(AUG-2013) Energon Era Toys - Reviews and Favourites

[griffin]

Following on from the massive surge in momentum of Armada, Hasbro (with Takara) had the second chapter of the "Unicron Trilogy" released right at the end of 2003, just as the 20th Anniversary of Transformers was about to begin.

Details of this series can be read up here.

In the new era of "line-wide gimmick", Energon had the gimmick of combining for most of the figures, along with translucent Energon Stars and Weapons for the smaller figures.
Fans had been calling for a return to combiners, as they were one of the most popular gimmicks of the original series, but were the types of combiners in Energon, work in appealing to fans? The double combiners, and the 5-team combiners that had questionable limbs, give fans new types of combiners, but did the Optimus "power-up" figure even count as a combiner?

For Energon, Hasbro gave us all new size classes... most of which didn't catch on, so ended up being unique to that series.
Energon Class = Basic (then later was Scout)
Combat Class = Deluxe
Mega Class = Voyager
Command Class = Ultra
Leader Class = Originally Super, then stayed as Leader
Supreme Class = Supreme

We also saw the rise of mass redecos (almost every mould would now be redecoed at least once), after Hasbro found how cost-effective and accepted they were when prompted to pad out their Armada series in a hurry with more product - due to under-estimating its popularity. (no time to create new figures from scratch, so were forced to do a heap of redecos)

In Australia, the launch of the toyline was delayed by four months, so didn't end up appearing here until March 2004 with the second wave. But this "October-December 2003" assortment was a new record for the amount of stock being released by Hasbro (across all the lines at that time).

ENERGON (1st Assortment - NOV 2003) (16 packs)
Unicron with Dead End - Supreme (Mini-Con) - Released here late March.
Optimus Prime - Super Autobot - Released here March.
Tidal Wave with Ramjet - Ultra Decepticon - Released here March.
Ultra Magnus with Knock-Out and Space team - Ultra Autobot - Released here March.
*Scorponok - Ultra Decepticon - Released here March.
Ironhide - Mega Autobot - Released here March.
Treadbolt with Rollbar - Mega Autobot - Released here March.
*Jetfire - Mega Autobot - Released here March.
Hot Shot - Deluxe Autobot - Released here March.
Inferno - Deluxe Autobot - Released here March.
Rapid Run with Nightcruz and Nightscream - Deluxe Decepticon - Released here March.
*Starscream - Deluxe Decepticon - Released here March.
Battle Ravage - Basic Decepticon - Released here March.
Energon Saber (Scattor,Skyblast,Wreckage) - Basic Mini-Con - Released here March.
Skyblast - Basic Autobot - Released here March.
Strongarm - Basic Autobot - Released here March.
(* = a slightly later revision case)

ENERGON (2nd Assortment - FEB 2004) - 9 packs
Megatron - Super Decepticon - US Walmart Feb, others June - Released here June.
Landmine - Ultra Autobot - Released here March.
Prowl - Deluxe Autobot - Released here March.
Rodimus - Deluxe Autobot - Released here March.
Snowcat - Deluxe Decepticon - Released here March.
Cruellock - Basic Decepticon - Released here March.
Divebomb - Basic Decepticon - Released here March.
Perceptor (Grindor, Highwire, Sureshock) - Basic Mini-Con - Released here March.
Signal Flare - Basic Autobot - Released here March.

ENERGON (3rd Assortment - APRIL 2004) (4 packs)
Mirage - Mega Decepticon - Released here April.
Demolishor - Deluxe Decepticon - Released here May.
Arcee - Basic Autobot - Released here April.
Insecticon - Basic Decepticon - Released here April.

ENERGON (4th Assortment - JULY 2004) (10 packs)
Omega Supreme - Supreme Autobot - Released here July.
Bulkhead - Ultra Autobot - Released here June.
Cliffjumper - Mega Autobot - Released here June.
Shockblast - Mega Decepticon - Released here June.
Megatron Sword - Roleplay/Mega Decepticon - Released here July - Target, Toyworld only.
Optimus Prime Gun - Roleplay/Mega Autobot - Released here July - Target, Toyworld only.
Downshift - Deluxe Autobot - Released here June.
Tow-Line - Deluxe Autobot - Released here June.
Offshoot - Basic Autobot - Released here Aug.
Energon Strongarm - Basic Autobot - Released here Aug.

