The Autobots and Decepticons are back for another 28 new commercials, er, I mean episodes. This season begins with it a new opening sequence that highlights the new toys, er, that is, characters that appear in this season like Omega Supreme and Astrotrain.
You get a whole lot more Constructicon and Dinobots action as well as being introduced to a whole slew of new characters that paved way for more and more toys, even if they only appeared in one or two episodes.
There are some pretty solid episodes in this collection such as “The Insecticon Syndrome” wherein the Insecticons eat a huge power source and grow huge. They then enslave most of the Decepticons and Megatron must team with the Autobots to defeat them.
However, this collection contains a few stinkers too, including what might easily be the worst episode ever. In “Autobot Spike,” Spike is hurt and his mind is put into an Autobot that his dad built. He then goes crazy and the Autobots must subdue him without hurting him. Totally ridiculous, totally lame.
Transformers is a very hit or miss show with some great episodes and some bad ones. Even in the good ones, unnecessary exposition dialog and bad one lines spew out of Transformer’s mouth’s left and right, however this collection does have some pretty awesome fight sequences.
These cartoons may be dated and cheesy, but they’re still better than the two films combined!
Episodes:
Disc 1:
Autobot Spike 9/23/1985
An Autobot/Decepticon battle finds Spike seriously injured. The required operation is quite difficult, so the Autobot’s put his mind into Autobot X, a body created by Sparkplug to keep it safe in the interim. Unfortunately, Autobot Spike freaks out and Megatron gladly takes advantage. Now, the Autobots will have to stop their friend without hurting him so they put his mind right.
The Immobilizer 9/24/1985
Wheeljack has a new invention that might be able to defeat the Decepticons. The Immobilizer lives up to its namesake, if only temporarily. However, the Decepticons quickly learn about it and a new human friend of the Autobots, Carly, unwittingly helps them. Now, the soon-modified Immobilizer gives the Decepticons the means to stop the Autobots. It comes down to Brawn, Jazz, Spike and Carly to save the day.
Dinobot Island, Part 1 9/25/1985
Dinobot Island, Part 2 9/26/1985
The powerful Dinobots prove too dangerous. So Optimus decides some serious training is needed, but they need a place where no one else can he hurt. A new island, discovered by Powerglide and Spark, seems to fit the bill. But the Autobots aren’t the only ones who have plans for the island. The planet is overflowing with natural resources that the Decepticons plan to horde for themselves. As the Decepticons begin to suck the island dry, the rest of the world begins to suffer. Somehow, various temporal displacements occur and all sorts of things emerge, from pirate ships to cavemen riding mammoths. The Autobots get stuck dealing with this problem while the Dinobots must stop the Decepticons.
Traitor 9/27/1985
It is believed that the electrocells could be very valuable assets in the war. The lure of this power brings the Decepticons and the Insecticons together again. Mirage tries to exploit the problems the two groups have had in the past. However Bombshell catches him and attaches a cerebro-shell to him placing him under Bombshell’s control. With Mirage their puppet, the Decepticons and the Insecticons intend to finish the Autobots once and for all.
Enter The Nightbird 9/30/1985
The human’s have created a robot of their own, a ninja named Nightbird. The Autobots are hired to protect her, but the Decepticons quickly subdue them and steal her. Under Decepticon control, Nightbird embarks on her mission into the Autobot base. Will the Autobots be able to thwart the Decepticon plot and overcome Nightbird’s martial arts techniques?
Changing Gears 10/1/1985
Gears, in one of his usual foul moods, is attacked and taken by the Decepticons. They steal his personality cartridge, making him happy no matter who he is around. So the Decepticons use him to help complete their space needle. If they aren’t stopped, the sun itself will be destroyed.
Disc 2
A Prime Problem 10/2/1985
The Decepticons create their own Optimus Prime and now the Autobots don’t’ know which Optimus is the real one. A series of test prove to be fruitless. However Megatron has plans to have his Optimus chose as the leader of the Autobots to lead them into a deadly chasm trap. Will the Autobots be able to see through this ruse, and is there anything that Optimus can do to prove his identity?
