Gimmicks That Really Annoy You

Yes I'm starting another thread, so I like discussions ;)

I've just been thinking more and more about the Cyberverse Scout class, and how the toys only partially transform. And it REALLY REALLY bugs me! Why? WHY would you do this? Transformers that don't transform I think actually makes MORE sense than this! Why 'deform' a perfectly good function of a Transformer this way??

There have been PLENTY of other gimmicks that has graced the Transformer toy market as someone comes up with some 'new, fresh' idea to try and sell more of our favourite franchise and some of them have really fallen flat. So what's your biggest gripe from over the years?

Soundboxes. Almost all of them are toy-breaking, either taking up a huge solid chunk where transforming could happen, or tipping the bot mode completely off balance. Unicron Trilogy and Universe 2.0 are probably the worst offenders.

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Originally Posted by Lint

Soundboxes. Almost all of them are toy-breaking, either taking up a huge solid chunk where transforming could happen, or tipping the bot mode completely off balance. Unicron Trilogy and Universe 2.0 are probably the worst offenders.

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I came here to say this.

Battery gimmicks are certainly up there but for me it’s clip on armour.

It’s either wasteful and unnecessary for the figures as it takes away from the budget and size of the toy or adds unwanted costs or it’s a silly gimmick that will end up with bits and pieces of smal plastic pieces falling off, breaking or getting lost by either adult or child fans.

I’m talking more about the RiD style minicon armour sets or even the power of the primes junk more than something more like a shell of armour like ultra Magnus.

I also hate enormous, stupidly absurd weapons such as what we got in the third transformers live action movie or even the combined wars/prime trilogy weapon/armour add ons.

In a franchise that has held scant regard for scale for the most part, Pretenders push that particular concern to extreme degrees. In my opinion, Pretenders are the dumbest concept Transformers have to offer.

More recently, I hated the way that the over-sized Mech Tech weapons lowered the overall size of TFs they were packed with. A wasteful gimmick.

I literally cannot think of a single toy I've owned or seen where the spring loaded missiles were anything but an annoyance. I'm so glad that we're past them now. I also dislike pressure launched missiles, but slightly less than their spring launched counterparts.

Battery boxes managed to gimp a couple of the ROTF Leader Class figures which I adore (Prime and Starscream), but could have gone to the next level if unburdened with the sound and lights gimmick.

Aside from generally thinking that the Unicron trilogy gimmicks were on the whole a bit crippling, I thought that the Energon Deluxe class combination gimmicks were a particularly shithouse.

Obligatory mention for Transformers that don't transform Whether it's Actionmasters, these new Furai Model kits, the old Revoltech or Heroes of Cybertron stuff - what's the point?

Yeah, pretty hard to go past those Cyberverse Legion Class figures. Even Action Masters are arguably better in that they don't give you false hope by offering you something and utterly failing to deliver.

Ultimately I think that it comes down to 2 main things:
1/ Does the gimmick compromise the toy? #WhYmYShOuLdErShUrT?
2/ Does the gimmick actually work?

In this regard I would say that one of the worst gimmicks has got to be Cyberverse Warrior Starscream's Wing Slice gimmick. Aside from heavily compromising the figure itself, the gimmick DOESN'T WORK. You can have a compromised figure if the gimmick works, because then at least you can enjoy the gimmick.
e.g. Armada Hot Shot's gimmick notoriously compromises the toy. But the gimmick works, and it works well. You plug in a Mini-Con and the rear axle instantly springs up and fires the missile -- all in the blink of an eye! NO other toy does this. The gimmick is unique and it functions. The toy has limitations because parts of it were compromised to service the gimmick, but at least there's a trade-off. With CYB Warrior Starscream there is no trade off. The toy is rubbish and services a gimmick that doesn't even work.

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Originally Posted by M-bot

In my opinion, Pretenders are the dumbest concept Transformers have to offer.

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IMO Pretender Bumblebee's core robot alone is a pretty good toy. You could pack his shell away and just enjoy the figure on its own merits. Some of the other 1989 Pretenders were also okay - much better than the '88 ones.
e.g. Bludgeon, Stranglehold etc. -- even Jazz, Grimlock and Starscream were okay considering that they were also Pretenders.
I think the thing that makes the 1989 Pretenders stand out to me is that I can immediately tell what their alt modes are meant to be. You take one glance at Bludgeon and you know he's a tank. Even if you lose his accessories it still looks like an armoured military vehicle. A lot of the 1988 Pretenders were basically just cosplaying contortionists. Bend over, tack on some accessories and pretend that you're a vehicle. The worst Pretenders are the ones who really cannot form any functional alt mode without their accessories - and there are figures guilty of this across both years (e.g. Doubleheader, Pincher, Iguanus, Splashdown etc.). Gunrunner's the absolute worst. His alt mode is kibble for the vehicle (which is the entire accessory). The Pretender Beasts were probably the better of the '88 Pretenders, but a shame that they were never released here.

