The epic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons has spanned galaxies and more than 10 million years. The Transformers continue to fight a galactic war for Supremacy; the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron, seek to conquer and rule, and the heroic Autobots, led by the noble Optimus Prime, fight to protect and preserve.
The Ultimate Transformers Store offers a huge range of collectibles and toys for the Transformers fan, from the classics up to the new movie products.
Color:white and grey Autographed:No Memorabilia:No Number Of Items:1 Batteries Included:No Shipping Weight (lbs):4 Dimensions (in):18.3 x 6 x 7.5 Legal Disclaimer:Warranty does not cover misuse of product. Warranty:1
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Good Price & ProductNovember 27, 2008 Carl Ratcliffe This is the best hand vac I have ever used. The extra filtration is great for people, like me, who are sensitive to dust. Seems to have a good battery but works best when the apapter is used.
Cyclonic DustBusterOctober 21, 2008 M. Ackerman(Denver, CO USA) I purchased this model of DustBuster for my office. It did such a good job, that I bought one for my sister as a thank-you gift. Since it needed to be shipped to her address in another state, I bought it on-line from one of Amazon's business partners. The order was fulfilled very promptly and my sister is finding the DustBuster very useful around her house and garage.
AwesomeOctober 6, 2008 P. Graham(Camarillo, CA USA) This is far and above the greatest Dustbuster around. Impossible to find at any retail location but worth the search and shipping!! Be sure to lock up all small pets when using - it is powerful!!!!!
Performance & Versatility!September 30, 2008 Keith Lebel(Massachusetts) This dustbuster has great suction for its size and lasts several minutes on a charge. It even has enough suction to pick up dry mess off of carpets & upholstery, or to do a quick cleaning of the floor mats in the car during the messy winter months! Very versatile.... from cobwebs in corners... to cracker crumbs in carseats... and beyond! Highly recommend!
The only dustbuster worth buyingSeptember 23, 2008 George Zilbergeld(Freehold, N.J. USA) 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a review of the Balck & Decker CHV 1500 Dustbuster.
1. I have a golden retriever.
2. This dustbuster works very well. It is POWERFUL and stays POWERFUL.
Stay tuned to seibertron.com for all your Transformers related news!
TechPedition.Com Interviewers ROTF Moviegoers A group called TechPedition sent a video crew over to the midnight showing of Revenge of the Fallen in my city. After much technical difficulties, they've finally posted their videos for the world to see. There are two separate videos, one before the film and one after. If you watch the post-movie video, you'll see yours truly advertising Seibertron.Com and babbling like a fool.
Check out TechPedition's videos HERE.
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Games for PS3 Reviewed by Counterpunch Publisher: Activision
Developer: Luxoflux
Release date: June 23, 2009
Also available on: Xbox 360, PC,
Wii, PS2, Nintendo DS, PSP (All these have different content)
Suggested PS3 ; Xbox 360 Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
So;hellip;I have to start out by telling you all how I sacrifice and toil on your behalf. I arrived home from a long day of work on Friday afternoon (I left early because I felt like it) to find a wonderfully large package from FedEx on my doorstep. The sender was Activision and I freely admit to smiling upon seeing that. Inside the box was one of those Bumblebee Voice changer helmets from the RotF movie. Now, I don;rsquo;t really buy a lot of non-toy merchandise, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. I promptly proceeded to put the helmet on and scare my dog.
Looking around inside the box a bit more, I found the item which I knew was the point of the delivery, a fresh copy of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen for the Playstation 3.
I spent the entire rest of the weekend eating pizza, drinking delicious summer ale, and playing through both campaigns as well as several multi-player scenarios, all for you. Fortunately, the wife was out of town on business, so there were few interruptions to my dedicated gaming. (Both of my PS3 controllers ran out of power during playing and if you know how long those things last, you;rsquo;ll understand the kind of time I put into this game;hellip;) So, without further ado, I present to you Counterpunch;rsquo;s No Punches Pulled Review: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen.
Look at Demolisher, rolling around like he owns the place...
Pro tip: Shoot him in the face.
Overall Impressions, Graphics, and Menus
Transformers games are a mixed bag. Up until this point, none of them have really gotten the Transformers concept fully integrated into gameplay. The Transformers Armada game from a few years ago had an exceptional grasp of robot battle and power-up usage, but the vehicle modes were really just conveyance and God help you if you ever got knocked down off a cliff (physics seemed to stop being relevant;hellip;). The Transformers Movie game from 2007 did well with environmental action and improved vehicle importance, but had difficult or poor controls and often times repetitive or frustrating gameplay. With all that in mind, I have great things to say about Revenge of the Fallen (Those who are familiar with taking advice from me may just want to get their $60 ready to go now) with only a few complaints.
The game opens up with a short intro movie which sets the scene for Revenge of the Fallen (RotF from here on out). Prime monologue establishes that the conflict continues and that one way or another, we;rsquo;re going to have resolution to it. That;rsquo;s where you come in. The choice is yours to play through either the Autobot Campaign or the Decepticon Campaign. I made it through both and the differences between them are as follows:
-Autobot missions focus more on bot mode tactics while Decepticons require more vehicle based tactics
-Autobots have escort and/or protect missions (make sure to read down further as I address the escort missions), while Decepticons have seek and destroy missions
-Autobots have a Devastator attack mission, there is no corresponding mission for the Decepticons
-I personally found the Decepticon missions to be harder overall than the Autobot missions. I don;rsquo;t think I died in any Autobot missions until Devastator, where I know I fell at least a few times in the Decepticon missions. Oddly enough, the Autobots as enemies seem more aggressive, perhaps I was just tired;hellip;
Bumblebee: The first to have smelt it...
Depending on your choice of faction, you will find that your menus are drastically different. The Autobot;rsquo;s menus are done in a shade of blue and have updates from your NESTS allies as you progress. The Decepticons have red menus which are flickering and scanning often, probably indicative of their desperate status after being hunted by the Autobots.
Every mission you take on has a briefing both before and after playing. Prior to entering combat, your faction leader addresses the situation and your goals. After the mission is complete, you get a rundown of events based upon your performance. This was cool;hellip;at first. It was really cool when I was busting heads and taking names, but became a little annoying later on when I would make gold ranking in a mission, only to be derided by Prime or Ironhide for missing too many shots or not taking on the secondary goals (some of which are relevant, others involve killing enemies while jumping;hellip; -_-.)
Ironhide is ALL ABOUT secondary goals...Believe me, he's going to tell you about it over and over again
I may as well go ahead and address the voice acting at this point. It;rsquo;s really good. All of the characters* sound and act as you might expect them to. Cullen's Prime voice rings loud and true as he directs the missions. Starscream sounds imposing and desperate. Ironhide and Ratchet are both excellent in the vocals and characterization. Sam and Mikela both sound and talk in manners which replicate their on-screen personas. Sam gets carried away at times, possibly calling prime a ;lsquo;loser;rsquo; if you;rsquo;re taking too much damage, but I can;rsquo;t say it;rsquo;s out of character. Also, a certain fan favorite makes an appearance to voice Megatron. Welker really seems to have been able to channel that old scratchy G1-esq voice for our head villain in charge.
Megatron?!? Is that you?..I need a hint or something...
