The Christmas Toy

Christmas 1986 my parents gave me an Omnibot MkII (replete with 'ejecting' cassette deck), by Tomy, along with an assortment of Transformers and Zoids toys! To this day it remains one of my most cherished holiday memories! Therefore, whilst watching The Gadget Show on five (a UK-based commercial television network), it was with some amusement that I learned of Takara Tomy's latest addition to its burgeoning Omnibot family! i-SOBOT!

i-SOBOT, looking not unlike Transformers Decepticon Shockwave sans weaponry and alternate mode, retails for a hefty £200 and, inflationary factors aside, matches the original Omnibot's price tag! Not exactly an impulse purchase at the best of times let alone during a serious economic recession! Yet, how could I resist buying an i-SOBOT for £100 and adding Meccano's Spykee to my Amazon order too? Keep your eyes peeled for future robotic antics in my Flickr photostream!

This is my final post of 2008 (I can be found on Twitter)! May I take this opportunity to thank all my readers and sponsors for their continued support. Wishing you all a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and a Festive Festivus. I hope that 2008 was a good year for you and that 2009 will be even better. I'll be back in the New Year...

Bot-Bombast

This weekend I really can't wait to see the first live-action Transformers movie in Colchester, Essex! My generation grew up with Hasbro's inspired rebranding - with a lot of help from Marvel - of Takara Tomy's Japanese puzzle toys Diaclone and Micro Change. And Transformers, alongside their ingenious stablemates, Microman and Zoids, are amongst some of the most imaginative and clever toy lines ever conceived.

Critics may lambaste Hollywood for its voracious consumer-orientated ideology in the wake of Star Wars revolutionising merchandising - eclipsing box office receipts tenfold. I'm guilty of perpetuating the phenomenon, and dutifully aspire to George Lucas' and Steven Spielberg's adoration of toys; the term gadgets sweetens the pill somewhat. Movie-making is a glorious playtime, which can, at its best, also instruct and educate. Go on fellow deconstructionists, discuss.

So, Michael Bay, director of Transformers, it's over to you for some serious Autobot vs Decepticon bot-bombast! Review to follow.

Springer

Today is the first day of Spring and British Summer Time starts next weekend! One hour less in bed.

If the phrase "More Than Meets The Eye" resonates, you'll be pleased to read that I'm currently watching Transformers Season 1 DVD. The review will be posted over on Cloister Bell.

The new blog allows me to indulge in further toy recollections! So, expect to see Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe (Action Force in the UK), Thundercats and Zoids making special guest appearances.

Attic Attack

In our attic I discovered (in a scene reminiscent of The Goonies) my Mattel Battlestar Galactica Space Alert LCD game! This novelty dates from 1978 and is, in actuality, a repackaged Missile Command. Mattel earnestly needed to maximize its investment in the license (arch-rival Kenner had Star Wars) and slapped BG branding on existing lines alongside action figures. Out of curiosity I inserted a single 9-volt battery and, hey presto, Cylon carnage.

The toy and game odyssey didn't end there! Milton Bradley's StarBird, StarBird Intruder and Command Base still reside in a darkened corner. The Command Base often served as an Imperial outpost (for my Star Wars figures) and Intruder, with its small footprint, acted as a Martian flying machine!

Boxed M.A.S.K. (Rhino was the signature toy of Kenner's The Transformers/G.I. Joe hybrid), Masters of the Universe, Micronauts*, Action Force/G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Transformers, Zoids and a walking Twiki (from Buck Rogers) occupy the remaining attic space reserved for bygone boyhood adventures.

Perhaps I should consider opening a Generation X museum?

[*Micronauts was the international name for Takara's Microman. Palisades Toys expended quite considerable energy on reviving the Micronaut brand between 2002 - 2003. Due to poor production values and market conditions, only two (three if you include the 1.5 set, which I own) collections were released in very limited quantities. Incidentally, the most famous incarnation of Microman are the Transformers (Hasbro licensed Diaclone and Micro Change toys).]