Blaster (G1)/toys
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Blaster doesn't share as many toys with Soundwave as you might think.
Toys
The Transformers
- Takara ID number: 38
- Accessories: "Electro-scrambler gun"
- Known designers: Hideaki Yoke and Hiroyuki Obara (TakaraTomy)
- Released in the second year of the original The Transformers toyline (first year in the European and Japanese markets), Blaster transforms into a miniature (but still huge by Transformers toy standards) "ghetto blaster" boombox. In both modes he features spring-loaded buttons: when pressed, his "start" button stays in the depressed position until his "stop" button is pressed, while pressing the "eject" button pops open his tape door, which can store a single Mini-Cassette Transformer. Due to what was presumably a common internal misassembly issue, many original Blasters had doors which would not open when the eject button is pressed, nor would the other buttons work. Blaster has rather limited useful articulation, located in his neck and shoulders.
- As this toy was originally a Microman role-play toy with functioning electronics, early versions of Blaster have a back panel that can be removed (with great difficulty) to reveal an empty compartment that originally stored a real cassette tape, as the chest door held the removable working radio portion. Many reissues retain this panel, while some have omitted it. (The big weird hole in his "Electro-scrambler" rifle was also used to hold the Microman version's included earphones.)
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- Twincast (1987)
- ID number: C-116
- Accessories: "Electro-Scrambler Gun"
- For this Japanese-exclusive release in the third year of Takara's version of the line, Blaster was redecoed into a new blue, yellow, and red color scheme vaguely reminiscent of the mold's original Microman release (see "Notes" below). Like his contemporary redeco Soundblaster, his chest door was retooled in order to accommodate two cassettes at once, and changed from colorless clear plastic to translucent red as part of a gimmick with his pack-in partner, Steeljaw. This version of Steeljaw sports a new decal depicting Scorponok, which reveals the Decepticon's weak spot when placed behind Twincast's red door, working in the same manner as a Tech Specs decoder.
- Blaster with Flight-Pack (Action Master, 1990)
- Accessories: "Flight-Pack" backpack, "tractor beam electron gun"
- Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- Part of the second assortment of individually-carded Action Master figures in the toyline's seventh and final year (in the US at least), Blaster is a non-transforming 3¾-inch action figure, with a sculpt based upon his cartoon model, but with some of the toy details added in, like his visor. His construction is broadly similar to that used by the G.I. Joe figures of the time, having a swivel neck, shoulders and knees, plus ball-jointed hips attached via a steel rod internally secured by a rubber "o-ring". His hands have standard 3 mm holes which allow him to hold any other accessory in the Action Master line, plus his feet have holes in the bottom to secure him to larger vehicles. On top of that, the hole in his back is compatible with 5 mm posts.
- He came with the "Flight-Pack" accessory, which converts from a winged jetpack to a massive "electro-scrambler" cannon.
- Blaster (Classic, 1991)
- Accessories: "Electro-Scrambler Gun"
- The original Blaster toy was first reissued in 1991, as part of the Australian "Classics" lineup. There are no notable changes to this toy other than the packaging; it's currently undocumanted which version of the toy's back this release used.
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Binaltech Asterisk
- Broadblast feat. Toyota cB meets Lumina (2005)
- ID number: BTA03
- Release date: November ??, 2005
- Accessories: Engine/gun
- The third and final release in the short-lived Takara Binaltech Asterisk toyline, "Broadblast" is a redeco of Skids, transforming into a 1:24 scale Toyota bB, aka the Scion xB. He has working doors that reveal a full driver/passenger compartment (both front and back), an opening hood revealing his engine (which becomes a non-firing "secret weapon" for robot mode), and an opening trunk.
- As a Binaltech toy, much of his outer shell is painted die-cast metal, which makes him incredibly top-heavy, with a lot of weight supported only by ball-joint ankles.
- He comes with a PVC-plastic figurine of the human newsgirl Lumina Hoshi, who has alternate "driving" arms and lower body parts that allow her to sit in Broadblast's driver's seat.
