The very first Transformers series was called "
The Transformers", but is nowadays more known by its retroactive name "
Generation 1". It has been recently rereleased on DVD by Shout! Factory, split up into four DVD sets or one single 16-disc set. You can purchase them at places that sell DVDs like Target/Wal-Mart/Best Buy/etc., as well as online stores. Here's Amazon.com's listings of them:
The original 1986 movie was also rereleased back in 2006 by Sony BMG.
Though, there have been many other Transformers cartoons to come after the original 1984-1987 cartoon, most of which have also had DVD releases.
In 1996-1999, a new cartoon came out in the form of
Beast Wars: Transformers. This series featured computer-generated animation and a cast of characters who all turned into animals instead of vehicles. Plus, it is widely regarded to be one of (if not
the) BEST Transformers series ever produced, in terms of storytelling, plot development, character development, and overall competence and quality.
It received a DVD release split across three boxed sets several years ago, but these sets are now discontinued. However, recent news reports that it may receive a DVD rereleased sometime in the coming future. For now, here are the old releases.
After
Beast Wars came its sequel in 2000,
Beast Machines: Transformers. This series was dark, mature, and very philosophical. It dealt with such controversial topics as "harmony vs. extremism", "the needs of one vs. the needs of many", "conflict and inequality in a free society", "free will vs. totalitarianism", and "religious faith in a higher order". And yet, it was still viewed as a kids show.
It too was put on DVD years ago (in a single boxed set), which has also been discontinued. Though, it too may be subject for a rerelease.
After
Beast Machines came a more light-hearted, comedic series in 2001 called
Transformers: Robots in Disguise (or "
RiD" for short). This was the first Japanese Transformers cartoon to be dubbed into English and proved fairly well with its target audience. Though, it wasn't a hit series, it did fill in the necessary gap of time to create a brand new series from the ground up the following year.
However, due to some ownership conflicts,
RiD has not ever received a DVD release in the United States. It has, however, been released on DVD in European markets, but none in the United States. However, if you
really want to watch this series, this playlist has every episode uploaded to watch on YouTube.
In 2002-2003, a brand new series launched a multi-year trilogy of shows known as the "
Unicron Trilogy". The first of these was
Transformers: Armada, which featured the Autobots and Decepticons fighting over a third, smaller group of robots called "Mini-Cons", going in a very "Pokemon-like" route of having them fight to collect them all. Whoever controls the Mini-Cons controls their power and determines their fate (the Autobots want to liberate the Mini-Cons, while the Decepticons want to use the Mini-Cons as weapons).
Towards the end of the series, the story changed to reintroduce the most evil of all Transformers: the planet-sized monster Unicron, whom the Autobots, Decepticons, and Mini-Cons all had to team up against.
This series was released in two DVD boxed sets.
The second of the trilogy came in 2004, called
Transformers: Energon. This series was made to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the series as a whole (1984-2004), and so featured a lot of characters designed to resemble characters from the original series (though, they weren't the same people, they just looked kinda like them). The cartoon itself, however, was very mixed in regards to how good it was (or rather, how lame it was). But, it's best left for one to make their own opinion about it by seeing it for himself.
It was released in a single DVD boxed set.
The last of the trilogy was 2005's
Transformers: Cybertron. It wasn't originally intended to be part of this trilogy, and thus featured several differences in its story from the first two series. However, it's still counted offically as part of this trilogy despite these differences. It dealt with the Autobots and Decepticons fighting to locate four powerful keys that could awaken their creator, Primus, and stop a black hole from destroying the universe.
It had its own single DVD boxed set release too.
Then came the first live action
Transformers movie in 2007, which I'm sure you're already familiar with, so moving on.
In 2008-2009 came a new cartoon called
Transformers Animated. It ran for three seasons and began with its own TV movie special. It featured a rather kiddy and cartoon art style, but also quality of storytelling and character development not seen since the days of
Beast Wars. At times, it could be serious and mature, and other times, it could be light-hearted and comedic. It was an overall very good, very underrated, and very short-lived series that had the potential to become something great.
It had three DVD releases: the TV special, season 1, and season 2. However, there has been no DVD release of its third and final season. The reasons for this aren't quite clearly known.
Then in 2009 came the second live action movie,
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which, again, I take that you're familiar with.
Most recently, a brand new cartoon series,
Transformers: Prime, has started airing on the Hub (formerly the Discovery Kids Channel). This series features a darker atmosphere like the movies and
Beast Machines had, and is done completely in computer-generated animation (again, like
Beast Wars and
Beast Machines). It has so far aired five episodes in a mini-series called "Darkness Rising" and will begin to air more brand new episodes staring Friday, February 11, 2011 (tomorrow evening).
Since it's only just started going, it's too early for this to be given a DVD release yet.
And coming soon in 2011 is the third live action movie
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, which is set for the theatrical release of July, 1, 2011.
But this is only the American stuff. There's a LOT more to experience in the form of several Japanese series, as well as the non-cartoon stuff like the many comic book series, novels, video games, manga (A.K.A. Japanese comics), short stories, and TONS of merchandise and memorabilia.
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