Via Notrab on Weibo, which has proved to be a reliable source before, we can share images of an upcoming new Official Commemorative Chinese New Year Transformers coin.
This special coin celebrates the new Chinese “Year Of The Rat” and it comes in a beautiful hexagonal box with Transformers logos on it. The coin features an Autobot insignia with the “More than meets the eye” logo around it. On the other side, we can spot a kind of cute Cybertronian rat with two more small rats and Chinese writing.
Update: Thanks to 2005 Boards member Arvegtor for letting us know that this design is in fact a Chibi style Bumblebee/Year of the rat previously used in the mobile collectible app Quidd.
We have seen other special Transformers coins before, and so far they have been exclusive to the Chinese market. We still have no concrete information about the release date or how to get one, but stay tuned with TFW2005 for more updates.
Click on the bar to see the mirrored images on this news post and then sound off on the 2005 Boards!
Smitty.1981
They were, but I think that was Hasbro and their Asian counterparts working together so it could be sold internationally.
As for the price, inflation, premium decorations or limited production run, maybe all of the above.
primalxconvoy
Of course, but I didn't think the (increased?) price over the original was justified. Weren't the voice samples removed from Primal in the Chinese New Year version?
Smitty.1981
Also ugly is subjective so you may not like CNY Optinus Primal, but I do.
primalxconvoy
That one, perhaps, but I've no need to get it due to the Seige version coming out.
Smitty.1981
Who are you calling ugly?
primalxconvoy
Didn't like any of those.
SPLIT LIP
Not usually one to harp on coins, but yeah, the fact that it’s not even original art is kinda lame.
DualDiac84
Whadya mean? Rat-Bee! Bumble-Rat!
KraegorStark
I'm thinking the Energon Omega Supreme and Optimus, the MP-10, Hybrid Style, and Optimus Primal have all been good decos. The MP Soundwave and Laser Optimus were kinda crap though.
CyberDragon10K
I'm gonna miss being able to mash the year and figure names together. No sibling this time, Goat Wave and Horse Prime.
primalxconvoy
Really? They looked like overpriced, ugly recolours with the bare minimum of effort and paint to me.
Gumblor Gimbles
The Quidd designs actually look okay, but the sheer corporate nature of not calling back to AT LEAST a cheetor repaint with the Year of the Tiger is ridiculous. No BW TM2 Megatron for Year of the Dragon? Tantrum for Year of the Ox? Nah, just follow the marketing scheme. Show the average consumer Optimus and Bumblebee constantly and cement the idea that they’re the only transformers of any note.
LeonSteamhawk
So instead of figures with fancy paint jobs we get… coins with reused artwork. Great…
thewiredknight
There were two ways to go about this. 1. Use transformers that resemble the animals or turn into them. 2. Make designs for each year with a different transformer each year interacting with said animal.
They botched the first royally but almost got the second if it weren't' for the fact it just reuses Optimus, Megatron and Bumblebee four times each. What a missed opportunity.
Rated X
Thats just dumb.
KraegorStark
So have they given up on the "Year of the" special edition figures? Granted some of the decos weren't great, but by and large they were good.
Trip
COWABUNGA IT IS!
jru42287
I'll echo the sentiments of others and say: What a missed opportunity, man. You know there had to be one designer that was like "Hey, maybe we should go with Rattrap?" and the higher ups were like "Naw, we've got a better idea."
Joseph Joestar
No Rattrap? I guess it's time for a fucking crusade…
Smitty.1981
That may be true, for the most part, but, most of the time, they did use the colors for that year, and they were fun.