Top 5 Best Gimmicks on Transformers Toys
While they aren't universally loved, gimmicks are one of the main components of Transformers toys. The fact that they transform itself can be seen as a gimmick of the toyline as a whole and that is what distinguishes it. However, many lines within this brand have had a line-wide gimmick to set it apart from previous toys and to give a different level of playability. However, gimmicks can sometimes limit a toy instead of adding to it, like when articulation is sacrificed.
Since gimmicks have been intertwined with this line since the inception, they can mean something rather different depending on the individual. So this week, we go the extra mile and have two lists. One, written by me which focuses on gimmicks on individual toys and another, written by fellow staff member Shajaki, which focuses on broader gimmicks found through the Transformers' hisotry. Enjoy!
Gimmicks found on individual toys
5. Transformers Cybertron Crumplezone (Land Bullet): Giant Shoulder Guns activated by Cyberkey
In the Cybertron line, every toy had a gimmick where something would be activated (usually weaponry) when a plastic key was inserted into a slot. It was a decent gimmick and had some fun results throughout the line but none were as dramatic or fun as Crumplezone. Almost half the plastic on this toy is consecrated to giant shoulder mounted guns which flip out 270 degrees in robot mode. That comes with sounds of course and you can then fire missiles from them. This can also be done in vehicle mode where these cannons totally change the vehicle from being built for speed, with the cannons serving as mega boosters in the back, to a much more offensive stance with the cannons flipped towards the front.
4. G1 Headmasters
Headmasters are awesome. At the very dawn of the Transformers brand, you had these beautiful vehicle modes with cockpits and drivers seats,due to the line being derived from Diaclone which had little figures to insert in the vehicles and dinosaurs. But the Transformers toys didn't come with little guys of their own, until Headmasters came along. You finally had a tiny robot to put in the cockpit of your spaceship or car. And here was the cool part, this little robot transformed into the head of the larger robot. And it was compatible for all other robots of the sort so you could switch out the faces of your larger robots. Also, when inserting the transformed head onto the body of the larger robot, you would trigger another gimmick below the head that showed the stats the head brought to the robot (like intelligence and speed).
Transformers G1 1987 Brainstorm Gallery
Transformers G1 1987 Chromedome Gallery
3. Transformers Masterpiece Optimus Prime (MP 01 Convoy): light up Matrix
Here is the best example of a non intrusive gimmick. Firstly, it was great that the ultimate G1 Optimus toy at the time had a matrix chamber with a removable Matrix of Leadership. And it could light up! It simulated that glow we had seen in the 1986 movie. It's just that perfect little bonus that just made this first Masterpiece toy even more deserving of its title.
2. Beast Machines Tankor: double light piping scanning
Lightpiping is one of the best subtle gimmicks ever added to the Transformers toys. When it is well implemented it can make a pretty big difference and it adds that extra spark. The toy with the best light piping gimmick ever though is Beast Machines Tankor (one of the earlier toys to have the gimmick). You see, in the show, he and his fellow tank drones would scan their surroundings for signs of the Maximals. It would be shown as a dot sliding across his Geordi La Forge-like visor (you can see it below in the video featuring his character's introduction). While his toy was not show accurate in deco or transformation (which I argue makes it better), it did have this very feature. Thanks to a smart mechanism, you could actually replicate his visor scanning for some lifeforms. And you could do it in both modes, which is pretty nuts because unlike other Tankor toys, this one had a different head for its vehicle mode and robot mode.
1. Transformers Beast Machines Air Attack Optimus Primal (Beast Convoy) and his arsenal of gimmicks
This guy has it all. Not only did we get a toy that finally looked like the show model (though released in the Robots in Disguise line), but it did all the things you saw on the show. Firstly, it talked and while that may not seem too cool now, this was the very first time in Transformers history that a toy was voiced by the actual voice actor. It didn't just say his name either, or some random lines. It actually said the characters main revelation and theme of the entire show: "The seeds of the future are buried in the past". It also had a jetpack that unfolded from his back and it would change its sound depending on how you were posing him. If he was posed reaching for the sky, the sound would keep revving up, but the sound would then change if you handled him flying horizontally. This showed that less power was needed for maintaining the same altitude. That is pretty fascinating and none of that was ever repeated since. Plus, he had a punching gimmick (which came with sound) and he could fire missiles from his abdomen. That's actually my favourite gimmick since even if you only have one missile, you will still hear that satisfying blaster noise whenever you press the button. So you can simulate him blasting every vehicon to kingdom come. Also, unlike any other toy with sound gimmicks, you had to first activate the gimmick's central system to then activate all the other gimmicks. Which means that if it wasn't activated, you would not be hearing the sound gimmicks go off when you didn't want to. That makes things far less annoying when transforming him, unlike ROTF Prime where you hear him say his name a dozen times whenever you transform him. In short, this guy rocks and while he is gimmick heavy, the gimmicks are fun and he is still a solid show accurate toy with a great transformation.
General Gimmicks Found Throughout the Brand
So much fun, and these two are the best I can think of.
I think I only had a couple as a kid, but modern renditions like G/L Brainstorm (and 3P takes) have been awesome and really makes me look forward to Titans Return.
The only bad part about them is instability, but newer renditions are stable and posable!
So many cassettes, so many colors, it's like trying to catch Pokemon
Device Label. So awesome. We need more things like this. For such a small line it had a lot of winners. Also, real world functionality has been around since G1 with Perceptor's working microscope.
