It’s a week of big opinions on Episode 980, and the crew has plenty of them. Brian and company dig into a slate of news that runs the full spectrum — from genuinely gorgeous to genuinely baffling — and don’t hold back on any of it.

The headline conversation is the G2 Menasor Legends-class box set teased by Takara Tomy. After years of Hasbro releasing G2 Stunticons one at a time with no clear path to completion, Takara is finishing the job — which is great news wrapped in genuinely frustrating packaging. Matt is the most visibly annoyed, having waited years and already owning three of the five team members. Don plays measured devil’s advocate. The crew also digs into Transformers Icons Optimus Prime — a figure that transforms into an Autobot symbol and costs $47. The verdict is not kind.

On the more exciting end, Yolopark Beast Wars Dinobot gets a sneak peek and earns near-universal praise — articulated jaw, ankle tilts, and paint work that the crew calls close to perfect. Takara Tomy Adamas Machina Predaking in-hand images impress visually but raise eyebrows over the price tag and the size disparity between individual members. Blokees gets multiple new entries including a Dark of the Moon Sentinel Prime that Brian is genuinely excited about, plus War Within figures and new Optimus Prime teasers.

In What We Got, the big story is that Walmart canceled Outback orders for Brian, Don, and Diecast — while Matt’s shipped without issue, making him the most beloved and most resented crew member of the week. Matt and Diecast both praise Retro Wheelie. Matt gets the G2 Sludge and Swoop two-pack and is effusive. Diecast adds a Battle Damaged Megatron. Brian picks up carded G2 Cyberjets and makes progress on his sealed G2 Combaticon set. Rob grabs a secondhand Studio Series War for Cybertron Ratchet on the cheap.

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News

Takara Tomy Adamas Machina Predaking In-hand images are out for the premium Adamas Predaking, priced at approximately 48,000 yen (around $325 USD). The combined mode is the clear star — Don describes it as someone took Call of the Primitives and applied a healthy dose of steroids and gloss. The individual components are more of a mixed bag. Razorclaw’s size disparity compared to Headstrong is less egregious with paint applied than it appeared in gray prototype, but the Scramble City-style spread of four small figures and one large torso is still evident in robot mode. Rob draws a comparison to the Diaclone premium line — small, expensive, heavy on paint, beautiful in combined mode. The pearlescent finish gets mild pushback. General consensus: gorgeous Predaking, steep ask for what you get in the individual figures.

War Within Blockies — Grimlock, Springer, Arcee/Drift Prototype images shown for the next wave of War Within Blokees. Springer is the standout even in gray, with Diecast predicting it’ll look great once painted. Arcee gets a lukewarm response — described as Titanium without the metal. The set is noted as reasonably priced at around $40, making it a much more approachable purchase than Predaking.

Yoloark Beast Wars Dinobot A sneak peek image has the crew genuinely excited. The figure features an articulated jaw, ankle tilts, and exceptional paint and detailing. Don calls it absolutely gorgeous. Brian says it looks pretty much perfect. The eye laser accessory uses opaque rather than clear plastic, which gets a mild note, but the reasoning — clear plastic would likely be too fragile at this size — is understood. Diecast laments that his Masterpiece Dinobot has a broken shoulder and wishes this were Masterpiece scale.

Age of Primes Voyager Nexus Prime In-hand images generate collective indifference. The figure still feels incomplete without more information on what limbs he’ll use. Don cancels his Walmart preorder after seeing the pictures. The general sentiment is that until limb compatibility is confirmed, Nexus Prime is just a torso waiting for context.

Blokees — Dark of the Moon Sentinel Prime and Bumblebee Movie Blitzwing First look images shown. Brian singles out Sentinel Prime as a standout, saying they’ve captured the essence of the character’s look effectively in the smaller form. Blitzwing gets mild praise but less enthusiasm. Both are wait-and-see purchases for most of the crew.

