Transformers: The Forgotten Playset - Warren Generation 1 Hasbro 1985

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The Transformers were their own figures and vehicles in one, yet despite their popularity the toys never had a headquarters, or was their 1980s playset simply forgotten?

[@davidmreyes77]

I’m 46 years old and had no idea this existed.

[@Keverything99]

46 here and same

[@bobdobalina8910]

#me2

[@zevadprime]

45 year old here. Never heard of this either.

[@steko9465]

I'm 51 so that makes me 5 years more ignorant.😅

[@jasondwilliams972]

I am always fascinated by folks histories & experiences. I am 48, grew up in Texas, & spent my summers in Northeastern Alabama w/my grandparents. There were ZERO toys in any of the stores between the four little towns that my papaw did business. But the crazy thing? I found this Autobot base at one of those stores, & he got it for me. I still have it. The only other “scores” were a few random G.I. Joe Gear Packs, & the Gay Toys Army helicopter (y’all know which one)… But yeah; in all the places that this rarity would/could be found, was in a hillbilly country store in backwoods Alabama…

[@ascensionindustries9631]

The "Activity Center" is where you drop off your Transformers when you go to work.

[@summonersumnerus4364]

I've been a Transformers fan and collector from day one. This is the first time I've heard of this thing.

[@cyberius7042]

Same. When I saw the video thumbnail, I thought it was going to be about that small "command center" diorama.

[@JBOboe720]

At least with the ones that originated in Diaclone, the figures WERE the playsets, as they included 1-inch pilots meant to drive them in both vehicle mode and robot mode. Omitting the pilots leaves vestigial features all over those figures, especially Prime's trailer.

[@troubledturtle2332]

Ironhide is the biggest offender in my opinion since he turns into a battle station thing .

[@KasumiKenshirou]

And with Microman / Microchange, your house was a playset, in a way. The mythology was that the toys were 1:1 scale and that they were beings hiding in your room and disguised as ordinary objects a child would have in their room like a microcassette recorder, microscope, or a toy Walther P-38 handgun.

[@giantbonsai8950]

My Prime trailer always felt achingly empty without anyone to use the seats and vehicle. It's a great shame that the Diaclone drivers weren't included. They could have been the humans from the show.

[@huwjennings2695]

You could substitute the pilots from the old ZOIDS toys.

[@darkroom0716]

Even as a kid I noticed something weird was missing with my Transformers. Parts that looked like they had a purpose yet I couldn't discern what

[@billrules8716]

"Three Optimi high"...that made me literally laugh out loud! Good one!

[@nobodyuknow4911]

ANYTHING to not use the metric system! ^_^

[@billrules8716]

@@nobodyuknow4911 Cybertronian system is the best measurement system to use.

[@brandellswanson]

@@billrules8716 What about 3 Primes high? Sounds better 😏

[@stephens4175]

whatever you do...DON'T reenact the first time the Dinobots went online with that playset

[@redcomet_622]

Even in Japan they had playsets for robot toylines and tv shows. Bandai had multiple playsets based on the hangar bases for their robot toys in the 70s/80s. Why Takara didnt do this for TF or even Hasbro is such a letdown

[@hthrun]

Gobots also had bases. I had the Guardian command center when I was young...

[@KasumiKenshirou]

Beast Wars had some playsets (although Michael might not agree with the term). There was a killer whale and (I think) a spider that turned into bases, and came with little metal figurines of some of the characters. Like the subject of this video, I think these were made by a third party rather than Hasbro themselves. And Takara had one for Beast Wars II that had a working waterfall. But, again, way too small for the actual figures so smaller figurines are included.

[@Newsystuffs]

@@KasumiKenshirou Actually Hasbro did make those sets, they were just under Galoob (which they bought out by that point); The same division who gave us the Titanium subline in the mid 2000s

[@dubuyajay9964]

Link to a vid of them plz?

[@MichaelJShaffer]

I loved learning about this playset. Much like you, my foray into Transformers with short lived, and I always wanted a playset/base for my Autobots. Ah, when toy companies built playsets (even small companies that made them out of cardboard) and didn't need to crowdfund them.

[@gutz1981]

Funny enough, cause we had many vhs tapes, those served as my Transformers playset. I could stack them in a way like a deck of cards. Flat at the front with sides and stacked as a lid with the back exposed and layered on top of each other. So I had like six empty rooms in the back to place figures with a flat wall in front. Did the job.

