COUNTDOWN: 10 new Pulsecon reveals that need to be seen!

Hasbro Pulse’s ‘Pulsecon’ event has come and gone for another year, and naturally, that means a slew of exciting new toy reveals!

Though Transformers was far from the only brand featured throughout the stream, there was undoubtedly plenty for robots in disguise fans to chew on, especially with first looks at a wide range of fresh products in the run-up to the franchise’s 40th anniversary. Perhaps even more unusual? None of it is explicitly G1-themed, showing just how diverse the current Legacy line is proving to be.

Anyway, without further ado, here are 10 new Pulsecon reveals that need to be seen!

#10: Energon Megatron

First, we have a few new Core class offerings, starting with a rather teeny take on Energon Megatron from 2004. The original toy was already a celebration of Transformers’ 20th anniversary, paying close homage to the classic G1 Galvatron design from back in the day, so it’s somewhat strange to see it getting an update of its own another twenty years down the line! I don’t think anyone anticipated it being done in the smallest size class available, but no matter, this diminutive Decepticon leader looks as menacing as he is adorable, and proves to be fairly accurate to the mid-2000s cartoon to boot. Oh, and he even comes equipped with his signature arm-mounted tank accessory!

#9: Beast Wars II Tasmania Kid

Another Core class entry here, and though this toy is touted as representing Tasmania Kid from Japan’s Beast Wars II (pronounced “second”) cartoon, Western fans who grew up with the vintage Kenner line will no doubt recognise it as Snarl from 1997 (one year prior to his Takara equivalent’s debut). To be fair, the two iterations were all but identical and given only the one received any kind of animation rep, it makes sense why the powers that be chose to identify the new toy as they have (not to mention, it likely avoids confusion with the far more familiar Dinobot by the same name). The figure itself is remarkably close to his classic design in robot form, complete with the somewhat awkward flat palms and forearm-tabbing tail weapon. However, the beast mode is a significant makeover, looking far more like a real-world Tasmanian devil than anything we’ve seen before (albeit still with the same light bright colour scheme). Could a black ‘copy’ version soon follow as a further homage to the 1998 Japanese cartoon? Watch this space!

#8: Bouldercrash

Despite feverish online speculation about just what the ‘rock’ figures teased in listings were going to be, it seems we’re not getting updated Rock Lords designs in Legacy after all… at least, not quite! Instead, they’re known as ‘Armorizers’ (I’m resisting the urge to Anglicise that) and pick up the mantle from the Weaponizers, Fossilizers and Junkions before them as the new modular toys that can combine with other figures and the like. They’re billed as ‘creatures made from living rocks and minerals on other planets’, so it’s also kind of in-keeping with Rock Lords at least thematically whilst still being its own original thing. Plus, they have alternate modes to boot! Core class Bouldercrash was the first of two to be unveiled and transforms into a miniature three-wheeled motorcycle. Cute!

#7: Magneous

Our second and final Armorizer is the mean-looking (and mostly monochrome) Magneous, with his Deluxe class frame showing off in more detail just what this new concept is all about. As well as an imposing robot form complete with the kind of waist-to-pectoral proportion that demands your attention, this lad can also convert into a souped-up rather Mad Max-styled car mode-of-sorts. The roof section becomes a shield accessory, whilst he can wield an axe in the other hand. I’m sure we’re all excited to see more of these to come, not to mention the weird and wonderful combos that fans will devise for them before too long!

#6: Animated Bumblebee

The Legacy line’s take on the original Animated Bumblebee from 2008 had already been seen online and caused plenty of comment. After Prowl received a similar makeover, there was a fair bit of excitement to see what the rest of the Animated Autobot crew might look like and, by and large, it seems as though Deluxe Bee has hit the mark as far as many fans are concerned. All the trademarks of the classic character are there, including his cheeky chappy smirk and signature stingers, which then act as ‘turbo boosters’ for this squished-style car mode. Whatever your take, we can all agree that with Legacy looking to explore just about every corner of the franchise, it’s great to see Animated being given its moment to shine.

#5: Rescue Bots Chase

Speaking of fairly surprising Legacy nods, who honestly expected the preschool-aimed Rescue Bots to be brought kicking and screaming into the Transformers mainline, eh? Alright, there had been a fair bit of speculation that this would happen, but it’s a thrill to see, nonetheless. And true, we have had a sort of homage in that direction already with Medix, but this is the first time one of the main cast has been recreated in such slavish form, the results of which are nothing shy of fascinating! The robot mode manages to retain all the innate charm of the character as is whilst still bringing it up to date in a more familiar Generations style. There’s already feverish speculation that this is a fairly obvious ‘pretool’ of another character (with most guessing Lockdown), but for now, let’s bask in the fact that Legacy Rescue Bots are a real thing that is actually happening! Now, please do Heatwave, Boulder and Blades.

#4: Cyberverse Windblade

Since her debut as the first ‘Fan Built Bot’ only ten years ago, Windblade has had an almost unparalleled number of toys and media appearances for a character that didn’t originate during the early part of the franchise. However, her portrayal in Cyberverse stands out for many fans, and with Legacy already combing through the 2018 cartoon for inspiration, it shouldn’t come as a major shock to see this updated effort on the roster (and especially not after it was partially teased online). The Deluxe class result is likely what many expected it to be, looking every bit faithful to the character’s animated portrayal and complete with her Stormfall Sword and blades. It’s a good time to be a Windblade fan!

#3: Prime Thundertron

Of all the reveals, I think this was the one that caused a fair few fans to begin furiously browsing TFWiki for answers. Don’t worry if you feel like you’ve missed something major, as this guy has never actually been in any of the franchise’s cartoons. However, he was very nearly slated for whatever the sequel to Transformers: Prime would have been called before it ended up not happening. Instead, Thundertron has made his name in several aligned continuity novels from the time and had a distinctive 2012 toy to boot. The character is the leader of the Star Seekers, a ruthless gang of pirates on a mission of revenge against all Cybertronians, and historically features a distinctive beard and peg leg. This updated Deluxe figure captures much of that essence whilst providing a fresh spin on what is surely one of the more unusual new designs on the horizon!

#2: Animated Optimus Prime

Animated fans are eating well currently, with two new toys on the way at once! Sure, it may be yet another Optimus Prime in a year that now likely requires two hands to count them all, but still, this one arrives on its own merit and at least brings plenty new to the table. For starters, there’s no mouth plate in sight, which even Hasbro’s own Bmac pointed out as unusual on the stream. More than that, though, it’s a surprisingly faithful Deluxe design of the beloved young Autobot leader from the fan-favourite 2008 show and is sure to delight anyone looking to add the design to their Legacy ranks. Just Ratchet to go now?

#1: Tigerhawk

When we talk about showstoppers, this is what we mean, no? Like some of the other reveals on the stream, there have been persistent rumours of a new Tigerhawk toy for some time now, but even then, the toy itself cannot help but impress. 1999’s original toy of the character was a highly distinctive tour de force of the time, but this Legacy Leader class update does it justice in representing what is undeniably the most powerful Beast Wars character of them all. For those unfamiliar with the show, Tigerhawk is the melded form of Tigatron and Airazor, embued with advanced alien technology, and manages to make a solid impression despite preciously (and criminally) little screentime. This new effort ditches oddities like the abandoned ‘spark pilot’ gimmick of the original and keeps things more streamlined and cartoon-accurate for the most part by adding a delicious new purple and gold palette into the mix. It’s a handsome result, although if you’re like me, you’re already imagining the black Razorclaw repaint, natch.

So that’s our list! Which of the reveals are you most excited about?

TTFN