The Soapbox VII: The Top 10 Transformers of 2008
It’s that time of year again where we start reflecting on the year that was, the toys that were. In 2008, we saw a litany of new toys hit the shelves. As the movie line drew to a close, an air of expectation was in the air. It was an exciting year, where we were exposed to a whole new engineering paradigm. Some greeted it with open contempt, some embraced it. Then there was the revitalization of Classics, something that the won the unanimous support of the entire collecting community. But what were the top 10 Transformers of 2008? Let’s have a look.
1.) City Commander: Classics 1.0 Ultra Magnus
This is perhaps the most contentious selection on this list at first glance. City Commander isn’t even a complete Transformer. It’s simply a piece of armour that transforms into a trailer. And while that argument is appreciated, City Commander cannot be viewed in isolation. It has one simple reason for its existence: Classics 1.0 Ultra Magnus. A mediocre repaint at best, Ultra Magnus did little to inspire.
But City Commander changed all that.
Since its announcement in the early part of the year, the unadulterated fervor that bubbled away in expectation was unmistakable. And once it reached the eager hands of fandom there was no turning back. City Commander is an amazing feat of engineering and creativity. It radiates nostalgia and it goes to the heart of Ultra Magnus’ character. The synergy of all that and its thoughtfulness, its subtle beauty, its packaging, its instructions all work together to produce an amazing representation of a G1 cornerstone.
And that’s not all. With City Commander, a new era in collecting began. Mass-market customisation projects have and will continue to follow because there is one certainty: get it right and there will be no shortage of demand. It’s a toy that sits heads and shoulders above the rest 2008 toys because it comes up tops in every category and that’s a feat few other toys will match this year.
2.) TFA Cybertron Optimus Prime
From City Commander, the list became harder to compose. But it was, quite sadly, very easy to look past TFM and Classics 2.0 to Animated to look for this year’s contenders. Cybertron Optimus Prime takes the cake for the best Animated toy. There’s a few other toys that vy for that title but they are each plagued with their inadequacies. Perhaps Cybertron Optimus Prime’s failing is that this mode is not the primary version of Optimus Prime in the cartoon. But that’s irrelevant.
Cybertron Prime is yet another amazing feat of engineering.
Engineering aside, the personality of this figure is so strong. It’s the only version that gives us the real face of Animated Optimus Prime. Not the Voyager’s strange compromise between faceplate and mouth, not the complete absence of his mouth in Supreme and Deluxe Earth mode. His curves give him that bulkiness of a leader in waiting, a soldier ready to step up though he’s not there yet. He’s a fighter and that is very much in line with his cartoon persona.
3.) TFA Ultra Magnus
A wonderful leader class toy. There’s a lot to like about this toy. It has presence and again, as is familiar with the Animated line, the toy captures the personality of the character exceptionally well. Armed to the teeth, full of authority in both modes, Leader Class Ultra Magnus is an absolute delight. The transformation is ingenious too. The way the leg folds are extremely original and the first instance I can think of that uses them so cleverly. The arms are somewhat frustrating, however, requiring more force than elegance to put them into place whether it is going from robot mode to alt mode and vice versa.
4.) Classics 2.0 Sunstreaker
Classics 2.0 has challenged the boundaries of TF engineering. To date, there have been mixed results which I feel will only inevitably lead to a better Classics 3.0 as TF engineering has progressed leaps and bounds since Armada. The best of the toys produced in my estimation is Sunstreaker. It has its deficiencies, the colours being the primary point of contention. But it really is a minor issue.
That issue aside, it is a very solid mold. Even more so though what this mould does incredibly well is open the door to various other molds. Punch/Counterpunch, Sideswipe and Red Alert. Normally something must be sacrificed to use a mold so much without it being a repaint but to me, this toy is a feat of engineering because it achieves all that without sacrificing the integrity of the toy.
