Age of the Primes Leader Big Convoy and Razorclaw hit US shelves, and Studio Series 86 Soundwave turns up at retail too. DNA Design shows new upgrade kits for Studio Series 86 Megatron and Star Optimus Prime, and the crew mocks a $25 tank handle. Flame Toys reveals its Furai Model G1 Bumblebee. In What We Got This Week, Don reviews Soundwave and finds the Ravage curse undefeated, guest Miguel completes his BotCon 2008 set, and Brian calls the new Big Convoy a better toy than the Beast Wars Neo original.
News
DNA Design Reveals DK-78 Upgrade Kits for Studio Series 86 Leader Megatron
DNA Design’s DK-78 kits for Studio Series 86 Leader Megatron come in several sets. Brian feels something is missing from the full kit. Don likes it but would only use the filler pieces, the arm cannon and maybe the extra heads. One host ordered the basic set with the sword and gun. The crew laughed at a separate $23 to $25 piece that puts a handle on Megatron’s tank mode, a nod to the G1 toy. One host would accept that piece as a free Hasbro accessory, never as a $25 add-on. [Source: TFW2005]
DNA Design DK-76 Kit Upgrades Age of the Primes Star Optimus Prime
The DK-76 kit for Age of the Primes Star Optimus Prime adds LED eyes, a new sword, new shoulder cannons and a star crest for the chest. Brian says the crest is gold when the vintage toy’s crest was yellow, and he would buy the kit if it were yellow. The sword reminds the crew of the Robots in Disguise 2015 Optimus Prime sword. The kit also includes a replacement Zodiac for the sword hilt. [Source: TFW2005]
Age of the Primes Leader Big Convoy and Razorclaw Reach US Retail
Age of the Primes Leader Class Big Convoy and Razorclaw are out at US retail. Brian says in-hand photos show Big Convoy closer in size to the original than he expected. He saw Razorclaw at Walmart and passed, since he doesn’t want the figure at all. Don thinks Big Convoy turned out better than many expected, though he is short next to Magnatron. One host would buy an Ultra Mammoth redeco so he never has to handle his original. The crew doubts Hasbro would do the Universe Nemesis Prime color scheme justice. [Source: TFW2005]
Studio Series 86 Leader Soundwave Found at US Retail
Studio Series 86 Leader Soundwave, with Laserbeak, Ravage and Buzzsaw, is turning up in stores, and Hasbro Pulse has started charging preorders. The crew says Soundwave looks far better than the last one, though the cassettes look rough. The cassettes match the size of recent releases, so collectors can mix and match. Adam Pawlus of 16bit.com noted on Bluesky that the cassette door has a little more room than the Siege and Earthrise Soundwaves. [Source: TFW2005]
Flame Toys Shows Off Furai Model G1 Bumblebee
Flame Toys revealed official images of its Furai Model Bumblebee G1 Ver. Brian isn’t crazy about most of the line, but he really likes this one. The crew guesses it will run about $50. Rob explains that Furai Model kits are self-assembled, Furai Action figures come pre-assembled, and Kuro Kara Kuri figures cost about $500 each. Big Bad Toy Store’s stock photos suggest Bumblebee’s eyes are painted rather than light-piped. [Source: TFW2005]
What We Got This Week
Don
Don got Studio Series 86 Soundwave and calls him a nice upgrade, though rough from the back. Laserbeak and Buzzsaw are okay, but their tiny gray cannon adapters are easy to lose. Ravage won’t hold his tail while standing flat, so the Ravage curse remains undefeated. Age of the Primes Big Convoy is solid with good plastic, though some mammoth parts end up awkward in robot mode. Razorclaw looks beautiful, but the front assembly relies on one shallow friction hinge. An Entertainment Earth buy-one-get-one-half-off sale added Nemesis Prime. Finally, Don found Age of the Primes Trypticon at Ross for $119 and loves the sculpted detail in the darker colors.
Miguel
Miguel picked up a boxed Takara United Lugnut, plus two Beast Wars Neo Blendtrons: a Torca redeco and Drancron, the Neo take on Sky Shadow. He found the CD-ROM from the Basics Alligator Megatron and Bat Primal set for under $15. He also landed a sealed first-run Armada Sideways. Blur, Sideswipe and the Mini-Cons complete his BotCon 2008 collection, apart from the custom class Nightbeat. His last pickup is a carded figure from the 1999 Toei Anime Fair, which sold minor Cheetor, Depth Charge and Dinobot variants alongside a Beast Wars Metals screening.
Rob
Rob had nothing on topic this week.
Matt
Matt got the Dr. Wu Slugfest and Overkill cassette set and calls them absolutely adorable. Overkill is surprisingly posable and fits in Soundwave’s chest. He also bought a second Dinoking set in a Big Bad Toy Store clearance sale.
Diecast
Diecast opened the first Blokees Wheels box set and pulled the special Lost Light Rodimus with a driver figure. The instructions are printed tiny on the backs of the cards, and mistakes mean taking a whole build apart. Optimus Prime is his favorite. He also got Quintus Prime, since he now collects only the Thirteen Primes and G1 from Hasbro.
Brian
On Don’s tip, Brian bought Quickstrike from Amazon and finds him shockingly good, maybe better than the original in robot mode. He also found Age of the Primes Big Convoy at Walmart. The new figure is about 20% shorter than the Beast Wars Neo original, but the mammoth kibble is far better managed. Brian, a lifelong Big Convoy fan, now calls it the better toy and recommends it.