Upgrade failures, Newer "better" versions of characters who were not better. Options

[Octavius Prime]

I'm going to throw my hat in here and say any version of Soundwave past the original, in any continuity. Even third party versions have blown it thus far, and while Takara's MP3 version is very nice, its inability to store the guns and lack of an attempt at tape interaction (unlike USB Blaster) kind of kills it. Let's not speak of Cybertron Soundwave (although Prime Soundwave feels an awful lot like a better take on that design).

Dude....TFP Soundwave?

[Spark]

I'm going to throw my hat in here and say any version of Soundwave past the original, in any continuity. Even third party versions have blown it thus far, and while Takara's MP3 version is very nice, its inability to store the guns and lack of an attempt at tape interaction (unlike USB Blaster) kind of kills it. Let's not speak of Cybertron Soundwave (although Prime Soundwave feels an awful lot like a better take on that design).

Dude....TFP Soundwave?

What? I have TFP Soundwave and he's honestly not all that awesome. Like I said, he's basically a superior version of Cybertron Soundwave. He's still got some very limited leg articulation thanks to some not very well thought-out digigrade legs and his UAV mode is rickety. He also feels fragile due to his many very thin parts. Looks great, however.

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Pretender Bumblebee was much better than the original with that ugly faceplate. He had toon face, a rifle and his arms didn't just move up.

I don't remember Pretender Bumblebee's arms having any more articulation than the original's, save for maybe the shoulders, if you're generous about the way they fold for transformation. Definitely a step up from Goldbug, though.

As for Soundwave... they really need to find a way to allow him to maintain his original form, and the tape army, but without being saddled with the whole "cassettes = outdated" thing. Probably have to make something up, like "Soundwave transforms into a miniature remote computer espionage device, and Laserbeak, et al transform into datacards" or something.

Or just follow the other one, and make a nonworking MP3 player with memory cards that transform into robots.

All that said, WfC Soundwave is still pretty cool.

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[Blot]

What they need to do is say "We should make a new Soundwave (reusing some of Soundwave's parts) but make the chest compartment large enough so it can fit the Ravage figure that came with Universe Hound in it".

Then just release the Minibots as "small" deluxes with color-appropiate gang molded Soundwave henchmen. Gears with Frenzy, Brawn with Buzzsaw... even lets Swerve have Rumble.. though Laserbeak coming with Outback isn't as gang-mold friendly. But then, they can't all be Ravage..on the other hand, the only part Ravage shared with Hound is the tail.

Hm. But you get what I'm saying.

[▲ndrusi]

color-appropiate gang molded Soundwave henchmen. Gears with Frenzy,

I see what you did there.

[LV!]

Pretender Bumblebee has Cliffjumper's entire HEAD, though. Cartoon Bumblebee doesn't have Cliffjumper's helmet.

Cartoon Bumblebee has Cliff's helmet a lot more than he has toy Bumblebee's helmet.

But cartoon Bumblebee doesn't have Cliffjumper's helmet. He has another helmet that doesn't look like toy Bumblebee's or toy Cliffjumper's. And that's not the head Pretender Bumblebee has; he has Cliffjumper's with the squared horns and the three vent slots on the cheekguards. Not even the animation model for Pretender Bumblebee uses that head; someone realized it was Cliffjumper's and changed it to a cartoon Bumblebee head.

[windsweeper]

The important thing is that Pretender Bumblebee doesn't have a slaggin faceplate. Never liked them. Only Soundwave and Snapdragon get away with that look.

Plus he was the first Mini Autobot to have a gun AND be able to hold it. Sorry Outback. Ok I know the toy isn't a Mini Autobot but the character had been.

[SwiftEagle]

The important thing is that Pretender Bumblebee doesn't have a slaggin faceplate. Never liked them. Only Soundwave and Snapdragon get away with that look.

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/swifteagle/KidsPrime1.jpg)

[Kevin S]

Roll Out Command Optimus, from TF Animated. Too many gimmicks & not in proportion to any other figure in the Animated lineup.

[Spark]

I'm not even entirely sure that was aimed at being part of the rest of the line. It was more like merchandise than an actual mainline figure.

[LV!]

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/swifteagle/KidsPrime1.jpg)

Man, I know it wasn't the intent, but I REALLY just want to start using that image as a mocking macro.

