Mini-Cassettes (also known as Cassette Warriors, Cassette-Bots, Infiltration Troopers, or simply Cassettes) are a subspecies of small-sized Cybertronians from the planet Cybertron.
Biology[]
Anatomy[]
Mini-Cassettes share a similar biology to other Cybertronians, except they are about the same size as Humans and transform into audio cassettes. Mini-Cassettes have different types of robot modes, with the most common including humanoids such as Rumble, Frenzy, Rewind, and Eject.
Various types of animalistic Mini-Cassettes include Cryo-Condors, Cybercats, Nosorons, Dinocassettes, and Cassette Bats. Other types of Mini-Cassettes include gorillas, fighter jets, assault tanks, and scooters.
Alternative alternate modes for Mini-Cassettes include electric guitars, keytars, and Cybertronian data disks.
Powers and abilities[]
Mini-Cassettes share many of the same abilities as Cybertronians.
Mini-Cassettes can generally fit into the chest compartments of Cybertronians such as Soundwave and Blaster.
Culture and society[]
Many of the Mini-Cassettes have communication or espionage roles. While they are commonly affiliated with either the Autobots or the Decepticons, incarnations of Buzzsaw are alternatively affiliated with the Mercenaries.
History[]
Malgus Cluster[]
Mini-Cassettes exist as Cybertronians created on Earth using AllSpark fragments.
Gallery[]
Primax Mini-Cassettes[]
Decepticon Mini-Cassettes[]
Autobot Mini-Cassettes[]
Negative-Polarity Mini-Cassettes[]
Decepticon Mini-Cassettes[]
Autobot Mini-Cassettes[]
Uniend Mini-Cassettes[]
Miscellaneous[]
Notes[]
- The term "Mini-Cassette" is used in toy catalogs from 1985 onwards. It was common for "Cassette" to be used elsewhere, such as toy instructions and fiction.
- The term "Infiltration Trooper" was first used in the 2019 IDW Transformers comics.
- In recent years, Hasbro has been pushing for different names for the Mini-Cassettes, presumably because cassettes are not part of modern-day technology anymore. Surprisingly, the matter of cassettes being outdated gets pointed out on-screen in the Transformers: EarthSpark episode "Decoy".
- A reissue of the Generation 1 Soundwave figure released for the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con and the subtitled Shout! Factory The Headmasters DVD release for the cassettes of both Blaster/Twincast and Soundwave/Soundblaster refer to the Mini-Cassettes as Deployers.
- Soundwave's Transformers Hall of Fame bio and Transformers Roleplaying Game both classify the Mini-Cassettes as Mini-Cons.
- In the War for Cybertron Trilogy continuity, toys for the Mini-Cassettes classify them as Micromasters.
- The "Aligned" continuity family incarnations of Mini-Cassettes are capable of being reformatted into other types of Mini-Cons. For example, Ratbat is depicted as a Torpedo in the 2015 Transformers: Robots in Disguise toyline.
- Similarly, Laserbeak becomes an Activator for the show's "Combiner Force" season before adopting an Evergreen-inspired design based on his Generation 1 counterpart in Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy.
- Knok is exclusively portrayed as a Mini-Cassette only in the Generations Selects toyline, being portrayed elsewhere as a Powermaster.
- Transformers: Cyberverse series writer Mae Catt stated in an interview that she wished and prayed to have Frenzy and Rumble appear on the show because they "[were] always considered in [her] heart". Unfortunately, neither character was able to make the cut because "there [was not] enough time, space, or assets to do so".[1]
- Rumble and/or Frenzy was slated to make an appearance in the film Bumblebee and had CGI models influenced by their Generation 1 counterparts created. However, both characters were cut from the film and presumably replaced with fellow Decepticon Mini-Cassette Ravage due to time and/or budget.
- Despite this, the Studio Series toyline would release Core Class toys based on the unused models (titled "Concept Art Decepticon Rumble" and "Concept Art Decepticon Frenzy") in 2024.
References[]
- ↑ "Transformers: Cyberverse – Mae Catt Q&A Session (Unedited Edition)", 21 March 2020