Overrated Transformer Toys

[klystron]

G1 Ultra Magnus. Toy and character.
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpo...3&postcount=91

[Golden Phoenix]

G1 Ultra Magnus. Toy and character.
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpo...3&postcount=91

To be honest, I just count that as all of G1 being overrated......

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't think G1 is necessarily overrated... but I sometimes feel it's over-done. (-_-) Ever since Armada, every Transformer series is like some kind of reboot of G1... gah.

And as others have said, it's not really fair to compare G1 with other Transformers series because:
1) It came first, so it will always be used as the benchmark.
2) It came first, so to some people the power of childhood nostalgia may overwhelm their ability to objective judge later TF series (e.g. "Trukk Not Munky").
3) G1 ran from 1984-93 and is thus the biggest TF series. Having been around for 9 years, naturally G1 would have accomplished a lot more than other TF series. But other TF series have accomplished a lot too, relative to how long they've been around.

But G1 was an incredible phenomenon that launched the entire Transformers franchise. The humble lineup of 30 Autobots and 10 Decepticons in the 1984 series grossed over US$1,400,000 by the end of that year, becoming the most successful toy debut in the world. "Gee Wun" is way overdone IMO. We had nine years of G1, and yet so many people only focus on the first 3 years... (-_-) Just look at all the characters that Hasbro lets their licensees like JayJays use -- all a limited number characters from GeeWun. It would be nice to see characters from 1987 onwards getting some limelight... And that's someone I like about Furman's writing, even with what he was doing with IDW (at least prior to AHM) -- plucking a host of characters from across the G1 and G2 gamut.

The live action movie franchise kiiinda does it too, although it's very hit and miss (e.g. Optimus Prime's appearance and persona is reasonably close to his G1 namesake, but then you have characters like Skids who's nothing like his namesake (other than being a hatchback)! )

And of course, G1's greatest character is definitely NOT overrated!

[Golden Phoenix]

Being an "Overrated Transformers Toys" thread, I was referring to the toys. I don't mind the G1 media.

They are overrated because they just don't hold up anymore. There are minicons from Armada that have more articulation than a G1 figure.
Most don't even have knees or elbows. They just don't cut it.

I know they are old (+25 years) but a lot of the Beast Wars stuff still holds it's own, even by today standards, and that was 15 odd years ago.
The difference between G1 and Beast Wars toys is so much more than the difference between Beast Wars and something like Generations and the gap just isn't as wide.

There is just so much hype placed on G1 figures and they are just a let down.

The only thing I like about the 1 G1 figure I have is that it is diecast. But that pretty much helps it be a paperweight.......

[Bartrim]

Also you have to look at the cost of G1 figures these days. When I started collecting again I bought a couple of G1 figures and was very disappointed with what I got for what I paid. Yeah I had toys of some of my favourite characters but I still felt ripped off. That's why I was so glad when classics etc came out. As a rule of thumb I find them a more articulated better representation of some of my favorite characters.

[GoktimusPrime]

Being an "Overrated Transformers Toys" thread, I was referring to the toys. I don't mind the G1 media.

They are overrated because they just don't hold up anymore. There are minicons from Armada that have more articulation than a G1 figure.
Most don't even have knees or elbows. They just don't cut it.

Yeah but you gotta look at it in the context of the time. By 1984 standards, toys like Jazz and Soundwave were freakin' amazing! Don't tell me that at the time, you looked at these toys and though, "Meh... these suck."

They may be dated now - I'd agree with that, but by the standards of the day, they were really well made IMHO.

I know they are old (+25 years) but a lot of the Beast Wars stuff still holds it's own, even by today standards, and that was 15 odd years ago.

The difference between G1 and Beast Wars toys is so much more than the difference between Beast Wars and something like Generations and the gap just isn't as wide.

Yes but that's because the engineering in Beast Wars had progressed a lot since G1. Late G2 saw a lot of new and innovative engineering techniques coming into play, such as fully articulated robot modes - and Beast Wars picked that ball up and ran with it. So it doesn't surprise me that these toys can still hold up because a lot of the engineering techniques that are used in Transformers toys today, was born in late G2 and Beast Wars anyway! You can think of it as a significant turning point in TF engineering -- but G1 came before that major kilometrestone.

