Gimmicks that you really enjoy

[SharkyMcShark]

@TaZZerath, I'm being oppositional.

What are some gimmicks that you've really enjoyed?

I'll lead the charge with some


Studio Series robot mode scale - after a few years of Generations releases where every robot in every size class had to be basically the exact same size and dimensions, it's refreshing to have a display shelf full of robots of incredibly varying heights and bulk.

Fuzors - When I was 7 these seemed like the coolest things. I'd love to get my hands on a few of them now without paying through the nose (or having them crumble in my hands hello Torca). Also, how haven't we had an update or indeed reissue of Silverbolt?

Mech Alive - For those that don't remember, this is that ROTF era gimmick where parts were layered or geared so when you moved a limb it looked like there were layers of armour plates or robot bits moving. This was a much better gimmick than the TF07 Automorph or the DOTM MechTech.



That's it for me. Everyone else go nuts.

[TaZZerath]

Oooooh I like this!

Well, I really enjoy the Headmasters/Titans Return gimmick despite its flaws being if you lose the little guy (or girl) you're left with a useless body. By extension I also used to enjoy Powermasters and Targetmasters. I think it was just the fact that you had additional robots to play with in one neat package so the playability increased, and having multiple guys team up as one unit to take on the opposition brought a message of teamwork. I still like playing with my toys even as an adult rather than just static displays so thats probably the appeal :D

I also enjoyed the Micromaster Transformers (as I used to be a huge fan of Micro Machines) so I'm glad that Siege is 'remastering' some of these guys with a few nifty additional features. The fact that the Generations line packed in some similar Micromasters with triple-changing forms was fantastic. I unfortunately missed out on Cosmos with Payload, but did get Swerve with Flanker at least.

[i_amtrunks]

My favourite gimmick was the Unicron trilogy minicons. Some of the minicons themselves were very bland or uninspired but the idea of having smaller bots power up or unlock weapons and modes were good fun, plus the extra bot was always good. The Cyber keys to do the same thing were not quite the same but some of the best gimmicks were the unlocks they provided. I think along the same lines as Tazzerath, the extra small bots provide lots of extra fun, ala micromasters.

The auto-morph technology that came with some of the movie lines were a great idea, again not always executed well...

[MayzaPrime]

Targetmasters - G1
Headmasters - G1
Powermasters - G1
Combiners - G1 and Combiner Wars
Minicons - Armada
Titan Masters - Titan Returns
Prime Masters - PoTP - (surprisingly :D)

[GoktimusPrime]

The oldest gimmick of all that still remains today: the 5mm post! :D

It is such a simple but awesome gimmick. A universal weapon post and fist hole size that allows Transformers to interchange and share weapons and accessories. The original G1 Optimus Prime and all of the first year Decepticons have 5mm post weapons, and thanks to Armada for standardising the 5mm post, now almost every Transformer uses 5mm post weapons. Just the other day I put my MP Grimlock's gun in my POTP Nemesis Prime's fist. :)

[dirge]

Clever, elegant transformations.

Really, the only gimmicks on top of that I enjoy are weapons that integrate in both modes (which ties into the statement above) and gestalts.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I think gimmicks show how much kids enjoy things more than adults.

For instance, my TLK Dragonstorm. When he roars he puts out a blue light that makes different symbols and patterns show up on many of the TLK one-step changers.

Zero interest for me, but my 5-year old thought it was awesome! Just like he loves taking all the Titan Masters and swapping them around whereas I just leave them with their originals.

Personally my fav gimmicks have been Combiners and Targetmasters.


My favourite gimmick was the Unicron trilogy minicons. Some of the minicons themselves were very bland or uninspired but the idea of having smaller bots power up or unlock weapons and modes were good fun, plus the extra bot was always good.

Yeah I did quite like the Mini-Con concept when it was introduced in Armada - it gave characters like Megatron a lot more play value.


The oldest gimmick of all that still remains today: the 5mm post! :D

Just the other day I put my MP Grimlock's gun in my POTP Nemesis Prime's fist. :)

Yeah, I find it's one of the few appeals of the POTP Prime figures. You can turn their Pretender suits into their weapons mode and pretty much any recent toy can wield them :)

[FatalityPitt]

For me; Triple-changers (it's three toys in one instead of the usual two), anything with cockpits/driver seats (by extension, that means Titan/Headmasters, because someone has to sit in those chairs :) ), and of course; the 5mm peg-holes (Optimus Prime needs his weapons dammit! :D)

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Main gimmick is Transformation, followed by
~Masters, Head\Target\Power, I don't care!

