Toybox & Games Room

In one of the various Chinese mythologies the constellations in the sky are ruled over by 12 animals. As the legend goes, when the animals queued up to accept their places in the heavens from the Buddha the Ox (Cow/Buffalo/whatever) was first in line, but just as the Buddha approached the Rat ran up the back of the Ox and jumped off its nose, thus becoming the First of the animals in the stellar cycles.

There have been several rats in the Transformers mythology, and it is quite conceivable that both Rattrap and Packrat would also have the cheek to do the same trick off the nose of Tantrum in order to be first to join Primus in the heavens.

This Year of the Rat is also the new beginning of a twelve year stellar cycle (as recognised by Chinese Astrology), and we also see the release of a new Transformers line -Transformers: Animated, unfortunately according to Chinese astrology anything new started within this year is destined to be built on unstable foundations (due to the equally strong Water and Earth elements - in the form of an unstable Mountain on top of a lake). All the toys due out this year began their design last year, so it is unlikely that this instability will effect them, we can just hope that next years releases will not suffer from mis-designs this year.

It is considered lucky to display red and gold items at New Year, particularly new items. If you have a collection of Transformers, put those items on display which are red and/or gold, eg. Generation One Predacons, Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, Super Side Burn, Mutant Poison Bite, Transmetal Rattrap, Transmetal 2 Megatron, etc.

Gifts of fish or icons of fish when given during the 15 days of the Chinese New Year are associated with wishing the person they are given to the gift of success in business endevours for the coming year. Mutant Poison Bite is a very fortuitous Transformer being both Red and a Fish, there is only one other fish Transformers Skalor (Coelecanth) and the Collector’s Club exclusive this year is due to release a recoloured version incorporating a gold-orange in its colour scheme, making it also fortuitous as a gift.

Beast Wars (1996-7)

Rattrap - C-5 Spy

#1 Common Brown Norway Rat (1996 - Yellow Eyes)
#2 (1997 - Red Eyes, Jp Release)

Rattrap vs. Terrorsaur - VS-5 Spy vs. Aerial Combat

Common Brown Norway Rat (1997 - Red Eyes, Jp Release) vs. Pteranodon (1997 - Red & Grey with Yellow Beak & no spots, Jp Release)

Packrat vs. Fractyl - BCVS-1997 Thief vs. Geochemist

North American Packrat (1997 - Metallic Blue, White & Gold, BotCon Exclusive 600 produced) vs. Pteranodon (1997 - Metallic Green, White & Gold, BotCon Exclusive 570 produced)

Beast Wars: Transmetals (Metals) (1998-2006)

Rattrap - C-43 Spy

#1 Transmetal Rat/Hot Rod (1998 - Brown, Chrome Red, Silver & Grey)
#2 (1998 - Catch on Neck assembly)
#3 (1999 - Black, Crome Blue, Tan & Grey, Wal*Mart Exlusive, referred to by collectors as Transmetal Packrat)
#4 (1999 - White, Chrome Gold, Silver & Orange with Cybertron mark & Jigsaw Puzzle, Jp Release)
#5 (1999 - Brown, Chrome Burgundy, Silver & Grey with Cybertron mark, Jp Release)
#6 (2000 - Red, Grey, Gunmetal Grey & Chrome-Black Fox-Kids exclusive)
#7 (2006 - 10th Anniversary Wave 2 Release, Mainframe TV Show accurate colours with DVD & Transmutate Component)

Rattrap vs. Terrorsaur - VS-43 Spy vs. Aerial Combat

Transmetal Rat/Hot Rod (1999 - Brown, Chrome Burgundy, Silver & Grey with Cybertron mark, Jp Release) vs. Transmetal Ptereanodon/Dual Pontoon Jet (1999 - Purple, Chrome Gold, Brown & Tan with White Face & Destron mark, Jp Release)

Beast Machines (Beast Wars: Returns) (2000-2005)

Rattrap - Spy

#1 Techno-Organic Rat (2000 - Green, Grey & Transparent Red, McDonalds Exclusive)
#2 (2000 - Green, Grey & Red, Red Rooster Exclusive [Australian Fast Food Chain])
#3 (2000 - Red, Green & Grey, Red Rooster Exclusive)
#4 (2000 - Dark Blue, Light Blue & Grey, Red Rooster Exclusive)
#5 (2000 - Light Blue, Dark Blue & Grey, Red Rooster Exclusive)

Rattrap - BR-03 Spy

#1 Techno-Organic Rat/Wheeled Robot (2000 - Green, Grey & Transparent Orange)
#2 (2005 - Green, Grey & Transparent Orange, Jp Release)

Beast Wars figures were also occasionally released as store exclusive 2-packs, I don’t have details of which stores released what and in what combination, if anyone knows, please let me know