It's hard for me to agree that this Wheelie toy is worse than G1, but I'll certainly agree that it's blockier.
(This Wheelie toy absolutely looks worse than the TR version, which was... as has already been observed... a floppy mess in vehicle mode)
Yeah, the G1 toy was one of only a couple of mini bots I had as a kid. It was....not great. He spent a LOT of time in vehicle mode. This one has the opposite problem. Pretty good robot, but lousy car mode.
We should have been more clear when we complained about Grimlock coming with a stupid non-transforming Wheelie instead of a sword.
Ah, I meant this Wheelie seems worse in the sense of somehow being blockier than his G1 counterpart. Legacy Skids' alt mode already looks boxier than his G1 version - Legacy Wheelie here has a curvy G1 alt mode to work with, and they still manage to make him blocky in robot mode. =/
I can see how at some point they thought they were making a better Wheelie than the TR or even Legends. The limbs are cleaner, and they really tried with the deco. But then something horrible happened along the way.
Wheelie may be nobody's favorite character, but his alt mode deserved better than that.
Wheelie may be nobody's favorite character, but his alt mode deserved better than that.
Honestly, I have no idea what happened with this thing. It's like the team committed to making a Wheelie toy and then just thought "well, I guess this is good enough. Let's see if we can pass this off." I still want to see finalized, in-hand pics, but the whole thing is very weird and insulting.
My guess is budget and parts count for SS Core screwed this over.
ZacWilliam, I don't need a Deluxe Wheelie but maybe a deluxe release of whatever size/cost you need to do him well packed with a Daniel, maybe Human Alliance size to make up that difference.
ZacWilliam, I don't need a Deluxe Wheelie but maybe a deluxe release of whatever size/cost you need to do him well packed with a Daniel, maybe Human Alliance size to make up that difference.
They have made several Core class toys already. Did they not know in advance what the budget for this design was going to be?
The current team has pulled off some pretty impressive miracles in terms of making basically screen-accurate robot modes that basically successfully transform, but everyone has a limit, and honestly it's not at all surprising to me that they reached that limit at the intersection of "Core class" and "TFTM-original design."
I don't know, I suppose there's a point of no return when they are designing these things, but I would think that if your design hits that budget wall for its intended size class while it's still in a sub-par state, you either find a way to work it up a size class and improve it, or shelve it until you can work out the bugs.
This Wheelie would be good with another revision; if the Core budget didn't allow for it, maybe he should have been bumped to the Deluxe class. Maybe in a two-pack with Buzzsaw? (Did Buzzsaw appear in TFTM?)
As it is, for myself, at least, it's kind of frustrating that he's taking up a slot in the lineup that could have potentially been used for something I'd rather have (Core Ratchet to Ironhide retool, for instance).
This Wheelie would be good with another revision; if the Core budget didn't allow for it, maybe he should have been bumped to the Deluxe class. Maybe in a two-pack with Buzzsaw? (Did Buzzsaw appear in TFTM?)
As it is, for myself, at least, it's kind of frustrating that he's taking up a slot in the lineup that could have potentially been used for something I'd rather have (Core Ratchet to Ironhide retool, for instance).
Nope
Stealth Buzzsaw: all transparent plastic version; motto "I was in the movie, really! I was just invisible, so you didn't see me!"
I can understand being worried you might’ve missed out on something cool forever because Wheelie took the slot.
Let me completely assure you that a Ratchet into Ironhide retool is still on the table.
I mean, I would assume so, too, but there's been times in the past when the obvious stuff didn't happen for reasons. (Cyberverse Spark Armor Ratchet into Ironhide would have scratched the small scale itch for me if it had happened, for instance, but it didn't.)
Then, there are my more outlandish wishes, like a Core-class Blurr. Probably not on many fans top-ten list for Core class, but focus on the 86 movie kind of gave me hope. I would love to retire my DX9 Speedoo so an official HasTak Blurr could take his place in my Gobot-scale displays.
Obviously, one figure not being made doesn't automatically mean another will, let alone a specific one that hasn't even been hinted at. But it is hard to continue to support a particular line and size class when they fill a wave with less-than-stellar offerings like Wheelie. And that is, I guess, ultimately my point: I don't want my voting with my dollar against a sub-par offering in the Core lineup to be a vote against the entire Core class itself.
Arguably he could be on the poster despite lacking an appearance in the film.
I don't think they get that granular. They had to buy back Yarna from stores, but they didn't stop making Star Wars figures. There have been plenty of duds over the years - they hopefully learn from those individual examples and move on.
I like the mini versions of regular character core class toys, but imo, characters that are naturally that size should get priority.
You have a valid point! Core class is the only size class doing double-duty; every other size class is used for characters that fit the relative size and/or complexity. Only Core has both small characters and bigger ones in the small size. And yet, waves of Studio Series Core are only one or two new figures, and Legacy is only three (and even then, Hot Rod and Optimus are both reissues, though Hot Rod may as well have been new), compared to four new figures per wave of Deluxe.
It kind of makes me wish Hasbro would resurrect something like the DotM/Prime Era Cyberverse line to spin the smaller-versions -of-bigger-dudes figures into.
I miss Legends. Core Class is kind of neat, and I can't argue against how cool the "smaller big dudes" are. There just isn't anywhere for them in my collection; they're still too big to even pretend to stand in with the city bots and other large bots, but too small to go elsewhere. Meanwhile, we're finally at the point where it seems like Hasbro can do really small converting things, but the opportunities to do so are fewer.