Transformers Legacy toyline

G.B.Blackrock

Well-known member
Citizen
Machine Wars was a wave or two of the relatively less popular late G1 molds with random colors and legacy names slapped onto them.
Popularity had nothing to do with it. The smaller toys were developed late enough that they never had a chance to be released during G2, and the larger toys were developed during the period when Transformers didn't exist in the US, making MW their first-ever US appearance.
 

G.B.Blackrock

Well-known member
Citizen
They made every possible wrong decision with the set every step of the way. Then when they got called out on their decisions they played the "Uh, I meant to do that" card. They declared it was never supposed to be a Machine Wars set and we just didn't understand their great creative vision. Then when the set failed they blamed us for not liking Machine Wars enough. Not their great creative vision. They did that part right of course. It was Machine Wars' fault. Even though they said it wasn't Machine Wars and we never should have thought it was.
And we haven't even mentioned the fact that the ONE figure whose character really needed a remolded head (Megaplex, since he's meant to be a clone of Megatron) wasn't given one....
 

CoffeeHorse

Exhausted, but still standing.
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
And they tried to tell us their bad decision was totally justified because it's not that Megaplex anyway. It's Fun Pub's own totally different Megaplex, so it was unfair to expect him to do the one thing Megaplex is notable for.

They also tried to tell us we shouldn't care because the original toys still exist. Meanwhile my original Megaplex has gotten so sloppy that it can't stay transformed anymore.
 

Haywire

Collecter of Gobots and Godzilla
Citizen
I would like to see more revisits of the MW jets, as well as the G2 Cyberjets. Hooligan is a great mold that holds up even now; compact size, fairly easy transformation, yet with articulation that elevates it above even some modern figures. Megatron/plex is a close second in my book, I even like the auto-transform feature, although they do seem to either loosen or seize up over time...
 

CoffeeHorse

Exhausted, but still standing.
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
It may be a barely remembered line that lasted one wave in one store and had zero fiction, but Machine Wars is notable for being such an early attempt at having a collector line on shelves at the same time as the main kid line. Even if the execution was a complete rush job that only existed because they felt they had to do something, it's still notable for happening at all. It was an idea ahead of its time.

And the color schemes are just glorious.
 

LBD "Nytetrayn"

Broke the Matrix
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
It sure doesn't help that their original toys had each other's box art.

Megatron, the blue jet, had the silver jet box art, while Megaplex, the silver jet, had the blue jet box art.

And then the cross-sell on the back of the Basic class toys' packaging showed Megatron as a purple-ish blue jet, and Megaplex as a very dark blue jet.

CGEMIzS.jpg
Huh... a formula-1 race car named Prowl.

I feel like I owe Energon Prowl an apology, somehow. Even though I don't think I ever had an issue, what with his police lights...
 

Donocropolis

Olde-Timey Member
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
Huh... a formula-1 race car named Prowl.

I feel like I owe Energon Prowl an apology, somehow. Even though I don't think I ever had an issue, what with his police lights...

He was disguised as one of those special F1 police that you see patrolling the tracks during races. Those are certainly a thing that exists!
 

Glitch

Well-known member
Citizen
I hold out hope for Optimal Optimus, we had the POTP toy but some at the time said the designers got it backwards in that it should have been a robot to Gorilla deluxe with a vehicle mech to combine with. Also I'm goping Needlenose can be retooled slightly into G2 Smokescreen for Dreadwing and RiD Smokejumper for Skyquake.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
The red cockpit canopy on the chest and the silver horns above the yellow face are giving me King Atlas vibes, which I truly hope doesn't mean that Hasbro intends for this figure to also sort of double as King Atlas in addition to Dreadwing (in lieu of giving the king his own toy with his own proper deco) in the same way that the Skyquake toy doubles as both the G1 and Prime versions of him.
 

Gizmoboy

Administrator
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
I will be collecting all of the versions of this mold. It is a fantastic mold and all of these guys will make great troops for my Prime Dreadwing.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
I think he meant Machine Wars Starscream.
 


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