Transformers : Auto - Dect

fansprojec bruticus maximus upgrade 2

2010-02-07T12:21:00.003+08:00

latest pictures of bruticus maximus upgrade set by fansproject (click me for the full news). looks very cool & he now has many toys to play with. i'm a bit sad that the head mold doesn't look like bruticus in the cartoons, since the upgrade is suppose to follow g1. another thing to note is that currently the upgrades are sold separately, set a is blast off & set b is swindle. have no idea why they're not sold as a set... maybe they want to maximize sales. anyway enjoy the photos.

universe sea spray

2010-02-03T12:48:00.013+08:00

just read about a new and upcoming figure based on seaspray, the g1 autobot naval tactician (click me & me for more details). however there are a few exceptions. him name is now sea spray instead of seaspray. he's also a much bigger voyager class than his original legend minibot size. while the colour scheme is the same the propotion is not; mostly white & blue with little patches of yellow. the head is different from cartoon & g1 toy, he's now wearing diving goggles & oxygen mask.
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i have mixed feelings about this new version of seaspray & not sure if i'm gonna get him when he's available, we'll just have to wait & see.

mcdonalds transformers animated

2010-01-31T11:08:00.006+08:00

mcdonalds tranformers animated is here

2008 us release

first up is prime

nice design & transformation

i can't believe it, but its finally here. 2 years after it was released in the us mcdonalds malaysia finally released the transformers animated toys. sadly only 4 figures are available as apposed to 6 in the us - prime, megatron, bumblebee & ratchet (starscream & lugnut are m.i.a).
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robot mode

truck mode

side view

same toy as first release

the first to be released was prime & when i got mine last thursday they had just opened a box full of prime. from the stamp its clear that this is the same prime released on 2008, not a new figure. i'm actually pleased with the figure as it has a decent design & transformation process. it certainly doesn't feel cheap & is a nice addition to any collection. can't wait to get the next figure

fansprojec bruticus maximus upgrade

2010-01-28T11:20:00.007+08:00

fansproject new project

looks like...

blast off!

last month fansproject announced that they will produce a new set of upgrades for bruticus maximus, like the ones they made for superion maximus...only this time bruticus will receive new robot members along with accessories. this is certainly a major step by fansproject giving new figures as upgrades instead of accessories only.
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accessories for onslaught

new feature

nice, like omega supreme

the first figure announced was blast off which will be a shuttle (click me to read more). here he's called explorer and will be the right arm of bruticus. accompanying accessories meant for onslaught can be transformed into a launch pad for blast off. the accessories among others will be a new head & twin back cannons for bruticus.
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swindle's next

next to a more detailed blast off

bruticus maximus with new accessories

recently fansproject released new info where swindle will be the next figure & he's called crossfire (click me to read more). as in the cartoon he'll be bruticus's new right leg. new accessories for bruticus will be a blaster, groin guard, fists & foots as well as a knife @ short sword.
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looks more g1

"you want some?"

new twin back cannons

melee weapon for close combat

its very clear that fansproject want to make bruticus maximus more g1-like and i'm sure this is a welcome for g1 fans. now to hope the price will be in arms reach.

takara book reissue targetmaster kup & wheelie

2010-01-22T17:26:00.008+08:00

targetmaster kup & wheelie takara book reissue

rear view

first page

this time i'm gonna write about targetmaster kup with wheelie, the takara book reissue version. this 2005 kup is a reissue of the 1987 targetmaster kup except this time he's paired with the witty wheelie and his normal handgun returned. recoil returns as his targetmaster partner. a takara book reissue refers to reissue transformers toys by takara (now known as takara tomy), mostly g1 figures in a book style casing.
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second page

poster page

forth page

i got this piece early last year at a reasonable price from a seller in penang. & its still misb, what luck. its still misb but i have no intention to keep them that way, just waiting for the right time to unleash them into the world hehehe.
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fifth page

sixth page

last one

still misb

being a takara book most of its contents are in japanese so i don't know what it says. there's images other available toys like the pretenders & junior headmasters (marketing purposes i think), g1 skywarp description and of course descriptions of kup & wheelie. i don't know why but here kup is refered to as chear.
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kup, robot mode

truck mode

attack mode

recoil

standard gun

since kup & wheelie are still inside the book i'll refer to cliffbee's review on the figures (click me to read the full review). the robot images are taken from tfu.info (click me to see more). for kup cliffbee wrote :
- a futuristic trunk as alternate mode
- have rubber tyres
- mount for recoil available
- colour & design true to movie & cartoon appearance
- legs can't be moved but high articulation in arms : shoulders, elbows, wrists
- 7/10 rating
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wheelie

car mode

as for wheelie :
- a futuristic car as alternate mode
- car mold matches his movie appearance
- bad robot design, doesn't match the movie appearance
- little articulation : arms, hips & feet
- 2/10 rating
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from the images i guess wheelie is kinda a disappointment but with kup & recoil as a set it sure is a nice addition to any g1 collection. i'm actually looking forward to get my hands on them.

micromasters sixtrain

2010-01-12T19:35:00.005+08:00

sixtrain, my 1st micromasters

they're sold separately

today's post is about the micromaster sixtrain from the micromasters sub group of transformers zone. he's a gestalt robot formed by the combination of six micromasters which take the form of various trains as alternate mode. zone was suppose to be the continuation of transformers victory but due to poor toy sales it was canceled - only the pilot episode was aired. micromasters are transformers who were created in small sizes for the purpose of energy saving. these smaller bodies were easier to maintain and uses less energy than larger bodies. the same nebulon technology seen in headmasters & powermasters were used.
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figure indicator

manual on one side...

