Me too, but for me I feel that the trailer and roller offered a little more play value. A lot of us already had guns laying around. The scope turret is neat but the trailer/base was just awesome.
My vote goes for the original Soundwave toy as the best of 1984. Seamless alternate mode, fantastic transformation, charismatic and somewhat more poseable than usual robot mode, clever weapons storage, and Buzzsaw as a freebie. No wonder he keeps popping up over and over again whenever HasTak does G1 redos…
the fact that you had a toy gun you could just go "pew pew pew! bssshhhh kpooo" to your friends with AND THEN wip out a little robot that was the gun all along was amazing so I'm glad megs took the #1 spot
For me, Megatron is brought down a bit by his fiddlyness and fragility. And his weapon emplacement is a little too limited to him to really pick up the "battle base" boost. Prime's command center mode brings in interaction with the Autobot cars as a bonus, but the fists bring it down just a smidge. Soundwave doesn't just interact with the cassettes, he integrates them into his own play pattern. And his partsforming is limited to his weapons. Even if you lose them, the robot is complete. So, the final lineup would be 3) Megs, 2) Prime, and 1) Soundwave. But, as you said, this is all down to personal preferences. I wouldn't rag on anyone else's rankings.
I agree with you on Ironhide and Ratchet for that matter. Folks are always comparing the toys to the animation, we have to remember the toys came first. The animators could have done something cool with this mode. Its corky and has a certain nostalgia to him, I dig it.
well, in most cases, they bought the molds from other companies. thats why there are diaclones adaptations, specially here in G1, he explains it in a video. Thats the reason why the toys are not properly scaled also.
One thing I will say in defense of Soundwave is that he did come with one Mini-Cassette, Buzzsaw. So you didn't have to buy the other toys to use the tape gimmick, it just gave you more options.
I was wondering where Shockwave was at first only to realize his Toy came out in 1985. It feels weird considering how early he appeared in both the Comic & TV Show.
The jets are my least favorite of the 1984 bots. With the partsforming and detachable jet fins and giant gaps in vehicle, they feel totally different from the rest of the line. I hope they're redone in the Missing Link line and some of their wierd issues are fixed.
Of the 84 toys that I own, mine are- 1. Hound (my fave Autobot car from all of G1 2. Soundwave 3. Sunstreaker 4. Megatron 5. Wheeljack 6. Bumblebee 7. Starscream 8. Jazz 9. Ravage 10. Cliffjumper
Show idea: covering a list of the TF merchandise outside the actual characters. There was a Bluestreak 3D puzzle, a collector case, a read-along cassette with Cliffjumper, to name a few.
Gonna be honest I did not expect Megatron at number one. When you were going on about how the top 2 were obvious I knew Prime would be one but never expected Megatron
1984- Soundwave 1985- Sludge 1986- Galvatron 1987- Scorpinok 1988- PM Optimus Based upon Engineering and appearance. Please correct me if you have any better examples
I don’t think the toy should be criticised for not matching the cartoon design when the toys came first and Sunbow intentionally changed the design. It was not the toys responsibility to match a cartoon design that had yet to be created.
You should do the same for the 1985 line. Shockwave is an easy contender since he's basically a better version of the Megatron toy and the alt mode make more sense for him as a character.
The playability of Soundwave and Megatron is a huge thing for me. Like, none of these figures have *great* articulation that'd hold up today, but Soundwave and Megatron? I reckon they're just as fun today as they were back then. Also, Cliffjumper supremacy! Love the idea of this, excited to see this series continue, TJ!
Ironhide love! So many people look at this toy and think "Why doesn't he look like the cartoon?" Well, I got this toy the same week the cartoon came out, and my thought was always "Why doesn't he look the toy?" He and Ratchet were such interesting toys, and it is a failure of the animators, not the toys, that they don't match the animation models!
I like what Dreamwave did with his design in War Within, taking elements of the G1 toy (the face behind the windshield) and made it look more "heroic" in proportions. In fact that is the best part of the War Within designs-not only do they give believable Cybertronian forms to the G1 cast (with modern, anime-esque aesthetics), but they even add details from the G1 toys in creative ways (see also how Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp translate the shoulder plylon stickers on the G1 toys into part of the body details (including twin 3-tube missile launchers on Starscream)).
In my “Evolution Revolution” AU, both Ironhide and Ratchet incorporate more details from their toys. Ratchet can detach part of her “labcoat” to form a battlefield operating table; Ironhide can detach part of himself to use as either a shield or a rolling battle platform.
Something i noticed later on is how both the comics and the anination models messed up Megatrons head with the bucket. His toy had horns, the just looked a bit flat. Cybertron Meg/Galvatron has surprisingly a very g1 toy accurate head design with the horns. Same with Megaempress
Ratchethide was great because you got 2 toys in one. Even though the bot felt like it had no head, but the toys didn't really match the toons back then. It's something you just accepted and used your imagination to fill the gaps.
