Pre-Transformers
| This article is about the fandom term for toys derived from lines that existed before Transformers. For the Autobot leader, see Guardian Prime. |
In fan terminology, pre-Transformers is an umbrella term for the Diaclone and Micro Change toylines, as well as for the original, non-Transformers-branded versions of such toys as Jetfire and the Mini-spies.
Some of these figures sported different color schemes than their more well-known Transformers counterparts. In many instances, reissues of these figures or new toys of those characters would be redecoed to homage the pre-Transformer color scheme.
Pre-Transformer lines
- Takara
- Diaclone
- Micro Change
- Mecha Warriors — Mini-spies
- Takatoku Toys
- Armored Insect Battalion Beetras — Deluxe Insecticons
- Special Armored Battalion Dorvack — Deluxe Vehicles
- Super Dimension Fortress Macross — Jetfire
- Toybox — "Super Change Robo Mechabot-1" (Omega Supreme) and Sky Lynx (never actually released prior to the Transformers version)
Licensed international releases of pre-Transformers
Hasbro's Transformers line was originally just one of several international venues for many of these figures. It was only when Transformers became such a huge worldwide success that it completely eclipsed these other versions, resulting in weird transitional phases in many instances. Some of these are frequently mistaken for knockoffs (not helped by the fact that there are knockoffs of these versions as well!).
United States
- Takara — Diakron (featuring Diaclone figures, including the Powerdashers that were first named as such here)
- Radio Shack — "Galactic Man" (a version of Shockwave)
- Village Toys — Convert-A-Bots (featuring "N-4-SR", another version of Shockwave in two different color schemes)
- Select — Convertors (featuring "Wheels" and "Chopper", plastic versions of Roadbuster and Whirl respectively)
United Kingdom
- Grandstand — Convertors (unrelated to Select's US line of the same name; featuring "Omegatron", a version of Omega Supreme in its original Mechabot-1 colors)
- Tandy — "Galactic Man" (almost identical to Radio Shack's version, due to both being owned by the same parent company)
Germany
- GAMA — "Trans Robot" (a version of Omega Supreme very similar to Grandstand's "Omegatron", with the packaging design being close to Toybox's original Mechabot-1 version, but with the "Trans Robot" logo taking some cues from Hasbro's "Transformers" logo, also replacing the tank's long barrel with a radar dish because no war toys for you, German kids!)
Italy
- GiG — Trasformer (featuring Diaclone and Micro Change figures, some of them already in their unique Transformers colors; as well as "Megarobot", a version of Omega Supreme)
France
- Joustra — Diaclone (featuring Takara Diaclone and Micro Change figures, some of them already sporting Autobot and Decepticon insignia stickers)
- Orli Jouet — "Robotrack" (featuring "Mecabot", a nigh-identical version of Omega Supreme in Hasbro colors, possibly produced as part of a partnership with GiG, with the TV commercial even featuring footage from the Transformers cartoon)
Finland
- Takara — Diaclone (featuring Diaclone figures, including a unique black version of Tracks)
Honorable mention
- The Action Master Treadshot's design was inspired by a toy originally manufactured by Sunmayor Ohkawa (サンマーヤ大川) Co., Ltd., the "357 Magnum Robo" (357マグナムロボ). It was later called the "Highway Patrol Robo" and released in GiG's Trasformer line in Italy. It was even covered in Takara's Takara SF Land Collection Complete Works toy book for unknown reasons.
