Gobots
Encyclopedia
Gobots was a line of transforming robot
toy
s produced by Tonka
from 1983 to 1987, similar to Transformers
. In 1991, the Gobots range was acquired from Tonka Inc. by Hasbro
.
of Japan (later Bandai
), named Machine Robo
. In 1983, Tonka
decided to import the line into America after realizing Hasbro
was doing the same with Takara
’s Diaclone
and Microman
's Microchange lines, which became Transformers
after crossing the Pacific. In another similarity to Transformers
, Tonka
decided to make the figures sentient robots, rather than human-piloted mecha
as they had been in Japan, and divided them into two factions – the good Guardians and evil Renegades (although early figures were simply described as ‘Friendly’ or ‘Enemy’ on the packaging). The figures were all given individual names, in contrast to the simple designations they received in Japan.
Introduced in 1984 by Tonka Inc., the Gobots toys created the robot "sensation" that swept the nation for a short time.
The line sold well initially, but was overtaken by Transformers
, something often attributed to Hasbro
's much better promotion and media tie-ins – for example, Gobot figures had no character profiles on their packaging, whereas Hasbro
included tech spec biographies for each character on the back of the card or box. Gobots were also largely considered by fans and the marketplace to be overly simplistic when compared to the more sophisticated Transformers line; whereas Transformers characters had iconic names (e.g., Megatron, Starscream, Optimus Prime) and multi-faceted transformation cycles (where the robot often did not resemble the vehicle), Gobots characters had much more obvious names (e.g., Scooter who changed into a scooter, Tank who changed into a tank, Dozer who changed into a bulldozer, etc.) and simplified transformation cycles (e.g. Tank and Dozer simply stood up to transform). 1987 was the final year in which new Gobots were released. In 1991, Hasbro acquired the Gobots range from Tonka Inc.
released the first batch of figures to stores in 1983. The bulk of the Gobot line was taken from the Machine Robo
‘600 Series’ line of figures, which were around 5–8 cm / 2-3 inches high on average. The robot figures transformed into a mixture of generic and specific contemporary machines, plus a handful of Second World War fighter aircraft, and a number of futuristic designs. This unnamed assortment, usually referred to as ‘Regular’ Gobots, was used throughout the four years Gobots were produced, and was later supplemented by figures from the Machine Robo Devil Invaders sub-line, plus some aborted Machine Robo figures and some commissioned from Bandai by Tonka.
Larger figures, averaging around 12–15 cm (5-6 inches) tall in robot mode, were released as Super Gobots
http://www.toyarchive.com/Gobots/SuperGobots/SuperGobots.html. Some of these were drawn from the Machine Robo Scale Robo DX line, some from the MR Big Machine Robo line (these included larger versions of Leader-1
, the Guardian leader, and Cy-Kill
, the Renegade leader) and some designs not released in Japan. The line also included two gestalt-style figures, the car-based Puzzler and monster-based Monsterous.
Several other ranges were drawn from existing Bandai figures (such as the Secret Riders ).
Tonka did design some toys for the line, including the Guardian Command Center and Renegade Thruster playsets, and the motorized Renegade Zod. In addition to these, two versions of the Power Warrior were made for both the Guardians and the Renegades, using molds from the Machine Robo line and recolored. The Nemesis Power Warrior used a tank for the center body and was released only in Japan. A large playset called the Gobotron Fortress was also shown to have existed in various articles and catalogues, but it has never been released.
A spin-off line, Rocklords, crossed over with the Gobots in the feature film GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
, and were issued as a separate toyline by Tonka in 1986.
Note that the figures were not always released in numerical order.
[*] Denotes that the figure was not released as part of Machine Robo. The figures with "MRT" designations were commissioned from Bandai by Tonka; the remainder of the figures unreleased in Japan were Machine Robo prototypes.
to promote the toyline, which ran for 65 22-minute episodes from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, soon after the end of the Challenge of the Gobots television series, the Gobots co-starred with the Rocklords in an animated feature film GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
, again produced by Hanna Barbera.
In 1984, two Gobot children's books were published by Golden Books, an imprint of Western Publishing
. The books, titled War of the Gobots and Gobots on Earth, were written by Robin Snyder and illustrated by Steve Ditko
, and chronicled the origins of the Gobots. The Gobots were also featured in the 1986 book Collision Course Comet - Robo Machine Featuring The Challenge Of The Gobots, published by Egmont Books.
The closest thing to a Gobot comic was the Gobot Magazine, produced by Telepictures
Publishing. This included a short comic strip, based on the Challenge of the Gobots
cartoon continuity, as well as features on real-life robot
s, quiz pages and the like. It ran quarterly from Winter 1986 to Winter 1987, managing five issues. Unlike the Transformers comics, it was aimed at a very young readership.
