User:Nevermore/Sandbox/old
All Transformers toys that can be transformed converted between different modes come instructions. Usually, those are included in the form of a sheet of paper (once called "instruction booklet"); however, some smaller toys have them printed on the back of their packaging instead (usually only for toys that come packaged on blister cards).
Instructions always give visual directions for how to convert the toy between its different modes and, if applicable, how to use its gimmicks and action features, either in the form or photos of the toy itself (or a prototype) or simplified line artwork. Additional text explanations were common in the early days of the brand, but have since been dropped at least as far as Hasbro's market is concerned.
If the toy includes loose accessories, the instructions will also depict the entire content of the package.
Formats of instructions
Instructions printed on the back of the packaging
The first Transformers toys that featured instructions printed on the back of their blister cards were the Generation 1 Mini-Cars/Mini-Vehicles such as Bumblebee, Cliffjumper or Beachcomber, and the Mini-Cassette two-packs such as Ravage/Rumble or Laserbeak/Frenzy.
Throughout the Generation 1 line, all toys that came packaged on blister cards (such as combiner limbs, Micromaster Patrols or single Action Master figures) had their instructions printed on the back of their blister cards.
With the Generation 2 toy line, this started to change: Smaller toys such as the Mini-Cars, the Go-Bots, the Constructicons and the Combiner limbs still had their instructions printed on the back of their blister cards; however, more complex toys such as the Autobot Cars, the Decepticon Jets, the Dinobots or the "Hero" versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron already came with instruction booklets included inside the blister bubble.
Beast Wars introduced uniform size classes that are, by and large, still used today. The Basic and Deluxe figures, which came packaged on blister cards, once again featured their instructions printed on the back of their cards. Beast Machines continued this trend, now also including the short-lived price points Deployers and Beast Riders.
The Machine Wars toys all had their instructions printed on the back of their packaging, even larger toys such as Optimus Prime, Starscream or Soundwave that came packaged in boxes.
Robots in Disguise finally abandoned the practice of printing instructions on the back of blister cards altogether: Even the simplistic Spy Changers or the Armada line's Mini-Con three-packs featured instruction sheets included inside the blister bubble. The only Transformers toys since then to feature instructions printed on the back of their blister cards are the small Legends Class toys originally launched during the Cybertron line, and only the ones that are released as single packs. Even the "AllSpark Battles" two-packs from the 2007 Movie toy line came with instruction sheets included inside their blister bubbles instead.
