Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)

2012-06-24T03:10:12Z

Shockwave4ever:

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'''''Beast Machines''''' was a followup [[franchise]] to the very successful ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''. Running from 1999 to 2000, its marquee characters were mainly ''Beast Wars'' stars, and the associated fiction directly followed the storyline of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]].

''Beast Machines'' featured a distinctive visual style in both its toys and its television series. The cartoon was darker and grittier than its more lighthearted predecessor, and it introduced controversial new elements such as [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[organic core]] and a [[technorganic|more spiritual approach to transformation]]. It also marked the return of fully-mechanical [[Transformer]]s in the form of its antagonist faction, the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s.

The ''Beast Machines'' franchise featured the following primary components:

*[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|A toyline]]
*[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|A cartoon series]]

The ''Beast Machines'' continuity would be picked up by the [[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|2003 ''Universe'' franchise]], which featured a [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|comic series]] that used the world of the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon as its jumping-off point.

==Beast Wars Returns==
[[Image:BeastWarsReturnsLogo01.jpg|center|200px|thumb|]]

''Beast Machines'' was not released in Japan until 2004, when [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] imported a dubbed version of the television series and some of the toyline as ''Beast Wars Returns''.

The ''Beast Wars Returns'' release was far more low-key than the also-imported ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (franchise)|Beast Wars Metals]]''. The ''Beast Wars Returns'' toys were limited to [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] releases, and the cartoon was aired only on a satellite station. It was also the first ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' cartoon re-aired in Japan without an all-new theme song.

==Notes==
[[Image:Beasthunters.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Someone spent like five whole minutes on that logo.]]
*The working name for the line was "Beast Hunters" before it became "Beast Machines." A FoxKids press release said the following about it:
{{quote|BEAST HUNTERS, the next evolution of the popular Beast Wars franchise, continue their fight against the evil dragon Megatron and his hordes of Predacons in 13 all-new episodes with cutting edge computer animation, action, adventure and humor, produced by Mainframe Entertainment.|[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]}}
: Ultimately, Mainframe dropped both the Predacons ''and'' the humor!WORST SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[[Category:Beast Era]]
[[Category:Beast Machines| ]]
[[Category:Franchises]]

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Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)