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No, seriously. Pre-orders are open, but if you wanted the Megatron who turns into a bull, he's not there. Anyway, here's what the product description reads, for all you lore fiends out there: And here's who is available! Starting at the $9.99 Cyber-Changer price point, we have: Optimus Prime Skybyte And Starscream Huh, I really expected less of a smile, more of a smirk. Oh well. In the $14.99 range: Move over, Tony Stark, we have... Armor Bumblebee And last but not least, at $54.03 (or $9.98 a month over six months, because that's where we are now)... (Update: Whoops! Apparently that's the price someone importing from the UK put on it. MSRP ought to be about $29.99. Thanks, Steevy!) Chomp & Battle Grimlock And check out this cool back-of-box spread for Big Grim: Now, some of you might notice that some of these (well, all of these except Grimlock, as of this writing) are unavailable/out of stock. Yeah, they'll do that. But keep checking back in, because these things tend to come and go. But at least now you know where to look, right? Thanks to our friends over at Tformers, Lord Giga Ice, Steevy Maximus, and viewers like you for letting us know about these. Allspark Forums Discord Server Twitter/X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

We have a newsletter from BigBadToyStore. -------------- NEW PRE-ORDERS -------------- This brand new Heat Ray Godzilla action figure stands 18CM tall, based on Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999). Faithfully reproduces Godzilla's fierce eyes, reptilian mouth, sharp dark green skin, and other suit details. The Heavy Mech Series Gipsy Danger stands approximately 32cm tall and is officially licensed by Legendary Pictures. The main structure is crafted using die-cast alloy technology, featuring over 120 points of articulation and multiple interconnected mechanisms. Caught in the heart of a Gamma Bomb explosion, Dr. Bruce Banner now finds himself transformed into a powerful, dark, and distorted reflection of himself– the Incredible Hulk. This officially-licensed Hasbro Marvel Legends deluxe action figure is bursting with 11 accessories, including 2 alternate heads, 4 alternate hands, 3 thunderclap effects, and a missile to pose Hulk catching and ripping apart. From the popular Suicide Squad Isekai animated series comes the Amazing Yamaguchi Revoltech Harley Quinn figure by Kaiyodo! From Four Horsemen comes the Beyithirr the Green Figure Set! The figure stands 22 inches tall with its wings extended upwards, while also reaching an impressive 54 inches long with its tail extended. ------------ NEW ARRIVALS ------------ Toynami is proud to announce the Voltron 40th Anniversary Collector's Set! This limited-edition collectible will only be produced for the 40th anniversary, consisting of five fully transformable lions that unite to form Voltron, Defender of the Universe! Each lion will feature light-up eyes, activated by a unique magnetic key. The Legends of Dragonore Pyrant, Lord of Desolation deluxe dragon includes removable armor, removable belt, removable saddle and modular mace. In Humanoid form he stands approximately 10" (25.5cm) tall. Thanks to the two sets of arms included, Pyrant can be configured as a fierce, two-legged warrior or menacing quadruped dragon, which regular Legends of Dragonore figures can ride. Dark Horse is thrilled to partner with Crystal Dynamics to introduce a new Tomb Raider PVC statue, inspired by the recently remastered original TOMB RAIDER game! The Robotech RODO-DOU VF‐1S Veritech (Roy Fokker) is a high-fidelity collectible figure designed to capture the appearance as seen in the original anime television series with an extremely high attention to detail. From the Mega Man X series, Zero—the Maverick Hunter, dependable mentor, and friend to the protagonist X—is appearing in his powered-up form, Black Zero, for the first time as a plastic model kit.

We have a newsletter from TFSource. New Preorders! - Transformers Masterpiece G MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Gen. T-Spark - CANG-TOYS Trans Age TA-HCZ002 Axeetle Insect Squad Series - CANG-TOYS Trans Age Longyan Combiner TA-HYL002 Pterhowl Hero Class - Attila Combiner Set of 5 G2 Color Version | DX9 Toys Attila Combiner - G1 Bumblebee Auto-Converting Robot | Transformers Flagship Series Collector's Edition | Robosen - MS-05 Night Tracer | Magic Square - Optimus Prime AMK Pro Series Model Kit | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Yolopark - MB-22C Astro Flame | Fans Hobby Master Builder - ChoRyuJin Pose+ Metal Series | The King of Braves GaoGaiGar | Art Storm - Dirge MDLX Scale Collectible Figure | Transformers | Threezero - Fans Toys FT-32C Gaudi New Instock Items! - Fans Toys FT-32B Wright - MF-54B Black Microscope | Mech Fans Toys - TM-31 Tactical Mover Hors Versaulter F Thrust Unit Storm Saver | Diaclone Reboot - Troublemaker DX Combiner Set of 8 | Devil Saviour Construction Combiner - H66 Bombur and H68 Bofur Set of 2 | Newage the Legendary Heroes - 39 Megatron G1 Version Model Kit | Transformers Furai Model | Flame Toys - P14 Raijin Engine Power Master EPM | KFC Toys - Nemesis Prime DLX Scale Collectible Figure | Transformers: The Last Knight | threezero - Voltron 40th Anniversary Collector's Set | Voltron: Defender of the Universe | Toynami - Nemesis Prime AMK Pro Series Model Kit | Transformers | Yolopark ________________________ ________________________ Have you signed up for Source Points yet? Earn points with every purchase towards Freebies! Accumulated points and want to redeem them? Click the following link to enroll or redeem your points today! Source Points - TF Source ________________________ ________________________ Become a fan of TFSource today! Why go to the store when you can go to the SOURCE! ________________________ You can also follow us on Twitter!

