Top 10 Transformers of 2020
Long time no see, anyone who still actively watches me! 2020 is over, and well, there's really nothing to say about it that hasn't been said already. At least there were some good toy robots, and pretty much out of tradition at this point I'm gonna share my top 10.
10. Studio Series Sentinel Prime: To be honest I wasn't entirely sure who to give the 10th spot out of a few different figures, but the appeal of finally having a good representation of Movie Sentinel is giving him an edge. I only ever had the DOTM Voyager before and while this one isn't one of the absolute best Studio Series figures, it's a hell of a step up over that thing. He captures Sentinel's regal look and proportions well, there's some pretty nice articulation, and I enjoy the transformation. And really a Studio Series level Sentinel Prime headsculpt was always gonna be irresistible.
9. Studio Series Scrapper: Coming in right after Sentinel, here's his wave mate! Oh man was I excited for this figure. 10 year old seeker wanted a Voyager Scrapper to happen so badly, and at long last it did. There was some concern that having to combine would lead to some compromise, but you sure don't see it in the robot mode. It's PERFECT. All of the little details I love about the Scrapper design are there (cries wishing the left hand could become the flail...), and the proportions are spot on. The transformation ends up being surprisingly complex and fun compared to previous Constructicons as well, and the alt mode... is where the sacrifices clearly came in, but there's still something about it that's nice? Huge chunky pinned wheels and working bucket are a good time
8. Dr. Wu Mozart (TLK Mohawk): Yes, shock and awe, seeker actually bought a 3rd party figure. Lack of AOE/TLK rep in Studio Series does things to you. For the longest time I never liked Mohawk all that much, but there's something to appreciate about a freaky looking Decepticon motorcycle man, and that plus my increasingly hopeless wish for figures of all of the TLK Con Crew made me go for this thing. And it's such a fun tiny figure! Great articulation for the size, a quick transformation into that badass bike mode, and so much personality. He feels like he could easily be an official Mohawk figure, in a similar vein to how they did the Arcees. Now can someone take pity on me and the 6 other people who still want them and make Onslaught and Dreadbot
7. Studio Series Roadbuster: On paper, this figure shouldn't be on this list. He's got a massive most-of-the-car backpack, the car mode doesn't fit together well until you shave a couple of tabs, and he's criminally light on accessories. But ever since I got this thing I've been enamored by it. He's surprisingly chunky and fun to pose, he's bursting with personality with an incredible sculpt and really accurate proportions, the colors are pleasing to me despite a relative lack of robot mode paint, and the car mode rules. Finally a Deluxe armored up Roadbuster! Somehow the figure ends up being a sentimental fave as well, reminding me of the days where DOTM Roadbuster was honestly one of my favorite characters and I had good friends who were obsessed with him. So there's some nice nostalgia in having a brand new Roadbuster figure that's a lot more accurate, in spite of his flaws.
6. Studio Series Overload: Obviously he only really exists for the sake of Devastator, but it's still absolutely insane to me that this actually exists. Leader Class ROTF Overload?!?! What are you on and please take more of it. And in spite of having to form Devastator's pants and being entirely built around that, this thing is brilliant. Just look at that robot mode! It feels MASSIVE and the four arms are such a delight. When you learn all of the joints I think he's a lot more interesting to pose than he gets credit for (though he could use better knees), and for a character we only ever saw on screen as A Truck That Drives Up, there's so much personality here. Some Transformers series needs to use this guy. Just look at that face and how giddy to murder you he is. Sure the truck mode isn't great but after adding some white paint to make it resemble the real thing a bit more, I actually quite like it, and the fun as hell robot mode makes this the best Constructicon to me
5. Earthrise Smokescreen: Taking home a medal for Earthrise is the figure who seeing listed made me groan the most! Seriously, I had JUST gotten Selects Smokescreen. But after seeing how nice this one looked at Toy Fair I knew I couldn't resist it, and in person it actually exceeded my expectations. He's every bit as good looking as in pics, with a gorgeous color layout and a big curvy bumper that I like way more than the other version of this mold, but I was blown away by how poseable he is. It's borderline effortless to get him into a great looking pose. The shoulder shrugging joint, the deep knees, the excellent ankles... the transformation is fun too and the car mode is sex. Even the cartoon Smokescreen head that I usually don't like somehow looks good and full of life to me here. I've doubted Siege and Earthrise quite a bit but this is one of the ones that makes me feel the "this is a step up" hype.
