Not a figure per se, but I think that FansProject's City Commander and the accompanying video is what brought 3p into the forefront. It has ~10 million views.
I think that's the most I've ever agreed with you all! A personal list, for me: 5) Maketoy's Giant - the first 3P product in my collection that was complete in its own right, rather than an upgrade kit 4) Badcube's Red Alert - A 3P product that dared to go to market after Takara had already made their own - challenging the idea that 3P only fills the gaps - and did so at a price that more -than-competed with official MP pricing at the time and went from announcement to preorder to shipping in very quick time for a 3P product. Perhaps the shining example of good in 3P business practices 3) Perfect Effect CW Superion Upgrades - The best example, in my opinion, of a truly must-have upgrade kit that takes a combiner that is actually pretty good but very much suffers from CW's aesthetic and turns it into a well-proportioned dynamic-looking and interesting piece that is still relevant, today 2) Maketoys' Despotron - the first 3PMP product that changed my MP collecting from the occasional pure Takara to supplementing with 3P stuff to fill gaps 1) Fansproject City Commander - it is absolutely the start of 3P and still part of my main collection, today Objectively, I should probably swap out Giant for FP Defender (which I think was the first truly stand alone 3P release); FT Quakewave or Scoria are probably more historically important than Maketoys' Despotron and Jizaitoys Powerglide is probably the best example of someone doing it and doing it well before 3P was even a thing so he should probably win and drop everyone else down a slot. They didn't make my personal list because they didn't do that for me as I don't own any of them. Some of your combiner picks and MS' Optimus are also solid picks with sound reasoning.
Unique Toys Peru Kill (AOE Lockdown). The first major example of "black magic engineering" by taking a design that many people thought was impossible (a Lamborghini turning into a robot nearly as tall as Optimus) and executed it with a simple transformation, zero kibble, and overall solid figure. UT would then repeat their wizardry four more times with Challenger, Dragoon, Nero, and Desperado. Peru Kill also showed there was a market for non-G1 3rd party and opened the floodgates for movie masterpiece 3rd party figures.
Not sure where it falls in historical importance, but Fans Toys Thomas completely blew my mind open about what was possible with a masterpiece figure. It was my first Fans Toys and changed the whole game for me.
I've gotta agree with some of the entries, but I'll throw in my picks since I'm later to the game. 5. Magic Square Light of Peace - I'll give a little credit to Light of Freedom since it's a good figure that I would have picked over MP-10, but my jaw dropped when I saw Light of Peace. As you noted, the price difference spoke volumes and the articulation is almost unmatched by any figures save for MMC's Optus Pexus. 4. MP-33 Inferno - Credit once again also to the Grapple mold, what Takara pulled off with the ladder on this figure is nothing short of magic. I know 3rd party companies have released much more realistic looking Infernos, but I wouldn't even consider them since they all have ladders hanging off of their backs and Inferno does not. 3. FansToys Maverick and Roadking - Just because Takara can do some magic tricks doesn't mean 3rd party can't. Roadking would be enough to convince me that mass shifting is real and Maverick is one of, if not, the best aerial transforming figure we have ever seen. 2. The War in Pocket series - I am not a legends collector, but I cannot act like I haven't been tempted by several of Newage's and Magic Square's recent releases. I can only say that War in Pocket is what made legends top shelf (if you catch my drift) for a lot of folks and I would advise many to start here if they want to save space (or in some cases money). 1. Fansproject City Commander - I have no intent of ever buying one and it might not be very good by modern standards, but I would identify it as the beginning of 3rd party. I never realized how influential it might be, but I always recognized it when I saw it. Great episode all around!
