FullMetalHero.com have posted an image gallery and short review of the TakaraTomy release of Transformers Prime Vehicon.  The figure, which is painted as oppose to being plain plastic like the Hasbro release, is out now in Japan.

The latest issue of Toy News Magazine confirms that the Transformers Prime toyline will be released within the UK in March 2012.  The line, to be released in the Spring / Summer of 2012 will also include apparel / dress-up, furniture, lighting and outdoor toys (including bikes).

The launched will be supported by TV advertising a sticker collection from Panini and the Transformers Prime magazine so expect the figures to be included in the latest Argos catelogue which is out soon.  The toys will also be shown off at the Toy Fair later this month with Optimus Prime featuring on the cover of the magazine.

Click on to view some images from the latest issue of the magazine.

Some of you may have missed the launch of Version 9 of Transformers At The Moon, some 3 years after work first started on the new layout, code and features.  You can't help but notice the changes, the three column (holy-grail) layout that is now used, a return to the drop-down horizontal menu and introduction of "focus areas".  These focus areas are helped to show you the vast content that you can find within the Transformers At The Moon database, and website.  The area that i'll focus on at the moment is Resources.

The Transformers At The Moon resource section contains over 12 years of information that we have collated over the lifetime of the website.  This information includes images of various Transformers merchandise, from rubbers to store displays, through to concept art and production pieces.

If you click the Resource Section you will find a list of different things to read and look at.

1. Transformers Toy Galleries - over 2,200 different Transformers featured. Our 99% complete G1 (including Japanese) collection will contain toys that you cannot see anywhere else.  Of cause there are also Lucky Draw Transformers toys, that we are known for, and also Hardcopies from different lines, production samples, testshots and prototypes.
2. USPTO Database - the only place you can see all the Transformers related Patients and Trademarks, in one place.  ther are 447 trademarks and over 6500 status updates
3. Hasbro Instructions - Scans of the Hasbro Transformers toy Instructions - there are 962 scans in this area, making it one of most complete Transformers Instruction scan archive you will find).  This mirrors ever Hasbro instruction that is published, and retains those which they remove.
4. Artwork - Various differnet official Transformers artwork, from the Benchpress concepts in 2000, through Dreamwave and beyond
5. Cartoons - episode  guides and galleries of the Transformers series.  Primarily focusing on Transformers Prime and Transformers Animated, we have access to every Western Transformers episode, and 80% of the Japanese episodes (soon to be 100%).  This area will continue to grow throughout the years
6. Comics and Books - We'll admit, we've been out of touch with Transformers comics for a long time = but our Comic and Book area covers Marvel and Dreamwave issues (IDW is yet to be added) and the books cover UK, US and Japanese prints
7. Instruction Scans - Scans of some of our Transformers Instructions.  At some stage will will combine this with the Hasbro instruction scans
8. Interviews - interviews with artists, writers, film producers, computer games companies, convention organisers .. we've covered them asll
9. Live Action Movie - a small area on the Live Action Transformers Movies
10. Magazine Scans - after our Toy Galleries and USPTO Database, the Magazine Scans area is the third lastest, and most impressive, area of Transformers at the Moon.  We spent several thousands of pounds in buying back issues of TV Magazine, TV Boy, Hyper Hobby and other Japanese collectors and TV Magazines covering the last 20 years in order to give you 100% correct information on some of the little known, or unknown Japanese campaign exclusive toys.  This area is a MUST for anyone interested in rare figures.
11. Merchandise - the weird and wonderful Transformers merchandise - most of which is from G1 and most of that we own
12. Profile Cards - an area that we hope to add to (when we get time) contains scans of Japanese Transformers Profiles cards
13. Prototypes and Concepts - Another BIG area for Transformers at the Moon, in terms of content that isn't often covered.  Here you will find
    
    1. Series Bibles (concept and character art from the Transformers TV show) - the largest collection on the web
    2. Concept art work
    3. Concept and finshed box art
    4. Hardcopies
    5. Prototypes
    6. Testshots
14. Toy Collections - group shots of people's toy  collections.  If you want to get yours added then get in contact with us
15. Toy Sheet Scans - complete scans of our Transformers toy sheets .. we own over 2500 Transformers, 99% of G1, so with that we have most of the old toy sheets for you to view
16. Website Mirror - old mirrors of some of the Japanese and Chinese websites
17. UK Store Locator - Currently offline, this told UK vistors the nearest stores selling Transformers

ImpossibleToys have revealed a single CG teaser image for their Quinesson toys, Allicon (the aligator from Transformers The Movie).  As of yet there is no word as to whether it will transform or whether it will follow the style set by their previous releases in this line (the Quntessons and Nightbird)

Lets kick off 2012 with in-hand images of the Transformers Alternity Goldbug toy from Takara-Tomy, thanks to Autobase Aichi and Snakas.  The figure is a recoloured version of Transformers Alternity Bumblebee and Cliffjumper using metallic gold paint and with a dark blue head based on the G1 Throttlebot character / toy.

