COUNTDOWN: 12 more fab pieces of unused G2 artwork

Last week, we presented 14 pieces of unused packaging artwork from the Transformers Generation 2 line that prove it remains a hive of creative ideas, even today. Well now we’re back with 12 more, because apparently one article barely scratched the surface of what’s on offer! Sunglasses at the ready…

You can find plenty more wonderful artwork like this in the fantastic Transformers Legacy book.

 

#12: Devastator

OK, first thing to note is that the Devastator artwork itself is nothing new. What is notable about this version though is it’s orange! So, so orange. Although it has to be said that if you have ever seen the orange G2 Constructicons in hand, then you will know that as orange as this artwork is, it doesn’t even come close to the eye-searing delights of the toy itself! Really though, the thing to comment on here is that none of the orange Constructicons ever had artwork of their own released at the time, as they were all carded with artwork from the more-common yellow set instead. However neither version had a Devastator giftset, so the Big Man himself being drawn this was is a bit of a revelation at least.

 

#11: Megatron

For years, ATB Megatron was pretty much the poster boy of unreleased toys. A repaint of the popular G2 Dreadwing figure, it was planned for retail in 1995 but never made it before the line was cancelled, leaving it as one of many such designs that would be forever confined to the “what could have been” portion of Transformers history. However the “advanced tactical bomber” toy did have at least some examples that made it into finished toy packaging and into the hands of collectors one way or another, which is where the now-legendary status comes from. This artwork certainly shows the design off to its finest!

 

#10: Starscream

Wherever Megatron goes, surely Starscream won’t be too far away, eh? So it is with this version, which of course was set to accompany the ATB Megatron release. Both of these colour schemes did get a sort-of eventual use as part of the later Beast Wars II line in Japan, but still none of this art was used at that time either. Starscream here may be boasting strange proportions, but still it remains interesting to see after all this time!

 

#9: Streetwise

Much like their Stunticon counterparts, the unreleased G2 Protectobots have now become ultra desirable in the eyes of many a collector, with the prototypes of the toys fetching incredible sums whenever they change hands these days. For the rest of us, at least we can marvel at the rather wonderful artwork available, including Streetwise here. He’s looking rather menacing with his new black and red colour scheme, but I think it’s really working for him somehow too!

 

#8: Groove

Next is Groove, who has often been seen as a bit of a figure of fun in the decades since his original 1986 release. Would this vibrant red artwork have changed that? Probably not, but at least he looks pretty snazzy all the same! The drawing here really leans into that wheel placement too, huh? Interesting to note is that the toy prototype is orange, and even the carded versions that do exist seem to be at odds with this packaging art, weirdly!

 

#7: Blades

Much like his teammates, Blades has been given a rather extensive makeover and is now looking uber cool in blue. So much blue, in fact! It’s like it’s a story about a little guy that lives in a blue world and all day and all night and everything he sees is just blue like him, inside and outside. Da ba dee da ba di da ba dee da ba. Ahem, sorry.

 

#6: First Aid

Moving swiftly on, we have First Aid, who retains his signature white body but is now rocking some gold and bluish-green highlights! It’s one of the instantly-classic G2 makeovers of an existing design, to my eye. Unfortunately in this case, the gold in question would likely have been an issue had it ever been actually produced, as even the unreleased prototype is apparently one to take care with!

 

#5: Hot Spot

G1 Hot Spot was always notable for being the blue fire engine (seriously, I have no idea why this was such a cool thing, but it really did make him stand out!). Well, G2 did away with that and made him a more traditional red… except then it threw in a load of other colours all over the thing just to make it insane! The result? Well, I actually think it’s pretty hot, for want of a better word! Interestingly this is another example of the art not quite matching the actual colours of the toy, but it looks great all the same.

 

#4: Rumble

Which brings us onto a quartet of G2 Go-Bots! Yep, it’s those little lads who would be repurposed as Spychangers come the 2000 Takara Car Robots line, although they still managed to make a bit of a splash back in the ’90s. There were numerous examples of unreleased Go-Bots at the time though, including Rumble here, who, rather amusingly, is red *and* blue for perhaps the first time. He’s so badass that he has a light-up hand and is firing his weapon at the floor, but he also manages to look quite appealing with a pretty distinctive colour scheme going on.

 

#3: Hound

Hound here would have been an entirely new mould for the Go-Bot line-up, which would have presumably meant further uses down the road in Car Robots/ RID 2001, too. Sadly none of that ever came to pass, which is especially tragic when you consider how unique this original use of the design would have been and that the mould has apparently been unusable since. Various prototypes of this one have existed for years though.

 

#2: 4X

Here’s a strange one for you. This unreleased toy is often identified simply as “4X” because of the writing on its chest, yet it has since cropped up in fiction under the name of Crash Test (as a female Decepticon, no less). That wouldn’t have been the toy’s original name if released (well, not outside of a major coincidence!), and whilst we may never know its intended designation for the time, a prototype is still out there. Fortunately the mould for this one survived as well, and would eventually see the light of day under the RID 2001 line, as Daytonus.

 

#1: 911

And finally we come to 911, who is again identified as such purely down to the decal on his arm. This is another unreleased mould during the tenure of G2 itself, although again it’s one that fortunately came to fruition under RID 2001 as Prowl. Still, it’s a shame this fellow police-themed paint job never came to be, as it’s a blinder! Just look at the mix of colours for starters! I would have absolutely loved for this lad to have made it to retail, but at least this rather lovely packaging art exists.

 

So that’s our list. Are there any others you can think of?

TTFN