*Personally, I found the G1 Megatron voice to be out of place and the portrayal of the movie universe Megatron to be off because of this. Starscream;rsquo;s voice is deeper than Welker;rsquo;s Megatron, I can;rsquo;t say I liked that. Also, the vocalization for Megatron has him threatening his troops constantly at later levels of the game. With the amount of hero worship given to Megatron in the movie universe, I can;rsquo;t possibly see how that is necessary. Most of the troops at his command seem ready to give their life for him, not need harsh motivation. None of this should take away from Welker's performance, it's just a continuity issue.
Good hint...
I took advantage of the audio capabilities that the PS3 and digital surround sound offer and it really added to the experience. Not much to say in that regard, but with the right set up, you;rsquo;re going to be hearing everything.
Graphically, the game is top-notch. The in-game movies are all what we;rsquo;ve come to expect from next-gen systems. All the gears, pistons, and panel moving are present in the details. The robots all move fluidly and the detail remains steady even in motion. I can;rsquo;t say I remember blur effects hiding anything noteworthy. Environments seemed to be genuine in that if I shot between the posts of a sign, the ballistics would travel through, not hit an invisible barrier attached to the sign. If I was chasing someone down on the streets and caused destruction, the debris cloud was legitimately in the way. I spotted a couple of jaggies in one or two of the cut-scenes, but nothing distracting. Remember, I was specifically looking for them; you may or may not ever notice.
One last word on the menus; they;rsquo;re intuitive and problem free to navigate. The only contention I have is the method of game save. This is a small complaint, but you need one save file for each of the campaigns, and when you load the save file, you can choose Autobot or Decepticon. If you choose the faction you did not begin with, the game tells you to start a new save file. Why is the option there once you;rsquo;ve started play? The nervousness I felt when I thought I was about to overwrite my complete Autobot campaign compelled me to bring this up (it didn;rsquo;t erase, don;rsquo;t worry).
Controls, Difficulty, and Characters
If you remember the control issues from Transformers games in the past, put those fears and issues aside. This game controls very, very well. Remember when you played the first N64 Zelda game and it felt ever so intuitive? You;rsquo;ll get pretty much the same feeling here.
The set-up is traditional, left analog stick moves and strafes while the right analog stick looks and aims. Jumping and basic melee are assigned to the face buttons. The L2 trigger enters into a free-range aiming mode where your gun reticle is brought up. Lock-ons can be achieved by looking in the general direction and depressing the trigger fully. The lock-on is absolutely necessary to actually hit things, but it does not hold your hand through the game. Enemies can juke your lock or just move faster than your rate of fire to avoid you. Skill must supplement the lock-on aiming. I eventually established a system of lock, shoot shoot, lock, shoot shoot which got me through most moving target issues. Ah, and of course, the very shooting we;rsquo;re discussing is done with the R2 trigger while holding down L2, remember this, because it;rsquo;s going to be important as you progress. R1 selects one of your two weapon systems.
Pro Tip: The game is easier if your strategies do not involve standing infront of three enemies and making them tired of shooting you...
Transforming is done by pressing and holding the R2 button by itself. Your character will quickly change to vehicle mode and begin to race off to where ever. In vehicle mode you;rsquo;ll have firing abilities and several important combat/movement options. By pressing and holding either the attack, jump, or otherwise unused 4th face button and then letting go of R2, you will either advance attack, far jump, or area attack. These techniques become crucial as you progress in the game.
Now, the reason I asked you to keep that L2 issue in mind is this: the controls on this game are complex. The game itself controls really, really well. It does ask a lot out of you. You;rsquo;re going to have multiple button presses, mode swapping, target locking, jumping, and dodging all to do within a few seconds. I didn;rsquo;t mention how the controls can be altered in small ways depending on your transformation or if your character has hover mode. I will restate that the controls are excellent and very responsive, but they require practice and a fair degree of muscle memory. Don;rsquo;t be surprised if in your first hour or two of playing when you attempt to shoot something only to realize you didn;rsquo;t have L2 down before you hit R2 to fire and as such, you transform and race off.
Once the controls are in hand, you will pull of some exceptionally cool combat feats. I do wish that you were allowed a bit of training time before tackling Prime;rsquo;s flight mode or Grindor;rsquo;s helicopter mode.
Characters
The Autobots roster includes Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Breakaway. The Decepticons have Megatron, Sideways, Long Haul, Grindor, and Starscream. I paired them up in order which most closely represents their corresponding character in the other faction. The correlations aren;rsquo;t exact, for instance Breakaway is the Autobot sniper, where Sideways plays that function for the Decepticons. If there were bonus characters, I didn;rsquo;t find them. Most missions are character locked into one or two choices until you make one of the in-game achievement objectives. I thought this was a bit strange in that there are times when the character/mission match up seems out of whack. I noticed that Long Haul gets a lot of mission time for the Decepticons on tracking missions when I wondered, ;lsquo;Wait, why not Sideways?;rsquo;. Also, asking Bumblebee to take down Devastator by himself was a tad difficult. It makes sense in a David and Goliath kind of way, but it seemed like more of a Prime time challenge to me. These things don;rsquo;t matter too much, because the achievements are easy enough to unlock all characters for missions.
Unless of course you're Optimus Prime. The rules are different for Optimus Prime.
No, really! He has ballistics shielding...
I found Ironhide, Ratchet, and Long Haul to be my favorite characters for ease of use and I found myself groaning whenever Grindor was required. Your mileage will of course vary with the character selection and will almost always be dependent upon your play style.
Difficulty
Where the first Transformers movie game was very difficult and at times downright unfair, this game is by comparison very friendly. So long as you manage to develop a strong grasp of the controls and integrate the numerous battlefield techniques into your gameplan, you will move along at a steady rate of accomplishment. I was ¾ of the way through the Autobot campaign before having to replay any level at all.
I have to admit to enjoying that aspect of the game. Video games are meant to be fun for me, not exercises in pulling out what little hair I have left on my head. By simply playing through both campaigns I had a completion rate of 65% for Autobots and 75% for Decepticons with around 40+% of the trophies for the game. I welcome any and all challengers to top that. I did not go back to replay any of the missions for higher medals and percentages, so, at least play by the same criteria if you want to rub your high scores in my face.
The game itself is relatively short per campaign. I don;rsquo;t have an exact hour count for you, but a steady clip of playing and each campaign is beatable in a day. Perfecting your gameplay though for medals and achievements and unlockables will take a considerable amount of time. Single player does have some solid replay value to it because of those aspects. I don;rsquo;t typically, but with RotF I certainly plan to go back through for higher scores and to use previously locked characters.
Now, way back at the beginning of this, I made a comment about escort missions. Any action, fps, or squad tactics game fan knows that two words (escort mission) can ruin a game. They are usually difficult, overwhelming, and hindered by idiotic and useless AI.
I;rsquo;m here to tell you that the escort missions in RotF are a very enjoyable part of the game. I know, this is not something you;rsquo;re likely to hear, ever, but it;rsquo;s true. Same and Mikela stay out of the way when you fight, the goals aren;rsquo;t absurdly difficult, and the NEST troops are downright helpful. There;rsquo;s a canal mission early on where you must escort soldiers along a treacherous path. Take Ironhide in there and just kick some ass. You won;rsquo;t have to babysit the troops, so enjoy the shoot out and aim to kill (and use that special ability turret!). The guide mentions the Deep-6 and Devastator mission as centerpieces of the game, but that canal mission was by far my favorite.
