South Claw [Gobots/Monster Gobots]

Usually when I talk about a Transformers Combiner, I make a point to talk about the concessions made for the combiner mode. With Gobots... that's not really the case. South Claw forms the left arm of Monsterous, but aside from the connector peg, you'd probably never know. South Claw is also known as Weird Wing in Machine Men and Death Claw/Number Three in Machine Robo. It's also worth noting that Monsterous is also known as Puzzler Fiends in Machine Men and Devil Satan 6 in Machine Robo. Also worth noting, I love the names in Gobots/Machine Men/Machine Robo. He's pretty much the same toy in each line, I think the only notable change is the wings are a lighter grey in Gobots.

South Claw is a Monster Gobot member of the Renegades who turns into a pretty gnarly flying kaiju monster. One fun thing about Monster Gobots is just how far out their designs are. South Claw is this weird cycloptic freak who looks like something Samus Aran would battle. Like most Gobots, he's reasonably articulated for a toy of his time... actually, maybe a little bit more. His forearms have a nice swivel and his wings can be posed in robot mode to give him an extra devilish look. Transformation is pretty easy as he mostly folds in half with parts re-arranged. I really like the purple/pink he's cast in.

I got this South Claw (it's a play on south paw) at ToyLanta 2024 from a hipster couple who regularly run a pretty decent booth. They sold him for a really low price because, as you can probably tell, he's got a chewed up foot/claw. Either someone's dog or feral cousin got a hold of it. Outside of that, the toy is in decent shape. A little paint wear and dings here and there. It's to be expected when paying a few bucks for an almost 40 year old toy. Maybe I'll find a junker to swap out parts with... or just have a South Claw with a fucked up foot. Sometimes these little dings give older toys extra charm. South Claw is a pretty good Gobot on his own and part of a pretty cool combiner team. His weird looks give him extra character and those colors make him look out of this world.

Boulder [Rock Lords]

Boulder, the 'Leader of the Good Superhuman Rocks' seemed like a great toy to look at today as we head into ToyLanta weekend. I got this one at last years show in great condition for $25. Not bad! For whatever reason, I tend to focus on Rock Lords and Gobots at the convention and have the best time finding them. Boulder is the leader of the good guy Rock Lords and pretty cool looking too. This one is in pretty nice shape, though came missing his Power Sword... which is actually a laser gun. From what I gather, there was some mix-up in the early stages of the line and various weapons got mixed up.

So you get mismatched names on packaging with what the toy actually has. Sort of like Magmar's 'Ax-Rifle' that's really just a club. It's worth pointing out that the 'Power Sword' is called the 'Justice Laser Gun' in the Japanese release. Boulder comes with a Power Sword here, but BattleRock is using his Justice Laser Gun there. Damn, I love the Japanese names.

Boulder turns into a rock, of course. Specifically Tungsten, while is Japanese counterpart Kimberlite. Both Rock Lords and Armorizers make a point to define what type of stone the characters turn into and I love that. The whole thing is ridiculous as is, but that fact that they're that specific is just *chef's kiss*. In robot mode (are they specifically robots?), Boulder is pleasantly articulated for a toy of his era. Arms move at the shoulder and elbow and there's knee movement. The head looks like it swivels, but I've never tried it. Transformation is a simple folding up up the parts resulting in a specifically shiny rock. It's a pretty color that I'd love to see more often. Rock Lords are really neat and Boulder is very cool. He's definitely meant to be the hero of the crew with his looks and styling. That's a rock fact.

Bios: Courageous/Grungy

Earth trembles under the shocking force of GoBotron's newest surprises: Power Warriors!

Guardian Power Warrior, Courageous, assembles with Leader-1 commanding inside the armored chest, while four top Guardian soldiers enter each protective Power Suit. The friendly GoBots immediately begin their enemy location search using Power Suits' information gathering skills: telescopic sight, keen hearing, super-sense touch, and smart smell.

However, the menacing form of Power Warrior, Grungy, looms evilly in the distance, with Cy-Kill encased in his armored chest. Four Renegade henchmen work inside Grungy's Power Suits, using the spy-sight, eavesdrop hearing, razor sharp touch, and tracking smell to locate their foes.

The fight goes on as each side looks for the weak point that will mean the other's defeat. Power Warriors may be the ones to finish the battle but the question remains - who will be the winner?

Tombstone (Rock Lords)

Behind the old house is a cemetery, filled with those whom once lived and their gravestones.

