Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:43, 6 November 2016

Beast Machines was the toyline successor to Beast Wars, running from very late 1999 to early 2001. It featured the Maximals as smoothly techno-organic beasts, pitted against the futuristic war machines of the Vehicons. Beast Machines signaled the full-fledged return of vehicular Transformers, after an absence of nearly four years.

Though Beast Machines was the primary series in 2000, Hasbro continued to release Beast Wars case assortments, whose contents ranged from new redecos to promote Fox Kids running the series, to the new-mold Mutant Beast Wars figures, to straight-up re-releases of Transmetal 2 toys.

The line seemed to underperform to expectations, and combined with Hasbro's financial troubles (primarily due to excessive Star Wars Episode 1 product glut), it was decided to cancel the last waves of product, abandon plans for the sequel series Transtech, and re-vamp the franchise from the ground up. The Japanese Car Robots series was quickly ported over as "filler" under the name Robots in Disguise, giving Hasbro and Takara the time needed to coordinate on the next series. Not ones to waste the effort put into the canceled figures, all three finished-yet-unreleased toy molds were eventually released as part of the Robots in Disguise toyline.

Unlike Beast Wars, the line did not run concurrently in Japan, but would get a short run there in 2004.

Overview

Beast Machines continued many of its predecessor's elements, retaining the Maximal faction and a number of its main characters. Both factions tended toward unorthodox designs; the toys also made frequent use of translucent plastic and chrome finishes. Spark crystals appeared on most toys. Aesthetically, the smooth, curvaceous designs of the Maximals is a further evolution of the earlier Transmetal design styles, seamlessly blending the mechanical and the organic. The Vehicons had emphatically Cybertronian vehicle forms, often with articulated "sensors". They likewise featured some unorthodox robot modes, often with inhuman faces, odd-shaped limbs, and unusual forms of locomotion.

Show-accuracy (including inter-character scale) was widely variable across the entire toy line. Show production house Mainframe Entertainment apparently began animating the characters from early concept sketches, designs that by necessity changed a great deal during the translation into toy form. Thus many characters' (initial) toy and cartoon depictions bear relatively little resemblance to each other.

The Dinobots subline, consisting of redecoed molds from both the Hasbro Beast Wars and Takara Beast Wars Neo lines, shipped in the same packaging assortments with the normal figures.

The back end of the Beast Machines toyline, starting in 2001, featured the first full-on subline imprint for Transformers, called "Battle for the Spark", reflecting the storyline of the cartoon's second season. This also tied in with a unifying theme for the new-mold toys, where action features are activated by pressing on the spark crystals. By this time, many toys were designed to emulate their show models, and did so to an impressive degree.

Hasbro toyline

Main line

Basics

Wave 1 Buzzsaw Mirage Scavenger		Wave 2 Longhorn Obsidian		Wave 3 Geckobot Quickstrike		Wave 4 Night Viper Silverbolt		Basic Longhorn
Wave 5 (BftS) Hammerstrike Tank Drone		Wave 6 (BftS) Motorcycle Drone Spy Streak		Wave 7 (BftS) Battle Unicorn		Canceled Screechwing Spiketail		Basic Longhorn

Deluxe: In addition to regular Beast Machines toys, the Deluxe assortment also included Dinobots-branded product.

Wave 1 Optimus Primal Jetstorm	Wave 2 Dinobots Airraptor Dinobots Triceradon	Wave 3 Dinobots Dinotron Dinobots Striker	Wave 4 Blackarachnia Thrust	Deluxe Thrust
Wave 5 Snarl	Wave 6 Blastcharge Skydive	Wave 7 Sonic Attack Jet	Wave 8 (BftS) Beast Changer Dinobots Rapticon Dinobots Terranotron
Wave 9 (BftS) Night Slash Cheetor Strika	Canceled (used later) Cerberus Megatron	Totally canceled Obsidian

Mega

Wave 1

Wave 2

Megatron

Wave 3 (BftS)

Rattrap

Wave 4 (BftS)

Blast Punch Optimus Primal

Ultra: Like the Deluxes, the Ultra assortment also included Dinobots-branded stuff.

Wave 1

Jetstorm
Dinobots T-Wrecks

Wave 2

Nightscream

Super

Primal Prime

Supreme: A new price point for the line, the Supreme class featured the biggest/tallest Transformers toys since 1987's Fortress Maximus (if not the most massive).

