Top Ten: Transformers MP
Figures We Couldn’t Resist

NoisyDvL5

I know I said yesterday was our last line-specific Top Ten for this week, but circumstances with Vault have caused us to switch up our plans a bit and sub in one more like the others for the last day. Hopefully, we’ll have our planned Top Ten list here on IAT in the coming weeks, so we’ll keep what it was under our hats for now.

We kicked back a few ideas today for the last Top Ten. Ninja Turtles? G.I. Joe? 80s Toy Lines. We hit upon Transformers, but Vault considers himself currently “done” until something catches his fancy. That set off a lightbulb in my head. The best subline in Transformers right now is Masterpiece. Since the MP-10 reboot, the line has been kicking ass with each bot seemingly improving over the last. I’m loving it. But they’re expensive. They’re expensive when they’re imported and sold at TRU. They’re more expensive when they’re not. It’s the kind of line that you have to buy your wife a new house before you can start collecting (no, really, trust me on that).

But we all have soft spots for our old toys, or old characters, or, heck, sometimes just toys in certain colors. Collectors are weird like that. So even though the toys are expensive and the thought of collecting the line en masse is daunting, which Transformers would we simply have to get if they were made as MPs? Who could we not resist? Vault doesn’t really collect MP, but he does have Soundwave. That’s an excellent example of an irresistible release! So I challenged Vault to come up with a list of similar names and, even though I am buying the line (while the money lasts and my wife stays happy), I set out to do the same. I get wishy-washy on some of the releases and Vault skips momst of ’em, but which characters would we slap down cash for a pre-order of without remorse? Well, let’s take a look.

Noisy No. 10 – Megatron! Vault No. 10 – Astrotrain!
There are no caveats for this list, just a straight Top Ten. So Megatron kicks off my list because he desperately needs a redo. Starscream (well, Thundercracker & Sunstorm, I still need to get Screamer), Soundwave, & not-Shockwave look awesome hanging out together, but the MP Decepticons won’t be complete until Megatron gets rebooted like MP-10 Optimus prime. The idea of a locomotive that turns into a space shuttle was amazing as a kid, and I loved him just for that. Large wings, thrusters, working train wheels, and two separate colors, I can only imagine how impressive and complex a Masterpiece update of this character would be. Not to mention the bot mode would probably have long useful arms!
Noisy No. 9 – Hot Rod! Vault No. 9 – Cyclonus!
I promise this is the last redo for my Top Ten list, but I simply need for them to take a second stab at Hot Rod. One because he’s one of my all-time favorite Transformers. But also because the MP-09 Rodimus isn’t all that great (& works better as Rodimus Prime anyway). I’d like to see him revisited, done better, & in the new scale so can he hang with my G1 Cars. Cyclonus and Scourge are two of my favorite bot designs. Unfortunately for Scourge, I’m not going to buy an MP of a space boat with a head sticking out the top. But Cyclonus’ alt mode is a super sleek space-jet-fighter! Couple that with his samurai-like bot mode and you’ve got a cool looking figure that gives us a bit of post-Megatron love.
Noisy No. 8 – Blaster! Vault No. 8 – Black Arachnia!
I’m hoping this guy is a given after the love that Soundwave received this year. Blaster was one of the TFs I really wanted as a kid and never had, so that could explain my affinity for him. Typically, I prefer the vehicular Transformers over the mini-robo type stuff, but my intense love for the cassettes subsets does carry over to Soundwave & Blaster. A giant mechanical spider that turns into a fembot? It’d definitely be a dream come true for a lot of Beast Wars fans, and Barry Sonnenfeld. But I’d like her to look a little sleeker, like her Animated Series counterpart. Both spiders and fembots without weirdly placed bumps and bulges…
Noisy No. 7 – More Cassettes! Vault No. 7 – Arcee!
Hey, I just said that I love the cassettes, right? And that was when they were still flat in robot mode. The five MP Decepticon Cassettes really blew me away this year and I can’t wait to see the same treatment extended to the Autobot Cassettes. I know the bad guys get more love, but I’ve always liked good guy better. Rewind, Eject, Ramhorn, & Steeljaw will be most welcome on my shelves. Ok Hasbro/Takara, you’ve dicked around for the last twenty seven years. I think it’s about time you release a proper pink fembot Arcee that turns into her classic space-convertible car mode. Her Animated and Prime figures are great, but we want the G1. And you can’t say “little boys won’t buy her” this time because this is an adult collector’s line.
Noisy No. 6 – Hound! Vault No. 6 – More Dinobots!
I know that mold re-use is a big factor in the MP line, and I’m loving the cars that are being churned out, but I’m gonna need a Jeep. Hound was a huge favorite as a kid and I know he’d look fantastic in the MP line (heck, I wish I still had my Alternator). They could reuse his mold for other TF Jeeps, but they might have to cheat a bit. Still, I think Hound will be a lock. We have Grimlock, now where’s the rest? I’ve always loved dinos, and making them into transforming robots is just icing on the cake. MP versions of Slag, Sludge, Snarl, and Swoop would look fantastic surrounding their leader on the toy shelf. And I could really have some fun terrorizing my other collections with their dino modes.

