Transformers Beast Wars

Name of Toy Line: Beast Wars (Transformers) Beast Collection Special 10
Production Company: Takara
Distributor: Takara
Years of Production: 1998
Countries/Regions Available: Japan
Size/Scale: 1.5"
Figure Trade Markings: (c) T.P.C./T./TX/A./N./'96 CHINA
Approximate # of Figures: 10

Details: 1995 saw the birth of a new spin-off from Transformers in Japan: Beast Wars. The story evolved around robots that could transform in to various animals, insects and dinosaurs. These robots are the descendents of the original Transformers but instead of Autobots and Decepticons the 'beasts' have Maximals and Predacons battling for supremacy.

Along with the normal transforming toys you would expect from such a toy line, Japan was lucky enough to get some mono-colored mini-figures! Ten figures were available in translucent blue and all came in a box-set together:



Here we can see all 10:

Scuba
Bighorn
Tasmaniakid
LioConvoy
Galvatron
Megastorm
Apache
LioConvoy (Beast Mode)
Starscream
Galvatron (Beast Mode)



The packaging shows artwork from the 1996 CGI animated series Beasties (changed from Beast Wars due to Canadain broadcasting guidelines), made in Canada by Mainframe Entertainment.

Let's take a closer look at some of these cool little figures:











The back of the box shows a playset that was also available, packaged with two figures:



Old Skool Transformers fans may remember the Transformers Decoys. Here's a comparison shot that shows the Beast Wars figure's small headed, skinny (but still cool) ancestors: