Masters of the Universe Origins: Roboto

It's no secret that I'm a fan of robots so when I first learned of Roboto as a kid in the 80's I was instantly a fan. Mattel has faithfully recreated this heroic mechanized warrior for the Origins line. The packaging is your standard Masters of the Universe design complete with exploding red lava rocks in the background. The yellow starburst talks about "Retro Play" which I assume is referencing the toy's gimmick...which happens to be listed on the other side of the blister bubble. 

The card back features some gorgeous artwork across the top, while the left side demonstrates the gimmicks. In the center is a cross sell featuring other figures released in this 2021 wave.

The original Masters of the Universe line was known for re-using body parts to create new characters, however Roboto has a lot of original parts, including the chest. Cast in translucent clear plastic, you can see the gears inside the chest. When I first saw pictures of this I was glad to see the gears were intact, but I had wondered if it would impede the removable head and limbs that the Origin figures feature. Surprisingly this feature on this version of Roboto is still intact! Roboto has so much cool stuff going for him, from the circuitry molded into his arms, the removable weaponry to the head sculpt. 

While you can swap the hands on any Origins figure, Roboto takes this one step farther with detachable weaponry. Out of the package he comes with his battle axe already attached, but if that type of bladed weapon isn't your cup of tea you can switch it out for a claw or a laser gun.

I found this figure to be a lot of fun, a highlight of his wave. He seems to also be a fan favorite and I can see why. Now I'm eagerly awaiting to see if he'll get a figure in the new Masterverse series.

Micro Machines Transformers Micro Playset + Vehicle

Jazzwares has resurrected the Micro Machines brand and partnered with the Transformers brand. These  mystery blind package sets seemed to come out of no where with very little marketing, if any. For several months they were really hard to find, but during my work travels I located a few at a Target and grabbed several out of sheer curiosity. 

The plastic crate comes surrounded by a paper sleeve of sorts, completely shrink wrapped. Apparently there are some markings or codes on the bottom of the package that reveals which vehicle is included inside. It could be a normal Micro Machine vehicle or a Transformers themed vehicle. All of the Transformers included are based on the live action movies.

Once all of the packaging is removed you are left with this gray plastic crate. One one side is an embossed Micro Machines logo, while the other sides are non-descript. Each piece of the crate are held together with tabs, clipping onto one another. To disassemble the crate you just pull off the sides.

On the back side of each piece of the crate is scenery, that once assembled is the playset for the included Micro Machine vehicle. Here you can see I received Cliffjumper and the Desert Dunes Raceway.

Growing up I had a lot of Micro Machines and playsets so I thought I'd love this...and in theory these are pretty cool. Perhaps my tastes have just changed now being in my mid-40s. I have the Raceway built as the included instructions show, however you can reassemble most of it as you see it.

While the playset wasn't long for my collection, I did end up keeping the Cliffjumper vehicle since I'm a sucker for Micro Machines and Transformers...even though he's a basic repaint of the Movieverse Bumblebee Camaro.

Underneath the vehicle is a small box that hides the Transformers affiliation logo. Of course you can see it without the included decoder, but once underneath the red film the logo pops. This is of course a throwback to the Generation 1 Tech Specs and decoders

Overall these are a nice novelty item, but they didn't capture my attention enough to track down the other sets. I've seen some of the other designs of the playsets and they are cool so your mileage may vary.

Greenlight Collectibles: The Rookie - 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

 

Hollywood

The Rookie

1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

Prior to this purchase, I knew very little of the Greenlight Collectibles brand. I've seen many of their releases before hanging on the pegs at my local Hobby Lobby store, but I never really bothered to look into them before picking up this Chevelle from their Hollywood series.

I love the ABC television show The Rookie so when I saw this car at a Walmart store I had to pick it up. I had just started purchasing both Auto World and Johnny Lightning cars so perhaps that helped put this on my radar? While I can't recall this 1971 Chevelle SS being featured in the show, it's a beautiful car in a beautiful shade of blue. Die-cast body, opening hood w/ a detailed engine, rubber wheels with shiny chrome details.