Remembering Transtech, The Cancelled Transformers Series

[@cdigames]

I am STILL amazed all this time later that after high res pics of the Starscream and Cheetor toys were posted, no third party companies have come out with their own versions. Especially that Starscream which looks to be dead simple.

[@isuckatusernames4297]

you can still count on your fingers the amount of 3rd party figures who aren't g1, bay-verse or comic book.

[@AmberHour]

Mastermind Creations Acinonyx is a retool of their IDW Chromedome to be Transtech Cheetor. Essentially the exact same alt mode

[@faustmeth]

@@AmberHour Out of curiosity I looked it up and the vehicle mode didn’t really look the same to me.

[@torrancemoore6152]

Facts

[@beartrapinuwuland]

That Black arachnia looks closer to a Xenomorph fusing with a transformer than Black arachnia and I love her for that

[@Keithchan2024]

I wonder what would have happened if Transtech was the FINAL transformers toyline before having a reboot in the 2010s

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

That would depend on the quality of TransTech itself. If the toys and show were great, the 2010s reboot would be more free to experiment. If they were poor, the 2010s reboot would have to rely on nostalgia for the original 80s show since Hasbro would associate Beast Wars, Beast Machines and TransTech with “going too far from what fans liked.”

[@Cdr2002]

Why would the franchise go dormant between the early 2000s and the 2010s? It has benefited much more from being continuous

[@KodyCrimson]

It's a real shame this line didn't come out. I hope they make a comic or release a synopsis of the plot they had written.

[@GladDestronger]

I wonder if Generations could use of the unused designs for future figures/retools/redecos. I mean we've had Energon & Beast Machine figures in Legacy (two shows not held in very high regard by Hasbro or fans). So, what could be made from Generations-styled figures? Who knows? Who knows.

[@nicholase82]

Honestly having this right after the end of Beast Machines would have been a little weird. After all they just restored nature to cyberton and now everyone is a hi tech vehicle

[@TrapToise]

What a shame Transtech will never be a fully fledged series or toyline. The artwork for this series is incredibly badass and unique. I love so many of these designs and absolutely adore the Y2K future aesthetic they have here. The turn of the millennium really had this unique take on what future designs for things would be, I can’t even imagine how that theme would’ve been adapted into a full series. As someone that loves a lot of early 2000’s things in entertainment I just know it would have been something to behold. The super alien designs, the toys and their gimmicks the possibilities of what the show could have been. Man, would be awesome if someone made a fan made series based on transtech somehow since there is no way it’ll ever happen officially.

[@ultramaximusreviews]

I'd love for them to do this as a series or just a line in Legacy Evolution or Generations Selects

[@chriswu772]

Who knows, we could have a Generations Selects Transtech figure at some point or a Legacy Transtech figure in the line after UNI.

[@Spootprime]

Given that they're totally willing to make figures on concept art rn (Check the new SS reveals!!!) i ABSOLUTELY would buy that. And a figure of Hyperdrive.

[@samurexatlas7373]

God so many of these look cool, I hope Transtech can eventually get produced, or at least the designs get put into legacy lines.

[@Razorgeist]

Honestly I think the designs are badass but I really enjoy out there sci fi designs. Sort of reminds me of the Enterprise-E in how sleek and sci fi they are.

[@nitrostormskystriker478]

I would die to live in the timeline where TJ made a Transtech Plastic addict video

[@knownanonymous8802]

I was a big fan of the Beast Machines aesthetic conceptually, and was absolutely bummed Transtech was canned. This was a fun couple of years as Hasbro was (at least operating under the pretense of) willing to experiment still, not leaning on raw nostalgia like nowadays. I always wanted to see a Cybertron-only story, where having "space cars" made sense even if they weren't recognizeable. The toy engineering was limited in that era, but if given a rehash today in the Legacy line with a few tweaks Beast Machines guys would absolutely pop. Voyager Obsidian, anyone? While I am a minority among G1 fans, it's part of the reason I like the designs of the "Bayverse." There is a willingness to experiment and offer a diversity with the aesthetic, while retaining that "mechanical life form" feel instead of just being blocky robots that G1 throwbacks lean in on.

[@matthewjoyner1595]

Agreed

[@novustalks7525]

Perfectly said

[@Razorgeist]

Yep.

[@torrancemoore6152]

Same

[@joshmyers867]

These designs are so cool. Beast Machines was already (and still is) the most challenging - and one of the most rewarding - work of fiction in the franchise. Aesthetically at least, TransTech looks like it was carrying the torch of pushing the brand to its limits.

