Part 1: Humble Beginnings and Cybertron
It all started back when I was a young tot that would normally watch cartoons, Power Rangers, and Spider-Man. I would once in a while see glimpses of other things, like scenes of Robocop from my mom rewatching the movie or any old comedy my dad watched and I later would, too. What were the Transformers related things I saw at the time? Well, very little, in fact. Armada was the main series at the time, yet all I ever saw was an Optimus Prime toy that was from McDonald's and then a book based on the cartoon released at the time. Should Armada be called a cartoon or anime? Anyways, these were what they looked like. Optimus was a clear and sort of funny looking approximation of what he looked like in the show, while the book itself had some pretty nice artwork and had a sequel called "Race to Disaster", which I don't think I've seen after the one time reading it at a Dollar Tree. These two were the only pieces of TF history I've seen for a good while, but it wouldn't be the last time I'd run into the Transformers franchise!
A few years later, I got into the franchise even more on the day I had my check-up with my doctor. My parents told me and my brother that we'd get new toys for being good, and then at the then-new Target, we visited the toy aisle and I saw the Transformer that kickstarted things even more for me: Cybertron Leader Class Optimus Prime! This figure, along with the Decepticon known as Crumplezone, were the first two Transformers I ever owned in my collection, and I couldn't be any happier than I am. The thing about these two is that they were nothing like any Megazord I've seen. They had articulation, involved transformations (especially Optimus Prime), great modes without the requirement of other components (Optimus's gear notwithstanding), and best of all, they were so worth the money. Optimus was around $40 and was a lot more worth the value for money than ANY Leader Class Transformer today, while Crumplezone was worth $20. These two were neat to own, though I admit it feels a little weird to have just two regular Transformers for a good while. To this day, I still have them with me in my collection. Optimus Prime will be given a review at some point in time, but he won't be alone in his review, as two Siege figures are going to be involved as well. As for Crumplezone, well, let's wait for Ransack to show up, right?
This is the toy catalog Optimus came with (IIRC), which takes me back to a time I'd learn about the fact that these are not like a Megazord; they're much more advanced, they're sentient beings, and best of all, they come with different characters.
The weird thing is I didn't get any of the other figures. I saw them at my stores, including seeing Cybertron Red Alert and what looked like a Power Ranger-esque Minicon team, but the only reason I can muster for not getting any of the other figures is because of my mom not wanting to buy any expensive toys. All I could get was whatever I could at a thrift shop or some tiny Star Wars stuff. I did buy two other "Transformers", but they really weren't exactly the ones from the stores. Like, I found McDonald's versions of Red Alert and Starscream, but that was pretty much it. And I guess they were cool to have, but I didn't really find much use for them. One of my old friends had a ton of toys and I think one of them was Cyclonus from the same McDonald's Armada line. Funny enough, had I kept that and McD's Optimus, I'd be one half away from getting the other 4 characters from the Happy Meal line: Hot Shot, Smokescreen, Megatron, and Demolishor.
Now let's talk about the actual Cybertron show itself from when I first saw it. My first reaction was "why do the robots look different from the humans?" and "what is up with some of these voices?", though it was something I'd realize years later. See, I mostly watched Nickelodeon, Toon Disney/Jetix, and bits of Cartoon Network, but I actually watched more of the first two, while with CN I mainly checked out Ed, Edd, n Eddy, Grim Adventures, Dexter's Laboratory, and bits of Ben 10, The Batman, and whatever old cartoons were on there. Transformers: Cybertron was a show I did not get to see in its entire run since I kind of got into the series when that show was about to end. From what I saw, it was pretty hard to understand the show since most of the context to Transformers was vague to me back then. It's kind of a thing that also made me realize I've neglected to take a glance at anime unless it was the occasional Pokemon stuff from my cousins, which is why Cybertron looked different from any other cartoon I saw. Not a bad thing since it helped stand out from what I've seen with Spongebob Squarepants, Foster's Home, and House of Mouse.
I do remember some of the cool things about it, like the stock footage being pretty dynamic compared to the in-show CGI and seeing Optimus Prime transform, too. I still love seeing him make a "nod" where his sideburns deploy and his mouthplate follows suit. I also remember one of the scenes where it was either Override or Snarl taking some free rides with Lugnutz, but I don't remember who he said it to or which rider got knocked over.
I also remember seeing the battle between Starscream and Primus as well as an explanation of what the thing inside Prime's chest is supposed to be (as it's actually the Matrix of Leadership). The battle between the god of Transformers and the most treacherous Decepticon of all time
And the intro is my favorite theme song for a Transformers show of all time. Hearing the instrumentals accompanied by Optimus Prime's speech beats just about any other theme song for the franchise's many cartoons, even Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime's intros. And no other intro made a roll call aside from Cybertron's!
Of course, I got to revisit the show years later and understood what it was all about as a much more experienced fan, but I still found the CGI to be a little weak. I mean, it's better than Energon, a series I'd see later in life, but it's nowhere near as good as even older TF shows I'd watch due to interest from me learning more about the franchise (Beast Wars and Beast Machines, which we will get to later). Also, the stock footage was kind of annoying at times from my binge-watch of the show, especially considering how it mostly padded out time (and let's be honest, some arcs of the show took a little longer than I expected). Some stuff was a little weird when I got to watch the entire Unicron Trilogy, including the fact that the Transformers don't seem too familiar with the planet Earth (though some say it's due to their memory loss from the Unicron Singularity). Aside from the show having slow arcs and stock footage taking up screentime, I felt that there were some "what?" moments, whether it's from seeing bruises on Optimus or Scourge, the way the kids act at times (thankfully nowhere near as cartoony as something like RID), and suggestive humor found in kids' anime like the hot spring scene or Coby blushing upon being held by Lucy Suzuki when they're inside Jolt's cockpit.
