Nostalgia strikes again for Transformers fans. Takara Tomy has recently revealed that G1 Bumblebee and Cliffjumper will join Optimus Prime in the Missing Link series introduced last year. For the uninitiated, Missing Link is a series that pays homage to the original G1 toys from the 80s toys but with better materials, such as die-cast, and improved articulations. Beyond that, toys from the Missing Link series are nostalgic.
The Takara Tomy Transformers Missing Link C-03 Bumblebee [JP] echos the original toy with updated posable joints and pays tribute to Bee’s appearance in the original cartoon series with anime-accurate features. Bumblebee transforms from an officially license Volkswagen Beetle into a robot and features a secret emblem aka an Autobot that reveals with heat from action as rubbing on it.
Other details include a chrome-finished blaster, foil stickers for the toy look, a collection card, and a package that is a nod to the original packaging.
Similarly, the Takara Tomy Transformers Missing Link C-04 Cliffjumper [JP] is a modern, more posable version of the original toy. New joints allow dear old Cliff to make dynamic poses that the original toy can only dream of. The new G1 Cliffjumper toy comes supplied with his signature weapons, namely, a photon rifle and a bazooka, both presented in chrome finishes.
Cliff also touts a secret emblem that reveals with heat. In the cartoon series, dear old Cliffjumper transforms into a Q-version of the Porsche 924 Turbo but I don’t believe the new toy did secure a license from Porsche. It does not look like a 924 anyway but it is 100% toon-accurate which is all that matters.
As with the C-03, it does come with a sticker sheet to recreate the toy aesthetic, a collection card, and nostalgic packaging.
The new Takara Tomy Transformers Missing Link C-03 Bumblebee and C-04 Cliffjumper Figures will arrive sometime in November 2024, for 5,940 yen each [JP] (about US$38 each). Recommended for ages 15 and up.
Images: Takara Tomy [JP].
