Kre-O

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Kre-O Transformers
Car me now!

Kre-O is a new play pattern expression of Hasbro's best brands using quality construction bricks and mini-figurines. No, it's not Built to Rule. It's especially not that thing that begins with an L! But it sure works with that thing that begins with an L.

L employees are asked to please not view this webpage.

Unveiled at Toy Fair 2011, Transformers was the first Hasbro brand to be released as Kre-O construction brick kits. The kits center around a Transformers character that can be taken apart and reassembled into a vehicle. Mini-figures called Kreons are also included in the larger kits, and these mini-figures are a mix of Transformers characters and human drivers. Prices range from $7.99 to $59.99. The line launched June 6, 2011.

The robot/vehicle kits seem inspired by a mix of Transformers aesthetics, while the most of the Transformer Kreons are strongly based on the Sunbow animation designs. Though most of the toys feature heads designed directly from their Classics/Universe/Generations counterparts, a few kits feature heads taken from other sources, such as Megatron's head inspired by the Cybertronian form of Animated Megatron. And while Sentinel Prime's kit is clearly inspired by his Dark of the Moon appearance, his head takes most of its cues from the vastly different Animated version of the character.

Sets

  • Optimus Prime (30689) (568 pieces) w/ Optimus Prime, Skywarp, Bluestreak, and two human motorcycle driver Kreons
Optimus Prime's trailer can stow two motorcycles, which the humans can ride
  • Sentinel Prime (30687) (381 pieces) w/ Soundwave, Thundercracker, Sentinel Prime, and driver Kreons
Sentinel Prime can be rebuilt from a red and black Dark of the Moon-inspired robot mode to a fire truck
  • Megatron (30668) (310 pieces) w/ Megatron, Shockwave, human "Specialist" and human SWAT "Police" Kreon
Megatron can be rebuilt into a gray semi-cab, based heavily on his appearance in the live-action movie Dark of the Moon. The robot mode head sculpt and overall robot mode coloration, however, is based on his Animated appearance.
  • Starscream (30667) (316 pieces) w/ Starscream and human "Pilot" Kreons
Starscream can transform into a jet somewhat resembling an F-14. His coloration and robot mode are heavily influenced by his original 1984 and Universe (2009) appearance.
  • Sideswipe (31771) (220 pieces) w/ Sideswipe and human "Driver" Kreons
Sideswipe can be rebuilt into a red sportscar that somewhat homages his original Generation One appearance, but with additional detailing very loosely based on some of his movie-incarnation toys.
Ratchet can be rebuilt into an ambulance that strongly resembles his appearance in Transformers: Animated. The robot mode seems to be a mix of his original Generation One appearance as well as his Animated appearance.
  • Bumblebee (36421) (336 pieces) w/ Bumblebee, Red Alert, and human "Driver" Kreons
Bumblebee can be rebuilt into a Camaro-like muscle car, based on the live-action movies. The head sculpt is a mix of Bumblebee's various incarnations. The human "Driver" is strongly reminiscent of Sam Witwicky from the live-action movies.

Basic Series

  • Mirage (31145) (119 pieces) w/ Mirage and "Race Driver" Kreons
Mirage can be rebuilt into an F-1 racer based heavily on Mirage's Generation One appearance.
  • Autobot Jazz (31146) (122 pieces) w/ Jazz and human "Race Driver" Kreons
Jazz can be rebuilt into a silver sports car with red/blue stripes. The primary coloration of the car (silver/gray) is the same as the live-action movie, but the coloring of the trim pieces and additional sticker details are from the original Generation One appearance. Though the packaging depicts his head to be gray, like the rest of his body, it is in fact, black.
  • Prowl (30690) (190 pieces) w/ Prowl and human "SWAT Commander" Kreons
Prowl can be rebuilt into a white police car with black trim, strongly reminiscent of his original incarnation in Generation One.

Promotional Series

  • Smaller Optimus Prime (31143) (90 pieces)
Optimus can be rebuilt into a flat-nosed semi-tractor strongly reminiscent of his appearance of the Classics toyline. This kit does not include a Kreon.
  • Smaller Bumblebee (31144) (74 pieces)
Bumblebee can be rebuilt into a small sports coupe. Does not include a Kreon. This form is based most heavily on Bumblebee's appearance in the Classics toyline.
  • Matrix Optimus Prime Kreon
Promotional item given at Botcon 2011, and as a special mail-in promotion through the Kre-O website. Redeco of Optimus Prime Kreon showing the Matrix of Leadership.
  • Clear Energon Bumblebee Kreon
An exclusive New York Comic Con 2012 handout, this redeco of the Bumblebee Kreon is done entirely in translucent blue plastic, and comes in its own special little window box with an outer sleeve.

CostCo Exclusives

  • Megatron with Sideswipe (30668/31771) - a twin-pack of the regular release sets above with no changes.
  • Starscream with Prowl (30667/30690) - a twin-pack of the regular release sets above with no changes.

