The old die-cast Transformers typically shattered along their transform hinges and joints, where the plastic proved incapable of supporting the weight of the metal while all the pieces were moving around one another.
Hasbro and Takara have learned from this lesson, which is why there haven't been die-cast Transformers in over a decade.
The new figures are in no way impaired by the lack of metal, as their skyrocketing sales figures amply show.
The original toys were notoriously fragile, precisely because die-cast metal, toy-grade plastic, and transform-style movements do NOT mix well.
Transformers didn't become reliably playable until after the metal was wisely phased out. A modern figure, from Beast Wars or thereafter, is all but indestructible. They're now deliberately designed so that pieces stressed by transform movements will cleanly pop off, to be easily reattached.... instead of shattering or splitting like so many of the metal toys did.
The die-cast toys make for nice display pieces, but you take a risk every time you so much as move them, much less transform them. I'm not kidding. Megatron, Swoop, Prowl / Bluestreak, and the Constructicons, are all especially prone to just *snap* in the process of a standard transform movement. All the worse if you're a clumsy 8-year-old, which is basically the market these toys have always been designed for.
Actually, Hasbro was ahead of the curve on this issue: they de-gun-ified Megatron back in '92, turning him into a tank instead. Still violent, but less likely to result in a real-life police mishap.
You'd be one of the lucky ones, then. The original TF toys are notoriously fragile.
But actually, that's a great idea of yours. So great, in fact, that they already did it;)
Beginning about halfway through Beast Wars and continuing through much of Beast Machines, Hasbro started using chrome and metallized plastic to give the appearance of old-fashioned metallic parts, while still allowing for toys that could withstand being played with by kids without shattering.
Argh. Should have used "Preview", shouldn't I? Well, that'll teach me. Trying again:
Don't get me wrong--I'm as much a fan of the original '80s series as anybody else. It's just that having followed the hobby from the beginning, through practically all the other series.... well, honestly, folks, I think your nostalgia is misplaced.
The '80s Transformers show was just the *beginning*. Sure, it's the one you may remember most clearly (or the only one you know of at all), but as the line developed and advanced, it became a lot more clever and--dare I say it?--sophisticated.
"Transformers: Beast Wars" was an Emmy-winning series (not kidding!) written by acclaimed sci-fi authors like Babylon-5's Larry DiTillio and Star Trek's D.C. Fontana. The computer animation of the first season now looks pretty cruddy, because it was '96, but once you get to seasons 2 and 3 that's no longer an issue. The series had great character development and very long-reaching story arcs, not to mention prominent crossovers and tie-ins with the original '80s cartoon.... including quite a few of the original characters who show up to see what all this new fuss is about!;) It was the huge success of Beast Wars which probably made much of the subsequent "original" Transformers merchandising rebirth possible.
The current TF series, "Robots in Disguise", is a rather cheaply-produced anime import. To their credit, Hasbro made it watchable in spite of this by having the dub team fill the dialogue with slapstick and obscure past continuity references. It's as if an old-time fan were writing the dubbed dialogue. It's a really fun show, if you can look past the sad frame-rate. It's also a runaway success and a huge profit-maker for Hasbro, in no small part due to the hyper-realistic vehicle modes and high playability of the RID toys. Prime and Magnus have never looked better.
I've seen many people on this board suggest that the modern TF toys are clearly inferior to the original '80s figures. I wonder if those people have ever actually held the new ones.
The loss of die-cast metal was a BLESSING to the line. The die-cast parts only *seemed* sturdy--they actually made the toys much more prone to shattering at joints and axes, and hindered poseability. Part of the reason why "vintage" toys are so expensive now is precisely because so few of them are left in one piece, after all. The modern figures, hyper-articulated and made of no-nonsense plastic, have much more well-thought-out design features and are relatively indestructible.
I'm not asking you folks to "grow up" and stop liking the old '80s TF show. Why would I? Even after all this time, it's still fun. But if you like what it showed you and you remember its toys fondly, then you would probably also enjoy the stories and toys made available in more recent lines. If you give a show like Beast Wars a fair trial, I think you'll find that both its storyline depth and toy design quality are, well, decades beyond what the original show was able to offer in 1985.
But don't just take my word for it. Here's a great website that lists and shows what's been going on with Transformers, toy- and story-wise, for the past several years:
http://www.bwtf.com
And to see what's coming up *next*, with this summer's "Transformers Armada" line:
The Beast Wars CGI was only "low quality" for the first season. It got waaaaay better in later seasons. There's a reason it won that Emmy. And Beast Machines' CGI was even more advanced.
Don't get me wrong--I'm as much a fan of the original '80s series as anybody else. It's just that having followed the hobby from the beginning, through practically all the other series.... well, honestly, folks, I think your nostalgia is misplaced.
The '80s Transformers show was just the *beginning*. Sure, it's the one you may remember most clearly (or the only one you know of at all), but as the line developed and advanced, it became a lot more clever and--dare I say it?--sophisticated.
