But assessing a G1 toy, even a reissue, by 2008 standards is looking at that toy out of context. That would be akin to:Originally Posted by STL
+ Comparing a remastered version of Star Wars "A New Hope" with "Revenge of the Sith" and saying that the special effects in Episode IV are bad compared to 2005 standards.
+ Looking at a Samurai sword that was recently forged and saying that it's a terrible weapon compared to a modern day automatic assault rifle.
+ Looking at a reconstructed vintage sports car and saying that its performance and features are bad compared to modern day sports car.
G1 reissues are basically reproductions of vintage/classic toys. They're never intended to be on par with contemporary toy engineering - the entire point of the toy is the old-school authenticity. If they made Sky Lynx comparable with Classics/Universe/Henkei, then it simply would no longer be a G1 Sky Lynx toy, but something entirely different, which is wrong when you're aiming to be produce a historically accurate reproduction.
Again, it's a lot like participating in a Medieval and Renaissance event... you are required to dress, speak, eat etc. in period (with certain exceptions like modern hygiene). I gotta tell ya, Medieval and Renaissance European food tastes like crap (if I never have to eat plain couscous again it'll be too soon (-_-)), and eating in a hall purely by candle light is almost like eating in the freakin' dark when you're used to light bulbs. I now know how to pour a drink in the dark.
And most of these recreational societies choose to live like nobility - and even then it's pretty effed up... I shudder to think how most common folk would've lived (literally in their own filth). I used to be Herald... shouting at the top of my lungs to address an audience is no way near as effective as using a microphone! But the entire point (and fun) of participating in these events is to experience a piece of history. The more modern technology and practices we introduce the less authentic the experience becomes.
Living like this was bloody uncomfortable and inconvenient, but at the same time a lot of fun from a historical perspective
The same goes for reissues. People buy these toys hoping to experience history from their childhood. If you were to remake these toys with modern engineering, then you've lost the entire point and appeal of making reissues in the first place. Toywise Henkei Sunstreaker craps all over G1 Sunstreaker - but there's something Henkei/Universe Sunstreaker can never do... it can never be Generation 1!
There are two entirely different levels of appreciation when it comes to old school and new toys and one needs to appreciate them in their appropriate context. Think of your favourite toy from 2008. That toy may be considered utter garbage in 5-10 years' time. Is that to say that the toy is inherently bad? Of course not... by 2008 standards you might say it's a darn good toy, but by 2018 standards it might be rubbish... but of course, the toy wasn't designed in 2018!
Sky Lynx may have been reissued in 2008 but he was designed in the mid-1980s. The reissue, being faithful to the G1 design, remains relatively unchanged. The strength and appeal of a G1 reissue is its authenticity and historical accuracy.
I consider Apex Armour Optimus Prime to be a poor reissue because it's historically inaccurate and inauthentic to the original Optimus Prime toy, which is a very different toy from Ginrai. Likewise I don't consider Hasbro's Soundwave reissue to be a good reissue either because it's just a repainted reissue Soundblaster. A lot of people seem to think that 25th Anniversary Optimus Prime is a poor reissue of G1 Prime because of the newtered smokestacks, ridiculously oversized missiles and cartoonish bright colours (particularly the pink cab). In other words, these toys are not considered to be bad reissues because they're poorly engineered or because their designs don't match contemporary standards, but because within the context of being G1 reproductions they not authentic.
If people want a modern realisation of a G1 character, they'll buy Classics/Henkei/Universe. When they want an authentic reproduction of a G1 toy, they will look at reissues.
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I have the original trilogy DVD box set where they released 2 versions of each movie - unmastered (where you can even see the strings attached to the models) and digitally remastered (where they've used CGI to correct and remake a lot of effects shots). The fact that they've given collectors the option to watch the movies unmastered means that a lot of fans would like to watch the movies without corrections - but it doesn't mean that they would pan out things like the orange vaseline line underneath Luke's landspeeder... they're appreciating that these special effects were groundbreakingly awesome by 1970s/80s standards.
