Beast Machines was the sequel franchise to the highly successful Beast Wars line. Taking place on Cybertron, the central conflict is between the surviving Maximals from Beast Wars, who have been reformatted into new, ‘techno-organic’ bodies, and Megatron, who raised an army of mechanical drones. Beast Machines carried forward many concepts from Beast Wars, such as the near omnipresence of ball joints, experimentation with mixing organic and mechanical aesthetics, and highly structured size classes. However, Beast Machines also marked a significant departure from Beast Wars in several respects, most prominently in that it reintroduced transformers with vehicle modes for the first time since the end of Generation 2. Ultimately, Beast Machines was not as successful as Beast Wars, and met with an early cancelation as Hastak decided to radically revamp the brand once more.
Beast Machines features much of the same core cast as Beast Wars, but, since the object of the franchise is to sell toys, they have once again changed bodies. (M Spiher) Instead of their previous Beast Wars forms, the cast is now in ‘technorganic’ bodies. Where Transmetal toys featured robotic beast modes and organically detailed robots, and Transmetal 2s featured jagged metal, torn flesh and asymmetry, Beast Machines introduced the harmonious hybridization of mechanical and organic detailing. (Almechazel)
Toys now feature large portions of smooth plastic, which evokes panels of metal that have been shaped fluidly and organically. It is largely difficult to pick a specific section of a toy that is meant to be purely mechanical or purely organic. Instead, the organic portions of the toy and the mechanical portions blur together. Technorganic figures also tend to feature extensive clear plastic and chromed parts. (M Sipher, Beast) The chromed plastic in particular represents a continuation of trends established in Beast Wars, with the Transmetal figures.
The head sculpts in particular are quite evocative of the overall aesthetic. For example, Blackarachnia has a sort of headpiece that is clearly several pieces of layered metal, and yet, when lifted, they reveal more eyes. (S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47, Blackarachnia) Rattrap has organic eyes, teeth, and whiskers, but has an exposed, brain like area with mechanical detailing.(S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47,Rattrap) Between their bright and expressive color palette and their smooth shapes, many Beast Machines figures feel almost Gaudi-esque in aesthetic.
One of the most notable innovations of Beast Machines was the reintroduction of purely mechanical figures after a protracted absence. (M Sipher, Beast) The antagonist faction, the Vehicons, was comprised entirely of these figures, and, as the name hints, all of the Vehicons have vehicle alt-modes rather than beast modes.(M Sipher, Beast) The Vehicons are also remarkable for being one of a bare handful of factions that exist outside of the Autobots and Decepticons, or their natural extensions the Maximals and Predacons.
The vehicle modes of these figures are not accurate earth vehicle modes, as in the early days of Generation 1, nor are they the blocky, pastel colored fictional vehicles that characterized the later portions of G1 and G2.(Flicky1991) Instead, these vehicles are sleek, futuristic, and alien. Jetstorm, Thrust, Tankor, Obsidian and Strika conspire to create a distinctly Cybertronian aesthetic.
The robot modes of some figures also represented a departure from tradition.(M Sipher, Beast) Although Trust, Jetstorm, Obsidian and Rattrap all featured a mode with conventional legs, often this was intended to be a secondary mode. As a primary mode, these figures feature a mode with no legs, often based on their portrayal in the show. Jetstorm and Obsidian fuse their legs, since in the show they float everywhere, Thrust features a three wheeled mode, evocative of his unicycle like mode of conveyance in the show, and Rattrap features two wheels somewhat evocative of a wheelchair. (M Sipher, Thrust; S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47,Rattrap)
As has already been discussed, Beast Machines continued many themes and design practices first established in Beast Wars. Almost every figure in Beast Machines utilized ball joints to a greater or lesser extent, a hallmark of Beast Wars. (Monzo; M Sipher, Beast) Beast Machines continued to employ the highly structured price point system created by its predecessor. (Monzo; M Sipher, Beast) Instead of the tampographed faction symbols to which we are today accustomed, Beast Machines continued to employ the spark crystals first introduced by Transmetal 2 figures. (Reptillia 28; M Sipher, Beast)
Beast Machines also featured two sublines. (M Sipher, Beast) These were Battle for the Spark and Dinobots. Battle for the Spark appeared at the tail end of the line, and was the first full subline in the history of the brand. When the spark crystal of a figure was pushed, some kind of gimmick activated.(M Sipher, Beast) For example, the Mega Optimus Primal figure featured a punching fist. (Abates)
Dinobots, on the other hand, featured redecos of dinobot toys from Beast Wars and the Japanese exclusive line, Beast Wars Neo. (ZacWilliam) These toys had a spark crystal unique to them, and it was confined to deluxe class figures and above. (ZacWilliam) This line marked an important innovation in terms of toylines as a whole; never before had HasTak released wholesale a slew of redecos and retools of molds from previous lines as part of a currently running line. This behavior would go on to be hugely influential in subsequent lines, especially both Universe lines and 2001 RID.
The Beast Machines line is also somewhat notorious for its oftentimes flagrant disregard of scale and show accuracy. Nightscream, one of the smaller characters in the show, received an Ultra class toy, whereas, for most of the line, Optimus Primal, one of the largest characters, at first received only a deluxe.(M Sipher, Beast) Similarly, the Tank Drone and Motorcycle Drone toys both were basic size class, making particularly the Tank Drone dramatically undersized compared to his compatriots in the line.(Sunstorm)
In terms of screen accuracy, Optimus Primal’s initial deluxe toy was largely bright blue and black, with radically different sculpting from the show model.(Abets) Thrust and Jetstorm also look very different from their cartoon selves, although elements of the design echo the show models.(M Sipher, Thrust; Tantrum) While the sculpting of Strika and Blackarachnia is largely show accurate, the decos of the toys bear little to no resemblance to their cartoon appearances. Instead of maroon, Blackarachnia is a deep purple, and Strika features almost none of the purple coloration of her show model.(ItsWalky; S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47, Blackarachnia)
Beast Machines was not as successful commercially as Beast Wars, likely as a combination of several factors. First, Beast Wars style product had already been on store shelves for some 5 years.(M Sipher, Beast) Indeed, Hasbro made the decision to continue to release Beast Wars branded product well into the run of Beast Machines.(Monzo) Second, the quirks with show accuracy and toy design also likely contributed to the line’s flagging sales. Whatever the reason, Hasbro ultimately decided to cancel the line prematurely, scrapping plans for a handful of toys that had been announced to retailers. Three figures were far enough along in the development process to be released under the banner of the subsequent line, 2001 RID. These figures were Megabolt Megatron, Air Attack Optimus Primal, and Bruticus, a toy styled like the mythical creature Cerberus.(M Sipher, Beast; Bruticus) Plans for a successor series, Transtech, were scrapped. Instead, Hasbro imported the currently running Takara show Car Robots to buy time to develop new product, The Transformer: Armada line. (M Sipher,Beast)
Beast Machines did not have nearly as much impact on the brand as Beast Wars. However, Beast Machines did begin to make standard the usage of price points, solidify the consistent usage of ball joints, and mark the return of vehicle alt-modes to the brand. Moreover, it helped to introduce some practices that would become standard throughout the rest of transformers history, namely subline imprints and filling out a line with redecos of toys from other lines. Rather than the renaissance of Best Wars, Beast Machines represents a mild advancement of the ideas expounded by its predecessors.
Works Cited
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S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47 et al, “Rattrap (BW)/toys”, TFwiki, https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Rattrap_(BW)/toys#Beast_Machines Accessed 5/4/2020
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Transformers Aesthetics 