Takara Tomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-20 and MP-21 Announced: Wheeljack and Bumblebee

Yes! This is great!

They'll both be out around the new year probably.

I have to get both figures.

Hey Takara, remember that Decepticons exist, too.

Damn, well I put orders in for all thee within 2 minutes of getting the email alert, but now I can't decide if I want to Cancel my Red Alert order and go with g2 Sideswipe, or go with red alert and skip sideswipe.

Currently I do have Generations Red Alert in my collection, but not a single sideswipe.
I wish we had better photos, not sure how the black deco will look on that alt mode.

This is where the MP line gets tricky. This is where all you people who love legends size mini-bots will finally learn that a Volkswagen Beetle is not really that small. He wont turn into a robot that is your precious "mini-bot" scale, because he is not an Isetta or a golf cart.

Yes yes yes, great news. Mp-20 will be wheeljack (another sports car). I don't care for mp Bumblebee cause I just bought yellow mp-12t and I already have alternity bumblebee which I consider to be my masterpiece bee.

I'm glad that they went with Wheeljack first cause his character in Transformers prime is awesome. I will never forget his one on one fight he had with soundwave in one of the episodes oh and he had a couple more one on ones throughout the series. Wheeljack is always ready to rumble in the jungle. Wheeljack The rebel autobot.

I CANT WAIT TO SEE THAT RACE CAR WHEELJACK FIGURE. Takara must have read my mind and knew that I have not one Wheeljack in my collection.

Rated X wrote:He wont turn into a robot that is your precious "mini-bot" scale, because he is not an Isetta or a golf cart.

On the contrary, considering the line is in running with the animation scale guide, it's more than likely that he will. Also, expect that price to be adjusted once a more official announcement hits.

Great work Takara! I wonder if they also got all the licenses for the race sponsors on Wheeljack's Lancia Stratos. I always found it funny how they changes 'Alitalia' to 'Alitalla' to get passed that. I think that will be indicative of whether we get a real Jazz since he has a lot more race sponsor logos on him (as well as one for a liquor company).

Hoping Bee's price comes down since he's got to be smaller than the rest. Oh well, preordered anyway.

Rated X wrote:This is where the MP line gets tricky. This is where all you people who love legends size mini-bots will finally learn that a Volkswagen Beetle is not really that small. He wont turn into a robot that is your precious "mini-bot" scale, because he is not an Isetta or a golf cart.

I don't see that as a bad thing in the least, I know having him tiny is "cute" but, IMHO giant transforming robots shouldn't be cute. I'd rather him be in scale, instead of a weirdo mini-bot.

Eagleblaster wrote:Takara must have read my mind and knew that I have not one Wheeljack in my collection.

Whoah. You should totally get Generations Wheeljack, he's easily one of my favorite figures and I have like over 200 easy....

Blozor wrote:Hey Takara, remember that Decepticons exist, too.

Then I'll dare you to tell me how many Season 1 'Cons there are

And Wheeljack? I think I'm gonna faint...

Rotoraptor wrote:

Rated X wrote:This is where the MP line gets tricky. This is where all you people who love legends size mini-bots will finally learn that a Volkswagen Beetle is not really that small. He wont turn into a robot that is your precious "mini-bot" scale, because he is not an Isetta or a golf cart.

I don't see that as a bad thing in the least, I know having him tiny is "cute" but, IMHO giant transforming robots shouldn't be cute. I'd rather him be in scale, instead of a weirdo mini-bot.

Eagleblaster wrote:Takara must have read my mind and knew that I have not one Wheeljack in my collection.

Whoah. You should totally get Generations Wheeljack, he's easily one of my favorite figures and I have like over 200 easy....

Thanks for the advice but sorry I didn't like that short stubby 3" generations wheeljack. And I got about 120 transformers in my collection. Mostly the best of the best from most of the past transformers lines.

Eagleblaster wrote:Yes yes yes, great news. Mp-20 will be wheeljack (another sports car). I don't care for mp Bumblebee cause I just bought yellow mp-12t and I already have alternity bumblebee which I consider to be my masterpiece bee.

I'm glad that they went with Wheeljack first cause his character in Transformers prime is awesome. I will never forget his one on one fight he had with soundwave in one of the episodes oh and he had a couple more one on ones throughout the series. Wheeljack is always ready to rumble in the jungle. Wheeljack The rebel autobot.

