Robotmasters (cartoon)

Japanese Generation 1 continuity « Robotmasters » Toyline Comic Prose 1 Prose 2 Cartoon 3D diorama comic Guidebook

The Robotmasters cartoon was a two-episode series of DVDs by Actas Inc. with Studio A-CAT and packaged with select Robotmasters toys. The cartoon told a truncated version of the events seen in several of the Robotmasters comics, with a few alterations.

The cartoons were CG-animated. Although they mostly featured characters from past Transformers cartoons, not a single voice actor returned to reprise any of the roles, with the cast being composed entirely of sound-alikes.

Episodes

1. "Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!"
2. "Lio Convoy Storms In"

DVD releases

Following a "Vol. 1" DVD included with the G1 Convoy + DVD toy that included promotional clips for the toyline, the first episode of the Robotmasters cartoon came packaged with the Burning Beast Convoy + DVD toy, while the second episode came packaged with the Lio Convoy + DVD toy.

The first episode was also released on a "Galaxy Force Special Secret DVD" included with the February 2005 issue of TV Magazine.

Both episodes are preceded by a prologue/introduction to the continuity that uses art taken from the Robotmasters pack-in and online comics. This prologue is then followed by a commercial for the toyline before finally getting on with the episode.

Each disc ends with a brief sequence of clips highlighting the career of the character that disc was packaged with. For example, the Burning Beast Convoy disc features the following clips from Beast Wars:

• The Maximals and Predacons fight surrounded by energon crystals, from the episode "Beast Wars (Part 2)".
• Optimus Primal fights a beefed-up Terrorsaur, from "Power Surge".
• Primal and Cheetor rescue Dinobot from the Preds outside the Axalon, from "Victory".
• Primal lops off Megatron's arm and the Maximals retreat from the exploding Darksyde, from "Dark Designs".

Notes

Wait, you said I have how many lunchbreaks to get this done?

The Robotmasters specials were likely made very quickly sometime during the production of Transformers: Energon, with a total run time of less than 15 minutes and mostly taking place in entirely deserted locales. Particularly odd things include:

• G1 Optimus Prime reuses the exact head model from Energon Optimus Prime with the only changes being added side antennae and tweaked vents on the cheeks and crest.
• Starscream launches his entire null ray cannons like missiles and still has them immediately afterward.
• Beast Megatron has no robot mode neck. This is most noticeable in the first episode around the five minute mark when background clouds can be seen between his head and body.
• There are a vast amount of shading and texturing errors, with a number of characters clipping through themselves, each other, or the camera.
• The entire second episode is set at night, which conveniently, though unsuccessfully, covers up many of the above problems.

External links

• Robotmasters playlist at the TFRaw YouTube channel
• Robotmasters "Vol 1", "Vol 2", and "Vol 3" complete with recycled footage at the Invincible Robot Factory YouTube channel (untranslated)