From the official Twitter account of the "Transformers Information Bureau" by Takara Tomy, we've received an interesting bit of information for anyone who might be visiting a particular region of Japan anytime soon. Per PrimalxConvoy on our forums, the tweet reads: Of course, if you're unable to make it, at least you can catch a glimpse of how it looks in the image above. Allspark Forums Discord Server Twitter/X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

Did you enjoy last month's debut of the all-new Transformers: Wild King series on YouTube? Well, tough! Takara Tomy have seen fit to beget a third episode of this series on their official YouTube channel, which you can view in all its glory right here! Remember, you can turn on YouTube's auto-translated subtitles to try to have some more intimate idea of what the heck is going on! Yeah. Okay, so if you want something better than that, and which actually occurs in sync with when the characters are speaking, then we've got just the thing for you! Allspark forum member Sabrblade and some others helped False Convoy out with this one, giving us a fansub to be proud of for this little short! It's lacking the hilariously blatant advertisement for the toys at the end of the original, but if you're just in it for the story... well, I'm sorry. But also, you'll be good to go here. The first two episodes got the treatment, too, albeit before Sabrblade and others signed on to help. You can check those out here. Feel free to talk about this below, or over in the 'New "Wildocking" Animal Limb Combiners from TakaraTomy' thread on our forums! Allspark Forums Discord Server Twitter/X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

Mark Maher's behind the scenes showcases continue. Tonight we're looking at Age of the Primes Alchemist Prime. Source: Instagram Join the Allspark today.

In light of recent events, online toy retailers are starting to feel the crunch as a result of the tariff war that is going on. This has prompted at least two such retailers, Allspark.com sponsors TFsource and BigBadToyStore, to issue statements about how this will affect their ability to conduct business and you, the consumer, at this point in time. First, from TFsource, in an email titled "Note About Tariffs and Their Impact on Collectibles": Similarly, BigBadToyStore Founder and President Joel Boblit had this to say in an email of his own: In addition, The Toy Book has posted their own report on the matter and how it's affecting those in the business of making children (and adults) happy: The Toy Association, which runs a charity called "The Toy Foundation", numerous shows each year such as Toy Fair (among other things), is trying to push back: You can read the full report here. (Thanks, Steevy Maximus!) Unfortunately, there has been no word as of yet from Hasbro themselves about how this might affect their operations going forward, including their online Hasbro Pulse store. But this may be to be expected, as things have been in a constant state of flux with regards to the tariffs this week alone, even prompting video game manufacturer Nintendo to push back the official start date for pre-ordering their recently-announced Nintendo Switch 2 console in the United States and Canada -- the latter only hours before they were due to open on April 9th. If you'd like to discuss how this affects you, or anything else you've heard from any other retailers or manufacturers, you can do so in the comments below, or in the "Hasbr-uh-oh" thread that is already in progress (suffice to say, this isn't the first blow they've received in recent). Allspark Forums Discord Server Twitter/X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

Spoilers for #19 below - In another bout of a flashback issue, Issue #19 brings us a little more of what is up with Skybound’s Megatron. When we last saw him, he brought Ravage back to life, using his own power from his chest for his revival. Now with this current issue, we know of possibly how he could attain such power, along with big story ramifications going forward. This issue starts off like us, as readers, wonder what just happened, switching gears to a insignia-less Megatron, captured and brought to an empty space by a Quintesson Prosecutor, if you are familiar with the 1986 movie and S3 of Transformers. Given the name Dezimir, he is given the task to set trials for the soon-to-be Decepticon leader, first through waves of Sharkticons, and then through his fire-breathing robo-dragon. In a time loop, Megatron keeps coming up short to winning against them, trying to defy this squid alien from making him their plaything. While Megatron’s origin will remain elusive for now, this chapter provides a little of what makes him unique in this current iteration. While he doesn’t bear a Decepticon insignia (yet), his captors are aware of his existence, and he has already failed to help his comrades. Thus, they will direct him towards a path through brutal guidance. He is mentally broken down from his boisterous, defiant personality at the beginning of this story. Only when an omnipotence voice, Dezimir’s master, speaks does the focal point of the purpose of Megatron’s trials is revealed. The Prosecutor gives a vine-like energy that wraps around Megatron, and such, another, secondary alt mode. The gun form we saw several issues back in Starscream’s origin story in #13. The one where Starscream indicates a voice calling to him; to bring destruction to those who hurt him, and then some. I have If readers have picked up on this, an occurring motif in Skybound’s Transformers has been characters doing against what they want, and the sacrificial consequences that come from it. Here, we once again see this in play, as the voice asks Dezimir, who has been gleeful in bringing Megatron down to his knees, to pick up the Megatron gun. Horrified at the prospect, Dezimir has no choice from his master, and Megatron, as an act of revenge, chooses to have the prosecutor shoot his pet, Mechanokorr, point blank. A mysterious power gifted by an unknown source, establishing Megatron as a powerful influence for the continuing Decepticon cause. What are Optimus, Starscream, the Autobots, and the rest of the Earth in store for Megatron’s return? We’ll have to see, but this issue, while a detour from the main story, gives us an iteration of Megatron that is ruthless and more capable of overpowering anyone in his path, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out from this current run. Raaarrrgh! Stray Obvs!(servations): -So that omnipotent voice, what are your guesses? I think given DWJ’s preference to stick to classic G1 lore has people thinking Unicron, but I personally like to think it’s Quintus Prime. I know most Quintus iterations aren’t as dubious as his Quintessons offspring, but the whole Mind control thing for Megatron kind of speaks to his perfectionism and able to accelerate living organisms’ abilities. -Another possible clue to it being Unicron, regardless, though, was Dezimir was carrying a Matrix-shaped object inside him to give Megatron his transformation. Matrix of Conquest, perhaps, which is tied to the Planet eater himself? (It probably is this, but part of me wants to tie in more with Quintus Prime). -(Also that talk about Megatron is small compared the universe, yeah, it’s probably a given). -Anybody getting a callback to the 1986 animated movie with the line “I am a slave to no [one]”? i.e: -Some DWJ notes here. He’s really glad a fan is digging Ultra Magnus’ trauma and trying to overcome Shockwave. No Cosmos, though. Sorry Cosmos, fans. But he hasn’t forgotten Jetfire. He may be back into the story once more. - “That was not only a trial. It was a lesson”. What do you guys think of this issue? Think it's a worthy introduction to this Megatron? Think something is up with his new powers? Let us know in our Discord, Transformers forum, our Twitter, or our Facebook group! Side addendum: Hey folks, it's been a minute. I am planning on covering the beginning arcs in some big reviews. so everyone can know our thoughts on the story so far. We are really digging this unfliniching take on our favorite car robot toy things. Also getting the GI Joe Skybound reviews up and running again, and covering the first arc in general after the 6th issue concludes it. Personal stuff got in the way, but I really like talking about these comics and want to continue them one way or the other. Stay tuned! -ALArts

