Transformers: Prime (toyline): Difference between revisions

From MediaWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
← Older editNewer edit →
M Sipher (talk | contribs)
Administrators
43,755 edits
Line 194: Line 194:
In 2013, ''Prime'' shifted to the '''''Beast Hunters''''' [[subline imprint]], a branding that also extended into the ''[[Kre-O]]'' line.
In 2013, ''Prime'' shifted to the '''''Beast Hunters''''' [[subline imprint]], a branding that also extended into the ''[[Kre-O]]'' line.


This series introduced the dangerous [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] faction, robotic dragons and mythical creatures that posed a threat to Autobot and Decepticon alike. In response, the 'Bots and 'Cons don new armor and are armed with new [[gimmick]]-kaden weapons: the Autobots taking on spiky, over-weaponized vehicle modes reminiscent of ''{{w|Mad Max}}'', while the Decepticons' vehicles modes take on more beastly traits. On-package [[bio]]s were reduced in length to just a sentence or two, and the [[Instructions|instruction sheets]] instead feature facts about one of the figure's main weapons, as well as a chapter of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' prose story.
This series introduced the dangerous [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] faction, robotic dragons and mythical creatures that posed a threat to Autobot and Decepticon alike. In response, the 'Bots and 'Cons don new armor (the Autobots in spiky, over-weaponized armor reminiscent of ''{{w|Mad Max}}'', while the Decepticons take on more beastly traits) and are armed with new [[gimmick]]-laden launching/spinning weapons. On-package [[bio]]s were reduced in length to just a sentence or two, and the [[Instructions|instruction sheets]] instead feature facts about one of the figure's main weapons, as well as a chapter of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' prose story.


The final waves of this line, released in early [[2014]], ''really'' pushed towards younger kids, with incredibly simplified designs based on the characters' ''Cyberverse'' releases, which actually allowed the toys to be larger than most others in their size class. Unfortunately, as they were [[tail-ender]]s, their US releases were nearly nonexistant: only the Voyagers made it out at US retail, and only through discount chains like Ross and TJ Maxx. The rest ended up released only overseas (not even [[Canada]] got them!).
The final waves of this line, released in early [[2014]], ''really'' pushed towards younger kids, with incredibly simplified designs based on the characters' ''Cyberverse'' releases, which actually allowed the toys to be larger than most others in their size class. Unfortunately, as they were [[tail-ender]]s, their US releases were nearly nonexistant: only the Voyagers made it out at US retail, and only through discount chains like Ross and TJ Maxx. The rest ended up released only overseas (not even [[Canada]] got them!).

Revision as of 22:53, 14 December 2016
Aligned continuity family
« Prime »


It is being brought.
It is being brought.
Oh, he's doin' somethin'...

Another editor is doing extensive changes to this article right now, and is requesting that all other editors hold off on any edits until their work is finished, in order to make sure nothing important gets lost.

The Transformers: Prime toyline hit shelves in November 2011. Originally, Hasbro played coy with the series receiving a toyline at all, emphasizing that it was a television series first and foremost. There were initial plans to release a small assortment of three Deluxe figures (Bumblebee, Arcee and Starscream) in the Generations line before they were moved into the expanded "First Edition" launch line.


Hasbro Prime toyline

First Edition (2011)

The first assortment of Prime toys are more collector-aimed, with more intricate transformation schemes than later iterations.

The First Edition toys had a spotty, messy release in the US. Only the first wave of Deluxes made it to some stores at first, with fans having to turn to Canada and Asian markets for later releases. Eventually, in late 2012, ToysЯUs picked up the whole "First Edition" line as part of a huge block of US market exclusives for the holiday season.

Deluxes

Wave 1 Wave 1.5 Wave 2
First Edition Arcee


Voyager Class

Wave 1


Entertainment Pack


Exclusives

San Diego Comic-Con 2011 New York Comic-Con 2011
Pretty in Pink, she is not.


Robots in Disguise (2012)

Finally releasing well after the Prime cartoon had premiered and run through several episodes, the "real" Prime toyline was bent a little more towards kids, with simpler transformations than the First Edition toys (including "false" vehicle-mode parts sculpted into purely robot-mode bits) and a handful of smaller play gimmicks.

Deluxe Class

Deluxe class figures feature a dynamic "head reveal" gimmick: the robot-mode heads pop out during transformation via spring-loaded or gear-operated gimmickry, or occasionally by simple manually-operated panel-flipping. Internally, these figures were referred to by Hasbro as "Revealers".
Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Wave 4
Vehicon
Wave 5


Voyager Class

Voyager figures all feature a spring-loaded MechTech-style transforming weapon, partially constructed from translucent plastic, which lights up via LED when the weapon is deployed. The figures themselves also feature translucent plastic, so the moving LED creates the image of energon power "flowing" from the character's bodies into their weapons. This worked better in theory than in practice. Internally, these figures were referred to by Hasbro as "Powerizers".
Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Wave 4
Voyager Skyquake, who barely made it out at retail.
Wave 5


Weaponizers

Weaponizer Optimus Prime
A new size class, Weaponizer Class figures are similar in size to Leader Class toys of previous lines, but with simpler transformations. They feature light-up parts and spinning mini-guns that can deploy in either mode.
Wave 1


Entertainment Pack


Exclusives

In a rare move, the only exclusives for the regular Prime line in the US were from BigBadToyStore, an online store. These "Dark Energon" figures are all redecos done in mainly translucent plastics.
All of the figures were available at general retail in Singapore and Malaysia, and the Voyager Class figures were also available at general retail in the Philippines.
Deluxe Class Voyager Class
Dark Energon Megatron

Asian-market exclusives


Beast Hunters (2013)

In 2013, Prime shifted to the Beast Hunters subline imprint, a branding that also extended into the Kre-O line.

