Studio Series 86 Appreciation Thread

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
I've not, for the most part, had any issues with transparent plastic breakage, but I've long argued that we don't need to have windows made of the stuff. Paint works just fine, and then many of us wouldn't have so many of these concerns.
Yeah, I feel like a lot of people who speak in favor of transparent windows wouldn't do so as much if the original Diaclone molds had had opaque windows from the get-go instead.
 

MrBlud

Well-known member
Citizen
While I’m sure a few people might disagree with my Phazing…I mean…phrasing; I don’t think transparent windows have ever improved a figure.
 

Lobjob

Well-known member
Citizen
I'm always like, so we want to see cobbled together robot bits inside of this car?

Seeing sky blue painted windows screams cartoon, and I like it.

Buzzworthy-Bumblebee-BB-86-13-Cliffjumper-01.jpg
 

Platypus Prime

Well-known member
Citizen
My big troubles have been (several times now) with pins going through clear stuff. I've never had any trouble with clear plastic as a decorative part, but when metal goes through it for articulation, eventually the plastic often cracks around the pin. I don't know if it's modern QC not being close enough in sizing to keep the pin from cracking the tube, or if it's temperature changing differently between metal and plastic, but I've had enough bad experiances that I avoid it where I can.
 

lastmaximal

Administrator
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
I love love love clear plastic in general from a purely visual standpoint. Just stand em up and look at em. Forever. Engineering and durability are another matter, as I always feel very tentative when actually transforming or even holding the things. I'd be all too glad to remove clear plastic windows and such from regular retail figures (just give me clear weapons and the occasional special edition Takara or whatever releases of Jolly Rancherized bots). The Buzzworthy experiments turned out great and I'd love to see more, starting with the Datsuns and Jazz.

This Ironhide is interesting. While I'm impressed by their choice to make an all-new mold so soon, AND the lack of partsforming (albeit at an uneasy price) I wouldn't have minded if it had just been the Earthrise mold with new feet and a retooled roof that could turn into the sled. Like the upgrade kits, but self-contained. I'd pay Voyager prices for that.
 
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Andrusi

Lun!
Citizen
While I’m sure a few people might disagree with my Phazing…I mean…phrasing; I don’t think transparent windows have ever improved a figure.
I think they're nice to have in cases like TR (so you can see the Titan Master through the windshield). But generally, yeah.
 

MrBlud

Well-known member
Citizen
I do like them on Primes so you can see the Matrix but yeah as a rule I don’t find transparent windows wanted or necessary.
 

UndeadScottsman

Well-known member
Citizen
If they just used transparent plastic for the transparent bits, it'd be fine. (Though I still find seeing a bunch of robot mode kibble inside the car to be as equally fake looking as painted windows. Give me opaque!) but these days they don't make Transformers with enough parts to separate out the transparent bits from the surrounding area, so they make it all one big piece of transparent plastic, which means mismatched colors as the painted transparent plastic doesn't quite line up with the regular plastic, as well as more transparent plastic used on hinges, pegs, grooves etc. etc.

Modern TF's just have too much cost cutting to do transparent windows well.
 

Donocropolis

Olde-Timey Member
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
If they just used transparent plastic for the transparent bits, it'd be fine. (Though I still find seeing a bunch of robot mode kibble inside the car to be as equally fake looking as painted windows. Give me opaque!) but these days they don't make Transformers with enough parts to separate out the transparent bits from the surrounding area, so they make it all one big piece of transparent plastic, which means mismatched colors as the painted transparent plastic doesn't quite line up with the regular plastic, as well as more transparent plastic used on hinges, pegs, grooves etc. etc.

Modern TF's just have too much cost cutting to do transparent windows well.

I fall into this category, too. I actually love the look of transparent windows. I think they go a long way into making the vehicle modes look better and, in turn, make the robot mode look more like it's made from vehicle bits. With few exceptions, they've always tinted the windows enough that the fact that there's no vehicle interior (usually. Obviously stuff like Titan Master type cockpits DO have real interiors, which are great) isn't annoyingly obvious.

That said, if I have to choose between them and a functional figure, I can live without them. I've actually been lucky so far, I guess, and never really had any issues with cracking plastic other than Wolfwire's translucent rubbery cockpit.
 

G.B.Blackrock

Well-known member
Citizen
Yeah, I feel like a lot of people who speak in favor of transparent windows wouldn't do so as much if the original Diaclone molds had had opaque windows from the get-go instead.
It's perhaps worth noting that, on the original Datsun brothers, the windshield is by far the most frequently broken part. I still remember the horror of my original Prowl when the babysitter accidentally broke it during transformation....

But, to those who say they like the look of transparent plastic from a purely aesthetic standpoint, I agree with you, too. Like I said, I've not had too many troubles with this problem in modern toys, myself. I'm just all for stopping the practice if it would only mean we didn't have to go through this same cycle of fear-mongering with every new figure.
 

UndeadScottsman

Well-known member
Citizen
I transformed my Earthrise Wheeljack so much that one of his windshield bits in his leg broke the coupling. Not the end of the world, but that bit likes to slide off now whenever I transform it.
 

Gizmoboy

Administrator
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
Finally got around to opening my Sludge last night and my god is he loose. He can't stand straight up in robot mode without leaning over at the waist and knees. His arms and shoulders are nice and tight so it just seems to be an issue with the leg pins. The only other time I've had an issue like this with Studio Series is all the way back to Cogman. Guess I need to watch some YouTube videos about using floor polish to tighten pins.
 

G.B.Blackrock

Well-known member
Citizen
Swindle is definitely one that gives me pause. I just looked up my review of the toy from a couple of years ago:
That's not to say that Animated Swindle is without fault. My main concern is that the translucent purple plastic that makes so much of this toy "pop" is used all over it. I'm concerned that this could make the toy prone to breaking over time, and thus I have tried to handle it with care for the past decade. So far, my toy's still in good shape, but this is definitely something to watch out for if you find a specimen on eBay.
 

Dake

Well-known member
Citizen
Finally got around to opening my Sludge last night and my god is he loose. He can't stand straight up in robot mode without leaning over at the waist and knees. His arms and shoulders are nice and tight so it just seems to be an issue with the leg pins. The only other time I've had an issue like this with Studio Series is all the way back to Cogman. Guess I need to watch some YouTube videos about using floor polish to tighten pins.
Yeah... mine was kind of floppy and I feel like the plastic feels more shampoo bottle-ly.
 

ZacWilliam1

Well-known member
Citizen
I feel like I won the lottery that my Sludge is great. All the leg joints are plenty tight and strong.

-ZacWilliam, loosest joint is probably the dino head and that's fairly fine too.
 

Gizmoboy

Administrator
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
If I see one at the store, I might pick him up and see if he's any better. At least with the ties they use on the packaging, it is easy to untie the legs and test them and retie them if they are loose and return him.
 


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