#Gobot crane movie#
#Gobot crane full#
#Gobot crane license#
#Gobot crane series#

The line struggled its way into 1986, with a spin-off toyline (complete with theater-release movie) called Rock Lords featuring transforming rocks. Hasbro also made damn sure to buy every Japanese transforming toy they could so GoBots couldn't bloody have them. Chalk it up to Hanna-Barbera's generally more progressive attitudes for their time!Īlthough the Tonka-toyline-created tagline was 'Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles', the background material for the cartoon established that the GoBots are not true robots, but rather alien cyborgs a race of extraterrestrial humanoids, who, after a great catastrophe, had to put their brains into 'GoBot forms' to survive.ĭespite being first to the market, having many more low-price items than its competitor (theoretically making them more desirable, at least to parents' wallets), and a ton of early press coverage stating that it would likely be the victor in the battle of shape-shifting robot toys, GoBots was left in the dust by the vastly better-marketed Transformers. One of the Guardians' human allies was even a woman of color. Crasher and Small Foot saw the most screen time, but many other female GoBots showed up, often in recurring roles. One of the most notable aspects of the cartoon was it had multiple recurring female GoBots, in stark contrast to the really, really, really guy-heavy cast of Transformers. While many other GoBots toys were featured throughout the series, they were typically relegated to guest spots, though the Guardian Small Foot and the Renegade Fitor would show up frequently enough to almost be considered main characters.

#Gobot crane series#

The series focused on a much smaller cast than the Transformers cartoon, mainly the Guardian trio of Leader-1, Turbo, Scooter, and their human allies Matt, Nick, and A.J., against the Renegade triumvirate Cy-Kill, Crasher, and Cop-Tur, occasionally backed-up by their own human 'ally' Dr.

#Gobot crane movie#

The 65-episode series ran in syndication from 1984 through 1985, followed by the feature film, Battle of the Rock Lords in 1986, which was likely rushed to theatres to beat The Transformers: The Movie to screens. It aired in some markets outside the US (such as Australia) with the title Challenge of the Machine Men. The line was also filled out with some larger original molds, including spaceship-bases, cap guns, and several designs originally intended for Machine Robo which did not actually see release in that series (similarly to how the Transformers ' Scramble City' combiners were not-yet-implemented Diaclone designs).Ĭhallenge of the GoBots was produced in the United States by Hanna-Barbera (and Wang Film Productions in Taiwan). The bulk of these figures are roughly the size (and retail price) of a Transformers Mini Vehicle, though often more complex and with a much broader variety of alternate modes.

#Gobot crane license#

It had a similar origin, being mostly made up of pre-existing Japanese toys used under license by an American distributor, in this case the Machine Robo series by Bandai spinoff company Popy.

#Gobot crane full#

premiere in 1983, nearly a full year before the original Transformers toyline's debut. Proving the old adage that, if you can't beat 'em, subvert their publications to your own ends! Toyline This was printed in an issue of the Marvel Transformers comic. but the relationship between Hasbro and GoBots is. Hasbro also now owns the GoBots IP thanks to its acquisition of Tonka in the early 1990s. The series does have its fans and collectors, however. That GoBots ran for barely three years, as opposed to the seven of Transformers, only further reinforces the idea that Transformers was the powerhouse winner between the two. (Among other heavy hitters, Kenner's Star Wars was cranking out Return of the Jedi toys aplenty throughout 19.) It is, overall, not looked upon very favorably by the fandom-at-large, with most of the criticisms leveled at the way it was marketed, with goofy character names and a less sophisticated cartoon (and it's not like the original Transformers cartoon was exactly highbrow entertainment). at least in the realm of 'robot-based toy lines'. GoBots was Transformers' main competitor. the war on toy shelves between Hasbro's The Transformers and Tonka's GoBots. 'Autobots versus Decepticons' wasn't the only war between shape-changing robots in the 1980s, as there was an even bigger, if briefer conflict. Also, very occasionally not actually vehicles.