ENERGON (5th Assortment - SEPT 2004) Powerlinx Battles (8 packs)
Landquake - Ultra Autobot - Released here Dec.
Energon Ironhide - Mega Autobot - released here Nov.
Dreadwing - Mega Decepticon - released here Nov.
Energon Hot Shot - Deluxe Autobot - Released here Aug.
Sharkticon - Deluxe Decepticon - Released here Aug.
Slugslinger - Deluxe Decepticon - Released here Aug.
Command Ravage - Basic Decepticon - released here Nov.
Doom-Lock - Basic Decepticon - released here Nov.
STORE EXCLUSIVES/SPECIALS (4 packs)
Optimus Verses Megatron - Super Auto vs Decep - US TRU - AUS Target - released Nov $80-90.
Prowl Vs Starscream with Longarm & Swindle - Super Auto Vs Decep - US Sams Club - not released here.
Cyclonus with Crumplezone - Deluxe Decepticon - US Kaybee - AUS Target - released Sept $27.
Demolishor with Blackout - Deluxe Decepticon - US Kaybee - AUS Target - released Sept $27.

ENERGON (6th Assortment - NOV 2004) Powerlinx Battles (12 packs)
Omega Sentinel - Supreme Autobot - not released here.
Galvatron - Super Decepticon - released here Dec.
Grimlock and Swoop - Mega Autobot - released here Dec.
Beachcomber - Mega Autobot - released here Jan.
Wingsaber - Mega Autobot - released here Jan.
Stormjet (A5) - Deluxe Autobot (Air Team / Superion Maximus) - released here Nov.
Steamhammer (C5) - Deluxe Decepticon (Construction Team / Constructicon Maximus) - released here Nov.
*Highwire with Energon Kicker - Deluxe Autobot - released here Dec.
Sledge (C1) - Basic Decepticon (Construction Team / Constructicon Maximus) - released here Nov.
Duststorm (C2) - Basic Decepticon (Construction Team / Constructicon Maximus) - released here Nov.
Treadshot (A1) - Basic Autobot (Air Team / Superion Maximus) - released here Nov.
Skyshadow (A2) - Basic Autobot (Air Team / Superion Maximus) - released here Nov.
STORE EXCLUSIVES/SPECIALS (2 packs)
Optimus Prime and Overload with Sparkplug and Rollout - 'Supreme' Autobot - US CostCo - not released here.
Prowl and Checkpoint - 'Ultra' Autobot - US Kmart - AUS BigW - released Nov $40.

ENERGON (7th Assortment - FEB 2005) Powerlinx Battles (15 packs)
Quickstrike - Ultra Autobot - not released here.
Sixshot - Mega Decepticon - not released here.
Overcast - Mega Autobot - not released here.
Alpha Quintesson - Mega Decepticon - not released here.
Barricade (D5) - Deluxe Decepticon (Destruction Team / Bruticus Maximus) - released here Feb.
*Roadblock - Deluxe Autobot - released here Mar.
*Energon Starscream - Deluxe Decepticon - released here Mar.
Stormcloud (D1) - Basic Decepticon (Destruction Team / Bruticus Maximus) - released here Jan.
Kickback (D4) - Basic Decepticon (Destruction Team / Bruticus Maximus) - released here Jan.
Terrordive (A3) - Basic Autobot (Air Team / Superion Maximus) - released here Jan.
Windrazor (A4) - Basic Autobot (Air Team / Superion Maximus) - released here Jan.
*Wideload (C3) - Basic Decepticon (Construction Team / Constructicon Maximus) - released here Apr.
*Bonecrusher (C4) - Basic Decepticon (Construction Team / Constructicon Maximus) - released here Apr.
*Blight (D3) - Basic Decepticon (Destruction Team / Bruticus Maximus) - released here Apr.
*Blackout (D2) - Basic Decepticon (Destruction Team / Bruticus Maximus) - released here Apr.


What are your Best and Worst toys of this Era?