@@Martynde Yes very true. But as a child I knew and cared Fk all about who, what and where my toys came from. All I knew is that for 30 minutes a day, Autobots waged their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons, and I wanted the toys, regardless of how toon accurate they weren't. LOLOL. :)
I think something else that also matters for a list view is repairability that had some kind of problem with my son streaker’s shoulder hinge, and it had the spring loaded things, and I don’t know if that was a custom part or what but I could understand the value in watching a bunch ofvideos that suggested which Transformers toys were repairable or even durable. Good luck with your channel. I was eight turning nine in 1984.
I'd rather have Hound on the list instead of Ironhide. It's true that the original Diaclone version isn't at fault, but the Transformers version can still be seen on its own and hardly anything was done with the Transformers version.
Of my G1 toys from 84, Huffer is my favorite. I understand why he didn't make the list, but I just like his design. Of course I like Soundwave too, but Huffer doesn't get enough love.
I actually did NOT realize that Cliffjumper was the only Minibot with a head that actually looked like the Animation model. Until you said that I assumed that the one that what was on screen was a reissue because they did that with Bumblebee remolding the head to give him a screen accurate face but I looked it up after you said that and you're right, Cliffjumper's original mold already had that face. Ironhide... honestly, I would like the toy more if it actually had the original Diaclone Pilot gimmick but without it the toy on it's own just doesn't work. It's like a Headmaster figure when you lose the head. I know why it's not accurate to the animation model but I'm still going to judge it negatively either way because it doesn't have a head. It's the figure that suffers the worst from the fact that it's suppose to have a pilot. Any other Diaclone figure still works without the pilot because they actually have heads. He just has an obvious chair where the pilot is meant to sit which makes it obvious that the toy is missing something. Accuracy or not it's still a bad toy. It either needs an actual robot head to match the cartoon or a pilot that the Diaclone version would have come with and it has neither so I personally can't justify defending this toy.
I was far too young to remember the original toys when they first came out, only getting my hands on reissues like Bumblebee when G2 was a thing, so it's not like I can argue about something I was hardly there for.
Here’s how I would’ve fixed the “headless“ aspect of Ironhide and Ratchet from 1984. Have the seat fold down to reveal the head from the animation model.
I looked and narrowed down my 10... 10. Huffer: Honestly the only reason he's here is because I actually remember him from the original cartoon in one particular scene where Optimus was injured and he towed Optimus' trailer back to the Ark. As a toy it's very awkward which is why it's so low on the list but I still like him enough to include him. 9. Windcharger: He's rather awkward and boring looking but I included him mostly because Masquerade is one of my favorite G1 episodes and he happens to to be one of the Autobots who had to disguise himself as a Stunticon for that episode. Spoilers for the rest of this list, half of them are on here because they're part of the Fake Stunticon team. 8 Gears: Starting to work better as a figure but also a very memorable character in the cartoon. I probably shouldn't do this considering how the toys don't even look like the animation models anyway but I've always been one to choose my figures based on how much I enjoy the character in the show so while it might not make sense to you to factor the cartoon into it, this is my personal opinion, my list, you're free to have your own criteria. 7. Bumblebee: Last minibot I'm going to include, childhood favorite character so I had to include him even if I have no clue why I even like him anymore. 6. Skywarp: He's always been my favorite color scheme for this mold. I would put him higher but the G1 Seeker mold is very much a partformer. I don't even think you can rotate his wings into the correct position without taking them off and putting them back on. 5. Sideswipe: In my option the most boring of the Autobot cars. I think it's because he shares the same color scene as Windcharger and Cliffjumper that seeing yet another Red and Black Autobot just doesn't stand out. I do like the color scheme but it's used 3 times in the exact same way. At least change it up a bit, make a black car that changes into a red robot, give one of them a Firebird logo painted on the hood, do SOMETHING other red car, black robot. 4. Jazz: My older brother actually had this toy as a kid and I was the only one of us that actually knew how to transform it. He's also here for being one of the best characters in the show. I put him kind of low cause I just didn't like the vehicle mode that much. 3. Prowl: I know he's kind of the same thing as Jazz, almost identical transformation and they're both white cars but I actually like Prowl a little more because he's a police car rather than being done up as a race car. I also like how they painted the horns on his head to match his sirens which always made him stand out more to me as the Autobot cop. Even other police car Transformers and other Prowls neglect the siren that the original had on his head. 2. Mirage: I know this figure was apparently prone to breakage but I love the character, I love the design. I've always loved the look of the race car he turns into. There are a lot of other "Race car" transformers but this is the only one I would actually call a RACE CAR because it's specifically designed for racing. You will never see that style of car outside of the Indy races it was made for. All the other "race cars" are not actual race cars, they weren't originally designed for racing they were MODIFIED for racing, there's a difference. A Nascar can actually legally drive on a regular road way as long as you disconnect the nos from the fuel line. I've seen a few of those cars on public high ways, rarely but they do exist. The main difference between being built for racing and being modified for racing is the shape of the car. Indy cars like Mirage are built from the ground up to have that specific shape so there's less drag, less wind resistance, and they're lower to the ground, the car can go faster because of that shape. Nascars however have the same bulky body type as any standard vehicle which actually makes them slower so I don't consider Jazz or Wheeljack real race cars, they're just regular cars with racing stripes painted on. Mirage is the real proper race car and that's why he's on my list. 1. Optimus Prime: Do I even need to explain this one? Oh and I never lost the fists to mine because I just throw his fists inside the cab when he's in vehicle mode. I have however lost the fists of my Ultra Magnus because the big fists for his power armor don't fit inside the cab and I didn't care about the little fists because I'm never going to have Ultra Magnus in White Prime mode. Honorable mentions: I really like Wheeljack, his unique head design made him one of the most memorable and recognizable Transformers but his legs are short little stumps, I thought he was mistransformed at first but every picture I find of him has the same short stumpy little legs. And I do have a Soundwave... and most of his cassettes... I can see the appeal it's just not my thing. I only have Soundwave because it was gifted to me.
