Talk:Slingshot (G1)

Is the promotional credit card Mini-Con still available in Japan, or should that be changed? (Also, Google translates "サイバトロン" to "Autobot". How cool is that?) -Mazenoise 12:16, 8 September 2009 (EDT)

Slingshot Verses Slingshot (G1)

Is there a reason why Slingshot is simply titled "Slingshot", when other aerialbots are linked as "Fireflight (G1)", etc...? User:fairplaythings 16:24, 17 January 2010 (EST)

Because there are no other characters named "Slingshot", so the (G1) distinction isn't necessary. --M Sipher 16:32, 17 January 2010 (EST)

Alpha Bravo

So, what is thinking here as to whether Alpha Bravo is a new character, or just a new name for Slingshot. As I write this, the Superion page is calling him "aka Slingshot," and I don't think I agree with that. --KilMichaelMcC (talk) 16:51, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

I don't think we'll know for sure till we get a bio, but considering Alpha Bravo's painted to look like Slingshot, I don't think we should immediately decide it's not him. Jalaguy (talk) 16:53, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

And considering that he's a helicopter with a Vortex head and given a brand new name that doesn't reference Slings or Shots (they could have used Quickslinger) I don't think we should immediately decide that it is. --KilMichaelMcC (talk) 17:00, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

Construction toys actually fall into a different trademark category to other Transformers toys, hence things like Micro-Changer Jetfire being named Jetwash, so we don't know for certain that Quickslinger would have been available. I suppose until we know for certain, we could just redlink (or not link at all) Alpha Bravo. Jalaguy (talk) 18:19, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

"Kinda looks like" was enough for you to argue to put Flanker on Sky High's page, Kil, and that was without being a part of an entire team of deliberate homages. Why is this different? --Xaaron (talk) 18:31, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

I don't think I actually argued that there, but nevertheless: Because here we have four toys that are unambiguously designed 100% in vehicle and robot mode alike as new versions of the Aerialbots.... and then a helicopter with a head based on Vortex named Alpha Bravo. To me, the colors alone are not enough in these circumstances to scream "Slingshot with a new name." --KilMichaelMcC (talk) 18:43, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

"Explicit word of the toy's designer" was why Flanker went on Sky High's page... Jalaguy (talk) 11:57, 26 July 2014 (EDT)

Eventually, yes. But the argument was going on before someone provided that "Designer insight" that ended it. And Kil, I'm quoting you directly here, "We knew Flanker was designed to be Sky High pretty much just by looking at him." Well, we know Alpha Bravo was designed to be Slingshot just by looking at him. Again, I ask, why is this any different? Alpha Bravo may not be a Harrier, but Flanker wasn't an SST either. Flanker looks less like Sky High in design and colors than Alpha Bravo looks like Slingshot.

Yes, I said that, but in my comments on that page I did not actually argue for putting Flanker on Sky High's page but rather raised the question of whether or not he should be considered a new toy of the original Flanker. I disagree that we know Alpha Bravo was designed to be Slingshot by looking at him, because I do not think he looks like Slingshot. He's a helicopter and his head design does not look like Slingshot's head, it looks like Vortex. --KilMichaelMcC (talk) 17:07, 26 July 2014 (EDT)

I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm just trying to understand the guidelines we're using to distinguish "Meant to be him with a different name" vs. "Meant to look like him, but that's all." --Xaaron (talk) 16:34, 26 July 2014 (EDT)

And I don't know if BotShots fall into this other category, but Quickslinger was also used as a replacement name for Slingshot there, too. --KilMichaelMcC (talk) 18:52, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

Let's remember that the previous time Hasbro used a different name than Slingshot for Superion's limb, they considered him a replacement character instead of a renaming, so the same may apply to Alpha Bravo.--D.A.Martin (talk) 19:12, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

Related, and worth noting- Offroad looks NOTHING like Wildrider, other than the paint job. Wildrider's also had similar issues of being part of a combiner team but having a name difficult to trademark. I think it's too soon to say that Offroad and Alpha Bravo are the same characters as the robots they're replacing. Antimatter (talk) 20:52, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

I am thinking the wiki shouldn't take a position yet one way or the other as to whether Alpha Bravo and Offroad are new guys or new names for old guys. I am strongly inclined to the former, but until bios are available or comic appearances happen, I don't think we should be acting like its definitive in either direction. --KilMichaelMcC (talk) 22:15, 25 July 2014 (EDT)

Just another thought...Slingshot has historically had vertical take-off and landing capability, so being a helicopter certainly fits with his usual repertoire. --Nu-Priest (talk) 11:52, 26 July 2014 (EDT)

There may well be a solid case for making Alpha Bravo a new character - but we won't know for sure till we get a bio. Till then, I would be hesitant to create a new page in the knowledge that the page may have to be deleted. I say either we treat the guy as Slingshot for now, or we leave it as a redlink (not a great option since 50 people will create the page over and over.) -- Repowers (talk) 14:18, 26 July 2014 (EDT)