Still, for what it was, Cybertron's a pretty good show to enjoy if you don't mind some of the unusual aspects of the show like the odd animation and the way some stories are played out. Some kids' anime tropes are present, but it's no skin off my nose. Even if Cybertron isn't the 100% best piece of TF media, it's still the most influential for helping me delve into the franchise. Still, just because it's not the best doesn't mean it doesn't suck. I'll always enjoy seeing the Cyber Key Powers as well as some of the dialogue between the characters.
On a side note, I also got three Transformers at Christmas, but they really weren't from Cybertron or Classics (which I'd later discover in a few years). They were from the Star Wars Crossovers subline, and as mixed as the reaction was from fans, I loved them at the time for how cool it was to have transforming Star Wars vehicles (also helping is the fact that I was starting to be a fan of Star Wars, too). Initially, I had Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor from Revenge of the Sith and Emperor Palpatine's Imperial Shuttle. Sadly, they sucked. Obi-Wan's figure just had thick kibble that made the Interceptor look chunky and the robot mode was badly proportioned. Palpatine's figure had good proportions but had an ugly head and stupid quality control.
But the one that I got for my Christmas was just as good as Cybertron Prime and Crumplezone at the time. It's the Millennium Falcon version of Han Solo and Chewbacca, who were both done up with
Chapter 2: All Hail Bayhem!
My interest in Transformers grew even more when the first movie came out. Since I had no internet access as a kid, meaning I haven't delved into any fan sites at the time, seeing the commercials and marketing almost felt unexpected. Not that I'm complaining, because I was blown away to see Transformers go from the somewhat toyish designs of Cybertron to the alien looks introduced by kaboom-kino director Michael Bay. At the time, I had no other experience with Transformers aside from Cybertron, so it was crazy to see Optimus Prime have two very different appearances. Not that I was complaining since it'd make sense to see the alien robots in disguise look realistic in the movie, especially when something like the 1995 MMPR movie's Ninja Megazord looked stupid with the shite CGI. At that time, I was introduced different versions of Megatron and Starscream as well as new guys I've never met in the Cybertron cartoon: Bumblebee, Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, Blackout, Barricade, Brawl, and Bonecrusher.
Seeing a whole new take on the Autobot vs. Decepticon war, having a human cast that isn't a typical kiddy anime group, and the fact that it's a movie where everyone involved got to do whatever they want is simply based! HOWEVER, I was not able to see it in theaters at the time due to me and my family going on vacation in Mexico, and we couldn't afford tickets (I also don't think there were any English options over there). As a result, I had to wait for a home video release to my dismay. It took me a while, especially when all I could muster was an Armada Side Swipe from a friend and a cardboard cut out kit of Optimus Prime from what I presume is a tie-in with Bimbo.
Now that I got the movie with me (and this is the original DVD, BTW), I could finally enjoy the film I was waiting for, and wow! Where to begin? Well, this was a radically different take of Transformers than what I initially saw, and I couldn't be happier about it! The designs have different personalities from one another, and I liked that the Autobots tend to look fairly normal compared to the more alien Decepticons. The human cast was a little bigger than the robot cast, but each character, no matter how weird some can be, at least filled a role worth doing. I'll go more in my thoughts on the movie, but sufficient to say, it's one I still love even to this day. Also worth noting is the fact that it has the teaser trailer, a commercial with Pretty Handsome Awkward, and a trailer for the Iron Man movie, and that's a movie I'll discuss in a later series of posts, but needless to say, I love that movie.
Still, if there's one thing I wish would make the movie experience feel even better, it'd be having something accompany it. I hadn't fully developed any friendships at my elementary school because some of them weren't good kids and the fact that I was still a newcomer at the time (since I moved in 2007). Additionally, I didn't have any of the actual toys from the movie aside from MV1 Megatron, and I had to share it with my brother because I wasn't able to get Optimus Prime at the time. I already mentioned that Megatron's a shit Leader Class toy, but I still keep him around solely to go with my old Nightwatch Prime. I still remember having the catalog from Megatron at the time and daydreaming of seeing stuff like the Toy Arena gallery and its banging music, but I'd later get more Transformers aside from Nightwatch Prime like Arcee, Allspark Power Bumblebee, Barricade, and Brawl, and a Legends 2-pack of Optimus Prime and Starscream in different paint jobs. My first exposure to the CHUG line was Universe Silverstreak, who I didn't like much due to the paint on the doors and the QC being kind of weak. Oh and I got a Darth Vader Death Star Transformer, which was pretty cool and made up for my inability to find any Transformers in stores before I got the other ones mentioned.
Thankfully, I got to try out the games to fuel my appetite with my love for the movie, even if I couldn't afford the 2007 movie game. Stuff like the toy arenas, the demos, Flight of the Bumblebee, Allspark Highway, and Video Mash-Up was pretty fun overall, despite the blatant reliance on toy accuracy. MonkeyBarTV gave me all the videos I needed, as well as some exposure to the other pieces of Transformers fiction like G1, Beast Wars, Armada, and Energon. It was also from that site where I'd learn that a new Transformers cartoon would be there. Transformers Animated is one we'll talk about in a bit, but it was yet another series that showed me how different Transformers as a series can be from time to time.