In the UK
, a Robo Machines
comic strip was produced, using many of the characters from the Gobot line, but following a different continuity than the cartoon. This was written by Tom Tully
, and ran in the second volume of Eagle
from November 1984 to July 1985. After Fleetway
discontinued their licence agreement, the property was leased to World Distributors, who produced annuals following the cartoon continuity in 1986 and 1987.
A Gobots video game was released in 1986 by Ariolasoft
on the Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
, and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
computer formats. Gobots software for other computers, home video game systems or coin-operated arcade game systems is unknown at this time.
took over Tonka
, and thus the Gobot trademark
s; the molds for the action figures remain the property of Bandai, having only been leased to Tonka, and some were reissued in 1993 for the European Robo Machines
line. Since then, these have been used several times—a character called Gobots was released in 1993, a range of figures in 1995 were called the Go-Bots, and Hasbro subsidiary Playskool
issued a line named Transformers: Gobots in 2002. To this date there have been a few exclusives referencing GoBots, but they have all been recolors of other Transformer molds as opposed to new figures. Examples of this are Transformers Movie 2007 Scouts : Fracture (aka Crasher), Backtrack (aka MR-37/Night Ranger; unreleased) and Revenge of the Fallen's Scouts Deadlift (aka MR-34/Spoons) and Reverb (though resembling Dart in color scheme, his transformation may also reference Cy-Kill). Also Botcon 2007 Bugbite, an off-white repaint of Classics Bumblebee, was released as the 2nd Bug Bite toy in Transformers. The first Bug Bite was a Japanese-exclusive white repaint of Generation 1 Bumblebee which retained Bug Bites VW Bug vehicle mode. The white color change was due to Bumblebee and Bug Bite sharing the colors yellow and black in their original competing releases.
The name Leader-1 was reused for Transformers Armada Megatrons mini-con in 2002.
While Hasbro has used current toy technology to update their G1 Transformer
characters over the years, it is unlikely that Gobots will receive similar treatment, as ownership of the molds—and thus, original character designs belongs to Bandai
and it will cause legal issues between both companies.
In 1995 a line of Transformers called Go-Bots (small, Matchbox sized car Transformers which had racing axles) were released, including Bumblebee
, Double Clutch
, High Beam
, Ironhide
, Megatron, Mirage
, Optimus Prime
, Soundwave
, Sideswipe, and Frenzy
. Of the 6 molds produced, 15 Go-Bot characters were released (2 of the original 6 figures have tooling variations gang-molding and the addition of the Optimus and Megatron cars), including the 1995 BotCon
convention exclusive figure, Nightracer (a recoloring of Go-Bot Bumblebee). Subsequent uses of these molds were renamed Spy Changers
.
Gearhead was used to demonstrate the Hasbro Go-Bots line at Toy Fair 1995. They were described by the pitch-man as "The all new, most mind-blowing, laser-slashing, robot-bashing product line ever!"
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s produced by Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
from 1983 to 1987, similar to Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
. In 1991, the Gobots range was acquired from Tonka Inc. by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
.
History
The Gobot toyline was based on figures produced by PopyPopy
Popy Popy Popy (ポピー）was a Japanese toy manufacturer of the 1970s and early 1980s. The company was owned by Bandai. It was founded in 1971, and merged back into the parent company in 1983...
of Japan (later Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
), named Machine Robo
Machine Robo
is a Japanese transforming robot toyline first released in 1982 by Popy, a division of Bandai, then later by Bandai proper. The franchise was marketed as Robo Machine in Europe, and Machine Men in Australia...
. In 1983, Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
decided to import the line into America after realizing Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
was doing the same with Takara
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
’s Diaclone
Diaclone
Diaclone was a toyline by Takara Toys launched in 1980. It consisted of transforming vehicles and robots piloted by miniature, magnet-shoed figures spun off from the prior Microman toy line that were in turn called an Inch-Man....
and Microman
Microman
is a line of toys manufactured by Takara from 1974 to the present. Microman toys were originally imported to the United States by Mego Corporation as Micronauts until the company went bankrupt in 1982...
's Microchange lines, which became Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
after crossing the Pacific. In another similarity to Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
, Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
decided to make the figures sentient robots, rather than human-piloted mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
as they had been in Japan, and divided them into two factions – the good Guardians and evil Renegades (although early figures were simply described as ‘Friendly’ or ‘Enemy’ on the packaging). The figures were all given individual names, in contrast to the simple designations they received in Japan.