I think something that was missed here is the Battle Tanker series from Maketoys tbh, since much like City Commander it very much marks the transition from upgrade kits to full figure, and all in one line as it slowly transitioned from just the trailer, to the trailer with an upgraded figure, to a completely different trailer with a somewhat similar but markedly different figure. I'd also say that Optus Pexus is also something to be considered, as it very much is now a new benchmark for just how much poseability one can pack into a transforming toy
Nice video guys. Fansproject definitely was the starting point of the 3rd Party. Add ons, then full figures came in CHUG line. Those Henkei/Classic were massively spreaded in the collectors world and that was the best moment for a small independant company to be a part of the collectors market and so create a new segment. Agree about QuakeWave : it signed the new league : the MP league of course. About MMC, well, I can just say thank you for the acknowledgement ;) Alex Kubalsky is doing so clever works to bring interesting engineering with fun to play. We collect but don't forget, those are toys.
I had basically the same story with TFC Hercules. Found it listed on eBay introduced me to 3P in the first place. I don't dislike the way it looks like some people do now, even if it is dated now.
FT Dinobots (my first 3rd party), Thunder Manus (Maketoys Powermaster Prime), Feral Rex (Best attempt for an MP Predaking, but know is more like an expensive CHUG 😅), Quietus (a Cyclonus that looks good in both modes and is like the cartoon BUT better!), Thomas (Best 3rd party Triple Changer yet).
You all spoke on almost all the biggest ones for me. Quakewave,; the different Megatrons to try and equal up to MP10; GIgapower because of the sheer size and how gorgeous they look; Fansproject Defender - pretty sure it was my first third party piece and I hopped on with almost every full release they did after that; and finally ToyWorld Megatron and Optimus - two just awesome pieces for their time.
Great video, guys! As someone who is just now starting to explore third-party. (my wife recently gave me the Newage H44 Grimlock, and I fell in love) these educational pieces are great. Thanks for all of the fantastic content!
word to Hercules. I never went for the full set, but I paid for my share of 100$ CHUGs in the early 2010s. Surprised not to hear MMC Spartan or Cynicus & the way they launched an IDW/other comics arms race. We got the rest of the DJD in Legends and MMC scale, even characters like Ironfist & (eventually) Rung. Some one or two-hit companies went after more obscure stuff, like the War Within SparkToys.
Newage Flipper: Not the first legends, but was the gateway drug for me and many other people. "This thing looks THAT good? It's HOW small!? MMC Bruticus: What got me personally very heavy into combiners. As someone whose main draw to TFs is the engineering, this was a marvel. A few sour spots, but luckily their Protectabots look to be fixing those, for me at least. Battle Rollar: Never see people talk about this thing! It's held up terribly but from what I remember it was the first full 3rd party figure. Gotta give it props for opening the door, even if he did get stomped out by everyone who walked through it. Peru Kill: The first huge 3P Movie figure. It's really crazy how good he looks in both modes, while having such a simple transformation. Magic! City Commander: The most obvious #1 you can pic, and for good reason.
Gravity Builder at $150 is the most figure for the money in my whole collection. CW devastator cost me just as much, and feels like a cheap KO by comparison.
My top 5 5th. UT Challenger 4th. TW Constructor 3rd. FT Quakewave 2nd. Maketoys Giant/TFC Hercules 1st and how I got into what is known as 3rd Party is FansProject Bruticus Maximus...
I remember paying $90-$100 a piece for that TFC Hercules when it first came out, combining it and looking in awe while still thinking “damn this cost me $600” (now, dropping $600 for a statue or towards Hot Toys). I still have it to till this day in all of its floppiness glory. Can’t part with it.
Had to sit and really think, what was my first 3P figure...? Wasn't City Commander, consider that a upgrade armor set. You had to have Hasbro/Takara Ultra Magnus. But it was Perfect Effect. PE-01, PE-01F, PE-01R.
I need a mp scale jazz do badly. But at the time and still today i think that city commaders and all the recolours gun is absolutely ridiculous its like giving a 1/6 scale figure 1/1 replica gun to hold !
I think you got to make both TFC and Maketoys Devy 5A and 5B. Both came out at the exact same time, both were really good, and both generated tons of hype.