Continue to Page 2 for our Top Fives!

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29 thoughts on “Top Ten: Transformers MP
Figures We Couldn’t Resist”

  1. In no particular order, other than the order I thought of them:

    More Seekers
    More Decepti-Cassettes
    Shockwave — Scratch that — They took too long, now I have Quakewave. Their loss.
    Devastator
    Shattered Glass Soundwave and his all his Mini-Pals
    Perceptor

    I may come up with more later.

  2. Have we got all 3 original seekers then move on to the Coneheads

    Jazz: Was my first Transformer ever so to own this is a must.
    Ironhide/Ratchet: We need a G1 toon likeness and MP can do it
    The Minibots: They were fun to have as a kid and MP updates would rock for these guys
    Trailbreaker/Hoist: Filling spots of the original Autobot crew.
    The Stunticons: I know we have a 3rd party set but legit ones of a fave con squad would rock
    2nd Arcee: Its time for an accurate Arcee. Seen fanmade but those aren’t for sale.
    2nd More Dinobots: Slag, Snarl, Sludge and Swoop need to get some love again. Even Generations hasn’t gone past Grimlock

    Actually like both lists so, for them all.

    Doesn’t transform but Nightbird the ninja fembot?

    1. Jazz! Man, I forgot all about him. I thought he was out already! Yes, he is a must. I know a lot of my favorites have been done (Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen, Sideswipe & Sunstreaker) but we definitely need Jazz!

    2. I forgot Stunticons on my list!
      I almost have a full set from various deluxe/retail releases the last few years, but that Dragstrip is so spindly, there’s no way he could be a leg. They really need to adapt what they’ve already released, then add MotorMaster (aka Scourge?) to the set, or figure out how to do MM that can adapt to join with the previously released singles?

  3. If I cut back on expenses a bit, I might just afford this line someday. Besides, eating is overrated, right?

    In the meantime, here’s my list. Yeas, I lean a lot towards the good guys.

    1. Wheeljack! – My favorite Autobot ever. Period. Wheeljack rules.

    2. Bumblebee! – The vintage Volkswagen Bug which VW might never license again.

    3. Mirage! – An all-time classic with a neat “super power” and a radical design.

    4. Tracks! – Also a favorite for his cool personality and stylish vehicle mode.

    5. Ratchet! – Easy pick here. A must-have character for any G1 cartoon or comic fan.

    6. Ironhide! – IDW has truly made Prime’s loyal bodyguard both awesome and relevant.

    7. Hound! – Another great vehicle design and an interesting character to boot.

    8. Perceptor! – I’ve always loved his brainy but gutsy microscope/scientist angle.

    9. Hoist! – The British-sounding maintenance expert has always appealed a lot to me.

    10. More Dinobots! – We need the complete quintet to round out Grimmy!

    Honorable mention goes to Defensor, (my favorite combiner as well) Blaster, Huffer, Brawn, Skids, Trailbreaker, Windcharger, Springer, Kup, and Blurr, who would have likely rounded out a top twenty. (See what I just did there?) 😉

    1. Masterpiece Wheeljack and Bumblebee are already up for ordering at BBTS. (I refuse to use the term “Pre-Order,” except to mention that I refuse to use it.)

      And it looks like Bumblebee is going to be a VW Beetle.

      Oh, yeah: I will second Jazz. Solid.

  4. Devastator. A proper, Masterpiece, G1 toy-colored, swappable yellow/red eyed, optionally visor-ed, fully accessorized, robots with all three mode-ed, “Constructicons, merge for the kill!”ed Devastator would make me spend the $600+ it would cost.