[@muigokublack6487]

Yes, it's character assassination of Beast Wars is quite legendary.

[@thestripedmenace]

Preach, brother. 🙏

[@novustalks7525]

​@@muigokublack6487 development*

[@muigokublack6487]

@@novustalks7525 *assassination

[@novustalks7525]

@@muigokublack6487 development

[@weirdkitty07]

The Starscream and Shockwave have some elements of Shockblast from Cybertron and Megatron from Transformer Prime.

[@oliverhendrix8176]

Shockblast is from Energon.

[@dfsfdsfsdfsdfsadsdfsfdsdsf3587]

There is no better time for Transtech to return than the present.

[@bungieman2810]

I would kill to see this get revived. Either officially or 3rd Party.

[@KodyCrimson]

Same. 3rd party has a market waiting there for them. They can just start with the Cheetor or something to play it safe and if that hits off they can tackle the rest.

[@torrancemoore6152]

I would love to see something come of these ideas

[@spanglezekankleplushapalooza]

I would have loved to see a second attempt at that futuristic aesthetic from Beast Machines considering how hit and miss the designs from that show were, and a lot of these designs feel like a better version of that aesthetic. Mainframe really deserved a better fate than what it ended up becoming

[@zoltanperei4789]

What happend with Mainframe?

[@spanglezekankleplushapalooza]

@@zoltanperei4789 They still exist, but they're not the creative force they used to be like when they were working on Transformers and Reboot

[@medafan53]

It's not as obvious as Animated Blurr, but WFC's Optimus's truck mode has at least a comparable silhouette to Transtech Optimus, enough at least that I recall, when the original generations figure was first teased with either a blurred or silhouette picture (it's been 13 years, I can't remember) of the alt mode, there was speculation that it was Transtech Optimus.

[@jameshawthorn832]

"we didn't use any transtech designs in the future." meanwhile highmoon optimus's truck mode.

[@Tanookicatoon]

Those Primal and Optimus designs were definitely reused for later Cybertron designs. It's very close.

[@johncolston4758]

So, If TransTech was supposed to come after Beast Machines, I wonder what Takara was planning as their own follow-up Car Robots (aka Robots In Disguise 2001)?

[@keithdearborn6466]

Tfcc added Transtech to their ongoing magazine comics. These designs are similar to the ones that they use in the comics. In the series, the Transtech were the gatekeepers for the multiverse. They also did an homage to transtech Cheetor in the Stunticon Job Botcon story. They made the toy as well. They re-used the Animated Blurr mold and made a pretty cool version of him as a futuristic style race car, yellow, with spots, and even some neon green clear plastic tucked into it for the weapon and a couple other parts.

[@Waspinator1998]

Such a shame Hasrbo sent the Pinkertons after Behindthetoys before TransTech Prime's toy could be revealed.

[@THEW0LFB0Y]

8:42 Honestly, the top right to me looks like the Rise of the Beasts Cheetor head design 🤔 the detail lines instead of a mouth, side head "vents", eye shape, even the head crest

[@Megarover]

In an alternative universe where Transtech did come out, I have to wonder if Transtech ended up being a good toyline or if the toyline ended up being as messy as Titanium.

[@Nin_the_Shinobi]

I actually would like for them to bring this concept back and do something with some of these designs. Maybe even making them into new characters

[@megagundamva2694]

Megatron looks so Anime-esque....I love it

[@AlexReynard]

Oh god. Bayverse happened because some Paramount executive looked at the cancelled Transtech designs and said, "I *LIKE* that! Let's do THAT!!", didn't it?

[@williamfinch2777]

That Optimus deffo inspired WFC Optimus.

[@weirdkitty07]

That Cheetor does look a lot like the Velocitron lady Speedia.

[@nameloss]

i tend to repeat myself on this, but transtech is my greatest frustration when it comes to the transformers franchise. the beast machines toys were a giant part of my childhood and i loved how out there the designs were, it would have been amazing to see this whole line realized. i understand the decisions from a financial standpoint but ultimately constantly banking on nostslgia (while very fun and a great way to reintroduce the brand’s past to a younger audience) feels like it’s just one part of the whole universe to me. i still hope hasbro revisits this line someday, i feel like toy engineering is in the right place to do it justice now-but based on the old test shots it already seemed feasible. if transtech ever comes around, i’ll go back to buying TFs in earnest. for now, i’m happy with the occasional purchase and seeing the toys go strong still.

