79 replies to this topic

[Ericnilla]

Sorry not a fan...

[dankingery]

wow. that side by side photo with the originals really says it all. they went way wrong when they designed these things. i also could care less if they're trying to impress minimate collectors. if you're going to buy a property like this and re-release it in hopes of capturing the old collectors you had better make sure you don't eff it up like that. the head looks like it belongs on a 12" figure. way too big.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Yeah, just looks bad in that photo. BB Minimates are one thing, but if this is the whole of what DS plans to do with the property, then they wasted their money. Fun toy line, maybe, good idea for a reincarnation, not at all.

[dockingbay97]

Well, one good thing about this is DST has pretty open Q&A's with their fans over on artasylum.com They get answers from the man in charge.

I say bombard them with your thoughts and suggestions - it is really the only way to let them know how the fans would want these to continue.

I really see them as a work in progress and something completely different than the vintage ones. I love the old ones and they will always be their own thing. This can be something new and fresh. Maybe I feel a bit more lenient on it since I didn't pay eBay prices for it. I don't know. I still like it for what it is.

The reality is whenever you resurrect an old toy line, some collectors of the old line hate the new stuff. It is the sentimental attachment of the old stuff. If you don't like them, you can always embrace what you have. I just want see the bright side of it and be thankful someone cared enough to try to bring them back. Obviously Hasbro/Takara didn't and that is how the property became available. I can't fault DST for trying to do something with them in their Minimates line.

[phillinley]

Maybe I feel a bit more lenient on it since I didn't pay eBay prices for it. I don't know.

The reality is whenever you resurrect an old toy line, some collectors of the old line hate the new stuff. It is the sentimental attachment of the old stuff. If you don't like them, you can always embrace what you have. I just want see the bright side of it and be thankful someone cared enough to try to bring them back. Obviously Hasbro/Takara didn't and that is how the property became available. I can't fault DST for trying to do something with them in their Minimates line.

I didn't pay ebay prices for it. If I got it for free I'd still call it crap. I'm not the normal old guard guy who hates new stuff. I loved the 200x he-man line and the classics, the 200x Joe stuff, the 25th Joe stuff, almost every new Transformer incarnation, even the dang Clone Wars. For the love of god I even bought Sigma 6. Every line's re-release that has come from a line that I love I've loved as well and been a completist in all those lines. But not this one. I can fault DST for trying when there were so many other groups out there who had better concepts tried to get the license and failed. Go search around on the forum, it's been rehashed in the past. I fault them because it's going to take years now until someone who will be faithful to the old line will have a crack at making battle beasts again.

Hell, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that all you'd have to do is take the greatest sculptor in the entire community who knows all the ins and outs of prototyping (thegodbeast) and just worked with him to put together a cost effective, but faithful to the past line. We didn't hear jack about this line from when they put out the gator in SDCC until they brought him out again in Toyfair. Eight months of saying this sucks didn't do anything to change it, I'm not going to put anymore effort into sending that company e-mails for something they're not going to change. They're making minimates, that's their business model, and tried to take an old license with an existing collector base and try to pull a fast one on them by putting makeup on a pig. Don't tell me it was because they cared enough to bring it back, it's because they saw a potential money maker they could plug into their line.

[WarOnTheShore]

No offense to those who hate this, but stop it. I doubt DST is looking to appease a tiny group of tunnel vision hobbyists.

[scythemantis]

It's silly to be so judgmental of these just because they differ from the old line. If these weren't called Battle Beasts I bet your opinions would be more neutral to positive. On its own, the gator is neat looking. If they release some invertebrates, like Cutthroat Cuttlefish or the Crab, I'll probably buy them.

[phillinley]

No offense to those who hate this, but stop it.

Hell no. Make me. Go bother some other collector line with your minimates crap. Horrible line of figures that can't be creative enough to make their own concepts, just bag off others. And for those of you who hate the haters, keep bringing it, because neither your venting, nor our venting is going to stop either thing we hate from continuing.

It's silly to be so judgmental of these just because they differ from the old line. If these weren't called Battle Beasts I bet your opinions would be more neutral to positive.

Exactly why I'm being so judgmental. If they hadn't taken the Battle Beasts name, I wouldn't be neutral, positive or negative in a post. I wouldn't even bother to look at them twice, much less waste time posting. It's not that they differ from the old line, it's that they're not Battle Beasts at all. They're just minimates trying to make money off an established name. I feel bad for the Battle Beast collector's who might order this out of a Diamond Previews magazine with a small picture, and then when they get it at the comic shop their shoulders will droop and say "wtf, this isn't Battle Beasts."

[WhiteLeo]

No offense to those who hate this, but stop it. I doubt DST is looking to appease a tiny group of tunnel vision hobbyists.

I won't either. This line is pure crap! I hate Minimates and to put a BB on a square ass figure, well that is just ridiculous. Tunnel vision hobbyists huh? That is a new one. DST is going to make a perfectly good toy line into garbage. They look like shizznit! Period!

