Homage
In fan terminology, an homage is a toy that is intentionally designed to resemble an earlier (usually Generation 1) toy or character, without being the exact same character. Noted examples of homages include Energon Downshift (based on Generation 1 Wheeljack) and Energon Shockblast (based on Generation 1 Shockwave).
Sometimes, homages are given different names from their predecessors if the actual rights to the name are lost via trademark murkiness, or if the name has already been applied to a non-homage toy within the same series.
Conversely, in order to protect trademarked names, Hasbro and Takara continue to use the same names over and over again, often on very different toys or very different characters within the official fiction. Since use of the term "homage" within the fandom is almost exclusively in reference to visual similarities, these name reuses alone are not considered homages.
Amusingly, Takara has given homages a new twist with "Ratchet Emergency Green", a redeco of the original Diaclone-based Ratchet toy in the color scheme of the live-action movie Ratchet, and "Ironhide Protect Black", a dual homage to the color scheme of both the toy's Diaclone incarnation and the character's live-action movie incarnation.
Also, the term homage not only applies to toys, but also various things such as or arts.
Notable examples
The following list is meant to include all more modern toys that 'visually' represent the Generation 1 characters. Re-uses of names without any visual relevance may be better placed on the trademark page.
Transformers: Armada
<center><table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 42px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/5/5f/ArmadaScavenger_toy.jpg/120px-ArmadaScavenger_toy.jpg" width="120" height="61" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Scavenger is essentially an homage to the Constructicons.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 31px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/e/e4/Hotshotpowerlinx.jpg/120px-Hotshotpowerlinx.jpg" width="120" height="84" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Powerlinx Hot Shot is similar to Hot Rod.
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table></center>
Transformers: Energon
<center><table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 50px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/9/97/Energon_downshift_toy.jpg/120px-Energon_downshift_toy.jpg" width="120" height="46" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Downshift's design is an homage to Wheeljack.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 42px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/f1/Energon_Shockblast_toy.jpg/120px-Energon_Shockblast_toy.jpg" width="120" height="62" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Shockblast's appearance heavily similar to Shockwave.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 50px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/1/12/Energon_Rodimus_toy.jpg/120px-Energon_Rodimus_toy.jpg" width="120" height="45" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Rodimus's appearance is heavily based on Rodimus Prime.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 47px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/b/b0/Energon_Galvatron_toy1.jpg/120px-Energon_Galvatron_toy1.jpg" width="120" height="51" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Galvatron's appearance is an homage to Galvatron.
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table>For more information, please visit here.</center>
Transformers: Cybertron
<center><table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 42px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/e/e0/CybertronBlurr_toy.jpg/120px-CybertronBlurr_toy.jpg" width="120" height="61" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Blurr's head design is an homage to his original Generation 1 counterpart.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 42px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/9/96/Cyb_Longrack_toy.jpg/120px-Cyb_Longrack_toy.jpg" width="120" height="62" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Longrack's head design is an homage to his original Beast Wars Neo counterpart.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 46px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/1/19/CYB_runamuck_withalt.jpg/120px-CYB_runamuck_withalt.jpg" width="120" height="54" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Runamuck is an homage to his original Generation 1 counterpart's best mate.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 40px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/6/6d/Cybertron_Buzzsaw_toy.jpg/120px-Cybertron_Buzzsaw_toy.jpg" width="120" height="65" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Buzzsaw's head design is an homage to his original Beast Wars counterpart.
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 28px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/b/b9/Cyb_Galvatron_toy.jpg/120px-Cyb_Galvatron_toy.jpg" width="120" height="90" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Galvatron's color is similar to Megatron.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 42px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/c/c6/CybertronSoundwave_toy.jpg/120px-CybertronSoundwave_toy.jpg" width="120" height="61" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Soundwave is heavily based on his original Generation 1 counterpart.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/2/2b/Quickmix-workmode.jpg/117px-Quickmix-workmode.jpg" width="117" height="120" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Quickmix shares a few physical similarities to his original Generation 1 counterpart.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 42px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/f4/CybExcellion_toy.jpg/120px-CybExcellion_toy.jpg" width="120" height="62" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Excellion is an homage to Hot Rod.
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table></center>
Generation 1
<center><table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 17px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/f4/GodPrimus2.jpg/120px-GodPrimus2.jpg" width="120" height="111" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> The colorscheme of the lucky draw item of his appearance in Marvel Generation 1 continuity.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 40px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/7/7b/Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg/120px-Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg" width="120" height="66" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Ratchet Emergency Green used the color scheme to his Movie counterpart.
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table></center>
Shattered Glass
<center><table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;"> <div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/b/b4/Goldbug_bad.jpg/89px-Goldbug_bad.jpg" width="89" height="119" border="0" /></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> Stealth Bumblebee.
</div>
</div></td>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 13px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/0/0c/Starscream_2008BotCon.jpg/108px-Starscream_2008BotCon.jpg" width="108" height="120" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
Starscream's color scheme is similar to Jetfire.
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table></center>
<center><table class="gallery" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td><div class="gallerybox" style="width: 155px;">
<div class="thumb" style="padding: 16px 0; width: 150px;"><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 120px;"><img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/4/45/Dirge-shatteredexpectations.jpg/120px-Dirge-shatteredexpectations.jpg" width="120" height="114" border="0" /></div></div>
<div class="gallerytext">
And the sextuple homage guy!
</div>
</div></td>
</tr>
</table></center>
<center>
<table cellspacing="0" style="width:90%;">
<tr>
<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">
<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">You left a piece out!</span><hr /> This article is a stub and is missing information. You can help Transformers Wiki by <span class="plainlinks">expanding it</span>.
</div>
</td></tr></table>
</center>