Oh, lightpiping eyes!

One other one that I would like to see expanded (but will prove unpopular) would be Stealth Force.

I loved that the vehicles had armed modes. I'd love to see TRANSFOrming toys with vehicle modes where you could have them also transform into weapon bearing vehicles.

Make them Headmasters and I'd be in heaven!!:D

A final one I'd like to see is Transformers wwith glow int he dark/lighty lines ala War/fall of Cybertron. Slap some Tronnage on those bots for me will ya HAsbro!

[Deonasis]

Only a few years ago I transformed G1 Optimus Prime and was pleasantly surprised by the legs spreading as you fold them. Hello automorph!

[Lint]

Great topic SharkyMcShark

I really loved micromaster combiners as a kid, sheer giddy joy in creating a space shuttle tow truck

I also really liked the turbomaster/predator missle launchers. They really packed a punch and I used them to shoot down all sorts of things.

I never owned one but the G2 Aquaspeeders water pistols looked like fun

Finally just combiners in general were probably the most iconic and mindblowing of all transformers gimmickry.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, I find it's one of the few appeals of the POTP Prime figures. You can turn their Pretender suits into their weapons mode and pretty much any recent toy can wield them :)
Remember when I did this at the Hasbro POTP event back in December? ;)
https://image.ibb.co/inKXUm/potpreveal28.jpg

Oh, lightpiping eyes!
↑This so much! :D

Only a few years ago I transformed G1 Optimus Prime and was pleasantly surprised by the legs spreading as you fold them. Hello automorph!
They improved this gimmick on the plastic wheeled variant of Ultra Magnus (the cab robot with the completely white head).

[BigTransformerTrev]

Remember when I did this at the Hasbro POTP event back in December? ;)
https://image.ibb.co/inKXUm/potpreveal28.jpg



I was too distracted - that photo shows the EXACT moment that... person who sat next to me snatched the Hot Rod I was playing with out of my hands :mad:

[DELTAprime]

I was born in '84 so I missed the '84 to '87 gimmicks first time around. But I had a bunch of the toys from '88 onward. So I have very fond memories of Power Masters, Micro Masters and Action Masters. As I've gotten older I've also learned to love Combiners, Head Masters and Target Masters. I love all these gimmicks.

[G1Optimal]

Combiners
Tripple Changers
Hex Changers
Target Masters
Only the Pretenders that had transforming shell/s

[GoktimusPrime]

6 moded Transformers = Sextuple Changers
Sex (VI) is Latin for 6. Hexa (ἑξα) is 6 in Greek. :)

[SharkyMcShark]

6 moded Transformers = Sextuple Changers
Sex (VI) is Latin for 6. Hexa (ἑξα) is 6 in Greek. :)

Does that make his favourite gimmick sex changers?

[Paulbot]

I'm not hoping for a comeback for these, but I loved the Sparkabots and Firecons with their spark firing and I loved the Triggerbot quick fire actions (but not the slow Triggercons action!)

[TaZZerath]

Does that make his favourite gimmick sex changers?

Well, toys of Anode and Lug certainly wouldn't go astray,..

[Deano85]

Since we got updated Headmasters with Titans Return. Maybe we could get updated power masters. The two transformers I had when I was young were chromedome and slapdash. I've got maketoys cupola and titans return chromedome. Would love a new slapdash

[Handsprime]

Mini-cons, I dunno there's something about them that makes me want to COLLECT EM' ALL!

[GoktimusPrime]

Does that make his favourite gimmick sex changers?
The word change in Latin (cambire) means "exchange," as in to trade or barter, not as in to shift shape. There are different words for "change" in Latin depending on context. If we're talking about "change" in a general non-specific sense then it's "mūtō" (which is where we get words like "mutate," "mutant" and "mutation" from). But in terms of shifting from one mode to another then we would use the Latin word "transformo" or "transformare." But in order for the "six changer" to make sense then I think that we would need to put the words in their dative and accusative cases respectively, thus we would have: Trānsfōrmātō sextum.

[Galvatran]

I was too distracted - that photo shows the EXACT moment that... person who sat next to me snatched the Hot Rod I was playing with out of my hands :mad:
Well that's just damn rude on any scale. I hope you gave him a double nipple crimp for his efforts.



