The RiD FAQ
Version 3.0
Last Update: 1/1/2003
Written and maintained by Zobovor (zobovor@aol.com)
Changes since last version: Expanded the FAQ to convert it from a quick reference
guide to a more in-depth information archve. Brought the toy releases up-to-date and
added information about episodes aired at BotCon.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
1) What is the history of RiD?
Following the conclusion of Beast Machines, Hasbro briefly entertained a concept called
Transformers: TransTech before deciding to go in an entirely different direction for the
toy line. Since the new toy line (which would become Transformers: Armada) would
require time to develop, Hasbro chose to import the Transformers toy line and cartoon
developed in Japan, Transformers: Car Robots (sometimes erroneously referred to as
Transformers 2000). The Car Robots cartoon was translated into English and aired as
Robots in Disguise, while the Car Robots toy line served as the basis for the RiD toy
line.
2) Was RiD intended as the return of G1?
While Car Robots was originally conceived to feature new characters in a setting
separate from the other Transformers series, Hasbro made the decision to tweak the toy
line and cartoon series slightly to make it more reminiscent of G1. This included
renaming several characters after familiar faces from G1, painting new Autobot and
Decepticon symbols to applicable toys, and adding dozens of G1 references to the
translated scripts as well as dubbing in the classic transforming sound effect.
THE TELEVISION SERIES
1) How does this show fit into continuity?
Hasbro's official position is that RiD is "its own storyline independent of the other
series." Eric S. Rollman, executive producer for RiD, explains that the series features
"somewhat similar characters in a parallel dimension." Note that, despite this, Hasbro
instructed the RiD writers to include references to Vehicons, Insecticons, etc. as
an homage to the previous shows.
2) Where can I find copies of the episodes?
The cartoon is no longer airing in the U.S., and there has been no official announcement
of a video or DVD release. Your best bet is to look for tapes on eBay or encoded
episodes on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network.
3) How many episodes were there? What happened in them? Why were some
episodes never aired on television?
A total of 39 episodes were produced for RiD, but three of these were never aired in the
United States. The airdate schedule was disrupted in many parts of the country
following the terrorist attacks on September 11; later, FOX made the decision to pull
episodes from the lineup that contained references to terrorism or featured the
destruction of buildings. Of these episodes, some were edited and eventually aired
("The Secret of the Ruins," for example, originally contained a reference to the robot
terrorism in the 1980's which was cut from the broadcast versionthe aired version) while
others were never aired on television in America. One of these "lost" episodes, "Attack
from Outer Space," was aired in Canada, while the other two, "Sky-Byte Saves the Day"
and "Landfill," made their debut in the UK. These three episodes were also shown at
BotCon 2002 in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Here are the original airdates and brief synopses of each episode. Note that this list is
in chronological/production order, even though some episodes were aired out of
sequence. (Also, our placement of "The Mystery of the Ultra Magnus" is conjectural;
our reasoning is that Megatron wouldn't be obsessing over Ultra Magnus following the
discovery of Fortress Maximus.)
1. "Battle Protocol!" by Tom Wyner (9/8/2001)
Megatron attacks the International Science Symposium to kidnap Dr. Onishi. First
appearances: Optimus Prime, Prowl, Sideburn, X-Brawn, T-AI, Megatron, Dark Scream,
Gas Skunk, Slapper, Koji, Dr. Onishi, Dorie Dutton and Kelly.
2. "An Explosive Situation" by Tom Wyner (9/10/2001)
Sky-Byte competes with both Autobots and Predacons to secure a high-energy
explosive device hidden inside Kelly's new sports car. First appearance: Sky-Byte.
3. "Bullet Train Rescue" by Steve Kramer (9/11/2001)
Team Bullet Train is summoned to help save a new automated train that's gone out
of control. First appearances: Midnight Express, Railspike, and Rapid Run, and their
combined form, Rail Racer.
4. "Spychangers to the Rescue" by Richard Epcar (9/12/2001)
While Koji copes with the loss of his father, the Spychangers must stop the
Predacons from securing a plutonium generator. First appearances: Hotshot, R.E.V.,
Crosswise, W.A.R.S., Ironhide, and Mirage.
5. "The Hunt for Black Pyramid" by Marc Handler (9/13/2002)
Optimus Prime is out of his element when he engages Sky-Byte in an underwater
struggle for the Black Pyramid energy amplifier.