I don’t know if I can pick 5 #1 Hercule, he ‘s the first to test the water ..And i think it pave the way for others. Before, it was crazy Devy with their upgrade kits. #2 Quackwave, the birth of FT, we all know how that turn out. #3 toyworld Devastor
1. MM-01 - Just about the perfect DLX figure. Why did this miss the best of list last year?? 2. Moon Studios Radiatron - My favourite bot done so much better than Takara’s MP’s it’s embarrassing. 2. Toys World Constructor 3. Gigapower Grassor (I could fill this list with the other four really). 4. Monocrat Megatank - The perfect companion piece to MM-01. Not as well made, but looks incredible. 5. Zeta Bruticon
My #1 was also FT Scoria. #2 TFC Devy this was really close to being my number 1, #3 DX9 Omega Supreme, the price point vs the size and exceptional transformation with the little details in the knees, this was a solid release, #4 MS Optimus prime, to see a bold company come out and make a prime, I was shocked, the proportions just scream prime at his greatest and the price point $105.00 I was taken by suprise #5((PLEASE DONT LAUGH)) Fansproject insecticons. I remember looking at these figures and thinking, to myself, we don't have to be stuck in the cartoon, we have more forms they can evolve, these where a breath of fresh air back in the day. ((((TW Devy also holds a spot but the amount of game changetivity it had can't be numbered)))))
Mech ideas apex & geminus Mmc terminus hexatron Toyworld orion Maketoys quantron Mmc opteus pexus Fansproject smart robin In my opinion, this was the best time to be a tra farmers collector. I felt like we are getting this kind of love and care into our figures anymore.
I would say you also. I don’t want to be that guy. But I got Burned on 3rd party at the beginning watching fluff reviews. And I started watching you and was like oh wow this is garbage or this is good. With that said I was almost turned off with stuff from fansproject. More of a negative impact. I just remember fanstoys dinobots and even Xtransbots inferno chug style completely blowing me away and trying me off almost completely to mainline official Stuff.
I’ve only been collecting for a year and a bit now but there are two times where engineering has wowed me. The first was Magic Square’s Motormaster. In hindsight the transformation isn’t some amazing feat (though it is effective); but my previous (and also first ever) TF figure was the Cang Tiys legends scale Divebomb which has an extremely simple transformation, so to go from that to a legends figure that perfectly went to a G1 toon accurate bot mode that hid the vehicle parts like the wheels just wowed me at the time. The second time was Unique Toys Challenger - cause it looks like a figure that does not transform at all but went from a bot with rounded limbs and proportions to a complete and proportionate boxy truck. It’s also the figure that started my love of MPM style figures and I now proudly have the Cyber Era Bumblebee and Zeta Toys Flash/Blitzwing on my desk where I work, with hopefully MetaGate’s Shatter and Dropkick MPM’s to join them
Not a figure per se, but I think that FansProject's City Commander and the accompanying video is what brought 3p into the forefront. It has ~10 million views.
I think that's the most I've ever agreed with you all!
A personal list, for me:
5) Maketoy's Giant - the first 3P product in my collection that was complete in its own right, rather than an upgrade kit
4) Badcube's Red Alert - A 3P product that dared to go to market after Takara had already made their own - challenging the idea that 3P only fills the gaps - and did so at a price that more -than-competed with official MP pricing at the time and went from announcement to preorder to shipping in very quick time for a 3P product. Perhaps the shining example of good in 3P business practices
3) Perfect Effect CW Superion Upgrades - The best example, in my opinion, of a truly must-have upgrade kit that takes a combiner that is actually pretty good but very much suffers from CW's aesthetic and turns it into a well-proportioned dynamic-looking and interesting piece that is still relevant, today
2) Maketoys' Despotron - the first 3PMP product that changed my MP collecting from the occasional pure Takara to supplementing with 3P stuff to fill gaps
1) Fansproject City Commander - it is absolutely the start of 3P and still part of my main collection, today
Objectively, I should probably swap out Giant for FP Defender (which I think was the first truly stand alone 3P release); FT Quakewave or Scoria are probably more historically important than Maketoys' Despotron and Jizaitoys Powerglide is probably the best example of someone doing it and doing it well before 3P was even a thing so he should probably win and drop everyone else down a slot. They didn't make my personal list because they didn't do that for me as I don't own any of them.