We have a newsletter from TFSource. New Preorders! - Transformers Masterpiece G MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Gen. T-Spark - G1 Bumblebee Auto-Converting Robot | Transformers Flagship Series Collector's Edition | Robosen - MS-05 Night Tracer | Magic Square - Optimus Prime AMK Pro Series Model Kit | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Yolopark - MB-22C Astro Flame | Fans Hobby Master Builder - ChoRyuJin Pose+ Metal Series | The King of Braves GaoGaiGar | Art Storm - Dirge MDLX Scale Collectible Figure | Transformers | Threezero - DK-59 Upgrade Kit for Transformers Studio Series 86-31 Optimus Prime | DNA Design - MX-46L Lignite | X-Transbots MasterX - JGM-Q01 Steel Head Commander Battle Edition | Super Deformed | Laser Cat Toy - Fans Toys FT-32C Gaudi New Instock Items! - Fans Toys FT-32B Wright - MF-54B Black Microscope | Mech Fans Toys - Troublemaker DX Combiner Set of 8 | Devil Saviour Construction Combiner - H66 Bombur and H68 Bofur Set of 2 | Newage the Legendary Heroes - 39 Megatron G1 Version Model Kit | Transformers Furai Model | Flame Toys - P14 Raijin Engine Power Master EPM | KFC Toys - Nemesis Prime DLX Scale Collectible Figure | Transformers: The Last Knight | threezero - Voltron 40th Anniversary Collector's Set | Voltron: Defender of the Universe | Toynami - Nemesis Prime AMK Pro Series Model Kit | Transformers | Yolopark - MX-24D Yaguchi Diamond Version Limited Edition | X-Transbots ________________________ ________________________ Have you signed up for Source Points yet? Earn points with every purchase towards Freebies! Accumulated points and want to redeem them? Click the following link to enroll or redeem your points today! Source Points - TF Source ________________________ ________________________ Become a fan of TFSource today! Why go to the store when you can go to the SOURCE! ________________________ You can also follow us on Twitter!

Additional images of MPG-17 Optimus Prime have surfaced on Baidu, giving us some new views as well as a look at the possible price. Baidu user animetal shared the following gallery. We've seen some of these images before, but these are larger and demonstrate the previously unseen weapon storage. User 爆头鸭鸭鸭 added the following, giving us a look at the possible price of this release. If this image is true, the price of this release is 24,200 yen, or $163.94 at the time of this writing. Join the Allspark today.

We have a newsletter from BigBadToyStore. -------------- NEW PRE-ORDERS -------------- EVILDOERS, BEWARE! The big blue beacon of justice has arrived in glorious 1:12 scale! Based on Ben Edlund’s legendary comic book hero, The Tick action figure captures every ounce of his over-the-top heroism and unshakable optimism. Bring the iconic mascot of breakfast champions to your collection with the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes® Tony the Tiger 1:12 scale action figure by Jada Toys! The Jurassic World Scutosaurus action figure expands the Hammond Collection with this distinctive-looking dinosaur species. Behold the ZERO PANZER and its unmatched firepower!! The Changing Armor System transforms both the silhouette and performance ability of LIGER ZERO by equipping the unit with different armor. The outstandingly heavily armed form, LIGER ZERO PANZER, finally joins the lineup! From the world of The Iron Giant comes the ultimate tribute to everyone's favorite robot with a heart of gold! The new 7” scale Iron Giant DELUXE figure is inspired by the 1999 animated classic and captures all the towering presence and emotion of this beloved character. Bumblebee reporting for duty! After years of research and development, Robosen brings to life your favorite Autobotsidekick, Bumblebee! ------------ NEW ARRIVALS ------------ The Stavros the Unwavering BBTS 25th Anniversary exclusive action figure has arrived! This towering dragon warrior is clad in the black and red colors of BBTS and he bears a powerful heraldic symbol upon his tunic. When Flash Thompson bonds with an alien parasite suit, he's granted spider-like powers as Agent Venom. Bring the excitement and wonder of the Marvel Universe to your collection with Hasbro Marvel Legends Agent Venom (Flash Thompson) figure! Inspired by the iconic animated series The Simpsons, comes the officially licensed toys and collectibles by JAKKS Pacific. Immerse yourself in Springfield with the iconic Krusty Burger Diorama playset. Bring the epic action of the Transformers movies from the big screen into your collection with the Transformers Studio Series Deluxe Class Bumblebee (B-127) action figure, inspired by the Transformers One movie! Storm Collectibles 1/12 scale Blanka action figure, from Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, is here!