6. "The Secret of the Ruins" by Tom Wyner (10/11/2001)
Sky-Byte follows Sideburn and Koji as they investigate a cavern that contains a clue
to Dr. Onishi's energy research.
7. "Sideburn's Obsession" by Richard Epcar (9/15/2001)
Megatron takes advantage of Sideburn's fetish by disguising himself as a red sports
car to lead the Autobot into a trap.
8. "Secret Weapon: D-5" by Marc Handler (9/17/2002)
Midnight Express befriends an old steam locomotive which the Predacons believe is
a powerful robot and are determined to capture.
9. "Mirage's Betrayal" by Richard Epcar (9/18/2001)
The Predacons are convinced that Mirage has defected after he leaves the
Spychangers.
10. "Skid-Z's Choice" by Tom Wyner (9/19/2001)
Influenced by the spirit of a famous race car driver, Skid-Z is obsessed with winning
every race he encounters. First appearance: Skid-Z.
11. "Tow-Line Goes Haywire" by Matthew V. Lewis (Thursday, Sept. 20)
The Predacons reprogram Tow-Line into believing the Autobots are evil so that he
captures every Autobot he can find. First appearance: Tow-Line.
12. "The Ultimate Robot Warrior" by Richard Epcar (9/212001)
The Predacons mistake a movie monster for a powerful Transformer and seek to
befriend it.
13. "Hope for the Future" by Tom Wyner (10/26/2001)
The Autobots analyze the Predacons' previous behavior to determine their course of
action in the future. (Clip show.)
14. "The Decepticons" by Tom Wyner (9/22/2001)
Megatron secures six Autobot protoforms and infuses them with his spark energy.
First appearances: Mega-Octane, Armorhide, Rollbar, Movor, Ro-Tor, and Scourge.
15. "Commandos" by Marc Handler (9/24/2001)
The Decepticons begin targeting hydroelectric plants, planning to destroy the dams
and force humanity to surrender their energy. First appearance: Ruination.
16. "Volcano" by Tom Wyner (9/25/2001)
The Predacons target a Carribbean island as a potential source of power, but
unplugging the active volcano threatens the island resort.
17. "Attack from Outer Space" by Matthew V. Lewis (1/12/2002 [Canada]; 7/27/2002
[BotCon]
Movor replaces an Earth shuttle in order to be launched into space, planning to
attack the Autobots from orbit.
18. "The Test" by Tom Wyner (9/26/2001)
After Scourge and the Decepticons renounce their allegiance to Megatron, Sideburn
prepares a trial to test their good faith.
19. "The Fish Test" by Marc Handler (9/27/2001)
Sky-Byte will stop at nothing to disprove the online personality test's assesment that
he's a jellyfish at heart--even betray Scourge's plans to the Autobots.
20. "Wedge's Short Fuse" by Richard Epcar (9/28/2001)
The Build Team is tired of constructing the global space bridge and wants to get in
on the action as warriors. First appearances: Wedge, Grimlock, Heavy Load,
Hightower.
21. "Landfill" by Richard Epcar (6/22/2002 [UK]; 7/27/2002 [BotCon])
The Decepticons infiltrate the global space bridge controls and reprogram it so that
the Autobots appear at random destinations instead of their intended ones. First
appearance: Landfill.
22. "Sky-Byte Saves the Day" by Matthew V. Lewis (6/23/2002 [UK]; 7/27/2002 [BotCon])
Sky-Byte tries to destroy Monument Tower, only to help save it when he realizes
that he could exchange the hostages inside for the O-parts.
23. "A Test of Metal" by Richard Epcar (9/29/2001)
Build Team reroutes the global space bridge so that they're the only ones able to
respond to the Decepticon attacks.
24. "Ultra Magnus" by Tom Wyner (10/6/2001)
Arriving from Cybertron, a bitter Ultra Magnus is determined to destroy Optimus
Prime and claim the Matrix for his own.
25. "Ultra Magnus: Forced Fushion" [sic] by Matthew V. Lewis (10/13/2001)
The Decepticons attack Optimus Prime during his recuperation, but Ultra Magnus
saves him--after a fashion. First appearance: Omega Prime.
26. "The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus" by Michael McConnohie ((10/20/2001)
Sky-Byte approaches Ultra Magnus on behalf of the Predacons and offers him an
alliance, providing he can prove his good faith. First appearances: the "powered-up"
versions of Prowl, Sideburn, and X-Brawn.
