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Showing posts with label reissues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reissues. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Ramhorn [Transformers Retro/Bomshell and Ramhorn 2-Pack]

Around this time last year we took a look at some of the more recent neat G1 reissues that have been painted to match their orignal series selves. Here in the States, they're exclusive to Walmart (unless you can find them at liquidation stores like Ross). I lucked up on this cool Bombshell and Ramhorn two-pack on clearance on the Walmart app. A rhinoceros beetle and rhino make for a fun vs pack and today we'll be looking at Ramhorn. Ramhorn is one of the Autobot cassettes who debuted in 1986 during the battle of Autobot City in Transformers The Movie.

Prior to this, only the Decepticons had cassettes. So it was a pretty cool moment. For me, I got my original Ramhorn at a K-Mart one rainy weekend. The cassettes would come in 2-packs and he came with Eject. I still remember being enamored with his gold chrome weapons. Needless to say, the two had many adventures in my bedroom and still reside among my various Transformers toys from the past 40 years.

Ramhorn is pretty much a straight reissue. He's largely the same as that one I've owned forever. There is some updated Copyright stamps on his body, so I assume the molds have had some maintenance done recently. There's something so great about these original toys updated in their show accurate colors. The brown used is a softer color and combined with the dark grey used for accenting colors and in place of the originals chromed legs... it just looks great. The red Autobot symbol almost glows against his colorization. I really like the contrast it creates.

The missile pods are not chromed like the originals, but colored in a metallic gold that looks really good. Ramhorn is a simple but pleasant figure. Transformation to tape mode is easy. Fold the legs up into his body and the head and tail fold backwards. The cassette can fit in any G1 Blaster toy... and maybe a Soundwave if you're feeling rebellious. I've never found fault in the original Ramhorn and just don't now either. In these cartoon accurate colors, he feels like a much more premium figure. The combination of him and Bombshell is fun and we'll be looking at his pack mate later this week.

Friday, March 12, 2021

Beast Waltons

Hasbro is doing a line of reissue Beast Wars toys in vintage packaging exclusive to Walmart. This is in line with the G1 and Headmasters series they have been running and making for an amazing Great Value BotCon 2021!  Like the G1 toys, these have very slightly different paint apps from the originals. This still doesn't bother me as they're reissues and I'm not trying to pass them off as originals (shooting birds at Ebay). This is a super fun thing for me and something I can't resist. 

Of course this brings up the inevitable invisible battle lines at this years Great Value BotCon. They'll be snarky comments about 'beast crap' from people who think their Great Value BotCon is the one true Great Value BotCon and everyone else is Great Value pond scum. Fortunately these types are usually allergic to air conditioning and Walmart keeps that running all year.

Don't let anyone ruin your Great Value BotCon and enjoy your Transformers the way you want. Between all the various 90's stuff making a comeback, I'm in heaven. Before I had said there was a real thrill in buying G1 Transformers at Walmart again and I'll say it again. This is an awesome feeling. You can't go back in time like the Maximals did, but it's fun to pretend a little. Before I watch Sting wrestle on TNT, I'm gonna run to Walmart and grab some Doritos 3D's and grab a Cheetor. What year is it again?

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Blast It!

Blaster is one of those guys I've always liked. Admittedly Transformers made from Microman molds have a special place in my heart, but he's just so cool! He also looks like the last of the Walmart exclusive G1 reissues. So, I'm looking forward to getting mine soon. Well I think he's the last, they haven't really said they'll be anymore. I guess they could sneak one out.

In August I decided just to pre-order one instead of trying to find him at my local store.You know, just let him get delivered to my door and not worrying about anything right? Right? A week before the order is to ship, they send me an email saying it's been delayed until October 9th. Well, whatever, I've got one right? I'll just be patient.

There he is, just a pile of Blasters sitting on the shelves of my local Walmart. But hey, I'll just wait. Then as I add a He-Man to my grocery order (I can do it, so I did) and there he is... on the app. Groceries get delivered to my doorstep with a He-Man. 

No problems. 

But I'm going to be patient. Stop by same store, same pile of Blaster toys on shelves. I'll be patient. Then today I see multiple people who pre-ordered Earthrise toys get shipped Essential Oils instead... 

I've been patient. But that doesn't mean I don't know a future headache when I see one. I canceled the order and added him to my grocery list. I mean dang.


 
Wal-Mart, get your shit together.

Monday, December 30, 2019

Great Value BotCon 2020 begins with an Astrotrain!


Will I ever get tired of my lame Great Value BotCon joke? Well, I can't predict the future, but right now I foresee a big nope. 2019 is coming to a close and folks have already found the 2020 Walmart reissue Astrotrain! I immediately checked the Walmart ap and sadly it's not in stock at the stores local to me. The ap is pretty useful for these types of things, but sometimes it'll drive you crazy. The ap will show it in stock, but it won't be on the shelf. Meaning it's still in the back. Or in 2018, it showed me the store nearest my work had Devastator in stock and no Starscream. Upon arriving... it was the opposite. Guess somebody goofed.

Thanks to the fan votes from this time last year, we know that Astrotrain and Perceptor will be the 2020 toys with no mention of Minibots. Seeing as the 2019 Minibots were something of a surprise, I'm hoping for a repeat of that. You had Optimus show up in January, Gears and Warpath shortly after. Soundwave in summer with cassettes showing a little later. The 2018 ones came out late summer with the Minibots in December. I'm wondering if 2020 will follow 2019 closer to release pattern. Hopefully that means smaller bots being a surprise. I'd be game for more Minibots or cassettes. Maybe something really neat like Throttlebots or something. Sure, the pattern is following previously reissued molds, but hey... we really only know what they tell us or get's leaked out. So, maybe something right out of the left field could happen. I'd really like that.

I'm glad Astrotrain's in his classic grey and purple deco. I'm sure they'll be slight differences from the original toy and this version (I like that honestly). In the mid 2000's when they released Astrotrain it was in his Japanese white deco. At the time that was really cool. White Astrotrain was like Stepper/Ricochet or Artfire, a cool oddity that was pretty hard to get at the time. Stepper got reissued making him easier to get. Same with Soundblaster. Suddenly these harder to get guys were a little easier to get and a little more common. While I have an old purple and grey toy, getting a nice new one is something I'm looking forward too. I've always really liked Astrotrain, so it's a pretty big treat for me.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Sam's Choice BotCon


Adding to the G1 Hot Rod reissue exclusive to Walmart, it looks like even more G1 reissues are headed to Walmart exclusivity. This is pretty random and pretty neat. Starscream has the Megatron gun from the cartoon colors version from around 02-03 and I wonder if Devastator will have the new head from the latest edition. I figure it's part of a 35th anniversary campaign, which is kinda great.