Gameplay
Now, we;rsquo;re going to get down to it. Let me start off by saying, that if the first movie game left you unsatisfied or if you really enjoyed the Armada game but would like to see some refinement to it, then this game is for you.
The most important aspect that RotF delivers is the integration of the transformation gimmick at all turns. Whether you are traveling, fighting, or maneuvering you will be transforming on the fly. One mode does not make the other mode obsolete, each mode has advantages. Being able to shift to or from vehicle is integral to combat.
Sometimes in RotF you have to GtFO.
What we have in RotF is a 3rd person shooter with vehicle combat inherent to the system. I explained controls earlier, so I;rsquo;ll get down to systems here. You have melee attacks of course. They build Overdrive meter the quickest. The game;rsquo;s enemies do not allow themselves to be clumsily bludgeoned by you though, they will run away and shoot you, they will transform and drive away, they will dodge and self preserve. Which again, is why you must transform to chase or transform to build velocity for a lunging melee attack. There are powered up melee attacks by holding the attack button, but they were largely useless. There;rsquo;s just no time to stand around for that stuff;hellip;
You;rsquo;ll have two ranged weapons per character, both of which can overheat if fired without pause. Firefights are constant when combat occurs and you;rsquo;ll be caught in cross-fire more often than not. Effective shooting and target locking are required. It can be difficult at times to deal with airborne opponents as they break lock with ease. Your vehicle will have weaponry as well and the mechanics for each vehicle work differently. Fair warning, the Decepticons require far more attention to vehicle power-ups than do the Autobots. Once that Overdrive meter fills, you;rsquo;ll have 10 seconds or so of brutal one or two hit kill weapon fire available, so save it for when you;rsquo;re getting overwhelmed or need to make a time goal.
Starscream you idiot! You're out of Overdrive... You fail me yet again...
Each mission/combat provides energon points based upon your gameplay. Completing a mission quickly, accurately, and with secondary objectives earns large amounts of energon. These energon points are used to power-up your systems and abilities. They;rsquo;ll assist you in getting through the game and then become required in order to earn platinum and gold medals in missions.
Progression through areas is made by achieving medals in the various areas. You should move through the game with ease scoring silver and an occasional bronze medal. If you ever end up stuck with unopened areas, just go back and play previous missions for a higher score to proceed.
I covered escort missions earlier, so I;rsquo;ll go ahead and discuss some of the other types.
-Communications fix/destroy, essentially you;rsquo;ll have a set of radar dishes to either repair or infect with a virus. Each dish is like a checkpoint and you must clear out enemies before proceeding to deal with the dish. You then have a set amount of time before having to start over.
-Seek and destroy, you;rsquo;ll be hunting down opposing troops and collecting heads with a likely boss fight at the end.
-Protect/destroy, either defending or attacking a building or character
-Satellite chasing, these are race missions with checkpoints etc. Finishing quickly allows you to attack an espionage satellite.
Multiplayer
Now, my experience with this was limited due to the number of people online and my own personal time for the game. This is also where I may have the most issue with the game, but I;rsquo;ll confess to being a terrible, terrible fps player to make it more honest.
The online multiplayer is smooth. Rooms are easy to establish, battles are easy to get into, and there was no lag to speak of. The environments were useful and appropriate. The radar, which I feel is essential for this kind of fight, is small and not all that helpful.
There is a deathmatch mode, capture the flag mode, control point mode, and a leader elimination mode. I've only been able to get into deathmatches so far. I hope some of the other bots like Bumblebee, Sideways, and Ratchet are able to come into their own in the other modes.
This guy read the abridged version of 'How to shoot your friends in the face.
My concern with multiplayer is not really a quality one; everything plays fine, but more a balance issue. Certain tactics were obviously abuse-able right off the bat. Breakaway can snipe while hovering far, far above everything else, he doesn;rsquo;t need cover, just altitude. Starscream seems to outmatch any and everything without cover, and Powered-up Optimus laid waste to anything that got remotely close. Like I said, I;rsquo;m bad at this kind of multi-player shoot out. but it was obvious right off which characters were easy to take advantage of. I hope good tactics and better players find a way around some of this, because the multiplayer plays well. I just don;rsquo;t know how long I can stand getting sniped and homing missiled without those guys ever showing up on my radar.
Final Thoughts Pros:
-Excellent use of the Transformers franchise
-Abilities and characters do not become obsolete over time
-Voice actors
-The game is corollary to the RotF film. You;rsquo;ll play along side it, but you won;rsquo;t re-live it.
-It;rsquo;s fun;hellip;and honestly, I can;rsquo;t restate how important this is to me as a gamer these days.
-Surprise cameos (is that;hellip;the aerialbots are attacking me? damn;hellip;)
Cons: (negatives, not Decepticons)
-A little short, perhaps a long attrition battle per faction would take this away
-Controls take practice, (always responsive though) at times you;rsquo;re thrown to the wolves to adapt
-Megatron;rsquo;s voice, I;rsquo;m sorry Welker fans, but I personally feel Bay made the right call on Megs.
-Hearing Optimus tell me that I need to do better :(
Maybe I;rsquo;m just hyped for the movie, maybe I;rsquo;m just happy to see a well rounded and fun Transformers game, but as a Transformers fan I have to give the game a very good overall review. When I look at the play mechanics, the application of the transformation gimmick, and the immersion into the movie-verse, the game is very enjoyable.
I think casual gamers are going to eat this game up and really enjoy it. Hardcore gamers are going to appreciate it, but ultimately move through it quickly. Like the movies, it;rsquo;s a popcorn event, flashy, loud, and intense. We aren;rsquo;t telling a grand tale, we;rsquo;re getting down with Optimus and blowing stuff up with Ironhide. We;rsquo;re divebombing with Starscream and destroying a city with Megatron.
I;rsquo;d recommend the game to most Transformers fans. There;rsquo;s enough to do and plenty of challenges to be had and the immersion level into the Revenge of the Fallen story is great. I;rsquo;ll be happy to answer any specific questions you might have and I look forward to getting my butt kicked by you all online.
PSN: Daidoji_Kage
Much easier than attacking the Autobot's Moonbase eh mighty Megatron? Review of Shout Factory's Transformers - Complete 1st Season Shout Factory's highly anticipated set of The Transformers - The Complete First Season will be released at various retail stores tomorrow on June 16th, 2009. I received a copy of it a few weeks ago and was very pleased with this set, even though we all know it's just a teaser product until the complete series is released on DVD next month. This is the first time that Season 1 has been available in the States since Rhino released it back in 2002. For those of you who are fans of the original series, I'd highly recommend that you look into the products coming from Shout Factory. I think you'll be pleased with their efforts.
The packaging for this set is nicer than it appears in various images online. The Transformers title, Optimus Prime and Megatron are embossed on the front of the packaging which are printed on a foil slip cover box. The case for discs one and two feature artwork of Megatron, Optimus Prime and Starscream on the front and Jazz on the back. The case for the third disc features artwork of Optimus Prime and Megatron battling with their energy weapons on the front and artwork of Soundwave on the back.
This set also includes some additional items in the package such as a black-and-white Autobot symbol magnet, a flyer for the Transformers Collector's Club, a flyer for Shout Factory's GI Joe season 1.1 DVD set which has an ad for IDW's Transformers graphic novels on the back. It also includes a sharp looking booklet that list details for each episode.