HERE IS YOUR AWARD FOR STUPIDEST POST

[CORVUS]

It would be a good choice.

"You failed so hard, Optimus Prime has removed his faceplate so he can laugh at you properly."

[TheMightyMollusk]

Transmetal Megatron to Dragon Megatron.

I think his TM body is the best look he ever had. Tan, black and purple color scheme. Cool robotic looking T-rex beast mode. The giant shoulder pads. The chest plate with the super evil looking Predacon emblem. The giant boots. The whole thing worked and he was just cool. Then he gets upgraded into a dragon and he. . .

* has that stupid yellow visor on his head
* tail coming off his head
* no shoulder pads
* cool chestplate is replaced by a. . . yellow orb in his gut? Makes him look like he's got a pot belly.
* Long dragon neck for an arm. Not as cool as the tail canon of his TM form.
* Red and yellow color scheme. Why even change his colors?? He's always been purple. At least when he loses the war, he'll have a job waiting for him at McDonald's. Red and yellow, y'know.

I was so disappointed when I first saw his dragon form on the show. Only 3 episodes to go, and they do that to him. Just sad.

I love the toy as a big robot dragon. As Megatron, eh, I just don't transform it. Ditto for Cryotek.

Oh yeah, and Optimal Optimus. It's crap. It's always been crap, even when everyone was raving over the damn thing when it came out. The colors are horrible. It looks bad in all four "modes", two of which are so tacked on it's painful. The original Ultra was a hell of a lot better.

His alt modes are no worse than any of the other Transmetals, really. They were very much function over form. The colors are definitely a mess, though.

[Esser-Z]

I love OpOp.

[▲ndrusi]

Oh, I've got a controversial one! Cybertron Voyager Starscream. Armada and Energon Starscream each did a very good job of being a very specific toy. Cybertron Starscream tried to be both at once and ended up failing to be either, but nobody noticed back then because ZOMG WAR WITHIN.

[Monzo]

Oh, I've got a controversial one! Cybertron Voyager Starscream. Armada and Energon Starscream each did a very good job of being a very specific toy. Cybertron Starscream tried to be both at once and ended up failing to be either, but nobody noticed back then because ZOMG WAR WITHIN.

On the other hand, it got us Cybertron Legends Starscream, who was the best Legends toy for ages.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Oh, I've got a controversial one! Cybertron Voyager Starscream. Armada and Energon Starscream each did a very good job of being a very specific toy. Cybertron Starscream tried to be both at once and ended up failing to be either, but nobody noticed back then because ZOMG WAR WITHIN.

On the other hand, it got us Cybertron Legends Starscream, who was the best Legends toy for ages.

Depending on your view on Legends, that could be damning with faint praise.

[Spark]

Oh, I've got a controversial one! Cybertron Voyager Starscream. Armada and Energon Starscream each did a very good job of being a very specific toy. Cybertron Starscream tried to be both at once and ended up failing to be either, but nobody noticed back then because ZOMG WAR WITHIN.

Eh, I liked it well enough, but I still liked Energon Starscream waaaaaay more. Neither one had a face sculpt as good as the Armada one for some reason, however.

[Professor]

But cartoon Bumblebee doesn't have Cliffjumper's helmet. He has another helmet that doesn't look like toy Bumblebee's or toy Cliffjumper's. And that's not the head Pretender Bumblebee has; he has Cliffjumper's with the squared horns and the three vent slots on the cheekguards. Not even the animation model for Pretender Bumblebee uses that head; someone realized it was Cliffjumper's and changed it to a cartoon Bumblebee head.

Yes, and yet because cartoon Bumblebee's head bears a strong resemblance to Cliffjumper's, the Pretender toy's head still looks much more like Bumblebee's cartoon head than any previous Bumblebee toy -- making even the "wrong" head a clear improvement in show accuracy.

[Boltax]

I think Goldbug is a better upgrade than Pretender Bumblebee. As much as I like the Pretender gimmick, Bumblebee is not the best Pretender out there, and he doesn't have a pull-back motor.

Goldbug has a pull-back motor. And an awesome faceplate.

So in that respect, PRetender Bumblebee *is* a complete failure as an upgrade.

--Andrew S.