Some of your combiner picks and MS' Optimus are also solid picks with sound reasoning.
Warbotron Bruticus - it was the first video of Bobby's I watched.
Also feel Ferel Rex should be in there as it raised a bar.
Good to see TFC Hercules on the list(s) for all it's faults that are apparent now, the impact it had at the time cannot be understated.
Cubex Huffer started my MP collection and G1 Huffer was my 1st Transformer. I still remember the awe of both!
Unique Toys Peru Kill (AOE Lockdown). The first major example of "black magic engineering" by taking a design that many people thought was impossible (a Lamborghini turning into a robot nearly as tall as Optimus) and executed it with a simple transformation, zero kibble, and overall solid figure. UT would then repeat their wizardry four more times with Challenger, Dragoon, Nero, and Desperado. Peru Kill also showed there was a market for non-G1 3rd party and opened the floodgates for movie masterpiece 3rd party figures.
Oh yeah! Forgot about him. That piece is still a game changer
exactly, not really into Bay verse, but gotta give UT the credit, they pulled the black magic trick
Not sure where it falls in historical importance, but Fans Toys Thomas completely blew my mind open about what was possible with a masterpiece figure. It was my first Fans Toys and changed the whole game for me.
I've gotta agree with some of the entries, but I'll throw in my picks since I'm later to the game.
5. Magic Square Light of Peace - I'll give a little credit to Light of Freedom since it's a good figure that I would have picked over MP-10, but my jaw dropped when I saw Light of Peace. As you noted, the price difference spoke volumes and the articulation is almost unmatched by any figures save for MMC's Optus Pexus.
4. MP-33 Inferno - Credit once again also to the Grapple mold, what Takara pulled off with the ladder on this figure is nothing short of magic. I know 3rd party companies have released much more realistic looking Infernos, but I wouldn't even consider them since they all have ladders hanging off of their backs and Inferno does not.
3. FansToys Maverick and Roadking - Just because Takara can do some magic tricks doesn't mean 3rd party can't. Roadking would be enough to convince me that mass shifting is real and Maverick is one of, if not, the best aerial transforming figure we have ever seen.
2. The War in Pocket series - I am not a legends collector, but I cannot act like I haven't been tempted by several of Newage's and Magic Square's recent releases. I can only say that War in Pocket is what made legends top shelf (if you catch my drift) for a lot of folks and I would advise many to start here if they want to save space (or in some cases money).
1. Fansproject City Commander - I have no intent of ever buying one and it might not be very good by modern standards, but I would identify it as the beginning of 3rd party. I never realized how influential it might be, but I always recognized it when I saw it.
Great episode all around!
I also really like the Maketoys Despotron, and something that doesn't get enough credit is the transformation is really quite innovative.
No mentions of Fansproject Defender aka Springer? That had a huge impact.
I think something that was missed here is the Battle Tanker series from Maketoys tbh, since much like City Commander it very much marks the transition from upgrade kits to full figure, and all in one line as it slowly transitioned from just the trailer, to the trailer with an upgraded figure, to a completely different trailer with a somewhat similar but markedly different figure.
I'd also say that Optus Pexus is also something to be considered, as it very much is now a new benchmark for just how much poseability one can pack into a transforming toy
Nice video guys. Fansproject definitely was the starting point of the 3rd Party. Add ons, then full figures came in CHUG line. Those Henkei/Classic were massively spreaded in the collectors world and that was the best moment for a small independant company to be a part of the collectors market and so create a new segment. Agree about QuakeWave : it signed the new league : the MP league of course. About MMC, well, I can just say thank you for the acknowledgement ;) Alex Kubalsky is doing so clever works to bring interesting engineering with fun to play. We collect but don't forget, those are toys.