...comic on the other

actually i'm not a fan of small size transformers toys because its small, less detail, little to no accessories & very simple transformation process. what prompted me to buy this one is a review by cliffbee on sixturbo, another micromaster combiner that was rated very high - 9/10. cliffbee said that sixturbo is a very good gestalt and features interesting individual toy design & accessories (click me for details). sixtrain got a little lower rate - 8.5/10 (click me to for details) but still in the same league. i have aquired both but i'll review sixtrain first...
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desire with right foot

atlan with upper legs

all six bots came in individual boxes so you can either slowly buy & build sixtrain one at a time or if have the resources can go in one shot. because i managed to get all six at a reasonable price so i opted for the latter. i'm not sure if there is a boxset like other normal size gelstalt but i guess there isn't any. even though each box has the same design there is an indicator at the bottom left of each box to differentiate who's who - 1 is desire, 2 is atlan, 3 is raise, 4 is san diego, 5 is windy & 6 is convertor. this will ensure collectors won't get 2 or more of the same figure. each box contains a bot, accessories to form sixtrain, a transformational manual & comic...since i don't read japanese i can't understand the comic.
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raise with left foot

san diego with head & blaster

each figure is only 6 cm tall & share the same transformation process; fold back the rear part of the train to form the legs & push the arms forward, reverse to change back to train form. combining them to form sixtrain is a bit more complex but you can still do so without refering to the manual...that's why i don't like legend class. articulation is only limited to the arms.
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windy with fists

convertor with torso

anyway the detail on the bots are better than what i expected, for example you can actually see their tiny faces clearly. like all legend class they don't come with weapons other than parts to form sixtrain & he has a blaster, which is nice. i also don't like transformers without weapons, makes them look weak. in train mode they cannot link together to form 1 train, a shame as it would really add up value to the set.
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merge to form sixtrain

side view

as for sixtrain he looks good & much better than the small guys. at 17 cm he's about the same height as a deluxe class. however because all 6 bots are the same size its impossible to merge them together without the use of extensions, like the normal gestalts. aside from the normal gestalt head, feet & fists a torso & upper legs is needed. desire (chest), san diego (back), atlan (right arm) & raise (left arm) will attach to the torso part while windy (right leg) & convertor (left leg) attach to the upper legs. merge these two parts & you'll have sixtrain.
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rear side

left view

he only looks nice from the front so as a display piece that's the only way to pose him. articulation is limited to the head, arms & fists only. the legs are fixed & the feet snap into position.
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being my first micromasters figure & micromasters gestalt i can say that i'm quite please with sixtrain. though small each figure has a high degree of detail & the gestalt looks good. the colour choice for each figure is great making sixtrain looks unified and even.

kabaya candy toy - star saber

2010-01-07T20:06:00.006+08:00

kabaya candy toy is here

1, 2 here go

3 is a nice number

anyone read japanese?

well as mentioned before i finally able to post about the kabaya candy toy. this will also be the first review on transformers toys i have acquired in a long time...
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looks familiar...

very familiar...

prepare for some assembly fun

now what's interesting about this is that you can choose which character you like - g1 prime, star saber @ henkei prime. when it was 1st announced that kabaya will be selling these candy toys it is said that you cannot choose the characters because there is no indication on the box which one you are choosing, its a gamble. so if you were to buy 2 boxes you could end up with 2 similar toys. this was a disappointment as i only wanted star saber. then all of a sudden kabaya decided to do otherwise. now each box is marked with the pictures of the characters. they are also numbered - 1 is g1 prime, 2 is star saber & 3 is henkei prime. i guess kabaya realized the concern of collectors and was sympathetic, as using the random method would make a collector buy several boxes in order to increase the chances of getting what they wanted...lucky us i guess
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guidelines

the chewing gum

looks pale but smells nice

the toys comes dismantled and in pieces with each piece attached to a plastic frame, just like a gundam model kit - you have to cut out the pieces & join them together piece by piece until the toy is completely formed. no worries here as the assembly needed are very simple & straight forward. a manual, which is written on the inner side of the box is very detail & helpful. a novice like me took around 1/2 hour to complete the assembly.
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space cruiser mode

a bit bland...

but acceptable

like old fashion transformers toy you need to apply stickers to the toy, thus a sticker sheet is provided. besides that you'll also get a piece of kabaya chewing gum. i'm not sure if all kabaya toys come with a chewing gum as this is my first kabaya toy. i didn't taste the gum but it does smell nice...in a chewing gum way
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robot mode

the brainmaster locked in jet form

the finished toy looks exactly like the original star saber, minus a few....lot of things. 1st of its a very scaled down version of the original, i'd say its the size of a scout class. i'd wager its just the size of the original's brainmaster robot. because of this it lacks details which makes star saber grand & powerful...though he's cuter this time. same goes for the space cruiser mode, very simple & easy. there's no brainmaster gimmick as its fixed in jet mode. its clear the toy focuses on star saber in complete robot mode. the size is also an issue for the gimmick.
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battle ready with trusty saber blade

side view

rear view

transformation is also simple. from robot mode just detach the head & fastened it on the hook at the back, straightened the arms, fold the feet, detach the chest, connect it with the nosecone to form the jet then connect it the neck. the sword blade can be fastened on the back beside the head. articulation is also limited - the head, arms, elbows can be swung, the legs can be spread a bit & the feet can be folded.
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all in all this is a nice toy even if its too simple. the assembly part is fun, the design is nice & most importantly its my first star saber toy...now to start save money to get the original

henkei ghost starscream is mine!

