What Went Wrong With The Beast Machines Toyline?

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Originally this was called The Problem With Beast Machines Toys but let's be fair, it's more than one.
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Outro Music: Ginger Grant by Derek R. Audette
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#Transformers #BeastWars #BeastMachines #EntertainmentEarth

[@KRBrickBot]

The main purpose of Supreme-sized Cheetor and Nightscream was to assert dominance in the courts and winning fries.

[@incoherentbabbler4636]

Nightscream likes ketchup.

[@heavyiron3.016]

@@incoherentbabbler4636 don’t push it

[@TheRealTHD]

THREE O'CLOCK AT THE FLAGPOLE *BE THERE*

[@deepstrike9750]

You're goddamn right

[@Rabbitlord108]

Now I have a question. Can the toys stay up right while T-Posing?

[@fanboyofabandonedthings481]

I think the main problem being that instead of actually, well, transforming, they basically just shapshift, which doesn't really lend itself to a proper transformation without just having it be half parts-forming, something its predecessor didn't have a problem with, since the robots and transformations were designed to make sense. even including kibble in certain places. Granted it was mainly because the animation models in Beast Wars were directly based off the toys, but they still included some kibble on the animation models which allowed them to still be JUST accurate enough.

[@wyldefyr4116]

the chariots and riders make it seem like takara were trying to tie in the battle beasts into the beast saga, which battle beasts were part of the transformers line in Japan

[@ianroe1076]

I think part of the issue is also that Beast Machines wasn't revolutionary like Beast Wars was. It's trying to be a sequel to a series whose ingenuity reinvigorated a then-dead franchise. I don't think it ever could have been as popular, sort of like how none of the live action movies have ever relived what the 2007 film did.

[@treebotreviews]

When people ask me I always blame it on the designs not having any liberties taken with the kibble and don’t do anything creative. It was always. Straighten out the beast mode and change the head around. Now with the vehicles that’s a different story.

[@bryanmerel]

Part of the charm of Transformers, and super sentai Robots is that even on the cartoon or show model, you can see how their transformation make sense. It wows you with the engineering marvel of either the combination or the transformation of those robots. Showing them on a plausible step by step makes you intrigued, and ignite your desire to experience doing that transformation IRL on an actual Tangible object, presumably a Toy. It also shows you the intelligence and care for details of the creative heads that produce the show. Beast Machines making all the shortcuts and basically making the transformation some sort of Techno Magic BS removes all that charm. That is why i cannot stomach the Michel Bay films as well.

[@treebotreviews]

@@bryanmerel I agree with all of it except for the part about Michael Bay characters. Respectfully of course. But there’s a place for everything kn those models and they really aren’t that hard to follow in shots where they show complete transformations. Good examples would be bumblebee in dark of the moon, lockdown, and Optimus in the first movie.

[@bryanmerel]

@@treebotreviews agree. Also, it helps that China loves Beyformers. They love th so much actually, that their bordering Black Magic Level, clever engineers ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE to translate the CGI transformation ALMOST ONE IS TO ONE into toys. XD and i actually appreciate them for it. Too bad those Chinese 3rd Party Transformer toys can be hella expensive. 😅

[@mechanwhal6590]

@@bryanmerelThe Bayverse at least gives its characters enough moving parts that you can see where a transformation *might* be possible. Beast Machines *doesn’t.*

[@TMNTransformerz]

This video should be 24 hours long

[@Deceptiwolf]

You are not alone in your assessment. You can see kernels of ideas sprinkle all over, yet, the end results are problematic.

[@sethmurphy7243]

The RID and Universe redecos of BM molds show the toys work much better once they’re free of clear plastic and the noxious colors.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

There was one huge problem: all the designs, both toys and the cartoon, were extremely ugly. They could only change from one weird-looking ugly thing into a slightly different weird-looking ugly thing. I don't think the line would've fared any better if the toys had been show accurate. When the show was airing, my brother bought this bootleg Optimus Primal toy that actually was extremely show accurate, although it didn't really have much of a "transformation". I don't remember exactly how it worked, but I think it was pretty much just his head flipped around to change between robot and gorilla. I still have no idea where the bootleggers got this toy design from. It was not based on any of the official toys. This was way before third-party toys were a thing.

