(JUNE-2013) Robots In Disguise Era Toys - Reviews and Favourites

[griffin]

Robots in Disguise was a quick filler series for Hasbro, after the quick axing of Beast Machines. It only lasted a year, and was reworked from the Japanese series "Car Robots".

Details of this series can be read up here.


What are your Best and Worst toys of this Era?

What was your first one, and when?

What ones are you currently most looking for and why?

Show us some pics of your collection of the ones you have.

[Paulbot]

The thing I loved about the RID line is the variety. The way it was a bit of everything to date, and new figures using the best aspects of the past.

RID is the only series where I have collected all the show cast (well except big ol' Brave) because the cartoon was fun and the selection of toys is so varied.

There's G1 toys (Brave Max, Mega-Octane, Rotor, Movor, etc), G2 (Scourge, Ironhide, W.A.R.S, R.E.V., etc), Beast Wars (Sky-Byte, Slapper, Dark Scream), Machine Wars (Tow-Line, Skidz).

And the new figures were great. Fully-poseable BW style robots with realistic car modes! A new construction vehicle combiner. A Bullet train combiner. A new Optimus Prime with a combining trailer. And a Megatron that could literally give you the finger.

I would have loved if there were some more Autobot cars to go with the Brothers ("super" recolours weren't enough) but otherwise this was a great line. It was such a shame that the Mega toys didn't make it to stores here.

My collection sometime around 2002 (before Internet shopping filled in the gaps).


rid_4 by Paulbot, on Flickr

[christalcase]

Not only the best toy in the RiD line, but the best toy ever... Optimus Prime. Three toys in one, the figure was fun enough by itself with the normal robot and super robot but the ability to combine with Ultra Magnus too to form Omega Prime... The engineering that went into the two toys was impressive (although the transformation into Omega Prime was very complex), and for some reason, Optimus Prime transforming into a fire engine seemed so appropriate.

I believe the best thing about RiD was how it gave us some interesting combiners. Particularly Rail Racer, a three-component combiner was rare and the transformation to combine the three bots was interesting. The individual robots each looked good and were unique, transforming into bullet trains. Rail Racer is the second best combiner figure ever (behind Omega Prime).

Landfill was good, another odd one with only having four component robots. The gimmick that involved any of the three limb bots being able to be a leg or upper body was fun and cleverly engineered.

Megatron was also interesting with this multiple modes (although a few of them was a write-off), some creative ones such as the giant hand (when I first learned that the toy actually does that after watching the cartoon, it made me wanna run out and get it right away) and cooler ones such as the twin-headed dragon.

Overall though, all the new molds in the RiD line was spectacular.

[MayzaPrime]

The toys in the RID line were spectacular!!!
My first SuperCharged Sideburn and now I have a toy of every character that appeared in the show... If I could post pictures I would post my shelf of RID

[Gouki]

It seemed like a pretty good line in hindsight but I unfortunately missed it at the time.

I did manage to snag the Leader (super? Ultra?) Ultra Magnus for $ 0.39 at the Ballarat Target in 2007. Pretty pleased with that, even if I hate his legs.

Theonly other one I have is a Korean Black Convoy.

[Sky Shadow]

There are ten truly great toys from the RiD line. Tow-Line, Skid-Z, Megatron Megabolt, Cryotek, Destructicon Bludgeon, Jhiaxus, Deluxe X-Brawn, Railspike, Rapid Run and Midnight Express. Rail Racer is the greatest gestalt the Transformers line has ever produced. My Daiei Exclusive Wrecker Hook is one of my favourite Transformers, and I also own an unpainted prototype test shot of Jhiaxus, another collection fave.



As a toyline, Robots In Disguise was better than both its predecessor and its successor. What else could a line want?

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Yeha, the toys were awesome. Posability of BW, but car modes. AAND a dodge Viper as well. Hell yEah, slap in Omega prime, Brave Maximus, Rail racer, a cool recolour of the brilliant G2 optimus toy and a screen accurate Optimus Primal from BM and you had (the possibility) of a huge selection of various toys.

Just a shame we didn't get them all here.

My favourite toys are Omega Prime, as someone else said, the shaking hands thing is just inspired, and he makes a massive articulated figure. I remember spending ages combining him when I finally got my Magnus (I broke a sweat), plus I would have to say that he is the one that got me back into Transformers (so I suspect my waife hates him ). See? You can tell how much I love it as I can remember so many details about it from my first TFing. Sadly I also remember how much cost to get...

Second fave would be Rail racer. Fantastic combined mode that just looks SHAWING! I am not so keen on the individual train bots, as they look a bit skinny and proportions are off (such as Midnight Express being about 90% legs), but since they are there to form Rail Racer and are 'OK' individual bots then I can accept that. I ended up getting the Korean ones ages after the show had finished from Ark-Ivor and I was pretty damn chuffed to finally have one. Oh, I also didn't really like their English names. midnight express? Bit long. Much preferred the Japanese names J5, J4, J7 and JRX.

[Sharky]

this is a crappy old pic, also missing a few aswell

[drahsrebu]

I missed RID, so I have no knowledge of this series at all,however the OP is a goal of mine to try and obtain without destroying my wallet.

[Kapryiath]

i actually really enjoyed rid as a kid, and re watched it last year and still enjoyed it , it was a fantastic series and definately brought much needed life to the transformers franchise imo