More likely it was "this stuff is already tooled and it's just easier and cheaper to reuse the existing molds than modify them for this sort of release".Hasbro probably sees it like this: Functional missile launchers are more fun and have more play value than nonfunctional missile launchers.
The gun splits into two pieces with the top piece having a peg that goes into Starscream's hand and the bottom piece plugging into a tab on the underside of Starscream's hand.How does that little Megatron fit in Starscream's hand anyway? The hand looks like a peg-hole but the gun's grip isn't a peg.
That almost explains things. Thrust never got modified Commemorative tooling, so they could both be cases of just reusing the previous tooling.
Except I don't remember Commemorative Starscream coming with a little Megatron accessory. Either it was always part of the Commemorative tooling and they just never used it for some reason, or they went out of their way to get it for these Walmart reissues, but didn't go out of their way to get the original missiles.
The “storybook” Starscream came with the Megatron accessory.
The Walmart reissue Starscream from a couple of years ago uses the same tooling as the new retro release. Which is a combo of the TF Collection Starscream (Megatron gun) and old Hasbro reissues (long missiles).Yeah. Tiny Megatron and the retooled Starscream hand originated with Takara's The Transformers Collection reissue all the way back in 2003.
I can't remember the timing of the TFC release compared to TRU's (TFC probably came after being the second Japanese Starscream reissue?), but the modified hands are tied to the Megatron gun. The TFC one had Megatron molded in blue. This one seems to be the reverse, as the holes in Starscream's hands are dark gray (not sure if these are tied to his trusters). Makes it impossible to peg the Megatron handle to the bottom of Starscream's fist on my copy.I know this. But what I'm wondering is if maybe the Megatron accessory was AVAILABLE but UNUSED (gated off or discarded for unknown reasons) for the TRU reissue. I doubt it, but it would mean that this is just what they had available for the Walmart reissues.
If they really combined toolings just for these Walmart reissues, that means they worked harder to make it worse, when they could have just reissued the TFC set and left out the springs.