[@greengald6252]

Accuracy was the biggest weakness. Alot of the non show characters were cool though.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

Buzzsaw and Hammerstrike in Legacy when?

[@mrzirak792]

@@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho Longhorn and Nightviper please😭 Both could even keep their transformation and be a core class guys.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

@@mrzirak792 Smart person

[@JeffreyPiatt]

Battle Unicorn needs to be a Transformers Crossovers figure with My Little Pony G4

[@LowellLucasJr.]

You know, it's kind of strange that the American fans complained about the original Beast Wars characters looking to animalistic while Japan loved it! Then, when America did the transmetals to make them more technorganic or machine-like, Americans loved it but Japan hated it! So I think a further evolution of that with Beast Machines just kind of cemented the Toy lines fate visually; in addition to these issues you brought up!

[@blue18404]

Different cultures. I loved the vehicons but hated the Maximals

[@jamesblanco7323]

Watching the show, I thought the aesthetics of most of the Maximals didn’t make much sense to be made into transforming toys, especially Savage/Noble. The Vehicons made a lot more sense to me as transformers, but even they were far off compared to the show. Part of me would love to snatch a Beast Changer toy for the novelty, or Obsidian or something.

[@SlothMageRohck]

I remember getting Nightscream for Christmas as a kid and its leg breaking off the first time I tried transforming it. Why they thought making a the hips transparent plastic was okay is beyond me.

[@Mothbean]

How will he ask for extra ketchup now?

[@brettwood1351]

No TJ, the aesthetic for Beast Machines didn't work for me either. Show or toys. And while there's a lot I could talk about, I should probably save the more story beat stuff for your show reviews. But I will say two things. This was the first line I nearly skipped, only getting Dinobots, and a few vehicons. Considering how much Beast Wars I bought, and impressive drop off. I was really excited for a new story and new villains, and well it being BW Megatron. Again. Kinda hurt it a lot going out the gate. The sheer degree they didn't follow established characterization also hurt, since what was the point? Honestly the Beast guys had had a great run, and it was time to refresh the franchise again.

[@ZZtheDark]

15:43, not to mention this was the only toyline to give us Magmatron. Technically the first Japanese-only character to be introed in International shores. Victory Saber in Haslab was a huge one. Can't wait to see how you explain BW 2 and Neo's toylines down the line. 17:20, what is that? 0_- 17:43, looks like it came from Daigunder to me. Something that looks like it came from somewhere else. 19:19, looking forth to that Plastic addict vid.

[@legogodzilla]

You also forget one thing: The toys are gimmicky as hell! Seriously, every deluxe class toy had at least 2 gimmicks, plus still had a standard of articulation and transformation, unlike Armada. This, combined with the aforementioned clear plastic several figures designed to be skinny as heck, made a lot of figures feel rickety. The engineering on these figures had to be a nightmare. Vehicons got away from it because they were blockier, but I have Deluxe Thrust and that figure is made of pure raw jank.

[@dunkanbulk14]

RED might just be Beast Machine's last hope for show accurate toys

[@silenceenigma587]

Maybe Legacy will do it in the near future?

[@ZZtheDark]

Botanica would have knocked it out of the park in that toyline. She's due for a toy.

[@walterlopez5054]

RED, ew no. Hasbro can do accurate beast machines. T30 tankor is proof of this he was just too small.

[@mrzirak792]

@@walterlopez5054 man imagine scale accurate Tankor, its Leader or Commander at least,he wiuld ultimately stomp Core Rattrap (I would love Core Class BM Rattrap btw)

[@mrzirak792]

@@silenceenigma587 Legacy G1-fy characters a lot, so I think its very possible, though i wonder if Beast Modes gonna look more like G1 or more like Beast Wars. I also would love to see Legqcy figures of offscreen guys like Nightviper or Longhorn, with same transformation pattern.

