What do you think was the worst Concept for Transformers Toys over the Years?

[Cheers Ian]

Originally Posted by jourdo

Personally I will have to agree with Action Masters. The story part was great in the comics... but the toys... meh.



I'm pretty sure the line was on life support by that time... although I could be wrong.



If loving Robot Heros is wrong then I don't want to know what right is!

What was the jist of the Action Masters story in the comic.

I actually had a few action Masters as a kid and really liked them. Rad and his robot dog were my favorites, I think Pretenders are uglier but Action Masters were a worse Concept.

[Dark Rage]

Beast Machines.

Flimsy Beast Wars for a close second for TF's made in the 90's/00's.

[SPLIT LIP]

Originally Posted by Dark Rage

Beast Machines.

Flimsy Beast Wars for a close second for TF's made in the 90's/00's.

Flimsy? Guess you've never owned a BW toy.

Typical, just 'cuz it's something different it's automatically the worst.

[Barpharanges]

G1 Transformers started going downhill for me with the release of the Movie. Sure the characters were great, but the toys were horrible. The movie also started the tread of futuristic alt modes rather than realistic current vehicles. I realize it was because the storyline leaped forward into the fantastical year of 2005, but it was just an excuse to simplify the transformation (ie: "Its got wheels, its a car!"). There was a couple gems after the Movie (Punch/Counter Punch comes to mind) but it seemed to be a downward tread of simplistic transformation and less articulation. When Action Masters came out, I stopped buying.
Beast Wars brought me back with its use of ball joints and new ideas. The names were silly, but by the Transmetal waves, the transformations were complex enough to really enjoy buying Transformers again. Beast Machines was an abominable show, and the return of limited transforming toys (Deployers and Beast Riders) was disipointing, but some toys were a lot of fun . Robots In Disguise was a blast as the toys turned into "real" cars again. Armada was crap, a real step backward for complex and articulated toys. I really enjoyed the combining Autobots from Energon, and still enjoy playing with them from time to time (Prowl/Prowl combined is awesome). Cybertron was fantastic, Classic was even better and Animated is surprisingly a hell of a lot of fun. Michael Bay's vision of the Transformers was horrible, so the toys have limited appeal to me, but the movie has done great things for the toyline which helps all Transformers toylines.

[Dark Rage]

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Flimsy? Guess you've never owned a BW toy.

Typical, just 'cuz it's something different it's automatically the worst.

I've owned BW toys. The ball joints go to hell after awhile. The only part of the BW toy line I like are the Transmetals, they were sturdy and I liked the designs.

My TM2 Dinobot is moving like a rubber chicken whenever I fiddle with it.

[SPLIT LIP]

Originally Posted by Dark Rage

My TM2 Dinobot is moving like a rubber chicken whenever I fiddle with it.

TM2 Dinobot, IMO, was a flawed design. The balljoints were too small for his limbs and the rubber tubes and stuff did not help posability. I agree with you there.

Still, BW toys when they came out were not flimsy. That's like saying G1 figs suck because your vintage figs are all loose and have chipped paint. That's the toy, not the concept.

[Incepticon]

Originally Posted by jourdo

If loving Robot Heros is wrong then I don't want to know what right is!

I hear that. I'm addicted to these little things more than I should probably admit. I'll also add the 12" Palisades Devatstator statue to the list of "cool non-transforming Transformers".

As for the worst concepts...

I have to agree with Action Masters & Pretenders, and will also toss in Head/Target/Power Masters, anything involving what I considered to be unneccessary gimmicks like air pumps, sparks or cyber keys, etc., The Stunticons (haha), femmebots, and above all else, Beast Wars and anything associated to biological Transformers. I do understand why that concept eventually made it into TF lore and why many people like it - I've just always personally hated the idea.

[Team Jetfire]

Originally Posted by jourdo

I'm pretty sure the line was on life support by that time... although I could be wrong.

Good point. During the time of action masters I was around the age where I was growing out of toys and only took the odd trip to the toy isle. I can't even remeber if I saw them on the shelves.

I'm trying to figure out what else was popular for kids at that time. The only thing I can think about is TMNT and nintendo. any thoughts?

[mildtowild]

Non movie related movie line transformers. I can agree with vehicles that were in the movie but not the ones that have nothing to do with anything other than $$.

[Incepticon]

Originally Posted by Team Jetfire

Good point. During the time of action masters I was around the age where I was growing out of toys and only took the odd trip to the toy isle. I can't even remeber if I saw them on the shelves.

I'm trying to figure out what else was popular for kids at that time. The only thing I can think about is TMNT and nintendo. any thoughts?

I consider those years a bit of a dry spell in general, both in terms of toys as well as cartoons. I started falling out of TF around the Masters & Pretenders era well after Season 3 came & went, but even by then a lot of other toy lines were on their way out. Then again, I was so obsessively focused on TF, there's a chance I just didn't pay attention to whatever else was popular. All I remember as being the next big thing was TMNT, but can't recall when it eventually ran out of steam.

The one thing I do remember quite clearly as that the later years of G1 (Micromasters and the like) and then G2 were completely destroyed & overpowered by stuff like Power Rangers. And I'm sure the video game explosion of Nintendo, Sega Genesis, etc. probably helped throw a huge cog in the wheel.