The Energon Pub

News Credits: 4838 · by **william-james88** » Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:19 pm

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You know that thing you said about Hasbro being opposed to any sort of piloting? They certainly were on many occasions (Headmasters, Crossovers, and Human Alliance being rare exceptions) and I think that's why they didn't include Perceptor's tank mode - it was designed as a mode for Microman figures to ride.

Yeah, interesting point about the Headmasters though. I think they actually are proof that they really avoid non sentient mechs since their interpretation of headmasters avoids the transtector.

Takara is totally fine with the piloting mech concept since it brings the toys back to their original Diaclone roots

TK415 wrote:Great list WJ. Educational and interesting. Thanks!

Thank you so much !

COMMANDER wrote: While not listed on the packaging, there were several U.S marketing media releases that mention Perceptor as having a "tank-mode" equipped with a "Light Cannon." Those same releases also stated that this was a "...choice of last resort as Perceptor eschewed use" of this mode because as a scientist he felt violence was not a solution. I will do some digging to find out if I still have any of the documents to scan in.

That would be cool to see, though something tells me that it might simply be the mobile laboratory mode called a "tank mode" rather than the actual tank mode.

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 1:26 am

Well, it might be coincidental in the case of Headmasters, with divergent thought processes between Hasbro's and Takara's different guys who came up with the justifying fiction for gimmicks. And it actually did end up in the American fiction to a degree - in the cartoon, Scorponok and Fort Max's bodies are lifeless vehicles animated by their heads.

I personally think the "transtector" idea makes more sense, although I dislike The Headmasters itself for other reasons.