On one hand: how dare you do my boy Soundwave so dirty like that? On the other hand: compared to Optimus and Megs, I get it. Without the Cassettes, Soundwave really doesn't have much going for him. He's literally just a plastic brick.
I reckon an Ironhide based on the original G1 figure could work fairly well if you used a double hinge to move the windscreen down to the chest, perhaps some kind of extending spine as well to ensure the windscreen didn't obstruct the legs.
Would basically be Energon Towline. Given many people's dissatisfaction with Earthrise and Studio Series Ironhide/Ratchet, it might be the better way to go when it comes time to renew the trademark in a few years.
Ironhide I later on chalked it up as a cybertronian mode, like gerwalk. Now if you could make that mode as well as a solid toon mode, that would be awesome triple changer.
Am I the only one whose noticed a lot of times when they're doing concept art for a show or movie with iron hide and sometimes ratchet too they keep trying to make the wind screen in front of the face look work but it never goes past the concept are
I'd personally put Soundwave over Op and Meg. No part forming, he comes with a cassette so you don't need to get any others (though the others do add to the play value). I mean if we're going to include Prime's trailer and Roller, then Soundwave should get to count Buzzsaw. Megatron I'd probably have as third, simply because of his lanky robot mode (disregarding 'toon inaccuracies). Still, I would have those three in the top 3 for '84.
Starscream is white with red and blue. Thundercracker is blue with red and white. While Skywarp is my favorite, it should have been Redwing - red with white and blue.
1 Soundwave 2 Optimus Prime 3 Sideswipe 4 Jazz 5 Bluestreak (was the first Transformer I bought before I knew who anyone was, so I probably have extra nostalgia) 6 Laserbeak (honestly I love him so much he could be 3rd) 7 Ravage 8 Hound 9 Brawn 10 Cliffjumper 11 Megatron (loved the alt mode but wow... even as a kid in the 80s, he sucked)
I have the joustra diaclone version of jazz. the packaging of the first wave was really stylish. it's a shame that the figures had to repackaged later when the transformers franchise has reached europe.
Unlike other toy lines I dont think I lost accessories or fists to my Transformers. Probably because I had just enough that when Optimus says "roll out" i would just carry them across the room to fight the Decepticons cause tranforming twelve guys to roll out and fight wasnt going to happen.
I personally wouldn't have Megatron in my top 5, his robot mode it just a bit too wonky, and he is just too prone to breakage, I know I broke the arms off mine not long after having it. I might even have made room for Trailbreaker in the list, or maybe I am just bitter than I had to glue mine together and he never really left gun mode.
Nah toy-wise for me was Soundwave and Prime as 1 and 2 (interchangeable). Megatron was a fun gun but his robot mode looked so wrong to me as a kid I couldn't get past it. Thankfully I didn't have Megs (a friend did) but I did have the other two.
Saw the 1985 video just before this one and I think that list is superior to this one. Ironhide's robot mode disqualifies him imho, and Bluestreak is very meh compared to many of the other Autobot cars, such as the two that followed him on the list as well as Mirage & Tracks (the odd obsession against white Autobot cars notwithstanding). And as others have noted, Optimus > Megatron.
I like your list but I have to say one thing about it. For me and I'll admit I'm completely sing my own preference here Optimus Prime is primo to me. Second place would be Soundwave in my books, sturdy durable toy, okay Megatron is number 3 for me my main issue with him he felt fragile delicate like when I'm trying to transform it I'm afraid that I'd break the toy.
