The specifications portion of the tech specs which came with earlier G1 Transformers were obfuscated with interference patterns which made them difficult to read without a decoder which was included in the box for each Transformer. The Transformers (トランスフォーマー, Toransufōmā) is a line of mecha toys produced by Japanese company Takara (now known as Takara Tomy) and American toy company Hasbro.Initially a line of transforming mecha toys rebranded from Takara's Diaclone and Microman toy lines, it spawned the Transformers media franchise.. The toy line was openly admitted to be aimed at a specific part of the market — adults, rather than children. Cybertron is behind the bulk of Optimus Prime’s remaining Autobot forces who left their homeworld at the climax of Siege, and Megatron’s Decepticons are hot in pursuit. Thus it became rarer and rarer to see any low numbers. Initial inaugurees presented at Botcon 2010 ceremonies included Bob Budiansky, Peter Cullen, Hideaki Yoke, Ōno Kōjin, and the characters Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream, and Dinobot. The lowest priced toys in the Armada line were three-packs of Mini-Cons. The subgroups concept was done away with for the first year, but there were no new molds or characters. Again, many of the same characters were included but with entirely new figures from new molds. Stop me. Transformers crossover fanfiction archive. The characters, however, went on to appear in convention comics and stories beginning in 2008. A new origin and characters were introduced. Fittingly, then, the smaller robots were often armed to the hilt with weaponry. Micromasters were tiny Transformers created to compete with the Micro Machines, a hugely popular toy line of the time. Transformers: Cybertron, named Galaxy Force in Japan, was a follow-up to the successful Armada and Energon lines. Transformers is a franchise that from the get-go has almost been ceaselessly fascinated with its past. As one of the premier toy makers of all time, Hasbro's toy lines have only gotten better over the years, so if you're looking for Star Wars, Transformers, Power Rangers, Marvel, or G.I. Generation 2 re-used the molds for many of the characters from the 1984 and 1985 line, but with mostly different color schemes and finishes, as well as different weapons and accessories. Larger Action Master sets came with transforming vehicles and bases. After several lines of toys produced by one company or the other, Hasbro and Takara united to produce what was purported to be a single, identical line of Transformers for release worldwide. It is thought that Hasbro Europe as it now stands did not come into existence till 1985, hence no records of Transformers sales in 1984. Each specification is rated by a value from 1 to 10, 1 being the lowest, and 10 being the highest. The Transformers toy-line is typically divided into two main factions: the heroic Autobots and their opponents, the evil Decepticons (traditionally known in Japan as the Cybertrons and Destrons, respectively, although more recent releases often using the English terms). Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (1986–1987, Japan), Fight! Beast Wars: Transformers (titled Beasties: Transformers in Canada), is a Canadian-American computer animated television series that debuted in 1996 and ended on March 7, 1999, serving as the flagship of the Transformers: Beast Wars franchise. But that means it’s a lot of talking, and not a lot of doing, as groundwork is laid for them both to not just come into their own resolve as the leaders of their respective factions, but for them to eventually, well, rock ‘em and sock ‘em at each other again. This series is usually regarded by most as filler while Hasbro contemplated the next direction for Transformers. The Autobot Jetfire was repainted from a Macross toy, specifically the VF-1 Valkyrie, and the character was renamed Skyfire in the animated television series program for copyright reasons. But many also regarded this as a time of a dearth in creativity and the lowest point in the toy line's history. The smaller toys in these sub-groups came with Energon weapons that could be used by the larger Autobots and Decepticons, along with Energon chips that could be fastened to the larger figures to enhance their power. Unlike the other ratings, teamwork seems to be split along faction lines, with Autobots typically holding higher teamwork ratings than Decepticons. In 2011, NordCon and Auto Assembly joined forces to create a new convention called Auto Assembly Europe, which first took place in Uppsala, Sweden, in November 2011. Subscribe. Earthrise begins to dive deep into the wider lore of Transformers history, before Optimus and Megatron were playing interstellar rock ‘em sock ‘em robots with each other, while also tightening its focus on those two leaders, their ideals and goals, and how they are contrasted against each other. In addition, by the end of its run, Cybertron was competing with several other simultaneous lines, including Universe, Alternators and Titanium. The 1984 and 1985 toy lines contained several figures of note. Except, it isn’t a velociraptor: it’s a Dinobot. Watch Beast Wars Free Online. Like other features, this was only used in the 1995/1996 Basics and their repaints. Hulk turns into a tank while Iron Man turns into a jet. Megatron's head also resembles a helmet-like shape. The Transformers (トランスフォーマー, Toransufōmā) is a line of mecha toys produced by Japanese company Takara (now known as Takara Tomy) and American toy company Hasbro. The comic that accompanied the Kiss Players was an unashamed reflection of this, with several images which were considered by some to be very sexually themed. It mostly