Alt modes

[Autocon]

has this been done before? probably:o

so there have been many alt modes from beasts to vehicles

what would u like to see as an alt mode for a TF?

[Pulse]

A realistic looking Front Engine Dragster! :)

http://blownfuelart.com/db2/00114/blownfuelart.com/_uimages/compressedreddragster.jpg

[Sky Shadow]

A plant. And not half-@$$ed ones like Saberback or Sling. I would like a Botanica.

[GoktimusPrime]

I second wanting a Botanica toy.

I would also like to see:
+ Bus
+ Taxi
+ Commercial passenger airplane
+ A personal computer and/or game console - Takara made a transforming Playstation for Microman (transforms into a vehicle for Micromen) - I'd like to see something like that w/ a robot mode. Heck, even if they just reissued the Microman transforming PS as a vehicle playset for Transformers that'd be really neat. It'd be cool with Real Gear Robots. :)
+ Chicken - the only animal from the Lunar Zodiac that hasn't been realised as a Transformer. And yeah, there would an irony in it being a "robot chicken." :p

[Soundwarp]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/soundwarp/uh-1n-1024.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/soundwarp/Afghanistan/Bushysig.jpg

[Soundwarp]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/soundwarp/XR8222.jpg

:p

[GoktimusPrime]

Is that Autobot insignia photoshopped or did someone actually put it there?!
What kinds of vehicles are they?

[Soundwarp]

That one is photoshopped but i had one on mine.
Legally i can't show the pics, that is our Bushmasters that we use for troop transport now :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/soundwarp/aircraft-carrier-01.jpg


Let's have a Classics Broadside in Supreme class.

[Gutsman Heavy]

http://www.countingcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/walrus.jpg

Make it so Hasbro, I'm not joking. I'd pay $200 for a deluxe sized fig, that's how bad I want one.

[Golden Phoenix]

http://www.countingcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/walrus.jpg

Make it so Hasbro, I'm not joking. I'd pay $200 for a deluxe sized fig, that's how bad I want one.

That'd be awesome, he could have the tusks turn into blades.

I'd love to see this little beauty made into a Transformers
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Ornithorhynchidae-00.jpg
Only problem I think is that a lot of people outside of Australia will think it is a Fuzor

[Pulse]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v739/soundwarp/XR8222.jpg

:p

What about a V8 Supercar Alt as an Aussie Exclusive? Phwoar! :D

http://www.conversionrate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/team-vodafone-craig-lowndes.jpg

[Soundwarp]

What about a V8 Supercar Alt as an Aussie Exclusive? Phwoar! :D

http://www.conversionrate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/team-vodafone-craig-lowndes.jpg

I'd buy 10 of em.

[GoktimusPrime]

Military choppers, troop transports and aircraft carriers have all been done as TF alt modes before. Unless you're referring to specific type or class of chopper/transport/carrier which hasn't been done.

I like to explore kinds of alt modes that have never ever been done in Transformers before.

Gutsman Heavy: There was a Walrus Transformer in Beast Wars Neo - only ever appeared as a background character in the show... there was never a toy made of it. That'd be interesting. :)

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers/images/thumb/4/43/Neo-waitingroom.jpg/250px-Neo-waitingroom.jpg (http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers/images/4/43/Neo-waitingroom.jpg)...evidently quite attached with that Maximal koala...

Golden Phoenix: A platypus has never been done... heh, the people of England initially thought it was a Fuzor too (i.e.: man-made hoax). Ah, those norti convicts! :D

Super Car (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_car) is a term for any high-end sports car - and we've had plenty of those in Transformers before, so that's nothing particularly new.
Autobot Super Car Patrol Team--> http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers/images/thumb/6/67/Zone_supercarpatrol.jpg/300px-Zone_supercarpatrol.jpg

[Pulse]

Clarifying, Soundwarp & I would luv to see an "Aussie-only Racecar" done as a TF :) (I'm pretty sure there's already been a question asked about that in the "Hasbro Questions thread"... )

[GoktimusPrime]

Does 1970s Camaro (Monaro) Bumblebee count as an Australian super car?

http://www.transformers-movie-buzz.com/uploads/uploadNewsPhotos/small_76_chevrolet_camaro_act_f34_500-n3f2oppu.jpg

[Pulse]

No it doesn't :). A Phase III (http://images.google.com.au/images?hl=en&q=Ford%20Falcon%20phase%20III&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi), Munro, (http://images.google.com.au/images?um=1&hl=en&q=HK+GTS+) or Charger (http://images.google.com.au/images?um=1&hl=en&q=Valiant+E-49) (among others) are what Aussie Petrolheads would consider being examples of Aussie Supercars.