The animated menus feature various characters from this season such as Jazz, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ravage, 3 Seekers, Laserbeak, and Starscream. The music from the closing credits play while watching the menus. The Autobot character animations are separated from the Decepticons by the Autobot/Decepticon scene change animation.
If you choose to play a specific episode, you do not have the ability to select a specific chapter for that episode. However, each episode is divided into 6 to 8 chapters which will allow you to skip easily through an episode. The opening sequence and ending credits are each their own chapter which is nice for those of you who do not like watching those parts over and over again.
If you choose to play all episodes, you are presented with the option to play multi-part episodes seamlessly. This function allows you to watch the multi-part episodes without seeing the opening and closing sequences between each episode. This feature is great for watching the 3 part "More Than Meets The Eye" pilot as well as the 3 part "Ultimate Doom" episodes.
The bumpers are in place before and after "commercial breaks", which I enjoy seeing. It appears that the bumpers are at the end of each chapter (excluding the opening and closing sequences of each episode).
Unlike the Australian Madman release from a couple of years ago, these episodes all have the correct season one opening sequence whereas the Madman release in 2007 had the incorrect season 2 sequence.
The colors are beautiful in this version from Shout Factory. The colors just look "right"! So much so that I busted out the Australian Madman version which has really plain colors though the scene I compared in the Rhino version looks about the same so I wouldn't say it's a drastic improvement over that version. Perhaps the colors are more saturated? The episode booklet includes a special note which explains what Shout Factory did to "restore" these episodes.
Shout Factory wrote:
Transformers DVDs released prior to our 25th Anniversary Edition were missing animation seen in the original broadcast. We did extensive research, found the discrepancies between the original broadcast masters and the restored masters used for the last DVD release, reinserted the correct animation, and color corrected it as best we could to match the shots before and after. But because a one-inch master tape simply can't hold up to the quality of the restored masters, you may notice occasional shots - or even scenes - in some episodes that seem slightly softer than others. Just take comfort in knowing that laser blasts have been reinserted, backgrounds have been corrected and Starscream is Starscream once again.
The entire 16 episodes from Season One are included in this box set. The episodes appear on the disks in production order. The contents of this 3 disc set are as follows:
DISC ONE
-------------------------------------------------
1. More Than Meets the Eye (Part 1)
2. More Than Meets the Eye (Part 2)
3. More Than Meets the Eye (Part 3)
4. Transport to Oblivion
5. Roll for It
6. Divide and Conquer
7. Fire in the Sky
8. S.O.S. Dinobots
DISC TWO
-------------------------------------------------
9. Fire on the Mountain
10. War of the Dinobots
11. The Ultimate Doom: Brainwash (Part 1)
12. The Ultimate Doom: Search (Part 2)
13. The Ultimate Doom: Revival (Part 3)
14. Countdown to Extinction
15. A Plague of Insecticons
16. Heavy Metal War
DISC THREE
-------------------------------------------------
1. Triple Changer: From Toy To Comic To Screen - The Origins Of The Transformers: An in-depth and insightful look at the many lives of The Transformers, from action figures to comic books, animated series and blockbuster feature films. Includes brand-new interviews with those most responsible for the success of The Transformers.
2. A Printable Script of "Transport to Oblivion"
3. Rare PSA (featuring Bumblebee) NOTE: This was included with the other four PSAs on a previous set from Rhino
4. Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials
My favorite part of this set is the new documentary on the 3rd disc, "Triple Changer". There were a few tidbits of new information that I learned from watching this documentary ... which really says a lot coming from a fan such as myself who knows The Transformers inside and out and who has been watching Transformers cartoons since the first pilot episode aired about 25 years ago. The documentary, to say the least, wasn't boring. I've seen some really shoddy documentaries and interviews done on previous Transformers box sets in the past and I have to say that this one from Shout Factory was really well done. It was nice seeing some of the folks we've all grown to love from Hasbro as well as some old time favorites like Bacal (from Sunbow) and Budiansky (from Marvel).
Okay, so since Garson has officially launched information about the recent Hasbro deal, I have been authorized to come in and discuss all things Transformers and G.I. Joe (another thread) with only a couple of exceptions. Until the official press release about the complete series sets come out, I cannot go into detail about the dates or what will be different from the season sets. All I can say about that is that they will be out this year and there WILL be bonus material on the complete series sets that will NOT be included in the individual sets. And if you know me, you know I've tried to make it worth it.
So...
There is something you should know, regarding this thread. It is the ONLY thread I'll read on the topic of Transformers and, most certainly, the only thread to which I'll respond. You guys really like to create new threads for every single question and, frankly, I don't have the time within my REALLY BUSY schedule to go through and answer multiple threads. So read this one. Post any questions you have into this one. And you should get my responses within a reasonably timely fashion.
Here goes...
I am currently working on 40-ish DVDs worth of material for Shout! Factory. Sixteen of those discs are Transformers, the original animated series from Sunbow. This is an absolute dream come true for me. I'm 31 years old and grew up watching the series, as well as collecting the toys and comics. So I know my stuff. Long before I was producing DVDs, I was buying them. And, yes, I bought the original releases from Rhino. I know what was good about them and I know what was bad about them, not because I did extensive research (which I still did), but because I was also a fan praising what deserved praise and criticizing what deserved criticism. That being said...
The S1 Packaging
I've seen some divided opinions regarding the cover art for Season One online. A lot of people really seem to like it. Some don't. But in many cases of the more dissenting opinions, people complain that it doesn't look "special" enough. I agree that what you see online doesn't adequately reflect the special treatment Shout! Factory is giving the series. However, I will argue that you haven't seen the art in person. What can't be displayed in a .JPG online is the type of treatment the slipcase is getting. The title treatment and characters will be fully embossed and the background will be BEAUTIFULLY printed on a shiny foil board that really makes those background colors POP. Unfortunately, you can't see the effect in a photo, but I will say that there will be no doubt (or, at least, there shouldn't be) that the set is "special" when it hits store shelves.
The Masters
Hasbro provided us with the same masters Rhino used for their releases. HOWEVER... There have been changes made. I, personally, went to New York, where the original broadcast one-inch masters are housed, and found each of the problem areas, in regards to animation. Before the question is asked, I'll answer it now. The one-inch masters have not physically held up well over the years. In some cases, they're nearly unwatchable. Therefore, instead of simply transferring and using masters of the one-inches, we found every instance of faulty animation demonstrated on a YouTube video or mentioned in a rundown we could find online (and even found some of our own) and corrected them, replacing the faulty digibeta master material with the best-quality one-inch source material. Finally, we color corrected everything to match--as best we could--the shots before and after. Surprisingly, unless you know specifically what you're looking for, you won't even notice many of the instances of slightly softer picture. It looks REALLY good.
The Audio
We chucked the Rhino audio. You will no longer hear additional sound effects or music, not previously heard in the broadcasts. We went back to the original source mono and created a nice stereo track to even out the audio. It sounds really nice.
The Bonus Features
There are very few bonus materials from the original releases that are specifically related to G1 and what interviews are there tend to be long, relatively drawn out and have no cutaways. In short, they're kinda boring. I've spent the last month or so traveling to Rhode Island, New York and back interviewing as many people as possible that had something to do with this incarnation of the series. In some cases, I talk to original Hasbro toy designers. In others, I'm talking to original comic writers and editors. And in even others, I'm talking to the gang behind the series, itself. And, yes, that includes the voice talent.