27. "Power to Burn!" by Tom Wyner (10/19/2001)
Scourge proposes a partnership with Ultra Magnus to destroy Optimus Prime.
28. "The Mystery of the Ultra Magnus" [sic] by Tom Wyner (3/30/2002)
Megatron and the Decepticons review the arrival and behavior of Ultra Magnus in an
attempt to determine how to defeat him. (Clip show.)
29. "Fortress Maximus" by Richard Epcar (10/27/2001)
The Autobots and Decepticons search for ancient ruins discovered by Dr. Onishi that
are actually Cybertronian in origin. First appearance: Fortress Maximus.
30. "Koji Gets His Wish" by Richard Epcar (11/3/2001)
While the Autbots and Decepticons search for Cerebros, Koji is reunited with Dr.
Onishi, thanks to Sky-Byte.
31. "A Friendly Contest" by Matthew V. Lewis (11/9/2001)
The Autobot Brothers and the Build Team compete to see who can collect the most
O-parts.
32. "Peril From the Past" by Michael McConnohie (11/17/2001)
Assembling the O-parts reveals a map that leads the Autobots to an ancient and
powerful energy source. First appearance: Galvatron.
33. "Lessons from the Past" by Tom Wyner (12/14/2001)
The Autobots once again review the behavior of their enemies, this time focusing on
the Decepticons. (Clip show.)
34. "Maximus Emerges" by Tom Wyner (2/16/2002)
Cerebros is captured by the Decepticons, who use him to activate Fortress
Maximus.
35. "The Human Factor" by Tom Wyner (2/23/2002)
Koji believes he has the power to control Fortress Maximus.
36. "Mistaken Identity" by Michael McConnohie (3/2/2002)
Koji swaps places with a friend to evade the guardianship of the Autobots, but the
Decepticons mistake him for Koji and capture him to control Fortress Maximus.
37. "Surprise Attack!" by Tom Wyner (3/9/2002)
The Decepticons locate the Autobots' secret headquarters and launch an attack on
the base to try to capture Cerebros.
38. "Galvatron's Revenge" by Richard Epcar (3/16/2002)
Galvatron unleashes his cyber-bats and holds hostage the children of the world,
forcing the Autobots to withdraw.
39. "The Final Battle" by Tom Wyner (3/23/2002)
Omega Prime challenges Galvatron to a final duel which will determine the fate of the
Earth and its inhabitants.
4) How is the RiD cartoon different from the Car Robots cartoon?
A new theme song was written for the show, and all the dialogue, background music,
and sound effects were replaced. The original scene bumpers (similar to the ones from
G1) were replaced with CGI versions in most cases (you can see one of the original
ones during "Sideburn's Obsession"). CGI character point-of-view shots were added to
some scenes. In some cases, the meanings of some scenes were altered, and in other
cases scenes were cut completely. Some of the more notable examples:
·The readouts on T-AI's computer monitor originally featured the Autobots' license plate
designations. These were replaced with the names of the characters.
·Megatron originally spoke in a different voice when he was in mega-bat mode.
·Some jokes were cut from the show. In "The Decepticons," after Sky-Byte accidentally
pointed Movor's stasis pod scanning beam at a bird flying overhead, a thought bubble
appears over Sky-Byte's head as he imagines what a Predacon bird might look like. In
"The Secret of the Ruins," there was a running gag where every time Railspike and
Rapid Run made the thumbs-up gesture, Midnight Express thought they were playing
rock-paper-scissors.
·Some scenes were edited from the show for content. The opening scene from "The
Secret of the Ruins" was cut out (because Megatron crashes through a building) and
replaced with footage from the beginning of "Battle Protocol! "In "Skid-Z's Choice,"
when Prowl is chasing Skid-Z and crashes into the pile of tires, there was a two-second
scene cut in which the dust settles and Prowl emerges from the debris. The reason
they did this was because there was a billboard advertisement for cigarettes in the
background. (FOX missed another cigarette ad, which can be seen near the end of
another episode.)
5) Was every episode of Car Robots translated into an RiD episode?
All of the normal episodes were, but the Car Robots clip shows didn't focus on the same
footage that the RiD clip shows did. (For example, the Car Robots episode "New
Warriors, Assemble!" which was a recounting of the creation of the Decepticons, the
promotion of the Build Team, and the arrival of Ultra Magnus, was never aired for RiD.
