Retro Inspired Gears and Bumblebee Pre-Orders

[Zobovor]

So we knew there were a retro inspired Brawn and Seaspray coming, but we
didn't know about these!

First off, here are the links. I expect the pre-sales will go VERY
quickly, so if you're at all interested, I recommend ordering sooner
rather than later.

Gears:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETRO-INSPIRED-2/8788611526

Bumblebee:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETRO-INSPIRED-1/8812974813

So as you can see, it's Legacy Gears in a lighter shade of blue with a
face looking very much like the old Microman-era vintage toy. There are
a few deco changes (like the yellow stripes in the center of his chest)
but it's still kind of the same toy. And, yes, I pre-ordered it. I
couldn't not get one.

Bumblebee, meanwhile, is the Netflix release in a bright yellow color
with black arms and legs. The colors are about as close to the G1 toy
as you could reasonably get. But, what they didn't do was give him a
toy-based head, like they did with Gears. So, that seems to kind of
defeat the point. I would have loved to see the Microman sticker on his
chest, too, as it appears in the box art. And, yes, I pre-ordered this
one, too. (He reminds me of Pretender Bumblebee, actually.)

So I expect that Brawn will likely have the toy-based head as well (and
hopefully some claws) and Seaspray probably will as well. It's hard for
me to envision how they'll differentiate Seaspray's toy colors from his
cartoon colors, because there's not a huge difference between the two
looks.


Zob (watching Yellowjackets and now I really wish I hadn't started
watching Yellowjackets)

[Swivelbot]

Post by Zobovor
I expect the pre-sales will go VERY

quickly, so if you're at all interested, I recommend ordering sooner
rather than later.

Well, Wha'dya Know.

Post by Zobovor
Bumblebee, meanwhile, is the Netflix release in a bright yellow color

with black arms and legs. The colors are about as close to the G1 toy
as you could reasonably get.

It's pretty rude that they release a new Bumblebee Mold, and then
release the old one in the same colours.

But... The Colours do look better than the Sunstreaker Yellow of the
Netflix Figure. Though the Sparkless Optics are not good-looking, I
understand their existence.

I have a feeling these won't make it to Walmart.ca for quite a while.


Swivelbot (They are going to milk the Earthrise Penny Racer mold until
it dies)

[GoBackaTron]

Post by Zobovor
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETRO-INSPIRED-2/8788611526

This is so close to something I would buy. Kudos to them for putting a
modern deluxe in a carded bubble. But they swap the box for a cardback
and it still costs the same as a boxed deluxe? Profit taking is alive
and well as usual. But whatever. I don't know if I should be praising
them for the trailblazing idea of carding a deluxe in robot mode or if I
should be disappointed with all the corners they had to cut to do it.
And that's quite literally. A third of the robot art is chopped off.

The head is a nice crumb to throw me but this is another minimal effort
nostalgia cash grab. The packaging is really the most retro inspired
thing about this. I would have also liked the thighs to be at least the
same silver as the grill is, if not chrome but I know that ain't
happening. And I know I'm dreaming but couldn't they have remolded the
tires to evoke the original toy's knobby, 'gearsy' looking tires a bit
more?

I refuse to reward them for slapping G1 paint decos on modern molds and
calling it good. It just doesn't work because the modern toys are more
detailed and are engineered with different aesthetic priorities. I guess
what I want is a completely different mold or maybe I'm who Takara is
making MissinkLink for. Gears was my first mini in '84 so I was looking
forward tohow far they'd be going with 'Retro Inpired' but this is just
Malibu Stacy with New Hat.

Post by Zobovor
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TRA-GEN-RETRO-INSPIRED-1/8812974813
So as you can see, it's Legacy Gears in a lighter shade of blue with a
face looking very much like the old Microman-era vintage toy. There are
a few deco changes (like the yellow stripes in the center of his chest)
but it's still kind of the same toy. And, yes, I pre-ordered it. I
couldn't not get one.
Bumblebee, meanwhile, is the Netflix release in a bright yellow color
with black arms and legs. The colors are about as close to the G1 toy
as you could reasonably get. But, what they didn't do was give him a
toy-based head, like they did with Gears. So, that seems to kind of
defeat the point. I would have loved to see the Microman sticker on his
chest, too, as it appears in the box art. And, yes, I pre-ordered this
one, too. (He reminds me of Pretender Bumblebee, actually.)
So I expect that Brawn will likely have the toy-based head as well (and
hopefully some claws) and Seaspray probably will as well. It's hard for
me to envision how they'll differentiate Seaspray's toy colors from his
cartoon colors, because there's not a huge difference between the two
looks.
Zob (watching Yellowjackets and now I really wish I hadn't started
watching Yellowjackets)

[GustavoWombat]

Post by Zobovor
Bumblebee, meanwhile, is the Netflix release in a bright yellow color
with black arms and legs. The colors are about as close to the G1 toy
as you could reasonably get. But, what they didn't do was give him a
toy-based head, like they did with Gears. So, that seems to kind of
defeat the point. I would have loved to see the Microman sticker on his
chest, too, as it appears in the box art. And, yes, I pre-ordered this
one, too. (He reminds me of Pretender Bumblebee, actually.)

Oh, he is pretty. I want that. The black windows look great.

On the other hand, my collection has grown large enough to be a problem,
so maybe not. But he’s only a deluxe…

(The new little penny racer Bumblebee mold is almost good. If the yellow
paint matched the plastic better, I would love it. I hope they milk that
mold for things like Ladybug and Glyph, where they are likely to have an
easier time with color matching, and where it would be the only option
so if you want a Glyph, that’s it)

(I’ve been wanting a Glyph since Classics Bumblebee.)