BigBadToyStore has posted two pre-orders I’ve been waiting for:
I, Grimlock, am the sovereign.
Fall of Cybertron Grimlock. If this website had a slightly different tone, this is where I’d type “**** AND YES.”
Finally. I haven’t even played the videogame yet (want to, though), but I know I need this toy. The vintage Grimlock remains my favorite toy of all time, and to be honest I’ve never found any of the later versions to be the Millennium MOTU-style “revamp” I wanted (Classics Grimlock was close, but no cigar). I think this one might be it. I’ll have to wait until I get it, though.
I must admit there’s a part of me that’s very tempted to start buying all the Fall of Cybertron toys because it’s a self-contained, in-scale(?) sub-line. I’ve already got Shockwave, though I still need to open and review him. On the other hand: money.
Anyway, the BBTS pre-order page is here. You can also get Blaster if you’re so inclined.
Next up:
Did Bill Paxton approve that likeness?
So let me get this straight. In the next six months, I will own fully-articulated Dutch, Predator, Hicks, Hudson, and Alien Warrior figures. The only thing I need now is a way to somehow transport these back to 1989 to give them to my childhood self.
I can’t tell you how damn happy I am that the Alien has mid-foot joints. Anyway, order page is here.
EDIT: Bill Paxton sure did approve that likeness, thus confirming his status as an awesome dude.
Sledgehama
Part of me wonders just how many of the Aliens Marines we'll end up getting. Then I remember that the line is with NECA and a whole heap of that Hasbro/Mattel/DST-induced "incomplete line anxiety" just melts away…
PrfktTear
Part of me would love to see Vasquez get made.
Heli
All of me would love to see Vasquez get made, but I'm a total Colonial Marine nerd, so I'd be happy with everybody. Frost, Ferro, Wierzbowski… everybody. I'll buy as many as NECA wants to make.
@kennethgyu
I managed to snag an FOC Grimlock somewhat early, and I really like him. His scale works really well with most of the other Transformers, including the older Classics. I have him standing next to Optimus Prime (the first Classics one), and Drift. The proportions are pretty good, he's nice and chunky, there's very little kibble. The backpack might look big in some pictures, but in hand it's no big deal. Articulation model is superb, save for the fact that you don't have a midtorso pivot. There's not a lot of paint apps, but the metallic plastics they used really make him stand out. He's got a nice gunmetal look going on.
Potential drawbacks are that the weapons dont really store too well on beast mode. They just peg to his dino hips, so he looks a bit too zoid-like. Hip articulation in dino mode is a bit limited, but it gets better if you're willing to fanmode a little and pop them out of their intended position. I don't like his robot mode head too much. It's largely accurate to the game, but the game didn't use a design I liked. My preference was always for the comics version, where he has a standard robot faceplate over some nasty looking teeth. Also, the toy in general is really, really light. A very large portion of the chest is actually completely hollow, so that the dino head can go into it in robot mode. People may have issues with this, but I didn't really mind.
TL;DR: Poe, this one is probably it.
PrfktTear
My biggest concern is that he looks too close to the TF: Animated Grimlock, of course w/o being in that "animated" style.
@kennethgyu
He does kinda look similar, but that's just how the game designers wanted things to be. I guess.
You may be interested to hear, though, that shoulder articulation is much improved from the Animated version. TFA Grim had balljoints for the shoulders, which severely limited articulation because of his gigantic shoulder-pad-things. This one has the same shoulder pad structures, but uses a weird ratchet-y system of joints for the shoulders. As a result, the arms can go all the way to the side, for some solid sword-swinging looks.
PrfktTear
Thanks! — I don't hate TF:A Grimlock, I just don't want them to look too similar.
I'm glad to hear about the improved shoulder articulation though! That always bothered me about him.
Poe Ghostal
Great mini-review! I'll have to see how I feel about him in person. One thing I know he won't have – and probably no Grimlock will ever have – is a poseable neck. Not a swivel like MP Grimlock, but a series of interlocking joints like S.H.MonsterArts Godzilla. My dream Grimlock would have that.
Maybe some third-party manufacturer will make a more comics-accurate robot head.
PrfktTear
You can almost bet your life on it… or some super "buster" sword.
PrfktTear
FOC Grimlock looks quite impressive! I agree, Classics Grimlock was a solid figure but still not quite satisfying. Had it been a Voyager, perhaps.
Shawn
It would be nice if Hasbro painted the FOC Transformers with the same awesomeness as Takara's versions. Takara puts Hasbro's paint apps and attention to detail to shame. But they also cost over twice as much for a single figure. I've considered buying Takara's versions, but I have other things to buy (like NECA's Aliens stuff, coincidentally) so I settle for Hasbro's.
Mark
I was originally all over that FOC Grimlock, but after seeing some new pictures I think I can wait. After all, he is packed 3 to a case. Also his headsculpt and backpack bother me.
ero
Masterpiece Grimlock didn't do it for you?
@doubledumbass
MP Grimlock is fantastic, true in form and function to the G1 figure. It's probably my favorite of the MP series, but that title may go to the upcoming Soundwave.
rookjones
The FOC toys have been quite good. Blaster in particular I'm really excited about, since we haven't had a decent toy of him since…maybe ever? But my advice is never to be too concerned about scale in your TF collection. That way lies madness.
AmericanHyena
Scale is…not especially accurate In the Cybertron line (or in any TF line). Most of the figures are roughly the same height (and I think Bumblebee may be taller than either Optimus). The first four figures are great and I highly recommend them. Shockwave is likewise awesome. good. I’m not terribly impressed with the new Optimus (he’s dinky) or Jazz (his head sorta floats in his chest). The Combaticons have great altmodes but outside of Blast Off their robot modes are…eh. Of course you may just them for Bruticus to which I say, go for it.
Starscream looks bitching though.