[@banquetoftheleviathan1404]

almost sounds like a line where the main feature would be that you can fit human figures in it. like it would transform from an atv to a power loader type deal. in both modes basically you would be able to fit maybe like a gi joe sized figure in it.

[@muigokublack6487]

Sounds like the predecessor to the Human Alliance line of toys.

[@izzik2781]

8:20 Coming back to this after Rise of the Beasts, because is it just me? Or does the RotB Cheetor head look reminiscent of the top right trans tech design?

[@kaijuguy19]

It's still amazing on how Transtech was going to do for the brand what the Bay TF movies ultimately did which was taking TF designs at their most alien/futuristic.While it may be for the best that Hasbrro didn't go with it at the time due to the factors you talked about, it still would be cool to see it finally brought back in some form or another like a comic series. At least some of the designs live in in other series.

[@MathewHaswell]

One good thing that came out of TransTech's cancellation was RID(AKA Car Robots) , imported to fill a few years while Armada was in development. A brief glimpse into the bizarre world of Japanese TransFormers.

[@Cdr2002]

I really like what FunPub did with these designs with the multiversal nexus reality where there was never a war, and I hope that concept continues forward as how these designs live. Would love to see legacy toys of them. Maybe Optimus could be a heavy retool of his recent Gamer Edition figure?

[@MaximalDin0bot]

That's what I thought when the Gamer Edition OP came out. That mold could definitely be retooled into a TransTech OP.

[@Cdr2002]

@@MaximalDin0bot would be really cool. Maybe Armada into Transtech Megs?

[@apex2000]

The first blue silverbolt design. Looks like he took influence ls from his time as jetstorn

[@treebotreviews]

Bout time someone talked about it. I have a serious love for trans tech. It makes the multiverse so fun. And since they readapted them vangelus is TECHNICALLY the canonical voice of shockwave of that universe.

[@muigokublack6487]

When did that happen?

[@novustalks7525]

​@@muigokublack6487 2006 as a comic

[@Bots_Obsession]

We need a third party or even a Haslab box set to do the Cheetor, Prime, and Screamer

[@DicePunk]

Holy crap every one of these designs is epic. I love all of them.

[@thenuclearsandwich]

That Starscream looks like it could have been a Skyquake too.

[@zoltanperei4789]

I think it's a call back to his Machines Wars body.

[@thenuclearsandwich]

@@zoltanperei4789 Which came from the UK Skyquake mold. 🙂

[@jasonkrisher3134]

Looks like the design’s ended up in the Bay-verse

[@weirdkitty07]

The Prime does kind of look like Animated Prime was inspired, and the War for Cybertron game.

[@chikem_nufget]

these designs look SO COOL :O they need to bring these back

[@omegamaximus1727]

I hope Transtech gets revived In Transformers Legacy .

[@lordforgetful]

scavengers vehicle mode looks really close to the transtech design, and that seems way more convincing than just treads for arms.

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

Too bad we never actually got a beast wars trilogy. Beast wars, beast machines, and Transtech.

[@SuperGamefreak18]

Blame beast machines good ideas but the producers really shot the idea in the foot.

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Beast wars was in a tetralogy, made up of BW, BM, BW II and BW Neo.

[@coffeecuprobot2802]

Would love to see legacy pick up some of these designs

[@NerdRahtio]

a transtech cheetor and Starscream would be amazing in legacy

[@weirdkitty07]

Ouir fan film Trans Tech Transformers meets Robotech, is still online. It's in series form and in mini series form. Our take on it was merely a crossover of all the generations, Beast Wars (and Beat Machines (2399) meets the Transformers of the early to middle 2000s, meets Robotech of the 2030s and 2040s, via the space bridge, withe the ultimate goal to use cybertronian tech to return Rick Hunter to his timeline in the end.

[@jamescollins3554]

WOW. Thanks for posting all this! This answers MANY questions after Endgame 3! I also loved that Rattrap, Cheetor and other Maximals were going to be sold ALONGSIDE G1 Optimus and others! I'm seriously on a high right now..... Bringing Megatron back, and introducing Immorticon to start another war; ENOUGH! There's been MORE than ENOUGH war through Beast Wars and Endgame 3. Let Cybertron be at PEACE for once now! It's SOOOO good to see what was planned for OPTIMUS PRIME proving he and the others were definitely on Cybertron after G1 ended. Now he and other others can interact with the MAXIMALS! Oh I'm on such a high....Also, Bob Skir was asked at a TFCON recently what was planned for Transtech. In HIS mind, what WOULD have happened was the Maximals would have gone off in search of Primal's spark. At the end of the 13th episode of Season 3/Transtech, it would have been found. This sounds like a really cheap way to cheapen Primal's sacrifice at the end of Endgame. I agree with Bob that ending the show HERE was the right way to go. OMG this video and scanned images open so many new possibilities ...... I'm on such a high I don't know if I'll get much sleep tonight. Again, THANK YOU for posting all this! You just made my year with the post Endgame Optimus Prime confirmations!!!!!!!!!

