Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here. Thanks to fellow staff member Kurona for helping me with this one, along with fellow Seibertronian TK415 for helping me shape this list.

Top 5 Most Show Accurate Transformers Toylines

This list has been mulling in my head for quite sometime. I always find it hard when a list is a tad bit lest subjective since it means there are measures that have to be clear rather than it simply being "I think this toy is awesome while this one blows". However, this idea of comparing the toys we get with what we see on screen is a longstanding theme in this brand and it's a request I get quite a bit. Now, to make it more diverse and add some variety, I have chosen to deal with this subject of screen accuracy while looking at toylines rather than the individual toys themselves. Feel free to discuss which toys within the mentioned (or unmentioned) toylines you find superior to others in terms of accuracy though, it should make for a fun discussion. Now off with the list!

5. Robots in Disguise 2001 (Car Robots)

Transformers Prime was supposed to take this spot at first, especially since the RID line still had the defacto inaccuracies that come with using G1 toys to represent your show characters. But you know what, I realized the Prime line had less to offer for show accuracy. Sure, there were some heavy hitters, but then you realize that Hasbro never gave us anything close to a screen accurate Voyager Megatron, none of the black Beast Hunter Bees had the right paint scheme, neither Arcee really looked like the character model (which I admit is hard to pull off) and the crappier Cliffjumper toy was the one with the screen accurate legs.
And then there is RID, a show that went out of its way to show us all the wonderful modes Megatron had, including the hand mode and griffin mode. All the new molds made for RID, such as Optimus, Railracer and the brothers had toys which seemed to jump off the screen. And while Ruination's proportions were off as expected, the colours were well represented. And we finally got to see some of those Beast Wars molds in action on screen in North America and they looked great. And let's not forget Scourge whose toy looked a lot like the show model. I especially love the sticker detail being very similar to the details we see on the screen. Its these peculiar and recognizable details, like the chest stickers, found both onscreen and on the toy that drive home how good a representation you have of the badass you see on screen.



Transformers Robots In Disguise Prowl (Mach Alert) Gallery



Transformers Robots In Disguise Gas Skunk (Gaskunk) Gallery


4. Beast Wars Transmetals (Bast Wars Metals)

I remember very well being a kid and being turned off by those odd masks the first year Beast Wars toys had. They weren't on the show. And while the inner Rhinox head looked more like the show, it looked too small on the body so young WJ88 settled on that brutish face when making him exchange blows with his Bane action figure. But then in that second year line, Beast Wars Transmetal, it was as if you were holding the characters you saw onscreen in your very hands. And that is the first time that ever happened for the brand. Tarantulus and Cheetor looked perfect, so did Rampage and both faction leaders. Plus you had the gimmicks at work too, like the surfing gorilla and thruster t-rex. I would even throw in Quickstrike and Silverbolt who were released at the very same tie within the Fuzors subline. And it culminated with Optimal Optimus and Depthcharge which really looked the part. That dedication between toy and screen was not as impressive with what followed in Transmetal 2 where toys like Tigerhawk looked different and gimmicks not being carried through to the screen (like the rollerblading dragon, though I do understand). Plus there were many many toys that had no onscreen counterparts. And that worsened with Beast Machines. But man, Transmetal, those toys still hold up and I honestly don't see how much better those toys would be if they were released today.

3. Transformers Masterpiece 2.0

Yeah, if we are going to talk about the Masterpiece line and screen accuracy, you have to let go of all that came at the beginning. It didn't help that MP 01 Optimus Prime wasn't based on the G1 show model, and neither was Starscream, and that MP 05 Megatron was more of an homage to the G1 toy than the cartoon. But MP 10 came along and BAM, we got ourselves a gorgeous line with a unified scale that to this day keeps getting closer and closer to being as screen accurate as possible. It's not perfect, unlike the name would suggest, what with Red Alert still not getting the molding changes he deserves and Optimus not having a white crotch, plus the deal with Hot Rod's non show accurate backpack and extraneous bits. But then you have Bumblebee, Soundave, Shockwave, Ultra Magnus and Inferno who are just so striking in terms of show accuracy. Right down to the smooth surfaces devoid of sculpted detail and even stickers for Sunbow inspired Decepticon symbols in one case. It even got to the point where fans would rather the toys strive less for cartoon accuracy and go for a happy medium of detail and smooth surfaces. What that tells me is that this line is of course right at home on this list.









And here is a fun video I found. Sure, not everything it uses it official but it gives a good idea of how far we have come.




2. Transformers Animated

I will always be amazed at what the Animated line was able to pull off. For the fist time, we had character models created before the toys in a Transformers show and these designs had exaggerated features. They were not proportioned, with some having ultra sleek waists, bigger feet, huge chins and so on. This was a more heroic style found across the 2000's and it persists now, which can make for very dynamic animation. We know that worked for a show, but now you had to engineer toys out of them which was extra tricky since these exaggerated proportions were more present in the robot modes than the vehicle modes. But Hasbro found a way. They were able to make transforming toys which really did have those dynamic looks. That deluxe Prowl toy still fascinates me for being so sleek in both modes and yet having that elongated head and huge feet. He's an easy example to show but that goes for all toys which found a way to have animated features in robot mode that did not have vehicle kibble (like forearms and legs) while not turning them all into shellformers. Even if you don't like the designs, you have to admit that turning this into one of the most show accurate lines is quite a feat.






