YOU get a toy! And YOU get a toy! EVERYBODY GETS A TOY!
Within the past couple days, TakaraTomy, the folks who do Transformers over in Japan, have been doing crazy, crazy things. Crazy things that I love. Let me list you toys that we are getting early next year:
“Enemy” was what some Hasbro licensee called their Rumble’s-head-shaped electronic voice changer back in the 80s. It was red, unlike Rumble or Frenzy, which was also the color of Rumble/Frenzy’s toy back in pre-Transformers Microchange. We are getting that toy in red as Enemy.
Wingthing was Soundwave’s Action Master partner. He transformed from a bat to a gun. Now he’s going to be a redeco of Ratbat, just like Animated Wingthing was.
Nightstalker was a Micro-Cassette kitty similar to Ravage that featured only in a Marvel UK text story. He was likely based on a contest design that a British kid submitted to the magazine. He is now going to be a redeco of Steeljaw in Ravage colors.
This made-up guy gets a toy!
Wipe-Out was Trypticon’s little sycophantic buddy in one issue of the American Marvel comics. Until now, he was a toyless character, visually based on Tailgate’s toy. He’s going to be a redeco of Windcharger, who in G1 shared some tooling with Tailgate.
Stripes was a Mini-Cassette of Blaster’s that was only mentioned in an early draft of The Transformers: The Movie. He’s going to be a redeco of Ravage as a tiger. This is absolutely as obscure as one can get, even counting the UK text story cat and the guy who was just a head.
Seriously, you guys. Whatever it is TakaraTomy’s smoking over there, I want them to keep at it. I’m rapidly running out of hypothetical Transformers holy grails. I really think Stripes is absolutely untoppable when it comes to obscurity. I mean, to get more obscure than him you’d have to start referencing Transformers fanfiction.
Pardon me, geekspasming out over here.
making toys based on fan fiction is a scary scary path to start down.
Technically, doesn’t Shattered Glass Ravage fall into that category?
Next up: Killer Bot King Man, Echowarrior and Action Master Mr. Bamt…
Smells like Tomy staffers after a lunchbreak on the sake deciding to punch out weird things from the archives and or fan sites/competitions. They’ve done it before. With a similar obsession over orange. I’ve got a few things from when they were flying high at the end of the genesis line that fit this pattern perfectly
At first I was hoping that Enemy was going to be the United mold rather than the G1, since I like my toys articulated, but this is still really freaking cool. And hey, at least Wipe-Out fits the modern mold criteria. Now gives us a Lord Delirious Imperious
I’m hoping for a Generations Enemy being a Botcon exclusive for 2012; perhaps even a Tailgate as well, so with their love of re-using new head molds for two characters Wipe-out’s a possibility. Of course this isn’t based on anything other than their giving updates to early G1 characters statement and my personal hopes. I’m also hoping for Skids from the Universe Ironhide/Ratchet mold.
I swear the TakaraTomy guys are just hitting “Random” on the Wiki to get ideas now.
Hey willis, i was randomly clicking links and came upon this http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Rewind It has altogether to much “did you know”
Did You Know it was on purpose?
hast thou any proof?
i believe you, but i just wanted link to back it up. it just seems too unreal. also, i wanted to quote dragon warrior.
a link
How about the links to the wiki articles featuring the official TakaraTomy images of the toys he’s talking about?
i was thinking more along the lines of a press release. to be honest, i didn’t expect the links to have any images of the toys so i didn’t look at them until now.
I know the ULTIMATE obscure Transformer: Autosanrin.
Okay, Hasbro needs to start working double-time now to outdo Takara.
Where’s mah Xaaron? Where’s mah Scrounge? WHERE’S MAH DIPSTICK??
I think I can answer that last one…
I’m looking forward to Wingthing. Soundwave was my first Action Master figure growing up. I had no idea that Action Masters couldn’t transform when I bought him however!
I wish Wipeout looked a bit more like he did in the comic though, with this being his first toy appearance.
These things are just awesome. I just wish they weren’t only available bundled with things I don’t want or need.
I forgot all about the Enemy changer. I used to have one of those, crappy headset and all. Thanks for the memories!
“I mean, to get more obscure than him you’d have to start referencing Transformers fanfiction.”
A lot of what you write about Transformers barely seems like English to me, but I read this as less of an observation about them and more as a CHALLENGE to them!
I dare them to start with that one Machine Wars fanfic that featured “Smartmind,” a gray and blue Action Master Devastator.
Well I would like them to take one of those armored up DOTM wreckers, give one a decent head and make it a new Chromedome! I thought the guy was popular in japan and he never gets a new toy?
Or, you know, release new Headmasters!
I’m sure there is an unused microchange character/toy TakaraTomy can release. Or maybe (with Hasbro’s permission) there’s a dropped Rock Lord character from the GoBots movie.
Hasbro doesn’t actually own all of GoBots. They bought Tonka long ago, and they’ve used the “GoBots” trademark on several toy/toylines, but the ownership of the toys and the cartoon still belongs to Bandai and Hanna Barbara/Time Warner, respectively.
Interesting, I knew Hasbro didn’t own the toys, but I would have thought that they would have owned the cartoon. I guess we’re back to your fanfiction idea!
Hanna Barbara recently released GoBots to DVD.
The weirdest boner is actually a corkscrew shape, you don’t want it.