But it doesn’t stop there. On top of the versatility, the toy just radiates character. The face mold is exceptional and captures that punk and brawling attitude of Sunstreaker. Then there’s the articulation which is so perfect. Balance is great. The gimmicks are stowable. The transformation is fun and very BT/Alternator like,
5.) Henkei D-02 Megatron
Necessary.
That’s probably the best way to sum up this toy. It followed Classics 1.0 Megatron by a long way, almost 2 years but there’s no doubting the necessity of this toy. It was very high on almost everyone’s acquisition list this year if they could afford it. We’re already acquainted with the engineering fun of this toy but the recolour gave us the real Megatron we know and love. It wasn’t perfect but you’d be hard pressed to find a collector who didn’t pursue it.
6.) TFA Oil Slick
A gem of a toy but unfortunately destined to be a shelfwarmer due to the periphery nature of the toy. Motorcycles have always been hard to design for Transformers. The first instance I ever remember of a Transformers motorcycle was G1 Grooves. Chunky and footless, a hardly admirable effort. Over the years there have been more efforts in the form of G1 Override, Armada Sideways, Energon Arcee, Cybertron Hightail, Cybertron Ransack, Cybertron Lugnutz, Marvel Crossovers Spider-Man etc. There’s always been an issue of juggling balance, solidity, evenness and articulation. Animated Prowl claim so close to being perfect but there was the lack of hinges/support at the back of his foot which means he has a propensity to tip over and fall flat on his face.
Oil Slick has no such issues. The toy is a wonderful and nasty looking toy with exceptional balance and articulation. There’s so much detail and thought behind the design that it’s hard not to like. The unique “Mr. Freeze” head mold is the first amongst Transformers that I can think of. I personally like the eerie look that it offers though I have fancied removing it to see what its like.
The things that really stand out about this mold is that it has a great brooding personality, almost sinister. You can already tell what type of personality he’ll have despite not having watched him once in the cartoon. The transformation is well executed. The way the front horns on the head of the bike fold which change them into arm decorations is just one of many examples of the thought put into designing this toy. There are also two mini-barrels that turn into weapons. The first barrel is a canister of some type or gun. It’s pretty useless and you unfortunately can’t really tell. But the second barrel splits into two haves connected by a chain, making it one of the most unique weapons that Transformers have ever had. It opens a great range of poses one can strike with the toy and just adds to the menacing feel of Oil Slick.
7.) Titanium War Within Grimlock
Not one that was easy to come into possession of, the Titanium line has been long maligned. Ironically, when it was first announced year’s back, there was a segment of fandom that joyously celebrated the return of diecast. The few dissenters pointed out that this could bring with it many problems relating to articulation and balance. They were not heard. Yet as the line began, those points were validated and the line was looked upon with contempt by most collectors.
The last few offerings of the Titanium line though have been increasingly better. With the passage of time, Hasbro seemed to get the mix right. Grimlock is among the best that the Titanium line has to offer. He’s not perfect, his alt mode could use improving but his robot mode is exceptional. It had very decent poseability and balance. The look is imposing and powerful and it reminds us of not only the War Within roots of this incarnation but the G1 goodness as well. There’s two weapons, both of which can be stored. And then there’s the little plate that comes with it which is great for display purposes. Unlike his earlier predecessors though, Titanium Grimlock is not just a toy for display, it has high playability and fun value too.
8.) Henkei C-10 Ironhide
A toy that initially fell out of favour with lots of fans. It’s not until you actually have it in your hands do you come to appreciate the reasons why the alt mode seems like a 1000 piece jigsaw. The gaps are inherently necessary to give Ironhide the full range of motion and poseability that his robot mode has. There’s no real way around it so in the end we do have a toy that is a compromise. That plagued with the Hasbro releases poor mis-coloured face, the need to apply a complex mod so that he actually looks up means rather than “depressed” meant no way the more easily available Hasbro version could make this list. It has to be the Henkei.
