The Transformers with the Most Unfortunate Transformations

Being a Transformer must be kind of awesome. I mean, you’ve got at least two options for what you be at any time, one being a (typically big) alien robot and the other often being less conspicuous but still known for speed, power, or general awesomeness.

But not every Transformer can be be a Ferrari, fighter jet, Tyrannosaurus Rex, or space battleship. Or even a Volkswagen Beetle, biplane, giraffe, or flying laser pistol. No, some have to be cassette tapes, watches (that killed Hitler), lampposts, or unidentifiable flying objects.

And then there are these guys…

Part of a Complete Breakfast

San Diego Comic Con is, as usual, full of news about movies, toys, and oh yeah, comics, but this year the best thing to come out of it is undoubtedly this poster:

(Click to embiggen)

GoBots wiki

A group from TFWiki have started a new project, the GoBots wiki. It will cover GoBots, Rock Lords (This particular page is worth reading even if you have no interest in Rock Lords themselves.),  Robo Machines, and Machine Robo.

Let’s get Crane Robo’s reaction to the news.

Hey, Crane Robo, can we keep this site PG-13?

(Yes, that is an actual screen capture from Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos.)

Here’s a good place to start. The fact the page is about 80% my doing has nothing to do with that judgment…

Mecha That Changed Anime: Beginnings

Last April, I mentioned that I had “mecha that changed anime” as one of my search terms, and said that might be a good idea for its own post. Well, better late than never, and it’s going to be a series of posts rather than just one.

Note that it’s “mecha that changed anime”, not “landmarks of mecha anime”; the categories obviously have overlap, but anything that had impact outside its own genre is of particular significance, and non-anime mecha that had influence on anime are also eligible.

5 More Impractical Robot Transformations

Last year I did a list of unusual transformations that are still among my most popular posts, so here’s an addition to it.

Oh, and here is a more complete article about the McDonalds Changeables, which I included on the previous list but had difficulty finding much about.

#5 – Mirage

One of the original Transformers. I mentioned him as a side note in the previous list, but didn’t think race cars should take more than one spot on the list. But after completing the list I was made aware of something I hadn’t known.

Formula 1 cars cannot drive on normal roads. I don’t mean they just aren’t street legal; they literally can’t drive on any road that has a “crown”, or on any surface that isn’t completely flat.

(Mirage does manage to drive on regular roads in the cartoon despite the fact that the real vehicle he looks like can’t, but this could only be accomplished by some kind of inaccuracy, and is only one of several factors that make him by far the most conspicuous of the original Autobots.)

Search engine terms

I’m seeing “unknown search terms” more often so this kind of post might get less common.

“1st transforming mecha” – This is from yesterday and seems to have found the most relevant post already, but there were no hits yesterday for this one that says a little more about Raideen.

“blue transformer drill” – If you weren’t looking for Cybertron Menasor, maybe it was Twin Twist?

“katebasma sto tablet angry birds transformers” – It’s Greek to me… actually I’m pretty sure it’s misspelled Greek.

“worst happy meal toys ever” – The only time I’ve mentioned Happy Meal toys I was talking about what are probably some of the better ones…

“fullmetal alchemist dog die” – I hope this wasn’t the same person who searched for “anime challenge pets”…

 

Discussing Transformations

Related to something I wrote a couple of weeks ago, can you just picture a group of robots talking about their transformations:

Hound: I’m a Jeep.

Star Saber: I’m a jet.

Spyglass: I’m one-third of a camera.

Scooter: And they made fun of me. I’m a scooter.

Zero: I’m a Zero (the Japanese plane, not the number).

Tank: I’m a tank.

Sunstreaker: We get it! GoBots had lazy names. I’m a Lamborghini! I’m the awesome one! What about you shiny guys?

Nuggit: I’m a rock.

Gold Lightan: I’m a cigarette lighter.

Star Saber: I don’t want you transforming around my kid.

Galvatron (RiD): I’m a two-headed dragon. And a bat. And a batmobile. And a batjet. And a hand. And a griffin, a one-headed dragon, a mammoth, and a batboat.

Spyglass: Show-off…

Hound: What about you, Turbo Cones?

Turbo Cones: I’m an ice cream cone.

Spyglass: I feel better now.

Galvatron: I’m hungry…

Top 25 Impractical Robot Transformation: 5-1

This is the top 5, and some of these are just plain weird.

Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

#5 – Steering wheel bot

In the 2007 Transformers movie, there’s a point where Sam drops the Allspark and several nearby machines come to life. The only one we get a really good look at is the Mountain Dew machine, who actually looks cooler than some of the main Transformers in the movie, and turned out to be popular enough that he got a name (Dispensor) and a couple of toys, though neither actually transforms into a vending machine. There’s also an Xbox 360 (still in the box, so we really don’t see much) and this one:

No part of the car other than the steering wheel is moving, so it seems that there’s just this mechanical creature that turns to the steering wheel of an otherwise non-living car, which would be pretty bad for both the robot and the driver even if it didn’t look like it was about to attack her.

Top 25 Impractical Robot Transformations: 10-6

Up to now this list has mostly included robots that aren’t too obscure with a couple of exceptions, but that’s about to change.

Parts 1, 2, and 3.

#10 – Apollo Robo

Machine Robo was a Japanese toyline started by Popy and continued by Bandai. Many of the toys from this line were brought to the rest of the world as Tonka’s GoBots, but there were some notable exceptions. Only one of the four in this picture was released as a GoBot. (Surprisingly, it’s the Japanese WWII plane, not the British car.)

The white stack of cylinders is Apollo Robo. He turns into a Saturn V Rocket.

Top 25 Impractical Robot Transformations: 15-11

There have been a lot of transforming robots over the years, and sometimes you really have to question the logic of what they turn into.

Part 1 and Part 2.

# 15 – Megatron

“Wasn’t Megatron already on the list?” Yeah, well, Transformers can be named after famous Transformers just like humans can be named after famous humans. This is the Megatron that was in Beast Wars and Beast Machines. Now, for most of Beast Wars he was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and then toward the end he was a fire-breathing dragon, so you wouldn’t think he’d be on this list. But in Beast Machines, he decides he wants to get rid of his beast mode, and spends some time as this:

Just a giant head. No, there’s no giant body that he attaches to. Technically this might be his robot mode rather than his alternate mode since on the show he only changes between this and some kind of spaceship, but there is a toy that changes from this head (on legs) to a humanoid robot.