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HASBRO: Transformers Age of Extinction Product Lines
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As Transformers fans the world over know, the fourth live action film comes out this weekend here in the U.S. Age of Extinction brings a new cast of human characters into the mix with familiar and brand new robots (hopefully) taking center stage. Alongside the venerable Optimus Prime and Bumblebee the film promises longtime fan favorites like Hound, Drift, and Galvatron, not to mention Grimlock and the Dinobots! While everyone has to wait for opening day to enjoy new Transformers action on the big screen, Hasbro has everyone from kids to collectors covered with a staggering array of Age of Extinction merchandise in stores right now. Today we’ll be taking a quick spin through the toy lines with some notes on who the target audiences are.
As Hasbro has been telling the fans for the past year or so, Transformers toys have shifted to a new hierarchy of products aimed at specific demographics, notably kids vs. adults. Let’s start with the little ones, then, as your son, daughter, niece, nephew, etc. will surely be asking for their favorite Autobots and Decepticons this summer. The kids segment of the Age of Extinction toys is called “Robots in Disguise,” and it includes new product categories like One-Step Changers, Power Battlers, and Flip & Change. All of these bring you simplified versions of the main characters with easy transformation and often additional fun features. The small-scale One-Step Changers (ages 5 and up, $10) do just that, switching between modes with a simple gesture like a flick of the wrist, press of a button, etc. Power Battlers (ages 6 and up, $13) are a little bigger with a few more steps in their transformations, and they include a fun battle action like Bumblebee’s Power Punch.
Lastly in this series, and if you really want to go big and impress a kid, is the Flip & Change lineup (ages 5 and up, $20) with giant versions of the characters that you hold with both hands and spin to make them transform between modes. We first saw this gimmick back at Toy Fair with Grimlock and it’s pretty impressive. An added benefit is that certain of these larger toys like Grimlock and Optimus Prime work particularly well alongside some of their smaller brethren for scale.
So what about collectors who are interested in the same characters? Hasbro has the Age of Extinction segment of the Generations line for you (read our advance review HERE)! There are three scales this time around: the small Deluxe, medium sized Voyager, and super-size Leader. All of these continue the design imperative of more straightforward transformations, with even the largest and most complicated topping out at around 20 steps. This line has all of the main characters from the film and a whole lot more that weren’t exactly on screen, but they fit in seamlessly with their fellows. Deluxe ($15) is where you’ll find a ton of Dinobots as well as vehicle Transformers like Drift, Bumblebee, Crosshairs, and more. Up the scale at Voyager ($25) are larger ‘bots and ‘cons like Optimus Prime, Grimlock, and Hound, and Leader ($45) is reserved for the biggest and baddest: Optimus Prime and Grimlock so far.
Kids and adults alike are all about the construction craze right now, and Hasbro has not one but two different product lines translating Transformers into that medium. Trending somewhat younger is the Construct-Bots, a line that has absolutely exploded in popularity this year. New for Age of Extinction are two series within the Construct-Bots universe, Dinobot Warriors and Dinobot Riders, both obviously capitalizing on the popularity of the dinosaur characters. The Warriors are about the same size as the Elite ‘Bots and feature all of the same construction, transformation, and mix-and-match fun, but they also come with an additional small Dinobot figure that itself has triple functions (dinosaur mode, weapon mode, armor for the larger ‘Bot). Meanwhile, the Dinobot Riders are small bagged figures that transform and are perfect for riding on larger Dinobot Construct-Bots (sold separately).
Similarly Hasbro continues strong with Transformers KRE-O, adding Age of Extinction to the mix. Several AoE sets are in stores now, with one of the most popular already being the Grimlock Street Attack. Celebrating everyone’s favorite Dinobot, Street Attack features a full-scale Grimlock KRE-O, breakaway arch, and KREON figures of Vehicons and Gold Knight Optimus Prime. There are even plenty of bonus features like Prime being able to ride Grimlock and use of “Dino Force” (cleverly placed magnets) for Grimlock and the Vehicons to interact. The Micro Changers Combiners series expands with some new sets as well that are “inspired” by the film. These are all new combiner teams with Volcanicon, Grimstone, Obsidian, and Lazerbolt, each with four transforming KREON figures that can merge into the larger whole.
As crazy as all of that is, there’s still more Transformers goodies out there for those seeking to enhance their Age of Extinction experience. Hasbro has partnered with other companies to extend Autobots and Decepticons into other realms, and a good example of that is the new Transformers Hexbugs. If you’re unfamiliar with them, Hexbugs are small motorized creatures that move in interesting ways... and they’re awesome. For a while they were all bugs or arachnids, with recent expansions into sea life and cars. Now Transformers are here with Warriors and Nanos, “bugs” emblazoned with Autobot and Decepticon logos and colors that feature transformation mechanisms, clip-on backpacks, and attachable accessories like armor and weapons! Other than individual packs you can get larger kits with everything you need to fight like the Battle Arena and Battle Stadium.
No matter your age, gender, or even how much you like the movie, there are tons of Age of Extinction toys to check out in the toy aisles and online. Any Transformers fan is bound to find cool stuff among all the options, so roll out and stock up on your favorite Autobots, Decepticons, and of course Dinobots!
Photos and Words by Scott Rubin
Products Courtesy of Hasbro
