 "Henshin Cyborg" figures were based on "Combat Joe" figures—which themselves were based on Hasbro’s "G.I.Joe" figures—with their bodies molded in clear plastic, exposing their inner workings and supposed cybernetic parts.By downscaling their size, Takara sought to create a toyline that would offset the sheer cost of producing a full line of plastic-based figures and related playsets as well as acknowledging that basic living space is limited for most Japanese households.