Transformers Collaborative (Transformers X Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Thread starter TriBlurr
- Start date
I do get the novelty of Transformers that can actually hold Joe figure riders, and I'm glad for the fans that want them, but, for me, that feature really compromises the transformer part. I know I've said it before, but I would absolutely be down for a Joe/TF crossover that just had the Joe altmodes on the best-fit TF characters at Deluxe or even Core scale.
Not as in love with Bumblebee as I am with HISS tank Megs, but that's because the AWE Striker isn't as impressive a vehicle as the HISS tank and kind of clashes with Bumblebee's traditional look. I'm all for these out of the box takes though so I will be snagging this guy. Been wanting G1 Joe transformers over 30 years so I'm not gonna nit pick here, but if we don't get Hound as a VAMP that will be a huge missed apportunity.
Right. So Hound is the VAMP, got it.
Regardless, Bumblebee shouldn't be the other buggy, especially as there's no Vamp out yet. If anything, Beachcomber would have been more logical.
If these were scaled to Binaltech and the Bayverse vehicle/robot with pilot toys, I would be interested. They could start doing MASK, Visionaries, etc that way too OR do them all in the same "scale" as the Starwars crossover/Micro Machines toys with pilots...
Of course! Which is why Jetfire and Starscream turned into tanks for GI Joe...
...except they didn't.
Apparently not.
It's still better than it was, I remember when Beast Wars was new, every time a name like Bonecrusher, Silverbolt, Rampage, etc popped up people would start saying we HAD to get 'the rest' of the team as they couldn't just put ONE in the show/toyline/whatever, forgetting each time that the prior example of a name reuse wasn't anything to do with the G1 bot. Heck, 'Inferno' is still being argued about in some areas.
In my own case I look forwards to it simply because of the novelty of a Transformer that turns into a very close copy of a TOY from the 80's, close enough to even keep action figure interaction functionality like the original vehicle. I may not be looking at it right, but while 'X character as X vehicle' may or may not line up, it seems to keep the spirit of the wierder parts of the franchise. Like when several bots turned into running shoes, Soundwave was a tablet, Rumble and Frenzy were really not GREAT looking headphones, nor was Ravage a great USB drive, but the fact that they actually WORKED was interesting. The idea of a bot from an 80's toyline that can turn into a replica of a toy from a totally different 80's line just strikes me as really funny.
In my own case I look forwards to it simply because of the novelty of a Transformer that turns into a very close copy of a TOY from the 80's, close enough to even keep action figure interaction functionality like the original vehicle. I may not be looking at it right, but while 'X character as X vehicle' may or may not line up, it seems to keep the spirit of the wierder parts of the franchise. Like when several bots turned into running shoes, Soundwave was a tablet, Rumble and Frenzy were really not GREAT looking headphones, nor was Ravage a great USB drive, but the fact that they actually WORKED was interesting. The idea of a bot from an 80's toyline that can turn into a replica of a toy from a totally different 80's line just strikes me as really funny.
I mean, yes and no?
In this particular instance, the previous Hiss Megatron robot is pretty clearly a G1/G1-adjacent version. It's not outside the realm of reasonable assumption that the Autobot counterpart ought to be a similar close fit.
I personally don't think the AWE Striker is a good fit for Hound, and I think it was made pretty clear from the get-go that whatever we got was going to be Bumblebee (perhaps the Joes rebuilt him this way in this continuity to make up for blowing him up in that first crossover comic...), so I guess the AWE Striker was probably the best option available. Probably helped that it was recently re-released. I don't think it looks great as Bee, but it's not terrible, either.
I would be interested to see both the Hiss and AWE Striker transformers in a more unified color scheme with 'generic trooper' heads (for example, a BAT head on the Hiss). As they are now, they look like transformers wearing their vehicle modes as costumes, rather than integrated altmodes.
Also, Megatron, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Starscream; name recognition. And everyone will be like, “Who TF is ‘Beachcomber’ and why do/should we give a jive?” Same with Hound; he’s no Bumblebee. And he’ll be turning into a pink jet for this line.
I think this BB makes for a more successful figure than Megatron simply by virtue of not looking like a preexisting figure with a Joe vehicle chopped up and glued onto it. On the other hand, the head is the only thing remotely "Bumblebee" about this...
By that logic the GI Joe character should be Snake Eyes or Roadblock.Also, Megatron, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Starscream; name recognition. And everyone will be like, “Who TF is ‘Beachcomber’ and why do/should we give a jive?” Same with Hound; he’s no Bumblebee. And he’ll be turning into a pink jet for this line.
Hound's importance to Transformers and Stalker's importance to GI Joe are pretty much equivalent.
To be honest, while on the subject, from a global perspective, I wonder if these toys will get a release, considering how unknown the GI-Joe brand is outside the US for most of the global market.
I simply took it as given that these toys are for Transformers fans who also like GI Joe, but NOT really for Joe fans who may also like TFs.
The TF name recognition is thus all-important. The Joe name recognition... not so much.
I'm guessing in small numbers, maybe, depending upon the market, thou as you said Gi Joe isn't well known outside of the US, some people when hearing the name likely think its US miltray or maybe recall about the live action movie, from a few years ago, in boarder terms, Gi Joe is pretty small in market terms and with the lackluster movies, hasn't really raised its profile by much, so these figures are aimed primary on adult collectors of both brands, so, I think they'll be extremely limited if they enter mainstream retail and with nothing to help promote the brand being actually active, they will get overlooked by normal people, sure the G1 characters are likely to draw some attention, but the price maybe something that puts parents off buying the toy and they might decide to buy something else, for a similar price, for example, the BB figure is retailing preorder for £49.99 and these days a standard deluxe is roughly £22, so for that price, they might buy two deluxes, one to give right away and the other for a later date, so, its a question of value for money in the parents eyes as well!
^This.
Hasbro has indicated in more ways than one over the years that Transformers is the more flagship-y brand over GI Joe, so having it be BUMBLEBEE for TFs and Some Guy Arr Arr Yo Joe is more profitable than say, Hubcap and Snake Eyes.
But GI Joe and the Transformers brands do NOT have equal importance to Hasbro, so it matters less what the GI Joe dude is and more who the TF is.
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