Jackass Pacific
Main Eventer
WF 20 Year Member
Joined on: Dec 22, 2001 22:58:55 GMT -5
Posts: 3,162
|
Post by Jackass Pacific on Jun 15, 2020 8:59:43 GMT -5
No reason that they shouldn't come back given this current interest and demand. C'mon Mattel - get your sh#t together and recognise what the fans actually want! (Mattel reads thread, later announced WWE-TMNT crossovers) they already did those though
|
|
|
Post by showbizpizzabear81 on Jun 15, 2020 12:54:24 GMT -5
(Mattel reads thread, later announced WWE-TMNT crossovers) they already did those though You know, now that you mention it I vaguely remember them. Any Power Rangers? Lol
|
|
brad
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jul 14, 2018 18:57:58 GMT -5
Posts: 353
|
Post by brad on Jun 15, 2020 14:21:58 GMT -5
These prices are indeed nuts. If anything, we know Steve wants to find a way to bring these back, and we know he knows that the lineups will have to be enticing. No Zack Ryders/Bad Goldbergs and more Diesels/Stone Colds. More accessories won’t hurt either!
I’m optimistic for the future. Also torn because I have a lot of MOCs that I can’t bring myself to open. (Never got around to it last year)
|
|
|
Post by casanova on Jun 15, 2020 15:32:58 GMT -5
If these would need to be more cost effective, I wouldn’t mind if they share the headsculpts with Basics or Elites. I have switched out most of the heads anyway. Most of them simply look terrible/ too cartoony. The accessoires that come with the Elites are a nice touch too. My Styles and Austin for example both wear an Elite vest and habe an Elite headsculpt and they look miles better than the original.
|
|
|
Post by Turnbuckle Zealot(Phil) on Jun 15, 2020 21:39:26 GMT -5
I hope they release Flair again and consider some different part arrangements. For example, the bent arms from the jumpers actually work well on the body’s with the clothesline action. Also figures of all three members New Day with heads from basic/elite figures because holy crap the originals look like racist caricatures from the 1900s. Horrible. And the use of a different color like blue or gold for their gear would be a huge upgrade.
|
|
RedDevil
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2017 18:43:00 GMT -5
Posts: 1,547
|
Post by RedDevil on Jun 16, 2020 16:56:32 GMT -5
If these would need to be more cost effective, I wouldn’t mind if they share the headsculpts with Basics or Elites. I have switched out most of the heads anyway. Most of them simply look terrible/ too cartoony. The accessoires that come with the Elites are a nice touch too. My Styles and Austin for example both wear an Elite vest and habe an Elite headsculpt and they look miles better than the original. AFA wrote about the Retros head in his Q&A thread a little while ago; IIRC he mentioned something about existing Elite or Basic heads designs being adapted for the Retros, I think he said that the JYD was one he felt wasn’t different enough from the Elite for the look of the Retros, but either HBK or Diesel (can’t remember which) was too far in the other direction. Personally I think the JYD head is amongst the best of the lot; I understand that the Hasbros are considered “cartoony”, but they were using early 90s technology on a line that they rarely seemed to invest much in even at its height; if they had been making the figures today, wouldn’t Hasbro go for the best possible representation of the guy they were making? For me I’d have liked them to just take the Elite or Basic head from the right era of the guy they’re making but shrink it a bit to the proportions of the Retros and then go onto the rest of the figure. Though I guess shrinking the head would require a new mould and might mean having to lower some details to fit the scale so might not save any real time or money, but at least you’d end-up with a better look than HBK or Diesel did and really elevate the figure into something special. So many of the customs with Elite heads look so much better that it’s not even a discussion for me. I believe the guitar Elias had was the same as the Elite figure had, so the scale is a bit wrong with that but probably saved enough money to allow us to have the accessory with him, which is the important thing. Maybe if Mattel were able to commit to the Retros then maybe the Retro team could work something out with the Elite team to scale their heads and accessories so they work better for both - i.e. a little smaller for the Elites and a little bit big for the Retros but within range? Obviously the Elites are the priority so they can't be too small, but if that could be achieved then both lines could share resources and allocate what they save on other parts of the figures. Definitely not that easy I’m sure, but something I would look at if I was in charge of the Retros.
