Transformers: Zone (toyline)

Japanese Generation 1 continuity « Zone » Toyline Cartoon Commercials Manga Story Pages

1990's Transformers Zone marked the downturn of Takara's original Transformers run. The line's advertising media was slashed to minimum, getting only a single-episode VHS tape for animation and a single installment of manga, leaving story pages in TV Magazine to push the toys to kids.

Overview

The overwhelming majority of the line is made up of the Micromasters ("Micro Transformers" in Japan), most of which had been released by Hasbro the previous year, and only a comparative handful with any notable differences from the Hasbro releases. On top of that, all but one Team were sold as Autobots, presumably in a "kids buy more good guys" move to boost sales. (Japanese "boys toy" line are historically very light on the villain toys, if they have any at all. Transformers was a real outlier there, and potentially a major reason it was so popular early on.)

The headliners this year are the three Powered Masters (not to be confused with Powermasters): larger toys that transform from robot to space-vehicle-things to bases that can attach to the Micro Transformer bases using the same ramps. Each Powered Master has a battery- or spring-powered gimmick meant to push/launch the smaller Micros. They could also combine into Big Powered, a gigantic jet-tank-thing. They are opposed by Metrotitan, a Metroplex redeco and the only other Decepticon in the line.

While the Micro Transformers are largely ignored by fans, the four larger pieces command large sums on the secondary market today, especially the tail-ender Powered Master Roadfire.

Toyline

Zone OVA pack-in Rabbicrater		Micro Transformers Sky Patrol Team (Breeze Master, Eagle Eye, Sky High, Tread Bolt) Battle Patrol Team (Gunlift, Powerbomb, Sidetrack, Sunrunner) Build Patrol Team (Crumble, Groundpounder, Neutro, Takedown)		Jet Patrol Team (Nightflight, Star Cloud, Whisper, Windrim) Off Road Patrol Team (Flak, Footdemo, Freed, Nutshell) Race Car Patrol Team (Glorean, Roadhandler, Spinchange, Wheelrun)		Race Track Patrol Team (Barricade, Ground Hog, Motorhead, Roller Force) Rescue Patrol Team (Boater, Fire, Holi, Pīpō) Super Car Patrol Team (Black Heat, Deadhour, Ginham, Road Hugger)		Rabbicrater
Micro Transformer Transports Cragun Missile Bull Roadjet Skywave		Micro Transformer Stations Airport Base (w/ Overair) Build Base (w/ Ironworks) Fire Base (w/ Hot House) Gasoline Base (w/ Glasspit)		Micro Transformer Bases Landshaker (w/ Gunrunner) Sky Hyper (w/ Deadwheeler)		Rocket Base Rocket base (w/ Rescue Patrol Team & Moonradar)		File:Roadfire toy.jpg Roadfire
Powered Masters Dai Atlas (w/ Speeder) Roadfire (w/ Drillbuster) Sonic Bomber (w/ Sonic) Big Powered (giftset)		Metrosquad Leader Metrotitan (w/ Metrobomb, Metrodash, Metroshot, Metrotank)

Notes

• The Powered Masters —the only new-mold toys in the line— are noticeably lighter than comparably-sized toys from past lines. Their plastic parts are thinner overall and lean towards hollowness, presumably as a cost-saving measure.
• Some molds from this year would be re-used in Takara's later Brave non-Transformers toylines:
  • Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber became non-Transformer villain toys in The Brave Express: Might Gaine.
  • The Micromaster Stations, sans Micromasters, were released as mini-playsets with non-transforming robot figurines in Brave Police: J-Decker.