Overrated and Underrated Toys

[GoktimusPrime]

There are toys that fans can love or hate despite the inherent designs/engineering being better or worse than fans might give them credit for.

Example of Overrated Toys

• Generation 1 Decepticon Jets: Ah, the Seekers. Widely loved by fans to the point that HasTak can repaint any Starscream mould into his Seeker brethren and we will throw our money at them. They can even make up new guys like Acid Storm and Sunstorm -- have more of our money! Yet when you stop and think about it, the G1 Diaclone Jet moulds are pretty lame, even by early G1 standards. These toys are essentially just "cigars" with lots of detachable accessories tacked all over them. And for no apparent reason the wings and stabilisers are removable! Removable fists, landing gears and weapons are understandable, and these were common things by 80s engineering standards. But why are the wings and stabilisers removable? Their removability serves no purpose! No other G1 jet has needlessly removable wings or stabilisers; Powerglide, Jetfire, the Aerialbots, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Broadside, Sky Lynx, Blast-Off et al. Even having the stabilisers glued on and have the wings attached via pins would've been better. The end result is that a lot of kids lost the detachable parts for the Jets and had nothing but the core "cigar" body. The toy is completely incapable of transforming into a jet, and the robot mode doesn't fair much better.

Examples of Underrated Toys

• Generation 1 Ironhide and Ratchet: Yep, the two Autobot Cars who cop a lot of flak from fans. But is it completely warranted? Consider this - if you lose all the parts for a Decepticon Jet then it's no longer a jet and a fistless robot. If you lose every part for Ironhide and Ratchet the you still have:
  (A) a functional vehicle mode. It's practically a really open ute, but not much better or worse than Kup. It has four wheels and a vehicle front that would house an engine and has a driver's compartment. It still works as a car.
  (B) a functional robot mode. The front section is the robot, and the caboose forms a mobile platform for the robot to stand on. While this platform helps to complete the look of the vehicle, it's unnecessary for the formation of the robot mode.

DISCLAIMER: This doesn't mean that I dislike the G1 Seekers. I love them! But I can also see their inherent design flaws. I also really like G1 Ironhide and Ratchet, but I totally understand why a lot of fans dislike them. The fact that a good chunk of the vehicle is a detachable (and therefore losable) platform is pretty poor - no other Autobot Car has that issue.

[SharkyMcShark]

Overrated
Classics G1 Deluxe Seeker
I've always thought that this mold was trash. It lacks basic articulation, has an uninteresting transformation, odd proportions, and can't even aim it's weapons properly. The alt mode looks fairly terrible from any angle that isn't top down. Can we please get a do-over?

Underrated
Thrilling 30 Voyager Springer
One of the best Transformers figures ever, as far as I'm concerned. I've seen it pilloried as been too lanky. To be fair this is a generally well rated figure, but I think that it's an all time classic.

[dirge]

Underrated: G1 Seekers. Yes. That's right.

Why? While parts needlessly detach, they're not really partsformers. The landing gear and fists are the only parts that need to detach. And I would argue that Transformers wouldn't be where they are today without Screamer, Skywarp and of course (no bias here at all...) Dirge.

Overrated? Many of the Armada "bulks". For the sake of picking what's probably my least favourite, let's say Megatron.

Why? I know Armada sold well, but it largely abandoned the poseability of the Beast Era & Car Robots moulds that preceded it... and while there were still some nice Transformers in the line, the aesthetic pretty much told alt mode realism to go sit on it. Megatron gets the award because he's a relatively unposeable (and expensive) robot with odd colours that turns into a robot lying down pretending to be a tank.

Disclaimer: I swear I'm not just trying to annoy Gok. If I manage to do so... well yeah I'll consider it a bonus

[BigTransformerTrev]

Overrated: MP Star Sabre - never paid so much for a toy I ended up unimpressed with and hope never to again

Overrated? Many of the Armada "bulks". For the sake of picking what's probably my least favourite, let's say Megatron.
D

Heh - I was going to say the Unicron Trilogy toys were underrated. Yeah there were a few unimpressive ones in each line - Smokescreen, Sideswipe and Scavenger from Armada for example, but on the whole I found all 3 lines pretty fun and at least they weren’t the teeny toys you get today. Plus I reckon Mini-Cons and Cyber Keys were better gimmicks than the Prime Masters that turn into cubes we are currently getting

[Jetfire in the sky]

Overrated: MP Star Sabre - never paid so much for a toy I ended up unimpressed with and hope never to again

I would go opposite for this, I'm a massive G1 Star Sabre mark and just think the MP one is amazing.

I think MP-10 is overrated, due to the disproportionate look of OP in bot mode, truck looks lovely though, I'm looking forward to the new one coming out, because I think it will nail bot mode and perhaps sacrifice alt mode, which is fine due to MP-10.


Underrated are the Takatoku G1 figures, all of them. A different aesthetic to the other G1 bots no doubt but they are just so damn cool looking.

[SMHFConvoy]

Overrated: Armada Hoist an "upgrade" of Armada Smokescreen, hampered by the unecessary minicon gimmick

Underrated: Armada Smokescreen, sure 5 points of articulation but hey, fun toy, working winch and the crane is geared to the head swivel.

[dirge]

Heh - I was going to say the Unicron Trilogy toys were underrated. Yeah there were a few unimpressive ones in each line - Smokescreen, Sideswipe and Scavenger from Armada for example, but on the whole I found all 3 lines pretty fun and at least they weren’t the teeny toys you get today. Plus I reckon Mini-Cons and Cyber Keys were better gimmicks than the Prime Masters that turn into cubes we are currently getting

Note that I specifically said Armada bulks. I like the Minicons, overall. I gave away most of my Armada toys, but kept the vast majority of the Minicons!

I didn't care for Cyber Keys... but then I don't care for gimmicks that force a block of "thing" into the Transformer. I'm not a fan of Prime Masters... to the point that I have ignored the add on ones. My Repugnus, Punch etc, the Prime Masters just stayed in the box!

[TaZZerath]

Having such a small collection this is tough for me but I'll try my best.

Underrated: Generations Voyager Brainstorm. I just felt that as soon as TR Brainstorm came along, everyone forgot about this guy. I know he's not a great scale, but for me he is a really faithful IDW representation, and he helped 'feel out' the return of Headmasters for the TR line. Plus he is simple to transform, and has working Tech Specs (which the later TR's lack).

Bonus points for Springer too. I've already touted my love for this guy.

Overrated: Duocons Battleslash/Roadtrap. The idea was a great one; have a Duocon which can actually have individual robot modes. But my GOD the transformations are fiddly. Definitely one of the biggest let-downs in my collection apart from his combined mode, which is how he'll stay.

[Sutton]

While not a specific figure, I think a lot of the time this fandom goes into 'woo-girl' mode when a popular character gets a new toy, even when objectively the new toy has a really average design.

The recent Optimal Optimus is a good example of that, I think, and there's a ton of examples of it about to happen in the new 'Siege' line.

[Galvatran]

Underrated: G1 Seekers. Yes. That's right.

Amen brother (not just coz G1 Dirge was my first Transformer toy either).