sure. Not a commentary on good/badness of the toys, but I got Hauler and Cosmos and I was set. Still, the worst thing about being a fan of anything is when that thing is limited to only one place or a five minute window on the website before it's all gone.
You're lucky at least that you live in the States, I live in the eastern side of Europe, we don't have Walmart or Target or any of those stores. I grew up with Cybertron so Obviously I wanted Override. Do you want to know how long I spent tracking one down? Every single day from the day they were released and up to December 23rd I stalked our onlinel market in the hopes of getting one. The one I found was also the only one they ever stocked, so if there was any horrible QC issue, I would've been out of luck getting a replacement.
Luckily, it's the best figure I've gotten all year from a quality perspective, paint is clean, joints are perfect and I'm happy, but the frustration still exists because I missed out on getting Inferno, he was also the only one available. (There's only one online retailer here that actually sells legacy figures, none of our actual stores carry figures anymore, so 1 figure for an entire country is obviously a tight race)
PTSD flashbacks to the Walmart exclusive Netflix Soundwave that totally should've been reissued in Legacy instead of the Siege version nobody wants.
Dishonorable mention: The Transformers ttrpg. Doesn't piss me off as much as the Power Rangers one, but there's still alot of round-peg-in-square-hole going on.
I thought Legacy Metroplex was older than that like 2020.
*ages into dust*
While I do love the Legacy Menasor over all, the main torso is practically perfect! There are multiple peg points, that snap together & hold tightly. It's very solid & the ratchet joints are very tight. Although Dead End in arm mode, the forearm seams to fall off easily. Perhaps Drag Strip too. My main gripes are Motor Master's trailer seems a bit stunted If it was on 20 - 25% longer, it wouldn't look so short. Also, another larger blade attachment to the sword, so it doesn't look like a knife in Mensaor's hand would've been nice!
I'm not too concerned with the individual bot modes, since I'm just going to keep them in combined form. If I really wanted single forms without the hassle of the transformation, I'd have to get doubles of all the gestalts.
I actually like the buzz worthy dinobot… dunno y… I just do lol
L take on bulkhead and metroplex, also I've seen no one when talking about cybertron metroplex even mention drillbit, it's a non-issue you make out to be a big deal when most of the time other titans didn't have an weapon so the designers instead added a figure, but metroplex comes with the spark-drinker which is like one of the biggest weapons in transformers, the rest did go to metroplex and all his engineering, transformation, and filling in the gaps
Biggest disappointment? Plastic free packaging.
Wait...Wild rider and the team are now combaticons? They don't look very combaty. Lol (a joke for those who don't know sarcasm/jokes)
But ironically I feel like the Wrecker Amazon exclusive Bulkhead feels better as bulkhead than the Legacy one
Very enjoyable video
5:48 I really want to see a whole on your thoughts of idw
I highly agree with you on "Scourge". It's Nemesis Prime/Black Convoy. I refuse to call him Scourge.
Personally I would have put Star Saber QC as number 1 with the micro master literally snapping in half
In regards to IDW Comics losing the Transformers I.P. I think the only thing that saddens me is that their beast wars comic got a raw deal, because it was great.
Also, really hoping Manterror would be re-released. ToT
Did you know that people actually stealing the parts for red cog as a replacement
I was disappointed Bulkhead wasn't more like animated. If there's already 3 prime characters in Legacy why give a half assed prime bulkhead that fans didn't even like? He's originally from animated and that's still his most unique design, feels like a missed opportunity especially after seeing how good prowl is. They should've reissued First edition bulkhead for prime fans
They could have used soundwave for the hiss tank as its already an official design in earth wars
I hate the open packaging. Way too many headless or armless Transformers at stores now.
Velocitron Scourge was such a letdown
In both animated and prime bulkhead had longer arms and shorter legs. This needed to have that. I would’ve preferred a more animated inspired figure but i would’ve been fine with something that looked like bulkhead in spirit. The alt mode is more movie hound. I’ve got my animated bulkhead and I’ve ordered a 3rd party prime bulkhead. Tis a shame though
I like Bulkhead! And Jihaxus was an even worse shelf warmer!
