Category: Machine Robo

The MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo is one of my favorite Machine Robos. It is one of the most simple designs, simple transformations, the straight lines, with a red and silver color scheme and make a simple looking robot. There really is nothing special about this robot. But who doesn’t like a fire engine? I wanted to be a fireman when I was younger and I have always loved fire trucks since I was a kid. So this particular robot has a special place in my heart.  This is a cool little robot in a line of cool robots from Popy. The only criticism I have is the gun seems like such an afterthought. In the robots hand or even on the ladders seems a bit lame. It is just too small. Using the ladder as a weapon/gun seems just as bad as well based on what I see on the Tonka packaging.

It’s too bad the Gobots cartoon was so bad. I have never been able to force myself to watch a whole episode. I wouldn’t mind a reintroduction of the Gobots in a modernized revamp(like they did with other 80’s franchises like V and Battlestar Galactica(maybe they can make a Gobots movie since Transformers has made so much money!)). Since Hasbro owns the rights when they picked up Tonka, it would be awesome if they brought them back in a stand alone series instead of part of the Transformers. So Fire Robo did some time as Pumper in  Challenge of the Gobots back in 1983-1987.

More Machine Robos to come. They keep on coming. This is number 4? It’s because I have 25-30 of these robots. Sorry you are going to see more posts about these for a while. I found the box I stored them in so I will keep pumping out posts about these till I get bored or I am all done.

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-10 Fire Robo (ファイヤーロボ) 1982 Popy Bandai robot front Machine Men from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos(Chronos no Gyakushuu マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲) 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 aka Pumper

MR-10 Fire Robo 1982 Popy aka Pumper

MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo aka Pumper 1982 Popy Bandai Fire Engine/Fire Truck Vehicle Form

MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo aka Pumper 1982 Popy Bandai

MachineRobo MR-10 Fire Robo Pumper 1982 Popy/Bandai

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-10 Fire Robo (ファイヤーロボ) 1982 Popy Bandai from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos(Chronos no Gyakushuu マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲) 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 aka Pumper

Here is the MachineRobo MR-03 Jet Robo by Popy in 1982. I actually had this robot in the 1980’s when I went to Japan.  I picked it up for 600 yen in a department store in Shinjuku. I traded all my Machine Robo figures to a friend, but I can’t remember what I traded for. I am really glad I managed to pick up another. The Jet Robo is a classic robot from this line. Easy to transform, looks good as a robot and ok as a futuristic jet, solid red, black and silver color scheme.  For me this is just a fun robot to have.

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-03 Jet Robo(ブルー・ジェット) made in 1982 by Popy/Bandai from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 known as Fitor

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-03 Jet Robo(ブルー・ジェット) 1982 Popy Bandai Machine Men robot form from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos 1988-1989 aka Fitor

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-03 Jet Robo made in 1982 by Popy Japan

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-03 Jet Robo made in 1982 by Popy Japan

Does anyone know what this comic says? I am a little curious. I am sure it is mindless drivel, but fun mindless drivel or even amusing mindless drivel is what I am hoping for. I wish I knew someone who could read Japanese. Anyway, I have always loved the attention to detail in the packaging and other things that come with Japanese toys. The robot fits perfectly in the Styrofoam and is easy to take out and put away. The toy is easy to store, the instructions, stickers and catalog all come with this beautiful little toy. In fact I was almost as excited to get the catalog as I was to get the toy. I am sure I will never have a complete set of Machine Robos, but it is nice to see them all. I know I am probably raving on about these, but the Machine Robo line is possibly my favorite.

Machine Robo Series Catalog 1983 Popy/Bandai Japan Robot MR 600 lin

Machine Robo Series Catalog 1983 Popy/Bandai Japan Robot MR 600 lin

MachineRobo MR-03 Jet Robo(ブルー・ジェット) 1982 Popy Bandai Machine Men robot form from anime Chronos no Gyakushuu マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲) 1988-1989 aka Fitor

MachineRobo MR-03 Jet Robo(ブルー・ジェット) 1982 Popy Bandai Machine Men vehicle form from Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 known as Fitor

MachineRobo(マシンロボ) MR-03 Jet Robo(ブルー・ジェット) 1982 Popy Bandai from anime Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos 1988-1989 and Challenge of the Gobots 1983-1987 known as Fitor

I have been meaning to put up my each of my Machine Robo since putting up a bulk post about them a couple of years ago. This is the MachineRobo MR-01 Bike Robo, the robot who became Cy-Kill in Tonka’s Challenge of the Gobots in 1983. The cartoon was not as compelling as the story of the Transformers. For me the story was pretty much crap. Which is sad, because the 3 inch robots in this line were superior to any of the small robots in the early Transformers line. It would have been nice to see another robot cartoon that gave the Transformers a run for its money in the eighties. I really wanted to like the cartoon, but it was unwatchable for me. Which is odd, because I was able to watch a lot of the crap Hanna Barbera put out. And I loved it. There also was an anime in Japan, Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos came out several years later 1988-1989 and showed the robots as human piloted mecha. I watched a little and it reminded me a bit of the Getta Robo anime.

These originally came out in 1982 in Japan as part of Popy’s  Machine Robo line. Europe had them as Robo Machine and Australia had Machine Men. It’s a great concept. Matchbox sized vehicles that transform into robots.

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-01 Cy-Kill 1982 Popy Japan Robot

I absolutely love the packaging for this toyline. Small boxes, robots in small Styrofoam cases, with tiny accessories, stickers, a catalog of other robots in the line, and a comic with instructions to transform the robot. I just picked this up in December. The Bike Robo tends to be a more expensive piece. At least more than I would like to pay. This may be due to being the primary villain in the Gobots cartoon. The transformation from robot to motorcycle is pretty solid. The Bike Robo looks pretty good as a robot or a motorcycle. This is one of the nicer robots in the line. The design and color scheme work very well. I think I actually had this one in the 1980’s but I traded it away to a friend.

Machine Robo MR-01 Bike Robo(バイクロボ) by Popy in Japan 1982 aka Cy-Kill in Tonka’s Challenge of the GoBots

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-01 Cy-Kill 1982 Popy Japan Robot

Machine Robo MR-01 Stickers

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-01 Cy-Kill 1982 Popy Instruction Manual

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-01 Cy-Kill 1982 Popy Instruction Manual

Machine Robo MachineRobo MR-01 Cy-Kill 1982 Popy Japan Robot

Machine Robo Series Catalog 1983 Popy/Bandai Japan Robot MR 600 toyline

The catalogs are one of my favorite parts of the toys. I love getting these and checking out the other robots Bandai put out. I have used them to figure out other robots to pick up or just check out other robots that never made it to the US.

Machine Robo Series Catalog 1983 Popy/Bandai Japan Robot MR 600 line

Motorcycle form Machine Robo(マシンロボ) MR-01 Bike Robo(バイクロボ) made in 1982 by Popy/Bandai in Japan Robot