Does that make his favourite gimmick sex changers?
Pre- or Post- Op? :o

[reillyd]

My favourite gimmick was the Unicron trilogy minicons. Some of the minicons themselves were very bland or uninspired but the idea of having smaller bots power up or unlock weapons and modes were good fun, plus the extra bot was always good. ..

I could never get enough minicons. When I heard rid was bringing them back was thrilled. When I saw they didn't have minicon ports, gutted. I hope they bring them back one day.

[UltraMarginal]

Pure elegant transformation is always going to be my favourite gimmick as such.

however, I really appreciate good light piping, or just a well defined face (I refer again to Generations deluxe warpath which I seem to do a lot)

I did like the auto morph in some of the early movie toys (though some of them don't stand the test of time so well, my 86 Camaro BB won't stay in vehicle mode any more.) and I really liked the visual appeal of the Mech alive function in the following lines.

[1AZRAEL1]

I'll go against the grain here and say Actionmasters lol. Loved their basic GI Joe action figure design, looking cool. And the later, hard to obtain transforming euromasters.

[Lint]

I'll go against the grain here and say Actionmasters lol. Loved their basic GI Joe action figure design, looking cool. And the later, hard to obtain transforming euromasters.

I remember the action figure craze of that era and all things considered Hasbro came up with a respectable effort.

They're still slag though :p

[BigTransformerTrev]

Well that's just damn rude on any scale. I hope you gave him a double nipple crimp for his efforts.


I was that flabbergasted by the level of rudeness I was speechless! Apparently I must have been taking too long figuring out the new toy so the person decided to just take it off me and transform it themselves.

Then considering the same person later cracked the sooks massively when their mate got a prize from Griffins bag that he himself wanted, and complained until the other person simply gave it to him, I should not have been surprised.

Anyway, enough digression from me. :o



I'll go against the grain here and say Actionmasters lol. Loved their basic GI Joe action figure design, looking cool. And the later, hard to obtain transforming euromasters.


I remember the action figure craze of that era and all things considered Hasbro came up with a respectable effort.

They're still slag though :p

I bought the ones that came with transforming vehicles when they came out but none of the individual ones as I thought it was just stupid to spend money on Transformers brand toys with no transformation. Now I'm an adult collector I try to pick the odd one up. Really want Snarl with Tyrannitron.

They must have been at least kinda popular considering how many Action Master specific characters have gotten Generations/CHUG toys :D

http://i67.tinypic.com/jqiycn.jpg

[CHILENO20]

Targetmasters (Original & New) & Arms Microns, all time fav gimmicks :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Targetmasters, much like many other Binary-Bonding gimicks and unlike Headmasters, are fairly inoffensive gimmicks. If you lose the partner then you've only lost a weapon. And being all 5mm post weapons, you can easily substitute it. The core robot remains the same. Same with Powermasters, Breastmasters etc. - the core Transformer remains in tact and functional. Headmasters are the worst because their robot modes are useless without heads.

Nearly as bad are Brainmasters/Motorvators who of course are faceless without their partners. I suppose they can still be serviceable robots if you like your Transformers looking like freaking Ring Wraiths. :p

[DaptoDog]

A lot of votes for combiners, but what made them really cool was the Scramble City gimmick. Allowed a kid to make their own combiner if they didn't have a set of one team - which could be an outright pain to find before the days of the internet. The Scramble City combiners were also in scale with each other, another plus.

[Dimi194]

Minicons and Combiners are definitely my favourites-more robots = more fun :D

[TaZZerath]

Targetmasters, much like many other Binary-Bonding gimicks and unlike Headmasters, are fairly inoffensive gimmicks. If you lose the partner then you've only lost a weapon. And being all 5mm post weapons, you can easily substitute it. The core robot remains the same. Same with Powermasters, Breastmasters etc. - the core Transformer remains in tact and functional. Headmasters are the worst because their robot modes are useless without heads.

Nearly as bad are Brainmasters/Motorvators who of course are faceless without their partners. I suppose they can still be serviceable robots if you like your Transformers looking like freaking Ring Wraiths. :p

NAZGHUUUUULLLLLL!!!!!
*shriiiieeeeeeekkkkkk*

That's a fair call though Goktimus on the Headmasters. I think what could've fixed this would be if they sold replacements separately if need be. Like have a little after-sales support with some spares in case one got lost.

Come to think of it, a 'spare parts' store for TFs in general would be a great idea...