There is just so much hype placed on G1 figures and they are just a let down.

The only thing I like about the 1 G1 figure I have is that it is diecast. But that pretty much helps it be a paperweight.......

That's because some people are looking at it from rose-tinted childhood nostalgia glasses where some of them think anything "old school" is automatically better than everything new ("Trukk Not Munky") -- and I don't agree with that. Transformers today ARE handsdown better than G1 for sure - as they bloody well should be. Die-cast... it's a bit overrated and overdone, but ya know, die-cast does make the vehicle modes look pretty sweet (this is particularly evident on Binaltech). But that comes from a Gee-Wun perspective, because die-cast was phased out in 1986; so from 1987-1993, a significant chunk of G1, toys were principally plastic.

Also you have to look at the cost of G1 figures these days. When I started collecting again I bought a couple of G1 figures and was very disappointed with what I got for what I paid. Yeah I had toys of some of my favourite characters but I still felt ripped off. That's why I was so glad when classics etc came out. As a rule of thumb I find them a more articulated better representation of some of my favorite characters.

Yeah, I definitely don't think it's worth collecting G1 now. Classicsverse definitely gives you more bang for your buck!

[Golden Phoenix]

Yeah but you gotta look at it in the context of the time. By 1984 standards, toys like Jazz and Soundwave were freakin' amazing! Don't tell me that at the time, you looked at these toys and though, "Meh... these suck."

Well considering I wasn't around until 1988 I really couldn't tell you a thing.

Yes but that's because the engineering in Beast Wars had progressed a lot since G1. Late G2 saw a lot of new and innovative engineering techniques coming into play, such as fully articulated robot modes - and Beast Wars picked that ball up and ran with it. So it doesn't surprise me that these toys can still hold up because a lot of the engineering techniques that are used in Transformers toys today, was born in late G2 and Beast Wars anyway! You can think of it as a significant turning point in TF engineering -- but G1 came before that major kilometrestone.

But in the last 11-15 years engineering and manufacturing techniques have advanced, and probably at a faster rate than before. Certainly it hasn't stopped or gone backwards.
Even with all the advancements a Beast Wars figure can still be compaired to a Generations or movie figure. Hell, pick out a couple of Crossover figures and you could say the Beast Wars was better. You can't compair G1 to anything and get a positive outcome (unless you pick out the worst figure from something like Armada)

And that was my point. 10-12 years after the initial figures, the toys were so much better or advanced, the older ones (G1) didn't compair. 10-12 years after those toys, they were better again, but the older ones (now Beast Wars) still held their own.

I don't think in another 10 years that we will look at the Beast Wars figures like we look at G1 figures today. They won't be as good at the figures that might be release in 2020, but unless there is some huge advancement like actual robotics or actual onscreen like movie transformations, I don't think we will be making the same excuses we make for G1 toys. Doubt you'll hear "by '96 standards they are awesome"

That's because some people are looking at it from rose-tinted childhood nostalgia glasses where some of them think anything "old school" is automatically better than everything new ("Trukk Not Munky") -- and I don't agree with that. Transformers today ARE handsdown better than G1 for sure - as they bloody well should be.

This was initially why I started to think G1 was overrated. And it also makes it really simple to show it is rated higher than it should be.
Nostalgia increases its rating. You take that away, and they are not as good as what they are made out to be.
So they are overrated.

[1orion2many]

I myself am a Beast Wars fan but I don't consider G1 over rated. Compare an old 1957 Chevy to a new Chevy, the new car is superior in everyway in it's technology and safety but I don't consider the 57 chevy over rated and I know which one I'd prefer to be seen in. I know the old G1's are more like blocks but at the time they were superior to any other transforming toys, I know there was far better articulated toys at the time but I can't think of any offhand that transformed from vehicle to robot without having to pull the item apart and put it back together. G1 set the bench mark, Hasbro & Tak have in general only improved from there, if the bench mark was really low in the mid 80's 2 things may have happened, we may now only be getting decently articulated TF's instead of the BW Era bringing it in or 2 they would have flopped and TF's would have been no more as was demonstrated when they tried G2 which almost wiped out Transformers(as far as I was concerned it did, ugly looking things shelf warming).