Catalogue Fun
Upon request, scans of the entirety of Bandai’s 1985 Robo Machine catalogue. I’m making this a Rumble because this catalogue features much more interesting stuff besides mock-up Godaikins. Links to each page below, together with my comments (might include excessively detailed geekery).
Front cover
The cut-out is more or less the outline of RM-15 Ambulance (Gobot Res-Q).
Page 1
Page 2
Page 1 & 2 feature the entire line-up of small Robo Machine toys for 1985. Note that none of the pictures shows the actual production toys, despite most having been on the market since 1982-1983. A lot of the pictures appear to be touched up photographs, while some are obviously non-touched up prototypes. Each toy is referred to by its vehicle mode name and RM-number (like Machine Robo). Amusing (and revealing) snafu in the German write-up: “MR-serie”. Oopsie in the picture of RM-14 Space Shuttle: they cut out the black of the space shuttle. Prototypes that are noticeably different from production toy: Falgos (note use of Machine Robo names for monsters), Fairchild A-10, Datsun 300ZX (production version is red).
Page 3
Page 4
Page 3 & 4 feature the Robo Machine DX toys available in/planned for 1985. Fairlady 280Z and Volks Wagen feature robot mode pictures that have clearly been reworked by hand (incomplete test-shots photographies that were colored and reworked is my best bet). Fairlady 280Z features two different color schemes: the all-red scheme was released in Europe in 1982, by 1985 only the black and metallic dark red color scheme was available. Porsche 928S is shown in silver, actual color by then was closer to metallic light blue. Of course, the truly interesting stuff is on page 4: prototypes for Motobike (Super Gobots Cy-Kill), F-15 Eagle (Leader-1), Apache Helicopter (Warpath), and Mack Trailer (Stacks). These four were actually released under their Super Gobots names. Fairlady 280Z, Porsche 928S, Volks Wagen, and Porsche 930T were also re-released under their Gobots names in 1985.
Page 5
This page features the Megabots. Names are again of their vehicle modes. These were actually released as “Puzzlers”, with their Gobots names. Very obviously prototypes, with hand-painted details and wheels lacking rubber tires (unlike the production versions).
Page 6
Power Suits, with hypothetical Tank-type Power Suit, which was never released outside Japan. Both are prototypes, with many differences from the actual production pieces. Power Suits A was actually released in that color scheme in Europe, before switching to the more well-known Gobots Power Suits Grungy color scheme.
Page 7
Robot Winch Truck and Robo Kong. Also shown is a drawing of the Robot Winch Helicopter, here simply called “helicopter”. Robo Kong is shown in multiple Robo Machine catalogues, but I’ve never seen a loose or boxed European version (the Japanese one exists).
Page 8
W/U Convertible Robot, released as Winchers. A prototype version of the Ford F-150 Ranger is shown, the Winchers helicopter is represented by the same drawing as the Robot Winch Helicopter on the previous page, and the Honda ATC 200 is also shown as a drawing (with a gun that the actual release lacks). Zod and the Gobots Command Centre are also shown.
Page 9
Page 10
European Godaikin line-up. Machine Dolphin’s pictures are weird: robot mode has clearly different rear wheels as car mode, and the middle picture is again different. I think the other pictures are all Bandai USA Godaikin pictures.