The leaks of the past few days don't seem to be over yet. Allsparker CoffeeHorse was somehow added to an internal Hasbro TF team group discussion and came away with an incredible bit of news to release just under the wire. In an interesting new twist amid the last few months' swirling rumors of "made-to-order" Transformer releases, HasLab appears to be cooking up just one such offering: a reissue of Takara's 2004 GC-01 Galaxy Convoy from Transformers Galaxy Force! The premium deco and extra Japaneseness of this iconic Unicron Trilogy release seems set to return to fan shelves soon. This is a big first for HasLab, which has typically committed to making all-new molds thus far. But it looks like given the rising costs of production (just look at your Legacy Evolution Armada Megatron to see how much they the modern economy took from us), maybe it makes sense to crowdfund a made-to-order reissue if it carries all the bells and whistles? It might just be worth sending your wallet into a Grand Black Hole: The timing is somewhat awkward, as it's not QUITE the 20th anniversary year... for Galaxy Force, which this seems to be nodding to. Assuming this doesn't see release until next year, it might not even make a Cybertron 20th. This seemed to be something the team was keenly aware of, per the snippet of the the group chat excerpt our intrepid Allsparker managed to save. Now, CoffeeHorse got kicked off the group before being able to do more than save the screenshot. But if YOU'VE ever looked like this in the last few years... Maybe it's time to endlessly hit Refresh on HasbroPulse.com until you find out how to get a brand-spankin' new GC-01 Galaxy Convoy? Is YOUR wallet in danger? Will YOU join in and get us all the way to Tier 3? Allspark Forums Discord Server Twitter/X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

In a recent move, Hasbro new VP of Digital Toy Sales, David Burke, has announced that Hasbro will be transitioning to digital toy sales in most retail environments. Following the example of movies and video games, at such retail giants as Walmart and Target, Transformers will be switching to a digital format by the end of the third quarter of 2025. "We are switching our product from Just In Time production to On Your Own Time production. This will enable us to mass produce as much product as we need for any given location, market, or target audience." Fans of Transformers will now be able to purchase packs containing all of their favorite upcoming figures on SD memory cards. Then they can take those files home and print them off on their own 3D printer at their own convenience. "Fans love custom classes at conventions and pay hundreds of dollars to be able to assemble and paint their own Transformers. Well now everyone can do that for a regular retail price!" said Burke while kicking his feet up on his desk. "With 3D printers so readily available now to the general public, we are excited to be leading the charge for this new retail experience for Transformers fans all around the globe." Looking at the new packaging, Hasbro plans on filling the retail space with plenty of upcoming Transformers product. Their initial line up of figures consisting of four classic Autobots and four iconic Decepticons, is set to pave the way for the future of toy sales. Check out the first wave below: The first four Autobots will consist of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Ironhide: The initial line up of Decepticons will be Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream, and Shockwave. Check them out below: "Transformer fans will be happy to see that we have also brought back the clear plastic windows that they have been clamoring for! Also, we have each SD card in cased inside a plastic case itself for double theft protection!" About Hasbro Hasbro is a leading games, IP and toy company whose mission is to create joy and community through the magic of play. With over 164 years of expertise, Hasbro delivers groundbreaking play experiences and reaches over 500 million kids, families and fans around the world, through physical and digital games, video games, toys, licensed consumer products, location-based entertainment, film, TV and more. Through its franchise-first approach, Hasbro unlocks value from both new and legacy IP, including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, MONOPOLY, HASBRO GAMES, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands. Powered by its portfolio of thousands of iconic marks and a diversified network of partners and subsidiary studios, Hasbro brings fans together wherever they are, from tabletop to screen. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, a 2025 JUST Capital Industry Leader, one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50, and a Brand that Matters by Fast Company. For more information, visit https://corporate.hasbro.com.

We have a newsletter from TFSource. New Preorders! - G1 Bumblebee Auto-Converting Robot | Transformers Flagship Series Collector's Edition | Robosen - MS-05 Night Tracer | Magic Square - Optimus Prime AMK Pro Series Model Kit | Transformers: Rise of the Beasts | Yolopark - MB-22C Astro Flame | Fans Hobby Master Builder - ChoRyuJin Pose+ Metal Series | The King of Braves GaoGaiGar | Art Storm - Dirge MDLX Scale Collectible Figure | Transformers | Threezero - DK-59 Upgrade Kit for Transformers Studio Series 86-31 Optimus Prime | DNA Design - MX-46L Lignite | X-Transbots MasterX - JGM-Q01 Steel Head Commander Battle Edition | Super Deformed | Laser Cat Toy - Fans Toys FT-32C Gaudi New Instock Items! - Fans Toys FT-32B Wright - 39 Megatron G1 Version Model Kit | Transformers Furai Model | Flame Toys - P14 Raijin Engine Power Master EPM | KFC Toys - Nemesis Prime DLX Scale Collectible Figure | Transformers: The Last Knight | threezero - Voltron 40th Anniversary Collector's Set | Voltron: Defender of the Universe | Toynami - Nemesis Prime AMK Pro Series Model Kit | Transformers | Yolopark - MX-24D Yaguchi Diamond Version Limited Edition | X-Transbots - MakeToys Colorverse 2025 TFCon LA Exclusives MTRC-11 Wing Nut and MTRC-12 Dyejob - Voltron RIOBOT PX Previews Exclusive | Voltron: Legendary Defender | Sentinel - Fans Toys FT-30 Ethereaon Combiner Set of 5 ________________________ ________________________ Have you signed up for Source Points yet? Earn points with every purchase towards Freebies! Accumulated points and want to redeem them? Click the following link to enroll or redeem your points today! Source Points - TF Source ________________________ ________________________ Become a fan of TFSource today! Why go to the store when you can go to the SOURCE! ________________________ You can also follow us on Twitter!