So MV1's a film that I may have not gotten to see at theaters, but it's one that will always be in my heart, especially when I realized that I don't need to have the exact same opinions that other TF fans have. Yes, that's something I will mention later...still, I'll always keep this movie close to me, along with the other movies that I have kept with me for a good while over the years.
Chapter 3: Animated Antics
The then-latest cartoon was Transformers Animated, and it was one that I began seeing with my cousin when I would visit him from time to time. He had on-demand for his TV, so I got to see the first three episodes of the show with him. From what I remember regarding initial thoughts, I felt it was certainly reminiscent of Teen Titans or Ben 10, but to its credit, the series at least has a distinct style that makes it worth stepping into despite people thinking that it's for babies. The pilot episodes were done nicely, from our introduction to the characters to seeing how the Transformers live in a futuristic Detroit. Also nice to have new versions of characters I already knew (Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Megatron, and Starscream) and new faces (Bulkhead, Prowl, Blackarachnia, Blitzwing, and Lugnut). The Sumdacs are pretty good, and the fact of having three entirely different versions of the Transformers was a splooge to me.
I saw the show once in a while but my cousin lost on-demand and I would lost my cable a few months later. It sucked, too, because there were plenty of great episodes that I dug watching. Some of them include Sound and Fury as well as Transwarped, and who could forget about episodes like Predacons Rising and the Endgame (not that MCU one)? Of course, later on, I'd binge-watch the entire series later on, but it sucks that it took me a good while to catch up. Still, despite it looking like a show that could have been bad (especially given nearly all of CN's recent junk like Teen Titans Go and Thundercats Roar), Transformers Animated wins me over with its stylized look as well as the characters we've stuck with since the beginning along with the newcomers that showed up from time to time. Best of all, the stories didn't fully lean towards the kiddy side as one would think, as some of their moments tend to be heavy in tone at times; notable examples include Ratchet's backstory on Lockdown and him missing Arcee and the character Sentinel Prime growing into a selfish jerk against the Autobots. It's also heavy on the references to past lore, but they're thankfully not as obvious as you would think, even if they're really based on G1 bits (at least they're not pausing the episode and facing the viewer to remind them that they saw an easter egg).
I'll go more into why I love Animated in another post, but what about the toys? Well, I saw them in stores, but I didn't get to buy any. The sole reason was that I was obsessed with two certain CBMs in 2008, and I didn't have the money anymore. I did see them on the shelves and at least wanted the Optimus vs Megatron 2-pack, but it's something I want to go back and fix one day. I did get at least a sight at Soundwave before I knew about the character in Revenge of the Fallen as well as some Walmart two-packs, but all I got was a McDonald's version of Lugnut...yeah, I know. Two of em, in fact, though I did get Bumblebee a year later.
I'll probably mention this three times this week, but here's one thing that I love about my Animated rewatch: Having it on The Hub! Remember when Transformers shows used to be on The Hub until the only thing that was available was Rescue Bots when it became Discovery Family? Anyways, if you want to see Animated, try seeing it on the widescreen format, as it fills in the screen a lot nicer than the old airings did. Also better than Japan's method.
Chapter 4: Rise or Revenge?
The is plenty more to discuss with the Transformers movies, and now we have Revenge of the Fallen. This movie was one of the many things I got hyped for in 2009. At first, this movie was one I can't see initially since we had to focus on going to Michigan for vacation, and then I got the movie pirated...yeah, not the best thing to do. I would later get a copy of it on DVD, and at first, I loved it a lot! I would always go back and forth on seeing it on the computer, the TV in my brother's room, and the big TV. It was a movie that I couldn't stop watching, especially considering how new it was at the time. I thought it was better than MV1 due to its characters and larger scope in setting, and the story made things a lot more exciting than before.
Sadly, as I got older, I kind of felt there were a couple of things that didn't go well with ROTF, and it doesn't help by the fact that the Internet kind of ruined my enjoyment somewhat. Thing is, the film's writing wasn't as smooth as MV1's, some characters got more focus than others did (The Twins weren't the only new Transformers, guys), and the fact that the Writer's Strike took place made things clear that ROTF wasn't as great as I remember it. Don't get me wrong, it's better than the naysayers think it is, but it's not perfect. Either way, I still value it for keeping my 2009 summer happy. Still, I've got a few ideas to fix it for another day.
Now, what about all the other stuff that kept me happy during 2009? Well, toys and games made me very satisfied. The ROTF Leaders I did get were great, I loved getting Ratchet, Stratosphere, Demolishor, and The Fallen on Christmas, and I would later get Mudflap. Optimus was great for the screen accuracy, Megatron was kind of dated, and the same goes for Ratchet, Demolishor, and Mudflap. The Fallen is decent but I really want a Studio Series update.
As for the games, the Hasbro website kept me content, but there were these two little shorts that were kind of weird. They were called "Action Blasts", and they were both Flash cartoons that weren't too hot but were otherwise decent in terms of voice acting. Waiting on the remasters, though.
