20. G1 Dragstrip - This little dude is a pretty basic addition to the collection, being a lot more interesting if you had him with the other Stunticons. To his credit, he has a more interesting transformation and design compared to the other limbs, but he still feels pretty dependent on his friends if you want to make him more worthwhile. On the plus side, he made me want to get the other Stunticons so I can complete Menasor.
19. Battle Squad Micromasters - I always wanted this set of Micromasters when Siege came out, especially moreso after being disappointed with the Astro Squad from Earthrise. Direct-Hit and Power Punch turn into front and back halves of the alt mode, respectively, and the cannon transport looks adorably badass with the sculpted details and turret with blast effect compatibility. And giving it another 5mm peg so it can be a handheld bazooka? Already beats the Astro Squad!
18. Rattrap - This little guy is a figure I'd only recommend if he was heavily discounted, because $20 for a Basic Class Transformer is not worth it. The figure has a backpack and an over-reliance on ball joints as a way of showing its age, and the tolerances on this old toy don't hold up as well as with the others. Mold degradation must have been rough on him. And for those wondering, I don't have Terrorsaur, and IDK if I plan to get him.
17. Scavenger - A non-show Beast Machines character is one of the first figures I own from the line. Beast Wars toys are pretty cool as we get a solid variety of cool transformations and designs out of various animals, but its sequel line was a bit of a mixed bag for a majority of reasons. I do have to give Hasbro credit for making the Vehicons enjoyable. The design feels like an odd mix between man-made and alien, which makes me think of the Work Loader from the Alien series.
16. Tank Drone - Despite appearances, this is not Tankor. Ironically, he looked more like Tankor than the original Tankor toy did in Beast machines. I say that because a lot of characters that appeared in the show were not always screen-accurate. The Mega Class Tankor figure had normal legs, was predominantly black, and was an entirely different design altogether. Tank drones, by contrast, better resemble the CG model of their leader while the Takara version of the toy better resembles the actual drones despite being marketed as Tankor himself...yeah, the Beast Machines toy line is not that great with consistency.
15. Cybershark - It's weird seeing a non-show character get recognition, but it's probably Hasbro wanting to give him some love due to his lack of representation in Kingdom and Legacy. Anyways, Cybershark is okay for an older figure, though he feels really clunky with the way he's designed, from the sides of the beast mode to how huge the hammerhead itself makes the body super blocky. If anything, it's not a figure I'd fully recommend unless you are a completionist of the Beast Wars line. Otherwise, he's not worth going crazy for.
14. Tonkanator - While I would recommend G1 Devastator more, this is a neat novelty release for anyone who wants the Constructicons yet prefers to not have them be expensive to obtain. He isn't perfect, though; as a pre-Scramble City combiner, he has connection points that aren't as practical, and his proportions feel pretty wonky by comparison. He did make me want to get the other Stunticons now that I have an Autobot combiner and need a Decepticon one.
13. Premium Finish Ratchet - The best-looking version of the mold, though it just comes down to the added paint apps and proper shade of green plastic. With more paint apps filled in and better quality control, all this guy needs apart from better plastic quality would be a gun to go on his right hand and a retooled headache rack to make him look less like he has a stupid cape. He's one of the two Premium Finish repaints I own, so be on the lookout for the other on the list.
12. MPM Optimus Prime (Bumblebee movie) - He may have nearly killed the Masterpiece Movie line, but he at least was a.mixed bag of movie-accuracy, overratedness, and laughably lackluster engineering. Yes, the robot mode is accurate, but the transformation is simpler than normal for an MPM, and the truck mode is one of the worst Geewun-esque truck mode that could ever be possible for a more expensive release. He is the only MPM without a DNA Design upgrade kit, and call it bias all you want, but I don't think he deserves it compared to Ironhide, Barricade, and Starscream.
11. JP93 & Tyrannotron - This set was obtained when it was discounted on BBTS, which means I basically paid a Leader Class figure with a bonus Deluxe. Apart from the tolerances of the rubberized skin panels, Tyrannotron has a great deco to change the vibe of the dinosaur mode with a real deco, on top of making a bit of an homage to the old Dinobots with the red torso and head sculpt. I would include T-Wrecks, but I wanted to cover special releases obtained that aren't tied to an already covered line since this is a Collaborative release. Her packmate, JP93, reminds me of both a die-cast car based on the in-universe Ford Explorers from Jurassic Park and the robot mode of Armada Red Alert, but he has plenty of issues, including the lack of articulation found on other WFC Trilogy figures, a basic transformation, and ball joints on the elbows. I like the robot head and the deco of the alt mode, but Rexy is the best part of the set.
10. Shattered Glass Collection Soundwave - It's cool that we get a good guy version of Soundwave, with his bleach white and baby blue combo accompanied with a green bandana. And the fact that it's the Netflix retool makes it even cooler. That being said, the price was undeniably higher than one would expect, and to make matters even more concerning, this figure will yellow over time. Idk why Hasbro's change in factory would have consequences beyond giving less and charging more, but plastic yellowing badly will not end well for anyone who bought the mold. The parts changing color on regular Soundwave is already bad, but please Hasbro, stop saying you are aware of the QC and fix it.
