This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here. Some images for this article come from Toybox Soapbox.
Top 5 Best Transformers Cyberverse Toys
With the Cyberverse show over and the toyline now being the place where the Rise of the Beasts 2022 toys will be released, I felt it was time to look back at the toys made for the Cyberverse show. While the show did end up winning over a lot of fans in the later seasons (if you didn't watch the first half of season 3, you are missing out), the toyline was never made to win over older fans. It was a toyline for kids through and through. There were some pretty fun toys in there and I am looking at the ones I think are the best of the lot.
5. Deluxe Soundwave
Soundwave is one of the best characters from the Cyberverse show. While some characters get hat is the equivalent of a cameo, Soundwave got a full arc from Cybertronian citizen just having a good time, to ruthless Decepticon soldier, to Cybertronian resistance warrior to Cybertron's ultimate hero. And he had a great design too, which is why the toy looked disappointing from the start for not fully invoking the design and having some issues with kibble. But the toy won me over. It's very solid, has a fun transformation and comes with a cute transforming Laserbeak. In the end, it gives us another good Soundwave toy and e finally have a good toy for this wonderful version of the classic character.
4. Warrior Hammerbyte
This is a really fun toy of a new original character. While he is indeed a warrior as opposed to a deluxe figure, he feels more like a toy from the Cybertron line with nice hard plastic and a simple yet also meaty transformation. And it has a great design in both modes plus a fun non intrusive gimmick. And all for the low price of yesteryear's deluxes. So yeah, very reminiscent of the Cybertron line, which is something you will hear a lot of in the next entry.
3. Ultimate Grimlock
No other Cyberverse toy aimed only at kids even comes close to being as awesome as him. He is very imposing and really commands the space he takes. While he is light, the plastic feels strong and durable. The transformation is not too difficult but interesting and there are even surprises in it for people who know the typical Grimlock conversion inside and out. He has decent poseability and fine gimmicks that don't get in the way. Plus, he is the size of a leader class toy, almost 9 inches tall and only cost $30 USD. Design, transformation and articulation wise, this is almost like a Grimlock we would have gotten in the fabled 2004-2006 Cybertron toyline.
2. Deluxe Slug
While I love animated Slag, I think this guy takes the cake as the best deluxe Slag/Slug we've ever gotten. Now that I think of it, is he the best deluxe toy to represent one of the Dinobots? Could be. He has great articulation, including his horns which actually have their own transformation step, even the SS86 leader Slag doesn't have that. Lots of accessories, a nice colour palette with many differently coloured plastics working well together and a simple yet very well done hand to "paw" transformation. The face is very expressive too.
1. Deluxe Bumblebee
This is one of the greatest deluxe Bumblebee toys we have ever gotten and that is saying a lot since there have been some really good deluxes lately. This one works really well though since it finally gives us a version of that Evergreen design which combines multitude of now classic Bumblebee elements. While probably unintentional, I really like how the black and yellow plastic around the feet are perfectly aligned with the stripes on the car roof making it look like the car's design runs deep within the robot's innards. Nice car mode, great robot mode, good articulation, smart transformation, nice weapon storage for the gun in car mode, relevant accessories with unique blast effects make this an all around winner.
Honourable Mentions:
Deluxe Arcee: the car mode is super cute and a fun new take on Arcee. there is very minimal alt mode integration with the robot mode but at least the backpack you get is show accurate.
Deluxe Megatron: too loose for my liking in important areas but that transformation is really amazing. I love toys that feel like origami where you are shaping a vehicle into a robot and that's what this was, especially for the upper torso/back.
Warrior Cybertronian Starscream: now this is how you make a simpler toy! Articulation is not jeopardized, neither are proportions or the look of either mode. It simply requires few steps to get from one mode to the next. Of course, that is not always achievable, but when it works it can be a thing of beauty and the perfect toy for a kid wanting to mimic the speed of conversion seen on the show.
Every month now, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor or a guest. These are our opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Same-Sex Transformers Couples
Happy Pride month, everybody! My name is Tigerhawk7109. I’ve been on the forums for about two years now. And, this week, I’ll be bringing you a special Pride-themed list. Before we begin, though, let me set one major rule: canon pairings only. As much as I stan ships like AlphaRoad, they’re not official. Also, major spoiler warning for More Than Meets the Eye and Lost Light ahead. And please remember that the use of the term "same-sex" is in the generalized sense where sex is used to refer to gender quite often. Now, without further ado, let’s get into it!
5: Knock Out and Breakdown
Knock Out, the slick Decepticon medic, was far and away the breakout character of Transformers: Prime. He was suave, he was extremely vain, and he gave Autobots like Bumblebee and Arcee a real challenge on the roads. His partner-in-crime was Breakdown, a heavy bruiser who filled the role of Bulkhead’s archnemesis. From their interactions in the show, many fans suspected that the two might have been a couple. As fun as it might’ve been, there was no official confirmation- until IDW stepped in and put their own spin on things.
When Knock Out was introduced in Windblade: Volume 2 number 4, he retains everything from his Prime persona except the sadistic streak. He’s a high-ranking racer on Velocitron, but nothing’s really been said that’s new. However, when Moonracer and Windblade have their conversation at Maccadam’s, the Velocitronian alludes to Knock Out having a Conjunx Endura who ‘couldn’t break Mach 1 if his life depended on it.’ Breakdown, with his bulky build, certainly fits this description. In the Holiday Special, we finally get confirmation that the two are a couple.
Because they had less time for their relationship to develop than any of the others on this list, Knock Out and Breakdown are lower in the ranking- but that doesn’t mean that they’re any less precious.
4: Drift and Ratchet
Suffice to say, this is a relationship that not many saw coming. Drift and Ratchet are polar opposites- one is an ex-Decepticon trying to find his place in the world, and the other is a grouchy old medic who’s losing his touch. But, if you look closely, you can see how their relationship developed over the course of More Than Meets The Eye and Drift: Empire of Stone. When Drift is knocked down by a brick after taking the blame for Overlord, Ratchet is the only member of the ship’s crew who helps him up. In issue 28, when Atomizer hands Rodimus a list of those who supposedly didn’t vote for him, Ratchet reveals that it’s a fake- because his name isn’t on it. There are a number of reasons why this could be, but we’re led to believe it’s because of Drift. The turning point in their relationship comes when Ratchet attends Brainstorm’s trial. After the scientist gets away with a slap on the wrist, Ratchet finally snaps at Rodimus for letting Drift take the fall. He leaves the Lost Light in a shuttle, with a figurine of Drift made by Ten on his dashboard. By Lost Light, the two are officially a couple. Their relationship’s buildup was absolutely genius, and is one of many examples as to why James Roberts is a fricking genius.
