The following highly anticipated next wave of Transformers movie sequel - Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) toys are expected to be available at our local retailers from this week! 

Voyager Class (SGD 51.90 each):

Wave 3: Grindor.

Grindor is a repaint of Blackout from Transformers The Movie (TFTM).  I think he looks more striking in light grey color that contrast better with the black points!  Little Scorponok that comes with Grindor in now black in color with some silver details.  I’m looking forward to seeing this Decepticon in person!

Another long awaited ROTF Constructicon member is coming to our local retail stores soon!  In reality, this kind of dumpster truck is huge!  I mean look at the ‘puny’ size of the cabin compared to the rest of the truck!  It must be used for some enormous size projects like excavating mines or something!  Long Haul shares a common trait with Grindor, in that both their robot modes carry a large ‘back pack’ that are higher than their heads!  No wonder they are in the same wave, LOL! 

I expect Grindor to have a slight edge over Long Haul in terms of popularity, but the end results could go the other way.  Both of them look really good and should be in the radar of many fans and collectors.  Both Decepticons look quite cool in the ROTF movie, despite their limited screen time.  Sometimes you need to see these ROTF toys in person to decide if they are worth adding to your collections.  Till then, happy ROTF toy hunting!

Deluxe Class Wave 5: (SGD 27.90 each)

 Top row (from left) - Dead End & Blaze Master. 

Bottom row (from left) - Jolt; Skids & Mudflap (photo shows only Mudflap in robot mode)

 ——–

Wave 5 of the ROTF Deluxe action figures are expected to be available in our local departmental stores from this week.  Dead End is a repaint of Sideways with a new head!  He looks better in his new colors.  For Blaze Master, hmmm, how is he related to the ROTF movie?  He is said to be a TV Station helicopter seen in the movie but I don’t recall seeing him in it. 

The next 2 are the widely tipped hot favourites that you must supposedly ‘grab fast or regret later’ figures in this wave.  Jolt was hardly prominent in the movie but since he’s part of the ROTF Autobot team, people want him.  The pink and white Ice Cream truck is very highly desired, despite each twin being only about Scout class size.  The hot fuchia pink color of the truck reminds me of the Barbie Doll pink, making it look like a girl’s toy!

The Ice Cream truck and the blues are the clear hot favourites.  So be decisive and grab them when you see them, if they are on your ‘must-have’ ROTF toy list.  If you have chosen to wait it out for a sale or they are figures you have elected to do without in your collection, then please don’t complain if they sell out and you didn’t get them.  You made your choice so stick by it!  It has happened for ROTF Voyager Fallen with so much regrets by various individuals floating in the air.  Till then, happy ROTF toy hunting!

Update: This wave has been spotted in certain leading toy store outlets this mid-week!

Scout Class Wave 3: (SGD 18.90 each)

 Top row (fron left) - Dead End, Ransack & Depth Charge. 

Bottom row (from left) - Reverb, Scalpel & Dune Runner (hot favourite!)

 ——–

Wave 3 of the ROTF Scout action figures have been seen at our local departmental stores for weeks already.  Reverb is a repaint of Knock Out from the earlier waves.  Scalpel is a new Decepticon character (known as The Doctor) in the ROTF movie and he remains the only ROTF Scout toy whose character appeared in the movie.  Dune Runner reminds me of the Deluxe Landmine action figure from Transformers The Movie (TFTM) toyline.  I think they are both the same kind of military vehicles.

The Scout Class is a size between the Deluxe and Legends Class toys, making them not to scale with the rest of the main ROTF toyline.  I don’t really know why Hasbro made the ROTF Scout toyline, other than to sell more Transformers toys that are mostly unrelated to the ROTF movie.  They could have invested more time, effort and resources on their movie cast ROTF toys, like rectifying ROTF Voyager Starscream’s hands sticking out from under the jet tail, or Human Alliance (HA) Sideswipe’s humongous ‘backpack’ in robot mode etc.

Anyway this aside, the past weeks have shown that Dune Runner is a very hot favourite with fans and collectors here.  Scalpel comes a close second.  Frankly, I think Scalpel looks kinda hideous but since he’s in the ROFT movie, I suppose that’s one reason why people buy him.  Reverb is very striking in his new bold colors, despite being a repaint.  Hence I guess the kids may like him.  The potential peg warmer in this wave could still be Ransack.  He’s seen in every store.  