It's silly to be so judgmental of these just because they differ from the old line. If these weren't called Battle Beasts I bet your opinions would be more neutral to positive. On its own, the gator is neat looking. If they release some invertebrates, like Cutthroat Cuttlefish or the Crab, I'll probably buy them.

Your right! Because I could care less about Minimates. One of the worst toy lines out there. No originality to them at all. I will not buy these figures period. If they where to lose the interchange parts, square ass arms and legs, and make a normal size head. I just might buy them.

[Drew]

I had bought a Minimates toy and never had even the smallest amount of desire to, before I saw these. I always thought of them as a sort of Lego rip off, and really never paid them much attention until they came out with the Ghostbusters line, and was very disappointed in them. But I do like my Toy Fair Gator...

I agree the head is too large, and personally I wish the figure overall was smaller and closer to the size of the original BBs. But also I know that since these are Minimates at heart they wont be making them any smaller, because they way they made the Alligator shows pieces will be going onto the standard square body which is going to take some size to accomplish no matter what animals they choose to use.

I wasn't really sold on the looks in the first place, to me just looking at a picture of a toy on the internet isn't the best way for me to decide if I want it or not. But when I actually had one to look at I really liked how he looked. I really think this could be a promising line. I could be wrong but Id think Minimates cares to some degree about the people on this board (basically the BB collectors), other wise why even pick up the Battle Beasts name, they could have just came up with a new name.

I really hope they end up with some sort of wood, fire, or water symbol though, to me this would be a the #1 thing I'd improve. I also hope they keep human figures out of the line, I didn't like the SDCC 09 playset because I'm not of fan of the block human and the cardboard playset. In the end I may really be let down by this line just like a lot of you but right now I am excited and I really want to see more figures.

All of that being said I was asking myself what would make me 100% happy with a new line of BBs...and it would have been that Takara/Hasbro had kept the rights, produced new toys, such as the Jackal drawing that was posted on here a long time ago, and basically continued the line as it was. I love the fact that some Toys were only sold in Europe, some were only in Japan, ect. It makes it a nice challenge to get them all and also with the prices its kind of cool I cant go buy or even find them all in a few weeks and have the whole collection. If that was the case I think Id lose interest, I love the challenge. Anyways I am past this because I know this will probably never happen with Hasbro now since the rights are gone, but I can continue to look and buy what I dont have for the original BB's and at least I'll have the option to buy these new BB's if they do infact end up being a line I want to collect.

Edited by Drew, 28 February 2010 - 11:43 AM.

[Articulationnut]

There is a new minimate design that uses a much smaller body (and therefore head). ITs only going to be 1 to 1.5'' tall. This would allow DST to use a smaller "slip on mask" gator head thus shrinking the head size which is an irritant to many (BB and Minimate fans).

They have no excuse now not to make an upgrade in this area.

In addition DST is not opposed to sculpting torso's and the like so they really have no excuse not to sculpt the legs into rounded parts. If they dont want to sculpt actual texture on the surface a tampo would seem to work brilliantly in this case.

Both of those "fixes" would eliminate a lot of negative reactions before an official launch of the product.

Lastly...look at MOTUC. Classic Designs + New Articulation = Sold
Its really simple.

[Donkeykid77]

Phillinley and sborders get special bonuspoints for their loyalty to the REAL battlebeasts line!
All you minimates-lovers go love your 'mini' mates and stop calling that junk battlebeasts,
because they are NOWHERE NEAR the QUALITY of the original line.

You know, these aren't interesting for retro-collectors,
but IMHO these aren't interesting for kids either...
I mean the real battlebeasts can endure the harshest of playing
for a very long time without much more playwear than a bit of paintwear, but this new crap, come on now,
put these in the hands of the average 10 yo and they last what? 10 minutes???

Let alone that flimsy cardboard 'play'-set,
I doubt it can hold the weight of 5 figures in display, let alone actually attempting 'play' in it...

EVERYTHING about this relaunch so far reeks heavily of the following:
CHEAP (in materials used), POOR (in design and imagination used),
QUICK (in time spent studying the original line)
and MONEYGREED (way overpriced quick earning off the back of and old successful toyline)

Pfff, BOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Donkeykid77, 03 March 2010 - 01:54 PM.

[Blitzwulf]

LAME! They've had what? 6 months to come up with some new designs, photos etc., and this is what we see?? A REPAINT of the same lame figure from sdcc...what a friggin' joke. Didn't ANYBODY from DST do their homework? The proportions of that gator absolutely suck, looks cartoonish, even deformed. Not to mention, still no rubs, that's a crime. SHAME on you dst for desecrating one of my most beloved toylines ever.

[JonnyPac]

Fork all of that new shiz. I'm old school. If it didn't go off the shelves in the late 80's, it not a Battle Beast. I will have nothing to do with these. Props to all y'all who are keepin' it real.

[evo@24psi]

I think i just threw up in my mouth a little bit. What a Disgrace!

[trumanshower]

i've not read all your comments, so sorry if my question was already asked.