[@mateuszkwietowicz2470]

The 1986 catalogue directly mentions Metroplex as a "city playset" also all the photos of Metroplex and Trypticon have other cars placed onto them so they were supposed to be used as playsets for your trasformers - just some would not fit onto them, but many would. If you are going to talk about playsets for transformer you gotta mention the 1989 Micromaster series and their multiple stations, transprts, command centres and bases. Those were playsets that fit the micromaster transformers and adhered to the transformers theme of transformations - since these were stations hiding as regular gas stations, restaurants or workstations and transforming into battle stations - those were playsets as you could fit multiple micromasters into them and you could combine several playsets and form a micro "city" for your micromasters. I had the decepticon greaspit and it was quite fun, but I sure wish I had more. I couldn't afford many of the bigger transformers but even I could affort a set of 4 micromasters and 1 hidden stations to play.

[@kba702]

The only figures Metroplex and Trypticon work with are the Combiners and the Autobot mini-cars. The rest of the line is too big. And Trypticon is essentially just a big ramp, having sacrificed any potential play features for the battery-powered walking gimmick.

[@detpackman]

@@kba702 yeah just because some of the bigger figures couldn't interact with them doesn't make them "not playsets " there are things in other toy lines that wouldn't always fit in there playsets but those are seen as "playsets" for that line . Transformers main issue is there scale is all over the place due to how hasbro put together the line in the first place with this mix of toys from this JP lines . so while metroplex and the others scale well with the micro car line they didnt pair well with the larger figures

[@MikeAshkewe]

@@mateuszkwietowicz2470 some of the micromaster sets looked cool but weren’t my thing. I seem to recall a commercial where they had all the micromasters in a playset like formation and combined

[@mateuszkwietowicz2470]

@@kba702 some people seem to forget these were toys designed for children to play with... and children have different toys... would it be so impossible to see a kid playing with his metroplex, fortres maximus, trypticon or scorponok and his micro machines, hot wheels or lego? I sure can.... if it can be played with with other toys on it - it's a playset. Also, most playsets were too small to actually play with other toys - they were usually a display piece and a "home base" for your figures to stand in - all the while the "battlefield" would be your rug, or your local sandbox....

[@Nick-zj2bv]

ive always loved this playset but have never seen anyone review it. So happy you got one to review.

[@THE14THPRIME229]

I had this playset in the 80s . All cardboard . We got it from Dollar General in Maryland for 15.00💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@galbyman]

I received this play set as a kid. Thank you for bringing back some memories.

[@aworldmadeofcardboard3692]

I missed out on these cardboard playsets. I remember seeing the STARS and Warren Playsets, I never got them. Still, as a cardboard hobby enthusiast, I LOVE THESE! I really enjoyed this video. FANTASTIC WORK!

[@scifisamnyc7404]

My brother and i actually owned this playset back then. And yes it was a fragile cardboard structure. Carelessness eventually led to it's demise when the moments of "cheap crap has another tear" was more often than "just use imagination". Really cool to see it again in this video after all these years. Thank you.

[@lightningninja6905]

I love the combination of positive and negative videos on this channel. Hearing Michael sincerely talk about something he appreciates is just as fun as seeing him rip a product a new one.

[@aviatordanz]

The City Bots can be both and there's... no issue? I don't see the problem with saying they can be both playsets and bots themselves, that's the lines whole gimmick. As for scale, sure, some of the bigger carbots and up don't scale, but the mini bots and especially the Scramble City bots that were made to interact with Metroplex and Trypticon certainly do, and Transformers IN G1 would go on to do an entire line of playsets.

[@retroblasting]

Whatever

[@MikeAshkewe]

As cool as some of the mini bots & micro masters were, it’s not as cool as an in scale play set. Even the new Titans don’t totally do either ( maybe Metroplex & Fort Max with some of the new guys, Brunt / Slammer / Sixgun come to mind) Wonder how big a play set would have to be in good scale for deluxes / voyagers for Seige going forward. Just wondering

[@vinnyvinson]

Transformers fandom needs to pick a lane”….by that logic Scarlett is a play set.😂😂😂😂

[@mrsamaritan6881]

Well, the logic is not wrong...

[@chrisvainio]

I was doing chores and that line brought me back to the video😅

[@beepster991]

With that logic, Baroness should include a whip, dungeon and own "1-976" number..

[@WyzGyzEntertainment]

I used to collect transformers but never heard of this playset. Activity center always makes me think about a small kids coloring set with crayons, colored pencils, stickers and stamps.

[@brianbuchmeier]

I literally just found out about this at BotCon last week when I saw someone selling one. I was tempted to pick it up but ultimately passed. Now thanks to Michael I'm realizing I kind of need it.

[@treebotreviews]

DUDE SAME!!!!