Wave 1

Cheetor

Canceled (used later)

Air Attack Optimus Primal

Deployers: A Basic price point, the Deployers are small robo-beasts to turn into weapon emplacements with spring-loaded transformations. The Wave 2 running change redecoes were originally meant to be renamed as new characters: these names were revealed through retail listings^[1] as "Trench," "Burro," and "Cro", with the latter eventually being repurposed as a new character.

Wave 1

Wave 2 (redecos)

Beast Riders: An unusual addition to the line, Beast Riders are combat chariots that can carry Basic-class figures, and convert into an attack mode. Like the Deployers, the Beast Riders got new decos for a second (pegwarming) round.

Wave 1

Wave 2 (redecoes)

File:BM Che toy.jpg

Deployers Che

Exclusives

Target

Dinobots Magmatron

BotCon 2000

Apelinq

Fast food promotions

McDonald's

McDonald's ran a Beast Machines promotion in 2000. It came in two different cardboard "Happy Meal" boxes (which were co-branded with Hello Kitty)

The line-up:

Red Rooster

In 2001, four of the McDonald's molds were retooled to be simpler (which is hard to imagine but there you go) and redecoed by the Australian chain Red Rooster for their "Little Red Rooster" meals. Each one came in four different colorations: red & green, blue & light blue, and color-swaps of those two.

Nightscream (actually the Megatron mold)
Jetstorm
Rattrap
Tankor

Jollibee

In 2009, Philippine fast food chain Jollibee sold three Beast Machines figures as part of their "Jollibee Kids Meals", each one based on their original mainline toys. That was kind of weird.

Beast Wars Returns (Takara)

In Japan, Beast Machines did not see release until 2004 (the only figure to make it to Japan during the series' lifespan was Primal Prime). The entire line was ToysЯUs-exclusive, and limited to about 3,000-4,000 units apiece. As such, some of these items command high prices on the secondary market, especially tail-end items.

The toys have been redecoed to (theoretically) better match the show models, some more extensively than others.

Wave 1 (11-18-2004)

Wave 2 (3-31-2005)

Wave 3 (4-14-2005)

Lucky draw

Cheetus Black Version (aka "Perfect Choice Cheetus")

Post-Beast Machines releases

Even after the original Beast Machines toyline ended, several cast members saw new toys released in other Transformers lines.

Titanium Series

"Cybertron Heroes" Cheetor

Universe (2008)

Robot Heroes Cheetor & Tankor
Robot Heroes Optimus Primal & Jetstorm (Canceled)

BotCon 2013

Generations

Tankor

Notes

The Deployers and Beast Riders were developed by Hasbro Direct, Hasbro's department normally devoted to store exclusives and other retailer-oriented projects, hence their rather dubious compatibility with the rest of the Beast Machines line.
A practice at the time of Beast Machines was to often have one concept artist design the robot mode and another design the beast/vehicle mode, leading to two forms that are startlingly different from each other... and probably leading to some hellish nightmares for the engineering department.
On Takara's end of the design process, some design and engineering work was subcontracted out to the designer Junichi Akutsu, alias BEE-CRAFT.
Around December of 2000, the online retailer BigBadToyStore put up a list of upcoming Transformers product from Hasbro. Although the main point of interest was a Transtech assortment listing, it revealed several tail-end and unreleased Beast Machines: Battle for the Spark toys.

Foreign names

French: Ani Machines (France)

References

↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20001206140100/http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/news.asp

[1] ttp://web.archive.org/web/20001206140100/http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/news.asp

[1]

Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:43, 6 November 2016

Contents

Overview

Hasbro toyline

Main line

Exclusives

Fast food promotions

Beast Wars Returns (Takara)

