I remember getting the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime (before they even called it "Masterpiece") for my 20th birthday (my mom has given me a Transformer as a birthday gift every year for as long as I can remember). I was absolutely blown away by it. That changed me from "these are some neat toys I can fiddle with sometimes" to "I need to seriously collect and display these things."
5)MP Prowl & Blustreak's hidden shoulder cannons (and all the others that came after). 4)combinding Toyworld Devastator (and the working treads on the arm bots). 3)MP Ultra Magnus was just fun and amazing. 2)Inferno's latter ended the Inferno wars for me. 1)FansToys Motormaster, still the undisputed most amazing transformer I've ever seen....honorable mention: the faux chests on the autobot cars changed the game astheticly in a really good way
I remember being really impressed with the combiner wars cores, like Silverbolt and Hotspot. The way the ladder wraps around Hotspot, or how the head comes out of Silverbolts' belly, and then the panel flips up to fill the gap. After not being impressed for a long time, that one stands out.
5: Fans Toys Silverbolt - The way that thing folds and flips upon itself just blew me away. 4: Deformation Space Blaster - He fits my minds eye in how a Blaster should look and the way they handled the panel forming/flipping was just amazing. 3: Fans Toys Cyclonus - another beautiful piece from FT that just leaves me clueless how they got the toon accuracy and engineering for it! 2: Studios Series 86’ Hot Rod - The method in which he is engineered just makes me desire a newer better Master Piece scaled one… 1: Masterpiece Sunstreaker! (Just leaving it at that, it speaks for itself)
That Leader Class movie Starscream with the tattoos was fantstic! I've had such issues with the Bayverse bots and the aesthetic of that toy still has all the same problems, but damn! The way it's designed is just so much fun. The balance and articulation and heft of the figure are just all perfect in my opinion
100% agree on bumblebee. I wasn’t a huge fan on him but was so surprised how fun his transformation was. With that said: 1. Bumblebee 2. MP-10 Prime 3. Ironhide 4. Sideswipe 5. FT Phantasm
The tattoos were added to Starscream for 2 reasons: 1, to show that Starscream was given some type of leadership role between movies, and 2, to show the humans that they weren't going to hide from them anymore.
The thing you've seen like Chromedone since is the bumper on Siege Ultra Magnus, that has a slider to swap a part of the cab from one price onto the lower, freeing the swivel.
Dude, I was totally thinking of that very same thing about the first masterpiece Bumblebee! I'm glad I'm not the only one that was amazed about that conversion. Too bad he hasn't aged well, lol.
Interesting topic. 5 Classics Starscream - did it's job better for its time and price point than anything else I can think of. 4 Binaltech Smokescreen - achieved more than any other before and (excluding other Alternators) since. 3 Classics Sideswipe/Sunstreaker having reversed transformations to make a remould not feel like a remould. 2 MP-01 hiding the wheels such that it makes the 'kidneys'. 1 Original Optimus Prime - truly great - alongside the Veritech Valkyrie, probably the best transformation for parts of the vehicle genuinely and elegantly becoming parts of the robot. Honourable mentions to FansProject Smart Robin for feeling like a big level up in cleverness and to Fanstoys Quakewave for solving the leg proportions in robots becoming guns
I'd give FT Huffer an honourable mention too, it completely subverted how I though it would work and collapsed the cab down brilliantly. Maybe DX9s Omega Supreme too, showing it didn't need to parts form despite its size and bulk, without sacrificing stability.
The ladder on MP Inferno is the reason I haven’t bought any 3P Inferno figures. If I ever do get an Inferno, it will have to have the ladder fold away.
This probably sounds stupid but I bought the Earthspark 1-step changer Bumblebee. It's a trash robot but you push it over and it transforms into the car. And honestly, it's insanely satisfying and probably more fun than the last ten masterpiece figures I bought.
Unique Toys Lockdown - It felt like magic when I first saw it. The ability to go from two radically different modes, in such an easy and stress free way blew me away. Newage Bumblebee (the first one) - A transformation so good and fun and simple that it instantly made me a NA diehard. Fansproject Brainstorm - This was the first 3P figure I ever bought. The way the jet folds up into the chest was just so cool there's no way I couldn't get it. MP-01 Optimus - This thing hit when I was about 13 and just transitioned into "older kid whose embarrassed to be playing with toys" and it's fair to say that this figure locked me in for life. I was able to get it for Christmas that year and I wore that thing down to the bone transforming it over and over.
