Transformers: Prime was Hasbro’s landmark new animated series to follow Revenge of the Fallen. Featured exclusively on Hasbro and Discovery Channel’s shared network The Hub, the complex 3D computer animated show was not initially meant to spark any toy releases. However, as demand grew, Hasbro and Takara caved in released the First Edition wave of toys in 2011, and would go on to be the longest-running main series since Beast Wars.
The TF: Prime toyline is broken into three main subtitles. The first, beginning in 2011, was the “First Editions” line, which contained only a small selection of Voyager and Deluxe class toys sold only through Toys “Я” Us stores. Its latter waves saw sparse release in the US, even though they were more plentiful in Hasbro’s international markets. Each First Editions figure came with a cardstock display base that was used as part of the packaging. They had intricate transformations, and did not feature any gimmicks.
The bulk of the line came packaged as “Robots in Disguise”, a subtitle not to be confused with the 2001 or 2015 series of the same name. Prime: RiD figures filled the normal size classes, including continuing the Cyberverse micro-figure concept pioneered during Dark of the Moon. Deluxe figures all sported transformations that revealed the head dramatically toward the end of the process, and were sometimes listed under the moniker “Revealers”. Voyagers, sometimes also known as “Powerizers”, featured LED-glowing weapons that could transform like Dark of the Moon’s MechTech weapons. Unfortunately, like many MechTech weapons, look like nondescript bricks when not deployed manually. A larger size class called “Weaponizers” was introduced, which featured simplified, hollowed-out Leader size toys that have pop-out spinning machine gun barrels in both robot and vehicle modes.
The final stage of TF: Prime is known as Beast Hunters. It features the same size classes as RiD. The RiD figures have been heavily retooled to depict spiky armor, melee weapons, and new weapons designed to capture the dragonlike new-mold Predacons. The Cyberverse figures have been similarly retooled. The Beast Hunters subtitle also had its own subtitle, “Predacons Rising”. This was a selection of figures and giftsets, all redecoes, released through Target stores.
After the third season of the animated series wrapped up the storyline, several TF: Prime toys were still planned for release. The Deluxe and Voyager designs were actually upscaled Cyberverse Legion and Commander figures, with little or no added complexity. Of the designs scheduled for 2014, only the pair of Voyagers have seen US retail through Hasbro’s own online store. The rest, consisting of a few Deluxes and Cyberverse Commanders, were released only in Europe and some other non-US markets, making them difficult to find at retail.
