Robots in Disguise (2001) Appreciation Thread

The Predaking

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Scourge definitely needed to get another figure. His other toy was not only expensive, but it was limited to a Toys R Us exclusive. The little version was cool to have, as was the many Optimus repaints of it.
 

Sabrblade

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Scourge definitely needed to get another figure. His other toy was not only expensive, but it was limited to a Toys R Us exclusive. The little version was cool to have, as was the many Optimus repaints of it.
He did get another toy.

RID-toy_ScourgeDestructon.jpg
 

lastmaximal

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I really enjoyed this phase of the line, with the filler redecos/retools. The Destructicons, Urban Camo Ruination, Sideways vs. Axer, the Hero 3-pack.

I remember the heartbreak of Fort/Brave Max not pushing through.
 

CoffeeHorse

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That poor mold never got the recognition it deserved. The articulation was a gigantic leap forward for Optimus Prime toys, and it only got one year before Laser Prime blew it away and left it largely forgotten.
 

The Predaking

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He did get another toy.

RID-toy_ScourgeDestructon.jpg

Let me assure you that that particular toy came out long after the RID toyline ended in 2003, with Armada being well and truly out at that point. Also, while this toy was Optimus in Scourge colors, it wasn't exactly a screen representation of the character like the Toys R Us exclusive and the Mini figure were. And to round it all off, it was a KB Toys exclusive figure too that used the Armada style packaging.

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We have got some great Scourge toys over the years though, but as far as the RID line goes, it was either the big one or the tiny one. And IIRC, the tiny one came out a good while after the big one did.
 
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G.B.Blackrock

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I know it's pedantic to say so, but acknowledging that the previous post is entirely correct about how late this toy came out (as well as the Armada styling of the package format), it's TOTALLY part of the RiD line. It says so right there on the package, as demonstrated by the picture visible in his own post.
 

Sabrblade

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And for me back then, that Deluxe toy was the ONLY option I had for a Scourge toy. The other two weren't available to me. It was either get that Deluxe, or don't own Scourge at all.

Oh how times have changed since then.
 

LBD "Nytetrayn"

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And for me back then, that Deluxe toy was the ONLY option I had for a Scourge toy. The other two weren't available to me. It was either get that Deluxe, or don't own Scourge at all.

Oh how times have changed since then.
I managed to get that while I was in the States, I think, and the small one. But those were my only shots at the time.
 

The Predaking

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I know it's pedantic to say so, but acknowledging that the previous post is entirely correct about how late this toy came out (as well as the Armada styling of the package format), it's TOTALLY part of the RiD line. It says so right there on the package, as demonstrated by the picture visible in his own post.
At that time the Robots In Disguise line was pretty much a generic line until they started calling it Universe. It was not the RID toyline that ran from 2000 - 2002, and was basically just used to get these exclusives out to KB Toys.
 

Sabrblade

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At that time the Robots In Disguise line was pretty much a generic line until they started calling it Universe. It was not the RID toyline that ran from 2000 - 2002, and was basically just used to get these exclusives out to KB Toys.
If you're trying to say that the very first and ONLY toy of the RID Scourge character that I was able to get as a child (a toy representing one of my favorite cartoon characters from back then, no less, even if it was in a toy-only upgraded body-form like so many other TF toys that had been released in other lines both before and since this "Destructicon" toy's release) did not actually count as a toy of the RID Scourge character all because of some distribution and packaging technicalities that nobody but you seem to care about, then that is a terrible thing to say.
 

The Predaking

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If you're trying to say that the very first and ONLY toy of the RID Scourge character that I was able to get as a child (a toy representing one of my favorite cartoon characters from back then, no less, even if it was in a toy-only upgraded body-form like so many other TF toys that had been released in other lines both before and since this "Destructicon" toy's release) did not actually count as a toy of the RID Scourge character all because of some distribution and packaging technicalities that nobody but you seem to care about, then that is a terrible thing to say.

lol.

No what I am saying is that the KB Toys exclusive Combat Hero Optimus Prime Repaint isn't a toy for this guy:


1708542077075.png


It's only a toy inspired by him that came out years after the show and toyline had ended. It's like me declaring that my Energon Galvatron is a G1 Galvatron toy. Sure, it looks like him, and I can play and display it as such, but it doesn't make so. Don't get me wrong, I am happy that you had it as a kid and enjoyed it. I personally had the other two toys, and enjoyed them. So please don't consider this hating on your childhood, I am just trying to be accurate here.
 
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Sabrblade

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By that logic, nearly every single toy ever released in Classics, Universe 2008, and Generations is not a toy of the legacy characters that those toys are meant to represent in new body-forms. Classics Optimus isn't G1 Optimus, Classics Megatron isn't G1 Megatron, Universe Dinobot isn't Beast Wars Dinobot, Universe Inferno isn't G1 Inferno, Universe Galvatron isn't G1 Galvatron, etc. etc. Or even like saying that the entire Alternators line is a big fat lie in its cast being G1 characters just because their bodies are different.

Just because something came at a later point doesn't mean it isn't supposed to the character it was meant to be.

As for your Energon Galvatron example, that was never meant to be an upgraded form of G1 Galvatron, it was meant to be an upgrade form of Energon Megatron that paid visual homage to G1 Galvatron. A homage to an old character is not the same thing as being that old character in a new form.
 