This series introduced the dangerous Predacon faction, robotic dragons and mythical creatures that posed a threat to Autobot and Decepticon alike. In response, the 'Bots and 'Cons don new armor (the Autobots in spiky, over-weaponized armor reminiscent of Mad Max, while the Decepticons take on more beastly traits) and are armed with new gimmick-laden launching/spinning weapons. On-package bios were reduced in length to just a sentence or two, and the instruction sheets instead feature facts about one of the figure's main weapons, as well as a chapter of the Tales of the Beast Hunters prose story.

The final waves of this line, released in early 2014, really pushed towards younger kids, with incredibly simplified designs based on the characters' Cyberverse releases, which actually allowed the toys to be larger than most others in their size class. Unfortunately, as they were tail-enders, their US releases were nearly nonexistant: only the Voyagers made it out at US retail, and only through discount chains like Ross and TJ Maxx. The rest ended up released only overseas (not even Canada got them!).

Cyberverse

Main article: Cyberverse (Series 3)


Deluxe Class

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Wave 4
Beast Hunters Soundwave
Wave 5 Wave 6 (EU only)


Voyager Class

Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Wave 4
voyager Shockwave
Wave 5


Battlemaster Class

Beast Tracker Optimus Prime
Basically just a re-naming of the prior year's Weaponizer Class toys, redecoed and retooled with some new gear.


Ultimate Class

A new size class, Ultimate Class figures are larger than the prior Leader Class toys, but with simpler transformations. They also feature light-up gimmicks and spring-loaded missile launchers.
They also shipped in separate assortments, due to their differently-shaped boxes.
Assortment 1 Assortment 2


Kre-O

Main article: Kre-O Beast Hunters


Exclusives

Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising
Exclusive to Target stores in the US, this subline-of-a-subline featured multiple new decos of Beast Hunters toys, including many new characters. It also extended outside the "normal" toyline, including an all-new Construct-Bots set.
Oddly, all of these toys shipped in full cases of a single figure/set.
Cyberverse Legion 2-packs Cyberverse Commander 2-packs Cyberverse box set
Deluxe Class Voyager Class Ultimate Class Construct-Bots


Convention exclusives
  • Shockwave's Lab (US version), contains:
    • Shockwave (redeco of Voyager Class Shockwave)
    • Predaking (redeco of Commander Class Predaking)
This set was exclusive to Hasbro Toy Shop and San Diego Comic-Con 2013.
  • Shockwave's Lab (Asian version), contains:
    • Shockwave (redeco of Voyager Class Shockwave)
    • Predaking (redeco of Commander Class Predaking)
This set was exclusive to Cybertron Con and is basically a slightly altered version of the Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic Con version, down to nearly identical packaging. Whereas Shockwave is identical to the Hasbto Toy Shop/San Diego Comic Con exclusive version, Predaking is cast in differently colored plastic.
This set was exclusive to CybertronCon. While the figure itself is unchanged, it has been packaged in the box with his backpack plugged into his back, allowing the cannons to rotate when his spiky stomach-fenders are pushed down. The box itself also has slightly different text and graphical layouts, is encased in a large, slip-on outer covering. The "First Edition" prefix comes from Hasbro's Facebook retrospective of the numbered "Thrilling 30" figures and doesn't appear anywhere on the packaging itself.[1]
European Toys"R"Us exclusive
Thus far, this two-pack has been found at Toys"R"Us stores in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Germany and France; in Germany, it was explicitly advertised as a Toys"R"Us exclusive. Since the only known official stock photos have shown this two-pack in multilingual European packaging, it's very likely that this has always been intended as a European market exclusive; however, it has also been found at general retail in Brazil.

Takara Prime toyline

Main article: Arms Micron

In Japan, TakaraTomy decided to take the post-"First Edition" line in a completely different direction, refocusing it around the model-kit-esque Arms Micron gimmick and removing a significant portion of many toys' paint operations in lieu of user-applied stickers. These toys were sold under the "Arms Micron" subtitle.

  • 005 Megatron (single pack release of Deluxe class Megatron from the Entertainment Pack released in Hasbro's territories)
Sharing the same ID number as Terrorcon Cliffjumper, Japan's 005 Megatron may not have been a release that was planned by Hasbro.


Arms Micron

Autobot Peaceman, a promotional Arms Micron figure
  • Blowpipe - redeco of Power Core Combiners Groundspike, available with the purchase of 3000 yen's worth of Prime "First Edition" toys at Yamada Denki, Yodobashi Camera, Edition Group, Ishimaru, Deodeo, Eiden, and Midori stores.
  • Autobot Peaceman - redeco of Power Core Combiners Chopster, available with the purchase of 3000 yen's worth of Prime "First Edition" toys at Joshin, Kidsland, and Bic Camera stores.
  • Autobot Firebolt Clear Yellow Ver. - unchanged Power Core Combiners Pinpoint, given for free by participating in a character vote at the Next Generation World Hobby Fair.
War Breakdown, a Japanese-exclusive Voyager Class figure

Cyberverse

Main article: Cyberverse (Series 2)

Merchandise

  • Optimus Prime Stand-up Mover
  • Bumblebee Stand-up Mover

Roleplay

Battle Masks

Energon Helmet


Notes

  • Hasbro applied for a Beast Hunters video game trademark on December 17th 2012, leading to speculation of a possible Beast Hunters game.[2] With no news after that and the marketing shift to Age of Extinction, any video game appears to have been canned.
  1. ↑ Habro Thrilling 30 retrospective on Facebook, mirrored here on TFW2005.
  2. ↑ Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Video Game Trademark Revealed
Retrieved from "https://tfwiki.duckdns.org/index.php?title=Transformers:_Prime_(toyline)&oldid=1149512"