[Tomax]

@Joe....Micro man doesnt count, that was a different franchise. diaclone and Tranformers were the same line, they just took out a diff name for the US. and machine robo was the same Go bot line but with diff name. the Japanese always change the name of a cartoon or toy when it comes to US soil.

[Joe Moore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomax

@Joe....Micro man doesnt count, that was a different franchise. diaclone and Tranformers were the same line, they just took out a diff name for the US. and machine robo was the same Go bot line but with diff name. the Japanese always change the name of a cartoon or toy when it comes to US soil.

Actually, you wholly are incorrect in every sentence there.

[RamenRider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Actually, you wholly are incorrect in every sentence there.

Yeah...

I could write two paragraphs on the "Diaclone and Transformers were the same line" alone

[dukefett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomax

@Joe....Micro man doesnt count, that was a different franchise. diaclone and Tranformers were the same line, they just took out a diff name for the US. and machine robo was the same Go bot line but with diff name. the Japanese always change the name of a cartoon or toy when it comes to US soil.

lol what.

Anyway, I'd like to see how the big Bike Robo turns out. I have the first release and was kinda disappointed by the transformation being a lot partsforming. Pretty spoiled after so many Transformer MPs. I'll see how this one turns out, but glad they're expanding the line and getting bigger.

[Tomax]

[Scaleface]

With this DX line starting we have potential for Big Trailer Robo, aka Staks, who appeared several times on the show.

[Scaleface]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

Not really, but nice try.

I can point you to an article in People magazine about the rabid success of GoBots and how Hasbro plan to cash in on it with their upcoming Transformers toy line.

Anyways as I understand the timeline...

-1970's Takara makes Micromen (imported as Micronauts) Bandai makes Shogun Warriors among their toys. Both have elements of transforming robots in them.
-1980 Takara makes Diaclone line with spacey vehicles that sorta change and have pilots.
-1982 Takara makes their first realistic transforming Diaclone, the precursor to Sunstreaker. Popy, a company owned by Bandai releases the first wave of Machine Robo. Neither series has real fiction, just toy commercials.
-1983 Takara comes up with Microchange, 1:1 scale transforming robots who turn into role play toys. Bandai tries to sell Machine Robo outside Japan, with names like Machine Men in Australia, Robo Machines in UK. No real fiction exsits. They team up with Tonka in the USA to make GoBots. Tonka hires the guys who named the Masters of the Universe at Mattel to give the new robots names and sides. Then hires Hanna Barbara to make a story for them. GoBots sell like hotcakes, but Tonka didn't bet on them being so popular, so most of the line is cheap $3 toys with no profit margin, and didn't manufacture enough to keep up with demand.
-1984 Hasbro licenses Takara Transformers from Microman and Diaclone molds. Hires Marvel comics writers and Sunbow to make a story of them. Hasbro makes their toys larger and more expensive after learning from Tonka's mistakes and makes much more profit. Hasbro ALSO sells out of everything they can make.
-1985 - Hasbro and Tonka make as many toys as they can to fill demand of kids.
-1986 - Tonka makes a GoBots movie (first), and tries to spin off Rock Lords, who only last a bit over a year. Hasbro makes a movie too, and KILLS OPTIMUS PRIME. In Japan Bandai makes Revenge of Cronos, because they realize having fiction helped sell toys!
-1987 - Bottom falls out of market for BOTH lines in the US, but Hasbro has banked more money from the sales. GoBots quickly ends it's magazine and comic, but Marvel keep Transformers alive. In Japan Takara start making it's own series Headmasters, and Bandai makes Battle Hackers for Machine Robo.
1988 - Hasbro tries to reinvent Transformers to compete with large humanoid action figures - Pretenders are born!
1989 - Trying to cash in on Micromachines, the Micromasters are born.

[Tomax]

^^^half rite, half wrong.

[Scaleface]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomax

^^^half rite, half wrong.

Corrections are welcome, as i just did that off the top of my head.

[GizmoTron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomax

@Joe....Micro man doesnt count, that was a different franchise. diaclone and Tranformers were the same line, they just took out a diff name for the US. and machine robo was the same Go bot line but with diff name. the Japanese always change the name of a cartoon or toy when it comes to US soil.

They share a lot of the same basic molds, but Diaclone and Transformers were vastly different lines.