We got "The Mystery of the Ultra Magnus" instead, which focused exclusively on
Magnus.)
6) Which voice actors worked on the show?
What follows is a list of the main characters and the names of the actors who performed
them. Note that many of the writers for the series also contributed voices for the show.
Also, Michael McConnohie may be familiar to fans as the voice of Cosmos and Tracks
from the G1 series.
Keith Anthony: Hightower
Roberty Axelrod: Movor
Steve Blum: Darkscream, W.A.R.S.
Tifanie Christun: Dorie Dutton
Jerry DeCapua: Gas Shkunk
Keith Diamond: Rapid Run
Richard Epcar: Armorhide
Sandy Fox: T-AI
Bob Joles: X-Brawn
Neil Kaplan: Optimus Prime, Megatron (alternate voice), Ro-Tor
Steve Kramer: Cerebros, Fortress Maximus, R.E.V.
Lex Lang: Tow-Line
Michael Lindsay: Rollbar, Skid-Z
David Lodge: Midnight Express, Railracer
Peter Lurie: Slapper
Michael McConnohie: Hotshot, Ironhide
Daran Norris: Heavy Load
Bob Papenbrook: Mega-Octane, Ruination
Michael Reisz: Landfill, Wedge
Mike L. Reynolds: Railspike
Daniel Riordan: Megatron/Galvatron, Omega Prime
Philece Sampler: Kelly
Joshua Seth: Carl
Peter Spellos: Sky-Byte
Jason Spisak: Koji Onishi
Barry Stigler: Scourge
Kim Strauss: Ultra Magnus
Kirk Thornton: Dr. Onishi
Wankus: Prowl
Wally Wingert: Mirage, Sideburn
Dan Woren: Crosswise
Tom Wyner: Grimlock
7) What do the numbers on the Autobots' license plates signify?
They correspond to the numerical designations of the Car Robots toys. The original
version of Speedbreaker (Sideburn) was C-004, but Super Speedbreaker was C-026
(which is why he changes license plates on the show when he powers up). The reason
there are no characters with the designation C-011, C-015, or C-022 is because these
were the numbers attributed given to the Spychangers giftset, the JRX (Rail Racer)
giftset, and the Build King (Landfill) gift set, respectively.
THE TOY LINE
1) How many toys were released?
The Robots in Disguise toy line consists primarily of the toys released for the Car
Robots toy line in Japan, but also includes repaints from previous Transformers toy lines
as well as a few brand-new toys created for RiD. Not all of the Car Robots toys were
released under RiD, however. Most of them come in the form of color variants available
as contest prizes or store exclusives (such as the translucent Spychangers available
only at Jusco department stores) or the aforementioned gift sets, but the unreleased
toys also include Brave Maximus (known in the RiD series as Fortress Maximus).
There were 62 toys in all, with 35 having Car Robots equivalents, 20 new repaints, three
Beast Machines leftovers, and four new toys created specifically for the RiD line.
Among the countries in which RiD has been sold are the United States, the United
Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Here's a breakdown of the toys released for the toy line and their price point in American
dollars. The previous name for each toy is given in parentheses where applicable.
Basic Assortment ($5.99)
SPYCHANGERS:
Crosswise (X-Car) and W.A.R.S. (Wars)
Hotshot (Autofire) and R.E.V. (Eagle Killer)
Ironhide (Ox) and Mirage (Counter-Arrow)
Prowl 2 and Side Swipe
Side Burn and Daytonus
Scourge and X-Brawn
Optimus Prime
Ultra Magnus
Obsidian (BM Obsidian)
COMBINERS:
Armorhide (Dangar)
Rollbar (Greejeeber)
Ro-Tor (Heptor)
Movor (Shuttler)
The first six Spychangers were repaints of the G2 Go-Bots, originally released as High
Beam, Gearhead, Blowout, Firecracker, Motormouth, and Double Clutch, respectively.
Prowl 2, Side Swipe, Side Burn, and Daytonus were aborted G2 Go-Bots, while
Scourge, X-Brawn, Optimus Prime, and Ultra Magnus are brand new. The Combiners,
called Combatrons in the Car Robots line, were repaints of the Combaticons: Brawl,
Swindle, Vortex, and Blast Off. They combine with Mega-Octane to form Ruination.
Obsidian is a desert-camouflage repaint of the Beast Machines helicopter of the same
name.
At the time of this writing, repaints of Side Swipe, Daytonus, and Scourge are planned
for the Transformers: Armada toy line.