Fansproject with their take on Springer. Wasn’t a bad version of him at the time. Warbot Defender
I had basically the same story with TFC Hercules. Found it listed on eBay introduced me to 3P in the first place. I don't dislike the way it looks like some people do now, even if it is dated now.
FT Dinobots (my first 3rd party), Thunder Manus (Maketoys Powermaster Prime), Feral Rex (Best attempt for an MP Predaking, but know is more like an expensive CHUG 😅), Quietus (a Cyclonus that looks good in both modes and is like the cartoon BUT better!), Thomas (Best 3rd party Triple Changer yet).
MMC FERAL REX - it looked amazing and mindblowing. I was able to get the Nero version for a steal and I love it.
You all spoke on almost all the biggest ones for me. Quakewave,; the different Megatrons to try and equal up to MP10; GIgapower because of the sheer size and how gorgeous they look; Fansproject Defender - pretty sure it was my first third party piece and I hopped on with almost every full release they did after that; and finally ToyWorld Megatron and Optimus - two just awesome pieces for their time.
It’s a good day when Bobby posts :)
Amen to that lol
TFC Hercules was also my gateway into 3P and paying that much in general for Transformers.
Great video, guys! As someone who is just now starting to explore third-party. (my wife recently gave me the Newage H44 Grimlock, and I fell in love) these educational pieces are great.
Thanks for all of the fantastic content!
word to Hercules. I never went for the full set, but I paid for my share of 100$ CHUGs in the early 2010s. Surprised not to hear MMC Spartan or Cynicus & the way they launched an IDW/other comics arms race. We got the rest of the DJD in Legends and MMC scale, even characters like Ironfist & (eventually) Rung. Some one or two-hit companies went after more obscure stuff, like the War Within SparkToys.
Newage Flipper: Not the first legends, but was the gateway drug for me and many other people.
"This thing looks THAT good? It's HOW small!?
MMC Bruticus: What got me personally very heavy into combiners.
As someone whose main draw to TFs is the engineering, this was a marvel.
A few sour spots, but luckily their Protectabots look to be fixing those, for me at least.
Battle Rollar: Never see people talk about this thing!
It's held up terribly but from what I remember it was the first full 3rd party figure.
Gotta give it props for opening the door, even if he did get stomped out by everyone who walked through it.
Peru Kill: The first huge 3P Movie figure.
It's really crazy how good he looks in both modes, while having such a simple transformation. Magic!
City Commander: The most obvious #1 you can pic, and for good reason.
I also wanna throw in for Herc. I think I first saw that in a thread on Ain’t It Cool back in the day.
Gravity Builder at $150 is the most figure for the money in my whole collection. CW devastator cost me just as much, and feels like a cheap KO by comparison.
How in the world did you get it for $150? I dropped about $600 for the entire set.......
Hercules was my first 3rd party figure and I will NEVER get rid of him.
Pretty recent, but the fanstoys cliffjumper blows the official MP out of the water.
My top 5
5th. UT Challenger
4th. TW Constructor
3rd. FT Quakewave
2nd. Maketoys Giant/TFC Hercules
1st and how I got into what is known as 3rd Party is FansProject Bruticus Maximus...
I remember paying $90-$100 a piece for that TFC Hercules when it first came out, combining it and looking in awe while still thinking “damn this cost me $600” (now, dropping $600 for a statue or towards Hot Toys). I still have it to till this day in all of its floppiness glory. Can’t part with it.
1. Hercules - It's when I first noticed a third party company
2. FT - Shockwave
3. Constructor
4. Transistor
5. Fans Projects - Menasor
I wonder if Bobby considers His TF collection completed
Had to sit and really think, what was my first 3P figure...? Wasn't City Commander, consider that a upgrade armor set. You had to have Hasbro/Takara Ultra Magnus. But it was Perfect Effect. PE-01, PE-01F, PE-01R.
TFC Hercules still holds up for a chug collection
I need a mp scale jazz do badly. But at the time and still today i think that city commaders and all the recolours gun is absolutely ridiculous its like giving a 1/6 scale figure 1/1 replica gun to hold !