consisted of "Classic" Generation One characters, with contemporary re-designs and updated alternate modes. Transformers War for Cybertron Trilogy figures are from the animated series jump straight off the screen and into your collection. Examples: Optimus' faceplate and primary colors, and Megatron's arm cannon. Shop for transformers toys online at Target. The Action Master line was criticized for its perceived desperation for a gimmick, although it had a few defenders. On pliocenic Earth, the heroic Maximals and the evil Predacons battle for survival against each other and against a violent planet. While there had been Transformers that change into robotic animals, the premise of the new line was that all figures would transform into animals with realistic appearances. Related to tech specs were Marvel's Transformer Universe comics, where the entry for each Transformer contained an expanded bio based on the one printed on the tech specs. One of these was Transformers. It’s only really in the back half of Earthrise that some of its most interesting material comes to the fore, as Optimus and Megatron find themselves being presented potential futures that are, to longtime Transformers fans, windows into actual history. Hopefully! Two new sub-groups, the Omnicons and Terrorcons, joined the fray, representing smaller factions of the Autobots and Decepticons respectively. Once again Optimus Prime and Megatron were re-engineered, with Prime now a fire truck and Megatron a six changer, whose modes included a dragon, bat, jet, land-craft and a giant hand. Micromasters teams have teamwork ratings instead of ranks. Hasbro also wanted the "Mutant Heads" found on all of the deluxe sized first year toys as battle helmets, but Mainframe scrapped the idea as it would have required three animation models for each character instead of two. Classic characters such as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Prowl, Starscream, Megatron, Jazz and Ultra Magnus appear in this series. By this time, Hasbro/Takara was using a higher ratio of repaints consisting of figures from the Armada and Energon lines. In tandem with this new endeavor, Armada signaled a new continuity in its accompanying animated series and a new focus in both the show and the toys on Mini-Cons, a new faction of Transformers. There are more Star Wars characters into Transformers like General Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi. But its newest chapter lays the foundation for revisiting a bold moment from Transformers history in a new way. Within the Dead Universe—the alternate dimension where some of Transformers’ most sinister villains were exiled—Optimus is given a future vision that’s pretty much a trailer for Transformers: The Movie. The term Generation 1 is a retronym; the series was simply known as "Transformers" until the release of the Generation 2 series. The designs are ridiculously boxy, the voice acting is atrocious (everyone sounds bored, autotuned to the point where almost everyone sounds alike, and every line out of Optimus is a monologue), and the series just moves so goddamn slooooooooow. The designs were significantly different from those of the Generation 1 characters with the same names. Also, there was a clamor for a return to the original idea of the Transformers, that of their being protean robots with nearly humanlike artificial intelligences who transformed into vehicles or devices. Most of these were G1 combiner team recolors or recolors of recent figures. The Decepticons were designed instead with alternative "attack modes". In 1992, Hasbro relaunched the Transformers franchise with the Generation 2 line, with production again largely being done by Takara. While many of the figures had simple transformations and little detail due to their small size, the line eventually expanded to feature Micromaster Transports and Bases, in which Micromasters came with larger vehicles or bases that transformed. Hasbro acquired the rights to sell them in the United States but, instead of selling them under their original names, they were rebranded as "The Transformers". When even more powerful versions of the Optimus Primal toy (such as Optimal Optimus) were introduced, Hasbro even invented a "10+" rating in an attempt to keep increasing the power levels. There also was a mail-away offer for a Jazz toy. With the Transformers: Cybertron line a few characters even got "Unknown" and "Infinity" ratings. Confirmed figures are Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Venom and Hulk. Previous examples were the Japanese series programs Masterforce and Car Robots.[3]. The Transformers: Kiss Players was a Japan-only line of Transformers toys, manga, and audio dramas released in 2006. They went in a new direction and a new beginning. [8][9], Transformers: Generation One (1984–1990 USA, 1984–1993 UK/Canada), Transformers: Generation Two (1992–1994 USA, 1994–1995 UK/Canada), Beast Wars and Beast Machines (1996–2001), CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (, Fight! Other combiners were created for the series too, such as Landfill and Rail Racer. The premise behind the Transformers toy line is that an individual toy's parts can be shifted about to change it from a vehicle, a device, or an animal, to a robot action figure and back again. Similarly, fans found preliminary artwork of multiple characters, although it was not known at the time how close these were to the final designs. Powermasters, including the new version of fan favorite Optimus Prime, came with partners that transformed into engines. Also, as a new feature, most figures include advanced "automorph technology", which is designed to create quicker and easier conversion, which