|
|
@Chair.Shot
Main Eventer
WF 10+ Year Member
Joined on: Jan 31, 2012 4:38:24 GMT -5
Posts: 3,901
|
Post by @Chair.Shot on Jun 16, 2020 23:20:43 GMT -5
I thought JYD was perfect but I can see why lol you might think he wasn’t cartoonish enough. That said, I also agree that Diesel was far too cartoonish and they really blew their chance at knocking that one out of the park.
The Elias guitar was a welcomed accessory but too far out of scale as you said. It is too bad we didn’t get Taker with a removable hat or urn, Austin with a vest, Bray’s lantern, or Angle’s medals...not to mention championship belts, chairs, tables, ladders, or playsets. I’m very grateful for what we did get...just heartbroken that we didn’t get more.
|
|
|
Post by gentlemanjohnny on Jun 17, 2020 12:22:15 GMT -5
I thought JYD was perfect but I can see why lol you might think he wasn’t cartoonish enough. That said, I also agree that Diesel was far too cartoonish and they really blew their chance at knocking that one out of the park. The Elias guitar was a welcomed accessory but too far out of scale as you said. It is too bad we didn’t get Taker with a removable hat or urn, Austin with a vest, Bray’s lantern, or Angle’s medals...not to mention championship belts, chairs, tables, ladders, or playsets. I’m very grateful for what we did get...just heartbroken that we didn’t get more. How did the ring not come with the belt? Dumb. I think it was cool that the table had an extra spot for a second belt, but what's the point if it doesn't even come with one? If this line is ever resurrected, I'd like to see rubber belts like the original hasbro. If you're looking back on what hasbro missed out on, other than managers, it was the Intercontinental and tag belts. I mean, how many of us used the galoob WCW belts in place of those back in the day? Another miss by mattel. I've said this a thousand times now, but its like they didn't even know who they were marketing this line to. Mattel - Oh hasbro didn't make those belts? How about we include a stand and some BS code for a mobile game instead? - which did nothing but jack the price up and further ensure that Series 3 rotted forever. Gee I wonder why Target wanted nothing to do with this line after Series 3? You can still find Seth Rollins on shelves today.
|
|
RedDevil
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2017 18:43:00 GMT -5
Posts: 1,547
|
Post by RedDevil on Jun 17, 2020 15:41:31 GMT -5
I've found the reply from Steve when asked about the Retro heads: Steve - I've noticed some of the retros have new headsculpts that are a little more caricatured, like the figures from the early nineties. But some seem to use the same sculpts as the basic and elite figures. This may be one for Bill, but was there any particular reason for the mix and match? All Retros had new stylized head sculpts. None were shared with Elites or Basics but a few were based off of the older sculpts as a starting point. JYD as an example was based on the Elite sculpt but in my opinion wasn’t pushed far enough to be overly different. Shawn was based on an old ponytail sculpt but was pushed way too far and lost a bit of his likeness in my opinion.
|
|
|
Post by showbizpizzabear81 on Jun 17, 2020 16:26:19 GMT -5
I've found the reply from Steve when asked about the Retro heads: All Retros had new stylized head sculpts. None were shared with Elites or Basics but a few were based off of the older sculpts as a starting point. JYD as an example was based on the Elite sculpt but in my opinion wasn’t pushed far enough to be overly different. Shawn was based on an old ponytail sculpt but was pushed way too far and lost a bit of his likeness in my opinion. A bit? Lol
|
|
mrh
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 1, 2018 0:11:53 GMT -5
Posts: 2,962
|
Post by mrh on Jun 17, 2020 23:26:31 GMT -5
No one EVER talks about the heads. They’re made of soft rubber like material - unlike the Hasbros, where the head is made as the same hard plastic as the bodies.
