GI Joe is based on a toy industry of the same name. Cobra, the terrorist organisation determined to rule the world vs. the secret military special force GI Joe. Nothing much else to be said about this cartoon series. 
The good always wins, the evil always loses. Every episode isn't very different from the other, except that Cobra strike in different locations of the world each time. So this is very cool for kids trying to learn geometry. 

But of course, it goes without saying thatGI Joe was highly popular in it's time competing, and overwheling the Transformers domenated market. But in the end, Transformers were the ones who would have the final say.