Transformers (toy line)

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The Transformers is a line of toys produced by the toy companies Takara and Hasbro. Initially reusing previously-released toys from the Japanese toylines Diaclone (ダイアクロン) and Microman (ミクロマン), Hasbro issued the toys under the name Transformers in the United States in 1984. The premise behind the Transformers toyline is that an individual toy's parts can be shifted about to change it from a vehicle, a device, or an animal, to a robot action figure and back again. The taglines "More Than Meets The Eye" and "Robots In Disguise" reflect this ability.

The Transformers toyline is typically divided into two main factions: the heroic Autobots and their opponents, the evil Decepticons (known in Japan as the Cybertrons and Destrons, respectively). Transformers toys are sold at a number of price points, and various Transformers series utilize unique play features.

There have also been a number of spin-offs based on the toys including a Marvel comic book series, an animated television series program presented by Claster Television, a television production company that Hasbro organized for this and similar purposes, that began transmissions in 1984 (Transformers series) and a feature-length movie, The Transformers: The Movie. The original series program was followed by a number of spin-offs with varying levels of popularity. A live-action remake, directed by Michael Bay under the sponsorship of Steven Spielberg, premiered on June 12, 2007 and opened in the United States on July 2, 2007.

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[edit] Creation

The Transformers toyline was developed by Hasbro after they met up with Takara representatives at the 1983 Toy Fair trade show in New York and proposed to combine and re-brand Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines into the Transformers for release in the United States. Thus began a long and successful collaboration between Takara and Hasbro on toy development for the Transformers line, a collaboration which has grown increasingly close. Currently, Hasbro does the vast majority of the concept work and character creation, while Takara continues to control the actual manufacture of the toys. Hasbro markets and sells the toys internationally, while Takara sells them in the Japanese market. The design director for the Transformers brand, as of the first week of July of 2007, was Aaron Archer.

The basic back-story of the toyline and subsequent comic books and cartoons was developed by the Marvel Comics writers Jim Shooter and Dennis O'Neil; it was O'Neil who actually changed Convoy's name to Optimus Prime. Most of the subsequent character names and profiles throughout the original run were done by the primary Transformers US comic book writer, Bob Budiansky.

Floro Dery was primarily responsible for the look and feel of the Transformers cartoon series program, and he was the visual creator of The Transformers: The Movie. He refined some of the initial season one animated character models done in Japan, and subsequently interpreted the toy box art for further characters, creating the models that would become the visual guidelines both for the comic books and the animated cartoon.

Most Transformers come with "technical specifications" which detail the Transformer’s characteristics. Older Transformers come with Robot Points which could be redeemed for special Transformers which were not sold in stores, such as the Omnibots or the Decepticon triplets known as Reflector, a character who featured heavily in the early installments of the television series program, despite not being easily available as toys.

[edit] Transformers toylines

The following Transformers toy series were released in the United States:

See also: Transformers (fiction), Transformers series and Transformers (comic).

[edit] Transformers: Generation One (1984-1990 USA)(1984-1993 UK/Canada)

Main article: Transformers: Generation 1

The first Transformers toys were created from the different transforming robot toylines from Takara, notably the Diaclone and Micro Change (Microman) series. Hasbro acquired the rights to sell them in the United States but, instead of selling them under their original names, they were rebranded as "The Transformers." The first two years consisted primarily of reusing the Diaclone/Micro Change molds. Some of the models from the Diaclone line still have the pilot's seat in their design. The tagline to the Transformers is, "More Than Meets The Eye!" The earliest toys had some parts made of die-cast metal, which were eventually phased out.

It is worth noting that the line was released as "The Transformers" in the USA, Canada and the UK in 1984 but Takara was still marketing Diaclone at least during 1984. Hence in Japan "The Transformers" did not debut under that brand till 1985, when the line was also rolled out to the majority of the rest of the world between Takara and Hasbro. Hasbro Europe still will not accept, however, that the range was released in the UK in 1984[citation needed], not even with evidence such as Argos 1984 catalogues containing the range, the UK comic launching in September 1984 or even the 1984 Transformers product catalogue produced by "Hasbro Industries (UK) Ltd, Wokingham." It is thought that Hasbro Europe as it now stands did not come into existence till 1985, hence no records of Transformers sales in 1984.[citation needed] UK Transformers toys were sold in identical boxes to those of their American counterparts up until around 1998/9 when the range started to have UK exclusives.

