Thew Adams love this..but you forgot to mention that they were first reased in the west as 'robo machine' by bandai before tonka released them as 'gobots'....anyway can you PLEASE do a review of 'throttle'....that super gobot that transforms into the bmw touring motorcycle.☺
I do kinda like how the Gobots have different and weird bodies more often than most. "It's a robo-body, why does it need human joints and proportions? Gun-face!". I love the spirit of it.
The box for Destroyer described him as an "Enemy Robot Tank". The card for Tank described him as an "Enemy Robot Destroyer". Did I just blow your mind?
As toys, the gobots had a lot of things going for them. Their transformations were often very creative. Although their vehicle modes are very realistic, that can also be said of transformers - it was only later, after gobots had been comprehensively beaten, that transformers had more plastic-ey/space-age car modes. The cartoon had some good ideas that were way ahead of Transformers, too. Much better gender balance and I like the shooting laser bolts out of the fists thing. Gobotron also looked properly wartorn in comparison to Cybertron. The theme tune could probably go toe-to-toe with Transformers, too. Ultimately, there was little prospect, in the UK, of a Gobot victory because of the marvel TF comic. Neither cartoon had much presence (gobots was only shown on school holidays; transformers only rarely shown at all and only prohibitively early in the morning). Toy wise, Transformers had more ideas, tended to break less and were less prone to developing floppy joints. Now that Hasbro own both, gobots is only ever likely to be a sub-brand of TF but maybe some of the characters could make a comeback. Crasher, Littlefoot, Scooter, etc...?
That's not the Wehrmacht cross; it's the Bundeswehr Cross; as it's supposed to a toy of the Leopard I which was West Germany MBT at the time. Also yes, you can in fact suppress a tank. It's very silly looking, but it can be done.
Yup. It IS an Iron Cross, but the Iron Cross can stand for a LOT of things. In this case of course the Bundeswehr emblem. The actual Wehrmacht emblem wasnt technically an Iron Cross though, it was the 'Balkenkreuz' which basically means 'a cross made of beams'. Its probably derived from the Iron Cross, but eh. Even if it were the Balkenkreuz, the comment 'at least it's not a swastika' is fairly accurate. I mean, the Wehrmacht was just Germany's army. Sure they commited lots of crimes, but the Wehrmacht wasnt too special in that, basically everyone did that. Nearly every war has that. You might as well ban nearly every other emblem while youre at it. Do get the reaction though, I mean I may think the Balkenkreuz would be okay but regardless of that, if you were to make it a swastika or the SS that'd cross the line by a THOUSAND miles in like one step. Good thing this is a children's toy though so that shit doesnt happen. ...Right?
Reminds of me of how the Commander in Winspector was wearing SS insignia for about a dozen episodes or so because they reused the uniform from a historical film and didn't think to take off the insignia first.
I gotta say I outright LOVE the transformation engineering on most of the gobots I've got my mitts on, doubly so when compared to transformers of comparable size. I maintain blockhead's transformation is clever even by modern standards, and the whole cab suck torso chunk foldy drum trick is downright spectacular compared to just about everything else around in 1983.
You know how Whirl and Roadbuster are from the same Bandai toyline? Well, there was a third guy in that line who had a face cannon and never made it over. At some point somebody drew a guy with his design in a crowd shot, and then somebody else shrugged and declared the guy was named Headcannon.
Rampage is a brilliant tank-former that is absolutely functional! People on RU-vid are always botching the transformation and skipping steps and all that bad shit. It's just a very anal transformation that requires lots of locking in and pegging. I got my brother a MIB Rampage from eBay (cost a couple hundred) but when he opened it (RIP), he botched the transformation into tank mode so I had to correct it and, wouldn't you know it, it worked perfectly! If you equip the gun to the undercarriage then it ruins the entire thing but without the gun, it rolls like a dream, my dude :) I just don't think any reviewers know what the hell they're doing when it comes to dated Transformers with no instructions because, honestly, who the hell still has the instructions for their Beast Wars Rampage? To that end: Who's transforming him correctly these days anymore?
I always liked the gobots. The sheer variety of modes (where else would you get a transforming stretch limo, Submarine, F4U Corsaire, and Forklift all on the same pegs) was so much fun. Plus, I was always super jealout of my friend down the road who had the full set of the gobot combiner power armour thing.
The legs can slide forward in robot mode, making him more straight and not... chicken leggy... I still have this toy since I'm a toddler... and I'm 37 lol LOVE this dude!
Thanks Thew. Seeing Gobots often prompts long lost memories of my childhood toys during the early 80s. I must've had a lot more Gobots than i thought I did and have no idea what happened to most of them. Probably destroyed by the Transformers who took over the toy box by the mid-late 80s
Even when that toy was new it made frightening creaking noises as it transformed. It sounded like it wanted to self destruct each time it switched between tank and robot forms, and eventually it succeeded in doing just that.
I think it makes a lot more sense from the perspective of it being a piloted mech. Less expectation that it's a head at all. Kinda like how G1 Ironhide and Ratchet look... well, not good, but more intentional, when you realize that those heads of theirs are actually chairs for a tiny little man to sit.
