McDonald’s Changeables are back as Happy Meal toys, and the crew thinks the 16 new designs look a lot like BotBots. Former Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser joins Hasbro’s board, and a soccer-ball Optimus Prime surfaces right after last week’s Project Kick prediction. The panel also weighs Target’s pricier More Than Meets the Eye Collection Scourge and Takara Tomy’s Missing Link Grimlock color sample. In What We Got This Week, Chris stress-tests Age of the Primes Sureshot and Brian finally opens HasLab Omega Prime.
News
Former Nintendo of America CEO Doug Bowser Joins Hasbro’s Board
Doug Bowser, the former Nintendo of America CEO, has joined Hasbro’s board of directors, along with Carla Vernon of The Honest Company. Rob added the story, and the crew loved the online push to rename him Doug Megatron. Nobody could recall anything bad from his Nintendo tenure, which the crew took as a good sign. One host explained that a board seat can carry a tremendous amount of power, since the board is the only body a CEO answers to. Another wondered if Hasbro wants his video game experience, recalling Hasbro Interactive and its 1990s VHS-based console. [Source: VGC]
McDonald’s Changeables Return as Happy Meal Toys
McDonald’s Changeables are back, with around 16 transforming food and restaurant designs. The crew agreed they look almost exactly like BotBots, and likely much smaller than the original Changeables. Designs include an order kiosk, a cash register, a to-go bag and a Halloween bucket, and one host thinks Sizzlesaurus looks like a turkey. Since nothing carries Transformers branding, one host assumes it is an in-house McDonald’s project rather than a Hasbro one. Don asked whether the ice cream machine robot will arrive broken. The toys are expected in restaurants on January 27 and run into early March. [Source: TFormers]
Soccer Ball Optimus Prime Appears to Be Project Kick
A soccer-ball Optimus Prime has surfaced, and one host was thrilled that last week’s Project Kick soccer prediction came true. The figure skips the usual faceplate, which several hosts felt makes him look friendly and unthreatening. The crew noted the helmet is generic enough to become another character. They also expect it could come in multiple team colors, like the NFL helmet figures. Nobody on the panel follows soccer, so they asked listeners in the Discord to fill in the details. [Source: TFW2005]
Target Exclusive More Than Meets the Eye Collection Scourge Revealed
Target’s Studio Series More Than Meets the Eye Collection adds Scourge. The crew sees it as a straight rerelease of the earlier Studio Series Scourge, slightly bluer and about 50% more expensive. One host noted Scourge is a major movie character and a troop builder, so a reissue is a safe bet. The bigger complaint was Target’s prices catching up to the new MSRP. Hound preorders returned at a higher price, and the Hot Rod listing now sits at $42.99. [Source: TFW2005]
Takara Tomy Puts Lio Convoy, MPG-17 Optimus Prime and Dramatic Capture Decepticons on Display
Takara Tomy’s upcoming releases went on display at a Yodobashi store in Akihabara. One host wants the glow-in-the-dark Lio Convoy but balked at a roughly $70 U.S. price. MPG-17 Optimus Prime still looks good, while Armada Sideways drew jokes. The Dramatic Capture Series Decepticons Part 2 set comes in black and purple. In place of furniture, it includes fully painted alt-mode props for Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave in 5mm peg scale. [Source: TFW2005]
Missing Link Grimlock Color Sample Shown in Akihabara
Missing Link C-12 Grimlock also appeared as an in-person color sample, displayed beside the original G1 toy. The crew thinks it looks great outside of stock photography, apart from the wrong color sword. One host suggested the chrome sword belongs on an eventual Diaclone-color release. The panel expects two color schemes for every Dinobot, and debated which Swoop comes first, since his cartoon colors match the Diaclone toy. [Source: TFW2005]
Rumor: Battle Damaged Optimus Prime Heads to the More Than Meets the Eye Collection
In the RFC Discord, JT Prime said the next Target More Than Meets the Eye Collection Optimus Prime will have molded-in battle damage. It reportedly includes a removable shard of debris from the movie. JT Prime also expects a sleep-mode colored version in 2027. Previous listings point to an anniversary Megatron, Starscream, Prowl and an Insecticons three-pack later in the collection. One host sees it as the closest he will get to a Dark Awakening zombie Optimus Prime, and will take it. [Source: not found]
What We Got This Week
Don
Don picked up Dr. Wu’s animation-colored season three Broadside from TF Safari, landing it for about $35 with store credit. He also got a Show-Z Store figure with stellar packaging, glossy plastic and incredible chrome, and preordered its red version. Windcharger arrived, and Don is a sucker for its hidden-panel engineering. From the Walmart in the woods, he found single Blokees: Constructicon Scavenger, then a Transformers One Bumblebee. He also bought a Blokees Constructicon Scrapper for about $10 shipped.
Diecast
Diecast found Studio Series Transformers One Starscream at a clearance store and calls it a great deluxe, despite some cost cutting. He also grabbed the orange Studio Series Widowmaker McLaren for $13, which felt right for its small size. At Target he scored Devcon for under $9 and two Thrust figures for $10 each.
Matt
Matt had nothing in Transformers this week.
Rob
Rob tried to order more clearance Blokees but ended up with only storage totes.
Chris
Matt sent Chris Age of the Primes Sureshot, partly to test the knee stress marks Matt saw on his own copy. Stress marks formed at the knees on the first transformation, but they have not worsened since. Chris blames tolerances rather than engineering. He ranks Sureshot well above Pointblank, though slightly behind Needlenose. The vehicle mode is gappy to make room for the Targetmaster, but his spoiler wings fit tightly. Chris loves the ketchup-and-mustard colors and the gray face with a sky blue visor.
Brian Kilby
Brian picked up Thundercracker and calls it polished and beautiful, though he does not need more seeker repaints. He added a loose red G2 Slag after missing a sealed one at auction. He finally opened HasLab Omega Prime and found Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus nice but a lateral move from the Robots in Disguise originals. He admits Diecast was right that they did not need to be a HasLab. He does not care for his newly opened Constructicons or Aerialbots, though he loved the Aerialbots once combined into Superion. He prefers the Stunticons individually and looks forward to building Menasor. Ranking the HasLabs, Brian calls Unicron a substantial upgrade and Deathsaurus arguably better than its original, with Omega Prime lateral at best. He says he is becoming lukewarm on Transformers HasLabs.