[GoktimusPrime]

I think it'd be interesting seeing a Transformer that could transformer into (wait for it) a human.

This was the original intention of Pretenders from Hasbro, but Takara said it'd be better to keep Transformers transforming into vehicles but give them human shells instead - and Hasbro agreed.

But what I would like to see is a Transformer that can actually transform into a human! It'd be seriously freaky and the ultimate form of infiltration and disguise for a Transformer.

The Decepticons' synthetic humans (http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Facsimile_Construct) were pretty creepy and had incredible advantages in being able to mimic their hosts and operating as the ultimate sleeper agents in human society; living normal lives until their dormant programming was activated. Freaky stuff. But they had obvious limitations, such as being extremely fragile compared to Transformers (since they are only about as durable as a real human being).

Having a Transformer human would largely eliminate that weakness. At human size they may never be as physically powerful as most other Transformers - possibly only about as strong say Rumble or Frenzy. But most importantly they wouldn't be as fragile and be far more durable, which is essential if they are carrying vital information (which they would be as spies). And although they would be weak by Transformers standards, they would still be really powerful by human standards - they'd pretty much be like Terminators - no human could physically outmatch them!

I wouldn't want to see them transform into a third vehicular mode - their human mode should be their only alt mode, especially from a toy engineering perspective. Making humans transform into robots alone would prove quite challenging and we don't want another Transformers Animorphs (shudder). Even if it never happens as a toy (because challenge aside I'm not sure what the market demand would be) I think it'd still be interesting to see such a Transformer in the fiction somewhere, e.g.: if the Decepticons decided to replace the synthetic facsimiles with actual Decepticons with human alt modes.

They could insert Decepticon agents as either regular civilians, soldiers, politicians etc. It would allow them to infiltrate human society really well... and also make it more efficient if they were to hunt down a human for some reason - e.g.: Sam Witwicky and his glasses... having a Decepticon as a classmate or local resident in his city could've been more effective than sending a police car. They could replace either Myles or Mikaela with a Decepticon mimic. Oooh!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/terminator_glau.jpg
More Than Meets The Eye?

[SilverDragon]

I'd like to see a Transformer toy which turned into a kangaroo. I know there was a TF kangaroo in the Japanese BW series, but I'd like to see how it would work as a toy.

Also, duck.

[Lint]

I know this looks bland but...

http://www.chinapans.com/images/Golf_Cart-2seat.jpg

Minicon territory perhaps :p

[GoktimusPrime]

When I was a youngin' my friends and I used to joke about the one truly "forbidden" alt mode for a Transformer...

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/202980655/mini_moke.jpg Moke-former!


Also, duck.

WHOA!! http://www.itulip.com/images/duck-n-cover.jpgphew...that was close! :p

[TheDirtyDigger]

A tram. One of the old W class ones in the green and gold. As a Melbourne exclusive.

Oh yeah boys...if there was gunna be a V8 Supercar Tf, it'd have to be a Holden.


In fact I'd prefer this to a Supercar....

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/696/sandman31280x1024de1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


And whaddyaknow??? Here's Aussie Cliffjumper...


http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2536/holdenvessvjj0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[GoktimusPrime]

Another possible contender for a future TF Crossover? :p

http://vwkombi.com/photos/vanfest-2005/Images/4.jpg

Scooby-Dooby-DON'T!

[TheDirtyDigger]

Another possible contender for a future TF Crossover? :p

http://vwkombi.com/photos/vanfest-2005/Images/4.jpg

Scooby-Dooby-DON'T!


I've seen that as a custom. 'Twas a repainted Ironhide. Looked great!

[Gutsman Heavy]

Gutsman Heavy: There was a Walrus Transformer in Beast Wars Neo - only ever appeared as a background character in the show... there was never a toy made of it. That'd be interesting. :)

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers/images/thumb/4/43/Neo-waitingroom.jpg/250px-Neo-waitingroom.jpg (http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers/images/4/43/Neo-waitingroom.jpg)...evidently quite attached with that Maximal koala...


yes that episode got my hopes up :mad:

[dirge]

A bus (which Gok already mentioned), more than anything else.

A Taxi (again mentioned by Gok).

A lizard without some misplaced frill.

Any marsupial. BW Snarl does not count - he's sort of like a dunnart, but is not an actual marsupial.

A realistic submarine that's not a Minicon. We've never had one!

A Battleship.

A fork lift.

(BTW Gobots gave us these last three!)

Less generic sports cars would be nice...