I think the major reason a lot of people don't like gobots, several of the GoBots when they were in robot mode just had a windscreen for their head such as Bugbite, Staks, Baron von Joy ,and destroyers just using his tank barrel for a head. I will be honest though I'm kind of interested in those machine Robo figures, MACHINE ROBO - MR-02 - ROD DRILL, and Machine Robo - MR-06 - Blackbird Robo
I LOVE that tank! I also own all super gobots except those overpriced Japan exclusives. I really love those cabin-headed derpy bots. Not only the vehicles are PERFECT, but they are literal mechs that require a human pilot. Making the cabin as the head very logical.
Thew, I hope you're prepared for the totally well-thought out and not at all vapid criticism you're inciting by insulting the G1 cartoon. As we all know, Transformers fans are quite rational and NEVER blinded by nostalgia.
I got the whole G1 series on vhs for Christmas around 2000. I was 21 years old. While the show was amazing when I was 6 years old... Let me get to the point; The G1 cartoon was fucking retarded. It's been near;y 20 years since I last watched it. I kind of want to watch it again, but at nearly 40 years of age, I'm worried that it will make me hate all things Transformers.
so early g1 had a focus on vehicles over the robot modes...as do the early movie toys. ergo the movies are actually completely faithful to transformers roots.
I had Destroyer and I think I mainly had him on the treads like the cool artwork on the box. Also, if that thing was on a battlefield it would be a pretty scary sight, and we sometimes expect 'cool' when in fact 'shock and awe' wins the day.
The robot mode is a bit pants but jesus christ that Leopard tank mode was just on fecking point! That Leopard 1 look is badass (so nice to see a robo that is a specific model of tank and not just a generic 'tank').
Excellent. Really enjoying your occasional romp away from robots that turn into stuff....even though that's what this was....good on ya! Where I'm concerned at least, I enjoy Toygrind just as much as your other reviews.
You know, I wouldn't buy Go-bots for nostalgic value. But I wouldn't mind some decent-quality ones for my nephews to play with. They look fun; like pure, simple fun. You gotta love and respect Thew, the Transformer fan, for reaching adulthood, yet still appreciating that word alone.
“Iron cross of the Wehrmacht”? It’s the symbol of the current German army, Thew...has been since the 50’s. And I know someone already mentioned this, but their comment is way too long.
I think his legs can slide forward to be more centered in robot mode. And lucky you, finding one with treads intact! Mine disintegrated back in the 90s.
Ah, I remember having this one back when it first came out Stateside, along with Psycho, Bug Bite, Defendor/Saladin, and a handful of other designs that appealed to me. I think I always had an appreciation on some level for the engineering and vehicle mode design of the Machine Robos/GoBots, though that's admittedly become a bit stronger through nostalgia goggles. At the very least, I never considered them a cash-in/knockoff of Transformers, just a competing product line. However, I feel TFs definitely had better marketing overall, with more appealing names, transformations and robot modes (with obvious exceptions on both sides), on-package bios to make the robots feel more like characters, and a stronger cartoon, in spite of neither TV opus being anywhere near flawless. Wait, you were released by Tonka in '83? I don't remember any "Thew-bot" in the catalog!
I kinda hope you review Heat Seeker one day. Around the time I got into TF which was during Armada I found one at a garage sale and got him since he had a cockpit chest and Starscream was already my favorite a few episodes in. Cool seeing these guys get some love.
Any time you're dealing with a GoBots hater, just remind them the movie Blackout's original design as Soundwave was based on the helicopter Super GoBot, and watch them rage quit.
I really wouldn't bash gobots on any factor *except* for the vehicle faces and *pathetic* arms some of them had. The turret-head definitely works on a militaristic baddy, though.
I love this sweet love for the GoBots! Very underappreciated for what it brought to the table. You should check out the Machine Robo Bike Robo DX figure. Very worth it!
Just do Gobots every tenth Toygrind. Maybe focus on a theme of Gobots during that time as well (the military, the sci-fi, the ones transformers won’t touch, etc.).
Thew has come a long way from where he started. However there at the very end, it felt like he was channeling his younger self. Definitely not a bad thing either.
"Lil bit of b.g. on the g.b. but not enough to do you any harm." If this wasn't a loving call out to Ray/ilovemess it should be. Great review as always Mr. Thew.
i just bought psycho from a toy fair for $10 and it is in amazing condition. other than sticker wear and tear basically no damage not even to the tires. i also bought Spay-c and road ranger that just have some scratches
actually had a super Gobots defendor as a kid... sadly only the body remains. but thankfully was able to get a replacement on the Bay of E. still going to keep the original I had for replacement parts though.
I was just an asshole. But the thing is. Every Transformers fan had a Go-Bot or two, back in the day. And last year I saw the light, and started collecting Go-Bots. Along with other figures.
4:56 "Ooh, the Very-Cautious-35-Year-Old-Functioning-Rubber-Caterpiller Doot-Dee-Doo!" "He won't even go backwards so it's actually just a Doot..." I watched that bit at 0.25 speed to type this comment. It's surreal but amusing. ^_^
Something must have gone wrong with the upload, here's part two of the video in case anyone's interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-poAhbsBFjxs.html
That is actually not the iron cross, it is the Bundeswehr, which is in fact still in use today. A replacement Military medal of the Iron Cross that was introduced later on after WW2 which was in use from 1955 to the present day in the German Military. So no correlation to the Nazis at all, it is just a 80s German Tank.