Hasbro is bringing back a nostalgic series for its new toy line. No, not that one. Not that one either. It's Beast Wars, the rather polarizing 90's Transformers spinoff that ditched the modern vehicle gimmick in favor of animals both current and prehistoric. Don't worry, it didn't make much sense back then either. But it still gained a loyal fanbase, much of which persists to this day.
Revealed at Hasbro's "Hascon" digital event and launching in January 2021, Transformers: War for Cybertron: Kingdom will feature figures of classic and new characters from Beast Wars: Transformers like Optimus Primal (no, that's not a typo), Megatron (but not that Megatron), Rattrap (spoiler: he's a rat), and the villainous Blackarachnia (who likely helped a few viewers discover something new about themselves). New additions include Fossilizers, transformers whose "disguises" are skeletal dinosaurs, kind of reminiscent of Dry Bones and Dry Bowser in the various Mario games and spinoffs. Though it seems a bit less creepy in this case, seeing as the characters won't be racing go karts around with the desiccated remains of their enemies.
The Kingdom line of toys comes as the latest stage in Hasbro's War for Cybertron series, which is itself a segment of its longer running Transformers: Generations line, which has been releasing redesigns of classic Transformers figures since 2010. War for Cybertron itself centers on a "back to basics" idea, with a focus on more straightforward depictions of the characters. Don't worry if that sounds confusing, because it is confusing.
Beast Wars gained a respectable following when it aired from 1996 to 1999. The CG animated show sported infamously low production values that likely drove away many potential viewers. It's unfortunate, because the writing and stories in the show were widely considered among viewers to be some of the best in the franchise at the time, with many arguing that it still holds up to this day. But don't take the fans' word for it. It even won a Daytime Emmy in 1997, so clearly the show did something right.
It seems to be an unfortunate trend that pops up periodically. A show, film, or game with genuinely solid writing and execution gets dismissed outright by a large chunk of its potential audience due to its presentation, and it's a shame that such things can prevent people from enjoying something they might otherwise love. Granted, there is often something to the arguments against presentation in these cases, such as with the famously badly received visual style and occasionally problematic tropes in 2017's Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but it's still a solid game overall, just like Beast Wars: Transformers is a provably well-written show. It may be worth addressing the things some people allow to hold them back from enjoyment.
Now seems like a good time for nostalgia, considering many people could very much use a comfort zone these days. So the Kingdom line, as well as the Generations and War for Cybertron campaigns in general, should hopefully help ease the minds of collectors while giving kids some fun new weird figures to play with. Whether it's through these toys or some other way, hopefully everyone can find their own happy place.
Source: Kotaku