I’m with Erin – I watched "Transformers" occasionally as a kid, and my brother loves "Armada," but I’m not really into it now. However, I simply could not pass up the chance to gawk at a huge, expensive toy, especially one that’s not likely to show up in the few department stores in South Jersey any time soon.

It may not be that gigantic, but it does still have some amazing features – and Matt, the pic you got of the flashing hand was really good. I congradulate you on your patience.

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 09/03/2003 9:42 PM

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Articulation in EACH finger and we didn’t get a shot of him flipping us off? :O

Chestnuts roasted by marril159 @ 09/03/2003 10:00 PM

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I thought the McDonald’s song was from an old Skee-Lo song. Remember Skee-Lo? He had one hit about being short and tall people picking on him?

Big Mac, McDLT, Quarter Pounder with some cheese, fillet-o-fish, cheeseburger, hamburger, happy meal, milk shake, diet coke – big or large or smaller size, and chicken oriental with salad on the side.

Chestnuts roasted by Jake @ 09/03/2003 10:15 PM

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First off, the Unicron toy is a must have IF you are a fan of the old or new series.
Second, as cool as the Japanese Grey Unicron prototype looks, there’s a reason some people call him "Teenage Mutant Ninja Unicron". Half of his planet mode hangs off his back, much like shell of those green skinned heroes.

Chestnuts roasted by Steve @ 09/03/2003 11:06 PM

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Hah, Google Image Search: a small world.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/03/2003 11:47 PM

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HOLY SHIT THAT TOY IS NIFTY. I’ve been drooling for that thing to come out ever since I was a wee one back in 1987, and finally, FINALLY it comes out.
I’m convinced that there is indeed a God and a Devil. God made this happen, the Devil’s priced it to be $50.
*Runs out to buy the toy that contains the lost spirit of Orson Welles.*

Chestnuts roasted by King Sprocket @ 09/03/2003 11:53 PM

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Matt, I am completely in love with you. You are the man of my dreams in every way.

Chestnuts roasted by BillyPeltzer @ 09/04/2003 12:19 PM

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Hey. That big Unicron sprite at the top was yanked from my site. Tanx 2 Gavok 4 Heds Up yo. This is both most station that it was uesd, and yet at the same time it most heinous that I was not ax’d permission for it to be used. I am most torn.

(Sprite made from SFA Zangief, I’ve improved a lot since then and it could be a lot better. Also, it was the first sprite I used PSP to help construct.)

That said. Excellent article, excellent toy. Too bad you don’t have all the minicons like I do. They turn him from Fucking Awesome. Into Fucking Awesome With An Army Of Midgets.

And the Beast Wars Neo Mold is not that great, really. If mass produced it wouldn’t be released over here because it doesn’t pass safety laws. And It’s a damn turtle. Less of a transformer, so much it’s just a robot inside a planet-shaped shell. Pure Turtle.

Chestnuts roasted by NeroMan @ 09/04/2003 12:44 PM

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Sorry about that Nero — just came up on a GIS for "Unicron." I’ll plug ya on the next blogdate.

I’m definitely gonna hunt down some mini-cons for ol’ Uni. The pictures I’ve seen of him with the full lot on deck looked incredible.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/04/2003 12:51 PM

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DarkPrimus – Why is it that people who have very little contact with Japan and Takara assume that its a Transformers mecca?

Hasbro cannot reissue G1 Megatron because it looks FAR TOO MUCH like a real gun. Its against the law, plain and simple. AMERICAN LAW. If you want to complain, go complain to your senator or something. Don’t blame hasbro!

No chrome on hasbro reissue weapons? When chrome is applied to plastic, it makes the plastic more brittle, easier to break, and when it does break, VERY sharp. Now, say a kid pokes his eyes out and the parents sue Hasbro.

G1 Prowl, Silverstreak (Bluestreak) and some others cannot shoot because under US LAW missiles have to be at least 3 inches long if they fire. IF Hasbro lengthened the missiles, then fans would complain. So they removed the fire mechanisms to maintain the toy’s classic look, while OBEYING THE LAW.

I don’t know if you have the originals with you, but the plastic quality on the Japanese reissues are equally inferior to the originals., as nobody can get the plastic formula exactly right after 20 years.

SOUNDWAVE – The mold was extensively damaged after the early 1990s. Takara/Hasbro recently rebuilt the tooling, costing alot of money. As a consequence, Takara is charging over FOURTY US DOLLARS for it to recoup the cost. Why is Hasbro not releasing it?
A. To not fuck up Takara’s own release
B. Toys R Us sets the price based on Ebay/internet prices for the japanese reissues. Hasbro doesn’t set the price of reissues. If TRU had their way, Soundwave would cost SEVENTY US DOLLARS.
So Hasbro will wait until it becomes reasonable to release it. Hey, they don’t exist solely to please the fans. They have to make money back on their investments.

