The first known instance of a transforming toy robot toy comes from Japanese company [[Yonezawa Toys]], with their battery-powered "Space Explorer" tin robot - released sometime during the late 1950s <ref>There are multiple conflicting presumed dates for the release of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, ranging from 1956 to somewhere in the late 1960s - nonetheless; 1959 seems to be the most commonly-cited date on auction and antique websites. Notably, his "first-transforming-toy-robot" status would still remain even if the later dates are correct, as the next second-oldest known instance of a transforming robot toy is Popy's ''Raideen'' all the way in 1975 - so, Yonezawa was very early to the genre!</ref> - having the ability to automatically convert into a simple box roughly resembling a television set. It would only be in 1975 when something closer to a modern transforming would be produced by means of toy manufacturer {{w|Popy}} (ポピー), with their figure of the titular robot protagonist of ''{{w|Brave Raideen}}'' featuring the then-innovative ability to transform into a spaceship and back, a design concept that was quicky iterated on by multiple other Japanese toy manufacturers throughout the remainder of the decade. Quickly, transforming toy robots started appearing ''everywhere'' across the country, both as mechs and sentient characters in anime and as action figures in toy aisles.
The first known instance of a transforming toy robot toy comes from Japanese company [[Yonezawa Toys]], with their battery-powered "Space Explorer" tin robot - released sometime during the late 1950s <ref>There are multiple conflicting presumed dates for the release of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, ranging from 1956 to somewhere in the late 1960s - nonetheless; 1959 seems to be the most commonly-cited date on auction and antique websites. Notably, his "first-transforming-toy-robot" status would still remain even if the later dates are correct, as the next second-oldest known instance of a transforming robot toy is Popy's ''Raideen'' all the way in 1975 - so, Yonezawa was very early to the genre!</ref> - having the ability to automatically convert into a simple box roughly resembling a television set. It would only be in 1975 when something closer to a modern transforming would be produced by means of toy manufacturer {{w|Popy}} (ポピー), with their figure of the titular robot protagonist of ''{{w|Brave Raideen}}'' featuring the then-innovative ability to transform into a spaceship and back, a design concept that was quicky iterated on by multiple other Japanese toy manufacturers throughout the remainder of the decade. Quickly, transforming toy robots started appearing ''everywhere'' across the country, both as mechs and sentient characters in anime and as action figures in toy aisles.
In 1977, [[Takara]] would enter the transforming robot scene with an often-overlooked but very important addition to the genre. As the ''[[Microman]]'' line was at the height of its popularity, they'd supplement it with a series of automobiles that'd transform into alternative "attack" modes featuring extra play features, releasing under the ''Microman Command'' subline. Among these was "Cosmocountach", a - as its name suggests - Lamborghini Countach whose alternative mode was a rudimentary-looking wheeled robot. The key innovation here was the "Countach" part: while previous transforming robot toys converted into spaceships or other generic futuristic vehicle (or, in the case of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, into a household object!), Cosmocountach was the first to transform into a real-life vehicle, a major feature of the success of the transforming toy robot genre that was about to burst into popularity during the next decade.
In [[1977]], [[Takara]] would enter the transforming robot scene with an often-overlooked but very important addition to the genre. As the ''[[Microman]]'' line was at the height of its popularity, they'd supplement it with a series of automobiles that'd transform into alternative "attack" modes featuring extra play features, releasing under the ''Microman Command'' subline. Among these was "Cosmocountach", a - as its name suggests - Lamborghini Countach whose alternative mode was a rudimentary-looking wheeled robot. The key innovation here was the "Countach" part: while previous transforming robot toys converted into spaceships or other generic futuristic vehicle (or, in the case of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, into a household object!), Cosmocountach was the first to transform into a real-life vehicle, a major feature of the success of the transforming toy robot genre that was about to burst into popularity during the next decade.
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===Diaclone, Micro Change, and the rise of pre-Transformers===
===Diaclone, Micro Change, and the rise of pre-Transformers===
While Cosmocountach was Takara's first experimentation with a robot-to-car transforming toy, it would still be a while until a fully-fledged line centered around this concept came to be. By [[1980]] they kicked off ''[[Diaclone]]'', a toyline ostensibly about robots and vehicles with transforming elements, but at this point, still very much in the traditional vein of the Japanese toys of its era: the robots were mechs with pilots rather than sentient beings, the transformations were usually centered around large unitary modules that combined to form the robots, the designs followed an anime-esque traditional "super robot" aesthetic (although curiously, Takara would also at one point try and go for the Gundam-pioneered "real robot" market by selling a few ''Diaclone'' model kits under the "Real Type" sub-brand! <ref>[https://www.scalemates.com/kits/nitto-927-dia-attacker-phantom-color-type--1271075 Diaclone Dia Attacker Phantom Color Type] on scalemates.com</ref>) and all the vehicles were spaceships or futuristic land vehicles rather than real-life machines. In 1981, they introduced the [[Diaclone#1981|Dashers]] to the toyline, a trio of small robots with more traditional robot-to-vehicle transformations akin to what would later be seen in the ''Transformers'', but alas, these also converted into futuristic vehicles.