Atlantis, Arise! 10/3/1985
The Decepticons stumble upon the legendary Atlantis where they make an uneasy truce with the Atlantean forces. Once on the surface level, the battle-hungry Atlanteans strike hard. The Autobots have trouble taking on both groups, but soone the truce breaks and changes the tide of the battle.
Attack Of The Autobots 10/4/1985
The Decepticons desire a solar power satellite. To pull off the theft, they need the Autobots out of the way. So Megatron hatches a plan to change their loyalties. Only Bumblebee and Jazz escape this fate. Sparkplug comes up with an invention to change the Autobots back, but they still have to stop the Decepticons.
Microbots 10/7/1985
The Decepticons finally locate their old ship missing since the crash on Earth millions of years ago. Above all else, Megatron wants to reclaim the Heart Of Cybertron. With it he becomes more powerful than ever and easily crushes anyone who stands against him. The Autobots learn that the Heart Of Cybertron will soon explode and take many with it including Megatron himself. The only way to stop this is for Perceptor, Bumblebee and Brawn to shrink down and go into Megatron’s body, but inside Megatron has many dangerous protection devices.
The Master Builders 10/8/1985
The Constructicons get the drop on Grapple and Hoist. However, they claim to admire Grapple and want to help build his new energy gathering device, a solar energy-collection tower. Grapple is thrilled at the opportunity, especially since Optimus turned it down earlier. Unfortunately, the Constructicons are lying and Megatron plans to use the powerful tower for himself.
The Insecticon Syndrome 10/9/1985
The Decepticons and Insecticons attack a base. The Insecticons stumble upon a new energy becoming more powerful and dangerous than ever before. The Autobots take a severe beating against them and Bombshell enslaves Soundwave. He then captures every other Decepticon as well. Now only Megatron is left and he is forced to turn to the Autobots for help. However, defeating the Insecticons will require more than brute force.
Day Of The Machines 10/10/1985
The Torq III supercomputer is online and promises to be of good use to humanity. Unfortunately, Megatron learns about Torq III and reprograms it to supply the Decepticons practically endless supplies of oil. The Autobots quickly go to work in order to try to foil Megatron’s current plan, but a difficult choice must be made.
Disc 3
Megatron’s Master Plan, Part 1 10/14/1985
Megatron’s Master Plan, Part 2 10/15/1985
The Autobots have long been considered the champions of humanity and the best defense against the Decepticons. However, Megatron finds away to tarnish that image. He convinces a crooked politician to help him and the Autobots’ popularity is destroyed. As a result, the Autobots are arrested, but on trial and exiled from Earth. Free to do as they please, the Decepticons gladly prepare to take advantage. Earth is completely defenseless against them, but more immediate concerns await the Autobots out in space. Megatron ensures a different destination for his foes than Cybertron: a one-way trip to the sun! Can the Autobots escape and save Earth?
Auto Berserk 10/16/1985
A recently-constructed tank has massive destructive capabilities, especially if the Decepticons get it. The Autobots mean to ensure that doesn’t happen. But something goes wrong for Red Alert, he is damaged leaving him acting paranoid. This proves good news Starscream as he needs help in a scheme to use the tank to get the better of both the Autobots and the Decepticons. On top of that, Red Alert’s damage threatens to put him off-line for good. Can Inferno save the day?
City Of Steel 10/17/1985
The Decepticons take over New York City, prevent the Autobots from stopping them and completely dismantle Optimus! Now the other Autobots must rebuild their leader from numerous parts and find a way to save the Big Apple.
Desertion Of The Dinobots, Part 1 10/21/1985
Desertion Of The Dinobots, Part 2 10/22/1985
The Dinobots are sick of taking orders from Optimus and take off. Meanwhile a deadly scourge strikes every other Transformer. Only Cybertronium can cure them, but only the Decepticons have easy access to it. The Autobots ask the Dinobots to help them, but they end up trapped on Cybertron. So Spike and Carly go to Cyberton as well where they find Swoop and learn that all the other Dinobots have been captured. Can these three save the other Dinobots and bring back enough Cybertronium to save the Autobots?
