Help! I want to identify/locate a transforming robot toy!

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Gringnr

Gringnr

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So, I was wondering if anyone here has some crazy Japanese transforming robot toy knowledge, or knows where I should look.

When I was a kid, maybe 11 or 12, I bought a transforming robot toy from a local (Palm Desert, CA at that time) hobby store in the mall. This place was one of 2 stores that sold RPGs (the other being The Game Keeper), though I don't remember its name. They also had a lot of non-rpg hobby stuff. Model kits, paints, minis, that sort of thing.

This toy was reminiscent of a Varitech fighter from Robotech, though it was NOT branded as such. It could transform from a fighter, to a robot, or an in-between "Battroid" type hybrid.

It was green (almost olive green, but perhaps a little darker - not bright or forest green in any case) and I think gray or silver. It was around a foot tall when in robot form. It had a gun that you could take out of its hand, and stickers I had to apply myself.

I remember this thing being really well made. Metal joints, and many points of articulation.

It may have been from an anime, I don't really know, but I don't remember the packaging very well. It was cool as hell, fully poseable and transformable transformative.

A few years later, thinking I was tired of it and too old for it, I took it into the desert and shot the hell out of it with a pellet gun.

I would love to know what the hell this was. The store in question had a lot.of Japanese toys and models.

Heck, I might even try to be one, if it's not too crazy expensive. And if I get sick of this one, I can shoot it with a real gun because I'm a grown ass man now.

Does anyone know what this might be, or know of any internet hangouts/resources that might be helpful in my SUPER NOSTALGIA ROBOT QUEST OF HEART?
 
I think it was actually the larger, 1/35 version of the Gakken Legioss. Or something VERY similar. I thought this one had silver metal feet, and I don't remember the pilot coming out. But, then, I don't remember a lot of shit. Don't do drugs, kids.

Pretty amazing, G Gabriel . Or is this suoer common knowledge and I just don't know anything about anything?
 
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Gringnr said:
The gun cinches it. That's the one. Thanks, man!

Thise definitely aren't shooting prices though! Yeesh.

Are there any newer decent (read: cheaper) versions or knockoffs?
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There was one by Evolution Toy that's near the same size. There's also one by Sentinel which is a smaller scale. I skipped on the Evolution Toy version, but I did get one of the Sentinel releases.

Both options would be as pricey or pricier than getting a used Gakken 1/35. But the release by Sentinel is very, very nice.

The Gakken Legioss is also the Robotech Alpha Fighter from the New Generation segment of the show. It was sold in both the branding of it's source show (Mospeada) as well as Robotech branding. There were three scales released. The 1/35 is the largest and nicest.
 
Gabriel said:
There was one by Evolution Toy that's near the same size. There's also one by Sentinel which is a smaller scale. I skipped on the Evolution Toy version, but I did get one of the Sentinel releases.

Both options would be as pricey or pricier than getting a used Gakken 1/35. But the release by Sentinel is very, very nice.

The Gakken Legioss is also the Robotech Alpha Fighter from the New Generation segment of the show. It was sold in both the branding of it's source show (Mospeada) as well as Robotech branding. There were three scales released. The 1/35 is the largest and nicest.
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I definitely would have remembered (he says as if he hadn't forgotten everything else) Robotech branding, so it must have been Mospeada. I wouldn't have known what that was back then.
 
Just a couple more notes. Since you've given me the option I'm going to ramble about my toy. :grin:

The pilot shown in the picture above isn't removable. However the toy did come with a separate standing figure. The specific toy pictured above didn't have it's figure with it, but I do still have my separate figure from the original version of the toy I owned in the 80s. But, back then I tried to paint the figure, and I never finished what I was doing, so it looks like ass. Plus, I'm not quite sure where I put that little guy right now.

I had this toy back in the 80s. I saw it in a local store and HAD TO HAVE IT. The problem was that it was more money than I had. So I carefully peeled the price sticker off a $10 version of the figure and applied it to the big toy I wanted. When I took it through checkout the cashier didn't even bat an eye. I do still feel guilty about it, though.

I made the mistake of "loaning" my Alpha to a friend at the time. In return, he "loaned" me the R. Talsorian Teenagers From Outer Space RPG. He never gave me my Alpha toy back, although he did ask a couple of times for his TFOS book. I always told him that I'd give his TFOS book back as soon as I got my Alpha back. I'm pretty sure he eventually sold it. He was carrying it around in the trunk of his car for a while for some reason, and when I asked for it back he claimed I had given it to him.

I still have the TFOS book, at least.

I eventually snagged my current Gakken Alpha for something like $150, I think. It came with the box. The toes on it don't articulate correctly and the wings are floppy, but it's OK. I can put it in soldier mode and have it on my shelf. I can even take it down and swoosh it every once in a while. It's not super delicate. I just exercise average caution with it.
 