means moving one part of the vehicle or robot causes other parts to move, creating a final shift to battle mode; this was successful because the transformation was more complex in the movie line than in any other Transformers toy line. Shia LaBeouf portrays the lead human character, Sam Witwicky, in the film with Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Megan Fox in supporting roles. Maybe! Energon contains perhaps the most homages to Generation 1 Transformers in any subsequent line, with toys featuring similarities to classic figures such as. The evil is defeated! Not much really happens. Megatron's figure was released later on. While still a success, the storyline and direction borne by Beast Machines was questioned and criticized by the most ardent fans who knew the previous history of the Transformers. Kiss Players continued the theme of the metaphysical power potential of human beings empowering Transformers. The Mini-Cons were much smaller robots (not much larger than humans) who were neutral in the Autobot/Decepticon fight, but due to their incredible power and abilities, were sought by both factions. This isn’t just changing up what diehard Transformers fans have known about the past continuities for the sake of it, it’s a chance to leverage that past to shine new and interesting lights on the series’ most beloved characters—befitting the legacy of Beast Wars itself, 25 years after the fact. Still, despite the complaints, the Pretender line continued through all but the final year of Generation One, with variations such as Beast Pretenders, Monster Pretenders, Classic Pretenders, Mega Pretenders and Ultra Pretenders, each with variations on the theme or increasing levels of complexity. Magazine in Japan, it was a collaboration project between Takara Tomy and the Walt Disney Company. The decoder consisted of simple red plastic which rendered the interference patterns invisible. Many Autobot figures in the line were able to combine with a partner to form a larger robot through the "Powerlinx" process. Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Chōjin Masterforce, Fight! Confirmed figures are Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, Commander Cody and Jango Fett. Most of the 1994 figures were re-releases or recolors of European G1 releases. Originally revealed in the November 2008 issue of Figure Oh! The 1986 line featured another significant change in that many, if not the majority, of the toys were conceived as futuristic vehicles and bore little resemblance to present-day machinery. There were already hints that Kingdom, the third and final chapter of War for Cybertron, would be tackling Beast Wars themes. What does it mean that the direct inspirations for the Maximals and Predacons will, presumably, be right alongside them in Kingdom? New characters are still occasionally added to the line, primarily by E-hobby. For the 1987 and 1988 lines, Hasbro introduced even more radical ideas through new sub-groups. This line was brought by Hasbro to America as the Robots In Disguise series, and featured the Autobots facing off against the Predacons. A fresh idea coupled with a TV series program with strong stories assured this series the success Hasbro and Takara needed, as this series was a giant hit in international markets as well as in Takara's home market, Japan. Everyone’s favorite robots in disguise returned to TV this past weekend with the launch of…. In practice, this meant that they were the primary financial sponsors of the film. Once again, a new feature was introduced for the line—Cyber Keys, which activated special functions on the figures in a manner similar to the Mini-Cons in Armada. The Combaticons that formed Bruticus were the first of the Decepticons to be introduced into the show along with Scourge, who as a toy was a black repaint of G2 Laser Prime. Beast Wars was a massive tonal shift from what had come before it in Transformers continuity, set far, far beyond the events of the G1 cartoon. But each season they put out one tiny speck of something that makes me go ‘crap, gotta watch it’. Much like Siege before it, the mouthful Transformers: War for Cybertron—Earthrise (the second of three planned miniseries from animation studio Rooster Teeth retelling the origins of the Transformers saga) suffers from a sluggish pace, even with its otherwise relatively strained six-episode runtime. The line was later commemorated as a sub-series of the Transformers: Universe line. Although only the numbers can be truly deemed "technical specifications", the entire card is usually referred to as the Transformer's tech specs. It was a new story, set apart from the previous incarnations of the cartoon(s) and comic(s). And remember, these figures are just the beginning of what Hasbro brings to the table. Joe, you'll find hundreds of Hasbro action figures right here. That planet is revealed to be prehistoric Earth, and what appears to be a humble velociraptor watches the debris make planetfall. Through the exiled Sky Lynx, Optimus is offered a look into a dark future if the struggling Autobot continues to doubt himself and his place as their leader, right down to his death and even a vision of the sinister Nemesis Prime, his dark-colored villainous clone. Pretenders consisted of a Transformer contained inside an action figure shell who could "pretend" to be either a human or a monster. In 1986 the Transformers animated movie had been released, and during the run of the movie, through a pamphlet that came with certain figures, you could order certain Transformers through the mail, such as Optimus Prime among other toys. Though reviled by many Transformers fans when it first hit the airwaves in 1996, Beast Wars