I think you got to make both TFC and Maketoys Devy 5A and 5B. Both came out at the exact same time, both were really good, and both generated tons of hype.
I don’t know if I can pick 5
#1 Hercule, he ‘s the first to test the water ..And i think it pave the way for others. Before, it was crazy Devy with their upgrade kits.
#2 Quackwave, the birth of FT, we all know how that turn out.
#3 toyworld Devastor
1. MM-01 - Just about the perfect DLX figure. Why did this miss the best of list last year??
2. Moon Studios Radiatron - My favourite bot done so much better than Takara’s MP’s it’s embarrassing.
2. Toys World Constructor
3. Gigapower Grassor (I could fill this list with the other four really).
4. Monocrat Megatank - The perfect companion piece to MM-01. Not as well made, but looks incredible.
5. Zeta Bruticon
Natural followup - top 5 flunks. Maybe TFC Uranos? FansProject as a whole?
My #1 was also FT Scoria. #2 TFC Devy this was really close to being my number 1, #3 DX9 Omega Supreme, the price point vs the size and exceptional transformation with the little details in the knees, this was a solid release, #4 MS Optimus prime, to see a bold company come out and make a prime, I was shocked, the proportions just scream prime at his greatest and the price point $105.00 I was taken by suprise #5((PLEASE DONT LAUGH)) Fansproject insecticons. I remember looking at these figures and thinking, to myself, we don't have to be stuck in the cartoon, we have more forms they can evolve, these where a breath of fresh air back in the day. ((((TW Devy also holds a spot but the amount of game changetivity it had can't be numbered)))))
Remember Crossfire? Both FP Superion and Bruticus... For me that's N 1 in the list
Mech ideas apex & geminus
Mmc terminus hexatron
Toyworld orion
Maketoys quantron
Mmc opteus pexus
Fansproject smart robin
In my opinion, this was the best time to be a tra farmers collector.
I felt like we are getting this kind of love and care into our figures anymore.
MMC tapebots was a big deal back then
How can we forget about Terminus Giganticus? Otherwise, Great list I agree with.
Nanobots roadbuster head open the gates for everyone.
Peru kill added black magic.
Surprised Bobby doesn't have an opinion on the Toronto con previews.
It will be on this weeks sit down Saturday. On patreon. And me and a designer will be discussing them on shop talk tomorrow on patreon as well.
Going to Toronto?
this should be goooood🎉
I would say you also. I don’t want to be that guy. But I got
Burned on 3rd party at the beginning watching fluff reviews. And I started watching you and was like oh wow this is garbage or this is good.
With that said I was almost turned off with stuff from fansproject. More of a negative impact.
I just remember fanstoys dinobots and even Xtransbots inferno chug style completely blowing me away and trying me off almost completely to mainline official
Stuff.
I’ve only been collecting for a year and a bit now but there are two times where engineering has wowed me. The first was Magic Square’s Motormaster. In hindsight the transformation isn’t some amazing feat (though it is effective); but my previous (and also first ever) TF figure was the Cang Tiys legends scale Divebomb which has an extremely simple transformation, so to go from that to a legends figure that perfectly went to a G1 toon accurate bot mode that hid the vehicle parts like the wheels just wowed me at the time. The second time was Unique Toys Challenger - cause it looks like a figure that does not transform at all but went from a bot with rounded limbs and proportions to a complete and proportionate boxy truck. It’s also the figure that started my love of MPM style figures and I now proudly have the Cyber Era Bumblebee and Zeta Toys Flash/Blitzwing on my desk where I work, with hopefully MetaGate’s Shatter and Dropkick MPM’s to join them
Power Up. 🤜💥🤛
Fans Hobby Powerbaser First real MP powermaster prime & FansHobby Double Evil -there take of Overlord
Fans Toys Sovereign nearly reached perfection
P R O M O S M 😩
Fansproject warbot. (Springer)