- He also comes with an extra decal sheet full of optional details to spice him up. These include the obvious Autobot symbols, the flames and Japanese "New Driver" badges found on Skids's optional decal sheet, as well as signs for "TBN", which possibly stands for "Transformers Broadcast Network" or some such (the Japanese underneath, 取材車, simply means "News Van").
The Transformers Collection
- Broadcast (2006)
- ID number: 21
- Accessories: "Electro-scrambler gun"
- Blaster's first reissue was the final installment in Takara's The Transformers Collection line of re-released Transformers toys. He features no notable changes from his original release, save for the fact that he comes packaged with Steeljaw, where his original release had gone without any pack-in partners. And no, there's no tape-door-window gimmickry going on with Steeljaw here.
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Collector's Edition
- Twincast / Flip Sides (2-pack, 2006)
- ID number: C-116
- Accessories: "Electro-scrambler gun"
- Twincast's first reissue was available as part of the Collector's Edition line exclusively through online retailer e-HOBBY, designed, as most e-HOBBY exclusives were at the time, to accompany the mass-release of the standard reissue of the original Blaster. The only notable difference from the original Twincast was the absence of an Autobot sigil on his left upper arm.
- Though Twincast was unusual in that he was a pre-existing character, where the previous few years' worth of e-HOBBY exclusive redecos had been new characters, he did come packaged with a new partner: a redeco of the Eject/Rewind mold named Flip Sides. At the time, rather than feature unique packaging, all e-HOBBY exclusives came in a generic box in Autobot red or Decepticon purple; Twincast came in a Decepticon box, but since Flip Sides was characterized as a Decepticon sleeper agent, it just about made sense. This pack was shipped out to buyers in April 2006.
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Universe (2008)
- Autobot Blaster (Voyager Class, 2008)
- Series: Classic Series
- Accessories: "Blockrock" Mini-Con, tri-barrel "particle feedback blaster"/bomb, double-barrel "harmonic wave cannon"/bomb, Cybertron Autobot Cyber Key
- Known designers: Andrew Scribner (deco artist)
- Released in the first wave of Universe Voyager-class toys, Blaster is a redeco of Cybertron Soundwave, transforming into a Cybertronic stealth bomber vaguely like an F-117A Nighthawk prototype, the Have Blue.
- He comes with three hexagonal prism "bombs"; one converts into his partner Blockrock, the other two unfold into non-firing blaster weapons. Any one of these "bombs" can be stored in his robot mode chest, which opens by plugging a Cyber Key into him; Blaster comes with a translucent black, gunmetal-bordered Cybertron-style Autobot key, in contrast to the Planet X key that came with Soundwave. This mechanism becomes a "bombing run" attack in jet mode, as the door ends up on his underside. The other two bombs store in indents on the underside of his wings. His right shoulder also has a port that allows him to mount one of the blasters there, and his wingtips have ports for Blockrock to perch on (all of which are 5 mm post-holes so add whatever you like there).
- His packaging art shows him with only half of his chest-door as clear-blue, emulating the original toy design's tape-window, but the final product (and stock photography) show the blue all the way across. However, his visor does have red paint to simulate the "goggle visor" look of the original toy and Marvel comics model.
- This mold was also used to make Galaxy Force Soundblaster.
- Autobot Blaster (Multi-pack, 2010)
- Series: G1 Series
- Accessories: "Electro-Scrambler Gun"
- Known designers: Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)
- Released as part of the 2008 Universe toyline, this reissue of the original Blaster toy is actually also a slight redeco, having metal-flake beige legs instead of metallic-swirl silver.
- This set was officially a Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive and was, in typical tradition, first made available at the Hasbro Toy Shop booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2010 and subsequently also sold via the Hasbro Toy Shop website. In addition, it was also made available at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong Fair 2010, and was later released at FanExpo Canada 2010.
