Gimmicks! Some people love them, some people hate them and some people vary, depending on the gimmick. this time I count down ten of them. Nope, not an exhaustive list and since I am not a gimmick guy, I am critical of most. However, I save three as my top picks. These are ones I actually enjoy, even if sometimes they are or are not successful in execution. What's your favorite?

 

Cassettes.

That said, I am loving Titans Return. The Headmaster gimmick is fun, putting them in cockpits is AMAZING, and the Titan Master vehicles are a ton of fun. Even something as simple as the fact they've got pegs for the TMs to stand makes a huge difference. I didn't think they'd top a gimmick as great as Combiner Wars, but this is my favorite line in years.

 

Transforming  

 

Headmasters and Targetmasters

 

Came here to post that exact reply. You win Sir.

 

Combination

 

Combining and Titan Master... Loving the Prime Wars Trilogy right now.

In the past I really liked the Mechtech of DOTM.

 

Rubber tires.

 

Transforming.

And Articulation, cuz' it enhances said Transforming.

And Combining.

And the 5mm peg/hole system

And minicon ports that is an expansion of said 5mm peg/hole system even though part of it is just a 5mm peg with a hole in the middle of it.

Did i mention i love interchangeable weapons?

And Combining, i enjoy a good scramble city.

 

Seconded.

Probably my favorite is multiple forms with a base mode for minifigure interactivity. For this reason the Leader TR figures have been absolutely indespensibl to me. Hoping I can find a base mode for sixshot. (And Hasbro included the base connector clips on his wings, practically encouraging this.)

 

I feel like we've had this thread before a few times, but my answer is the same as always: Headmasters.

So I'm a pretty happy guy right now.

 

Transforming and really good articulation. that's all i really need.
if the character being homaged originally had a gimmick, like being a headmaster or pretender, i'm ok with that gimmick being carried over.
the exception being Action Masters. since they dont transform, since that negates the first part of my response.

 

Updating G1 bricks... wait, is that even a gimmick?

The sig speaks for itself though if you can't figure it out  

 

retail availability

 

If you had asked me a few years ago, I probably would have said Human Alliance. I like the idea of having a smaller figure to interact with the larger Transformer. That said, Titans Return has completely blown the Human Alliance gimmick out of the water. The Titan Masters have a greater ability to interact with the figures, since the new TR figures have opening cockpits, base modes, and pegs for the TMs to stand on. A close second would have to be combiners, though

 

I'm actually having a lot of fun trying to find base modes for the smaller figures. Sure, they don't really serve a purpose, but some of them look pretty cool

 

Transformation first and foremost.

Targetmasters were always my favorite growing up. I liked having a bonus little figure with my main transformer that not only could double as his primary weapon but I also appreciated the fact that the main figures had peg holes in vehicle mode to store the Targetmaster so it was easier to keep up with.  

 

I'm a real sucker for vehicles that can hold smaller vehicles inside (I long for a video game that lets you captain a Star Destroyer, for instance), so I always appreciate it when Transformers allow for this. An early favourite was the original Armada Starscream - while the marketing trumpeted the big minicon gimmick as deploying the large missile launchers (big whoop, it could have done this with a button) I was attracted by the ability to store the minicon under the nosecone, and deploy it by pressing down on the cockpit. Complete with sound effect, I might add.