MovieChat Forums > Transformers (1984) Discussion > Why are so many of the newer TF toys har...

Why are so many of the newer TF toys harder to transform?

posted 12 years ago by thunderultrazord
9 replies | jump to latest

They've just got all these flip out panels which seem an all honesty unnecessary and just hinder the toy and make it a pain, like the movie line.

I don't own any of the toys (anymore, I owned some smaller G1's but that was it!) but I've seen enough YouTube videos to see that a lot of them are probably capable of transforming without all the awkward fiddly bits,(esp. the Masterpiece line) making what should be a pleasurable experience into a holy nightmare!

[–] TwoThousandOneMark 12 years ago

For the most part, of what I've seen online, is the earliest launch of G1 involved robots from former established toy lines- touched up, re-coloured, & re-imagined as Autobots & Decepticons. Several of them also seemed to share common chassis.

What I didn't enjoy was going from solid metal (skeletal) limbs & rubberized wheels... to plastic limbs & hard plastic wheels. Cheaper & lazier, not to mention smaller &/or more fragile.

[–] EmperorGalvatron 12 years ago

I'm 30 years old and sometimes I feel like such an idiot when I have a hard time transforming these new toys, cuz they're meant for children!

[–] jokerz77 12 years ago

To me the old original 80s Transformers toy will always be the best.Although I did like the Transformers Animated toy range especialy their helicopter mode Megatron.

[–] home0006 12 years ago

Even though I preferred the metal bodies of the original Transformers line because it matches with the idea of cars and robots, the switch over from metal to plastic post movie was an overall improvement in durability.

The original toys were extremely fragile. Doors, arms, and roofs constantly broke off cars like Jazz, Optimus, Prowl and Bluestreak.

The original G1 toy lines that came out with season 1 and 2 were redecos of 2 failed toy lines here in America called Diaclone and Micro Change. Some really popular Transformers like Iron Hide, Ratchet, Optimus, Sunstreaker, Bumblebee, Rumble, and Ravage were released under those 2 brands and just did not sell at all here until they were rebranded with the Transformers name and the TV show was released. The original Diaclone name for Optimus was Battle Convoy which is why you still see him being referred to as that with Japanese toys.

[–] Vihktor-24 12 years ago

I like involved transformations that make fiddling with the toys more fun. Some are needlessly overdesigned, but complex and creative transformations are a big draw for me.

That said, don't know if you've noticed, but many of the recent main-line TF toys have drastically toned-down the complexity of their transformations. There was even a huge rage-fest when the intricately designed TF: Prime toys got canceled in favor of more simplified designs.

[–] benm2k9 10 years ago

Dude, Ive been watching a lot of Masterpiece reviews on youtube, the complex transformations are essential to get the 3 criteria needed:

1. To look as close as possible to their animation model in both robot AND alt mode.

2. Masterpiece figures arnt meant for children, hence their stratospheric price due to the very complex engineering involved.

3. To allow for the the free range of articulation associated with modern figures. I've had some G1 figures in the past (long gone now) and the articulation is frankly fugging 5hit. Some of the absolute WORST transformers are the G1 toys (bumblebee, Wheelie and Rodimus Prime come to mind).

THe articulation is the biggest point in the engineering, I'd like to see YOU design a transformer better!

I taught you everything you know, but not everything I know.

[–] syafiqjabar 10 years ago

You'd be happy to know that recent Generations toys are fairly simple. The Combiner Wars toys even more so, because they each need to have at least 3 or 4 forms.

[–] thunderultrazord 10 years ago

Well I do realise now about certain MP toys being remade like Optimus etc. to be made easier to tranform, but what I'd like to see is a remake of MP Megatron to make up for the flawed original that broke in half at the waist because it had a plastic pin in it!

[–] syafiqjabar 10 years ago

I think Takara is trying to go through their list of Autobot cars first for the MP line. Rumored for the next two MP molds are Tracks and Ironhide.