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Device Label
- Broad Blast (2010)
- Release date: July 24, 2010
- Accessories: USB cable
- Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- The fifth and penultimate item in Takara's Device Label toyline (the first of 2010's product), "Broad Blast" (renamed for reasons unknown) transforms into a replica Toshiba Qosmio laptop computer, complete with flip-up screen. In both modes(!) he is a fully functional USB hub (USB 1.1-2.0 compatible), with four "Type A" ports, and a single "Mini A" port. He comes with an exceedingly short Mini-A-to-Type-A cable, which you're probably gonna want to replace if you're gonna use him with a desktop computer setup.
- In robot mode, his chest is designed to accommodate the original Mini-Cassette toys, though they cannot stay in there in laptop mode, due to Broad Blast's head being inside his chest in this form. He has 5 mm fist holes, which means he can use the original Blaster toy's rifle if you so wish.
- Early stock imagery showed him with a Windows XP home screen on his monitor portion, but the final toy instead uses a red screen with the Autobot symbol.
- Originally scheduled for release in late 2009, Broad Blast was delayed until July 2010. According to a report from getnews.jp at the Tokyo Toy Show 2010, the delay was due to the discovery of a connection cut-off problem after the toy/USB hub is transformed into robot mode. TakaraTomy redesigned the entire lower body to fix this problem.[1]
Encore
- Twincast (2012)
- ID number: 22
- Accessories: "Electro-scrambler"
- Twincast was available again as part of TakaraTomy's Transformers Encore series of reissues. For this release, the techno detailing of his door is smoothed over for cartoon accuracy. Also to add to cartoon accuracy, his face is colored in a metallic yellow with metallic light blue eyes instead of silver with gold eyes. All of the original Twincast's stickers have been replaced with tampographed detailing for this release, including a large Autobot symbol on his chest (where the techno detail was present on previous releases). Twincast also features a darker blue from the previous releases as well as a different shade of yellow for his tape deck door.
- This time around, Twincast came with two new partner Mini-Cassetes, Nightstalker and Stripes.
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Masterpiece
- Tracks (2015)
- ID number: MP-25
- Release date: November 7, 2015
- Masterpiece Tracks comes with a teeny-tiny non-transforming Blaster boombox accessory, in homage to the two Autobots' team-up in "Auto-Bop".
- This mold was also used to make Masterpiece Loudpedal's Soundwarrior.
- Road Rage (2015)
- ID number: MP-26
- Release date: December 26, 2015
- Masterpiece Road Rage, a later retool of Tracks, also came with a Blaster accessory, but this time in his blue "Twincast" coloration.
- This piece is explained in Road Rage's pack-in booklet as her having captured the fugitive Twincast following the accusation that one of his cassettes, Flip Sides, was a Decepticon deep cover agent. The Flip Sides toy came with the e-HOBBY release of Twincast (above), and the original Road Rage toy was an e-HOBBY release, so it's all kinds of fun recursion!
Kre-O
- Kreon Class of '85 (Multi-pack, 2015)
- Set number: B5152
- Voted: Most Popular
- Accessories: Large rifle
- Kre-O Blaster is a small brick-built Kreon figure, using the 2015-style construction with raised hands and the sturdier "peg-in-peg" torso/waist connection. His body tampographs are heavily toy-based, but he has a cartoon-based face design.
- He was only available as part of the San Diego Comic-Con-exclusive "Kreon Class of '85" 30-Kreon set. This set was also sold online through Hasbro Toy Shop after the show.
Platinum Edition
- Autobot Intel Ops (Multi-pack, 2015)
- Accessories: "Electro-scrambler" rifle
- Hasbro again re-released Blaster in 2015 as part of the Platinum Edition toyline. He was co-packed with Perceptor, Eject, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw in a box with an opening front cover. He appears to be identical to the Universe reissue, with the metal-flake beige legs.
- In the United States, this set was officially a Target exclusive, though it was initially only ever found at a single Target store, otherwise only available via the company's website. It was later revealed that multiple Target stores had kept it in their stockroom and eventually put it out on instant clearance many months later. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers BigBadToyStore and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Australia, it was sold at Toys"R"Us stores.