I CANT WAIT TO SEE THAT RACE CAR WHEELJACK FIGURE. Takara must have read my mind and knew that I have not one Wheeljack in my collection.

you do realize that this is dinobot creating scientist wheeljack.. not bad ass sword wielding wheeljack. right? lol

Rotoraptor wrote:

Rated X wrote:Whoah. You should totally get Generations Wheeljack, he's easily one of my favorite figures and I have like over 200 easy....

no no no, that wheeljack is horrible.. that mold sucks.. it's short, it's fat, and it's ugly. i'll agree that wheeljack looks better than tracks... but if you don't have a wheeljack in your collection and you want one.. definitely go for the prime version. . it's a no brainer.

let me guess. a cliffjumper repaint of bb will be made.

this line is such a joke.

I just noticed: for all you G2 Marvel comics enthusiasts, G2 Sideswipe will come with his G2 comic weaponry, and even two Spike Tires, his "power" from G2: Redux.

griftimus prime wrote:let me guess. a cliffjumper repaint of bb will be made.

this line is such a joke.

Bumblebee is a Volkswagen. Cliffjumper is a Porsche. Try again.

Why is Bee $80??????

I seriously doubt that Bumblebee will be a VW Beetle. Doesn't VW have that strict "no war toys" policy? That's why BB hasn't been an actual Beetle since his first iteration. Has VW changed their tune, or will we get another almost-Bumblebee?

TimothyR wrote:

Eagleblaster wrote:Yes yes yes, great news. Mp-20 will be wheeljack (another sports car). I don't care for mp Bumblebee cause I just bought yellow mp-12t and I already have alternity bumblebee which I consider to be my masterpiece bee.

I'm glad that they went with Wheeljack first cause his character in Transformers prime is awesome. I will never forget his one on one fight he had with soundwave in one of the episodes oh and he had a couple more one on ones throughout the series. Wheeljack is always ready to rumble in the jungle. Wheeljack The rebel autobot.

I CANT WAIT TO SEE THAT RACE CAR WHEELJACK FIGURE. Takara must have read my mind and knew that I have not one Wheeljack in my collection.

you do realize that this is dinobot creating scientist wheeljack.. not bad ass sword wielding wheeljack. right? lol

Rotoraptor wrote:

Rated X wrote:Whoah. You should totally get Generations Wheeljack, he's easily one of my favorite figures and I have like over 200 easy....

no no no, that wheeljack is horrible.. that mold sucks.. it's short, it's fat, and it's ugly. i'll agree that wheeljack looks better than tracks... but if you don't have a wheeljack in your collection and you want one.. definitely go for the prime version. . it's a no brainer.

I don't know much about g1 characters but if this mp wheeljack looks anything like the prime wheeljack then thats who he will be in My collection. And I don't like the prime wheel jack either cause it didn't have a realistic alt mold and it was bold legged in robot mode and it had no arm out articulation.

Lorekeeper wrote:I seriously doubt that Bumblebee will be a VW Beetle. Doesn't VW have that strict "no war toys" policy? That's why BB hasn't been an actual Beetle since his first iteration. Has VW changed their tune, or will we get another almost-Bumblebee?

Lamborghini did as well in 2004 for Binaltech, but now...

And scratch the power comment of mine...

warzon3 wrote:Why is Bee $80??????

He wont be. BBTS is just doing far too premature a preorder yet again before details are finalised. Look at their original listing situation with MP17-MP19.

I really hope bee looks nice and not anything like his g1 counterpart and wheeljack is my second fav autobot

Hotrodimust wrote:I really hope bee looks nice and not anything like his g1 counterpart

If you're expecting anything other than G1 cartoon accuracy, then you're in for disappointment.

Whoa, they announced G2 Sideswipe?? How did I miss that?

Wait, I thought MP20 was supposed to be chosen from that list of Autobot leaders from the Japanese Generation One continuity and the Unicron Trilogy?

As I usually say, they will look very nice, but we are really in need of a Megatron Ver. 2, Galvatron, and heck, more Decepticons in general.

Rotoraptor wrote:Damn, well I put orders in for all thee within 2 minutes of getting the email alert, but now I can't decide if I want to Cancel my Red Alert order and go with g2 Sideswipe, or go with red alert and skip sideswipe.

Currently I do have Generations Red Alert in my collection, but not a single sideswipe.
I wish we had better photos, not sure how the black deco will look on that alt mode.

I suggest that you get both. You can't just get one of those phenomenal licensed Lamborghini molds. I been got mp-12 (which I wish I would had bought two of at the time). And I got mp-12t on the way. But if you could only get one get the that mp-black sideswipe.

TimothyR wrote:

Eagleblaster wrote:Yes yes yes, great news. Mp-20 will be wheeljack (another sports car). I don't care for mp Bumblebee cause I just bought yellow mp-12t and I already have alternity bumblebee which I consider to be my masterpiece bee.

