COUNTDOWN: 42 unreleased Generation 2 toys (part 1)

The 1990s were something, right? Even for those of us who were around at the time, the whole thing now seems like some bizarre collective fever dream; I can’t imagine how it all appears to anyone born since.

It’s a bit like that with Transformers toys from the era, too, as the Generation 2 line has since become famed for its plethora of weird and wacky colour schemes, gimmicks and odd robot designs. Yet as ever, there’s a lot more to G2 than meets the eye, especially as an unprecedented amount of planned toys never actually made it to proper release (although some have seen life in new form in the decades since).

So today, we’re uncovering some of the more interesting unproduced Generation 2 toys from the era, specifically those planned by Hasbro. Best put your shades on for this lot.

 

#42-38: Stunticons

First up is one of the more well-known unreleased sets from the era. The Stunticons were initially planned for release in 1994, alongside the Aerialbots and Combaticons. Although they were cancelled, it appears as though they were exceptionally close to being fully realised, with sealed carded samples of the four Menasor limbs having been witnessed a few times over the years. It’s unknown if a giftset was ever planned but given the existing combiner teams were only ever released as singles, we can assume perhaps not. A boxed sample of Motormaster has never been seen, which explains why even though it is possible to acquire a prototype of the toy, it is often only seen with a reproduction version of the combined mode head in place. Still, even that doesn’t stop an otherwise complete set of the toys from fetching astronomical sums today.

Who wants to buy this G2 Menasor for me? It’s only $14,000. pic.twitter.com/QmkcK4Lp1f

— Sixo (@SixoTF) March 1, 2022

The only real exception here is Breakdown, which made it into some collectors’ hands as a Botcon 1994 exclusive, with three hundred copies being produced altogether. It’s been estimated that less than a dozen of the other smaller toys exist. However, it could be more, as new specimens have popped up in the past, much to everyone’s surprise.

Though never released, given their presence on the second-hand market and the existence of finished packaging artwork for them, we still have a solid idea of how the Generation 2 Stunticons were planned to look.

The original set may go for a hefty wallop, but these colour schemes have inspired numerous other products over the years, most notably official toys such as a Combiner Wars Menasor giftset in 2016.

 

#37-33: Protectobots

Along with the Stunticons, the Protectobots were also planned for a G2 re-do in 1994, sporting arguably one of the era’s more outlandish colour schemes. Again, carded samples of the limbs have been witnessed over the years, although Hot Spot is the really scarce part of this group, having only ever been found in prototype form. Consequently, this set is one of the most desirable unreleased parts of the G2 line and will easily sell for eye-watering amounts well beyond the scope of even the Stunticons.

Hey, does anyone fancy buying these G2 Protectobots on eBay for me? Anyone? Hello? pic.twitter.com/fpQFOn4RoQ

— Sixo (@SixoTF) April 18, 2020

It doesn’t help that G2 First Aid is made with the infamous gold plastic of the time, so combining him with the rest of the group to form Defensor is a sure route to extreme disappointment!

Despite their hallowed status on the second-hand market, the G2 Protectobots have never really caught on as a colour scheme like the Stunticons, although it looks like X-Transbots might have an unofficial take on the team on the way.

 

#32: Jazz

When the Generation 2 line began, the first few waves of toys were predominantly composed of repaints (and slight retools) of existing Generation 1 designs, mostly given makeovers with quirky new colour schemes. However, there were more planned beyond those that made it to retail, with some of the best and brightest sadly resigned to never see the light of day. Alongside the 1993 G2 release of Jazz, there was evidently another take on the character considered for the line, with this blazing orange artwork the only current evidence of its existence. The toy itself has never been glimpsed, so it’s unknown if a prototype of any kind even exists. What a shame it was never made!

 

#31: Mirage

Picture credit: TF Square One

Though the orange Jazz may have only ever surfaced in artwork form, other examples of Generation 1 cars repainted in G2-style have popped up as hard copies over the years. One of those is Mirage, who, rather famously, was due to be granted a hot pink and bright green colour scheme that would surely have placed it amongst the gaudiest releases of the 1990s. Only a hand-painted mock-up of the toy exists (shown here in photographs by my fellow Triple Takeover team member, Maz). Although it’s lacking a lot of the finished details a retail release would have received, we have a good idea of how it was meant to look, thanks to the corresponding unused artwork from the time. 

As a big G2 fan myself, I have to say this is the one piece of unreleased goodness that hurts me most of all – it’s so superbly and obtrusively garish. The crocodile motif seen on the arms and legs adds that extra dose of ridiculousness to the proceedings, tying together the absurd palette in a way that works surprisingly well, in my opinion.

Picture credit: TF Square One

Sadly, this one was never to be, although there have been a few homages to it over the years, including in unofficial form. It also remains a testament to the excesses of the time, now acting as the poster boy for how extreme Generation 2 colour schemes can potentially be, despite never actually being released itself.

 

#30: Sideswipe

Picture credit: TF Square One

Alongside Mirage and Jazz, there were also plans for another use of the Sideswipe mould, this time in crazy sunburst blue and yellow colours. Not much is known about the intent behind this repaint, but from the painted mock-up seen above and the corresponding finished artwork, it certainly seems that there was a bit of an early synthwave theme intended (before such a thing existed!). The unfinished toy is bright and colourful enough, but just imagine what it could have looked like judging from the artwork.

Gorgeous. The Sideswipe mould has seen many repaints, but I think this could have been something more than a little different and would have been a fantastic counterpoint to the black G2 version that exists. What’s curious is the artwork shows the toy with the character’s familiar G1 weaponry, but the mock-up has a peg hole carved into the roof of the car in the same fashion as the black toy, so perhaps the intent was to mount additional accessories here too.

Picture credit: TF Square One

What’s perhaps also a bit of a shame is that, unlike the pink Mirage, this colour scheme has never really caught on when it comes to further homages down the line. With all the crazy repaints seen in the WFC line, you would think this could be a fantastic inspiration for a further release, but it hasn’t happened so far.

 
 
That’s part 1. Be sure to check out part 2!

TTFN