- In the United Kingdom, it was both sold at Toys"R"Us stores and officially available via the UK division of Amazon, making this the first official UK release of all the toys contained within! In Spain, it was officially available via the Spanish division of Amazon. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in Nerf blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German fan sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Autobot Intel Ops sets as a result.
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Titans Return
- Twin Cast & Autobot Blaster (Leader Class, 2016)
- Accessories: "Twin Cast" Titan Master partner, rifle, "rocket-sled"/remote control
- Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)
- Part of the first wave of Leader Class Titans Return figures, Blaster transforms into a huge boombox. His robot-mode head is formed by his Titan Master partner Twin Cast and a wrap-around flip-out helmet attached to Blaster's body. In addition to his classic robot and boombox alternate modes, Blaster can also transform into a base mode that can link up to the other base modes in the toyline, and features numerous 5 mm mounting points for weapons and Titan Master vehicles and turrets, as well as tiny pegs to accommodate many other Titan Master figures. He includes a "rocket-sled" that is stylized to look like a remote for when Blaster is in boombox mode; it comes with a seat for a Titan Master pilot which forms the topmost turret of his base mode. The sled stores inside Blaster's chest compartment in other modes; a notch is cut into its underside to store Twin Cast while Blaster is in boombox mode. Blaster's chest compartment is also capable of holding Legends Class "spy-tablet" figures, although this negates the ability to store Twin Cast in boombox mode. He has several (non-functional) ports molded into his back and legs capable of accommodating real-life USB cables, headphone jacks, and power cables.
- Blaster's helmet, modeled after the Marvel comics design, is made of translucent plastic, which is painted everywhere except the visor. Despite this, the visor's placement does not vertically align with Twin Cast's eyes in head mode, leaving his brow the only thing visible. As Twin Cast's brow vaguely matches the shape of Blaser's visor, the intention was likely to create the appearance of black "shades".
- Fortress Maximus's box and instructions depict him as part of the Cybertron City combination. Meanwhile, the "Siege on Cybertron" instructions name him as a part of the Nemesis Command combination, albeit shown using the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy instead. Hilariously, one of the Chinese-English bilingual instructions showcasing Nemesis Command had Blaster's name written as "汽车人的枪“, which literally translates as "Autobot's Gun".
- He was later redecoed and retooled into Titans Return Soundwave and Bumblebee Soundwave. He is mis-transformed in both his stock photography and in-package: his radio handle isn't collapsed down.
Legends
- Broadcast (Blaster)[2] (Leader, 2016)
- ID number: LG27
- Release date: September 24, 2016
- Accessories: Headmaster, rifle, spotlight/rocket-sled
- Released in the fourteenth wave of Takara's Legends toyline, Broadcast is a redeco of Titans Return Leader Class Blaster, featuring a deco based on both his toy and cartoon appearances. Notably, his small Headmaster form's colors are based on Twincast, his rebuilt form, which results in a blue visor in robot mode.
Vintage G1
- Autobot Blaster (2020)
- Accessories: Electro-Scrambler Gun #2
- Vintage G1 "Autobot Blaster" is a cassette-less reissue of the Generation 1 toy (yes, another one), packaged in a nostalgic classic-styled box. Unique to this release, the box better reflects traditional Vintage G1 boxes vs. more modern, thicker cardboard & features a plastic tray. This release appears to use bronze/beige coloring to the legs, as seen in the previous Universe (2008) and Platinum Edition releases. Unlike Vintage G1 Soundwave, Blaster includes a rubsign, which -as per usual with the line- has a mirror-like silver border and solid red symbol. This release also has a new molding stamp reflecting its production in Vietnam, in addition to modern black ink markings. The included Electro-Scrambler Gun is a reuse of the #2 mold, and is difficult to tell apart from its vintage counterpart.
- Blaster prevailed over Skywarp in a Hasbro poll to choose a second Vintage G1 release to follow after Astrotrain, winning with 56% of the vote.
- In the United States and Canada, this figure, like all Vintage G1 releases, is exclusive to Walmart.