I'm glad that they went with Wheeljack first cause his character in Transformers prime is awesome. I will never forget his one on one fight he had with soundwave in one of the episodes oh and he had a couple more one on ones throughout the series. Wheeljack is always ready to rumble in the jungle. Wheeljack The rebel autobot.

I CANT WAIT TO SEE THAT RACE CAR WHEELJACK FIGURE. Takara must have read my mind and knew that I have not one Wheeljack in my collection.

you do realize that this is dinobot creating scientist wheeljack.. not bad ass sword wielding wheeljack. right? lol

Rotoraptor wrote:

Rated X wrote:Whoah. You should totally get Generations Wheeljack, he's easily one of my favorite figures and I have like over 200 easy....

no no no, that wheeljack is horrible.. that mold sucks.. it's short, it's fat, and it's ugly. i'll agree that wheeljack looks better than tracks... but if you don't have a wheeljack in your collection and you want one.. definitely go for the prime version. . it's a no brainer.

No, not a no brainer. That's a matter of opinion and one I strongly disagree with. Wheeljack was the first Autobot I ever had as a kid and I personally cannot stand the way they depict him in the Prime series and absolutely despise the mold for him to the point that I flat refuse to purchase it. I have the other homages/iterations of the figure from other lines, even if the names are changed, and will gladly kick out the cash for this MP version but the Prime version, for me anyways, is (almost) as much an abomination as what Bay did to the character in DotM. I think the Generations version was about as faithful a reproduction of the original as we could hope to get with upgraded articulation outside of the MP series so I fail to see how the mold for that line could "suck". The only thing the Prime version has that even resembles the original is a few stripes and some shared face details. Honestly, to me he looks more like he's a paint-job away from being a Vehicion commander, not a tribute to the beloved 'Bot tinkerer.

So Eagleblaster... it's up to you which version you want to go with if you pick one up outside of the MP line to fill in the void. Energon series Downshift was a good reproduction and even it's repaint for the Universe line wasn't totally offensive. The Alternators version of him is probably going to cost you as much as the MP version but it is still a very decent collectors figure. The Generations line and Prime/BH lines are going to be your easiest and cheapest acquisitions. You've got two totally opposite opinions of those last two lines so it's up to you which one to go with. Whatever you choose, enjoy the addition to your collection.

Mindmaster wrote:Wait, I thought MP20 was supposed to be chosen from that list of Autobot leaders from the Japanese Generation One continuity and the Unicron Trilogy?

As I usually say, they will look very nice, but we are really in need of a Megatron Ver. 2, Galvatron, and heck, more Decepticons in general.

The fan's choice MP is a special Masterpiece toy to celebrate the brands 30 years, it is not interrupting the current direction of the MP line, merely running along next to it as a one-off special.
Aside from reflector and Shockwave, unless Shogo Hasui can convince TT's boffins of doing combiners in the line...we pretty much have all the season one cons (because the MP line has become re-focosed to acheive that goal). Sure Megs needs an update, but he is already done, and as with MP1 and 10, TT will get their ears chewed off by somebody for not 'giving THEM a new character, this line is cheap, this line is a joke blah blah blah' so a V2 megs wouldn't please everybody. Shockwave is potentially still tied up in licensing and copyright issues with the Korean folk.
That leaves reflector.
Hopefully he'd come with a neck strap so I could holiday abroad and pretend to be a tourist.

T-Macksimus wrote:
No, not a no brainer. That's a matter of opinion and one I strongly disagree with. Wheeljack was the first Autobot I ever had as a kid and I personally cannot stand the way they depict him in the Prime series and absolutely despise the mold for him to the point that I flat refuse to purchase it. I have the other homages/iterations of the figure from other lines, even if the names are changed, and will gladly kick out the cash for this MP version but the Prime version, for me anyways, is (almost) as much an abomination as what Bay did to the character in DotM. I think the Generations version was about as faithful a reproduction of the original as we could hope to get with upgraded articulation outside of the MP series so I fail to see how the mold for that line could "suck". The only thing the Prime version has that even resembles the original is a few stripes and some shared face details. Honestly, to me he looks more like he's a paint-job away from being a Vehicion commander, not a tribute to the beloved 'Bot tinkerer.

I 100% agree. To me, Prime "Wheeljack" is a phenomenal character... but he shares absolutely none of the traits of the original Wheeljack, save the name and head mold, maybe. IMO, Prime "Wheeljack" could have been ANY G1 character - Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Hound - the reason being is that they scrapped the personality and repurposed the character completely.

That said, anyone else get irritated every time Bulkhead affectionately calls him "Jacky"? It's just so.... horrible. Same disappointing writing as the word "scrap" popping up in 90% of Arcee's dialogue. I love the Prime writing overall, but it seriously falls flat on its face when it tries to use "cool" lingo.

