These years brought us more gimmicks than you could shake a stick at. Pretenders, Double Targetmasters, Powermasters(Godmasters in Japan), Micromasters... the list goes on and on.

These were the last years of Transformers as the original, now referred to as Generation One. The comic died at the same time as the introduction of Action Masters, Transformers that couldn't transform! The series even died off in Japan after 2 more series and an OVA, trailing off into short story series in TV magazines to advertiese the last few Transformers Takara offered before switching over to the Brave/Yuusha line of figures, and Generation 2 to some extent.


    Some were not good, but some were, and I hope to pick up some more figures from this time period... my Autobot City needs more Micromasters to populate it!


1988

From left to right:
Snaptrap, Hosehead with Lug, and Quake with his partners Tiptop and Heater.

Godmasters

Ginrai is actually the "engine", which is Hi-Q in the US. He transforms and combines with the cab, which then transforms to robot mode. His is still the only personality, however in the US the cab was Optimus Prime. The trailer can transform into a base or merge with the cab to form Super Ginrai.
Godbomber is a second trailer that can drive by itself or be carried by Ginrai's truck. It transforms ito a seperate robot, or merges with Super Ginrai to become God Ginrai.

Joyride aka Ranger. His partner(in the US) is named Hotwire


Breastforce

The Breastforce member Drillhorn. His chestplate becomes a gun or a rhino.

Pretenders and Classics

Landmine, Grimlock, and Bumblebee. Only Grimlock lacks a Pretender shell.

Micromasters

Left to right, back to front:
Neutro, Powertrain, Tote, Highjump, Mudslinger, and Groundpounder in the back row.
Takedown, Fixit, Stakeout, Seawatch, Red Hot, and Crumble in the middle row.
Whisper, Tailwind, Storm Cloud, and Nightflight are the four jets, with a trailerless Erector(yellow truck), Swindler(grey car), and Sidetrack(beige and brown tank) interspersed between them.


Top left:
Left to right: Night, Spark, Aran, Dego, Leaf, and Joe, all of whom combine to form Sixliner. Yes, Joe is really his name. No, I'm not bullshitting this. Look it up if you don't believe me.		 Top right:
Left to right, front to back: The Turbo team of Discharge, Sireen, Neo-Wheel, Road Police, Circuit, and Glide, who unite into Sixturbo.
Bottom left:
Left to right, back to front, these are: Treader, Mixing, Digger, Gran-Arm, IronLift, and Crushbull. These Autobot warriors merge to create Sixbuilder.		 Bottom right:
Left to right, front to back: The Decepticon Wing team of Raker, Chain Gun, Super Sonic, Flanker, Missile Run, and Falcon, who transform to become Sixwing.

The Micromaster base Hot House. The Micromaster plane is the sentient component, and the controller of the base, and the owner of the actual name.

This is Countdown, the Autobot's Micromaster rocket base. The launchpad (left) expands into a Micromaster command center, while the rocket itself can transform into a temporary station(right). The blue pod could seperate and act as an independant scout car as well, operated by a Micromaster. It was controlled by a Micromaster that transformed into a Lunar Rover. The launchpad could also hold Galaxy Shuttle, from Victory.

Powered Masters

This is Dai Atlas, the leader of the Powered Masters. His jet mode and base mode can combine with the other two Powered Masters, and electronics in his legs/base can move the treads to move him or, in base mode, Micromasters.


Turbomasters

The Turbomaster Flash. He was a UK exclusive relased on the tail end of G1. The Turbomaster gimmick basically was to incorporate that turbine engine that gives them a boost in car mode, and acts as a huge gun in robot mode. That gun is definitely powerful.... it launched the little missle across my dorm room, the long way!


Predators

The Predator leader Skyquake. He was a UK exclusive relased on the tail end of G1, at the same time as the Turbomasters. They were the opposing faction to the Turbomasters, and were also known in some areas as Scopemasetrs, due to the main gimmick tying them together. On Skyquake, if you lookinto his scope, you see a distorted view of what's ahead. Now drop a tab, and you see the Autobot Rotorstorm in his sights! Rotating the rear tailfins activates a periscope inside, so you see what's underneath him. If you look in in robot mode, you see Thunderclash, his opposite number, targetted. He also has working bomb bays, each of which holds 4 bombs/missles. His gun is also just as, if not more, powerful as the Turbomasters'.


"Space is a boundless ocean. And somewhere out in deep space is a planet called Seibertron..."

"Through the magic of the Cybernet Space Cube, the recorded stories of the Transformers transform into Generation 2..."