The Transformers (toyline) - Revision history

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-04-13T02:34:34Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:34, 13 April 2026
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	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as ~~GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]],~~ the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd batch of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoys]] that briefly popped up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], and the odd batch of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoys]] that briefly popped up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting 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]].		[[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]].

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-04-13T02:33:57Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:33, 13 April 2026
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	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star ~~Convoy~~]] ~~batch~~ briefly ~~popping~~ up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd batch of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoys]] that briefly popped up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting 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]].		[[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]].

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */ Shortening paragraph a bit

2026-04-13T02:30:46Z

European Transformers lines: Shortening paragraph a bit

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:30, 13 April 2026
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	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 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 again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for ~~a few unique decos and~~ the usual slight differences in plastic colors.		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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoy]] batch briefly popping up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

	~~There are~~ a few ~~notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting 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]].		[[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]].

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-04-13T02:14:33Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:14, 13 April 2026
Line 983:		Line 983:
	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 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 again, ~~these are almost all~~ identical to ~~their~~ originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.		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 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 again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.

	There are a few notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		There are a few notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

FortressMaxxing: /* International toylines */ Moving main article tags so that they get more visiblity

2026-04-13T02:11:46Z

International toylines: Moving main article tags so that they get more visiblity

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:11, 13 April 2026
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	===Japanese ''Transformers'' lines===		===Japanese ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''.]]		[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''.]]
			[[File:TF-Victory-Star-Saber-toy.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|''Victory'' Star Saber, one of the most emblematic characters of the Japanese portion of the Generation 1 toyline.]]
	{{Main\|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)}}		{{Main\|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)}}
	~~[[File:TF-Victory-Star-Saber-toy.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|''Victory'' Star Saber, one of the most emblematic characters of the Japanese portion of the Generation 1 toyline.]]~~

	[[TakaraTomy\|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]] under the name of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー), where it was a massive success. Despite 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. The ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' brands were quickly discarded by Takara 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.		[[TakaraTomy\|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]] under the name of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー), where it was a massive success. Despite 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. The ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' brands were quickly discarded by Takara 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.
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	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. This line also excluded virtually all [[pre-Transformers]] molds manufactured by Japanese companies that ''weren't'' Takara, meaning that a few major characters like the ''[[Macross]]'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie-derived [[Jetfire (G1)/toys\|Jetfire]] and the ''[[Toybox]]''-derived [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Notes\|Omega Supreme]] would be left out of the Japanese market entirely (or at least the latter not up until [[Transformers Encore\|much later]]). The [[1986]] figures were released under the title of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' (plus a few more under ''Scramble City'', launching 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 Japanese 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.		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. This line also excluded virtually all [[pre-Transformers]] molds manufactured by Japanese companies that ''weren't'' Takara, meaning that a few major characters like the ''[[Macross]]'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie-derived [[Jetfire (G1)/toys\|Jetfire]] and the ''[[Toybox]]''-derived [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Notes\|Omega Supreme]] would be left out of the Japanese market entirely (or at least the latter not up until [[Transformers Encore\|much later]]). The [[1986]] figures were released under the title of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' (plus a few more under ''Scramble City'', launching 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 Japanese 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 ~~brand-~~new figures and redecos of existing molds that would remain exclusive to Japan. A [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)\|Japanese-made 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 consist of 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 - gradually earning more region-exclusive toys: as with ''The Headmasters'', a decent portion of the ''Super-God Masterforce'' assortment was still co-released with Hasbro overseas, but by the time of ''Victory'' and ''Zone'', the bulk of the toys that were being put out by Takara had become entirely exclusive to Japan instead. Of note is also 1987's ''[[Beastformers (franchise)\|Beastformers]]'', 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 branch out into 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 hands ~~during this period!~~		[[1987]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1987 (The Headmasters)\|The Headmasters]]'' would mark the first noticeable shift in Takara's approach, with the series mostly featuring toys concurrently released in Hasbro's markets but also a few new figures and redecos of existing molds that would remain exclusive to Japan. A [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)\|Japanese-made animated series]] would also be produced to accompany Takara's releases, and eventually; this pattern would set the norm. From [[1988]] to [[1990]], each year would consist of 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 - gradually earning more region-exclusive toys: as with ''The Headmasters'', a decent portion of the ''Super-God Masterforce'' assortment was still co-released with Hasbro overseas, but by the time of ''Victory'' and ''Zone'', the bulk of the toys that were being put out by Takara had become entirely exclusive to Japan instead. Of note is also 1987's ''[[Beastformers (franchise)\|Beastformers]]'', 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 branch out into 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 hands.

