Editing The Transformers (toyline)

{{disambig3.5|the original 1980s toyline|the 2010-2011 toyline simply known as ''Transformers''|Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers}}
{{Nav-G1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Fortress Maximus, the biggest toy made in the original toyline.]]
'''''The Transformers''''' (also now known as "'''Generation 1'''" or "'''G1'''" for short, though the line was never branded as such) started as a joint venture between [[Hasbro]] of America and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] of [[Japan]]. After an idea to rebrand and sell Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' [[Toy|robot toys]] as a whole new line with a new concept behind it (developed by Hasbro's partners at [[Marvel Comics]]), Hasbro ultimately created what would be one of the longest-running and most popular [[franchises]] for both companies. Starting in [[1984]], the line ran for seven years in America and eight in Europe and Japan (though Takara would break the line up into multiple sub-franchises).

{{TOC|limit=3}}

==Overview==
Having run for seven years, the line changed dramatically over its lifetime, going from pre-made items to all-new designs and greater focus on [[gimmick]]s beyond simply transforming. Thus, the more descriptive bits will be tackled year-by-year... but there's still plenty to talk about in the big picture.

===Then Vs. Now===
[[File:Seekers ad.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Page from the 1984 JC Penney annual catalog. A book hundreds of pages thick, which could devote an entire page or two to a single toy line. 80s kids ''craved'' these books. And yes, JC Penney used to carry toys.]]

The original ''Transformers'' came out in a ''very'' different toy environment than what exists today, and at a time when the market was venturing out from the slow-paced 1970s into undiscovered country.

First of all, the market itself was simply broader. There were a ''lot'' more retailers out there, both national and regional, muscling for market share, and virtually all had a sizable toy department. Sears and [[Kmart]] were the biggest retailers in the United States; [[Walmart]] and [[Target]] were just regional players poised to go nationwide. There were multiple large-scale toys-only chains, not just [[Toys"R"Us]] (now RIP in the US). Even grocery stores and drug stores devoted a significant amount of space to toys year-round, and not just the cheap stuff! The idea that you could buy ''anything'' via computer, much less toys, was a novelty at best. No, you had to get out there and shop - or use a big printed mail-order catalog like the old Sears "Wish Book".

On top of that, there were far more toy companies scrabbling for shelf space. [[Mattel]] was still an action-figure heavyweight thanks to ''Masters of the Universe'', which led the boom of cartoon-advertised toy lines (more on that in a bit) throwing out weird concepts in the hope of creating the next big thing. ''Transformers'' wasn't even the first shape-changing robot toy to US shelves, having been beat to the punch by then-competitor [[Tonka]], who brought over [[Bandai]]'s ''Machine Robo'' toys as ''[[GoBots]]'' six months prior, plus Takara's own prior attempts to market their toys in the US as ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]''. Also, in more global terms, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' was originally just one of several international outlets for Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' figures, initially coexisting with [[Joustra]]'s own version of ''Diaclone'' in Central Europe, [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line in Italy, and Takara themselves were releasing ''Diaclone'' in Finland. And then there were all the major sorta-likes, such as [[Kenner]]'s ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'' with its transforming vehicles, [[TakaraTomy|Tomy]]'s ''[[Starriors]]'' reconfigurable robots (a ''[[Zoids]]'' offshoot), and approximately eleventy-billion also-rans and cheap knockoffs from a host of now-defunct companies. (And yes, most of the previously-mentioned companies now fall under the Hasbro/TakaraTomy umbrella.)

While most modern toys have a shelf-life of ''maybe'' six months, in the 80s a single toy could ship steadily for two years, more if the line was particularly successful. The original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]] toys shipped for three, and some of the [[Mini-Cassette]]s for ''four''. (Though the king of long-run shipping is surely [[Kenner]]'s original ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' line: the single [[Darth Vader]] figure shipped for ''seven years''.)

Not only did the toys ship longer, but the look of ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> packaging did not change significantly for five years, only changing the logo and overall design in [[#1989: Pretenders and Micromasters|1989]] as part of a revitalization attempt. Today, even when a single line lasts more than a year, the packaging changes considerably at least every year.

Though even with all that, seven years ''was'' a long time for a toy franchise to run. Most of the bigger lines only managed about three years, and that third was typically a final flailing-for-its-life year as kids had moved on. That ''Transformers'' made as big a splash as it did and lasted so long ''before'' the revivals and reboots is remarkable. How'd it do that? Well...

===Refining the Formula===

To be honest, ''Transformers'' didn't do much that was really "new" outside of its central transformation [[gimmick]], and that was one it shared with multiple competitors. However, what put ''Transformers'' above the others, both its domestic rivals and the other international licensees, was simply doing a great many things ''better'' than its competitors. At the time, Hasbro truly benefited from having already tried out several successful ideas with the 1982 revival of its ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' brand as ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero''. Those tried and tested tactics were then subsequently employed for the ''Transformers'' line as well.

Many early articles on the "transforming robot toyline wars" opined that ''GoBots'' would win due to its reliance on a large number of small, inexpensive items easy for kids to pick up. (After all, that formula worked wonders for ''Star Wars''.) And while ''Transformers'' did have a number of small, inexpensive "entry point" items, its larger figures—one of the elements shared with the aforementioned 1982 ''G.I. Joe'' relaunch—would turn out to be a ''huge'' draw, a kind of playground status symbol. The boxed figures featured multiple accessories and add-on [[sticker]]s for an extra level of interaction with the toy, giving them an extra air of quality. Sure you could get a GoBot or a [[Mini-Vehicle]] just about any time, but the larger ''Transformers'' were something big and special for birthdays or saved-up allowances.

[[File:Trailbreaker Bio&TechSpec.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Lotta reading going on in the toy aisles in the 80s.]]

The packaging, too, was a step beyond what other lines were doing. Every packaging back had a hefty [[bio]] of the character, penned by Marvel author [[Bob Budiansky]]. Most lines gave their toys only a cursory sentence or two about the toy's imaginary powers (if at all, ''GoBots'' didn't), but the ''Transformers'' bios truly "humanized" the alien robots, giving each one a distinct personality complete with motto, on top of a much more full description of the imaginary powers that character possessed. This, too, was carried over from ''G.I. Joe'', where [[Larry Hama]] had written background file cards for each character. Attached was the "[[Tech Spec]]s", numeric rankings of the character's stats. This information was (mostly) obscured and (sort of) unreadable without a red plastic "Tech Spec decoder" inside the boxed toys early on (though the red lens of a pair of 3D glasses would work too, and who didn't have at ''least'' one of those lying around in the 80s?), but eventually would move to easily-readable bars.

[[File:PackIn Reinforcements Inside.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Kids had a lot of these. The flyers, we mean, not the toys themselves.]]

While [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-away offers]] were an ''extremely'' common practice at the time, Hasbro smartly spruced this process up. Most every toy (and cereal) mail-away offer asked you to clip out the UPC bar-codes as "proof of purchase" when sending away, but ''Transformers'' instead asked for the "[[Robot Point]]s" (mirroring the ''G.I. Joe'' line's "Flag Points") clipped from the packaging back. Bigger toys had more Points, again adding to the idea that the larger toys were a step above the smaller ones. (The Points were, of course, actually worthless, since you also sent in a check for roughly what the toys would normally cost anyway.) While many other lines' mail-aways tended to be just toys that weren't out in stores yet, ''Transformers'' from the outset offered toys that they would ''never'' sell at normal retail, like the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. Talk about playground bragging rights!

While not ''directly'' part of the toyline, the way ''Transformers'' was advertised has ''got'' to be mentioned when talking about its success. [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]]'s then recent deregulation policies allowed for the line between "advertisement" and "entertainment" on television to blur heavily, and toy companies were still exploring how to properly exploit this new "advertainment" method of pushing plastic to preteens. ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was the first of these toyline-based cartoons, and it rocketed that toyline to success. And let's be honest here: that show was ''garbage'', but kids ate it up. Hasbro upped the ante by teaming up with comic book publisher [[Marvel Comics]], its animation arm [[Marvel Productions]], advertising agency [[Griffin Bacal]] and its subsidiary [[Sunbow Productions]], having them produce both a comic book series and a cartoon series for television, starting again with ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', and then followed by [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]], giving it a more serious story and higher-quality animation (both low hurdles compared to ''He-Man'' but let's not rag on that ''too'' much, they ''were'' testing the early limits of the medium)... and thanks to the fact that the characters were robots, more violence. You can't shoot a human with a laser-blaster, but a robot who could be rebuilt? Oh yeah! This was ultimately also the reason why the aforementioned Italian Takara licensee GiG acquired an additional license from Hasbro to release ''Transformers'' toys proper: It gave them access to the best form of advertisement for the toys they could possibly get, a dubbed version of the ''Transformers'' cartoon!

The basic upshot... Hasbro simply marketed the line better in virtually every regard, and sold kids on the idea that these weren't ''just'' robot toys, they were characters... that these plastic doodads were, well, more than meets the eye.