4. Studio Series Shockwave: Really, this figure was always gonna be on this list. I've talked on here before about how the reveal for it made me go NUTS, and really I expected it to be my #1 before 2020 started. I think my high expectations made it not blow me away like I expected but it's still obviously great. I've always adored this design, it formed my opinion on my preferred Shockwave cues (huge cannon, big and intimidating, red eye), and this is a practically perfect rendition of it. The sculpt and deco are on point, he can do all of the badass gun cocking poses I always wished the old Voyager could pull off, and while the tank mode is an afterthought it's kinda cool for what it is really. Plus I actually really love the teeny tiny Wheelie and Brains.
3. Studio Series Leadfoot: A lot of the most exciting figures in this line for me have been about getting closure on a character I always wanted a figure of and it either never happened or I just never got it, and Leadfoot is one of those cases. Never back in the day was I able to have the satisfaction of a full Wreckers trio, but now those ridiculously overpriced eBay Leadfoots can fuck off forever because this one exists and it's amazing. The screen accuracy is downright perfect here once you figure out what to do with all of his joints. He's surprisingly pretty nice to pose, good and simple transformation that leaves him with zero kibble in either mode, car mode is just as amazing as Roadbuster's (needs a roof number tho), and unlike Roadbuster and Topspin, he feels like he has every accessory he should. Even a surprise bonus Steeljaw! He really feels like he got the most care put into him of all 3 Wreckers, and rightfully so considering the shitshow we had to go through with his og Deluxe. And it just feels downright magical having the 3 bastards together at last.
2. Siege Seekers: As I've mentioned before, I've never been as high on Siege as practically everyone else. The G1 Redone But More Accurate schtick was never appealing to me so I very much cherrypicked the line and half of the ones I got I didn't really have strong emotions for. But in 2020 I was gifted a full Seeker trio and a Hotlink by my crazy friend Sideways77 and... wow. Say what you will about the transformation, this thing is incredible. A G1 Seeker that actually comes across as sleek and agile like it feels like they should be? The articulation is mindblowingly good. They actually have light piping. The tetrajet mode shouldn't be very good, it's just a shell draped over a folded up robot with legs shamelessly sticking out, but somehow it's just really nice?? The detail of it and the battle damage gives me Star Destroyer vibes. It has a ridiculous amount of boosters that makes me imagine it can go unthinkably fast, and considering the legs end in two of the boosters, it makes me think of them like an underside version of G1 Jetfire fastpacks or something. And the various decoes are really good. Starscream has a perfect feeling G1 Screamer palette with a light gray that adds to the Star Wars ship vibes, Thundercracker is the G1 cartoon deco that I actually quite like, and something about the dark gray Skywarp is cast in works for me, it makes him feel more... militaristic? Hotlink is probably my least favorite but his deco is at least something unique. This mold really makes me realize how much I actually like the G1 Seeker design in concept, and having it updated in a way that feels so perfect makes it seem like I've filled a hole in my collection I'm not sure I knew was there. Can we please ever get a Sunstorm from this??
1. Studio Series Concept Camaro Bumblebee: I was excited to see this figure being done as it felt like the version of Bumblebee I really wanted for my Studio collection, but after it was revealed, I kept going back and forth on how I felt about it. I kinda just wanted them to do Clunker 'Bee but with new alt mode parts, and I wasn't sure if this mold looked like an overall upgrade. What's with the skinny looking legs? Why did they make the wheels on the outside of the ankles again? The shoulder wheel kibble looks rough... but in person all of those complaints melted away. This is a definitive Bumblebee. FINALLY the door wings are done properly again!! The chest is done so well! The pop out arm guards! They finally did the thigh panels perfectly! He captures the feel of Bayverse Bumblebee in a way that I think no Deluxe had quite done before. He's lots of fun to pose as well and the handheld cannon looks way better than I expected. He very much has a Studio Series car Deluxe transformation, which haven't been for everyone, but I really enjoy it, and the car mode is every bit as nice as it should be. Honestly I'm coming to realize I just really like Movie Bumblebee figures. Every time a new one comes out it's my new favorite, but I think this one will be hard to top. Mind you I said that about TLK 'Bee...