[@jazzhandy9479]

damn that optimus prime does look somewhat like the wfc and foc design! vehicle mode at least

[@Traph]

I would've loved to see TransTech come to fruition, it would've given a better, and more satisfying ending to not only the Beast Era, but the original G1 cartoon timeline, would've bridged the Beast Era to G1. I personally think BM's ending gave a vibe that there was gonna be another sequel. I love these sleek Cybertronian designs, they look like predecessors to the Cybertron game designs, especially that Optimus truck.

[@b.lloydreese2030]

Bayformers is almost an organic looking technology being...just a thought

[@SCHMALLZZZ]

The Bayverse designs are Transtech designs

[@Frosted_Moontips]

I dunno if either Hasbro or Takara still have any design docs for the Transtech toyline collecting dust in their archives, but if they do I'd love to see these resurface as potential Legacy figures someday X3

[@phereakazoid]

I love the Cheetor design

[@muffinman174]

The cheetor head on the top right at 8:32 looks like the rotb cheetor

[@Lotties_handsaw]

I think the idea of prime being the leader of Prime leading the Maximal cast would have been very interesting, given how character driven these shows are. Would have been very cool to see how the BW/BM cast react to a new leader so similar to Primal, but also quite different

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

I would love to see these Transtech designs as Power Rangers zords at one point or another.

[@incoherentbabbler4636]

i once heard a rumor somewhere that the Optimus Prime prototype somehow wound up with a private collector that didn't want photos taken, so who knows where it is now. wonder if this design had an influence on the High Moon WFC/FoC truck modes for Optimus, at least where those smokestacks are concerned. probably not impossible what with the Cheetor design eventually informing Animated Blurr (even down to having a springing bumper gimmick) also, did you see the concept art that depicted Mini-Cons in Transtech? i think one concept they had for integrating the little ones was a forearm designed like a drooping, oversized shirt sleeve that served as a ramp for Mini-Con cars to leap out of

[@aster4jaden]

I love the Transtech Concepts, I hope they get picked up one day.

[@ORLY911]

I can kinda see where WFC games Optimus design may have come from, just dialed back a teeny bit

[@zoltanperei4789]

I wish Hasbro would stop playing out the nostalgia card and revisit the Transtech idea.

[@redneckranger2144]

Silverbolt being turned into another blue jet just seems insulting😅

[@marcch72]

That Optimus Prime vehicle mode looks like wat we saw in the Cybertron games

[@mr.end-game711]

the Optimus Prime reminded me of Highmoon's War for Cybertron

[@ethanlomer1921]

if i have to beg HasTak to make a Transtech Legacy subline i will, these figures would be amazing to have in a collection

[@uainjansun]

Good news but there is an actual image of cheetor in robot mode using fanmade colors! Yeah waist is kibbly cuz of the waist wheels and body is a tad weird since it's a tad hunchback but really solid figure! There's apparently like a drawn to 3d model made prototypes of Megatron (whos prototype uses the G2 variant head/cursed sort off and more square tankmode) and immorticon (now with a different cannon) from what I know and mega class so far for wave 1 is blackarachnia, scavenger and dephtcharge who would've been a shellformer

[@themegabigctoo]

Looking at the thumbnail, my first reaction was why put tigertron's head on armada megatron's body.

[@serina3872]

I'm interested how optimus and thd rest of g1 characters would return

[@lawsonallen7741]

Next year is Transformers 40th. They need to do Transtech. They used Transtech toy looks on Armada & Animated. Only one Transtech toy came out. The RID Megablot Megatron was not a BM Toy. It was an early Transtech Toy. This Series Needs To Be Made. They need to complete the G1 BW Story Line.

[@JRJohnson1701]

I'm utterly glad this never happened, and I honestly not surprised they rebooted after the disaster of Beast Machines

[@weirdkitty07]

In the fan film we just used our existing toys as we could not build those designs.

