Hasbro Masterpiece Rodimus Prime Revealed

From ToyCollectors.com.au, here's our first image of the Hasbro release of Masterpiece Rodimus Prime:

As many assumed would be the case, there's no trailer, meaning we'll have to do without the famous space-Winnebago vehicle mode. However, we are getting a new paint scheme (more in line with the original G1 Hot Rod toy) and accessories to compensate! Of particular note is the new Targetmaster (or gun transformer) "Offshoot", undoubtedly a new version of Firebolt, Hot Rod's Targetmaster from 1987. Woo! We also see that this release will be a Toys R Us exclusive as Hasbro's MP Grimlock was.

For those of you worried about the toy's overall quality after some of the initial Takara release's iffy reviews, do not fret. Many of the niggling little issues should be fixed this time around, as an improved reissue of the Japanese version is also around the corner. This Hasbro version will most likely benefit from any improvements they've made for the mold.

There's no release date as of yet, but with Botcon (the official Transformers convention) coming in just a few days, I'm sure it won't be long before we're marking the days on our calendars! Personally, I think Hasbro's Masterpiece Rodimus is looking absolutely fantastic, so sign me up.

I bet Chris from Extreme Action-Figure Videos will be pretty excited as well:

Portal 2 Soundtrack Volume 1 - Free Download!

Volume 1 of the Portal 2 Soundtrack is available for free download at thinkwithportals.com. They also have some cell phone ring tones for download. If you're a fan of the hit game from Valve Corporation, check out the soundtrack HERE!

HobbyLink Japan Spring into Summer Super Sale!

HobbyLink Japan's Spring into Summer Super Sale is on!

Along with their FedEx express shipping campaign, they are also starting a big "Spring into Summer Super Sale" on today, May 24th! From 9am May 24 to 6pm June 24, 2011 (Japan Standard Time; GMT+9), you can enjoy great discounts on a huge selection of HLJ products! See the Spring into Summer Super Sale listings HERE!

Choose FedEx as your shipping method between 9am May 24 and 6pm June 24, 2011 (Japan Standard Time; GMT+9) and get 20% off of HLJ's normal FedEx international express shipping rates!

You can confirm all the important details, terms and conditions of the FedEx 20% off express shipping campaign HERE!

I hope the 20% off FedEx shipping campaign and the big "Spring into Summer Super Sale" can help you guys snag some great stuff! Cheers.

Venture Brothers Animated GIFs

Hello Venture Brothers fans! First of all, you have excellent taste in cartoons! Secondly, I'd like to share some fun animated gifs from The Venture Brothers Blog:

















Simply follow this link to check out the full selection. Many of them would make fine signature pictures for forums! If you have any more, feel free to send them in!

Go Team Venture!

D-Arts Full Armor Rockman X (Megaman X) Pre-Order at AmiAmi

Hey. Megaman X fans. You see that slice of Bandai D-Arts goodness up there? Yeah. You want that. Head on over to AmiAmi ("The Biggest Internet Figure Shop in Japan!") and Pre-Order now! If you don't have an account, no need to fret. Sign up is easy, the store is quite reliable, and you can even pay securely with PayPal. It's a measly 2,540yen (roughly 31 US dollars) so what the hell are you waiting for? Go! Go go go!

PS - Don't forget that BigBadToyStore has a Pre-Order for D-Arts Zero!

And Kotobukiya's fine damn old-school Rockman/Mega Man models are still eligible for FREE SHIPPING at Amazon:

Vote for the next Dragon Ball Z S.H. Figuarts Release

Courtesy of Tamashii Nations, you can now vote on the next Dragon Ball Z release from Bandai's S.H. Figuarts line:

Choose wisely!

If you haven't checked out the existing figures, they're pretty damn swell, particularly Piccolo. Amazon still has them in-stock if you're interested in taking the plunge:

                   

Keanu Reeves passes on Akira

Exclusive: Keanu Reeves passes on Akira, now what? - Movie News | JoBlo.com

Earlier this month, Warner Bros., in yet another attempt to get an A-list star with international appeal to anchor the increasingly expensive AKIRA, began informal talks with Keanu Reeves about taking the lead role in the film. The discussions were early but optimistic as Reeves seemed to have interest in the material but we can confirm that Reeves has officially joined Brad Pitt, James Franco and Ryan Gosling as actors who've passed on starring in AKIRA. And that's not the only speed bump Team AKIRA experienced this month on the way towards production.

Early Thursday morning, some time after receiving word from Reeves' reps that he would be passing on the project, Warner Bros. shut down AKIRA's pre-viz department and most of the staff that was working on the film was let go. While it may be easy to draw conclusions when you see both events taking place in the same week, I'm told that one has nothing to do with the other. Warners, who has a close relationship with Reeves after the MATRIX films, was disappointed he passed but are still actively looking for a lead.