Honorable mentions:
Studio Series Blitzwing
Earthrise Cliffjumper
Earthrise Grapple
Tbh for quite a while I wasn't expecting to write up a top 10 on here this time, just because of how dead my DA is and how these never really seem to be super interesting to anyone but me, but it's nice to keep the tradition going for now, and always fun to think about these and write them. As for 2021, well I sure hope things in the world get better than they've been, and when it comes to Transformers, it's actually a pretty exciting time. I've been more stoked for Kingdom than I've been for a Generations line in a long time, and while it's a bummer that we're gonna be getting fewer live action Studio Series releases than usual, there's still some bits in there coming that I'm excited for. I hope everyone out there can stay safe and have a great year.
It took me like 5 minutes to figure out how to start a journal with this site layout lmao
(Jesus Christ do not read the comments)
I pretty much never do a journal on something as small and random as this anymore but I wanted to get some thoughts out about this.
"Deluxe 86 Gnaw".... this goes along with the Leader class "86 Grimlock" listing from the other day, which I was a little concerned about but thought might just be a silly one off redeco inspired by the 86 movie's 35th anniversary, or even a typo, but uhhh doesn't seem like it. Looks like we're getting G1 figures in Studio Series now...
The Transformers brand has just gotten ridiculous with the G1 at this point. Getting G1 figures in fuckin Studio Series when we're right in the middle of the WFC trilogy, probably the most G1 cartoon based thing HasTak has ever done, has officially made it reach self parody levels to me. I'll be honest, Studio Series is like... the thing in the brand right now that I care about. The WFC trilogy is largely not for me. The Cyberverse Deluxes had me interested but those appear to just be a couple of waves of extremely unexciting character choices and then done. It's been ages since I was super invested in current TF media. I still love Transformers to death but Studio Series and reminiscing on the Bay movies is my main outlet for that these days, and it's just annoying to have to worry about it being injected with the incredibly uninteresting to me things we're getting in the current Generations trilogy. It's probably just for the 86 movie's 35th anniversary but it's still a bummer considering they don't seem to be exclusives and the line gets a fairly limited amount of slots per year.
On the bright side, there's some exciting stuff that isn't Gnaw for sure! I am HYPED AS HELL for a Deluxe Jolt, he's one I've been really hoping they'd do. Leader Grindor with Ravage is awesome, I've wanted them to do something for Grindor since Blackout came out, I look forward to see how they make him different from the original. ROTF Bumblebee with Sam isn't the most thrilling thing ever but I'm a little curious about it, since I adore the new 07 'Bee mold. ROTF Sideswipe... is a bit of an "ugh" for me, I was hoping they'd just pass him by, it's the same thing but with a roof and slight other tweaks...
Anyway, I hope everyone is staying safe out there. There's definitely more serious things happening than toys.
Toy Fair 2020
EARTHRISE
I've gotta be honest, Generations interests me less and less these days. I just really don't like the WFC trilogy's direction of making everything so G1 cartoon slavish, I miss when Generations figures felt like updates of G1 characters and weren't just about cartoon accuracy. I haven't gotten much at all from Siege and I don't plan to get that much from Earthrise, but hey, I'll talk about what's new.
-Siege redeco wave: A bunch of even more battle damaged redecos of Siege toys to go alongside the release of the Netflix Siege show. Like, I get it, but I'll probably pass on these across the board, though some of the deco effects do look kind of neat. When a few listings of these popped up yesterday I was intrigued by the sound of a Hotlink, but him looking like he's covered in tar pretty much ground that interest to a halt.
-Quintessons: It's interesting to see them doing toys of them but I can't say that's something that interests me. The Judge is uh... certainly a unique Voyager? I'm sure that alt mode is something? The Alicon does have a cool robot mode, and the gator mode looked cool to me until I noticed the arms. Imagine being the guy who's a snake that turns into a piece of road.
