Block Town

2011-08-17T16:20:09Z

98.64.182.191:

[[Image:Blocktown-box.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Sigh.]]
'''Block Town''' was an unreleased [[Takara]] line that was planned to follow the Japanese release of ''[[Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' in 1996. The line would combine Transformers toys with Takara's ''Dia-Block'' building-block line (compatible with — and competing with — Lego blocks), giving the Transformers small bases that could be rebuilt into battle stations.

[[Image:Blocktown-rescue.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Who didn't do this as a kid, really?]]
The first wave were planned to be four small toys released at 380 yen a piece (roughly $3.50 US at the time); individually-packaged members of the [[Micromaster]] [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]] with small garage-style bases. The Transformers toys themselves did not appear to have any notable changes from their ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' incarnations.

* [[Boater]] with marina
* [[Fire]] with fire station
* [[Holi]] with police station
* [[Pīpō]] with hospital

[[Image:Blocktown-xerox.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Oh, what could have been...]]
The next releases would be six sets, [[Redeco|redecoes]] of 3/4ths of the [[Axelerator|Axelerators]] and [[Skyscorcher|Skyscorchers]] (all as [[Autobot|Autobots]]) were displayed at a Japanese toy show.

* TFBT-1 Radar Set (with [[Afterburner (G2)|Afterburner]] redeco)
* TFBT-2 Control Set/Control Tower Set (with [[Terradive (G2)|Terradive]] redeco)
* TFBT-3 Airport Building Set (with [[Windrazor (G2)|Windrazor]] redeco)
* TFBT-4 Gasoline Station Set (with [[Rapido]] redeco)
* TFBT-5 Garage Set (with [[Windbreaker]] redeco)
* TFBT-6 Signal/Traffic Lights Set (with [[Turbofire]] redeco)

Since the Axelerators and Skyscorchers are [[Gang-molding|gang-molded]], it is ''possible'' that two more sets were in the works using the last two members of those teams. If that were the case, [[Skram (G2)|Skram]] would have been red with white robot parts, while [[Eagle Eye (G2)|Eagle Eye]] would have been a lighter shade of green with blue parts.

The Takara ''[[Transformers Generations]]'' book shows packaging for the Garage set within one of its "unreleased items" sub-sections. This shot reveals that the robot packed in would have been named "Carzap". It is currently unknown what the names of the other five sets' robots were going to be, and if they too would also be alterations of the molds' European names.

[[Image:Blocktown.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Brick-a-brack]]
In March of 2005, a supposed Takara upcoming product list was leaked, which included the ''Block Town'' sets. However, the sets didn't see release then either, nor did some of the other items on the list.

[[Hasbro]] would much later revisit the combination of Transformers and building blocks with their ''[[Built to Rule]]'' line, with only marginally more success... in that ''Built to Rule'' even made it to stores. [[2011]]'s [[Kre-O]] line proved a more successful building-block medium for Transformers.

==Microtransformers: American Rescue Team==

Although Block Town was canceled, the four Rescue Patrol Team members were still released in 1996, but instead as part of [[Microtransformers: American Rescue Team]], which paired each Micromaster with a jig saw-style floor plan. This release causes some confusion in the West, where it has sometimes been mistaken as a Block Town release.
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==External Links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/8c62b2a13e1bd5cb/7d9f87b53836fc2b?lnk=st&q=block+town+group%3Aalt.toys.transformers&rnum=2&hl=en#7d9f87b53836fc2b alt.toys.transformers post with the "leaked" product listing on Google]

[[Category:Block Town]]
[[Category:Unreleased toys]]

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Block Town