Transformers is finally in the National Toy Hall of Fame, inducted alongside My Little Pony and Phase 10. A headless leaked test shot gives a probable first look at Age of the Primes Prima. Brian has a soft spot for Studio Series Devastation Optimus Prime, and the debate it sparks turns into a talk about why Transformers keeps recycling G1. The crew also covers the return of Mixmashers, Hot Wheels Track Fleet Ultra Magnus, Dr. Wu’s Decibel and Graphy, and Dollar Tree bag clips. In What We Got This Week, Chris imports the Legacy Armada Starscream redeco and Rob tells a strange delivery story behind his Thundertron three-pack.
TFcon Follow-Up
Diecast, Rob and Chris missed last week’s TFcon episode, so Diecast added a few thoughts from the show. He met writer Michael Charles Hill at a TFcon party, where Hill said The Gambler began as a GoBots episode he reworked for Transformers. Don talked with Hill at length and never heard that story. Hill only learned how big the fandom is a year or two ago. One host picked up two Ocular Max exclusives for its combiner and the Fans Hobby Obsidian Commander. The crew debated Fans Hobby’s take on Energon Optimus Prime, and one host felt the slimmer Optimus proportions hurt the combined mode.
News
Transformers Inducted Into the National Toy Hall of Fame
Chris noted Transformers has been nominated for the National Toy Hall of Fame for at least a decade, and one year lost to the stick. This year it finally got in, along with My Little Pony and the card game Phase 10. One host suggested Hasbro could print “Hall of Fame” on the packaging. One host sees Transformers and My Little Pony as two sides of the same coin, rising and declining at the same times. Choose Your Own Adventure books were nominated but missed out, which pleased Don, who never got a good ending. One host recalled owning a misprinted Transformers Find Your Fate book that restarted halfway through. [Source: The Strong National Museum of Play]
Age of the Primes Voyager Prima Prototype Possible First Look
A leaked, headless test shot is likely Age of the Primes Prima. One host noted Hasbro calls these engineering pilots, and this one looks early in the process, perhaps with the head removed to obscure it. Chris added that heads and test shots can carry identifying marks, though a factory run still leaves a trail. One host sees Vector Prime in the clawed feet. The two rear wheels and windshield suggest some kind of truck. Another host hopes the mold can also make a Sentinel Prime styled after Five Faces of Darkness. The crew couldn’t agree on Prima’s colors, and expects a vehicle mode drawn from the Sunbow designs. [Source: TFW2005]
Studio Series Deluxe Devastation Optimus Prime First Look
Brian doesn’t need another Optimus Prime, but he likes this one’s shoulders, smokestacks and head. Squint, add a Hi-Q in the belly, and it could be a Great Value Ginrai. Another host thinks it looks cheap, even for a $25 Deluxe. The crew agreed the vehicle mode is weak, the wheels are too small, and only the windows get the game’s cel shading. Word is it may be an A-level Deluxe that replaces Transformers One Optimus Prime in next year’s assortment. One host credits it for condensing the Studio Series 86 look into a Deluxe, since cartoon-style Optimus Prime toys never have good truck modes. [Source: TFW2005]
Is Transformers Stuck in G1?
Brian finds it preposterous that 40 years later, the same G1 characters fill the shelves. He argues Transformers once evolved and now feels stagnant because it is made for middle-aged collectors. One host pointed to Car Robots Gigatron as the peak of Beast Wars-era creativity, where every moving part serves the transformation. Another host held up Beast Wars Rampage as a design we’ll never see again. Chris argued that a limited budget should drive innovation, which is how last year’s Cosmos happened. One host passed along Paladin’s observation that three video game Optimus Primes are on the market at once. The crew traced the shift to the live-action movie lines, which pulled Hasbro’s focus toward adult buyers. Studio Series 86 reportedly outsells the rest of Studio Series, which explains why it keeps coming.
Transformers Mixmashers Official Stock Images
Mixmashers are back, drawing on the evergreen art style and trade dress. One host suspects one Hasbro staffer is married to the parts-swapping concept and keeps bringing it back. The Optimus Primal head looks accurate to the cartoon, and another host straight up likes the Megatron. The crew predicts they will turn up at Ollie’s next year. [Source: TFW2005]
Hot Wheels Track Fleet Ultra Magnus In-Hand Images
An extensive set of in-hand images shows Hot Wheels Track Fleet Ultra Magnus next to other Hot Wheels cars. It won’t actually carry those cars, though Micro Machines might pass. One host is already over the Hot Wheels crossovers, while others want Ultra Magnus to go with Optimus Prime. Nobody has seen one in a store yet. [Source: TFW2005]
Dr. Wu Impact Wave Supersonic and Explosion Color Prototypes
Dr. Wu showed color prototypes of its G1-style Decibel and Graphy cassette pair. The crew praised Dr. Wu’s value compared with pricier Legends-scale makers. One host already ordered the set after loving Dr. Wu’s Grand Slam and Raindance. Another regrets missing Squawktalk and Beastbox, and may have preordered Dr. Wu’s super-deformed Metrotitan. The cassette teams run about $30 each, and they sell out fast. [Source: TFW2005]
New Evergreen-Style Transformers Bag Clips at Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree has a new set of evergreen-style Transformers bag clips for $1.25. One host is way too excited for them and might hang them on the wall. Brian and another host favor the Maximal logo and the Optimus Primal clip, and the Grimlock got no love. One host warned the plastic clasps won’t survive luggage handling. [Source: TFW2005 Boards]
What We Got This Week
Matt
Matt had nothing in Transformers this week.
Don
Don bought a $12 Core Class Bumblebee movie Starscream to qualify for Amazon’s six-month financing on Transformers x Knight Rider Agent Knight. The crew warned him off, and Brian called Agent Knight his most disappointing toy purchase in years.
Diecast
Diecast broke the gun on his G1 Optimus Prime, so he ordered another one from Hasbro Pulse.
Chris
Chris had hoped Hasbro would release the Legacy Armada Thundercracker that Takara Tomy put out recently, but Evan reportedly confirmed no plans. Wheeljack64 pointed him to an AliExpress listing, and it cost about $70 shipped. The colors pop, and it includes copies of Jetfire’s blast effects. It’s his favorite deco of the design, though he dreads an Armada Skywarp version at the next Japanese toy show.
Rob
Rob’s Amazon order of Legacy G1 Optimus Prime finally arrived, and he loves having an easy, sturdy Optimus Prime to fiddle with. He also grabbed the Thundertron three-pack when Walmart marked it down to $45. His first order was marked delivered with what looked like an AI-generated photo of his porch, but Walmart refunded it and he reordered. Thundertron’s head sculpt finally reads clearly thanks to paint. The Ratbat recolor can mount on his shoulder. The Rock Lord is pretty, but it comes apart into accessory bits during transformation.
Brian
Diecast gave Brian a new head build for LEGO Optimus Prime that fixes its derpy look, and Diecast promised to send the instructions.