Chapter 5: Welcome to 2010
With the beginning of a new decade, there's so much that had to be done in the first year of the 2010s, but in terms of Transformers, not a whole lot. Thankfully, I got to see stuff from Youtube, a website that one of my cousins exposed me to. I saw Transformers clips, stop motions, good fan projects, and not so good fan projects. I will say that I did get pumped when I saw the trailer for the War for Cybertron video game, and I was also able to try out a few demos before getting to buy the game a few years later (as I had lacked the consoles that would use the proper versions of the game and refused to buy the Wii version). On a side note, I always thought Optimus Prime and Bumblebee were the only playable characters, but of course, they're not alone. Once again, I'll share why I love War for Cybertron.
I sadly didn't get to buy any Transformers toys, but I did get to see HFTD Battle Blades Optimus, who once haunted me because I thought I didn't need it until I realized I had to make scales a bit smaller years later. I did get to see some HFTD shelves and the like, as well as a sneak peek to what essentially is Transformers Prime. This show was odd to me at first, as I thought it was going to be a prequel to Dark of the Moon. As it turned out, it's a show that stood on its own, and while it may have been a mix of the movies and Prime, I at least gave it credit for being a great show, but I hated how hard it was to see it because I didn't have the Hub accessible save for a few occasions. It's stupid, I know, and I couldn't see Darkness Rising until much later. One cool thing is seeing the designs still feel different despite being a little more obvious that they're based on two continuities blended together.
Chapter 6: Dark Moons, Prime Time, and a Wiki.
Things got kind of bonkers when it comes to the year 2011. Dark of the Moon was the new Transformers movie, TFP got to be slightly more accessible, I saw commercials for the Shout Factory Beast Wars series, and I was at one point exposed to Wikipedia and TFWiki. Let's start with Dark of the Moon, shall we? I dug it a lot, and it also helps with the fact that I got to be involved with stuff like the theatrical release of the movie as well as finally getting a few more toys from the line after so many misses from the past, even if some of them were Cyberverse stuff. As for the movie, I love just about everything regarding it. This movie is one of my favorite pieces of Transformes media of all time, and I'll, of course, go a bit more in detail. Needless to say, I love the characters, Sentinel was a great antagonist, and the story was one of the more involved ones from the film series. Of course, no one would want to admit it because they need the attention in talking shit about the film series, but their loss. And yes, I've got more to mention in my other posts.
Next up, it's seeing what I could see from TFP. I was able to see Sick Mind and Out of His Head, which depict Megatron as a backbone for the two episodes due to his involvement with giving Bumblebee the code for a cure as well as his revival after possessing Bumblebee. I was also able to see the three-parter One Shall Fall and the Season 1 finale, One Shall Rise. These were possible when the Hub was made more available from time to time, but I still had to buy the channel if I wanted to enjoy the rest of the series.
And now, the Wikis. Because I saw all that stuff I mentioned, because I saw the DVD commercials for Beast Wars, because I just saw ads for Kre-O, and because I saw a Transformer toy known by the name of Buster Optimus Prime (a movie-accurate version of the ROTF mold), I started to think about what I can do to learn more about this fiction and know more about what's coming soon. And thus, began the day I knew more about Transformers than Rad White from Armada. I learned about G1, I learned about Beast Wars, I learned about the Unicron Trilogy, I learned about RID, I learned about the expanded Movie media, I learned about the rest of Animated, I learned about the Aligned Continuity family, I learned about the side-media, like Shattered Glass and Transtech, and of course, I learned about the toys. Wikipedia wasn't as expansive as the other site I'd tap into, that being the Transformers Wiki. It was a snarky site, yes, but it helped me learn a lot more about a franchise I love so much, to the point where I learned about stuff like the UK comics and Japan's take on Transformers and the use of Diaclone (though I admit I did think Japan was the one that was responsible for the TF fiction when the US was the one that actually made the stories and characters). Biggest regrets from the TFWiki: the writers can be smug pricks at times, and they are to blame for exposing me to the shite that is Kiss Players.
Chapter 7: TFP-Learning, Toy-Yearning, and More
Transformers had somewhat of a mixed feel for me when I was in the year 2012 and 2013, though things did get a little better. Transformers Prime got a second season that I saw more of when it was airing, and things got a lot more exciting up until the hiatus took place in Toxicity, where Bulkhead returned to base in bad shape after a fight with Hardshell. I also got to take a look at the first season again through reruns by CW's Vortexx. TFP would later return, and when I would get the additional free trials. But that was not the only thing I would get to watch from The Hub, as DC's Batman and Superman cartoons from The Animated Series incarnations are one of the shows I saw.
I also got to watch the original G1 Transformers cartoon, which helped me see what the show was like after only seeing clips from Aeon Magnus, and I was also under the impression that it was like the best thing ever just because it's the original. I saw episodes like Countdown to Extinction and War of the Dinobots, and I didn't question some of the weird thing s or the like, I always tend to think they're the best thing ever and such. More on that later, but I dug the animation at times as well as the music. Some of the voice actors were pretty good, and it was neat to see them in action.
I also got to learn about stuff like fansites, with Seibertron being one I still go to even at this day. Still, I kind of remember how different I acted in 2012 compared to now at the forums, as in 2012 I was under the impression that things need to be as good as the Masterpieces and G1, while now I have this cynical view that is basically against G1. Also, toys. I started to want to collect Generations figures as well as Classics stuff, and I got to learn more about the other toys from different franchises I knew about, all thanks to the reviews I've seen on Youtube.