I will also have commercials from the appropriate seasons. In other words, you won't see a commercial for the Sharkticons on the season one release. Something you should know about the commercials is this: the quality of what you're accustomed to seeing on YouTube and other DVDs is pretty much what you're going to get here. And it's for one simple reason. No one ever anticipated the future lives of commercials, when they were first being broadcast. So Hasbro never kept high-quality masters. They kept VHS screeners of their commercials, strictly for reference later. So when you say, "why couldn't they get the original copies from Hasbro?", we actually did. Still, there are some pretty cool commercials here and I'm looking forward to having them included.
There's a bunch of other stuff that will be included. I don't really want to get too detailed and bogged down here and now. But I do want you to know that this property is being handled with care by folks that loved the franchise far prior to its acquisition at Shout! Factory. Now, with all of that said, let the comments, concerns and questions begin.
Brian
IGN Reviews ROTF UK A local friend of mine brought this to my attention moments ago...
IGN.Com has been updated with a review of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which they give 3 out of 5 stars. The review contains only slight spoilers (not much new for those who have been keeping up with spoilers), but does give some interesting tidbits concerning the Witwicky parents.
The year 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the Transformers franchise. To celebrate this incredible milestone, Seibertron.com will look back at a quarter-century of great Transformers toys, bringing back into the limelight some brilliant figures that have fallen through the cracks over the years. Once a week, a fan (be it a member of the staff or a user on the site) will have the opportunity to write about one of their favourite "hidden gems" of the Transformers Universe, and have their review posted on the site's front page.
We hope this feature will be a great success, and that many of you will be encouraged to look back at the last 25 years of Transformers and perhaps take a worthwhile second-look at some real unsung classics of the Transformers universe.
Before the notion of cyber keys was even imagined, and sometime after minicons had become accepted into the Transformers continuity, there existed a series called Transformers: Energon, or if you are a Japanese purist: Transformers Superlink. Now that the novelty of the ;#x201C;gotta catch ;#x2018;em all;#x201D; minicons had worn off, Hasbro decided it needed some new gimmicks and after much debate it was announced: the Spark of Combination and Powerlinx.
For those who are new to the fandom, or re-emerging from their pit of solitude, Powerlinking is the term that means Autobots of the same size class may combine with eachother to form a myriad of upgraded Autobot warriors. One Autobot decided to take that idea one step further, and that is Energon Tow-Line.
Even in package, Tow-Line is an unassuming character. While the rest of his size class were race cars, fire trucks, and futuristic trucks, Tow-Line putters along as a harmless, block-like communications vehicle; much like the FBI has parked two blocks away from your house listening to your phone calls, more on the alt-mode later however.
Tow-Line was released precisely in the middle of the Energon packaging change, so it was not uncommon to find him either in the black with the yellow grid background style of the original packaging, or in the red with lightning bolts design that was the Powerlinx Battles style. With the original style of packaging, you could see the full artist-rendered version of Tow-Line;#x2019;s battle mode charging forward as if daring you to pick up the packaging and never let go. With the Powerlinx Battles style, they enlarged the same art piece, but cut off the lower half, so you could only see half his gun, and everything below the torso is up for imagination. As a matter of personal choice, I always preferred the black packaging as it made both the artwork and the figure stand out better.
I;#x2019;ve never been a fan of keeping figures in packages, so within seconds of acquiring Tow-Line, he was free of his prison. His van mode is still unassuming and possibly even more brick-link than it looked in the box. His windows are the same dark transparent red as his scanner/gun and it is a nice contrast to the two tones of blue that make up this figure. A rich royal blue takes control of his sides, rear and grill in this mode, with a teal-coloured roof. The front of the van is all white, and is a shade of white that makes Universe Ratchet very jealous. The only things that distract from this mold is the protruding circle that is meant for an omnicon;#x2019;s Energon star, and on his rear side panels there is a hole on either side. I would suppose that it;#x2019;s for holding his scanner/gun, but there;#x2019;s a nicer place on the roof to hold that. Oh well, it;#x2019;s easy to overlook them because Hasbro did a nice job of encorperating them into the paint scheme.
Enough babbling about the vehicle mode and let;#x2019;s take a look at the robot mode. Remember when I said that Tow-Line took the idea of Powerlinking one step further? Yes folks; he Powerlinks with himself. You fold the rear side panels down and with a little tug that requires more strength than the average 7 year old can muster, the cab and roof section separate from the bottom chassis. Tow-Line is the first figure since G1 Ironhide and Ratchet to do something like this, and there was so much clamour for an updated Ironhide and Ratchet that FunPub did just that. Botcon Ratchet now goes for well over $400 on ebay, Ironhide. can fetch upwards of 150. Thanks FunPub.
Let;#x2019;s focus on the top portion for now. Tow-Line is a fully-formed robot now with only half a vehicle. His doors fold up, his arms swing forward and twist out, his legs fold out, separate and then fold into his torso in a move that would make any contortionist cry. Finally in a move of German-precise engineering, the section above the cab slides up, forward and back all at the same time to reveal the head. At first glance, you may think that there isn;#x2019;t any paint apps on his face other than the sheet of matte gold, however under the right light you can see his optics are a brighter shade of gold. It;#x2019;s a shame that the helmet mold shadows them.
Tow-Line;#x2019;s robot mode has 9 points of articulation, 11 if you want to throw his shoulders back. They are his shoulders, elbows, legs, knees, feet and finally his head, which can turn 90 degrees in each direction. If they could do it with this figure, why not Cybertron Downshift eh? Oh well. He can hold his scanner/gun single-handedly but it looks out of scale for him to be honest. Then again Energon/Superlink figures almost always had oversized weapons, so I guess it;#x2019;s the norm.
Tow-Line;#x2019;s scanner/gun is a large, mostly square thing which has a fold out arm with a little scanner attachment connected to its end with a ball and socket joint. A word of caution to those still wanting the figure: examine this part closely! I say this because the type of plastic used doesn;#x2019;t seem to wear well and even as I examine it for this review, I fear it will further disintegrate into nothing, as it barely holds the scanner attachment and is all cracked and frayed. And I got mine MISB!
That said, this scanner/gun looks much better on Tow-Line;#x2019;s lower half, which folds out into a mini gun emplacement, with holes for the scanner/gun to nestle into perfectly. There;#x2019;s not much to say about this part, except that it;#x2019;s wonderfully detailed and Tow-Line looks awesome standing beside it with his hand resting on the barrel.
Powerlinked with other deluxe figures, Tow-Line;#x2019;s legs wrap up and around and his feet further fold out to reveal guns. He makes any figure look more intimidating this way, however due to his unique mold, Towline is unable to form the lower half of a Powerlinx Autobot, however if one wishes to attempt to make a Stephen Hawking Autobot, other deluxe fugures mayu Powerlink with his weapon emplacement. I;#x2019;ve yet to see a combo that actually can make that look threatening.
Bottom line is that Tow-Line is an awesome figure. He;#x2019;s the only deluxe figure to have a mini base, and not only that; he;#x2019;s still a very poseable figure. Just be careful with his gun/scanner should it fall to pieces. It;#x2019;s a real shame that there haven;#x2019;t been more widely available repaints of him.
