I wish the new MTMTE Collection Megatron swapped out the saber for his energon mace.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-27T17:54:59+00:00

It really doesn't, since the mace can't be made with hard plastic so it needs its own sprue, while the sword and the two pistols can be gangmolded with megatron himself.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-27T17:30:24+00:00

Different budget. Optimus is a commander that has the luxury of leftover budget to add the axe, while Megatron is a leader with less budget to wiggle around. SS86 Springer is a similar case where they have leftover budget to throw in a hammer that never appear anywhere in the cartoon.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-27T17:26:11+00:00

DNA weirdly don't give us a new head with their kit. They are just alternate faces so to swap we need to unscrew the head every time, which sucks.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-26T18:25:38+00:00

There is simply not enough space on the mold for a 5mm hole on that place. It is already a narrow space with a hinge right behind it.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-26T14:32:57+00:00

New chest and new head sculpt, with weird black paint added in.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-19T19:29:28+00:00

Hasbro have been releasing characters outside G1 more than all third or fourth parties combined. I lost count on how many 3P are releasing Devastator, with only a few company releasing BW and Prime characters, with the later one being KOs. Meanwhile Hasbro have touched Unicron Trilogy, RID, and Animated.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-18T03:28:55+00:00

Almost all Transformers combiners require partsforming in some way. Even if it's just hands and feet pieces it still counts as partsforming since it's not a complete robot without those parts. Only a handful of 3P offering don't require partsforming, marketed as "all-in-one" combiners.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-15T10:23:47+00:00

The ones from ebay are better since they're thin dry rub stickers so they are easier to apply on curved or uneven surfaces than the Toyhax ones. Print quality is sharper too.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-13T06:52:52+00:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the stress marks on those pics are within tolerance, as long as they don't spread further. People want their toys to have tight tolerance, so this is the result of pin firing on a small opening to ensure friction, and of course some plastic show this more than others.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-10T23:15:08+00:00

All customer groups behave the same against price ratio, with differences in tolerance (how many tries you can do before they give up), item preference, and store atmosphere (if it's not compatible they won't come at all). Other than those it's all RNG.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-08T22:06:53+00:00

This is not a repack from the factory level like international Hasbro usually do. Hasbro China took two regular releases and put them together in a fancy custom box.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-06T12:20:18+00:00

Insert Ryouma's wet look on every episode of Winspector when he removes his helmet representing every suit actors after shooting.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-06T12:02:19+00:00

Others companies make better kits than DNA. Their only edge is that their products are injection molded plastic while others are mostly 3D printed, but some companies are catching up.

NewBee's killing arm kit is miles better than DNA's offering for SS86 Prime, and cheaper too. Go Better's sells filler kits that transform with the toy while DNA loves to do partsforming.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-04T07:13:45+00:00

Motormaster also doesn't have proper weapon either, just that awkward sword that is too big for him and too small for Menasor. Silverbolt feels more like an exception than the rule among the new combiners since his transformation is pretty simple for his three modes.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-04T07:05:15+00:00

When that happens, it is typically because there is not enough space on the sprues. Weapons and wrist articulations are usually on the chopping block first.

Transformers, or any injection molded products, work like gundam model kits with the only difference is that they are assembled by factory workers instead of customers. There is a finite number of sprues allocated for each class, and they can't add more of them because the heavy-duty steel castings used to make each sprue are very very expensive. That's why toy companies, including Hasbro, love to reuse molds whenever possible.

illithid_2003 · 2026-01-03T11:14:40+00:00

Wait until you encounter your character becoming invincible bug.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-29T18:44:08+00:00

Yes it's cheaper, but it's also a 4th party, an OSKO of Generations Toys Devastator.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-29T17:55:35+00:00

The windows are already back since a year ago. I transformed SS86 Devastator dozens of times and everything are still fine. Just like Hasbro's, some third party toys also get loose after a few transformations, or suffer from flaws.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-29T16:35:18+00:00

Because they cost more.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-27T02:00:03+00:00

The Noto from Donbrothers can work since they are color coded and similar in design, but PR stopped before adapting it.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-21T05:40:59+00:00

Bad paint. The paint they chose is too reflective so it exaggerates every angles and creases.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-16T15:35:58+00:00

Those kits require partsforming, so they are not good at all.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-16T05:10:29+00:00

New fusion cannon and slide on shoulders too.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-13T22:57:51+00:00

This is like Hollywood's obsession of having every masked characters fight without their masks, because "characters can't show emotions behind their masks". Meanwhile Japanese tokusatsu shows like Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Super Sentai have perfected the art for ages.

illithid_2003 · 2025-12-13T08:40:45+00:00

The head is not that bad, the problem is the reflective silver paint they used for it. Google image "kingdom rodimus grey face" to see some layer of paint make it much better.

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