2010-01-04T17:25:00.004+08:00

who says ghosts are scary?

my goodness its been a month since i last blogged. after exam season was over i was on year end leave, which means had to rely on poor internet connection hindered any attempt to update the blog. anyway now that i've started working again hopefully i can blog as usual.
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think its not too late to wish everybody happy new year 2010. may all out dreams, hopes & wishes for 2010 come true & all things well. as a start i wanted to blog about the kabaya candy toy that i got recently but forgot a few photos, so that will have to wait...as a substitute i'll annouce this : henkei ghost starscream is mine! finally after a long wait he's in my grasp...or kinda. i got him last sunday from chupa, a fellow forum member of sembangtoys, a forum for local toy collectors. the price was reasonable & cheaper than other sellers that i know.
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unfortunately its still misb as i decided to open (along with other misb) when the toy rack is available, which i hope will be around this year. so there's only 1 photo here. but not to worry as i've posted pictures of the figure in my previous posting, so head there to see ghost ss in action if you haven't seen him already...

henkei ghost starscream

2009-12-03T11:16:00.011+08:00

been busy lately, final exams coming up next monday & 17/12...so i guess blogging will have to wait. as a short entry latest photos of the upcoming henkei ghost starscream is available at tfw2005 (click me & me to read more). as a note the figure is only available by pre-order using the form attached in the transformers generations 2009 volume 2 magazine...the other way is to order from any hobby shop takes offers the pre-order. the figures looks very nice & exciting. glad i placed a pre-order for it early this year...hopefully the price won't be that expensive.

animated toys r us exclusive arcee

2009-11-23T22:31:00.005+08:00

animated arcee is coming

back side

looks nice

dual wielding energon sword

close up

good news for animated fans, arcee is coming to town and it looks like she's gonna be a toys r us exclusive (click me to read more). if i'm not mistaken besides being the first fembot for animated this will be the latest addition to fembots in the transformers universe which is very few in numbers compared to the dominating bots.
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alternate mode...very futuristic

swords become exhaust

side view

underneath

looking at the photos arcee looks nice & well made. personally i like this design compared to other animated figures, mainly because it looks more robotic and the alternate mode is very nice, solid and futuristic. however i'm still not sure if i'll get her because of the colour (g1 arcee is pink). another point is that though the design is more robotic but still not up to my taste. but being a fembot with very nice design it still very enticing...decisions, decisions

encore cassette's big mission volume 3

2009-11-16T12:21:00.004+08:00

latest transformers offering

its been so long since i lasted visited my own blog that i forgot when was the last time i updated...the assigments near completion but final exam will start next month, really don't have much spare time.
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just a quick one, the latest encore will be the 3rd batch of the cassettes, this time featuring rumble, frenzy, overkill and...laserbeak? again? (click me to read the full news at tfw2005) there's been many laserbeak reissues, too many if you ask me. anyway getting frenzy, rumble & overkill will be nice. many other figures will be released soon, mostly rotf ones like exclusive desert version skids & mudflap, ez collection stealth bumblebee & black optimus prime...take your pick.

Classic/Henkei Frenzy/Rumble?

2009-11-05T11:24:00.001+08:00

classic/henkei cassette?

tfw2005 an interesting news today about a prototype for what seems to be a classic/henkei g1 frenzy/rumble (Click me to read the full news). the picture is labeled as 'new 2010 tf'/ other than that no other information is provided. its also uncertain if this will be an official or 3rd party release. however if this turns out to be true than it'll be most interesting.

original scene artwork

2009-10-29T12:05:00.004+08:00

the auction is for this one

don't think the hanging one is for sale

can't believe its more than a week since the last update. so busy with work & university assignments...just completed one yesterday, hopefully i'll be able to settle the other one. just a short one today, tfw2005 posted about an ebay auction for the original artwork of one of the battle scenes which was used in all of hasbro's transformers boxes in the 80s (click me to see the news). the artwork was made by Jeffrey Mangiat with a dimension of 26” X 24” and gouache on illustration board. the seller started the bid with a whooping USD7500 which will end in 4 days & 15 hours (click me to see the auction).
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i'm not sure if i'll buy it if i have the money simply because you can buy a vintage misb 1986 figure with the image on the box with a far cheaper and reasonable price. also i believe you can reproduce the image using today's technology in any size you want. but to a true @ hardcore transformers g1 completionist...well that's another story...

knockoff mp megatron

2009-10-19T11:23:00.004+08:00

mp megatron with his clone

looks the same but quality wise?

tfw2005 reported that chinese toy website actoys posted new prototype images for a knockoff mp megatron which has been downsized (click me to read full news). the size of the ko figure is about 2/3 of the original one. i guess its the size of a voyager class. however it does not state the material used or mention about transformation process from gun to robot; whether it imitates the mp version.
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fusion cannon/scope size more suitable

seems to fit the hand better

one good thing about this ko is that the fusion cannon is also scaled down to better suit the figure, unlike the original one which turned out to be a hassle. whatever the case i don't think i'll be getting this one, i'm done with ko.

fansproject tfx-defender

2009-10-15T17:02:00.005+08:00

new age springer, fantastic

tfw2005 posted another good news, especially for g1 fans like yours truly hehehe - images for the upcoming tfx-defender prototype by fansproject (click me to read the news). what makes it appeal to g1 fans is that its a remake of g1 springer, with new and better design. springer is one of those transformers that didn't receive a face lift from takara @ hasbro in the classic/universe/henkei line.
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heli mode

one of the good things about 3rd party manufacturers is that they reproduce g1 characters in new and fresh designs and molds that was skipped by takara & hasbro. on top of that the quality is very good and resembles the characters likeliness in the animated cartoons. what more can a g1 fan ask for?
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land vehicle mode

the prototype looks very astonishing and if the final product doesn't look like that it is still promising. i'm definitely getting this piece when its out...hopefully the price is reasonable.

kabaya candy toys pics

2009-10-14T14:53:00.006+08:00

henkei & g1 prime with g1 victory star saber

victory star saber

henkei prime

pose for the camera

nice, nice indeed

tfw2005 has posted pictures of the upcoming kabaya candy toys (click me to go to the page). the figures looks great for a legend class and some assembly is needed to form the robots. sure can't wait to get my piece.

encore 18 skids

2009-10-12T16:24:00.008+08:00

data card

data card back

vehicle mode

rear view

side view

different angle

robot mode

gun attached

more weapons

and more

head shot

different angle

looks nice

well tfw2005 posted new pictures of the upcoming encore 18 skids (click me to see the full news). some sellers are bringing in skids next week so it looks like i need to wait until then.
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right - encore, left - commemorative

notice the clear windscreen and windows

close up

the pictures also compares the encore version with the earlier 2003 commemorative one. one distinctive difference between the two is the use of clear blue plastic for the windscreen and door windows on the encore. this makes skid looks better and more realistic. his commemorative version. can't wait to get my piece.