Deluxe Assortment ($10.99)
Prowl (Mach Alert)
Side Burn (Speedbreaker)
X-Brawn (Wildride)
Tow Line (Wrecker Hook) vs. Skyfire (MW Skywarp/Thundercracker)
Skid-Z (Indy Heat) vs. Wind Sheer (MW Megatron/Megaplex)
Bruticus
Prowl (Redeco)
Side Burn (Redeco)
X-Brawn (Redeco)
Storm Jet (BM Jetstorm)
Megatron Megabolt
COMBINERS:
Wedge (Build Boy)
Hightower (Build Cyclone)
Grimlock (Build Hurricane)
Heavy Load (Build Typhoon)
Mega-Octane (Dolrailer)
Skyfire and Wind Sheer are repaints of Megatron/Megaplex and Thundercracker/
Skywarp from the Machine Wars line. Bruticus is a three-headed Cerberus, originally
designed for the Beast Machines line. The combined form for the Build Team, originally
named Build King, is now called Landfill. Dolrailer is the last of the Combatrons, and
was a repaint of Onslaught. Storm Jet is a repaint of Beast Machines Deluxe Jetstorm,
and is painted to resemble G1 Jetfire. Megatron Megabolt is based on the Beast
Machines second-season incarnation of Megatron, but was sold in RiD packaging.
Megatron Megabolt is a Kay-Bee Toys exclusive.
At the time of this writing, there is also a yellow repaint of the Build Team planned for
release as a store exclusive in Australia.
Mega Assortment ($14.99)
Sky-Byte (Gelshark)
Dark Scream (Gildo) Gas Skunk (Gasskunk) and Slapper (Goosher)
Mirage GT (BM Mirage), Scavenger (BM Scavenger), and Nightcruz (Spystreak)
Sideways (Road Rocket) vs. Axer (Road Pig)
COMBINERS:
Midnight Express (J-4)
Railspike (J-5)
Rapid Run (J-7)
The RiD Predacons were repaints of the Beast Wars Transmetal 2 toys: Cybershark,
Nightglider, Stinkbomb, and Spittor. The combined form of Team Bullet Train,
originally JRX, is now called Rail Racer. The 3-pack is made up of repaints of Beast
Machines Mirage, Scavenger, and Spystreak, respectively. The two-pack consists of
repaints of the G2 Laser Cycles Road Rocket and Road Pig, and is exclusive to Wal-
Mart stores.)
Ultra Assortment ($21.99)
Megatron (Gigatron)
Galvatron (Devil Gigatron)
Cryotek (BW TM2 Megatron)
Devil Gigatron was the upgraded version of the original Gigatron, with new colors and
ten transformations instead of six, and was slightly remolded to accommodate the new
modes. Cryotek is a blue repaint of the Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Megatron toy, and is
exclusive to Target stores.
Super Assortment ($29.99)
Optimus Prime (Super Fire Convoy)
Ultra Magnus (God Magnus)
Scourge (Black Convoy)
Air Attack Optimus Primal
Black Convoy was a repaint of G2 Laser Rod Optimus Prime, with the original light-up
headlights and sword feature having been disabled. Air Attack Optimus Primal was
originally created for the Beast Machines toy line, but was released in RiD packaging.
Both Scourge and Air Attack Optimus Primal are exclusive to Toys "R" Us stores.
Kay-Bee Exclusive Spychangers ($3.99)
Crosswise (X-Car)
W.A.R.S. (Wars)
Ironhide (Ox)
Mirage (Counter-Arrow)
Hotshot (Autofire)
R.E.V. (Eagle Killer)
These were versions of the Spychangers produced in translucent colors (different from
the Jusco exclusive Spychangers from Japan). They were sold individually, and unlike
the first versions, had tech specs on the packaging. At the time of this writing, these
were the last RiD toys to be released.
2) Why wasn't Fortress Maximus released for RiD?
Hasbro did some work on Fortress Maximus in preparation for a 2003 release, but they
weren't able to bring him up to modern safety regulations, and there are no current plans
to release him. However, Takara has granted the licensing rights to a Korean toy
company named Sonokong, who will be producing Brave Maximus again. As of this
writing, bigbadtoystore.com is expecting to have the toy in stock by mid-to-late January.
3) What's the difference between the RiD toys and the originals? Why did Hasbro
change them?