-Snapdragon: Spaceship mode looks cool, robot mode is alright but kind of dull, and the beast mode looks... absolutely dumb, but I guess it's sort of endearing. Not really interested.
-Doubledealer: Oh wow I actually like this. That CHONKY BOI robot mode isn't what I'd expect but I love the uniqueness of it, the giant ass cannon he's holding is badass, and the alt modes look neat enough. Definitely not a priority but I might consider getting this one.
-Runamuck: Quality goon man! For some reason I've always lowkey liked the Battlechargers so I think I'll get him, looks like a really nice carformer.
-Megatron: For some reason this guy and the next two weren't shown during the panel, but we saw them yesterday so I'll talk about them. Megatron looks like Siege Megatron But Again, except this time he's a slightly more Earth-y tank and has a bunch of stuff on his left arm. Yeah, can we homage a different Megatron now?
-Arcee: I don't really know what to say. I've never been a G1 Arcee fan, and here's a figure of her that's so cartoon slavish that you pull off a huge chunk of her car mode to make her look more like the cartoon, then have her stand on it and call it a "hoverboard". Okay.
-Smokescreen: Bruh. I just got Selects Smokescreen 2 months ago. And I like this one a lot and think it looks a lot cooler. For fuck's sake.
-Scorponok and Sky-Lynx are both really expensive pricepoint figures that I don't see myself getting, but I will say they both look great.
STUDIO SERIES
Aka the oh boy, time for seeker to scream about movie toys again segment!
-Sentinel Prime: The only Sentinel I got from the DOTM line was the Voyager, and that toy was... hardly great, so this is a much needed upgrade. He looks awesome, I have no clue how he's going to transform, but going by the blockiness of the torso, I'm guessing there'll be some inside out type stuff like Evasion Optimus, which I think is a great way to do it. He looks really poseable, I see wrist swivels, maybe ankle tilts, and maybe maybe a waist. Fire truck mode looks good, and seems like it gets surprisingly big? The lacking accessory count is a bummer but to me the sword is his most important weapon, and the old Voyager didn't even have that, so I'll live. There's too much gray though, I think I might try to do some silver touch ups.
-ROTF Soundwave: Very strange. I really expected them to copy the old toy/game design with a few tweaks, and this isn't that at all. I think I like it though, it's interesting to see a pretty much wholly original robot design in this line. Satellite mode is a little goofy, but it looks better on the display, and I really like that it comes with a stand. But on the subject of accessories, I'm absolutely shocked that he doesn't seem to come with Ravage. I assumed he'd have one ever since we saw this listed, because I figured he was a big reason they were making this Soundwave! That part is really a letdown, but I think I'll still get this. I like Soundwave's role in ROTF and loved his head design in that film, so I'm glad to see it finally in plastic.
-Cliffjumper: I'm honestly really not a fan of the Bumblebee Cybertron scene designs so I didn't think I'd care for this, but it's kinda doing it for me. It helps that I usually like Cliffjumper in general, but I like his chunky and cute body, that car mode gives me serious WFC/FOC vibes in a good way, and his face... is nightmare fuel, but I'm finding character in that for some reason. I think I'll buy this, I'm up for a Movie Cliffjumper for my Studio Autobots.
-Topspin: Probably my favorite of this Deluxe wave. The old Topspin is a great figure but the sculpt on this one is a huge upgrade, I like that the clamps are removable this time, and those big machine guns are nice to see after Roadbuster's pitiful accessory count. My only gripes are that he doesn't look as leggy and lanky as he should, and the 48 font looks off. Can't wait to see Leadfoot!
-Skipjack: I like that we're getting this in concept, and I love the idea of having extra Constructicons, but in execution this is hella boring. Just a straight up red to yellow palette swap of Rampage, no actual new paint apps, other than I think some red eyes. Incredibly low effort, I want to want this but I'm not sure if I can justify it. But either way, this better not be the only Constructicon redeco! Bring me Demolishor!
-Blitzwing: Everyone and their grandma has been wanting this to happen for ages, and to me he looks worth the wait. Okay, the jet mode is inaccurate and kind of awkward looking, and a couple of the vehicle parts in robot mode are cheats, but to me he looks killer. Sculpt and articulation look amazing, and he comes with all of his weapons! Between this, Sentinel, and Scrapper, there are some stunning Voyagers on the horizon!
