Toy Fair 2002 is here! Lots of news is coming in from all over. With so much anticipation about new a Transformers show and the timing of the Hasbro press release last week. You can bet this year's show is all about Armada. Though that not all. Hasbro showed off some new RiD releases as well. Read our Toy Fair 2002 report
HERE.
Armada, Armada, Armada!
Hasbro's pulled out all the stops with a line that features an all-new story and fresh figure designs. The new Transformers TV show, called "Armada," is set to begin airing in US later this year. The Armada story revolves around a new faction of Transformers called "Mini-Cons." These mini-sized characters each holds a different special power that when merged with an Autobot or Decepticon, can transfer those special powers to the host Transformer. These new Transformers are the obvious driving factor in the Aramda toy line.
Robots in Disguise
Armada wasn't all the only new thing on display. Hasbro dished up a handful of goodies that they'll be releasing as part of Robots in Disguise toy line. The good and bad news is they are repaints from the Beast Machines figures series. Planned for release as a 3-pack, the characters will include Mirage GT (Beast Machines Mirage), Nightcruz (SpyStreak) and Scavenger (Beast Machines Scavenger). Also listed is a Basic helicopter named Obsidian (Beast Machines Obsidian toy). The good news is some of the repaints are a great improvement on the originals. In addition to the basic sized figures, will be one deluxe sized repaint of Jetstorm sporting a gorgeous Jetfire-like paint job.
Show Preview Cards and Dreamwave
In addition to the new toy lines, Hasbro was showing off samples of the new packaging and mini-comics that incorporate artwork by Dreamwave artist Pat Lee. There was also a preview of the Armada show on preview. The new show will retain a look similar to what we saw in Robots in Disguise with a slightly more Anime feel to it. There are 52 episodes slated for production at this time.
Security
Rumor was security was going to be extra tight this year and we can tell from our own experience it really was. While we were in attendance at the show we were forbidden from taking photo's of any kind. We'll be publishing a full report on the show soon. While Hasbro has kept a close guard on their area this year, that hasn't stopped other's from getting photo's of the new Armada figures. The following is a list that we will keep updated of sites with Transformers images from Toy Fair 2002:
Well there's our initial report from Sunday at the show. We'll be posting images and much more details from the show so check back frequently for news updates.