==Hasbro ''The Transformers'' US toyline==
===1984===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The first year of ''Transformers'' changed very little from the original Japanese ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman]]'' releases. The bulk of the changes were to the [[sticker]]s (mainly adding new [[insignia|faction symbols]], but also removing "Diaclone" texts and potentially-legally-contentious brandings) and some light [[retool]]ing, including the removal/weakening of springs inside the [[missile]] launchers [[for safety reasons]]. Most of the toys' base color schemes came from the original lines, with a few exceptions: [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Toys|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Sunstreaker]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Toys|Skywarp]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzsaw]] were new decos created whole-cloth by Hasbro.

One particularly helpful bit of marketing for this year is the clean division of good-guy/bad-guy [[alternate mode]]s. The Heroic Autobots were the cars and trucks, and the Evil Decepticons were... everything else.

[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Autobot Commander Optimus Prime]]
In contrast to the nigh-solid plastic toys of today, [[die-cast]] metal played a large role in these toys' construction. This was actually a ''cost-saving'' measure; a lingering effect from {{w|1970s energy crisis|the petroleum price crises of the '70s}} made it a bit cheaper overall to make sizable chunks of toys out of metal instead of plastic! The larger cars (and some of the [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini Cars]]) also featured rubber tires, and most every toy had ''some'' piece on them that was [[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]].

Unfortunately, these materials issues mean that these toys rarely age well, especially given the rigors of playground life. Paint chips off metal, rubber dries out and splits, chrome fades and rubs off, and the combination of metal-and-plastic on hinged parts leads to easier breakage. Many of these toys have outright ''notorious'' damage issues, and loose undamaged toys are a bit hard to come by.

[[Articulation]] was also a tertiary-at-best concern in the overall design scheme. It was rare for a toy to have moving parts that weren't directly tied to its [[transformation]] sequence beyond a simple rotating shoulder/elbow joint. These toys being "[[brick (term)|brick]]s", mixed with the aforementioned degradation/breakage issues, have largely relegated them to being display pieces for older collectors.

{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Cars]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Toys|Brawn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Toys|Bumblebee]]<br>(available in yellow and red)}}
{{Bp-a1|"''[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|Bumper]]''"<ref group="A" name="bumper">This figure, originating from Takara's ''Micro Change'' line just like the rest of the Mini-Cars, was sold on Cliffjumper cards. After being referred to by nicknames such as "Bumblejumper" and "Bumper" among fan circles for over a decade, [[Dreamwave Productions]] finally established him as an actual character with the official name "Bumper" in 2004.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Toys|Cliffjumper]]<br>(available in red and yellow)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Toys|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Decepticon [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Toys|Frenzy]] / [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Toys|Laserbeak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Toys|Rumble]] / [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Toys|Ravage]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Toys|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Toys|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Toys|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Toys|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Toys|Prowl]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Toys|Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Toys|Sideswipe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Sunstreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Trailbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Toys|Wheeljack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|200px|thumb|Autobot Car Sunstreaker]]
[[File:G1Starscream toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Plane Starscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Toys|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Toys|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Decepticon Communications'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Toys|Soundwave]] and Condor Cassette: [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Toys|Buzzsaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Decepticon Leader'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot Commander'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Optimus Prime]]<br>(w/ [[Roller (G1)#Toys|Roller]] & [[Combat Deck (G1)#Toys|Combat Deck]])}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''''[[Kronoform]]'''''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Autoceptor#Toys|Autoceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deceptor#Toys|Deceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kaltor#Toys|Kaltor]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====

*"[[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]]"
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Powerdasher]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|"[[Zetar (G1)#Toys|Drill Type]]"}}
{{Bp-a1|"[[Aragon#Toys|F-1 Type]]"}}
{{Bp-a1|"[[Cromar#Toys|Jet Type]]"}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Camshaft (G1)#Toys|Camshaft]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Downshift (G1)#Toys|Downshift]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overdrive#Toys|Overdrive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Others'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Time Warrior (G1)#Toys|Time Warrior]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Camshaft-G1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Omnibot Camshaft]]
|}

====Notes====
<references group="A" />

{{-}}

===1985===
[[File:1985catalogue-diorama.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The 80s! When toy companies actively encouraged you to play with fire!]]

1984 was a roaring, out-of-the-gate success for ''Transformers'', so 1985's offerings upped the ante, both in numbers and in variety of form.

''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' were mined for as many viable toys as possible. The remaining unused "Car Robot" models were brought over, as were several [[redeco]]/[[retool]]s of first-year Cars. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, six small-scale construction vehicles that could combine into the mighty super-robot [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], were a huge hit. Robotic beasts made a splash with the [[Dinobot (G1)#Toys|Dinobots]] and [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]]. The two predecessor lines also had some in-development concepts that were pushed into ''Transformers'', and while some would not be ready until next year, Hasbro/Takara were able to get out a set of new Mini Vehicles, and new versions of the large jet mold with all-new wings and weapons.

But all this wasn't enough to meet expected demand, so Hasbro looked elsewhere for future Transformers. They struck a deal with [[Bandai]] for molds from a variety of Japanese toylines. As Bandai was (and is) a direct competitor to Takara, none of these toys were put into the cartoon, which was being ported to Japan. (There was a [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|whole big thing with Jetfire/Skyfire in the cartoon]], follow the link for more on that.) Other toys were also licensed from other companies, but didn't have the major-rival-baggage of Bandai's toys, so they could at least be in the show, if not in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara's version of the toyline]].

All in all, 1985's output was roughly ''double'' that of 1984's. And with a new slew of imitators popping up, Hasbro pushed a new little bit of status-symbol into the line, giving every toy released in '85 —including the re-released '84 toys— a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. This brand was the mark of a "true" Transformer, and they even spent the money to make a [[commercial]] ''just to say so''. The rubsigns were also key to another bit of promotion, the mystery-allegiance [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] that came with the Mini Vehicles this year as bonuses, with their molds being derived from Takara's small ''[[Mech Soldier]]'' toyline.

This year also marks the debut of ''Transformers'' internationally, being released in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|multiple European countries]], [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japan]], [[IGA|Mexico]], [[Estrela|Brazil]], and [[Antex|Argentina]]... all with various changes from the US line, some minor, some... well, "major" might be an understatement for some.

{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] w/ [[Mini-spy|Motorized Transformer]]<ref group="B" name="mini-spies">There were four types of "Motorized Transformers" (called "Mini-spies" in the television commercial for the figures and "Koma cars" on Hasbro's shipping cases): "4WD Type" (or "Jeep Type"), "Buggy Type", "FX-1 Type" and "Porsche Type". Each was available alternatively in white, yellow or blue, with the color supposedly depending on which figure they were packaged with.</ref>'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Toys|Brawn]]<br>(w/ yellow Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Toys|Bumblebee]]<br>(yellow or red, w/ white Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Toys|Cliffjumper]]<br>(red or yellow, w/ white Motorized Transformer)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]<br>(w/ yellow Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]<br>(w/ blue Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Toys|Windcharger]]<br>(w/ blue Motorized Transformer)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Toys|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cosmos (G1)#Toys|Cosmos]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)#Toys|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Seaspray (G1)#Toys|Seaspray]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)#Toys|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|1 [[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#Toys|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|2 [[Scavenger (G1)/toys#Toys|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|3 [[Scrapper (G1)/toys#Toys|Scrapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|4 [[Hook (G1)/toys#Toys|Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|5 [[Long Haul (G1)/toys#Toys|Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|6 [[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#Toys|Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Toys|Devastator]]<br>(gift set of all six Constructicons)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Deluxe Insecticon Barrage]][[File:Blitzwingg1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Triple Changer Blitzwing]][[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Jumpstarter]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Topspin (G1)#Toys|Topspin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Twin Twist (G1)#Toys|Twin Twist]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Kickback (G1)#Toys|Kickback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Toys|Shrapnel]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''<ref group="B" name="1985cars">The 1985 "Autobot Cars" price point was given a somewhat odd treatment with two separate assortments, each of which contained re-releases of six of the 1984 figures (packaged one per case in a case of 12) and three of the new 1985 figures (each packaged two per case). The only exception to this was Skids, who was actually released at least as early as December 1984, in 1984 packaging along with the other '84 Autobot Cars, in which he took the place of an extra Mirage that had previously been used to bring the number of figures contained in those cases up to twelve. Due to this, he was packed in the 1985 assortments like the '84 toys, at only one Skids per case.</ref></u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Toys|Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Toys|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Toys|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Toys|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Toys|Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Toys|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Toys|Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Toys|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Toys|Blitzwing]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Toys|Slag]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Toys|Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Toys|Swoop]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Deluxe Insecticons'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barrage (Insecticon)#Toys|Barrage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Toys|Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (G1)#Toys|Ransack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Venom (G1)#Toys|Venom]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Toys|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Toys|Ramjet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (G1)/toys#Toys|Thrust]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot Scientist'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Toys|Perceptor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot Communicator'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#Toys|Blaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Decepticon Military Operations Commander'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Toys|Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot Air Guardian'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Toys|Jetfire]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot Motorized Defense Base'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)#Toys|Omega Supreme]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Tyco]] Licensed Playsets'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Electric Racing Set<br>(w/ "[[Natron#Toys|Natron]]" & "[[Freezon#Toys|Freezon]]")}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Electric Train and Battle Set]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Others'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]}}
|}

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pepsi mail-away Optimus Prime]]

====Mail-aways and promos====

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|Cookie Crisp [[Jazz (G1)/toys#CookieCrisp|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Pepsi]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PepsiPrime|Optimus Prime]]}}
:* "[[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]]"
:* "[[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]]"
</ul>
{{--}}
====Notes====
<references group="B" />

{{-}}

===1986: "The Movie"===
[[File:Scramble city packaging mural.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's a ''lot'' of explosions with no evidence of anything actually being exploded.]]

