Encore #20: Devastator Giftset

[heroic_decepticon]

Already all over HK (and SG). HK appears to be cheaper for this at HKD$740 per piece.





Full review here.

Summary:
This is a good set to have if you don't already have the vintage G1 pieces. It's good value for money too. There are some QC issues, for overall not fatal to enjoyment of the set as a whole. My key issue is the plastic colouration which I still, after about an hour of fiddling with the pieces, don't think is the right shade of green and makes it look KO-ish. 6.5/10 for me - good value, but if affordable, get the vintage G1 piece.

[sideswipes brother]

I saw a review comparing both old and new together and the lighter green was the first thing i noticed too. Don't really like it but its better than nothing. Probably did it so you cant mix up a reissue and an original.

[5FDP]

Nice review HD. Good to hear that Mixmaster does indeed have his head attached.

This is going to display nicely next to my reissue Predaking

Probably did it so you cant mix up a reissue and an original.

That's exactly what they did.

[GoktimusPrime]

Perhaps TakaraTOMY modified the shade of green on purpose to make the reissues distinct from the originals? (it certainly wouldn't be the first time it's happened) -- but it still looks like a fairly close green to me. It's not as if they've used a drastically different shade (like reissue Tackle who was changed from vermillion to orange) or worse still, entirely different colours (like reissue Sixwing - I know that canon justifies it with the whole Shattered Glass^Verserker thing, but the fact that they never even bothered reissuing Sixwing in anything like his regular colours frustrates me ).

For me, the reasons why I decided to get Encore Devastator even though I already have the original Constructicons are because:

1. I got my original Constructicons in 1985 and they're VERY worn out! I haven't been able to play with my Constructicons for years and years now cos I'm too scared to break them. Even just occasionally posing or transforming them puts strain on them... I already broke Devastator's waist once when removing Mixmaster (thankfully I found a new one soon after ) -- but yeah, for a long time my Constructicons have been little more than a display piece and I give myself a minor heart attack each time I handle them! :O The reissues will give me a minty new set that I can play with.

2. Remember how the S.T.A.R.S. bases came with an "Armoury" section? I used to keep a lot of little weapons in there... I've since lost my S.T.A.R.S. bases (I had two)... I suspect my parents might have chucked them out -- anyway, needless to say that I've also lost a lot of little weapons that were stored in there, including my individual Constructicon weapons. Getting the reissue weapons will definitely save me a lot of time rather than hunting down the originals -- possibly cheaper too.

3. I want to support TakaraTOMY and hopefully help convince them to do more 'new' reissues (and not more reissues of toys that have already been reissued ). Also I want to reward TakaraTOMY in putting their faith in collectors by reissuing such a heavily KOed toy (and will hopefully help convince them to reconsider reissuing other moulds that haven't been reissued but have been KOed) -- heh, this morning I was talking to some students about consumer sovereignty.

My Devastator's still in transit -- can't wait till it arrives! \(^O^)/

[kup]

I would say that the color issue is more to do with a cheaper plastic. Takara-Tomy uses cheaper materials than Takara did in all their products. You can tell right away when you compare Encore reissues with their 'Book' reissue counterparts.

I wouldn't expect the reissues to have as much 'long term' play value as G1. The G1 figures have considerably better production value than the reissues despite their age and wear.

[5FDP]

I would say that the color issue is more to do with a cheaper plastic. Takara-Tomy uses cheaper materials than Takara did in all their products.

Aside from personal opinion, is this documented anywhere? I'm just curious to know if it's more a case of different / lighter plastics rather than money saving measures.

[heroic_decepticon]

*snip* I give myself a minor heart attack each time I handle them! :O The reissues will give me a minty new set that I can play with.

*snip*

3. I want to support TakaraTOMY and hopefully help convince them to do more 'new' reissues (and not more reissues of toys that have already been reissued ). Also I want to reward TakaraTOMY in putting their faith in collectors by reissuing such a heavily KOed toy (and will hopefully help convince them to reconsider reissuing other moulds that haven't been reissued but have been KOed) -- heh, this morning I was talking to some students about consumer sovereignty.

I think you will quite like this set. There is a marked improvement over how certain joints and connectors come together and they are also appropriately reinforced so its harder to break.

I agree with your point (3), but really hope they do better on the quality.

I would say that the color issue is more to do with a cheaper plastic. Takara-Tomy uses cheaper materials than Takara did in all their products. You can tell right away when you compare Encore reissues with their 'Book' reissue counterparts.

I wouldn't expect the reissues to have as much 'long term' play value as G1. The G1 figures have considerably better production value than the reissues despite their age and wear.

Yup, agree. The plastic quality for reissues just keep going downhill. I though the circa 2000s reissues were shoddy back then, but now, they are gold compared to the recent reissues and the really cheap quality plastic.

Oh, I should add that my set also came with this...

[Jinto]

It's about time Hasbro got down to it and created a good quality, G1-esque Devastator. A set of deluxe size figures that can become their own 'bots and combine if you get the set would be downright fantastic. Two 3rd party companies are filling the hole that Hasbro could have plugged themselves, at a lower price point too.
And I'm not talking that 2009 movie creature.

I sure hope he gets considered as a character for TFP.

[kup]

It's about time Hasbro got down to it and created a good quality, G1-esque Devastator. A set of deluxe size figures that can become their own 'bots and combine if you get the set would be downright fantastic. Two 3rd party companies are filling the hole that Hasbro could have plugged themselves, at a lower price point too.
And I'm not talking that 2009 movie creature.

I sure hope he gets considered as a character for TFP.

Hasbro is on the record saying that they will not do proper gestalt combiners because 'it's too hard.'

That opened the way for the 3rd party devastators which are probably better than anything contemporary habro would be willing to do.

[gdmetro]

@ Jinto: From what I read the "it's too hard" rationale is basically due to the way that case assortments work and size assortments/price point issues- how contemporary retailers market and sell the product to parents and children.

Wave assortments make it impossible to place combiner or sub-teams in a line and have the line sell well (Hasbros POV). Their market is obviously for parents and kids, whom occasionally go to the store to buy a figure. Accordingly, it would be almost impossible under this "occasional buying" for a kid to collect all of a sub-team or combiner group. Hence such figures are not marketable in that sense.

Any gift-set type thing would sell in limited quantities due to price point- but would not suit the figures being dispersed individually and separated in wave assortments.

In comparison, during the 80's apparently entire lineups of figures were continually restocked over more than a year- that was probably why it was possible back then. Marketing and media was also not as homogenized as it is now.

An extension of this is that media would most likely not support a character as Devastator. Hence the kids would not know who Devastator is or care- ROTF Devy just made it worse- ugly design aside (IMO)- the rows of either the legends or Supreme sized toy lining the walls of my local TRU is not helping.

No, sadly, Hasbro would rather market another few Bumblebees and Primes than do a Devy.