What was your first one, and when?

What ones are you currently most looking for and why?

Show us some pics of your collection of the ones you have.

[Sky Shadow]

Energon was a terrible era for Autobot toys, with the exception of Tow-Line and Landmine/Landquake (and some of the better Armada recolours.) The Powerlinx gimmick was abysmal - it just took potentially good toys and watered them down with wishy-washy half-assed modes. Tow-Line and Landminequake are great toys because they are well-designed and can combine with themselves, not random Autobots. Prowl and Checkpoint was a clever attempt at an actually logical Powerlinx effort. Although Energon Prowl is one of the worst toys ever released by the Transformers toyline. The Maximus gestalts were all awful, with light hollow weaponless leaders that required fans to double-up in buying two limb-moulds just to build a canonical super-robot. The smaller-sized Megatron mould was great, the massive one was a waste of materials and space. Scorponok and Skyblast were okay. Snowcat was great, since it was one of the few G.I. Joe toys I owned, plus he had skis. Dreadwing was one of the most beautiful recolours in the line, and KayBee/Australian Target Energon Demolishor with Blackout is one of my favourite toys for the colours/mould and the fact that he was the only being with decent characterisation in the entire Energon animated series (for about one episode.) So - overall - the line was bad.

[christalcase]

Most of the toys were horrible. The combining gimmick was nice in theory, but the fact that the combiner configurations were horrible and oftentimes, very kibbly, just killed it. I think some of the Basic/Scout classed figures were the better ones. Aesthetics-wise, Energon was one of the worst, sadly there are hardly any redeeming qualities in this toy line. The big Optimus is disappointing as a combiner after the great efforts of RiD and Armada (at least Cybertron Prime was good). I find that a lot of the Energon toys are blocky and clunky.

[Trent]

I didn't buy a single toy from the Energon line. That was how little I thought of it. It was such a disappointment after Armada because it felt like Hasbro took a major step backwards. The whole combiner gimmick was, amusingly, lost on me.

I even gave up on the comics. Such was my disinterest.

Luckily I was just a casual collector back then otherwise true despair may have set in

At least I'm sure some kids would have enjoyed some of the toys.

[SMHFConvoy]

Yeah, I held onto the Decepticons and all the basic/ scout figures. Only recently have I sought out an fatimus prime so I can combine it with Wing Sabre.

[Ae-Evolution]

I think I might be the only person who has the whole series in the favourite pile. I'm a younger member so I did grow up with the entire Unicron Trilogy, I love things that combine, just so many combo's can be done with all the deluxe sized figures. Others might think otherwise but I don't own any figure before the RID series so I can't really see all the love that people give to those figures. Personal favourite figure from the series has to be Roadblock. I would love to own the entire series.

[Deonasis]

I own very few Energon moulds BUT the Scorponok mould is pretty darn cool, it has fantastic detailing and a great head sculpt. Sadly, the chest/arm hinges on mine are cracking through so I play with it less. If you collect botcon toys the Double Punch repaint is lovely.

I also really enjoy the hampered and compromised Wing Saber. Read about producing Wing Saber here.. https://groups.google.com/forum/m/?h...rs/sGTqUNKxFNA (find the post by Doug Dlin on 11/16/04 as that is where it really starts.) Wing Saber is really quite G1-ee with the colour scheme, detail, and sadly his articulation. The combinations with Optimus make both a better figure. Thinking about it he could combine with Omega too but I haven't seen it nor imagine it is really good.

The scout classed Terrorcons? of Doomlock?, the bird, Ravage, and the insecticon look nice in images too. Someone even created a simple but cool looking combiner out of them.. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/tutori...-can-make.html

I can enjoy the Constructicon & Bruticus combiners but Superion is terrible.

[GoktimusPrime]

I agree w/ what Sky Shadow said about the Autobot Powerlinxers... really not well executed at all. They took what was originally a really cool concept from G1 (1989's Multi Force) and somehow made it worse. The Multi Forcers are, by G1 standards, a really nice set of toys -- Energon Powerlinx are, by 2004 standards, sub par.