Links:
Visit the Energon Tow-Line gallery by clicking here
Visit the Botcon Exclusive Ratchet gallery by clicking here.
Visit the Botcon Exclusive Ironhide gallery by clicking here.
...Or find your own buried treasures by visiting all the toy galleries here!
* If you would like to write a review for our "Buried Treasures" feature, please send a private message to Skowl on the Seibertron.com forums!
Cybertron Dirt Boss by Skowl "ROTF" Hasbro / TakaraTomy Toy Comparison Pics Ebay user Yayabeee has posted some comparison images of Hasbro's and TakaraTomy's versions of Breakaway and Sideways. The Japanese versions appear to have darker color schemes. Whose version do you like better? Check out some of the images below:
Stay Tuned to Seibertron.com for the Latest News ; Information! Video Review of ROTF Boeing Space Shuttle Toy Peaugh has posted a video review on YouTube of the currently unknown jet from the upcoming Transformers Revenge of The Fallen toy line, last seen here. This offers a good look at the figure, and it's transformation. To see the review, click here.
Welcome to the March edition of the Transtopia newsletter. This month features Repaints, Customs, Scratchbuilds, Featured Art, and an Artist Interview. Shattered Glass characters are very popular this edition. Remember, to check out the Transtopia forum for the latest action.
How to Showcase Your Work
The newsletter is your opportunity to show off your work and talent. We rely on your articles, artwork, and customs to make it interesting. Entries will be reviewed on a monthly basis. You can submit your work here: Repaints, Kitbashes, Scratchbuilds Fan Art Fan Fiction Guides
Make a Difference, Join the Newsletter Team!
Want to contribute to help out with the Transtopia newsletter? Join our team. We have a couple roles to fill. Duties require a few hours each month. PM Dead Metal if interested.
Newsletter Credits:
Design - Flix
Formatting - Stormrider
Fan Art - Mykltron
Editing - Stormrider
Do you have modeling or art tips to share with other members? Why not write a guide? Feature tips from - repainting, kitbashing, drawing, sculpting, and even computer graphics: Send an email to Transtopia.Guide@gmx.de for details.
This month I would like to draw your attention (pun not intended) to sketch by HOWEE74 of TFA Prowl flying TFA Prowl Transforming through the air as he transforms from bike to bot.
This picture impressed me as soon as I saw it due to the skill involved in drawing it so accurately and the effectiveness of the shading. Originally it was drawn in pencil then overdrawn with a fine pen before being darkened in Photoshop. If you look closely you'll see that some parts (like the windshield) have been edited using Illustrator to create a smooth and shiny effect. You may also notice that the beginning and end pictures are darker than the mid-stages of the transformation.
He seems to have caught these stages beautifully and really conveys a sense of motion. Although each image is so clear and lacking motion, blurring it suggests a slow-motion scene.
It probably took many hours of fiddling and experimenting to find the right poses for each individual picture so please leave him your comments and praise here, I am sure h will appreciate it. Also take some time to look at his other works on his Deviant Art page, there are other great thingsthere.
A round of applause goes out to all of our other art entries from February.
Send us your artwork!
Art entries are reviewed on a monthly basis for the newsletter. Send your entries here.
Do you often think up Transformers stories in your head? It is time you put it to paper and submit it to the Fan Fiction page. Entries will be reviewed monthly.
Remember we have a theme for the month - "Transformers Go To The Movies." What does that mean? Whatever you want. Transformers starring in films, TFs watching films, TFs covered in a pile of DVDs, whatever that topic suggests to you is what I want to see. Funny, serious, romantic, tragic, anything. If that topic immediately makes you think "Oh, that would be a story about..." start writing it down.
A quick recap of the rules (don't worry, there's not many):
1) 10,000 word limit. Rough guideline to start with, I won't be automatically disqualifying anything that comes in over.
2) Decent spelling, grammar and punctuation. Run a spell check over your story, and maybe get a friend to read it before submitting.
3) Be specific as to where/when the story is set. So what continuity is it in (G1 comic, G1 cartoon, Armada comic, etc) and where is it set? Before the events of the show/comic, after, during? If during, where does it fit?
4) Fan characters are fine, but please avoid making them those annoying "I am more powerful than any other Transformer!!!" types. Also, consider if there's an under-used existing TF who'd fit the needs of the story just as well as someone new. Existing characters are almost always more interesting to everyone else.
This month's Artist Interview comes from our friends at TF.SG, who recently interviewed the Transformers artist, Altitron. Many of you know Altitron because he is an active member in Transtopia. Altitron has won several Transformers art contests in the past, including some on Seibertron. One of his current projects has been the box art for Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime, which was presented last month, here.
1. Ok dude, tell us more about yourself like which country are you from, your age and occupation, and maybe attached a photo of you too! Give us more info, the more the merrier!
Well, lets start off with a proper introduction. My name is Brett Wolff, I am 25 years of age, married to one beautiful woman, Lisa, and we are expecting our first child in April, Blake.
I am an American, but do not claim any state in particular as I was a Navy brat, and moved around quite a bit. I myself have been in the Navy going on eight years now, and currently serve my country on a military installation in the prefecture of Kanagawa, on the mainland of Japan.
2. We all know about your fan art and how you have the uncanny ability to mesmerize us. Care to share you how did you get started?
I started drawing when I was about three years old, with crayons and any surface I could get my hands on, be it paper, walls, tables, whatever.
The thing is, my parents never punished me for what I was attempting to do, they just wanted me to keep it on the paper. Once they got that message across (with maybe a spanking or two), they never did anything but help to promote my imagination and desire to create something.
They always encouraged my artwork from the very beginning, even when it was only artwork to them. Twenty years later, and here we are today.
3. So which are your favourite works?
My favorite work of all time is The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine, by Jacques-Louis David, seen below:
I have been fortunate enough to have seen this masterpiece in person, at the Louvre in Paris. It is a massive painting, spanning 30 feet high and 50 feet long. It is a truly awe-inspiring work that leaves you breathless.
I am also a fan of anything painted or sculpted by Michaelangelo, and Raphael School of Athens is another of my favorites.
Some of my more modern favorites are the works of the legendary Frank Frazetta. He is best known for Death Dealer, a Black Knight-esque character whose depictions have been used by many bands for their album covers. Frazetta also did many illustrations of Tarzan, from Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. He is the father of modern day pop-sci/fantasy artwork, and I have always drawn inspiration from him.
On the other side of the world, Sesshu Toyo is a favorite Japanese master of mine. His suibokuga, or ink paintings, are beautiful. 6 of his works are regarded as national treasures in Japan.
Growing up with comic books, I always imitated Joe Kubert, Chris Bacchalo, Joe Madureira, and more recently, Adam Hughes.
My first taste of Japanese art came when Chrono Trigger landed on American shores, and I fell in love with Akira Toriyamas character designs. My interest grew in the art I could not find at my local comic shop, and when I was old enough to afford my own comics, I started importing the masters of Japanese manga.
My favorite work from Japan is the 6-tome Akira masterpiece by Katsuhiro Otomo. I am also a huge fan of anything done by Masamune Shirow, like Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed. Kaneda, the Major, and Briareos are some of my favorite characters.