I like the Retros, but I’m surprised no one ever brings this up.
|
|
@Chair.Shot
Main Eventer
WF 10+ Year Member
Joined on: Jan 31, 2012 4:38:24 GMT -5
Posts: 3,901
|
Post by @Chair.Shot on Jun 18, 2020 8:09:14 GMT -5
It has been brought up but I think generally it isn’t that big of a deal. The head not matching the material of the body doesn’t stand out all that much in most cases...Diesel and Shawn are the worst offenders in my book.
The heads popping off easily is a bonus in my book. It allowed me to remove Jericho’s scarf and more importantly, customize guys like the aforementioned Shawn and Diesel. It actually increases Mattel’s sales as I had purchased additional figures to create the looks that I wanted.
|
|
RedDevil
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2017 18:43:00 GMT -5
Posts: 1,547
|
Post by RedDevil on Jun 18, 2020 19:08:36 GMT -5
The Retros feel different to the Hasbros, but I’m rather neutral on it TBH - I never felt they were too inferior in that respect, I was more looking at missing attire details (e.g. Kane’s belt, Macho Man’s name on the back of his green trunks, etc), missing singlet details, legs being too far apart to look natural or things like that. My only concern with the material was that the skin-tone didn’t look as deep as the Hasbros did, but that might be more down to Mattel’s choice of base colour for certain skin-tones, I don’t know. But I accepted the softness of the heads without any difficulty - maybe I was just so emotional getting my childhood figures back that I didn’t care 😆
Making the figures customiser-friendly seems a good move (deliberate or not) - it seems like a lot of buyers have been picking-up extras for that reason (though we obviously don’t have the data to see how big this segment of the market truly is; probably not very big but still), so I’d think it’s worth pursuing. The changeable heads and hands of the main line might have a similar benefit in terms of attracting customisers, but of course Elites are twice the price of most Retros at retail before reaching the discounters.
It’s for the customiser reason as well that I think the Retros might do rather well under a Matty Collector-type arrangement - I know I would order at least four of each guy (one to have MOC, one loose, one to maybe sell down the road, and one extra in case something happens), but if I went back to customising like I had been considering then that number would likely increase further. Depending on price that could be the same for quite a few folks.
|
|
|
Post by showbizpizzabear81 on Jun 19, 2020 9:06:46 GMT -5
The Retros feel different to the Hasbros, but I’m rather neutral on it TBH - I never felt they were too inferior in that respect, I was more looking at missing attire details (e.g. Kane’s belt, Macho Man’s name on the back of his green trunks, etc), missing singlet details, legs being too far apart to look natural or things like that. My only concern with the material was that the skin-tone didn’t look as deep as the Hasbros did, but that might be more down to Mattel’s choice of base colour for certain skin-tones, I don’t know. But I accepted the softness of the heads without any difficulty - maybe I was just so emotional getting my childhood figures back that I didn’t care 😆 Making the figures customiser-friendly seems a good move (deliberate or not) - it seems like a lot of buyers have been picking-up extras for that reason (though we obviously don’t have the data to see how big this segment of the market truly is; probably not very big but still), so I’d think it’s worth pursuing. The changeable heads and hands of the main line might have a similar benefit in terms of attracting customisers, but of course Elites are twice the price of most Retros at retail before reaching the discounters. It’s for the customiser reason as well that I think the Retros might do rather well under a Matty Collector-type arrangement - I know I would order at least four of each guy (one to have MOC, one loose, one to maybe sell down the road, and one extra in case something happens), but if I went back to customising like I had been considering then that number would likely increase further. Depending on price that could be the same for quite a few folks. Man, I've spent more on the line doing customs than I did collecting them to have loose and MOC tenfold. That's why I'm bummed that most of these figures are seeing such a price hike. I've kind of determined which customs I'd like to do the most and buy the Retros I need now before they go into the JYD-stratosphere. This is my customs corner. The art of creating is exciting to me. The figures on top are just completed or near completion.