Some of the changes Hasbro made to the toys were for safety reasons (American toy
safety laws are more strict than those of Japan) while others were entirely cosmetic. All
the copyright stamps were updated, and all the Autobot and Decepticon toys have team
insignias painted on them. Some people have also reported deviations in the quality of
the plastic and the rubber tires, which are prone to splitting. (The tire molds themselves
were not changed, though. Ultra Magnus' tires still read "God Magnus," for instance.)
All the known changes made to the Car Robots toys are noted below, including colors
and paint operations. There are also RiD toys that did not come from Car Robots, but
since these have entirely new color schemes, only the mold changes are noted below.
AUTOBOTS
Mirage GT: The plates on the ends of his missiles were removed. Also, his right and left
legs were switched during assembly.
Nightcruz: Details on missile tips removed.
Optimus Prime: Made from flat red plastic rather than deep metallic red. Japanese
sound bytes replaced with English. The bottom row of holes on his ladder were filled in,
so Ultra Magnus' gun can't be mounted there. Also, his missiles no longer fire
automatically when you deploy his four launchers simultaneously.
Prowl: Autobot symbol on hood. Windshield is semi-opaque instead of clear. Flames
on missiles are fully painted instead of just the tips. Pegs that hold his doors in place
are slightly wider.
Scavenger: Mold imprints on right treads filled in to allow for tampo stamping of his
Autobot symbol. The screw that held his pelvis in place was replaced with a bolt.
Side Burn: Autobot symbol on roof. The Side Burn redeco has the official Dogde Viper
logo tampo printed on the hood.
Sideways: Has the modified handlebars from his release in the Microman toy line,
designed to accommodate a driver. Saber weapon has the remnants of a handle,
originally added so the driver could carry it.
Skid-Z: Yellow paint operations on spoiler and hood removed that said INDY, 16, and
C016. Purple Autobot symbol added in a different spot, and pink paint on hood replaced
with silver. The hook that holds his transformation together is a lot more stubborn.
Tow-Line: Holes added to the center of his headlights.
Ultra Magnus: His original metallic blue and silver colors were changed to more flat blue
and grey colors. Japanese sound bytes replaced with English. Metal pins holding the
blue connector bars on his weapon in place replaced with plastic knobs.
X-Brawn: Autobot symbol on hood. One missile was retooled with a duller tip. Has
unpainted tail lights and headlights that are now circular instead of trapezoidal. (Hasbro
may have made this change to enable them to use the design without having to pay
royalties to Mercedes-Benz. The redeco also has the modified headlights.)
TEAM BULLET TRAIN
Midnight Express: Autobot symbol added and transparent plastic changed to opaque
white. Yellow stripes are darker; stripes added to train roof. Blue paint deco absent
from his cod piece. Later in production, windows were painted blue.
Railspike: Autobot symbol added, transparent windows changed to opaque white. Tab
was added to the gun barrel which makes it too long for undercarriage storage in train
mode. Later in production, windows were painted blue and eye color was changed from
red to pink.
Rapid Run: Autobot symbol added and transparent parts changed to opaque grey.
Yellow parts changed to gold; paint deco added to pelvis and nose of train. Later in
production, windows were painted metallic blue.
SPYCHANGERS
The original Spychangers had heat-sensitive paint, which revealed their Autobot
symbols when rubbed or exposed to warm water. The RiD Spychangers did not have
this gimmick.
Crosswise/W.A.R.S.: Autobot symbol on roof. Crosswise has red stripes on the doors
and spoiler. W.A.R.S. has blue windows instead of black; yellow stripes on the doors
and spoiler. (The translucent Crosswise has a gun with a more narrow base, enabling
W.A.R.S. to carry it.)
Hotshot/R.E.V.: Autobot symbol on roof. Hotshot has blue windows instead of silver;
R.E.V. has new orange paint behind the side view mirrors and trunk. Later in
production, they both got new tabs behind their heads to help hold the hood in place in
car mode.
Ironhide/Mirage: Ironhide has an Autobot symbol on his roof; windows are blue instead
of silver; truck bed is red instead of white. Later in production, Ironhide got a new tab
behind his head to help hold the hood in place in truck mode. Mirage has an Autobot
symbol on his hood; there are redstripes on either side of the cockpit and the top of the
driver's seat.
BUILD TEAM
Grimlock: Autobot symbol added; gold and tan paint operations added to body and
shovel.