1986 presented a major change in the franchise on several levels. The first being that ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' were pretty much depleted of viable toys, so it was time for all-new toolings to get made.

The past lines still had a role to play in this, though. The Mini Vehicles were refreshed by taking the 1984 assortment and extensively [[retool]]ing them into all-new characters. Takara had been designing a different sort of [[combiner|combining robot team]] for ''Diaclone'', where the limb-bots were wholly interchangeable. These plans would come to life in ''Transformers'' as the "[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and 2010)|Scramble City]]" style combiners (though that branding was only used in Takara's line; Hasbro called them the "[[Special Teams]]" in Europe, and... nothing special in the US). The combiners were actually advertised in the 1985 season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]] (one team, the Aerialbots, were released in time for Christmas in 1985) in a bit of bleed-over as Hasbro prepared for the ''really'' big change... ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

[[File:G1Metroplex toy.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Metroplex]]
This media event ''really'' shook things (and kids) up. With the majority of 1984 toys no longer shipping—except for the popular Bumblebee, Starscream, Soundwave, and Mini-Cassettes—it was time to clean house within the accompanying fiction, and many characters were openly and brutally ''killed'' in the film, to make way for 1986's all-new toy-characters who would take the forefront, including new faction leaders. These bots were developed for animation first then had toys developed based around those designs, a ''very'' rare move at the time. These new designs were very Cybertronian/futuristic in design, as the Movie was set in the far-flung future of ''[[2005]] ooooooohhhhh''. This more sci-fi look would stick with the line for a little while.

Another subtle but important change was that the two factions began to share [[subgroup]]s, with the Autobots gaining their own [[Mini-Cassette]]s and [[Triple Changer]]s, plus both sides had "Scramble City" style combiners. These groups shipped in mixed-allegiance assortments, which would become more and more common going forward.

This was also the year [[die-cast|die-cast metal]] started being phased out of the toys' construction. With petroleum prices lowering, plastics became the less-expensive alternative. Many of this year's toys shipped initially with painted die-cast bits, but were later replaced with plastic-parts [[variant]]s.

{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Toys|Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ramhorn (G1)#Toys|Ramhorn]] / [[Eject (G1)#Toys|Eject]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Toys|Ratbat]] / [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Toys|Frenzy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]] / [[Steeljaw (G1)#Toys|Steeljaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|A1 [[Air Raid (G1)#Toys|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A2 [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Toys|Skydive]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A3 [[Fireflight (G1)#Toys|Fireflight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A4 [[Slingshot (G1)#Toys|Slingshot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A5 [[Silverbolt (G1)#Toys|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Superion (G1)#Toys|Superion]]<br>(gift set of five Aerialbots)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|S1 [[Dead End (G1)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S2 [[Breakdown (G1)#Toys|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S3 [[Wildrider (G1)#Toys|Wildrider]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S4 [[Drag Strip (G1)#Toys|Drag Strip]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S5 [[Motormaster (G1)#Toys|Motormaster]]<br>(w/ [[Roller car]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]]<br>(gift set of five Stunticons)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1menasor toy.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]], the Stunticon combiner]][[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Autobot Car [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hot Rod]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|P1 [[Streetwise (G1)#Toys|Streetwise]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P2 [[Groove (G1)#Toys|Groove]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P3 [[Blades (G1)#Toys|Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P4 [[First Aid (G1)#Toys|First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P5 [[Hot Spot (G1)#Toys|Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]]<br>(gift set of five Protectobots)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|C1 [[Brawl (G1)#Toys|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C2 [[Swindle (G1)#Toys|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C3 [[Blast Off (G1)#Toys|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C4 [[Vortex (G1)#Toys|Vortex]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C5 [[Onslaught (G1)#Toys|Onslaught]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Battlecharger]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Runabout (G1)#Toys|Runabout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Runamuck (G1)#Toys|Runamuck]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Broadside (G1)#Toys|Broadside]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octane#Toys|Octane]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sandstorm (G1)#Toys|Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Springer (G1)/toys#Toys|Springer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Toys|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Toys|Kup]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Heroes'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Toys|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|1 [[Razorclaw (G1)#Toys|Razorclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|2 [[Rampage (G1)#Toys|Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|3 [[Headstrong (G1)#Toys|Headstrong]]}}
{{Bp-d1|4 [[Divebomb (G1)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-d1|5 [[Tantrum (G1)#Toys|Tantrum]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Decepticon Planes'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Toys|Cyclonus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Toys|Scourge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[City Commander]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Toys|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Toys|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Motorized Autobot Space Shuttle'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Titan (group)|Cities]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]]<br>(w/ [[Six-Gun#Toys|Six-Gun]], [[Slammer#Toys|Slammer]], and [[Scamper#Toys|Scamper]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Trypticon (G1)#Toys|Trypticon]]<br>(w/ [[Brunt (G1)#Toys|Brunt]] & [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Toys|Full-Tilt]])}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====
[[File:G1-toy Reflector.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Reflector]]

:*"[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]"
<ul class="itemlist">
::{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Toys|Reflector]] ([[Spectro#Toys|Spectro]], [[Spyglass#Toys|Spyglass]], [[Viewfinder#Toys|Viewfinder]])}}
</ul>
:*"[[You Have Been Chosen.]]"
:*"[[Decipher the Decepticon]]" contest
:*"[[Prizes in Disguise]]" contest

{{-}}

===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
[[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Headmaster [[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (with [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])]]
This year was almost completely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. On top of that, extra [[gimmick]]s beyond transformation began to play into the subgroups, with the [[Throttlebot]]s' [[pull-back motor]]s and the [[Sparking gimmick|spark-firing]] [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.

More importantly, this was the first year Hasbro would push a primary over-arching [[gimmick]] as a large percentage of the line: the [[Nebulan]] "Master" partners. Where previous years tended to be a bit scattered with its transformation types, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s presented a more unified theme across both factions and multiple price-points. This culminated in the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], a towering two-foot-tall Headmaster city-bot, with a hefty $100 price-tag (in 1987 dollars, which is about the same as a $260 Transformer today). For sheer size and mass, Fortress Maximus remained the largest Transformer produced for over 25 years... and something of a "bragging rights" move on Hasbro's part, showing that they ''could'' demand that kind of shelf space from retailers. (They did the same thing with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and the massive [[USS Flagg]] playset.)

However, this high point also marked the start of the franchise's waning. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was ended with a truncated [[The Rebirth|three-part special]], with reruns continuing on in syndication. Mail-away offers were also slowing down, with no new product available from this year on, only older items no longer in stores. Smaller figures were packaged with small soft-rubber [[Decoy]]s of older characters as an extra incentive, but they weren't a [[Mini-spy|fully transformable mini-Transformer]].
{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Throttlebot]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chase (G1)#Toys|Chase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Goldbug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (G1)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Searchlight (G1)#Toys|Searchlight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wideload (G1)#Toys|Wideload]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|TK1 [[Afterburner (G1)#Toys|Afterburner]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK2 [[Nosecone (G1)#Toys|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK3 [[Strafe (G1)#Toys|Strafe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK4 [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Toys|Lightspeed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK5 [[Scattershot (G1)#Toys|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]]<br>(giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|TR1 [[Rippersnapper (G1)#Toys|Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR2 [[Sinnertwin (G1)#Toys|Sinnertwin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR3 [[Cutthroat (G1)#Toys|Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR4 [[Blot (G1)#Toys|Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR5 [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Toys|Hun-Gurrr]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugfest (G1)#Toys|Slugfest]] / [[Overkill (G1)#Toys|Overkill]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Freeway.jpg|thumb|200px|Throttlebot [[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]]][[File:G1-toy Computron.jpg|200px|thumb|Technobot combiner [[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]]]][[File:G1-toy Misfire.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Targetmaster [[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] with [[Aimless#Toys|Aimless]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Duocon]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battletrap (G1)#Toys|Battletrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flywheels#Toys|Flywheels]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fastlane#Toys|Fastlane]] / [[Cloudraker (G1)#Toys|Cloudraker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Pounce#Toys|Pounce]] / [[Wingspan#Toys|Wingspan]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[:Category:Spies|Double Spy]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Punch (G1)#Toys|Punch-Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbots]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Doublecross#Toys|Doublecross]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grotusque#Toys|Grotusque]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repugnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]]<br>(w/ [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromedome (G1)#Toys|Chromedome]]<br>(w/ [[Stylor#Toys|Stylor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hardhead (G1)#Toys|Hardhead]]<br>(w/ [[Duros#Toys|Duros]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Highbrow (G1)#Toys|Highbrow]]<br>(w/ [[Gort#Toys|Gort]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
{{Bp-d1|[[Mindwipe (G1)#Toys|Mindwipe]]<br>(w/ [[Vorath#Toys|Vorath]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullcruncher (G1)#Toys|Skullcruncher]]<br>(w/ [[Grax#Toys|Grax]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Weirdwolf (G1)#Toys|Weirdwolf]]<br>(w/ [[Monzo#Toys|Monzo]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Headmaster [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Apeface#Toys|Apeface]]<br>(w/ [[Spasma#Toys|Spasma]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snapdragon (G1)#Toys|Snapdragon]]<br>(w/ [[Krunk#Toys|Krunk]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Headmaster [[Titan (group)|Bases]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]]<br>(w/ [[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]], [[Cog (G1)#Toys|Cog]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (G1)#Toys|Scorponok]]<br>(w/ [[Zarak (G1)#Toys|Zarak]] & [[Fasttrack (G1)#Toys|Fasttrack]])}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Blurr]]<br>(w/ [[Haywire (Targetmaster)#Toys|Haywire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Crosshairs (G1)#Toys|Crosshairs]]<br>(w/ [[Pinpointer (G1)#Toys|Pinpointer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]]<br>(w/ [[Nightstick (G1)#Toys|Nightstick]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]]<br>(w/ [[Firebolt (G1)#Toys|Firebolt]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]]<br>(w/ [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]]<br>(w/ [[Aimless#Toys|Aimless]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pointblank#Toys|Pointblank]]<br>(w/ [[Peacemaker#Toys|Peacemaker]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Scourge]]<br>(w/ [[Fracas#Toys|Fracas]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (G1)#Toys|Slugslinger]]<br>(w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#Toys|Caliburst]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sureshot (G1)#Toys|Sureshot]]<br>(w/ [[Spoilsport#Toys|Spoilsport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Toys|Triggerhappy]]<br>(w/ [[Blowpipe (G1)#Toys|Blowpipe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Decepticon [[Six Changer]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sixshot (G1)#Toys|Sixshot]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====
:* "[[Start Your Own Decoy Collection]]" ([[Decoy]]s packed in with carded figures)
:* "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]"