Whether it's TFP stuff, added Movie stuff, CHUG stuff, or whatever's in the line, nothing beats the hype I had for MP-10. It looked like the Optimus Prime to end all Optimus Primes (well, in terms of G1 Primes, that is). It has about everything I need from a G1-style Optimus Prime, from the accuracy to the transformation, and from the articulation to the accessories. It's perfect, and it is also an expensive toy. Problem is, fans went crazy for the Hasbro MP-10, and the same went for the US release of Jetwing Prime, so I had to settle with some other Transformers that were available at the time. I still want to get MP-10, especially the Hasbro version since it seems to be the one not bootlegged by companies.
I was also obsessed with video games related to Transformers. At first, it was mainly Tataki that got my attention, as it looked like a full-fledged Transformers G1 recreation, but I always saw the intro and the transformation gallery (I'd later see the other stuff regarding the game years later). It was one of the many Tf-related videos I kept in my 3DS, which also included stuff like the commercials for the toys, cartoon intros, and the Marvel commercial (along with some other stuff that's...yeah). Fall of Cybertron started to prepare for release and I was really looking forward to seeing the reviews made by the fans. It was great to have the WFC story continue on after all the wait I had towards it since the day I saw the trailer.
Sadly, 2012 began a phase of my experience as a TF fan that I regret being in. I was under the impression that if I praise G1 and shat on other series for not being like G1, I'd get respect. Seibertron was where I acted like that, and they were actually a lot more welcoming of other franchises than I thought they'd be, because Seibertron's different from those Youtube comments. It's something that would be somewhat of a case on the next topic, but it's got something to do with this little picture. I almost want to rip that fire alarm off the wall and break it with a hammer like The Mask did with his clock.
Chapter 8: Thrilling 30, Dinobots, and Google+!
2013 brought things into the mix as I started to buy a bit more Transformers than the ones I got from 2012, but not by a longshot. See, the newest theme about Transformers Prime was the Beast Hunters. Season 3 was a weird season for me, as despite not being awful, it did show that the writing was on the wall regarding the series. First was the fact that it was going to have fewer episodes than Seasons 1 and 2, and then I found out that the show wouldn't utilize the upgraded forms as I originally thought with the toys. Worst of all, not a single Predacon showed up aside from Predaking until the end, and even when we got more fleshed out Predacons, they were only for the TV movie and didn't have toys that match their cartoon looks. It also annoys me that Optimus was the only character that got upgraded while Megatron has a Unicronian form that doesn't beat the Sharkticon look. Also, I still find Ultra Magnus to be a lousy character in the show as he keeps getting beaten up regularly. All in all, Beast Hunters may not be the worst conclusion to a show, but it's bittersweet nonetheless.
In terms of other stuff that was going on in 2013, I got into reading some IDW stuff as I was interested in seeing what was the context behind a G1 Bumblebee that sort of looked like his Movie self, a Megatron that was a stealth-bomber, and both a version of Orion Pax that was a Deluxe along with a Legends version that has a Movie-influenced design. I once thought that Dreamwave's comics were always bad, so I decided to read into IDW's then-recent comics as well as catch up to what we got. For the most part, I dug the IDW series until All Hail Megatron, then I liked it again with the 2009 comics up until the Lost Light stuff started to annoy me with the characters making more impulsive decisions. I enjoyed the rest of the IDW comics but then started to hate seeing Megatron suddenly want to be an Autobot. And for what? For him to be just about the same as the rest of the Lost Light characters?
It was the year 2014. The Transformers brand turned 30, and I was excited to be a part of the hype. Age of Extinction became the big movie of the series, Rise of the Dark Spark is up, and I was also seeing bits of the not previously mentioned Rescue Bots when I could. It was also the year I delved into social media, as I made a Google Plus account and joined the Transformers community. It was great to see what could be other fans of the franchise, and I was also excited to share some stuff of my own. It was sadly, not only the same time I tried to win geewunners over, but I also tried to be obsessive with meeting Youtubers that do Transformers videos, like Optibotimus, Peaugh, TJOmega, Baltmatrix, and Thew Adams. Maybe some other Youtuber. I forgot his name, and I really don't care. Point is, I was obsessed with meeting these guys for their toys and views, but it doesn't help that I would only be seen as a little spec to them. All in all, it was neat to see some good people and some not so good.
Age of Extinction was the Transformers movie that I thought was perfect at the time, as it had just about everything I would need from the film itself, with new characters, new takes on Transformers (both with familiar faces and the KSI robots), and a story that hasn't quite been done before. Optimus Prime growing into a robot with harsh feelings towards the human race after all he's done to save them from the Decepticons. It was also nice to have not just Lockdown show up but also have a design of Megatron that's different from what we previously got in the form of Galvatron. Finally, the Dinobots were neat to see on the big screen, even if their screentime contrasts their presence in the marketing. I will say that over time, I didn't quite get the same sort of love for AOE as much as I did in 2014, as I felt at the time I loved it as I was happy to have a new Transformers movie, and I'd later revert to loving Dark of the Moon the most. Still, that doesn't mean that I hate it like a lot of people would hope I would, but I'll admit that DOTM is better.