German Transformers website New Transformers Archive has posted some new Transformers Prime figures and playsets.  The toys, which can be seen below the jump, include:-

1. Voyager Optimus Prime - The figure comes with light up effects as highlighted in the image
2. Megatron
3. Deluxe Bumblebee (just art work)
4. Legends Eradicon (Vehicon)
5. Legends Ratchet
6. Legends Cliffjumper
7. Legends Arcee
8. Legends Bumblebee
9. Cyberverse Wheeljack set (the set includes Wheeljacks ship along with mini-figure in a continuation of the Transformers Dark of the Moon Cyberverse figures.

The Transformers Prime Legends class figures come with clear clip-on weapons.  They also report that an Optimus Prime mask will also be released.  The German release date for these figures is February 2012.

Source: www.ntf-archive.de

TFW2005.com report that the Asian exclusive ­Transformers Dark of the Moon Ultimate Optimus Prime "Year of the Dragon Edition" has now been released.  Price at 999RMB the figure is a repaint of the Ultimate Optimus Prime figure which comes with a red trailer sporting a gold dragon to represent the year of the dragon/

You can view some images over on the TFW2005 message board.

Over the last week and a bit sightings have started to trickle in of the previous unreleased PowerCore Combiners Undertow and Salvage.  These sightings are spreading across Toys R Us stores over the country so keep an eye out for those as well as on their website.

In another update Mr Neurie has sent us a photograph, see below, of three StarWars - Transformers crossover figures that he spotted in Toys R Us for £5.99.  The figure are the Obi-wan Kenobi / Jefi starfighter, Anakin Skywalker / Jedi Starfighter and the Anakin Skywalker / Y-Wing Fighter.

Transformers Generations Sky Shadow is a recoloured, remolded, version of Transformers Generations Thunderwing based on the original Japanese Black Shadow toy from the Transformers Victory line. Back then Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus made up the group known as the Crossformers. In 2011 the name Black Shadow could not be used, so Hasbro went for Skyshadow, a name with several uses previously in the line.

The original Black Shadow toy is quiet hard to find, though you can see a full image gallery of that figure on Transformers At The Moon. This image gallery of his Transformers Generations update also features comparison pictures to the original.

Transformers Generations Skyshadow is a really nice toy and a great partial remold. The figure took a while for release, but the colour and molding changes make the toy significently different from the original Thunderwing release.

e-Hobby have posted a new article in the e-Hobby Magazine Transformers Museum section about the e-HOBBY Exclusive City Commander Galvatron II figure.  The article, which is available in English as well as Japanese, thanks to long time Transformers fan and e-Hobby employee Hydra discusses the figure as well as his secret 5th phrase.

The figure is one of the few e-Hobby toys we do not currently own, we did but we sold him on right away before we could photograph him, but you can still use this site to compare the toy to the original Galvatron, a testshot of the G1 toy (with different crown) and the anime coloured version.

Nevermore has put together an interesting article on Starblight called From drawing board to store shelf: The development of a Transformers toy

... the first part of a multi-part article series in which I (Nevermore) will attempt to explain the development process of a Transformers toy. As my basis for this compilation, I use various materials which have made their way into the fandom one way or another over the years, for example via Japanese sourcebooks or BotCon presentations. In addition, there are various details which have come up from Q&A rounds with Hasbro at BotCon or as part of the (discontinued) Q&A program for fan sites. In some instances, I also use information gathered from conversations with (usually former) Hasbro employees.

If this article interests you then make sure you come to Roll Out Roll Call 2012, as there are several panels on this type of content.

Kapow-Toys have posted a short announcement on their Facebook page confirming that the Transformers Prime figures will be released within the United Kingdom in Januray 2012.  The first wave will in­clude Optimus Prime, Bulkhead, Arcee, CliffJumper, Starscream and more.

Fellow UK based site FullMetalHero.com have posted two galleries of upcoming Transformers Prime figures Optimus Prime and Bulkhead.  The toys, when they are officially released, will be available via their store Kapow-Toys.

You can view the galleries here and here.