[@mechaplatypus82]

Thanks, Michael. I never knew this thing existed. Entertaining and educational as always. 👍

[@Cyberrat629]

This is pretty amazing! I had never heard of any of these before this, thanks for sharing!

[@joscco]

Thank you for doing this video. I had this set as a kid, and it was so great. Haven't thought of it in many years until now.

[@danielalvarez8729]

As an avid and lifelong G1 collector, I've always wanted Hasbro to give us a playset for our Transformers. I used to imagine a Giant Unicron head as being a playset as an idea. I was never really into cardboard playsets. To me, a real playset is made of plastic and it's far more sturdy and durable than cardboard..

[@Gijoeandstarwarsguy]

Oh man I remember this clearly years ago! At my Kmart! I wanted it so bad but my parents said no! So I made my own with cardboard and construction paper. Mine was a terrible parody of the factory printed and die cut pieces! Nice to see it again!

[@PhantomHarlock78]

Should be golden color like the Ark.

[@retroblasting]

What part of "This isn't a recreation of the Ark" did you miss? Get your brain checked.

[@lunarvision]

Excellent video! Never knew of this. I love learning about obscure, forgotten 80’s toys.

[@Dilios_of_Sparta]

Michael in Soundwave's voice: "Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak . . . eject. Operation: Playset Track Down." Very nice work, Michael. You always do really in-depth research for your videos--I very much appreciate it!

[@mr.d6486]

i will always be there qwhen retroblasting posts transformers content

[@BrappyHour]

I was listening to the livestream which you and the others were talking about this. Thanks for making a video about it!

[@texasbeast239]

I forgot about this because I never gave it much credit in the first place. I lumped it in with the non-Hasbro electric racetracks and and microphones. The STARS set seems so junky now, but I sure wanted it back then, because it was official. I still want a STARS shoulder patch, even now. And I also consider the goofy electric racecars legit too, just to make the G1 robot roster even bigger in my mind. My little brothers and I just built a fort in the living room and imagined it was the Ark. A lot of the fun was in the custom construction process anyway. Now they have made an actual Ark spaceship, admittedly at a very small scale, but they had to go and turn it into a transforming robot, too.

[@dustinkordish]

I didn’t have a lot of Transformers, but I did have this set and it got a ton of use - from the few TFs I did have, to the GI Joes I was more focused on primarily, to even my Matchbox/Hot Wheels/Stompers. I loved it, and despite the limited durability of the cardboard construction, I made it last throughout my childhood

[@Spideysuperiorfoe]

2:25 they could though,as could other figures from the minibot/combiner limb/throttlebot range,and they are playsets in there own right. Takara expanded on this in "car robots 2000" by giving there repaint of fort max a playmat

[@retroblasting]

If it isn't compatible with the "Optimus Prime" scale vehicles, it's worthless. [Slow wanking motion with hand]

[@tecpaocelotl]

Interesting. I'll be honest, oddly, I didn't know there were toys until the 90s even though I saw the tv show in the 80s. Lol.

[@retroblasting]

What was it like being raised by wolves?

[@philipho188]

Good stuff as always!!

[@Christolclear101]

I’ve heard about this set, but I’d quickly forget about it. Thanks for bringing attention to this set, more collectors need to know about this sets existence.

[@robertsinfiniterealms1308]

I cannot believe you put Scarlett in that position, mostly because I used to put her in that position (I was a weird kid) 🤣🤣🤣. Ok this was cool, I have only the Vaguest memory of this existing, and I remember people would tell me I was mistaken. But I also never realized it wasn't a Hasbro product. Now it all makes sense. Thank you, sir.

[@secaII]

Great video!

[@Fauntleroy.]

Oh my gosh!!! I had this, but I had completely forgotten it. Wow! Thank you for this trip down memory lane! I remember getting mine shortly before Transformers: the Movie came out and continuing to use it through at least 1988 when I got Powermaster Optimus Prime.

[@yesterlandtoys1138]

Very cool video Michael! I had never heard of that play set! It must of been hell for kids trying to keep it intact!

[@h.b.hatecraft953]

Diaclone, the original Japanese Transformers had tiny 1/72 scale action figures that came with the robots and would fit inside of them in vehicle form.

[@retroblasting]

yep...

[@Nicopelli]

Awesome video, I know of this playset, but I've never got a good look at it till now. Thank you!

[@saimaidar9417]

Oh wow, I had completely forgotten about this, I had one but it is long since gone, thank you for sharing this.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

I remember seeing this exactly ONCE in a store. I didn't have any money at the time so I never bought it, and never saw it again until now. If my brother hadn't also been present, I wouldn't have even been sure I actually saw it.