Nice list. I have all the 1984 toys either vintage or reissue save Mirage and Wheeljack so they aren't on my llist (Mirage probably wouldn't make it due to fragility). My biggest quibble with your list is the high ranking of Megatron- great toy gun, terrible Transfomer. Ugly, ungainly robot mode just on its own. Even worse when compared to its awesome animation model. I'll also take the Datsuns over Jazz. I get your point about the legs, but that's only from the front. Jazz has the back half of a Porsche hanging off his calves. I feel the Datsun's do a better job of incorporating the car parts into the robot design. My list: Honorable Mention: "The other red Autobot warrior. No, the other other red one." Windcharger doesn't get enough love and I want to acknowledge at least one of the minibots. #10. Jazz. Like the Datsuns, but with less stuff. Does have the Porsche brand and the Scatman going for him. If only he came with a voice chip. #9. Ravage. Small size makes him a great pocket bot. Articulated legs, head, and tail. That he resembled my new dog at the time led to him being my very first TF (along with Rumble). Could be higher, but without his missile launchers he's a bit... two dimensional. #8. Hound. Not another sports car, another figure without a redeco in the original run. Lots of accessories. Hurt by stubby arms but then he has those platform boots... #7. Sideswipe. Lambo bros all the way. Definitely has the better proportions in robot mode. #6. Sunstreaker. My first Autobot. In hindsight he's got weird proportions, but gets bonus points in my book because he was never redeco'd during the original G1 run. He remained unique. I remember standing in the store and pouring over all the options before settling on that souped up Lambo design. Plus he has firing fists, missiles, and Sideswipe's pile drivers. And sure, Sideswipe can swing his arms forward, but Streaking can lift them to the side. Both fall a little short. #5. Skywarp (and Starscream and Thundercracker). Starscream and Thundercracker look like refugees from a US air show. Skywarp's colors announce that he's a villain. Best color scheme that ever was and ever will be. #4. Prowl (and Bluestreak). The black and white just works better for me than silver and red. "Fully" articulated arms, two firing canons, and a rifle. #3. Buzzsaw (and Laserbeak). Pocket sized, articulated. My favorite of the cassette toys (don't tell Ravage). I prefer the Buzzsaw and scheme but both work. #2. Optimus Prime. Classic design and TF scheme. The trailer adds a whole extra level of play, plus he has storage for his extra bits. #1. Soundwave. Sure, cars and planes are fun, but Soundwave really exploits the "Robot in Disguise" concept better than anyone. My 3rd transformer, Got him on a trip to California and I ran all around San Fran with him. And sure, he needs another toy to make use of his gimmicks, but thankfully he comes with one - the eternally underrated Buzzsaw.
I disagree with 1 & 2 just because megatrons robot was so awkward looking, his legs were spread as w wide as his shoulders but he had a big ding a ling with trigger ball sack, no one ever played with that toy in the robot form, Optimus was way more fun to play with. IMHO
Partsforming is the reason Optimus Prime is number two? And he could have been number three? Daft. People only care about this in the privileged 2000s. No one cared in 1984. And Megatron is great. Definitely number two. I think Soundwave is right at number three, and he's the first Transformer I got back in 1984.
I think it’s a guy thing… lol, but really… for children, especially in the 80’s girls were steered towards being a mother, a homemaker. Baby dolls, easy bake oven, even Barbie dolls didn’t offer to many career executive Barbies. Boys were raised to be soldiers. Most male children play with toy guns, a lot. Toy guns are probably one of the staples for a little bit, especially in the 80’s. G.I. Joe figures, soldiers, tanks, jets, it’s just how it was. So boys are always going to think a toy gun is more fun. That’s not meant to be a bad thing, I’m not saying it’s wrong, it’s just where society’s priorities were. 😅
I'd personally put Optimus over Megatron because I think Prime's robot mode looks better. Still a fantastic list.
agreed. in my opinion there's no beating prime.
Me too, but for me I feel that the trailer and roller offered a little more play value. A lot of us already had guns laying around. The scope turret is neat but the trailer/base was just awesome.
My vote goes for the original Soundwave toy as the best of 1984. Seamless alternate mode, fantastic transformation, charismatic and somewhat more poseable than usual robot mode, clever weapons storage, and Buzzsaw as a freebie. No wonder he keeps popping up over and over again whenever HasTak does G1 redos…
There are NUMEROUS reasons Soundwave ended up one of the most popular characters of the entire franchise. An amazing toy is certainly one of them.
Agreed he is the best of 1984.
the fact that you had a toy gun you could just go "pew pew pew! bssshhhh kpooo" to your friends with AND THEN wip out a little robot that was the gun all along was amazing so I'm glad megs took the #1 spot
I KNEW you will say Skywarp!! xD You did Thew smile with your pick.
For me, Megatron is brought down a bit by his fiddlyness and fragility. And his weapon emplacement is a little too limited to him to really pick up the "battle base" boost. Prime's command center mode brings in interaction with the Autobot cars as a bonus, but the fists bring it down just a smidge. Soundwave doesn't just interact with the cassettes, he integrates them into his own play pattern. And his partsforming is limited to his weapons. Even if you lose them, the robot is complete. So, the final lineup would be 3) Megs, 2) Prime, and 1) Soundwave. But, as you said, this is all down to personal preferences. I wouldn't rag on anyone else's rankings.
I agree with you on Ironhide and Ratchet for that matter. Folks are always comparing the toys to the animation, we have to remember the toys came first. The animators could have done something cool with this mode. Its corky and has a certain nostalgia to him, I dig it.
well, in most cases, they bought the molds from other companies. thats why there are diaclones adaptations, specially here in G1, he explains it in a video. Thats the reason why the toys are not properly scaled also.