[@bungieman2810]

I actually prefer the toy designs over the show models

[@mrzirak792]

I actually prefer some toy exclusive characters to show ones: Nightviper, Longhorn, Skydive, Hammerstrike, Snarl, Quickstrike and even Dinobots' T-Wrecks with Triceradon, i wish they were actually used, i wouldnt even mind if some of them die during the show or gets Vehicon'ed (I can see Longhorn turining into Blastcharge and Skydive turning into Spy Steak).

[@butchdeadlift10]

I remember how sad and small megatron was in that line

[@JeffreyPiatt]

he didn't change his body as the vehicon commander so they could have repackaged the TM2 megatron with the new interface mask parts. they opted to sell a cheaper version of the expensive toy with a revised robot mode with wing cape.

[@SamanthaS92]

"The Way I See It, Life Is A Pile Of Good Things And Bad Things. The Good Things Don't Always Soften The Bad Things, But Vice Versa, The Bad Things Don't Always Spoil The Good Things Or Make Them Unimportant."

[@krimsonklaww611]

Personally wish they'd remake Beast Machines figures for Legacy, try to make them look like the show or at least G1-ify them and get something good out of the designs, like with Legacy Prime Universe.

[@mrzirak792]

I think Vehicons drones are perfect targets to be G1fied, as well Toy exclusive maximals could be cool, considering Legacy keep releasing some no-name guys from time to time. Or maybe they could at least repaint Wingfinger as Beast Machines' Skydive.

[@blasterblaster1221]

Beast machines was an odd toyline alright....i have gotten a few in later years including a nib obsidian...which is a very acurate figure minus the paintjob...and i also have one of the few examples of toy exclusive characters gone right with beast machines quick strike which is honestly just a fun toy to mess with

[@PhilcomX]

It also took a long time for the toys to come out after the show already started. With Beast Wars the toys were out before the series began, but Beast Machines the toys weren't out for like months. And even then wave one only had Optimus, Cheetor, Jetstorm, and Tankor, if you wanted show characters.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

They didn’t wait until the designs were finalized. Plain and simple. It’s why the later BM toys (Blast Punch Primal, Night Slash Cheetor, the Tank and Jet Drones, Air Attack Primal which is totally still a BM toy) were so much better, and even then there were still misfires like Strika and Obsidian. If there’s anything I want to see in Legacy’s successor, I want Beast Machines and I want it BAD (at least a good take on Cheetor and a show-accurate Nightscream that’s so good that it makes fans angry at how good he is compared to his wavemates).

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

How is obsidian a misfire?

[@seannoone2474]

​​@@diegodankquixote-wry3242 exactly i have him and hes great exept his size and coulor scheme probs could do with an update but was a great fig for the time tbh most vehicons save blastcharge and the gimic toys where

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

Obsidian’s too small and inaccurately colored (unless you snagged the Japanese version). Should’ve been a Mega at the very least

[@seannoone2474]

@@EternityKingdomsHeadHonchorealy want legacy to do him and strika

[@cahillrebel]

Tbh it’s really hard, even today, to do toylines for a show that’ll match the final designs 100% unless the designs are simple. Having a toyline at the show’s launch was a huge thing back then, so this stuff happens. But this line already had weird design choices on top of that.

[@muigokublack6487]

The question should be what went right cause that's the shorter list!

[@dn22pkkdd476]

Everything.....

[@pnkpanther8529]

I know this isn't exactly related to the specific topic of the video, but I will never understand the existence of Botanica. Especially since it was apparently Hasbro's idea to add a character never intended to have a toy. Add literally any character from the toy line that went unused. If they want to keep a Transformer with a one-of-a-kind alt mode, use Battle Unicorn (yes that is a real Transformer from this show's toy line). Or Magmatron, he's a rather unique fellow (although that would create another continuity nightmare for the Japanese timeline, on top of the 20 it already has).

[@rayvenkman2087]

When you have a show that had some involvement from Dan ‘Anti-Continuity’ Didio, it was never to turn out well without complications.

[@VZMkII]

Oh and that basic Scavenger toy was fantastic.

[@dylansmith1995]

That skybolt concept is pretty much what we got for the deluxe Jetstorm.