  5. to be real, i’d love a more awesome arcee, but i feel like the third parties are more likely to give you something really memorable, rather than MP edition, since the MPs are pretty true to the original designs… and g1 arcee kinda sucked. her transformation left an almost absurd amount of weight on her back, you’d need a thorough reimagination of her articulation and perhaps transformation to get that remedied. plus she had small lady machine boobs, and i’d to think we can give her bigger gas cans in the new millenium. nothing pornographic, but… more kat dennings as a machine girl, rather than beth behrs. i would example the igear fig, which i think balances her presentation much nicer than the g1 fig did… THAT i would take closer to MP scale, rather than a straight up MP.

    1. I see what you’re saying. Several “male” bots have bigger “turbines” than the handful of fembots. It makes you wonder what team they’re really playing for.

  6. I’m not collecting this line but I couldn’t resist the Takara Soundwave and his Cassette buddies. I even picked up the 3rs party Energon Cube packs to display with him. I never had Soundwave as a kid and this new version was everything I wanted – great sculpting and detail, wicked articulation and a classic conversion. And his cassettes are more than just flat slabs with limbs poking out. So I’d definitely be in for Blaster and the Autobot Cassettes.

    Also I’m waiting for the one Transformer I have strong memories of having as a kid – Sunstreaker. I loved his car mode but his G1 level articulation was lacking even for adolescent me. An MP version would satisfy my need for having that childhood toy on the shelf and also fulfill my desire to have his legs move.

  7. Astrotrain
    The rest of the dino bots
    Devastator and all his individual parts and forms
    Ultra Magnus
    Perceptor

    Those are my desires….

  8. Noisy, I don’t know whether to love you or hate you for that pun you did with the Reflector entry…

  9. I’d rather have deluxe versions at retail than the HTF costly MP’s, myself. the TF Classics took care of most of those wants, several years back. (~2006-07?)
    plus, I just saw the new Joe!HOUND up in Onion yesterday! ok, it was a green jeep with GI Joe logo/bars deco running down the side, but it was a pure GEEK!moment for me! LOL

    Arcee and Dinobots are definitely in the lead for me.
    (altho that Leader Grimlock currently on shelves I couldn’t get into dino-mode, thanks to wonky legs/hindquarters, so…?)

    Insecticons? sure, why not. I had a couple of the G1 guys.

    Ratchet – I had the original, but I think it was one of those mail-order things where I could have gone for Reflector, but chose the ambulance instead. (he eventually wound up with Prowl’s head, thanks to one too many, falls or something? that dude was totally worn out in the first year.) I think the ambulance was one of, if not the only, Protectobot I had, too?

    I wouldn’t mind a new set of Aerialbots, and if I ever get my stuff out of storage, I think I have enough deluxe planes to try and repaint them into the classic team?
    I snagged the RUINATION set on sale last week at WM (~$10 each), and they seem more of an updated Technobot team than anything else, including Combaticons, to me.

    Blaster – I never had any of him or various Soundwaves until Action Force and then the more recent iterations (music SUV, Cyber-tank), but I did have some of the G1 tapes. I saw some of the new “discs” in clearance then later saw all three of the Cybertron tanks, but decided to get the tapes first then couldn’t find them again. sigh…

    can’t think of many more I’d “need”-need.

    Now, if you need a Top Ten list for Doctor Who….
    (Susan, Ian & Barbara, 70s Sarah Jane, proper Donna, blue jacket 8, River in dress/denim, 5″ Clara, numerous TARDIS interiors, “Bad Wolf” Jack, Steven & Dodo, Schism & young Master, FA Time Lords, Valeyard, 5″ ‘Nightmare’ Cybermen & Ice Warrior, Frobisher, 5″ articulated Torchwood team w/Rhys, The Hub set, etc)

    1. yeah, I saw that Slag earlier tonight. drooooooooooooool………..
      He’s my Primary Dinobot, only G1 I had, then I bought him again in G2 red and TFA. the rest keep disappointing me!

  11. I’m down with MP Hound. I still have my Alternator’s Hound and he holds up surprisingly well.

    They need to do MP Megatron. Hopefully find a way to get around the whole handgun mess that MP-05 was. It was fairly easy just to pull the orange tab out from it, but still…

    Obviously ALL OF TEH DINOBOTZ…

    MP Astrotrain would be pretty killah.

    MP Ironhide/Ratchet are must-haves.

    MP BLASTER BLASTER!!!

    ALL OF TEH CASSETTEZ!!!

    MP Jetfire/Skyfire PLZ!!!

