I'm moving to a new state during the summer of this movie, so there will be
some delays.
Bolded names got Strongly Recommended, while italic indicates a
rating of neutral or worse.
CONSTRUCT-BOT DINO RIDERS
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Small but still transforming Construct Bots at the $7 price
point, meant to ride on larger dinobot sets.
- Wave 1:
Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Lockdown, Hound, Drift, Crosshairs.
Scout-sized Dinobot sets, which one presumes may be ridden
by the Dino Riders. Note: while clearly intended as part of the movie line,
I'm going to be keeping the Microchange Combiners (and blindbags) on the Kre-O page.
- Wave 1: Slug, Slash, Grimlock, Strafe, Scorn. I currently own all but
Scorn in one form or another (Target had an exclusive deco Grimlock with
silver Optimus Prime dino-rider). They're bigger than previous
Construct-Bots, but built around gimmicks that make them chunkier. Strafe is
probably the best of the ones I have.
TRANSFORMERS MASHERS
BASICS |
The Mashers line have common snap-on joints for neck, elbows, hips, and
knees, so you can mix and match parts. It started with Marvel, so now you
can create Doctor Doomlock, or Spidermus Prime. Basic sets are $10.
- Wave 1: Drift (movie), Starscream (G1), Springer (G1), Bumblebee
(Generations). I picked up Springer, it's okay, didn't feel like reviewing
it.
- Wave 2: Rodimus, Jetfire, Heatwave (Nexus Prime version). I picked up
Jetfire and Heatwave. Jetfire has wonky proportions and his wing pack
doesn't stay on very well. Heatwave is decent, and amusingly has a weapon
that looks like it belongs to Rescue Bots Heatwave.
The Elite ones are $15, but I'm including them here. They're the same size
as basics, but have a few more accessories, plus a bonus part from a
non-existent set (a redeco part, so a recolored Starscream piece presented as
a Thundercracker piece, for instance).
- Wave 1: G1 Optimus Prime, Generations Megatron, TF:Prime Bulkhead.
- Wave 2: G1 Soundwave, G1-colors Slug (Slag). I got both, they're decent,
but I didn't feel like reviewing them either. Soundwave's gun has way too
long of a handle, I modified mine.
The hollow 12" statue-y things are back. I probably won't buy any, but
including this category just in case.
Non-transforming toys with jousting robots atop rolling, sparking Dinobots.
They really look awful. Even Hasbro doesn't seem to like them, since there
doesn't seem to have been a second wave.
- Wave 1: Autobot Drift atop Dinobot Slug, Bumblebee atop Strafe, Optimus
Prime atop Grimlock.
The successor to Fast Attack Battlers and their ilk, these transform with a
single motion, usually sacrificing something. $10 price point.
- Wave 1: Grimlock (T.rex), Autobot Drift (Bugatti
Veyron), Optimus Prime (truck, no plans to get it).
- Wave 2: Slash (same basic transformation as Grimlock), Hound, Bumblebee,
Lockdown (push-button to go to robot mode, massage panels to get it back in
car mode). I picked up Slash and Lockdown for $5 each on various sales,
that's about what they're worth. See the Deluxe Lockdown review.
- Wave 3: Autobot Drift (helicopter), Galvatron (truck), High Octane
Bumblebee (black redeco), Dinobot Slug (triceratops), Steeljaw (robot wolf,
one of Lockdown's pets). No review coming, but I got Slug (meh) and Steeljaw
(interesting transform, but doesn't quite work as well as intended).
Another one-step transformation line, but with motion gimmicks, so they cost
like Deluxes.
- Wave 1: Autobot Hound (quick draw gimmick), Bumblebee (power punch
gimmick), Crosshairs (power punch), Dinobot Strafe (spin attack). They look
pretty bad, I don't plan to buy any unless they go on deep discount. (I
later passed on them even at a deep discount.)
- Wave 2: Scorn (no "Dinobot" on the name),
Autobot Drift (car), Optimus Prime, probably some reships. Grimlock started
showing up in later case assortments, maybe a wave 3?
- The Rest: A bunch trickled out through online or small retailer sources
before finally hitting the Ross/TJMaxx stores. These include Grimlock, High
Octane Bumblebee, Lockdown, Snarl, Galvatron, Vehicon, Junkheap, possible
others. Galvatron, Snarl, Vehicon, Lockdown, and Junkheap
extended capsules.
