What will the next line be called?

 

Capacitors, Resistors, Generators (hmm, would that make it G3?) , Processors...

Were these anything like the "Transistors" ?

 

No. Transistor Robots were considerably a better looking product. Most standard Convertors were straight up KOs, or weird robot toys that someone just made up one night while drunk. Transistor Robots were cool in the fact that they all were totally remolded.

The Converters were ripped off from the pre-TF line that Omega Supreme came from, even though it was released at the same time as TFs. Much like how "Shackwave" was a KO of the Gun Borg toy that Shockwave was derived from.

 

All the 1984-1985 and a good chunk of the 1986 Transformers were taken from other Japanese transforming mecha lines.

+ Diaclone (Takara) = Autobot cars, Decepticon jets, Insecticons, Constructicons, Omnibots, Powerdashers, Triplechangers (Blitzwing & Astrotrain), Dinobots, Jumpstarters, Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime; hence why all these TFs have pilot compartments or ride-on seats except for the Constructicons.

+ New Microman (Takara) = Autobot minicars, Decepticon cassettes, Soundwave, Megatron, Reflector, Blaster

+ Super Dimensional Fortress Macross (Takatoku) = Jetfire

+ Armoured Trooper Dorvack (Takatoku) = Deluxe Autobots

+ Armoured Insect Squadron Beetras (Takatoku) = Deluxe Insecticons

+ Gun Borg (ToyCo) = Shockwave

+ Super Change Robo Mechabot-1 (ToyBox) = Omega Supreme

 

Stuff like the second year Autobot mini-cars (and possibly the 2nd year Sky Raiders too) as well as all the Scramble City gestalts were based on designs that Takara were intending to use with Diaclone and Microman but were instead released exclusively as Transformers.

 

1986 was the first year that we saw some Transformers being exclusively designed for the TF line, particularly those based on characters that would feature in the movie (e.g.: Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Rodimus Prime, Galvatron et al.) but it wouldn't be until 1987 that we got a line that was entirely composed of original moulds intended for the TF line (except for the Japanese line for that year, since they got the Trainbots which were from Diaclone, as well as Stepper, Artfire, Twincast and Soundblaster). It was from 1988 onwards that everything was made exclusively for the TF line.

Were these anything like the "Transistors" ?

 

No. Transistor Robots were considerably a better looking product. Most standard Convertors were straight up KOs, or weird robot toys that someone just made up one night while drunk. Transistor Robots were cool in the fact that they all were totally remolded.

 

Hey, thanks :thumb

i have several, and they (like TFs) have been re-released a hundred fold it seems under many other companies and names. These are some of the latest versions i have found:

http://www.transformersontheshelf.com/KOBeastfighters.html