Quest for Energon

"Quest for Energon" sets all include part of an Ultimate Dark Energon Weapon.

  • Destruction Site Devastator (36914) (560 pieces) w/ Devastator, Ironhide, human "Foreman" and three human "Construction Worker" Kreons
A "9 in 1" set that includes Scrapper, Drill Bit, Scavenger and Hightower, each of whom can be rebuilt from construction vehicles into robots, or combined into the super robot Devastator. Devastator takes cues from both his Generation 1 and Revenge of the Fallen incarnations. The set also contains a buildable "construction site" play environment.
This set includes a Decepticon motorcycle that can be rebuilt as a robot drone and a (very) small buildable "Autobot roadblock" play environment.
  • Rotor Rage (36959) (217 pieces) w/ Vortex, human "Commando" and human "ATV Driver" Kreons
This set features Vortex, who can be built as a robot or a helicopter, as well as a small red all-terrain vehicle.
  • Street Showdown (38771) (273 pieces) w/ Wheeljack, Knock Out, and two human "Driver" Kreons
Wheeljack and Knock Out can each be built as a car or a robot.
This set includes an Autobot all-terrain vehicle that can be rebuilt as a robot drone and a (very) small buildable "Decepticon checkpoint" play environment.
  • Battle for Energon (98812) (379 pieces) w/ Optimus Prime, Megatron, human "Security Guard" and human "Bank Robber" Kreons
Optimus Prime and Megatron battle around a buildable "bank" play environment in this set. Optimus can be rebuilt as his conventional longnose semi cab mode, whereas Megatron can now be rebuilt as a Cybertronic battle tank. The Optimus and Megatron Kreons included in this set are more Prime-styled than their previous figures.
  • Stealth Bumblebee (98814) (257 pieces) w/ Bumblebee, human "Driver", and two human "Security Guard" Kreons
Stealth Bumblebee features a small robot-to-muscle car Bumblebee in his black-with-yellow "Stealth" coloration, as well as a buildable "military checkpoint" play environment and a bright green Decepticon motorcycle. The Bumblebee Kreon in this set is much more Prime-styled than the previous one. The set also for some reason includes a bulldog (Bonecrusher?).

Toys R US exclusive

  • Autobot Assault Devastator (A1266) (781 pieces) w/ Devastator, Ironhide, human "Foreman", three human "Construction Workers", and "Gunner" Kreons
Autobot Assault Devastator is a Toys R Us store exclusive 2-pack set which includes the Kre-O Destruction Site Devastator set as well as an exclusive Ironhide set only available in this 2-pack, which also comes with a small brick house, and a new "Gunner" Kreon. The Devastator Kreon in this set has been switched to a Generation 2 yellow deco.

Kreon Micro-Changers

This sub-line adds a new element to Kreon figures; a few extra parts allow each figure to transform.

Combiners

Wave 1

Four Kreons per pack combine into one larger robot.

Wave 2

Blind-bagged figures

This portion of the line features individual blind-packaged Kreons.

Preview Series


Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Kre-O Beast Hunters

The third part of the Kre-O line is Beast Hunters, tying in with the third season of Transformers: Prime, which is also subtitled "Beast Hunters".

Larger Sets
At New York Comic Con 2012, Bumblebee was listed as coming with a human named "Clutch" and a dragon named "Skystalker".
Beast Force Figure packs

Media

Videos

A series of videos have been released on Hasbro's Kre-O website and on YouTube, featuring the wacky antics of the Kre-O Transformers and their Kreons:

Games

Books

  • Awesome Autobots Activity Book—actually mainly a Prime book, but it has four Kre-O bonus pages and is co-branded on the cover, as well as coming with a free Matrix Optimus Prime Kreon.

Notes

  • Kre-O bricks are manufactured by Korean toy company Oxford[1].
  • Kreon Hound was shown loose at Botcon 2011 with no indication on how he'll be released.
  • Small images of a Transformers Kre-O set featuring a big mechanical scorpion and another set featuring a buildable Soundwave were shown at Toy Fair 2012 during the slide presentation, as part of the demonstration of the "build a big energon weapon from parts of the different sets" concept. Neither were present in the showroom or mentioned in the press materials. This same slide was shown during a presentation at BotCon 2012, again with no explicit mention of the mechanical scorpion or Soundwave.
  • While the Kre-O bricks and such are compatible with L bricks, take care with mixing Kreon and Minifigure parts, particularly helmets. Full-coverage Kreon helmets like Optimus Prime's and Soundwave's are a bit tight, and getting a L Minifigure head out of them is exceedingly difficult. They'll pop off the neck before the helmet relinquishes the head. Open-face helmets like Starscream's, where you can get a "grip" on the head with the pad of your finger, should be fine.
  • The L company has since released sets that are explicitly marketed as being able to assemble as robots and various vehicles and aircraft, very similar to the Transformers Kre-O concept.

References

  1. ↑ Transformers Kre-O - Thoughts? on TFW2005
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