:tflaugh

Gotta say, the Turbo Tank looks fantastic.

 

Then I realized why. It looks like a Transformer. In both modes, it could easily pass for an Autobot or Decepticon.

 

 

I agree, the tank seems to be the most transformer-like. I think he'd make a decent Prime, not Optimus, Rodimus or Sentinel, but one of the earlier Primes maybe.

 

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. This will probably be the only one I pick up, the rest of the SWTF's look horrid, IMO. And even then, he'll need to be repainted.

Are you guys serious? He looks like he lays down and rolls.... alsmost as bad as C-Metroplex.

Oh, he probably is a *little* more complicated than that; you probably have to rotate his head or something too. And, unlike C-Metroplex, he actually turns into something. You have to give him credit for that much, at least.

 

The thing I find hilarious is that the thing they like about this guy is that he's a boxy wheeled vehicle. Ooh, ahh, a boxy wheeled vehicle! That turns into a man in a boxy robot suit! How GeeWunnish! It must be good! :tflaugh

 

Oh, and while I'm at it, does anybody see what's the point of the hingy-looking seam on the middle wheel in the vehicle mode? The wheels seem unaltered in the 'bot pic...

My five-cents:

 

1/ The head sculps should have been more mecha. This is why the "Animorph" toys also blew (they could have repainted/remolded the heads of those figs to make some GREAT maximals. In fact, the "Mutants" were left over animorph figs BTW) That is, they should have been more abstract. In fact, the whole bot mode should have been a more abstracted representation of the main character. If I buy a car and customize it to show my interests, I do NOT paint my face on the car or modify the front grille to look like my face.

 

Think about Gundam, or Macross for a secod here. You can get "custom" editions of Gundams/Zaku mechs which represent, very easily and strongly, a specific famous pilot/character in the show. Do they have the same face as the characters? No.

 

Darth Vader could have had taken the central breathing grille, inverted it and had it positioned a-la primes silver bit at the top middle part of his helmet. He could have a a single "cylon" slit. An arm mounted, flat/abstracted "energon sabre" could have been used.

 

In other words, they could have gone to town making the mechs look cool as hell. Im sure EVERYONE would have bought them then.

 

2/ No tie-in with the actual Transformers Universe. Im SURE if a nice mini comic was created, then both fandoms would have gone NUTS for it. An alternate Universe where the TFs meet starwars peeps. That way we could have also had "Tie Fighter Starscream with Imperial Pilot", "Imperial Shuttle Megatron with Emperor" or summin. OR the TF characters came with NO pilots.

 

Imagine the scene with Darth Vaders mech walking down the gangplank with Megatron next to him. "You don't understand the POWER of the dark side, Megatron" "Oh but I DO, fleshling. I have met Unicron"

 

The Matrix meets the Force!

 

We might even get a "Death Star VS Unicron" Finally!

 

3/ The designers, like the designers of the Titanium line, were not experienced enough and obviously had little or no communication with the main TF design team.

 

4/ The prices were too expensive.

 

5/ The transformations were poor.

 

6/ Too many repaints.

 

I have a feeling that ONE major reason for this was George Lucas's ego which probably forbade the Starwars universe having ANYTHING to do with the Transformers one.

 

Im not certain here but haven't ALL attempts at a cross-over with the SW universe been met with no-no's from skywalker ranch? However, instead of cheapening the franchise (as if thats possible with things like "Star Wars Easyriders" bike figures and "Jar Jar fecking Binks"), the choice not to bring both franchises togther for the toy line just left the toy line in the cold.

 

Im also aware that TFs are usually forbidden by Hasbro to be "piloted" but considering the movie had just that..almost (the characters didnt sit in Bumblebees driving seat when he "came out" as a bot) and the GI Joe cross-over featured that more or less then I think it would be cool.