Guess I'm still not replacing Classics Prime any time soon.
Studio Series discussion
- Thread starter Paladin
- Start date
Collectors: - Can we have a cool, John Warden-era Transformer please?
Hasbro: - We have cool Optimus Prime toys, without Warden, at home.
Hasbro: - We have cool Optimus Prime toys, without Warden, at home.
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Sticking with ER unless they blow my socks off with a toy deco of '86
If anything, I think this helps make the case how SS86 Commander Prime SHOULD have gotten cel shading on his windows. To me, it really DOES help sell the cartoon look.
Still not a fan of the new packaging (aside from the return of of covered windows). Hasbro's doing this across all their "collector lines" and I think it is just sucking so much personality out of these offerings just to make them to not appear "toy-ish".
This is going to be part of the "A-Level" Assortment that 86 Bumblebee and TFOne SS Optimus Prime are currently holding. This Optimus will join TF One SS B-127 in replacing those two for 2025. In which case they won't even be hitting the market until next spring, more than enough time for the assorted existing Prime figures to sell through.
I think it's fine for what it is. I see the point of it: At $90, there are a LOT of casual fans and kids who aren't willing to drop that on a "toy". But at $25? That most can swing. And with it being a 2025 product, a LOT of the excellent figures out now will be cycled out of retail. Not that the Commander figure seemingly needs ANY help in that regard...
As a collector of 20+ years...I have a hard time justifying the purchase. I'm quite happy with my Earthrise variant, and I'm far more eager for "fresher" interpretations. That said, I see a value in this offering as a "Commander Class lite".
I very much like the overall proportions of robot mode, moreso that the Commander figure. I don't mind the "gappy" limbs at the size, though the ankles are damned rough. Truck mode is rough, but I've seen far worse at much higher prices. The overall figure DOES feel a bit "budget constrained", though. The joints feel "functional", but aesthetically constrained. It almost feels like it was designed for a different venue than where it ended up, especially with lacking details on his lower legs. And I'm disappointed that they didn't include his iconic blaster (guess that means everyone who wants one will have to get the toy version, who gets BOTH guns).
As always though, I'll wait for in hand images with natural lighting to see how this fares for a more final verdict. I'm still not sure how much of the "washed out" look is actual lack of detail, or just getting blown out by lighting.
I think there is a valid argument that Platinum went overboard with the cel shading technique in the game.
To me, Hasbro's just using the Devastation game to help sell it to retailers. This feels firmly another take on the classic cartoon design, not the Devastation version.
I mean, look at this screen shot. It's damn near on point to this new figure
Possibly, but I don't think it is that close to the cartoon version and certainly not worthy of inclusion in the Legacy or SS lines. Kids and adult collectors alike already have better options for their Optimus figures already on the shelf at the time of writing.I think there is a valid argument that Platinum went overboard with the cel shading technique in the game.
To me, Hasbro's just using the Devastation game to help sell it to retailers. This feels firmly another take on the classic cartoon design, not the Devastation version.
I mean, look at this screen shot. It's damn near on point to this new figure
There is one thing that can sell me on this thing. If it's close in size to the toy style Legacy G1 Prime, I'm going to want it. The two of them could be a fun display.
I get that box art doesn’t have to be 100% accurate but at least photoshop the silver stripe out.
Toy looks pretty bad but I do like the effort to try and shake the transformation up a little
Toy looks pretty bad but I do like the effort to try and shake the transformation up a little
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First look at Studio Series Devastation Optimus Prime. Looks like a Deluxe take on the G1 design?
gotta say i love the continuing trend of hasbro releasing toys based on the designs for video games that you can't even ******* buy anymore
Yes it does, but that's the least of that things problems.
My SS86 Prime arrived today. Probably the worst QC'ed figure I've ever had from Hasbro. Stray paint all over the place, needed a dremel to the head panel to even transform, blast effects look like worms because they are so twisted, heels are pinned on upside down. Eeesh.
The windows on that toy also still look really bad in person. I'm quite disappointed in him overall.
ok
the heel thing is honestly a total non-issue like omg the heels were put on upside down and on the wrong feet oh my god it literally doesn't affect anything unless you're a turbo nerd who loves making mountains out of molehills
of course that's half this goddamn fandom because raging over jive gets you more attention than praising jive these days
edit: why the hell is the censor blocking s h i t again.
the heel thing is honestly a total non-issue like omg the heels were put on upside down and on the wrong feet oh my god it literally doesn't affect anything unless you're a turbo nerd who loves making mountains out of molehills
of course that's half this goddamn fandom because raging over jive gets you more attention than praising jive these days
also transparent windows are awful because it's not like these damn toys have interiors anyways 'ooh wow i can see friggin nothing or wadded up robot bits inside of the vehicle' that was totally worth making part of the toy using inherently more fragile plastic lmao
edit: why the hell is the censor blocking s h i t again.
I’d be more okay with painted windows if they didn’t always pick the most hideous colors for them.
I'm be more okay with painted windows if they had the paint budgets to actually paint all of the windows. (Looking at you, Studio Series Brawn)
I love clear plastic in general (light piping and clear energy weapons are among my favorite gimmicks), but I've realized I can take or leave it when it's vehicle windows. (And honestly it's funny how the pendulum has swung back -- fandom demands clear windows, gets them... and then starts painting or stickering clear windows up to be opaque cel-shaded)
And when the budget shrinks to the point of using clear plastic for sprues that include moving parts, I'd just as soon as not have it in a toy at all. I've been lucky so far with the WFC Datsunbro and Jazz molds, but I feel it's only a matter of time. And there are quite a few Studio Series guys I haven't gone back to more than once (Lockdown, Barricade) out of nervousness for something to finally crack or give.
Do clear windows if you can engineer the toy for them to be inserts attached to sturdier opaque panels. If the dimensions and budget can't provide for that, just put everything on opaque sprues. Something that "looks better" but is doomed to crack and shatter sooner from normal use is not "better".
And when the budget shrinks to the point of using clear plastic for sprues that include moving parts, I'd just as soon as not have it in a toy at all. I've been lucky so far with the WFC Datsunbro and Jazz molds, but I feel it's only a matter of time. And there are quite a few Studio Series guys I haven't gone back to more than once (Lockdown, Barricade) out of nervousness for something to finally crack or give.
Do clear windows if you can engineer the toy for them to be inserts attached to sturdier opaque panels. If the dimensions and budget can't provide for that, just put everything on opaque sprues. Something that "looks better" but is doomed to crack and shatter sooner from normal use is not "better".
SS86 Prime *does* have clear windows, they just have opaque plastic immediately behind them so they look stupid.
The cracking potential of clear plastic is vastly overstated. As we saw with the Autobot five pack, where they got rid of the clear plastic and Wheeljack was more fragile than the original.
Unfortunately dremelling out the plastic underneath is non-trivial - the hinges are rivetted, and the clear panels themselves very hard to remove without damaging the toy.
There is a right way to use clear plastic and a wrong way, the correct way is for light piping and windows, the wrong way is where a part that is moving due to transformation , for example: 86 Ironhide, the robot mode looks good but the vehicle mode suffers because of the clear plastic they used on the leg panels and painting over clear plastic, at times ruins the vehicle mode paint job as it produces a two tone paint scheme from a single paint colour
I feel like this is another case of "Omega Prime holds togeather just fine, I could throw mine down the stairs and he'd still not fall apart."