Ode to a Grasshopper
16th September 2009, 04:09 PM
Is it just me or do Hasbro pretty much always end up doing store-exclusive multi-packs with only one figure you really want?
I've been thinking about the upcoming US TRU Back Street Brawl 2-pack (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=5637) quite a bit lately, and it's made me realise that this
Oh great, another $80 2 pack which only has one toy I really want. :mad:sums up my response to pretty much every multi-pack released here for the live-action movie lines (that or just plain not interested). Admittedly, Blackout and Scorponok weren't bad, though even then the size issue & Scorpy's lame robot mode means I'd sooner just grab Blackout on his own and pick up Legends Scorpy instead, and I would have liked to have gotten my hands on a few of the Real Gear 2-packs (Mass Media Battle and Robo Recon Team). I could even go the Masters of Metallikato 2-pack if there wasn't a tank Bludgeon coming out and there weren't so many variants of the Blackout mold already, but all in all they seem to be a pretty sad bunch and not worth forking out the hefty prices when they only have one toy I want.
In this instance like most of us I would like Hoist, but have no interest in the fugly Mixmaster redeco, and so will skip on buying it until it's on a major sale price or I find a loose Hoist on Ebay. Yet I also find there is a lot of potential for multipacks, it's just that the characters/mold combos we actually get don't do much for me.
So this thread was born as a place where we, 'the fans', can suggest multipacks we'd like to see (either modified from present ones or completely new, redecoes and/or repacks), and give our reasons why.:)
Odie's many suggestions.
Firstly, I'd like to see the Back Street Brawl duo split.
Hoist should be paired with a repackaged Movie1 Mudflap (who'd have to be renamed, I favour a return to Erector :D) in a construction-themed scenario. A lot of fans (myself included) would use RotF Hoist for a pseudo-Classics Hoist, and as Mudflap lacks insignia he would make a decent Classics Grapple IMO. Even if they packaged Mudflap as a Decepticon, if they had the bio set the scene at a solar power facility/tower, and mentioned that the two 'grapple for supremacy' I think most fans would get the idea.
For homage Mixmaster, I'd go for either a red redeco of RotF Rampage, or a (maybe slightly redecoed to have all-grey thighs) Cybertron Landmine, who could be renamed Scoop or, if left without faction insignia sort of pass for Scrapper (who apparently is not to receive a toy outside of Legends class). Also, with the Cyber-key gimmick Cyb Landmine sort of has a third 'battle platform' mode, which also fits.
Both packs would then still be made up of a Deluxe and a Voyager (albeit not necessarily both from the Movie-line), would have consistent construction-based themes, wouldn't require new molds, and would pass as Classics (Hoist & 'Erector/Grapple') or help fill out the on-screen RotF cast (Mixmaster & red Rampage/'Scoop/Scrapper'). They could be sold as Autobot vs Decepticon packs, or complementary same-faction packs.
Another (albeit more expensive) pairing for Mixmaster could be with the Classics/Energon Constructicon Maximus combiner. The Energon bots would be reasonably scaled with Mixmaster's battle platform mode, it makes it the 'classic' team of six and gives all three Energon combiners a reissue for RotF. Admittedly the presence of RotF Devs makes this one less of a smart move, unless they were going for the cheap alternative to the big-version angle, but with a suitably timed release this could still work without detracting too much from Gorillastator sales.
Deluxe-collection-wise, a Rotf Ravage/blue Soundwave pack (EDIT-or a Legends kitteh) is a no-brainer rather than Bluewave being packed in with the Fallen and Movie1 Megs in the Gathering at Nemesis set, which could feature a voyager Deep Space Starscream instead'. And let us not forget the three Arcee bots, what with the combiner gimmick and all.
Scout-class wise, rather than the fairly random "Warriors from three worlds" I'd like to see a collection of bike-bots (i.e. Cybertron Ransack, Lugnutz, and maybe a Firestar-esque Energon Arcee-bike repaint) or some sort of land/sea/air Scout collection. Another collection I'd like to see is all three of the Movie1 Omnicon repaints sans Arcee, and a comparative Terrorcon collection minus Battle/Command Ravage, with Arcee and Battle/Command Ravage being released in a separate 2-pack.
On a non-movie note, it'd be great to see a Beast Wars collection of Optimus Primal, B'Boom, and Optimus Minor. They could call it Metal Monkey Militia.:D
Lastly (for now), it would have been nice if the 2008 Crumplezone/Cybertron Optimus Prime had included the red and blue Universe Voyager Leo Prime instead of Crumplezone. Since Hasbro released a redeco of Cybertron Wing Saber in Movie1 it would have provided an incentive to get the pack from people who bought Movie Wingblade, given an explanation for Leo Prime's garish colour scheme, and allowed a solo mass release of the Leobreaker mold being used for a mass-release Razorclaw instead of him being a Botcon exclusive:( (who still could have done a white Leo Prime).