There's nothing quite like Tombstone from Rock Lords. He's this big green rock that sort of looks like a gravestone who transforms into a reptilian robot carrying a weapon called 'The Reaper', that looks like a radiator. I suppose it's supposed to be some sort of laser? On the mini-comic from his packaging, 'The Reaper' is depicted as a sickle. You know, like you'd associate with it's name. In Ganseki Chojin his name is Geigerrock, which is a pretty fitting name for that weird reptilian appearance. I suppose there's some Aliens influence in the design, or at least some similarities. Both Tombstone and Geigerrock are pretty great names. That's one thing I like about Machine Robo, they don't shy away from more harder sounding names and themes for the villains. For someone who enjoys scary things like I do, it's pretty fun.

Tombstone is a big green rock with lighter green robot parts. If you have Geigerrock, those robot parts are red. 'The Reaper' is black for both toys, but in Robo Machine and Machine Men, it's brown. He's still known as Tombstone in Machine Men and Robo Machine and pretty much looks the same. However all the versions aside from the US Rock Lords figure have a pearlescent sheen on the outer green rock bits. I'm not sure why the US skipped it, but they did. The Tombstone pictures here is mine. I got him at Toylanta this past year in great condition, though missing 'The Reaper'. Missing weapons are hardly a surprise when buying loose old toys. I think he was around $15 - $20. A pretty good price for an older toy in great shape. His joints are nice and tight, if not for little specs of dust in odd places... you'd think he was new.

I fortunately don't pay much for Rock Lords when they're found, not sure how much longer that's going to last with Armorizers on the way. Tombstone doesn't have much articulation, not completely surprising considering transforming robot toys of his era generally didn't. Though Rock Lords tend to have a fairly decent amount. It's not a lack of articulation, but a lack of useful articulation. His legs and knees move nicely, but his arms and elbows move inward/outward due to transformation. I guess 'The Reaper' is useful as he can aim it within the limited range of movement. It's not a deal breaker, just something to point out. When buying toys from this era, it's best to understand and accept the limitations. It's going to have them regardless. Aside from the weird arm articulation, Tombstone is a fun little figure. Like all Evil Rock Warriors, he's this weird rock monster robot that's a little hard to describe without getting side eyed looks from others. I guess that's part of the Rock Lord experience. Still a cool toy.

Bios: Nuggit

Rank- Good rock warrior

Body Type- Golden: a shiny, metallic finish that covers his robotic circuitry

Weapon- Tri-Gun

Bio: Though he's a robot, Nuggit is worth his weight in gold! He's smaller than the other rock warriors but brave and bold beyond his size. Nuggit is very proud of his shiny finish.

Nuggit's Tri-Gun does triple duty; the top barrel hypnotizes; the second barrel paralyzes; the third barrel revives the unlucky victim for questioning.

Bios: Crackpot

Rank- Good rock warrior

Body Type- Azurite: a mix of violet and gray that's tough enough to resist good natured kidding.

Weapon- Magnetic Pulse Gun

 

Bio: Crackpot's name describes his personality-slightly goofy. The other warriors give him a hard time about his crazy notions but Crackpot can think of good ideas that save them from a jam. His magnetic pulse ray "attracts" bad rocks and turns them into magnetic heaps!

Magmar/Devil Rock (Rock Lords)

Magmar (Devilrock in Japan) is the leader of the EVIL ROCK LORDS. As his US name would suggest, he turns into an igneous rock which forms when magma cools and crystalizes. Thus his name is symbolic of his alt mode. Normally Magmar comes with a club that looks like a torch, though it's labeled on his US package as an Ax-Rifle as a goof on Tonka's end. It's the same weapon that comes with Devilrock, but for some reason in the Gobots meet the Rock Lords movie, he's carrying Brimestone's axe. Somehow they just couldn't get it right with Magmar's weapon. Unfortunately mine in the pictures is missing the weapon. Honestly I kind of like the weapon being a weird torch. Rock Lords are so absurd that one using a torch as a melee weapon is pretty satisfying.

It's worth noting that both the Rock Lords and Machine Robo version's weapon is black, while in Robo Machine and Machine Men it is a  dark brown color. The toy itself is in the same colors in Rock Lords, Machine Men, and Robo Machine. In Machine Robo, however, the green is lighter and the orange is swapped out for purple. Machine Robo's eyes are a pinkish color, while the other versions are white. There is a pink eyed version of Magmar on Machine Men packaging, but so far that seems to not be a released version. I love these colors as it gives him a Frankenstein like appearance. Magmar/Devilrock is supposed to look scary and he pulls that off. 