Unless you have a Paramount+ account -- or cable for Nickelodeon (but who has that anymore, am I right?) -- then maybe you didn't know that there is a Transformers animated series running right now, as we speak. If this sounds like you (and welcome! I must assume you're new here if you're visiting a site like this, but had absolutely no idea there's been a new Transformers cartoon running for the last couple of years), then worry not! Like all good Transformers cartoons, Hasbro is putting this one out to pasture. And by "pasture," I mean "YouTube." The first three episodes of the first season are available now over on the Transformers Official YouTube channel, just waiting for you to dive in and enjoy! Or you can just watch them here! We're not Prowl. Presumably, more are to come. On the other hand, the description pushes catching full episodes on Paramount+ at least twice, so maybe not? Time will tell. Thanks to @Sabrblade for the tip! Allspark Forums Discord Server X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram Edit: Tweaked from the original post, where I was under the mistaken impression that the show was over... finished. Apparently not?

Note: The following review was written after a post-launch update. Therefore, some details and experiences by the reviewer may differ from other reviews published closer to the time of the game’s release. Note 2: This review would have been up earlier, but then Rita turned it into a monster and we had to destroy it. It was really cool, but it also meant we had to start over. Remember, you can never have too many redundancies, kids! It’s finally time… it’s reviewin’ time! Once and Always Our story begins in the far-off, long-ago time of… 2023. April 19th, to be exact. That’s when Hasbro and Netflix teamed together to celebrate 30 years of Power Rangers with the release of the 30th anniversary special titled Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Once & Always. The plot followed the original team of Power Rangers (and, for that matter, the original team of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which itself changed over the years) as they took on the forces of Robo-Rita: an android Empress of Evil created when the evil energies dispelled by Zordon’s sacrifice so many years ago fused with an Alpha unit. Ay-yi-yi, indeed! Robo-Rita’s plan was to create a time portal to go back in time to when she was first freed from her captivity, aka the “Day of the Dumpster”, and team with her past self to rewrite history in her favor. Of course, despite suffering some losses, the Rangers are able to push back and thwart her plans, thus ensuring that the timeline is maintained and good triumphs. But… what if they didn’t? That’s the starting premise of Rita’s Rewind, as the game begins with the Once & Always team of Rangers showing up at Bandora Palace (the place Rita operated out of on the moon) to put a stop to her nefarious scheme. But despite their best efforts, things diverge from the reality we know as she successfully makes the jump to 30 years (and ten minutes) into the past. The modern MMPR want to go after her, but Billy warns of the possible temporal consequences that might occur if they were to make the attempt (translation: It could get all Back to the Future up in Angel Grove, and they don’t want that), so they decide to leave the original team to handle things. As an aside, the story presents a fun thing about this title: Rather than being able to play as six different Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, you can actually play as up to nine different Rangers here (though not all at once). The original team consisted of Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Jason, and later Tommy, while in Once & Always, the team was formed by Zack, Katherine, Billy, Minh (making this her first playable appearance, I believe), and Rocky. You don’t get to see the latter group unmorphed, though, but still, that’s a neat little piece of trivia for you to break out at parties. Anyway, things more or less go off the way they did in the original premiere episode: Zordon orders his ro-butler Alpha-5 to abduct a group of five overbearing and emotional humans (or “teenagers with attitude,” if you prefer) so they can be infused with dino-powers and spandex (whoops, not spandex. My bad) to form a defense for the Earth against giant monster expies from The Wizard of Oz and clay foot soldiers. (Man, I love this series.) From there, we basically get a truncated reprise of the start of the series through the “Green with Evil” story arc. And yes, it’s true! In case you haven’t already heard (or looked at the cover art), Tommy Oliver, the original Green Ranger, is here! And he’s playable, too! This may not seem like a big deal, but folks who grew up with Nintendo platforms should know only too well the pain of not being able to play, or even see, the most popular Ranger of his day. It was certainly a choice someone made at the time, to be sure. (It was also something you can bet the SEGA faithful were only too happy to lord over their Nintendo contemporaries in the Console Wars.) That said, there is a bit of a catch. For starters, you can only play as him after beating the game, which also bumps up the 5-player co-op to 6-player. However, while you can then replay any or all of the stages as Tommy, he doesn’t really get any additional dialogue or anything to reflect his presence there. Still, it beats the pants off of what we had on the Super NES and Game Boy! (Genesis and Game Gear owners, you may proceed to gloat.) Mighty Raw Mighty Morphin Power Rangers occupies an interesting place in pop culture history. It was without question a product of its time in the early ’90s, and as such, the developers at Digital Eclipse has fully embraced the ’90s-ness for this outing. It delivers on the beat ’em up genre, and so much more, albeit in a more contemporary style. For instance, the graphics use a modern-retro pixel art style (a la Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge) that evokes what was more commonplace at the time, yet doesn’t really look like how a game from the time would look. Have a look to see what I mean: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (SNES, via Emerald Rangers) | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (Genesis, via NEPA Scene) | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind (Xbox, PS5, Steam, Switch) Of course, if you want to bring things a little closer to how they looked back then, you can add scan lines and other filter effects, if you wish. Personally, just the regular pixel style was good enough for me. There is a fair amount of variety in stage themes, including a graveyard. And who knew Angel Grove had a subway line (complete with an homage to one of the progenitors of the genre)? "Ms. Appleby always said that if we kept skipping out on classes, we'd find ourselves working the graveyard shift. But I don't think this is what she meant." Sound is kind of a mixed bag, though not necessarily in a bad way. While both the