Heavy Load: Autobot symbol added; black detailing added to sides of cab, dark yellow
paint added to sides of truck bed.
Hightower: Autobot symbol added; silver paint operations added to sides of crane
mode.
Wedge: Light orange paint on on legs replaced with light grey; dark grey paint added to
the roof of bulldozer mode.
PREDACONS
Bruticus: The toy was originally designed for the Beast Machines "Battle for the Spark"
assortment, all of which had spark-activated gimmicks. Whatever feature this toy was
designed to have was gutted (as evidenced by the hollow chest cavity).
Cryotek: A few holes in his wing claws were filled in; his robot mode teeth were made
more symmetrical. (The Japanese version of Cryotek has a "soul figure" pilot in the
cockpit, which was originally designed to accomodate a "spark avatar" figurine.)
Dark Scream/Gas Skunk/Slapper: All three Predacons have a slightly different color
spark crystal. Dark Scream's silver paint is flat instead of glossy. Gas Skunk has
darker metalized orange paint. Slapper has darker metalized paint.
Galvatron: Gold paint deco absent from his robot legs and dragon claws; red paint
absent from the inside of his dragon mouths. Protrusions on missiles were rounded off.
Megatron: Is technically the Devil Gigatron mold, since he has the extra connecting
tabs needed to stabilize the Devil Elephant mode. Protrusions on missiles were
rounded off.
Sky-Byte: Spark crystal is a slightly pinker color.
DECEPTICONS
Armorhide: Combatron symbols replaced with Decepticon symbols. Main plastic color
changed from tan to light blue, secondary plastic color changed from brownish to grey.
Axer: Has the modified handlebars from his release in the Microman toy line, designed
to accommodate a driver. Ratcheting knees made less fraile; chest modified to activate
light-up gimmick in robot mode.
Mega-Octane: Combatron symbols removed; Decepticon symbol on cab roof; black
and copper camouflage replaced with green-brown and black. No stickers for the sides
of the trailer. Chest plate has new peg notches; rifle barrel is shorter; pegs for twin
lasers are octagonal instead of circular; new square peg added to attach twin lasers in
base mode. Yellow parts changed to grey; orange and green parts are darker. Paint on
Ruination's head is black instead of silver; eyes are pink instead of red.
Movor: Combatron symbols on wings replaced with Decepticon symbols. Silver cockpit
windows instead of purple. Re-entry burn marks more pronounced.
Obsidian: Weapon mount changed slightly, affecting the angle the gun sits at. Peg
holes inside legs changed from circular to octagonal.
Rollbar: Combatron symbol on trunk replaced with Decepticon symbol. Windshield is
silver instead of black. White paint airbrushed on the vehicle hood, "GV" and star
emblem removed.
Ro-Tor: Combatron symbols on tail section replaced with Decepticon symbols, red
arrows added to the sides of the helicopter, white underbelly spraypaint deco removed.
Plastic changed from metallic blue to dark blue. (The tips of his rotors are not red, like
they are on the packaging.)
Scourge: Combatron symbols on chest stickers replaced with Decepticon symbols;
Decepticon symbols added to sides of cab; "Black Convoy" bumper sticker changed to
read "Scourge"; black sticker over battery cover was removed. Pink translucent plastic
used for windows/sword/eyes changed to red. Tip of sword was rounded off. Anti-
Cybertron insignias on launching disks were removed (but the pentagon-shaped hole is
still there). Rapid-fire six-shot launcher and missiles changed from O-shaped to T-
shaped barrel and chamber. Middle section of smokestacks extended and top section
shortened by the same length. Hinge sections for sides of trailer were lengthened, and
the guide hole for the pin on the back of the trailer was widened. New plastic tabs were
added to base of trailer to help stabilize battle station mode. (Note: Reportedly, early
versions of Scourge were in fact Black Convoy toys, complete with pink windows and no
tampographed Decepticon symbols, wearing RiD stickers.)
Skyfire: The weapon peg holes inside his legs were modified to accept either weapon
piece.
Wind Sheer: The weapon peg hole in his left leg was filled in.
4) Which Spychanger's gun is which?
The packaging for the Spychangers (both the original and translucent versions) shows
photographs of the Spychangers carrying the incorrect weapons. For the record, this is
the correct way to arm the toys:
Crosswise gets red; W.A.R.S. gets clear.
Hot Shot gets black; R.E.V. gets yellow.
Ironhide gets off-white; Mirage gets white.
