Power Master
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The four Generation 2 Power Master toys were released at the end of the Generation 2 line in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Their pull-back motor gimmick was not unlike that of the Throttlebots: Each Power Master could be dragged backward in either robot or car mode, then by placing one of his guns in the right spot, a catch would release, allowing him to zip along a smooth surface. They share no relationship to the Generation 1 Powermasters except for their name.
Notes
- It is possible these toys were designed by Hasbro without help from Takara, explaining their oddly simplistic robot mode looks, very basic vehicle detail, and lack of light-piping, all of which is inconsistent with the majority of the figures originating from the Generation 2 line. While it isn't necessarily a confirmation, they only carry Hasbro copyright marks instead of both Hasbro and Takara.
- The Generation 2 Power Master line is notable for giving us the first new non-redeco Ironhide toy since 1984.
- For whatever reason, each Power Master has the designation "PM(#)" on its lone sticker, regardless of allegiance. "PM1" is Staxx, "PM2" is Ironhide, "PM3" is Meanstreak, and "PM4" is Bulletbike.
- The Australia and New Zealand releases were available in Engish-only packaging (complete with Hasbro's Rhode Island address and lacking the actual Generation 2 moniker as all 1995 US releases did, with the assortment named "Power Masters", as two words) that would presumably have also been used for the United States, had the Generation 2 line not been canceled. In Europe, they were available in the usual trilingual packaging variants (retaining the Generation 2 title, with the assortment named "Powermasters", as one word, in most instances) that were standard in Europe at the time: English/Spanish/Portuguese for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia, French/Dutch/German for France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Italian-only for Italy, distributed by GiG under license from Hasbro. However, they were apparently also available in the United Kingdom as parallel imports (imported by MBC Ltd.) in the same packaging also available in Australia and New Zealand. Maybe that was the stock intended for the canceled US release?
- A redeco of Power Master Ironhide may have been in the works at some point. The Power Master Ironhide card art, recolored in yellow and blue, was used on packaging mock-ups under the names Belzone, Light Speed, and Pothole. However, no physical samples of such an item have ever surfaced. An Ask Vector Prime question interviewed a contact at Hasbro about the matter, who stated that packages are often "Greeked" with gibberish text for display purposes, with no intention of releasing such characters.
Notes
Foreign names
- English: Powermasters (for the British, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and German markets)
- French: Les Maitres du Bitume ("The Masters of the Street")
- Italian: Turbomaster