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War for Cybertron: Kingdom
- Autobot Blaster & Eject (Voyager Class, 2021)
- Hasbro ID number: WFC-K44
- TakaraTomy ID number: KD-21
- TakaraTomy release date: July 30, 2022
- Accessories: "Electro-Scrambler" rifle
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy)[3]
- Part of the fifth wave of War for Cybertron: Kingdom Voyager Class toys, Blaster transforms from robot to stereo cassette deck in 20 steps. His Electro-Scrambler rifle can plug into the back of his boombox mode via 5 mm post for storage. In both modes, his chest door opens with a push of the buttons underneath, which allows him to store one of the many "shield"/"cassette" bots in the Siege scale, though individual tolerances vary. They'll fit, but the fit might be very, very tight.
- He also comes with one such "cassette" bot, his pack-in partner Eject.
- His fists are compatible with the megaphone accessory that came with the later Studio Series Core-Class Steeljaw, allowing him to half-recreate the climactic battle scene from "Auto-Bop".
- Like many toys released since Earthrise, Blaster is a potential victim of early photodegradation, as his unpaintable gray-plastic joints can be prone to yellowing.
- Blaster was originally intended as a Legacy toy (see below) but ended up pulled forward a wave. This is evidenced by Eject being cast in transparent-blue plastic and Blaster's packaging art depicting his Electro-Scrambler rifle as blue Energon painted partly black; the initial (short-lived) gimmick of Legacy being "Energon" accessories.
- Though Blaster and Eject were scheduled for a first-quarter 2022 release, they arrived on U.S. store shelves in December 2021.
- This mold was also used to make Shattered Glass Collection Blaster.
Legacy
- Autobot Blaster & Eject (Voyager Class, 2022)
- Accessories: Electro-Scrambler rifle
- Part of the first wave of Legacy Voyager Class toys, Blaster is a package refresh of the previous Kingdom figure above, with no other changes besides the packaging.
- At least one copy of this version has Twincast's smirking head (below)[4], though this was likely an error.
- Legacy Blaster was discovered on shelves in France in late January.
- Twincast & Autobot Rewind (Voyager Class, 2023)
- TakaraTomy ID number: TL-40
- TakaraTomy release date: September 30, 2023
- Accessories: Electro-Scrambler rifle
- Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro)[5]
- Legacy: Evolution Voyager Class Twincast is a redeco and new-head retool of the above Kingdom Voyager Blaster as the character's revived form from The Headmasters, now featuring a smirking expression instead of the original Blaster's stoic look. His electro-scrambler rifle is the same black coloration included with Blaster and not red as with the original toy or the cartoon, due to the way the plastic parts are molded, with the rifle being made of unpaintable plastic. His "Evo-Fusion" ability is attaching the rifle to one of the 5 mm holes on the back of the radio mode, mimicking the look of an antenna. Unfortunately, unlike his original toy, cartoon appearance and the Siege/Generations Selects Soundblaster, Twincast doesn't feature a retooled larger cassette door to house more than one cassette.
- He still includes a cassette bot partner, this time being Rewind, who like his predecessor Eject is cast in translucent plastic.
- Ben MacCrae introduced Twincast in his Hasbro Pulse stream reveal as "a clone that didn't work out so well for Shockwave as planned."
- Notably, this marks the first release of Twincast in Hasbro markets, as all other releases of the character have been exclusive to Japan.
- Twincast became available at Canadian retail in early February 2023, less than a week after his initial reveal.
Transformers Retro
- Autobot Blaster & Steeljaw (2024)
- Accessories: Electro-Scrambler rifle
- The Walmart-exclusive Transformers Retro line included its own reissue of the original Blaster (how is this mold not cheese by now), accompanied by Steeljaw. This version aimed for unprecedented cartoon-accurate deco, with matte plastic, dark gray plastics replacing the normal jet-black, and relying on extensive paint operations for detailing.
- The set was revealed as part of Walmart Collector Con, with orders going up October 13, 2023, and began shipping to purchasers in mid-December.
