G1 Transformers Size, Power, and Mass

[Haywire]

We wanted G1. Expand on that. Respect and elevate the source material.

G1 is simply the best. There’s plenty to explore and build on there. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel.

It's okay for you to say that you prefer G1 Transformers over all else; that is an opinion that you are entitled to have.

However, you might want to consider that you don't speak for Transformers fans in general. There is a huge variety of fans within the Transformers community, and not all of them, or even a majority, hold G1 in as high a regard as you apparently do.

For example, I grew up on G1. Those characters are some of my favorites, but I would much rather see a continuation of the Challenge of the Gobots than any further tales of G1TF. I would never expect or represent that opinion as representative of the larger TF community, though (except in jest).

I like the idea of a Megatron who has joined the Autobots, but has to deal with the consequences of his actions as a Decepticon. I like the Wreckers. Robots In Disguise 01 got me back into collecting, so I have a fondness for those characters. I miss the fun toys from Armada, Energon, and Cybertron. I miss the crazy redecos of Universe. I miss Transformers Animated. I wish we still had the small-scale figures on the level we had during DotM and Prime. I've gained an appreciation for Beast Wars and Beast Machines that I did not have 20+ years ago.

Transformers began with G1, but it didn't end with G1, and there are fans across the entire spectrum of the brand and its history. It's okay to have a favorite era, but it's wise to learn to appreciate the opinions and preferences of other fans, as well.

 

[ooo-baby]

Can we at least agree most fans want G1 Optimus Prime leading the Autobots:

and resent having G1 Rodimus Prime replacing him.

 

[Sabrblade]

and resent having G1 Rodimus Prime

 

[ooo-baby]

G1 Laserbeak is a powerful Deception for being so small in size and mass:

He can chase down and bring back Starscream for Megatron by force and dispose of him (eg. carrying him, flying him to an island thousands of miles away, and dropping him off) by strength.

G1 Laserbeak rescued Megatron from G1 Omega Supreme in the Marvel comics.

I don’t know why and how he lost his job to Ratbat.

 

[CoffeeHorse]

and resent having G1 Rodimus Prime replacing him.

Look, I hold G1 in pretty high regard too. I wish it were more influential in some ways. While a few of its characters and some TFTM quotes have an annoyingly persistent deathgrip on the franchise, very little else about it still gets mined for ideas. G1 does some things right that it doesn't get enough credit for today and that I wish would be repeated.

One of those things is that Optimus Prime could die and stay dead for more than an episode. Transformers is a lot less interesting when that can't happen.

 

[ooo-baby]

This is what I want for Transformers:

more electronics, innovative technologies, creative features and touches. They are robots for god sakes!

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Look, I hold G1 in pretty high regard too. I wish it were more influential in some ways. While a few of its characters and some TFTM quotes have an annoyingly persistent deathgrip on the franchise, very little else about it still gets mined for ideas. G1 does some things right that it doesn't get enough credit for today and that I wish would be repeated.

One of those things is that Optimus Prime could die and stay dead for more than an episode. Transformers is a lot less interesting when that can't happen.

One of my favorite things about the Japanese version is all the different leaders they've had over the years. There's a true sense of legacy there, rather than status quo.

And Rodimus?

Rodimus was the one who effectively made it a legacy, at least beyond just a few scraps of backstory.

The reason I said Rodimus Prime is my favorite in that thread was because I relate to him. He and I have something in common that Optimus and I never could: We both admire and respect Optimus, and would like to be able to live up to his example.

 

[Dekafox]

If you think about their original portrayals. Rodimus kinda felt like Spider-man to Optimus's Superman, which also can make a difference.

 

[ooo-baby]

G1 Rodimus Prime failed to prevent G1 Galvatron from blowing up Cybertron.

Then he flew away never to be seen again.

No more Cybertron under Rodimus’ leadership.

 

[Sabrblade]

G1 Rodimus Prime failed to prevent G1 Galvatron from blowing up Cybertron.

Then he flew away never to be seen again.

No more Cybertron under Rodimus’ leadership.

Galvatron didn't blow up Cybertron. Scorponok did. Galvatron tried to stop the bomb from blowing up Cybertron because he didn't want the planet blown up; he wanted to rule it, not destroy it. Galvatron ran to the bomb to try to disarm it, but it went off right as he got to it. Galvatron was trying to save Cybertron.

 

[ooo-baby]

This Powermaster concept needs to be expanded and developed:

 

[ooo-baby]

Speaks for itself:

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Speaks for itself:

"Each sold separately"?

Yeah, we could use more value packs, honestly.

 

[ooo-baby]

I did not know this existed:

I would have loved this as a a kid. I don’t think they ever made these vehicles in adult size.

 

[ooo-baby]

The GoBots 3 and 3/4 inch figures are better scaled than G1 Transformers:

They are compatible with the Command Center, which seems to be a rip-off from Star Wars.

Tonka was acquired by Hasbro, why aren’t they doing more with GoBots?

And why isn’t GoBots more popular when it seems more geared toward little kids?

 

[Princess Viola]

Tonka was acquired by Hasbro, why aren’t they doing more with GoBots?

Because the vast majority of GoBots toy designs were merely licensed to Tonka from Bandai and Hasbro (and Takara) have historically been cautious about potentially stepping on the toes of their competitor by releasing new toys of GoBots characters.

 

[Tuxedo Prime]

Tonka was acquired by Hasbro, why aren’t they doing more with GoBots?

As above, but also the primary GoBots media (the Challenge cartoon) was subsumed into the AOL-Time-Warner-HBO media conglomerate, so while Hasbro owned the GoBots IP.... what they could do with it (that fans would want to see) was unclear (and evidently not a high priority) for many years.

Of course, that didn't stop one Jim Sorenson....

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

That was such a Baron von Joy to behold.

 

[Haywire]

Fun fact: when Bandai revived the Machine Robo line (the line that the GoBots were made from) in the early 2000s as Machine Robo Rescue, Hasbro released 2 figures in their then-current Universe line, Ratchet and Inferno, as a subset called Machine Robot Rescue. Things have changed a lot since then, but at that time, I think someone at Hasbro was very antagonistic towards GoBots or letting Bandai bring Machine Robo back to the US.

 

[Princess Viola]

Also IDK what you meant when you asked why GoBots isn't more popular, like if you're asking 'why isn't it more popular nowadays' the answer is pretty simple: because it's a dead franchise.

Obviously a franchise being dead doesn't mean that it has zero fans whatsoever and there's obviously enough GoBots fans within the Transformers fandom for Hasbro (or its licensees) to be more willing to reference and actually do stuff with the GoBots franchise and characters in recent years, but I'd say overall most people (if they even remember/are aware of GoBots to begin with) would just think of it has being that 'failed also-ran competitor to Transformers from the 80s' and the butt of cheap jokes about knock-offs and things like that.