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Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:27 pm
by Tigertrack
From the area that one might consider, "out of left field", comes this looked over piece of SDCC information.

Apparently, on display with the upcoming minimates (see photos here) was a single Battle Beast, one that might remind folks of a certain Battle Beast called 'Gruesome Gator'.

ImageMinimate Gruesome Gator???

Vintage 80's Gruesome Gator images...

Image

The biggest piece of news to come out of SDCC for Minimate collectors was the acquisition of a new license by DST. 80’s toy line Battle Beasts will be making the transition to Minimate form. An interesting aspect of this acquisition is that DST actually hold ownership of the brand rather than a licensing agreement, which opens the door to what they can do with the property. Expect to see your first Battle Beast in the previously announced Minimate Laboratory play set, due out later this year.


Battle Beasts in the U.S. were not related to Transformers except that they incorporated heat sensitive faction symbols too (wood, water, fire). Released in 1987, these rubber figurines were personified animals with weapons and armor that sided with others from their 'element'. The game you played with them was similar to rock, paper, scissors, with water beating fire, wood beating water, and fire beating wood...

Takara, the creator of these creatures, used Transformers to help promote Battle Beasts (called Beast formers in Japan) when some of these characters appeared on an episode of the G1 series Transformers Headmasters called, "Rebellion On The Planet Beast". After seeing this episode, and the relationship of Transformers and Beastformers in Japan, this collector nabbed a few of his favorite warring humanimals to include in his Transformers room.

So is this something of interest to the casual Transformers fan? Probably not. But for the children of the 80's, fans of the Japanese series, and others, this may bring hope that some very unexpected things get re-imagined, and re-created. So for those fans of Visionaries, M.A.S.K., Starriors, Wheeled Warriors, Centurions, C.O.P.s., Thundercats, Silverhawks, etc., don't lose hope, it seems even some of the very niche properties may indeed be making unexpected comebacks in the least likely places.

You can see the minimate SDCC wrap up here.

Seibertron.com for all of your Transformers news and resource needs.

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Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:33 pm
by Blurrz
I hope 'Eager Beaver' gets his own Minimate. XD

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:43 pm
by Solrac333
BATTLE BEAST!!! Those were so cool. There is something out right now that reminds me of them. I can't remember what they're called though.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:53 pm
by allspark99
I think it would either be Bakugan, or Gormiti.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:01 am
by Seibertron
so hasbro doesn't own battle beasts anymore? how'd that happen?

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:04 am
by Sabrblade
The Beastformers are back! That's a cool looking Alligatoron. I hope other familiar faces (like White Leo) return as well.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 2:42 am
by Warbreaker
This new version of Gruesome Gator looks like he's been crammed in Warhammer 40K Tau armor, looks cool, but other than that I don't really find him interesting.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 3:33 am
by Megatron Wolf
Bring back Shadow Strikers (think that was the name)

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:20 am
by typh0id
Ahh...LOVED Battle Beasts when I was a kid! My favourite was the anteater :D

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:39 am
by GuyIncognito
I like the idea of Battle Beasts returning (I still have mine!), I'm not crazy about that figure shown in the pic. Battle Beasts had great designs; this actually looks like a step backward. But I'll reserve judgment until I see more. In a way, I kind of hope they suck because I really don't need another toy line to start collecting, and if they're as cool as the old Battle Beasts, I might not be able to control myself!

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:46 am
by Seibertron
Isn't one of the large appeals about Battle Beasts / Beastformers is the rub signs w/ wood, fire and water? I'd love to see reissues of the Battle Beasts but without the wood/fire/water aspect ... not so sure I'd want these.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:54 am
by Dead Metal
I will buy only one of these, only one - Laser C0ck!
Hell maybe a Horny Toad too!

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:40 am
by Sabrblade
Megatron Wolf wrote:Bring back Shadow Strikers (think that was the name)
Shadow Warriors (better known in Japan as Laser Beasts). Shadow Striker is a fembot.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:53 am
by dragons
i still like the oringals better to bad no one was releaseing he originasl

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 12:13 pm
by rpetras
allspark99 wrote:I think it would either be Bakugan, or Gormiti.



Gormiti basically ARE Battle Beasts, they even have a game component:
http://www.gormiti.com/
http://www.flairplc.co.uk/pages/gormiti2.shtml
http://www.flairplc.co.uk/pages/gormiti3.shtml

Though I don't think they have one called Horny Toad. :-)

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:04 pm
by ShGarland_1383
Seibertron wrote:so hasbro doesn't own battle beasts anymore? how'd that happen?

no clue...

Seibertron wrote:Isn't one of the large appeals about Battle Beasts / Beastformers is the rub signs w/ wood, fire and water? I'd love to see reissues of the Battle Beasts but without the wood/fire/water aspect ... not so sure I'd want these.

I'm not overly impressed with this new guy, but I wouldn't mind seeing reissues of the Battle Beasts as well.

Re: Battle Beasts To Return As Diamond Select Minimates?

PostPosted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:11 am
by Diem
Eh, if they knock out the ones that showed up in Headmasters I'll be happy.