2023 Walmart Generations exclusives - Gen2 Universe redecos

[griffin]

This year's Walmart exclusive subline of Generations is the G2 Universe, with several redecos that have never been released before (and only more recently seen just as concept artwork from the 90s archives).

Even though most of these have been posted up in our sightings and Oz news sections for the pre-order listings at JBHifi (as they appear to have the exclusive first release of these in Australia... instead of Kmart and EBGames, who had the previous 4 years of Walmart exclusive redecos), but as they have now started showing up in America, here is a quick rundown of each...

Leader
- Toxitron - green/purple redeco of Legacy G2 Laser Optimus
- Grimlock - orange redeco of Studio Series Grimlock (this was not revealed before it was found in a US store this week - so maybe it was meant to be the wave 2 Leader, but was swapped around late, or released too early, because the Walmart sublines never have more than 1 Leader pack per wave)

Voyager
- Cloudcover - sky blue redeco of Earthrise Ramjet

Deluxe
- Dead End - red redeco Legacy Dead End
- Mirage - green/purple redeco Kingdom Mirage
- Jazz - orange redeco Studio Series Jazz
- Sideswipe - yellow/blue redeco Kingdom Sideswipe
- Laser Cycle - white/yellow redeco Legacy Velocitron Road Rocket (homaging the unreleased G2 Laser Cycle Jazz toy, but probably wasn't called Jazz because we already have a Jazz toy in this wave)


As noted above, JBHifi have most of these listed for pre-order in Australia, with Toxitron noted for July 19th and the rest for August 1st.
They just don't have Grimlock listed yet... and as it was also noted above, I have a feeling that Grimlock wasn't supposed to be released with this first wave, but since it has appeared at retail in America without Toxitron (who was revealed first), I am wondering if these have been swapped around, will it affect its planned release here of just a few days time. (I don't know if it has come out in Asia already)


So far found in America...
- Leader Grimlock
https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/07/14/...-retail-489573
- Deluxes (all 5 found)
https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/07/15/...-images-489896

I don't recall if these were being called Toxitron collection by Walmart, or if the fansites called it that because Toxitron was the first one revealed. I think that since the packaging says G2 Universe, that's what I will call this subline.
The battle scene artwork on the side of the packaging looks to have been G2-ified as well.

[Handsprime]

Hasbro Pulse does call it the Toxitron Collection in the description.

[griffin]

Fair enough.

I see that it is on the official product description, but I couldn't find it anywhere on the packaging or instructions (yet).

TOXITRON COLLECTION: A collection of Transformers robots has risen out of the Toxic Sludge Swamps of Cybertron! Toxitron is unleashing radioactive mayhem with a team of toxic warriors

[griffin]

Toxitron and Cloudcover are now being found in America too... which is all of them in the last few days, which must have had an official release date at Walmart.


I still think that one of the two Leaders is not meant to be released yet as they are both solid cases... and with Grimlock being the one that hadn't been officially revealed yet, it makes me think that it's appearance at a store was an accidental release from Hasbro or the factory with the Toxitron cases.

Also - it is worth noting that with Walmart once again having 5 Deluxe toys in a master carton of 8, two of them are short packed (Hasbro really should do something about that, as these short-packed toys are often the ones that fans want more, or look better on the shelf to the regular public).
Sideswipe and Deadend are short-packed (one of each), with 2 of the others (Laser Cycle, Jazz and Mirage).
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...07127928081406

I think Laser Cycle could have easily been short-packed, as that mould shelf-warmed from the last Walmart series... not to mention, it didn't even get a proper name. For those who aren't buying everything in this series for the nostalgia of Gen2, I think Sideswipe and Deadend would have been in highest demand, as one pairs up with the black Dragstrip from Walmart's last subline, and Sideswipe is a very sporty car in a very bright, eye-catching yellow. Then again, these colour schemes are going to have some fans loving them, and some fans detesting them.
These Gen2 redecos are very "niche market", and you can tell why they never made it to production in the 1990s, as the colours might be eye-catching to regular shoppers, but I can't imagine too many being bought by non-fans. Most of the sales are going to be pre-orders to fans. And even then, it is a very small number of fans who have a nostalgia of the early 1990s (pre-Beast Wars) era of Transformers. Not only did that era fail and get the axe early, but the last time Hasbro attempted a decent number of Gen2 homage toys was with Combiner Wars, and that was axed before they did all of the teams in Gen2 colours.

The reason why I am point this out is, in case JBHifi gets these master cartons instead of solid cases of each toy - it could lead to an over-selling of the short-packed pair during pre-orders, if JB were led to believe that they would have equal amounts of each Deluxe toy. Hopefully these are so niche, that they won't sell out of any of them or over-sell out, but get your pre-orders in as early as you can.


So... it looks like Walmart are the exclusive source for Gen2 redeco Legacy Stunticons, but at one per year, will we see a Gen2 Menasor if they don't keep this up for the next 3 years. It would also mean that the other three won't be released in some other way if they are being set aside for Walmart to have first bite at them... and with Walmart maintaining rights to their exclusives for a year or so, we won't see a release of a complete set (of released and unreleased Stunticons) until well after Walmart decides that they don't want to do any more of the team.

[griffin]

I know that some people were being notified by JBHifi that some of their pre-orders had recently been pushed back, and I don't know if this is related, but I can't see any of their Gen2 redecos listings anymore.

I hope it is just a temporary thing and that they haven't put a stop to their pre-orders, as I haven't yet had a chance to go into my nearest store to order the four Deluxe toys that were put up recently.
I might go in today to see if they can still order them with the SKUs.

[griffin]

I called up the JBHifi number to ask why they would no longer allow people to pre-order items to collect in-store without paying postage for items that were being shipped to the store anyway... but ended up talking to someone who was just there to answer calls and was unfamiliar with the problem, so I didn't end up getting anywhere with trying to get the problem fixed.
Unless a listing specifically says that it is delivery only, the stores are getting stock sent to them, and before June all of those Transformers toys could be pre-ordered online for pickup at a store. I just want that fixed, so that I don't have to always go to a store to do the order, particularly if I was wanting to pre-pay for an item.

As for the missing Gen2 redeco listings - I was at my nearest store and was able to pre-order the remaining four Deluxe toys by using their SKUs, which I had fortunately written down a week ago (I haven't been able to go out for over a week, but wrote down everything ready for when I could get to the store).
Now to see if they still get the stock, and enough of it to cover my order.

BTW, the Toxitron toy was meant to be out tomorrow, but has indeed been pushed back to August 31st. I wouldn't be surprised if the other Gen2 redecos (which had August 1st as their release dates) have been pushed back to that day as well.

[Paulbot]

So... it looks like Walmart are the exclusive source for Gen2 redeco Legacy Stunticons, but at one per year, will we see a Gen2 Menasor if they don't keep this up for the next 3 years. It would also mean that the other three won't be released in some other way if they are being set aside for Walmart to have first bite at them... and with Walmart maintaining rights to their exclusives for a year or so, we won't see a release of a complete set (of released and unreleased Stunticons) until well after Walmart decides that they don't want to do any more of the team.

Having a Commander class figure as a store exclusive is going to be the tricky point I think. I could imagine G2 Motormaster being released in Generations Select (like Omega Sentinel), and if that was the case I could also see them doing a Gen Selects 2-pack G2 Wildrider and G2 Breakdown if next year's exclusive theme doesn't suit including G2 colours or a sportscar.