Go-Bot Path Finder [Go-Bots Guardian 3-Pack]

Rounding out our look at the Go-Bot Guardian 3-Pack is Path Finder, whom is also based on the e-Hobby Path Finder. Like that toy, Path Finder uses a Cosmos toy in an unreleased deco. This time Path Finder is made from the excellent Legacy mold from the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection. I liked that toy quite a lot and can honestly say that Path Finder is one of the few characters that every toy of is a good one. From her original Gobots toy to the Transformers releases, all are quality. It doesn't hurt that I've always liked Cosmos in fairness. If you're not a fan of repaints, this isn't going to be your cup of tea as Path Finder is basically a blue Cosmos. For those whom had a problem tracking down the original toy, this is a nice option.  Not to mention, the blue looks good on Cosmos. It's something very simple that makes for a big change. 

Path Finder still has Cosmo's flag/gun. That's a holdover from the Velocitron Speedia 500 toy that I wonder will be reused in every instance of this mold going forward. It made sense in the Velocitron series... but just seems a little ridiculous outside of that. Thankfully, Path Finder's flag is proudly displaying a Guardian symbol. It's admittedly silly, but I enjoy seeing Gobots symbols being used. As Path Finder, however, I've mainly chosen for her to wield the blaster as is with a flag hanging off it. Why not, right? Like I've said, Hasbro has released other Gobots in Transformers before. This set is the first time they've outright used the name Gobots. Not just the name, but the logo and symbols.

I really hope it's the beginning of more Gobots in Transformers or even as a stand alone. With Challenge of the Gobots airing in MeTV Toons and on Cartoon Rewind, there's bound to be a new audience for these classic characters. Toys like Path Finder and the other 3 from this are great homages to a cool exclusive set from 20 years ago that itself was a fun throwback. Obviously I love Gobots and welcome a renaissance... but maybe it's just what the robot world needs right now.

Go-Bot Treds [Go-Bot Guardians 3-Pack]

In 2024, e-Hobby released one of my favorite Transformers sets which was simply called 'G1 GoBots'. At the Time, e-Hobby would release exclusive versions of Takara's G1 reissues in Diaclone or other pre-Transformers release colors as brand new characters. Several fans (myself included) loved these and gobbled them up. I mean, new G1 characters... whoa! Taking the G1 Mini-Bots set and releasing them based on unused colors from an early Transformers promotional catalog, these toys were then named after classic Gobots characters who had traveled to the dimension most Transformers resided in at the time. It was a cool set of toys with a fun backstory.

Treds is a classic Gobot character whom was recreated from Warpath due to both having tank alt modes. In that promotional image, Warpath was green instead of his trademark dark red colors we all know. Treds of course is normally green, so it just worked perfectly. The Go-Bots Guardian 3-Pack is based on that e-Hobby set using 3 recent Transformers Generations molds for the updates. Hasbro has released other Gobots characters in Transformers over the years, but this is the first time they've outright used the Gobots logo on the packaging. Even that e-Hobby set doesn't use it, they've mostly just alluded to it. When Hasbro bought Tonka in the 90's, they acquired Gobots with it. However the original toy designs are on shaky ground due to being Machine Robo toys by Bandai. With the more recent GoBots comics and re-airing of the cartoon, one has to speculate if a Gobot renaissance is coming. I sure hope so, you all know I love them.

This new toy of Treads is based on the Kingdom Warpath toy. I liked that figure quite a bit, so seeing it used here is a treat. Since the mold was an update of G1 Warpath, it's only natural that this makes a solid update of the e-Hobby Treds toy. A weird bit of trivia about his Decepticon symbol. All of the Transformers versions of Gobots have either Autobots or Decepticon symbols. Treds is a Guardian, one of the good guys. For some reason his original toy came with an Renegade (the bad guys) sticker on it. Gobots didn't usually have symbol stickers and this particular one is based on Tonka's initial design for the Renegade symbol. So it's weird for it to be there at all, let alone on the wrong faction. With this in mind, the e-Hobby set gave Treds a Decepticon symbol as a nod to the Renegade sticker. It's a choice that's confused some. This is a cool update of a fun Gobot. I'm super happy to have this set and having a lot of fun with it. Treds looks really great as a Transformer and I hope is the beginning of more Gobots characters in the line.