BTS trailer variant

2009-10-08T12:33:00.005+08:00

purple for shattered glass prime

clear one for henkei clear prime

it looks like 3rd party BTS is going to release 2 new trailers in addition to the existing 2 trailers - a purple one for botcon exclusive shattered glass prime & clear henkei prime. i'm suprised they decided to make trailers for both of the exclusive figures, quite a bold move. click me to read more.
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new mold for arm machine

roller will also be included.

from the pictures the trailers are identical to the old ones except for different colour (for shattered glass) and uses clear plastic (for clear henkei). it is also stated that the machine arm will use a new mold. these units are also limited - 350 pieces for clear & 450 for purple. those who want to complete their shattered glass and clear henkei primes should get them.

universe perceptor commemorative edition

2009-10-04T12:28:00.007+08:00

finally, perceptor

backside

i was excited last week when i saw commemorative perceptor in toys r us & quickly grabbed one. it has been months since the first news of perceptor being reissued again under the universe/classic line & was looking forward to get my own autobot scientist.
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open up

out of the box

if i'm not mistaken this is the 3rd time he's being reissued with last time by ehobby as magnificus in his microman black colour version (click me for info on microman). having a microscope as his alternate mode he is considered 1 of the unique transformers in g1 along side reflector; a 3 decepticon bot that combines to form a camera. that's another figure i hope to get one day. one interesting thing about the toy is that perceptor is a triple changer - robot, microscope & tank. he only has the microscope form in the cartoons, though he can fire lasers from the scope.
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transformation manual

missile launcher, missiles & gun

as a reissue there aren't any difference with the previous figure except for the missile launcher; hasbro removed the spring which makes the launcher work...for safety reasons they say. now not only you can't fire them but the missiles will not snap into the launcher which makes it easier to lose them. other than that the toy is 100%...well, perceptor.
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microscope front

side view

back

zoom out

zoom in

the microscope mode is interesting. it looks & feels like a real microscope eventhough the scope doesn't work. the lens are made of plastic and you can turn the scope dial to emulate zoom in & out. the back of the scope can be turned as well to emulate image clarity. the scope can be moved up & down and the dials on each hand can also be turned but won't raise or lower the mounting platform & scope. they're more of a decoration than anything else.
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robot time

side view

rear view

armed & ready

head gear

where's my...

...head

the robot mode is great. his appearance is like in the cartoons except for the mouthplate & oversized shoulder cannon which is the scope. he got the mouthpiece from his original microman mold while the oversized cannon to accommodate the microscope mode. the scope can be mounted on either shoulder but the toy design mounts it on the right, it is mounted on the left in the cartoons. he's very sturdy & feels solid. articulation is quite good due to his transformation process. the elbows can be moved, legs spread apart & knees bent. you can do a fews poses with this scientist hehehe. 1 feature i found interesting was that it uses a gear disk to move the head up & down. the common design to move parts like hands in & out of the arms is just by sliding. this way you can play with the head like a turtle.
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nice tummy

huh?

what??

???

however there is one part that i can't figure out its function; the stomach. his stomach can be opened but there's no space. the opened part can also be turned 360 degrees. if anyones knows its function please do tell.
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tank mode

artillery mode

rear view

the tank mode is the weakest of all 3 modes. its more of a tank/artillery hybrid; if you straighten him out it'll be a thin tank, if you raise the turret i'll look like an artillery. nothing much to play with except roll him out. still a nice addition to his other modes.
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all in all this is a very satisfying transformers toy to have. good design, matching colours & classic feel makes perceptor one great transformers.

kabaya candy toys

2009-10-02T19:14:00.005+08:00

well it looks like local toy shop famitoy managed to be featured in tfw2005 news update, congrats - click me for the update. the news was about the new transformers candy toys by kabaya which offers victory star saber, g1 prime & henkei prime which are transformable! from the pictures it seems they're of wst @ legend size. g1 prime is nothing new but the henkei prime & victory star saber is something new in wst size.
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famitoy is offering rm15 a piece or rm120 a box of 8 pieces (1 usd = 3.47 rm). each piece comes with a candy gum and 1 of the 3 figures. i already preorder a piece & hope to get star saber since it looks much cooler than g1 @ henkei prime. i'm keeping my fingers cross very tight hehehe.

bt-02 dx accessories set - update

2009-09-25T11:51:00.005+08:00

animated prime with btstoys trailer

trailer with henkei/classic rodimus, titanium ultra magnus & animated cybertron mode prime

the weapon/trailer hook attached to the figures, a crane hook is also given for grapple

the weapon attached to animated cybertron mode prime

here with animated prime

the gun mode

well looks like tfw2005 posted the latest update & photos of the accessories. it seems that the items focus more on weapon / trailer hook for animated prime, henkei rodimus & titanium war within ultra magnus. meaning that its a weapon that doubles as a trailer hook which enables the figures to attach to a btstoys trailer...such a disappointment. i was really hoping for more weapons for henkei/classic figures. guess i'll skip this one and hope for a better set weapons to be made. click me to check the site.

