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.
Top 5 times G1 Transformer Toys Were Better in the Diaclone / Microchange lineAs many of you know, the original Transformers toys were imported toys from Japan that came from different transforming robot lines, mainly Diaclone and Microchange. Both were derivatives of GI Joe and if you want the full story you, The Toys That Made Us has an excellent episode to get you up to speed on the exciting history of these toys. In short, none of the initial Transformers toys were conceived as giant sentient robots fighting eachother in an eons long war. Due to that, and also due to different safety standards in the US, there are several aspects of the toys that were dropped when they came to America. In some cases, the original version of the toy had more to offer and made more sense, and that is what we are looking at today.
5. Swoop when issued as Dinosaur Robo no.5 (Diaclone)Unlike many Transformers releases of Diaclone figures, Swoop actually had firing missiles, and no obvious seat for a small figure to pilot, making this look less like a toy intended for another line. However, there is still one big reason why his Diaclone release has an advantage over the Hasbro release, and it's a reason no others on this list share. While the release of the mold under the Transformers brand had a red chest, the original release had a blue chest, which is far more accurate to the deco the character was sporting in the cartoon. You can see the difference below with the "worlds smallest transformers" release of the two different decos.
4. Transformers G1 1985 Blaster when issued as MC-21 Radi-Cassette Robo (Microchange)I would like to thank Black Bumblebee for pointing me to something truly awesome: Blaster's original toy had a working AM radio. It's a very sophisticated product. You would plug a microcassette which was the radio into the chest and then use the buttons found around the toy to turn it on or off, and to change the stations and volume. A pair of batteries in the right leg (you can see an image of the battery compartment below) would amplify the signal. The on/off switch became molded detail for the Hasbro release and the back of the toy was remolded to not have the hatches and openings. And if you ever wondered why the gun has this big hole in the middle, it was to store the earphone. There was both a blue and red version of this toy, which is where the colour cues for both Blaster and Twincast come from.
3. Transformers G1 1986 Ultra Magnus when issued as Powered Up Convoy (Diaclone)The main reason why his Diaclone release is better is simply due to him having an extra transforming robot that comes with him. It makes sense, if the Magnus toy was derived from an upgraded version of Convoy, then why wouldn't it too get a smaller vehicle like roller? Well it did, and unlike roller, this little buddy transformed. There is no reason not to include or release that in a Transformers line.
2. Transformers G1 1985 Perceptor when issued as MC-20 Micro Scope (Microchange)The main reason why he is so high on this list is that the way he was repurposed in Hasbro's toy does not take advantage of his playability. This toy has three really good modes but you wouldnt know from the way he was released by Hasbro. The instructions show you can convert him from a Robot to a Microscope to a mobile laboratory, which looks like a cannon platform with the cannon pointing upward.
It has later been called a
tank mode, however, this is not the tank mode this toy was designed to have. The proper way to transform him as a tank as intended in the Microchange line is to have the cannon all the way down so that the hands and feet are parallel. That actually makes a third wheel in the back touch the ground and you now have a tank that can roll really well. Hasbro probably removed this awesome third mode from it's instructions (and replaced it with the mobile la
boreatory) because the tank wasn't meant to be manned in the Transformers line, unlike the Microchange version which can fit Micromen (the slide holder becoming a place for the figure's back to rest against), driving the tank. While the toy we got ends up being very similar, and can still turn into an awesome rolling tank for your Micromen (each sold seperately), the entire purpose of the toy has changed and I feel it worked far better as a Microman toy. But at least, this is still an awesome toy which can work repurposed as a sentient robot, unlike the next toy on this list.
1. Transformers G1 1984 Ironhide and Ratchet when issued as Cherry Vanette (Diaclone)These toys make me sad, everytime. They arent great in the Transformers line and have been dissapointing people since 1984 since they don't look like their cartoon counterpart due to their lack of heads. Instead, you get a weird black face sticker behind the windshield stuck to a seat. This release is unfortunate because the toys they were initially are awesome! In Diaclone, this wasnt a headless sentient robot with a sled. Instead, it was a mech and a battle station, both manned by smaller figures which combined together to conceal themselves as a van. The functionality is still present in the Transformers release of this toy, but the meaning behind it and what it represents changes entirely. Instead of a headless robot, you get a manned mech with little figures which sit can sit behind the windshield which now lets them control heavier weaponry on the battle platform and actually fire some missiles (which the original Hasbro release did not do as well).
Honuable mention:
Transformers G1 1984 Soundwave when issued as MC-10 Cassette Man (Microchange)Before being sold in the west as Soundwave, this toy was sold as Casette Man and actually came with life size headphone and microphone set (non functional, of course). He also came with a cassette case for the little cassette he came with, which Hasbro did not include in Soundwave's release (it was however included in this character's release in Japan). Also, while he comes with rockets and a rocket launcher, the missiles do not fire in the Hasbro version while they did when the toy was part of the Microchange line (and this speaks to most G1 toys of which I have chosen Soundwave as ambassador).
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