TimothyR wrote:no no no, that wheeljack is horrible.. that mold sucks.. it's short, it's fat, and it's ugly. i'll agree that wheeljack looks better than tracks... but if you don't have a wheeljack in your collection and you want one.. definitely go for the prime version. . it's a no brainer.

Uh....g1 wheeljack IS short and fat.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:G1Wheeljack_toy.jpg

The Generations version captures that pretty perfectly.

Also, Prime Wheeljack isn't going to fit into a CHUGs collection at all, and he's basically a totally different character to boot so....yea.

Eagleblaster wrote:I suggest that you get both. You can't just get one of those phenomenal licensed Lamborghini molds. I been got mp-12 (which I wish I would had bought two of at the time). And I got mp-12t on the way. But if you could only get one get the that mp-black sideswipe.

It's not that I CAN'T get more than one, I just prefer not to get multiple figures of the same mold. I pick whichever I like the most, or don't already have in my collection and stick with that one. Following those rules, I should go with G2 'Swipe.

Rotoraptor wrote:

TimothyR wrote:no no no, that wheeljack is horrible.. that mold sucks.. it's short, it's fat, and it's ugly. i'll agree that wheeljack looks better than tracks... but if you don't have a wheeljack in your collection and you want one.. definitely go for the prime version. . it's a no brainer.

Uh....g1 wheeljack IS short and fat.
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:G1Wheeljack_toy.jpg

The Generations version captures that pretty perfectly.

Also, Prime Wheeljack isn't going to fit into a CHUGs collection at all, and he's basically a totally different character to boot so....yea.

Eagleblaster wrote:I suggest that you get both. You can't just get one of those phenomenal licensed Lamborghini molds. I been got mp-12 (which I wish I would had bought two of at the time). And I got mp-12t on the way. But if you could only get one get the that mp-black sideswipe.

It's not that I CAN'T get more than one, I just prefer not to get multiple figures of the same mold. I pick whichever I like the most, or don't already have in my collection and stick with that one. Following those rules, I should go with G2 'Swipe.

I was just trying to help you out fellow fan. I was saying that you maybe couldn't get them both for some unknown reason like the one you just said of your "rule" and not that you cant afford them both.

hinomars19 wrote:The fan's choice MP is a special Masterpiece toy to celebrate the brands 30 years, it is not interrupting the current direction of the MP line, merely running along next to it as a one-off special.

Oooooh. Hurr-durr moment by me.

Aside from reflector and Shockwave, unless Shogo Hasui can convince TT's boffins of doing combiners in the line...we pretty much have all the season one cons (because the MP line has become re-focosed to acheive that goal).

True. I would hope they get to combiners soon down the line. Bruticus would be the crown jewel of all MP combiners to me.

Sure Megs needs an update, but he is already done, and as with MP1 and 10, TT will get their ears chewed off by somebody for not 'giving THEM a new character, this line is cheap, this line is a joke blah blah blah' so a V2 megs
wouldn't please everybody.

Owning the original MP01 (American 20th Anniversary release, in fact), and comparing it to MP10, I'm amazed people are pissy about that. I would much rather own MP10, for its much closer scale with the Seekers and the upcoming Autobot Cars. I for one would welcome a Megatron Ver. 2, because MP05 is ridiculously taxing when it comes to transformation, and the quality is questionable as well.

Shockwave is potentially still tied up in licensing and copyright issues with the Korean folk.

What's the deal with that? Shockwave is a Cybertronian handgun. What, did the North Korean Armed Forces decide to patent it for military use?

That leaves reflector.
Hopefully he'd come with a neck strap so I could holiday abroad and pretend to be a tourist.

Hopefully they'll come up with Reflector soon: I need my 'Cons!

Metrosuplex wrote:That said, anyone else get irritated every time Bulkhead affectionately calls him "Jacky"? It's just so.... horrible. Same disappointing writing as the word "scrap" popping up in 90% of Arcee's dialogue. I love the Prime writing overall, but it seriously falls flat on its face when it tries to use "cool" lingo.

Not really. At least, I'm not. It gives the Autobots a more human feel, like they're actual beings, not just gears, oil, and Energon. And to be fair on Arcee, every other character says "scrap" all the time too, even the human characters (which is odd, I'll admit).

TimothyR wrote:no no no, that wheeljack is horrible.. that mold sucks.. it's short, it's fat, and it's ugly. i'll agree that wheeljack looks better than tracks... but if you don't have a wheeljack in your collection and you want one.. definitely go for the prime version. . it's a no brainer.