bt-02 dx accessories set

2009-09-16T13:12:00.004+08:00

want some?

come get some!

looks nice

the gun that is

hope the final product will be better

tfw2005 just posted in their website that 3rd party producer bts toys (click me to go to site), the ones that offered trailers for classic / henkei prime & nemesis prime is producing new weapons for transformers classic / henkei figures (click me to go to site). from the looks of the images provided they are still in prototype stage and doesn't say for who there weapons are. however it looks nice and i hope the final product will be superb & in terms of design, quality & price. classic rodimus had the honors to model the prototype weapons...luck bot

ehobby d-22 black starscream

2009-09-15T15:10:00.006+08:00

at last black starscream

released in 2001, hard to find these days

today i'm gonna blog about another rare & exclusive piece that i managed to acquire that will stay misb - the ehobby d-22 black starscream. this figure was released in 2001 together with ghost starscream, the transparent version of the figure. being a starscream figure as well as an ehobby exclusive made this item highly sought after by fans especially g1 fans. the downside is its high price and limited availability.
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robot mode & face closeup

f-15 fighter...nice

i was fortunate enough to get hold of one at half the current market price. because mine will stay put in its box i'll use photos taken from tfu info (click me to go to the site)
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parts that needs assembling - hands, launcher, rockets & null ray cannons

more parts - wings, vertical tailfins, landing gear & horizontal tailfins

there's not much difference between this figure and the normal figure other than the repaint. the colour scheme is loosely based on the 1997 machine wars starscream which was also black except for the addition of gold colour. articulations is still limited to the shoulders and you still need to piece together the parts aside from simple transformation to form the robot or the f-15 fighter. basically its a normal diaclone based g1 starscream in black and gold.
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i don't intend to get the clear version of this figure because i have something more interesting in mind...but that's another story

beachcomber on malaysian soil

2009-09-08T17:33:00.004+08:00

i would've never guessed that i would meet beachcomber in malaysia...well not actually the beachcomber, but close enough. i found this baby in front of a workshop in putra damai, sri rampai. notice how it resembles closely to beachcomber's alternate mode, especially the colour. this is the first time i've seen a dune buggy for real. even though it looks a little bit out of shape
but it still looks nice & sharp...wonder if it transforms

front view

closer look

henkei 18 attack team & 19 spy team

2009-09-01T23:13:00.010+08:00

henkei 18 attact team

bhgn blkg

henkei 19 spy team

bhgn blkg

minibot keluarn lalu

this time a little review on henkei 18 & 19, their very own minibots. minibots refers to a group of autobots that are smaller than normal transformers such as bumblebee, gears & powerglide. these are & currently the only set of legend class transformers for the henkei line. there were numerous minibots release over the years such as takara book reissue #12 which features bumblebee, huffer, powerglide, cosmos, warpath and gears.

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minibot sedia brgerak

kiri - kanan : brawn, cliffjumper & beachcomber

btk robot

brawn

cliffjumper

beachcomber

this time around takara released two packs of minibots with 3 figures each - cliffjumper, beachcomber & brawn (henkei 18) and wheelie, cosmos & warpath (henkei 19). in the universe version cliffjumper is replaced with bumblebee. what makes this version of minibots unique is that wheelie is included with a better mold design. while the vehicle mode takes on a modern look the robot mode closely resembles the animated cartoon. in fact all the featured minibots received an upgrade in terms of design for both modes.
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kiri - kanan : warpath, cosmos & wheelie

btk robot

cosmos

warpath

wheelie

being legend class the transformation is very easy & simple, only 1 @ 2 twists is required to change modes. no accessory is included, no rubber tires and except for cosmos there are little @ no diecast parts. articulation is also limited to up & down movements of the arms & legs.
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i'm actually very happy with this set as i haven't had any g1 minibots before and i like the new design given to the characters. they not only look very g1 like but modern and fresh compared to their 80's version.

costco energon optimus prime

2009-08-26T13:47:00.010+08:00

next misb - costco energon optimus prime with overload

rear view

enough of movie line & back to familiar territory. today i'm gonna write about another misb item & one of my favourite figure - costco energon optimus prime. i'm keeping this baby misb because its a store exclusive. store exclusive means that an item is only available at a specific store @ supermarket. in this case costco prime is only available at costco supermarket in the us. the loose figure photos taken from internet.
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left to right - armada prime, k-mart prime & powelinx prime

there are 2 other variant or armada prime beside armada (original) and this one - k-mart and powerlinx. k-mart is another store exclusive limited to k-mart supermarket. it comes with powerlinx jetfire and 6 minicons - longarm, comettor, sparkplug, dune runner, iceberg & ransack. it uses the same colour as armada except the cab is coloured gold.
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cab robot mode

matrix of leadership

left to right - corona sparkplug & sparkplug

powerlinx prime is a repaint of grey and red but mass release to the market. it comes only by itself but with corona sparkplug. i was undecided which repaint to pick so i asked by brother to decide. he chose costco because he said the colour scheme made prime looked like a samurai warrior. funny though because some reviews said that this prime looks like ronald mcdonald!.
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cab & trailer

combined with overload

costco prime is packed with costco overload and like most store exclusive both are repaints which means have different colour from the original figures. prime is in burgundy, black and yellow while overload is yellow & red. they are accompanied by rollout and corona sparkplug. this version of sparkplug is gold chromed as apposed to normal yellow plastic, another reason to get this figure. i still don't know why its under the energon line when it is a repaint of armada prime.
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base mode

combined with overload

because its an armada mold prime can combine with armada jetfire & overload (along with their repaints) to form megaweapon in robot, vehicle and base mode. eventhough its on par with leader class the transformation level is only 3. one reason is because of the automatic transformation gimmick of the trailer where it will automatically transform when you transform the cab...a very cool gimmick.
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superweapon mode

combined with overload

because i only have a deluxe version of armada prime i can't actually tell how the toy is. so i'll just summarize a review made by cliffbee (click me to read the review) :

cab
- new cab design
- plastic tires instead of rubber
- no minicon port
- simple transformation
- cab robot mouthplate is move-able
- limited articulation

trailer
- 4 minicon port on trailer
- simple design & transformation
- automatic trailer transformation (battery operated) when cad is transformed

base
- more than 7 minicon port in base mode
- LED light up & sound for console
- many move able parts etc seat, door

giant robot
- limited articulation
- right fist LED light up gimmick
- firing sound gimmick
- 1 minicon port on each shoulder
- blocky design

comeback

2009-08-21T19:02:00.007+08:00

now how did that happened?

