Hello all (and opinions on Binaltech/Alternators)

[Nerroth]

Hi all,

 

When the first Binaltech figs started doing the rounds at the preview sites (such as Remy's magnum opus at tfkenkon, still remember the awe at seeing the Binaltech Smokescreen for the first time... and getting him soon after!) the new level of quality and care put in to the development of the Binaltech figs coupled with the addition of licensed car modes and a place in the G1 universe (in Takara's version anyway) made the line seem unstoppable for the long-time collector and car hobbyist.

 

However, the promise of the line has yet to be played out to its full potential. The release of Smokescreen in North America seems to have been hampered by two factors: the earlier release of the metal Smokey (I had my BT-01 months before Alternator Smokescreen came out, as did many others) and the lack of a strong WRC presence in North America (I'm European so familiar with the World Rally Championship and a major Impreza fan... and well pleased that my #7 Solberg Smokey is the car whose driver was the 2003 World Champion!), so it took the release of Sideswipe to make more of an impact in this continent.

 

Going from here, with a lack of advertising for the range, even in the racing mags whose readers may well love to check out an awesome 1:24 model which also happens to transform (the matte paint job on Alternator Smokescreen really fails to impress in comparison to the Takara model, plus the care and detail put in by Takara in the product, from the packaging to the great Binaltech manual, is absent in the Alternator line), the absence of a character presence in any series, TV or comic (though I hope DW add the Binaltech figs into their ongoing G1 series) and the spread out nature of the releases seems to add up to a line that really needs the fans to go out and show the goods off themselves (I brought BT-01 with me to a couple of games of BFG in a local hobby store and he made quite an impression!) as unless we make the effort no-one will know/care about this great line and it will run the risk of dying prematurely.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Gary

 

PS I'm not a major fan of American cars (I'd prefer more European or Japanese licences in the range) but I so want that Dead End! Hope we get a metallic paint job on the Alternator, my wallet can't support a Binaltech-only collection!

 

 

Bad...ass.

[ShinConvoy]

Hi :clap and don't worry about the advertising... just remind yourself of Mazda RX-8 site :thumb . I love more and more the 20 th Anniversary line and hopefully I can afford the Takara version :wave

 

 

PS : the Transformers Live Movie will be the best advertisment in 2005 /2006 and will speed up the sales and enlarge the addiction and re- addiction to those 80 's suckers ( I'm nearly 29 and the kids here call me Alpha Trion :clap )

[JackKnife]

I like most of the Alternator line so far. I just hope they start putting out more Decepticons. It would be nice to see some Alternator jets like Starscream and his crew. As an aircraft fan myself, I'd love to see what they could do with them.

[Super Saiya-jin Shrapnel]

I wouldn't count on planes to much, they seem to play up the liscenced factor alot (add revenue) from the car companies, but you might see some new car Deceticons comming out, there is no one saying they can't come up with new names after all.

 

I love the Alt. line, havn't had any BT yet since its all my spare funds, but I have been very pleased with them. I love the sideswip, but the SmokeScreen has been a little tough to get back aligned in car mode properlly, so I don't transform him as much as I do the others.

 

I can't wait for more of these to come out, but my wallet is glad they are on a timeline. :clap

[Pikatron]

If the Decepticons Jets were done on the same scale as the Autobots, they'd tower over them!

[Guest Krusty The Klown]

theyd have to cut the ratio a bit but still, id rather have con jets as alts than autobot repaints with a new head like they did with deadend

[WRX-78]

Another WRC fan? You're my kinda person. :)

 

If Dead End comes with a metallic paint job I might wait and get him over the Binaltech one (assuming Takara releases one).

 

Honestly. I don't think motorsports has as much of a bearing over whether someone buys a transformer toy. There are GT and WRC cars in G1 that people aren't aware about. If it looks good people will buy.

[Nerroth]

I'm not so sure...

 

I've seen people look at Alt Smokey and the approximation of a real car (one with a championship pedigree, no less) and the fact that it doesn't have a metallic paint job makes the model look glaring ly like a toy in alt mode, whereas the alt mode on BT-01 is stunning in comparison, like a true model kit (in fact better than almost all model kits I've seen of any Impreza), and it may not seem like much on a computer screen but have one of each put in front of you and the difference is plain to see.

 

I haven't had a chance to check out the difference between Alt Sideswipe and BT Lamboru, but I'll have to see if the paint job is as noticeably different.

 

And PLEASE let Dead End have a metallic paint job!

 

Gary

[drkknight001]

Gary, don't want to bring you crashing down too hard, but I wouldn't expect too muc of a metalic paint job on any Alternator. Fact is most of Sideswipe is just molded plastic. That's the reason the color is so flat. Hasbro seems to be taking the same route that most other toy companies are and if they can get away with just using color plastic instead of painting every inch of it, they will. Sorry to say, but that means that where Deadend will have more paint applied to him you're still looking at a bunch of molded black plastic.

[Enerscream]

All i know is I loves my Smokescreen. I prefer plastic because it can't chip like paint