The Mega Pretenders and Ultra Pretenders are super lame. Thunderwing's the best of that lot, but that's like saying that Shockwave is the best Cyberverse toy. It's easy being a big fish in a small pond. :p

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Originally Posted by M-bot

More recently, I hated the way that the over-sized Mech Tech weapons lowered the overall size of TFs they were packed with. A wasteful gimmick.

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I didn't mind the downsizing as much, but what I disliked more where the Deluxe Class weapons that wouldn't stay deployed, making the deployed mode useless. Especially melee weapons. What's the point of having an axe or sword if the blade won't stay out?

Soundboxes is the biggest offender. The best use i have seen of it is the giant 1-step Grimlock. Other than that, they are usually easy to trigger and annoying and take up too much transformersing room.

Coming home I thought about opening my TR Predaking. Then I thought “wait, does it need stickers like Metroplex and Trypticon?” And because I don’t know for sure I haven’t opened it. So this tells me: I really hate stickers.

(And this goes for ones we need to apply and the recent voyagers with preapplied stickers.)

Anything that doesn't completely transform into a recognizable alt-mode, i.e. Cyberverse, Action Masters, etc.

I’m in the overwhelming minority here. It has to the be hands down the transforming. So frustrating for MISB collectors.

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Originally Posted by FatalityPitt

Anything that doesn't completely transform into a recognizable alt-mode, i.e. Cyberverse, Action Masters, etc.

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Bayformers Megatron? ;)

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

Bayformers Megatron? ;)

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To be fair he does transform into SOMEthing....

... that only The Fallen could love....

BW snarl has the lamest gimmick of bws. Does it work for anyone?

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

Bayformers Megatron? ;)

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Bayformers Megs was redeemed in TLK thanks to the stylised jet mode (and in DotM with the truck mode to be fair). The 2007 and RotF alt-mode designs looked like they weren't really trying.

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Originally Posted by Paulbot

Coming home I thought about opening my TR Predaking. Then I thought “wait, does it need stickers like Metroplex and Trypticon?” And because I don’t know for sure I haven’t opened it. So this tells me: I really hate stickers.

(And this goes for ones we need to apply and the recent voyagers with preapplied stickers.)

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POTP Predaking has 87 stickers to be precise :eek: 37 of which go on Divebomb! :D

I am not a fan of the oversized weapons that came with the Bay Movie Mechtech Deluxes either and same goes for some of the WFC Generations Figures. Sideswipe comes to mind...already a downsized figure compared to the Optimus/Megatron Wave, so they fill the mass with a huge weapon that adds no value to the figure IMO.
One steps are usually an easy pass for me too as I feel the engineering usually makes the robot look off, unless there is no deluxe/warrior option available (Springload from RID is a classic example) Great for kids but not for me...

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Originally Posted by Autocon

BW snarl has the lamest gimmick of bws. Does it work for anyone?

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Heh, true... Retrax has a more compromising gimmick but it does work well. Very well. Plus he was everyone's default Unicron toy until Armada. :p

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Originally Posted by FatalityPitt

Bayformers Megs was redeemed in TLK thanks to the stylised jet mode (and in DotM with the truck mode to be fair). The 2007 and RotF alt-mode designs looked like they weren't really trying.

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I'm not a fan of the fictitious space jet on TLK Megatron. Makes no sense storywise either. My favourite Bayformers Megatron is DOTM (Mack truck) <---proper robot in disguise.

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Originally Posted by Ravagecat

One steps are usually an easy pass for me too as I feel the engineering usually makes the robot look off, unless there is no deluxe/warrior option available (Springload from RID is a classic example) Great for kids but not for me...

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I don't think they're even that great for kids. The Flipchangers that we had in Beast Wars, Machine Wars and RID were great for kids and adults. IMO a good gimmick is also a timeless one. I don't imagine too many kids continuing to play with most One Step Changers toys as they get older, whereas I still enjoy playing with Flipchangers today (was playing w/ my MW Megatron just a few days ago :D). Flipchangers gave us the option of instant change but still maintaining a full action figure with 9 points of articulation and stowable weapons. All for what would be about $15 in today's money.

I'd like to throw my disdain at the MechTech gimmick on the DOTM figures and TFPrime voyagers as well.

G1 jump starter gimmick, I’ve had twintwist for over 30 years and not once has that sucker landed on his feet.

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Originally Posted by ZoonMaster5000

G1 jump starter gimmick, I’ve had twintwist for over 30 years and not once has that sucker landed on his feet.

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Poor Twin Twist. Always wrecking, never ruling.

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Originally Posted by Lint

Soundboxes. Almost all of them are toy-breaking, either taking up a huge solid chunk where transforming could happen, or tipping the bot mode completely off balance. Unicron Trilogy and Universe 2.0 are probably the worst offenders.