The 1984 and 1985 toy lines contained several figures of note. Megatron, the Decepticon leader, originally transformed into a realistic Walther P-38 pistol with stock and barrel extensions and scope. The Megatron toy was delayed till 1985 for release in the UK. The Constructicons were the first "gestalt" team in the Transformers line, but were different from most subsequent gestalt teams in that they consisted of six members instead of five. The Autobot Jetfire was repainted from a Macross toy, specifically the VF-1 Valkyrie, and the character was renamed Skyfire in the animated television series program for copyright reasons.

In 1986 the Transformers animated movie had been released, and during the run of the movie, through a pamphlet that came with certain figures, you could order through the mail certain transformers, Optimus Prime was one of them, that came in a standard brown mailer box, with items, booklet, and a limited Edition Movie certificate and sticker

The 1986 line featured another significant change in that many, if not the majority, of the toys were conceived as futuristic vehicles and bore little resemblance to present-day machinery. This was due to changes in the movie and television series, which leaped ahead twenty years to the year 2005. Many have speculated that this change might have been what signaled the beginning of the end for the Transformers, as part of the novelty of the first lines was the realistic vehicles that turned into robots.

For the 1987 and 1988 lines, Hasbro introduced even more radical ideas through new sub-groups. The Headmasters and Targetmasters came with partners who transformed into the figure's head or weapon, respectively. Powermasters, including the new version of fan favorite Optimus Prime, came with partners that transformed into engines. Each line would see various permutations over the two-year span, including smaller Headmasters, Double Targetmasters, and a Powermaster with two engines.

The most controversial line of this period was the Pretenders. Pretenders consisted of a Transformer contained inside an action figure shell who could "pretend" to be either a human or a monster. Complaints with this line were numerous, including the lack of articulation of the figures (the shells could only move their arms), the simple transformation of the robots within, and their increasing lack of resemblance to any sort of modern recognizeable vehicle. Still, despite the complaints, the Pretender line continued through all but the final year of Generation One, with variations such as Beast Pretenders, Monster Pretenders, Classic Pretenders, Mega Pretenders and Ultra Pretenders, each with variations on the theme or increasing levels of complexity.

Also during this time, Micromasters were introduced, and would become one of the last sub-groups of Generation One. Micromasters were tiny Transformers created to compete with the Micro Machines, a hugely popular toy line of the time. While many of the figures had simple transformations and little detail due to their small size, the line eventually expanded to feature Micromaster Transports and Bases, in which Micromasters came with larger vehicles or bases that transformed.

In 1989 , the entire line became limited to Pretenders and Micromasters. For the first time, the Transformers received a new design for their title logo. But many also regarded this as a time of a dearth in creativity and the lowest point in the toyline's history. The year 1990 saw the last American burst with the release of more Micromaster characters and the introduction of the Action Masters, non-transforming action figures who came with Transforming companions. Larger Action Master sets came with transforming vehicles and bases. The Action Master line was criticized for its perceived desperation for a gimmick, although it had a few defenders. The line predictably faded and would be the last Transformers output in the US until 1992.

While Transformers ended poorly for the US market, the same can not be said for the UK, Canada, and Japan markets as they went on to produce their own continuing series between 1991 to 1993, despite the UK market in particular missing a substantial amount of figures prominent in the comics and animated series throughout the line's run. Each country produced their own continuity. The UK and Canada continued with new Action Master figures and introduced the Turbo Masters and Predators. Japan continued with the Micromasters concept.

The 1992 and 1993 European and Canadian releases make up what is often called "Generation 1.5," much to the annoyance of many UK fans. These toys are similar in design to the Generation 2 Transformers, having lightpipe eyes, and pastel colors. The 1993 European figures used the G2 faction symbols which Hasbro UK designed because their licence on the G1 symbols had expired. The 1993 figures were repackaged for European G2 release in 1994, and three subgroup molds got used in the US G2 line.

