By 1984, the handwriting was on the wall. Transformers was the future of transforming robot toylines everywhere. Try as they might, Takara could no longer justify avoiding the introduction of the Robots in Disguise to the Japanese market. After all, they had all the brilliant engineering of Diaclone (not to mention Microchange), plus the benefit …
Continue reading “Diaclone Toy Catalog Scans Translation: 1985: a Powered Conclusion!”
Read more...As the Diaclone toyline entered its fourth year, Real & Robo had essentially taken over the toyline. Gone were the fanciful sci-fi designs of the earlier years, save for a few holdover mecha. The line was zeroed in on the new robots in disguise. With the talents of Kojin Ohno to lead the way, Real …
Continue reading “Diaclone Toy Catalog Scans Translation: 1983: Waruder’s on the Ropes!”
Read more...As Diaclone advanced through its third year of product, it became clear that the road led inexorably to Transformers. Though initially a small sub-line of disguised fast responder mecha, the Real & Robo Car Robots rapidly expanded to become nearly the entire Diaclone force. Together with additional R&R toys like Jet Robo, Construction Vehicle Robo, …
Continue reading “Diaclone Toy Catalog Scans Translation: Late 1982: Diaclone Gets Real (& Robo)!”
Read more...Though the past of Transformers is deeply entwined with Takara’s Diaclone, the family resemblance was not always so apparent. Even by the second round of product line in 1981, Takara had yet to hit on a design that would become a world-famous Transformers character (though some designs did barely make the cut). Nevertheless, Diaclone Corps …
Continue reading “Diaclone Toy Catalog Scans Translation: 1981: Finally, some bad guys!”
Read more...The history of Transformers has always been as interesting as the toys themselves. There is a whole family tree behind the eponymous Robots in Disguise, and those fans who venture up its branches eventually find the faces unfamiliar, but the family resemblance strong nonetheless. This might be the most fascinating part of the family tree, …
Read more...In my longtime fascination with Takara’s Pre-Transformers toylines, it’s always been interesting to see the many robot toys that were never selected for Transformers re-use. Diaclone started out as a somewhat different genre of robot sci-fi than the more familiar G1 tone of “Robots in Disguise”… these earler ‘mecha’ weren’t so disguised. They were gorgeous …
Read more...I’ve always had a fascination with Takara’s pre-Transformers toy series like Diaclone. It’s been mysterious, static, and just out of reach beyond the iron barrier of the Japanese language. Now, with a little technology, and a lot of persistence, Transformerland breaks that barrier with a full translation of a 1983-4 Diaclone toy catalog. With the …
Continue reading “Diaclone Toy Catalog Scans Translation: 1984: Dinosaur Robo Pre-Transformers”
Read more...By 1984, it was clear that Takara’s long-running Microman toyline was at an end. Transformers G1 was having huge success in the United States, and Takara was gearing up to follow suit for 1985. However, a few more transforming robots were released in the Microchange sub-series. Transformers picked up almost all of these designs, as …
Continue reading “The Rejected Robots #1 – Binocular Robo Scope Man”
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