Honestly, I'm starting to feel like a broken record. Studio Series great, everything else meh, but I guess that's just how Transformers have been for me lately. But hey, what did you think about the Transformers that were shown off?
Studio Series Devastator fully revealed!
Overload looks awesome. I pretty much guessed that he wouldn't be the crab concept, because the Legends toy and every brief appearance he made in the 2009 days used the bipedal design so I figure that's the "final" one, so I'm not disappointed in that. He has the four MASSIVE arms with all of the brutal looking hand weapons so I'm happy there. Really wanna see how effective his articulation will be though, it's hard to tell. Alt mode looks okay but it seems too bulky, sadly probably a necessity because of his combiner obligations, but it's aight
Scrapper is my favorite looking of all 8 Constructicons, period. 10 year old me is screaming. I wanted a Voyager Scrapper so much back in the '09 days and this thing looks PERFECT. I compare him to the model and he has all of the stand out design features. The proportions, the arm claws, the hip and heel tires, even the friggin exhaust pipes behind his shoulders! The alt mode looks a bit weird but it's grown on me, and in a perfect world the wrecking ball claw would be able to extend on a chain to become his flail, but other than that I couldn't be happier with how he looks. Studio Series just continues to make dreams happen!
Now, Devastator himself... bit of a mixed bag? Like, he's definitely big and impressive and loaded with detail and might, because of course, but... he's way too lanky and humanoid. I'm not asking for the gorilla stance but I really want him to be stocky and hunched, and he definitely isn't that here. I hope he can be posed better. But I do think Scrapper's arm mode has turned out great, and I like the add-on grinder piece with the green paint apps, feels like a reference to the glowing green mouth of concept art Devastator. And honestly I'm different from most in that I care more about the individual Constructicons in this set more than the combined mode anyway, so I'm happy!
Honestly, can this be called the best combiner set of all time? Like, what really compares to the sheer ambition and scope of this? And with just how well it's been executed? It was announced well over a year ago, and I still can't believe a fully functional set of Movie Constructicons that turn into Devastator exists now. This deserves all of the praise it can get, no matter what little drawbacks it has. Can't wait to get the rest of these, and see what Studio Series has in store next!
Top 10 Transformers of 2019
10. Siege Ironhide: Believe it or not, this is my very first G1 based Ironhide. I've never been that into G1 Ironhide but the look of his Siege figure surprisingly did it for me and I eventually decided to go for one. He has a tough powerhouse aesthetic that reminds me of his WFC game look and ignites a love for that style of Ironhide I didn't know I had. (I can just imagine him tearing a goon in half with his bare hands like that one part..) Functionally he's extremely satisfyingly poseable, has a smooth and fun transformation, and the bazooka hammer weapon is a delight.
9. Hunt for the Decepticons Sunspot: In 2019 I fulfilled a decade long grail by finally getting my hands on this mold. Because of that Sunspot has a sentimental value for me, but also man is he just as good as I expected. Possibly my favorite Scout figure I've handled. He has excellent articulation, a joy of a transformation, two great and unique looking modes, and I'm shocked at how well done and charming this goofy color scheme is. Only Sunspot can look this adorable while wielding death hatchets.
8. Generations Selects Hot Shot: I love a good Unicron Trilogy homage so as soon as we saw that Hot Shot head on Hound's box art, that's all I cared about this mold for, and as soon as it came out I had to get it. And it did not disappoint. The headsculpt is awesome and the Cybertron Hot Shot deco is super well done and brings so much life to the mold. Even the battle damage for once actually works for me. And I love the mold too, between the solidity, articulation, strong transformation, and super fun accessories. That ammo drum! He feels like a hardass commando, and I kind of wouldn't mind this as a default G1 Hot Shot. Would certainly help separate him from Bumblebee and Hot Rod..
7. Studio Series Arcees 3-pack: This lady trio rolled in at the very tail end of the year, and they've blown me away enough to make a surprise appearance on this list. These three are the definitions of unique and fun. Each one feels so different in transformation and design quirks. Detail and articulation are great, and the small scale adds welcome variety to the Studio Autobots. Admittedly the transformations can be a bit fiddly and the accessories suck but this set is just so fun to mess with, and such a perfect reminder of how creative this aesthetic could be.