What about the difference between the gator shown last year with a yellow armor and this one offered at Toyfair with a silver armor. Is the yellow armor one a prototype or is it/will it be available with the playset as shown on the DST website ??

[THEGODBEAST]

I hate to say this but you can email Hasbro all you want. This isn't a license, DST straight up owns the property now. It was left too long without use and DST gobbled it up.

I dig the figure. Sure it isn't the old ones but there is potential there for a cool toy line. It is just one figure to gauge interest. I say email DST your thoughts so they can see what the market want.

I took several pics of mine for another site but here is a side by side with other Beasts.

There is much more to the story...

From what I understand from a reliable source that was @ NY TF, DST owns ONLY the name BB. They do not own the logo, the character names, the rub sign gimmick, nothing more than the name BB. That said, he was told that Takara isn't happy...that they were/are possibly interested in relaunching the BB line and they no longer own the BB name. So it appears to me that Takara has to either purchase the name from DST or license it from them for an official release.

As far as these minimates...you can call them BB, but, they are not BB. They are sort of kewl block figures and as far as the playset and the human...those are not BB and appear were only included to liquidate stock or use molds/designs.

Take it for what it is worth I guess.

I have more info that I will post in a couple of weeks.

TGB

Edited by THEGODBEAST, 17 March 2010 - 04:43 PM.

[Drew]

Thank you very much for sharing that with us all TGB...if they literally only own the name that could explain the different font they used to write Battle Beast that was on the plastic bags the Toy Fair Gator came in and why it wasn't like the old BB logo. I thought maybe it was just an update or something.

I hope everything you were told is true and that Takara would like to make BB's like we all love again, and can somehow do that. Thats one thing that would make us all happy I think!

[lord]

If Takara would like to make old style BB why wouldn't they use the Beastformers name ?

Maybe we will finally see someday what is the mystery hidden in the Laser Beasts book last page ! Fo rthose who don't have access to the japanese books the last page of the BB one gave a preview of the Laser Beasts figures and the Laser Beasts book only show a figure in the shadow.

[THEGODBEAST]

Thank you very much for sharing that with us all TGB...if they literally only own the name that could explain the different font they used to write Battle Beast that was on the plastic bags the Toy Fair Gator came in and why it wasn't like the old BB logo. I thought maybe it was just an update or something.

I hope everything you were told is true and that Takara would like to make BB's like we all love again, and can somehow do that. Thats one thing that would make us all happy I think!

Well I know way back @ in spring 2006 the head of the Hasbro Boy's Toys division contacted me (several emails & phone calls) to get all the info he could on BB/LB. I sent him the scans of all the BB/LB cards and the BB/LB books. Then I attempted to meet up w/ him @ SD CC 2006 (but, I had way too much on my plate in real life @ the time) and we just couldn't cross paths @ the same time @ SD CC. After that, I never heard from him again, but, then a couple of years ago that BB Hyena sketch surfaced. So I am fairly sure he did his proposal w/ the heads of Hasbro, but, obviously nothing came of it.

That said, I too wonder why Takara doesn't just use the Beastformers name (which who knows, they just might), but, my friend spoke directly to the DST guys @ NY TF 2010 and this is what they told him.

I also have some info and hopefully some substantial/concrete proof of what is going on w/ the BB minimates, but, I won't know for sure until the end of March.

TGB

[Donkeykid77]

Please let there be hope...
A relaunch from Takara themselves (probably) would be just totally effin awesome!!!

[Kollector]

Please let there be hope...
A relaunch from Takara themselves (probably) would be just totally effin awesome!!!

GODBEAST's post have given me a little bit of hope too.
When I first saw that minimate thing, I thought it was some new age Lego or something.

Takara don't have to call 'em Battle Beasts to re-launch 'em. I wouldn't mind what they were called as long as they don't look like that Gator. It looks like a bobble-head.

I really hope Takara gets it together and does something with the line to save it from minimates.
They could do all sorts of stuff. What about a Laser Beast style orb that projects a little light on to the wall or where-ever to show wood,fire,water ??

[WhiteLeo]

If Takara would like to make old style BB why wouldn't they use the Beastformers name ?

Maybe we will finally see someday what is the mystery hidden in the Laser Beasts book last page ! Fo rthose who don't have access to the japanese books the last page of the BB one gave a preview of the Laser Beasts figures and the Laser Beasts book only show a figure in the shadow.

I beleive you are talking about this Lord.

Attached Files

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[Donkeykid77]

Cool, thanks for the pic Steve!
I would expect Godbeast FireLion or WaterTuna to appear out of the flash anytime...
The flash ain't big enough for WoodBeetle

Edited by Donkeykid77, 19 March 2010 - 06:05 AM.

[lord]

I beleive you are talking about this Lord.

This is exactly what I was talking about. I remember shadow but in fact it was light. Maybe some king of Light Warriors to battle against the Shadow Warriors ...

Edited by lord, 19 March 2010 - 01:58 PM.