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Studio Series
- Autobot Blaster & Eject (Voyager Class, 2024)
- Movie: The Transformers: The Movie
- Hasbro ID number: 86-25
- TakaraTomy ID number: SS-129
- Accessories: Electro-Scrambler rifle, "Decepticon Shuttle Ambush" backdrop
- Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Mark Maher and Shogo Hasui (original tooling), Mario Carreiro, Christina Murphy and Amy Bence (packaging), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)[6][7]
- Studio Series Blaster is a redeco of the earlier War for Cybertron: Kingdom figure in a cartoon-accurate deco, much like the above Transformers Retro release of his original toy, most notably replacing his clear blue chest window with painted opaque plastic. As he has no retooling, he retains cartoon-inaccurate (and now unpainted) details from the original mold such as his shoulders and several extra knobs on his boombox mode.
- Once more, he comes with Eject, this time in opaque plastic. Despite what the packaging says, his included "Decepticon Shuttle Ambush" backdrop is identical in design to the first version of the "Battle of Autobot City" backdrop used by other figures, which is reasonable considering Blaster was never on the ambushed Autobot shuttle to begin with.
- Blaster and Eject were revealed two hours ahead of the March 7 Hasbro Pulse fanstream via Hasbro Pulse's social media accounts.[8][9] A Target exclusive in the US, the pair went up for preorder later that morning on their website, along with a small number of stock on Pulse.
Merchandise
Transformers Gum
- Broadcast (model kit, 1986)
- Accessories: Electro-scrambler gun
- A snap-together model kit of Blaster was released by Kabaya as part of their Transformers Gum line of candy toys. Released in the third wave of the line and sculpted from red, grey and black plastic with a few stickers for detail, Blaster is broadly identical to his larger figure, right down to the moulded-in left-over details from his Micro Change release like his power switch and dials . There is one major difference: his chest does not open, so he can't store any of the tapes from Kabaya's smaller Transformers Choco line the way the Transformers Gum Soundwave can.
Decoy
- Cybertron Hero Collection 22 Set (Box set, 1986)
- ID number: Collection No. 1
- Blaster was among the many characters rendered by Takara as part of their series of 1.5" keshigomu figurines, and sold in one of a series of large boxed sets. Like all the Autobots in the series, Blaster was molded in soft red rubber, and featured a number sculpted into his back that was the sum total of his Tech Specs, for use in the various games (sold separately) that could be played with the figurines.
- He was available in in the first big 22-pack of figurines, which also included Bluestreak, Brawn, Grapple, Hoist, Hound, Huffer, Ironhide, Jazz, Mirage, Optimus Prime, Perceptor, Ratchet, Red Alert, Sideswipe, Skids, Smokescreen, Sunstreaker, Swoop, Tracks, Wheeljack, and Windcharger.
- Broadcast (Gashapon keshi, 1986)
- All fifty-three of the Transformers keshi were also available individually in Japan through "gashapon" capsule machines (presumably in Takara's own "Gacha"-branded machines), in a variety of different colors including red, blue, yellow, green, orange, sky blue, pink, tan and white. Given the random nature of their purchase and comparative paucity on the secondary market, we can't say with certainty that every one of the fifty-three figures was available in every single one of the different colors... but, hey, this is Japan we're talking about, so chances are pretty good they were.
- Hero Keshigomu Mini Mini Collection (Box set, 1986)
- Scramble Gun Set Part.1 (Box set, 1986)
- Scramble Gun Set Part.2 (Box set, 1986)
- Water Gun Set (Box set, 1986)
- Takara subsidary Seven used the keshi molds, now in a uniform peachy color, as randomized filler in a number of different sets.
- Throttlebots (1986)
- Aerialbots (1986)
- Protectobots (1986)
- Technobots (1986)
- Decoy ID number: 29
- The figurine was later brought over to Hasbro markets as part of the Decoy promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number.
- Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots, and Technobots.