	Unfortunately, by [[1991]], this success had started to dwindle. Japanese ''Transformers'' offers were scaled down considerably: this year's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)\|Return of Convoy]]'' - while still ~~centered around~~ a ~~set~~ of ~~Japan~~-exclusive molds - would be the first franchise to 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. The Japanese leg of Generation 1 finally ended in that year, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)\|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.		Unfortunately, by [[1991]], this success had started to dwindle. Japanese ''Transformers'' offers were scaled down considerably: this year's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)\|Return of Convoy]]'' - while still featuring a large batch of Japanese-exclusive molds - would be the first franchise to 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 exclusive molds being relegated to a handful of larger pieces. The Japanese leg of Generation 1 finally ended in that year, 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.		''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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	===European ''Transformers'' lines===		===European ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' packaging.]]		[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' packaging.]]
			[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]
	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}
	~~[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]~~

	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 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 again, these are almost all identical to their originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.		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 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 again, these are almost all identical to their originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.
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	===Latin American ''Transformers'' lines===		===Latin American ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:TransformersEstrela-Logo.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|The logo used in the Estrela and Antex localizations of the ''Transformers'' toyline.]]		[[File:TransformersEstrela-Logo.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|The logo used in the Estrela and Antex localizations of the ''Transformers'' toyline.]]
			[[File:G1-toy_Cliffjumper-Antex.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|Antex "Carrera" (Cliffjumper).]]
	:'' Main article: [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America]]''		:'' Main article: [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America]]''
	~~[[File:G1-toy_Cliffjumper-Antex.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|Antex "Carrera" (Cliffjumper).]]~~

	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.		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.
Line 1,009:		Line 1,009:
	===Chinese ''The Transformers'' line===		===Chinese ''The Transformers'' line===
	[[File:BattlesOfVictory-Logo.png\|right\|320px\|thumb\|The logo used in the ''Battles of Victory'' assortment.]]		[[File:BattlesOfVictory-Logo.png\|right\|320px\|thumb\|The logo used in the ''Battles of Victory'' assortment.]]
			[[File:G1Cyclonus-Chinese.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Chinese reissue of Cyclonus.]]
	:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''		:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''
	~~[[File:G1Cyclonus-Chinese.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Chinese reissue of Cyclonus.]]~~

	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.		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.

Doomdorm64: /* 1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters */

2026-03-05T22:06:43Z

1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:06, 5 March 2026
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	===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===		===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
	[[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg\|right\|thumb\|250px\|Headmaster [[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys\|Brainstorm]] (with [[Arcana#Toys\|Arcana]])]]		[[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.		This year was largely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. In addition, Decepticons possessing [[beast mode]]s became far more prevalent this year; likely to capitalise on the popularity of the [[Terrorcon (G1)\|Terrorcon]]s. 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.)		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.)

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-02-14T21:31:13Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:31, 14 February 2026
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	[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]		[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]

	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 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.		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 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 again, these are almost all identical to their originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.

