Unusual alternate forms

[Jason X]

Best Transformers altmode of all time.... Traffic Light (Cybertron Signal Lancer)

I actually saw a fan made custom of him in Toyfare magazine last year (before it went all digital). It looked amazing! You can probably find him on their site. I'll see if I can't find a link.

[Hellscream85]

How about a transformer that transforms into a...

 

...wait for it...

 

A TRANSFORMER? :run

 

Like Punch/Counterpunch?

[ShellformerV1]

We've had transforming cities, but curiously no transforming bridges that I know of. That would be something to see--the Golden Gate Bridge transforming into a robotic colossus. It would be unusual, at the very least.

[Hellscream85]

it never made it too toy form, but Spanner from the G1 comics did transform into a bridge.

[ShellformerV1]

it never made it too toy form, but Spanner from the G1 comics did transform into a bridge.

 

Ahhh. Thanks for the heads up. It still might be a good idea, if executed right.

[Goktimus Prime]

Spanner sorta transformed into his robot mode. If you recall, it was because the Decepticons built him into the Space Bridge that he'd designed (as a cruel and ironic "reward" for helping them); he wasn't designed to transform again, but summoned a lot of energy and willpower to quasi-transform and communicate with Blaster (asking him to end his misery).

 

The problem with something like a bridge is similar to something like an open trailer... where are you going to store the robot parts in alt mode? Unless you just want the bridge to fold into a robotic shape, but that would look stupid. The nearest comparison I can think of are car carriers -- their trailers are kinda like bridges -- open, spacious/empty and designed to hold cars (a bridge much much more so). The trailers themselves are ill equipped to form a robot. e.g.:

+ G1 Ultra Magnus = trailer itself cannot form a robot, but rather becomes Ultra Magnus' power armour. Even so, it's a chunky trailer!

+ G1 Overload = trailer transforms into a vehicle for the cab robot. It cannot transform into a robot itself.

+ God Magnus (RiD Ultra Magnus) = the trailer becomes a pair of very long legs and feet for the robot, the rest is the cab unit.

 

Titanium Series Ultra Magnus does incorporate the trailer into the robot, but again, a good part of it is the cab unit too. So trying to engineer a bridge former is like having something like a car carrier trailer with NO cab to incorporate into the robot mode -- only even MORE empty than the trailer, because at least the trailer has the back door/gate and wheels that they can incorporate. A bridge has the support struts and legs... that's it. Maybe you can try to squeeze some robot bits under the bridge, but either the bridge will end up looking chunky, or the robot will be compromised. Designing Transformers that transform into very streamlined/thin modes is hard -- look at any jet Transformer - and jets are far chunkier than a bridge!

 

I prefer to think of unusual alt modes that would be possible/feasible for Hasbro to produce - not only in terms of engineering, but marketing too (i.e. that kids/fans would want to buy). Look at Ejector -- he was a toaster, but Hasbro made it and it sold! It wasn't a hot selling item, but it wasn't a massive pegwarmer either (not like say, all those Bumblebee repaints). Things like a taxi, submarine, commercial jet plane, bus, vending machine (give us Dispensor!) etc. would be possible and sellable. Look at Real Gear Robots... that line was GREAT at giving us unique alt modes like mobile phones, binoculars, MP3 player (w/ earphone), portable video game, digital cameras etc. -- heck, it even gave us a game controller! :O

 

I really see no reason why we can't have buses and taxis... or more REGULAR cars and not just sports cars and race cars all the time. Why not a vehicle that's perfectly mundane like a Toyota Crown? ;) As I said before, that's one thing I love about Bumblejumper/Bumper and Bumblebee in G1 -- in 1984 we had lots of exotic sports cars and race cars -- then there were those two, a Mazda 323 and VW Beetle! And that's what I also love about Alternity Bumblebee and Cliffjumper as Suzuki Swifts... common everyday vehicles! Classics Bumblebee is done in the same vein too (although not a licensed vehicle, but it looks like a regular compact and not some exotic sports car). Ditto the alt mode choices for the ROTF Twins (as much as I'm not a fan of the robot modes or characters themselves - but I love their alt modes! Even the ice cream truck was a fantastic choice!!). It's funny... because Transformers is so chock full of unusual exotic vehicles that most people don't see every day (how often do you see a Lamborghini or F22 Raptor IRL??), regular everyday things have in themselves become an exotic novelty in Transformers!

[Blitz-Wing]

How about a transformer that transforms into a...

 

...wait for it...

 

A TRANSFORMER? :run

 

Like Punch/Counterpunch?

