Images have been posted on Takara-Tomy Mall of the upcoming new releases in the Japanese only Transformers movie series line, Turbo Changers. There are three new releases for the line on show – TC-14 Optimus Prime, TC-15 Barricade (The Last Knight) and TC-16 Volkswagon Bumblebee.
The trio of figures are all one-step changers. Barricade is a redeco of the figure released for last years The Last Knight line, with a much-needed lick of paint to make him look a lot more screen accurate. Bumblebee and Optimus Prime are new molds which have yet to be confirmed for a US release – it is unknown if these guys will find their way stateside down the road, or if these will be Japanese market exclusives.
We will report on any further news that comes to light. For now, enjoy the images which we have attached to this post.
Gaokaiser
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Toolala
Takara is doing a bang up job with these Movie Masterpieces.
dCon
I dig the Prime and Bumblebee but i like the/my Nitro Optimus Prime and Power Plus Bumblebee better, plus my Legendary Prime and MPM 7 are on the way & should be more then adequate.
Considering these are actually Hasbro pics then yes i would have to say so my friend. You can tell by the posing and lighting mostly. It is quite the abundance of gimmick toys, but what are ya gonna do.
User_124141
I wonder why they are reusing Last Knight Barricade? Hears loud cha ching nearby.
Autoboty
Those FUCKERS! Takara has budget for junkheaps like these and still skimp out on Generations and Studio Series?! Now they're just trolling us!
Michael Payton
These just seems like such a waste of resources on when there are already so many different versions of these three characters in such a small line and these just really aren't really better than those toys. I can't imagine that many preschoolers or grade schoolers would beg their for these over other toys in this line or even other robot toys.
The big Power Charge Bumblebee I can see kids wanting. Even the largest Energon Igniters of these exact same three characters….maybe. They're big and cheap. Even the little pocket ones I can see kids wanting, so they can carry them to school or build an army.
But these mid-tier toys are just kind of…. there. Just in case a kid wants something in between those scales. And then, they're still two or three different versions of everything, all stuck between $10 and $13 with virtually no distinction between them. And now these too are in that mid-range too.
Why?
Is demand already that good in Japan? What's the business model for these?
User_136440
I'd be surprised if they didn't. One steps seem to be Hasbro's thing. They are indeed the same size as the Power series figures, but those have ''classic' though still simple transformations so it appears Energon Igniters and Turbo Changers are distinct, separate things. Maybe they'll be a separate later wave or something so they don't have both on the shelf simultaneously.
User_136440
Official pics here:
瞬速変形(ターボチェンジ)するトランスフォーマー玩具!「TC-14 オプティマスプライム」「TC-15 ディセプティコンバリケード」「TC-16 バンブルビー」登場!!
rikaldomario
Will Hasbro even release these guys?? It seems that unless the have a 5mm port on the back of their vehicle modes, they're incompatible with the whole Energon Igniters toyline the BB movie is going for. I know there are a few gimmick toys that are the exception to that rule, but aren't the Power and Power Plus basically the same size/structure as the One-Steps?
Gaokaiser
トランスフォーマー ターボチェンジ TC-14 オプティマスプライム
トランスフォーマー ターボチェンジ TC-15 ディセプティコンバリケード
トランスフォーマー ターボチェンジ TC-16 バンブルビー