The regular Deluxes (as opposed to gimmick lines) are branded as Generations,
but will go here rather than on the Generations
page.
- Wave 1: Scorn, Dinobot Slug, Crosshairs, High Octane
Bumblebee.
- Evolutions Dinobot Slug: A TRU-exclusive version of Slug with a pack-in
of the Mini-Con Dinobot Slug (in G1 Slag colors). Since I already have Slug
and have that Mini-Con from the DotM packaged version, I won't be getting
this set.
- Wave 2: Slash, Strafe, Autobot Drift. And a reship
of Bumblebee, of course. Only Slash and Drift reviewed in this file, as I
got Evolutions Strafe first, and it seems to be the same as the regular
version.
- Evolutions Strafe: A TRU-exclusive version of
Strafe with a pack-in of the Mini-Con Dinobot Swoop...and G1 art of Technobot
Strafe.
- Wave 2.5: A running change brings in Lockdown in
place of Slash and Bumblebee. Review includes a few other Lockdowns.
- Wave 3: Snarl (Ankylosaur), Hot Shot (blue
Tracks-style redeco of Crosshairs), Bumblebee (the version in the Evolutions
pack).
- Evolutions Bumblebee: Modern Camaro Bumblebee plus a
slightly redecoed Generations Legends class Bumblebee and a yellow and black
version of DotM Jolt's gun.
- Walmart Exclusive Packs: Sold at $5.96, $14.96 and
$24.96 price points, they're a bunch of redecos of Legion, Scout/Basic and
Deluxe molds. I got a few of them (two of the single-pack Legion, two of the
two-packs). Putting them here because, well, there's some Deluxe price point
sets in there, and the $24.96 set (not bought) includes Strafe's AoE Deluxe
mold.
As with Deluxe, the "vanilla" Voyagers are branded as
Generations.
- Wave 1: Evasion Mode Optimus Prime (G1 homage
cabover), Grimlock (mecha-T.rex).
- TRU Exclusive Evolutions Grimlock: $40 set packaging a redeco of the
above Grimlock and an Energon Grimlock (without Swoop). Don't intend to get
this, unless I see it on insane clearance.
- Wave 2: Hound (Medium Tactical Vehicle), Galvatron (evil semi). Blink and you missed 'em.
Galvatron did start hitting stores in larger numbers by late summer, but not
Hound.
- Wave 3: Drift (DotM
Skyhammer retool that really works well), Slog
(brachiosaur).
Like 1 Step Changers, but bigger. And more expensive. Also called "Smash
Changers".
- Wave 1: Grimlock, Optimus Prime. They don't
look worth $20 to me. But Grimlock was barely worth $15 on sale. Target had
an exclusive silver redeco of Optimus.
- Wave 2: Lockdown and Bumblebee.
- Mega One-Step Bumblebee: Looks to be similar in design to the smaller
Bumblebees in this style, but bigger and more expensive and therefore even
less likely to go in my basket.
CONTRUCT-BOT DINOBOT
WARRIORS
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These are Elite-sized sets that come with small Dinobot partners that
transform into weapons/accessories.
- Wave 1: Drift with Roughneck, Bumblebee with Nosedive, Hound with
Wideload, Lockdown with Hangnail, Optimus Prime with Gnaw. Status: I picked
up Prime and Drift on clearance, meh. Another case of Hasbro apparently
giving up after one wave.
LARGE TRANSFORMERS
MASHERS SETS |
Bigger sets with more accessories, at the $20-30 price points. I don't plan
to review these, so I'm not going to bother listing them, sorry. It's a mix
of generations, just like the basic sets. Most are two-packs (i.e. Bumblebee
and Strafe), but there's a solo big Grimlock.
16" tall hollow Titans.
- Wave 1: Optimus Prime and Grimlock. I've seen both in person, they're
nicer than the TF:Prime Titan Guardians, but still not really worth the money
or the space.
I have largely gone off the larger sizes, any reviews here
are likely to be guest reviews.
- Leader Wave 1: Optimus Prime and Grimlock. They look like knockoffs of
slightly oversized Voyagers. Bleh. There's also a "First Edition" Leader
Optimus, but I've never seen it on the shelf.
- Stomp & Chomp Grimlock: A super-One-Step-Changer at the $80 price point
with lots of sound and light gimmicks. Maybe if it goes on $25 clearance.
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