Post-Beast Machines releases

Notes

Foreign names

References

Navigation menu

Page actions

Page actions

Personal tools

Navigation

Tools

Search

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{nav-BM}}
+[[File:Crosssell-bm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Freaks of nature]]
-'''Beast Machines''' was the toyline successor to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', running from late 1999 to early 2001. It featured the [[Maximal]]s as smoothly [[Technorganic|techno-organic]] beasts, pitted against the futuristic war machines of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. ''Beast Machines'' signaled the full-fledged return of vehicular Transformers, after an absence of nearly four years.
+'''Beast Machines''' was the toyline successor to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', running from ''very'' late 1999 to early 2001. It featured the [[Maximal]]s as smoothly [[Technorganic|techno-organic]] beasts, pitted against the futuristic war machines of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. ''Beast Machines'' signaled the full-fledged return of vehicular Transformers, after an absence of nearly four years.
-''Beast Machines'' continued many of its predecessor's elements, retaining the Maximal faction and a number of its main characters. Both factions tended toward unorthodox designs; the toys also made frequent use of translucent plastic and chrome finishes. [[Spark crystal]]s appeared on most toys. However, the toyline showed experimentation in other ways: it re-introduced both the idea of "vehicles for Transformers" in the form of [[Beast Rider]]s, combat chariots to-scale with the smaller figures that lacked a robot mode and instead converted into an attack mode; and it brought back "[[Action Master partner|independent transforming accessories]]" with the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]], beasts that changed to weapons usable by the larger figures. The ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' subline also appeared during ''Beast Machines'', consisting of [[redeco]]ed molds from both the Hasbro ''Beast Wars'' and the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' lines; it shipped in the same packaging assortments with the normal ''Beast Machines'' figures.
+Though ''Beast Machines'' was the primary series in 2000, [[Hasbro]] continued to release ''Beast Wars'' case assortments, whose contents ranged from new redecos to promote [[Fox Kids]] running the series, to the new-mold ''[[Mutant Beast Wars]]'' figures, to straight-up re-releases of [[Transmetal 2]] toys.
-Concurrently with ''Beast Machines''/''Dinobots'', Hasbro continued to release ''Beast Wars'' case assortments, whose contents ranged from new redecos to promote [[Fox Kids]] running the series, to the new-mold ''[[Mutant Beast Wars]]'' figures, to straight-up re-releases of [[Transmetal 2]] toys.
+The line seemed to underperform to expectations, and combined with Hasbro's financial troubles (primarily due to excessive ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] Episode 1'' product glut), it was decided to cancel the last waves of product, abandon plans for the sequel series ''[[Transtech]]'', and [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|re-vamp the franchise from the ground up]]. The Japanese ''Car Robots'' series was quickly ported over as "filler" under the name ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', giving Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] the time needed to coordinate on the next series. Not ones to waste the effort put into the canceled figures, all three finished-yet-unreleased toy molds were eventually released as part of the ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline.
-==Overview==
+Unlike ''Beast Wars'', the line did not run concurrently in Japan, but would get a short run there in 2004.
-[[File:Crosssell-bm.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Freaks of nature]]
-Aesthetically, the smooth, curvaceous designs of the Maximals is a further evolution of the earlier [[Transmetal]] and [[Transmetal 2]] design styles, seamlessly blending the mechanical and the organic. Often the organic parts had hints of the technological (e.g. [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]]'s purple, angular spots) or vice versa (the smooth, rounded "gauntlets" on [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]]'s forearm).
-The Vehicons had emphatically Cybertronian vehicle forms, often with articulated "sensors". They likewise featured some unorthodox robot modes, often with inhuman faces, odd-shaped limbs, and unusual forms of locomotion such as [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]'s optional uni-wheel or [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s legless hover mode.
-''Beast Machines'' toys included a marble-sized [[spark crystal]], embedded in a part of the body. Sometimes they had no real importance, though sometimes they played a large part in the aesthetics of the toy, such as [[Geckobot]]'s eye piece.
+{{TOCclear}}