Introduced in 1984 by Tonka Inc., the Gobots toys created the robot "sensation" that swept the nation for a short time.
The line sold well initially, but was overtaken by Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
, something often attributed to Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's much better promotion and media tie-ins – for example, Gobot figures had no character profiles on their packaging, whereas Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
included tech spec biographies for each character on the back of the card or box. Gobots were also largely considered by fans and the marketplace to be overly simplistic when compared to the more sophisticated Transformers line; whereas Transformers characters had iconic names (e.g., Megatron, Starscream, Optimus Prime) and multi-faceted transformation cycles (where the robot often did not resemble the vehicle), Gobots characters had much more obvious names (e.g., Scooter who changed into a scooter, Tank who changed into a tank, Dozer who changed into a bulldozer, etc.) and simplified transformation cycles (e.g. Tank and Dozer simply stood up to transform). 1987 was the final year in which new Gobots were released. In 1991, Hasbro acquired the Gobots range from Tonka Inc.
Releases
TonkaTonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
released the first batch of figures to stores in 1983. The bulk of the Gobot line was taken from the Machine Robo
Machine Robo
is a Japanese transforming robot toyline first released in 1982 by Popy, a division of Bandai, then later by Bandai proper. The franchise was marketed as Robo Machine in Europe, and Machine Men in Australia...
‘600 Series’ line of figures, which were around 5–8 cm / 2-3 inches high on average. The robot figures transformed into a mixture of generic and specific contemporary machines, plus a handful of Second World War fighter aircraft, and a number of futuristic designs. This unnamed assortment, usually referred to as ‘Regular’ Gobots, was used throughout the four years Gobots were produced, and was later supplemented by figures from the Machine Robo Devil Invaders sub-line, plus some aborted Machine Robo figures and some commissioned from Bandai by Tonka.
Larger figures, averaging around 12–15 cm (5-6 inches) tall in robot mode, were released as Super Gobots
http://www.toyarchive.com/Gobots/SuperGobots/SuperGobots.html. Some of these were drawn from the Machine Robo Scale Robo DX line, some from the MR Big Machine Robo line (these included larger versions of Leader-1
Leader-1
Leader-1 is the name of several fictional characters from the Go-Bots, Robo Machines and Transformers toy lines in 1983. The original Leader-1 was voiced by Lou Richards in the animated Challenge of the Gobots series...
, the Guardian leader, and Cy-Kill
Cy-Kill
Cy-Kill is the name of several fictional characters from the Gobots, Robo Machines and Transformers toy line and fiction. Introduced as a toy in 1983, he is leader of the Renegade Gobot faction and the main antagonist of the animated series, where he was voiced by Bernard Erhard...
, the Renegade leader) and some designs not released in Japan. The line also included two gestalt-style figures, the car-based Puzzler and monster-based Monsterous.
Several other ranges were drawn from existing Bandai figures (such as the Secret Riders ).
Tonka did design some toys for the line, including the Guardian Command Center and Renegade Thruster playsets, and the motorized Renegade Zod. In addition to these, two versions of the Power Warrior were made for both the Guardians and the Renegades, using molds from the Machine Robo line and recolored. The Nemesis Power Warrior used a tank for the center body and was released only in Japan. A large playset called the Gobotron Fortress was also shown to have existed in various articles and catalogues, but it has never been released.
A spin-off line, Rocklords, crossed over with the Gobots in the feature film GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords is an animated movie based on the Gobots toy and TV franchise. This movie was produced by Hanna-Barbera and released to theaters in 1986 by Clubhouse Pictures...
, and were issued as a separate toyline by Tonka in 1986.
Gobot figures
'Regular' GobotsNote that the figures were not always released in numerical order.
|
|
[*] Denotes that the figure was not released as part of Machine Robo. The figures with "MRT" designations were commissioned from Bandai by Tonka; the remainder of the figures unreleased in Japan were Machine Robo prototypes.
Media
Hanna Barbera produced a cartoon series called Challenge of the GoBotsChallenge of the GoBots
Challenge of the GoBots is an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. Most of the toys were imported from the Japanese Machine Robo toy line. The show originally debuted in animated form as a five-part miniseries, which aired in...
to promote the toyline, which ran for 65 22-minute episodes from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, soon after the end of the Challenge of the Gobots television series, the Gobots co-starred with the Rocklords in an animated feature film GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords is an animated movie based on the Gobots toy and TV franchise. This movie was produced by Hanna-Barbera and released to theaters in 1986 by Clubhouse Pictures...
, again produced by Hanna Barbera.
