A BotCon 2016 promo teases a Beast Wars Megatron that may use the Robots in Disguise Gigatron mold, an old 3H dream project. Masterpiece Optimus Primal shows swappable faces and a size closer to the smaller Masterpieces, while MP-28 Hot Rod’s dead-eyed face disappoints. Nuremberg Toy Fair brings a G1-accurate Fortress Maximus, a new Legends Wheelie and Apeface with a gorilla suit. Matt is surprised to like Masterpiece Ironhide, and Diecast gets test shots of Generation Toy’s Devastator.
News
BotCon 2016: Is This The Centerpiece Souvenir Toy?
A BotCon 2016 YouTube promo shows a Beast Wars Megatron that appears to use the Robots in Disguise Gigatron body. It was an unproduced 3H convention concept, and the mold was last used for the 2005 Deathsaurus. Other theories include a Fall of Cybertron Grimlock retool or a Combiner Wars Megatron with a new chest. One host argues the Beast Wars 20th anniversary makes this the year to finally do it. The crew is also happy to hear that David Kaye still sounds exactly like Megatron. [Source: TFormers]
Masterpiece Optimus Primal: New Images Of Transformation and Swappable Faceplates
A new video and Hyper Hobby scans show the grayscale prototype and its swappable faces. One scan puts him next to Generations Rattrap and Rhinox, and he looks about Masterpiece Sideswipe to Ironhide size. One host thinks that size gives him a good chance at a US release without a huge price. Another host’s only complaint is the knuckle-walking pose, though he agrees standing upright matters more. [Source: TFormers]
Opinions are mixed to negative. One host says the face has no soul. Others find the chest huge and the legs scrawny, since the whole car sits on his torso. The crew blames movie designs that never worked as real transformations. One host suggests a tiny paper bag over the head. [Source: TFormers]
Titans Return And Platinum Edition Reveals From Nuremberg Toy Fair 2016
Rob runs down the news while Brian gets caffeine. Titan Class Fortress Maximus is described as very G1-accurate. Legends Wheelie is a new mold whose cockpit holds a Titan Master. Apeface is a Titan Master that docks into a gorilla exosuit, much like Crash Bash. New Platinum sets include Galvatron with Rodimus Prime, and Cyclonus with Sweeps, one using the BotCon Devcon head. The crew is far more excited about Titans Return than Combiner Wars because the figures do not have to share one template. [Source: TFormers]
More Titans Return Leaks Of Dubious Quality: Alpha Trion And Soundwave
More Alpha Trion art leaks alongside a rough photocopy of Soundwave. Don gets a Vector Prime vibe from the chest. The crew suggests swapping heads with Powermaster Optimus Prime for a homemade Lio Convoy. They also hope Alpha Trion’s Titan Master is A3. [Source: TFormers]
Platinum Optimus Prime vs Megatron 1986 Transformers Movie Theme 2-Pack
The crew likes the Megatron, and one host has owned this Optimus Prime for ten years. One host notes Fans Project’s armor kit could give the set’s Optimus a Powermaster-style upgrade. [Source: TFormers]
Robots In Disguise Comes To DVD In May
Shout! Factory will release season one for $30, which finally gives cord-cutters a way to watch. One host subscribed to an internet TV service just to watch it. [Source: TFormers]
In-Hand Photos Of Planet Of Junk Platinum Set Figures
Brian mixes this set up with the rumored Platinum set pairing Universe Galvatron and Titanium Rodimus. The crew clears it up: Planet of Junk uses the Deluxe Rodimus. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers 5: Filming Start Date Revealed
Transformers 5 begins filming in May. The crew doubts the script will be finished by then. [Source: TFormers]
BadCube OTS-Special 01 Sentinel Blaze: Diaclone Red Sunstreaker Homage
BadCube’s red Diaclone-style Sunstreaker leaves the crew cold. Some think the red exposes the mold’s flaws, while others say the head is the real problem in any color. [Source: TFormers]
X-Transbots Hatch and Boost: Unofficial Tailgate and Windcharger
Brian loves the Pontiac-style car modes. Others point to panel gaps, badly painted headlights, bland robot modes and odd shin proportions. Option parts allow toy-style or cartoon-style details. [Source: TFormers]
Limited Edition Metalhawk Renewal Resin Kit At Wonder Festival 2016
The one-day-license resin kit looks great, though the crew worries about resin’s fragility. One host notes earlier one-day kits like G’s Eye Toys’ Cyclonus and Wheelie were later bootlegged. One host still wants a Metalhawk repaint of Generations Armada Starscream. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 1999, a Hasbro press release named Animorphs the highlight of the Transformers 15th anniversary. Diecast says he would have quit the fandom. Another host explains that the 1999 fandom was a different world, and that Animorphs clearanced for years. Some figures were retooled into Beast Wars Mutants. The crew traces Hasbro’s turn back toward older fans to Robots in Disguise, Alternators, the Dreamwave comics and the imported Masterpiece Optimus Prime.
Listener Questions
Kent asks whether his first third-party figure should be KFC’s Citizen Stack or DX9’s Carry. Don and Brian both recommend Carry, though Don says Citizen Stack is fine and cheaper on clearance. Mark asks whether the Amazon link works in the UK. Brian says it does not yet and will look into a separate UK account.
What We Got This Week
Matt
Matt got Masterpiece Ironhide and, to his surprise, does not hate it. The fixed hip panels still bother him, but most parts peg together well and the side profile looks better in hand. The face swaps out with a press of the crest, with no screw. Ironhide is about as tall as Leader Class Jetfire. He also got Masterpiece Road Rage, whose legs are still terrifying to separate.
Diecast
Thanks to Brandon at The Chosen Prime, Diecast got test shots of two pieces of Generation Toy’s Devastator homage. One includes a hand that rolls on wheels. He also got Perfect Effect’s Constructicon upgrade sets and Warbotron’s Strafe. His FansToys haul includes Spotter, whose clear lens snapped, plus Mercenary, the second Insecticon. He also got a clear Quakewave.
Don
Don got Unique Toys’ Provider, the first piece of a large order. Tyrant and Andrias are on the way.
Brian
Brian got nothing this week.
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.