Now what, you ask?

Now what, you ask? Personally, I wouldn't mind if this gets stuck in Development Hell and has to stay there. I know some regard Akira as an overrated anime, and I'm sure many feel the same even about the manga, but any way you slice it - it's still a classic, and I'd hate to see Hollywood ruin it.

Bob Saget Confirmed for Street Fighter X Tekken?

Yeah. I know. Just a little joke from the guys at Capcom Unity. Had to pointlessly mirror it here. A Geek-Skull imperative, dig?

Pre-Orders for Street Fighter X Tekken (+ orders for related games):

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Toys Officially Released

Oh. It seems the official release of the Dark of the Moon toys is finally here. What are you gonna do about it? Well, even if you're not buying many (or any at all), it should be of marginal interest to swing by your favorite retailer and admire the pegs of new product. If you somehow missed out on all of this (yeah, right) go out there and check out the fresh plastic!

There are quite a lot of toys available from the start. Yeah, there's the one millionth movie Bumblebee and Optimus, but there are plenty of more interesting choices as well. Who are you going to grab? You may want to discuss the matter in TFW2005.com's official thread for this very topic. Go forth and get geeky, y'all.

Apparently some areas even have wave 2 out already. Whoa nelly! These toys include deluxe Topspin, Sideswipe, Jolt, and Barricade, and voyager Shockwave and Skyhammer. I didn't see any of those available when I went out to investigate today, but trusty ol' Amazon does have 'em in stock, ready to ship, and eligible for free shipping. If your stores were "behind" and you have to have those guys RIGHT NOW, check out the listings below:

First Images of Transformers Masterpiece-10: Convoy

As you can see, images of the TakaraTomy's MP-10 Convoy (or Optimus Prime as many of us know him) have leaked out upon the internets. You may be thinking, but hey, they've already done several releases of Masterpiece Convoy! Well, this is an all-new version, with a slightly different design, and most importantly, in better scale with Masterpiece Rodimus and Grimlock.

Why are they doing this? Perhaps they want to combat the smaller version of MP-01 (the original Masterpiece Convoy) made by third party company iGear. It could be as simple as the third party one showed there was a market for a smaller MP Convoy as well. They're a little late in responding, but I'm sure many fans will appreciate being able to get something of similar (albeit much improved) nature in a "official" capacity. Since it's an all new sculpt and design it really trumps iGear there too. I'm not sure if I like everything about the slight "re-design", but eh, at least it shows they put some genuine effort in. The truck mode is certainly an improvement over the original. It even has rear-view windows! It's nice that it's more in scale with the later Masterpiece releases as well, but that still leaves MP Megatron being far too large. So...is a new version of him around the corner too?

As long as there's a truly badass MP Galvatron one day, I'll be happy.

Free Shipping at Hasbro Toy Shop for Cinco de Mayo

In case you missed it, Hasbro Toy Shop has free shipping on orders over $25 today (May 5th)! Check out their Clearance section (full of various Transformer, G.I. Joe, Marvel, and Star Wars figures) to maximize your savings! You might just find something you enjoy. There are some nice newer items in stock such as Reveal the Shield Optimus Prime (G2 Laser Prime homage) and Lugnut (essentially a Classics/G1 version of Animated Lugnut) as well. And don't forget to stop by the Dark of the Moon Pre-Orders I mentioned in an earlier post! It's well worth taking a look around.

PS: Use promo code DISC10 for an additional 10 percent off!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Comic Adaptation Pre-Order - Contains Spoilers

Image courtesy of TFW2005.com

Amazon.com has listed their Pre-Order for the trade paperback of IDW's Transformers: Dark of the Moon comic adaptation. Click here to check it out. Word of warning, if you opt to use their "Look Inside!" feature, there is many a spoiler for the movie's story. If you want a total surprise when you plop down to watch it in theaters this summer, avoid these previews at all costs. Don't let this lure you into doing the opposite of what is suggested either, I know that game! I'm serious, dig?

UPDATE: "Look Inside!" feature has been removed entirely. Oh, the drama! The book is set to ship May 25, so if you can't wait until July 1 when the movie hits theaters to find out what happens, you'll have quite the comfortable head start.

Transformers Generations Warpath Pre-Orders at Big Bad Toy Store

At the time of this posting, it's quite likely that spotting a Warpath from Transformers: Generations in stores will prove to be a difficult task. If you have the means, consider securing your Warpath through one of these two Generations Pre-Orders at BBTS: a set of 3 at $44.99(around $15 per figure) or a set of 8 for $99.99($12.5 each).

I'm personally considering the set of 3, as that's around the price Warpath would go for on Amazon (my frequent go-to for harder to find toys as of late). Plus, getting rid of two extras is much easier than seven! Either way, just know that if you're still in the market for a Transformers Generations Warpath - some reasonable options remain.