What's wrong with the Nick Technodrome™?

[Andrew NDB]

I just watched the two parter with my daughter and it was pretty cool... like a short film version of a TMNT motion picture (if it were projected through the lens of a Fred Wolf admirer, but whatever). I've seen a lot of comments from folks not being down with the new Technodrome design... and I'm not sure why that would be. It's circular, it's got that stupid eye (now more of an Eye of Sauron that's functional rather than something silly and superfluous on top), and it's actually functional and a legitimate threat (on a global scale, even) on the whole as opposed to the Fred Wolf... thing. Seems to be directly inspired by the Turtles Forever upgraded Technodrome and I feel that was an excellent starting point as that was the first and only time the Technodrome was ever even remotely intimidating.

I get that people want the giant tank with treads for the simple reason that that's what the Fred Wolf Technodrome had and it would rekindle people's childhoods blah blah before we all grew pubes and started to have to pay taxes and all that, but... really?

It can levitate! Over everything! And hit multiple targets with its multiple lasers from the high ground advantage. Why would it being ground-based make it better in any way, shape or form beyond folks' nostalgia for the damn toy or old cartoon?

[BabyTurtles]

I like it :D

....but I haven't really watched the OT turtles so I'm kinda biased......XD....

[Davetello]

The FW technodrome is better looking imo, but yeah, this new technodrome seems to be much more useful. Probably wouldn't get stuck at the bottom of the sea or in ice either.

I try not to be too shallow in life so I will say I like this technodrome a lot.

[Eiko]

I have no prob with it much better than the 80's. I think we should be happy thats it has made a return in such a cool looking way.

[Wildcat]

I liked it. Looks cool and fits with the show. But if we are talking design and functionality alone my favorite is the upgraded "Forever" technodrome.

It's slick orb look was perfect imo. Sometimes simpler is better.

[Avatar Yuffie]

I'm ok with it. Too... purple for my taste. But props that it tried to be it's own identity.

Seriously, how many people thought "Death Star" with Turtles Forever version?

[Eiko]

I'm ok with it. Too... purple for my taste. But props that it tried to be it's own identity.

Seriously, how many people thought "Death Star" with Turtles Forever version?

Yes i was thinking that when i saw it.

[ToTheNines]

Nothing wrong with it, I think it's plenty cool. Although, its big reveal wasn't as epic as intended, for me at least. I feel like the Turtles Forever version probably stole it's thunder a little bit.

I'll probably feel the same way about the IDW version, too. Unless they do something totally awesome with it.

[Powder]

Nothing wrong with it, I think it's plenty cool. Although, its big reveal wasn't as epic as intended, for me at least. I feel like the Turtles Forever version probably stole it's thunder a little bit.

I'll probably feel the same way about the IDW version, too. Unless they do something totally awesome with it.

This completely.

[Bry]

The big appeal of the '87 Technodrome to me is that it's goofy as hell. A big golf ball-looking thing with tank treads, trident laser guns sticking out every which way and a giant eyeball on top? It's awesomely ludicrous! But that very reason is why I don't think the design really works outside of that world.

The Nick version is very well-suited to that series and the Kraang technology we've seen so far. I like it.

[raph27]

Wait....there's an eye on the Nick Drome? All I saw was the obvious as hell Eye of Sauron reference on top of TCRI. Screencap please.:D

[BubblyShell22]

I love this Technodrome to bits. It's awesome and really fits the tone of the Nick series, especially with all the lasers it fires. Can't wait to see more of it.

[ObiWanFan4life]

I thought the Technodrome was cool in the finale but my problem is that there was nothing special/cool done with it (Not yet at least.) It was just..... there. I look forward to seeing what's done with it in The Second season.

[TurtleTitan97]

I really like this version of the Technodrome.

[CyberCubed]

It just doesn't seem like the Technodrome. They could have called this ship any other name and nobody would even think it was the Technodrome.

Unlike Kraang Prime who is obviously intended to be Krang from the original series, this Technodrome is it in name-only. Would it be any different if they called it, "The Kraang mothership?"

[Heather Breckel]

I thought it was really cool looking and 1000X more threatening than the old one. I grew up on the old show and the old Technodrome just seemed kind of useless. It would just sit there. And sit there. I never found it to be any sort of threat, even as a kid.

[CyberCubed]

I thought it was really cool looking and 1000X more threatening than the old one. I grew up on the old show and the old Technodrome just seemed kind of useless. It would just sit there. And sit there. I never found it to be any sort of threat, even as a kid.

Because that was the point, it never worked. If they had a fully operation Technodrome they would have stormed into the city every ep.

