Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)

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<table style="border:1px solid black;border-spacing:0em;float:right;margin-left:1em;border-collapse:collapse"> <caption> Franchise navigation: </caption> <tr style="background:#ff9090"> <td style="text-align:center;width:12em">Robots in Disguise </td></tr> <tr style="background:#eeeeee"> <td style="text-align:center"><strong class="selflink">Toyline</strong> </td></tr> <tr style="background:#eeeeee"> <td style="text-align:center">Cartoon </td></tr></table> When the Transtech toyline concept was dropped, Hasbro needed additional time to develop a new franchise to follow the Beast Era. In 2000, the company therefore opted to bring over Takara's Car Robots line, rebranding the toyline as Robots in Disguise.

The Car Robots line consisted of a group of new-mold toys, along with several redecorated toys from previous lines. The line included the first realistically-styled Earth vehicle Transformers in half a decade.


RiD Optimus Prime, the largest vehicular toy since Optimal Optimus.

As sales rose and more toys were needed, Hasbro added in still more redecorated toys to pad the line out toward its end. By the time all was said and done, Robots in Disguise included molds from Generation 1, Generation 2, Beast Wars, Machine Wars, and Beast Machines -- in other words, every American toyline that had been produced to that point. Several cancelled/delayed/unproduced molds from previous lines were brought out as well, such as Air Attack Optimus Primal.

The line is therefore marked by an extremely wide variation in quality, complexity, realism and posability. At one end of the spectrum were fairly simple designs from previous lines, such as the Commandos and Spy Changers. On the flip side, most of Takara's original mold designs were extremely complex, often to the point of frustrating fans with their origami-like shellformer transformations that required stuffing robotic bits just so to make them all fit together in vehicle form -- though some fans also found this same complexity to be an enjoyable challenge.


Several elements introduced by Robots in Disguise would recur in the subsequent Unicron Trilogy and various other storylines, such as Optimus Prime combining with other major toys, and Prime and Ultra Magnus as brothers.


RiD Megatron - the only new-mold bad guy in the line.

Robots in Disguise was the first (and thus far, the only) time an existing Japanese line was brought over wholesale to the US. Though the toys were new to the line's primary audience of children, many fans had already paid considerably higher prices to import the toys from Japan. Despite this, the line was met with a generally positive reception by fans (particularly those who'd found import prices to be more than they were willing to dish out), and seemed to sell well enough to kids as well, if the number of later redeco additions to the line is any indication.

Some minor changes were made to the US releases of the toys, most notably the application of tampographed faction symbols.


French name (France): Les Robots Mutants
French name (Canada): Robots Déguisés
Spanish name (South America): Robots Camuflados
German name: Getarnte Roboter


<a name="Car_Robots"></a><h1><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w2/index.php?title=Robots_in_Disguise_%28toyline%29&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Car Robots">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Car Robots</span></h1>

2000

Cybertrons

Spychangers <br />The Spychanger group began as redecorated Generation 2 GoBots molds. Eventually, several molds that were developed for G2 but never released were added to the ranks, as well as several entirely new molds representing characters from the line who had larger toys.


Flipchangers <br />The Flipchangers were another canceled G2 item, though these had previously surfaced in Machine Wars.


Deluxe <br />Includes the Autobot Brothers and the Build Team, all molds original to the line. The Autobot Brothers share highly realistic vehicle forms and complicated, shellforming transformation schemes. The Build Team share a very blocky aesthetic which conceals a complex design, allowing them to combine in multiple ways.


Mega <br />Known on the cartoon as Team Bullet Train, these three Takara-original molds can combine into JRX.


Super <br />Two massive new Takara molds, which can combine to form God Fire Convoy.


City


Gift sets




Destrongers

Basic


Mega


Ultra




Combatrons

Basic


Deluxe


Ultra


Super


Gift set


2003

Cybertrons

Spychangers (Japan)


<a name="Robots_in_Disguise"></a><h1><span class="editsection">[<a href="/w2/index.php?title=Robots_in_Disguise_%28toyline%29&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Robots in Disguise">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Robots in Disguise</span></h1>

2001

Autobot

Basic


Deluxe


Mega


Super




Predacon

Deluxe


Mega


Ultra




Decepticon

Basic


Deluxe


Ultra




Versus

Deluxe


2002

Autobot

Basic


Spychangers (KB Toys and Target exclusives)


Deluxe


Mega




Predacon

Ultra


Decepticon

Basic


Deluxe


Super


Versus

Basic


Mega


  • Sideways (Autobot) vs. Axer (Decepticon) (Wal-Mart exclusive)

2003

Autobot

Tiny Tins


Spychangers (KB Toys exclusives)


Ultra




Maximal

Supreme


Decepticon

Deluxe (KB Toys exclusives)


Ultra


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