Tokyo Toy Show 2016 brings the Masterpiece Cheetor prototype, Masterpiece Inferno in color and Masterpiece Thrust. Takara Tomy’s Unite Warriors Lynxmaster and a leaked Legends Super Ginrai round out the reveals. Hasbro’s Masterpiece Bumblebee and Spike turn up without warning at a Canadian Toys “R” Us. Shout! Factory brings Transformers: The Movie back on Blu-ray for its 30th anniversary. Rob calls Till All Are One #1 a strong start.
This Week in History
In 1990, the Super-God Masterforce episode “Junior Headmaster” premiered in Malaysia. Don calls Masterforce his favorite Japanese Transformers series, as long as it is not the English dub. Exvee and Brian agree it is more engaging than Headmasters. In 2009, Aveo Swerve was given away in Canada in a Chevy mall promotion. The crew notes the earlier European release cost about $160 with fees, and $40 is a fair price today.
News
Hasbro Masterpieces Without Warning! MP Bumblebee & Spike Found At Canadian Toys R Us
Hasbro’s Masterpiece Bumblebee with Spike turned up at a Canadian Toys “R” Us for about $120 Canadian. The crew calls it a poor deal when imports sell for about $60. Hasbro’s package names the exosuit pilot as Spike. [Source: TFormers]
Tokyo Toy Show 2016 – First Look At Masterpiece Cheetor
Takara Tomy showed the Masterpiece Cheetor prototype at Tokyo Toy Show. The crew thinks it looks surprisingly nice and wonders how it transforms. Don is already waiting for a Tigatron, and the crew worries about the price after Optimus Primal’s roughly 12,000 yen. [Source: TFormers]
Masterpiece MP Inferno First Color Images From Tokyo Toy Show
The first color images of Masterpiece Inferno follow the animation design. The second grille piece holds Red Alert for the rescue pose, and water effects are included. The crew calls it the best accessory ever. [Source: TFormers]
MP-11NT Masterpiece Thrust Official Product Photography For Retool Seeker
Official photos show MP-11NT Masterpiece Thrust, a retooled Seeker. His wings attach to his legs like the animation model. Don and Brian think the head looks too short, a problem Ramjet shares. One host notes Thrust and Dirge will complete his set of Masterpiece Seekers. [Source: TFormers]
Unite Warriors UW-EX Lynxmaster Official Photos Of TakaraTomy Edition Sky Reign
Official photos show Unite Warriors UW-EX Lynxmaster, Takara Tomy’s Sky Reign. Ratchet takes Smokescreen’s place. Several hosts preordered it anyway, while Don can easily pass. Wheeljack’s paint looks better, but the red is gone. [Source: TFormers]
Tokyo Toy Show 2016 – Legends Series Super Ginrai Image Leaked From TakaraTomy Presentation
A leaked image shows Legends Series Super Ginrai. It has remolded forearms and feet, a Powermaster-style chest and a more traditional cab. The hands now have 5 mm posts to hold its matching guns. Rob will likely stick with the cheaper Hasbro release, while another host is skipping Hasbro’s for this one. [Source: TFormers]
Tokyo Toy Show 2016 Takara Tomy Display: Unite Warriors Computron
Takara Tomy’s display shows Unite Warriors Computron in production colors, due in August. Afterburner is more orange than the other Technobots. The crew compares it with Hasbro’s Combiner Wars Computron, due in September, with Strafe, rocker feet and Scrounge. [Source: TFormers]
THE COLORS! G2 Bruticus Out of Box Image Shows Transformers Combiner Wars Throwback Glory
Combiner Wars G2 Bruticus is showing up at Canadian retail. One host preordered right away, while others expect it to sit on shelves like Superion and Menasor. It lacks G2 Decepticon symbols, which a host was told at BotCon was a production oversight. [Source: TFormers]
TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE – Shout! Factory and Hasbro Studios to Bring Back Classic Film
Shout! Factory and Hasbro Studios will release Transformers: The Movie on Blu-ray for its 30th anniversary. It is remastered from the original 35 mm elements, with cover art by Livio Ramondelli. Preorders are about $30, and the crew hopes for good extras. [Source: TFormers]
More Masterpiece Machine Robo Photos
New photos show the next Action Toys Machine Robo figures: Cement Robo, Blackbird Robo, Turbo Robo and Space Robo. Don notes GoBots had several female characters, including Blackbird Robo’s U.S. counterpart, Snoop. He would love to see Super GoBots in this style. [Source: Machine Robo on Facebook]
Transformers: Till All Are One #1 – IDW Comics Review
Rob reviewed Till All Are One #1 and calls it great. Mairghread Scott writes, Sara Pitre-Durocher draws and Priscilla Tramontano colors. It feels like a middle ground between the two Windblade volumes. The Transmissions podcast’s alternate cover is available through its website. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: The Last Knight Heads To Phoenix As #TF5 Shooting Continues
Filming on The Last Knight continues in Phoenix. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: The Last Knight – Michael Bay Confirms The Return Of Barricade In #TF5
Michael Bay confirmed Barricade returns in The Last Knight. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers: The Last Knight: Video of New Vehicle Seen At Filming Location – Wreck-Gar?
Video shows a junk-covered vehicle on set that fans think may be Wreck-Gar. [Source: TFormers]
More car photos include a Decepticon utility truck. The crew confirms the Volkswagen bus is a Decepticon, so Diecast was right last week. [Source: TFormers]
Iron Factory IF-EX17 ‘Double Edge Blade’ Legends-Scale Unofficial Drift/Deadlock Prototype Pictures
Iron Factory’s IF-EX17 Double Edge Blade is a Legends-scale two-pack of an unofficial Drift and Deadlock. The crew loves Iron Factory and DX9’s work at this scale, and Iron Factory’s Scorponok has slipped to the third quarter. [Source: TFormers]
Generation-Toy J4ZZ Masterpiece-Style Unofficial Jazz Color Comparison Photos
New color photos compare Generation Toy’s J4ZZ with Reveal the Shield Jazz, showing how closely it follows that design. Toyworld’s own unofficial Jazz, Blues, also has new prototype photos. Don still prefers the vaporware Hova Jazz, and one host says none of them get the lower legs right. [Source: TFormers]
Also on TFormers
Exvee reviewed The Transformers #54. Priscilla Tramontano shared an unused cover for More Than Meets the Eye #52 featuring Ravage. Tokyo Toy Show gave a first look at the Legends Titans Return packaging, which uses the Headmaster name. The first video reviews of Titans Return Deluxe Wave 1 are out.
What We Got This Week
Don picked up the alternate-color Ocular Max Sphinx, an unofficial Mirage he thinks no Masterpiece could beat. He also got the last yellow Bad Cube Sunsurge.
Matt got Subscription Service Ruckus, Combiner Wars Groove and Victorion, which won him over in a dynamic pose. He picked up a spare Battle Core Optimus Prime for Reprolabels Thunderclash stickers. He also got Scorch and Rapido from an old BotCon set off eBay, and Diaclone Dia Battles V2 with four tiny Dianauts.
Brian got The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Transformers. He calls it a solid book with nice photos, better for casual fans, and thinks the price guide dates it. He also got Takara Tomy’s Adventure Thunderhoof.
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.