[Robzy]

Even when I was a kid, I always wanted to see a musical instrument alt mode! I'd love to see a TF Cantina band... drums, guitar, bass, piano :D

(As you can guess, I LOVE Animated Laserbeak) ;)

[Autocon]

Any marsupial. BW Snarl does not count - he's sort of like a dunnart, but is not an actual marsupial.


isnt snarl a tasmanian devil?

thats why they called him Tasmanian kid in the jap series?

[GoktimusPrime]

There was a Piano Transformer in G1!

http://s90690880.onlinehome.us/jhiaxus/images/generic/ukcomics/082/g082_03.jpghttp://s90690880.onlinehome.us/jhiaxus/images/generic/ukcomics/082/g082_05.jpg
...no toy though. ;)

We've had a forklift Transformer, although not a terribly realistic forklift mode.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/transformers/images/9/9c/Liftor.gif
I love how Liftor's forklift mode has jets... ya know, in case he needs to lift something PRONTO! :p


isnt snarl a tasmanian devil?

thats why they called him Tasmanian kid in the jap series?
He's supposed to be a Tasmanian Devil but the beast mode itself looks more like a dunnart. What dirge is saying is that we need a marsupial moded TF toy where the beast mode actually looks like a marsupial!

[i_amtrunks]

When I was a youngin' my friends and I used to joke about the one truly "forbidden" alt mode for a Transformer...

http://img.alibaba.com/photo/202980655/mini_moke.jpg Moke-former!


WANT! WANT! WANT! WANT! WANT!

I'd love to see a LX Torana, circa 1978 painted up in Brock's 05 livery over any of the new V8 supercars, but then again I'm biased.

We also need more train formers. A Tangara based one could be easily made with the Universe QC and be true to life... :p

[Bartrim]

I think Gok put up a picture of it once but the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters. I would so buy that.

[GoktimusPrime]

Considering that all Trainformers come from Japan ('cept for Astrotrain), I wouldn't hold my breath on seeing a Tangara. :p I'd like to see a train-TF that either transforms into or comes with a realistic passenger carriage! The carriage could become a combat deck or combine with the engine to form the robot mode. Or it could be another Transformer altogether, but a carriage-former would be hard to market/sell to most folks (cos who would buy a TF carriage on its own?) unless it came packaged with another TF that transformed into the engine... but that would make it more expensive.

The G1 Micromaster trains had carriages which were basically their gestalt component/weapons - they weren't passenger carriages. I would like future train TFs to have couplings that are compatible with the CR/RiD trains' couplings so that it could attach onto say J-Five (Railspike) etc.

Now Archer argues that trains don't sell well in Hasbro markets but how well did the Railracer Autobots sell in North America? (shame they never came out here) As I recall, Universe Railracer (Hasbro repackaged reissue Sixtrain) sold reasonably well here. And the G1 Transformers electronic train set seemed really popular in the 80s (and they're not even really Transformer action figures).

I think train Transformers can sell well here... it's not so much an issue of alt mode but an issue of execution. If you make a train TF and you do it well, then people will buy it and like it. Look at Classics Astrotrain. Even as a triple-changer with a 'compromised' train mode it still sold reasonably well. Granted part of its appeal is the G1 Astrotrain character, but again - Universe Railracer - that seemed to sell well didn't it? And that mould was 11 years old when it came out (and let's face it, are pretty ordinary toys).

With a few exceptions like plants and humans (as much as I would love a Botanica toy, I don't think it would market/sell well no matter how well engineered it was) I think you can make a Transformer transform into anything and it would still sell well so long as the toy is well designed and well made!

Look at the Footpath PatrolStreet Action Mini-Con Team; you have a Vespa scooter, push-bike and a skateboard... yet they're pretty well designed/made toys considering their size and price-point (and the fact that they're a gestalt).

A skateboard! Once upon a time people would have laughed at the suggestion of a skateboard Transformer.

[Robzy]

I think Gok put up a picture of it once but the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters. I would so buy that.+1 :eek:
I remember the picture you're talking about... absolutely awesome! :D

[dirge]

isnt snarl a tasmanian devil?

thats why they called him Tasmanian kid in the jap series?

In theory. He's based on that "Taz" cartoon character. Nevermind the fact that Tassie devils are black, not brown. The bodyshape is wrong, the ears are those of a _bat_...

He does look essentially like a marsupual, but I think that's largely by fluke. He's really just based on that cartoon character.

Thing is, he doesn't really look much like any actual marsupial species - he sort of resembles the dunnarts, but even with a degree in biology, I can't say I'll recognise the look of a dunnart anywhere.

I'm holding out for a wallaby, kangaroo, koala or wombat... or even a thylacine!



We've had a forklift Transformer, although not a terribly realistic forklift mode.