Microman toys almost certainly do count as well, the New Microman subline Micro Change is where Hasbro got the toys for Megatron, Soundwave, the original Decepticon cassettes, and the Autobot Minicars.

[Farseer1138]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomax

^^^half rite, half wrong.

No Scaleface is correct. I would add that after the success of Transformers, Japan aired the Transformers cartoon and rebranded/re-released those molds that were used by Hasbro as Transformers.
Transformers did include molds from Armored Trooper Dorvack, Macross, and Armored Insect Battalion Beetras, as well as those from Diaclone, and Microchange.

[GizmoTron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scaleface

-1987 - Bottom falls out of market for BOTH lines in the US, but Hasbro has banked more money from the sales. GoBots quickly ends it's magazine and comic, but Marvel keep Transformers alive. In Japan Takara start making it's own series Headmasters, and Bandai makes Battle Hackers for Machine Robo.

The bottom didn't really fall out for Transformers here, they still had two pretty good years in '87 and '88. More like late '89 and '90 when sales took the biggest hit, when a lot of the old toylines got pushed aside for new hotness like TMNT.

[Joe Moore]

New Photos of Machine Robo Missile Tank Robo and Shuttle Robo - The Toyark - News

[chuckdawg1999]

That rifle on Shuttle Robo is sick! These guys have come with some cool weapons

[BB Shockwave]

The price point kills this for me, same as with Transformers Masterpiece. I can get a much bigger, more complex Leader Class transformers for 45$ - like Overlord or Sixshot - not a deluxe sized figure like these. It is just not worth the investment.
Sadly, so far the Chinese have not started making knockoff of these - if they did, I would have no moral compunctions about buying them.

[Tomax]

the only issue i have about these is the size. i wish they were 6" scale. i would gladly pay more. im still gonna buy these thou, especially cy-kill and leader-1. these will surely give me my Nostalgia high

[Joe Moore]

Machine Robo DX Series Bike Robo Photos - The Toyark - News

[benvoliothefirs]

I didn't realize they were going to start making "The Big GoBots"! This is awesome. The detail on the smaller version was underwhelming for the price point for a cheapo like myself, but I could definitely be swayed on the larger version. First mod is the orangey "scruff" (Cheetos dust?) to make him look more like Cy-Kill, still the best awful villain name out there!

[soundwavempl]

I hope they still continue with the smaller line as it would be great to get the rest of the ones we have seen in prototype form.

As for this new Cy-Kill, I like the darker blue on the legs and the overall look better than the smaller version. I hope it will be close to the $60-80 price mark.

[OriginalFire]

This looks good. I hope they do all the characters like the DX version

[Tomax]

holy fuck. my prayers were answered. the other day i said the only issue i had with these were the size. but i was still going to buy them. now i will wait to get the 7" version. im buying this for sure, love Go-bots! hope they make Leader-1 also...they even made the face more sinister versus the smaller version, dont care what the price is, im buying these.

[dCon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomax

@Joe....Micro man doesnt count, that was a different franchise. diaclone and Tranformers were the same line, they just took out a diff name for the US. and machine robo was the same Go bot line but with diff name. the Japanese always change the name of a cartoon or toy when it comes to US soil.

Why do u keep arguing with him he's not lying to you bro. Microman IS Transformers. All the figures that were vehicles were from Diaclone, & all the other things example; microscopes, tape players, ect. were from Microman line. figures from both those lines were ALL just brought to Transformers brand. Sorry it's just hurts to keep reading you arguing with facts that have been known facts for many many years.


Now on sunject, when is Supercar Robo/Turbo going to be releasd? They saving him for Blue Jets wave

[dCon]

Cy-kill faces are going to come with Machine Robo DX-01. He has ratchets in his knees/hips, and has fingers and wrists, big fat chunky rubber tires and dedicated shoulder hinges. (Not those fake looking ones the smaller version uses)

[Joe Moore]

Machine Robo DX Series Bike Robo - Cy-Kill Portraits Confirmed - The Toyark - News

[Boy Blunder]

The new faceplate pieces on the DX release of Bike Robo makes it very clear that they know who a portion of their audience is, and gives me hope of a Porsche Robo release in the classic Crasher colors.

Don't think I'll be buying the DX (limited space + financial concerns), but the inclusion of the Cy-Kill faces makes me wish I could.