And hence, the greens and the greys take the lead for now.  A lot of kids and casual collectors aren’t familiar with the ROTF Scout characters.  Most people are still focusing on completing the movie cast figures while stocks last.  The Scout figures tend to be picked up if convenient, or much later during the eventual clearance sales (which might take months to come)!  Till then, happy ROTF toy hunting!

Update: There are 2 variants for Scalpel - either long or short antenna!

Besides the above video, here’s a cool Japanese blog which features the detailed photos of Takara EZ Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) Legends Devastator, and his individual ROTF Legends Constructicons that combine to make him!  Yes, the ROFT Legends Constructicons can transform between their vehicle and robot modes, a feat that Supreme class ROTF Devastator has yet to accomplish! 

ROTF Legends Devastator stands up to be the height of an average ROTF Deluxe action figure, or slightly taller than ROTF Deluxe Skids in robot mode.  Some claim that he’s not very tall, but seriously how tall do you expect the Legends Devastator to be? 

If you know the average robot height of a ROTF Legends toy, it does work out to be about a ROTF Deluxe robot height when Legends Devastator ( which I affectionally call ‘Baby Dev’) is formed.  Furthermore, Baby Dev doesn’t stand upright but hunches!

These 7 little ROTF ‘dwarfs’ have been highly anticipated by fans and collectors for a while now.  The biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether these little guys are going to be Takara-released only, or also available through Hasbro’s ROTF toyline?  Only time will tell. 

Anyway, the good news is that most collector toys shops here who have been selling ROTF toys, are taking pre-orders for all the 7 Takara EZ ROTF Legends Constructicon toys that make up Baby Dev.  The ROTF Legends Constructicons will come individually packaged like the regular Hasbro ROTF Legends toys in the departmental stores.

Hence if you like, you may want to pre-order Baby Dev at your favourite or regular collector toy shops today!  The expected market price for each ROTF Legends Constructicons should be around the retail price (SGD 11.90) of the regular ROTF Legends toys you find in our departmental stores.  If you are lucky, you might get a better price, depending the collector toy shop you pre-order from!  Till then, happy ROTF toy hunting!

No, don’t get overly excited when you read this blog title, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) Human Alliance (HA) Sideswipe with Sgt Epps action figures haven’t been spotted in Singapore yet.  If they have, please let me know where!  It’s expected to be in the departmental stores sometime in August 2009.

While waiting for their arrival, you might want to check out this cool blog which has a nice collection of detailed photos on them.  You have an added advantage if you can read Chinese.  If not, viewing the photos alone will be good enough to help you decide if you wish to pick up this set! 

For me, the upward-opening doors of HA Sideswipe in car mode is enough to help me make up my mind.  He reminds me of the Lamborghini Murcielago, one of my favourite super cars of all times!  I can’t wait to welcome HA Sideswipe to Singapore!

Update: HA Sideswipe w/Sgt Epps have been spotted at Singapore retail stores since mid-July 09!

Update: Video review of HA Sideswipe with Sgt. Epps available on YouTube now!  Let’s take a look at it!

Cool!  There are some new and more detailed online photos on the much talked about upcoming Toy ‘R Us (TRU) Megatron, The Fallen & Soundwave 3-pack!  The photos mostly feature loose Deluxe Soundwave (repainted in dark blue) in his G1 colors.  Most fans and collectors are more keen on Soundwave than the other 2 Voyager fellows with him. 

The Fallen looks to be the same colors as the current single pack Voyager one, while Megatron (to the ‘horror’ of some fans) is in the ‘old’ Transformers The Movie (TFTM) mold.  Yup, he transforms into a Cybertronian jet.  Ideally, Hasbro should have packaged the ROTF Voyager Megatron repainted in grey and silver for this 3-pack.

Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing this 3-pack being sold in our local TRU outlets soon.  My guess is that it’ll probably be priced at around SGD 130.00+ or less.  The current TRU ROTF exclusive 2-pack containing Autobot Whirl (Voyager) & Bludgeon (Deluxe) already costs SGD 79.90!