  12. I want an Masterpiece Metroplex! I love my SDCC one from this year, but he’d be even better if he were like six feet tall.

  13. This is a tough one. I love transformers, but my wallet doesn’t like how much money I’m spending, so technically, I hope they never make these so that I won’t be tempted to buy them.

    Dinobots
    Insecticons
    Jetfire
    Perceptor
    Beachcomber
    Warpath
    Cassettes!
    Any Triplechanger
    Kup

    And if we go non-G1 cartoon:

    IDW Prowl (in the Andrew Griffith Design from Robots In Disguise)
    IDW Chromedome (though the upcoming TFSS Chromedome will do for now)
    IDW Rewind
    Star Saber
    Dai Atlas

  14. I know there are still many, many G1 character left to do, but what about anything from Beast Wars? Masterpiece Optimus Primal/Megatron? Or maybe MP Hot Shot from Armada?

  15. MP always leaves me feeling a little conflicted since it’s become the definitive figure of G1 cartoon representations rather than the ultimate representation of a character. Sticking to the cartoon sources mostly produce awesome results (Optimus 2.0, Lambor and others) but is too restrictive for my tastes. To me, the G1 toon look many times was uselessly simplified (Soundwave, Sunstreaker) or just dumb (Broadside), and striving slavishly for it doesn’t allow the artists involved to improve or incorporate other elements into it. That said, here are my ideas/wants:
    (In descending order)
    Hot Rod/Rodimus (Noisy’s right in wanting to get him done properly)
    Sunstreaker (following the G1 toy’s head, not the cartoon’s)
    Bay Movie Ironhide (I might be the only one that wants a MP of this walking arsenal)
    Punch/Counterpunch (today’s design advances could make this incredible)
    Beast Wars/Machines Optimus Primal (If there’s animation I’d like to see engineered, it’s of this guy in either form)
    Cosmos (who DOESN’T like this guy?)
    Mirage
    Swoop (they got Grimlock so right that I’d love to see it done)
    Galvatron/Megatron (a toon design I loved, though I question whether we’ll get another real gun in a very real scale)
    Jazz (everyone needs their sentimental favorite)

    1. I left off Blaster since he seems a virtual certainty. Also, MP Twins (Fastlane/Cloudraker and Pounce/Wingspan) have always intrigued me…

  16. 1) Arcee

    2) Jazz

    3) The rest of the Dinobots

    4) Bulkhead. Yeah, I said it.

    5) Jetfire

    6) Blitzwing

    7) Ironhide (thereby making Ratchet a certainty)

    8) Devestator. Hopefully combining the best of all the fanmade versions

    9) Galvatron

    10) GI Joe Transformers. Optimus as a HiSS tank, Starscream as a Night Raven, etc. An adult-aimed collector’s line might be the only place we’d see this kind of mash-up.

  17. Some of those wishes are close to fulfillment. FansToys brought us an MP scaled Shockwave, and a couple days ago revealed an MP sized Slag. They also teased us with silhouettes of Swoop and Jetfire. Both Unique Toys and iGear are releasing 3-packs of Sharkticons in the next 60 days. Both sets look great attacking MP Grimlock. Takara has a pre-order up for MP Ultra Magnus. While nobody mentioned him, Warbotron is making a Bruticus combiner who could be very very close to MP scale. They’ve also teased us with a future Menasor.

  18. nooo, don’t do this to me, I’m already having a hard time finding the month where I can buy either my beloved Soundwave or that awesome ‘dead’ Black Optimus Prime, don’t make me think about thinks like Arcee, Dinobot, Optimus Primal, Blaster or Reflector, I wouldn’t be able to eat!

  19. You got a bunch of mine like Hot Rod, Galvatron, Cyclonus and Tracks, but there’s a few I just gotta have:
    Ironhide – major character, looks cool and I need some larger Autobots
    Blitzwing – love his look, and the alt modes tank and weird jet are way cool
    Sunstreaker – another Lamborghini, yeah, but way cooler
    Inferno – another big Autobot, and a odd but neat-looking robot
    Beast Machines Optimus Primal – that’s my crazy longshot that will never happen, but I really liked many of the designs in Beast Machines, and OP was way rad, and none of those guys got decent toys. Masterpiece is totally a line geared towards the Japanese audience, and they have no fondness for the Beasts, so ain’t gonna happen, but a man’s gotta have dreams, right?*

    * this list assumes Wheeljack will actually get announced by an official source and will see the light of day.

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