3: Anode and Lug
Anode and Lug were the first major newbies introduced in Transformers: Lost Light, the sequel to More Than Meets the Eye. They are a couple when we first meet them, but we also meet them when they have a pretty major argument. Anode eventually realizes that the Lug she is seeing isn’t real- she’s a mere hallucination, brought upon after being saved by the Necrobot. Using a protoform and a spark, Anode is able to essentially bring Lug back to life. Now that’s dedication.
However, that’s not the only reason that Anode and Lug are special. The two are the first official transgender couple in Transformers, and have a whole page dedicated to Anode explaining why the two of them didn’t feel right as males. This quality, combined with the real and believable nature of their relationship, makes Anode and Lug a truly special couple.
2: Cyclonus and Tailgate
All I can say is this: James Roberts knows how to write a romance, because God damn. These two get off to an extremely rocky start. Poor Tailgate is looking for somebody to room with, and Cyclonus lets him into his quarters- only because there’s a sparkeater on the loose. When the minibot starts to annoy him, Cyclonus knocks Tailgate out cold. Gradually, the two grow closer, bonding over the fact that they are both from Cybertron’s ancient past. At the end of Season 1, Cyclonus uses his own spark energy to cure Tailgate’s cybercrosis. In Season 2, Getaway plays on Cyclonus’ reluctance to show his feelings, and manipulates Tailgate into almost getting killed. Cyclonus protects him, and is shredded by bullets. When Tailgate is presumed dead after Fangry locks him in a radioactive chamber, Cyclonus’ faith and desire to see him again causes Cyberutopia to manifest itself as the Afterspark. These two have so much development, and have so much love between them- except Cyclonus’ pride keeps him from saying the Big Three Words until Lost Light issue 16. Caught in the middle of this romance is Whirl, who slowly pushes the two into revealing their feelings for each other. That comedic plot point alone is just fantastic.
1: Chromedome and Rewind
You all saw this coming. Chromedome and Rewind have the single-most developed relationship in all of Transformers history. They don’t just top a list of same-sex couples- these two would top a list of all couples. From the very first issue, we see them fight and make up, like a real couple. The two are very obviously lovey-dovey with each other. However, it’s not until after Rewind sacrifices himself to get Overlord off the ship that he finally says ‘I love you.’ Heartbroken, Chromedome locks himself in his quarters and plays his husband’s final message, a composition of footage recorded by Rewind himself, over and over again. However, the two get a second chance when Megatron discovers a quantum duplicate Lost Light, with Rewind the only survivor. Seeing as he is the same, yet different, from Chromedome’s Rewind, the two get off to a less-than perfect start. Their love eventually grows back to what it once was- to the point where Chromedome almost kills himself to bring Dominus Ambus, Rewind’s old Conjunx, back from his lobotomized state as ‘The Pet.’ Instead of bringing Dominus back, Rewind severs Chromedome’s arm, keeping him alive at the cost of his former husband. There are no other words to describe just how deep their relationship runs.
Honourable mention: If there was one other couple I need to make mention of, it’s Tigatron and Airazor- specifically from the Japanese dub of Beast Wars. Airazor was male in Japan, which was all well and good for the most part. But when the obvious affection between the two blossomed into romance, they inadvertently became the first gay couple in Transformers history.
What do you guys think of this list? Got a couple you think should be on it? Sound off in the Energon Pub forums. For now, this is Tigerhawk7109, signing off.
Every month now, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor, or a guest. That's the case this month where fellow Seibertronian Kurona wrote this list. These are our opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Worst IDW G1 Transformers Stories
For many years, the IDW Generation One comics have been a gift to its readership. Entertaining battles and interesting new spins on old characters are a standard of any good Transformers series; but the IDW comics stand out in particular for being aimed at an older audience than usual - hence we've been challenged with darker material, philosophical questions, political allegories and deep character studies the likes of which we have never had in the franchise before. Among all this sophistication, however, it's sometimes easy to forget that the company has unfortunately put out some very, very bad stories in its time. Let's count down what are arguably the 5 worst IDW Transformers stories!
5. Combiner Wars
As time has gone on, my opinion on this crossover has lightened up a bit as it does have quite a few good points. We have some fantastic action courtesy of a very unique style of combiner battles, we get to see Starscream's political machinations behind the scenes continue to wreak havoc on society, and this arc did provide the true beginning to the Colony Worlds story that makes the Windblade books and Till All Are One so good.
Neither did most the comic, Superion
However, these are not enough to save this crossover - only enough to put it at the top of the list rather than the bottom. This was a scary event from the outset as it put interference from Hasbro at an all-new high - while IDW did advertise some of Hasbro's Universe/Generations toys before, generally it was at a much lower rate compared to the usual amount of salesmanship Transformers fans are used to and they were allowed to continue their stories with only a couple new bodies or background characters to show for it. However, Combiner Wars saw fit to shove in as many toys as it could at an alarming rate, even to the expense of interesting concepts like the Prowl-controlled Devastator getting shelved for the sake of showing off the new £150 Titan-Class toy. An attempt at focus in the storyline seems evident but we can barely keep up as the titular gestalt scuffles rage not once, not twice, but three times over the course of but a few issues when the political and religious ramifications of Cybertron coming into contact with Caminus should be at the forefront. 'Combine' that with an unprecedented amount of scripting and art errors and it's easy to see why many fans at the time took to calling this the worst arc of the post-Death of Optimus Prime era.
- Kurona
4. Infestation
This is a bit odd because it technically isn't a Transformers story - well, it is, but the actual Transformers part is just one aspect of it. The actual story is based around, as far as I can tell, two of IDW's original franchises - CVO: Covert Vampire Operations and Zombies vs. Robots. A prelude of multiversal nonsense has zombies invade multiple universes in what was at the time billed as the biggest crossover event of IDW as a company, with zombies infesting various of their licensed universes - G.I. Joe, Ghosbusters, Star Trek and, of course, Transformers. This isn't the first time IDW Transformers has done a cross-continuity crossover, but it is notable for being the only one of the two that stayed canon and had effects on the universe going forward.