{{-}}

===1988: Powermasters and Pretenders===
[[File:Skullgrin-packageart.jpg|250px|thumb|Decepticon Pretender Skullgrin]]
After four years and slowly-declining sales, the push to make ''Transformers'' live up to its new tagline ("More... Much More Than Meets the Eye!") was in full effect. Even toys in old subgroups gained new gimmicks: the new [[Mini-Cassette]]s were combiners, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner team's limb-bots each had a cannon mode the super-robot could use as a handgun, and the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] each had ''two'' [[Nebulan]]s who could also combine into a super-gun.

The big noise this year was the [[Pretender]]s, Transformers that wear outer shells in the guise of armored warriors, monsters, and more, effectively giving you two warriors in one purchase. However, the line didn't exactly excite kids, as most of the inner robots' vehicle modes could be generously described as "vague at best" due to the necessity of fitting inside their shells. And while the shells' minimal articulation (having only stiff shoulder swivels) would be fine for much younger children, the inner robots and number of small parts definitely put them outside of that age group. 

The other big move was the return of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] as one of the [[Powermaster]]s, robots whose Nebulan partners unlocked the vehicle-to-robot conversion as engine-shaped "keys". Though the previous year saw [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Bumblebee return as "Goldbug"]], this large-scale toy of a returning character heralded a shift in Hasbro's strategy, which would get even stronger next year.

However, the decline that begun the year prior was made worse by a sudden splash in the action figure world: the arrival of the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''. Kids flocked to this strange new line and its weird new cartoon, leaving ''Transformers''... sorry, there's no helping this... shell-shocked.

Sorry.


====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grand Slam (G1)#Toys|Grand Slam]] / [[Raindance#Toys|Raindance]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squawktalk (G1)#Toys|Squawktalk]] / [[Beastbox (G1)#Toys|Beastbox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Sparkabot]]s / [[Firecon]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Toys|Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fizzle#Toys|Fizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flamefeather (G1)#Toys|Flamefeather]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Guzzle (G1)#Toys|Guzzle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sizzle (G1)#Toys|Sizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Triggerbot]]s / [[Triggercon]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Backstreet (G1)#Toys|Backstreet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Crankcase (G1)#Toys|Crankcase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dogfight (G1)#Toys|Dogfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (G1)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Toys|Ruckus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Toys|Windsweeper]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SE1 [[Overbite (G1)#Toys|Overbite]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE2 [[Seawing (G1)#Toys|Seawing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE3 [[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE4 [[Skalor#Toys|Skalor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE5 [[Tentakil (G1)#Toys|Tentakil]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE6 [[Snaptrap (G1)#Toys|Snaptrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Piranacon (G1)#Toys|Piranacon]]<br>(giftset)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Sparkstalker.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Firecon [[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]]][[File:G1-toy Landfill.jpg|thumb|200px|Targetmaster [[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]]]][[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powermaster [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]]]][[File:G1Bomb-Burst toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Pretender [[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]]<br>(w/ [[Flintlock#Toys|Flintlock]] & [[Silencer (G1)#Toys|Silencer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Toys|Needlenose]]<br>(w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Toys|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Toys|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quake (G1)#Toys|Quake]]<br>(w/ [[Tiptop#Toys|Tiptop]] & [[Heater#Toys|Heater]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickmix (G1)#Toys|Quickmix]]<br>(w/ [[Boomer#Toys|Boomer]] & [[Ricochet (G1)#Toys|Ricochet]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scoop (G1)#Toys|Scoop]]<br>(w/ [[Holepunch (G1)#Toys|Holepunch]] & [[Tracer (Targetmaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Toys|Spinister]]<br>(w/ [[Hairsplitter#Toys|Hairsplitter]] & [[Singe#Toys|Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Toys|Fangry]]<br>(w/ [[Brisko#Toys|Brisko]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Horri-Bull#Toys|Horri-Bull]]<br>(w/ [[Kreb#Toys|Kreb]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]]<br>(w/ [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nightbeat (G1)#Toys|Nightbeat]]<br>(w/ [[Muzzle#Toys|Muzzle]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Siren (G1)#Toys|Siren]]<br>(w/ [[Quig#Toys|Quig]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squeezeplay (G1)#Toys|Squeezeplay]]<br>(w/ [[Lokos#Toys|Lokos]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Powermaster]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Toys|Darkwing]]<br>(w/ [[Throttle (G1)#Toys|Throttle]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Toys|Dreadwind]]<br>(w/ [[Hi-Test (G1)#Toys|Hi-Test]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Doubledealer#Toys|Doubledealer]]<br>(w/ [[Knok#Toys|Knok]] & [[Skar (G1)#Toys|Skar]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Getaway#Toys|Getaway]]<br>(w/ [[Rev (G1)#Toys|Rev]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Joyride (G1)#Toys|Joyride]]<br>(w/ [[Hotwire (G1)#Toys|Hotwire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]]<br>(w/ [[Lube#Toys|Lube]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Powermaster Autobot Leader'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]]<br>(w/ [[Hi-Q#Toys|Hi-Q]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Pretender]]s Assortment 1'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cloudburst#Toys|Cloudburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Landmine (G1)#Toys|Landmine]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullgrin#Toys|Skullgrin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Submarauder (G1)#Toys|Submarauder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Waverider#Toys|Waverider]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Pretenders Assortment 2'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bugly (G1)#Toys|Bugly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Finback#Toys|Finback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundbreaker#Toys|Groundbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanus (G1)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky High (Pretender)#Toys|Sky High]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Splashdown#Toys|Splashdown]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Pretender Beast]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (G1)#Toys|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Catilla (G1)#Toys|Catilla]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chainclaw (G1)#Toys|Chainclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snarler#Toys|Snarler]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Pretender Vehicle]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gunrunner (G1)#Toys|Gunrunner]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadgrabber#Toys|Roadgrabber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Autobot [[Six Changer]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickswitch#Toys|Quickswitch]]}}
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====

:*"[[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]]"

{{-}}
===1989: Pretenders and Micromasters===
[[File:G1-toy ConstructionStation.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Construction Station]]
Facing stiff competition, Hasbro attempted to unify and re-brand ''Transformers'' with a new focus and a new look.

First, they eliminated the miscellaneous subgroups of the past, rolling ''everything'' under two over-arching gimmicks: expansions of the [[Pretender]] concept, and the new 1-inch-tall [[Micromaster]]s, the latter being a response to the steadily-growing popularity of then-competitor [[Galoob]]'s ''Micro Machines'' micro-play vehicle line. Kids would buy packs of four Micromasters together, or would get a single Micromaster with a transforming vehicle or playset, with the larger vehicles themselves transforming into base-mode playsets that could interconnect with included ramps (again a response to ''Micro Machines''<nowiki>'</nowiki> heavy use of playsets).

The nostalgia-grab got larger, with new toys based on some of the most popular characters from the early years, now back as "[[Classic Pretender]]s". This year even saw the first store-[[exclusive]] Transformers, as those same four bots were sold without their Pretender shells as "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", available only at [[Kmart]] (which was, at the time, one of the most successful mass-retail chains in the nation. Shocking, we know).