[@bossbradley]

I love this channel!!!

[@MrTsToys]

Fantastic video! I loved it.

[@retroblasting]

Thank you!

[@draigon]

The logic of the city bots not being playsets just because some larger figures were too big for them is really strained. By that logic Most GI Joe bases failed because they couldn't accommodate all the vehicles. Optimus's trailer was technically a playset. I had an original Scorpinok and while it wasn't the most impressive base ever, it certainly had more play features than this thing.

[@retroblasting]

Sorry you strained yourself.

[@rorylumley4727]

i would argue fortress maximus acts as a playset for minibots and some other smaller figures. The other city bots might be streaching that.

[@TimHayes]

Excellent video Michael!

[@PerthComics]

Wow. Thanks for teaching me something new

[@portland-182]

Great stuff. Love the T-shirt too!

[@lucidebass3]

I never knew this existed! Thanks for doing this video.

[@birddogg62]

It’s good to see a retroblasting toy/playset review, feels like it’s been awhile.

[@retroblasting]

Make sure you check the channel page because a lot of people miss videos because they rely on youtube "subscriptions" which are not at all reliable.

[@Tinytraveler]

The crowd boo'ing you was gold. I feel you're overlooked for your sense of humor. Wishing you the best!

[@Theover4000]

I was reading about this the other day! Very cool!

[@Artsandcraftsweirdos]

Very nicely done!!!

[@ninobrown5110]

Cool! Thanks for this.

[@georgelea4297]

I've never seen or heard about this playset. Thank you Michael for enlightening us all

[@kjpphotography4764]

Great stuff Michael. I had to laugh so hard at that cut in of Duke Scarlett and Snake Eyes! 🤣

[@guyveromega27]

Hasbro's attempt to give Transformers a playset is probably with the legends and then core class figures.

[@TurtleTrackin]

I never saw this. Looks interesting. However, I had many cardboard playsets. I made them myself. I had a cardboard USS Flag, Cobra command center (with a snake throne and a brainwave scanner) a space shuttle for GI Joe (that doubled as a Transformers ship and Klingon Bird of Prey), a Unicorn disembodied head (a feature in G1 Season 3), a swamp cabin base for Zartan, and lots of other gizmos and doohickys. A large long box on its end also substituted for the "Extensive Enterprises" tower. Oh yeah, I had probably a dozen Enterprise bridges, but I kept destroying them. Darn self destruct mechanisms and all that. Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of big toys too - the actual Joe command center, helicopters, tanks, and numerous Transformers. But the cardboard playset was usually either something I saw in a comic book, or something I couldn't wait for. I remember being so happy with my four foot long USS Flag substitute that I wasn't interested in the monster Hasbro was selling.

[@joshwestbrook2157]

I remembered getting a big playset for Christmas around 35 years ago, but i always thought it was a knockoff. You just unearthed a ton of great memories of my childhood!

[@sgmlordmirage2937]

I actually still have mine. I played with this set a lot and the tabs you inset to put it together certainly show that. In one room i had my collection in, i had it set up with all my childhood transformers i got back in the day. Currently it sets on top of my G1 display case back in the box.

[@droiduseruserdroid1731]

I made a playset for the Transformers as a child that was the mountain with the Ark crashed into it. Inside of it, it had control panels, a working elevator, and electric lights. It was made out of a school desk and parts of a Zenith VCR.

[@originaluddite]

That's legendary.

[@varevulf6523]

Great video Michael. Such a trip to see the Ark crew altogether in their homebase.

[@jax2428]

Been buying transformers since 1984 and this is a new one to me.

[@ultramaximusreviews]

I have no memory of this. It looks more like something from GI Joe than Transformers. I feel this was repurposed from another toy line.

[@retroblasting]

Your feelings are not facts. The autobot symbol is clearly designed on it.

[@JackSparrow-df4nk]

The Jetfire hanger could also be the Dinobots chamber they would be kept in until a mission required the Autobots to reactivate them for battle:)

[@seereadnhear]

When it came to building my own Autobot base I used my extra millennium falcon, and a couple of suitcases to make look like a mountain and took part of another playset That was supposed to be teletraan 1 that's how I compensated for them not making an Autobot playset

[@erior9662]

Always learn something new on this channel. I've never seen or even heard of this playset! And yes I was an obnoxious kid who absolutely had to have a figure when the transformer was in vehicle mode which is why I nearly shit my Oshkosh-B'goshs when headmasters came out.

[@Rebelxstudios]

Wow! I actually first learned about this over 10 years ago from a now defunct KZbin channel. At the time I thought they were talking about the mail away playset, until I saw this thing sitting next to Michael.