[Andrew NDB]

Because that was the point, it never worked. If they had a fully operation Technodrome they would have stormed into the city every ep.

But what's the old adage from Gurlyand... "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there."

If you introduce what we're to believe is a giant tank superweapon... at some point it needs to be utilized or why even include it at all? The Technodrome finally powering up to full power and devastating NYC for a season finale would have provided both the fulfillment of the promise of the Technodrome's power and a pretty sobering "Oh sh*t!" moment for folks twiddling their thumbs through the filler episodes.

[Gwydion]

I like it from a functional standpoint, and I was super excited to see it in the episode, I just thought the design was a bit bland (and by that I mean in general, not simply compared to the OT Technodrome). I didn't need it to look more like the old Technodrome, but I would have liked it to have a bit more personality on it's own.

Just my opinion.

[Donatello19]

Obviously the older Technodrome is more iconic and everything, but the new one is so much cooler IMO.

[Zulithe]

I think it's safe to assume the Nick drome will be returning. It may have a lot of other tricks up its sleeve that make it interesting, so to anyone who didn't like it or thought it was disappointing, give it time. I have zero problems with the Nick drome, I just hope they do more with it.

[RaphAndDonnie]

The old Technodrome is more visually pleasing but the Nick one seems more threatening. I hope we get to see more of it.

[Andrew NDB]

Probably not out of the realm of possibility that if the situation dictates for it to need to be able to do so, the Nick Technodrome opens up on the bottom and tank treads deploy into place.

I don't see why there'd ever be a need for that, though. And it's not like it would even fit on any NYC street without steamrolling through buildings on either side as it rolls.

[CyberCubed]

If they called it, "The Kraang mothership" nobody would have even thought twice of it being a new design for the Technodrome. It really looks nothing like it.

The 4kids one from Turtles Forever at least resembled what an updated Technodrome should be like.

[Andrew NDB]

It's big, it's white, it's round, it's got techy panels on it, it's got doodads over its surface, it's a superweapon, and it's got a big eye in it.

Sounds like the Technodrome to me.

[Donatello19]

If they called it, "The Kraang mothership" nobody would have even thought twice of it being a new design for the Technodrome. It really looks nothing like it.

And it doesn't have to...this isn't a remake of the OT.

[Refractive Reflections]

We have to remember that we just saw the Nick version of the Technodrome in just two episodes. For all we know, the Nick Technodrome can just sit there all the time in the bottom of the ocean like the OT Technodrome in season 6-7.

Besides, the OT Technodrome did actually destroy parts of NYC in the season 3 finale in bulldozing some skyscrapers, and what did the the Nick Technodrome do yet in terms of destruction? Only used pods to kidnap humans and other life forms.

I'm just gonna wait and see how menacing this Nick Technodrome really is. I don't interpret darkened visual imagery as more "threatening" when it hasn't destroyed or took over any part of NYC quite yet.

[CyberCubed]

I think people are neglecting to mention that the Nick's Technodrome is actually an alien spaceship in that it can actually fly.

The OT Technodrome was a grounded vehicle that was a battlestation but could not hover like a ship or fly into space on its own. Some episodes showed it pulled by tractor beams through dimensional portals but that doesn't count as it can't fly on its own.

[Coola Yagami]

Lets see if they even bring it back. I hope the kraang's new motivation is to try to repower the technodrome all season.... That would be truly lame and would really make the Kraang into lame villains.

[The Big Bad]

What's wrong with the Technodrome? More or less the same problem with Kraang Prime: no real character to speak of. It's a big destructo-sphere in a story that didn't need one, went down like a punk, and doesn't have nearly the distinctiveness the original did. Which isn't to say that it needs to look like the original, just that the original had a certain something that prevented it from being just another Death Star, which this version doesn't possess.

And yes, there's the history--or if you'd like, the nostalgia factor--the original Technodrome will always be the place where I kicked copious ninja butt in Turtles in Time, and the setting for a lot of memorable scenes in the original cartoon. While it's obviously unfair to expect the new cartoon to be able to replicate that--and I'm not--I don't think its unreasonable for me to expect Nick--who in theory understand the importance of the 'drome to fans--to do better than just go "hey, people who were kids back then and are now adults like the Technodrome, right?"

[Andrew NDB]

What's wrong with the Technodrome? More or less the same problem with Kraang Prime: no real character to speak of. It's a big destructo-sphere in a story that didn't need one, went down like a punk,

For it to even go "down like a punk," you're ignoring the fact that it actually rose to the occasion... something the Fred Wolf Technodrome never quite did.

[Andrew NDB]

I think people are neglecting to mention that the Nick's Technodrome is actually an alien spaceship in that it can actually fly.