In 1984, two Gobot children's books were published by Golden Books, an imprint of Western Publishing
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
. The books, titled War of the Gobots and Gobots on Earth, were written by Robin Snyder and illustrated by Steve Ditko
Steve Ditko
Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko is an American comic book artist and writer best known as the artist co-creator, with Stan Lee, of the Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange....
, and chronicled the origins of the Gobots. The Gobots were also featured in the 1986 book Collision Course Comet - Robo Machine Featuring The Challenge Of The Gobots, published by Egmont Books.
The closest thing to a Gobot comic was the Gobot Magazine, produced by Telepictures
Telepictures
Telepictures is an American production company, currently operating as a label of Warner Bros. Television, with Hilary Estey McLoughlin currently serving as President...
Publishing. This included a short comic strip, based on the Challenge of the Gobots
Challenge of the GoBots
Challenge of the GoBots is an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. Most of the toys were imported from the Japanese Machine Robo toy line. The show originally debuted in animated form as a five-part miniseries, which aired in...
cartoon continuity, as well as features on real-life robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s, quiz pages and the like. It ran quarterly from Winter 1986 to Winter 1987, managing five issues. Unlike the Transformers comics, it was aimed at a very young readership.
In the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, a Robo Machines
Robo Machines (comic)
The Robo Machines was a comic serial which ran in Eagle from 10 November 1984 to 27 July 1985. It was based on the Bandai toyline of the same name, the British version of Gobots.-Background:...
comic strip was produced, using many of the characters from the Gobot line, but following a different continuity than the cartoon. This was written by Tom Tully
Tom Tully (comic writer)
Tom Tully is a noted British comic writer mostly of sports and action stories. He is probably most famous as the longest-running writer of the popular football-themed strip Roy of the Rovers, which he wrote for much of Roy Race's playing career until the weekly comic closed in 1993.-Biography:From...
, and ran in the second volume of Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
from November 1984 to July 1985. After Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
discontinued their licence agreement, the property was leased to World Distributors, who produced annuals following the cartoon continuity in 1986 and 1987.
A Gobots video game was released in 1986 by Ariolasoft
Ariolasoft
Ariolasoft GmbH, later known as United Software, was a German computer game developer, publisher and distributor. It started as the software subsidiary of Ariola Records...
on the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
computer formats. Gobots software for other computers, home video game systems or coin-operated arcade game systems is unknown at this time.
Worldwide
Unlike Transformers, Gobots was released in several guises around the world.- In the UK, France and a number of other European countries, Bandai released the figures as Robo MachineRobo MachineRobo Machine was a European transforming robot toyline released by Bandai from 1982 to 1988. The line was initially a European release of their Machine Robo line, before gradually becoming the counterpart to Tonka’s Gobots line...
, utilising most of the Tonka names. Later on, when the Challenge of the Gobots cartoon arrived, this was changed, or modified (often resulting in clumsy branding such as Robo Machines featuring Challenge of the Gobots or Challenge of the Gobots - A Robo Machine Production). - In Australia, the line was released as Machine Men. The Machine Men name had been used also by Bandai in an item to market Machine Robo in America in early 1984, but after issuing six figures the line failed. However, Bandai's Australian release was successful enough to retain the Machine Men branding, which was even added to the cartoon when that began airing.
- In Brazil, the line was initially produced by Glasslite as Mutante. The license was later taken over by MimoMIMOIn radio, multiple-input and multiple-output, or MIMO , is the use of multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. It is one of several forms of smart antenna technology...
. - It was also translated into Arabic and retitled Hikayat alamaliqa, or A Tale of Giants.
- In Japan, BandaiBandaiis a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
opted to keep with the Machine Robo line, rather than importing the Gobots due to licensing issues.
Transformers
In 1991, HasbroHasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
took over Tonka
Tonka
Tonka is an American toy company most known for its signature toy trucks and construction equipment.-History:On September 18, 1946 Mound Metalcraft was created in Mound, Minnesota with three men as partners, Lynn Everett Baker , Avery F. Crounse, and Alvin F. Tesch. The first products produced by...