[GoktimusPrime]

A lot of votes for combiners, but what made them really cool was the Scramble City gimmick. Allowed a kid to make their own combiner if they didn't have a set of one team - which could be an outright pain to find before the days of the internet. The Scramble City combiners were also in scale with each other, another plus.
It wasn't so much the difficulty (they became especially easier when they were reissued in the early 90s) but the expense of buying any of the core body boxed figures. The carded limbs were cheap and easy to get, and as such, gestalts like Devastator and Monstructor were easy to complete with your pocket money. The Scramble gestalt gimmick was both a blessing and a curse - the upside was that you could mix and match members between teams. But the downside was that it was more expensive/harder to complete teams because each team required the purchase of a dearer boxed leader figure.

I think what could've fixed this would be if they sold replacements separately if need be. Like have a little after-sales support with some spares in case one got lost.

Come to think of it, a 'spare parts' store for TFs in general would be a great idea...
I suppose the problem with mass producing and selling spare parts would be the cost benefit or lack thereof. And to Hasbro's credit, they did provide spare heads in the form of body-less individual Titan Masters. Takara did this in 1987-88 with the Master Warriors (e.g. Shuffler, Rodney, Zetoca etc.); and from a marketing POV they sold better because they were new/unique figures and not just spare existing figures. The Master Warriors probably go for crazy prices on the after market because they're unique. I don't think they'd be as highly prized if they were nothing more than duplicates of existing Headmaster/Godmaster figures (e.g. Spike, Hi-Q etc.). And it also gives collectors a bonus incentive to buy both the standard Titans Return figures and the individual Titan Masters. Same with the current Prime Masters (although they have the bonus features of also being Pretenders and Targetmasters - 3 in 1!).

[Autocon]

Come to think of it, a 'spare parts' store for TFs in general would be a great idea...

If you got the right type of plastic, couldnt you print spare parts out on a 3d printer?

[TaZZerath]

If you got the right type of plastic, couldnt you print spare parts out on a 3d printer?

Yeah I guess you could if you had the template, and could afford a 3D printer :)

[KELPIE]

Most things have been covered, however here's my 2 cents:

The good old clean intuitive transformation. Complexity and that puzzle aspect is fun, however if a toy can't be transformed in the time it takes me to say "Tch choo chu choo tchik" it looses its play-ability. Especially in the eyes of me as a kid.

Triple Changers. I only ever had G1 Octane but the idea behind it always fascinated me.

Targetmasters. As said previously, you lose the master and the bot is unaffected. If you don't lose the master, you have a cool little transformer.

Duocons. This one is more the narrative than execution. While I played the heck out of my G1 Flywheels, the toy wasn't really that great. However the idea that a single character, could split up and surround their enemy was awesome. Looking at the new Flywheels (Skytread), I think it is going to be a perfect representation of a Duocon.

Articulation. Can I say articulation? Articulation. Shoulder, elbows and knees, oh my! The ability to pose Transformers is something that my younger self would have leapt for joy at. It's probably why I have a soft spot for Actionmasters, since they had more articulation than anything that could transform at the time.

[UltraMarginal]

If you got the right type of plastic, couldnt you print spare parts out on a 3d printer?


Yeah I guess you could if you had the template, and could afford a 3D printer :)

In theory yes, but anything printed on a additive manufacturing printer is going to have lines in it's surface where you can see where the layers were applied.

shapeways use another method that is much more expensive to set up that sinters powder in layers rather than laying down a heated filament. The finish on their product is smoother but it has a finish like a kittens tongue.

liquid resin printers give a smoother finish again but they are potentially messy and require an extra step under UV light to cure the product.

the other issue with 3D printing is developing the CAD part, accurately so that once cured it's the right size for the parts it is interfacing with. And being able to achieve the necessary minute detail if required. There are threads on this stuff somewhere. it's a great technology and in the future it's going to change the way we manufacture more than it already has.

[UltraMarginal]

One of my favourite gimmicks of all time is Masterpiece Soundwaves ability to carry up to 3 tapes and eject them all in sequence.

[Galvatran]

One of my favourite gimmicks of all time is Masterpiece Soundwaves ability to carry up to 3 tapes and eject them all in sequence.
Yep, that's pretty impressive. Twice is the max I can do. Then I'm spent.

[TaZZerath]

Yep, that's pretty impressive. Twice is the max I can do. Then I'm spent.

Soundwave’s also good at making noises :D

[GoktimusPrime]

A gimmick is a lot like a superhero's gear or tech. As Tony Stark said to Peter Parker in Spider-Man Homecoming, "If you're nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have it."