Takara Tomy announces MP-21R Bumblebee Red Body, a December Masterpiece repaint the crew dubs “I can’t believe it’s not Cliffjumper.” A supposed Hasbro UK fan survey asking about favorite third-party companies sparks doubts about whether it is real. Rob spots Nova Prime in Transformers: Devastation art and wonders whether Battle Core Optimus Prime began life as Nova Prime. Fans Project shows its Function X Highbrow and Crocs, and Gravity Builder’s final deco Constructicons win the crew over.
This Week in History
In 1987, Transformers: The Headmasters is released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan. The crew calls it better than 1986’s Mystery of Convoy, though still not good. John says it is a checklist game rather than a must-play. Rob remembers it beating Mystery of Convoy and still wants a Famicom Disk System.
News
MP-21R Bumblebee Red Body Announced
Takara Tomy’s next Masterpiece figure is MP-21R Bumblebee Red Body, due in December. Exvee’s TFormers headline sums it up: “I can’t believe it’s not Cliffjumper.” The crew is surprised and disappointed and reads it as a cheap repaint to fund the next new mold. They joke about Glyph, a Penny Racer version, and a Bug Bite and Wasp pair one host would happily buy. They also tally this year’s new Masterpiece molds, including Ultra Magnus, Star Saber and Tracks. [Source: TFormers]
Masterpiece Ironhide Gets New Photos
New photos of Masterpiece Ironhide look slightly better to some of the crew, but nobody loves it. One host still prefers iGear’s Ratchet and Ironhide, and the hip panels remain the sticking point. The side view makes it worse for another host. A Prime 1 Studio Lockdown statue also appears in the photos. [Source: not found]
Transformers: Devastation Footage and PlayStation Preorder Bonuses
New Transformers: Devastation footage arrives along with preorder bonuses for Sony systems, which add reskinned characters including Red Alert. The crew is about as excited as the week before. Don may finally buy a new console for it, and others note it is also coming to PC. One host has tempered his hopes since learning more about the game but will still play it. [Source: not found]
A Supposed Hasbro UK Fan Survey
A survey said to come from Hasbro UK around Auto Assembly spread on Twitter, shared by people such as James Roberts and Chris McFeely. It asks about third-party buying, including fans’ favorite third-party company. Diecast took the whole thing. The crew doubts it is official, citing its odd formatting, SurveyMonkey hosting and self-selected respondents. The final page shows a smiling, faceplate-free Optimus Prime that used to be Brian’s AllSpark avatar, so the crew jokes he is the troll. [Source: not found]
Is Battle Core Optimus Prime a Repurposed Nova Prime?
Leaked Transformers: Devastation achievement art shows Nova Prime in the game. Rob, who wrote the TFormers piece, notes Nova Prime wears Battle Core Optimus Prime’s colors and uses a Motormaster-style torso. He wonders whether Battle Core Optimus Prime was first planned as Nova Prime to tie in with the game. The crew expects third-party conversion kits, and Battle Core Optimus Prime is now on Amazon for $24.99. [Source: not found]
Gravity Builder Final Deco Constructicons
New photos show Generation Toys’ Gravity Builder unofficial Scrapper and Mixmaster in final deco. The crew likes their chunky, toy-like, anime-flavored look. Diecast will buy and review them because they scale with his Warbotron Bruticus. Others are happy with their Hasbro Devastator, and the crew jokes about a kit that mixes one Constructicon from every third-party Devastator. [Source: not found]
Fans Project Function X Highbrow and Crocs
Fans Project shows new Function X figures based on Highbrow and Crocs. Don says Highbrow needed an update more than most Headmasters and loves the jet-helicopter mode. Diecast expects Crocs to be repainted as the Alligatorcon from City of Steel, though one host wishes it did not reuse an Optimus Prime chest. The Highbrow figure is listed for December, which the crew doubts given the photos look like renders. [Source: not found]
KFC Teases a Masterpiece-Scale Blitzwing
KFC posts a drawing of an unofficial Masterpiece-scale Blitzwing slated for November 2015. One host retitles the story “Please stop, KFC.” The crew says KFC can churn out figures fast but questions its quality control. They warn again that KFC and X-Transbots tend to fix problems in second runs. [Source: not found]
What We Got This Week
John
John got Combiner Wars Ironhide, Mirage and Sunstreaker but has only opened Sunstreaker. He says Sunstreaker is clearly the Breakdown mold and he is buying the wave only for the combined mode. He does praise the metallic silver hands, feet and guns.
Diecast
Diecast has Cupola, the unofficial Chromedome, which he calls beautiful but hard to fit together, and a review is on the way.
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.