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| [[Image:Bumblebee-instructions.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Basically, you make him do yoga.]]
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| All Transformers [[toy]]s that can be <strike>[[trademark|transformed]]</strike> [[transformation|converted]] between [[alternate mode|different modes]] come '''instructions'''. Usually, those are included in the form of a sheet of paper (once called "instruction booklet"); however, some smaller toys have them printed on the back of their packaging instead (usually only for toys that come packaged on blister cards).
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| Instructions always give visual directions for how to convert the toy between its different modes and, if applicable, how to use its [[gimmick]]s and action features, either in the form or photos of the toy itself (or a [[prototype]]) or simplified line artwork. Additional text explanations were common in the [[The Transformers (toyline)|early days]] of the [[Transformers brand|brand]], but have since been dropped at least as far as [[Hasbro]]'s market is concerned.
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| If the toy includes loose accessories, the instructions will also depict the entire content of the package.
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| ==Formats of instructions==
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| ===Instructions printed on the back of the packaging===
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| The first ''Transformers'' toys that featured instructions printed on the back of their blister cards were the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars/Mini-Vehicles]] such as [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] or [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], and the [[Mini-Cassette]] two-packs such as [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]/[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] or [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]/[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]].
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| Throughout the ''Generation 1'' line, ''all'' toys that came packaged on blister cards (such as [[combiner]] limbs, [[Micromaster]] Patrols or single [[Action Master]] figures) had their instructions printed on the back of their blister cards.
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| With the [[Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toy line]], this started to change: Smaller toys such as the Mini-Cars, the [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]], the Constructicons and the Combiner limbs still had their instructions printed on the back of their blister cards; however, more complex toys such as the Autobot Cars, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon Jets]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] or the "Hero" versions of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]] already came with instruction booklets included inside the blister bubble.
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| ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' introduced uniform [[size class]]es that are, by and large, still used today. The Basic and Deluxe figures, which came packaged on blister cards, once again featured their instructions printed on the back of their cards. ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' continued this trend, now also including the short-lived price points [[Deployer]]s and [[Beast Rider]]s.
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| The ''[[Machine Wars]]'' toys ''all'' had their instructions printed on the back of their packaging, even larger toys such as Optimus Prime, [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] or [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] that came packaged in boxes.
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| ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' finally abandoned the practice of printing instructions on the back of blister cards altogether: Even the simplistic [[Spy Changer]]s or the ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada'']] line's [[Mini-Con]] three-packs featured instruction sheets included inside the blister bubble. The only ''Transformers'' toys since then to feature instructions printed on the back of their blister cards are the small [[Legends Class]] toys originally launched during the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' line, and only the ones that are released as single packs. Even the "[[AllSpark Power|AllSpark Battles]]" two-packs from the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 ''Movie'' toy line]] came with instruction sheets included inside their blister bubbles instead.
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| ===Instruction sheets (booklets)===
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| Ever since the launch of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original ''Transformers'' toy line]], all toys (with the exception of the ''[[Machine Wars]]'' toys) that come packaged in boxes have featured their instructions printed on a sheet of paper that is included inside the packaging. For more recent lines, this also applied to most toys that come packaged on blister cards.
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| Up until 1989, the sheet was officially called an "instruction booklet". The sheets originally came in a format around twice the size of a playing card and could be folded out horizontally, printed on both sides. Larger toys such as [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[combiner]] torsos (which also included instructions for the gestalt form's assembly), combiner giftsets, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] additionally also had to be folded out vertically.
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| The ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' line all kept the established format largely unchanged. The first main change to the format was introduced with the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, when the vertical fold no longer matched the horizontal rows from the instructions, and many instructions had to be folded out primarily downwards rather than sideways.
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| Finally, with the ''[[Alternators]]'' line, Hasbro started to print the instructions entirely on one side of the sheet, leaving the other side blank. With the launch of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' line, Hasbro also started to apply that format to their other ''Transformers'' lines, which affected later toys from the original ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line. The ''Cybertron'' [[Mini-Con]] two-packs were an unusual exception in that they still featured double-sided instructions. Since then, the only toys that continue to use double-sided instruction sheets are Ultra, Leader and Supreme Class figures and other large toys such as ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Ultimate Bumblebee]]. There's no cut-and-dry rule, however—[[Human Alliance]] Bumblebee from the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' comes with double-sided instructions, while Human Alliance [[Sideswipe (ROTF)|Sideswipe]] from the same line features a one-sided instruction sheet.
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| ==Visual directions==
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| ===Photos of toys===
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| ===Line artwork===
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| ==Additional text instructions==
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| ==Trivia==
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| *With the second [[wave]] of the 2008 ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, Hasbro changed multi-language text blurbs such as "Change to robot" in their European instructions from mixed case to upper case. Somehow, however, a weird error sneaked its way in: The Greek version of "Change to robot", previously correctly rendered as "Αλλαγή σε Ρομποτ" in mixed case, was changed to "ΑΛΛΑΓΗ ΣΕ ΚΑΤΑΠΕΛΤΗ" in uppercase... which translates as "Change to catapult".
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This may be used for things.