6. Studio Series Helicopter Drift: An absolutely crazy idea for a retool that shouldn't work as well as it does. This figure is easily the best representation of Drift, with a much needed headsculpt upgrade over the old AOE Deluxe, a great deco, dynamic articulation, pretty much perfect swords, and a super well engineered transformation into his barely seen copter mode, which looks badass and is a nice novelty to own a representation of. Now c'mon Studio Series, when are we getting more AOE love...
5. Studio Series Sideswipe: Going into 2019 I could've pretty much guessed this figure would end up on this list and well, he lived up to expectations! Movie Sideswipe has generally gotten good figures but for me this one has to top them all. The best overall capturing of the CG model while also being a really fun toy. Both swords and guns, with plenty of articulation to put them to good use. Plus expressive wings! And of course the car mode is gorgeous, though these easily chipping silver painted cars haunt me...
4. Studio Series Ironhide: I was late to the game on this figure, not getting one until the beginning of 2019, but damn he started the year off with a bang. This is easily my favorite Movie Ironhide toy. DEAD SOLID, amazing cannons, good articulation for the design, great sculpt, enjoyable transformation, and a pretty much perfect truck mode. This is an excellently done figure that blows other mainline Movie Ironhides out of the water.
3. Studio Series DOTM Optimus Prime: This has been a bit of a divisive release ever since it was revealed. A DOTM Optimus with a trailer that finally does all of the stuff from the movie! ... But the trailer lacks paint, and the flight tech has rough looking hollow engines. Plus not everyone loves this Optimus mold. But I don't care. I love this thing. This was my first experience with the Studio Voyager Prime and it hits a lot of the right marks for me. A lithe and athletic first trilogy Prime that has most of the right details, is exceptionally dynamic, and has a surprisingly intricate transformation that I find really enjoyable. And the trailer brings so much F-U-N to the table. Somehow its inclusion really helps the look of the truck mode to me, the weapons ring is something I've always wanted in plastic, so many accessory options to give to Optimus, and the Jetwing aspect could be better but it's a really cool look. To me this is a great set, and one of the 2019 figures I've rarely been able to put down.
2. MPM-04 Optimus Prime: Thanks to a trade with the rad Sideways77, I got my very first Masterpiece figure in 2019, and it just had to have a high ranking on this list. As a proud mainline scrub this thing doesn't fit into my collection at all but it's such a nice standalone piece, and really if I was gonna have a high end figure of any design, this is one of the first I'd pick. And it's lovely because of course it is. He has a faceswap gimmick. He has huge badass swords. He has gorgeous pinstriped flames. He has a diecast matrix. He's... overwhelming to transform to say the least, and it has flaws that I'm not nearly enough of a MP person to really think about. He's just big and shiny and he's great.
1. Studio Series Jetfire: ROTF had its 10th anniversary in 2019, and it got no better birthday present than this glorious old bastard. I love Movie Jetfire and this is the figure he deserves. Absolutely STUNNING to look at, this toy captures his hunched form so well, and the sculpt is utterly remarkable. When you get him stood in a natural pose with his cane he looks like a work of art. So much personality, lots of nice articulation, a transformation that can admittedly be a chore, but I love the engines actually being the legs, and the alt mode is largely really nice. And even with being such a good figure on his own, he also manages to have a really badass combined mode with Optimus. This is a nigh perfect rendition of Jetfire, and while I wouldn't say he's head and shoulders above the competition, he's definitely a worthy number 1 for this list.
Honorable mentions:
Studio Series Barricade
Studio Series Car Dropkick
Studio Series Mixmaster
Normally this is where I'd give some summarizing closing thoughts, but really I just wanna say yeesh Barricade is cursed in my top 10s. In 2017 his TLK figure got bumped last second from an expected list appearance by POTP Slash, and now in 2019, I expected his Studio figure to make it, but I ended up bumping him after getting Siege Ironhide and the Studio Arcees. Maybe someday, Barry...
Anyway, feel free to tell me what you think of my picks, and share what some of your favorite figures of 2019 were!