Seriously, people, this is getting extremely bad.

 

Windrazor for the Autobot, and Stormcloud for the Decepticons isn't bad. Those are ok. But Terradive, and Kickback?

 

Terradive sounds like a dinobot, not an airplane.

 

And Kickback was the Insecticon Grasshopper. The name, in away, described him.

 

I'll admit, sometimes the names in G1 didn't make sense. For instance, Hound was a scout, not a tracker, and the name Hound couldn't describe his holographic capabilities.

 

But Mirage could disappear. Huffer had a weight problem. Optimus was an optimist, Ironhide had extremely thick armor, and Bumblebee was tiny.

 

They need to get some people with real creative juices to come up with new names, or at least give old names to new characters that are applicable. Just a minor gripe of mine. Sometimes it feels like the very people who should know the most about what we love, in fact know the least.

Hound's name did make sense, since he was a scout. He operated like how a hunter uses a bloodHOUND. So his name did indeed make sense. It had nothing to do with his holographic abilities whatsoever. That was just one of his abilities he can use to help the Autobot cause. Ratchet was the medic and he used tools, like a RATCHET, and Inferno was a fire truck, and Blurr just talked fast, in a BLURR. They base these names not on their abilities, but their job or characterisitcs. Some of the names are also just pure fun and have no specific meaning behind them. Ultra Magnus, that's a name that's used repeatedly, but the original G1 character had nothing except his size, but that was hardly worth calling him Ultra Magnus. Kup was a picKUP truck, and Soundwave was a tape cassette player.

(in a) huff = bad tempered, in a bad mood. Huffer had an attitude problem.

Bumblebee was a little yellow Bug. (nevermind that it was a Beetle.. :P)

Terra = land. So he dives towards land. And this name was used before on a jet minicon.

 

I'll agree that Kickback is pretty WTF, though. Um. He's green like a grasshopper. Yeah.

 

Heh. Or he's a bribe. Too bad they're probably going to rename the other tank, or they'd be Swindle and Kickback ;-)

While I am all for some unique names, there are a lot of names that Hasbro has to re-use in a certain amount of time due to our copyright laws. Hasbro has to use the names they've trademarked repeatedly to keep them alive, or there is the possibility that they would lose it forever. Did you guys know that Hasbro nearly lost the name "Megatron" to Yu-Gi-Oh? Imagine TFs where Hasbro could no longer use Optimus Prime.

 

IMO, I also don't see why Kickback has to always be associate with the Insecticon, it could also be a personality trait of the character, since the general meaning of Kickback is more closely related to money. As if Swindle was named that way because he transforms into a Jeep.

Too bad they're probably going to rename the other tank

His name is going to be Scattorshot.

 

While I am all for some unique names, there are a lot of names that Hasbro has to re-use in a certain amount of time due to our copyright laws.

 

Once again, you can't "copyright" a name... You can trademark it, though.

 

Did you guys know that Hasbro nearly lost the name "Megatron" to Yu-Gi-Oh?

 

When exactly did that happen, and is there any solid evidence or is it just one of those urban legends? Hasbro reused the name "Megatron" about every year since 1992, so I can't really see this happening.

 

As if Swindle was named that way because he transforms into a Jeep.

 

G1 Swindle wasn't a Jeep anyways. He was an FMC XR311.

Kickback because when you fire an artiliary (Or in this case a Russian http://www.army-technology.com/projects/tunguska/ low level air defense system) one would think if you were firing a missle or gun from here there would certainly be some kick back (as far as the vehicle going back a few feet)

 

Terradive = causing other craft to fall to earth

 

Often times the names make perfect sense in context sometimes they don't at all

I can't seem to think of why G1 Cyclonus is called what he is

 

There are other examples but I am to tired to think of them

One that gets me is Perceptor. What his he percieving in Armada? (haven't seen enough of Energon yet to say if it applies there)

his name was Bumble in the REAL show.

Ya know.. if Ironhide had such think armor, how come he was taken out so quickly in TF TM? Oh wait, thats right.. everyone else died in ONE shot.. Ironhide got a whole 2.. lol