1. Transformers Cybertron (Galaxy Force)

While Armada was naturally very toy-accurate and if you got an Armada toy just to get something that looked like what you saw on the show... well, unless you got Sideswipe, you wouldn't be terribly disappointed.

But Energon and Cybertron take it to whole new levels. The CGI models might as friggin' well just be the toys -- it gets to the extent that the models have the toy's buttons on them. The button you press on Cybertron Evac's toy to make his rotors turn? That's on his CGI model. Why is it there? What possible actual function would it serve to Evac as a character or soldier or disguise? Who the heck knows, but he has it.

Cybertron's toys are by far the most screen-accurate toys there have ever been because of how stupidly accurate to the toys Cybertron's animators were. Pretty much the only difference is in articulation for character expression (individual fingers moving, extra waist movement, that sort of thing). The Transformations were replicated too, which makes it even better!




Transformers Cybertron Optimus Prime (Galaxy Convoy) Gallery




Transformers Cybertron Hot Shot (Excellion) Gallery

Not bad. If I had a list, the only change I would make is replacing the MP line with Prime. Those figures were pretty good, especially the deluxes. I wouldn't include the MP line because like you said, some of the earlier pieces were way off the mark.

Bam ya got me. I’m like lalala Animated will take the cake lalala BaM! Got me. great call and great list dude another win. These are always the best, so much fun.

Thanks for the article and thanks for the extra touches on the MP stuff I’ve totally had MPs on the brain with all the Hound news this week.

I definitely would’ve substituted anyone of these lines, particularly MP for Transformers Prime. Especially with the way those Vehicon figures came out. Great army builders too. Awesome list though.

william-james88 wrote:But man, Transmetal, those toys still hold up and I honestly don't see how much better those toys would be if they were released today.

Well, I can think of one: Replace the original chrome with a variety that doesn't flake.

Could hardly agree more with this list. I even recall Toyfare Magazine once extolling Energon for its cartoon-accuracy, but by the end, that was probably just an unwelcome reminder of a cartoon many of us would just as soon forget. So Cybertron's accuracy to the sort-of-accidental-restart-toon FTW!!!

Fuzzy memory or lack of interest made me surprised to see RiD 2001 and Transmetals on this list. I did watched both shows. Guest they didn't had an impact on me.

The other 3 however, were sure to be. I wasn't sure of the order but yours is pretty much perfect.

MP 2.0 need some ironing out before being truly a "complete line" of show accurate toys. And IMO, the fact that each toys now cost a kidney and your first born make it lose points.

Animated was certainly a baffling line. With an awesome show and the toys to match. And most of these toys were absolutely fantastic. Too bad we got gimped out of that last season. I would really have liked to see Blackout out of Japan and a combining Animated Devastator...

And Cybertron? Not surprised it's #1. The accuracy is ridiculous to the point that ever the SCREW HOLES are present on the character models! Along Bayformers 2007 and Master Force, Galaxy Force was the show that brought me back to Transformers. Galaxy Force leader Optimus Prime was also my very first Ebay purchase and the very first Transformers I bought with my own money... as a 31 years old back in 2007. Man, time does fly!

Nice list! And good to see Animated still getting love 11 years later. That was one hell of a line, possibly one of my favourites (and easily my favourite Western TF cartoon with BW in close second). There's so many figures from the line I want- Lockdown, Oil Slick, Swindle and Prowl to name just a few. I will say that as accurate as the line was, I wouldn't mind some Generations or 3P figs based on Animated to either make characters who never got figures or to replace the few duds in the line (Lugnut for example- I know we have the stellar 2010 figure but an actual cartoon-styled Lugnut which is the right size would be awesome. Also Blitzwing.)

Black Hat wrote:There's so many figures from the line I want- Lockdown, Oil Slick, Swindle and Prowl to name just a few.

Oilslick is one of the BEST bikeformer ever. Plus he's damn cheap. As for lockdown, he have been repainted a few times and that special Takara edition is surprisingly cheap too. Go get them already!

You all crack me up
Jeez so many great memories you’re all taking me back the whole Lockdown Ratchet storyline was so boss.

Rodimus Prime wrote:Not bad. If I had a list, the only change I would make is replacing the MP line with Prime. Those figures were pretty good, especially the deluxes. I wouldn't include the MP line because like you said, some of the earlier pieces were way off the mark.

For me, Prime was a contender but i judged it worse than MP (Airachnid anyone?). The fact that we never got a show accurate deco for season 1 voyager megs was enough to tip it in the favour of mp 2.0 for me.

william-james88 wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Not bad. If I had a list, the only change I would make is replacing the MP line with Prime. Those figures were pretty good, especially the deluxes. I wouldn't include the MP line because like you said, some of the earlier pieces were way off the mark.

For me, Prime was a contender but i judged it worse than MP (Airachnid anyone?). The fact that we never got a show accurate deco for season 1 voyager megs was enough to tip it in the favour of mp 2.0 for me.