[@SuperGamefreak18]

The astethic losing the character...that is a good point...I always felt like the series as a whole did the beast modes GREAT...even silverbolt's were pretty great though the robot mode felt wierd...and I guess that fits.

[@KamisamanoOtaku]

I know it is stupid, but every time Beast Machines, I can't help but ponder: What if Hasbro had realized "Hey, what if we made the Vehicon Generals and their drones into combiners?" ... Yes, I'm *weird.* Still, it'd be an even bigger budget saver than the Energon Combiners were; one torso with four of the same toy as a limb!

[@augustbornone]

Like something ala Machine Robo Rescue? That would be cool.

[@TheStriderSyd]

Although I didn't hate this series, I didn't like it either. My biggest gripes also being the show's overall characters designs and art aesthetic....but I did like how they did everybody's eyes. The only toys I picked up from this line was Tankor, Optimus Primal (1st one), and Black Arachnia. I never had a problem the techno-organic concept being in TF lore....so long as it was in a limited capacity. Making all of Cybertron and all TF's organic was going way too far.

[@scottsummers5994]

To be honest, the story to beast machines was pretty good, I liked the dark tone and some ideas explored, the actual animation design change from beast wars was very caring for me, and some of the personality changes bothered me as well, like Optimus prime basically becoming a hippie as opposed to say a warrior monk as he usually is perceived.

[@_V.Va_]

Warrior Monk or Warrior Monke?

[@scottsummers5994]

@@_V.Va_ warrior monk, a pacifist, but also fights because he has to protect those he cares about. Optimus primal in beast machines was so wrapped up in the spiritual side of thinks it was almost psychedelic

[@DragonxFlutter]

Plastic Addict Idea: The stuff that deserves to be on the show, but you can't write a full script for.

[@VZMkII]

Other than the robot mode head, I used to like the BM Rattrap toy.

[@queen_sectonia]

you know this guy is a great transformers channel if soundwave is a patreon member

[@benjaminwiseman6567]

I loved a lot of the Beast Machines toys. Admittedly, I also love translucent plastic and spring-loaded missiles. Some of my favorites in the line were the deluxe Optimus Primal, Jetstorm (and his repaints), Spy Streak, Night Slash Cheetor, Blastcharge, and my overall favorite, Tankor. If we're counting Dinobots, the T-Wrecks was a pretty cool repaint. Anyway, I didn't care even as a kid that they weren't accurate to the show as long as they were cool toys, and there were a lot of cool toys.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

Truly a man of class and taste.

[@eshaw2115]

I actually gave my Beast Machines away to Goodwill.

[@RialVestro]

So I will admit this toy line had a lot of problems... I mean A LOT of problems. However despite those issues this was the first toy line that I actually bought every figure from. I didn't think the Maximals worked as Transformers and the "transtech" didn't make sense because except for Rattrap no one had anything "tech" about them, they just looked alien organic so I imagined them as entirely organic creatures. The vehicons I really loved and actually because the designs in the show don't even look physically possible I actually thought the toys looked better than the show designs. I didn't hate Nightscream like everyone else seemed to but I do still agree that toy is just way too big to be fun for a kid to play with. That toy is actually why I don't like large figures at all. I wish every character had a figure that was scaled to deluxe because I've always felt like that is the best size class in terms of price and play-ability for a child to actually be able to afford and have fun with. Anything larger than deluxe is like a Birthday and Christmas combined to be able to even afford and then they're just so big and complicated for a kid to transform that they end up not even really getting played with as much. As a collector they also take up far too much space especially any character who has WINGS! One oddity you didn't mention is that Obsidian actually came out early in the toy line LONG before he was ever a character in the show but Strika was a character in the show first before her toy was released so I already had Obsidian not knowing he was even going to be in the show and Blastcharge actually stood in as my Strika for a while until her toy was released. The Dinobots subline wasn't really confusing at all... other than I keep forgetting it even existed during Beast Machines and not Beast Wars where those molds make more sense... because they are literally Beast Wars toys.