As for Rise of the Dark Spark, I'm going to say right off the bat that I'm let down by it. The problem is not so much the gameplay mechanics or the fact that it's combining two different universes, I'm more upset about the fact that the story isn't too great while the game itself feels somewhat lacking. After the first level, we go from focusing on the AOE characters at Level 1 to having a huge chunk of uninterrupted levels meant for the Aligned characters. I'd honestly prefer if it were somewhat meant to go back and forth for the most part so I wouldn't have to wait and revisit the other part of the game that's marketed as much as the Cybertron part. Also, for a game that's meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary, this feels more like it was meant to be a third Cybertron game that had to use some Movie bits to give some kind of half-assed attention to both rather than make a full-fledged crossover, even if it would have been brief. I get that it'd conflict any form of continuity for the WFC/FOC characters, but could it at least be more than just "hey here's Cybertron and Movie hangin' out with a G1 Prime thrown in there, buy it now for $49.99"? It sucks too because the previous Cybertron games were very good, and the games based on the Movie were some of the better "movie-video-game-tie-ins" I've ever seen, but this one feels more like it's made for a quick buck, and you can tell by how the Movie characters look bad next to the Cybertron characters in terms of how their textures and graphics match up (Cybertron dudes were reused BTW).
On a positive note, the merchandise was pretty good. It was the time I started to collect Transformers more and more, and it was great to get stuff from the AOE line, even if I had to watch out for the then-new kiddy versions of the line. Admittedly, some of the AOE stuff I felt was perfect at the time, but I later felt the line itself kind of had some things that made them age a little poorly. For starters,. the Dinobots were colored inaccurately to the movie. Both big versions of Optimus Prime were pretty bad in terms of kibble integration, and the awfully small Decepticon lineup just made this like feel a lot less amazing than I thought. Still, I'll never forget going into the stores and seeing the Age of Extinction toys at Target, Toys R Us, and I guess Walmart, where I got to see them feel proud and present with the return of the Bayhem after a 3-year gap. I'll also remember getting stuff like the TRU two-packs on Christmas and stuff like DOTM Megatron on Amazon as well as G1 Optimus Prime on my birthday (who was $100 and I got to impress the Geewunners...yeah, I was that kind of fan once).
Chapter 9: Combiners, RID15, and BotCon 2015
2015 was somewhat of a year that made me think I'd want to recreate the same hype I had in 2014, but it also kind of made me question if I was capable of doing that or not. After seeing stuff like Combiner Wars reveals, the announcement of the Machinima series, and the return to the Aligned continuity with Robots in Disguise (the 2015 version), I felt things will be just as great as what we got before! Well, let's go over what happened. Regarding Combiner Wars, I was thinking to myself that I'd get all the Combiner teams as I was able to get my money from doing some jobs, but all I was able to complete is Menasor, while the only two Aerialbots I got would later break on me years later. It sucks, too, because people were saying that Combiner Wars was the best line ever and I couldn't even catch up to it, but I remember JTMitchell87 saying that he didn't care for it due to its engineering. In hindsight, I should have agreed with him. I'd be willing to go back and try to collect the line, but will it honestly be worth it if they're expensive in the aftermarket? Oh, and the Combiner Wars cartoon never showed up in 2015.
RID15 was a series I was hoping would be good, especially considering how much it lived up to with Transformers Prime. The first few episodes were pretty good, but I started to feel bored of the series midway through. See, the thing about a TV show is you gotta make sure it doesn't feel generic when you're working on the status quo, especially when shows like Beast Wars, Animated, and Prime all had episodes that were still worth watching between the start of a season and the end of it. RID15's characters were pretty good and different enough to stand out from TFP in some ways, but the main issue is how repetitive it felt. Honestly on-par with the Neo-Saban era of Power Rangers if you ask me, as the only other interesting thing that happened was Megatronus' return and I guess seeing Optimus return in his trials (which make him feel like he's a different character from the guy we met in TFP). Also, Bumblebee looks like a jerk in this image, and now I prefer his cutesy look from G1, the movies, Animated, Prime, and Cyberverse.
Oh, and I got to go to BotCon and meet fellow Transformers fan Illiniguy34, and we're still friends to this day (yay!), but as for the actual convention, all I got was Classics Starscream and a Dragonzord. These choices are kind of weird, as Classics Starscream above all other better toys is questionable, but the Dragonzord I got is the 1993 version, which means that it's incompatible with any other Megazord I own. I couldn't even get to say hi to the guests because my dad would tell me and my brother that we had to leave and go to lunch. And that, my friends, is why I don't want to have my dad tag along with me unless we see music concerts or auto shows. Also weird how it was the only official TF convention I ever visited, but sucky how it was the second to last BotCon ever made.
Chapter 10: Titan Drought and a Pause
If there was anything 2015 taught me, it's that I shouldn't even try to make the next year of Transformers feel big to me. See, I was into seeing what Power Rangers Dino Charge, the return of Star Wars, and my growing interest in superhero films have to offer, so I kind of lost track of RID, IDW, and even the Generations line save for the reviews. I once thought to myself that I should try and get the Titans Return figures and see if I could stomach the thought of getting RID15 stuff, but the thing is my Walmart's stock was pretty slow and/or empty. I was also paying more attention to Lego stuff due to Star Wars and CBMs taking over my interests. I also had more focus on Twitter than G+, so I forgot about that sort of thing was even...well, a thing.
