Hasbro’s post-Toy Fair Beast Machines wave is shipping in good numbers, including Savage Noble and Nightslash Cheetor. This February 27, 2001 Radio Free Cybertron also covers John DeLuna’s take on a rushed Hasbro Toy Fair display and the Robots in Disguise theme song. Goldimus Prime calls Nightslash Cheetor the best Cheetor toy ever and gives it a 9.5. Tony Fitz asks whether Beast Machines was really that bad and previews the rest of the 2001 line. The RFC Computer fills in as host while Brian is sick.
News
Transformers: The Movie Review and Parody Coming
Brian is working on a review of Transformers: The Movie for next week. The script for the next part of the RFC parody is out, and work begins soon.
Trivia
Last week’s answer was Challenge of the GoBots, a trick question nobody got. There is no new clip this week.
ATT Buzz
New Beast Machines Wave Ships in Good Numbers
After Toy Fair, Hasbro is shipping its new toys in good numbers. The four deluxes, Sonic Attack Jetstorm, Tyrannotron, Rapticon and Savage Noble, are showing up in many stores. Nightslash Cheetor and Strika appear to have shipped too. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
John Is Underwhelmed by Savage Noble
John thinks most ATT praise for Savage Noble is new-toy glow. The wolf mode is nice but spindly, and the dragon mode is small and floppy. He says Transmetal 2 Megatron is a real dragon, and this looks like a salamander.
ATT Turns Into a Cesspool
With little new to discuss, John says ATT is silent or overrun by trolls and newbies. Blast Punch Optimus Primal may even ship in Robots in Disguise packaging because it is coming so late.
Hasbro’s Toy Fair Display Looks Rushed
John calls Hasbro’s Toy Fair effort honest but rushed. Hasbro likely bought much of a few dealers’ Car Robots stock for the display, and the Robots in Disguise packaging looked unfinished. He thanks Phil Zeeman, Douglas Kern and Dan Lipkowitz for their Altered States Toy Fair coverage. [Source: Altered States]
The Robots in Disguise Theme Song
John calls the Robots in Disguise theme a depressing goth mess that will make your ears bleed. He says it does not match Car Robots, a light kids show full of comic relief. He suspects Fox Kids’ adapters never watched the show, but thinks they got lucky.
Toy Review: Beast Machines Nightslash Cheetor
Goldimus Prime calls Nightslash Cheetor, formerly known as Stealth Cheetor, the best Cheetor toy ever made, at least in robot mode. The sword-slash gimmick does not hinder the arms, and a reflective chest piece creates a pinwheel illusion. The robot mode stands about eight inches tall, as big as a Beast Wars Ultra. The beast mode is fine but less impressive, with a tail that resembles Transmetal 2 Dinobot’s. He gives it a 9.5, his highest possible score, and says to go to Walmart.
Bad Poet’s Corner
This week’s poem was written by BlueStreak7.
Destroy, Erase, Improve: Was Beast Machines Really That Bad?
Tony Fitz switches to a looser, semi-live format. He disliked much of Beast Machines’ writing but calls the toy line very good, citing Scavenger, Mirage, Blackarachnia, Nightviper and even Nightscream. He blames overstocked shelves, erratic Fox scheduling and Season 2 airing in Canada first for the line’s decline. He praises the new Tyrannotron, Rapticon and Beast Changer repaints.
Destroy, Erase, Improve: The 2001 Beast Machines Line
Tony previews upcoming toys pictured on BWTF.com. He calls Battle Unicorn a terrible name but a promising basic, and Spystreak, with its SR-71 style jet mode, his most anticipated toy. He is surprised by Megatron Megabolt and likes the look of Strika and Blast Punch Optimus Primal. He is less excited about the next Cheetor. Hasbro has no plans for a Supreme Optimus Primal, and Tony urges fans to contact Hasbro. He hopes Beast Machines does not become an ignored sleeper line like late G2.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.