SDCC exclusive Bumblebee with Dino-cassettes

[Paulbot]

Reported at io9:

The ‘80s-inspired “Bumblebee Vol. 1 Retro Rock Garage” set includes a classic 1977 Camaro version of Bee with a retro paint job that will undoubtedly match the character’s design in the upcoming Transformers prequel. But with 25 steps needed to transform the toy from car to robot mode, this version of Bumblebee doesn’t share much else with the comparatively simple Transformers toys of the ‘80s.

The set’s packaging looks like an oversized cassette tape, while the ‘rock’ theme is carried on through the other two included Transformers figures. As a kid, Soundwave’s tiny cassette bots were my favorite Transformers toys (they were so easy to smuggle in your pocket) and in this set Bumblebee is joined by Dairu and Uruaz, a pair of dino-cassettes that were originally only available in Japan back in the ‘80s.

If you’ll be at San Diego Comic-Con this year, you’ll be able to get the “Bumblebee Vol. 1 Retro Rock Garage” set at Hasbro’s con store for $60. But if you can’t make it out west, some will also be made available on the HabroToyShop website after Comic-Con is over, but in limited numbers.

Note the box has Studio Series 19 on the side, suggesting it's numbering is part of the main line (like the excluvisve Thundercracker)

[Raider]

Whilst I do not care for Bumblebee, those cassettes.... gimme gimme gimme!

[1AZRAEL1]

I just saw this myself. So hang on, they have the dino molds? Will we see another set released?

[swoop]

It does say volume 1 so there could be a volume 2 for New York Comic-Con with the other 2 Dino cassettes and the bumblebee movies main villain.

But if that doesn’t happen it is still pretty cool of Hasbro to have release these 2 for us collectors, big thumbs up

[griffin]

The dino cassettes are probably my most wanted JP Gen1 toys... I really hope they do all four. Even if different colours, these are 4 of only 6 unique Gen1 moulds that I don't yet have, leaving just Grandus and Galaxy Shuttle.
This is what we should get at SDCC, not minor redecos of expensive Titan Class toys.
Now to fight the scalpers to get one of these.

[1AZRAEL1]

Where did they get the mold? One can speculate that they obtained them off the KO company. And, what is the likelihood of them doing an encore release for them? Would be stupid not to

[llamatron]

I'm hoping these are happening because Takara was getting the moods ready for an encore release...

[DELTAprime]

I never expected to see these cassette moulds reissued.

[reillyd]

So if Hasbro has access to moles, then Takara has access. That's hopeful for a proper release in original colours. But because I never owned any or really know much about them, I am happy with the funky colour scheme for the diplodocus

[dirge]

Forget the 50 zillionth Bumblebee. Those cassettes are where it's at.