[@zyggybaranowski6852]

Giant transformers toys only work for base forms or alt modes designed to sit still. Fortress maximus, metroplex, omega supreme, g1 scorponok. Their size doesn't hinder them because you aren't doing awesome action poses. You're using them as giant background pieces and bases, which are supposed to remand stationary while you move around it.

[@TheRealDustinNunn]

It's too bad that there was never a toy version of Beast Machines Botanica in the works.

[@mrzirak792]

I saw some 3D printable Botanicas.

[@lewisgraham4174]

I had the first Optimus primal figure and always wondered why he looked so different to the show.

[@ORLY911]

its funny how we did actually get classic characters from this show though with the vehicons, Obsidian, Jetstorm, Tankor. While their toys weren't accurate either, they were still good toys compared to the maximals.

[@Ranma_Leopard]

Very enjoyable and cool video

[@miketate3445]

I would love accurate representations of most of these designs. Whatever the faults were, they're not with the designs seen on screen.

[@Cdr2002]

“I am taking a crowbar and bludgeoning it like it’s Jason Todd” - TJ Omega, 2023

[@jeebus2313]

You know, sometimes you get a good show and a bad toyline, or a bad show and a good toyline. And then sometimes you get both. I'd consider Beast Machines a perfect example of the latter.

[@CaptainAshSpearow]

I definitely enjoyed the show growing up, but even today; I'm still astonished how the McDonald's premium for Nightscream was more show-accurate than his figurine in the main toyline (among others).

[@Mothbean]

I think the Thrust McDonald's toy is way more egregious in that regard. Hell, TFWiki even mentions that in its image caption

[@neolabcustoms]

Beast machines deserved to be so good.

[@carvercordes]

One exception to the toys being a letdown may be Rat Trap. This toy definitely won me over all by itself. Aside from the members of my G1 collection that remained after my brother sold off most of it in duress, Beast Machines Rat Trap is the toy that has been in my collection the longest. About 20 years ago my friend had found it at the Goodwill for a couple of bucks. She brought it over to my house and a few of us figured out how to transform it while watching a movie on DVD. It was fun to discover features like multiple alt modes, the blades coming out of the wheels articulated jaws and the tail turning the head gimmick. Revealing the mechanical rat that was similarly sized to a real one was a great surprise. This was also fun because we didn't have access to instructions and did not know what any mode was supposed to look like when finished so much of fun was solving the puzzle. She gave it to me afterward and I have to say that the toy was so fun to play with and figure out that I appreciate it and continue to have little to no interest in the source material or other toys in that line or other versions of Rat Trap.

[@StevenDolce]

I! AM! TRANSFORMED!

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

I've almost collected all the vehicon molds, and honestly almost all of Range from ok to god tier. I'm only missing ultra-class jetstorm, Mechatron, and the tank drone.

[@SixshotRevan]

I've gotten most of the Vehicon releases too. I'm only missing Ultra Jetstorm, Mechatron, and Sonic Attack Jet. I highly recommend tracking down the Tank Drone if you can. He was one of the most show-accurate and entertaining molds.

[@shawnkarg3794]

The stylistic choices were the worst part of Beast Machines. Had the animation models been more in line with Beast Wars, and the toys followed that trend, it could have worked. Hasbro put the cart before the horse, like they forgot that the cartoon was supposed to sell toys, and then they made toys didn't even match the cartoon.

[@rayvenkman2087]

Even now, I could never warm to the BM Maximals designs because they look so drastically different from their BW selves barring Cheetor’ classic cheetah motif and Blackarachina’s TM2 purples being carried over. The sheer fact we haven’t gotten any CHUG updates of them barring Titanium’s BM Cheetor is either evidence of them unwilling to deal with the engineering nightmares of the designs or they’re just ashamed of ever signing off of those designs.

[@shawnkarg3794]

@@rayvenkman2087 Totally agree. I thought the writing was really good, even though I didn't care for some of the changes they made to characters like Rhinox. Buy yeah, those designs were distracting right up to the final episode. And the toys were a total dumpster fire.