I own both the Reveal the Shield Tracks and Generations Wheeljack. I'm pleased with both, but if I were in a store and both were side by side, had only enough to purchase one, and had to choose one or the other, I'd choose Wheeljack. I think his car mode looks better with the spoiler and the retooled front. It may be a tad short, but hey, it's taller than Classics Bumblebee.

That said, and for shits and giggles, I made this in response:

I am now officially worried about that bumblebee. With them going for scale in the MP line than this bumblebee is going to be really small so hopefully the price does not seem too crazy once we see the figure and some size comparisons.

I don't get the hate some people have for Generations Wheeljack? Is it because he shared a mold with Tracks? Yeah, well, molds are expensive and if Hasbro didn't reuse them, then there's probably be (a) less characters getting toys (b) people bitching about higher prices for the toys they were getting, or most likely (c) all of the above. Frankly, I am just glad that Hasbro's moved past the days when they just did simple repaints even when not entirely appropriate, and these days either gives us significant retools, or designs a toy to have a few different options when transforming. So we get the same basic mold, but still get different looks out of it. Wheeljack definitely looks unique from Tracks, having his own head and legs.



And yes, he is short. Heck, he's even shorter then his mold mate Tracks. But, as someone else already pointed out, that's kind of how his G1 toy was, anyway, so not really a good complaint.

Also, anyone worried on if Takara will get all of the proper sponsor logos, if my photo below is anything to go by then if Takara drops the ball on that Reprolabels will pick up the slack.



(When compared to the G1 toy, where that one said "Lancia" this one says, in a similar font styling, "Cybertron." When I reviewed this mold once upon a time, I speculated that this was because "Lancia" was specific to the type of car that G1 Wheeljack was, which was no longer the case for Generations Wheeljack, and that perhaps Reprolabels wanted to avoid that inaccuracy. Presumably that wouldn't be a problem with a Masterpiece Wheeljack.)

As far as my own interest in these two Masterpiece figures... In an ideal world, I would have them all! Sadly, in reality, that isn't feasible. But if Takara did manage to get VW to finally agree to a license, and if the resulting toy looks good, I may need to get a Bumblebee. Especially if Hasbro is also able to release him. (I do like when I get to only deal with domestic prices. Importing can be an expensive pain in the arse!)

Mindmaster wrote:

hinomars19 wrote:Shockwave is potentially still tied up in licensing and copyright issues with the Korean folk.

What's the deal with that? Shockwave is a Cybertronian handgun. What, did the North Korean Armed Forces decide to patent it for military use?

Not by Hasbro or Takara, despite being released by both.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Mindmaster wrote:

hinomars19 wrote:Shockwave is potentially still tied up in licensing and copyright issues with the Korean folk.

What's the deal with that? Shockwave is a Cybertronian handgun. What, did the North Korean Armed Forces decide to patent it for military use?

Not by Hasbro or Takara, despite being released by both.

"The Shockwave toy transforms from a robot into a ray gun that can be wielded in a "role play" fashion, featuring electronic laser noises and lights. The toy itself was one of the first Transformers figures not derived from the Japanese Diaclone or Microman toy lines, instead coming from a company named ToyCo, which had produced the toy under the name "Astro Magnum". It is believed this was the only toy that ToyCo made."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shockwave_(Transformers)#Toys

Mindmaster wrote:

hinomars19 wrote:The fan's choice MP is a special Masterpiece toy to celebrate the brands 30 years, it is not interrupting the current direction of the MP line, merely running along next to it as a one-off special.

Oooooh. Hurr-durr moment by me.

Aside from reflector and Shockwave, unless Shogo Hasui can convince TT's boffins of doing combiners in the line...we pretty much have all the season one cons (because the MP line has become re-focosed to acheive that goal).

True. I would hope they get to combiners soon down the line. Bruticus would be the crown jewel of all MP combiners to me.

Sure Megs needs an update, but he is already done, and as with MP1 and 10, TT will get their ears chewed off by somebody for not 'giving THEM a new character, this line is cheap, this line is a joke blah blah blah' so a V2 megs
wouldn't please everybody.

Owning the original MP01 (American 20th Anniversary release, in fact), and comparing it to MP10, I'm amazed people are pissy about that. I would much rather own MP10, for its much closer scale with the Seekers and the upcoming Autobot Cars. I for one would welcome a Megatron Ver. 2, because MP05 is ridiculously taxing when it comes to transformation, and the quality is questionable as well.

Shockwave is potentially still tied up in licensing and copyright issues with the Korean folk.

What's the deal with that? Shockwave is a Cybertronian handgun. What, did the North Korean Armed Forces decide to patent it for military use?

That leaves reflector.
Hopefully he'd come with a neck strap so I could holiday abroad and pretend to be a tourist.

Hopefully they'll come up with Reflector soon: I need my 'Cons!