Oh, and Combiner Wars finally made its debut as a show, and it sucked. It looked like it'd be the best thing ever, but as it turned out, it was the most weirdly paced, awkwardly written story I've seen in Transformers since Energon, and honestly, Energon is better since it felt a lot more polished in a way. I'll go more detail in another post, but I hate this show.
Oh and I was hoping Hasbro would make a 20th anniversary for Beast Wars, but all we got were some con-exclusive toys, and a few comics to boot. We did get a new MP Primal, but that's about it. So little respect for a brand that did so much for Transformers in the past.
But of course, we'd give attention to the 1986 movie. Why? Because it was on Blu-Ray now, even though it could have been on Blu-Ray when it was 25...and that made me quit the Transformers hype for a good while.
Chapter 11: Dynamic and Bittersweet
The day was December 5th, 2016. The first trailer for The Last Knight came out, and I was immediately back into the Transformers hype train once more. At the time, I felt it'd be the Transformers movie that'd be the biggest victory yet, as it's got a huge premise, a new story for Optimus Prime, and a different setting where our heroes are in an Earth where things aren't quite as normal as they could attempt to be before. It was also this poster that made me wish was one thing about The Last Knight that we got, because seeing Optimus (or Nemesis) take on what later turned out to be Dragonstorm would have been perfect.
Unfortunately, this was the first time that I started to agree that a Transformers movie wasn't too good. The main problem is that so many ideas are thrown together yet they don't line up right, and it sucks too because this movie looked extremely promising. I'll admit that the other four movies aren't like Schindler's List (not that I needed them to since I appreciate them for what they are like I am with so many other things I like), but they felt complete, and they also didn't lie to me with what they offered or added more to what they offered. I saw them more as the "blockbuster messes" that Geewuners and other pricks like to call them, but The Last Knight is a big-time letdown in terms of not using all the ideas or barely using the ideas they have in mind. And of course, I'll explain more in the other posts.
The 10th anniversary of the live-action film series doesn't just have the new movie, as we also got stuff like Movie the Best and two MPMs in the form of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee (who I'd later get in 2018). The Movie the Best line looked like it'd be a great way to get the old figures again, especially when I was at the time coming up with a fan film, but the problem arose when I couldn't even buy them easily as I had no money. I did, however, get back into collecting Transformers with a DOTM Optimus Prime bootleg that I later discarded because it's trash...
...and instead got myself TLK Optimus Prime as well as Berserker and HFTD Starscream from my vacation at Mexico a month after seeing TLK. It was also around the time I got to make friends with other Transformers fans like Cybertroner on Twitter (who I still communicate with to this day) and some Transformers fans that I met when I returned to G+.
Oh, and I should mention that I did enjoy a little game called Forged to Fight, as it was everything I wanted Rise of the Dark Spark to be in terms of crossover material. I loved building up my teams, taking on other characters, progressing through the stories, and playing as MV1 Optimus, Soundwave, and Dinobot. It just sucks that I had to remove it from my phone because I needed space and got tired of not getting new characters (and even when we did all we got were a black Optimus Prime, a blue Starscream, and an edgy Megatronus, aka Nemesis Prime, Thundercracker, Necrotronus). Still, when I get it on another device, you bet your ass I'll be happy to revisit it once again. I'll also cover it in another post.
Chapter 12: Collecting, Travisties, and Cyberverse
2018 was when things started to get pretty big, as a new cartoon, a new Transformers movie, the end of IDW, and the freedom I had with collecting Transformers due to my ability to go out in the city during college and enjoy Transformers with other people. Let's go over what happened in Google Plus when I returned and with a mindset of thinking on my own and not trying to appeal to Geewunners. I got to enjoy being a member in a smaller server with a friend I used to talk with, but things got crazy when his co-owner went haywire and had us avoid him and make a new server. Now we began as co-owners before he would later step down and I would be full-on owner along with another owner that I think had a mash-up of Grimlock and Godzilla in his pfp. Sadly, this community wouldn't last too long because G+ would later shut down in April 2019 due to a data breach, but it was nice while it lasted.
Now what did I think about the Transformers community I got to be in? Well, it was smaller than the main one, that's for starters, but it was also one that had mostly pre-teens and teenagers running the place rather than having fans from all ages in the other community. Not all of them were the kind that would mash-up mech preg or FNAF or some other crap with Transformers, but I have the feeling that some of them tend to be the ones that would listen and believe what their favorite person thinks rather than have their own opinions. Thankfully, there were some good people, but they could be a little hard to reason with when some of them aren't quite good at communicating online. Oh, and some of the members, I think, have grudges for the opinions of other members. Looking back, they seem to have hate towards a few members for not liking IDW or the Bumblebee movie, and I do believe two or three fans shat on G1 a lot, while one guy probably sent death threats to another member, but all I could say is that at least the people I moderated the community with were good, though by the time we moved to Discord, things got a little shaky, especially when I came back from focusing on completing the second semester of my sophomore year at college. Oh, and how could I forget that on top of being a member that sent death threats to a kid, he also said shit behind my back and was exposed by another member...the guy that exposed him probably wished I got to expose the backstabber even more rather than let bygones be bygones. Of course, G+ is dead and I'm not going back to the server and see their drama, but have a pic of Rodimus instead.
