ROBO FORCE…It’s one of those 1980’s toy lines that many just barely remember. But the line definitely has its fans. The original toys were created by Ideal in the mid-80’s. They were recognizable for their soda can shape, suction cup bottoms and flailing arms. Toyfinity Toys is breathing new life into the ROBO FORCE toy line, like they did with their successful launch of the Mordles. The figures are being reimagined and re-engineered using the Glyos system.
Toyfinity Toys was kind enough to supply us with a ROBO FORCE Genesis Edition figure kit to review. After the jump you can see what I thought of the kit, as well as checking out over 50 photos.
The ROBO FORCE Genesis Edition comes with the base Maxx Zero figure as well as a set of additional parts to form Hun-Dred as well as the Advanced Form Maxx Zero. This first edition of the figures went up for sale last weekend and sold out within 3 minutes of going live. Three minutes! The next set of figures are due to hit in December, so keep your eye peeled as we’ll be posting the details on that release as soon as they become available.
Max Zero
Packaging
The kit comes packaged in two plastic baggies. One containes theb ase figure, configured as Maxx Zero. The other baggie contains the additional parts that allow you to assemble the pieces as Hun-Dred or the Advance Form Maxx Zero.
The Kit
The Genesis Edition comes in a light gray color with a few black paint apps. It’s meant to look like a prototype as this edition was very limited. Each additional releases of the kit will add and change the colors, allowing you to completely customize your figures. This should be music to the ears of Glyos system fans.
The kit comes with a total of 41 pieces. As I said, you can form the official versions of Maxx Zero or Hun-Dred with the set. But the Glyos system was created to allow people to assemble their own figures any way they want. So you can take this apart and reassemble it however you see fit. The pieces are cast in a solid PVC. When assembled, the figure has a nice weight to it. By casting them in this solid PVC, it prevented any warping, and allowed for fine details in the sculpt to show through. The pieces take some force to pull apart and piece back together, making sure your creations are stable and sturdy.
Hun-Dred
Review
As a kid, I had only a few ROBO FORCE figures. But what I did have was a taped copy of the ROBO FORCE animated special. So my memory of the line was mostly of watching that over and over as a kid. When I heard Toyfinity picked up the line, it immediately brought out a “Wow, I remember that” moment and I tracked down the cartoon on Youtube to jog my memory of the toys. If you’ve never seen the animated special, check it out. The animation, done by Ruby Spears, is quite good for the time. It features some major voice talent including Peter Cullen, Michael Bell and Neil Ross. It was also written by Flint Dille, who wrote Transformers: The Movie. So that’s my memory of the line.
The sculpt of the figure is immediately recognizable as Maxx Steele, now called Maxx. As assembled, it stands about 4″ tall, keeping it scale with other Glyos system figures like The Outer Space Men. The sculpt is very detailed. As assembled, the arms can move up and down, as well as twist at the shoulders, elbows and wrists. The eyes can also rotate around the head and the figure can twist at the waist. The guns can be removed, if so desired, and placed in any of the open connector ports.
Advanced Form Maxx Zero
But leaving the figure in this design isn’t the point of the line. The fun comes in when you disassemble the parts. Once torn down, you can create it into Hun-Dred by switching out a few parts and replacing them using the additional pieces. Hun-Dred replaces Maxx‘s tread base with a hover base. But those pieces can be extended to turn them into articulated leg pieces, giving you two ways to use these parts. You can also use all of the included parts to form, what Toyfinity is calling the Advance Form Maxx Zero. This is a more souped up version of Maxx that’s armored and ready for a fight.
If you’re only interested in the official configurations, you can stop here. But those looking for a challenge can tear the figure down and build it up however they want. I was surprised out how simple or advanced you could go. I started with a small drone by using one of the torso pieces, a couple of guns and the optics from Maxx‘s head. From there I went on to create a few different bots. I’m not much of a customizer, so having this be as easy as it was to create my own bots was quite fun. Even after I was done shooting the figures for the review, I was still messing with it creating my own figures.
Bottom Line
Glyos fans are already eating these figures up. If you’ve never tried any of the Glyos system figures, ROBO FORCE is a fantastic introduction. The kit allowing you to assemble two classic figures and a new official figure is reason enough to pick it up. But the added bonus of being able to create a near endless array of your own characters is what is going to sell this line to newcomers. I can’t recommend this line enough. It’s unique mix of nostalgia, reimagining and new ideas make for a great experience. And as new pieces and colors are released, the potential creations will just increase. Keep your eye here and at the Toyfinity Blog for announcements on the next release.
Here are a few choice shots of the kit, including some of my own creations. Below that you’ll find all of the photos.
CompaniesToyfinity Toys
CharactersMaxx ZeroHun-dred
Sub-LineROBO FORCE