Magmar is a pretty nice toy around the size of your average Gobot. Like most Rock Lords, he's pretty chunky as the rock alt mode makes for a thicker robot mode. If you like chonky robots like I do, you'll find this pleasing. He's fairly articuated for a transforming toy of his time. Arms bend at the shoulders and elbows can bend inwards. Do to the transformation, legs can move at the hip, but only forward as though kicking. His knees are arlso articulated, but once again, only forward. Do to his top heavyness, you'd probably want to keep both legs down anyway or he'd fall over. Magmar's head does swivel up and down from transformation, so he can look down imposingly at smaller toys.

I like this toy a lot. I like Rock Lords and transforming toys that transform into unconventional forms admittedly. I also like monsters, so when you have a fairly monstery robot toy that turns into something unconventional... I'm generally happy. Though it's hard not to like Magmar, he's just cool looking. Rock Lords have a wonderfully medieval fantasy vibe to them that stands out among other robot toys. Machine Robo has a tendency to make their bad guys spooky and creepy flavored. There's the Devil Invaders, or in this case Devil Rock. It's a neat little touch that makes me think of super robot cartoons and their monsters of the week.

Bios: Fracture

Dedicated to Megatron and the Decepticon cause, Decepticon Fracture is a dangerous enemy. She is totally fearless, and probably a little bit crazy, as she dives directly into any battle, regardless of the odds. Although she carries a powerful negative energy blaster, she prefers to use the seismic energy dischargers on her feet to smash the surrounding earth to pieces. Any battlefield on which she walks shudders with the force of her steps.

Strenght: 7 Intelligence: 4 Speed: 8 Endurance: 8

Rank: 5 Courage: 10 Fireblast: 8 Skill: 3

I'm gonna say Gobots a Million times

I've been wanting to talk about Buggyman for awhile now. Buggyman is a Gobot that doesn't get included often when the subject of Gobots comes up. He's not one of the main characters, so that's understandable. Gobot's have a lot of different toys and were released under a bunch of different lines. I don't know everything about them... nobody really does. The best you can do use use the references available. However, back to Buggyman. He's a pretty charming little guy. Pretty much what I think of when thinking of Gobots. He's got the signature look. This is the second version of Buggyman in Gobots, the first is in blue. I actually tried to go over the variations in a recent TikTok I made on this toy. Let's watch that real quick.

@robfromzonebase Buggyman #zonebase #gobots #Bandai #tonka #machinerobo #machinemen #robomachine #revengofcronos #toys #toysoftiktok ♬ original sound - Zone Base

Honestly I'd make more videos more often, but spare time is a fleeting thing. I don't think I'm writing this posts intention to talk about Buggyman in the same way you'd talk about a toy in a review. I don't think I do reviews... I mean... it's a purely subjective subject. What's my qualifications, or anyone else's to decide if a toy is good or not? I really just want to talk about Gobots and Buggyman is going to be my example for today. Ya'll dig? I'm going to put pictures of Buggyman in for the people who don't read and just skim over the pics. They'll never know. The actual post will just be our thing. Post readers club... somebody make a hand sign and we'll all do it.

I said Buggyman (damn, that's a fun name) was what I thought when thinking of Gobots. That means a few things. First... look at that face. That's the quintessential Gobot face. It's similar to several others across all the Machine Robo/Gobot robots. That goes for that box around his head as well. Despite what Buggyman turns into (a dune buggy, it's in his name), he absolutely looks like a standard issue Gobot. All the design bullet points are met. You may second guess an oddball robot here or there, but this is definitely a Gobot on sight. Also a great example of why Gobots are so fun. The wonderful die-cast, that traditional Bandai look, those rubber tires. For what was intended to be an inexpensive toy, Buggyman is pretty high quality.

Then there's the influence, intended or not. I loved Mini-Cons when they were first released. Still do. Not only did they remind me of Micromasters... but they also reminded me of Gobots. Take Ironhide for example... it's almost a tiny recreation of Buggyman. All those random alt modes and the mixture of unique and traditional robot modes. They were almost a Machine Robo line nestled in a Transformers line. Ironically the two brands were heated competitors at the time with robot fans winning in the end.

Bios: Boulder

Rank- Rock Lord/Good Leader

Body Type- Tungsten: among the toughest of all minerals, it shows durability and resolve.

Weapon- Power Sword

Brave and wise with an awesome physique, Boulder leads the defense of Quartex against Magmar's villainous plots. Boulder has rallied the remaining free kingdoms of the planet under his leadership. His fiery temper strikes fear into friend and foe alike. In the heat of battle, he scatters enemies with stun-gun blasts and zaps them with his Power Sword.

Bios: Sticks 'N Stones

Rank- Evil rock warriors

Body Type- Anthracite (coal) and magnetite: a dangerous combination of minerals that causes sparks.