One thing I will say in defense of Soundwave is that he did come with one Mini-Cassette, Buzzsaw. So you didn't have to buy the other toys to use the tape gimmick, it just gave you more options.
I was wondering where Shockwave was at first only to realize his Toy came out in 1985. It feels weird considering how early he appeared in both the Comic & TV Show.
The jets are my least favorite of the 1984 bots. With the partsforming and detachable jet fins and giant gaps in vehicle, they feel totally different from the rest of the line. I hope they're redone in the Missing Link line and some of their wierd issues are fixed.
The second generation "coneheads" were a big improvement in my opinion, but the original 3 Seekers are so iconic even if their toys weren't the best.
Ever notice that Soundwave has five buttons on his groin, and Optimus Prime (animation model) has five "buttons" on his as well?
Personally, I REALLY liked Trailbreaker and Hound of the 84 bots.
Of the 84 toys that I own, mine are-
1. Hound (my fave Autobot car from all of G1
2. Soundwave
3. Sunstreaker
4. Megatron
5. Wheeljack
6. Bumblebee
7. Starscream
8. Jazz
9. Ravage
10. Cliffjumper
Why Hound?
i grew up in the 80's & to me this was the best era to grow up in. i have fun playing with both he-man & the transformers. i Relly miss them days
Show idea: covering a list of the TF merchandise outside the actual characters. There was a Bluestreak 3D puzzle, a collector case, a read-along cassette with Cliffjumper, to name a few.
Gonna be honest I did not expect Megatron at number one. When you were going on about how the top 2 were obvious I knew Prime would be one but never expected Megatron
Fun list, great picks. Then again, you can’t really go wrong with ‘84.
I’m looking forward to ‘86-‘88.
1984- Soundwave
1985- Sludge
1986- Galvatron
1987- Scorpinok
1988- PM Optimus
Based upon Engineering and appearance.
Please correct me if you have any better examples
I don’t think the toy should be criticised for not matching the cartoon design when the toys came first and Sunbow intentionally changed the design.
It was not the toys responsibility to match a cartoon design that had yet to be created.
You should do the same for the 1985 line. Shockwave is an easy contender since he's basically a better version of the Megatron toy and the alt mode make more sense for him as a character.
The playability of Soundwave and Megatron is a huge thing for me. Like, none of these figures have *great* articulation that'd hold up today, but Soundwave and Megatron? I reckon they're just as fun today as they were back then. Also, Cliffjumper supremacy!
Love the idea of this, excited to see this series continue, TJ!
Playvalue I agree on Megs, but even as a kid I never wanted him because how bad the robot mode looked.
Ironhide love! So many people look at this toy and think "Why doesn't he look like the cartoon?" Well, I got this toy the same week the cartoon came out, and my thought was always "Why doesn't he look the toy?" He and Ratchet were such interesting toys, and it is a failure of the animators, not the toys, that they don't match the animation models!
I like what Dreamwave did with his design in War Within, taking elements of the G1 toy (the face behind the windshield) and made it look more "heroic" in proportions. In fact that is the best part of the War Within designs-not only do they give believable Cybertronian forms to the G1 cast (with modern, anime-esque aesthetics), but they even add details from the G1 toys in creative ways (see also how Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp translate the shoulder plylon stickers on the G1 toys into part of the body details (including twin 3-tube missile launchers on Starscream)).
In my “Evolution Revolution” AU, both Ironhide and Ratchet incorporate more details from their toys. Ratchet can detach part of her “labcoat” to form a battlefield operating table; Ironhide can detach part of himself to use as either a shield or a rolling battle platform.
Something i noticed later on is how both the comics and the anination models messed up Megatrons head with the bucket. His toy had horns, the just looked a bit flat. Cybertron Meg/Galvatron has surprisingly a very g1 toy accurate head design with the horns. Same with Megaempress
Ratchethide was great because you got 2 toys in one. Even though the bot felt like it had no head, but the toys didn't really match the toons back then. It's something you just accepted and used your imagination to fill the gaps.
You mean the toons didn’t match the toys as the toys came first and any inaccuracies are Sunbow’s fault.
@@Martynde Yes very true. But as a child I knew and cared Fk all about who, what and where my toys came from. All I knew is that for 30 minutes a day, Autobots waged their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons, and I wanted the toys, regardless of how toon accurate they weren't. LOLOL. :)
My 10 . 10. Skywarp. 9. Soundwave 8. Jazz 7. Wheeljack 6. Bluestreak 5. Mirage 4. Hound 3. Trailbreaker 2. Sunstreaker 1. Optimus Prime
I think something else that also matters for a list view is repairability that had some kind of problem with my son streaker’s shoulder hinge, and it had the spring loaded things, and I don’t know if that was a custom part or what but I could understand the value in watching a bunch ofvideos that suggested which Transformers toys were repairable or even durable. Good luck with your channel. I was eight turning nine in 1984.
I'd rather have Hound on the list instead of Ironhide.
It's true that the original Diaclone version isn't at fault, but the Transformers version can still be seen on its own and hardly anything was done with the Transformers version.