-[[Show-accuracy]] was widely variable across the entire toy line. Show production house [[Mainframe Entertainment]] apparently began animating the characters from early concept sketches, designs that of necessity changed a great deal during the translation into toy form. Thus many characters' toy and cartoon depictions bear relatively little resemblance to each other. Some toys were supposed to represent an "evolution" of a previously existing character and thus looked completely different (such as Night Slash Cheetor). The late-arriving [[Motorcycle Drone]] and [[Tank Drone]] toys, both highly show-accurate, may have been an explicit attempt to mitigate this.
+==Overview==
+''Beast Machines'' continued many of its predecessor's elements, retaining the Maximal faction and a number of its main characters. Both factions tended toward unorthodox designs; the toys also made frequent use of translucent plastic and chrome finishes. [[Spark crystal]]s appeared on most toys. Aesthetically, the smooth, curvaceous designs of the Maximals is a further evolution of the earlier [[Transmetal]] design styles, seamlessly blending the mechanical and the organic. The Vehicons had emphatically Cybertronian vehicle forms, often with articulated "sensors". They likewise featured some unorthodox robot modes, often with inhuman faces, odd-shaped limbs, and unusual forms of locomotion.
-The characters' show-based [[scale]] was likewise widely variable. While the relative scale of characters has never translated perfectly from toy to show in any ''Transformers'' line, ''Beast Machines'' is especially notorious for it:
+[[Show-accuracy]] (including inter-character [[scale]]) was widely variable across the entire toy line. Show production house [[Mainframe Entertainment]] apparently began animating the characters from early concept sketches, designs that by necessity changed a great deal during the translation into toy form. Thus many characters' (initial) toy and cartoon depictions bear relatively little resemblance to each other.
-* [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] is the second-smallest Maximal on the show, yet his toy is a hulking Ultra, making him to scale with only the largest toys (Supreme [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]] and, perhaps, Air Attack [[Optimus Primal/toys#Robots in Disguise|Optimus Primal]]—the latter of which was not even released 'til well after ''Beast Machines'' ended, and in a [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|different franchise]], to boot).
+[[Image:BMBattleforthespark.png|right|300px|]]
-* [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] is the tallest show Maximal, but has the smallest toy.
-* Toy-[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] is a Basic-sized figure, dwarfed by the Maximals; his show portrayal has him as larger than most or all of them.
-* [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], the largest character of all, was only a modestly sized Mega.
-* Toy-[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] is larger than [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], who should be twice his height.
-* Primal came in Deluxe and Mega sizes, with the more widely available Deluxe size being notably different from his show design, and neither reflecting his massive stature relative to the other characters.
-The line seemed to underperform to expectations (especially coming off of the growing ''Beast Wars'' brand). Combined with Hasbro's financial troubles over excessive product glut in their ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] Episode 1'' lines, it was decided to cancel the release of the last handful of toys which had been developed—[[Bruticus (RID)|Bruticus]], [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron Megabolt]] and [[Optimus Primal/toys|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]—abandon plans for a sequel series, ''[[Transtech]]'', and [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|re-vamp the franchise from the ground up]]. The Japanese ''Car Robots'' series was quickly ported over as "filler" under the name ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', giving Hasbro and Takara the time needed to coordinate on the next series. Not ones to waste the effort put into the canceled figures, all three were eventually released as part of the ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline.
+The ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' subline, consisting of [[redeco]]ed molds from both the Hasbro ''Beast Wars'' and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' lines, shipped in the same packaging assortments with the normal figures.
-While Takara stamps are present on every ''Beast Machines'' toy, the only figure to make it to Japan during the series' lifespan was [[Primal Prime]], who came out in November of 2000 as a [[Toys"R"Us|Toys R Us]] exclusive; the show-based characters wouldn't reach Japanese retail space until 2004, with the advent of the ''Beast Wars Returns'' line (which was, itself, ''entirely'' Toys R Us-exclusive).
