Transformers Armada, Energon and Cybertron, Anyone have them?

[Zaul]

I'm interested in finding someone who owns them all to ask some advice regarding where I can buy them? If they are worth getting? Ect

Anyone? :D

[TheDirtyDigger]

where I can buy them?



Ebay.


If they are worth getting?

Yes.

[GoktimusPrime]

You can get Super Link and Galaxy Force on DVD from stores in Chinatown - original Japanese dialogue; SL has "Engrish" subtitles and GF has proper English subs! :D

[jaydisc]

If they are worth getting?

Whenever I comb through sale threads on this board and others, it is these figures that people are selling. Take from that what you will. I certainly don't think it's worth it.

[SMHFConvoy]

I'm confused. Are you after the figures or series? 'Cause if you're after figures I might be able to help you with that...

[TheDirtyDigger]

I certainly don't think it's worth it.

I gotta say though there's definitely some good moulds in all of them. That's why they've been reused for Universe/Classics, Movie and Botcon figures. Especially the Cybertron line. And aesthetically, I feel they usually come off much nicer than the Movie lines.

[GoktimusPrime]

JMHO - and I am making generalisations about these lines...

Armada: Generally disappointing (especially considering that it followed CR/RiD). Some of the Mini-Cons are nice, but a lot of the larger figures are overwhelmed by gimmicks which detract from their integrity as action figures. Scavenger is a classic example of this and is full of fail.

Energon: The Super-Link/Powerlinx gimmick was an attempt at updating the old 1989 G1 Multi-Force gimmick, but really didn't work as well (especially by 2004 standards). Figures pretty much tack onto each other, whereas in Multi-Force they also become new gestalt characters (e.g.: Wingwaver is a different entity from both Wing and Waver); and on top of that, the MultiForcers could all combine into a bigger gestalt (Landcross). None of the Super-Link/Powerlinx TFs are able to do that. On top of that some of them are also overwhelmed by gimmicks - Ironhide is an example of this. Some of non-Powerlinking figures are okay, particularly the Basic/Scouts.

Cybertron: As Digger said, there were some nice moulds in this line which have been reused in more recent lines such as Universe, movie etc. Unlike Armada and Energon, most Cybertron Transformers aren't overwhelmed by their gimmicks in a way that it detracts from their action figure integrity. Downshift (later repainted as movie Big Daddy) is a good example of this. He has a decent muscle car mode, good transformation to a good robot mode. He has a Planet Key activated gimmick, but it doesn't overtly intrude on the either mode or the transformation.

[Pipesqueak]

Cybertron is still my favourite post-G1 toy line, there are musts in every size class from scout to supreme (Primus). Start here.

Energon is slightly more hit and miss, but still a solid line. Some suffer a little for the compromises necessary to make their lame combiner modes possible, but generally still work well as individual toys.

Armada is much underrated, even though I am no fan of pointless minicons. In many cases toys that others deride for having poor articulation or being too gimicky I believe are actually ten times more fun and less frustrating than fiddly movie toys or alternators. Armada Hot Shot, for example, is SOOO much better than the recent Universe/Henkei mould.

[Ironhide63]

the way I see it he is after the series...im probably wrong, but, after recently aquiring the G1 boxed set on DVD obviously. Im now moving onto aquiring the rest of the series...starting with...*drum roll* G2. then RID and Energon, armada, cybertron, beast wars, blah blah blah
till i have every last transformers dvd on the planet. how much will this set me back...like, i mean pricing for each series.

[GoktimusPrime]

You know that the G2 cartoon is basically the SAME as the G1 cartoon only with different opening/ending themes and intermittent graphics (which are really annoying!), right? If you want real G2 canon you'll need to get the comics, which have been reprinted. Unlike the G2 cartoon, the G2 comics actually feature G2 Transformers! What a concept! :p It also introduces cool new characters like Jhiaxus and his Second Generation Decepticons - and of course, the Swarm (whose story ties in with Beast Wars).

Links:
An introduction to G2 (http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/marvel/?s=g2_us_intro)
G2 comic reviews (http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/marvel/?s=g2_us_01_06) (Warning: contains plot synopses)

If you already have the G1 cartoon on DVD then I wouldn't bother with the G2 cartoon - you'll find that it's just a massive WOBTAM Waste Of Bloody Time And Money. :/ But hey, don't just take my word for it... just have a look at the G2 version of "More Than Meets The Eye Part 1" here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MAjbv1pDNc
Now do you really want to spend money collecting that? ;)

[Ironhide63]

hmmm...G2 seems to be just a CGI remake of the G1. *crosses G2 off his list*
ONLY IF THEY PAY ME.

[GoktimusPrime]

The G2 cartoon sucks, but the comics are worth reading. :)

[i_amtrunks]

If you are after the series, then I advise trying to track them all down.

Armada is not a good series, and the first half of the series (26 or so episodes) can be painful at times,a s the show had a "pokemon, gotta catch them all" theme where a team of Autobots and Decepticons would duke it out for a new minicon every episode. The last half of the season picks up the pace and story, with the last dozen episodes quite interesting, and shows the Transformers war on a scale not yet revisited.

Armada is better watched in Japanese with Subtitles, the dub is poor, lower quality with translation and consistency than many fandubs of other series.

Energon is also an underwhelming series, probably worse overall than Armada, but much of that comes to the fault of the series being mostly cgi models on a traditionally animated background. The cgi models allow for very little emotion. The story treads water and drags at points, and again teh english dub is fairly mundane, the Japanese version with English subs is again superior.

Finally you have the Cybertron series, which starts slowly but unlike the Armada series, uses this slow start to flesh out the characters and story, the villains are more diverse and the plot twists and turns on a consistent basis. The dub is not as good as the subtitled version yet again, but is more than watchable.

[STL]

If you're referring to them as a toyline, I highly recommend Cybertron. As others alluded to, it has great molds and gives you a full sense of scale that other lines haven't to date.

The reason why Cybertron/Armada/Energon and RiD lines are often sold a lot is b/c unlike things like Animated or Classics, they aren't as closely tired to the core of the TF universe. Hence, when people cull their collections they select what isn't as nostalgic or the Cybertron toy they already have a classics mold of. It's a pity really as I think that in history, Cybertron as a toyline will be forgotten despite its sheer quality.

[iceburn]

i still like Cybertron series the best! :D

[i_amtrunks]

The reason why Cybertron/Armada/Energon and RiD lines are often sold a lot is b/c unlike things like Animated or Classics, they aren't as closely tired to the core of the TF universe.

Very true, many characters (especially minor "decepticons") appear for only a few scenes in a handful of episodes. Wreckloose, Brimstone and Lugnutz may have had all of 10 minutes of screentime, and other characters like Metroplex, Quickmix and Menasor only appeared in the final half dozen episodes for the series. Cybertron had no core character cast like Beast Wars or Animated, unless you count the Decepticon "team" of Megatron, Crumplezone and Ransack.

[iceburn]

Very true, many characters (especially minor "decepticons") appear for only a few scenes in a handful of episodes. Wreckloose, Brimstone and Lugnutz may have had all of 10 minutes of screentime, and other characters like Metroplex, Quickmix and Menasor only appeared in the final half dozen episodes for the series. Cybertron had no core character cast like Beast Wars or Animated, unless you count the Decepticon "team" of Megatron, Crumplezone and Ransack.

Hotshot was the core character in Cybertron Series...same goes for his "brothers" - Red Alert and Scattorshot