Weapon- Cactus Club (Sticks): Double-Duty Mace (Stones)

Sticks 'N Stones are living proof that two heads are worse than one. They're constantly at odds with each other. But give them a single purpose-destroying good rocks- and they become an awesome fighting force. The very sight of them charging into battle with their Cactus Club and Double-Duty Mace is enough to send enemies flying home!

When the Vamp's Outside

 

Vamp is one of the Monster Gobots that automatically springs to mind whenever you think about the group. Like the other Monster Gobots, Vamp's original mold is a Devil Invader toy from Machine Robo. Called Casmodon, where he varies quite a bit from Vamp. Casmodon is more of a swamp and ocean specialist, which owes to his Gilman like appearance. As Vamp, she has the power to drain power from other GoBots. I'm assuming this was inspired by the collar formed from alt mode kibble in robot form. 

Thinking about it, Vamp does kinda look like Nosferatu in some ways. Regardless, she's clearly the most 'monstery' of the Monster Bots. An excellent toy as well. I wish I knew where mine currently was. There's also a larger Super Gobots version and Ripclaw from Beast Hunters is intended to be a homage to Vamp. I've always really liked the alt mode. Like the other Monster Gobots it's a weird vehicle of sorts that sorta looks like the Batmobile. Pretty fitting for a vampire robot.

Ask about Wendy's Special Edition Gobots

 

I wasn't planning to buy Wendy's GoBots, but by the end of ToyLanta, I owned four of them. Initially I thought I had completed the set, but then realized there was two more. Welp, off to Ebay. Let's talk about them for a minute,they're hella neat. You guys know I love my GoBots and fast food premiums. So, of course I'm a sucker for these little guys. Today is my birthday, so I'm going to indulge myself a little to talk about silly things... as opposed to everyday when I... so yeah.

It's well known that GoBots were mostly made from Bandai's Machine Robo Toys, however these little bots were original creations made exclusively for Wendy's. They're small with pretty basic transformations, but pleasantly fit right on in with your other bots that go. It's a common misconception that they were included with kids meals, but actually they were sold individually at stores for 99 cents with purchase. There were things like story books available as well. Wendy's went all out with this promotion including my favorite extra. The little tray liner had art of the toys with their bios! It's pretty hard not to appreciate the little guys, and I'm compelled to complete the set now that I've gotten most of them.

I'm pinching your head

 

Pincher/Falgos is one of those Gobots that can be harder to get now. He has just enough breakable parts that finding one in decent condition can be a challenge. I got him and Scorp randomly one day in the 2nd grade. I say randomly as my mom just had them waiting for me after school one day. Neither lasted very long unfortunately. Just like the Leader-1, whom I found one day with a broken arm, I suspect a certain jealous cousin got his grubby hands on them. Same kid who every year tripped over his bed sheet ghost costume while we tricked or treated and threw a temper tantrum at least twice every year. Though watching him spike his McBoo Pail on the ground in anger was pretty great.

Back to Pincher. He's a weird bot that really fills out the role of Devil Invader. With wings, pinchers, and overall look. Pincher could fit in with the gang in a Ghouls n' Ghosts game. In alt mode, he's a easily one of the coolest vehicle modes ever. A weird demon/dinosaur/bird/jet hybrid that's pretty far out. I managed to replace Scorp, but haven't yet found a decent Pincher for a good price. Hopefully that'll change soon. He's too cool not to own again.

Spoiler Alert

 

Spoiler is a Gobot that I have a lot of love for. Which is funny as I didn't know his name until I was an adult. I was given Spoiler, but not as a gift or anything. My neighbor at the time who was something of a family friend had found it in his yard and gave it to me. I was pretty unfamiliar with it and after reviewing the back of various Gobot packages decided he was Good Knight. Now before you point out that he obviously isn't, Gobots generally just had robot modes on cardbacks. That and I was 8. 

Years later I was corrected and it's good to be. But let's talk about Spoiler for a minute. He's one of the Renegades and really enthusiastic. Originally in Machine Robo, the toy was known as Countach Robo. Spoiler is generally a straight repack of the green eyed red version without the extra stickers. He's a pretty good toy. Fairly articulated for the time (shoulders, knees) and a solid alt mode. Not to mention, there's a lot of die-cast metal that just makes him pleasant in hand. Spoiler isn't one of the more well known Gobots. However he's a pretty good one, just not a Good Knight.

Don't miss your train

At Toylanta this past year, I managed to get a few Gobots for pretty good prices. I pretty much focused on them at the show and had fun doing so. I plan to do the same again this coming show and opefully bringing even more home. You guys know I love my Gobots. 

