Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline): Difference between revisions
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* [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Timelines|Darksyde Megatron]] & [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#Timelines|Darksyde Waspinator]] | * [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Timelines|Darksyde Megatron]] & [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#Timelines|Darksyde Waspinator]] | ||
* [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]] | * [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]] | ||
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* [[Terrorsaur (BW)#Combiner Wars|Terrorsaur]] | * [[Terrorsaur (BW)#Combiner Wars|Terrorsaur]] | ||
* [[Tigatron#Combiner Wars|Tigatron]] | * [[Tigatron#Combiner Wars|Tigatron]] | ||
Revision as of 04:38, 30 November 2016
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Easily the most radical move ever made by Hasbro in Transformers history, Beast Wars: Transformers abandoned over a decade's worth of familiar trappings, to drastically re-work the franchise in order to save it from a second (and likely final) cancellation. Now the robots in disguise turned into organic animals. The classic factions were even replaced with the new Maximals and Predacons.
The initial reaction from the early online fandom was less than welcoming. The reaction from the far larger kid market, however, was strong sales the likes Transformers hadn't seen in a long time. Backed by a CGI-animated cartoon, Beast Wars basically saved Transformers, and has become a beloved piece of the line's history.
Overview
With sales of the Generation 2 toyline proving unremarkable, Hasbro faced a choice: end the Transformers brand for a second time, or drastically revamp the concept. They chose the second option, handing the reigns over to their newly-acquired Kenner division.
While beast-mode Transformers had been around since day one, those were robotic beasts. Beast Wars characters took on the appearance of fully-organic creatures, which also affected their robot-mode looks: while there were "metal" parts, the designs were much more rounded and organic in shape if not texture. Faces tended towards the bestial or just straight-up inhuman, even moreso with the first year toys's secondary "Mutant Heads".
The old factions were replaced with Maximals and Predacons, with new faction symbols, though Hasbro/Kenner weren't prepared to completely abandon everything classic: the new factions were led by new iterations of Optimus and Megatron, though their appearances were heavily altered. "Transformers" was still part of the toyline's title, but it was shrunk down and placed below the huge, jagged "Beast Wars" logo. The packaging too was distinctly organic, with a massive reptilian eye under the bubble, surrounded by red scaly skin. The initial waves even used a craggy, rock-like plastic bubble, though that was quickly replaced by a more normal rounded bubble.
While these aesthetic changes were initially shocking to fans used to the classic series, the line had many features that got fans to warm up to it in short order.
Beast Wars took the popular features of a handful of Generation 2 toys and made them standards across the entire line. Heavy use of ball joints gave the figures unprecedented degrees of articulation, often greater than that of the "normal" non-transforming action figures of the time. Robot-mode weapons were either part of the toy's alternate mode, or at least stored inside them rather than needing to be set aside (and more easily lost). Both of these features would become standards for basically every Transformers line to follow.
Another now-standard line-wide move was the introduction of standardized system of price points, dictated by a toy's size, not its gimmicks. Beast Wars began with $5 "Basics", $10 "Deluxes", $15 "Megas", and $20 "Ultras", each size class getting physically larger, and packing more and more play features into the toy. (Ultra-class Optimus Primal is friggin' loaded with stuff.) Though prices would fluctuate over the years due to inflation or rising production costs, the basic outline of the system continues to be used today.
Beast Wars largely ended as a toyline when Hasbro elected to revamp the franchise and re-introduce vehicular Transformers, leading to the Beast Machines toyline. Though a new franchise, Beast Machines continued many aspects of the Beast Wars toyline including a number of major characters, the Maximal faction, and beast forms that combined mechanical and organic aspects. Furthermore, the Beast Wars title would continue to grace sporadic toys such as store exclusives, convention exclusives, a 10th anniversary line in 2006, and another 10th anniversary line for Japan in 2007.
Hasbro Beast Wars toyline
1996
Basic class
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 |
Deluxe class
| Comic 2-pack | Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Mega class
Ultra class
Exclusives
| McDonald's | BotCon 1996 |  |
1997
Basic Beasts
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 | Wave 4 |  |
Deluxe Beasts
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 | Wave 4 |  |
Mega Beasts
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Ultra Teams
| Magnaboss | Tripredacus |
Exclusives
| BotCon 1997 |
1998: Fuzors & Transmetals
Basic Fuzors
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Deluxe Fuzors
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Deluxe Transmetals
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |
Mega Transmetals
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 |
Ultra Transmetals
Super Transmetals
VHS packs
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 (European) |
Exclusives
| BJ's Wholesale Club | McDonald's | BotCon 1998 |  |
1999: Transmetals 2
This year was dominated by the Transmetals 2, where the "beast bits" and "bot bits" ended up in a mangled, monstrous, asymmetrical amalgamation of torn skin and jutting metal blades.
Basic Transmetals 2
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Deluxe Transmetals 2
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 |  |
Mega Transmetals 2
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 |
Ultra Transmetals 2
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 |
Fox Kids Deluxe Classics
Celebrating the move to the Fox Kids programming block, a series of special redecos were made available to get classic show characters back on shelves... albeit in some pretty un-show-like coloration. Initial Hasbro solicitations gave the toys "power up"-style descriptors, but these did not make it to their final packaging.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 |  |
Exclusives
| Walmart | BotCon 1999 |
2000~2001
Deluxe Beasts
2000's Deluxe assortment featured a mixture of Fox Kids-branded redecoes, with large "NEW!" call-outs, and Mutants, which sported a unique Mutant Beast Wars logo.
| Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 | Wave 4 |  |
Exclusives
| Walmart | BotCon 2000 | BotCon 2001 |
Takara Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers toyline
- 1997 — Beast Wars
- 1998 — Beast Wars II
- 1999 — Beast Wars Neo
- 1999–2000 — Beast Wars Metals
Post-Beast Wars releases
While "Generation 1" is the undisputed king of the post-series remake, Beast Wars clocks in at a pretty respectable second place, even having a few mini-lines dedicated to it (even when you discount its direct sequel).
Beast Wars 10th Anniversary (2006)
- Main article: Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary
Beast Wars Telemocha Series (2007)
- Main article: Transformers: Beast Wars Telemocha Series
- Takara's Telemocha line (a combination of the words "television" and "omocha", the Japanese word for "toy") was much the same as Hasbro's go, being spruced-up versions of the original molds packaged with DVDs of key episodes. However, not only did Takara really slather on the paint, but they made some odd additions to the line, including a couple of characters from Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo, as well as an entirely new Predacon named Wolfang (pronounced "Volfang").
Beast Wars toys in "ensemble" lines
| Universe (2003) | Robotmasters | Titanium Series | Universe (2008) |   | ||||
| Robot Heroes | Generations | Kre-O | Legends |
Timelines
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Notes
Foreign names
- French: Ani Mutants (France), Guerre Bêtes (Canada)
- Italian: Biocombat
- Spanish: Guerra Bestias (America)