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Originally Posted by dirge

I came here to say this.

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Originally Posted by Deonasis

Soundboxes is the biggest offender. The best use i have seen of it is the giant 1-step Grimlock. Other than that, they are usually easy to trigger and annoying and take up too much transformersing room.

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This, this and this.

I don't mind a sound effect here or there, but the amount of space taken up that the rest of the toy has to build around, nearly always compromising the transformation is never ever worth it.

the mech tech weapons that would not lock in position.

headmasters for the same reason as electronics boxes. theoretically they should allow for a more interesting transformation because there is no longer a head that has to be allowed for, but then there is now a cockpit that has to be allowed for and it's always much bigger than the head. on Rare occasions there is a super elegant design that absorbs the cockpit into the transformation, otherwise they get in the way of a more interesting transformation.

IMO one thing that people can bear in mind when appraising gimmicks and toys, as with many other things, liking or enjoying something is not necessarily a qualitative measure. We can all like or enjoy things that we know aren't good, or are actually quite bad.
For example...
* We can enjoy bad films. Did I enjoy watching Bayformers? Yeah. Are they good films? Hell no (well, the first is good - not great, but good)
* We can enjoy junk food. Do I enjoy eating Maccas? Hell yeah. Does it have nutritional value? Hell no!
* Many smokers enjoy smoking even though they know it's bad.
Okay, getting extreme with my examples here. :p But you get the idea. You can enjoy a gimmick and thus really love the toy. But you can also recognise that it's an inherently flawed toy.

Alright, so some examples with Transformers toys...

• Throttlebots: I love this gimmick to bits. I love the Throttlebots. Those of you who attended Sabretron 2004 will remember that we had a Throttlebot racing event. ;) But I cannot deny that they're pretty poorly made action figures that are slave to their gimmick, as much as I love the gimmick.

• Battlechargers: When I attended a Melbourne fan meet in 2001 I was staying at my cousins' house, and one of them who was still in primary school at the time, started playing with a G1 Runamuck. She absolutely loved it and thought it was the coolest thing ever. About a year later she came and visited me and thought that my BM Deployers were really awesome. Now I think that the Battlechargers and Deployers are both pretty lame sets of toys, but my cousin thought that they were, as you Victorians say, "grouse!" :D The gimmicks are obviously enjoyable, even though the toys are pretty poor figures.

• Armada Scavenger: Yeah, this! Earlier this year I attended a fan meet in Sydney and spoke to a QLD fan who told me that he loves Armada Scavenger. I asked him how he could enjoy such an awful toy that's so badly compromised by its gimmick, and he told me that it's because he just really loves that stomping leg gimmick. He pointed out that he finds it really fun and that it's unique -- no other mould in all of Transformers has that gimmick.

At the end of the day, it's okay to like something that you think is bad. Or dislike something that you think is good! :)

You guys beat me - all the ones I was going to say have already been said :p

So I’ll just list mine:
*half transformations (the new Cyberverse)
*stickers - they are annoying to put on and eventually come off
*batteries and soundboxes (though I liked the transforming sound on Energon Bulkhead)
*from G1 I didn’t like Headmasters and Pretenders. Headmasters as if you lost the head the toy became useless and Pretenders as I didn’t like organic shells. I don’t hugely like how they have been done in the Prime Wars Trilogy either - I’m pretty sure my son lost Alpha Trions head :(

Sharky has already mentioned it but the worst gimmick for a transformer is not being able to transform. :mad:

Batteries for sound or lighting gimmicks. :mad: They're OK for lines aimed at younger audience, but i don't want them for MPs or CHUGs. At best, they're distracting and i have to remove them to avoid battery leakage; at worst, they compromise toy design and transformation.

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Originally Posted by Galvatran

I’m in the overwhelming minority here. It has to the be hands down the transforming. So frustrating for MISB collectors.

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:D

I am an MISB collector who enjoys knowing that my minty sealed toy is able to transform.

Perhaps you should focus on collecting carded Actionmasters. Lol.

Heads that have to come off when transforming a figure. Yes Titans Return, I’m talking about you.

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Originally Posted by Omega Metro

Heads that have to come off when transforming a figure. Yes Titans Return, I’m talking about you.

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And sometimes Universe 2.0 :p

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Originally Posted by Galvatran

I’m in the overwhelming minority here. It has to the be hands down the transforming. So frustrating for MISB collectors.

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I feel your pain. And so does my wallet. I keep a majority of my figures MOC. I think about 20% of my post 2010 collection are loose, and some of them are duplicates of figures I keep MOC/MISB. Fortunately I only collect Generations/G1.

For me my pet peeve is the combiner wars hands and feet they don't need to be interchangeable and as the upgrade kits show they could've been so much better

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Originally Posted by High_Q

Batteries for sound or lighting gimmicks.

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+1.