[@monmakes1722]

I mean I have this feeling that some of the Toy Designs are better than the show While Jetstorm is inaccurate to the show, being less Sleek and more Bulky, I kinda like some of the aesthetic choices that the toy brings out. I wish that if HasTak ever revisit the BM Cast (or at least the Vehicons) that they try to make a design that retains the Sleek nature of the Show, while still giving him stuff from the Toy to make him more Practical while still keeping the Simplicity of the design. Jetstorm with a sorta Gas Mask (I think that's what it is) looks cool to me.

[@kdogg625]

I also lost my hammer strike to clear plastic. I gotta say I've come to appreciate the toys alot more in recent years but also havent watched the show since it aired. I think as a toy jetstorm and strika would have been impossible.

[@williammckinley1035]

The only thing I really didn't like about Beast Machines toys is they were a bit hard to track down. It seemed like my local retailers only got one box of one wave. I ended up ordering a bunch of them and think I have a majority of them. I liked the toys and I wish the cartoon went at least another season, so we would end up with more characters, but that never happened.

[@randomreviews6780]

Love you TJ. Thanks for the content.

[@g0694]

I really do hope we get to see some of the beast machines designs in Legacy. Especially The vehicons

[@mrzirak792]

I hope Legacy will have Vehicons and Toyline exclusive guys, idc about scale accurate show maximal cast though.

[@Alverant]

This was the line I decided not only to get a complete collection, but two of everyone so I could sell one later.

[@SixshotRevan]

I had the MOL deployer in blue-green colors. He was the first Transformer I never opened, because A. I didn't want it (gift), and B. I thought I could sell it a few years later when its value increased. Well, nobody on Ebay wanted him, and he's still in-packaging in my closet to this very day.

[@alainwolf146]

I would love to see Masterpiece figures of the Beast Machines designs.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

Fuck Yeah.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

I still want either Hasbro, or any 3rd/4th party company to take a crack at a show accurate Beast Machines Megatron. Make a scarred up Transmetal 2 Megatron, add the helmet and cloak, you get a dragon mode, a robot mode, a cloak mode and you can probably throw in some other crazy mode to make it a quadruple changer. Imagine the playstyles and options. Megatron's Beast Machine's design was too good to waste on the toys we got of him from the show.

[@someonewhocommentsonyoutub3779]

With everything that went wrong, I'm surprised you never touched on the character designs being just ugly as sin

[@TheRealTHD]

For me, and this obviously applies to the show as well, like almost all of the characters were just straight up ugly and weird, with garish designs and colors. First impressions matter a lot. I dropped off the cartoon because it was just so different from what I was expecting from a Beast Wars sequel, and the toys were the same. Just a total turn off.

[@rayvenkman2087]

I could deal with TAS Joker getting turned into TNBA Joker and SA Dr Eggman being turned into 2006 Dr Eggman but I can never deal with any of the BM Maximals from BW. I would even rank Transmetal Optimus Primal’s fugly angry monkey face above the BM Gutman if he was designed in a misinterpretation of the Star Wars TCW Season 1 style.

[@SkyStarNova]

I love the series story and setting. I hate the character designs though. Whoever did them and whoever approved them should be extremely ashamed of themselves, just absolute garbage. I do give credit where credit is due, as with the TFA toys, the BM toyline was a very hard sell but in time they did course correct and made some excellent looking figures. Even if they looked like crap because most of the designs did. Sadly at the start of the line it really shows that they were working with art already rejected, making the first wave a huge disappointment, because we as fans would either like or dislike the designs but we all agree that they should at least look like their animation counterparts, not completely different.

[@havokan45]

Beast Machimes Nightscream flash back to me makes me think he Maybe was Rumble .

[@NerdyTransformed]

As a kid obsessed with Transformers in the late 90s/Early 2000s, I actively asked my parents to get me Power Rangers instead. Something about the aesthetics and transformations just didn't click with kid me. Today, I think its because a lot of the figures just feel... half finished. Like even complete in box, it feels like their somehow missing pieces

[@toysmostwanted]

I was waiting for Vangelus' son to show up. Didn't disappoint.

[@SuperKingofthings]

i still have no idea if i transform skydive right but i think he looks cool at least.