Attacktix
- Blaster (Booster,
2007)
- Blaster was likely to have been one of several Transformers Attacktix Booster pieces, using a powerful spring-loaded "blaster" missile launcher attack. Though displayed as part of the Attacktix display at the Star Wars "Celebration IV" convention, he —and all the other pieces revealed at the show— were ultimately never released.
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Robot Heroes
- Autobot Blaster & Thrust (Two-pack, 2008)
- Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro), Marcelo Matere (concept artist)
- Part of the third wave of Universe Robot Heroes, "Generation 1 Series" Blaster comes packaged with Thrust. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation. His headsculpt is more toy-based than cartoon-based, featuring his "goggles" (even though his eyes kind of pop out from them).
G.I. Joe and the Transformers
- The Epic Conclusion! box set (2013)
- An exclusive release for San Diego Comic-Con 2013, "Autobot Blaster" is a non-transforming, 3.75" scale boombox accessory with cassette pieces representing Steeljaw, Ramhorn, and Eject. The three cassettes can fit into a slot above Blaster's tape door, and the boombox itself can mount on a G.I. Joe figure's back.
- The set also comes with a retooled Sky Striker representing Jetfire, a G.I. Joe VAMP redecoed into Hound, a new Snake-Eyes figure bearing an Autobot symbol, a Baroness figure with Ravage on a leash, and a Bludgeon figure. This mold was redecoed into Toaster.
Tiny Titans
- Autobot Blaster (Tiny Titans, 2016)
- Series: 5
- Number: 2/12
- Part of the fifth assortment of Tiny Titans blindpacks, this version of Blaster is a very small, soft-plastic figure of him in robot mode.
- He includes a collectible card that renders him in the 2015 Robots in Disguise styling. The card includes a scan-badge for the Robots in Disguise mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.
Transformers Trading Card Game
- Blaster, Communications (2019)
- Blaster vs. Soundwave: 35th Anniversary Edition
- Rarity: SRT
- Card Number: T01/T08
- Stars: 10
- Blaster, Communications was released in the Transformers Trading Card Game Blaster vs. Soundwave box set. The box also includes the character cards Soundwave, Communications, Eject, Electronic Surveillance, Ramhorn, Warrior, Steeljaw, Tracker, Buzzsaw, Spy, Frenzy, Warrior, and Ravage, Saboteur, along with two ready to play 40 card battle decks themed around both Blaster and Soundwave.
- The first release of this set was a 35th Anniversary Edition was initially released at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 alongside the TCG's Omnibot Convention Pack, and later available online on Hasbro Pulse. The 35th Anniversary Edition features throwback artwork, with the original G1 Blaster packaging art on the Bot Mode side, and original artwork matching the G1 packaging art aesthetic for Alt Mode. This original Alt Mode artwork was drawn by Marcelo Matere and colored by Brian Valeza.
- Blaster, Communications (2019)
- Blaster vs. Soundwave
- Rarity: SRT
- Card Number: T01/T08
- Stars: 10
- This version of Blaster, Communications was released as part of the general retail version of the Transformers Trading Card Game Blaster vs. Soundwave box set.
- Gameplay-wise the card is identical to the 35th Anniversary Edition of the set, and features different artwork reused from the Transformers Legends mobile game. The line-art for this version was drawn by Guido Guidi.
ReAction
- Blaster (2020)
- Accessories: 2 guns
- Released in the third wave of Super7's line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ReAction Blaster is a non-converting 3 3/4-inch action figure based on his appearance in the original cartoon, with 5 points of articulation (swivel neck, shoulders, hips) and holes in his feet for use with some variety of stand. Oddly, he comes with two rifles, one based on his animation model's weapon, and a "generic" Autobot rifle.
- As with all releases in the ReAction toyline, Blaster comes packaged on a small cardback that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of Kenner's Star Wars action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.
Transformers Character Card
- Released as part of the second wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of "Broadcast" and Soundwave along with character profiles and tech specs.