The term Generation 1 is a retronym; the series was simply known as "Transformers" until the release of the Generation 2 series. However, the term has become semi-official, as both Hasbro and Takara have referred to this era as "Generation 1." New characters are still occasionally added to the line, primarily by E-hobby. (Examples: Sunstorm, Hauler, Detritus, and the like.) Large-scale production of new characters in this line ended with the onset of Generation 2.

[edit] Transformers: Generation Two (1993-1995 USA) (1994-1995 UK/Canada)

In late 1993, Hasbro relaunched the Transformers franchise with the Generation 2 line, with production again largely being done by Takara. The subgroups concept was done away with for the first year, but there were no new molds or characters. Generation 2 re-used the molds for many of the characters from the 1984 and 1985 line, but with mostly different color schemes and finishes, as well as different weapons and accessories. Megatron's figure was released later on. As noted previously, Megatron's original alternate mode, or "transformation identity," was a handgun with attachments, but in Generation Two, this was changed to a tank due to safety and security concerns. Most of the 1994 figures were re-releases or recolors of European G1 releases.

Unfortunately for both Takara and Hasbro, the Generation Two series of Transformers sold poorly, with the stories generally being considered artistically bankrupt as well[citation needed], and Hasbro abandoned it after two years. There were toys planned that never saw release. Most of these were G1 combiner team recolors or recolors of recent figures. Four unreleased molds were released in the Machine Wars line, and four more resurfaced in the Robots In Disguise series.

[edit] Beast Wars and Beast Machines (1996-2001)

With the failure of the Generation 2 series, Hasbro and Takara decided the franchise needed an overhaul. They went in a new direction and a new beginning. While there had been Transformers that change into robotic animals, the premise of the new line was that all figures would transform into animals with realistic appearances. The Beast Wars toyline was launched in the fall of 1995, and Mainframe Entertainment produced a computer-generated imagery, or CGI, animated series program to tie in with the new toyline. A fresh idea coupled with a TV series program with strong stories assured this series the success Hasbro and Takara needed, as this series was a giant hit in international markets as well as in Takara's home market, Japan.

Hasbro's original plan for the Beast Wars was to have Optimus Prime, renamed Optimus Primal, and Megatron be reformatted versions of their 1980s selves. This was shown in the toys's Tech Specs, and in the comic packaged with the basic Optimus Primal/Megatron two-pack. Hasbro also wanted the "Mutant Heads" found on all of the deluxe sized first year toys as battle helmets, but Mainframe scrapped the idea as it would have required three animation models for each character instead of two. Another designed feature for the 1995/1996 toys was carried over from Generation 2, transparent 'light pipe" eyes. However, most toys had those parts cast in opaque plastic.

The Beast Wars line was also the first appearance of "flip changer" Basics, where flipping a part of the animal mode (usually the head or tail) would transform the entire toy, and moving the part back would transform the toy back to beast mode. Like other features, this was only used in the 1995/1996 Basics and their repaints.

Beast Wars: Transformers had to be renamed in some countries, particularly Canada, because of concern over the word "war" in the title. So, in some countries, it was released under the title Beasties. Long-time Transformers fans noticed the prominence of the words "Beast Wars" over "Transformers," the latter appearing in small type under the former. The Transformers's fan base splintered into two groups as a direct result, with the one enjoying Beast Wars for what it was and the other refusing to accept it as official canon in the Transformers mythology.

The success of Beast Wars and the change in storyline resulted in its second phase: Beast Machines. Like Beast Wars, the name Transformers was used only as a secondary title. While still a success, the storyline and direction borne by Beast Machines was questioned and criticized by the most ardent fans who knew the previous history of the Transformers. Also, there was a clamor for a return to the original idea of the Transformers, that of their being protean robots with nearly humanlike artificial intelligences who transformed into vehicles or devices.