Kup and Cyclonus both sum up my feelings
And as one might have guessed, the two-issue segment of Infestation containing the Transformers is pretty bad! Transformers does not lend itself well to the threat of undead flesh. The whole point of zombies as a horror trope is that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to stop it; it is slowly coming for you, it will get you, and everyone who falls in its path will be added to its ranks. It's very chilling, and while in recent years Zombies in horror movies have arguably not been used to their best potential - that's a top 5 worst list all on its own - it's still very possible to make them very scary with a human element. Not with a giant-robots-from-outer-space element. You can't possibly fear for the Autobots here as the best the zombies can do is weakly slap their metal before getting kicked away or obliterated by a photon blast, and even in the story Wheeljack uses their advanced technology to make sure they can't even get to the humans beyond a small portion of Las Vegas! But even beyond that faulty premise the story does not inspire confidence. Galvatron and Prowl are both wildly out of character, very weak "it's magic, we don't have to explain it" reasoning is used for the main villain to pose a threat to Cybertronians, and a potentially interesting look at Kup's mental health following Everything in its right place (a very good Transformers story I can recommend) is pulled out of nowhere by trying too hard to link the undead to what happened in his Spotlight and resulting in a rather pointless sacrifice to stop villains we don't care about from a universe we don't care about. Maybe CVO and Zombies vs. Robots are interesting franchises, I don't know; but it really had no business being here.
- Kurona
3. 2019 IDW Reboot Series
You know what's worse than something bad? Something boring. And this series is the most boring piece of Transformers fiction I ever read. At any point that it picks up an inkling of momentum, it then shifts into an all talk issue leading to absolutely nowhere. I swear I never read a comic with so many panels of Transformers just talking while walking up or down some stairs.
Here's a shot from issue 7
Now one from issue 8
By 10 we at least get to see some actiOH My God STOP!
And this was supposed to be a bold new era of Transformers fiction. Give me a break!
- william-james88
2. All Hail Megatron
Ah, All Hail Megatron. Now we're getting to the big leagues. For those that have only started reading IDW in the past few years, a quick history lesson - when IDW first got the license to Transformers back in 2006, the infamous and well-loved among the fandom writer Simon Furman was given full reign to create whatever story he liked with nothing to hold him back. And it was, in fact, rather interesting and a Transformers story unlike what we had seen before. Full emphasis was put on 'robots in disguise' as Autobots and Decepticons alike made sure to hide themselves from humans at all cost. Darker, more complex morals for the Autobots were introduced with an Optimus jaded by the war and implied to not have the matrix. Megatron played the long game with an infiltration protocol that had the Decepticons pervade a world's politics and society before destroying it and taking over. Lesser-used characters like Hardhead and Doubledealer became big players alongside new concepts like Sunstreaker being a Headmaster. This was no Shakespeare, but it was a great breath of fresh air for the franchise.
Kup once again asks the important questions
So you can probably understand why the fans who loved this little era were not appreciative when All Hail Megatron came around. Suffering sales forced IDW to bring in a whole new direction and soft-reboot for the title as Shane McCarthy took over writing duties. So what was this fresh new direction? What wellspring of new ideas came from a writer new to the series? Well, the Decepticons abandon all subtlety and take over Earth. And suddenly have technology that in previous stories was stated to be extremely rare and lost to the ages. And then the Autobots come and defeat them. Oh, and Optimus has the matrix and there's an original character who is a samurai Decepticon turned Autobot in there somewhere. Disregarding the AHM: Coda series which attempted to patch this up - and in some parts was rather good - this plays out essentially like a bland, standard, by-the-books G1 episode or action movie with a superficial gritty overlay. Little characterisation is given or focused on beyond Ironhide's newfound want for punching everyone and everything, and I constantly ask why I don't stop reading this and put on the 1986 movie instead. At least that one had the bravery to actually kill off important characters to increase tension! Oh sure, it was purely to sell toys, but it's a heck of a lot better than this! At the end of the day, this is a story that tries to pretend it's mature and gritty but instead has no new ideas, nothing important to say, no risks to take, and comes off as a watered-down version of an 80s movie whose express intent was selling toys.
- Kurona
1. Revolution
It was a little difficult for me to put this ahead of things as cynical as All Hail Megatron, as you do feel a real passion here. One of the great things about all the creative teams on the modern IDW Transformers comics is that you can feel a true love for the franchise and the series they're writing for - this isn't just a day job for them, this is something they want to do and something they adore doing. And as an aspiring writer myself, I can kind of see how they thought this could be a fun idea - much as the concept has arguably been overdone after Marvel's movies proved it could be successful, an expanded shared universe does bring in a lot of positives. You're able to explore a lot more areas of your world and universe and focus on a lot of different things at once without getting in the way of each other all the time. Your franchise can bring in a lot of different readers looking for a lot of different things. You can have some great crossovers with some entertaining team-ups and history if you really work well at it!
No, Optimus, apparently no-one in this comic can
But it's hard to see how one could start up a shared universe worse. I'm not entirely sure how much I have to criticise this here - of the six franchises involved, four of them have no history and have either just started up a few months prior or are starting in this very book. It... the premise speaks for itself. This is probably not going to go very well. Between having to start up MASK, restart G.I. Joe and show what exactly is going on with the Transformers; Micronauts and Action Man barely get to show up at all in the crossover while ROM does show up... and acts completely out of character in the first issue by killing someone without trying to explain why (trying to explain being something he had consistently done in his own comic up until this point) to set up artificial drama and conflict in the second. As crossovers go, this is badly thought out. While the focus has to be on some group and you can't be perfect in your distribution; you should at least try and give equal focus to each party involved in the crossover and make sure to represent them correctly. Instead we got a trigger-happy moronic G.I. Joe randomly shooting at the Autobots in what is... probably the 1,673th time in this franchise humans don't understand there are good robots (despite their predecessors in the EDC making such a distinction and going about things far, far better in more interesting ways for the story), ROM being an idiot, a bulk of focus being given to MASK characters who at the end of the day don't really contribute anything to the story, and Action Man and the Micronauts only arriving at the last second to give too little joy too late. The final battle should be an awesome sight to behold - all these iconic characters people have grown up with over the years banding together for the very first time to fight a threat none of them can hope to face alone. But the actual action panels are a mess with too much happening to make out anything that's going on - not helped by the art which is decent at best, and distorts characters like Victorion and Arcee beyond recognition at worst - and even if they were good by the time you got to Issue #5 you're so exhausted from the terrible quality of the preceding issues and trying to make sense of what I can only generously call a plot that it's difficult to feel any investment or care.
