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What is so good about G1?


prime_time

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If I ever play with a TF toy, it's kind of like a Rubik's Cube kind of thing where I'll sit at my desk and fap fiddle around with it for a while. And in that case, yeah it is a pain in the ass to have to deal with the frustrations of Alts/BTs/MPs. But those are display pieces, so, you know... right tool for the right job and all.

 

I guess I feel the opposite way. I love to TF my Alts and RiD figures because they provide a challenge, whereas Classics and A/E/C stuff typically doesn't... what's the fun in "playing" with a toy that takes 30 seconds or less to transform? Of course that's only true up to a point, and things like Alt Grimlock and MP Megs cross the line between "fun challenge" and "frustrating waste of time," and most Titaniums look great as long as you leave them alone, but turn into ragdolls as soon as you pick them up.

 

Also FYI to everyone - Alts are VERY durable. You're not going to break one just from playing with it. My Alts and MP's have survived many a shelf-fall and roll off the old desktop. BT's, Titanium's, and actual G1 stuff... not so much.

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what's the fun in "playing" with a toy that takes 30 seconds or less to transform?

I lot of fun when you're 3rd-person role-playing! That was always the joke with playing with TF toys, even back in the 80s - you and your mates would be like, "Decepticons attack!" then take a few minutes to transform all your figures before resuming battle whereas in the comics and cartoon it was instantaneous. You'd be going, "KRRK KRRK KRRK KRRK KRRK!" for like 30 seconds per Transformer - and considering that you always had at least two Transformers transforming (so they could fight each other) you'd be making that noise for at least a minute per skirmish. :)

 

BTs and MPs are fun too on that puzzle level, but not so much with 'real time' play. Making a small team of MP Prime and BTs Autobots vs MP Megs and seekers, all transforming for action - by time I'd finish I wouldn't be able to do the character voices or sound effects any more after an hour of making the damn G1 transformation sound! ;p

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Another thing....collecting "main line" stuff I can have a more complete collection. If I only limited myself to Alts/BT and MP figures, my collection wouldn't nearly be as large, and some characters would have alt modes I don't associate with them (a car for Grimlock and Shockwave?). Furthermore a MP and Alt/BT line would indeed through the balance off to car alt modes, more so then I care for anyway.

 

This doesn't even take into account distribution. I've never been from what could be called prime markets (I doubt Kitchener and London ONT register very high on distribution radars). I don't think I've ever seen an alt I was actually keen on in a store. No one in Canada got Hasbro's MP Starscream (my favourite character), not to mention I would have to import MPs Megs, Skywarp, Magnus, and possibly Thundercraker. That doesn't even take into account that all the Alts I would want would have to be imported.

 

And that all ties into the price. MPs and Alts/BT just cost to much and are to rare (where I am at least) for me to justify making a real collection out of them.

 

With the "main line" stuff I can build a much more versatile, and cheaper, G1 cast with figures I can actually find at my local brick and mortar stores. I can draw from RiD, A/E/C, Classics, Universe/Classics 2.0, the Movie line, Animated, even a 6" Ti or two to complete my ideal G1 ReDuxed collection.

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At the risk of getting this back on topic, a couple opinions on the initial question.

 

I'll be the first to admit that most G1 toys have NOT survived the test of time. Outside of nostalgia factor, there are very few that I'd list as "cool toys" by today's standards. That said, one of the draws of G1 is the design style. I always loved the art designs of the originals. That's captured perfectly in Classics, and done as good figures by modern standards and why I adore that line so much. G1 also had a much wider and more daring variety of alt molds, something i REALLY miss. Real Gear was a nice attempt to get back to that, but most of them unfortunately arent the best toys. And in the same line, something I miss almost as much (and yes, none of this actually mattered much in the official fiction, admittedly) is the much wider range of functions. Nowadays pretty much everyone is treated as a Warrior, but G1 had Engineers, and Scientists and Geologists, and Transports, etc, etc. I found that lead to a lot more fun as a kid because it inspired me and my friends to use guys as more than just battle fodder.

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And in the same line, something I miss almost as much (and yes, none of this actually mattered much in the official fiction, admittedly) is the much wider range of functions. Nowadays pretty much everyone is treated as a Warrior, but G1 had Engineers, and Scientists and Geologists, and Transports, etc, etc. I found that lead to a lot more fun as a kid because it inspired me and my friends to use guys as more than just battle fodder.

You would love Brushguard then :D

*As do I

 

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Brushguard

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Greatshot: continuing from what you're saying, another thing I loved about G1 was the variety of personality quirks amongst the characters.

 

e.g.:

Hound: Loves Earth, wants to be human

Broadside: transforms into air and sea-faring alt modes but gets airsick and seasick!

Tailgate: thinks that all machines are living slaves to humans and wishes to emancipate them

Swerve: reckless hoon who's a menace to all on the road

Cosmos: hates being alone

Snarl: hates being around others

Breakdown: paranoid as all fcuk

Dead End: ultimate defeatist

Beachcomber & Groove: Pacifists

Blades: action junkie - fight on!

Pipes: hoarder

Eject: sports junkie

Rewind: full of useless trivial information and fire exit retention (shut up!)

 

Cybertron did get back into that to some degree, which I really liked.

My favourite Cybertron Transformer quirk? Shortround - he's a toy collector! "He may be a nerd, but at least he's a destructive nerd."

 

ShortroundPose.jpg = comicbookguyps9.jpg

 

 

*snort.laff* B)

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You would love Brushguard then :D

*As do I

 

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Brushguard

 

Haha, yes! Brushguard's a perfect example. I dunno how I missed out on him when he was released, i might have to track him down.

 

Goki's got it nailed.. It's THAT stuff that made G1 memorable to me. I sincerely believe those damned little tech specs giving them personalities are a BIG factor as to why 20+ years later, it's Transformers and GI Joe that I *REMEMBER*, and all the other toylines from my childhood have more or less faded into memory. For a kid like me, who was something of a loner with an overactive imagination, those little bios gave me all the info i needed to concoct my own little storylines.

 

It thrills me to no end to see well written tech specs coming back into play in the last couple lines. More than once I've ended up buying a figure I was on the fence about because the spec pushed him onto the cool side. :lol

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  • 1 month later...
I wonder if Transformers had started with the WTF/Cybertronian/futuristic alt modes, if the line would have been as popular. I mean, by the time Hot Rod and Kup and Blurr and those guys showed up, we were already sucked in.

I have my doubts about that. If Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr were already in the roster from the word go, the line would have not been original. The idea of making robots out of vehicles that could routinely be seen from day to day gave the franchise a down to earth charm which would have been gone had the earthly forms not been the originals. It would have been just another cliched, forgettable sci-fi series and probably wouldn't be around today.

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I lot of fun when you're 3rd-person role-playing! That was always the joke with playing with TF toys, even back in the 80s - you and your mates would be like, "Decepticons attack!" then take a few minutes to transform all your figures before resuming battle whereas in the comics and cartoon it was instantaneous. You'd be going, "KRRK KRRK KRRK KRRK KRRK!" for like 30 seconds per Transformer - and considering that you always had at least two Transformers transforming (so they could fight each other) you'd be making that noise for at least a minute per skirmish. :)

 

Oh god that was so true its ridiculous.... :tflaugh

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