Princess Viola

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- Toy packaging literally says 'Transformers: Robots in Disguise'
- Toy is literally called 'Scourge'
- Toy literally has a near identical color-scheme to the previously released Scourge toys in the RID toyline

'ok but it's not meant to be RID scourge tho, it's just an homage to him, it's not supposed to be a toy of the guy from the cartoon'

just take the L bro
 

Sciflyer

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I always liked that Combat Hero Prime mold. Never picked up the Scourge deco of it but it looks pretty cool in black. I personally don't care what he's called, but if he's The One True Scourge to you, cool; if not, that's also cool.
 

The Predaking

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- Toy packaging literally says 'Transformers: Robots in Disguise'
- Toy is literally called 'Scourge'
- Toy literally has a near identical color-scheme to the previously released Scourge toys in the RID toyline

'ok but it's not meant to be RID scourge tho, it's just an homage to him, it's not supposed to be a toy of the guy from the cartoon'

just take the L bro


You young folk weren't around back then, so I understand where your confusion comes from.

1. Robots in Disguise tagline was used for a toyline for many other store exclusives and repaints prior to the line being rebranded into Universe.

Following the end of the Robots in Disguise line's general retail assortments and the launch of its successor, Transformers: Armada, Hasbro continued using the Robots in Disguise branding for store exclusives. While they had only been isolated occurrences under previous lines, Robots in Disguise made store exclusives a much more common phenomenon, with some of them even being available in markets outside the United States. While all the 2002 exclusives still featured the original Robots in Disguise packaging design, the 2003 releases instead adopted the overall template also used for Armada packaging (but still retained the Robots in Disguise branding), with the last batch of KB Toys exclusives even using the colors from the packaging of the Armada line's subline imprint The Unicron Battles.

EDIT: Dreadwind was released in G2, mea culpa.

Let me bring some evidence in this since you folks still don't believe me.


This is the packaging of the main RID 2001 toy line:

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You can see that they still used it at the end of the toyline for the little Scourge Two pack:

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As well as the TRU exclusive one:

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Then in 2002 they stopped making Robots in Disguise toyline toys and started releasing Armada figures that used this packaging:


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In 2003, they started making more Store Exclusives, and wanted to put them into their own toyline, so they brought the Robots in Disguise toyline name back out and used it with the Armada artwork:


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Now this is what I want you to really look at. See those Coming Fall 2003 on the top of those last two boxart pictures?


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All of them got released under the new name, TF: Universe which continued on for several years while RID stopped. That is all that the Robots in Disguise line was at that point. Just a bunch of repaints for store exclusives.


2. Actually the toy is literally called Destructicon Scourge.
 
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Sabrblade

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"Just a bunch of repaints" is all the Robots in Disguise line had ever been since it first began. It was literally a filler line put together at the 11th hour. The only completely new molds that were made specifically for the Hasbro RID line were just those four little Spychanger-esque molds of Optimus, Magnus, Scourge, and X-Brawn. Everything else in the entire line was literally made from preexisting molds that had been previously made for G1, G2*, Beast Wars, Machine Wars, Beast Machines**, and Car Robots.

* - four of which had been made for G2 but whose original releases had been canceled
** - three of which had been made for Beast Machines but whose original releases had been canceled

And, Cryotek, AA Optimus Primal, Megatron Megabolt, Sideways vs. Axer, and KB/Target single-packed translucent "Spy Changers" were all released in the red packaging while still being "Just a bunch of repaints for store exclusives."

KQzfB5t.jpeg


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Heck, Scourge's Super class toy was itself "just a store-exclusive repaint".


Also, what?
the awesome Dreadwind and Smokejumper two pack at Walmart, the first time they were ever released stateside.
TjVgunB.jpeg


This existed stateside.

2. Actually the toy is literally called Destructicon Scourge.
Yep. Just like the Transmetals and Transmetal 2s of Beast Wars. Or the "Night Slash Cheetor" of Beast Machines. The prefix explains why his body looks different from his normal form.
 
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The Predaking

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While I do apologize for forgetting that Dreadwing came out in G2, you still don't seem to understand what I am trying to tell you.

The RID 2001 toyline was more than just a bunch of repaints. It was Car Robots brought over to give them time for Armada to be developed. The only addition in the first year was Bruticus. The second year before the toyline ended, we got 5 beast machines repaints including the short packed Stormjet aside from a few store exclusives like Cryoteck and Optimus Primal. The afore mentioned Destructicon Scourge came out the next year, 2003, after the RID toyline ended in 2002. They brought it back out with the new packaging to exclusively push more store exclusives.

All the red packaged exclusives that you posted came out in 2002, before the line had ended. This is including the full size Scourge, as he was one of the last toys to come out for the line. (A side note here: I had my wisdom teeth removed and my folks took me on a two hour each way trip to the next nearest TRU in the hopes that they might have Scourge, since the one 45 minutes away never got him in. )

By the time the Destructicons were coming out Armada had long been out and switching over to their packaging refresh. All the 2003 toys used the hybrid artwork until the line officially became TF: Universe. (Although I should note that the wiki says some of the later spychanger exclusives used the Unicron Battles artwork, I can't seem to find it.)
 

CoffeeHorse

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This is all very pedantic, but kinda interesting. So Universe didn't just pop out of nowhere to capitalize on Armada's success, as typically portrayed. RID got repurposed as a random repaint line (though Car Robots obviously had a lot of that to begin with), and Universe was a direct continuation.
 

Superomegaprime

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Out of all the images showing RID, the repaint of TM2 Megatron caught my eye, I always thought that was merely a fan deco instead of a real product, shows what I know! 😁
 


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