I really did try to like Revolution. I really did. And you know what? I like the shared universe! The miniseries Revolutionaries alone has proven its merits, some of the books (especially Micronauts) are pretty damn good, we've got what looks to be a decent, small-scale crossover between Transformers and ROM coming up, and despite the fears many fans had; the Optimus Prime ongoing has had minimal effect on its stories by the shared universe while the other two ongoings (Till All Are One and Lost Light) go on as if it never happened. The shared universe is working out fantastically, and if any readers left because of Revolution - something I can't be surprised by and something I really can't blame you for - I absolutely urge you to pick up these ongoings you loved again, because they're still great and Revolution has not hurt them in the slightest.
But as a comic? As a story? As a crossover? As something I can pick up to read and try and enjoy and have fun and hopefully get invested in some new characters and comics? Revolution is an objective failure in almost every area, and I am sorry to say that it is the worst story in the IDW G1 continuity that at the time of writing has ever been put out.
- Kurona
Dishonourable mentions:
Dark Cybertron is yet another unfortunate example that shows IDW sadly, for whatever reason, can't make a good crossover. It wasn't awful and I would certainly recommend it to you over anything on this list, but it was a very long very boring story that, contrary to a lot of modern IDW's strengths, required you to know a lot of backstory and seemed to exist for the pure purpose of tying up loose threads from when Furman left the series. Still, it does provide some good lines, some good team-ups (Whirl and Arcee, Rodimus and Optimus), and managed three incredible twists at the end - two of which it seemed like Hasbro would never let IDW do - that paved the way for amazing stories and have not been undone since.
New Avengers/Transformers, on the other hand, is so stupendously bad it almost got a spot on this list. I decided against it as Infestation is one multi-continuity crossover enough for the list and unlike that one, this has the good grace to be non-canon to both franchises involved. But it is still a mess. Some cool ideas like Iron Man getting a bigger suit to be on-par with the Decepticons and a neat homage to Marvel Transformers #3 aside there are almost no good points to be found here; the art isn't particularly outstanding, character motivations seem to come and go (ESPECIALLY with Dr. Doom), the plot is standard and boring and almost nothing interesting comes of the team-ups. But hey, I got to mention Dr. Doom and Iron Man in a Transformers list, so I'll give it that.
Also, while the Heart of Darkness limited series is related to the Infestation event that is already on the main list, I wanted to make special mention of it here for adding terrible art to an already completely uninspired story.
Every month now, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Arcee Transformers Toys
2020 was the year of Arcee since we had a toy of this character in every line. We got one in Masterpiece, Studio Series, Cyberverse and Generations. So clearly, we now have enough toys to get a decent Top 5 list going on. Here we go!
5. Cyberverse Deluxe Arcee
Arcee was a super fun character on the show, especially thanks to voice actress, Jaime Lamchick, and the toy conveys her lax and gunslinging personality well. Greatly posable, real dynamic, and hey, she comes with an actually useful Maccadam part (hammer!), and unlike other Arcees out in 2020, this one has a manageable and actually accurate backpack.
-notsoalex
4. MP-51 Masterpicee Arcee
The vehicle is absolutely PERFECT. All the details are there. Despite the arms hanging a bit low, the car roll flawlessly. The interior is perfectly detailed, down to even a painted dashboard! Transformation is long and hard, but surprisingly not frustrating. Also, everything felt SOLID in hand with nothing seeming fragile or about to break. |We end up with a pretty nice fembot with a backpack that is not too bad in person, considering that the car mode have NO sacrifices. Obviously, Arcee is back heavy and it limit some poses. The chest and high collar is an odd design choice but it's not too bad, she's still worth every single cent that I paid. Could this Arcee be better? Maybe yes, but some choices had to be made. Here, it's the vehicle mode that got priority so the robot is a bit compromised with her backpack. Regardless, I highly recommend this official MP.
- Kanrabat
For the Prime line, certain characters were released twice in totally different molds at the begining. There was the First Edition (FE) version that was supposed to come out first in some sort of exclusive capacity followed by a Robots in Disguise (RID) mold that was meant for a more general release. For most bots, there is a clear winner between the two versions, but not Arcee. It turns out both her FE and RID molds are excellent and you can't go wrong with either of them to represent Prime Arcee in your collection. The RID version is a bit more accurate with her wings but the FE version has that nice complex transformation that adds some unique alt mode integration in the robot mode for the chest area. And both just look great!
-william-james88
We often get sleeker versions of earth based cars (like Cybertron Hotshot) that don't capitalize on the potential of designing vehicles from other worlds. This one totally fits the bill though. Unlike so many other alt modes, it bravely crosses the line between being a futuristic design to a full blown cybertronian one. It is a great homage to G1 Arcee which is followed through in robot mode and I like the added massive spoilers in the back. That detail gives it enough variation from the traditional Arcee model. Too bad it has exposed hands in vehicle mode though. Props go for it having that signature Arcee backpack without going the easy route and making this a shellformer.
-william-james88
While we have had several Arcees since this release, two more in the Generations line, this still feels like the best one. As a fan of Transformers toys, vehicle integration goes a long way and of all the Arcees with this G1 vehicle mode, this is the one that tries the hardest. While the backpack is unavoidable, the integration of the hips and chest means there is less to attempt to compact together in the back and you are instead left with what G1 Arcee would look like on the show if her backpack didn't magically shrink. The deco given by Takara just pushes it over the edge for G1 accurate goodness. It's a great toy all around and still the definitive Arcee to this date.
-william-james88
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Female Transformers (Fembot) Toys
We had covered the top 5 female transformers characters a looooooong time ago. And it was suggested we also cover the best Transformer toys made for female characters. Now, I was a bit apprehensive because, from my memory, that would be a very short list. But we've come a long way from the days where the gender was only decided in the fiction after a non gender specific toy was done. We've even had 2 fully female combiner teams. So let's have fun and get to it!
We often get sleeker versions of earth based cars (like Cybertron Hotshot) that don't capitalize on the potential of designing vehicles from other worlds. This one totally fits the bill though. Unlike so many other alt modes, it bravely crosses the line between being a futuristic design to a full blown cybertronian one. It is a great homage to G1 Arcee which is followed through in robot mode and I like the added massive spoilers in the back. That detail gives it enough variation from the traditional Arcee model. Too bad it has exposed hands in vehicle mode though. Props go for it having that signature Arcee backpack without going the easy route and making this a shellformer. - William-james88
4. Unite Warriors Mega Empress (central element of Megatronia, Takara's version of Victorion)
While this is a retool of Hotspot, the new chest, hands, combiner bits and head completely change the identity of the mold. The chest manages to be subtly feminine, the headsculpt is excellent with its classic finned helmet and noble, elegant face, and the hands are definitely female whilst still looking powerful. The holdovers from the original mold work well too, with the massive shoulder pauldrons making her look suitably imperious and her gauntleted hands and booted feet looking properly brutal. On top of that, you can fold the "ladder" over her shoulder or under her arm to form her railgun, which is a feature she does in the fiction.