{{stub|A brief summary of the history of Diaclone and Micro Change}}
{{stub|A brief summary of the history of Diaclone and Micro Change}}
Revision as of 05:37, 15 October 2025
This article is about the fandom term for toys derived from lines that existed before Transformers. For the cartoon character called "Pre-Transformer" in the script, see Guardian Prime{{#switch:{{#sub:Guardian Prime|-1}}
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Pffftt, like these silly novelty gizmos will ever become a decades-long pop culture phenomenon!
In fan terminology, pre-Transformers is an umbrella term for the Diaclone and Micro Change toylines, as well as for the original, non-Transformers-branded versions of such toys as Jetfire and the Mini-spies; all of which originally made up the entirety of the original Transformers toyline for (roughly) the first twoyears of its run. Some of these figures also sported different color schemes than their more well-known Transformers counterparts.
In many instances, future reissues of these figures or new toys of those characters would be redecoed to homage the pre-Transformers color schemes originally unused in the Transformersfranchise.
It's because of me that you spend a significant portion of your income on silly plastic robots!
The early history of transforming robots
The first known instance of a transforming toy robot toy comes from Japanese company Yonezawa Toys, with their battery-powered "Space Explorer" tin robot - released sometime during the late 1950s <ref>There are multiple conflicting presumed dates for the release of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, ranging from 1956 to somewhere in the late 1960s - nonetheless; 1959 seems to be the most commonly-cited date on auction and antique websites. Notably, his "first-transforming-toy-robot" status would still remain even if the later dates are correct, as the next second-oldest known instance of a transforming robot toy is Popy's Raideen all the way in 1975 - so, Yonezawa was very early to the genre!</ref> - having the ability to automatically convert into a simple box roughly resembling a television set. It would only be in 1975 when something closer to a modern transforming would be produced by means of toy manufacturer [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Popy|{{#if:||Popy}}]] (ポピー), with their figure of the titular robot protagonist of [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Brave Raideen|{{#if:||Brave Raideen}}]] featuring the then-innovative ability to transform into a spaceship and back, a design concept that was quicky iterated on by multiple other Japanese toy manufacturers throughout the remainder of the decade. Quickly, transforming toy robots started appearing everywhere across the country, both as mechs and sentient characters in anime and as action figures in toy aisles.
In 1977, Takara would enter the transforming robot scene with an often-overlooked but very important addition to the genre. As the Microman line was at the height of its popularity, they'd supplement it with a series of automobiles that'd transform into alternative "attack" modes featuring extra play features, releasing under the Microman Command subline. Among these was "Cosmocountach", a - as its name suggests - Lamborghini Countach whose alternative mode was a rudimentary-looking wheeled robot. The key innovation here was the "Countach" part: while previous transforming robot toys converted into spaceships or other generic futuristic vehicle (or, in the case of Yonezawa's Space Explorer, into a household object!), Cosmocountach was the first to transform into a real-life vehicle, a major feature of the success of the transforming toy robot genre that was about to burst into popularity during the next decade.
Diaclone, Micro Change, and the rise of pre-Transformers
While Cosmocountach was Takara's first experimentation with a robot-to-car transforming toy, it would still be a while until a fully-fledged line centered around this concept came to be. By 1980 they kicked off Diaclone, a toyline ostensibly about robots and vehicles with transforming elements, but at this point, still very much in the traditional vein of the Japanese toys of its era: the robots were mechs with pilots rather than sentient beings, the transformations were usually centered around large unitary modules that combined to form the robots, the designs followed an anime-esque traditional "super robot" aesthetic (although curiously, Takara would also at one point try and go for the Gundam-pioneered "real robot" market by selling a few Diaclone model kits under the "Real Type" sub-brand! <ref>Diaclone Dia Attacker Phantom Color Type on scalemates.com</ref>) and all the vehicles were spaceships or futuristic land vehicles rather than real-life machines. In 1981, they introduced the Dashers to the toyline, a trio of small robots with more traditional robot-to-vehicle transformations akin to what would later be seen in the Transformers, but alas, these also converted into futuristic vehicles.
