The Energon Pub

After the animated movie? I'm thinking that but they made a G2 prime, unless that was because they brought him back.

SN95 Cobra R wrote:After the animated movie? I'm thinking that but they made a G2 prime, unless that was because they brought him back.

Officially, 1993. Although some toys were released in Europe prior to that using G2 fonts, but not labelled as G2. These usually get referred to as Generation 1.5.

They were mostly renamed for their G2 debuts, confused yet? :-p

I'll try and find you some examples and links when I have a little more time

SN95 Cobra R wrote:After the animated movie? I'm thinking that but they made a G2 prime, unless that was because they brought him back.

That's one of the more common myths that G2 started after the movie. That's not true. After the movie the line continued until 1990/1991 and the stories were told via Marvel comics. In 1992, the Transformers line got its first reboot as Generation 2, with redecos of the first toys, with new molds made or imported from Europe later on.

In Japan, G2 was a small line in 1995 (as Takara was occupied with the Yuusha series of robots at the time), and only had the more articulated figures like the Heros, Cyberjets, and Laser Rods.

About the G2 symbols... The most probable theory is that they were conceived in Europe for use with the line after the Turbomasters and Predators. In that year, Hasbro US' license for the original symbols expired for Hasbro Europe (considered a separate company at the time), and Hasbro US wasn't willing to extend it since "Transformers was dead". So Hasbro Europe created new symbols, probably based on the heads of Pyro and Clench, the faction leaders of that year.

Interesting. I remember in the 90's a lot of toys got a lot more colorful. I assume everyone was following trends. I remember when I was getting out of toys as a kid and seeing GI JOE turn in their olive drab and put on some neon. That had to be about the same time the blue Grimlock came along.