Animorphs: Difference between revisions
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<div class="center">[[Image:AniLogo.png|none|242px|]]</div> | <div class="center">[[Image:AniLogo.png|none|242px|]]</div> | ||
In 1999, [[Hasbro]] released a small toyline based on the popular '''''[[wikipedia:Animorphs|Animorphs]]''''' book series by K. A. Applegate. The line was released under the ''Transformers'' brand name, though the two franchises have no relation to each other, story-wise. ''Animorphs'' toys were stocked on shelves alongside ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Transmetal 2]] toys, and their presence may explain why the Transmetal 2 series was so small (only 17 toys.) | In 1999, [[Hasbro]] released a small toyline based on the popular '''''[[wikipedia:Animorphs|Animorphs]]''''' book series by K. A. Applegate. The line was released under the ''Transformers'' brand name, though the two franchises have no relation to each other, story-wise. ''Animorphs'' toys were stocked on shelves alongside ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Transmetal 2]] toys, and their presence may explain why the Transmetal 2 series was so small (only 17 toys.) | ||
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For the most part, the ''Animorphs'' line was, politely speaking, poorly received by ''Transformers'' fans for a variety of reasons: | For the most part, the ''Animorphs'' line was, politely speaking, poorly received by ''Transformers'' fans for a variety of reasons: | ||
# The franchise was totally unrelated to the ''Transformers'' universe, and many felt that Hasbro was [[Star Wars|trying]] [[Spider-Man|to milk]] [[Iron Man|the]] [[Hulk|brand]] [[Mickey Mouse|name]] by using it on the ''Animorphs'' line. | |||
# In both the accompanying books and television shows, the humans transformed via a liquid-style "morph" (a la ''[[Beast Machines]]''), which made the transformations difficult to engineer in toy form. As such, the "human" modes often had animal [[kibble]] hanging off them if not still blatantly visible in both forms, and many of the animal forms required separate pieces that slid over the human arms to turn them into paws or claws. Some fans found this design approach <strike>sloppy</strike> unaesthetic. | |||
==Toys== | ==Toys== | ||
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''(Each Deluxe toy came packed with a small [[Yeerk]] figure in either orange, purple, or red translucent plastic.)'' | ''(Each Deluxe toy came packed with a small [[Yeerk]] figure in either orange, purple, or red translucent plastic.)'' | ||
*[[Ax]] (human/panther) | *[[Ax]] (human/panther) | ||
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'''Mega''' | '''Mega''' | ||
*[[Ax]] ("Andalite"/scorpion) | *[[Ax]] ("Andalite"/scorpion) | ||
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*[[Jake (Animorphs)|Jake]] (human/''Tyrannosaurus rex'' head) | *[[Jake (Animorphs)|Jake]] (human/''Tyrannosaurus rex'' head) | ||
*[[Marco]] (human/''Tyrannosaurus rex'' body) | *[[Marco]] (human/''Tyrannosaurus rex'' body) | ||
'''Taco Bell Kids Meal Premiums (1999)''' | '''Taco Bell Kids Meal Premiums (1999)''' | ||
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== External link == | == External link == | ||
*[[wikipedia:Animorphs|Animorphs at Wikipedia]] | *[[wikipedia:Animorphs|Animorphs at Wikipedia]] | ||
[[Category:Animorphs]] | [[Category:Animorphs]] | ||
[[Category:Franchises]] | [[Category:Franchises]] | ||
Revision as of 09:27, 5 April 2009
In 1999, Hasbro released a small toyline based on the popular Animorphs book series by K. A. Applegate. The line was released under the Transformers brand name, though the two franchises have no relation to each other, story-wise. Animorphs toys were stocked on shelves alongside Beast Wars Transmetal 2 toys, and their presence may explain why the Transmetal 2 series was so small (only 17 toys.)
Fan Reaction
For the most part, the Animorphs line was, politely speaking, poorly received by Transformers fans for a variety of reasons:
- The franchise was totally unrelated to the Transformers universe, and many felt that Hasbro was trying to milk the brand name by using it on the Animorphs line.
- In both the accompanying books and television shows, the humans transformed via a liquid-style "morph" (a la Beast Machines), which made the transformations difficult to engineer in toy form. As such, the "human" modes often had animal kibble hanging off them if not still blatantly visible in both forms, and many of the animal forms required separate pieces that slid over the human arms to turn them into paws or claws. Some fans found this design approach
sloppyunaesthetic.
Toys
Animorphs toys featured a small cast of human characters that transformed into various animals. Most figures also had a third "mid-morph" mode that represented a halfway point in the morphing process. There were also 2 alien "Andalite" characters, one hero and one villain. The villain, Visser Three, was the only "bad guy" toy released during the line's run, and had 2 figures.
As the line trickled to a close, two of the later figures (Marco/beetle and Ax/panther) became fairly rare and difficult to find. Another pair of figures, (Jake/stingray and Taxxon/Battlebeast), never saw release in the United States at all, though a few fans were able to get their hands on foreign versions.
With the cancellation of the line, a series of planned animal-to-animal toys were retooled and released under the Beast Wars banner as the Mutants.
1999
Deluxe
(Each Deluxe toy came packed with a small Yeerk figure in either orange, purple, or red translucent plastic.)
- Ax (human/panther)
- Cassie (human/wolf)
- Jake (human/tiger)
- Jake (human/bear)
- Marco (human/gorilla)
- Marco (human/beetle)
- Rachel (human/lion)
- Tobias (human/hawk)
Mega
- Ax ("Andalite"/scorpion)
- Visser Three ("Andalite"/"inferno creature")
- Tobias (human/hawk)
Ultra
- Visser Three ("Andalite"/"Hork-Bajir"/"inferno creature")
Super
- Cassie (human/Tyrannosaurus rex tail)
Taco Bell Kids Meal Premiums (1999)
- Cassie (human/anteater)
- Jake (human/lizard)
- Marco (human/shark)
- Rachel (human/fly)
- Tobias (hawk) - Under 3 toy