Bios: Magnificus

Function: Outcast

Once the Military Consul for the Decepticon domain of Mebion, Magnificus was framed and convicted thanks to a crafty trap set by Decepticon command staff who were jealous of his position.  He was ousted and sent to be a pit-fighting robot in a remote region of space.  His partner Ga'mede was a member of the royal family of Xeptos, a planet existing a subatomic inner space, but just as he was to be executed over a family dispute, he was rescued into the macroverse thanks to Magnificus' matter-enlarging scope.  The two were bonded almost immediately by implicit trust owing to their similar circumstances, and have crossed numerous battlefields and parts of the underworld together.  Their travels have gained them a suitable stock of wealth and armaments, with which they carry out a campaign of heartless revenge on the traitors who brought Magnificus low.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 5 Endurance: 10
Rank: 0 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 10 Skill: 10

Detritus (Legacy: Evolution/Deluxe Class)

Detritus is one of those Transformers characters that means something to me for reasons I can't fully explain. To begin with, I've always been a Hound fan. Classic cartoon Hound to be specific. In 2004, Takara re-issued G1 Hound in their Book style series in which I bought that immediately. I still have my childhood one, but it was nice to have a complete Hound again. Hopefully I can find that Walmart exclusive version of the G1 toy as well. Love Hound. Well, around that time e-Hobby was running exclusives based off most of the Takara reissues. These would often be brand new G1 characters using original molds.  Sometimes they'd be based off Diaclone versions or take inspiration from other sources. It's probably pretty easy to guess I was quick to snatch up one made from the Hound toy mold.

Detritus was based on a desert colored variation of a military Jeep that really looked good. He was a new character and with a name like was obviously a Junkion! At the time, there wasn't many Junkion toys. Only G1 Wreck-Gar specifically. The Junkions have always had a cult following with many Transformers fans, so this was very welcome. Adding to Detritus's coolness was that he was a Mercenary! That wasn't very commonplace back then either. Detritus was a Junkion who left the planet and took up arms dealing. Working for whomever paid him and would eventually side up with whatever group won. His ultimate goal? Take over the Junkions! Dang! We got a new bot that was full of character, not bad for a straight repaint. Detritus also saw life in Takara's incarnation of Power Core Combiners as a repaint of Mudslinger. I hope to get that eventually.

This new toy of Detritus from Legacy: Evolution is a bit of a weird one. The Siege Hound toy mold was heavily retooled into a fairly updated G1 accurate toy. The figure at some point will be released a Buzzworthy Bumblebee figure that I look forward to. This new Detritus figure is a repaint of that which has not came out yet. Whacky. I liked that Siege toy, but wasn't fond of transforming it. This version, however, I had no problems transforming. Either they made it easier somehow or I just got better at it. Regardless, it's a nice new figure of Detritus. Transformation was easy for me this time and both modes a really nice. The Jeep is very pleasant and the desert deco looks good. As a robot, Detritus is fairly articulated and has two guns that can be combined in a few ways into bigger weapons. You know, Evo-Fusion. I tried to mirror the original toy a little because I love those G1 shoulder rocket launchers. If there is anything to take issue with, the front hood portion of the Jeep does stand out a little extra. Not a deal breaker or anything, but it does seem a bit big. Regardless, this is a very good toy of a character I like quite a bit. It's got me excited for the eventual Hound toy as well. Whenever that comes out. 

Bios: Garboil

Function: Information Control 

Strength: 5 Intelligence: 8 Speed: 7 Endurance: 8

Rank: 8 Courage: 6 Fireblast: 3 Skill: 9

A member of the Cobalt Sentries, the public safety arm of the Decepticon Secret Police, Garboil is familiar with the personal information of countless Decepticon soldiers, and observes in detail each one's ulterior motives, plots being executed, or treasonous conduct. His duty is to ascertain the results and select those evaluated as suitable for the evil elite. However, he tolerates absolutely no resistance in the nations and worlds under Decepticon government and suppresses the controlled citizens through fear, pain, and total management of information. When in battle, he can blare out from his vocal processors a directional, cacophonic blast that includes an override signal, using it to render enemy robots into a state of panic.

Part One of Many

 

Let's look at one more of Sakomoto's E-Hobby pitches while we're on this tangent of unused concepts. Transformers Part One was similar to Bravemasters in that it would have used non-screen character toy molds from the movies. However, instead of a series taking place in a specific timeline, it was seemingly a general classic characters line. I'd like to think there would have been some fiction to go along with and give the toys a setting for these new looks to take place in. It makes me think of Machine Wars a little as is. The way we've got the classic characters in new bodies made from older toys with no apparent setting. Either way, it looks like it would have been a lot of fun.