Loco here is one of those bought from this years con and man I really won out with him. He was only $5 and in pretty good shape. A few dings in the paint and that's it. His joints are tight and as you can see in the pics, he looks a lot better than I'm used to when buying a used Gobot. Go me.

Loco is a pretty simple robot, but still pretty solid. As his name implies, Loco turns into a train. Not a bullet train like you'd usually expect. Nope, an old timey steam engine style train. I believe the technical term is a choo-choo train. Transformation is pretty simple, his arms poke in and he folds over. Despite the simplicity, Loco has solid train and robot modes. In Machine Robo his name is Steam Robo, can you guess why? Loco is mostly black with some red and gold. Don't forget that classic chrome. His chest stickers are leftovers from Steam Robo and they look great. That's just about the only word to describe this toy. He's pretty great.

That dude is Creepy

If I'm going to talk about creepy robots this week, then obviously there's one very specific Gobot to cover. Creepy is a Monster Gobot (or Gildis as a Devil Invader) who is a special toy. The normal retail version was black and purple (Gildis was black and red), however Tonka offered a special green and purple version via mail in promotion. Complete with spooky commercial!

Basically if we're having a spooky week, there's no bot more perfect than Creepy. IT'S EVEN IN HIS NAME! Creepy is mostly die-cast metal with some plastic parts. Like all Gobots, the plastic can be brittle, so finding one with broken legs is pretty common. You can see in the picture that the tip of a leg on mine is broken. Those legs can actually be bent back in robot mode and I always forget to do so. Creepy transforms into a radical scorpion like monster machine...thing.

One day I need to get the purple version, but it's hard not to be happy with this one. The bright green and purple are beautifully eye searing. It looks as if he just crawled out of a vat of mutant slime. Evil mutant slime to be exact, because he's a bad guy. Creepy is a solid figure, one again decently articulated for a toy of it's time. That's mostly due to the weird monster mode. The creative transformation provides moving parts. You may not be able to tell from the pictures, but the chest rotates taking arms and head with it. Creepy is an awesome Gobot and thanks to the two different versions not super hard to come by. The perfect spooky robot to spend Halloween with, but he might still your candy.

Zarios in the desert, a Scorp in the streets

I originally got Scorp not long after he was first released. The one in the picture isn't my original one. The one pictured is a new one I bought at ToyLanta earlier this year. He's in pretty good shape, other than his legs sag a little. Normally he stands just a bit taller, but aside from that his joints are tight and his paint isn't badly chipped. Scorp is a member of the Monster Gobots, a group of Renegades I tend to favor. You could probably guess why. In Machine Robo his name is Zarios and he's a member of the Devil Invaders. Scorp is perfectly monstery for this weeks spooky shenanigans.

As the name would imply, Scorp turns into a freaky scorpion/tank hybrid. Construction wise, he's almost entirely die cast metal with just a few plastic parts. Those plastic parts can be brittle, so finding one in this good condition (let alone for $8) isn't easy. For a toy of it's age, Zarios has some decent articulation His legs can move at his hips and knees. This is due to transformation, which also means you can pose his ankles. Arms move at the shoulders and elbow. The elbows movement is slight so you can pose them naturally as the scorpion tanks pincers. In either Machine Robo or Gobots the toy has the exact same colors. The red on black looks menacing balanced well with the crome and evil green eyes. 

Scorp, like the other Monster Gobots doesn't get a lot of love. I'm not sure why, they're so cool! The newer updates for Gobots and Machine Robo characters focus on the vehicular bots. That's a shame. Mind you those are cool as well, but man these guys are neat. I'd love to see them with modern engineering. If you ever find yourself in the mood to buy yourself some of these cool freaky robots, Scorp is one to look out for. His colors are striking and design unique. He'll definable stand out among your other robot toys.

Put A GoBot On Your Shit

Tonka decided to step up their attack during the great transforming robot toy wars of the 80's. This lead to the addition of free 3D stickers included with your Gobots purchases in 1985. I'm only human, don't threaten me with a good time. I'll gladly take your holographic stickers. My only question is, why only 12? I could see packs of these for sale next to the trading cards. Collect them all and put them on all. Your Trapper Keeper, bike, or malt liquor. Anythings fair game in the 3D sticker game.

Bios: Narligator

Name: Narligator (evil)

Meaner than the meanest Rock Lord, the Narligator lives among the evil rock warriors. Even Magmar keeps a respectful distance from this quick-tempered Narli. The Narligator is always in the thick of things with fangs bared and deadly jaws chomping at his enemies.