Hasbro G4 Prototype Boards (pic heavy)

[Katgyrl]

I agree, the prototype SA looks better with his nice brushable hair! That foam castle is pretty impressive. Thanks for sharing pics for those of us who couldn't go!

[Umiyuri]

It's sad for me to see this thread.. .because they came so close to actually making a BOY PONY!
I'm talking g1 big brother style, they had big bullky bodies and it looked great that way. I agree the prototype has a somewhat girly head, but I would gladly accept that in place of the released version of SA with those strange hyena legs.. Have you ever seen a dog in a dog wheelchair with tiny legs due to muscle atrophy? That's what the prince looks like to me.

…Considering the proportion of real horse legs, Shining Armour is actually pretty damn bulky. The entire G4 art-style has bulky legs in comparison to real horses. If that's what you call muscle atrophy, I'm not sure what you'd say about race-horses.

Not to say that I don't like Big Brother Ponies, but saying Shining Armour's legs are unrealistically thin is… bizarre. Very, very bizarre.

Though not as bizarre as saying that the leg size is what marks the pony as a boy and that because of the leg size Shining Armour is now 'not a boy' despite being marketed as a boy, written as a boy, voiced by a boy, referred to by his peers as a boy...

[The_Loner]

It's sad for me to see this thread.. .because they came so close to actually making a BOY PONY!
I'm talking g1 big brother style, they had big bullky bodies and it looked great that way. I agree the prototype has a somewhat girly head, but I would gladly accept that in place of the released version of SA with those strange hyena legs.. Have you ever seen a dog in a dog wheelchair with tiny legs due to muscle atrophy? That's what the prince looks like to me.

…Considering the proportion of real horse legs, Shining Armour is actually pretty damn bulky. The entire G4 art-style has bulky legs in comparison to real horses. If that's what you call muscle atrophy, I'm not sure what you'd say about race-horses.

Not to say that I don't like Big Brother Ponies, but saying Shining Armour's legs are unrealistically thin is… bizarre. Very, very bizarre.

Though not as bizarre as saying that the leg size is what marks the pony as a boy and that because of the leg size Shining Armour is now 'not a boy' despite being marketed as a boy, written as a boy, voiced by a boy, referred to by his peers as a boy...

I think I see what Jinxxy is saying! Shining Armor's hind quarters look thin compared to his front! The big brother ponies had equally bulky fronts and rears. I think maybe the designers had a more human image in their heads when designing the final Shining Armor - like a human man with muscular upper body and narrow hips . I don't like human body design on ponies though and I wish Shining Armor was more equally proportioned! But most of all I wish he had real hair!!

[MimicMLP]

I wish they would have gone with the real hair for shining armor but im glad they didn't give him those girly eyes

[gallifreyan_pony]

Thanks for these pictures, they're fascinating.

The thing that struck me was how cool that prototype castle in the first picture was. What they ended up with is just a facade, but that first castle looked like a proper playset.

[Flitter]

While I think SA is good how he is I really hope they come out with another boy using that blue prototype mold. He's adorable! 

[hathorcat]

Thanks for these pictures, they're fascinating.

The thing that struck me was how cool that prototype castle in the first picture was. What they ended up with is just a facade, but that first castle looked like a proper playset.

Thats such a great point That castle would have been an honest to goodness awesome castle - although no doubt it would have retailed about $60 plus!

[Silver_mirror46]

woow look at those models, the SA prototype is lovely though I still prefer the one we have

[Galactica]

Wow- awesome! Thank you SO much for sharing! I loooooooove prototypes...

[shabbychicdee]

thanks for sharing.
i want that castle soooooooo much, i dont like the cheap made one

[Iceglider]

I think the prototype looks less like the cartoon especially the face. Too cute and chubby. It would be cool if they made more boy ponies in both molds!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Thanks for sharing this!  It's fascinating to see their creative process.  I like the initial prototypes but I am sure they had reasons for changing them the way that they did. 

[popyduggan]

That castle makes the one we got look lame, then again I only paid $30 for the whole kit-and-kaboodle.

I wish they'd make one out of a few base pieces and a few gimmick accessories but every other part is cardboard so it could be massive and cheap, oh well.
 

[scarletjul]

Thanks for these pictures, they're fascinating.

The thing that struck me was how cool that prototype castle in the first picture was. What they ended up with is just a facade, but that first castle looked like a proper playset.

Thats such a great point That castle would have been an honest to goodness awesome castle - although no doubt it would have retailed about $60 plus!

And I would have gladly paid that for a nice playset. 

[Galactica]

I bet the designers were sad when the castle got pared down so severely in order to make it cheaper to produce...