Hmm, now looking back at this photo that I took many weeks ago, I remember seeing Whirl (blue & white colors) packaged on the left and Bludgeon (green & brown colors) on the right for the real thing.  Whirl even has his bulky propeller ‘backpack’ detached and packaged beside him nearer side of the box.  Perhaps my eyes are playing tricks on me.  Oh never mind…it’s not really that important who was packaged where, LOL!

Just a trivia to share.  Here’s the actual product in the stores - Human Alliance (HA) Bumblebee’s legs show the wheels positioned on the inside.

This photo of prototype HA Bumblebee shows the wheels positioned on the outside of the legs.  Somehow during the factory assembly or after final decisions by Hasbro to simplify the transformation process perhaps, the final product we get is not really the same as the prototype.

This is a fan customised HA Bumblebee with the wheels positioned on the outside of the legs.  But when you look at thigh panels of both the prototype & customised HA Bumblebees, they still look different.  My guess is that only the legs below the knees were switched during the factory assembly (needs further confirmation), but most of us don’t have the specialized screwdrivers to remove those industrial screws from the knees.  Hence the current proven customization method is to re-assemble the crotch section and the leg positions.

Naturally I would prefer that we don’t have to do any customization and still have the more movie accurate product, but sometimes we don’t get the best of everything! LOL!

ROTF Voyager The Fallen

While dropping by a suburban departmental store this week, I casually asked the store personnel if they have any stocks of ROTF Voyager The Fallen.  Our conversation went something like this:

“Do you still have The Fallen?”

“Oh The Fallen, it’s currently out of stock worldwide.”

“You mean islandwide?”

“No, worldwide.  There are no more stocks not just in Singapore but regional, even in the US & in Korea, it’s worldwide.  It’s the same with all the other departmental stores here.  Even the Hasbro warehouse has no more stocks.”

“Do you know when the next shipment will arrive?”

“I’m sorry, I have no idea.”

“It’s ok, thank you.”

What makes this conversation memorable to me is that the store personnel said his lines in such a solemn tone that he made it sound like it’s a very ’serious’ matter.  I was thinking in my head then “wow, I didn’t know that the ROTF Fallen stocks shortage is such a ‘grave’ matter.  It’s almost like at the level of the global financial crisis or something similar.” LOL!

So that’s it folks.  ROTF fans and toy collectors have relentlessly ‘hunted’ the last of the ROTF Voyager Fallens to temporary ‘extinction’ in the departmental stores here.  Even the cute little Legends Fallens (aka Baby Fallen) weren’t spared.  It looks like The Fallen has made it to the list of ROTF CITES Appendix 1 - Critically Endangered and nearing possible total extinction.  Hopefully some of the surviving Fallen hatchlings out there (Baby Fallens) are given the chance to ‘mature’ to Voyager Fallens to ‘revive’ the local Fallen population once more, soon!

While awaiting the ‘recovery’ of the local Fallen population and if you have missed out on getting your ROTF Voyager Fallen, there are a couple more Fallen options coming up, possibly within this year.  One of them is the Red Voyager Fallen (scroll about 1/3 down the page link) and the Megatron, Fallen & Soundwave 3-pack .  Will these come to Singapore?  I have no idea, we can only hope.  If yes, when will they arrive?  Only Singapore Hasbro knows that answer.  Till then, happy ROTF toy hunting!

I recently chanced upon a mum looking for a ROTF Legends Skids for her son at a departmental store.  The boy already had a ROTF Legends Mudflap and he wasn’t interested in the Deluxe Skids.  I told the mum that the Legends version of Skids isn’t out yet, and this was further confirmed by the store personnel there.  We saved her the trouble of going through all the ROTF toys there in vain!

ROTF Legends Skids aka Baby Skids is expected in the next wave of ROTF Legends toys, possibly with Baby Jolt, Baby Sideways & Baby Tankor (Transformers Movie 1 Legends Brawl repainted in light blue).  From the above photo, Baby Skid’s looks to have the same transformation process as Baby Mudflap, except that Baby Skids has a bigger right arm instead!  Besides the little boy, I’m also looking forward to adding Baby Skids to my ROTF Legends toys collection!

The title says it all.  I’m going for a spin with my Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) Sideswipe today!