I will also admit that I am a huge fan of the Dinotopia books by James Gurney. The first things that I drew that someone else could identify when I was young were dinosaurs, so when these books came out back when I was 12 or so, they were the greatest things I had ever seen. I still read and flip through them today, and they still bring out that child-like wonder.
4. Any works in progress from your side? If you allow us a little sneak preview that is!
Well, by now I am sure you have all seen the Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime box art that I am working on for Griffiths custom-made resin kit. And if you have not, here it is
I plan to have that finished shortly, so you can expect to see color teasers rolling out very soon.
I have been working on a series of Transformers pinups that I have titled Civil War.
This is a collection of works depicting desperate battles between some of the brands most notorious rivals. The first of these planned pieces was Shockwave VS Grimlock, which I believe I have shared on the forums, and is included in my artwork collection on the sites photo gallery. I am currently working on Soundwave VS Blaster, so expect to see a teaser of that on the boards pretty soon.
5. We all know you as a TF fan-artist, any plans to cross over to say, fan fiction or customs?
I have been doing customs work for quite some time now. My website has a small section dedicated to it. I got into customizing by way of wanting to repair some of my old and busted G1-era figures. The first of these were Shockwave and Sky Lynx. They were bought in a non-functioning status, and I did what I had to do to get all the electronics and sounds working as they were intended. It only got worse from there.
I've done a Dawn of Future Past Terrorsaur, made from a Beast Machines Obsidian, and I am currently working on what I call Predaking 2.0. I believe that monster has his own thread in the customs forums. I do what I can, off and on in between work, the wife, my addiction to Warcrack, and commissioned artwork, so it is much more slow going than anything else that I get to work on.
I do have the rest of the Decepticon combiners planned for my 2.0 series. I just got my hands on the Classics Special Edition Dragstrip, so I can finally begin my Menasor project. Look out for it!
As for fan fiction, I never really wrote any myself, outside of MU roleplaying back in the day, but if I were to read something that really inspired me, I would not hesitate to bring it to visual life (I am looking at you, TwilightStorm).
6. So do you see yourself as a fan or a collector?
How can you not be both? I love Transformers. I collect Transformers. Everyone in my family knows it. They look out for me. I have toys sprawled all over my room, from G1 to movie,
I am into about anything and everything Transformers-related. My in-laws have been buying our baby silly little Transformers items, so they have not only accepted the madness, they are contributing to it.
7. Having interacted with the folks of TF.SG in the forum section, in your opinion, are there any differences between us and other members in the international TF community?
Everyone seems extremely nice and well-intentioned. I have yet to read through a single thread that devolved into a mud-slinging argument, or any post that contained less than complimentary remarks. There are arguments, but they have always been kept civil and respectable. That is something that is extremely rare these days.
Things sometimes get out of hand on the OTFCCs boards, and I have to pay to post there.
The folks at TF.SG are extremely friendly, and it is very refreshing. Everyone seems much more tight-knit and familiar, as well. I suppose that comes from the majority of the members being able to meet one another in Singapore. Maybe one of these days I will drop by.
8. Oh, by the way, do you have a blog or a website? Care to tell us how they come about?
I have no blog, but I do have a website. Well, two - sort of.
My personal, professional website can be found at the following address: [url">http://www.thepimpsled.com/
I also run a gallery through Deviant Art, simply because it is just so easy to update and keep that way. It is often more up to date than my own website, which takes a bit of time and effort to maintain the polished, business look.
You can check it out by following this link: [url">http://altitron.deviantart.com/
9. Have you won any awards or accolades for your masterpieces?
I won a sweet polo shirt from TF.SG for one of the contest!
I won a monthly art contest at Seibertron.com with my Shockwave VS Grimlock piece.
I won Most Outstanding Student¢ in my 7th grade art class. And at BotCon, I won a Participant ribbon!
In high school, I won a design contest for my towns annual founders Day Parade, a weekend celebration they hold every year to celebrate the towns founding. I got my picture in the paper, alongside my art teacher and the sponsor of the event. I think that is when my parents first realized that my artwork may actually be worth a damn.
A few years later in high school, when I was a Junior, I entered a few of my watercolor paintings that I had done as a Freshman into a very large competition in central Texas. There were something like 250+ schools represented, and over 3,000 works were entered from all over the state. The gallery only had room for about 500 works, so just to have your art shown was an accomplishment in itself.
Of the three that I entered, all three were shown. One of my works won Honorable Mention honors in a small field of 25 or so, and another placed in the top 6. So I feel I did fairly well in such a large field of competing artists, and with works that were at that time two years old. It was something to be proud of, to say the least.
10. What do you wish to see most eagerly in ROTF?
Transformer dialogue! After the euphoria and wonder of seeing a new Transformers movie in the theatre wore off, I was very disappointed in the first movies lack of character development and screen time for the guys the movie was named after.
All collected, the Transformers had about 5 lines of meaningful dialogue, and 90% of it came from Prime. I really want to see the movie focused on the Transformers. They have eons of history, and each of them has no doubt lived for centuries. I would like the movie to get down and show you who these guys really are.
11. Yes, we know it a cliched type of question, but we would like to know who is your favourite TF character of all time!
Shockwave! I just love the guy, his personality (or lack thereof).
I am a very rational person myself, as my wife would attest. I do not do anything without there being an explicit reason for it. I do not enjoy being wasteful, and I am very prudent in what I do. I see a lot of myself in Shockwave, although I have to admit that I am not /that/ dedicated.
12. What is your favourite TF series by the way? Do you have any favourite toy?
My favorite series to watch would be Beast Wars. G1, while I adore the toys more than any other, had a very kiddy, campy show. Now that I am 25, I laugh at what I see.
Beast Wars, while degrading to slapstick humor at times, still manages to be very gritty towards the later seasons. It gets SERIUS Beast Wars Megatron is probably the best-written villain of any Transformers series we have had. I mean, the guy conquered Cybertron. Who else has done that? Nuff said.
My favorite toy (thus far) is Masterpiece Megatron. I've broken him in two spots (inner lower leg red hinge clip on the first day I owned him, and about a year or so later I cracked some small black piece attached to the die cast 'spine' trying to remember how to transform him, LOL), but I'm still awe-struck today when I look at him.
The only thing wrong with him is that not everything really sits flush and perfect as it is depicted in images on the box and instructions in gun mode.
But it is still a marvelous piece of engineering. Although I do wish that he was packaged with the extended scope and stock as found in the add-on set from... TFSource? Not sure, but I wish he came with that stuff anyway. Mine's got a bit of cosmic rust on the feet, but I actually like it. Gives him some shit-stompin' character, in my opinion. I just think he's the best looking figure in my entire collection. G1 had a great alternate mode - the pistol fit in your hand perfectly - but the robot mode looked nothing like the cartoon.
The Masterpiece version... especially when stood next to Prime... it's like /finally/, everything you imagined as a kid, and in the flesh - or plastic and die cast, as it were. :> I could have stopped collecting Transformers entirely after purchasing MP-05, and I would still be happy today.
13. Given a choice of a massive project which is rather ambitious, what would you chose to do? Any person or people whom you want to work with in particular?
I have a few graphic novels that I would like to write and illustrate in the future, when I finally get around to putting all of my ideas on paper. I sketch characters and locations from time to time, but nothing more than what I would call R;D work for the moment.
I also want to make a full conversion mod for Warcraft 3, turning it into a Transformers RTS. I do not have any experience with 3D modeling at present, but that will change when I get my collegiate schooling nailed down.