Gabriel said:
Just a couple more notes. Since you've given me the option I'm going to ramble about my toy. :grin:

The pilot shown in the picture above isn't removable. However the toy did come with a separate standing figure. The specific toy pictured above didn't have it's figure with it, but I do still have my separate figure from the original version of the toy I owned in the 80s. But, back then I tried to paint the figure, and I never finished what I was doing, so it looks like ass. Plus, I'm not quite sure where I put that little guy right now.

I had this toy back in the 80s. I saw it in a local store and HAD TO HAVE IT. The problem was that it was more money than I had. So I carefully peeled the price sticker off a $10 version of the figure and applied it to the big toy I wanted. When I took it through checkout the cashier didn't even bat an eye. I do still feel guilty about it, though.

I made the mistake of "loaning" my Alpha to a friend at the time. In return, he "loaned" me the R. Talsorian Teenagers From Outer Space RPG. He never gave me my Alpha toy back, although he did ask a couple of times for his TFOS book. I always told him that I'd give his TFOS book back as soon as I got my Alpha back. I'm pretty sure he eventually sold it. He was carrying it around in the trunk of his car for a while for some reason, and when I asked for it back he claimed I had given it to him.

I still have the TFOS book, at least.

I eventually snagged my current Gakken Alpha for something like $150, I think. It came with the box. The toes on it don't articulate correctly and the wings are floppy, but it's OK. I can put it in soldier mode and have it on my shelf. I can even take it down and swoosh it every once in a while. It's not super delicate. I just exercise average caution with it.
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That's a great story. Once, as a teenager in Palm Desert, I shoplifted a cassette copy of Slayer's "Hell Awaits" album. Maybe someone was watching over me, and was not pleased with my behavior. Because I got heatstroke walking home. Lived in deserts for over half my life, and that's the only time I ever got heatstroke. Was it the shoplifting? Or the Slayer?
 
Those are pretty nice toys, I grew up with the Robotech cartoon so definitely have a soft spot for them although I'm far from a mecha expert.

I figured Gabriel might be the one to identify this as I know he knows his stuff.

Do they ever do vintage reissues? I'd like to have one of these or something similar but don't want to drop a ridiculous amount for it.
 
Following Gringnr's link I do see some tempting toys there.

OT: Not to kink shame but who would want this kind of thing and can imagine having it on display? A great way to never get laid.

PS. And I'm someone who collects blus and books of classic exploitation posters! (And when we know we have inappropriate company coming I shuffle things to make sure they aren't within eyesight!)

s-l400.jpg
 
Voros said:
Those are pretty nice toys, I grew up with the Robotech cartoon so definitely have a soft spot for them although I'm far from a mecha expert.

I figured Gabriel might be the one to identify this as I know he knows his stuff.

Do they ever do vintage reissues? I'd like to have one of these or something similar but don't want to drop a ridiculous amount for it.
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If that was a question for me, as far as I'm aware Gakken has never done a vintage reissue of their Mospeada toys. Gakken still exists, but it seems they have moved on from toys like that. I doubt there is much chance of them licensing an old show like Mospeada to do a reissue of the toy, even assuming they still have the molds which is extremely doubtful.

I forgot there was one other transforming toy version of the Alpha fighter. Toynami made a Robotech Masterpiece Alpha version. I didn't mention it because I had been trying to shut that one out of my memory. It was a really bad figure.

There are model kits and non-transforming figure versions. Toynami did some "super posables" of the Alpha in soldier mode that are fairly nice.

I seem to recall the Alpha was sold in model kit form back in the 80s under the Go-Bot banner. I think the Alpha fighter was sold as Leader-1 and the Cyclone was sold as Cy-Kill.
 
Gringnr said:
Also, this thread has inspired me to buy Mekton Zeta.
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The first mech I designed when I upgraded from Mekton 1 to Mekton II was one I called the Vindicator which I based on the Alpha in soldier mode.
 
E-Rocker said:
Any specific books of classic exploitation posters you can recommend?
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Robin Bougie's Graphic Thrills Vol.1 & 2 on xxx films, Banzai! on Japanese exploitation and the Refn/Jones collection The Act of Seeing on American exploitation are all good. FAB Press tends to put out some of the best stuff.

Banzai! would be my first recommendation as Japanese exploitation has the most inventive posters I think although I'm not sure how easy it is to find these days. The Act of Seeing now goes for a lot of money unfortunately.

Some books on exploitation films, like Stephen Thrower's excellent Nightmare USA and Daniel Ekeroth's Swedish Sensation Films include a lot of full colour poster art (and film stills) as well. Bazillion Points, who mostly specialize in music books, put out quite nice books like these on subgenres like teen sex comedies and heavy metal horror films.
 
Gabriel said:
I had this toy back in the 80s. I saw it in a local store and HAD TO HAVE IT. The problem was that it was more money than I had. So I carefully peeled the price sticker off a $10 version of the figure and applied it to the big toy I wanted. When I took it through checkout the cashier didn't even bat an eye. I do still feel guilty about it, though.
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Me and my brother got a bargain on Grimlock from Transformers like that, and one or two Zoids, IIRC. :sweat:
 
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