+The back end of the ''Beast Machines'' toyline, starting in 2001, featured the first full-on [[subline imprint]] for ''Transformers'', called "''Battle for the Spark''", reflecting the storyline of the cartoon's second season. This also tied in with a unifying theme for the new-mold toys, where action features are activated by pressing on the [[spark crystal]]s. By this time, many toys were designed to emulate their show models, and did so to an impressive degree.
+{{-}}
 ==Hasbro toyline==
-===2000===
+===Main line===
 ;Basics
 {| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
@@ Line 51: / Line 46: @@
 *[[Silverbolt (BW)#Beast Machines|Silverbolt]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BM Longhorn-toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Basic Longhorn]]
+|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BM Longhorn-toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Basic Longhorn]]
+|-
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' (BftS)
+*[[Cybershark#Beast Machines|Hammerstrike]]
+*[[Tank Drone#Basic|Tank Drone]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' (BftS)
+*[[Motorcycle Drone#Toys|Motorcycle Drone]]
+*[[Spy Streak#Toys|Spy Streak]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' (BftS)
+*[[Battle Unicorn#Toys|Battle Unicorn]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Canceled'''''
+*[[Screechwing]]
+*[[Spiketail]]
 |}
@@ Line 75: / Line 85: @@
 *[[Thrust (BM)#Toys|Thrust]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BM-toy Thrust.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Thrust]]
+|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:BM-toy Thrust.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Thrust]]
 |-
 |width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
@@ Line 86: / Line 96: @@
 |width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
 *[[Aero Drone#Toys|Sonic Attack Jet]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' (BftS)
+*[[Noble (BM)#Toys|Beast Changer]]
+*''Dinobots'' [[Rapticon#Toys|Rapticon]]
+*''Dinobots'' [[Terranotron (BM)#Toys|Terranotron]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|
+|-
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' (BftS)
+*[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#BMNSC|Night Slash Cheetor]]
+*[[Strika (BM)#Toys|Strika]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Canceled''''' (used later)
+* [[Bruticus (RID)#Toys|Cerberus]]
+* [[Megatron (RID)#Megabolt|Megatron]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Totally canceled'''''
+*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]
 |}
+{{-}}
 ;Mega
 {| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
@@ Line 97: / Line 126: @@
 *[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Machines|Megatron]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' (BftS)
+*[[Rattrap (BW)#BMMega|Rattrap]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' (BftS)
+*[[Optimus Primal/toys#BlastPunch|Blast Punch Optimus Primal]]
 |
 |width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BMtoy-MegatronMega.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Mega Megatron]]
@@ Line 110: / Line 141: @@
 {| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
 |width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
-*[[Jetstorm (BM)#Toys|Jetstorm]]
+* [[Jetstorm (BM)#Toys|Jetstorm]]
-*''Dinobots'' [[T-Wrecks#Toys|T-Wrecks]]
+* ''Dinobots'' [[T-Wrecks#Toys|T-Wrecks]]
 |
 |width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
-*[[Nightscream (BM)#Toys|Nightscream]]
+* [[Nightscream (BM)#Toys|Nightscream]]
 |
 |width="20%" valign="top"|
@@ Line 130: / Line 161: @@
 {{-}}
 ;Supreme
+:A new price point for the line, the Supreme class featured the biggest/tallest ''Transformers'' toys since 1987's [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]] (if not the most massive).
-:A new price point for the line, the sole Supreme class toy of the line was the biggest/tallest ''Transformers'' toy since 1987's [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]] (if not the most massive).
-:*[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Supreme|Supreme Cheetor]]
-{{-}}
-;Deployers
-[[File:BeastMachinestoy-Mol.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Deployers Mol]]
-:A Basic price point, the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployer]]s are small robo-beasts to turn into weapon emplacements with spring-loaded transformations.
-:*[[Dillo#Toys|Dillo]]
-:*[[Mol#Toys|Mol]]
-:*[[Rav (BM)#Toys|Rav]]
-{{-}}
-;Beast Riders
-[[File:BM Che toy.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Deployers Che]]
-: An unusual addition to the line, [[Beast Rider]]s are combat chariots that can carry Basic-class figures, and convert into an attack mode.
-:*[[Che#Toys|Che]]
-:*[[Mechatron#Toys|Mechatron]]
-{{-}}
-===2001: Battle for the Spark===
-[[Image:BMBattleforthespark.png|center|300px|]]
-The second half of the ''Beast Machines'' toyline featured the first full-on [[subline imprint]] for ''Transformers'', called "''Battle for the Spark''", reflecting the storyline of the cartoon's second season. This also tied in with a unifying theme for the new-mold toys, where action features are activated by pressing on the [[spark crystal]]s.
