Transformers Retro series (Walmart TFTM Reissues)

Haywire

Collecter of Gobots and Godzilla
Citizen
They were a Walmart exclusive in the USA when they initially released. This new listing is on BBTS. I don't know if this is a new run, or BBTS got some old stock, but it's interesting.
 

Powered Convoy

Randy
Citizen
Got Hot Rod from Hasbro Pulse and Starscream from Walmart.com. They are very nice. Wish Starscream didn't have the elongated missiles and launching feature. Hot Rod is a perfect figure.
 

CoffeeHorse

*sip*
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
Why is it impossible for Hasbro to give us disabled launchers with the original missiles? They did it for Platinum Thrust not that long ago, so we know it's not that they lost the molds for the original missiles.
 

Dake

Well-known member
Citizen
I wonder if it's because even if it doesn't launch, it's still considered a projectile that needs to be more than 3" long (though I guess that doesn't explain the Platinum release)? Honestly, I don't know why they don't just mold a solid launcher without a removable missile that is the right total size.

One could always just clip the ends off the missiles.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Hasbro probably sees it like this: Functional missile launchers are more fun and have more play value than nonfunctional missile launchers.
 

Steevy Maximus

Well known pompous pontificator
Citizen
Hasbro probably sees it like this: Functional missile launchers are more fun and have more play value than nonfunctional missile launchers.
More likely it was "this stuff is already tooled and it's just easier and cheaper to reuse the existing molds than modify them for this sort of release".
 

CoffeeHorse

*sip*
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
That almost explains things. Thrust never got modified Commemorative tooling, so they could both be cases of just reusing the previous tooling.

Except I don't remember Commemorative Starscream coming with a little Megatron accessory. Either it was always part of the Commemorative tooling and they just never used it for some reason, or they went out of their way to get it for these Walmart reissues, but didn't go out of their way to get the original missiles.
 

Nevermore

Well-known member
Citizen
Yeah. Tiny Megatron and the retooled Starscream hand originated with Takara's The Transformers Collection reissue all the way back in 2003.
 

Platypus Prime

Well-known member
Citizen
A G1 Thundercracker was my first Transformer, I'd like to see one of those remade.

How does that little Megatron fit in Starscream's hand anyway? The hand looks like a peg-hole but the gun's grip isn't a peg.
 

Princess Viola

Dumbass Asexual
Citizen
How does that little Megatron fit in Starscream's hand anyway? The hand looks like a peg-hole but the gun's grip isn't a peg.
The gun splits into two pieces with the top piece having a peg that goes into Starscream's hand and the bottom piece plugging into a tab on the underside of Starscream's hand.
 

Powered Convoy

Randy
Citizen
That almost explains things. Thrust never got modified Commemorative tooling, so they could both be cases of just reusing the previous tooling.

Except I don't remember Commemorative Starscream coming with a little Megatron accessory. Either it was always part of the Commemorative tooling and they just never used it for some reason, or they went out of their way to get it for these Walmart reissues, but didn't go out of their way to get the original missiles.

The “storybook” Starscream came with the Megatron accessory.

Yeah. Tiny Megatron and the retooled Starscream hand originated with Takara's The Transformers Collection reissue all the way back in 2003.
The Walmart reissue Starscream from a couple of years ago uses the same tooling as the new retro release. Which is a combo of the TF Collection Starscream (Megatron gun) and old Hasbro reissues (long missiles).
 

CoffeeHorse

*sip*
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
I know this. But what I'm wondering is if maybe the Megatron accessory was AVAILABLE but UNUSED (gated off or discarded for unknown reasons) for the TRU reissue. I doubt it, but it would mean that this is just what they had available for the Walmart reissues.

If they really combined toolings just for these Walmart reissues, that means they worked harder to make it worse, when they could have just reissued the TFC set and left out the springs.
 

Powered Convoy

Randy
Citizen
I know this. But what I'm wondering is if maybe the Megatron accessory was AVAILABLE but UNUSED (gated off or discarded for unknown reasons) for the TRU reissue. I doubt it, but it would mean that this is just what they had available for the Walmart reissues.

If they really combined toolings just for these Walmart reissues, that means they worked harder to make it worse, when they could have just reissued the TFC set and left out the springs.
I can't remember the timing of the TFC release compared to TRU's (TFC probably came after being the second Japanese Starscream reissue?), but the modified hands are tied to the Megatron gun. The TFC one had Megatron molded in blue. This one seems to be the reverse, as the holes in Starscream's hands are dark gray (not sure if these are tied to his trusters). Makes it impossible to peg the Megatron handle to the bottom of Starscream's fist on my copy.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen

2023-03-04-%E2%80%94-Thundercracker-retro.png
 


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