The Henkei has rich colours that capture the character and spirit of G1 Ironhide; giving real life and personality to the toy. The transformation with the legs and then the way the wheels fold into the backpack oozes of originality and just captures the imagination, easily compensating for the lack of a perfect alt mode. Then there’s the weapon which in the same manner as TFM ‘08 Camaro Bumblebee. Offers two distinct options. A blue blade or a gattling gun. It’s not a perfect toy but after you experience it, its pretty darn close. The unfortunate thing that holds it back is that even the Takara version needs the aforementioned mod.
9.) TFM Big Daddy
A repaint.
Strange as it is, this toy is among the necessary. There’s a strange allure to the toy. Based on a G1 Micromaster isn’t exactly the type of thing that draws the hard to win hearts of Transformers fans. Released as part of the movie line when it was actually intended for the ClassicsUniverse 2.0 line, that should’ve caused some confusion as to where this toy stood in the mind of collectors. However, not a collector was under any illusions as to where it belonged. It belonged with Classics.
On its own, the mold that Big Daddy comes from is Cybertron Downshift which was a very elegant Transformer in its own right. So Hasbro could not have chosen a better mold to use. On top of that, it was just so perfect for Big Daddy. Add the flame, the colours and voila, this is a modernization of G1 Big Daddy at Deluxe size. The two guns always offer a lot of play value in the way they can be attached in robot mode and alt mode. Then there’s the wonderful name that has been the butt of many jokes that only help to make this one heck of a memorable toy.
10.) TFA Voyager Lugnut
The best place to start would be one this year’s most memorable posts by Sky Shadow:
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpo...12&postcount=5
That pretty much sums up my affection for this toy albeit with a touch of hyperbole.
A figure that was originally maligned for scale, it was a surpise as I, and many others, have fallen in love with. Not because of the character but because of the toy ingenuity of the toy. Its engineering is what stands out about it. The weapon which incorporates the mini-con gimmick is wonderfully executed and the transformation can be done with it in place or detached. And on its own, Lugnut looks great. He captures the loyal servant vibe that the cartoon character exhibits. His primary deficiency though is a large one. Scale. It takes a lot away from the displayability of the figure. For that reason, it sits lower on the list than I would personally like.
Honourable Mentions
Classics 2.0: Springer/Ratbat
A repaint yes but it was arguably one of the most well executed and thought out repaints of the year. Great molds, great articulation, great transformations, excellent packaging, you honestly cannot ask for much more than that. Neither could make the cut though as the synergy between the two figures was what made the two-pack so appealing. Especially given the War Within roots of Ratbat’s designed. Individually, there would not have been the same energy and enthusiasm for the two molds.
Animated Voyager Bulkhead
A toy whose engineering is exceptional but its scale lets it down far too much. For that reason alone, it will occupy a very lonely and forgotten corner of the TF Universe. Unless of course you use Activators with it which actually aren’t too bad but in its own right it was still a delightful toy to experience and discover.
Animated Leader Megatron
A very good leader as well. All the leaders were. It’s evil, has high play value, a strong alt mode, great scale and oozes character. The reason this one notched ahead of Bulkhead was because he had head articulation, his alt mode goes far closer to his cartoon mold and he has a far higher play value between the detachable fusion cannon, swords and the sounds. Very unlucky to miss out.
Animated Prowl
As alluded to above, he was a bundle of joy and so close to the cut but his lack of balance is quite severe. He has two great ninja stars but then there’s the out of nowhere traffic light. Would have made it if not for the lack of backwards support for the feet.
Encore Omega Supreme
This got the ball rolling for the Cityformers that many had said we’d never see due to cost of reinvesting in molds. It just goes to show how much any of us really know about the remolding. But with Omega Supreme came a lot of hope as well as the fulfillment of dreams that many once had of owning a perfect complete Omega Supreme. An oldie but a goodie.
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Originally Posted by roller
Its a chore and a chore I haven't figured out despite spending a lot of time on it. I'd love for u to show it to me again. It's just a pain.