[edit] Robots in Disguise (2001-2002)

While Beast Machines was still running in the United States, Japan’s Takara made a bid to return to the familiar vehicle-transforming robots concept. In 2000, Car Robots was released. This line was brought by Hasbro to America as the Robots In Disguise series, and featured the Autobots facing off against the Predacons. This series is usually regarded by most as filler while Hasbro contemplated the next direction for Transformers. However most fans of Transformers recognise that most if not all of the toys released from this line were of excellent quality, combining the ball-joint articulation with detailed, well painted alternate modes.

Once again Optimus Prime and Megatron were re-engineered, with Prime now a fire truck and Megatron a six changer, whose modes included a dragon, bird-creature, jet, land-craft and a giant hand. Another G1 character to get a new toy for this line was Ultra Magnus, who could combine with Optimus Prime to form Omega Prime. Other combiners were created for the series too, such as Landfill and Rail Racer. Bruticus, a combiner from G1 was also recoloured and introduced into the series, with a coinciding toy re-release. The combaticons that formed Bruticus were the first of the Decepticons to be introduced into the show along with Scourge, who as a toy was a black repaint of G2 Laser Prime. These were not the only toys to be re-released for this series, with many from past lines being repainted and packaged in RID boxes. Robots In Disguise was responsible for introducing a lot of concepts that would be re-used often in the next incarnations of Transformers.

Also of note, Megatron's toy was repainted and re-released (retooled to allow 4 new altmodes) under the name Galvatron, beginning a tradition of repaints that would follow through with Armada and subsequent toy lines.

[edit] Transformers: Armada (2002-2003)

In 2003, Transformers: Armada launched a pivotal new era in the toy line. After several lines of toys produced by one company or the other, Hasbro and Takara united to produce what was purported to be a single, identical line of Transformers for release worldwide. In tandem with this new endeavor, Armada signaled a new continuity in its accompanying animated series and a new focus in both the show and the toys on Mini-Cons, a new faction of Transformers. The Mini-Cons were much smaller robots (not much larger than humans) who were neutral in the Autobot/Decepticon fight, but due to their incredible power and abilities, were sought by both factions.

The lowest priced toys in the Armada line were three-packs of Mini-Cons. Each larger price point consisted of an Autobot or Decepticon who came with a Mini-Con partner. Mini-Cons could be used to unlock a variety of features on each larger robot, such as firing weapons, electronic lights and sounds, or alternate modes. Some three-pack Mini-Cons combined into other forms or had additional features. According to the storyline, Mini-Cons also enhanced the power of other Transformers, giving incentive to collect as many of them as possible.

Other items of note in the Armada line:

  • The Armada line featured the first commercially available figure of Unicron, who is a legendary character from Generation 1, and the main villain of The Transformers: The Movie. Unicron is a robot who transforms into an entire planet.
  • The Mini-Cons often mimicked features associated with Generation 1 sub-groups such as the Headmasters and Targetmasters, transforming into weapons and, in three cases, a Transformer's head.

[edit] Transformers: Energon (2003-2005)

After the successful Armada toy line, Hasbro/Takara introduced Transformers: Energon. The accompanying television series program was a direct continuation of the events of Transformers: Armada and featured many of the same characters in new forms. This was reflected in the toy line, as characters such as Hot Shot, Jetfire, Optimus Prime and Megatron were all released with entirely new molds.

Transformers: Energon introduced several new concepts to the toy line. Two new sub-groups, the Omnicons and Terrorcons, joined the fray, representing smaller factions of the Autobots and Decepticons respectively. The smaller toys in these sub-groups came with Energon weapons that could be used by the larger Autobots and Decepticons, along with Energon chips that could be fastened to the larger figures to enhance their power. Energon weapons and chips came in a variety of colors of translucent plastic. Many Autobot figures in the line were able to combine with a partner to form a larger robot through the "Powerlinx" process. The Decepticons were designed instead with alternative "attack modes." While no longer the focus of the line, there were several Mini-Con releases in Energon as well.

