Transformers: Animated designer Derrick J. Wyatt has posted some new concept images of Animated Prowl on his blog, including a G1 colour scheme and Prowl with his extra armour.
Transformers-themed pub could be Britain’s Best Home Bar
A Transformers-themed pub is in the running to be crowned Britain’s Best Home Bar, in a competition being run by Liberty Games. The winning bar, chosen… [more]
TFNation 2019 Transformers Convention Review
This last weekend saw yet another Transformers convention take over the Metropole Hilton, in Birmingham. These weekends have become a staple of my summer… [more]
Annual Transformers Forum Meet Tour
Every year, since 2011, the nerds from TheTF.Net forum (now a Facebook group, because running a forum proved too much like hard work) have met for a weekend… [more]
Our 2019 Forum Meet took place this weekend, in Cardiff
This weekend saw our annual forum meet being held in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. Each year we meet in a different town or city in the UK, alternating… [more]
Video Footage from Transforce in 2001
Almost 18 years ago (crikey, has it been that long?) we wrote a review of our visit to Transforce in August 2001. It was a seriously hot day, but a great… [more]
More DVD News: Animated Season 2 in 2009
Paramount Home Entertainment seem on a role today, with another DVD box set on the way. Transformers: Animated Season Two has been announced to come out on 6th January 2009, containing all 13 episodes from the 2nd season and a basic array of extra features. Unfortunately, the episodes will only be in the full frame aspect ratio.
Latest Animated Character Revealed: Beachcomber!
S250 has slowly been revealing parts of a design sketch from a new character, that will be coming in the third series of Transformers Animated. This character is Beachcomber, who hasn’t appeared in an cartoon series since G1.
Beachcomber will be joining Strika, a female Red Alert and Hot Shot in the next series, which is rumoured to start in Spring 2009.
New Animated Galleries Up
Transformers: Animated Vol 1 out in Australia
Today sees the release of Transformers: Animated Volume One – Blast from the Past, on DVD in Australia. Unlike North America, who last month got the complete first season on 2 discs, this is only a 1 disc set containing 4 episodes, Home is Where the Spark Is, Total Meltdown, Blast from the Past and The Thrill of the Hunt. These episodes are in fullscreen (4:3) with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo and coded in region 4 PAL.
It seems Paramount Home Entertainment are mistreating international fans, with the same disc due to come out in the UK in October. It’s recommended that you avoid this and future Transformers: Animated releases until they are provided in their original widescreen format and come in full season sets.
Transformers: Animated Season One out in North America on DVD
Today sees the release of Transformers: Animated Season One on DVD in North America. The 2 disc set contains episodes 4 to 16. Extra features are minimal, with only a season 2 preview and a ‘Spanish language track’, which isn’t really an extra.
Below you can find the cover art.
Animated Skywarp Images
The first image of Animated Skywarp has appeared thanks to e-bay seller menasor1979. Only the jet mode is shown but expect more images soon.
Transformers: Animated Blitzwing Found in USA
TFW2005 member roykop has found Transformers: Animated Blitzwing at a Wal*Mart in Arizona. The figure is a triple changer, just like his G1 toy. The voyager class figure is part of wave 4, costing $19.99, and should start the release of other wave 4 figures.
Marty Isenberg on Animated, Beast Machines & Writing
TFW2005.com have interviewed Transformers: Animated Story Editor Marty Isenberg, discussing his role in developing the Transformers: Animated cartoon, his work on Beast Machines and other cartoons series and how he likes to write series.
TFW2005: What have been some things that you have found to be hard to cut out of a given story, Transformers or otherwise? Were there any concepts in a show you’re worked on that you’d have liked to explore further? How is it decided what stays and what is cut?
Marty Isenberg: The biggest factor is time. Not every great idea, moment, line of dialogue or bit of action can fit into a 22-minute episode of television. I’ve had to cut in script — or Matt has had to cut in storyboard — some stuff that absolutely pains us to cut. There are several stories we really want to do that for one reason or another we haven’t had room for in a Season. Sometimes I’ve managed to put stuff back in the comics that had to get cut for the show.
There are a couple of funny trick-or-treat bits we had to cut from “Along Came a Spider” for time. “Velocity” lost a really nice scene where Sari distracts Bulkhead and allows Bumblebee to sneak out. “Megatron Rising” lost a significant scene, but not for time. The animation that came back from overseas was simply unusable. So I can reveal here for the first time that the Dinobots were SUPPOSED to join the battle in Part Two, only to have Megatron singlehandedly defeat them one-two-three — basically to show what a badass Megatron is in his new body and how our heroes don’t stand a chance. Ultimately the episode worked fine without that scene, and I suspect there would have been some disgruntled fans upset about how easily the Dinobots were taken down.
Transformers Animated on Nintendo DS
We just received an email from Activision about Transformers Animated on Nintendo DS. They’ve sent us a fact sheet and some screen shots. This looks pretty cool.
Based on Cartoon Network’s animated television series of the same name, TRANSFORMERS Animated, available exclusively on the Nintendo DS™, under license from Hasbro, delivers an exciting action-adventure experience. As they blast through DECEPTICON-controlled hoverbots, players attempt to solve challenging teamwork-based puzzles and race through the motorways of a futuristic Detroit, dodging on-coming traffic while seamlessly changing between robot and vehicle-form. Fans take control of all their favorite AUTOBOT characters, including OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE, BULKHEAD and PROWL, as they work together to reclaim the lost fragments of the Allspark before the DECEPTICONS intercept it and claim Cybertron as their own.
KEY FEATURES:
- Adventure beyond the animated series – Gamers experience TRANSFORMERS Animated in a whole new way in this action-adventure game based on the animated series and featuring several of the characters and environments fans enjoy.
- Play as your favorite AUTOBOT characters – Players instantly switch between AUTOBOT team members using their special skills and unique individualized weapons to overcome enemies and challenges. They can take down a boss with OPTIMUS PRIME, outrace foes with BUMBLEBEE, break down barriers with BULKHEAD or outmaneuver enemies with PROWL.
- It’s all about teamwork – Faced with a number of challenging side-scrolling puzzles, fans must utilize each AUTOBOT team member to solve problems. Working as a team and combining the abilities of each AUTOBOT is the key to recovering all three Allspark shards before the DECEPTICONS.
- Speed through the Detroit motorways – Gamers experience slot-car racing-inspired driving at high speeds as they race through a fictitious 22nd century Detroit in several fast-paced driving challenges.
Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Developer: Artificial Mind and Movement
Release Date: October 2008
SRP: $29.99
ESRB Rating: “RP” (Rating Pending)