-{{-}}
-;Deployers
-[[File:BM RavBlue-Chro-toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Redeco Rav]]
-:[[variant|Running change]] [[redeco]]es of the first three Deployers. They were originally meant to be renamed as new characters: these names were revealed through retail listings<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20001206140100/http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/news.asp</ref> as "Trench," "Burro," and "[[Chro|Cro]]", with the latter eventually being [[repurposing|repurposed]] as a new character.
-:*[[Dillo#red|Dillo]]
-:*[[Mol#green|Mol]]
-:*[[Rav (BM)#Blue|Rav]]
-{{-}}
-;Beast Riders
-:Like the Deployers, the Beast Riders got refreshed decos for another (long, not-selling) round on pegs.
-:*[[Che#Black|Che]] (redeco, black Maximal cheetah chariot)
-:*[[Mechatron#Purple|Mechatron]] (redeco, purple Vehicon dragon chariot)
-{{-}}
-;Basics
 {| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
-*[[Cybershark#Beast Machines|Hammerstrike]]
+*[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#BMSupreme|Cheetor]]
-*[[Tank Drone#Basic|Tank Drone]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Canceled''''' (used later)
-*[[Motorcycle Drone#Toys|Motorcycle Drone]]
+*[[Optimus Primal/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]
-*[[Spy Streak#Toys|Spy Streak]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|
-*[[Battle Unicorn#Toys|Battle Unicorn]]
 |
 |width="20%" valign="top"|
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BM SpyStreak-toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Basic Spy Streak]]
+|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BM Supreme Cheetor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Supreme Cheetor]]
 |}
 {{-}}
-;Deluxes
+;Deployers
+:A Basic price point, the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployer]]s are small robo-beasts to turn into weapon emplacements with spring-loaded transformations. The Wave 2 [[variant|running change]] [[redeco]]es were originally meant to be renamed as new characters: these names were revealed through retail listings<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20001206140100/http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/news.asp</ref> as "Trench," "Burro," and "[[Chro|Cro]]", with the latter eventually being [[repurposing|repurposed]] as a new character.
 {| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
-*[[Noble (BM)#Toys|Beast Changer]]
+*[[Dillo#Toys|Dillo]]
-*''Dinobots'' [[Rapticon#Toys|Rapticon]]
+*[[Mol#Toys|Mol]]
-*''Dinobots'' [[Terranotron (BM)#Toys|Terranotron]]
+*[[Rav (BM)#Toys|Rav]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' (redecos)
-*[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#BMNSC|Night Slash Cheetor]]
+*[[Dillo#red|Dillo]]
-*[[Strika (BM)#Toys|Strika]]
+*[[Mol#green|Mol]]
+*[[Rav (BM)#Blue|Rav]]
 |
 |width="20%" valign="top"|
@@ Line 210: / Line 195: @@
 |width="20%" valign="top"|
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BMtoy-Strika.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Strika]]
+|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BeastMachinestoy-Mol.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Deployers Mol]]
 |}
-;Megas
+{{-}}
+;Beast Riders
+:An unusual addition to the line, [[Beast Rider]]s are combat chariots that can carry Basic-class figures, and convert into an attack mode. Like the Deployers, the Beast Riders got new decos for a second ([[Shelfwarmer|pegwarming]]) round.
 {| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
-*[[Rattrap (BW)#BMMega|Rattrap]]
+*[[Che#Toys|Che]]
+*[[Mechatron#Toys|Mechatron]]
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' (redecoes)
-*[[Optimus Primal/toys#BlastPunch|Blast Punch Optimus Primal]]
+*[[Che#Black|Che]]
+*[[Mechatron#Purple|Mechatron]]
 |
 |width="20%" valign="top"|
@@ Line 225: / Line 214: @@
 |width="20%" valign="top"|
 |
-|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BMtoy-PrimalMega.jpg|thumb|250px]]
+|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:BM Che toy.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Deployers Che]]
 |}
@@ Line 294: / Line 283: @@
 {{-}}
 ==''Beast Wars Returns'' (Takara)==
-In Japan, ''Beast Machines'' did not see release until 2005. The entire line was [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]]-[[exclusive]], and limited to about 3,000-4,000 units apiece. As such, some of these items command high prices on the secondary market, especially [[tail-ender|tail-end]] items.
+In Japan, ''Beast Machines'' did not see release until 2004 (the only figure to make it to Japan during the series' lifespan was [[Primal Prime#Toys|Primal Prime]]). The entire line was [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]]-[[exclusive]], and limited to about 3,000-4,000 units apiece. As such, some of these items command high prices on the secondary market, especially [[tail-ender|tail-end]] items.
 The toys have been redecoed to (theoretically) better match the show models, some more extensively than others.
@@ Line 326: / Line 315: @@
 {{-}}
-==Unreleased==