Blaster Blues 10/23/1985
All radios across Earth suddenly silenced. The Autobots trace the source of the trouble the moon where Megatron and the Decepticons have set up a new base. Blaster and Cosmos head there to stop them but are captured. So it’s up to Omega Supreme to save them, but he’ll have Asrotrain to deal with.
Disc 4
A Decepticon Raider In King Arthur’s Court 10/24/1985
During a Autobots/Decepticons battle Starscream, Ramjet, Rumble and Ramjet discover a time portal back to medieval times. Hoist, Warpath and Spike follow them. It doesn’t take long for each side to encounter locals and secure allies. However, all the Transformers are quickly losing power and are forced to resort to more simple forms of warfare. Win or lose, will they find a way back home?
The God Gambit 10/28/1985
Space combat takes Cosmos, Astrotrain, Starscream and another Decepticon to the Saturn moon known as Titan where an alien race thinks they’re gods. To prevent a Decepticon victory, Jazz, Perceptor and Omega Supreme arrie to convince the aliens of the truth. But will that be enough?
The Core 10/29/1985
Megatron embarks on a new plan that places the eniter planet in great peril. The Autobots discover a way to forciblybring Devastator to their side. However, Megarton has his own plans and tricks the Autobots into a trap. However, Devastator goes crazy and the Autobots and Decepitcons must team up to stop him before the world is destroyed.
Make Tracks 10/30/1985
A slew of car thefts plagues the city. A group tries to steal Tracks while in vehicle mode. During the scuffle he is damaged. A good-hearted thief fixes him and the two becomes friends. It turns out that all of the thieves are really working for the Decepticons. The stolen cars will be used to create an army against the Autobots. Can Tracks and his new friend foil their plan before it’s too late?
The Autobot Run 10/31/1985
Megatron creates a weapon that will trap the Autobots in their car modes making them easy prey for the Decepticons. Only a few Autobots are left to find a way to reverse Megatron’s weapon and save the day.
The Golden Lagoon 11/4/1985
Fierce action leads both Beachcomber and Thrust to stumble upon electrum, a liquid key to invincibility. There is a forest lagoon’s worth of the stuff, but only the Decepticons succeed in making a claim. The results, of course, render the Autobots’ weapons essentially useless. The only hope that the Autobots have is to try to fight fire with fire, but Megatron isn’t about to give them the chance. What price must be paid for victory?
Quest For Survival 11/5/1985
Though the Insecticons are a growing threat, a new insecticide may be able to stop them in their tracks. However, a trip into space is required to get it. Bumblebee, Cosmos and Spike easily succeed. Unfortunately, the path back to Earth means a confrontation with the Morphobots, dangerous hybrids of plants and robots. As bad as a space confrontation is, things get worse when some Morphobots secretly arrive on Earth with Spike and the two Autobots. The whole team will have to find a way to stop this threat, a task made more difficult by the Decepticons now after the insecticide.
The episodes are presented in fullscreen 1:33.1. Sound is in Dolby 2.0 Stereo sound. As with the first season, the episodes in this volume have had missing animation edited back in so they can now be seen as they were originally aired. They look pretty good with minor scratches and sound fine.
There were some pretty good special features with the season one release. Sadly, there are none here.
This is a pretty decent group of episodes. There are some pretty good ones, and a few heinous ones. However, I’m left wondering one important question: Where does Optimus Prime’s trailer go when he turns into a robot? However, the best part about watching this show is spotting different characters and shouting “Hey, I had that toy when I was a kid!”
Shout! Factory presents Transformers: Season Two, Volume 1. Created by Peter Wallach. Starring Frank Welker, Peter Cullen, Chris Latta, Scatman Crothers, Casey Kasem and Dan Gilvezan. Running time: 660 minutes on 4 discs. Not Rated. Released on DVD: September 15, 2009. Available at Amazon.com.