is now considered by many to be among the finest examples of Transformers storytelling, striking a happy balance between … This was due to changes in the movie and television series, which leaped ahead twenty years to the year 2005. Four unreleased molds were released in the Machine Wars line, and four more resurfaced in the Robots In Disguise series. While Transformers ended poorly for the US market, the same can not be said for the UK, Canada, and Japan markets as they went on to produce their own continuing series between 1991 and 1993, despite the UK market in particular missing a substantial amount of figures prominent in the comics and animated series throughout the line's run. The Beast Wars toy line was launched in the autumn of 1995, and Mainframe Entertainment produced a computer-generated imagery, or CGI, animated series program to tie in with the new toy line. Peter Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime. The toys themselves come packaged with small, scale figurines of the girls who power them. I really HATE this current series. (Examples: Sunstorm, Hauler, Detritus, and the like.) Energon weapons and chips came in a variety of colors of translucent plastic. In 1989, the entire line became limited to Pretenders and Micromasters. A figure of Donald Duck based on both Bumblebee and Herbie the Love Bug, and a second repaint of the Mickey Mouse trailer in Halloween colors, are also planned for release. Share This Story. The robots can also speak their own alien language sounding like what seems to be based on different pitches and frequencies. We’ll forgive. Beast Wars: Transformers is a Daytime Emmy award-winning computer-animated television series that premiered on April 22, 1996 in syndication in the United States.. What does that change about these factions, and characters like Megatron’s descendant or Primal, and what does it mean for Optimus and Megatron as they continue to wrestle with who they both want to be for their respective comrades? The exoskeleton is a "self-regenerating metal" in which the aliens are composed of (stated in the film) that is the equivalent of living skin that heals itself. However most fans of Transformers recognise that most if not all of the toys released from this line were of excellent quality (with the Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus figures gaining considerable praise), combining the ball-joint articulation with detailed, well painted alternate modes. The UK and Canada continued with new Action Master figures and introduced the Turbo Masters and Predators. Whether you're a seasoned collector or brand new to collecting Transformers Transformers War for Cybertron Trilogy figures is a great place to start and TFSource is here to help. Beast Wars: Transformers had to be renamed in some countries, particularly Canada, because of concern over the word "war" in the title. For more, make sure you’re following us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom. This was reflected in the toy line, as characters such as Hot Shot, Jetfire, Optimus Prime and Megatron were all released with entirely new molds. The line was later commemorated as sub-series of the Transformers: Titanium and Transformers: Universe lines. It’s just appreciated that instead of simply re-doing The Movie, Earthrise tackles it as a concept that matters to this earlier timeline but isn’t retconned by it—engaging with the past material to fuel these current, differently nuanced takes on these beloved characters. Besides that? The companion anime series program was not originally conceived or produced as a continuation of the Armada/Energon storyline, and it was only later that it was retconned to be a continuation. The first line of the toy series is the Mickey Mouse Transformer which was modeled after Optimus Prime with the same colors as its Transformer counterpart and can transform into a cartoonish trailer truck like the original version. The designs for the original 28 figures were made by Kojin Ono, Takashi Matsuda, Hideaki Yoke, Hiroyuki Obara, and Satoshi Koizumi. This line features robot versions of various Star Wars characters. The Autobots and Decepticons, while fighting in space for possession of the Allspark, crash-landed onto a futuristic Earth and resume their battle after laying dormant for years. For the first time, the Transformers received a new design for their title logo. Long-time Transformers fans noticed the prominence of the words "Beast Wars" over "Transformers", the latter appearing in small type under the former. According to the storyline, Mini-Cons also enhanced the power of other Transformers, giving incentive to collect as many of them as possible. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well. Hasbro would go on to buy the entire toy line from Takara, giving them sole ownership of the Transformers toy-line, branding rights, and copyrights, while in exchange, Takara was given the rights to produce the toys and the rights to distribute them in the Japanese market. The few boxes that still exist are collectables,[5] (one of which went for $349 on eBay). Also of note, Megatron's toy was repainted and re-released (retooled to allow 4 new altmodes) under the name Galvatron, beginning a tradition of repaints that would follow through with Armada and subsequent toy lines. This is a new line which features robot versions of various Marvel Comics superheroes (and later more of the Star Wars Transformers figures once it merged with this line). They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, … The success of Beast Wars and the change in storyline resulted in its second phase: Beast Machines. 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