classic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme (but not the full version) and Bulk and Skull theme are lovingly rendered with more of a chiptune sound, few if any other songs from the series made it in. What’s here is good, don’t get me wrong, but there were times when I really wanted to hear “5-4-1”, “I Will Win”, and of course, “Go Green Ranger Go”. Likewise, none of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast reprise their roles in the voice cast here. And I mean, that’s perfectly understandable, from my perspective. There are almost as many reasons why that wouldn’t work as there are Rangers, so going fresh with a whole new cast makes sense here. While I don’t think there will be anyone confusing them for the originals, most of them do capture the general vibe and sound the original Angel Grove teens had. Well, except for Jason. He sounded the most askew of any of them from how they sounded in the show. And that’s really only a criticism if the direction was “try to sound as much like these guys as you possibly can.” But if you’ve never heard the original Jason before, then he probably meshes fine with the rest. Juice and Cut Loose Getting into the meat of the game, there are 15 stages in total. For the most part, this amounts to two brawling stages, followed by either a 3D driving stage where you ride motorcycles or pilot your chosen Ranger’s Dinozord in a 3D run ‘n gun stage that culminates in combining to form the Dino Megazord. From there, it becomes a Punch-Out!!-esque boss fight. Breaking it down further, there are four difficulties to choose from: Easy (Easy enemies, unlimited continues), Normal (Normal enemies, 10 continues), Hard (Hard enemies, 5 continues), and Headache (unlocked by finishing Hard; Hard enemies, no continues). So no matter your skill level, you should be able to find something that suits your needs. "Hey, Putty, tell me: Do you bleed?" All the stages are laid out on a neat map of Angel Grove, though moving back and forth through the levels from one end to the other can feel a little cumbersome. You can also use this screen to visit the Juice Bar, where you can talk to other characters from the show such as Ernie, Ms. Appleby, Principal Caplan, and of course, Bulk and Skull, who (as always) are the most entertaining by far, and get the most varied dialogue as you go. You can also swap out which Ranger you’re currently using, and you’ll also find a bulletin board with a checklist of collectibles you can find throughout the game’s stages and their descriptions, each a callback to a different episode of the classic television show. There are also three retro-style arcade games, which require parts found in three different levels to repair in order to play them. These call back to various ’80s and ’90s-styled arcade games, from Spy Hunter to the “Test Your Might” bonus stages from Mortal Kombat. It’s Morphin’ Time! Getting back into the main gameplay loop, each level has up to three goals for completion: No deaths, S Rank (complete within a stated time), and finding all the secrets, which ranges from freeing characters to finding hidden items, which fill out the Juice Bar as described above. The beat ’em up levels play really well. A lot of games of these types will lock you in a certain direction as you’re wailing on the enemy, which allows for other enemies to sneak up on you from behind. But movement here feels very fluid, as you can move from one enemy to the next, back and forth so that you’re not left at a disadvantage. As a result, once you know your moves and get into the flow, you can jump, flip, kick, and zip all over the place, pounding Putty Patrollers and trouncing Tenga Warriors. “Tenga Warriors?” you might be asking. “Aren’t they from Season 3?” Yes, they are, and that ties into the plot, as all of Robo-Rita’s toying with time travel has led to some anachronistic appearances from myriad monsters, Tenga included. This leads to some neat pairings, like Chunky Chicken from Season 1 tag teaming with Turkey Jerk from Season 2 — a fun nod to the fact that the costumer for the former was repurposed to create the latter. That said, don’t expect any heavy hitters to cross the timeline here; I’m sure those are being saved for (hopeful) sequels. Remember, kids: Reduce, reuse, recycle! The time travel aspect also lends itself to a more unique gameplay aspect that truly sets this title apart from its genre contemporaries. Part of the Ritas’ plot involves harvesting time crystals, and about once per beat ’em up level, some Putties will come out to throw a big Time Disruptor device at you. If the counter on this mechanism reaches zero, then it basically rewinds all the progress you made in this screen of each level, forcing you to do it over again. One thing worth noting is that in these portions, all the Rangers kinda feel the same, unfortunately. I suppose that can be a good thing when there are six of you standing together, fighting evil, with no one being the weak link (because let’s face it, Billy’s genius doesn’t really come into play very much from a gameplay standpoint), but it also hinders replayability across different Rangers. So when you’re swapping them out at the Juice Bar, it’s really more down to aesthetics and personal preference thereof. Incidentally, to that point, it’s worth pointing out that for fans of the Power Weapons, you should know that they don’t play a big part of the action. They get brought out mainly as big moves during combos. The Dragon Dagger gets a little bit more play, as Tommy uses it to summon Dragonzord’s missiles for his Special Move. Meanwhile, the Blade Blasters get unholstered for some target shooting in their own special segment, but you don’t get to use them during most normal play, either. We Need Dinozord Power, Now! With one exception that dips into spoiler territory, the third stages vary between racing on motorcycles (a nod to the old Battle Bikes from the merch of the day and the show’s Super Sentai equivalent that almost never made it into the show, but are different in that each Ranger gets their own, rather than just Red, Black, and Blue, with Yellow and Pink in sidecars) and piloting your respective Dinozords. Both stage types are in 3D, and presented with an aesthetic that’s reminiscent of the old SEGA Super Scaler technology. Nobody puts Kimberly in the sidecar. The motorcycle stages have you racing down the streets of Angel Grove, collecting coins and blasting away at Putties who are playing their own version of Grand Theft Auto while dodging obstacles and attacks. Certain vehicles will need to be destroyed to expose the Time Crystals inside, which must then be destroyed before they can rewind time, much as they do in the side-scroller stages. Succeed in taking out the targets, and that’s the stage completed. These are the less-common and simpler of the two. Wow, Goldar looks so much bigger in person than he did on TV! The real draw is when it’s time for your Rangers to summon their Dinozords. When they show up, you’ll be in a sequence that’s sort of a 3D auto-scroller, wherein your respective Zords