If you want to throw Archie into the equation, the Fred Wolf Technodrome can fly and become a spacecraft... when it's converted into the Skullbuzzer, or whatever it was called.

[pingclang]

I thought the thing was awesome. This isn't 1987 so we won't get the exact same Technodrome, I think it fits perfect with the look of this series.

[OrokuYoshiFilms]

New Technodrome? Cool.

Wish there was a ground based form with treads and all to accompany it's floating ominous intimidating mode, though.

[BabyTurtles]

New Technodrome? Cool.

Wish there was a ground based form with treads and all to accompany it's floating ominous intimidating mode, though.

if it was on the ground it would flatten cars and houses!! XD

[TigerClaw]

I like the new Technodrome cause of its otherworldly design. It was made to look like something from another world and has a very alien looking design. Though I would've liked it more if it had an HR Giger design, But that's just me. lol :)

[Irishmile]

I think the big difference is that NOTHING really looked like the Technodrome when we first saw it in the FW toon... it was this giant ball on tank treads with lazers spiking out everywhere topped with a huge eyeball... it was weird, didn't make a lick of sense but nobody cared... we all still wanted that toy.

The NEW Technodrome looks like a generic throwaway Space orb/ship... its not horrible but it just doesn't have that same WTF/CHARM. I do not think kids will connect with it like my generation did when we were kids. But who knows... maybe they will.. I'm old and no longer think like a kid... I think like a manchild :lol:

[madyankees]

I don't hate the new one but I just like the old one better

[Leo656]

If you want to throw Archie into the equation, the Fred Wolf Technodrome can fly and become a spacecraft... when it's converted into the Skullbuzzer, or whatever it was called.

...WHICH WAS AWESOME!!! :lol: Kinda.

[Zulithe]

I don't hate the new one but I just like the old one better
Original had an odd, but very iconic, design that I think resonates with a lot of OT fans. The new one doesn't seem to have a striking or unique exterior, but I still like it just fine.

I just wish some of the harsher critics of the 2012 Drome would try, just try, to remove the nostalgia goggles and see it the way a fresh fan would. It's a pretty cool ship for what it is... and again, we still don't know everything about it. It could have lots of features that set it apart.

[Konchadunga]

I'd argue that the old design capitalizes a bit more on its owners' nature. A key point for both series is that Krang/The Kraang aren't just extraterrestrial; they're extra-dimensional. To this end, a base doesn't necessarily need to fly through space, so tank treads emphasize that it just goes through portals. Even though that's what the new one did, too, its design is a bit more generic as alien motherships go, as if it was actually designed to fly through space.

Given all that, I have no preference for a Technodrome exterior. The new design fits its new function (ie, less of a massive offensive vehicle and more of a mobile base to prepare others to attack), and I'm very pleased that this show is glad to make past nods, but not to the point that it loses its creativity; a trap into which IDW falls pretty hard. Especially given they are going to crossover with the Fred Wolf series, establishing differences is a great idea.

However, I definitely like the Fred Wolf interior better. It looked weird, but it did give the sense of being a military base/vehicle. The new Technodrome's interior is just weird; it looks like it was designed as a shout out to Yellow Submarine or something. I'm one of the viewers on whom the stylized sequences of this show still haven't grown, and at this point I doubt they ever will, though that's not a big deal for me.

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

Are there pictures of this?
I just looked online so I can answer the poll but all I'm finding are the original

[snake]

It looked sorta bland on the outside, but the inside was amazing.

[pingclang]

No one's really commented on this, so I'm curious. Am I the only one who thought it was awesome that the sound it made was similar to the music always playing in scenes involving the OT Technodrome? That weird pulsating sound. Nice little throwback.

[TheCanadiandrome]

i'll always be more partial to the OT Technodrome of course but any time there's a reinvention of it, if done well, i'm down for it

[sdp]

I like it more than the 2k3 re-design but it has the same problem the 2k3 design does, and it's that it just looks too much of a cheap Death Star rip-off. Now why do I like the OT Technodrome? Because it does look like something out of this world since it doesn't look like an conventional earth weapon, very Alien and that is what makes it scary.

[Ravenxl7]

I actually really like the design, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it. That said, there is one downside...there is no toy of it...yet...:tgrin:

[TerranigmaFreak]

I don't hate it, but I was disappointed by it. The design was rather bland, and the weapons weren't interesting. It just fired more lasers. We didn't get to see any big guns on it. The mutation beam thing was just that, for mutation. Like others have said, it's too similar to the TF special Technodrome.

[gobo]

It looked like a chrome-plated Bumble Ball pet toy. That made it just really boring. It also looked like Kraang Possible was nearly half the size of it.