I don't really know how to explain it, and I can't site any episode names off the top of my head, but there were several episodes where the bots were drawn just a bit blockier than usual. The bots all had very straight lines, hard edges, and tight angles. They didn't really have the "hand-drawn" look that most of the episodes had.

 

I know what you mean   Episodes like Day of the Machines and the Dinobot Island two parter (to name a few), right?

 

YES! Thank you!

 

The scene when Unicron transforms in the movie. And the opening scene where he eats wherevertron. If Bay has an ounce of talent he'll recreate it for Movie 6.

 

Oh Matrix, YES!!!  

 

Here's another one of mine:

Desertion of the Dinobots Part 1 - Megatron attempts to fly but can't ends up flapping his arms like a bird.

 

A couple more like that are Autobot Spike, The Immobilizer, Atlantis Arise, Quest for Survival, Desertion of the Dinobots pt2, and Blaster Blues. There are others - these are just off the top of my head. Nothing lazy or subpar about that animation!  

 

Some of the Tracks animation in auto-bop were really good.The animation of Unicron in Grimlocks new brain and Starscreams new body were good.The episode were Shockwave had the dinobots working the mines on cybertron had some good animation.But my all time favs are: Prime transforming and exploding in the air in the movie, Hot Rod and Kup underwater with the squid, the part were Unicorn eats the first planet, his transformation and the reformat scene.

 

Yeah, it's like they used a straight edge to draw the robots. All the lines are straight, all the corners are sharp. All the angles are done in the proper perspective. You'd think it was done with a computer.

 

Yeah, not only that, but the camera angles and figure work are super dynamic and the coloring is vibrant and crisp. The way the characters looked in these particular episodes is my ideal version of them, especially Prime's head and particularly his face plate. Glad to know someone else appreciates this bunch of episodes!  

 

It was these episodes that really made me understand just how disappointing the toys were. Don't get me wrong, they're great, but they're not as cool as they looked on TV. The best day since I got my original Prime back in Christmas 1984 was when I picked up MP-10. It's like Prime jumped right out of those episodes.

 

A lot of the animation in the TF the movie had some great animated moments. Especially, with the Autobot City Battle at the beginning; the final battle between Prime and Megatron; the reformatting into Galvatron; and Rodimus' ascension were all fantastic.

Another episode I remember off the top of my head is Call of the Primitives. It was almost like watching an anime style show. The only thing I did not like where a few moments of animation reuse. Yea, I know it happened a lot in season 1/2 especially with Prime's transformation scenes but when it's just Rodimus nodding his head...yea.

Another I remember is the second part of Return of Optimus Prime. I remember part 1 had some bad parts like a miscalled Bruticus and Soundwave's floating mouth plate. But the quality really picked up with part 2. Especially when the Autobots travelled to Char and the shots throughout the trip in the caverns to get the alloy.

 

What about Dweller in the Depths....that has some great stuff, Springer coming out of the rubble, Arcee in auto mode trying to get out of the net...

 

Right there with you. Fell in love with the show first and foremost. Was really disappointed that the toys barely resembled their onscreen counterparts and didn't end up getting into them till about a year after they were out. Eventually went whole hog in 86, though, after He-Man ran its course, but even then it still bothered me that Galvatron's toy was grey and Ultra Magnus had a white Optimus. 30 years later, the MP line is pumping out the toys I could barely even dreamed of when I was a kid - better late than never!  

Yeah, pretty much all of Toei's work in s3 was great. AKOM can go to hell, though  

 

I nominate the scene in MTMTE part 2 where Soundwave dispatches Rumble to create a tidle wave. I thought that was one of the best animated scenes.

 

If we can include commercials, then I nominate the ones from 1987. All of them seemed to have both, high frame counts and highly detailed/dynamic artwork. Especially the Targetmaster ad (always loved that one). The movie is also a high point, as is the season 2 opening.

As for the episodes themselves, there's a few I like:
- MTMTE (all three parts): there's plenty. But most of them are in parts 2 and 3. Personal favorites are Rumble's tidal wave (and him shoving Spike out of the way), Prime and Megatron's dam battle, Prime being righted by Ratchet, and the Obari-styled transformations at the end of part 3.
- Transport to Oblivion: Prime and Meg's fight at the energy plant and the stuff with the Earth space bridge and Bumblebee's escape.
- Roll For It: By far one of the worst episodes of season 1 animation-wise. But there is Satrscream and Soundwave's escape at the beginning. I also like the ink-shading going on in several shots too.
- Heavy Metal War: Most of the main battle, as well as some cuts of the Dinobots vs. Devastator fight.
- Autobot Spike: One of the few Season 2 episodes that look good. Favorite scenes are when Spke/Autobot X is causing damage.
- AKOM's season 2 episodes: Harp on me all you want. But they are more fluid than most of the season in regards to framerate. Doesn't excuse all the errors, but points for trying. City of Steel does have some above-average bits of animation though.
- Atlantis Arise: Another decently made episode aside from some obvious errors (double Primes, anyone?) No real standout moments, however.
- Microbots: The stuff inside Megatron looks breathtaking for 1985. Like some of the other little touches too, like Rumble's hiccups when the 'Cons get smashed on Energon
- Chaos: Not so much the animation itself. But I do like how better shaded and more detailed the designs are this episode.
- Dweller in the Depths: Unpopular opinion time (again). I honestly think this episode is one of the best animated episodes of season 3. about on par with Call of the Primitives. The stuff with the creatures are the highlight and I like the designs of them too. And speaking of Call...
- Call of the Primitives: There's plenty to like here, I will admit, from the special effects animation used for Tornadron, to several of Grimlock's scenes and even the deaths of the Primitives are well done. The whole episode screams of mid-1980s anime (Then again, most of the non-AKOM episodes of the season do).
- The Ultimate Weapon: The only other episode that comes to mind. Notably the Metroplex/Trypticon fight near the end.

That's about it on my end, really.

 

You can really see the difference in Jim Sorenson's Ark art books; the full-body models are the more rounded S1 designs, while many of the head close-ups are clearly the sharper S2 designs. I always loved the sharper look, and like Dean said, are my defining versions of the characters.

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but I LOVE the Autobot roll call transformation sequence from MTMTE p1. Some of the most detailed transformations of the entire series, I used to play them back frame by frame. Prowl's car window rolling up, the wheels coming out of Sideswipe's shoulder panels, the panels on Wheeljack's legs that flip to fill the gap between his legs...
I used to dream of a Wheeljack toy that transformed just like that.

 

One of my favorite episodes as well! That episode had one of the best Devastator transformations throughout the series. And it demonstrated the massiveness of the character as the Autobots were rounding the structure and he comes into view.