	There are a few notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		There are a few notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-02-14T21:29:52Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:29, 14 February 2026
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	===European ''Transformers'' lines===		===European ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' ~~figures~~.]]		[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' packaging.]]
	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}
	[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]		[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-02-14T21:28:36Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:28, 14 February 2026
Line 985:		Line 985:
	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 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.		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 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 that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 ~~truly~~ interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		There are a few notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting 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]].		[[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]].

FortressMaxxing: /* European Transformers lines */

2026-02-05T08:24:41Z

European Transformers lines

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:24, 5 February 2026
Line 985:		Line 985:
	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 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.		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 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 that popped up in Europe during this time, 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 truly interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		There are a few notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 truly interesting 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]].		[[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]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:34, 13 April 2026
Line 983:		Line 983:
	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as ~~GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]],~~ the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd batch of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoys]] that briefly popped up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], and the odd batch of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoys]] that briefly popped up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting 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]].		[[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]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:33, 13 April 2026
Line 983:		Line 983:
	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star ~~Convoy~~]] ~~batch~~ briefly ~~popping~~ up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.		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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd batch of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoys]] that briefly popped up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting 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]].		[[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]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:30, 13 April 2026
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	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{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 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 again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for ~~a few unique decos and~~ the usual slight differences in plastic colors.		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 majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn licensing rights to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but again, their product was mostly identical to the originals save for the usual slight differences in plastic colors and a few unique decos (e.g.; "[[Puffer]]" and the yellow [[Constructicon (G1)\|Constructicons]]). There was also the semi-rare import of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1\|Galaxy Shuttle]], the ''Diaclone''-derived [[Tracks (G1)/toys\|red Tracks]], and the odd [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy\|Star Convoy]] batch briefly popping up in [[Portugal]], but... That's it. Things wouldn't really get interesting until the 1990s: While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

	~~There are~~ a few ~~notable variants that only popped up in Europe during this time, 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 interesting 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]].		[[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]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:11, 13 April 2026
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	===Japanese ''Transformers'' lines===		===Japanese ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''.]]		[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''.]]
			[[File:TF-Victory-Star-Saber-toy.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|''Victory'' Star Saber, one of the most emblematic characters of the Japanese portion of the Generation 1 toyline.]]
	{{Main\|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)}}		{{Main\|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)}}
	~~[[File:TF-Victory-Star-Saber-toy.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|''Victory'' Star Saber, one of the most emblematic characters of the Japanese portion of the Generation 1 toyline.]]~~

	[[TakaraTomy\|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]] under the name of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー), where it was a massive success. Despite 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. The ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' brands were quickly discarded by Takara 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.		[[TakaraTomy\|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]] under the name of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー), where it was a massive success. Despite 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. The ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' brands were quickly discarded by Takara 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.
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	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. This line also excluded virtually all [[pre-Transformers]] molds manufactured by Japanese companies that ''weren't'' Takara, meaning that a few major characters like the ''[[Macross]]'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie-derived [[Jetfire (G1)/toys\|Jetfire]] and the ''[[Toybox]]''-derived [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Notes\|Omega Supreme]] would be left out of the Japanese market entirely (or at least the latter not up until [[Transformers Encore\|much later]]). The [[1986]] figures were released under the title of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' (plus a few more under ''Scramble City'', launching 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 Japanese 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.		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. This line also excluded virtually all [[pre-Transformers]] molds manufactured by Japanese companies that ''weren't'' Takara, meaning that a few major characters like the ''[[Macross]]'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie-derived [[Jetfire (G1)/toys\|Jetfire]] and the ''[[Toybox]]''-derived [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Notes\|Omega Supreme]] would be left out of the Japanese market entirely (or at least the latter not up until [[Transformers Encore\|much later]]). The [[1986]] figures were released under the title of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' (plus a few more under ''Scramble City'', launching 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 Japanese 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 ~~brand-~~new figures and redecos of existing molds that would remain exclusive to Japan. A [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)\|Japanese-made 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 consist of 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 - gradually earning more region-exclusive toys: as with ''The Headmasters'', a decent portion of the ''Super-God Masterforce'' assortment was still co-released with Hasbro overseas, but by the time of ''Victory'' and ''Zone'', the bulk of the toys that were being put out by Takara had become entirely exclusive to Japan instead. Of note is also 1987's ''[[Beastformers (franchise)\|Beastformers]]'', 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 branch out into 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 hands ~~during this period!~~		[[1987]]'s ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1987 (The Headmasters)\|The Headmasters]]'' would mark the first noticeable shift in Takara's approach, with the series mostly featuring toys concurrently released in Hasbro's markets but also a few new figures and redecos of existing molds that would remain exclusive to Japan. A [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)\|Japanese-made animated series]] would also be produced to accompany Takara's releases, and eventually; this pattern would set the norm. From [[1988]] to [[1990]], each year would consist of 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 - gradually earning more region-exclusive toys: as with ''The Headmasters'', a decent portion of the ''Super-God Masterforce'' assortment was still co-released with Hasbro overseas, but by the time of ''Victory'' and ''Zone'', the bulk of the toys that were being put out by Takara had become entirely exclusive to Japan instead. Of note is also 1987's ''[[Beastformers (franchise)\|Beastformers]]'', 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 branch out into 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 hands.