Top 5 transformations: MP Hound (I Kno ppl hated this but it blew me away in the legs & feet), MP 44, MP Inferno, UT Lockdown, Purple Potato Shockwave...I love my FT figures but I don't transform them...
Maketoys Rear End (Tailgate). I LOVE transforming that guy. Outside of that, most of the original Classics line, especially the Seekers. Not having the hands for partsforming was so amazing. I can't believe we are coming up on 20 years since that Renaissance (2006).
at 4:48 - honestly, I don't mind the dino legs sticking out on my Dinobots. I'd prefer the SS86 versions have them and spend the budget on something else.
When I was a kid and I saw Devastator for the first time in the cartoon in the episode "Heavy Metal War" I remember thinking they would never release a toy because that was impossible to do. Then I saw the toys on the shelf and I was amazed at the idea of a combining transformer. The execution was not the greatest but at the time my 9 year old mind was blown. Besides that MP 36's legs collapsing is very impressive and everything about G1 Jetfire is amazing. It still holds up today. Cheers gentlemen.
The ladder folding inside on Inferno is the best recent transformation update I can think of 🚒
My #1 is still the TF Prime RID deluxe Vehicon. The way the car's entire top folds away into the robot mode's lower legs is just *chef's kiss*
I remember getting the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime (before they even called it "Masterpiece") for my 20th birthday (my mom has given me a Transformer as a birthday gift every year for as long as I can remember). I was absolutely blown away by it. That changed me from "these are some neat toys I can fiddle with sometimes" to "I need to seriously collect and display these things."
5)MP Prowl & Blustreak's hidden shoulder cannons (and all the others that came after). 4)combinding Toyworld Devastator (and the working treads on the arm bots). 3)MP Ultra Magnus was just fun and amazing. 2)Inferno's latter ended the Inferno wars for me. 1)FansToys Motormaster, still the undisputed most amazing transformer I've ever seen....honorable mention: the faux chests on the autobot cars changed the game astheticly in a really good way
Kingdom Cyclonus. The nosecone doing a Russian nesting doll 🪆 wonderful.
I remember being really impressed with the combiner wars cores, like Silverbolt and Hotspot. The way the ladder wraps around Hotspot, or how the head comes out of Silverbolts' belly, and then the panel flips up to fill the gap. After not being impressed for a long time, that one stands out.
5: Fans Toys Silverbolt - The way that thing folds and flips upon itself just blew me away.
4: Deformation Space Blaster - He fits my minds eye in how a Blaster should look and the way they handled the panel forming/flipping was just amazing.
3: Fans Toys Cyclonus - another beautiful piece from FT that just leaves me clueless how they got the toon accuracy and engineering for it!
2: Studios Series 86’ Hot Rod - The method in which he is engineered just makes me desire a newer better Master Piece scaled one…
1: Masterpiece Sunstreaker! (Just leaving it at that, it speaks for itself)
That Leader Class movie Starscream with the tattoos was fantstic!
I've had such issues with the Bayverse bots and the aesthetic of that toy still has all the same problems, but damn! The way it's designed is just so much fun. The balance and articulation and heft of the figure are just all perfect in my opinion
100% agree on bumblebee. I wasn’t a huge fan on him but was so surprised how fun his transformation was. With that said:
1. Bumblebee
2. MP-10 Prime
3. Ironhide
4. Sideswipe
5. FT Phantasm
The tattoos were added to Starscream for 2 reasons: 1, to show that Starscream was given some type of leadership role between movies, and 2, to show the humans that they weren't going to hide from them anymore.
I'm pretty sure the tattoos were meant to be a type of energon detector
The thing you've seen like Chromedone since is the bumper on Siege Ultra Magnus, that has a slider to swap a part of the cab from one price onto the lower, freeing the swivel.
Y’all memory is better than mine, I can only remember the enjoyment of DX9 Carry and that MP-01 Optimus as well…. The heft on that boy woooo!
Peru Kill was an incredible bit of engineering❤❤❤
MP Wheeljack and TLK Megatron. I love a good torso transformation!