On top of this, the packaging changed ''dramatically'', with a new look and logo design, although this change was gradual. The first three Micromaster patrols released in late 1988 (the Air Strike Patrol, the Off Road Patrol and the Race Car Patrol) still came on old-style cards and featured a unique "Micro Transformers" logo; the Legends kept the overall packaging design but changed the "Transformers" logo to the all-new overall brand logo introduced this year, and changed the on-package [[Tech Spec]]s to an easier-to-read bar graph. All other releases, including the remaining Micromaster Patrols, completely ditched the color-coded distinction between Autobot and Decepticon toys (other than the aforementioned new "Transformers" logo itself), instead opting for a gimmick-specific color-coding with gold-carded and -boxed Pretenders, and silver-carded and-boxed Micromasters. Hasbro hoped that this would prove stronger from a marketing standpoint than the Autobot/Decepticon distinction from previous years, plus look new and fresh, rather than just another iteration of a now-six-year-old toyline.

You can kind of guess how well that worked.
{{-}}

====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Pretender Monster]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|PM1 [[Icepick (G1)#Toys|Icepick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM2 [[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM3 [[Wildfly#Toys|Wildfly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM4 [[Scowl (G1)#Toys|Scowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM5 [[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM6 [[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Pretender]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Toys|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Doubleheader#Toys|Doubleheader]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Longtooth#Toys|Longtooth]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octopunch (G1)#Toys|Octopunch]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pincher (G1)#Toys|Pincher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Stranglehold#Toys|Stranglehold]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Classic Pretender]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Pretender|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Pretender|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Mega Pretender]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Crossblades (G1)#Toys|Crossblades]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vroom (G1)#Toys|Vroom]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Mega Pretender [[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]]][[File:Micromaster-sportscarpatrol-toys.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]]]][[File:G1-toy Overload.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] with [[Car carrier trailer#Toys|car carrier trailer]] Micromaster Transport]]

|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Ultra Pretender]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols Assortment 1'''<ref group="C" name="microtrans">Micromaster Patrol Assortment 1 began shipping in late 1988, and sported packaging that looked drastically different from the "proper" 1989 Micromaster output. Instead of the redesigned silver packaging with the all-new "Transformers" logo, they came on cards that pretty much still resembled the packaging style that had been used up to that point, and sported a unique "Micro Transformers" logo.</ref></u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Air Strike Patrol#Toys|Air Strike Patrol]]<br>([[Nightflight (G1)#Toys|Nightflight]], [[Storm Cloud (G1)#Toys|Storm Cloud]], [[Tailwind (G1)#Toys|Tailwind]], [[Whisper (G1)#Toys|Whisper]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Off Road Patrol#Toys|Off Road Patrol]]<br>([[Highjump (G1)#Toys|Highjump]], [[Mudslinger (G1)#Toys|Mudslinger]], [[Powertrain#Toys|Powertrain]], [[Tote#Toys|Tote]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Race Car Patrol#Toys|Race Car Patrol]]<br>([[Free Wheeler#Toys|Free Wheeler]], [[Roadhandler (G1)#Toys|Roadhandler]], [[Swindler#Toys|Swindler]], [[Tailspin#Toys|Tailspin]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Patrols Assortment 2'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Patrol#Toys|Battle Patrol]]<br>([[Big Shot#Toys|Big Shot]], [[Flak (G1)#Toys|Flak]], [[Sidetrack (G1)#Toys|Sidetrack]], [[Sunrunner (G1)#Toys|Sunrunner]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rescue Patrol (G1)#Toys|Rescue Patrol]]<br>([[Fixit (G1)#Toys|Fixit]], [[Red Hot#Toys|Red Hot]], [[Seawatch#Toys|Seawatch]], [[Stakeout (G1)#Toys|Stakeout]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]]<br>([[Blackjack (G1)#Toys|Blackjack]], [[Detour (G1)#Toys|Detour]], [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)#Toys|Hyperdrive]], [[Road Hugger (G1)#Toys|Road Hugger]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Micromaster Transport]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Erector (G1)#Toys|Erector]]<br>(w/ [[Crane#Toys|Crane]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flattop (G1)#Toys|Flattop]]<br>(w/ [[Platonix#Toys|Aircraft carrier]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]]<br>(w/ [[Car carrier trailer#Toys|Car carrier trailer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roughstuff#Toys|Roughstuff]]<br>(w/ [[Military transport#Toys|Military transport]])}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Stations'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Airwave (Micromaster)#Toys|Airwave]]<br>(w/ [[Airwave (facility)#Toys|Airport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]]<br>(w/ [[Greasepit (facility)#Toys|Gas station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot House (Micromaster)#Toys|Hot House]]<br>(w/ [[Hot House (facility)#Toys|Fire station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironworks (Micromaster)#Toys|Ironworks]]<br>(w/ [[Ironworks (facility)#Toys|Construction station]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Bases'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]]<br>(w/ [[ATV#Toys|ATV]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]]<br>(w/ [[Helicopter#Toys|Helicopter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Jet Command Center'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skystalker (G1)#Toys|Skystalker]]<br>(w/ [[Thunder Arrow#Toys|Interstellar shuttle]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Rocket Base'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Toys|Countdown]]<br>(w/ [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket base]])}}
|}
{{-}}

====Exclusives====
:<u>'''[[Kmart]]'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Legends (G1)|Legends]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
{{--}}
====Notes====
<references group="C" />

{{-}}

===1990: Micromasters and Action Masters===
[[File:G1-toy Jazz AM.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Action Master Jazz, reintroducing a character from the line's early years.]]

By this time, ''Transformers'' was in serious trouble. ''Ninja Turtles'' was still dominating the toy aisle and TV ratings, and was even putting out a live-action movie that year. (Bet Hasbro wished they had a cartoon on the air ''then'', huh?) Home video games were getting even hotter and luring more kids away from toys altogether, especially with the release of the hugely-anticipated Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Hasbro tried to rally with something that was very rare for its time: a large-scale appeal to nostalgia. While Micromasters continued on, the rest of the series was taken up by [[Action Master]]s, non-transforming ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''-scale action figures of ''Transformers'' characters, with a half-and-half mix of "classic" characters and all-new bots. As with the Micromasters, the focus was mainly on the low-price items, with the carded individual Action Masters getting the largest amount of product. Larger offerings included vehicles that transformed into battle stations or "attack modes" for the Action Masters to pilot.

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough, and ''Transformers'' was canceled in the US. While the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European version of the line]] would continue on with both new product and a glut of "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" re-releases, it would be two years before ''Transformers'' would come back to US toy shelves, as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''.

{{-}}
====Retail releases====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols Assortment 3'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Patrol#Toys|Air Patrol]]<br>([[Blaze Master#Toys|Blaze Master]], [[Eagle Eye (G1)#Toys|Eagle Eye]], [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Toys|Sky High]], [[Tread Bolt#Toys|Tread Bolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Construction Patrol#Toys|Construction Patrol]]<br>([[Crumble#Toys|Crumble]], [[Groundpounder (G1)#Toys|Groundpounder]], [[Neutro#Toys|Neutro]], [[Takedown#Toys|Takedown]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Race Track Patrol#Toys|Race Track Patrol]]<br>([[Barricade (G1)#Toys|Barricade]], [[Ground Hog#Toys|Ground Hog]], [[Motorhead (G1)#Toys|Motorhead]], [[Roller Force#Toys|Roller Force]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Patrols Assortment 4'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod Patrol#Toys|Hot Rod Patrol]]<br>([[Big Daddy (G1)#Toys|Big Daddy]], [[Greaser#Toys|Greaser]], [[Hubs#Toys|Hubs]], [[Trip-Up#Toys|Trip-Up]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Military Patrol#Toys|Military Patrol]]<br>([[Bombshock (G1)#Toys|Bombshock]], [[Dropshot (G1)#Toys|Dropshot]], [[Growl (G1)#Toys|Growl]], [[Tracer (Micromaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Monster Trucks Patrol#Toys|Monster Trucks Patrol]]<br>([[Big Hauler#Toys|Big Hauler]], [[Heavy Tread#Toys|Heavy Tread]], [[Hydraulic#Toys|Hydraulic]], [[Slow Poke#Toys|Slow Poke]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Astro Squad#Toys|Astro Squad]]<br>([[Phaser (G1)#Toys|Phaser]], [[Blast Master#Toys|Blast Master]], [[Moonrock#Toys|Moonrock]], [[Missile Master#Toys|Missile Master]], [[Barrage (Micromaster)#Toys|Barrage]] & [[Heave#Toys|Heave]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battle Squad#Toys|Battle Squad]]<br>([[Meltdown (G1)#Toys|Meltdown]], [[Half-Track (G1)#Toys|Half-Track]], [[Direct-Hit#Toys|Direct-Hit]], [[Power Punch#Toys|Power Punch]], [[Fireshot#Toys|Fireshot]] & [[Vanquish#Toys|Vanquish]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Constructor Squad#Toys|Constructor Squad]]<br>([[Stonecruncher (G1)#Toys|Stonecruncher]], [[Excavator (G1)#Toys|Excavator]], [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]], [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]], [[Grit#Toys|Grit]] & [[Knockout (G1)#Toys|Knockout]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Metro Squad#Toys|Metro Squad]]<br>([[Wheel Blaze#Toys|Wheel Blaze]], [[Roadburner#Toys|Roadburner]], [[Oiler#Toys|Oiler]], [[Slide#Toys|Slide]], [[Power Run#Toys|Power Run]] & [[Strikedown#Toys|Strikedown]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-ROC-toy Sledge.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Constructor Squad [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]] (with [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]])]][[File:G1-toy TankerTruck.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Micromaster Combiner [[Tanker Truck#Toys|Tanker Truck]] (with [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])]][[File:G1Gutcruncher toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]] with his [[Stratotronic Jet#Toys|Stratotronic Jet]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Micromaster Combiner Transport]]s'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cannon Transport#Toys|Cannon Transport]]<br>(w/ [[Terror-Tread#Toys|Terror-Tread]] & [[Cement-Head#Toys|Cement-Head]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Missile Launcher#Toys|Missile Launcher]]<br>(w/ [[Retro#Toys|Retro]] & [[Surge (G1)#Toys|Surge]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<br>
{{Bp-a1|[[Tanker Truck#Toys|Tanker Truck]]<br>(w/ [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Combiner Anti-Aircraft Base'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Anti-Aircraft Base#Toys|Anti-Aircraft Base]]<br>(w/ [[Blackout (G1)#Toys|Blackout]] & [[Spaceshot#Toys|Spaceshot]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Micromaster Combiner Battlefield Headquarters'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battlefield Headquarters#Toys|Battlefield Headquarters]]<br>(w/ [[Full-Barrel#Toys|Full-Barrel]] & [[Overflow#Toys|Overflow]])}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''[[Action Master]]s Assortment 1'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon#Toys|Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board#Toys|Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Action Masters Assortment 2'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack#Toys|Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight-Pack#Toys|Flight-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Action Masters Assortment 3'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack#Toys|Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack#Toys|Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron#Toys|Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Action Master Action Blasters'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter#Toys|Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle#Toys|Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)#Toys|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet#Toys|Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Action Master Autobot Vehicles'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser#Toys|Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer#Toys|Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet#Toys|Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank#Toys|Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|<u>'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''</u>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy#Toys|Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

