Editing Block Town

[[File:Blocktown-box.jpg|right|upright=0.95|thumb|Not actually released like this.]]

'''Block Town''' (ブロックタウン ''Burokku Taun'') was an unreleased [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] line that was planned to follow the Japanese release of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' in 1996. The line would combine Transformers toys with Kawada's ''[[Diablock]]'' building-block line (a Lego blocks competitor in Japan), giving the Transformers small bases that could be rebuilt into battle stations.

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==Planned releases==
[[File:Blocktown-rescue.jpg|right|upright=1.67|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 ''[[Transformers: Zone (toyline)|Zone]]'' incarnations.  

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

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[[File:Blocktown.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Brick-a-brack]]
The next releases would be six sets, [[redeco]]s of 3/4ths of the [[Axelerator]]s and [[Skyscorcher]]s (all as [[Autobot]]s) were displayed at a Japanese toy show.

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

{{note|"Carzap" is the only confirmed name in this listing; see Notes below.}}

==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.

==Notes==
[[File:Blocktown-xerox.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|Oh, what could have been...]]

* There are several promotional photos from toy shows and marketing materials at the time showing Takara was making a pretty hard push for the line, with a lot of dioramas to show the line's intended huge scope. One exceptionally notable diorama was a giant wheeled aircraft carrier made of building blocks. These displays used a combination of the above-listed figures and unchanged ''Generation 2'' toys as the Transformers portions. 
* 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"; given that "Carzap" shows up on a [[BotCon|BotCon Japan]]-exclusive poster as [[Windbreaker]]'s Japanese name, it is ''assumed'' the other applicable Japanese names from that poster would have been used for the ''Block Town'' editions had they come out.
* 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'' actually made it to stores. The [[2011]] ''[[Kre-O]]'' line proved a more successful building-block medium for Transformers. A few Diablock ''Transformers'' kits did get made in Japan in the 2000s, but they were few in number and very short-lived.
* In 2015, [[Fun Publications]] revived ''Block Town'' with the Deluxe [[Carzap (BT)#Timelines|Carzap]] toy, which also came with a ''Kre-O'' gas pump/anti-aircraft gun mini-build and a [[G.B. Blackrock#Toys|G.B. Blackrock]] [[Kreon]].

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/8c62b2a13e1bd5cb/7d9f87b53836fc2b?lnk=st&amp;q=block+town+group%3Aalt.toys.transformers&amp;rnum=2&amp;hl=en#7d9f87b53836fc2b alt.toys.transformers post with the "leaked" product listing on Google]


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