Just something I've been curious about because I haven't collected all that much. Was there a series that you found a pain to transform, or did it depend on the transformer?.

 

ROTF and it's not even a contest. ROTF caused the mass drive to simplification in transformations we see today. At least that's what's been tossed around.

 

Spend a moment with ROTF Mixmaster and you'll have your answer. I'd give Alternity a second place, but I like that kind of complexity.

 

I agree ROTF made transformations a chore.

 

Yep, no argument here. ROTF.

 

Agreed, ROTF. The instructions sucked too.

 

I couldn't even transform TM2 Cheetor as a kid. Imagine me trying to transform ROTF Leader Prime.  

 

Definitely ROTF. For a second, Alternators, since the one I had when I was a kid seemed impossible.

 

The Alternity line. Diecast parts were used on transformation joints which makes it a pain to transform.

 

ROTF, no doubt. I actually think Leader Prime is pretty intuitive, but figures like Sideways, Skids and Mudflap are a pain to get aligned just right, and a lot of the reused molds (specifically preview Bumblebee) were warped so badly it was impossible to get them transformed completely correctly. Never even bought Mixmaster because of the nightmare he looked like in video reviews.

 

Basically all the transformers movie line stuff. i agree, ROTF had the most complicated ones. Just transforming prime, oye. Then figuring out how to jam jetfire. WTF. Well, wasn't all that bad...

 

ROTF and Alternity, without a doubt.

 

A lot of the movie figures (bayformers) were complicated especially for kids they probably struggling hard as hell just to transform one. Taking like 30 minutes to transform ROTF optimus

 

It didn't help that alternity had engineering issues where the it was plastic in one part and die-cast in the other and the plastic would bend and stop aligning. Also that parts could get stuck in places that required you to take apart the figure to re-align which was an adventure in itself.

 

These stay in box. ALL of them!

ROTF was different and fun.

Alternity? Bah.

Add Beast Wars toys in there. Hard to transform with a 10 foot pole of fugly.  

 

The movie line wasn't that hard! You people make it out to be torture.

 

I generally agree with this- although I won't touch many of my ROTF without directions in hand.

A couple of my alternity seem nearly impossible with directions. Over all I think Alternity is tougher. But Mixmaster certainly does shine as one if the toughest, least intuitive figures ever.

 

It wasn't hard for an adult or teenage collector but for kids it's a nightmare; overall alternators or some older masterpieces would be considered the hardest but I was talking in terms of lines aimed more for kids and not collectors

 

The Perfect Change releases from Studio Halfeye.....


......Oh you meant transformers specifically, well I guess rotf is the most obvious answer? Or alternators/alternity?

Idk.....

 

Generally it depends on the individual and the individual transformer. For example, I think the Big Convoy mold is easy peasy and extremely intuitive, while others call it one of the most difficult Transformers ever made. On the other hand, I can never get God Magnus (RID1 Ultra Magnus) into car carrier on my first try; I always misalign parts and have to take multiple tries to get everything aligned and in place for alt mode, while others call it a great balance of motions and simplicity.

As a line as a whole, it's ROTF. That entire line could be summed up in taking 10 steps to do what could've been done with 3. I think ROTF Optimus takes as many steps to go from truck to robot form as the entire 1984 Autobot lineup does to go from vehicles to robots.

Alternity can be persnickety, but that's mostly because of the melding of plastic and die-cast on such small figures. Had they been entirely plastic, they probably would've been a non-issue.