it has more than a month since i last blogged...way too long. 2 reasons - dengue & exam. on 20/7 i was confirmed of dengue after 4 days of on-off fever. when the blood test showed positive i was warded at tawakal hospital for 3 days. then the doctor gave a 3 day mc starting from 27/7. on the last day of mc i went back to tawakal for a follow up checkup. everything was fine...until i fell into a hole in front of a curry house restaurant behind the hospital which sprained my left ankle and bruised my right knee. that night the ankle begun to swell, causing a burning sensastion and hindered my movement. thus i was given an extra mc.
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then it was the final semester exam 16/8 & 19/8. so i had to focus what limited time i had to study & prepare...hopefully it was enough.
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now that everything is clear & over i can pickup where i left off. this time is rotf leader class megatron's turn. i got the figure about a week or so after i got rotf prime at parkson sunway pyramid. as the introduction was made a few post back i'll go straight to toy review.
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rotf leader class megatron in the flesh...metal

side view

rear view

like prime, megatron is a leader class so he's big & heavy. he looks the same as in the movie both robot & alternate mode. the robot mode the articulation is quite good - arms, head, hips and knees can be moved quite freely so several poses can be made. he also has the mech alive gimmick where his chest & head will light up, the head & chest armour will move & he'll say 'i am megatron!' when the chest button is pressed down. the right arm can shoot missiles and deploy a blade when the black lever is pulled.
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arm cannon

arm blade for close combat

the transformation process is quite simple and straight forward. i was quite disappointed because had hoped it to be more complex and difficult since it was a level 4 transformation. if the right arm is disconnected and the hips rotated crashing and transformation sounds are produced with the head and chest flashing.
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tank mode

side view

rear view

the tank mode is robust and solid. you can roll megatron as there are 6 small wheels underneath the tank's tracks. the turret can be rotated but you need to disconnect it from its base first. being the right arm of megatron the turret can fire a missile with a special treat - it produces firing sound and lights, which does not happen in robot mode...sweet.
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such indecency

now the bad part. personally this is the most ugly looking megatron to date. he looks too alien-like and so disfigured. the right arm is out of proportion while the left is a...bone, devoid of all metal, armour plating, wires & lubricants. the movie version is much better than this & i can't understand why the toy is downgraded. the left hand has only 3 fingers with a very long middle finger. the first thing that came to mind when i saw this "huh? megatron can do 'the finger' sign?" so, so shocking. while the robot mode fails the tank mode shines. the tank looks menacing & powerful which suits his personality.
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overall if you don't mind the looks then rotf leader class megatron is a good toy. nice gimmicks, solid build, good transformation (should have passed as level 3) and a great pair to rotf leader class optimus prime. and of course awesome tank mode.

rotf optimus prime

2009-07-12T19:14:00.007+08:00

rotf leader class optimus prime, finally

back view

finally managed to complete my assignments & can do a real posting. this time a little review about the leader class optimus prime from hasbro. i managed to get my copy before they were sold out everywhere.
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nice looking figure

face closeup, a nice tribute to g1 prime

so why buy a movie line figure when you don't like it? curiosity. many fellow blogger and forum members said that this prime was a good transformers figure and it was bigger and better than movie 1 prime. i also noticed that within two weeks of the toy launching prime was nearly sold out as appose to megatron who was becoming a shelf warmer. the more i read about it the more curious i was so finally i decided to buy one. the results were quite good.
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twin swords...distant cousin of wolverine?

solid plastic, nice feel

being a leader class prime is tall & big, nearly 1 feet tall. the figure is sturdy & solid. articulations are good; u can turn the head, move the elbows, knees and thighs. this makes prime a very poseable figure. by comparison this prime is better looking than the first which looks shorter and bulkier. prime is fitted with 2 swords attached to both arms and will flip out with a push of a button.
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side view

rear view

prime also comes with gimmicks. when you press the centre button his eyes & chest will light up and he will say 'i am optimus prime'. his is voiced by none other than peter cullen, the man who voiced prime in the original cartoons and in all 3 movies. parts of his chest also move, emulating the automorph technology. when you extend primes upper body the popular transformation sound will be produced.
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a confusing instruction manual

the box states that prime is a level 4 conversion figure which means the highest level in terms of transformation. the transformation was difficul not because of complexity but due to confusion. a clear example of this confusion involves positioning the arms when transforming to trunk mode. the manual showed that you need to twist and turn the arms several times before connecting them together. this video by takara tomy showed you only need to do so no more than 3 times! the manual also left out one step; once the arms are connected you need to push both arms close to the chest, otherwise you can't close down the truck hood. this is shown in the same video. so personally the conversion level should only be 3.
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trunk mode

a modern look for prime

rear view

like the robot mode the truck mode is sturdy and firm. the rubber wheels rolled very smoothly the truck looks impressive. in this mode there is only 1 gimmick; when a button on the back is pressed the windshields will light up accompanied by an engine roar sound.
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overal rotf optimus prime is a...prime figure. good design and articulations, nice gimmicks and solid feel makes this one good transformers figure. wonder how movie 3 prime will look like?

