... I would have waited an eternity for these...

[Hursticon]

According to TFwiki the robot mode is seems to be an Iguanadon. Is there anything on the box or inserts that indicates what the robot-dino mode is meant to be? I checked TF Generations, but it doesn't say.

Well it's missing the trademark thumb spikes of the Iguanadon so it'd be odd if it were to be that - It's proportions look far closer to that of an Omniraptor, though he doesn't have the beak of that dinosaur either.

[Sky Shadow]

Well it's missing the trademark thumb spikes of the Iguanadon so it'd be odd if it were to be that - It's proportions look far closer to that of an Omniraptor, though he doesn't have the beak of that dinosaur either.

I'm pretty sure dinosaur-spike-accuracy isn't something to go by with identifying the species of Transformer cassettes. According to his packaging, Overkill is a tyrannosaurus, and yet he does have a horn on his muzzle. (And now I think about it, Slugfest has a bump on his stegosaurus nose too.)

[Hursticon]

I'm pretty sure dinosaur-spike-accuracy isn't something to go by with identifying the species of Transformer cassettes. According to his packaging, Overkill is a tyrannosaurus, and yet he does have a horn on his muzzle.

Indeed a fair point, but a funny one too because as you've mentioned - Overkill has a nose spike, which is horribly reminiscent of the misinterpreted placement of the Iguanadon's thumb spike when it was originally discovered.
Also, Trypticon is as much of a T-Rex as Sludge is a Brontosaurus - So I think you're dead right SS.

[theheretic]

Indeed a fair point, but a funny one too because as you've mentioned - Overkill has a nose spike, which is horribly reminiscent of the misinterpreted placement of the Iguanadon's thumb spike when it was originally discovered.
Also, Trypticon is as much of a T-Rex as Sludge is a Brontosaurus - So I think you're dead right SS.

I might be wrong but isn't sludge a diplodocus?

[Hursticon]

I might be wrong but isn't sludge a diplodocus?

No, you're dead right actually.
When Sludge was originally designed, he was modelled after a Brontosaurus but the Brontosaurus has been found to be a non-existent Dinosaur since (Whether it was misnamed, mis-identified or both I'm not sure), which is why he is now, at least by me, referred to as a Diplodocus.

*EDIT: Brontosaurus = Apatosaurus
From Wikipedia:

In 1877, Othniel Charles Marsh published the name of the type species Apatosaurus ajax. He followed this in 1879 with a description of another, more complete specimen, which he thought represented a new genus and species, which he named Brontosaurus excelsus. In 1903, Elmer Riggs re-examined the fossils. While he agreed with Marsh that Brontosaurus excelsus was likely a distinct species, he also noted many similarities between B. excelsus and A. ajax, and decided that both should be placed in the same genus. Riggs re-classified the species as Apatosaurus excelsus.[15] Almost all paleontologists since Riggs published his opinions have agreed that the two species should be classified together in a single genus. According to the rules of the ICZN (which governs the scientific names of animals), the name Apatosaurus, having been published first, had priority as the official name; Brontosaurus is considered a junior synonym and has therefore been discarded from formal use.

[Sky Shadow]

Hursticon, you were right in the first place about Sludge - he's a Brontosaurus Dinosaur Robo and thus has been retconned out of existence (or retconned into an apatosaurus as he was in Maximum Dinobots.)

[Hursticon]

Hursticon, you were right in the first place about Sludge - he's a Brontosaurus Dinosaur Robo and thus has been retconned out of existence (or retconned into an apatosaurus as he was in Maximum Dinobots.)

LOL
I always knew he was intended to be a Brontosaurus but yeah, Continuity is a bitch.

[gamblor916]

Nice acquisition HD! Dino mode looks great on this example, as the chrome, paint and stickers look excellent.

[Sky Shadow]

LOL
I always knew he was intended to be a Brontosaurus but yeah, Continuity is a bitch.

It would probably have made more sense in Transformers: the Movie if Snarl was with the Dinobots and Sludge was missing.

HOT ROD: Hey, where's Sludge?

GRIMLOCK: Me Grimlock not know Sludge.

HOT ROD: You know... Sludge. The other Dinobot.

KUP: I remember when there were five Dinobots. It was the dawn of the First Cybertronian War, and...

HOT ROD: It was last week, Kup. These bozos have lost Sludge.

KUP: Which one's Sludge again?

HOT ROD: The brontosaurus.

GRIMLOCK: You Hot Rod stupid! Brotnosauruses never existed! There is no Sludge!

HOT ROD: Right... So what did you do to him?

GRIMLOCK: Dinobots retconned Sludge. For breakfast.

[heroic_decepticon]

Hmm... I've always considered Sludge to be a Brontosaurus, and its what is in official G1 cannon and in diaclone material as well. If Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus can be used interchangeably, then I'd prefer the latter!

I think the part about Diaru being an Iguanadon is just speculation on the part of Derik from TF Wiki (as much as a lot of other things on TF Wiki that has the smell of speculation to it, meaning I personally trust it only 60-70% of the time).

This is from one of the links in TF Wiki and it states its 'fanfic':

"How'd you decide on Iguanadon for Dial? I always favored
Hypsilophodon for his scout function."

Original link here.

According to TFwiki the robot mode is seems to be an Iguanadon. Is there anything on the box or inserts that indicates what the robot-dino mode is meant to be? I checked TF Generations, but it doesn't say.

Gok, I have no idea what the package says, but I'm sure you would!

Here is a close up of the back of package, which may or may not shed any light.



Again from the link above, this appears to be the translation of the back of package.

Dial
Cybertron Natural Resource Scout
STR 5 RNK 5
INT 6 CRG 5
SPD 8 FPR 7
END 7 SKL 8
Fleet of foot, can run at up to 200 km/h in
dinosaur mode. Both thumbs contain sensors
that can rapidly detect energy. Cheerful and
brimming over with curiosity, Dial sometimes
gets too carried away in his duties, leading to
major system failures. Carries Wave Blasters.
Combines with Zauru to form Legout.

Hursti / SS, 'thumb sensors' sound like thumb spikes? Perhaps there is credence to the Iguanadon proposition?

Nice acquisition HD! Dino mode looks great on this example, as the chrome, paint and stickers look excellent.

I thought that Dairu's dino mode was a little off left field at first. But the more I look at it and toy with it (pun intended), the more I like it and think that its one of the better conceived cassettes. In terms of the complexity and the design that went into it, I think its easily one of the most intricate and complex cassettes in G1.