Bios: Overcharge

 

Function: Spaceborne Trooper

In the distant past, "military hardware" robots were furnished and traded to numerous planetary nations and interstellar organizations as tools of the Quintessons' malevolent business dealings. These autonomous weapons would become the prototypes of the Decepticons. The newest model of this line, the Overcharges, were produced as all purpose combat units, ones incorporated with the Decepticons' distinctively evolved military technology and more than sufficiently endowed with the offensive strength necessary for global domination.

Shattering Prime's Glass

 

Sticking with the concepts that never became a reality subject, Hayato Sakamoto also pitched a pretty simple, fun idea around the same time as Bravemasters. Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass was exactly what it sounded like, a Shattered Glass version of Transformers Prime. It makes perfect sense for an exclusive to E-Hobby line as the Prime toys were winding down around this time. Prime itself was a very popular series.

Providing Prime fans another outlet was a no brainer, not to mention, Shattered Glass itself has been pretty popular. So much that it's found it's influenced other properties. Personally, I really liked the Prime toys and would have enjoyed the new decos on the toys. While the concept of a mirror universe is fun, the cool colors have been my favorite part of Shattered Glass. Seeing that idea on Prime toys would have been pretty great.

Mastering the Brave

 

Transformers is a pretty big brand that's been going for a pretty long time. During that time and growth, there's been a lot of ideas that never became real. I'm going to talk about one of those right now. Mainly because it's something that I wish would have happened. That would be New Transformers: Bravemasters. Bravemasters was a proposal by Hayato Sakamoto for an E-Hobby exclusive toy line. The line was to use non-screen character Transformers movie toys in new colors as new characters.

The setting would have been the time period between Headmasters and Masterforce. A new group of Deceptcions led by Master Hell would have attacked Earth. A lone Autobot still on Earth named Brave would have been the first line of resistance with others to join him as things progressed. The series would have been a triple threat. New fans would have a virtual clean slate to pick up from. Older fans would have a look into a time that hadn't been explored much. Third, it would visually appeal to fans of Brave and give them something new.

Personally, I would have loved to see Bravemasters become a reality. It's such a cool idea and theoretically would have given some great toy molds some much deserved attention. I wasn't there at BotCon 2015 when the information was revealed at a panel featuring Sakamoto. However it's been something I've wished for since reading the panel notes. I'd have been a big fan of this series and I'm pretty sure others would have too. Ultimately, a lot of the concepts pitched at the time would have led way to Transformers Cloud. Itself a neat line exclusive to E-Hobby.

The Master of Oil

 

While looking at my Nemesis Primal figure, I found myself wondering why he wasn't Oilmaster? Let me rewind a little and bring my train of thought up to that opening question. Legacy Iguanus was previewed by Hasbro. Like other Pretender updates before it, Iguanus's robot mode is based on his Pretender shell with inner robot alt mode while ignoring the inner robot mode. It's a fun happy medium if they're not making a full Pretender style toy. The toy is a Core Class figure, a size class I do like a lot. Leading me to hope other Pretender updates in that scale happen.

I like Pretenders quite a bit. Always have, they're just fun. As time went on after their release and information became more readily available, the unmade Pretender shells became more common knowledge. They were certainly cool and as things work, the gorilla one became a character in E-Hobby comics. He was named after Oilmaster, a popular fan blogger. I always found that super cool. That's one of the things I've always enjoyed about E-Hobby toys. The inclusion of the greater Transformers universe. 

More time went on and in 2015 Oilmaster was made as part of that year's BotCon Exclusive set. A brand new shell and the Legend Swerve mold was used to create the character. After all this time it finally existed! I do wish to eventually acquire the BotCon/TFCC Pretenders. They are some of the coolest things that came from the Fun Publications era. 

So here it is some time later after that. Every so often I proudly look at my recent Walmart vintage Transformers toys. You know, the ones that come in 'vintage' packaging? I really like them. The recent Beast Wars ones are a particular strong source of emotion. I loved Beast Wars and that whole time era. I honestly miss it. That first gorilla Optimus Primal toy has always been a stand out Transformer toy for me. Sometimes I find myself imagining exclusive figures if I was in the position to create them. I can easily see myself pitching that toy mold as the toy that would become Oilmaster. 

Then we get to that Nemesis Primal figure. He came in the 'Worlds Collide' Buzzworthy Bumblebee boxed set exclusive to Target. One of the reasons I like store exclusive Transformers is that they're essentially the modern day equivalent of BotCon exclusives. They're also pretty neat. The Worlds Collide set pretty much was an old BotCon exclusive box set in execution and certainly felt like one. Nemesis Primal was an alternate universe evil clone of Optimus Primal made from the Kingdom version of Optimus Primal. When the set was initially previewed, I took it as a throwback to Galvatron Lio Convoy/ Galva Convoy initially and thought it looked like the old Kabaya model kit. Which is pretty much is/does. However with Iguanus making the rounds and getting me all excited... I guess you can see what I was thinking in that opening question.