Megaempress is decked in a very Megatron silver, black and red colour scheme with hints of dark grey and some magenta for the combined mode.
Her greatest triumph, however, is that she takes the old chestnut of "What if (insert character here) was a girl?" and makes it work! The toy looks great, is a lot of fun to play with, AND she's a combiner torso- and a damn good looking one to boot! All Hail Megaempress! - Black Hat
This is easily the best representation we've ever had of Blackarachnia, who I find to be the best female character in the entire Transformers franchise. The paint is sublime and I can see where all my money went since the robot mode is perfect. However as a Transformers toy, it falls a bit short since there isn't much to the transformation and the beast mode is nothing to write home about. But all around, it is still a toy I am happy to own in my collection and I recommend it to any Blackarachnia and fembot fan. -William-james88
It is great to see a deluxe come with so many accessories and different places to store them in both robot mode and vehicle mode (the vehicle mode storage where Arcee’s robot hands hold a gun into place is really clever). While this is not a masterpiece, it looks exactly like the G1 cartoon model. Especially with the softer Takara deco which looks like it is made of delicious candy. For those who don’t know, this is the only toy from this line (Thrilling 30) to be designed partly by Takara instead of simply Hasbro. Since this is the very first toy of G1 Arcee, Takara felt it would be a disservice for it to be an update to her G1 self, which is the theme of the Generations line (and all the other “classics” lines.) So they stepped in and made her design reflect her G1 self as much as they could. That dedication and passion makes this toy extra special.- William-james88
Even with the MP out, this remains one of the better Blackarachnia figures. I really like the transformation, which gives us a great spider mode even though the details don't match up perfectly with the show. And it gives us the multiple eyes gimmick in robot mode too. I find it the best toy done for a female character, emphasizing the different body type a female Cybertronian could have. It's just a well done toy all around, conveying the essence of the character and the biotech theme of the show, regardless of its accuracy. - William-james88
Honourable mention: Takara Transformers Adventures TAV-52 Strongarm and Sawback (Battle Pack Strongarm from Robots in Disguise)
I really like Strongarm's design. While she is female, she doesn't have the typical fembot physique, and instead is more in line with the classic boxy image of Transformers. And doesn't that make more sense? While her warrior class toy was not one of the standouts in the line, her two smaller toys were pretty great. Her Legion toy was already on our top 10 list for that class and now I would like to highlight her Battle Pack class toy. Especially the Takara version which had the best deco of all Stong Arm toys. In a line that fans first feared to be simpler, these Battlepack toys had the perfect articulation and complexity to go with the size. I find it remarkable how the designers were able to achieve the same bot and alt mode in this smaller scale.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here. Thanks to fellow staff member Kurona for helping me with this one, along with fellow Seibertronian TK415 for helping me shape this list.
Top 5 Most Show Accurate Transformers Toylines
This list has been mulling in my head for quite sometime. I always find it hard when a list is a tad bit lest subjective since it means there are measures that have to be clear rather than it simply being "I think this toy is awesome while this one blows". However, this idea of comparing the toys we get with what we see on screen is a longstanding theme in this brand and it's a request I get quite a bit. Now, to make it more diverse and add some variety, I have chosen to deal with this subject of screen accuracy while looking at toylines rather than the individual toys themselves. Feel free to discuss which toys within the mentioned (or unmentioned) toylines you find superior to others in terms of accuracy though, it should make for a fun discussion. Now off with the list!
Transformers Prime was supposed to take this spot at first, especially since the RID line still had the defacto inaccuracies that come with using G1 toys to represent your show characters. But you know what, I realized the Prime line had less to offer for show accuracy. Sure, there were some heavy hitters, but then you realize that Hasbro never gave us anything close to a screen accurate Voyager Megatron, none of the black Beast Hunter Bees had the right paint scheme, neither Arcee really looked like the character model (which I admit is hard to pull off) and the crappier Cliffjumper toy was the one with the screen accurate legs.
And then there is RID, a show that went out of its way to show us all the wonderful modes Megatron had, including the hand mode and griffin mode. All the new molds made for RID, such as Optimus, Railracer and the brothers had toys which seemed to jump off the screen. And while Ruination's proportions were off as expected, the colours were well represented. And we finally got to see some of those Beast Wars molds in action on screen in North America and they looked great. And let's not forget Scourge whose toy looked a lot like the show model. I especially love the sticker detail being very similar to the details we see on the screen. Its these peculiar and recognizable details, like the chest stickers, found both onscreen and on the toy that drive home how good a representation you have of the badass you see on screen.
I remember very well being a kid and being turned off by those odd masks the first year Beast Wars toys had. They weren't on the show. And while the inner Rhinox head looked more like the show, it looked too small on the body so young WJ88 settled on that brutish face when making him exchange blows with his Bane action figure. But then in that second year line, Beast Wars Transmetal, it was as if you were holding the characters you saw onscreen in your very hands. And that is the first time that ever happened for the brand. Tarantulus and Cheetor looked perfect, so did Rampage and both faction leaders. Plus you had the gimmicks at work too, like the surfing gorilla and thruster t-rex. I would even throw in Quickstrike and Silverbolt who were released at the very same tie within the Fuzors subline. And it culminated with Optimal Optimus and Depthcharge which really looked the part. That dedication between toy and screen was not as impressive with what followed in Transmetal 2 where toys like Tigerhawk looked different and gimmicks not being carried through to the screen (like the rollerblading dragon, though I do understand). Plus there were many many toys that had no onscreen counterparts. And that worsened with Beast Machines. But man, Transmetal, those toys still hold up and I honestly don't see how much better those toys would be if they were released today.
Yeah, if we are going to talk about the Masterpiece line and screen accuracy, you have to let go of all that came at the beginning. It didn't help that MP 01 Optimus Prime wasn't based on the G1 show model, and neither was Starscream, and that MP 05 Megatron was more of an homage to the G1 toy than the cartoon. But MP 10 came along and BAM, we got ourselves a gorgeous line with a unified scale that to this day keeps getting closer and closer to being as screen accurate as possible. It's not perfect, unlike the name would suggest, what with Red Alert still not getting the molding changes he deserves and Optimus not having a white crotch, plus the deal with Hot Rod's non show accurate backpack and extraneous bits. But then you have Bumblebee, Soundave, Shockwave, Ultra Magnus and Inferno who are just so striking in terms of show accuracy. Right down to the smooth surfaces devoid of sculpted detail and even stickers for Sunbow inspired Decepticon symbols in one case. It even got to the point where fans would rather the toys strive less for cartoon accuracy and go for a happy medium of detail and smooth surfaces. What that tells me is that this line is of course right at home on this list.