==International toylines==
Beyond the United States, various other countries would get their own unique versions of ''The Transformers''. Some of these would be Hasbro and Takara releases that were only provided in specific regions, whereas others would be the work of entirely different companies who'd been given the right to manufacture licensed copies of ''Transformers'' toys under a royalties agreement.

All of these are elaborated at greater length in their respective articles, but since they are offshoots of the original ''Transformers'' toyline, we will nonetheless briefly summarize them down below.

[[File:TF-Victory-Star-Saber-toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Victory Star Saber, one of the most emblematic characters of the Japanese portion of the Generation 1 toyline.]]
===Japanese ''Transformers'' lines===
[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png|right|250px|thumb|The logo of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''.]]
{{Main|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)}}
[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]], where it was a massive success. Despite many/most of the toys having been available just a couple years prior, the new story and cartoon propelled ''Transformers'' sales far beyond those of the lines that the toys originally came from. ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' were quickly discarded in favor of the new hotness as kids ate up this new take on the giant robot genre, one that was a fresh change from the sheer amount of competing "piloted mecha" robot toylines/cartoons in existence.

The line started very parallel with Hasbro's offerings, with most of Takara's 1986 catalogue being  identical to that of Hasbro save for the occasional minor variants and the addition of some exclusive giftsets. The [[1986]] figures were released under the title of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' (plus a few more under ''Scramble City'', released alongside [[Scramble City: Mobilization|an accompanying OVA]]): this began a tendency where each year would get its own unique subtitle, a long-running tradition in kids' media/toylines... Although yet again, this year's catalogue was also pretty much identical to that of Hasbro's. But eventually, this was about to change.

[[1987]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1987 (The Headmasters)|The Headmasters]]'' would mark the first noticeable shift in Takara's approach, mostly featuring toys released in Hasbro's markets but also bearing a few entirely new figures and redecos of existing molds that would remain exclusive to Japan. An [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|entirely new regional animated series]] would also be produced to accompany Takara's releases, and eventually; this pattern would set the norm for the upcoming years: from [[1988]] to [[1990]], each year would get its own cartoon-accompanied "micro franchise" centered around entirely new characters, with each of these franchises - ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1988 (Super-God Masterforce)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' in 1988, ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|Victory]]'' in [[1989]], and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1990 (Zone)|Zone]]'' in 1990 - earning toylines that primarily consisted of unique Japanese-exclusive molds instead. Of note is also 1987's [[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]] series, a ''Transformers''-branded series of (oddly) non-transforming anthropomorphic animal-robot hybrids taken from Hasbro's ''Battle Beasts'', which would eventually lose the ''Transformers'' branding and become its own short-lived toyline by 1988.  Effectively, these were the golden years for the series in Japan: while the late 80s marked a slow decline for ''Transformers'' in the United States, the franchise was instead fully blooming in Takara's market during this period! 

Unfortunately, by [[1991]], this success had started to dwindle. Takara's ''Transformers'' offers were scaled down considerably: this year's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)|Return of Convoy]]'' would not get any accompanying cartoon, and as [[1992]] came, Takara would go back to following Hasbro's lead with the small ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1992 (Operation Combination)|Operation Combination]]'' franchise primarily featuring imports from the European toyline (see below) and the few new molds being relegated to a handful of large pieces. ''Transformers'' finally ended in 1992, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.

''Transformers'' would not be back on Japanese toy shelves until [[1995]], when the short-lived ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)#Takara G-2 line|G-2]]'' toyline would hit.

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[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Turbomasters Scorch.]]
===European ''Transformers'' lines===
[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png|right|250px|thumb|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' figures.]]
{{Main|The Transformers (European toyline)}}
The early history of the European-market releases of ''The Transformers'' is simultaneously complicated and kind of boring, as while various countries got different amounts of product, sometimes released by Hasbro subsidiaries or non-Hasbro partner companies (like [[Milton Bradley]] and [[GiG]]), the actual ''toys'' were largely identical to the US releases for the overwhelming majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn the permission to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but these are mostly identical to their originals save for a handful of unique decos and differences in plastic colors. There are a few notable variants, such as  Milton Bradley's [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|red Tracks]] and Joustra's "[[Puffer]]" and yellow [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] (as well as the occasional release of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Bruticus (G1)#Generation 1|Bruticus]] and [[Abominus (G1)#Generation 1|Abominus]] [[giftset]]s or the legendary [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1|Galaxy Shuttle]]), but their scarcity and presence in a toyline otherwise identical to its international counterpart has relegated them to "only for the completist with ample funds" category.

Things wouldn't really get significantly different until the 1990s. While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

[[1991]] was an odd hodge-podge of a line, starting with a short burst of exclusive [[Action Master]]s (including some that [[Action Master Elite|actually did transform!]]), then introducing several [[redeco]]ed previously-[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive molds, mainly from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|1989 ("''Victory''") line-up]]. Several of the toys released this year weren't given individual names, including the re-released [[Constructicon (G1)#|Constructicons]] (who had also lost the parts needed to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], oddly enough). Speaking of re-released old toys, 1990 also saw the [[Classics (Europe)|''Classics'' subline]] debut, the return of numerous toys from the 1984 through 1987 lines. Several of these releases had minor changes from the originals, mainly the removal of [[rubsign]] indents. The line would continue through [[1991]], and a few extra pieces would see release only in [[Australia]]. In [[1992]], the line essentially blew up, with Hasbro providing an entirely new assortment of figures that were exclusive to Europe. In a sharp contrast with the previous years, this years' assortment moved back to much more "traditional" Transformers, changing from pseudo-realistic vehicles to robots, with [[gimmick]]s that were by and large not super-obtrusive. The Autobots and Decepticons got some physical distinction in their designs in [[1992]]: the Autobots got hot-pink transparent plastic parts, primarily their [[Sensor#Optical sensors|optics]] and windows, while the Decepticons got a bright toxic clear-green transparent parts as well as less-human, more angular faces. Yes, hot pink and toxic green: the 90s was ''also'' the time that the color schemes for new toys overall got brighter and more reliant on pastels (and in some cases, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|straight-up gloriously awful]]).

In [[1993]], Hasbro changed the traditional [[insignia|faction symbols]] to the types used in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' series, as the US line was changing over that year. The European line would follow suit in [[1993]], ending the original "Generation 1" series in European markets ''without'' the line being canceled, the only major market to ''not'' have a gap between Generations 1 and 2. Neat!
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[[File:G1-toy_Cliffjumper-Antex.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Antex "Carrera" (Cliffjumper).]]
===Latin American ''Transformers'' lines===
[[File:TransformersEstrela-Logo.png|right|150px|thumb|The logo used in the Estrela and Antex localizations of the ''Transformers'' toyline.]]
:'' Main article: [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America]]''

Perhaps the most unusual bundle of Transformers toylines around, [[Mexico]] and a good portion of [[South America]] would see a variety of national companies gaining the license to manufacture and market their own Hasbro / Takara-derived ''Transformers'' toys. Presumably, this was the product of protectionist laws across these countries making it difficult for Hasbro to export their products without being subjected to high tariff costs, thus; the simplest solution was giving local manufacturers the permissions to make their own toys and take a share of their profits instead.