	Unfortunately, by [[1991]], this success had started to dwindle. Japanese ''Transformers'' offers were scaled down considerably: this year's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)\|Return of Convoy]]'' - while still ~~centered around~~ a ~~set~~ of ~~Japan~~-exclusive molds - would be the first franchise to 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. The Japanese leg of Generation 1 finally ended in that year, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)\|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.		Unfortunately, by [[1991]], this success had started to dwindle. Japanese ''Transformers'' offers were scaled down considerably: this year's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)\|Return of Convoy]]'' - while still featuring a large batch of Japanese-exclusive molds - would be the first franchise to 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 exclusive molds being relegated to a handful of larger pieces. The Japanese leg of Generation 1 finally ended in that year, 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.		''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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	===European ''Transformers'' lines===		===European ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' packaging.]]		[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png\|right\|270px\|thumb\|The logo used on 1992-1993 European ''Transformers'' packaging.]]
			[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]
	{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}		{{Main\|The Transformers (European toyline)}}
	~~[[File:G1-toy Scorch FireRoad.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Turbomasters Scorch.]]~~

	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 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 again, these are almost all identical to their originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.		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 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 again, these are almost all identical to their originals save for a few unique decos and the usual slight differences in plastic colors.
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	===Latin American ''Transformers'' lines===		===Latin American ''Transformers'' lines===
	[[File:TransformersEstrela-Logo.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|The logo used in the Estrela and Antex localizations of the ''Transformers'' toyline.]]		[[File:TransformersEstrela-Logo.png\|right\|150px\|thumb\|The logo used in the Estrela and Antex localizations of the ''Transformers'' toyline.]]
			[[File:G1-toy_Cliffjumper-Antex.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|Antex "Carrera" (Cliffjumper).]]
	:'' Main article: [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America]]''		:'' Main article: [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America]]''
	~~[[File:G1-toy_Cliffjumper-Antex.jpg\|left\|thumb\|280px\|Antex "Carrera" (Cliffjumper).]]~~

	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.		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.
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	===Chinese ''The Transformers'' line===		===Chinese ''The Transformers'' line===
	[[File:BattlesOfVictory-Logo.png\|right\|320px\|thumb\|The logo used in the ''Battles of Victory'' assortment.]]		[[File:BattlesOfVictory-Logo.png\|right\|320px\|thumb\|The logo used in the ''Battles of Victory'' assortment.]]
			[[File:G1Cyclonus-Chinese.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Chinese reissue of Cyclonus.]]
	:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''		:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''
	~~[[File:G1Cyclonus-Chinese.jpg\|left\|thumb\|250px\|Chinese reissue of Cyclonus.]]~~

	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.		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.