Bios: Magnificus

 

Function: Outcast

Once the Military Consul for the Decepticon domain of Mebion, Magnificus was framed and convicted thanks to a crafty trap set by Decepticon command staff who were jealous of his position.  He was ousted and sent to be a pit-fighting robot in a remote region of space.  His partner Ga'mede was a member of the royal family of Xeptos, a planet existing a subatomic inner space, but just as he was to be executed over a family dispute, he was rescued into the macroverse thanks to Magnificus' matter-enlarging scope.  The two were bonded almost immediately by implicit trust owing to their similar circumstances, and have crossed numerous battlefields and parts of the underworld together.  Their travels have gained them a suitable stock of wealth and armaments, with which they carry out a campaign of heartless revenge on the traitors who brought Magnificus low.

Bios: Howlback

Function: Enforcer

A member of the Cobalt Sentries, a public safety unit attached to the Decepticon Secret Police, comprised of elite soldiers regularly clad in blue armor. She exercises her abilities suppressing insurgents or exposing resistance activities in the Decepticon-controlled regions of planet Cybertron or on occupied worlds, and has the unconditional authority to arrest and execute any citizens suspected of disrupting the Decepticons' steel order. Possessed of graceful bearing and elegance, she is also extremely severe and uncompromising, and will silence backtalking subordinates with a sharp roar. In combat, she employs a Feedbacker Shield, which absorbs, modulates, and redirects energy weapons back at enemies.

Bios: Laser Ultra Magnus

"Consistency is victory!"

Profile: Ultra Magnus once lost his life in a Decepticon attack. When he did, as he had briefly been the bearer of the Matrix, his soul was invited to join those guardians of wisdom beyond that of the present world, but it did not seem to him that he truly belonged there. Now, aware of Galvatron II putting the galaxy in crisis by commanding a fearsome mobile battle fortress, he has used Optimus Prime's "Matrix of Reconfiguration" and achieved his own resurrection!

Abilities: Programmed with a new combat structure, Ultra Magnus normal form now possesses power rivaling his original large robot mode, on top of which he has complete control over a battle station equipped with a diverse array of armaments. He can also feed energy from his laser core into the gun and long sword that are his personal weapons, providing them enormous destructive power.

Mutant Beast Wars

The year was 2000, and even though Beast Wars was technically over and replaced with Beast Machines, there was still plenty of Beast Wars toys on the shelves. Since reruns of Beast Wars were steadily running on Fox Kids on weekday afternoons, it was natural to stock Beast Wars figures with the Beast Machines figures. The Fox Kids versions of Beast Wars toys were neato recolors of BW toys that took advantage of kids who saw those reruns and wanted a Transmetal Cheetor. With this and Animorph Transformers toys stocked with Beast Machines, there was a lot of beast themed Transformers on the shelves.

Animorphs wasn't a successes (I mean, I liked the toys... but that was something I found out after they went on clearance), however a company doesn't start out to fail at something and there was a few Animorph Transformers toys designed that went unused in the line. Somebody had the idea to remold the human bits into robot parts and release them.

So there you had the Mutants of the Beast Wars, The Mutant Beast Wars! What made them mutants exactly? Well, thanks to a virus unleashed by Megatron, these Fuzors were lost in their beast modes. Transforming from beast mode to beast mode with the robot lost inside (but maybe you could find their robot head peeking out). In case that description and the picture above doesn't clue you in, they don't have a robot mode. Icebird, for example, turns from owl to bear.

Like Animorphs, they were great toys, but now they were actual Transformers (not just in name). Though like their Animorph heritage, they were misfits in the Transformers fan world. As one could expect the G1 Purist crowd obviously despised them. A good deal of the beast era fans also wasn't fond. Though a handful of us did, and personally I loved them.

I was all over the figures the moment they arrived at my local Walmart. In fact the first one I grabbed was Icebird (my favorite of the bunch) one Friday night. I had the night off and took a quick stop to check out the toys and grab a bite to eat. An excited jump in the air lead to grabbing Icebird and a pack of chicken wings. That evening was spent with a toy I couldn't put down and messy homemade buffalo wings. Mutant Beast Wars didn't have any fiction outside the text blurb on the packaging. If I was a better writer, I probably would have written tomes of terrible fan fiction. The Mutants DID however appear briefly in 3H's BotCon comics. While they didn't get the biggest starring role, I was glad for something. Later they made some various low key fictional appearances in IDW comics and Fun Publications Fan fiction. Soundwave even made appearances in E-Hobby and Kre-O manga.