Let's keep things a little happy, eh? Here are some pics I took at TFCon 2018 when I took my best friend with me to check out the place on our own! We got help from his mom in terms of getting there and then we laid our eyes on a great sight to behold. I wish I got to take more pics, especially ones from the IDW panel (as much as I hate James Roberts' work more than I do Rob Liefeld's drawings) and the Beast Wars screening, but these pics I took are some of the ones I was able to make. I'll probably make a post on TFCon someday, and I do hope I can go to the one in 2020 if things are safe by that point. Here, you can see some TFP stuff and a couple of reissues here and there. There's also a bit of Beast Wars, too! The other pic has the Mastermind Creations figures, third party renditions of a couple of IDW characters and some classic G1 guys.
These photos include an oversized MP-10 that I was tempted to buy before realizing how much it cost, a TF fan and her Scorponok plush (I comforted it by saying that Jetfire's not here and he's dead because he was reused for Prime's Jetwing gear), and a 3A Bumblebee that made me wish I got to make an interview with the guys behind the company. I love their Transformers figures so much, even the ones that we got from Bumblebee because of how nice it is to see them trade off the ability to transform while maintaining extreme screen accuracy that not even MPs can tackle.
All in all, I had fun, and the best part was the fact that there was no dad insight that went "lets go I want lunch"; it was just me, my best friend, and almost a whole day of enjoying the convention and then enjoying the city to ourselves. God, do I miss the days where COVID-19 and the riots didn't take place.
What about the toys I bought in 2018? Well, they're quite the amount! 2018 and 2019 were the years I bought the most amount of Transformers toys, and it looks like 2020 will be the same. Setting aside anything from Marvel, DC, or some other toyline, my 2018 Transformers purchases totaled up to 51, which includes just about a good portion of Studio Series figures, most of the releases I didn'g get from The Last Knight, a few figures from the Unicron Trilogy, MV1, ROTF, DOTM, and G1, some Prime Wars figures, some pre-Prime Wars stuff, my first TakaraTomy Transformer in the form of Legends Arcee, my first Siege purchase in the form of Shockwave, my first ever Animated, Beast Wars, and Cyberverse purchases, and the two MPMs I mentioned in the last chapter. By contrast, the 2019 pic has about 37, as some of my money went for Power Rangers figures in the form of Beast Morphers and the Lightning Collection. Because Studio Series and Siege were the main TF focuses, I sadly had fewer one-offs to delve into, so the only figures that weren't from either line were Trailcutter, Cyber Battalion Jetfire, TFP Optimus, TFP Predaking, Wreck-Gar, and POTP Bludgeon. Collecting a lot more Transformers than I previously did was sort of intoxicating, and it did suck that it took me so long to start making my collection a lot more impressive, but I'm always happy with having nice displays for my Movie figures and CHUG displays, and hey, getting stuff like Predaking, the Bludgeons, the MPMs, and both CW Megatron along with POTP Optimus was great.
And how can I forget Cyberverse? This was one that I was worried about because of my anti-G1 nostalgiabait, but it's surprisingly good! I honestly have a lot of enjoyment from Cyberverse, especially when I can bingewatch the episodes once we have a complete season (as the episodes are a little shorter than I'd like). Sadly, it's a few bits away from actually being on a best-list, but it's pretty close. I love Season 1 for having the slow build-up to the Autobots and Decepticons, as we mainly see Bumblebee and Windblade work together before teaming up with Teletraan-X and Grimlock as they approach the Ark, and just in time for the return of the Decepticon army. Season 2 was pretty good, though a little cluttered in a few areas, while Season 3 so far has a couple of mix-ups in plots, as we go from the Autobots and Decepticons fighting for Cybertron to having the Quintessons take over and now seeing the finale take place after the Quintessons leave. I also love that the animation was better than I thought, as this image kind of doesn't do the cartoon justice IMO.
Oh, and I almost forgot to give my thoughts on Bumblebee's movie. I hate it. Why? Because it was made solely to appeal to a crowd of Transformers fans that hated them since 2007, and between the not-so-subtle nostalgia crap with the designs of the robots and force-feeding 80s references, this is a Transformers movie I hate more than The Last Knight! I'm not sorry, Beewunners! At least The Last Knight had a few good ideas while this is on-par with the reasons why Red Letter Media made fun of the Rogue One praise in their reviews (and yes, I know their thoughts on the TF series are like, but IDC). Shame, because there was a bit of interest from me in this movie (apart from the normie praise that was basically anti-any-other-movie) before the other trailer showed up.
Epilogue
The day is June 16, 2020. I'm pretty sure this post is long overdue, but my god, is it a big reminder of how much has changed with being a fan. From seeing the other pieces of fiction with excitement to now disliking almost any G1 appeal and from not having much of a collection to getting a bigger one, I not only learned that being a Transformers collector means getting a job, but I also learned that no matter what nerd or dumbass tries to shout at me for having different opinions in Transformers, I'd rather not do what I once did and stand with what I like. While it'll be hard to do that because others will try to pile up on me, one thing's for sure; I'd gladly talk shit about nerd culture and how it gatekeeps stuff that's new or is at least better than they think it is (and that especially goes for Geewunners). As of now, while I await for more Cyberverse episodes, revisit the other cartoons, movies, and comics I already saw, and prepare to visit Downtown again and get more Transformers without any hassle, I'm glad to write out my Transformers post and think about just what the franchise means to me. Of course, this is just the beginning. Let's see what my favorite pieces of media are, and then we'll take a look at what media I hate a lot. In closing, thank you for reading my history as a Transformers fan; I greatly appreciate it, as does Optimus Prime.
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