rotf buster prime

2009-07-05T12:27:00.004+08:00

just a quick one, can't afford to do a full posting because haven't finished my assignments...and the due date is next sunday...sigh
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well according to tfw2005 website takara tomy will be launching a second version of leader class optimus prime called buster prime. so far its the same leader class prime but equipped with 2 blasters instead of swords. no detail information is available yet but i'm sure more will be reveal in the following weeks. click me for more info

parkson

2009-06-28T14:56:00.006+08:00

finally, leader class megatron!

now prime will have someone to play with

got my copy of rotf leader class megatron today from parkson, subang parade. there a few left & most of the boxes were not in good shape, not suitable for misb collectors. tha's ok since i won't be keeping him in it. as usual prime is sold out like most other places but i already got him a few weeks back. i'm not gonna write about megatron or prime now since that will take time & currently busy with my assignments. but about parkson and what a cool place to shop.
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big, big poster

first off i got a free poster of the movie when i bought megatron. for every purchase of transformers items rm200 & above will get it & i was suprised i managed to get 1. during the toy launch late may those who bought the items were also entitled the poster and since i bought late didn't expect to get one. however i'm sure if its the same poster as during the toy launch because this poster is like the ones u see in the cinemas, the big promotional poster...well no matter, still a cool poster.
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rm10 voucher...yahoo!

from rm19.90 to rm7.90, pretty cheap

secondly i also got an rm10 voucher. for every rm150 spent u are entitled for 1 voucher. i'm not sure how long parkson will offer this voucher or if the voucher can be used at other parkson store but i do know the voucher lasts for 1 week. so i decided to use to buy another transformers item & what luck...a 3d deception sticker was available! it wasn't there when i bought the autobot sticker a few weeks back so i grabbed it before anybody else did. when i went to pay the sticker i got another suprise...there was a 10% discount! so rm19.90 - 10% - rm10 - rm0.01 (1 sen rounding) = rm7.90...very, very nice.
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thank you parkson for giving so much discount, i'll be shopping here more in the future, that is for certain

revenge of the fallen

2009-06-24T18:59:00.009+08:00

transformers : revenge of the fallen

well yesterday was the day as i joined hundreds to watch transformers : revenge of the fallen using my "super special premiere screening" tickets...what a laugh. everything didn't go as planned for two reasons : no free gifts & movie expectations wasn't met. there were no free gifts as i was led to believed earlier. when i called toyworkers they said that they only supply the tickets & the organizers where the ones providing the gifts...a yet there was no signs of there "organizer"...felt cheated....well at least i managed to watch the movie.
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left to right : g1 prime...yes, movie prime...no

left to right : g1 megatron...alright, movie megatron...oh no

the movie...i'll start with the bad news. i just would like to make a statement : i'm an old school transformers fan, meaning i favour the ones in 1986 both us & japanese versions. they were the pioneers of the transformers universe & laid the foundations for the future ones. so this little review is from my personal perspective & i'm sure not all especially the younger generations would not agree with criticism on the movie who would fine the movie great & spectacular. i'm not saying the movie is bad...just not up to my expectations...expectations of an old school transformers.
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twins skids & mudflap, got the most onscreen time then the rest of the pack

ravage...with 1 eye?

sam & mikaela...the real "primes" in the movie

bad news (major ones only) : same alien-ish design & look like the first movie (especially the decepticons) & one of the main reasons i don't prefer the movie. why michael bay chose such designs i would never understand. another letdown is the presence of too much human element, more than the first movie. the movie is about transformers, so logically everything should resolve around transformers...sadly like the first movie they take a back seat. most of the focus is on sam, mikaela and the army, its like the transformers are only supporting actors...i'd say 65% on humans and a measly 35% for the 'bots.
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the fallen managed to get some airtime

demolisher...short lived

another bad point is that the movie is 35% drama, 35% comedy & 30 action...excuse me but i didn't buy the tickets to watch gilmore girls @ one tree hill. & why so much comedy? its not an adam sandler @ ben stiller movie...man i can't believe this movie. one more point every action scene involving the big robots are always shot very fast, up close shots & full of obstacles from flying dust to flying books...excuse me again but i paid the tickets to watch autobots & decepticons beat the living hell out of each other, not big oak trees or some decayed looking stone pillars.
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bumblee...still mute after all this time

optimus had a hard time this year

sideswipe...mentioned not more than twice

ok now for good ones : overall its better & bigger than the first movie - more robots, more story, more locations & more fun. for the autobots you have skids, mudflap, sideswipe, arcee & chromia. for decepticons you get soundwave, ravage, fallen, devastator, demolisher, sideways are several unnamed decepticons. the actions scenes are better & more satisfying. several unexpected twists were also added inspired by the cartoons & comics which took my by suprise. for instance we get to see megatron bully starscream like he always do. there was also a recreation of the epic scene between optimus prime & megatron from the cartoon animated movie. i won't say anymore as to not spoil the fun. the storyline was also interesting eventhough it lacked originality.
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the conclusion? its better than the first but still full of flaws, the same ones that were in the first movie. personally i'd say a 4 out 5 rating is acceptable & everyone; fan or not should watch it. the younger generation fans or those who don't know the transformers will have a fun and exciting time with the movie but for an old school like me...it just didn't live up to my expectations.

sigh

2009-06-22T11:18:00.005+08:00

gsc ruined my day

well all the excitement and bragging of being among the first to watch the new movie just turned sour...some of it. gsc announced that they will do their own premiere screening tomorrow at 5.30 pm, which is 4 hours earlier than my showtime. that definitely ruined my day but as they say every cloud has a silver lining. the fact that i already acquired the tickets definitely means that i :
1) have a souvenir like ticket
2) don't have to compete with hundreds for the ticket
3) surely won't be disappointed if fail to get 1
4) guaranteed best sit in the cinema
5) last & most important - a chance to get free rotf mechandise - which was the main reason i booked the tickets from toy workers.
so all in all it seems everything is turning out nicely
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big cinema rotf contest

just another info, big cinema is having a rotf contest where the main prize is a 7 foot optimus prime model worth rm45,000 or roughly usd12,900. i saw the ad in the local papers yesterday but when visited their website there was no mention of the contest...maybe they haven't updated the website. sure would be nice to have optimus in the house

transform and ...eat out?