My thinking with combiners though is, what size would they use? Take Menasor, would the 4 cars be the same size as MP Swipe? Or would Masterpiece combiners have their own size template? Y'know like the G1 combiners did. On par with each other, but not the rest of the line? That could easily be one of the things that could hold up or outright prevent MP combiners,as as daft as it may sound to some, that would likely fall under a marketing issue. G1 cars are easy to put in the MP line, because from a marketing perspective, they can all work around and with each other and MP 10 as a center piece. Which is Why MP10 has a starring role on the back of each one's box.
Agree with you on MP1 and 10. I have both, both awesome for their own reasons. It was a toy in a line of many. it's the same complaint when one gets re-painted, for some un-godly reason people over re-act and think one toy is going to delay an entire line for a decade. Since MP10 we have had...too many to count in the last 2 years. Too many to even afford in those 2 years. But y'know, one exclusive re-paint is upon us again and people think their precious 'insert what I want here' is being delayed or overlooked.
As the Gold rabbit has said above, the original G1 Shockwave toy was from a Korean company, not Takara like the diaclone and microman, so copyright on the character and likeness is tricky.
I am gagging for a Megatron V2, hopefully it will one day happen, especially since he would look boss next to Soundwave.

Metrosuplex wrote:

T-Macksimus wrote:
No, not a no brainer. That's a matter of opinion and one I strongly disagree with. Wheeljack was the first Autobot I ever had as a kid and I personally cannot stand the way they depict him in the Prime series and absolutely despise the mold for him to the point that I flat refuse to purchase it. I have the other homages/iterations of the figure from other lines, even if the names are changed, and will gladly kick out the cash for this MP version but the Prime version, for me anyways, is (almost) as much an abomination as what Bay did to the character in DotM. I think the Generations version was about as faithful a reproduction of the original as we could hope to get with upgraded articulation outside of the MP series so I fail to see how the mold for that line could "suck". The only thing the Prime version has that even resembles the original is a few stripes and some shared face details. Honestly, to me he looks more like he's a paint-job away from being a Vehicion commander, not a tribute to the beloved 'Bot tinkerer.

I 100% agree. To me, Prime "Wheeljack" is a phenomenal character... but he shares absolutely none of the traits of the original Wheeljack, save the name and head mold, maybe. IMO, Prime "Wheeljack" could have been ANY G1 character - Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Hound - the reason being is that they scrapped the personality and repurposed the character completely.

That said, anyone else get irritated every time Bulkhead affectionately calls him "Jacky"? It's just so.... horrible. Same disappointing writing as the word "scrap" popping up in 90% of Arcee's dialogue. I love the Prime writing overall, but it seriously falls flat on its face when it tries to use "cool" lingo.

Right there with you on despising that Bulkhead calls him "Jacky/Jackie" and also with some of the other lingo on the show, and I'll admit that I rather like the attitude of the character so long as I ignore the name and attempt to equate him with his original counterpart, but I also try to keep an open mind and consider that the show isn't aimed towards my demographic. That doesn't mean that I don't get that "fingernails on a blackboard feeling" every time I hear it, I just have to suck it up and let it slide.

I also want to point out to the other members, before I get pounced on, that despite my obvious bias against the Prime version of Wheeljack I am NOT a die-hard G1 purist who will sh** on anything that goes against the G1 ideal of a character. That is one thing that bugs me during some of the discussions on here, that a varied opinion automatically puts you in one camp or another. Yes, I am a fan and collector from the very beginning. Yes, I'm that damn old. Suck it! However I am open-minded enough to at least give the new stuff a try before stating my opinions (and I have a large # of newer figures to support that statement) so I hope that folks keep that in mind before they either mount a counter-attack or agree with my opinions. I'm not trying to incite riots on here, at least not this week, I'm just putting my own POV out there and hoping that spirited and intelligent discussion will come of it.

That being said, I'll still be all over the MP and I'm insanely curious to see how they handle the 'Bee version. Actually, what I would REALLY like to see is the Goldbug repaint and re-sculpt that will obviously come from the figure. I was never a fan of the character in the G1 series but I did like the head sculpt and pounced on the Throttlebot figure the second I saw it. I'll pass on the Bumblebee MP but if they release the Goldbug version, I'll be all over it.

Bowspearer wrote:

Rated X wrote:He wont turn into a robot that is your precious "mini-bot" scale, because he is not an Isetta or a golf cart.

On the contrary, considering the line is in running with the animation scale guide, it's more than likely that he will. Also, expect that price to be adjusted once a more official announcement hits.

