As a kid, I had no clue that the Saturday morning cartoons I watched religiously were glorified toy commercials all gussied up in action-packed animation and laser gun shoot-em-ups, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I actually rather miss the connection between seeing imaginative adventures play out for a half hour in action cartoons and then acting out your own stories in the real world with your toys and neighborhood friends. And it's to that childhood bit of nostalgia that I reach back to in order to say that I wish Hasbro's new toyline Transformers: BotBots had an animated series to show off its bonkers characters and super-fun mythology.
Some of the most fun I've ever had as an adult playing with toys (a rarity for me, even as an animation editor who gets a lot of kids toys sent his way) was in tearing open the packaging for Series 1 of Transformers: BotBots. The brilliantly designed toyline consists of collectible figures that transform (surprise!) into various household items and foodstuffs. But there's also the built-in fun of blind bag items which might just be holding that rare BotBot you need to complete your collection, or at least let you check off a box in one of the many themed groups these little critters belong to. Now, Series 2 has been revealed, showing off a bunch of new BotBots to add to your collection! (I've kept my Series 2 packages intact ... for now.) So while an animated series might not be on the way for Transformers: BotBots, there's more than enough creativity and variety here to inspire your imagination for your own adventures.
Check out this awesome animated origin story and sing-along song that would be the perfect lead-in to an animated series in earnest:
Not long ago and somewhere nearby, a shopping mall was closed for the night when a strange glowing mist, filled with TRANSFORMERS energy known as ENERGON, came down from the sky and covered the mall.
When the Energon hit objects inside, they came to life as mischievous little Transformers robots. These robots hide in plain sight around the mall, disguised as things we use every day.
The only downside to Series 2 of BotBots is that most of the physical designs and transformations are the same as Series 1, for obvious production reasons; color schemes and skins have been changed along with new names for "unique" bots in Series 2. Keep an eye out for Series 3 later this year to see what new little bots are on the way!
For the curious, here's what the packaging for the Transformers: BotBots toys look like (Thanks to Hasbro for sending me another epic mailer for Series 2!), along with a checklist for all of the Series 2 bots and a look at the rare figures in the collection:
Check out a look at some of the Series 2 Transformers BotBots in their natural habitats below:
