Outback gets his name back as Australia Toy Fair reveals more Power of the Primes, alongside Cindersaur and Inferno. Cyber Battalion Shockwave wins the crew over, even with no knees. TakaraTomy shows Optimal Optimus in flight mode and a gorgeous Abominus. Studio Series Thundercracker, a limited G1 soundtrack LP and the Energon Igniters play pattern round out the news.
News
Australia Toy Fair Power of the Primes Reveals: Outback Got His Name Back
Power of the Primes reveals from Australia Toy Fair include Outback, packaged as Autobot Outback, plus Cindersaur and Inferno. The crew debates whether an Autobot prefix really solves a trademark problem. One host notes that common words like Jazz are hard to defend on their own. One host is ecstatic about Outback and wants a Titan Master Outback to ride inside him. Another plans an Inferno head swap. The crew counts the minibots still missing modern toys: Huffer, Pipes, Cliffjumper and Warpath. [Source: TFormers]
Studio Series Thundercracker Toys R Us Exclusive First Look in Package
The Toys R Us exclusive Studio Series Thundercracker appears in package. One host will buy it because he already likes the mold and the blue looks nice. He calls the vehicle mode a very passable Thundercracker. Another host dislikes the gray wing stripes that echo the 1984 toy’s intakes. [Source: TFormers]
Transformers G1 Soundtrack: More Details on the Limited Vinyl LP
Selected tracks from the G1 cartoon soundtrack go on sale Friday on vinyl, limited to 2,000 copies. Vinyl is the only format planned. One host will buy it, though he jokes the music was mastered for Betamax. Another points fans to the remastered files from the TFCOG Kickstarter for a complete digital version. [Source: TFormers]
Cyber Battalion Shockwave: In-Hand Image of the Voyager-Sized Budget Figure
Cyber Battalion is a simple, Voyager-size budget line sold in the US at Walgreens and Universal Studios stores. The crew loves this Shockwave, though it has no knees. One host calls it the best G1 Shockwave toy since the original. Sideswipe fares worse: the crew sees Windcharger, a stretched Charger or a boxy Corvette. Rob says it would make a perfect Overdrive. [Source: TFormers]
Power of the Primes Wave 3 and 4 Packaging: Predaking, Novastar and Prime Masters
Packaging images show Titan Class Predaking, Deluxe Novastar and new Prime Masters. The crew admits it is not the most exciting story of the week. [Source: TFormers]
TakaraTomy Power of the Primes August Releases: Optimal Optimus Flight Mode Revealed
TakaraTomy’s photos show Optimal Optimus in flight mode for the first time since the CAD models at HasCon. The crew finds it close to the original toy, though the wings look smaller. One host already owns the original and feels lukewarm. Another would rather see a Primal Prime repaint. [Source: TFormers]
TakaraTomy Power of the Primes: Official Photos of Elita-1 and Abominus
Most of the crew calls Abominus gorgeous, even with color-coated hands. One host still half-dislikes the Terrorcons. Elita-1 looks off to the crew because of her Dinobot arms. TakaraTomy is not boxing the Terrorcons together, though its online mall may sell them as a set. [Source: TFormers]
Bumblebee Movie Energon Igniters Play Pattern Details Revealed
Chris explains the Energon Igniters line, detailed in an Amazon India listing. Plugging in a block unlocks an action feature, closer to G2 Power Masters than the electronic AllSpark Tech line. The crew jokes about how well Powermasters sold. [Source: TFormers]
GT-11 RedBull: The Unofficial Sideswipe That Turns into a Robot Bull
The design comes from an art book that reimagines G1 characters with animal modes. The crew applauds original third-party ideas but admits they rarely sell. That leads to a talk about why third parties chase Masterpiece scale: that is where collectors spend. One host admits to owning about ten official Masterpiece seekers. [Source: TFormers]
This Week in History
In 2010, Revenge of the Fallen won three Razzies, for Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Picture. One host adds that The Last Knight won none despite several nominations. Another blames The Emoji Movie, which swept the awards that year. [Source: TFWiki]
What’s on TFormers
The Brands of Transformers, Part 4: Milton Bradley
Rob’s latest installment covers Milton Bradley. Hasbro bought the company in 1984 and used its European distribution for G1. Rob notes the TFWiki page explains how the Diaclone license left Optimus Prime hard to find in parts of Europe. The crew recommends McFeely’s Transformers: The Basics series on YouTube. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Diecast
Diecast got Masterpiece MP-18S Silverstreak with its coin for $40, a good price for an official figure. He also picked up the original Cybertron Starscream for $50.
Chris
Chris’s last Amazon Japan preorder arrived: the TakaraTomy Legends Decepticon clones set. It stays sealed until it is cool enough for in-package photos.
Matt
Matt’s pickup this week was not Transformers.
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.