* Glares at pot shot articles claiming Ironhide is the worst because why toy not made to look like what we saw first on TV *
Of my G1 toys from 84, Huffer is my favorite. I understand why he didn't make the list, but I just like his design. Of course I like Soundwave too, but Huffer doesn't get enough love.
My thinking was the same as yours concerning Ironhide’s similarities with Optimus Prime! It did have excellent play value and it is unfairly maligned.
I actually did NOT realize that Cliffjumper was the only Minibot with a head that actually looked like the Animation model. Until you said that I assumed that the one that what was on screen was a reissue because they did that with Bumblebee remolding the head to give him a screen accurate face but I looked it up after you said that and you're right, Cliffjumper's original mold already had that face.
Ironhide... honestly, I would like the toy more if it actually had the original Diaclone Pilot gimmick but without it the toy on it's own just doesn't work. It's like a Headmaster figure when you lose the head. I know why it's not accurate to the animation model but I'm still going to judge it negatively either way because it doesn't have a head. It's the figure that suffers the worst from the fact that it's suppose to have a pilot. Any other Diaclone figure still works without the pilot because they actually have heads. He just has an obvious chair where the pilot is meant to sit which makes it obvious that the toy is missing something. Accuracy or not it's still a bad toy. It either needs an actual robot head to match the cartoon or a pilot that the Diaclone version would have come with and it has neither so I personally can't justify defending this toy.
In Ironhide's defense, Sit a Diaclone mini fig on his chair he is suddenly an amazing toy. a mech with a small firebase!
I was far too young to remember the original toys when they first came out, only getting my hands on reissues like Bumblebee when G2 was a thing, so it's not like I can argue about something I was hardly there for.
Here’s how I would’ve fixed the “headless“ aspect of Ironhide and Ratchet from 1984. Have the seat fold down to reveal the head from the animation model.
I looked and narrowed down my 10...
10. Huffer: Honestly the only reason he's here is because I actually remember him from the original cartoon in one particular scene where Optimus was injured and he towed Optimus' trailer back to the Ark. As a toy it's very awkward which is why it's so low on the list but I still like him enough to include him.
9. Windcharger: He's rather awkward and boring looking but I included him mostly because Masquerade is one of my favorite G1 episodes and he happens to to be one of the Autobots who had to disguise himself as a Stunticon for that episode. Spoilers for the rest of this list, half of them are on here because they're part of the Fake Stunticon team.
8 Gears: Starting to work better as a figure but also a very memorable character in the cartoon. I probably shouldn't do this considering how the toys don't even look like the animation models anyway but I've always been one to choose my figures based on how much I enjoy the character in the show so while it might not make sense to you to factor the cartoon into it, this is my personal opinion, my list, you're free to have your own criteria.
7. Bumblebee: Last minibot I'm going to include, childhood favorite character so I had to include him even if I have no clue why I even like him anymore.
6. Skywarp: He's always been my favorite color scheme for this mold. I would put him higher but the G1 Seeker mold is very much a partformer. I don't even think you can rotate his wings into the correct position without taking them off and putting them back on.
5. Sideswipe: In my option the most boring of the Autobot cars. I think it's because he shares the same color scene as Windcharger and Cliffjumper that seeing yet another Red and Black Autobot just doesn't stand out. I do like the color scheme but it's used 3 times in the exact same way. At least change it up a bit, make a black car that changes into a red robot, give one of them a Firebird logo painted on the hood, do SOMETHING other red car, black robot.
4. Jazz: My older brother actually had this toy as a kid and I was the only one of us that actually knew how to transform it. He's also here for being one of the best characters in the show. I put him kind of low cause I just didn't like the vehicle mode that much.
3. Prowl: I know he's kind of the same thing as Jazz, almost identical transformation and they're both white cars but I actually like Prowl a little more because he's a police car rather than being done up as a race car. I also like how they painted the horns on his head to match his sirens which always made him stand out more to me as the Autobot cop. Even other police car Transformers and other Prowls neglect the siren that the original had on his head.
2. Mirage: I know this figure was apparently prone to breakage but I love the character, I love the design. I've always loved the look of the race car he turns into. There are a lot of other "Race car" transformers but this is the only one I would actually call a RACE CAR because it's specifically designed for racing. You will never see that style of car outside of the Indy races it was made for. All the other "race cars" are not actual race cars, they weren't originally designed for racing they were MODIFIED for racing, there's a difference. A Nascar can actually legally drive on a regular road way as long as you disconnect the nos from the fuel line. I've seen a few of those cars on public high ways, rarely but they do exist. The main difference between being built for racing and being modified for racing is the shape of the car. Indy cars like Mirage are built from the ground up to have that specific shape so there's less drag, less wind resistance, and they're lower to the ground, the car can go faster because of that shape. Nascars however have the same bulky body type as any standard vehicle which actually makes them slower so I don't consider Jazz or Wheeljack real race cars, they're just regular cars with racing stripes painted on. Mirage is the real proper race car and that's why he's on my list.