run/drive/fly towards the back of the screen. Here, you’ll need to blast enemies and certain targets, dodge obstacles, and collect coins and power-ups to increase your firepower. The Ritas are running a mining operation for Time Crystals, and it’s up to you to see to it that the Putties operating it get to clock out early — for good. As such, you’ll enter these caverns where you’ll need to destroy these sort of mini-boss-like stations before proceeding. The Dinozords’ respective attacks mostly feel well-represented here, and this provides one area in which one Ranger does manage to stand out — Kimberly. Since she pilots the Pterodactyl, which is effectively a plane, she doesn’t have to worry about the more ground-based obstacles like pits that her teammates do. "Remember, team: If we don't move, he can't see us. Right, Billy?" "That's a negative. A big one. Maybe I should lead..." Once you’ve reached the appropriate point in the stage, it’s time for Dino Megazord power! The Dinozords combine in a neat sequence with a sort of comic book-like illustration style, and then things switch to a battle mode that’s more akin to something like Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! games. Unlike those titles, where you’re largely fixed in place and pivoting to dodge blows, there are points where you need to pursue the Monster of the Week Stage you’re fighting. Like the aforementioned boxing game, you’ll bob and weave left and right, forward and back to avoid attacks from the enemy, while looking for opportunities to deliver punches of your own, left and right, respectively. Doing this fills up a meter that will be used to summon the Mega Power Sword for a final strike against the weakened foe. However, if there’s more than one person playing, then the meter is segmented, and players take turns round-robin style to get in on the action and help fill the meter. If one player fails, another can pick up the slack. 'Alright, you big monkey. Come catch these hands!" And of course, once you beat the game and unlock the Green Ranger, the mighty Dragonzord is also yours to command in these sections. Unfortunately, though, you don’t really get to enjoy any of the cool, unique attacks and features that helped make this draconic king of the Zords so beloved. While I guess the blaster fire could be equated to its missiles, there’s no drill tail whip to be had, and when it comes time to form the Megazord, there’s no opportunity to use the Dragonzord instead, or even the Dragonzord’s combined Battle Mode. But say it with me, now: It’s still more and better than we got on the SNES! Other Modes, Online, and More Yeah, I tried to find a good Billy technobabble quote for the title of this section, and failed. I have let you down, Ranger Nation. Anyway, in addition to the main story mode, there are two extra offline modes: Training and Speedrun. Training shows you some of your moves, but not quite everything. Meanwhile, Speedrun is just the regular game, but with a clock in the corner. Everything else is intact, from the map to the cutscenes to just faffing about in the Juice Bar. As a result, I can’t imagine that this is as “raw” as I’d think a dedicated speedrunner would want such a mode to be. Not that I’m anything resembling a speedrunner myself, I could be completely wrong here. I played the game on both the Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch, and found it performed well on both platforms. Not that I expected any different from the former, but sometimes you never know with the latter. There's no rave like a '90s rave. However, it’s when I took things online that things got a bit shaky. There are two modes for matching up with someone on Xbox, and presumably most other versions: Quick Match and Invite. Basically, pairing up with random strangers or inviting someone you know in to join you. On the Switch, there’s a third option for local play between multiple Switches. I don’t know if anyone else I know is playing, so I went the Quick Match route. It took me a bit to find a match on Xbox. I gave it five minutes with nothing happening before I backed out. I immediately tried again, and then got connected to someone in one. I couldn’t pick the Green Ranger for whatever reason, having already beaten the game at that point. Apparently, at least for Quick Matches, you’re starting from scratch. It makes me wonder if you have to beat the game again while online in order to play as him online, or how that works. Maybe he’s not available for Quick Matches? Unfortunately, I wouldn’t get to find out. Everything was going well until the other person I connected with and I reached the middle of the fifth stage. That’s when we were disconnected for some reason, and that was that. "Oh no! Rita's started her own social network! We've got to shut it down, fast!" "That's not what -- oh, whatever. I'll be running this outfit in 30 years, anyway." Over on Switch, it wasn’t much better. I found a match much quicker on my first time than my first Xbox attempt, after about a minute or so. But we didn’t really get to play, as we were disconnected before getting to properly start due to a network error. This happened twice. Almost ten minutes later, I got a match that finally worked… for about six minutes into the first stage. I called it after that. I tend to find Switch online play shakier than Xbox’s, anyway, and your mileage may vary altogether. Still, that was my experience. Take it for what you will. Morphenomenal Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is, in a word, good. As a reminder, I have been playing an updated/patched version of the title, so my experience may be different from what players and reviewers experienced when it first came out, but as the game is now? It’s good. Maybe even great. I won’t blow smoke and try to pretend it’s the greatest game ever, stomping the likes of Mario and God of War or anything like that, but it’s not trying to. It’s out to deliver a fun Power Rangers experience, and as a Power Rangers fan for 32 years running, I feel like they succeeded. It’s not perfect — did I mention I’m a big Green Ranger fan? So there might be some bias there — but it’s still a really good Power Rangers game, and definitely in the top percentage of titles released to fly the Rangers banner over these last three decades. And even as just a regular video game, apart from all the Power Rangers trappings? It’s just good, solid fun. Definitely give this one a look if you’re into spandex-clad super heroes, martial arts, tokusatsu monsters, giant combining dinosaur robots, and retro-styled beat ’em ups. You might just like what you see. We give Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind six out of seven Power Coins. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind is available now digitally on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Steam for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 for $34.99 USD. Review codes were provided by the publisher. Allspark Forums Discord Server X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

