Transformers Facts

'Generation 1' was originally a mix of Japanese toys, such as Diaclone and New Microman. The Transformers were produced by Hasbro and first released on the US market in 1984. The first line of Transformers changed into realistic looking trucks, cars, planes and household objects, including cassettes, a tape player and a Walther P-38. As the toy line progressed, alternate modes began to vary, resembling anything from futuristic-looking vehicles to mechanical animals. Gimmicks became much more prevalent, such as Transformers whose heads and weapons were Transformers themselves.

There were teams of Transformers that merged to form giants (known as gesalts) and there were also four toy cities, the largest being Fortress Maximus, who, at the time of writing, is the largest Transformer ever. The most controversial of these gimmicks were the Action Masters, Transformers who did not even transform. The Action Masters marked the end of Generation 1 in the US in 1990. However, the toy line did continue to do well in Europe and Japan. In 1992 Hasbro released Generation 2, a mix of original toys and repaints of Generation 1. Initially popular, the toy line quickly lost steam and ended in 1995.

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