And here is a fun video I found. Sure, not everything it uses it official but it gives a good idea of how far we have come.
I will always be amazed at what the Animated line was able to pull off. For the fist time, we had character models created before the toys in a Transformers show and these designs had exaggerated features. They were not proportioned, with some having ultra sleek waists, bigger feet, huge chins and so on. This was a more heroic style found across the 2000's and it persists now, which can make for very dynamic animation. We know that worked for a show, but now you had to engineer toys out of them which was extra tricky since these exaggerated proportions were more present in the robot modes than the vehicle modes. But Hasbro found a way. They were able to make transforming toys which really did have those dynamic looks. That deluxe Prowl toy still fascinates me for being so sleek in both modes and yet having that elongated head and huge feet. He's an easy example to show but that goes for all toys which found a way to have animated features in robot mode that did not have vehicle kibble (like forearms and legs) while not turning them all into shellformers. Even if you don't like the designs, you have to admit that turning this into one of the most show accurate lines is quite a feat.
While Armada was naturally very toy-accurate and if you got an Armada toy just to get something that looked like what you saw on the show... well, unless you got Sideswipe, you wouldn't be terribly disappointed.
But Energon and Cybertron take it to whole new levels. The CGI models might as friggin' well just be the toys -- it gets to the extent that the models have the toy's buttons on them. The button you press on Cybertron Evac's toy to make his rotors turn? That's on his CGI model. Why is it there? What possible actual function would it serve to Evac as a character or soldier or disguise? Who the heck knows, but he has it.
Cybertron's toys are by far the most screen-accurate toys there have ever been because of how stupidly accurate to the toys Cybertron's animators were. Pretty much the only difference is in articulation for character expression (individual fingers moving, extra waist movement, that sort of thing). The Transformations were replicated too, which makes it even better!
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Transformers Wishes Come true
Let's have some fun here and look back at toys that were once only a pipe dream to man many fans, and that somehow came true. Once you are done reading the list, let us know of other toys that you simply couldn't believe were finally happening.
This was a dream come true for many fans, but the reason it sits so low on the list is because this is a toy we didn't really know we wanted precisely (until it was out, of course). I mean sure pie in the sky a nice big Optimus with light up matrix that poses super well and transforms just like it did on the show is something any fan wanted, but you could say that about any character, Optimus just happens to be the main one. And then after that, we just got more dreams of MP releases, many of which still have yet to come 10 years later (while we are instead getting the 3rd MP Optimus). But this was the one that started it all, an awesome toy that we could have only dreamed of before.
Springer is one of the main characters of the Transformers film, a mainstay in the third season, one of the main bots in line to be a matrix bearer and the main character of one of the best Transformers stories of all time. And for 30 years, the only toy even remotely indicative of him was the G1 toy. Sure, Hasbro released other bots as "Springer" but it was always just a redeco of another bot and worse yet it was never a triple changer. He was either just a car or just a helicopter. But then the generations Thrilling 30 line came. It provided us not only a good to honest triple changer Springer, but it also gave him to us in a nice voyager scale and with design references to his appearance in The Last Stand of the Wreckers.
3. So many Shockwaves
For a long time (30 years), we just couldn't get a decent looking Shockwave figure. People thought, and it may be true, that it's because the original toy was not a Takara/Tomy product and thus there were some licensing issues at play that meant a design similar to the original may be caught up in red tape. But then we just got inundated with them. The past few years have seen Shockwave toys with robot modes much closer to the G1 character than ever before. We got G1 style Shockwaves for kids in both Cyberverse and the Cyber Battalion line, and we got 3 "gun" Shockwaves with the MP, Combiner Wars (which Bruticus can hold) and Siege. That's 6 G1 style Shockwaves in 3 years, enough to satisfy any collector or their kids at any scale.
While we waited a long time for a good Shockwave and Springer update, at least they had toys to begin with. Arcee was always a fan favourite and yet she had no toy of her G1 self for decades. But finally, in 2014, we got an Arcee figure representing her G1 self as the appeared in the film. It still feels a bit uncanny to have that toy in my collection.
Fans have wanted this ever since the surprising moment where we see that the giant killer planet Unicron, actually had a robot mode. There was a very well known attempt at such a toy in the G1 era and the prototype lingered in everyone's mind after being revealed in 1996 (10 years after the movie came out). A physical toy of what we saw could be achieved, but would be ever get it?! And then in 2003, it happened, we finally got our Unicron. Sure, it was meant for the Armada show, but the looks weren't that far off from the look of him in the movie (more accurate than that prototype anyway) and it truly was a dream come true. I still find a lot of that design to be genius all these years later, with the wings becoming the ring for instance.
As written above, the MP line provided lots of fans to start wishing for figures they could never get before. This includes a masterpiece version of toys that were mere fantasy, like Blue Bluestreak, or the reintegration of Diaclone toys into the transformers Universe, or E-Hobby exclusives or toys that were previously rarer than chicken teeth, like Artfire.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor, or a guest like this week's DecepticonFinishline. These are personal opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Multiverse Characters We Want to See in the Generations Line
This list continues our theme of toys we would like to see in the generations line, you can find the previous list here.
Multiverse Transformers Characters: It’s hard to define exactly what we’re going for here. I was inspired by figures like Reveal the Shield Lugnut, Revenge of the Fallen Lockdown and Animated Blackout. We were going to exclude G1 characters (because you can’t be “NEO”-G1 if you’re already G1); then we weren’t sure because the original G1 continuity includes Beast Wars/Beast Machines, and I kinda wanted to put Beast Machines Thrust on the list. But including BW/BM on the list mucks it up even more. SO. We decided on characters that appear in universes apart from the original G1 continuity. -Basically, anything except 1980s-G1-Cartoon, Beast Wars, and Beast Machines.
5. Robots in Disguise (2015) Thunderhoof
RiD (2015): The sequel series to my favorite Transformers cartoon (Transformers Prime). When the designs started to show up, I was a bit disappointed- but I understood. It took the Aligned Continuity and altered to appeal to a younger audience. I was going to skip on the whole line, but then I watched a video review for Thunderhoof
What a COOL FREAKING toy! There were a ton of cool Decepticons. Many of which didn’t even get the toy that they deserved (*cough cough but-actually-speaks-loudly-and-clearly* SABERHORN AND GLOWSTRIKE cough*). Thunderhoof stands above the rest, though. Not only for having a satisfying transformation, but because of his altmode. The fact that there hasn’t been a tractor Transformer to this point is absolutely daft. I’d even love to see him in the make-everyone-a-combiner craze. I’ll give you his team later in the list.
