Toy secrets + more!

[TwoKingMick]

Don't forget, the whole sideswipe/sunstreaker mess is also what lead to Sunstreaker having out of place red shoulders. Those stickers would have made more sense on a red diaclone model, named sideswipe.

 

And further to that, it's also the reason Alt Sunstreaker has red shoulders.

[ErikB]

Fun Fact: Transmetals 2 Blackarachnia in earlier versions had a poorly attached chestplate, thus becoming a removable bra! I was told that this was due to bad glue on the initial releases, but later fixed so the "bra" would stay on better.

 

Did you know?: That most G2 robots have the Autobot or Decepticon symbol & words hidden somewhere on their body?

 

Did you know?: Transformers past reaches back into the early 1980s with toy lines like Microman and Diaclone, but the actual Transformers lie was started in America, not Japan? That is why there are no official Japanese Transformers from 1984.

 

Fun Fact: Transformers is the largest Action Figure line in the world! with over 1000 toys in the line covering several countries like Japan, USA, Europe, Canada, and Argentina!

 

Fun Fact: before the current childrens line Go-Bots, there was a 80's childrens TF line called My First Transformer! There was three robots: a car, a plane, and a race car.

First Transformers Airplane robot

 

Q: What is up with these Beastformers that come up from time to time?

A: Beastformers in recent times has ment anything mainly from the Beast Wars line, and some other robots that have an animal alt mode. It can also be the G1 Japanese side line of TF's called Beastformers. They were featured in a Headmasters cartoon, and had a rather extensive line of small rubber animal figures that did not Transform. The were released elsewhere as the Battle Beast line and not tied to Transformers to prevent confusion and booster sales.

The Story of Japans Beastformers

 

Q: What's a Lucky Draw Figure?

A: Lucky Draw toys are very limited and rare repaints (usualy coated in gold chrome, painted black, or even clear!) of Transformers. They are given away in japan from a contest held every year by Takara (now under the Tomy company line). This started back in 1997 (?) and continues to this day.

 

Q: How many TF lines have their been?

A: There have been many lines in many countries. I'll try to list what I can and fix/edit this as people point out more. Here they are:

Generation 1 (US)

Generation 1 (Japan, had several titles)

Generation 1 (Europe)

Generation 1 (Argentina)

Generation 2 (US

Generation 2 (Europe)

Machine Wars (US...repaints of the later European G1 toys)

Beast Wars (US...several titles)

Beast Wars (Japan...several titles, 2 not released in US)

Robots in Disguise (US)

Car Robots (Jpan)

Armada Saga (US, three lines)

Micron Saga (Japan, two lines)

Galaxy Force (Japan)

Universe (US)

G1 Reissues (US)

Robot Masters (Japan)

Alternaters (US)

Binaltechs (Japan)

Masterpiece (US)

Masterpiece (Japan)

Bot Con (US & Europe)

Bot Con (Japan)

Lucky Draw (Japan)

First Transformers (US)

1-2-3 robots (US)

Go Bots (US)

My Clone (Japan)

SCF Transformers (Japan)

Heroes of Cybertron (US)

Titaniums (US)

Classics (US)

TF: the Movie (coming out soon)

[Calcifer]

Did you know?: That most G2 robots have the Autobot or Decepticon symbol & words hidden somewhere on their body?

 

Do you have any specific names?

[ErikB]

 

Did you know?: That most G2 robots have the Autobot or Decepticon symbol & words hidden somewhere on their body?

 

Do you have any specific names?

More or less all the re-paints of G1 that I have seen, icluding Sideswipe, the dinobots, the mini-bots, and even Optimus Prime and the Decepticons!

 

There should be the faction symbol followed by Decepticon or Autobot.

[Optimus Prime Sucks]

Fun Fact: Transformers is the largest toy line in the world! with over 1000 toys in the line covering several countries like Japan, USA, Europe, Canada, and Argentina!

This is not true. G.I. Joe and Lego are much bigger than Transformers, and has distribution in over 100 countries between the two lines.

[Lord Madhammer]

yeah you can see it on all the G1 reissues, apparently to distinguish it from the G1 release... as if it would be necessary :tflaugh

 

back to beasties: Mainframe was originally going to use both versions of Primal and Megs in the show, as in MUNKY/BAT and T-REX/ALLIGATOR, with each character having four modes as a result. It was cost-prohibitive though so they dropped it.

[ErikB]

Fun Fact: Transformers is the largest toy line in the world! with over 1000 toys in the line covering several countries like Japan, USA, Europe, Canada, and Argentina!

This is not true. G.I. Joe and Lego are much bigger than Transformers, and has distribution in over 100 countries between the two lines.

 

i should clear that up, they are the largest in action figures to the complete entire line, they barely outnudge GI Joes who are very close in size and numbers, including the 1960-70s toys.

[Optimus Prime Sucks]

More tidbits:

 

Up until the first TF: Headmasters series (a.k.a. G1, Series 4), a majority of the figures/toys were from other lines, such as Microman, Diaclones, and others. Just to name a few, all the G1 Autobot cars (until TF:TM), The Decepticon cassettes (again, up until TF:TM), Megatron, Shockwave, Ultra Magnus, the Dinobots, Whirl, and Roadbuster, just to name a few. It wasn’t until the G1S3 that Hasbro/Takara made molds specifically for the Transformers (i.e. Predaking, Trypticon, Metroplex, et cetera.)

 

Had G1 series 7 – that’s the line which initially introduced the Actionmasters, been successful, we would have had Actionmaster figures of more gestalts (other than Devastator) – Predaking, Bruticus, and Superion were some of the toys in question. Actionmaster Ultra Magnus would have been a play set similar to Actionmaster Optimus Prime. In conceptual stage only.

 

 

Pretenders were going to have been sold as dioramas with high level of detailed sculpting, but that idea was scrapped when Transformers were on the decline in NorAm after 1991. We were going to get other lines of Pretenders, including dual Pretenders, where one shell conceals two robots instead of one. Had prototypes made up, but was scrapped.

 

There were plans to make a G1 Powermaster Rodimus Prime, but that was scrapped. In conceptual stage only.

 

They had a Decepticon gestalt planned for the 4th series of G1 based on famous movie monsters, i.e. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Fly, et cetera. But that was scrapped in favor of Abominus. In conceptual stage only.

 

 

There were plans to make more 6-changers after Sixshot and Quickswitch – one of which transforms into a battleship/tank/jet/assault vehicle/snake/robot. That idea was only in the conceptual stage.

[Agent 539]

Excellent. Some of the this stuff I knew some of the stuff is new.

 

About as funny as Swoop having landing gear.

 

539

[ErikB]

Excellent. Some of the this stuff I knew some of the stuff is new.

 

About as funny as Swoop having landing gear.

 

539

yep, another fun leftover from his previous life as a Diaclone toy...as to why Hasbro left it there is beyond me.