I love how Liftor's forklift mode has jets... ya know, in case he needs to lift something PRONTO! :p


Liftor's a fork lift? I never knew that. I always just figured he was the result of someone taking all the labels off the bottles in the medicine cabinet :eek:

[i_amtrunks]

I'm holding out for a wallaby, kangaroo, koala or wombat... or even a thylacine

You know if we ever get new original Beast mode formers, I'd wager that the thylacine would have the most likely chance of being made, since it is a more ferocious looking animal.

I'm sure non-Australian designers wouldnt have a clue that the wombat is the most dangerous creature on your list. (yes I know you are much more likely to be hurt from a roo, but have you seen what wombats can do when they get peeved?)

[GoktimusPrime]

Well we do have an Australian working in Takara now... of course, as a designer he may not have any authority or say in terms of what alt modes they'll choose - that's probably all above him. :/ But at least if they ever do decide to do another Australian animal hopefully he might ensure that the mode looks more convincing or accurate... unless of course he's instructed from his bosses to make it look cartoony. I get a feeling that Hasbro (Kenner) specifically instructed Takara to design Snarl to look like "Taz" as it might be how a lot of Americans would perceive a Tasmanian Devil. :/

Takara did a better job with Heinlad who can change between looking like a mythological and realistic Tanuki - of course it was Japanese designers working on it so they would've been more conscious of the how the animal should look like (only to have Westerners confuse it for a raccoon :p)

[Geminii]

Nevermind the fact that Tassie devils are black, not brown. The bodyshape is wrong, the ears are those of a _bat_...

Just different enough for copyright purposes. ;)

[klystron]

A realistic submarine that's not a Minicon. We've never had one!



+1
As a former submariner, i'd pay big bucks for a submarine TF!

[Geminii]

Bonus points if the submarine isn't chibified and the robot mode isn't stretched out/lanky or sporting humungous curves of kibble everywhere.

I figure: split the rear of the sub and stick it alongside the lower legs like Springer's tailboom. Have the robot hands raised over the head to form the front of the sub, with the forward hull splitting and retracting over the forearms like Lugnut's cockpit (but pegged, not springloaded). Fold out the front halves of the sub to thicken up the sides of the chest like a vertical version of G1 Magnus's chest hinges. Collapse the torso into the chest a bit. Do another Lugnut-chest on the shells surronding the upper legs, retracting them down to the outside of the lower legs. Use double joints at the hips to allow the tops of the upper legs to rotate slightly up and outwards to form a wider stance and reduce the robot height. Split the chest and move each piece outwards. I'd suggest folding the conning tower into the torso behind the panel that hides the storage hold for the head.

This should allow for a robot mode which is nicely chunky, has very little kibble sticking out, and has full articulation as well as fists and feet which don't have to be part of the hull proper.

[Geminii]

As for other altmodes, this from another thread:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f145/Geminii2/cars.jpg

[Tiby]

Have we have a Chinook helicopter? I also agree with the human alt mode, and the transport vehicles (buses, taxis, etc).

Also, bring back the real baseformers!

[Paulbot]

I would like a nice Leader-sized Transformer Locomotives. G1 Astrotrain's good but I'd like a modern Transformer toy turning into a steam-powered locomotive over those fancy bullet trains. (And I'd be more than pleased to get a Hearts of Steel Bumblebee.)

[1orion2many]

:)I wouldn't mind them producing the complete line from Hearts of Steel, I love the old rivet look:cool:.

[i_amtrunks]

I would like a nice Leader-sized Transformer Locomotives. G1 Astrotrain's good but I'd like a modern Transformer toy turning into a steam-powered locomotive over those fancy bullet trains. (And I'd be more than pleased to get a Hearts of Steel Bumblebee.)

Lets see a Hearts of Steel Trainset, with Prime as the Main Locomotive, and Bumblebee as a shunting yard locomotive. Ratchet, Ironhide/Sideswipe and Gears as the boxcars.

Alternatively you could have an Astrotrain, Insectitrain set with the seeker boxcars ...

Hey I can dream can't I?

[Pulse]

Lets see a Hearts of Steel Trainset, with Prime as the Main Locomotive, and Bumblebee as a shunting yard locomotive. Ratchet, Ironhide/Sideswipe and Gears as the boxcars.

Alternatively you could have an Astrotrain, Insectitrain set with the seeker boxcars ...

Hey I can dream can't I?

Someone's already been turning those dreams (http://www.cyberfembot.com/CustomToys/FerrumCarboMaster/FerrumCarboMaster.htm) into reality (http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/radicons-customs/Scratch-Built/Hearts-Of-Steel-Megatron/)... :)

[Paulbot]

That's tempting... but with the AUD dollar it's very expensive