The result would be a confusing and yet inextricably fascinating mess of different regionalized Transformers toylines, with these being far smaller in scope compared to their international Hasbro / Takara counterparts but also frequently getting entirely new colors, promotional materials, and even some exclusive molds - at least within the ''Transformers'' brand - to boot. Mexico's [[IGA]] would release a mostly similar toyline to their U.S. counterpart but with the occasional odd variants and redecoes thrown in, [[Brazil]]'s [[Estrela]] would get an almost entirely distinct toyline reusing the Mini-Vehicles and Jumpstarters (respectively renamed into 'Robocars' and 'Salt-Men') but importing an entire new set of gimmicky figures from [[Yonezawa Toys]] and [[Asahi Corporation]] (respectively becoming the [[Eletrix]] and the [[Bat-Robô|Bat-Robôs]]) and introducing the all-new [[Optimus]] and [[Malignus]] factions, [[Antex]] would import a portion of Estrela's toyline to [[Argentina]] and give most of the molds yet another batch of unique colors, [[Comando Toys]] was yet another Argentinian company which [[Radio AM Robot|inexplicably rebranded a knockoff as an official toy]], [[Peru]] and [[Chile]] would get far cheaper-looking Mini Vehicle variants with minimal paint apps through [[Lynsa]], and [[Venezuela]] would also get their own similar cheap Mini Vehicle toyline with [[Rubiplas]].

Truly, the only consistent aspect of the Latin American ''Transformers'' toylines is their lack of consistency, with the sheer amount of variants produced for existing toys - coupled with the rarity of a lot of these - making many Latin American ''Transformers'' into some of the most coveted vintage figures on the collectors' market. Not all of these are similarly rare and expensive - for instance; the Estrela Eletrix, Bat-Robôs and Salt-Men are fairly common in the Brazilian secondary market, and the fact that a multitude of sealed Antex Robocars were discovered in the 2010s has also made them a lot more accessible in terms of value - but some figures, like the elusively colorful Optimus and Malignus Robocars, frequently go for three digits loose and well into the four digits carded.

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[[File:G1Cyclonus-Chinese.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Chinese reissue of Cyclonus.]]
===Chinese ''The Transformers'' line===
[[File:BattlesOfVictory-Logo.png|right|300px|thumb|The logo used in the ''Battles of Victory'' assortment.]]
:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''

Several factors kept ''The Transformers'' out of mainland China for years, including government-based resistance to the line's [[The Transformers (cartoon)|primary "advertainment" vehicle]]. But in August 1989, Hasbro International started cranking out classic ''Transformers'' at Chinese factories, which were shipped throughout China, as well as Taiwan and South Korea (with additional stickers applied to the packaging for those markets). The line ran through [[1995]] (!), ending with several previously-Japanese-exclusive ''Victory'' toys releasing under the "Battles of Victory" (胜利之斗争) banner.

For the most part, the toys are identical to their previous releases, only with slight changes to the manufacturing stamps, and the occasional minor deco alteration (primarily painted details on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, and some [[rubsign]] changes). They came in the same packaging as their American (or European) counterparts, only with small stickers in the corner giving the characters' Chinese names. Japanese-original toys were altered slightly more, changing the ''Transformers'' logo to a Chinese-language version. The copyright and manufacturing information on the back of the packaging was also shortened to remove the no-longer-true statements "Made in Japan", "Made in Taiwan", etc., and omit references to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The manufacturing information was instead applied as a sticker in Chinese on the back of the box. By [[1994]], when the [[Power Master]]-era toys were released, "Made in China" was added to the box.

Despite running for nigh six years, the Chinese Generation 1 line released only about 100 toys all told.

This late entry into China actually goes a long way towards explaining the country's current ''Transformers'' mania, and its ever-increasing amount of toys made specifically for that market. Those who grew up with the line as kids were hitting adulthood just as the Chinese middle class was booming, which meant disposable income. And with the ''huge'' success of the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]] spurring things on further right in the middle of that economic boon, China has since become a major part of the franchise's current global success.
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{{note|It's quite likely that the Chinese line is also the source of the [[Classics (Europe)|European "Classics" reissues]] that were released in 1990. The toys share the same altered copyright and Chinese manufacturing stamps... plus some Classics toys have surfaced with Chinese name stickers on them.}}

:* ''[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15 Chinese G1 Reissue ID Guide]''
:* ''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/1743/37/ The Little Sticker in the Corner: The Truth about Early-1990's Chinese G1 Transformers Toys]''
:* ''[http://www.danwei.org/tv/fighting_transformer_fever.php Fighting "Transformer Fever"]''

==Post-''Transformers'' releases==
[[File:Classics Dirge Toy.jpg|thumb|200px|BotCon 2007 Dirge<br>RIP [[BotCon]] (1994-2016). We'll always love you.]]
Hahahahahahahhahahah haaaaaa hahahahahhahahaha hahaahahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa. Hoo. Hooooh boy.

Okay, but seriously.

Despite having set the stage for everything that would follow, and in sharp contrast to the nostalgia-sodden market of today, "Generation 1" actually took some time to get back into being a sizable portion of the "modern" toyline following the original's end. The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' revival failed to revive, and its ''vastly'' more successful replacement ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' was such a radical shift from everything before that going back to the '80s trappings was seen as risky. Thus the original series was mostly relegated to scattered [[homage]]s for the better part of a decade.

By the turn of the century (ugh), the older-nostalgic market was picking up strength. More children of the '80s were out of school and getting jobs and disposable income (yes, that kind of thing used to actually happen) and were looking to reclaim bits of their childhoods. And the market responded... timidly at first, as the markets do, but over time, more and more of the classic series was brought back in one form or another.

===Reissue lines===
: ''Main article: [[Generation 1 reissues|Reissue]]''
Before the re-creation boom, there was the re-release boom. Many vintage toy molds were pulled out, refurbished and put back into service to let fans fill holes in their classic collections.

====Takara====
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Transformers Collection'' Skids]]
Takara was the first to get the reissue ball rolling, and generally took the lead in re-releasing classic "Generation 1" molds over the course of several years. Re-issues began sporadically at first in [[2000]], mainly major characters (particularly [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#2001reissue|Megatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Rodimus]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Reissue|Starscream]]) in recreations of the original packaging, with a few special editions. But it didn't take long for this to expand into larger, more organized lines:

*'''''[[The Transformers Collection]]''''' (2002)
:This series is also known as the "bookbox" series, as each toy came in a large box with a multi-page, full-color booklet attached to the inner front cover of the box, full of bio information, toy trivia, cartoon summaries and more. In some respects this series was a bit of an "ultimate G1" line, as a great many toys were modified from their original releases. Tooling issues were fixed for extra durability, [[sticker]]s were altered or even replaced with more durable factory-applied [[tampograph]]s, accessories were added that had either not been released in Japan (like [[Targetmaster (technology)#Toys|Targetmaster]] partners) or wholly-new items altogether.

:This series would be further filled out with all-new characters set in the classic universe, with [[redeco]]s of the mold reissues in new color schemes (often -but not always- replicating ''[[Diaclone]]'' variants the original ''Transformers'' line passed on) through outlets like [[e-HOBBY]].

*'''''[[Transformers Encore]]''''' (2007)
:Riding the surge of popularity that had been building (and exploding with the live-action film), ''Encore'' brought more "enhanced" classic toys out, though this time in more classic-style packaging. The line also put a much heavier focus on the larger pieces in the original line, including the likes of [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], as well as toys the original Japanese line had skipped, like [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]].
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====Hasbro====
[[File:CommemorativeSeriesIIIStock.jpg|thumb|300px|''Commemorative Series'' Thundercracker, "Silverstreak" and Jazz.<br>(''No, the real Silverstreak did not have the black hood/top.'')]]
Hasbro generally seemed less keen on remaking the past, focusing their efforts on new lines, but saw the value in trying to get the reissues into fans' hands... even if there had to be compromises [[for safety reasons]]. Outside of the 1990's ''Classics'' and the following toylines, reissues would also be released alongside "modern" lines, including the 2006's [[Transformers: Classics|''Classics'']], 2008's [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'']], and ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]''. Generation 1 toys were also redecoed for ''Generation 2'' and ''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]''.

*'''''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]''''' (2002)
:Sold [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us]] (though overstock would later filter into closeout outlets), the ''Commemorative Series'' mostly picked up what Takara was already putting out and swung them onto US and European shelves. This series proved less popular with fans, thanks to the changes that had to be done to make the functional spring-launched missiles pass safety standards, plus a rather high price tag (a Toys"R"Us staple for its exclusives) that generally left net-savvy fans deciding to just import Takara's offerings for just a little bit more.

*'''''[[Vintage|Vintage G1]]''''' (2018)
:A series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]]s from [[Hasbro]] which began in 2018. Packaged in Generation 1-styled boxes complete with fonts, classic [[package art|box art]] and [[Tech Spec]], the figures invoke the look and feel of the original toyline, from the era of the franchise's nascent emergence as a cultural phenomenon. All the figures thus far have been exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but have also been released at general retail in Asia, and the first wave of the "Legion Class" assortment has been available in Australia, exclusive to clothing chain CottonOn. (Singapore got most toys at general retail, except for the "Legion Class" figures, which were available from the Singaporean branch of CottonOn&hellip; although the Bumblebee reissue was ''also'' offered as a "Combo" freebie at Golden Village movie theaters.) The toys themselves hew closely to the original releases, mostly using ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' variants, incorporating subtle differences [[for safety reasons|for safety]] or other reasons. Like their original releases, many include [[sticker|sticker-sheets]] for the customer to apply, enhancing the <s>[[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|maddening, hair-pulling]]</s> warm nostalgic experience.

