Transformers questions by newbies, and not-so-newbies

[GoktimusPrime]

thanks, just the toys in general.

like there are TF movie version, TF ROTF, TF HTFD. But yeah, I agree the classics/Universe are better.

But I didn't like the Bruticus/Superion for Universe. They changed the whole composition. Like Swindle was a jeep, but not in that version and others.

That's because they're just repaints of toys from Transformers Energon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zHq1yS8iM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iobXHT7287o

Those moulds were never intended to be G1.

It depends what you're looking for in a toy.

The movie toys generally have the most realistic alt modes of all three styles, and the most complex transformations. The robot modes generally look distinctly alien and pointy. This style is my preference for the whole package - I love transformers that have realistic alt modes, the general complexity, and alien aesthetic of the line.

I think the Classics/Universe alt modes are - by and large - realistic enough. But the movie alt modes are more real-life looking because they're based on actual licensed vehicles. For example Classics Bumblebee is a generic looking hatchback whereas Movie Bumblebee is a Camaro and so forth. But Classics Bumblebee is a really nice looking no-brand hatchback. And Sideswipe is a really nice looking almost-but-not-quite-Lamborghibi Gallardo.

It depends on your personal tastes. If you really like real-life licensed vehicle modes then yeah, the movie line would have an appeal for you. If you like licensed vehicles, but you don't like the alien robot modes of the movie, then you might consider:
+ Alternity (only sold in Japan)
+ Alternators/Binaltech (no longer available in stores)
+ Car Robot/Robots In Disguise (no longer available in stores)
... and well, G1.

Some of the highlights are especially the non movie characters.

I agree. And again, I think this is because most of them were designed as most Transformers are - as toys first. Thus allowing designers to be unrestricted by making the toys "screen accurate."

The animated toys are on the whole quite screen accurate to their designs. They're quite poseable and have bags of character due to the small touches on their robot mode (Swindle for example having a bolo tie and formal shoes/boots).

Yeah but to be fair I think the Animated toys were easier to engineer than the movie toys because they're trying to create toys based on relatively simple 2-dimensional sketches vs. the movie toys which were based on highly detailed and complex 3D models (e.g. movie Optimus Prime's CG model has 10,108 different parts - that's really hard to scale down and translate into even a Leader Class toy). Also, the cartoon and toys were both designed in-house by HasTak (i.e. Hasbro designed the cartoon models and TakaraTOMY designed the toys - both companies worked in tandem); whereas Paramount was allowed to design the movie models with relatively minimal input from Hasbro.

Something that they share with the movie toys, that I find somewhat annoying, is the use of fake vehicle mode parts on the robot mode.

This is something I find that happens more frequently with lines like the movie franchise and Animated where characters are designed as screen models first. Toy engineers are forced to "cheat" with faux alt mode kibble in order to try and make the toys look more screen accurate.

Bah... this is why I hate the whole concept of screen-accuracy in the first place. Toy accuracy FTW damnit!

Also somewhat of a weakness is that there are no non show character molds (Oil Slick is the only one that was designed as a non show character, but was then incorporated into the show).

Well, the line is called Transformers Animated. Also - such is the advantage of cel animation. But yeah... again... show-oriented line < toy-oriented line IMO. (-_-)

The Classics and Universe figures are the best if you're trying to recapture G1. The alt modes sometimes aren't the best (Cyclonus, Dinobot) but they're generally good homages.

I like Cyclonus! But I must admit it's my G1 bias that's speaking there, hehehehehe.

Any source of 25th anniversary TFs? online or toy store in nsw

Erm... I don't think "25th Anniversary" was the name of any specific line of Transformers. There were just some Transformers that came out last year that got hit with the 25th Anniversary tag since 2009 was the Transformers' 25th year. So umm... you can check out your local stores for any leftover stock from last year, otherwise you'll need to check alternative sources. The Parramatta Collectors Fair is coming up next month (Aug 22) - but ya gotta be there early (most of us are already in the queue before 8am ).