9. G1 Hot Rod - Hot Rod was one of the most commonly reissued Autobots from 1986, and it makes sense that he'd have a place in the Vintage G1 line (even if his box has him backwards). While he lacks articulation and looks a bit chubby in both modes, he's still a cool release to have for anyone wanting to own some G1 toys while still getting them with more accessibility or iconography. It's weird how he got a modern reissue while the other Autobot Cars haven't gotten attention from Hasbro since the 2000s. And for Rodimus Prime, I can theorize three factors: he would suck without his trailer unlike Optimus, he already has the more appealing POTP and Kingdom releases, aaaaaaand there may be G1 fans who get PTSD over seeing Rodimus Prime's old toy in store shelves.
8. G1 Optimus Prime - I already own a G1 Prime, but it's kind of rough around the edges. The eyes look a little wonky, the mold deterioration is popping up, the smokestacks are short, and the feet aren't leveled right. So when I found out G1 Prime can still be bought for a good price, he became my 100th Transformer of 2022. I chose to only give him his Autobot insignias so he can be different from my stickered Commemorative version. It's great to have a G1 Prime with better joints, richer colors, and no mold degradation!
7. Beast Wars Scorponok - One of the coolest Beast Wars figures didn't get reissued until 2022?! WHERE WAS HE IN THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY LINE OR TELEMOCHA?! This guy beats the Kingdom version in many ways; while that one aimed to be cartoon-accurate, I think this figure is much cooler in terms of mode aesthetics and having a really cool leg and tail transformation. I also think the mutant mask fits him more than the cartoon head, but if the $40 price tag put you off, he is available at Ross for much less.
6. The Ark - Home of the Autobots, now a giant robot themed after the Last Autobot. The G1 Autobots were always known to rely on the massive ship as a way to go through different adventures before crashlanding onto the planet Earth. I honestly love the idea that the Ark was not a newly made character but instead another form that Teletraan-1 used along with the Allspark that would give a bit of a reverse idea to the way Trypticon in the Aligned continuity turned into the Nemesis. While the figure isn't a true playset and does feel a little cheap in some ways, it's at least able to make for an outstanding addition to any collection at a lower price.
5. Masterpiece Movie Bumblebee (Volkswagen Beetle) - I think this guy was growing on me. While he could be more accurate and relies more on the Studio Series figure, I have to give him credit for being much more refined as a transformer with a bigger budget in mind. I think it does plenty of things better than the Studio Series figure, from the better face-swap gimmick to the integration of the arm cannon. The vehicle mode is always nice, and at the very least, I may not like the movie, but I think this figure, while inferior to the CG model compared to numerous third-party takes on the design, is at least better engineered than his leader!
4. G1 Soundwave - I always wanted to have a version of this character, especially as one of the better G1 toys we got from the initial set of years. While he is a bulkier release with the double deck from the Headmasters Soundblaster release, he is still a worthwhile toy to own from G1 thanks to the well-made tape player and robot mode that make most recent takes of the G1 figure with the cassette player alt mode feel rough in some ways compared to how little robot kibble is exposed.
3. Premium Finish ROTF Optimus Prime
The first version of Studio Series Prime may have not been show-accurate, but I still think that Takara did it a favor and make it look presentable. Gone are the weirdly darker colors in favor of a richer shade of red and a normal shade of blue. Other positives include more paint apps for both modes, the retained Energon blades now have shorter pegs that lack paint to prevent chipping, and he comes with two guns! Granted, they aren't mirrored like they should, but this is probably the one Premium Finish figure I recommend you get. Most of the others are either needless (looking at you, MV1 Megs and Siegescream) or need more work like with Ratchet.
2. Earthrise Scorponok - My first-ever Titan Class figure of the line. Scorponok is a tall, hefty update to his old, dumpy G1 toy. He may seem like an oversized ReAction dude, but the articulation he has makes him feel more alive, and the same goes for the sculpted details. Scorpion mode feels huge, almost like holding an actual animal if it wasn't robotic, and the city mode is alright but worth it with the smaller figures. Zarak is surprisingly well-made, and it's cool he takes the same double-Headmaster trick like with Fort Max, only without the electronics.
1. MPM Blackout - Beewun Optimus Prime nearly killed off the Masterpiece Movie line, and we waited for more than a year as we sought for any news regarding a possible new mold in the horizon to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the first movie. Blackout finally popped up, and his release was certainly worth it. Being more than just an upscale of his Studio Series counterpart, he has more parts implemented into the transformation as well as an extra set of bells and whistles to prove that you can sometimes perfect what was already unbroken, all without being a blatant upscale like with the Hide Shadow knockoff from long ago. Blackout is a successful Masterpiece figure, and I'd say he deserves to be in any shelf considering his impressive stature, articulation, engineering, and accessories. I know we have two repaints coming soon for ROTF/DOTM Starscream and a Bumblebee Movie Nemesis Prime, but I hope we can get a Brawl and Bonecrusher at some point. I don't think I'd continue the MPM line after the first movie cast, and the only reason why I got Bumblebee and Optimus was so they won't be left out. But yeah, Blackout owns. And he rules. And he kicks ass.
And that just about covers the look at all of the Transformers I got in 2022 that aren't tied to a prominent line! I'm quite happy to take advantage of this line-up like I was with the previous year, even if it's five less. Anyways, let's see if 2023 will have more or less purchases than 2022 did.
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