Things you never realised about Transformers (toys etc)

[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

[Sky Shadow]

Good list. I remember being confused fifteen years ago when I first found out that Scoop, Quickmix and Landfill weren't released in Japan, because there was cartoon footage of them in Episode 1 of G2 that I'd always assumed had been from the Japanese cartoon. (It was from their advertisement.)

I've also not included Waverider, although his Pretender shell is blonde, whereas Diver's shell is a brunette.

I always find that so weird, since Diver's hair and eyebrows in the cartoon look more like Waverider's than his own toy's. Would Takara have done that to the toy because they thought Japanese kids would be more likely to buy/play with/imagine themselves as the darker-haired toy?

[GoktimusPrime]

And similarly, here is a list of toys that were only released by Takara, using the same standards as above. I'm not including Fortress Maximus who came with extra swords, but the toy is otherwise the same.

Astrotrain (black & white ver.)
Shouki
Getsuei
Yukikaze
Suiken
Seizan
Kaen
Graphi
Noise
Dial
Zaur
Rodney
Kirk
Leoné
Trizer
Loafer
Shuffler
Twincast
Soundblaster
Stepper
Artfire
Ginrai
Godbomber
Ranger
Zetoca
Bollet
Aquastar
Doubleclouder
Metalhawk
Go Shooter
Minerva
Hardspark
Hotspark
Wildspark
Sixknight
Grand Maximus
Hydra
Buster
Browning
Guzzle (Sparkdash)
Sizzle (Sparkdash)
Javil
Black Zarak
Star Sabre
Victory Leo
Galaxy Shuttle
Blacker
Braver
Lustre
Wing
Waver
Mach
Tackle
Dash
Tacker
Greatshot
Deathzaras
Leozak
Guyhawk
Hellbat
Jallguar
Drillhorn
Killbison
Yokuryuu
Gairyuu
Doryuu
Kakuryuu
Yokuryuu
Rairyuu
Black Shadow
Blue Bacchus
Grimlock, Hero (no Pretender shell, silver face)
Starscream, Hero (no Pretender shell, grey face)
Dai Atlas
Sonic Bomber
Roadfire
Speeder
Sonic
Drillbuster
Black Heat
Dead Hour
Roadhugger
Gingam
Gunlift (variant colour of Long Shot)
Powerbomb (variant colour of Flak)
Sidetrack (variant colour of Hasbro Sidetrack)
Sunrunner (variant colour of Hasbro Sunrunner)
Landshaker
Metro Titan
Metrobomb
Star Convoy
Hot Rod, Micromaster
Sky Garry
Shot Bomber
Grandus
Spinner
Leaf
Diego
Knight
Alan
Spark
Joe
Gran Arm
Crushbull
Ironlift
Digger
Mixing
Treader
Missile Run
Chaingun
Supersonic
Raiser
Falcon (Micromaster)
Flanker
Road Police
Glide
Circuit
Neo Wheel
Sireen
Discharge
Desire
Atlan
Raise
San Diego
Windy
Converter
Fire Chief
Streetstar
Fly Up
Sparkride
Safety
Great Cannon
Leyland
Sandstorm (Battle Gaia)
Shuttle Gunner
Target Hawk

I always find that so weird, since Diver's hair and eyebrows in the cartoon look more like Waverider's than his own toy's. Would Takara have done that to the toy because they thought Japanese kids would be more likely to buy/play with/imagine themselves as the darker-haired toy?

I doubt it. Kaneda Masuimi/Toei seemed willing to introduce a fairly multicultural mix into the human cast of Masterforce, including a blonde-haired Minerva, dark-skinned Carb, Chinese Cancer, redheaded Bullhorn, and whatever-the-hell blue-haired Wilder's ethnicity is. My guess is more likely just a running change in the toy line, but the animation model was already based off Waverider's blonde hair. The Masterforce toys were originally designed by Takara for Hasbro (as per their specifications), but later some of them were modified for Masterforce. Ginrai being the most significantly modified from his Hasbro counterpart.

[griffin]

The Japanese version of the Flip & Change Grimlock LA-02 has the Flip & Change gimmick removed, giving it a 3-steppish manual conversion.
I got it today and I was trying to spin it around, but wasn't getting anywhere... so looked on the packaging and it has a 3-step instruction panel.

Speaking of 3-step changers... the RID Grimlock toy may be simple, but very creative with its transformation. The two Robot legs fold over and under the main body, to have the feet meet up and join together on the other end, covering up the robot head to create the dinosaur head. So one leg is the top/back of the dinosaur, and the other leg is the underside part. If it wasn't so simple, like a gimmick toy, I'd recommend this for others.

[GoktimusPrime]

Although the RiD2015 Legion Class toys don't come with any weapons of their own, they are backward-compatible with 3mm post weapons from other toys such as TF Prime Cyberverse figures.

[Bidoofdude]

No weapons?! I didn't like the look of the cyberverse translucent pieces, but they're better than nothing at all.

[Paulbot]

All this time I've been saying "Die-a-clone" when I should have been saying "Die-a-cron"?

That's the lesson I took from these Japanese toy ads for Diaclone toys (including pre-TF Autobot Cars, Prime, Magnus, Dinobots, Constructicons, Trainbots and Triple changers) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_BOj1Qqx0Q