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Beyond Takara with their Diaclone and Micro Change figures, many other Japanese toy brands also jumped into the rapidly growing market of transforming toy robots. Bandai was arguably as much of a genre pioneer as Takara, with the famous Super Dimension Fortress Macross series and its squadrons of mechs that transform into realistic jets releasing in the same year as the Diaclone Car Robots. Machine Robo - the predecessor to the American-localized GoBots - would also release in 1982, further competing with Takara within the field of robots that transform into realistic vehicles. Other Bandai toylines like Special Armored Battalion Dorvack and Armored Insect Corps Beetras would also extensively feature transforming robots, albeit with more distinctively sci-fi alternate modes instead. Yonezawa Toys, the very progenitors of the transforming robot genre, would also release their own transforming robot toys during this time, most of them being gimmicky battery-powered toys: of note is their Remote Change Robo Series, which featured small auto-transforming robots capable of converting into chibified real-life cars.
Licensing and the transition into Transformers
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A mystery indeed.
There is a credible case that the unreleased Mysterians toyline from American company Knickerbocker Toys was the origin point for the not-Choro-Q-inspired figures in the first wave of Generation 1 Mini-Vehicles - those being Brawn, Gears, Huffer, and Windcharger. These designs were shown in internal Knickerbocker documents in 1982, then Hasbro purchased Knickerbocker in 1983 and the molds were released in Micro Change in 1983. But the chronology is not entirely clear, because Takara designer Masaki Maruyama is typically credited as designing these figures (as well as the other Mini-Vehicles). Perhaps Knickerbocker designed the toys and Maruyama's attributed credits are wrong... or early Takara designs were at first licensed to Knickerbocker for a release that never happened... or the two companies were designing them in tandem. Conclusive details about who gets full credit for such obscure unreleased products from a long-defunct company are likely lost to time. Notably, the other non-pre-Transformers Mysterians designs would eventually get released by a different company called Marchon (also under the Mysterians name), although it is unknown what (if any) deal they cut with Hasbro and/or the late Knickerbocker.
The legacy of pre-Transformers
By 1986, almost all of the pre-Transformers toy-molds that made up the original Transformers toyline had started to trickle out in favor of the all-new molds based on Floro Dery's concept artwork designed for The Transformers: The Movie, though, a few unutilized Diaclone concepts, as well as retools of previously-released pre-Transformers molds from Takara found their way into the mix. By 1987, the Hasbro Transformers line (1992 in the Takara line) had reached the point where only original molds were being produced.
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Pre-Transformers lines
The molds released across the Generation 1 toyline — counting the original American version and its subsequent Japanese equivalent, as well as its many permutations across Latin America — add up to a bulk of figures whose roots can be traced back to a staggering twelve (or maybe even thirteen!) different toylines, produced by a total of seven (or, again; potentially eight!) different manufacturers, the majority of them based in Japan.
Molds released in Hasbro & Takara's Transformers toylines
Diaclone No. 1 Countach LP500S — the first Diaclone Car Robot and the predecessor mold that eventually led to Sunstreaker.
It should be noted that the convoluted back-and-forth between the various Transformers and Microman toylines extends far beyond the scope of this page. See Microman's own page for further information.
Molds released in Hasbro's Transformers toyline only
Macross 1/55 VF-1S Super Valkyrie — the predecessor mold that eventually led to Jetfire.
From Toybox: "Super Change Robo Mechabot-1" — predecessors to Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx (the latter being designed by ToyBox but only ever released as a Transformer).
From ToyCo: "4 Changeable Astro Magnum" — predecessor to Shockwave
Molds released in Takara's Transformers toyline only
From Takara:
Diaclone (Real & Robo) — predecessors to Trainbots
New Microman (Micro Change) — predecessor to Browning
Molds released in South American Transformers toylines only
Licensed international releases of pre-Transformers
RadioShack/Tandy's "Galactic Man" — once thought by many to be a knockoff.
Hasbro's Transformers line was originally just one of several international venues for many of these figures. It was only when Transformers became such a huge worldwide success that it completely eclipsed these other versions, resulting in weird transitional phases in many instances. Some of these are frequently mistaken for knockoffs (not helped by the fact that there are knockoffs of many of these versions as well!).
United States
Takara
Diakron (featuring Diaclone figures, including the Powerdashers that were first named as such here)
Kronoform (again, later rebranded into a Transformers subline)
Village Toys — Convert-A-Bots, featuring "N-4-SR" (another version of Shockwave's mold in two different color schemes) and Pow-R-Bots (featuring Turbo Z, Porsche, and Jeep as versions of Esporte, Porsche, and Jipe's molds)
Select — Convertors (featuring "Wheels" and "Chopper", plastic versions of Roadbuster and Whirl's molds, respectively)
Ertl Company - Pow-R-Trons (featuring Zoomer and Turboid as versions of Turbo's mold and Distroid and Fy-Ton as versions of Pick-Up's mold)
United Kingdom
Grandstand — Convertors (unrelated to Select's US line of the same name; featuring "Omegatron", a version of Omega Supreme's mold in its original Mechabot-1 colors)
Tandy — "Galactic Man" (almost identical to RadioShack's version, due to both being owned by the same parent company)
Italy
GiG — Trasformer (featuring Diaclone and Micro Change figures, some of them already in their unique Transformers colors; as well as "Megarobot", a version of Omega Supreme's mold)
Toybox's Super Change Robo Mechabot-1 — featuring the color scheme that'd also be seen on its GAMA and Grandstand versions.
