After finally sitting down and watching Beast Machines all the way through, I enjoyed it far more than even gen1. granted the toyline sucked but who cares... didn't waste money on them.

 

but after all it was a end to the Gen1 timeline!

 

as far as the A/E/C story, its nothing more than a New retelling of Gen1 for the newer generations. with Optimus have weight issues! I just wish that the storyline could be done better... constant Megatron=Galvatron, then back to Megatron!

granted the toyline sucked but who cares...

The problem is that everything is dependent on the toyline, especially TV shows. If the toyline fails then the show will be axed no matter how well it's going. Look at the G1 comics - we got some of the best stories towards the end, especially in the US run - and yet it was axed simply because the toys weren't selling well enough.

 

A TF line will flop if the toys fail even if the show or comics are good. But at the same time, a TF line will succeed massively if the toys are good, even if the show isn't or even if the show doesn't exist. For example, people were importing Car Robot toys like crazy and when RiD came out they flew off shelves long before the show aired - and when it did, it wasn't the most fantastic piece of TF lore ever penned, but the toys were just so cool that people were buying them in droves... even in spite of Hasbro's use of inferior parts (e.g.: inferior rubber for tyres that were prone to splitting).

 

Binaltech/Alternators was a success despite the fact that it never had a show or comic -- it's been the only TF line that has been solely supported by a series of text stories... but that makes sense in the context that this line was targetted directly at adults instead of children.

 

The Classics also appear to be selling well despite the lack of a related show or comic book line. Although their success is really based on the success of the G1 toy line (and hence the subsequent success of the G1 comics and cartoon series) two decades ago. Same with the fact that IDW can publish their TF comics based on G1 characters despite the fact that they're no longer on sale.

 

...without the toys, Transformers is nothing. RIRFIB forever!! :D

*has had no problems with rubber tires on RiD guys*

For the record, I think BM produced some of the most awesome toys around...

 

Just that none of them made it onto the show!

 

 

But fo'serious. U-Snarl, Battle Unicorn, Tankor, Blastcharge, and Obsidian...these guys make me want Longhorn, Quickstrike, Deluxe Primal (not Blast Punch!), among many others... the most awesome toys are the ones usually not being hyped up on the TV...

I really liked Beast Machines; not so much for its Eastern Philosophy but for its cool techno atmosphere. It was dark, funny, and it made you choose sides.

I dont think anyone wants to admit it but I think "Cybertron" is selling a lot of Classics.

Which is to say - people go to by TFs and they see Cybertron and they see Classics and they go "Cool" and they buy Blot. Neither them or the kids really know the difference. Cause 90% of the cybertron toys out now are non-show characters anyway.

 

I think santa is also selling the CLs a LOT.

 

So its not just G1 - i mean us 30 fans shouldnt start patting our selves on the back too vigerously just yet.

Maybe Megatron used the robosmasher on Rhinox to turn him eeeeevil, just like he used it on the Constructicons after they built him but before he built them.

Wrong Megatron. :P

 

For the record, I think BM produced some of the most awesome toys around...

 

Just that none of them made it onto the show!

 

 

But fo'serious. U-Snarl, Battle Unicorn, Tankor, Blastcharge, and Obsidian...these guys make me want Longhorn, Quickstrike, Deluxe Primal (not Blast Punch!), among many others... the most awesome toys are the ones usually not being hyped up on the TV...

 

I think most of the Vehicons were really neat TFs - it was mostly the Maximals that were less popular. Think back to what people were saying about these toys 6 years ago, they were mostly Starscreaming about the Maximals moreso than the Vehicons. Jetstorm and Tankor were neat toys in their own right, even the their toy models weren't as toy accurate (although the later Ultra Jetstorm and Tank drone were more show like). Thrust was the weakest of the three initial generals, but he was still an alright toy. And I think that Obsidian is a really neat figure.

 

I find Long Horn and Snarl to be amongst the weakest of the Maximals - alongside Geckobot, Buzzsaw and Silverbolt whom I also consider to be pretty Blote. Deluxe Primal is a nice toy, and as I've mentioned before, has a lot of artistic merit as an action figure. Quickstrike, Nightviper and Blackarachnia are amongst the better made BM Maximals IMO. Rattrap is pretty mediocre.

 

The Deployers also don't receive enough praise too. They're really fun toys to play with. You get a whole bunch of adult collectors who never play with their toys and generally just let them sit on display cases gathering dust in between occasional fiddles - but when you actually sit down and play with these toys, you'd see that the Deployers are really fun to play with. Especially from a child's POV - and the mainstream toy lines ought to be targetted at children.

 

One of my criticisms against the BM show is that it doesn't cater much for children. There are a couple of light-hearted moments with some humour, but it's just not a fun show for kids. I heard an anecdote from a fan in Canberra who said that he watched a BM ep with a kid, and when they showed that scene where Megatron is watching over the Vehicons who are moving in formation but done in a style that reminds you of the old newsreels about Nazi Germany, the kid started crying!

 

Beast Wars had a well written story with its dark moments too, but it was balanced with enough lighter moments and colours that it would also appeal to kids too. Beast Machines is very dark, both visually and emotionally.

 

I've always applauded Beast Wars in succeeding in the balancing act of appealing to both children and adults simultaneously - which is not an easy thing to do. It's something that has only been done before by the Marvel Comics during G1-G2 but show-wise has had no precedent and has never been done since. Every other TF cartoon either appeals primarily to children (which is every TF cartoon except BW/BM) or primarily to adults (BM). Only BW really set out to appeal to both audiences; and this was something mentioned by one of the BW producers in an interview back when we'd all heard about a BW cartoon being made but it hadn't come out yet; ya know, back when we were buying these toys and kinda wondering what the hell they were about :P (1996)

 

Hrmmm... this makes me wonder...