COUNTDOWN: 9 Generation 2 teams that deserve modern toys!

With recent Generations lines exploring just about every nook and cranny of Transformers history, it’s only natural that speculation should turn to what might be next on the horizon.

Yet there are a couple of comparatively untapped veins when it comes to the various lines represented: Beast Machines springs to mind, but Generation 2 is certainly up there, too! We’ve had a fair number of recolours, including the Studio Series Dinobots, some of the Autobot cars, and several jets, all re-released in their vibrant ’90s colour schemes. However, we’re more talking about the original designs of the era – the toys that weren’t just rehashed G1 in new hues, but dared to bring something different to the table.

So today, here are 9 examples of Generation 2 teams and toys that could be brought back for a modern spin!

#9: Dreadwing

I say this without a hint of hyperbole, but 1994’s G2 Dreadwing is one of *the* toys of the era, and it still stands up as an all-time great today! Some may even say he’s punishing (and it’s certainly true that his Gatling gun is illin’). Seriously, this was the ultimate display of the kind of creativity that was brought to the new moulds of the ’90s, many of which went largely overlooked (and still are). With three modes, including a wicked stealth bomber jet and a surprisingly cohesive tank alternative, gimmicks aplenty (did you know it has fourteen missiles?) and a combination feature with his equally impressive partner Smokescreen, this is about as good as it gets – a Transformer-rama, some will say! Yet there’s still room to imagine what a modern re-do might bring to the equation, especially with updated articulation and engineering. We need a three-in-one villain that’s chillin’!

#8: Auto Rollers

If anything, our next entry is more well-known for their Beast Wars II repaints in 1998 (on top of the additional designs and recolours which never saw the light of day during Generation 2). Still, the original lime green Constructicon-styled duo from three years prior is where it all began! The concept is simple – they feature an auto-transform gimmick that can be activated using a small switch and then put into motion by rolling the vehicle mode forwards, converting the toy to robot form as it goes! They’re big, bulky designs with unusual features in their humanoid guises, and could be ripe for a makeover and more traditional articulation down the line. You gotta roll with it!

#7: Rotor Force

Now true, one member of the Rotor Force has been brought back for a Generations update already, that being 2022’s Legacy Wreck N’ Rule Leadfoot! However, it was a shame to see the updated design drop the classic iteration’s signature spinning rotor gimmick, as it was originally one of the more charming and distinctive oddities of the mid-90s. Still, even if fun must be sacrificed, there’s plenty of potential in the other three bots in this dual-faction roster, especially with intriguing designs such as Manta Ray, who turns into an unusual twin-pontoon racing boat! These characters all appeared in the Generation 2 Marvel comic, too, so that might be enough to get spinning once more.

#6: Laser Rods

A core aspect of the classic 1994 Laser Rod toys that’s often overlooked is how they tie in with the popular Laser Optimus Prime from the year after (yes, it’s obvious when you consider the name, but the connection is frequently missed nonetheless!). With that design having already been brought back as a recent Generations mainstay, could there be room to do the same for the four smaller characters? It would be great fun, especially with their lush colour schemes and quirky hot rod alternate forms (to say nothing of the original Electro toy’s notorious GPS issues). Sure, the classic figures featured an electronic light-up sword gimmick that is highly unlikely to be replicated in modern form, but still, in Rod we trust.

#5: Colour Changers

I have only one hesitation in recommending 1993’s Colour Changers (or “Color Changers” to use their American branding) for a modern makeover, that being the automatic assumption their core titular gimmick would fall by the wayside for the Generations line. You see, the vintage specimens did precisely what it says on the tin: they changed colour whenever they came into contact with water, which, considering they also had aqua-squirting firearms, was quite a bit. A solution here could be to use the European team name for these toys instead and title them the Aquaspeeders. Either way, they’re fun and unusual designs, and bringing them back in some form would make a real splash!

#4: Skyscorchers

For our next entry, we have a set of European-exclusive Decepticons from 1994, although they’re also some of the more distinctive designs of the era! With surprising transformations for such tiny toys, they also feature a simple weapon storage gimmick, allowing them to be equipped with miniature pistols. It’s not hard to imagine how a Generations-style makeover of these characters might go, especially as the core layout of the figures is arguably solid enough to take heavy inspiration from, albeit with plenty of additional articulation thrown in! It would be great to see these oft-overlooked ’90s treasures finally given their time to shine.

#3: Cyberjets

Another set of jets, but this time it’s far more likely that collectors have crossed paths with the designs at some point or another! After all, the classic 1995 Cyberjets were ubiquitous enough at the time, but the moulds went on to be reused multiple times almost a decade later, for both the Universe and Robot Masters lines. The real standout of these toys was the articulation, with ball-jointed limbs providing more posability than your average Transformers fare of the time (making them a real precursor to the following year’s Beast Wars product, in many ways). Still, with exceptionally eye-catching colour schemes and a rather peculiar missile-launching arm gimmick, there are plenty of ways that Generations remakes of these designs could still soar!

#2: Autobot Cars (Axelerators)

The so-called “Autobot Cars” were America’s significantly less exciting alternative to the European Axelerators (which existed in that peculiar space of being both G1 and G2). Still, the core concept of the toys remained the same, and these mini marvels packed a signature chromed weapon that doubled as their engine block in vehicle form, making them the counterpoint to the Skyscorchers in every sense, despite the good guy equivalent being far more well-known. They’d be terrific candidates to bring back for a modern rehash, so long as Generations gets one element right: the hot pink windows of the Euro releases are a must.

#1: Heroes

Our final entry is a little different in that it’s surprising it hasn’t happened yet! After all, when Holiday Optimus Prime (a ‘prepaint’ of the more traditional colours VNR release) was first unveiled, many assumed it would only be a matter of time before it was brought back in a colour scheme resembling 1994’s G2 Hero iteration of the Autobot leader. Well, that was in 2022, and it hasn’t happened yet, despite many apparent similarities in the overall character design. That said, it’s far from 1:1, and it’s tricky to know how the Generations mould would capture the classic toy’s air-powered missile gimmick. We’ve already seen a Generations Selects repaint of the unreleased camo version of Hero Megatron, but it would still be fun to see the original outings given their day, complete with gaudy chest tattoos and all!

So that’s our list! Which of these would you like to see happen?

TTFN