2009-06-19T20:26:00.004+08:00

guess what? more rotf freebies

got very tired out work today...problems keep piling and piling like there's no tomorrow. got fed up and went to subang parade to let off some steam...and got lucky in the process, i think.
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so its kelloggs's turn

it would seems that more & more companies are taking advantage of rotf, the latest one i discovered was kelloggs. currently with any purchase of the regular size breakfast cereals you will get a toy called spinning gyro depicting the heads of optimus prime, bumblebee, starscream & ironhide...ratchet, as usual, seems to be the least popular bot around...
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not too pretty

what's a spinning gyro? not sure but from the looks of it its like a top...not certain how it works though. i think i'll pass this time because the face designs are terrible, except for bumblebee that looks like...bumblebee. another turn off is that you can't choose the bot you want, you have to open the box to see who you get. so you could buy 4 boxes and get 4 starscreams.
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anyway for those who eat kelloggs won't loose anything since you'll need to restock your supply sooner or later and will get a free toy in the process...not a bad deal.

sweet revenge

2009-06-18T18:33:00.006+08:00

its suppose to be amat amit...oh well

i just collected something exciting from hobby shop toyworkers that i had preordered last march...the premiere screening of transformers : revenge of the fallen on 23 june...1 day earlier than the worldwide screening of 24 june. well actually i'm not in the first batch to watch the movie first, in the us the premier is on 22 june...but its ok to come in at 2nd place, right?
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is bumblebee running towards...or away???

can anyone spot megatron?

being the premiere screening of one of the most anticipated movie for 2009 the tickets must be of unique design & presentation and so it is. the card is 3 folded with bumblebee as the main image with a pyramid as background. sam of toyworkers said all of the tickets are only printed with bumblebee...quite sad actually since i ordered 2 tickets. at the back of bumblebee is the image of megatron.
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remeber, no illegal recording

23 june...can't wait

in the middle lists the details such as screening date, time & venue. the first venue was at midvalley megamall but was changed to cineplex damansara. the back image shows the decepticon insignia...i was hoping for prime or fallen.
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revenge...definitly sweet

i'm looking forward to see how the movie continues from the first & very excited i'll be catching the premiere screening. revenge, indeed is coming

3rd mode

2009-06-16T20:13:00.004+08:00

received this from kak as this morning...i'm sure some of u have seen it sometime, somewhere. as u can see "ironhide" here is a triplechanger. Eventhough it doesn't show all 3 modes but it does show his 3rd mode which is cool...enjoy

rotf kfc ironhide

2009-06-15T19:48:00.008+08:00

rotf has come to kfc

ironhide bagged

good news (or bad) for kfc & transformers lovers, now kfc is offering rotf toys for their chicky meals featuring optimus prime, bumblebee, ironhide & starscream...wonder why the unbalance ratio. i was actually looking forward for any fast food company to offer such toys but didn't expect kfc would be first.
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even has a hasbro hologram sticker...cool

the most complex transformation...for a chicky meal toy

you can either get it free with a purchase of the chicky meal set or buy separately which costs rm3 for members & rm4 for non members. sadly for me the excitement was short lived as the toy was a letdown...actually i was expecting way too much from a few rm worth of toy. anyway out of the 4 ironhide was the most transformable so i chose him.
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nice ride

side view

gmc anyone?

the design in robot mode is so simple and looks cheap. there's no articulation whatsoever and you can't move any parts save for the ones needed for transformation which are very little. no weapons or other accessory is present and it only looks good from the front. however its strong points is the alternate mode. the vehicle mode is much better looking and comes with small wheels so it can be moved around. there's also a gmc logo in the front bumper.
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feelin` lucky punk?

looks bad...

...very bad

well seeing as how the toys are a bit disappointing i guess i won't be buying the rest. maybe i'll wait for petronas's version later next week.

welcome again

2009-06-15T19:07:00.002+08:00

hello & welcome to my 2nd blog, transformers : auto-dect. the reason why i'm maintaining another blog is because i want this blog to focus on my hobby which is collecting transformers and anything related with the transformers universe. so why can't i just do it in my first blog, the ark of thought? well...that was my first intention when i started blogging last year...to focus on transformers. but as time went on the ark of thought became...well...an ark of thought; i blog about everything in it - personal experiences, movie reviews, food and of course transfomers.
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then sha, a colleague of mine told me that its better to setup another blog dedicated to transformers. therefore readers especially transformers fans won't be distracted by other postings and can focus on transformers. thus this blog was born. thanks sha for the advice and idea.
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well how did i came up with the blog name? auto-dect was taken from words 'autobots-decepticons'; the first half of each word. i changed 'decp' to 'dect' so it refers to a deck - sort of a platform for my collections. initially i wanted to use the name for the new display rack that i wanted to buy sometime in the future to store my collection, but since i couldn't figure out any other good name it'll have to do. so to differenciate this auto-dect from the soon to be one i added the word 'transformers'. it also reflects this blog dedication to the transformers.
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also i'll be posting in english for this one as oppose to malay in my first blog. i think is fair since i now maintain 2 blogs...i could also polish my english.
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well i guess that's a good start. hopefully i can do better for this blog and everything will turn out nice...thanks for visiting transformers auto-dect