 

No, like this

[ShellformerV1]

Spanner sorta transformed into his robot mode. If you recall, it was because the Decepticons built him into the Space Bridge that he'd designed (as a cruel and ironic "reward" for helping them); he wasn't designed to transform again, but summoned a lot of energy and willpower to quasi-transform and communicate with Blaster (asking him to end his misery).

 

The problem with something like a bridge is similar to something like an open trailer... where are you going to store the robot parts in alt mode? Unless you just want the bridge to fold into a robotic shape, but that would look stupid. The nearest comparison I can think of are car carriers -- their trailers are kinda like bridges -- open, spacious/empty and designed to hold cars (a bridge much much more so). The trailers themselves are ill equipped to form a robot. e.g.:

+ G1 Ultra Magnus = trailer itself cannot form a robot, but rather becomes Ultra Magnus' power armour. Even so, it's a chunky trailer!

+ G1 Overload = trailer transforms into a vehicle for the cab robot. It cannot transform into a robot itself.

+ God Magnus (RiD Ultra Magnus) = the trailer becomes a pair of very long legs and feet for the robot, the rest is the cab unit.

 

Titanium Series Ultra Magnus does incorporate the trailer into the robot, but again, a good part of it is the cab unit too. So trying to engineer a bridge former is like having something like a car carrier trailer with NO cab to incorporate into the robot mode -- only even MORE empty than the trailer, because at least the trailer has the back door/gate and wheels that they can incorporate. A bridge has the support struts and legs... that's it. Maybe you can try to squeeze some robot bits under the bridge, but either the bridge will end up looking chunky, or the robot will be compromised. Designing Transformers that transform into very streamlined/thin modes is hard -- look at any jet Transformer - and jets are far chunkier than a bridge!

 

I prefer to think of unusual alt modes that would be possible/feasible for Hasbro to produce - not only in terms of engineering, but marketing too (i.e. that kids/fans would want to buy). Look at Ejector -- he was a toaster, but Hasbro made it and it sold! It wasn't a hot selling item, but it wasn't a massive pegwarmer either (not like say, all those Bumblebee repaints). Things like a taxi, submarine, commercial jet plane, bus, vending machine (give us Dispensor!) etc. would be possible and sellable. Look at Real Gear Robots... that line was GREAT at giving us unique alt modes like mobile phones, binoculars, MP3 player (w/ earphone), portable video game, digital cameras etc. -- heck, it even gave us a game controller! :O

 

I really see no reason why we can't have buses and taxis... or more REGULAR cars and not just sports cars and race cars all the time. Why not a vehicle that's perfectly mundane like a Toyota Crown? ;) As I said before, that's one thing I love about Bumblejumper/Bumper and Bumblebee in G1 -- in 1984 we had lots of exotic sports cars and race cars -- then there were those two, a Mazda 323 and VW Beetle! And that's what I also love about Alternity Bumblebee and Cliffjumper as Suzuki Swifts... common everyday vehicles! Classics Bumblebee is done in the same vein too (although not a licensed vehicle, but it looks like a regular compact and not some exotic sports car). Ditto the alt mode choices for the ROTF Twins (as much as I'm not a fan of the robot modes or characters themselves - but I love their alt modes! Even the ice cream truck was a fantastic choice!!). It's funny... because Transformers is so chock full of unusual exotic vehicles that most people don't see every day (how often do you see a Lamborghini or F22 Raptor IRL??), regular everyday things have in themselves become an exotic novelty in Transformers!

 

Good points one and all, but: the bridge would not have to be limited by being a standard 2-legged upright biped. It's base mode could be a colossal spider, or something like the Driller in DOTM. I would definitely go the non-humanoid route to avoid those limitations.

 

And I'd love to see a TF turn into a schoolbus. He'd be a Decepticon (of course). I'd name him Time-Out (because "Blacktop Bully" is taken) and he'd take a sadistic pleasure in terrorizing small children and punk-ass, arrogant teenagers who like to pop off at their betters. His bio would converge nicely with that of G1 Vortex.

[Taaron]

How about a transformer that transforms into a...

 

...wait for it...

 

A TRANSFORMER? :run

 

Like Punch/Counterpunch?

 

No, like this

Y'know, now I realize you were serious and not talking about a Robots in Disguise Transformer...I gotta say, that alternate mode would actually be a little bit ingenious. Scan it, yank out the original, take it's place and siphon off the energy to create Energon.

[Jason X]

Kinda makes you wonder why one of the larger TFs never scanned a power plant. Too easy maybe?