1. Optimus Prime: Do I even need to explain this one? Oh and I never lost the fists to mine because I just throw his fists inside the cab when he's in vehicle mode. I have however lost the fists of my Ultra Magnus because the big fists for his power armor don't fit inside the cab and I didn't care about the little fists because I'm never going to have Ultra Magnus in White Prime mode.
Honorable mentions: I really like Wheeljack, his unique head design made him one of the most memorable and recognizable Transformers but his legs are short little stumps, I thought he was mistransformed at first but every picture I find of him has the same short stumpy little legs. And I do have a Soundwave... and most of his cassettes... I can see the appeal it's just not my thing. I only have Soundwave because it was gifted to me.
On one hand: how dare you do my boy Soundwave so dirty like that?
On the other hand: compared to Optimus and Megs, I get it. Without the Cassettes, Soundwave really doesn't have much going for him. He's literally just a plastic brick.
I reckon an Ironhide based on the original G1 figure could work fairly well if you used a double hinge to move the windscreen down to the chest, perhaps some kind of extending spine as well to ensure the windscreen didn't obstruct the legs.
Would basically be Energon Towline. Given many people's dissatisfaction with Earthrise and Studio Series Ironhide/Ratchet, it might be the better way to go when it comes time to renew the trademark in a few years.
Ironhide I later on chalked it up as a cybertronian mode, like gerwalk. Now if you could make that mode as well as a solid toon mode, that would be awesome triple changer.
Sunstreaker is the best of the Autobot cars and in the top 3 of the best G1 Autobot Transformers of 1984 to early 1986.
I LOVE the G1 Ironhide and Ratchet. They are silly and fun.
I think Soundwave would be the perfect candidate for a second Missing Link figure
I was not allowed to have toy guns as a kid, so Skywarp was my Decepticon Commander.
Am I the only one whose noticed a lot of times when they're doing concept art for a show or movie with iron hide and sometimes ratchet too they keep trying to make the wind screen in front of the face look work but it never goes past the concept are
I'd personally put Soundwave over Op and Meg. No part forming, he comes with a cassette so you don't need to get any others (though the others do add to the play value). I mean if we're going to include Prime's trailer and Roller, then Soundwave should get to count Buzzsaw. Megatron I'd probably have as third, simply because of his lanky robot mode (disregarding 'toon inaccuracies). Still, I would have those three in the top 3 for '84.
Skywarp is definitely the coolest decepticon jet...
Imagine how badass Ironhide would look if he had Ellen Ripley in the seat.
Can you make a total drama transformers deceptions elimination order with Ellie and season 2&3 Aiden and fliore as hosts
Needs more shockwave. Iconic look, great colors, light and sounds, just a super chonky robot.
Starscream is white with red and blue. Thundercracker is blue with red and white. While Skywarp is my favorite, it should have been Redwing - red with white and blue.
1 Soundwave
2 Optimus Prime
3 Sideswipe
4 Jazz
5 Bluestreak (was the first Transformer I bought before I knew who anyone was, so I probably have extra nostalgia)
6 Laserbeak (honestly I love him so much he could be 3rd)
7 Ravage
8 Hound
9 Brawn
10 Cliffjumper
11 Megatron (loved the alt mode but wow... even as a kid in the 80s, he sucked)
I have the joustra diaclone version of jazz. the packaging of the first wave was really stylish. it's a shame that the figures had to repackaged later when the transformers franchise has reached europe.
I kind of like all the black and purple Decepticons.
Soundwave remains as the best G1 toy even with the release years before Action Masters.
Soundwave was my first transformers toy
Unlike other toy lines I dont think I lost accessories or fists to my Transformers. Probably because I had just enough that when Optimus says "roll out" i would just carry them across the room to fight the Decepticons cause tranforming twelve guys to roll out and fight wasnt going to happen.
I personally wouldn't have Megatron in my top 5, his robot mode it just a bit too wonky, and he is just too prone to breakage, I know I broke the arms off mine not long after having it. I might even have made room for Trailbreaker in the list, or maybe I am just bitter than I had to glue mine together and he never really left gun mode.
Nah toy-wise for me was Soundwave and Prime as 1 and 2 (interchangeable). Megatron was a fun gun but his robot mode looked so wrong to me as a kid I couldn't get past it. Thankfully I didn't have Megs (a friend did) but I did have the other two.
Ironside robot mode 👌🤣
I can’t wait for the top 10 toys of transformers prime.
Specifically, the year that the Prime toyline started.
Hope you feel better.
People really don't mention that G1 Optimus cannot hold his gun correctly.
1990 also had reissues of 1984 and 1985 toys in Europe.
you should do a list for best 85 onward toys
Soundwave came with Buzzsaw tho?
Saw the 1985 video just before this one and I think that list is superior to this one. Ironhide's robot mode disqualifies him imho, and Bluestreak is very meh compared to many of the other Autobot cars, such as the two that followed him on the list as well as Mirage & Tracks (the odd obsession against white Autobot cars notwithstanding). And as others have noted, Optimus > Megatron.