A friend of mine is an english teacher in Yokohama, and he’s been buying the recent Micron Densetsu toys, and guess what? Some of them are INFERIOR to Hasbro’s Armada.

INFERIOR.

1. Grapple Super Mode (aka Hoist in Armada) – Badly applied paint on his windows (you can see the bright white plastic underneath), overall bad colour scheme compared to the Armada version. Cheaper plastic, too.

2. Micron Sea Team – Takara, for reasons unknown, decided to make them in different colours. However, when compared with the Armada Sea Team, they are shoddily made and poorly painted.

3. Shock Wave (aka Tidal Wave) – In no way does SW resemble the colours of his show version. The paint on mine was badly applied and you get less extras when compared to the Armada version. Less paint apps overall, too. Same goes for my buddy in JP and my friends here in Oz.

4. Convoy Super Base (Super Optimus Prime) – Back in 2001, when fans first saw the prototype, they complained about the bright yellow paint that Takara applied. Hasbro announced that the bright yellow was only for the japanese version, as Takara follows the cartoon colours. Hasbro’s was going to be gold (as gold doesn’t animate).
2003 – Takara’s Super Convoy is released, bright yellow paint and all, and fans complain that gold sucks. Geez, complain about not getting something you thought you WERE getting a year earlier. No logic!

So,DarkPrimus, think before you say each word, next time. If you posted that G1 tirade in a popular non-biased TF forum, the well-read folk would eat you alive.

Chestnuts roasted by FFN @ 09/04/2003 3:10 AM

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I have to say Matt, way to go by makeing the commitment to buy the toy. I’ve succumbed to a type of psychosis where I tell myself that I enjoy looking at toys more than buying them. That being said I still break down and waste my money sometimes (between anime and Kung-Fu movies that is). Still afraid to open the blinds in my room durring the day because I’m afraid I might fade one of my precious finds. Who knows, I might yet break down and buy Uni.

Where was I going with this, oh yeah. You can sleep when you’re dead. Look at the time on my post (I’m on the West Side so don’t be too impressed). I actualy stayed up tonight, by choice no less, and learned that the "Clerks" cartoon sucked (sorry Josh).

Anyway, sombody already mentioned you can use nail clipers to make quick work of the twisty ties. I use my modeling snips, makeing me feel beter that I bought them with out even doing too much modeling.

On a final note, will I yet Buy Unicron. Who knows? My last 50$ purchase was a Kilt (pretty cheap for those in the know, http://www.sportskilt.com ), and I don’t have to wear underware with that! Getting Uni any time soon is pretty unlikely. In the future, torrmorow only knows?

Chestnuts roasted by Rogue-13 @ 09/04/2003 6:14 AM

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It’s the same old story. Revivals of 80′s toys are cheap. I can’t beleive how light the toys are now,
this goes for transformers armada and tmnt and gi joes. Havn’t checked out the new he mans, but I’m sure I’ll be disappointed when I go to TRU this morn. The old TF had metal parts and hard plastic, not this lightweight softer than shit stuff they use to make the new ones. With your old toys they would be well worth your parents hard earned cash. Sure they would eventually come apart, but only after they’ve faught battles with dollar store imposters, your sister’s naked barbies (c’mon addmit it), or a death drop from your 17th story balcony. I might pick up the ocassional rerealesed toy nowadys but only for curiousity. No, I don’t care if it’s unicron himself. Hasbro, playmates and the others take no pride in there work. Charge 50$ (US) for a toy that’s going to have loose joints, pokeman looking faces, and overall cheapness? Forget it.
Transformers jumped the shark a long time ago, and they’ll never recover. As far as us original fans go.

Chestnuts roasted by turkey's can't fly? @ 09/04/2003 9:39 AM

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As for G1 and Armada and all that razzmatazz; I confess to being a purist for the originals for just about any cartoon or toy; I miss them dammit; I miss their packaging. I LOVED the original 3 3/4 Joe figures, but New GI Joe just plain sucks, period; a really shitty product. New He-man looks cool, but I really liked OLD He-man so much more. And I loved my old G1 ‘formers, but I just decided one day to splurge some $ and buy Armada Galvatron. Now that’s one cool motherfucker. And after he and I discussed it, we decided to go out and adopt some Mini-cons to form the Dark Saber; we’re so glad we did!

Chestnuts roasted by Krappy Kat @ 09/04/2003 11:15 AM

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