[TokuKnight89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

As memory serves, the controversy was based around the integration of the toys - there were parts of the show that had flashing lights and you could use some of the toys to "play along" at home. It worked a lot like the old Nintendo Light Zapper in that you aim at parts of the screen to score points. This was around the time that parent groups were starting to get more vocal about the heavy commercialization of children's television. Having a show were you "had" to buy the toys to watch was a deliberate misreading of the situation, but it still got some bad press. Add in that the violence was live action instead of animated, and it's not really surprising that the show was cancelled after one season.

That adds a little more clarity.

Transformers Headmasters actually did something very similar!

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Video_Challenger