[@rodrickadamginsburg8960]

Even though most of the line was a mess, there was definitely still some major hits… rat trap, the real jet storm… For example, were very well done!

[@romaincooper1310]

What went wrong What went right 😨

[@muigokublack6487]

That's the shorter answer.

[@Noizemaze4]

Nothing went wrong, they were just ..... Slllllightly less desirable than other TF toys :P

[@weirdkitty07]

Yes Nightscream did break easily. During our fan film, he broke during a take, so we ended up having to dub in him being shot by a Vehicon. :)

[@towzone]

The unavailability of the toys was a major contributing factor to the failure. I didn’t even know this show existed at the time. The only toys I purchased were random finds during my regular toy hunts.

[@BainesMkII]

What killed Beast Machines for me, not in any particular order: I didn't care for the TV series. I thought the physical character designs were terrible, either animal/vehicle form or robot form or both. The toy designs were even worse. The toys were wildly out of scale. Honestly, everything about the entirety of Beast Machines seemed like a hot mess of bad ideas, even more so when compared to what Beast Wars achieved. (It also managed to look horribly cheap at pretty much every level.)

[@kevsil616]

Beast Machines toys were atrocious. The only positive was when they started adding the Beast Wars Neo figures as part of the wave. Thankfully because of that I've got a Magmatron that I didn't have to pay a ridiculous price for.

[@nextgenwarrior]

I think a big element not really touched on here is the aesthetic. You mentioned the clash of plastic types and colors, sure, but it's more than just that. Beast Machines was just plain ugly. The characters were not pleasant to look at on screen and the toys took ugly designs and made ugly toys out of them. Even if they were more accurate and used more finalized designs they would still be ugly. And not even the good kind of ugly.

[@Nin_the_Shinobi]

I definitely prefer the toy designs for Cheetor and Jetstorm than the show designs

[@TrapToise]

I still wish we could have gotten Transtech, man just seeing some of those concept designs kick ass I would absolutely loooooove to get a show in that aesthetic that early 2000’s futuristic sci-fi vibe

[@EungsuLee]

What went wrong, ye ask? *IT NEEDED MOAR BADASS VEHICONS!*

[@SuperOmega53]

Beast machines Rav (blue) was my first transformer so I love that one deployer (though he is easily the best mold of the 3) Yeah beast machines is a weird line

[@mattr75]

I've heard Night Viper is one of the better figures from Beast Machines

[@jasonparis5635]

The only thing that I liked in beast machines was the vheicons They were great while the maximals was horrible

[@viraticwars]

I hated the show. It really put a bad taste in my mouth after the relatively excellent Beast Wars.

[@grayj7441]

I painted Blastcharge red to become Autolauncher

[@chadderbug7587]

I heard a weird story about Ultra Nightscream. The designer came in that day really liking the character and design so much that he begged for them to make a nice big figure of NS. He was later fired the next day

[@phereakazoid]

I love Cheetor.. I would like to get the Supreme figure..

[@AlexReynard]

Naw, i feel you on the aesthetic. Beast Machines is one of my favorite toylines, but that's because I like the craziness. I adore Blastcharge. Yes, they were throwing stuff at the wall to see what stuck. They feel like Rob Liefeld designed them. What can I say? I like jank.

[@Cdr2002]

Hoping to see some of these on plastic addicts

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Don't forget the dinobots! They made up half the toyline!

[@rayvenkman2087]

The real Maximum Dinobots. At least we got a Magmatron we were able to get without importing it for a fee and and G1 OP homage Primal Prime.

[@Benjamin0119]

The screen accuracy was WAY off. When I saw the show, and how detailed and elaborate the designs were, and the transformations, I had no idea how the toys would replicate it. The toys came out and it seemed like they didn't even try. I didn't know about the time issue and using early design concepts. Still, I think even with having finalized designs, they would have been difficult to replicate, but, could have been a lot better than what we got. Beast mode Primal is inaccurate and also horrifying. The scale was bad. I skipped the main Rattrap and Nightscream toys and used the Happy Meal versions for my collection. The toys are poorly designed and also fragile. My Mega Cheetor has some busted limbs. And after taking Ultra Jetstorm out of storage... the metallic paint has peeled off. Awful. I actually enjoy the Beast Machines show and characters, but the toys are fraught with problems.