The Mutants never got any extra members, though some fans speculated Savage/Noble (Beast Changer) could be a Mutant. The 'Ask Vector Prime' Facebook Page (ran by Fun Publications) said in some realities he was and in some realities all BW characters were Mutants. Which I suppose in some reality is an answer and in some reality the alternate reality trope isn't played out yet (but Thanos still wins). All jokes aside, I've never considered him to be a member, but if you want to go ahead. There's a multiverse shoehorn for that.

Another would be new member is Leatherhide. A planned repaint of the Soundwave mold for the ill-fated Halloween Horrocon sub-line (that's a nifty name, huh), Leatherhide would probably be released as an Autobot, but a Mutant in any fiction. Leatherhide fictionally did appear in The Allspark Almanac volume 2 and in Fun Publications fiction meaning I'm not the only person who really wanted this toy.

Mutant Beast Wars over the course of time has managed to remain obscure in the greater world of Transformers with a little nod here and there. An odd team of misfits loved by some and despised by others. I suppose for the opposing team it's a good thing they didn't take off. Though as someone who came close to buying a test shot at a BotCon, I would have loved for them to take flight. The little nods here and there are great (and appreciated), but in some alternate universe I have a display of Mutant Beast Wars Masterpiece toys.

Diaclone Blitzwing

One thing from the past I miss was when Takara would do some sort of reissue of a G1 toy, E-Hobby would release the toy in a special edition. Usually in the Diaclone colors of the toy mold and as a new character. This was super cool and really neat in most cases. Getting an original Diaclone toy can be expensive, so having the option for a reissue was a great alternative for someone who just wanted to have one. Not to mention having it folded into the greater TF mythos was a great plus. The Blitzwing edition was particularly cool as it was intended to represent a new line of military robots produced by the Quintessons with a funny name, 'Overcharge'. Obviously a joke for fans to laugh at, the name in fiction is meant to be a nickname used to refer to the bots. The soldiers are Drones called the Terrorbots, sold for high dollar and use exceptionally high amounts of energy.

Get it?

Weekly Spotlight: Garboil

A member of the Cobalt Sentries, the public safety arm of the Decepticon Secret Police, Garboil is familiar with the personal information of countless Decepticon soldiers, and observes in detail each one's ulterior motives, plots being executed, or treasonous conduct. His duty is to ascertain the results and select those evaluated as suitable for the evil elite. However, he tolerates absolutely no resistance in the nations and worlds under Decepticon government and suppresses the controlled citizens through fear, pain, and total management of information. When in battle, he can blare out from his vocal processors a directional, cacophonic blast that includes an override signal, using it to render enemy robots into a state of panic.

Bio-Genetic Morphing Process

I am the night.

Earlier today (or yesterday, depending on your sleep schedule), E-Hobby teased their upcoming Optimus Primal exclusive made from Titans Returns molds. It's a wonderful homage to the original bat Primal toy that was released in the introductory two pack with him and a Alligator Megatron.

That two pack has always held a special place in my fan heart. I just loved the toys and was always a little sad that they never really got a chance to shine.

The original story pitch for Beast Wars was a continuation of the original crew past G2, and the pack in comic was all that existed of that premise. Shortly after, the story went in a 'Next Generation' direction. Which ultimately was the better idea, but I always held onto that original idea and wondered how it would have been.

I've been a fast fan of the Titans Returns toys already. Not just as a Transformers toy line (I kinda like them), but on their own as well. Just a fantastic toy line that merges various toy things I dig and the fictional basis just keeps adding to my happiness.

I had made the comment on my podcast that this might be my favorite line since beast era, and while it may be super early to think that way. I can't help it, I'm just so swept up in that certain joy you get as a fan when something is hitting every note just right.

Man, I hope they do the Alligator Megatron too.

Weekly Spotlight: Junkion Detritus

According to the cosmic battle legend, Detritus would appear from nowhere to the big battle field, and an armed camp that could enlist him as a supporter would win the battle without fail.

But the truth is, he just takes advantage of his own distinguished abilities to collect information and to analyze it, and just takes the side of the armed camp that he judged it could generate more useful junks in larger quantities.

He has an excellent fighting power and he can regenerate himself almost like immortal, mending his damaged body with detritus at hand. Actually, his present body is made out of the parts of detritus getting from the battle field of the Earth.

He is a marverick outsider who abandoned his home planet "Junkion", and he is aiming at building his own junk empire some day.