Things you never realised about Transformers (toys etc)

[Thurmus]

I never noticed on my Masterpiece Prowl he had a notch in his hand for the side flange on his gun to lock in to. I noticed one straight away on MP Wheeljack. It was only last night that I saw it. His gun has been waving around the whole time.

[GoktimusPrime]

According to TFwiki, Gaia Unicron can combine with Voyager TFPRiD Megatron! I wanna try this, as I think it would canonically (as far as the cartoon continuity is concerned) make more sense than combining with Optimus Prime; i.e. representing Unicron possessed Megatron from Predacon Rising.

[griffin]

The catalogue image of Headmaster Scorponok in 1987 must have been a pre-production sample (nothing new there as official images are often taken before toys are in production), as some of the colours are different to the actual toy.... something I never noticed before because it was just colour swapping of parts rather than different colours, which would have stood out more.
The helmet, shoulder cannons, feet and lower legs are green or grey, instead of grey or green on the actual toy (colours are swapped). And Zarak's abdomen is grey instead of cream coloured.

1987 catalogue scan (big), vs toy photo.

[MayzaPrime]

Looks like a few others had running changes, like Snaptrap's face is coloured, Aimless is a different colour, Bomb-Burst pretender shell and Beast-Box looks brown

[Bidoofdude]

The catalogue image of Headmaster Scorponok in 1987 must have been a pre-production sample (nothing new there as official images are often taken before toys are in production), as some of the colours are different to the actual toy.... something I never noticed before because it was just colour swapping of parts rather than different colours, which would have stood out more.
The helmet, shoulder cannons, feet and lower legs are green or grey, instead of grey or green on the actual toy (colours are swapped). And Zarak's abdomen is grey instead of cream coloured.

1987 catalogue scan (big), vs toy photo.

Is this the first time this has been noticed?! That's pretty astounding.

[Sky Shadow]

Is this the first time this has been noticed?

No. Also, that's the 1988 catalogue in the link. The prototype Scorponok photos are also on the 1987 catalogue (it was on both years). And most noticeably, Fasttrak is green instead of dark grey. That year, the Technobots were also plastic-swapped.

[griffin]

Is this the first time this has been noticed?! That's pretty astounding.

I read it today on tfwiki, and was amazed at how much of Scorponok was differently coloured. If it was just a panel or head I wouldn't have mentioned it, but this is about a third of the toy... which is pretty significant, and surprised me that it wasn't so obvious before.

[griffin]

No. Also, that's the 1988 catalogue in the link. The prototype Scorponok photos are also on the 1987 catalogue (it was on both years). And most noticeably, Fasttrak is green instead of dark grey. That year, the Technobots were also plastic-swapped.

Ooops, typo with the year.
But you get the idea... and an impression of how I feel about not noticing it after all these years.


Here's another one for you...
I never realised before just how many Hasbro Gen1 toys were not released in Japan by Takara. They had a fair few direct imports of US-packaged toys as mail-away items, but quite a few in the later years just never got released there.
Like, in 1988 (Powermasters & Pretenders year), half of the Hasbro toys weren't released as general retail items in Japan. In the Generations book, I just thought that the 4 & 1/2 pages of 1988 JP toys was just showing the extra ones with unique colours or moulds that year (like it did for the 1987 JP pages)... it never once dawned on me that that was actually all their toys for 1988, compared to the 9 pages of 1988 US toys.
And now I see that the Generations book has done the same for 1989 and 1990 (showing all JP toys, not just the non-US ones like the 1987 pages).

It would have been so obvious if I had ever taken the time to do up a list, but still surprising now that I have.

Now I want to do up a list of each other's Gen1 "exclusives", just to see who missed out on more.

(as envious as us in the Hasbro markets were/are of the JP "exclusive" Gen1 toys, there were actually a lot more Hasbro "exclusive" Gen1 toys that I would imagine JP fans were envious of too)

[Sky Shadow]

Here's another one for you...
I never realised before just how many Hasbro Gen1 toys were not released in Japan by Takara.

The weirdest two are Gears and Ironhide. (Or at least, they weren't G1 Transformers.) A list would be interesting to view - I'm surprised if there isn't one. Despite our complaints, Australia ultimately got more different G1 Transformers than just about any other country - definitely more than the US or Japan. And I'd say we beat the UK too.