Germany
GAMA — "Trans Robot" (a version of Omega Supreme's mold very similar to Grandstand's "Omegatron", with the packaging design being close to Toybox's original Mechabot-1 version, but with the "Trans Robot" logo taking some cues from Hasbro's "Transformers" logo, also replacing the tank's long barrel with a radar dish because no war toys for you, German kids!)
France
Joustra — Diaclone (featuring Takara Diaclone and Micro Change figures, some of them already sporting Autobot and Decepticon insigniastickers)
Orli Jouet — "Robotrack" (featuring "Mecabot", a nigh-identical version of Omega Supreme in Hasbro colors, possibly produced as part of a partnership with GiG, with the TV commercial even featuring footage from the Transformers cartoon)
Finland
Takara — Diaclone (featuring Diaclone figures, including a unique black version of Tracks's mold)
Post-Generation 1 releases
As Hasbro and Takara would eventually make newer Transformers toylines throughout the following decades, they would also overwhelmingly rely on all-new original toy designs, with both companies therefore mostly leaving the old pre-Transformers molds to the realm of occasional commemorative reissue toylines (and neither company ever again releasing rebranded non-Hasbro / Takara toys as Transformers, like Hasbro had formerly done with Macross, Dorvack, and Beetras). Nonetheless, there would still be a few instances of figures and decos from pre-Transformers Takara toylines making their way into future Transformers toylines after the end of Generation 1.
Pre-Transformers figures released after Generation 1
Beast Wars Dark Eggleo, based on MC-15 Metal Leo.
Oddly, a few extra Micro Change toys would only be released as Transformers for the first time during the 90s:
Pre-Transformers decos released after Generation 1
Some decos for the classic molds in some of the aforementioned reissue toylines would be directly taken from their Diaclone and Micro Change equivalents.
No.21 Corvette Stingray — Road Rage, released in 2002 by e-HOBBY
No. 6 Honda City R — Crosscut, released in 2002 by e-HOBBY
No.19 New Countach LP500S Police Car Type — Clampdown, released in 2003 by e-HOBBYFile:G1tigertrack toy.jpgFigure Ō Tigertrack, featuring the deco of New Countach LP500S' yellow version.
Powered Convoy DX Set — Deep Cover, released in 2003 by e-HOBBY
No. 1 Jet Fighter Type — Overcharge, released in 2005 by e-HOBBY
Micro Change
MC-13 Gun Robo Walther P-38 U.N.C.L.E. — Megatron Black Version, released in 2001 by e-HOBBY
MC-20 Micro Scope — Magnificus, released in 2005 by e-HOBBY
Notably, most of these releases would canonize said decos as new characters, a good portion of which would later get all-new toys in modern toylines like Masterpiece and the "CHUG" ensemble!
Notes
The act of licensing out Japanese transforming robot toys (and robot toys in general) to Western markets appears to have also started with Popy. Popy started off as a part of Bandai, but separated from them in 1971 to explore other avenues, creating lines such as the Popynica line, which made toys for the [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Kamen Rider|{{#if:||Kamen Rider}}]] franchise, and the [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Chogokin|{{#if:||Chogokin}}]] line, which made toys for franchises such as Mazinger Z. The toys released in these two lines ended up being licensed out to Mattel as part of their popular [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Shogun Warriors (toys)|{{#if:Shogun Warriors|Shogun Warriors|Shogun Warriors (toys)}}]] franchise in the 70s. The aforementioned Brave Raideen also licensed out to Mattel. All of this would eventually lead to the creation of the {{#if:||Machine Robo}} toyline—but due to the declining popularity of robot toys in the very early-80s—Popy was reintegrated into Bandai in 1983, which thus led to the partnership between Bandai and Tonka, that created GoBots.
The Action MasterTreadshot's design was inspired by a toy originally manufactured by Sunmayor Ohkawa (サンマーヤ大川) Co., Ltd., the "357 Magnum Robo" (357マグナムロボ). It was later called the "Highway Patrol Robo" and released in GiG's Trasformer line in Italy. It was even covered in Takara's Takara SF Land Collection Complete Works toy book for unknown reasons.
