Bumper Battlers

Bumper Battler Ratchet

The Bumper Battlers toys are a gimmick-based size class from the Transformers Animated series. They're the direct descendants of the movie line's Cyber Slammers with a similar one-step transformation and action-based gimmick and stylisation.

Each Bumper Battlers toy transforms by pressing on their front bumper. Actually, let's be honest, they're designed to transform when their bumper smashes into something — a wall, a door... each other. They're toys designed to be smashed around the room and driven around crazily. To make them even more wild each toy has a sound chip, so they can yell at you as they crash around the room.

The sound chip on each Bumper Battler toy plays a long sequence of phrases (using the actual voice actor of the character, like most Animated stuff) and sound effects made up from a smaller selection of phrases which are recombined to create new ones. Each toy has two phrase strings, one that plays when their Autobot insignia is pressed, and one which plays when their bumper is pressed.

Yup, let's face it. These guys are gimmicky paradise.

Toy Waves

Wave 1

• Bumblebee
• Optimus Prime
• Ratchet

Wave 2

• Autobot Jazz
• Bulkhead

Wave 3

• Sting Racer Bumblebee
• Nightwatch Optimus Prime

Wave 4

• Lockdown
• Soundwave

Wave 5

• Workzone Bulkhead
• Stealth Ninja Jazz

The above two figures have thus far only been sighted in Australia. Whether they will ever be released in North America is unknown.

Sound Chips

Each Bumper Battler has a unique sound chip with two strings of sound effects. One string plays if the bumper (which also transforms the toy) is pressed. These are usually crashing, or transforming sounds or related phrases. The other string of sounds plays when pressing the toy's faction insignia.

Each string of sounds is made up from a smaller selection of phrases and sound effects which are recombined to create a whole bunch of variants. The following lists will divide each of the component parts of the sound clip with a — and sound effects will be indicated with SFX. Some sound effects play in a longer loop depending on where they're used, for example, Optimus Prime's axe fighting can be long or short; this list doesn't currently make a distinction between the long and short versions of sound effects. Feel free to fix that!

The lists start at an arbitrary point in the sequences, since it's difficult to determine which is the 'first' sound clip.

Wave 1

Bumblebee

Bumblebee has an enormous selection of phrases, and the greatest laugh of all time. The sound effect listed as 'stingers' for Bumblebee is... well it's kind of a generic missilish sound. But, darnit, the toy's only weapon is his stingers.

Autobot Insignia Sound Sequence (26)

I’m Bumblebee!

I’m the fastest thing on wheels! — SFX: Engine startup — Dahahahahoo!

This calls for speed! — Vehicle mode! — SFX: Transform

Let’s motor! — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Stingers

SFX: Tyre screech — Too slow! — Dahahahahoo!

SFX: Horn — I’m Bumblebee! — Let’s motor.

SFX: engine startup — SFX: tyre screech

Dahahahahoo! — I’m the fastest thing on wheels!

Vehicle mode! — SFX: Transform -- Suh-weet!

SFX: Horn — Hey guys! — SFX: Engine startup — Let’s motor.

Too slow! — SFX: Transform — SFX: Stingers

This calls for speed! — SFX: Engine startup

SFX: Tyre screech

Too slow! — Dahahahahoo!

SFX: Stingers — SFX: Tyre screech

I’m Bumblebee! — This calls for speed! — SFX: Engine startup — SFX: Tyre screech

Hey guys! — I’m the fastest thing on wheels!

SFX: Horn — Too slow!

SFX: Stingers — OW!

Vehicle mode! — SFX: Transform

SFX: Engine startup — SFX: Tyre screech

Hey guys! — Let’s motor.

This calls for speed! — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Engine startup

Suh-Weet!

Bumper Sound Sequence (11)

SFX: Tyre screech — Dahahahahoo!

SFX: Transform — Suh-Weet!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash

SFX: Crash — Ow!

SFX: Transform — SFX: Stingers

SFX: Crash — SFX: Honk honk!

SFX: Tyre screech — Suh-Weet!

SFX: Crash — SFX: Transform -- I’m Bumblebee!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash

SFX: Transform — Let’s motor. — SFX engine startup

SFX: Stingers — Too slow! — SFX: Stingers

Optimus Prime

Unlike some others, Optimus Prime doesn't get to laugh. Stick in the mud.

Autobot Insignia Sound Sequence (19)

SFX: Honk honk — SFX: Engine startup

SFX: Tyre screech

Vehicle mode! — SFX: Transform — They’ll never see us comin’

SFX: Engine Startup — Go! Go! Go! — SFX: Tyre screech

Autobots — Battle mode! — SFX: Transform — Bring it on, Decepticons!

SFX: Axe fighting

Vehicle mode! — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Engine startup

My name is Optimus Prime

Autobots — Transform and roll out! — SFX: Transform

Vehicle mode! — Go! Go! Go! — SFX Tyre screech

Bring it on, Decepticons!