I probably would have put Mirage instead of Blue Streak.
Nice reasonable list👍🏾
I have #9, 7, 4, 2 and 1 ( Japanese version)!!
I think sunstreaker would have been better in orange.
I like your list but I have to say one thing about it. For me and I'll admit I'm completely sing my own preference here Optimus Prime is primo to me. Second place would be Soundwave in my books, sturdy durable toy, okay Megatron is number 3 for me my main issue with him he felt fragile delicate like when I'm trying to transform it I'm afraid that I'd break the toy.
I put Optimus at number one personally, Megatron's robot mode is pretty doo-doo
Very enjoyable video
Very cool
Megatron topping Optimus prime. As it should be during at least the first round of the final battle. The Autobots have to lose at some point.
I think Ironhide and Ratchet get too much hate
Given the universe figures released years later looked worse in my opinion.
Nice list. I have all the 1984 toys either vintage or reissue save Mirage and Wheeljack so they aren't on my llist (Mirage probably wouldn't make it due to fragility). My biggest quibble with your list is the high ranking of Megatron- great toy gun, terrible Transfomer. Ugly, ungainly robot mode just on its own. Even worse when compared to its awesome animation model. I'll also take the Datsuns over Jazz. I get your point about the legs, but that's only from the front. Jazz has the back half of a Porsche hanging off his calves. I feel the Datsun's do a better job of incorporating the car parts into the robot design.
My list:
Honorable Mention: "The other red Autobot warrior. No, the other other red one." Windcharger doesn't get enough love and I want to acknowledge at least one of the minibots.
#10. Jazz. Like the Datsuns, but with less stuff. Does have the Porsche brand and the Scatman going for him. If only he came with a voice chip.
#9. Ravage. Small size makes him a great pocket bot. Articulated legs, head, and tail. That he resembled my new dog at the time led to him being my very first TF (along with Rumble). Could be higher, but without his missile launchers he's a bit... two dimensional.
#8. Hound. Not another sports car, another figure without a redeco in the original run. Lots of accessories. Hurt by stubby arms but then he has those platform boots...
#7. Sideswipe. Lambo bros all the way. Definitely has the better proportions in robot mode.
#6. Sunstreaker. My first Autobot. In hindsight he's got weird proportions, but gets bonus points in my book because he was never redeco'd during the original G1 run. He remained unique. I remember standing in the store and pouring over all the options before settling on that souped up Lambo design. Plus he has firing fists, missiles, and Sideswipe's pile drivers. And sure, Sideswipe can swing his arms forward, but Streaking can lift them to the side. Both fall a little short.
#5. Skywarp (and Starscream and Thundercracker). Starscream and Thundercracker look like refugees from a US air show. Skywarp's colors announce that he's a villain. Best color scheme that ever was and ever will be.
#4. Prowl (and Bluestreak). The black and white just works better for me than silver and red. "Fully" articulated arms, two firing canons, and a rifle.
#3. Buzzsaw (and Laserbeak). Pocket sized, articulated. My favorite of the cassette toys (don't tell Ravage). I prefer the Buzzsaw and scheme but both work.
#2. Optimus Prime. Classic design and TF scheme. The trailer adds a whole extra level of play, plus he has storage for his extra bits.
#1. Soundwave. Sure, cars and planes are fun, but Soundwave really exploits the "Robot in Disguise" concept better than anyone. My 3rd transformer, Got him on a trip to California and I ran all around San Fran with him. And sure, he needs another toy to make use of his gimmicks, but thankfully he comes with one - the eternally underrated Buzzsaw.
Megatron tops Optimus prime you say?
hun grrr forever
What about Hound?
I disagree with 1 & 2 just because megatrons robot was so awkward looking, his legs were spread as w wide as his shoulders but he had a big ding a ling with trigger ball sack, no one ever played with that toy in the robot form, Optimus was way more fun to play with. IMHO
Allowance? Never had an allowance and neither have my kids
Megs is the best toy ever made
Partsforming is the reason Optimus Prime is number two? And he could have been number three? Daft. People only care about this in the privileged 2000s. No one cared in 1984. And Megatron is great. Definitely number two. I think Soundwave is right at number three, and he's the first Transformer I got back in 1984.
I think it’s a guy thing… lol, but really… for children, especially in the 80’s girls were steered towards being a mother, a homemaker. Baby dolls, easy bake oven, even Barbie dolls didn’t offer to many career executive Barbies. Boys were raised to be soldiers. Most male children play with toy guns, a lot. Toy guns are probably one of the staples for a little bit, especially in the 80’s. G.I. Joe figures, soldiers, tanks, jets, it’s just how it was. So boys are always going to think a toy gun is more fun. That’s not meant to be a bad thing, I’m not saying it’s wrong, it’s just where society’s priorities were. 😅
"Those jets have to make an appearance on this list". No they don't. They're awful toys.
Well its what you find it.
Personal .
I hate the gun.
Its look ugly and it stay ugly .
sorry but Prime is a much better toy than Megatron
I'm first!!