He's got some roar talent

If you're old enough to remember the original Transformers, He-Man and G.I. Joe toy lines, then chances are you'll also be aware of Battle Beasts. These small plastic figures were launched back in the late 1980s and came with heat-sensitive stickers on their chests which revealed the figure's affinity, such as wood, fire and water. The same kind of "rub-sign" was used on early Generation One Transformers toys — in fact, in Japan, Battle Beasts occupied the same universe as the famous morphing robots.

Takara Tomy still owns the rights to the Battle Beasts line, and has revived the toys — in Japan, at least — as Beast Saga. Predictably, the 3DS is getting a licensed video game tie-in, which is expected to launch in July.

Beast Saga: The Strongest Clash in the Colosseum is unlikely to see a release in the west, so for the time being you'll just have to make do with those dusty Battle Beast figures you have stashed away in that shoebox in your cupboard, next to the mint-in-box Optimus Prime and your Tomytronic 3D game.

In the meantime for all you nostalgia junkies, here's a real blast from the past:

[source siliconera.com]