The robot scale in the cartoon doesnt comply with the actual size of the cars they transform into. So you cant have both. A VW Beetle isnt that much smaller than a Lamborghini or Datsun. If they go with the traditional mini-bot scale, the car mode will be the size of a golf cart next to the other MP cars.

I hope either one of these guys comes with energy rods!

mmm much to my annoyance i cannot get into these... I was happily collecting the masterpieces till they released the new prime and did the whole scale shift thing. Price to size ratio is too disappointing and I'm mostly content with my generations figures (that may all change depending on how well my kidney sells for)

re wheeljack - he was my second ever TF - an italian diaclone transformer - and tho a really cool car, his robot mode was absolute tripe. One of the worse ones i reckon (not ironhide/whelljack bad tho). I'm extremely happy with the generations mould and the tracks counterpart too. I also have the prime toy which is a great proxy of the Prime model irrespective of whether the character is the original one or not.

The one I'm looking forward to the most is bumblebee hoping he is a proper beetle. If he's a camaro then they shouldn't have bothered.

i always wondered bout this version...

Rated X wrote:

Bowspearer wrote:

Rated X wrote:He wont turn into a robot that is your precious "mini-bot" scale, because he is not an Isetta or a golf cart.

On the contrary, considering the line is in running with the animation scale guide, it's more than likely that he will. Also, expect that price to be adjusted once a more official announcement hits.

The robot scale in the cartoon doesnt comply with the actual size of the cars they transform into. So you cant have both. A VW Beetle isnt that much smaller than a Lamborghini or Datsun. If they go with the traditional mini-bot scale, the car mode will be the size of a golf cart next to the other MP cars.

I think he'll still be small due to some creative transformation, but not as small as what people want/are expecting. What I'm really hoping for out of this is a Goldbug repaint right off the back. Takara probably will since the license to use the VW Bug's model may not extend more than a few years.

frogbat wrote:mmm much to my annoyance i cannot get into these... I was happily collecting the masterpieces till they released the new prime and did the whole scale shift thing.

You do realize that only MP-01 (+Repaints) and MP-05 are are in the larger scale, right?

Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Grimlock, and Rodimus Prime are all roughly in scale with one another, and not in scale with MP-01 or MP-05. They are also within the confines of the new scale, and this was before they decided to "shift" and redefine the line with MP-10.

megatronus wrote:

frogbat wrote:mmm much to my annoyance i cannot get into these... I was happily collecting the masterpieces till they released the new prime and did the whole scale shift thing.

You do realize that only MP-01 (+Repaints) and MP-05 are are in the larger scale, right?

Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Grimlock, and Rodimus Prime are all roughly in scale with one another, and not in scale with MP-01 or MP-05. They are also within the confines of the new scale, and this was before they decided to "shift" and redefine the line with MP-10.

.

The scale between them isn't my issue. It's the release of yet another prime + a whole range of masterpiece cars that don't appear to give much toy for the money asked...

I can live with OP and megs being larger than the others... (i didn't get rodimus either cos I thought he was over priced and had issues). Then I have grimlock which is a souped up version of the G1 - nice but his G1 incarnation was very good to begin with. I have the first starscream which now I find drab in his colours compared to the g1 schemes released later. Megs is a good rendition but hardly a toy - difficult to steady and a bitch to transform + rusty feet. So the MP series has not been very good to me. If money wasn't a problem.. sure I'd splash out, however I prefer the generations as my updated G1 moulds.

However, I still hope to get soundwave one day, though like grimlock I feel he was one of the better g1 toys.

frogbat wrote:

megatronus wrote:

frogbat wrote:mmm much to my annoyance i cannot get into these... I was happily collecting the masterpieces till they released the new prime and did the whole scale shift thing.

You do realize that only MP-01 (+Repaints) and MP-05 are are in the larger scale, right?

Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Grimlock, and Rodimus Prime are all roughly in scale with one another, and not in scale with MP-01 or MP-05. They are also within the confines of the new scale, and this was before they decided to "shift" and redefine the line with MP-10.

.

The scale between them isn't my issue. It's the release of yet another prime + a whole range of masterpiece cars that don't appear to give much toy for the money asked...

I can live with OP and megs being larger than the others... (i didn't get rodimus either cos I thought he was over priced and had issues). Then I have grimlock which is a souped up version of the G1 - nice but his G1 incarnation was very good to begin with. I have the first starscream which now I find drab in his colours compared to the g1 schemes released later. Megs is a good rendition but hardly a toy - difficult to steady and a bitch to transform + rusty feet. So the MP series has not been very good to me. If money wasn't a problem.. sure I'd splash out, however I prefer the generations as my updated G1 moulds.

However, I still hope to get soundwave one day, though like grimlock I feel he was one of the better g1 toys.