The Dinobot legs was the first thing I thought of too!
Dude, I was totally thinking of that very same thing about the first masterpiece Bumblebee! I'm glad I'm not the only one that was amazed about that conversion. Too bad he hasn't aged well, lol.
I'm with Chris..alt mode scale all the way
Interesting topic.
5 Classics Starscream - did it's job better for its time and price point than anything else I can think of.
4 Binaltech Smokescreen - achieved more than any other before and (excluding other Alternators) since.
3 Classics Sideswipe/Sunstreaker having reversed transformations to make a remould not feel like a remould.
2 MP-01 hiding the wheels such that it makes the 'kidneys'.
1 Original Optimus Prime - truly great - alongside the Veritech Valkyrie, probably the best transformation for parts of the vehicle genuinely and elegantly becoming parts of the robot.
Honourable mentions to FansProject Smart Robin for feeling like a big level up in cleverness and to Fanstoys Quakewave for solving the leg proportions in robots becoming guns
I'd give FT Huffer an honourable mention too, it completely subverted how I though it would work and collapsed the cab down brilliantly. Maybe DX9s Omega Supreme too, showing it didn't need to parts form despite its size and bulk, without sacrificing stability.
The ladder on MP Inferno is the reason I haven’t bought any 3P Inferno figures. If I ever do get an Inferno, it will have to have the ladder fold away.
Thank you for regarding MP01 with the number one spot! I love that toy so much
This probably sounds stupid but I bought the Earthspark 1-step changer Bumblebee. It's a trash robot but you push it over and it transforms into the car. And honestly, it's insanely satisfying and probably more fun than the last ten masterpiece figures I bought.
Unique Toys Lockdown - It felt like magic when I first saw it. The ability to go from two radically different modes, in such an easy and stress free way blew me away.
Newage Bumblebee (the first one) - A transformation so good and fun and simple that it instantly made me a NA diehard.
Fansproject Brainstorm - This was the first 3P figure I ever bought. The way the jet folds up into the chest was just so cool there's no way I couldn't get it.
MP-01 Optimus - This thing hit when I was about 13 and just transitioned into "older kid whose embarrassed to be playing with toys" and it's fair to say that this figure locked me in for life. I was able to get it for Christmas that year and I wore that thing down to the bone transforming it over and over.
Top 5 transformations: MP Hound (I Kno ppl hated this but it blew me away in the legs & feet), MP 44, MP Inferno, UT Lockdown, Purple Potato Shockwave...I love my FT figures but I don't transform them...
Maketoys Rear End (Tailgate). I LOVE transforming that guy. Outside of that, most of the original Classics line, especially the Seekers. Not having the hands for partsforming was so amazing. I can't believe we are coming up on 20 years since that Renaissance (2006).
Thank you! 🙂
My 5 would be . 5. Fansproject Smartrobin ( Brainstorm) 4. DX9 Terror 3. Star Toys Blitzwing 2. MP Grapple 1. X-transbots inferno
at 4:48 - honestly, I don't mind the dino legs sticking out on my Dinobots. I'd prefer the SS86 versions have them and spend the budget on something else.
Fansproject Smartrobin (brainstorm)
MMC volatus (Blast off)
Newage Shockwave
Iron factory Warpath
Fanstoys bombshell
Newage Shockwave is soooo good
Nice to see someone else appreciate Smartrobin
When I was a kid and I saw Devastator for the first time in the cartoon in the episode "Heavy Metal War" I remember thinking they would never release a toy because that was impossible to do. Then I saw the toys on the shelf and I was amazed at the idea of a combining transformer. The execution was not the greatest but at the time my 9 year old mind was blown. Besides that MP 36's legs collapsing is very impressive and everything about G1 Jetfire is amazing. It still holds up today.
Cheers gentlemen.
Not in order
Fp smart robin
Fp madlaw
Mmc spartan
Generations springer
Legacy united magmatron
the first mp bumblebee, the way the bonnet of the car tucked away into the waist. dx9 rodimus. animated lockdown. and my favourite, mp laserbeak.
also mmc onslaught
That hood tucking into bumblebee sticks with me years later. He was my first MP and it's still such an awesome little detail.