[@wonderwaffle93]

I had a few BM figures - Primal - Megatron - Tankor - Cheetor(the night slash version) - I wanna say Mirage??? - Ultra Class Jetstorm Out of all of them: they where all pretty terrible, from handling and transformation. The only one I actually loved and LASTED was Tankor. I had a huge amount of Beast Wars toys and I remember how even then at a young age I just didn’t like anything from Beast Machines, it didn’t fit the rest of my Beast Wars collection, the toys where pretty hideous and felt almost cheap to me. It’s kinda funny you bring up the Dinobots line, I HONESTLY believed the T-Wrecks was a bootleg just due to the packaging and it wasn’t till a few years ago I dug him out of my collection and researched the line and realized he was legitimate. Really really regret not getting any of the Dinobot line, especially with how we ended up with a good amount of exclusives from JP

[@weirdkitty07]

BM Black Arachnia actually held up pretty well and was present in my modern 2020s fan films in Alt Transformers MUSH, adaptations of the MUSH done during the thing that happened and we couldn't leave the studio, so we did fan films.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

The one thing I'll never forgive the Beast Machines toyline...was how awful all tye Megatron figures were. Rarely any of them warrant attention other than disgust!

[@brettwood1351]

At least Megabolt ended up with unintenional compatiblity with Fortress Maximus. They ever remake that one, they need to do that for Titan class Fort Max, and Scorponok.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

I would kill for a masterpiece styled, show accurate Beast Machines Megatron, with removable helmet and cloak. I love everything about that design and the toy we got of that incarnation was just eh. The McDonald's toy was close, but still just a happy meal toy. MegaHead was fine, for a giant head. But his first form, and his "Optimal" form desperately need better figure representation. 3rd/4th Party companies could easily do it.

[@kray97]

I managed to get Jetstorm back then, but my version was green. I thought that was a decent toy - I still have it around too.

[@ShadowWingTronix]

We also got Mutant Beast Wars around this time but it was an animal that turned into another animal, with a robot head that pops up to say hi. They didn't even have any enemies to fight. The problem with Nightscream was that he has no character arc. He starts out a loner jerk who hates the others and ends the show a loner jerk who hates the others but wants his pet doggy back even though it was actually Megatron the whole time. Nobody really liked him and some of us despised the jerk. It's the same problem I have with Kicker in Energon: no change to the character from start to finish and he starts unlikable.

[@weirdkitty07]

The super Cheetor is a cheap trash bot. The super Jetstorm flaked off immediately. The show came out in 1998-99, so that red one is later.

[@cheesier5153]

Here’s the short answer It was too weird

[@gwenc1371]

I feel like part of BM's problems is that its robot modes were just plain ugly and strange in a Go-Bots Bugbite sort of way. You have treads for legs, wheels for legs, no legs; salad fingers hands, hooks hands, no hands....it all just looks weird, and ugly, and mismatched. Somehow simultaneously high-concept in trying to make two radically different designs work, and profoundly lazy in that it often decided just not to bother with questions like "where are it's legs?"

[@Savage590]

A lot of times those poor decisions were made by the buyer of retailers. When the buyer from Walmart or Target gives an opinion, the manufacturer's team listens. Yes Strika and Blackarachnia weren't made in the right color. But most likely it's some knucklehead buyer who might say something along the line of "pink action figures won't sell", even though they probably have never bothered to watch the show before. And if the company don't want to lose the order, then they'd have to ask the design and production team to change the color. At the end of the day, all that matters is the company making profit. So if you ever wonder why a figure was produced a certain way, it's most likely the due to some money crunching buyer who thinks they know everything.

[@JRJohnson1701]

Their choices of making giant Cheetor and Nightscream was odd. The show was just 'off'. And the figures not being proper scale to each other, and being inaccurate didn't help. But the show was just not appealing. Cheetor was complaining all the time, Rattrap was reimagined as a kid and unsure, Rhinox went evil, Silverbolt became a weird samurai-looking thing.