"Transformers: Beast Wars" was an Emmy-winning series (not kidding!) written by acclaimed sci-fi authors like Babylon-5's Larry DiTillio and Star Trek's D.C. Fontana. The computer animation of the first season now looks pretty cruddy, because it was '96, but once you get to seasons 2 and 3 that's no longer an issue. The series had great character development and very long-reaching story arcs, not to mention prominent crossovers and tie-ins with the original '80s cartoon.... including quite a few of the original characters who show up to see what all this new fuss is about!;)
It was the huge success of Beast Wars which probably made much of the subsequent "original" Transformers merchandising rebirth possible.
The current TF series, "Robots in Disguise", is a rather cheaply-produced anime import. To their credit, Hasbro made it watchable in spite of this by having the dub team fill the dialogue with slapstick and obscure past continuity references. It's as if an old-time fan were writing the dubbed dialogue. It's a really fun show, if you can look past the sad frame-rate. It's also a runaway success and a huge profit-maker for Hasbro, in no small part due to the hyper-realistic vehicle modes and high playability of the RID toys. Prime and Magnus have never looked better.
I've seen many people on this board suggest that the modern TF toys are clearly inferior to the original '80s figures.
I wonder if those people have ever actually held the new ones.
The loss of die-cast metal was a BLESSING to the line. The die-cast parts only *seemed* sturdy--they actually made the toys much more prone to shattering at joints and axes, and hindered poseability. Part of the reason why "vintage" toys are so expensive now is precisely because so few of them are left in one piece, after all. The modern figures, hyper-articulated and made of no-nonsense plastic, have much more well-thought-out design features and are relatively indestructible.
I'm not asking you folks to "grow up" and stop liking the old '80s TF show. Why would I? Even after all this time, it's still fun. But if you like what it showed you and you remember its toys fondly, then you would probably also enjoy the stories and toys made available in more recent lines. If you give a show like Beast Wars a fair trial, I think you'll find that both its storyline depth and toy design quality are, well, decades beyond what the original show was able to offer in 1985.
But don't just take my word for it.
Here's a great website that lists and shows what's been going on with Transformers, toy- and story-wise, for the past several years:
http://www.bwtf.com
And to see what's coming up *next*, with this summer's "Transformers Armada" line:
http://www.alteredstatesmag.com
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Because Transformers have to transform.
The old die-cast Transformers typically shattered along their transform hinges and joints, where the plastic proved incapable of supporting the weight of the metal while all the pieces were moving around one another.
Hasbro and Takara have learned from this lesson, which is why there haven't been die-cast Transformers in over a decade.
The new figures are in no way impaired by the lack of metal, as their skyrocketing sales figures amply show.
Other way around, actually.
The original toys were notoriously fragile, precisely because die-cast metal, toy-grade plastic, and transform-style movements do NOT mix well.
Transformers didn't become reliably playable until after the metal was wisely phased out. A modern figure, from Beast Wars or thereafter, is all but indestructible. They're now deliberately designed so that pieces stressed by transform movements will cleanly pop off, to be easily reattached.... instead of shattering or splitting like so many of the metal toys did.
The die-cast toys make for nice display pieces, but you take a risk every time you so much as move them, much less transform them. I'm not kidding. Megatron, Swoop, Prowl / Bluestreak, and the Constructicons, are all especially prone to just *snap* in the process of a standard transform movement. All the worse if you're a clumsy 8-year-old, which is basically the market these toys have always been designed for.
No, the metal just didn't belong.
Matter of taste, I guess. You might be pleased to hear that the upcoming "Transformers Armada" cartoon is standard cel animation done by Aeon Studios.
Short sample clips were shown at the New York Toy Fair, and it definitely looks to be of a much higher quality than 2001's "Robots In Disguise" show.
Actually, Hasbro was ahead of the curve on this issue: they de-gun-ified Megatron back in '92, turning him into a tank instead. Still violent, but less likely to result in a real-life police mishap.
You'd be one of the lucky ones, then. The original TF toys are notoriously fragile.
;)
But actually, that's a great idea of yours. So great, in fact, that they already did it
Beginning about halfway through Beast Wars and continuing through much of Beast Machines, Hasbro started using chrome and metallized plastic to give the appearance of old-fashioned metallic parts, while still allowing for toys that could withstand being played with by kids without shattering.
The metal toys *looked* good, but broke very, very easily. The new ones are better.
Argh. Should have used "Preview", shouldn't I? Well, that'll teach me. Trying again:
;) It was the huge success of Beast Wars which probably made much of the subsequent "original" Transformers merchandising rebirth possible.
Don't get me wrong--I'm as much a fan of the original '80s series as anybody else. It's just that having followed the hobby from the beginning, through practically all the other series.... well, honestly, folks, I think your nostalgia is misplaced.
The '80s Transformers show was just the *beginning*. Sure, it's the one you may remember most clearly (or the only one you know of at all), but as the line developed and advanced, it became a lot more clever and--dare I say it?--sophisticated.