As for my most ambitious goal, I have wanted to do a retelling of Dantes Divine Comedy as a series of graphic novels for quite sometime now. I even went so far as to call Penguin Publishing in New York and ask them about rights licensing. Someday, I will get it done.
The year 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the Transformers franchise. To celebrate this incredible milestone, Seibertron.com will look back at a quarter-century of great Transformers toys, bringing back into the limelight some brilliant figures that have fallen through the cracks over the years. Once a week, a fan (be it a member of the staff or a user on the site) will have the opportunity to write about one of their favourite "hidden gems" of the Transformers Universe, and have their review posted on the site's front page.
We hope this feature will be a great success, and that many of you will be encouraged to look back at the last 25 years of Transformers and perhaps take a worthwhile second-look at some real unsung classics of the Transformers universe.
For me, one of the best post-Beast Wars Transformers toylines was the Cybertron series, and one of the best figures of the line (or any line for that matter) was the deluxe-class Decepticon Dirt Boss, a futuristic monster-truck from the Planet Speedia (or was it Velocitron?).
Originally released under the ackward name "Inch Up" (stop giggling!) in the Japanese Galaxy Force series, Dirt Boss was released as part of the first wave of Cybertron figures to hit stores - but as the line gained in popularity, the mold fell behind. Dirt Boss was never re-released in any subsequent wave of figures and as of today has never been repainted or remolded, though anyone who owns this toy will surely agree that the mold has great potential.
As I mentioned in the inaugural review of Cybertron Cannonball, one of the greatest things about the Cybertron line was its brilliant package design. As you can see, the card backing takes the shape of the Decepticon insignia and Dirt Boss's mainly purple colour scheme meshes very well with the packaging, creating a great look overall. The boxart features an angry-looking Dirt Boss, and it's a great interpretation of the character - better than in the cartoon anyway.
The back of the card gives us a glimpse at Dirt Boss's gimmicks (I'll get to those in a minute), as well as his bio and tech specs. Everything is very crisp, clear ; uncluttered. A very nice piece for MOC collectors.
But leaving Dirt Boss in his plastic prison isn't doing this great figure justice, let's take him out and see what he can do!
Dirt Boss's vehicle mode is a wicked-looking futuristic monster truck. As far as TF vehicles go, this one is really unique and is unlike any monster truck you'll see on this planet (and I'm assuming your reading this from planet Earth). His colours here are mainly purple with green as a strong secondary colour and nice silver detailing on the hood, on the roof (with molded spotlights) and on the side of the truck. There are also some green exhaust pipes in the back and some green tubes on the hood, next to the truck's exposed engine-thing, while four green headlights decorate the grey bumper in the front. The colours are very reminiscent of classic G1 Decepticons, making this cool TF even better for having a sense of history.
The wheels and suspension take up about half of the entire truck mode. Everything here is mostly green and while the wheels may look black, they are actually a slightly transluscent dark red. What is most bizarre is how the wheels are attached to the truck - instead of having each wheel attached to the vehicle's main body, the wheels are attached to each other on each side with a connection to the truck's main body in the middle of the wheel segment. Those big wheels of his roll very nicely on carpeted surfaces, giving him great play value for the kiddies. It really looks like he's driving on two giant lollipops, but I think it looks hardcore awesome.
Just sayin'.
So there, soak it in - this really is an awesome looking truck. It looks aggressive, dangerous and it just screams "King of the Road" - oh, and while you're at it, pop in that Cyber Key, and see how Dirt Boss is "King of the Offroad" as well...
One great thing about Dirt Boss is how his Cyber Key gimmick works in vehicle mode. The line was full of hit-or-miss key gimmicks, but Dirt Boss's really shines and is possibly the most unique (and the most fun) of the entire series! Pop in the key and the suspension of the truck buckles and lowers, giving Dirt Boss a sleeker "race car" look. The play value in the vehicle mode is amazing, all it takes is a Cyber Key up the rear-end and you've got a whole different vehicle!
Transforming Dirt Boss to robot mode is easy, and great fun as well. The truck's hood unfolds into two halves, revealing both his legs. Fold out the headlights and bumper to make the feet and pull down the sides for his arms. The back end of the truck folds down and a compartment opens to reveal his head - but this can't be done if the wheels are up in "monster truck" mode as there isn't enough room to fold the piece down. Not to worry, as the designers found an ingenious way to solve this problem - simply rotate the hips around (which needs to be done anyway) and the wheels will automatically spread out as if the Cyber Key was inserted! No key needed! An Automorph gimmick years ahead of the '07 Movie line! Very clever engineering - another thing to love about this toy!
There's too much to say about how great a toy Dirt Boss is in robot mode. His truck mode is brilliant, but his bot mode is one of the coolest-looking Decepticons I've ever seen. The green and purple colour scheme continues in bot mode, with some added purple on the legs and black on the arms. My only complaint is that there is no paint detailing on the inside of his legs, and the purple panel for his head rests on green plastic, not purple, which looks rather strange. It is worth noting that this is not the case with his Galaxy Force counterpart Inch-Up (I said stop giggling!), who has solid purple throughout the robot's body and detaling on both sides of his legs, making for a much more unified look in bot mode. Dirt Boss is also very tall for a Deluxe-class figure, so that's great as well.
In this mode, the truck's giant wheels stick out on both sides - not only do they look cool, but they also have a practical use as they help balance out the toy, allowing for many great poses. And as far as poseability goes, Dirt Boss has it made. His head can swivel almost 360 degrees and his arms can move up or down, swivel at the elbows and even rotate complete around where the arms meets the shoulders.
His lower body is even more flexible (stop giggling! I didn't even say "Inch-Up" that time!) as his waist can rotate 360 degrees, his legs can rotate completely at the hip-joint and his knees can bend up or down and rotate 360 degrees as well. His long feet and "bell-bottom" legs give him just the support he needs. Getting this guy in awesome action-poses is a breeze, and there is no struggling and random toppling-over like with many other modern TF figures.
One of my favourite things about Dirt Boss is his head sculpt. The designers created a head as unique as the rest of the toy, abandoning the old symmetrical faces and giving Dirt Boss a targeting rectacle eye-patch (with three different lenses! Check out the attention to detail!) as well as an asymmetrical head crest. The silver on his face really brings out the "don't mess with me" expression, and I love the little green goatee thing.
Something else that sets Dirt Boss apart from the rest is how his Cyber Key gimmick works in robot mode. Instead of unlocking the same mechanism in both modes, Dirt Boss's gimmick is entirely different in his robot form. Instead of lowering the truck's wheels, the Cyber Key flips out two shoulder-mounted cannons - which is great since Dirt Boss, sadly, does not come packaged with any weapons.
All in all, Dirt Boss is one hell of a great toy - and one of my all time personal favourites. He is a one-of-a-kind figure with great play value all around, great looking vehicle mode with a unique gimmick, an awesome robot with amazing poseability and great engineering. All that at the Deluxe-class price-point - you really get your money's worth, and then some! I would personally recommend Galaxy Force "Inch-Up" (ha! I get it now!) if only for the better paint application, but if you can get your hands on any version of Dirt Boss, do it! This is one amazing figure that every fan should own, and love as much as I do! Thanks for reading!
Links:
Visit the Cybertron Dirt Boss gallery by clicking here
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