Other items of note in the Energon line:

  • Energon contains perhaps the most homages to Generation 1 Transformers in any subsequent line, with toys featuring similarities to classic figures such as Omega Supreme, Skids, Wheeljack, Galvatron and Ravage.
  • Many larger figures in the line came with no weapons, to fit with the concept that Omnicons and Terrorcons provided energy and weaponry for them. Fittingly, then, the smaller robots were often armed to the hilt with weaponry.
  • In a break from tradition, Energon Optimus Prime's large mode resembled a configuration similar to Voltron or to the Super Sentai action figures. This design was unpopular with many fans due to design issues with the toy. The small robot's body was large in proportion to his arms and legs which made the figure appear fat, earning it the nickname "Fatimus Prime" or "Obese-imus Prime". The 4 vehicles that combined with the robot were small, lacking the intricate detail that made other toys in the line popular. Fans were also angered by early releases of this toy in which the head was molded with a mouth rather than the traditional muzzle design. Later releases of the toy did feature a more traditional Prime head.

[edit] Transformers: Cybertron (2005-2007)

Transformers: Cybertron, named Galaxy Force in Japan, was a follow-up to the successful Armada and Energon lines. The companion anime series program is only partially a continuation of the Armada/Energon storyline, as several inconsistencies exist. Once again, a new feature was introduced for the line--Cyber Keys, which activated special functions on the figures in a manner similar to the Mini-Cons in Armada. Each figure came with a Cyber Key regardless of size, but there were several Cyber Keys crucial to the plot of the anime series which only came with certain figures. Again, many of the same characters were included but with entirely new figures from new molds.

Also of note in the Cybertron line:

  • Primus, the creator of the Transformers conceived by Simon Furman for the UK Transformers comic, received action figure treatment in the Cybertron line. He transformed into the planet Cybertron itself.
  • For the first time since Rodimus Prime in Generation One, Cybertron featured a Prime other than Optimus--Vector Prime, said to be one of the first 13 Transformers ever created.
  • By this time, Hasbro/Takara was using a higher ratio of repaints consisting of figures from the Armada and Energon lines. In addition, by the end of its run, Cybertron was competing with several other simultaneous lines, including Universe, Alternators and Titanium.
  • Many of the repaints taken from the Armada line had remolded parts retro-fitted to the original designs so their Mini-con features would now use a planet key instead.

[edit] Transformers: Kiss Players (2006)

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(translated from the Japanese Wikipedia article)

The Transformers: Kiss Players was a Japan-only line of Transformers toys, manga, and audio dramas released in 2006. Kiss Players is set in an alternate Transformers universe where the Transformers are powered by the kisses of young girls. The toys themselves come packaged with small, scale figurines of the girls who power them. The toyline was openly admitted to be aimed at a specific part of the market--perverted adults, rather than children. The comic that accompanied the Kiss Players was an unashamed reflection of this, with several images which were considered by some to be very sexually themed.

Kiss Players continued the theme of the metaphysical power potential of human beings empowering Transformers. Previous examples were the Japanese series programs Godmasters and Car Robots.

[edit] Transformers film (2007)

Main article: Transformers (2007 film)

The live-action Transformers movie was slated to premiere in the U.S. on July 3, 2007, and was a joint collaboration among DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, Inc. Paramount Pictures was slated to release the film in the United States, as it had by now made DreamWorks Pictures one of its wholly owned subsidiaries, and was also to be responsible for the international release of the film through United International Pictures, its joint venture with Universal Studios. The feature was directed by Michael Bay from a screenplay written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It was a new story, set apart from the previous incarnations of the cartoon(s) and comic(s). A new origin and characters were introduced. Steven Spielberg, who with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen had established DreamWorks SKG, was the main executive producer of the film, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto and Don Murphy serving as co-executive producers. In practice, this meant that they were the primary financial sponsors of the film.

Shia LaBeouf portrays the lead human character, Sam Witwicky, in the film with Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Megan Fox in supporting roles. Peter Cullen reprises his role as the voice of Optimus Prime. Megatron's voice is provided by Hugo Weaving.

It was expected that the release of a new movie would involve the production and release of associated toys from Takara and Hasbro. Images surfaced, on-line, of some toy prototypes, notably Starscream and a new Decepticon who was to be named Blackout, along with packaged samples of movie preview "Protoform" Optimus Prime and Starscream toys. Similarly, fans found preliminary artwork of multiple characters, although it was not known at the time how close these were to the final designs. The designs were significantly different from those of the Generation 1 characters with the same names. Reactions varied widely: some fans objected strongly to the designs, occasionally going so far as to threaten a boycott if the designs were not changed to be more traditional, while others liked them. The issue became a divisive one, as detractors accused supporters of lacking respect for the franchise's history, while supporters accused detractors of being "stuck in the past", and not accepting change.