*'''''[[Transformers Retro|Retro]]''''' (2023)
{{toystub}}
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===New "Generation 1"-based lines===
If you think we're gonna list every individual new toy based on a Generation 1 character here, you're insane. And not the fun kind. Instead, enjoy this series of links to the ''numerous'' toylines that call back to the originals. Many of these lines are ''technically'' multi-franchise ensembles, but the majority of their output is of updated Generation 1 bots.

*'''''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]''''' (1997)
[[File:MW-toy Hoist.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Machine Wars'' Hoist]]
:A strange, slapdash and ''very'' short line released in the middle of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Machine Wars'' was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] stores. It's a mix of small toys originally developed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and some larger [[retool]]ed [[the Transformers (European toyline)|European-market]] items from a few years prior, all mostly as old characters, and mostly in color schemes that don't match the characters they're supposed to be. On the other hand, this was the first chance many American fans had to acquire some of those larger foreign molds, and at KB's (in)famous pre-discounted prices to boot.
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*'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''''' (2004)
[[File:RM-toy Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Robotmasters'' Starscream]]
:A short line in Japan during the middle of the "[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]" series, ''Robotmasters'' is set in the nebulous time between the second season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''... but with the intrusion of time-traveling characters from ''Beast Wars'' (and more). Sticking mainly to smaller items, the series is mostly recycled "Basic" figures and sub-Deluxe items, most as new characters. Many came with extra weapons too, most of which were recycled from a canceled ''[[Microman]]'' series.

:However, there were a series of all-new molds, based on the leader characters of the past. The brand-new [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Starscream]] was easily the most popular, being a classic-designed toy with some actual posability, with a new smaller [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Optimus Primal]] being close behind. 

:Though the new molds were highly sought after at the time, they'd become very obsolete in fairly short order...
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]''''' (2003) / '''''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''''' (2009) / '''''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|GT: Mission GT-R]]''''' (2013)
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Two of the numerous Japanese variants of ''Alternators'' Smokescreen.]]
:The first focused Generation 1 "revival" series, ''Alternators'' was aimed ''squarely'' at the older collector. Every toy in the line (save one odd addition) is a Generation 1 character reimagined as a 1:24-scale recreation of a real, fully-licensed vehicle, complete with opening doors, an actual open driver/passenger compartment complete with dashboard, opening hoods/trunks and more. This led to many of these toys being ''very'' complicated to transform. The Japanese ''Binaltech'' line took the collector-aim even further by using copious amounts of painted [[die-cast]] metal for the vehicle shells. A line of ''very'' slow and staggered releases, it would continue on for several years in the US. Japan would keep the line alive even longer (and with a ''lot'' of variants), up through 2008, including a few small sub-lines like ''Binaltech Asterisk'' (which included [[human]] mini-figures to drive the vehicle modes) and the controversial ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

:Despite ''heavy'' interest early on from the older fandom, ''Alternators'' has basically been left behind in favor of the later "normal" Generation 1 remakes that would follow a few years later.

:TakaraTomy would take another crack at the style later with ''Alternity'', which is generally the same thing, only at 1:32 scale, putting the toys at roughly "Deluxe" size. Several years later it would dust off the ''Alternity'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] mold for ''GT: Mission GT-R'', a racing-themed mini-series which added "[[GT Sister]]" ''[[Microman]]'' figures to each toy.
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*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''''' (2003)
[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|MP-10 Convoy, the second ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime mold.]]
:A line that started as a one-shot, anniversary-celebratory deal, that slowly over time grew to become basically the "ultimate" collector's Generation 1 toyline. Takara has taken the lead here, putting out much of the product at general retail, where Hasbro picks and chooses molds to bring out as store [[exclusive]]s from time to time.

:Starting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]] (of course), the line features larger-scale, very complex, highly-detailed, and (generally) [[show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] renditions of classic characters. Originally a slow-release line, in 2011 it moved to a smaller scale (with a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|redone Optimus]], of course), focused on filling out much of the 1984/1985 cast, and started putting out toys at a fairly regular clip, several a year. The line even started adding ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters to the roster before ending in 2024, being replaced by its own spinoff line ''[[The Transformers: MPG|MPG]]''.

:Hasbro would occasionally release their own versions of ''Masterpiece'' toys, exclusive to various stores. Due to the brand unification, these were stopped in favor of simply importing the toys.
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*'''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]''''' (2005)
:The ''Timelines'' series is also a multi-franchise ensemble line, but naturally, the majority of the product is Generation-1-based, and sold by Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] via [[BotCon]]s and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This series features a lot of toys based on more obscure characters and decos.

*'''''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Classics'' Bumblebee]]
:Originally intended to just be a short gap-filler line between ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' and the upcoming [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action film toyline]], ''Classics'' more or less set the gold standard for today's Generation 1-based toy: modern-tech recreations of classic characters in updated forms highly evocative of their original incarnations, in the "focused-around-deluxe-scale" play size.

:Hasbro originally had no plans to put out more than the original line in this format (leading to some kerfuffle when several "missing" classic characters ended up as [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives). But a combination of solid sales, heavy demand, and —most importantly— a gargantuan influx of income thanks to that whole [[Michael Bay]] movie deal meant that ''Classics''-style toys could continue on in successive lines (see below).
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*'''''[[Titanium Series]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Titanium Series'' Jetfire]]
:Originally a subline of Hasbro's ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' product line, ''Titanium Series'' put the focus on [[die-cast]] metal, split between 2-inch-tall non-transforming mini-figurines, and the transforming 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes". The latter were... let's politely say "not very well-received".

:These toys were developed completely in-house at Hasbro, with no Takara engineering, by a team who had never worked on ''Transformers'' to boot. This often resulted in ill-proportioned messes with odd joint tolerances and questionable articulation that couldn't really handle the weight distribution. The toys based on designs from the popular "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics from then-licensee [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] generally fared better, and would garner some demand, particularly [[The Fallen/toys#Titanium Series|The Fallen]]. It's a real grab-bag of a line, both in character and quality.
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*'''''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]''''' (2010)
[[File:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]]
:After the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movie]] made Hasbro and Takara approximately eleven bazillion dollars, they had the funds to put out more traditionally "risky" product like older-nostalgic-aimed toys. From this point on, they would devote a major portion of each year's product to making modern toys of Generation 1 characters.

:Hasbro's 2008 ''Universe'' line was the start, with everything from small [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] items to huge electronic Ultra Class toys.

:The line eventually turned into ''Generations'', but the overall focus was more or less the same. ''Generations'' is still running as of this writing, though at this point "''Generations''" has kind of become more a ''descriptor'' than an actual line: generally used as an umbrella branding for the more collector-oriented product, which includes not just multiple themed lines of "Generation 1"-based toys (expanding to other eras for the nostalgic fan as well), but more elaborate live-action movie product.

:2010's ''Transformers'' line was actually a movie-based "general" line. But the back end of the line had several toys in multiple price-points based directly on Generation 1 characters that seemed like they were right out of ''Generations'', confusing fans a bit.
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*'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers United|United]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]''''' (2011) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (Japan)|Generations]]''''' (2012) / '''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]''''' (2014) / '''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''''' (2015) 
[[File:Henkeitoy megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Megatron, a redeco of ''Classics'' Megatron.]]
:Takara's string of Generation-1-based modern toys is a little more fragmented, changing names with regularity. Largely following Hasbro's lead, these toys are typically more extensively painted (owing to Japan's retailers not having the vise-like grip on item prices that major American retailers have), with a much heavier focus on [[show-accuracy|replicating animation decos]], even when the molds are not terribly suited for animation-based deco. 

:Complicating things a bit more is ''Adventure'', Takara's version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. That line was initially filled out with a large number of ''Generations'' molds, colored and named blatantly as Generation 1 characters... but as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" universe. While we list these characters as the alternate-universe takes they're presented as, they are definitely worth mentioning here for fans who don't care about dividing by universe and just want a modern [[Override (RID)|Override]] that blends in perfectly with their modern Generation 1 collection.

:Starting with 2018's ''Power of the Primes'', the brand unification meant ''Generations'' toys would not end up in diverging toylines between Hasbro and TakaraTomy. While each company would have their exclusives, they would often be imported over by the other company.

:TakaraTomy also created various smaller toylines, such as ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' and ''[[The Transformers Golden Lagoon|Golden Lagoon]]'', based on Generation 1 characters and designs, though focusing on a certain gimmick or idea.
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==Notes==
* The term "Generation 1" is a piece of ascended [[fandom|fan-terminology]]. When ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' hit, the early online fandom quickly took to calling its predecessor "Generation 1". It became such a ubiquitous term it made its way into official terminology pretty quickly.
* ''The Transformers'' isn't the first time ''[[Diaclone]]'' molds were sold in the US. In [[1983]], Takara released "''[[Diakron]]''" in the US, straight-importing six ''Diaclone'' molds in new packaging. It didn't do too well. These releases ''are'' interesting curiosities for the serious collector, though.


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[[Category:Generation 1 toylines| Transformers (toyline)]]