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Post by Power Ranger on Jul 4, 2018 13:46:18 GMT
I like TFs who look great in both vehicle mode and robot mode. I prefer the vehicle mode to be from Earth and recognisable as a real-world vehicle. I like the robot to have as much articulation as possible and not to have too much unnecessary baggage. Then add an appropriate colour, as colour is very important.
The ability to triple change (or more) was not a priority to me as those toys for the most part never looked great in all forms.
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Post by twothousandonemark on Jul 6, 2018 0:04:45 GMT
Honestly, the more die-cast metallic parts the better. I don't know how to describe this but having a head that isn't lazily merged with body/shoulders is a huge plus also. That goes a bit for leg limbs, that aren't just fold out to stand.  Yes  No |
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Post by MCDemuth on Jul 16, 2018 18:25:08 GMT
I'm not sure what really makes a great Transformer toy... Either you like them, or you don't. But I agree with Tom Hanks... Robots that turn into skyscrapers are not fun. Seriously, who wants to play with a fucking skyscraper? I just don't get it! Now, robots that turn into things like "Bugs"... that's different! Maybe it all has to do with what their different modes are capable of doing. |
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Post by Power Ranger on Jul 16, 2018 21:25:14 GMT
I'm not sure what really makes a great Transformer toy... Either you like them, or you don't. But I agree with Tom Hanks... Robots that turn into skyscrapers are not fun. Seriously, who wants to play with a fucking skyscraper? I just don't get it! Now, robots that turn into things like "Bugs"... that's different! Maybe it all has to do with what their different modes are capable of doing. I have to disagree. When I saw Big I thought a skyscraper robot was a good idea. It could fight giant monsters like kong. |
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Post by PreachCaleb on Jul 23, 2018 18:28:19 GMT
I'm not sure what really makes a great Transformer toy... Either you like them, or you don't. But I agree with Tom Hanks... Robots that turn into skyscrapers are not fun. Seriously, who wants to play with a fucking skyscraper? I just don't get it! Now, robots that turn into things like "Bugs"... that's different! Maybe it all has to do with what their different modes are capable of doing. I think Metroplex and Fortress Maximus might have something to say about that. |
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Post by MCDemuth on Jul 10, 2019 17:49:51 GMT
Since my previous post, almost a year ago, I've had time to do some serious re-thinking about the question...
Of course all of us, want our Transformers toys to look just like the Cartoon/Comic Book/Movie characters... In both robot modes & Alternate modes...
However, as we know... What we see in the Cartoons/Comic Books/Movies... tends to feature a bit of Animation magic, and usually doesn't translate well into a real life working machine...
Take the original G1 Optimus Prime toy, for example. The Truck mode looked realistic and fantastic... However, the Robot Mode didn't look a whole lot like the cartoon. Optimus' arms in the cartoon appear to be made of nice blocks that looked durable, while the toy had wheel-well "cut outs", and it looked like his arms could snap in to two...
In other words, to make one mode to look great, another mode might have to take a hit in accuracy...
But not always... Over the decades, new technical methods have been developed to create more realistic transformations, and so, more recent toy designs have been able to create Optimus Prime toys that look "nearly perfect" in Both Modes...
However, that might mean, it might be more complicated to transform the toy...
Nearly perfect? Yes, Nearly! There will never be perfect toys that look exactly like the characters we see in Cartoons/Comic Books/Movies...
As I said, something, somewhere has to take a hit in accuracy...
And so, the individual "Collector" has to decide what mode is more important...
Take Starscream & Skywarp of the Decepticons Seekers, for example... Both toys, almost aways share the exact same toy modes... Originally, both G1 toys transformed from Robot, to F-15 fighter jet planes. But over the years, the jet plane modes have changed to F-22 Raptors & even Cyberton jets... But still the same molds...
Yet, for me, I view the two characters differently... I've always liked Starscream as a character better. His personality, his desire to take over the Decepticons from Megatron, and his scientific intelligence. As a plane, he really wasn't all that special... Skywarp, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Not a great character, and was rarely depicted as having any kind of a major speaking role. But, I think his paint scheme of Black & Purple was the best of all the jets, and of course, he could teleport from one place to another... And so...
When I want Starscream, I want a great robot mode... When I want Skywarp, I want a great plane mode...
This similar comparison holds true, at least for me, for many of the Transformers characters... For some, the Robot Mode is more important... while for others, the alternate mode is more important...
And also, the individual "Collector" has to decide on how, the Toy is going to used... Is this toy going to be regularly played with, or will the toy be place on a "shelf" and simply displayed?... If both, well then, you might have trouble finding the perfect toy, but, if it is one or the other, odds are you can find one that will meet your expectations...
I recently purchase an Arcee... She looks great in both modes.... However, Since she is a transformer, much of her design, features many small and fragile parts in order to transform her. She's definitely not very durable, and she shouldn't really be played with regularly, especially by smaller children... As a "collector", She is being displayed on the "shelf" in robot mode, standing next to my G1 Hot Rod...
In addition, I just ordered some recent releases for Cosmos & Seaspray... While both modes look great... In my opinion, their robot modes were never really the point. Cosmos is a UFO, and Seaspray is a Hovercraft... and it is those alternate modes that were usually featured in the media! And that is what interests me the most... I plan to "display" both in their alternate modes!
Finally we have, the alternate mode, itself...
As I originally noted... In the movie BIG, with Tom Hanks... The question was asked, "What is fun about playing with a 'building'?"... Yes, I still believe, that the particular skyscraper he was playing with, looked boring as hell... It did nothing, while in alternate mode...
At least with an Autobot City, like Metroplex, it had weapons, and vehicle bays, and a heliport... You could "Play" with it!
In the case of the Autobots, there were plenty of car types to choose from, depending on the "Collector's" Interests... I prefer Hot Rod, over Trailbreaker, because I think a "Hot Rod" is more interesting to play with, than a Pick-up Truck Camper...
I am sure many other "Collectors" had their own favorites to choose from...
Cars, Guns, Planes, Dinosaurs, Bugs, ETC..
There were a lot to choose from...
Well, In the end, I think it all really depends on what the individual "Collector's" interests happens to be, as to what makes a great Transformers Toy...
The Character... Alternate Mode... Overall Concept... Durability... How it looks on display...
and of course, Nostalgia...
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