, and thus the Gobot trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
s; the molds for the action figures remain the property of Bandai, having only been leased to Tonka, and some were reissued in 1993 for the European Robo Machines
Robo Machines
Robo Machines was a short-lived European transforming robot toyline released by Bandai from late 1992 to 1993. It was meant as an attempt to revive the European Robo Machine toyline that ran from 1982 to approximately 1988...
line. Since then, these have been used several times—a character called Gobots was released in 1993, a range of figures in 1995 were called the Go-Bots, and Hasbro subsidiary Playskool
Playskool
Playskool is an American company that produces educational toys and games for children. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.-History:...
issued a line named Transformers: Gobots in 2002. To this date there have been a few exclusives referencing GoBots, but they have all been recolors of other Transformer molds as opposed to new figures. Examples of this are Transformers Movie 2007 Scouts : Fracture (aka Crasher), Backtrack (aka MR-37/Night Ranger; unreleased) and Revenge of the Fallen's Scouts Deadlift (aka MR-34/Spoons) and Reverb (though resembling Dart in color scheme, his transformation may also reference Cy-Kill). Also Botcon 2007 Bugbite, an off-white repaint of Classics Bumblebee, was released as the 2nd Bug Bite toy in Transformers. The first Bug Bite was a Japanese-exclusive white repaint of Generation 1 Bumblebee which retained Bug Bites VW Bug vehicle mode. The white color change was due to Bumblebee and Bug Bite sharing the colors yellow and black in their original competing releases.
The name Leader-1 was reused for Transformers Armada Megatrons mini-con in 2002.
While Hasbro has used current toy technology to update their G1 Transformer
Transformers Classics
Transformers Classics is a line of Transformers toys based on and resembling the first generation characters introduced in the 1980s. The toy line was created to fill the gap in Transformers product releases between the end of the Transformers: Cybertron series and the start of 2007 live-action...
characters over the years, it is unlikely that Gobots will receive similar treatment, as ownership of the molds—and thus, original character designs belongs to Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
and it will cause legal issues between both companies.
In 1995 a line of Transformers called Go-Bots (small, Matchbox sized car Transformers which had racing axles) were released, including Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Double Clutch
Double Clutch (Transformers)
Double Clutch is the name of two Autobot fictional characters from the Transformers.-Transformers: Generation 2:Whether on an abandoned dirt track in the desert, or tearing up the tar at Indy, this Autobot defines the word speed. He's also incredibly versatile. Rear spoiler acts as laser deflection...
, High Beam
High Beam (Transformers)
High Beam is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He is a heroic Autobot who turns into a car.-Transformers: Generation 2:...
, Ironhide
Ironhide
Ironhide is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ironhide was named after the television series Ironside.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Megatron, Mirage
Mirage (Transformers)
Mirage is any of several distinct fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Mirage is one of the single most re-used names in the Transformers series, and is almost entirely synonymous with characters possessing Formula One racing car alternate modes.-Transformers Generation 1:Some...
, Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
, Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Sideswipe, and Frenzy
Frenzy (Transformers)
Frenzy is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Of the 6 molds produced, 15 Go-Bot characters were released (2 of the original 6 figures have tooling variations gang-molding and the addition of the Optimus and Megatron cars), including the 1995 BotCon
BotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
convention exclusive figure, Nightracer (a recoloring of Go-Bot Bumblebee). Subsequent uses of these molds were renamed Spy Changers
Spy Changers
Spy Changers are a sub-line of toys/characters which first appeared in the 2000-2001 Transformers Robots in Disguise toy line. All 6 molds were originally produced as the Transformers: Generation 2 line's Go-Bots in 1995...
.
Gearhead was used to demonstrate the Hasbro Go-Bots line at Toy Fair 1995. They were described by the pitch-man as "The all new, most mind-blowing, laser-slashing, robot-bashing product line ever!"
Transformers: Generation 2 (Aquaspeeder)
In 1993, an Autobot car whose name was Gobots was released as part of the Transformers: Generation 2 Line.See also
- Challenge of the GoBotsChallenge of the GoBotsChallenge of the GoBots is an American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, based on the Gobots toy-line released from Tonka. Most of the toys were imported from the Japanese Machine Robo toy line. The show originally debuted in animated form as a five-part miniseries, which aired in...
- Gobots (Transformer)
- Machine RoboMachine Robois a Japanese transforming robot toyline first released in 1982 by Popy, a division of Bandai, then later by Bandai proper. The franchise was marketed as Robo Machine in Europe, and Machine Men in Australia...
- Robo MachineRobo MachineRobo Machine was a European transforming robot toyline released by Bandai from 1982 to 1988. The line was initially a European release of their Machine Robo line, before gradually becoming the counterpart to Tonka’s Gobots line...
- Robo MachinesRobo MachinesRobo Machines was a short-lived European transforming robot toyline released by Bandai from late 1992 to 1993. It was meant as an attempt to revive the European Robo Machine toyline that ran from 1982 to approximately 1988...
- Rock LordsRock LordsRock Lords was a spin-off toyline to the GoBots from Tonka in 1986 after the movie GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords. They were transforming rocks that came with weapons such as axes, guns and swords. There were vehicles for the Rock Lords to drive in battle. The Rock Lords were imported from...
- TransformersTransformers (toy line)The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...