Blokees — G1 Optimus Prime 2.0 and Transformers Prime Optimus Prime Teasers Teaser images only, showing the rear of a new G1 Optimus Prime Action Class figure. Rob speculates a previous image he’d seen of a shoulder cannon may belong to a Champion Class version rather than this one. Nothing definitive to react to yet.

G2 Menasor Box Set (Takara Tomy) The week’s most discussed news item. Takara Tomy has teased a Legends-class G2 Menasor box set, which would complete the team that Hasbro began releasing individually roughly four years ago with Dragstrip/Shadow Strip. Matt is the most frustrated — he’s been waiting years and already owns three of the five members. The prospect of rebuying those figures with likely slightly different decos to complete the set is a genuine grievance. Don offers a more charitable read, suggesting Hasbro’s current financial situation may have made a Takara partnership the only realistic path to completing the team, pointing to historical precedent with the Seekers. Brian floats the possibility that Takara could overproduce the missing ‘cons so Hasbro can sell them separately, though the crew is skeptical. The broader takeaway: everyone wants the team completed, almost nobody loves how it’s getting done, and the hope is that a G2 Superion box set follows. A shoutout goes to Chris McFeely’s The Basics on Generation Two for background on G2’s Japanese market history.

Transformers Icons — Optimus Prime A new figure that transforms into an Autobot symbol. The crew is largely unimpressed. At $47, it’s considered significantly overpriced for what amounts to a simple mold with minimal paint, hollow rear legs, and only a blaster and display stand as accessories. Don estimates the appropriate price point at around $27-$30. Matt says he would have been excited until he saw the price, then wasn’t. Brian says he doesn’t want it even on clearance. Rob notes the irony that it doesn’t even transform into something that reads as Optimus Prime’s face, and muses it would make more sense as a different character entirely.

What We Got

Don: Got his Battle Damaged Megatron from Target during a 40% off Transformers sale, bringing it down to $35. Walmart canceled his Retro Outback order after it was already supposed to have arrived — a frustration shared by Brian and Diecast. Had additional on-topic items but hadn’t opened them yet, per the new show rule.

Matt: Received his Retro Outback from Walmart — the only crew member whose order wasn’t canceled, a fact that will not be forgotten. Really likes the figure. The Brawn mold continues to hold up beautifully, everything tabs together well, and the browns and tans are accurate. Notes the absence of the small shoulder wings from the animation model but isn’t bothered. Also got Retro Wheelie, which he considers the best Wheelie toy ever made despite some personal reservations about his scale relative to the rest of the movie cast. Rounds out the week with the G2 Sludge and Swoop two-pack — calls it the most beautiful two-pack ever released. Swoop has a toy face rather than animation face, and the fluorescent greens are striking in person. Sludge’s orange pops dramatically. Minor note that Sludge can feel slightly loose in dino mode in places.

Diecast: Got everything Matt got except Outback (Walmart canceled). Praises Retro Wheelie extensively — pegged-in wheels, excellent paint, tight joints, premium feel. Says the figure surprised him and he may pick up a third. Also got Battle Damaged Megatron, noting the gray on the legs matches the upper body perfectly — a contrast to Dark Awakening Prime’s mismatched reds from last week. Very happy to finally have it.

Rob: Picked up a used Studio Series War for Cybertron Ratchet from Surugaya for around $17. Likes the figure overall — notes it reads as a solid More Than Meets the Eye Ratchet even if individual details aren’t screen-accurate. The forearms detach for weapon substitution in keeping with the War for Cybertron style, which complicates transformation slightly. Comes with a medical axe he appreciates.

Brian: Got Retro Wheelie. Also received the G2 Cyberjets he ordered from an eBay seller alongside a vintage MP3 player — including a carded G2 Double Clutch (upgrade on a copy he already had) and a carded G2 Blowout. Additionally scored a sealed carded G2 Blast Off, putting him close to a complete sealed G2 Superion set — he believes he’s only missing Silverbolt, so he’s shifting focus toward completing a sealed Bruticus set next.

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