4. Armada Sideways
Armada Sideways is kinda like the Darkrai or Beelzemon of Transformers: Super overrated and edgy, but still objectively kinda cool. There have been some unique opportunities, recently, to bring Sideways into the Neo-G1 fold, too.
In Transformers Armada, he operates similar to a Headmaster. We could have gotten a Special Edition (similar to the likes of Arcee/Grotusque) that uses the Groove mold with a remolded chest capable of Titan Masters. AND he would have come with two Titan Masters. Motorbike alt modes aren’t SUPER rare, and there have been some decent opportunities to introduce this important character to the greater part of the Transformers multiverse. I love the Cybertron version of Sideways, as well; while I would settle for
3. Armada Demolisher
There are a lot of Armada characters that I’d love to see in the Neo-G1 fold. ESPECIALLY characters that have specific-full minicon teams attached to them. For example: I’d love to see Armada Jetfire as a Voyager combiner with Comettor and the Space Mini-con team as the gestalt named Requiem. Same with Starscream and the Race Mini-cons as the gestalt Skyboom.
Something similar could have happened with Demolisher. There is a mockup that exists with Demolisher’s head on the Onslaught mold. While the idea of Deluxe-limb-versions of Wreckage and Knockout excite me a little bit more than Demolisher-with-an-Onslaught-body, I would love to see Demolisher crossover into Neo-G1 toys. I would just prefer to see him in an alt-mode a little more true to his strange-and-stubby Armada-proportions.
2. Movie Blackout
This character is one the characters that inspired this list to start with. Blackout, a movie character, crossed over into Transformers Animated fiction AND managed to get a toy out of the deal. How. Freaking. Cool. Is. That?
Blackout is the (second-)most iconic Decepticon in the whole movieverse. Fans love seeing new Blackout toys because his altmode is badass. The craziest part of this is that it could have been done relatively easily already. Let me explain: The most underutilized and underrated mold of the last ten years is the Reveal the Shield Lugnut mold. Not only could you replace the arms and shoulders to make a Neo-G1 Blackout, but that Blackout remold could have been taken to make a Movie(2007-Videogame)+Animated+G1-inspired version of Shockwave. Instead, the Lugnut mold was used once.
I’d love to see all three of the aforementioned characters as remolds of each other in a Voyager-combiner form (could you tell that I like combiners?). Shockwave w/ Deluxe Insecticon limbs; Lugnut w/ Lockdown, Thunderhoof, Oil Slick and Knock Out; and, most importantly, Blackout w/ Barricade, Stinger, Stockade and fourth member. (Or maybe Barricade + the Dreads? Definitely Barricade, though.)
Or just a new, non-combiner, badass assault helicopter. Whatever. I just want a Generations Blackout.
1. Knock Out
I mentioned on this list, already, that Transformers Prime is my favorite of the cartoons. A lot of the characters DO already of G1 counterparts. And, there IS a G1 toy with the name “Knockout;” one word. But, he’s no Knock Out, so who cares.
While, if I had met someone like Knock Out in real life, I would straight-up hate that person, something about the character in Transformers Prime is still relatable. I know that he has been appearing in some of the comics recently. You’ll notice exactly zero Comic-characters on my list. I have nothing against the comics, but I just don’t know anything about them. So I don’t really understand Knock Out’s role in the comics in relation to being Neo-G1.
What I do know is that his TFPrime incarnation is not quite close enough to the G1 aesthetic for me consider it Neo-G1. It’s close. Just not quite there. That is the main reason Knock Out is here as my number 1. It would be an easy transition to Neo-G1; he has a role in the comics; he is a fan-favorite; he isn’t directly battling any existing G1 character for naming rights.
Honorable Mention: Bulkhead:
You’ll notice my whole list is Decepticons. And a lot of the characters on my list have requests built-in for even more Decepticons. That is because a lot of “Multiverse” characters re-use G1 character names. Which is a result of TOO MANY DAMN AUTOBOTS. However, Prime/Animated Bulkhead is worthy of a Neo-G1 incarnation. He was a main player in Animated AND Transformers Prime. He is also (obviously) the inspiration for the movie version of Hound. It took me a while to warm up to his character. But I have, now, and I want to see a Generations release of this character. He has earned it.
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are personal opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Toys R Us Transformers Exclusives of all time
There are not many lists I have written which I won't have to edit in the coming years. It's only normal since more toys come out and new fiction is written (even for existing universes) that there are bound to be updates and new toys that come which make my list dated and in need of an update (like my Top 5 Best Grimlock toys for instance). But when I read the words "All stores CLOSING forever!" in a recent e-mail Toysrus sent out, I realized that with a list like this, it can be definite. So, in honour of this store we all once loved and which many will never be able to walk into again, I decided to look back on its amazing history if Transformers exclusive. Thanks to the multiple board members who suggested the topic, I hope you enjoy it!
If I was truly bias, I would probably put this at number 1. I just really like this toy and think it has so much to offer. Firstly, you finally get a show accurate Beast Machines Optimus Primal (I would even say you finally get a show accurate figure period). Of all the Transforming gorillas out there, I feel this is the one with the most changes from bot to beast. And that is quite a feat since of all animals, apes are the closest to having humanoid proportions (so many parts are reused in both modes). The chest, head, and every limbs undergoes some kinds of change. I find what they do with the arms brilliant, with the giant gorilla knuckles becoming the massive shoulder pads. Plus he has an awesome array of gimmicks. Just overall a fantastic toy.
I did not know this was a Toysrus exclusive until doing research for this list. I was sure such an iconic character and toy (and mainly look) would have been more widespread to have garnered such an appeal. But no, Scourge was indeed only sold at Toysrus. This is easily the most iconic toy of the line, even if it is a redeco. Actually, the fact that he is encapsulates the line quite well since a big part of it was breathing new life and characters into toys we had already experienced. It was also about merging the gap between what came before the year 2000 in the Transformers brand and setting a stage for a return to vehicles along with starting a constant look at the past in terms of homages and inspirations (and also foreshadowing the fact that every single Optimus Prime mold would need a teal/red/black deco treatment from here on out).
Calm your horses, this isn't merely based on the toy, but its status as a Toysrus exclusive. The original toy was available for a while and fans had found a way to get it with this release merely making it more available (and affordable, depending on the release and where you are located). I take major issue with the packaging too, along with the unpainted trailer. The main advantage here was not having to pay the import fee, and for a toy as cool as MP 10, he is still most deserving of this number 3 spot.