Death, taxes, Optimus Prime. Takara Tomy have officially announced a new entry into their MPG series, and you'll never guess who it is! MPG-17 is Optimus Prime "Style Gen.", apparently kicking off a new "Style Gen." subseries in the MPG line: Yup, the classic Big Good of the Autobot ranks returns to the Masterpiece stage, this time sporting a new design that seems to hearken back to Studio OX and/or the original Diaclone Battle Convoy -- and he's bringing a slew of interesting accessories. These include his iconic ion rifle, the Matrix of Leadership, and a range of Energon blades -- including the G1 classic, a couple of live-action movie arm blades, and attachments to give the G1 axe a WFC: Siege look! Preorders for MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Gen. go live on April 4, 2025. Also set on April 4 is a Takara Tomy live stream, with viewers possibly getting a "limited purchase bonus" for ""MPG-17 Optimus Prime Style Gen.", "Toyrise AFR-01 Ryukendo", and "RMZ-009 Iron Kong Guyros Color"". Have YOU somehow missed out on the many Masterpiece Optimus Primes? Is this finally your chance? Allspark Forums Discord Server X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

Posted by forum member PrimalXConvoy, we have our first look at the fully revealed Robosen Bumblebee: Featuring working lights, sounds, auto-transformation, movement, and all the bells and whistles that we've come to expect from Robosen. See the reveal video below for more details: Want to talk about this friendly yellow guy? Join us on the forum thread. Not a member? Sign up today! Allspark Forums Discord Server X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

While we're still waiting for Hasbro to get its new Transformers: Cyberworld line and accompanying series rolling, Takara Tomy is already on the ball with the first two episodes of their equivalent stopgap, Transformers: Wild King, now available on YouTube. The total combined run time for the two episodes clocks in at just under 11 minutes -- less, if you skip the toy promotion at the end. Check it out: YouTube has auto-generated subtitles, but they ain't great. If you want to activate them, turn on the CC option, and then in the Settings (gear icon), choose to translate to English). For those curious (but can't watch just yet), they get right into it, with Optimus Prime (not Convoy, so maybe this isn't meant to be a part of Japan's Generation 1?) following Megatron to a new planet, where he was investigating a new form of energy. If this is connected to anything else, that will probably come later. Animation is kind of mixed. Visually, it stands above some earlier CG attempts at bringing the Robots in Disguise to life, but at the same time, is still kind of low-budget in other ways. For instance, if you liked how Wheeljack talked in the original G1 cartoon, you might appreciate the way everyone's eyes blink as they talk, but there's no mouth movement -- not even on the guys who actually have mouths. Kinda wild (no pun intended, but gladly claimed), and if nothing else, it should make any attempted fan dubs go much easier, since there is no lip syncing to worry about. As mentioned, the end of the video is a promotion for the accompanying toys, showing you how to transform them and combine them, all while encouraging you to replicate scenes from the animation. Curiously, this only goes for Optimus and Lightlong, while Megatron and his crew... I guess we'll have to wait for next time? So, what do you think? Does Wild King make your heart sing? You tell us everything in a groovy comment below! Thanks to @Sabrblade for the tip! Allspark Forums Discord Server X Facebook Page Bluesky Instagram

We have a newsletter from BigBadToyStore. -------------- NEW PRE-ORDERS -------------- New Star Wars action figures are now available within The Vintage Collection and The Black Series! Born of battle and forged in steel—Conan rises! The first official Conan The Barbarian figure from ICON Collectibles has arrived. A PREVIEWS Exclusive! The apex predator and rival alpha to Godzilla returns! King Ghidorah 2.0 from Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) joins the Hiya EXQUISITE BASIC Series in an upgraded form. The Doom: The Dark Ages Doom Slayer 1/1 scale wearable helmet brings an iconic part of the DOOM Slayer’s origin story to the real world. It boasts meticulous attention to detail - from the design, to the textures, to the battle damage. Oh, and it also lights up! BLITZWAY's first Vehicle Project of 2025 features the iconic DeLorean "Time Machine" from Back to the Future Part II, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of this legendary film. Flame Toys is thrilled to present the latest model kit in the Furai line: Black Arcee! Max Factory is heading back to the Lands Between with their latest entry in the popular Pop Up Parade SP line of figures, the sorceress Sellen! Looking for a pet that requires no maintenance? You’re in luck! Especially if what you’re looking for is a mutated, three-eyed fish straight from the waters of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant! This Blinky in Fish Bowl Vinyl Art Figure is a must-have for any fan of The Simpsons looking to add a unique piece to their collection. ------------ NEW ARRIVALS ------------ Step into the neon-lit chaos of Night City with the David Martinez and Lucy 1:12 scale action figures by Jada Toys! The baddest warrior around, Red Sonja, comes to life in a new epic Deluxe 1:12 scale action figure! This brand new collectible is the perfect way to celebrate her 50th Anniversary. Hiya Toys' Godzilla from Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) is in stock! From the hit FPS HALO: Reach, comes Emile-A239 (Noble Four) in a 1/12 scale fully-articulated action figure! The exterior armor pieces are made from ABS plastic to depict the intricate mechanical details while the die cast used in the inner frame helps to provide an overall durability and wide range of articulation. Bring the epic action of the Transformers movies from the big screen into your collection with the Transformers Studio Series Decepticon Frenzy (Red) action figure, inspired by The Transformers: The Movie!

We have another look behind the scenes tonight. This time it's Age of the Primes Onyx Prime! Source: Instagram Join the Allspark today.