+==Post-''Beast Machines'' releases==
-Around December of 2000, the online retailer [[BigBadToyStore]] put up a list of upcoming ''Transformers'' product from [[Hasbro]]. Although the main point of interest was a ''[[Transtech]]'' assortment listing, there were several tail-end and unreleased ''Beast Machines: Battle for the Spark'' toys mentioned as well.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20001206140100/http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/news.asp</ref>
+Even after the original ''Beast Machines'' toyline ended, several cast members saw new toys released in other ''Transformers'' lines.
-'''Basic'''
+{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
-*[[Screechwing]]
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Titanium Series]]'''
-*[[Spiketail]]
+* "Cybertron Heroes" [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Titanium Series|Cheetor]]
+|
-[[File:RoverTheHellhound.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' (2008)]]'''
-'''Deluxe'''
+* ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Robot Heroes|Cheetor]] & [[Tankor (BM)#Robot Heroes|Tankor]]
-*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]
+* ''Robot Heroes'' [[Optimus Primal/toys#Robot Heroes|Optimus Primal]] & [[Jetstorm (BM)#Robot Heroes|Jetstorm]] (''Canceled'')
-*Cerberus
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[BotCon 2013]]'''
-{{note|"Cerberus," aka "Rover the Hellhound" (see right), was released in different colors as [[Bruticus (RID)|Bruticus]], part of the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]'' line. Unusually, the deluxe ''Beast Machines'' Megatron Megabolt was not on this product listing, but the toy would later surface in ''Robots in Disguise'' as well.}}
+* [[Obsidian (BM)#Timelines|Obsidian]]
+* [[Strika (BM)#Timelines|Strika]]
-'''Ultra'''
+* [[Blastcharge Strika Drone#Toys|Blastcharge Strika Drone]]
-*[[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron]]
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'''
-'''Supreme'''
+* [[Tankor (BM)#Generations|Tankor]]
-*Air Attack Optimus
+|
+|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Generationstoy-Tankor.jpg|thumb|250px|''Generations'' Tankor]]
-{{note|Air Attack Optimus Primal was eventually sold as a [[Toys"R"Us|Toys R Us]] exclusive in the ''Robots in Disguise'' line.}}
+|}
-{{--}}
-==Post cancellation==
-*A new version of BM [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]] was released as part of the 6" [[Titanium Series]] "Cybertron Heroes" line.
-*The [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'' toyline]] includes figures marked as "Beast Machines series": ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]] and [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. (A second ''Robot Heroes'' set featuring ''Beast Machines'' [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] was planned, but didn't see production.)
-*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s design received an homage in ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]].
-*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] received new toys as part of [[BotCon 2013]], while [[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]] got an homage (of a sort) from the same convention in the [[Blastcharge Strika Drone]].
-*A new Deluxe toy of [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], based on his show robot mode, was released in the ''[[Transformers: Generations]]'' line in 2014.
-==Innovations and lasting effects==
-*''Beast Machines'' introduced the concept of [[subline imprint]]s as a "refresher" for the later part of a long-running toy line (which, in today's economy, means "longer than six months"), in this case "Battle for the Spark".
-*The line was also the first to heavily implement articulated hands (and in some cases, fingers) instead of the standard "fist with hole", as well as experimenting with ''facial'' articulation on figures above the Basic size.
+{{-}}
 ==Notes==
+[[File:RoverTheHellhound.jpg|thumb|200px|Concept art for "Rover the Hellhound"]]
 * The [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]] and [[Beast Rider]]s were developed by [[Hasbro Direct]], Hasbro's department normally devoted to store exclusives and other retailer-oriented projects, hence their rather dubious compatibility with the rest of the ''Beast Machines'' line.
 * A practice at the time of Beast Machines was to often have one concept artist design the robot mode and another design the beast/vehicle mode, leading to two forms that are startlingly different from each other... and probably leading to some hellish nightmares for the engineering department.
 * On Takara's end of the design process, some design and engineering work was subcontracted out to the designer [[Junichi Akutsu]], alias BEE-CRAFT.
+* Around December of 2000, the online retailer [[BigBadToyStore]] put up a list of upcoming ''Transformers'' product from [[Hasbro]]. Although the main point of interest was a ''[[Transtech]]'' assortment listing, it revealed several tail-end and unreleased ''Beast Machines: Battle for the Spark'' toys.
 ===Foreign names===