[GoktimusPrime]

As far as I recall, these are the G1 Transformers released in Hasbro markets that were not released in Japan. I haven't included toys that, while technically different characters, are identical as figures (e.g. Carb/Hosehead, Turtler/Snaptrap etc.). I've also not included Waverider, although his Pretender shell is blonde, whereas Diver's shell is a brunette; the core robots are identical. I'm also not including reissues. Japan never got the Classic Pretenders, but they did get the robots as "Hero Sets" (equivalent of Kmart Legends; only Grimlock and Starscream had cosmetic differences, Bumblebee and Jazz were the same.

Mini-Spies
Mini Spy Buggy
Mini Spy Porsche
Mini Spy F-1
Mini Spy 4WD

G1 Autobots
Bumblejumper
Gears
Ironhide
Topspin
Twin Twist
Jetfire
Omega Supreme
Roadbuster
Whirl
Powerdasher ("F-1 Dasher")
Powerdasher ("Drill Dasher")
Powerdasher ("Sky Dasher")
Sky Lynx
Hot Rod, Targetmaster
Kup, Targetmaster
Blurr, Targetmaster
Sky High (Pretender)
Splashdown
Groundbreaker
Gunrunner
Catilla
Chainclaw
Quickswitch
Optimus Prime, Powermaster
Quickmix
Scoop
Landfill
Dogfight
Override
Backstreet
Fizzle (almost the same as Wildspark; Fizzle has a red face, whereas Wildspark's is yellow)
Guzzle
Sizzle
Crossblades
Vroom
Skyhammer
Pincher
Longtooth
Doubleheader
Grimlock, Pretender (orange face)
Long Shot (variant colour)
Sunrunner (variant colour)
Flak (variant colour)
Sidetrack (variant colour)
Groundshaker
Retro
Surge
Pipeline
Gusher
Full-Barrel
Overflow
Jazz, Action Master
Rad
Jackpot
Blaster, Action Master
Bumblebee, Action Master
Mainframe
Skyfall
Snarl, Action Master
Kick-Off
Inferno, Action Master
Grimlock, Action Master
Rollout
Optimus Prime, Action Master
Prowl, Action Master
Over-Run
Wheeljack, Action Master
Sprocket
Sideswipe, Action Master
Tracks, Action Master
Powerflash
Omega Spreem
Windmill
Rumbler
Circuit
Rotorstorm
Rescue Force ("Leozak")
Rescue Force 1 ("Killbison")
Rescue Force 2 ("Jallguar")
Rescue Force 3 ("Drillhorn")
Gobots
Drench
Deftwing
Ironfist
Pyro

G1 Decepticons
Barrage
Chop Shop
Ransack
Venom
Runabout
Runamuck
Cyclonus, Targetmaster
Scourge, Targetmaster
Doubledealer
Darkwing
Dreadwind
Cindersaur
Sparkstalker
Quake
Needlenose
Spinister
Finback
Bugly
Iguanus
Carnivac
Snarler
Roadgrabber
Crankcase
Ruckus
Windsweeper
Thunderwing
Roadblock
Bludgeon
Stranglehold
Octopunch
Starscream, Pretender (black face)
Icepick
Bristleback
Birdbrain
Wildfly
Scowl
Slog
Blackjack
Hyperdrive
Detour
Roadhugger
Skyhopper
Cement-Head
Terror-Tread
Blackout
Spaceshot
Treadshot
Soundwave, Action Master
Devastator, Action Master
Shockwave, Action Master
Krok
Banzaitron
Starscream, Action Master
Axer
Gutcruncher
Megatron, Action Master
Bombshell, Action Master
Charger
Take-Off
Double Punch
Turbo Master
Thundercracker, Action Master
Slicer
Stalker
"Bonecrusher" (1992)
"Hook" (1992)
"Long Haul" (1992)
"Mixmaster" (1992)
"Scavenger" (1992)
"Scrapper" (1992)
Jetstorm
Deluge
Rage
Hydradread
Aquablast
Drench
Fearswoop
Calcar
Clench