SFX: Axe fighting

SFX: Honk honk — SFX: Engine startup

They’ll never see us comin’!

My name is Optimus Prime! — Bring it on, Decepticons!

Battle mode! — Transform and roll-out — SFX: Transform

SFX: Engine startup — Go! Go! Go! — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Axe fighting

Bumper Sound Sequence (8)

Ah! — SFX: Axe Fighting

SFX: Transform — My name is Optimus Prime!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX Crash

SFX: Transform — Go! Go! Go!

SFX: Crash — Ah!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash

SFX: Crash — Ah!

SFX: Transform — Battle mode! — SFX Engine startup

Ratchet

Ratchet's laugh is pretty awesome, one of the hi-lights of the incredible sound clips these toys have. One of the sounds in the list is identified as Ratchet's magnetic beams to bring it in line his "a little magnetism augta do the trick!" phrase. Also, he has a magnet deployed in robot mode.

Autobot Insignia Sound Sequence (11)

SFX: Siren

Ah! — SFX: Magnetic beams — Take that!

SFX: Engine Startup — Let’s roll! — Dahahahah!

A little magnetism aughta do the trick! — SFX: Magnetic beams

SFX: Engine Startup

Let’s roll! — SFX: Siren

SFX: Transform

C’mon you Decepticreeps — Dahahaha! — We’re ready for you!

I’m Ratchet!

A little magnetism aughta do the trick! — SFX: Magnetic beams

SFX: Transform — C’mon you Decepticreeps! — We’re ready for you!

Bumper Sound Sequence (10)

SFX: Crash — C’mon you Decepticreeps!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: crash

SFX: Transform — I’m Ratchet!

SFX: Crash — Ah!

SFX: Transform — SFX: Magnetic beams — Take that!

SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Crash — Ah!

SFX: Transform — Let’s roll! — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Crash — SFX: Siren

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash — Dahahaha!

Wave 2

Bulkhead

Bulkhead’s best phrase (and we’ve measured its quality objectively), “Smashing stuff is fun!” only sounds when pushing his bumper. Like Prime, he doesn’t get a laugh. Poor Bulky.

Autobot Insignia Sound Sequence (14)

SFX: Engine startup — SFX: Tyre screech

So what are we waitin’ for? — Let’s get this party started!

SFX: Siren

Oohuh! — SFX: Crash — Oops! — My Bad.

SFX: Engine startup

Hey. — My name’s Bulkhead.

SFX: Engine startup — Let’s get this party started!

SFX: Transform — So what are we waiting for? — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Engine breakdown — SFX: Crash

SFX: Engine startup — SFX: Siren

SFX: Engine startup

SFX: Transform — Hey! — SFX: Engine startup*

My name’s Bulkhead.

Oohuh! SFX: Engine breakdown — SFX: Crash

Bumper Sound Sequence (11)

SFX: Transform — Oohuh!

SFX: Crash — Smashing stuff is fun!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash — Hey! — My bad.

SFX: Crash — SFX: Siren

SFX: Crash — SFX: Transform — Hey!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash — Oops, my bad!

SFX: Transform

SFX: Crash — Oohuh! — Smashing stuff is fun!

SFX: Crash — Oops!

SFX: Crash

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash

Jazz

Oddly enough, Jazz's phrase, "I am stylin'" is only used once in both sequences. You gotta press his Autobot insignia 17 times to hear it again. Yikes.

Autobot Insignia Sound Sequence (17)

Go! — We’ll hold ‘em off here! — SFX: Nunchaku combat

SFX: Transform — Go! — Go! — SFX: Tyre screech

Hah-hah. — Stay cool — We got this under control.

Hah! — SFX: Nunchaku combat

SFX: Engine startup*

Autobots, let’s roll! — SFX: Tyre screech

Go! — SFX: Horn — Hah! — SFX: Nunchaku combat — Uh! — SFX: Nunchaku combat

They call me Jazz — SFX: Engine startup — Stay cool.

Autobots, Go! Go! — SFX: Engine startup

Decepticons — SFX: Horn — We got this under control. — Hah! — SFX: Nunchaku combat

Bring it! — SFX: Nunchaku combat — Hah! — SFX: Nunchaku combat

Go! — SFX: Transform — We’ll hold ‘em off here. — Go! — Go! — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Engine Startup

SFX: Tyre screech

They call me Jazz. — Hah Hah. — I am stylin’

SFX: Engine Startup — Let’s roll. — SFX: Tyre screech

Decepticons. — SFX: Horn — Bring it!

Bumper Sound Sequence (10)

SFX: Transform — They call me Jazz! — Hah-hah!

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash

SFX: Crash

SFX: Transform — Huah!

SFX: Crash

SFX: Tyre screech — SFX: Crash — Ah!

SFX: Crash — SFX: Transform — Bring it!

SFX: Transform — Let’s roll! — SFX: Engine startup — SFX: Tyre screech

SFX: Crash

SFX: Crash — Uh!