The side by sides I've seen do show that this captures the sheer width and mass of that character. With better proportions for the lower body too. So that helps. (But, again, already fine with the current/existing Breakdown...)
Breakdown is better than Bulkhead but still far from ideal. the standard is set higher now but he’s like one of the less well-thought out Botcon exclusives.
Except his head isn’t tiny lol
Except his head isn’t tiny lol
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I sold my original TP Breakdown, but I'm still happy with my Unite Breakdown for the time being.
I've been saying that ever since I saw OP in RiD15.
I have the Star Convoy from a few years ago, and I love him. But I wouldn't say no to a better version.
One of my favorite Optimus molds is the Prime First Edition. That's another one that I would be curious how a modern update would be beneficial to the original.
One of my favorite Optimus molds is the Prime First Edition. That's another one that I would be curious how a modern update would be beneficial to the original.
I finally found a picture of the original Dinoking and shells, and while I knew his components were Micromaster sized and made for a very small combiner, I hadn't realized HOW small he was compared to his shells:
The thing is, this might throw a monkey-wrench in my idea of restoring Pretender functionality 'Pretender Beast' style with robot dinos inside cyborg dinos, as the shells are VERY large for what they hold. I imagine this could be improved, but why were they so comparatively big in the first place? Remaking them either 3rd party or 3-D print would either way probably cost more than I expected.
The thing is, this might throw a monkey-wrench in my idea of restoring Pretender functionality 'Pretender Beast' style with robot dinos inside cyborg dinos, as the shells are VERY large for what they hold. I imagine this could be improved, but why were they so comparatively big in the first place? Remaking them either 3rd party or 3-D print would either way probably cost more than I expected.
Likely because "dinosaur = BIG".
They don't look THAT much bigger than the Monster shells that Monstructor came with. By the time you make a cavity large enough for the inner figure, add a minimum wall thickness for the outer shell, then give that shell limbs, a head, etc, it's going to end up pretty big.
What an adorable tiny combiner. I want one so bad.
I have a couple parts of Monstructor, and while those shells are a bit more compact, they're still a lot bigger than the actual robot.
They almost look like Dino Riders, don't they?
That's part of why I want to get some matching shells if I can, I love how they looked and wanted a 'modern' version. I still want a Dinoking set if I can swing it anyway, but now I'm not sure if my idea can be pulled off in a cost-effective way.
I need to commit to buying Reprolabels for mine. The stickers on the reissue get this ugly tarnished look over time even MISB, and even for as small as it is, it'll bug me. Ideally the Reprolabels won't have that issue, but eesh, that pricetag.
So much goes into a Pretender shell. Almost to the point that holding the robot inside is the least of its worries (basically "have a big enough cavity"). It'll need to have enough heft/thickness in parts to stand well while carrying a folded-up chunk in it. It'll need to be interesting enough in looks that it helps sell the package. And the demands for plastic and paint for even a mostly-static figure like that are not insignificant.
I really hope some enterprising outfit out there can work on the Monstructor or Dinoking shells, because they look so damn cool. But like Platypus Prime, I'm also reminded here about how much that's likely going to run.
(I wonder if they could design/market the Dinoking shells as Dino-Riders designs or have those as built-in redecos to help defray the mold cost.)
I really hope some enterprising outfit out there can work on the Monstructor or Dinoking shells, because they look so damn cool. But like Platypus Prime, I'm also reminded here about how much that's likely going to run.
(I wonder if they could design/market the Dinoking shells as Dino-Riders designs or have those as built-in redecos to help defray the mold cost.)
I had at one time given some thought to painting up some Zuru Dino Strike figures as the Dino King shells:
They're no larger than the Core Class toys, so there's no way to use them as real shells, but they could be swapped in a display or whatever. Sadly, there's no sauropod, so the plesiosaur would have to do for Rairyu.
They're no larger than the Core Class toys, so there's no way to use them as real shells, but they could be swapped in a display or whatever. Sadly, there's no sauropod, so the plesiosaur would have to do for Rairyu.
That would honestly be awesome, to have the 'rider' both ride on or IN the Dinosaur (or maybe got eaten by his ride...)
Pretenders hide their cross-brand marketing potential inside?
I still regret not being able to afford the Fans Project Dinoking and the pretender shells. It would be mad if the shells could combine too and cover the combined mode... 
I always sort of envisioned it as they come out of the shells, combine, and then the shells allow them to functionally be both separate AND combined at once.
Wow, those are awesome...and even BIGGER, but proportionally not that different from the originals in scale. Checking out both Double Pretender Megatron and Prime, the only actual Pretenders I have now, and memories of Groundbreaker and Octopunch from earlier in life, I realize what was meant by the shells always being larger, and I'd just honestly overlooked. Being custom-made for a smaller toy the shell's still twice the height, and while Megatron recycled the Grand Maximus shell, I have a G1 Encore Cerebros I use with it and it's still quite large comparatively.
I can only imagine how much those FansProject shells must have gone for, much less the combiner itself. I was hoping for 'smaller/cheaper' for the Cores, but...maybe not. I guess I will wait and see.
Edit: Never mind on the imagining, I found it easier than I expected...$60-$80 EACH at the start. With the combiner about $300. Yikes. It's an odd day when I can look at something and realize I'm literally not that crazy. That doesn't happen often.
Wow, those are awesome...and even BIGGER, but proportionally not that different from the originals in scale. Checking out both Double Pretender Megatron and Prime, the only actual Pretenders I have now, and memories of Groundbreaker and Octopunch from earlier in life, I realize what was meant by the shells always being larger, and I'd just honestly overlooked. Being custom-made for a smaller toy the shell's still twice the height, and while Megatron recycled the Grand Maximus shell, I have a G1 Encore Cerebros I use with it and it's still quite large comparatively.
I can only imagine how much those FansProject shells must have gone for, much less the combiner itself. I was hoping for 'smaller/cheaper' for the Cores, but...maybe not. I guess I will wait and see.
Edit: Never mind on the imagining, I found it easier than I expected...$60-$80 EACH at the start. With the combiner about $300. Yikes. It's an odd day when I can look at something and realize I'm literally not that crazy. That doesn't happen often.
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Those dudes look like they were built out of Lego.
Just Fansproject things.