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Interview from Figure King 232 (May 2017):
MP-39 Sunstreaker Developer
Translated & Interpreted by Jeremy Barlow © Soundwave's Oblivion
2022
Masterpiece Sunstreaker Development Team Interview
“Someday I’d like to line them up like you see in the opening
sequence.”
-What made you decide to make a Masterpiece version of
Sunstreaker?
From a development point of view, we want to have representations of the
original Car Robot lineup. While making our selection on this occasion,
Sunstreaker was the obvious choice. In the “Diaclone” series this was the
first Car Robot and it was also a fantastic opportunity to revisit the New
Countach which Lambor was based on. In the Masterpiece series Lambor was the
first Car Robot to be released so this was the complete opposite of
Sunstreaker. With this in mind we pursued a “Countach-likeness” by adding
additional car mode styling and gimmicks.
-Originally,
Sunstreakers car mode is different from the actual Countach.
When Lambor was released it was well received, not just by Transformers fans
but also fans of the Countach. We had so many requests from these fans that
we couldn’t simply ignore them. For Sunstreaker I wanted to present a
product which could be appreciated by Countach enthusiasts as well as making
it cartoon accurate. That's why I came up with the idea of representing both
the actual vehicle mode as well as the version which appeared in the show
and I was challenged to make this a complete transformation instead of using
removable parts. I also wanted to have the Countach doors opening upwards as
well as the retractable headlights.
-The basic
robot mode structure is similar to the G1 version such as the positioning of
the limbs.
Yes, I agree. However the feet of the original toy were wider as they were
formed from splitting the bonnet. For the Masterpiece version we divided it
into three parts and only used the left and right sections as feet. We also
wanted to avoid having the insignia split in half. In the cartoon the back
parts are surprisingly large and a completely different shape from the toy
so this may appear to look different from the G1 version.
-What was the
most difficult part of the development process?
Definitely the robot mode chest. The car mode roof does move but without the
use of a dummy roof the proportions would appear off. Some of the team did
not like the use of dummy parts and we struggled to convince them. We ended
up turning the roof inside out rather than utilise chest parts from another
location. The roof section has a small windshield and other parts folded
inside it. As the windshield is a large area this led to challenges in other
areas as well.
-The
articulation in robot mode is also a key feature.
The shoulders have pull out joints and have been designed to move back and
forth. We also designed it so the entire arm can be raised. By utilising these
joints you can put him into great poses such as holding the gun in front of him.
-Am I right in saying the shoulder movement has
nothing to do with the transformation?
People have told us that they want Masterpieces with better articulation.
Until now we have always prioritised the shape of the product over the
transformation but going forward we are designing the figure with its
articulation at the beginning as much as possible. We have also improved
durability by inserting soft parts between joints. Recently the Masterpieces
have been painted as much as possible to enhance the texture giving us the
freedom to design parts knowing they would end up being painted. However the
number of parts has increased from the previous Lamborghini given the three
stage transformation.
-What is the best feature? Is there anything you’d
like to call out?
I would say the ankles. They have not only been designed to tilt inwards but
also outwards slightly. This allows him to stand on one leg. We haven’t just
limited this to Sunstreaker as we are designing future Masterpieces with the
ability to stand on one leg. This lets you replicate the march you see in
the cartoon when they were dressed up as evil space robots.
-Could you please tell us as much as you can about the
future of Masterpiece.
I’m hoping to see Beast Wars and G1 characters released side by side. We
would like to stagger the releases of the Beast Wars and G1 characters as
they appeal to different age groups and purchasing preferences. Thanks to
the success of the Beast Wars series we have succeeded in attracting people
who watched it when it was first broadcast and we would like to keep that
passion alive.
-In relation to the 4WD vehicles, I’m curious how you
will portray the differences between Hoist and Trailbreaker.
I hope to fully realise this in the near future. I believe both Megatron and
Sunstreaker incorporated surprises that went far beyond fans and the
developers expectations. I would be happy if I could create Hoist with a few
surprises as well.
-We are seeing more and more Car Robots.
At Wonder Festival we lined up all the past Masterpieces and it was well
received. Now I’d really like to arrange all the Masterpiece Car Robots side
by side just like the opening of the cartoon series.
-I love it! Can you tell us anything about other
characters like the Minibots?
We have heard many similar requests and we would love to respond to each and
every one of them. We have identified the problems which need to be solved
to develop these characters and we are working at solving them from various
angles. Thank you very much for your patience.
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