[@megagundamva2694]

Not the final Megatron design through

[@bigstve61345]

The bottom head design for megatron looks like ROTB Scourge

[@willwidrick8039]

I really wish Hasbro 1 day decides to make Transtech happen, a full show would be a dream come true. But I also would be happy with a full IDW comic book series. Something please

[@megagundamva2694]

Thing is transtech looks the reverse from beast machines going back to all machine than techno-organic but hey I'm cool with that techno organic that's works for human characther but TF are machines and I say DONT CHANGE THAT

[@novustalks7525]

A shame they cancelled it but than again beast machines ended perfectly

[@weirdkitty07]

So much Robotech/Battletech/MechWarrior and Evangeion in them.

[@yungjac11]

lol Immorticon would’ve gotten the nickname “Morty” very fast😂

[@mockery_man]

Unpopular opinion but I’m kinda glad we didn’t get Transtech. It just looks more like a “tried way too hard to be different” like Beast Machines but somehow worse. While some designs are cool like Shockwave’s alt mode, everything else feels like Beast Machines but more of a eyesore

[@muigokublack6487]

That's a fair take and I think young me would agree. While I lament what we could've gotten, I think Hasbro made the right decision to go back to things kids could easily identify.

[@novustalks7525]

Beast machines was excellent

[@vriderch1360]

It might be impossible, but I would love if some of the "Transtech" designs got represented in "Legacy".

[@hypermegaman3145]

3:49 I think you meant to say Summer of 2001 not Summer of 2021 lol

[@queen_sectonia]

Nah, don't you remember the transtech portion of the war for cybertron trilogy?

[@hypermegaman3145]

@@queen_sectonia If this was supposed to come out right after Beast Machines it would've been around 2001 not 2021, Beast Wars was from 1996 to 1999, Beast Machines was from 1999 to 2000, so Transtech would've probably released around 2001 if it wasn't canceled, the same year that Car Robots got dubbed into R.I.D. as filler until they could do the Armada collaboration

[@queen_sectonia]

my guy, I was just trying to make a joke

[@hypermegaman3145]

@@queen_sectonia oh, that went over my head! Lol

[@queen_sectonia]

​hey, happens to the best of us man

[@Godzilla5675]

The designs look so awesome👍

[@Alex876]

well well look what just came back to life

[@fatenabu1]

Transtech Prime looks a lot like the war for cybertron primes

[@QueenStodge]

I suppose they were concept pieces. They would probably have been refined and cleaned up if the show was made

[@Thunderwing88]

“What was Transtech?” A bullet we dodged!

[@RHR199X]

Then they better reload

[@weirdkitty07]

Also the super megs is similar to Cybertron Megs.

[@Cdr2002]

Immorticon totally could’ve been a BotCon retool of Crossovers Hulk

[@akumaking1]

Wasn’t TransTech partially adapted for the Axiom Nexus universe?

[@MinasTsambanis]

Can't understand why they do not proceed with Transtech now that Transformers are at theur top thanks to the movies.

[@mattr75]

Transtech Cheetor should've been released in RID 2001

[@krimsonklaww611]

I think Silverbolt should be a triple changer. Turn into a muscle car with a grill that looks like teeth, and a jet with feathers on the wings.

[@krimsonklaww611]

And I was thinking that Cheetor's wheel feet should split at the bottom and make sort of a long toe and long heel to stand on. But a stabilizer could work too.

[@bobothetransdimensionalhob2659]

​@@krimsonklaww611creative

[@nobodyhere8257]

I really like these designs for how weird they are

[@joaolucasnascimentoleite2831]

Well at least some of the transtech designs apear in the Fun Publication comics

[@The_Barroth]

Still holding out it’ll get acknowledged with legacy releases or maybe even a revival. But the latter is doubtful tbh

[@allenusison3124]

Say, while this is more related to the Beast era, what if someone dropped a review request, except it'll be a themed week? I would expect you doing a review of both versions of the Generations Selects Seacons if someone tries to make you do it, not sure if you are willing to do it anyway.

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

This toy line was supposed to come out two years ago?

[@zh2motorsports867]

Summer 2021?

[@beauxr.benoit1374]

Immorticon, wouldn't this be in trouble of a Copywrite Lawsuit being so similar to Immortan Joe from Mad Max: Fury Road? My favorites that I want the most are Silverbolt, originally the body core to the Aerialbots, and Shockwave then Starscream.

[@TJOmega]

You're talking about a character that didn't exist until about 15 years after TrachTech would have happened.

[@beauxr.benoit1374]

@@TJOmega Okay. I got it backwards, but still.

[@vustvaleo8068]

Transtech was canned in favor of an Optimus Prime who turns into a Japanese fire truck.