To be fair the zeta /moon studios train bots are also overly complicated.
Nemesis laser prime because Hasbro doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
I'd say my biggest disappointment this year was Studio Series Sideways, which is a shame because I'd rather say the opposite about that toy.
He's a great looking figure, don't get me wrong, but I was unlucky with mine and ended up with one that can barely stand up and pose its legs, with the real pain being that his left arm is loose and won't stay up on its own. Sideways was always one of my favorite designs from the live action movies and my favorite character to play in the Revenge of the Fallen video game, so getting his figure only for it to have issues is a little disappointing. I haven't even seem him in stores again, so who knows if I'll be able to get a new one.
I've seen others not have these issues, so it might only be a me thing, but yeah. That's my biggest Transformers related disappointment for 2022. Great video, TJ. Love your content.
The largest disappointment is we weren't treated with another terrible season of Netflix Transformers.
I personally feel that Hasbro's decision to change scourge's colors and design for the toy, while some may feel is lazy, I see as a necessity. His original colors, whilst they may be iconic, in comparison to nearly every other character from the show or otherwise, is simply quite poor. As for when it comes to Metroplex...He's a little too expensive. Engineering is vastly improved. The minion was cool but didn't really help the original figure. And the Vehicle mode is far, FAR better. Solid redesign, the only Problems are the lack of a Minicon for some people and the price. Other than that, yeah the other figures are kind of thunkers
my walmarts didn't even get the reissues of terrorsaur and retrax in store online only. I wanted the terrorsaur if it went on sale... where is my polar claw damn it and dinobot and waspinator ect.
Idea for Drill bit, repaint and retool of Rung
Studio series 86 Ironhides been showing up headless. They really need to do packages different
Isn't that his gimmick though?
My hot takes:
The Trainbots weren't designed or marketed for anywhere but Japan. The Masterpiece line was and always has been for Japan first and the rest of the world second.
Velocitron *Skurrge* does work better as a Nemesis Prime. But I can see a Selects release of him in the future in the RID 2001 colors.
The new packaging is what it is. I think it's crap, but no going back now.
The choices for BW reissues are haphazard and the pricing has been head-scratching (especially Rattrap and Terrorsaur). But Retrax was just funny. So much so that I actually picked him up even though I passed on his original back in the day because I could tell it was crap, lol.
Cybertron Metroplex is the first Titan I had zero interest in getting. I own his original version and the update didn't appeal to me for the price. Granted, I was never a huge fan of Cybertron/Galaxy Force.
While I love TFP, the Legacy versions didn't set me off like others. They're fine for what they are.
Exclusives are always going to be an issue, whether it's difficulty or desirability (or the lack thereof). For me, it was far easier to get the ones I wanted than last year.
With regard to HISS Megatron, I wish they had leaned further into the Joe side. I think they should have made all of Megatron out of the vehicle instead of him looking like a Joecon cosplayer. Having said that, the toy is still pretty good.
Wild Rider and Breakdown don't suffer nearly as badly as other combiner members have in the past (CW Long Haul, anyone?). Also, I think you've overemphasized how much of a backpack they actually have. It's really not that bad. Not that anyone will really care once Menasor is complete.
And lastly, IDW....meh. I only casually read some of their run so the fact that it ended doesn't really make me feel one way or the other.
if this is what you call "hot takes" I would suggest having someone else cook your food
Maybe not one of the biggest letdowns for Transformers fans, but certainly a letdown for Transformers related material was the Magic the Gathering cards.
I don’t own any of the train bots
I liked Scourge and Bulkhead
I was going to buy Wolfgang but then the k-9 was revealed and looked way better so I bought him
I don’t get the butthurt over Bulkhead.
I absolutely love it. My favorite of the Legacy line that I’ve gotten.
The train bots are utter bs. They don’t even look like MPs. They are too small, kibble everywhere, annoying looking transformations.
The 3P Raiden looks better and isn’t much more. It’s sad.
I think the Hiss Tabk mega would have looked better and been better as a toy if they hadn’t been so concerned with making his bot mode look so G1. That was a weird choice they made