AUS Toyfair 08 report, part 3 of 3 (Animated).

[griffin]

Transformers Animated may have started screening in America a few months ago, it will not be on our screens until May 31st and June 1st at 9.30am on Cartoon Network. It should be on every weekend after that, with an as yet unconfirmed air date on free-to-air Channel 10.
A DVD of the first 6 episodes will be released in September, while the first episode will be released on a bonus DVD packaged with an Animated 2-pack set.
The toys themselves will see a June 1st release date in Australia, and will go to at least mid 2009.

A glass Animated panel at Toyfair.


The full display of Animated figures.


(Note that release dates are subject to change at any time)

Supreme sized 'Rollout Command Optimus Prime'. Figure is pushed along a smooth surface, causing the top half to rotate and slowly reveal arms and head. The legs are then transformed manually. Nov/Dec release.
(We took a video recording of this gimmick. It will be posted here sometime in the next day)


Leader size Bulkhead (with Headmaster) and Megatron (Earth Mode). Aug release. Hasbro's two toy awards are on either side.




Battle Begins 2-pack, with DVD. June release.
Battle Damaged (Earth Mode) Optimus Vs (Cybertron Mode) Megatron.




Voyager Size Bulkhead, (Cybertron Mode) Megatron, Starscream. June release.





Deluxe Size Lockdown, (Cybertron Mode) Optimus Prime, Autobot Ratchet, Autobot Prowl, Bumblebee. June release.



(photo above by Demonac)

On the back of Leader sized Bulkhead's box - Deluxe sized Snarl, Autobot Jazz, Soundwave, Oil Slick.


Animated Activators Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Starscream. Aug release. Each figure transforms to vehicle mode by locking in parts and limbs, but auto-transform to robot mode with the press of a button.


Bumper Battlers Optimus Prime, Autobot Ratchet, Bumblebee. Jul release. Toys are similar to Cyber Slammers, but have electronic features.
Power Bots Cyberspeed Bumblebee. Sep release. A Cyber Stomper is shown because that's what a Power Bot appears to be.


Quickshift Command Game. Aug release. A very simplistic gamepad game, with the main gimick being that pulling out the side panels transforms Optimus inside the game, and closing in the panels transforms him back to truck mode.


I still have about 7 video clips to get uploaded onto the net, which show the gimmicks of the Activators, Rollout Prime and the gamepad.
I'm too tired and sick at the moment to do anything with them right now, so expect them in a days time, as links posted here.
The Toyfair would be something I would like to do again on an annual basis, and since it was fairly easy to get into this year (last year all the movie stuff was viewed by approved appointment only), it'd be good to let other people here have access.
It was worth the trip (and illness).
Thankyou for reading, and goodnight...

[i_amtrunks]

Awesomesauce!

I personally cannot wait for August to get my mitts on Leader Bulkhead.

[Gutsman Heavy]

Surely there is a mainline Animated figure that I don't want somewhere, they are all so good! I can't afford all of them!


Or can I....

Anyone need a kidney? Lung? Heart?

[Robzy]

Hahaha... "As seen on TV"!

These Animated figures look amazing!

[Pipesqueak]

Griffin what was your impression of Supreme Rollout Command Prime? Worth having or another clunky failure like Ultimate Bumblebee? And did you find out if there would also be a leader class Prime? Thanks

[Paulbot]

I'm not Griffin, but my impression was not very good. It's basically and oversized and slightly more complicated cyberslammer. It will appeal to some kids I guess. Video of it in action is coming.

I'd prefer the new elctronic cyberslammers which transform when the bumper is hit, say you ram it into something, and speak a lot of lines from the cartoon.

One thing that amused me with animated is that Deluxe, Voyager, Leader and auto transforming Supreme all have the same Transformation challenge rating of 3 making that scale rather pointless.

[Demonac]

I'm not Griffin...but I was very unimpressed by it.
At least Bumblebee had a cool alt mode & an actual transformation.
This toy has a very simplistic leg transformation, and thats it.
It also has zero articulation, with everything built around the gimmick.

[GoktimusPrime]

yeah, that rollout command Prime doesn't look very interesting - the Voyager mould looks better, but I don't like that battle damage! If they released an undamaged voyager Animated Prime, I'd definitely get it. :/

[jaydisc]

If I'm not mistaken, the Prime in Battle Begin two pack is Battle Damaged Deluxe Cybertron Mode Prime which is just like the standalone Deluxe version but with added Battle Damage. The Voyager Prime is Earth Mode Prime and I've never seen that with Battle Damage.

[griffin]

Going by TFarchive, Goktimus, it looks like the 2-pack are just 'recolours' of figures that will be released individually anyway.