Those final Animated toys were all sublime. That refers to Arcee, Rodimus Minor, and the Cybertronian Ratchet/Ironhide mold, which I recommend all fans to experience. These all display what is great about the animated line, having these radical designs be brought to toys, with innovative transformations is hard to beat. And of those three molds, Rodimus is the one that succeeds best. I have already gushed about this toy enough and you can read more about him here and here.
I know I wasn't the nicest when it came to Masterpiece Prime's release (but give me a break, he made the top 3), but Soundwave was everything a fan could dream. Unlike Prime, the Hasbro release, exclusive to Toysrus, gave us some major value by having all his cassettes included with him (well the ones that were already out) rather than buying them individually. That was a saving of 80-100$ easily. Plus he came with the new collector oriented packaging, which helped you store everything perfectly with an awesome display window. It is better packaging than the Takara version which had been released the same year, meaning western fans wouldn't have to wait for a domestic release. Not only was the wait short, but they got more.
Honourable Mentions:
The Prime First Edition toys are an odd bunch since they are technically mainline toys that saw a release all over the world but were only picked up by Toysrus in the US, and then were eventually found in other places like 5 Below. So depending on one's definition for an exclusive, I kept them for the honourable mentions but I do want to highlight Prime and Bulkhead who I don't think saw a release in the US outside of Toysrus (could be wrong, this line's release is super confusing).
I also really like the AOE Evolution Optimus Prime set, and the three 2016 Clash of Transformers toys we got in the RID line (though the only unique mold, Starscream, did get released later unchanged, so it doesn't really qualify as an exclusive anymore).
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Top 5 Best Giant Transformers Toys
Remember that scene in the Transformers movie where Unicron transformed? The whole time you just saw a big planet that destroyed other planets ala Death star. But then it Transformed and our notions of the limit to Transformers flew out the window. This was the instance where we all gazed at the wonder of this brand and saw that it was boundless. Since then, there have been many giant Transformers in the fiction and better yet, we eventually got their toys.
And this is what this list is all about. This is about those awe inspiring towering Transformers from the fiction and their wonderful toys. A quick note, this post was started January 2015. But with Hasbro announcing a yearly Titan class toy, I figured I should wait. Turns out nothing really changed from my initial thoughts of over 3 years ago.
One of the largest G1 Decepticon toy ever, he pulls off his three modes pretty well despite how simple he is and has loads of fun play features. His robot mode is huge and menacing, his scorpion mode looks very much like a giant mechanical scorpion, with moving legs and ratcheted pincers, and his base mode looks as good as any other base mode of the era with fun ramps for your cars to climb and exit from.
It is still crazy to think that we actually got a Unicron toy in the end. Not getting G1 Arcee was nonsensical since it was all about business and not getting any female transformer toys. But we all knew that a Unicron toy was unfeasible on a whole other level. And yet we got one, a HUGE one, and he was quite accurate (though not perfect) with a bunch of action features, a nice beard, and an actual planet mode that had pincers and a mouth. My personal favourite aspect is how they were able to give the planet rings and have them transform into his wings. He is also the most complex toy of his (supreme) size class.
I just love everything about this toy. It is an excellent homage to Omega Supreme while also being a totally new take. The transformation is simple, as is the case for many of these bigger bots, and yet feel dynamic. It brings back the element of parts-forming the original had but tones it down. The alt modes which serve double duty as weapon platforms can also fuse together to get you a really long armoured train which looks kinda crazy but in a fun way. Plus you have a headmaster unit which can interact with the two combining alt modes and its modeled after the Omega Supreme G1 Action Master. So this is homaging all interpretations of the past (at the time). While headmasters have come back in a big way since, it was a real treat to see a bot like this back in the day. This mold has also been very successful in different decos with Omega Sentinel and War for Cybertron Omega Supreme (which is still the de facto G1 Omega Supreme for CHUG enthusiasts).
Can you believe it, there is actually a Primus toy out there for any Transformers fan to own! And he doesnt disappoint. He is the best planet former out there with really cool details in that mode (including the city of Iacon and Kaon) and it is pretty incredible to get such a traditional looking robot mode from a spherical alt mode, with much less kibble than Unicron. The transformation is neat and uses the key gimmick well, you really feel you are unlocking the secrets to Cybertron with the Omega Lock. And as a true defender of the Cybertronian race, he is loaded with cannons and missile launchers (definitely puts Titans Return Fortress Maximus to shame in that department). And I cannot get over just how cool the robot detail is with the designers going out of their way to show you that he is made of Cybertron's inner workings. On the shoulders, for instance you can see beams, tubes and vents along with Cybertronian writing. The headsculpt is one of the best conveying hints to both Optimus Prime (with the antenna) and Rodimus (with the V shape crest), which ties into the very first appearance of Primus having callbacks to Rodimus. This toy is one for the ages.
I didn't think a G1 toys would be number one on this list. You would think that after all these years, Hasbro and Takara could outdo themselves with a nice new city transformer but Fort Max is still the undisputed champion of that category. Unlike the other G1 city formers, he is truly massive and also looks like an actual city, or at least the small downtown section of one (he actually reminds me of a level from Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner). Just put him next to Metroplex or Trypticon and they just pale in comparison. Plus, this city transformers into a battle station, filled with an insane amount of weaponry and hidden guns, making him really a fortress. He also comes with smaller bots and fiddly bits which make him as much a playset as a figure. And not just any figure, but a headmaster. And not just any headmaster but a double headmaster. Which means the head of the big city robot transforms into a robot who's head also transforms into a smaller figure. And since an Encore version exists, a complete FortMax is now more a possibility to have than ever before. Also, to those who like to go one step beyond, feel free to substitute this number 1 pick with Grand Maximus.
Honourable mentions: Quite a few actually. Even though there are fewer giant Transformers than any other size class, the few that get approved are usually very good. As you can see, none of the Metroplexes are there and that is simply because I do not find that any of them have had a decent alt mode thus far that doesn't just look like them in some odd pose. Tidal Wave is pretty awesome but rather small compared to other bots that are supposed to be giant and while I like Trypticon fine, there was nothing truly mind blowing about him. His base mode has always been, at best, as good as Scorponok's to me. Yet that is his main alt mode, while Scorponok has a whole robot mode and beast mode as well.
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
![[Valid RSS]](/images/rss/valid-rss.png "Validate Seibertron.com's RSS feed"){kind=small}