|
|
|
Post by showbizpizzabear81 on Jun 19, 2020 9:11:00 GMT -5
The Goldberg to the right is what I had in mind for Series 3..
|
|
RedDevil
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 8, 2017 18:43:00 GMT -5
Posts: 1,547
|
Post by RedDevil on Jun 19, 2020 18:42:20 GMT -5
The Goldberg to the right is what I had in mind for Series 3.. Man, your customs are so, so good - every time I look at that those photos I see another awesome figure I missed seeing the other times, and spotting figures I’d seen in your customs thread. Mattel need to put you in charge of designing the line when they bring it back Do you think you would still buy Retros for customising if they brought the line back as a crowd-funding/Matty Collector-type venture, or would a higher price or the lack of eventual discounting to clear in physical stores make that difficult? I’d guess a lot of your base figures for customs were obtained at discount retailers or cheap eBay auctions? And yes, that Goldberg is totally what they should’ve released in series 3
|
|
@Chair.Shot
Main Eventer
WF 10+ Year Member
Joined on: Jan 31, 2012 4:38:24 GMT -5
Posts: 3,901
|
Post by @Chair.Shot on Jun 26, 2020 8:52:42 GMT -5
Jeremy Padawer (formerly of Jakks, current hero in charge of the WCT/Jazwares) teased making Retros...no other details but he has created a buzz with all the possibilities. I’m not sure if he would be able to make figures for WWE as well so I created a thread on the other board to discuss possible figures that could be made using gimmicks not owned by WWE: forum.wrestlingfigs.com/thread/364288/jeremy-padawer-teases-hasbro-retro
|
|
|
Post by hbkjason on Jun 28, 2020 10:52:02 GMT -5
I know that the general consensus is that hbk has the worst head in the retro line and it is terrible. However, I have really just noticed that the Zack Ryder one is nearly just as bad and might actually be the worst figure in the line for me. Why did this figure manage to slip past despite it being so terrible?
|
|
|
Post by gentlemanjohnny on Jun 28, 2020 11:53:56 GMT -5
I know that the general consensus is that hbk has the worst head in the retro line and it is terrible. However, I have really just noticed that the Zack Ryder one is nearly just as bad and might actually be the worst figure in the line for me. Why did this figure manage to slip past despite it being so terrible? I don't know man, that Shawn Michaels is a f-ing disaster. Ryder could have been better- Why is he in black trunks? Ryder is a pretty colorful character, but the obsession with the color black strikes again with this figure. The worst for me was the Ambrose retro. Aside from that fact that he should have NEVER been included in this line, its a garbage figure. I don't even get it, what move is that supposed to be? I find the arms to be strange. And the head sculpt is terrible. His ring attire sucks too, which I suppose is true to life. Its just very bland. Nothing says professional wrestler like a pair of blue jeans, a wife beater and no physique- Hey, lets put him in a retro toyline that's supposed to be a homage to a very colorful and fun time in wrestling! Then they wonder what went wrong. May this thread never die so I can continue to rant about how colossal of a f___ up this was for mattel.
|
|
@Chair.Shot
Main Eventer
WF 10+ Year Member
Joined on: Jan 31, 2012 4:38:24 GMT -5
Posts: 3,901
|
Post by @Chair.Shot on Jun 28, 2020 16:51:45 GMT -5
I get Mattel wanting to include newer guys in the line. They obviously were harder to sell but it doesn’t seem like any kind of colossal blunder. For me, the bigger head scratcher was the inclusion of WCW guys into the line. Did we really need NWO Macho or Wolfpac Sting? No. Did I still buy them? Yup!
The Ryder figure isn’t terrible but it is probably top 5 of the worst Retro heads.
|
|