Crosswise and W.A.R.S. were originally packaged together, so it's especially easy to
get confused. Don't try to force W.A.R.S. to hold Crosswise's gun, however, or his fist
may break. The translucent Spychangers also show the toys carrying the incorrect
guns on the front of the package. Crosswise and W.A.R.S. have again swapped
weapons, as have Ironhide and Mirage. The mold for Crosswise's gun was changed, so
it is possible for W.A.R.S. to carry it this time.
5) Why doesn't Spychanger Side Burn's undercarriage gun stay in place?
Chalk it up to a mid-run production error. The first version of Spychanger Side Burn has
a gun that fits snugly in car mode, but later versions of the toy had a loose-fitting gun
that won't stay in place.
6) What does the Japanese writing mean on the toys?
The kanji on Prowl's doors translate to "Metropolitan Police HQ." Optimus Prime's
symbols mean "Fire Department." Finally, the symbol on W.A.R.S. is, appropriately,
the kanji for "war."
7) Doesn't Megatron/Galvatron have a whole bunch of transformations?
Gigatron (Megatron) only had six official transformations and Devil Gigatron (Galvatron)
had ten. However, fans in Japan have created over 100 separate modes for the toy,
archived online by webmaster Katsusada Sugioka. The names for these unofficial
transformations were helpfully provided by Doug Dlin.
Fan-created modes:
http://fine.tok2.com/home/katchy/devilgiga/devilgiga.htm
Names of the fan-created modes:
http://members.aol.com/zobovor/gigatron_modes.txt
8) How can I restore Scourge's electronics?
The toy was not significantly retooled when Takara excised the light-up feature; there is
still room for LED bulbs, wiring, and batteries inside the toy, but you will need to supply
and install them yourself. It may be helpful to refer to Laser Optimus Prime, the original
electronic toy on which Scourge was based. Note that in a correctly-functioning toy,
pressing the button on the top of the cab will simultaneously cause both yellow
headlights to glow, and cause a red LED in his right fist to glow, illuminating his sword
or his handheld gun.
Here is a newsgroup post written by Irrellius, Spam of the Potato People that explains
how to install electronics in Scourge. Go to Google.com and plug this message-id into
the appropriate newsgroup search field:
20020604175017.20990.00003381@mb-fo.aol.com
9) Why did they release Beast Machines toys as part of RiD?
Some toys originally designed for the Beast Machines toy line (namely Bruticus,
Megatron Megabolt and Air Attack Optimus Primal) remained unreleased after that line's
conclusion. Naturally, retailers wouldn't have been interested in carrying toys from a
dead line, and yet fans still wanted to see these toys released (and Hasbro no doubt
wanted to make back their development costs). So, Hasbro sold these toys in RiD
packaging and rewrote the character backgrounds, enabling them to fit with the rest of
the line.
10) What's up with the packaging? Why is it trilingual? Why is there no box art? Why
don't some of the Basics have tech specs/instructions? Why does Side Burn's
packaging call him Speedbreaker on the back? Why is Prowl's intelligence measured
in question marks?
Most of these are results of cost-cutting measures on Hasbro's part. Trilingual
packaging means Hasbro can see the exact same toys in several different countries.
(The store exclusives don't have trilingual packaging.) A side effect of this is that in
some cases, there's no room on the package for tech specs. As for Side Burn, Hasbro
originally planned to keep the name Speedbreaker for the character, but when they later
decided to change it, they forgot to update part of the packaging template. Finally, Side
Burn and Prowl actually use the Super Speedbreaker and Super Mach Alert tech specs,
whose powered-up attributes went off the scale in some cases. (The redeco versions
use the regular tech specs. Go figure.)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
Some information used in this document was provided by various newsgroup posts and
web sites. Thanks go to Altered States Magazine, BW Sidecutter, Citizen V,
crazysteve, Deathsaurus, Hydra Darkwings, The Deflowering Club, The Hasselhoff,
Jackpot, Jen One, Jordan Derber, Doug Dlin, Ka Faraq Gatri, Rik Ruff,
Robotech_Master, M Sipher, Derik Smith, Steve-o Stonebraker, Superspy, Steve T.,
Storm06, Thylacine 2000, Trent Troop, Vicken, ViceGripX, and Ben Yee for their
contributions.
This document is located at: http://members.aol.com/zobovor/rid_faq.txt
The home page for this FAQ: http://members.aol.com/zobovor/index.html