"Transformers: Beast Wars" was an Emmy-winning series (not kidding!) written by acclaimed sci-fi authors like Babylon-5's Larry DiTillio and Star Trek's D.C. Fontana. The computer animation of the first season now looks pretty cruddy, because it was '96, but once you get to seasons 2 and 3 that's no longer an issue. The series had great character development and very long-reaching story arcs, not to mention prominent crossovers and tie-ins with the original '80s cartoon.... including quite a few of the original characters who show up to see what all this new fuss is about!
The current TF series, "Robots in Disguise", is a rather cheaply-produced anime import. To their credit, Hasbro made it watchable in spite of this by having the dub team fill the dialogue with slapstick and obscure past continuity references. It's as if an old-time fan were writing the dubbed dialogue. It's a really fun show, if you can look past the sad frame-rate. It's also a runaway success and a huge profit-maker for Hasbro, in no small part due to the hyper-realistic vehicle modes and high playability of the RID toys. Prime and Magnus have never looked better.
I've seen many people on this board suggest that the modern TF toys are clearly inferior to the original '80s figures. I wonder if those people have ever actually held the new ones.
The loss of die-cast metal was a BLESSING to the line. The die-cast parts only *seemed* sturdy--they actually made the toys much more prone to shattering at joints and axes, and hindered poseability. Part of the reason why "vintage" toys are so expensive now is precisely because so few of them are left in one piece, after all. The modern figures, hyper-articulated and made of no-nonsense plastic, have much more well-thought-out design features and are relatively indestructible.
I'm not asking you folks to "grow up" and stop liking the old '80s TF show. Why would I? Even after all this time, it's still fun. But if you like what it showed you and you remember its toys fondly, then you would probably also enjoy the stories and toys made available in more recent lines. If you give a show like Beast Wars a fair trial, I think you'll find that both its storyline depth and toy design quality are, well, decades beyond what the original show was able to offer in 1985.
But don't just take my word for it. Here's a great website that lists and shows what's been going on with Transformers, toy- and story-wise, for the past several years:
http://www.bwtf.com
And to see what's coming up *next*, with this summer's "Transformers Armada" line:
http://www.alteredstatesmag.com
The Beast Wars CGI was only "low quality" for the first season. It got waaaaay better in later seasons. There's a reason it won that Emmy. And Beast Machines' CGI was even more advanced.
Don't get me wrong--I'm as much a fan of the original '80s series as anybody else. It's just that having followed the hobby from the beginning, through practically all the other series.... well, honestly, folks, I think your nostalgia is misplaced. The '80s Transformers show was just the *beginning*. Sure, it's the one you may remember most clearly (or the only one you know of at all), but as the line developed and advanced, it became a lot more clever and--dare I say it?--sophisticated. "Transformers: Beast Wars" was an Emmy-winning series (not kidding!) written by acclaimed sci-fi authors like Babylon-5's Larry DiTillio and Star Trek's D.C. Fontana. The computer animation of the first season now looks pretty cruddy, because it was '96, but once you get to seasons 2 and 3 that's no longer an issue. The series had great character development and very long-reaching story arcs, not to mention prominent crossovers and tie-ins with the original '80s cartoon.... including quite a few of the original characters who show up to see what all this new fuss is about! ;)
It was the huge success of Beast Wars which probably made much of the subsequent "original" Transformers merchandising rebirth possible.
The current TF series, "Robots in Disguise", is a rather cheaply-produced anime import. To their credit, Hasbro made it watchable in spite of this by having the dub team fill the dialogue with slapstick and obscure past continuity references. It's as if an old-time fan were writing the dubbed dialogue. It's a really fun show, if you can look past the sad frame-rate. It's also a runaway success and a huge profit-maker for Hasbro, in no small part due to the hyper-realistic vehicle modes and high playability of the RID toys. Prime and Magnus have never looked better.
I've seen many people on this board suggest that the modern TF toys are clearly inferior to the original '80s figures.
I wonder if those people have ever actually held the new ones.
The loss of die-cast metal was a BLESSING to the line. The die-cast parts only *seemed* sturdy--they actually made the toys much more prone to shattering at joints and axes, and hindered poseability. Part of the reason why "vintage" toys are so expensive now is precisely because so few of them are left in one piece, after all. The modern figures, hyper-articulated and made of no-nonsense plastic, have much more well-thought-out design features and are relatively indestructible.
I'm not asking you folks to "grow up" and stop liking the old '80s TF show. Why would I? Even after all this time, it's still fun. But if you like what it showed you and you remember its toys fondly, then you would probably also enjoy the stories and toys made available in more recent lines. If you give a show like Beast Wars a fair trial, I think you'll find that both its storyline depth and toy design quality are, well, decades beyond what the original show was able to offer in 1985.
But don't just take my word for it.
Here's a great website that lists and shows what's been going on with Transformers, toy- and story-wise, for the past several years:
http://www.bwtf.com
And to see what's coming up *next*, with this summer's "Transformers Armada" line:
http://www.alteredstatesmag.com