That's all well & good. But if the reason you don't want the new MPs isn't scale issues, don't attribute your lack of interest in the new MPs to scale issues.

MP-10 is magnificent. He's just a solid toy that comes with all the bells and whistles. If you're just comparing MP-01 to MP-10 in a vacuum, than yes, the cost difference might seem extravagant. But when you consider that 10 years separates the two figures, and that a host material costs changes, compounded annual inflation, and exchange rate fluctuations happened in those 10 years, the new prices make some sense.

I also collect Generations - I love those figures. But for great quality, cartoon accurate updates to G1 characters, the recent spate of MPs is the way to go.

I was a bit sad not to see Megatron V2 yet, but I'm waiting to see how Mp bumble will look like.

Eagleblaster wrote:I don't know much about g1 characters but if this mp wheeljack looks anything like the prime wheeljack then thats who he will be in My collection. And I don't like the prime wheel jack either cause it didn't have a realistic alt mold and it was bold legged in robot mode and it had no arm out articulation.

The whole point of the MP line is to be as G1 cartoon-accurate as possible in robot mode and real life car-accurate in vehicle mode, so he's going to look like more like this:



And not much like Prime Wheeljack.

And in vehicle mode he will look pretty much like this:



Sorry to disappoint, but MP is for G1 characters so far.

As for the whole G1 versus Prime Wheeljack issue, IMO he's visually a pretty good update of the original character, especially in car mode. But his personality is nothing alike, and I'm fine with that. It's a differnet continuity, characters are allowed to be different to a certain extent. I like them both. Ditto for practically every transforming version of correctly-colored Wheeljack so far.

The waters with Shockwave are mudded even further as the license was also sold to other companies out side of the states as well as within the USA for the mould to be used. RadioShack/Tandy had the rights also for the USA and UK markets. I have also seen blue coloured versions of Shockwave in second hand shops when I was younger along side black Perceptors.

If your getting technical about series 1 1984 G1, well old Red Alert was a series 2 toy.

The remaining series 1 toys that are left are: Brawn,Cliffjumper, Gears, Huffer, Windcharger, Hound Iornhide, Rachet, Sunstreaker, Jazz, Mirage and Trailbreaker

All the series 1 Decepticons have been done as MP except for 1 rainmaker/seeker.

For series 2('85) you have:-
Autobots:- Omega Supreme, Jetfire/Skyfire, Blaster, Perceptor, Beachcomber, Cosmos, Warpath, Seaspray, Grapple, Hoist, Inferno, Skids, Tracks and the Dinobots.

Deceps:- Shockwave, Thrust, Dirge, Ramjet, Reflector, the Insecticons, the Constructicons, Blitswing, Astrotrain

Then the non show toys like Roadbuster and Whirls(would be a nightmare to reissue those in any form), Deluxe Insecticons and Jumpstarters.

Reflector wasn't until series 3 in 1986.

Personally, Id love a Jetfire/Skyfire that's accurate to the show with a revolving faction symbol on the chest. If not then the Decepticon version to be a E-hobby/SDCC exclusive.

Unless your talking show appearances rather than toy line

Neurie wrote:Unless your talking show appearances rather than toy line

Which has only one major mishap: Reflector appeared in Season 1, yet his toy was pushed back to 1986. Anyone up for some MP Troopbuilding?

kirbenvost wrote:The whole point of the MP line is to be as G1 cartoon-accurate as possible in robot mode and real life car-accurate in vehicle mode,

Sorry to disappoint, but MP is for G1 characters so far.

Mate, you are what the world needs. I feel like this statement needs to be pasted on bill boards all across the world. We are 10 years into the MP line, and it baffles me how many people still seem oblivious to it's purpose. (yes, I know, some smart ass is going to bring up the recent fan's choice list-for the millionth time, that will be a one-off special release to celebrate 30 years of TFs)
If you don't know G1, then the MP line is possibly not going to interest you %100 of the time. If you don't like G1, then chances are the line won't interest you at all. You are not entitled to like the masterpiece line. It is not a crime to ignore or skip it in favor of collecting a line that does suit your TF interests. This is why more than one line exists.

The greatest comment I have ever seen on the internet was a guy who hated MP Soundwave because it didn't (per his expectations) transform into a satelite.

hinomars19 wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:The greatest comment I have ever seen on the internet was a guy who hated MP Soundwave because it didn't (per his expectations) transform into a satelite.

This story upsets me. I'm right there with you.

megatronus wrote:

hinomars19 wrote:The greatest comment I have ever seen on the internet was a guy who hated MP Soundwave because it didn't (per his expectations) transform into a satelite.

This story upsets me. I'm right there with you.

As he seemingly expected RotF Soundwave all I can say is: Hentai baka...