That's me spent for now, what are your suggestions?
I've been thinking about the upcoming US TRU Back Street Brawl 2-pack (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=5637) quite a bit lately, and it's made me realise that this
Oh great, another $80 2 pack which only has one toy I really want. :mad:sums up my response to pretty much every multi-pack released here for the live-action movie lines (that or just plain not interested). Admittedly, Blackout and Scorponok weren't bad, though even then the size issue & Scorpy's lame robot mode means I'd sooner just grab Blackout on his own and pick up Legends Scorpy instead, and I would have liked to have gotten my hands on a few of the Real Gear 2-packs (Mass Media Battle and Robo Recon Team). I could even go the Masters of Metallikato 2-pack if there wasn't a tank Bludgeon coming out and there weren't so many variants of the Blackout mold already, but all in all they seem to be a pretty sad bunch and not worth forking out the hefty prices when they only have one toy I want.
In this instance like most of us I would like Hoist, but have no interest in the fugly Mixmaster redeco, and so will skip on buying it until it's on a major sale price or I find a loose Hoist on Ebay. Yet I also find there is a lot of potential for multipacks, it's just that the characters/mold combos we actually get don't do much for me.
So this thread was born as a place where we, 'the fans', can suggest multipacks we'd like to see (either modified from present ones or completely new, redecoes and/or repacks), and give our reasons why.:)
Odie's many suggestions.
Firstly, I'd like to see the Back Street Brawl duo split.
Hoist should be paired with a repackaged Movie1 Mudflap (who'd have to be renamed, I favour a return to Erector :D) in a construction-themed scenario. A lot of fans (myself included) would use RotF Hoist for a pseudo-Classics Hoist, and as Mudflap lacks insignia he would make a decent Classics Grapple IMO. Even if they packaged Mudflap as a Decepticon, if they had the bio set the scene at a solar power facility/tower, and mentioned that the two 'grapple for supremacy' I think most fans would get the idea.
For homage Mixmaster, I'd go for either a red redeco of RotF Rampage, or a (maybe slightly redecoed to have all-grey thighs) Cybertron Landmine, who could be renamed Scoop or, if left without faction insignia sort of pass for Scrapper (who apparently is not to receive a toy outside of Legends class). Also, with the Cyber-key gimmick Cyb Landmine sort of has a third 'battle platform' mode, which also fits.
Both packs would then still be made up of a Deluxe and a Voyager (albeit not necessarily both from the Movie-line), would have consistent construction-based themes, wouldn't require new molds, and would pass as Classics (Hoist & 'Erector/Grapple') or help fill out the on-screen RotF cast (Mixmaster & red Rampage/'Scoop/Scrapper'). They could be sold as Autobot vs Decepticon packs, or complementary same-faction packs.
Another (albeit more expensive) pairing for Mixmaster could be with the Classics/Energon Constructicon Maximus combiner. The Energon bots would be reasonably scaled with Mixmaster's battle platform mode, it makes it the 'classic' team of six and gives all three Energon combiners a reissue for RotF. Admittedly the presence of RotF Devs makes this one less of a smart move, unless they were going for the cheap alternative to the big-version angle, but with a suitably timed release this could still work without detracting too much from Gorillastator sales.
Deluxe-collection-wise, a Rotf Ravage/blue Soundwave pack (EDIT-or a Legends kitteh) is a no-brainer rather than Bluewave being packed in with the Fallen and Movie1 Megs in the Gathering at Nemesis set, which could feature a voyager Deep Space Starscream instead'. And let us not forget the three Arcee bots, what with the combiner gimmick and all.
Scout-class wise, rather than the fairly random "Warriors from three worlds" I'd like to see a collection of bike-bots (i.e. Cybertron Ransack, Lugnutz, and maybe a Firestar-esque Energon Arcee-bike repaint) or some sort of land/sea/air Scout collection. Another collection I'd like to see is all three of the Movie1 Omnicon repaints sans Arcee, and a comparative Terrorcon collection minus Battle/Command Ravage, with Arcee and Battle/Command Ravage being released in a separate 2-pack.
On a non-movie note, it'd be great to see a Beast Wars collection of Optimus Primal, B'Boom, and Optimus Minor. They could call it Metal Monkey Militia.:D
Lastly (for now), it would have been nice if the 2008 Crumplezone/Cybertron Optimus Prime had included the red and blue Universe Voyager Leo Prime instead of Crumplezone. Since Hasbro released a redeco of Cybertron Wing Saber in Movie1 it would have provided an incentive to get the pack from people who bought Movie Wingblade, given an explanation for Leo Prime's garish colour scheme, and allowed a solo mass release of the Leobreaker mold being used for a mass-release Razorclaw instead of him being a Botcon exclusive:( (who still could have done a white Leo Prime).
That's me spent for now, what are your suggestions?