In the "Transformers" film, the robots had more of an alien feel to them to fit the theme of an alien invasion. The robots (stated by Optimus Prime) in the film are actual sentient organisms and not just giant, mindless, and mechanical machines. The robots can also speak their own alien language sounding like what seems to be based on different pitches and frequencies. Along side of that, they gave them more alien features that probably wasn't mentioned in the comics or T.V. series such as an highly advanced exoskeleton, force field, and a special "alien meteoroid" mode which they transform into individually and arrive on earth in. The exoskeleton is a "self-regenerating metal" in which the aliens are composed of (stated in the film) that is the equivalent of living skin that heals itself.

Even though the transformers were heavily modified for the film for a more alien "feel", they still kept some key features from the G1 look to stay true to the character's origins. Examples: Optimus' faceplate and primary colors, and Megatron's arm cannon. Megatron's head also resembles a helmet-like shape.

Also, as a new feature, most figures include advanced "automorph technology", which is designed to create quicker and easier conversion, which means moving one part of the vehicle or robot causes other parts to move, creating a final shift to battle mode. The 'auto-morph' was a great idea because the transformation was more complex in the movie line than in any other Transformers toyline.

[edit] Transformers: Animated (2008)

Main article: Transformers: Animated

The Transformers: Animated series is currently broadcasting in USA and other countries. This new series uses a very different art-style from the previous series. The Autobots and Decepticons, while fighting in space for possession of the Allspark, crash-landed onto a futuristic Earth and resume their battle after laying dormant for years. In addition to the Decepticons, the Autobots have to face the human villains as well. Classic characters such as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Prowl, Starscream, Megatron, Jazz and Ultra Magnus appear in this series.

The toyline for this series is set to be released in June 2008.

Originally, Transformers: Animated was to be called "Transformers: Heroes", but its name was changed to avoid confusion with the Transfomers live-action film.

[edit] Transformers: Universe /Classics 2.0 (2008)

A continuation of the Transformers: Classics line, but merged with the Universe line, this toyline will include modern-day interpretations of classic characters designed using present-day toy technology.

Confirmed Wave 1 Deluxe-class characters include Prowl, Sunstreaker, Tankor (Originally Octane, Sideswipe, and Ironhide. Ultra-class figures include Powerglide and Onslaught. Additional figures such as a Voyager-class Blaster and Silverbolt were announced recently.

Prowl will be modeled after a Nissan 350Z/Infinity G35 coupe police car with translucent light rack. He will have shoulder mounted weapons just like in Generation One, except these are attached to him and rotate up.

Sunstreaker will be a Bumblebee-yellow Ferrari remanesant sports car, with removable gun and G1 style piece where the 'engine' come up behind his head.

Tankor will be a triple changer from a 'Sproose Goose' style plane, to a type of refueling truck. In generation one, he was originally called Octane.

Sideswipe is a red repaint of Sunstreaker.

Silverstreak is a repaint of Prowl, in his Generation 1 cartoon colors.

Ironhide is a GMC Acadia type of SUV with a lot of transformation lines, he is red like in G1.

Powerglide will be an airplane modeled after an A-10 Warthog airplane.

Onslaught will be a large, almost tank-like S.W.A.T. vehicle, with the roof of it being a large shield. Just like Brawl/Devastator from the Movie Line, gun turrets will stick out of Onslaughts 'back' Blaster will be a repaint of Cybertron Soundwave. Siverbolt is going to be a sleek, white, supersonic comercial jets with lights and sounds. He will actually be an Ultra class figure.

This line will be launched in August 2008.