[@mechamanblade8465]

I didn't know this existed till I started to seriously collect Transformers. I've seen 1 boxed but never assembled. I had no idea of the size of this thing.

[@zetaTF]

Retroblasting posting a new Transformers video. Never thought I'd see the day. Awesome!!

[@ralphg2771]

I had this! I've been telling people for years about this playset and no one can remember it. I'm glad I ran across this video, I feel vindicated!!!! 😁

[@ryanbwags]

You just unlocked a core memory. I saw the stairs and immediately remembered having this. Totally forgot I had it.

[@robertspurgeon281]

I had this as a kid.I got it for Christmas.

[@KingofPotatoPeople]

Fort Max, Metroplex and other city bots were totally play sets……many smaller bots work with them, plus they were designed to interact with the Micromasters and the transforming Micromaster play sets. Including connectable ramps.

[@retroblasting]

If it wasn't designed to work in scale with Optimus Prime and his original boys, it isn't a playset.

[@francoisregis2155]

I remember that set very well a friend of mine found one at the flea market for cheap with the original box. Interesting video thanks for sharing

[@TeamBelmont91]

Well if you argue that cityformers can't be playsets due to their size, there IS a third party Fortress Maximus that might be of interest to you regarding how ridiculously gargantuan it's going to be.

[@cristianof812]

I 1000% never heard of this. Sure, never knowing this existed as a kid makes sense because you’re barely coherent in life. But I’ve never come across this being a thing as an adult collector either.

[@retroblasting]

Funny.... I must have been above average coherent.

[@treebotreviews]

Funny enough Michael, I found out this existed at BotCon last week. Biggest mind f**k of my life finding out about it. They had it set up in a little space they had blocked off to look like a kids room in the 80s filled with TF memorabilia. This was one of them. Great video!

[@bobgerkin3881]

I had both the STARS and the Activity Center. What a blast from the past to see it again.

[@mattbarkley7534]

Metoplex is a play set to be used with scramble city/combiner teams. Originally intended for the Diaclone Jizai Gattai toyline, which consisted of Metroplex, and all the scramble city transformers. The combiner leaders actually have a third mode that connects to the playset.

[@muirdul]

How cool, I never knew this existed!

[@geekshowcase3549]

Had this... and still do!

[@Gappasaurus]

Great coverage of an obscure but undeniably cool bit of TF history, Michael 😁👍 I vaguely recall hearing rumors about this piece swirling around the early collecting community back in the day. Its tab & slot panel construction reminds me of the not-nearly-as-obscure Super Gobot Guardian Headquarters, also by a third-party company, but made out of chipboard, IIRC. I guess the same scale issues brought about its creation as well, as Super Gobots couldn’t fit inside Thruster or the Command Center 😅

[@pmeloun]

Gosh darn it, I learned something today. Thank you, RB. 3 Optimi high to boot.

[@Tabletop_Epics]

I just assumed that kids would accumulate duplicates of Optimus Prime's trailer and arrange them in a grid pattern across their living room floor so they could allow the Transformers to inhabit a trailer park. I'll show myself out.

[@chrismc.8358]

Wow, I remember having Transformers as a kid, and I don't ever recall seeing any playset for them! 😮

[@1comictear]

I love retroblasting toys videos

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

The Pedanticon faction is well represented in this channel.

[@retroblasting]

Yeah, the people in the comments here are just cringe. Drew Lovely is one of the worst.

[@373commanderEd]

44 and never seen or heard of this. Nice video

[@steko9465]

Dropping knowledge as usual.

[@drewg809]

I have no clue where my like and comment went from watching it the first time, but basically I said: I love it!! and now I need to get one!!

[@jordel2010]

I am among those who had this thing way back when, I even used it for other toys, not just TransFormers. Thanks for bringing back some good memories. That Scarlett joke 😅

[@drewwilson9149]

Confirmation that a childhood fever dream was a reality. Like a Mandela effect in reverse.

[@goldenage]

I loved this set. Could find them in the toy section of the supermarket. And they were cheap enough (only a few bucks) so that a child could likely leave the grocery store with one.

[@cerethpainting6606]

That scarlet scene made me spit out my soda!!! Good show sir!! Lol

[@JamesMincks-p7i]

Props to Michael for dragging this playset out and putting it together for this video knowing you have to disassemble it in order to move it or put it away.

[@alanishead]

The old Warren puzzle factory is in Lafayette, Indiana. I would have never imagined they made Autobot bases in there.

[@rochedl]

I had this as a kid, I mainly used it as a base for my green army men. I did not have a lot of access to the transformer toys, but I did have a lot of the army men lol.