- Twincast & Soundblaster Set (October 17, 2023)
- ID number: 67 & 68
- Released as part of the ninth wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of Twincast and Soundblaster in their respective Headmasters forms along with character profiles and tech specs.
ULTIMATES!
- Tracks (ULTIMATES!, 2023)
- Accessories: Regular head, Evil Alien Robot head, 6 interchangeable hands, small gun, large gun, Blaster boom box, "Tank"
- Boom-box mode Blaster was included as an accessory with Transformers ULTIMATES! Tracks.
- Preorders for Tracks (and the rest of Wave 2) opened on July 29 2021, and closed on August 27, with the toys projected to ship in summer 2022... a date Super7 missed by a full year.
Minimates
- Blaster (Series 2, 2022)
- Accessories: Gun, boom-box, stand
- Part of the second wave of Transformers Minimates from Diamond Select, this Blaster is a 2-inch-tall figurine featuring metallic paint, 12-14 points of articulation, and accessories and body parts interchangeable with other Minimates. Due to their small size, all 4 figures in each series are sold in the same blister card. The set also includes a tiny boom-box mode Blaster that the Minimate figures can hold.
Magic: The Gathering
- Blaster, Combat DJ / Blaster, Morale Booster (2022)
- ID number: 008/015
- Set code: BOT
- Color identity: Red/Green
- Casting cost: {3}{R}{G} (front), {1}{R}{G} (back)
- Artist: Ken Christiansen
- "Blaster, Combat DJ" is part of the 2022 Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond Transformers card set, found in Set Booster and Collector Booster packs of Magic's The Brothers' War set. It can be reversed to become "Blaster, Morale Booster", representing Blaster in boombox mode.
- A variant of this card was available solely in Collector Booster packs, depicting Shattered Glass Blaster.
Pop!
- Blaster (2024)
- ID number: 134
- Released as part of the Pop! Retro Toys segment in celebration of the 40 years of the franchise, Funko's Pop! Blaster is a super deformed vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 toy.
Notes
- Blaster began life as the Micro Change "Radi-Casse Robo" ("radio-cassette", you see), which was actually a functional AM radio. Though this feature was gutted from Blaster when he was released as part of the Transformers toyline, the original toy's power switch (on his right leg), earphone jack (on the back of his left leg) and tuning dial (on his chest) still remain, now as moulded, non-moving details. Even the toy's electro-scrambler gun is designed to serve as storage for the mono earphone which came with the toy, with the plug inserting into the stock, the cord winding around it, and the earphone itself tucking into the hole in the gun's main body. It was not the toy itself which was the radio; rather, the radio was a small "micro-cassette" which plugged into the toy's internal wiring when inserted into its chest, allowing it to play through the speakers in its legs in either mode. As the electronic equipment in the chest meant that the figure could not hold normal Micro Change cassettes there, it featured a compartment on its back which could hold a single tape instead. This compartment could still be found on some early releases of Blaster, though it was often mistaken by fans as a vestigial battery compartment, which was actually originally located in the toy's right leg.
References
- ↑ Get News.jp report on Device Label Broadblast
- ↑ The packaging says "ブロードキャスト" (Broadcast) in Japanese, but the accompanying English subtitle is "Blaster".
- ↑ March 7, 2024's Hasbro Pulse | Transformers 40th Anniversary Fanstream | March 7, 2024 on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks and Mark Maher.
- ↑ "Possible Transformers Legacy Blaster Variant Head Found" at TFW2005.
- ↑ January 31, 2023's Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream on YouTube, with Delaney Norris, Evan Brooks, Mark Maher and Ben MacCrae.
- ↑ Transformers Panel at Hasbro Pulse Con 2024 with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks, Mark Maher, Marcelo Matere, and Nate Purswell.
- ↑ March 7, 2024's Hasbro Pulse | Transformers 40th Anniversary Fanstream | March 7, 2024 on YouTube, with Ben MacCrae, Evan Brooks and Mark Maher.
- ↑ Studio Series Blaster Twitter announcement
- ↑ Studio Series Blaster Instagram announcement
Categories:
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- Kreons
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