So when you put MP on the list you were only referring to MP 2.0?

Rodimus Prime wrote:

So when you put MP on the list you were only referring to MP 2.0?[/quote]

Yes, if we consider all the MPs post MP-10 as "MP 2.0".

Another strong list, although to be fair, RiD and Beast Wars were the only parts of the list I have ever owned. Those Car Robots TM 2 redecos are so garish

The Transmetals however, were near flawless as a line in their accuracy. TM Rattrap still remains the anomaly though, all these years later.

Rodimus Prime wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Not bad. If I had a list, the only change I would make is replacing the MP line with Prime. Those figures were pretty good, especially the deluxes. I wouldn't include the MP line because like you said, some of the earlier pieces were way off the mark.

For me, Prime was a contender but i judged it worse than MP (Airachnid anyone?). The fact that we never got a show accurate deco for season 1 voyager megs was enough to tip it in the favour of mp 2.0 for me.

So when you put MP on the list you were only referring to MP 2.0?

Isn't that what I wrote on the list?

william-james88 wrote:Isn't that what I wrote on the list?

Exactly. But who have the time to actually read articles? Only the headlines matter.

Welcome to current year.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Isn't that what I wrote on the list?

Exactly. But who have the time to actually read articles? Only the headlines matter.

Welcome to current year.

Kanra you kill me sometimes

00Stargrave00 wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:

william-james88 wrote:Isn't that what I wrote on the list?

Exactly. But who have the time to actually read articles? Only the headlines matter.

Welcome to current year.

Kanra you kill me sometimes

Clickbait, smear campaigns and fake news. All thrive because of that unfortunate fact about the average joe's intellectual laziness. As if there's a massive outbreak of ADHD going on.

I, on the other hand, am an intellectual. I read every single words of every single articles I come across and I double check every sources twice for each of them.

I'm very efficient in using all 72 hours of the day.

if you put Cybertron shouldn't the whole Unicron trilogy be on there?

Ultra Markus wrote:if you put Cybertron shouldn't the whole Unicron trilogy be on there?

Galaxy Force/Cybertron took it to the extreme by not only retaining the triggers for the toy gimmicks, but... Come on, look at this:



Any series that shows the underside of any vehicle, exactly like it is on the toy:



... deserves an award. RiD X-Brawn deserves an honorable mention in that department because in the cartoon his head would pop up in vehicle mode next to the driver, the position it's in on the toy.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:RiD X-Brawn deserves an honorable mention in that department because in the cartoon his head would pop up in vehicle mode next to the driver, the position it's in on the toy.

Well, I did include specifically him in the article. As for the Hot Shot, they even kept his robot head exposed in the undercarriage. Even the pic on seibertorn chose to turn his head around.

There's something unfair about including MP on the list. All of the other lines are general retail cheap kids toys with retail budgets that came out at the same time as their animated series while MP had the benefits of coming out decades later as adult collectibles with large budgets and equally large price tags. I really would have either put them at 5 or gone for something entirely different like Prime or Prime RID (despite their inconsistent toy/cartoon accuracies) or double dipped on the Unicron Trilogy and gone with Energon.

Otherwise the rest of the entries are where I would have expected them.

Emerje

I think a, I don’t know if I’d say cool list, but compelling and thought provoking if it hasn’t been done would be the opposite like Ironhide and Ratchet what are some of the loosest artistic interpretations we’ve seen or some of the favorites I mean there’s most of the ‘86 movie line but lots of others we all couldn’t help but fall in love with enough to compensate or blind us to their toy incarnations shortcomings.

Emerje wrote:I really would have either put them at 5 or gone for something entirely different like Prime or Prime RID (despite their inconsistent toy/cartoon accuracies) or double dipped on the Unicron Trilogy and gone with Energon.

Otherwise the rest of the entries are where I would have expected them.

Emerje

So, say it is your list, what is your actual top 5?

william-james88 wrote:

Emerje wrote:I really would have either put them at 5 or gone for something entirely different like Prime or Prime RID (despite their inconsistent toy/cartoon accuracies) or double dipped on the Unicron Trilogy and gone with Energon.

Otherwise the rest of the entries are where I would have expected them.

Emerje

So, say it is your list, what is your actual top 5?

Probably the same as yours minus MP in its spot and the bottom two moved up. With some thought I think Energon should get the 5 spot. The cartoon went CG allowing the character designs to become more toy accurate. It helped that, unlike Armada, it didn't have a toy line with an obstructive gimmick and the Powerlinx gimmick was pretty spot on in the show. The show may not have the visible toy screws, but it does still have the oddly accurate undercarriages.



So...

5. Energon
4. RID 2001
3. Beast Wars Transmetals (and 2 I guess)
2. Animated
1. Cybertron

Though, now that I think about it, aside from Animated aren't these all really "toy accurate shows"?

Emerje

Emerje wrote:Though, now that I think about it, aside from Animated aren't these all really "toy accurate shows"?

Emerje

It is so weird when you say that and then note the disparity between the Transmetals/TM 2 and Beast Machines...