[edit] Transformers:China Promotional Toyline

In China, there is a promotion going on where if you puchase a Chevy Aveo (called the Lova in China), you will receive a free (oficially licensed) Hasbro toy that is modeled after the Aveo. The toys name is Swerve. Swerve is red, he has no weapons, but weapons from other Transformers can fit on him. This piece was limited to only 2,000. There is another rare one that is a yellow Swerve. The instruction sheet says its from the Universe line, but it could fit in that line or the movie line, since it has a real Chevy emblem on it (and a movie-robot looking head). There are 2 other ways to get Swerve, one is the Chevy online European store (not for sale any longer) and the other is off of Ebay. You can tell this is a rare toy because out of hundreds of millions of You-Tube videos, there is only one on swerve.

[edit] Transformers: Marvel Crossovers (2008)

A new line which features robot versions of various Marvel superheroes. Confirmed figures are Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Venom and Hulk. Hulk turns into a tank while Iron Man turns into a jet. Spider-Man becomes a bike, Wolverine turns into a 4WD, Venom turns into a turbocharged retrocar. Not to be confused with the Marvel Megamorphs toyline which also featured transformable mecha piloted by the superheroes.

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • Contrary to what people may think, there has never been a break in the production of new Transformer toys; there have been new Transformers toys every year since its debut in 1984 because the UK and Japan produced their own continuing series in the period of 1991 to 1993.
  • Like G.I. Joe's Larry Hama, Bob Budiansky wrote the majority of the tech specs, the personal profile of each Transformer, for the Generation 1 series.
  • The Hasbro toyline Battle Beasts was known as Beastformers in Japan, and was a part of the Japanese Transformers toyline.
  • London electro band Robots In Disguise are named after the famous Transformers tagline.
  • In the song, The Twelve Pains of Christmas, the 8th pain has a child saying, "I want a Transformer for Christmas!"

[edit] Transformers events

The official international Transformers convention is BotCon but other fan events include Auto Assembly and TransForce in the UK and past Transformers only events have included BotCon Japan, BotCon Europe and "OTFCC". The first larger Transformers convention in the Nordic countries is called "The NTFA Mini-Con", with official support from Hasbro Nordic, and was held by members of the NTFA - The Nordic TransFans Association, for the first time on November 3-4, 2007. Various other events also celebrate Transformers.

[edit] Transformers video games

In 1986 , Ocean Software Ltd. released a video game based on the Transformers. It was available for ZX Spectrum [1] and Commodore 64 [2]. It was rated slightly above average in the reviews. In 1986 Activision also released a Transformers game for the Commodore 64 [3].

Takara released a Famicom game named Transformers: Convoy no Nazo, which controlled mainly the "powered" form of Convoy, known in the United States as Ultra Magnus. The game was poorly received in Japan and was not released overseas.

Another game was released for the Sony PlayStation 2 by Atari; simply titled as Transformers, it was based on The Transformers: Armada. The game's reception was mixed, particularly due to the popularity of a PS2 Transformers game released at the same time for a Japanese-exclusive market, though the Armada game was of a higher quality and featured much better gameplay. The game not released in America was based on the Generation 1 storylines.

Hasbro sold the digital gaming rights various properties, including My Little Pony, Magic: The Gathering, Tonka, Playskool, and The Transformers, to Infogrames for 100 million dollars in American money in 2000, buying back the rights for 65 million in American money in June of 2005.[1]

Activision and Traveller's Tales, creators of the Lego Star Wars games, released Transformers: The Game in 2007 to tie in with the live-action feature film for the Sony PlayStation 3, the Microsoft Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii,The PC and the Sony PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The player was able to play as both the Autobots and the Decepticons, pick up and throw objects, and transform at any time. The steering in vehicle mode was compared to that of the Grand Theft Auto games and had a free-roaming environment.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "HASBRO REACQUIRES DIGITAL GAMING RIGHTS FROM INFOGRAMES FOR $65 MILLION", Hasbro press release, 9 June 2005.

[edit] External links

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Unicron Trilogy
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The Transformers (1986) · Battle to Save the Earth (1986) · Convoy no Nazo (1986) · The Headmasters (1987) · Beast Wars (1997) · Beast Senshi Saikyō Ketteisen (1999) · Beast Wars Transmetals (2000) · DreamMix TV World Fighters (2003) · Transformers (2003) · Transformers (2004) · Transformers: The Game (2007)