Both Multi Forcers and Powerlinxers are able to interchange with others to form the top or bottom halves of a combined robot form, but Multi Forcers actually have different heads when they become the top half rather than using the individual robot mode head. To me, this helps make them feel more gestaltish and less like one individual robot dominating the other; e.g. Wingwaver's mind is an amalgam of Wing and Waver's minds, not just Wing's mind domineering over Waver's. Multi Out! And of course, Multi Forcers can all combine to form Landcross, whereas none of the Powerlinxers can combine to form a gestalt -- and the gestalt members can't Powerlinx with each other in the same way. So IMO the Energon Powerlinxers are just totally outclassed by G1 Multi Forcers.

Fatimus Prime's super mode feels like a Power Ranger Zord. Even the current Platnium Edition repaint is shelfwarming at Kmarts atm. And the Hasbro version was stripped of chrome in favour of an LED. Megatron was just an oversized "Deluxe," and indeed Hasbro did later release the smaller version of the toy. A neat Galvatron homage though - Hasbro should've just called him Galvatron. Scorponok had that incredibly annoying sound gimmick that kept going off when you play/transform the toy. Multi Batteries Out!

I like the gestalts, although Superion is the weakest and I having transparent Energon weapons as hands and feet is weird and a step backward from having self contained Gestalt parts that we saw w/ Lio Kaiser and the Beast Wars gestalts. But it was because they wanted all the limbs to be interchangeable, and it is kinda cool how they made the same weapon set become either a hand or foot and vehicle weapon too. Probably look better if they weren't transparent though. Having only three moulds per team felt like a cop out though. But HasTak seem to have taken some lessons from this and made notable improvement w/ FoC Bruticus (i.e. all self contained gestalt parts, nothing transparent etc.). A lot of the non-Powerlinx combining Transformers were better though. Snowcat was a great GI Joe homage, and the smaller Omnicons and Terrorcons were neat.

2004 was the 20th anniversary of Transformers, but also the 30th anniversary of Microman, and as part of the dual anniversary Takara produced the Kicker figure. A highly articulated Microman figure uniquely made for Transformers. Hasbro later released their own version which wasn't nearly as good as Takara's. In any case, the 10cm Microman figure was compatible w/ other Microman toys and also in scale w/ other 10cm action figures such as Star Wars, G.I. Joe etc. I really wish they'd release more Transformers related human characters in this scale (how many people bought an Indiana Jones Mutt Williams toy to repurpose as Sam Witwicky?).

[Deonasis]

^ hehe, your images look like you don't like Kicker at all.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Energon wasn't a bad series IMO, but wasn't a great series either.
The Autobots were pretty awful all over as they were mutilated by the combining thingo. Pants or torso? Dunno, they both looked pretty pants to me. Fattimus was just horrible. Poor small mode and ridiculous super mode. I do laugh at his himer simpson-esque 5 o'clock shadow (as I see it) on his face. I can't believe that that thing cost me $100 too! It also gave us our first general release Arcee as well iirc.

The Decepticons were pretty good though I think. I particularly liked Mirage, but was a bit annoyed by who they were nerfed majorly by the insistence of putting sound chips in them. I was also excited to see that they release a fair few USA characters, Slugslinger, Towline and Sharkticon were pretty good little figures I thought and didn't get released in Japan until much later. Some not at all I think.

I didn't really bother with the ~maximus teams much as they looked half arsed to me. I did like it as they released Microman kicker, my first Human Transformers character in my collection and started me on Microman figures.

I think My first one was Starscream. I got a few Super link figures and Stars was an SL.

My favourite would have to be Demolishor, cool robot and dumptruck dude with a HUGE rack (of missiles).
Honourable mentions for: Rodimus, who doesn't love a souped up racing truck thing? Followed closely by Mirage.

Worst would be, Um, Fattimus Prime, without a doubt. Ugly, stupid combiner mode and expensive. I remember buying it and after opening it thinking:
"I paid $100 for Power Pants and he has an awesome trailer packed full of self transforming sexiness. I paid $100 for fattimus and I get a Box to hold some crappy vehicles that looks stupid..."

I am not really looking for anymore. I have my Omni/Terror?Horror? cons? And the characters I liked. So I am satisfied.