Machine Robo Unitroborn Unitrobo: Penguincamera

 

One of the smaller sets in the Unitroborn set features a 35mm camera and a penguin. Confused by the odd pairing? Don't be as this strange combination falls perfectly in line with this crazy, but fun series of Machine Robo toys.

This thing is tiny, measuring about 2 inches long. The camera is molded in black and gray plastic and features more detail than I would have thought, especially since it's so small. On the top there is a place for a flash to be attached along with sculpted buttons. The black plastic that wraps around the camera has a textured finish, similar to what you'd find on a real camera. The combination ports are located on the back of the camera.

The other piece to this set is this small, adorable penguin. Other than viewing them at the zoo, I don't know much about these animals. The figure is mostly gray with accents of black and white used on the head. This non-articulated penguin hides the combination ports on it's back side.

To combine the two, simply stand the camera up on the lens as this will form the lower half / legs of the robot. Place the back of the penguin down on the back of the camera and line up the combination ports and push down, this will trigger the spring loaded transformation.

Much like with Bulldozerburger, the combined form is more of a traditional robot. The penguin splits in half to form the top half of the robot while the camera forms the lower half. While the camera lens makes for some pretty good robot legs, the back of the camera gives him some mighty wide hips! There is a small audio equalizer sticker applied to the chest of the robot and like with many of the other releases, the robot's eyes are music notes. The robot arms are short and thin and are not articulated.

So far I've purchased a few of the smaller sets and they have all been fun to mess around with, present company included. The robot proportions are a little off, but if you can look past that you'll find that you have another solid, fun Unitroborn set.

Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos - Machine Build Rod Drill #01 (Megahouse)

In late 2022, a new series of Machine Robo toys were released overseas. Based on the Revenge of Cronos anime, this new line of figures by Megahouse is more than just another line of transformable robots. With their new Build Series, you get to build the figure...or partially build the figure.

        

   

The packaging is done really nice and even captures the look of the original 80's Machine Robo series. One side of the box shows the included contents, but more on that in a bit.

Upon opening the box and removing the inner tray you are greeted with the body of the figure as well as the additional pieces and parts. All of these pieces have to be removed from their plastic frames, which was easy enough to do without having to resort to having to use any type of knife or scissors.

   

The body of the figure was "built" more than I anticipated, however as you can see the head and hands are missing, along with a few other small parts. Assembling the final pieces (head, hands, forearms and knee/shins) was easy and the included instructions were easy to follow. The end results once fully assembled was very satisfying.

For a model kit, I was surprised at the level of articulation. Both the arms and legs are attached to the body via ball joints so this allows a wide range of motion for the limbs. Since the head is interchangeable and also attaches using a ball joint, you can move the head a full 360 degrees. You don't get much movement up or down however.

Transformation from robot to vehicle is rather simple and straightforward, not all that different from the original toy. Turn the head 180 degrees, the arms fold over onto the chest, fold the legs up in half and onto the back, finally folding down the toes.

One of the included accessories is this longer, more slender drill bit. Switching out he drill bits is the same as switching out the head, simply give it a slight tug and it pops off the body. The tip of this bit can be a little sharp so be careful!

I was immediately curious to see how this Megahouse Rod Drill figure looked side by the side the previous Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos series of toys by Action Toys. I didn't buy near as many toys from that series as I wanted, but I did have Rod Drill so let's take a look at how these two versions of the character stack up against each other.

Both are great toys, however I think I like the slightly larger size of the Megahouse version. It retains a little more look of the vintage toy while the Action Toys version has a little more modern look. Overall you can't go wrong with either version.

Priced at around $45 USD (at the time of this post) is a generous price. There isn't much Machine Robo merchandise on the market so I would imagine if you are a fan then you may have already purchased this, if not, what are you waiting for? Megahouse has a good product on their hands and I eagerly look forward to their next release, Bike Robo (aka Gobots Cy-Kill).

Machine Robo Unitroborn Unitrobo: Pancakedumptruck

 

One of the first figures from this new line from Bandai that I took a look at was Bulldozerburger and keeping with the construction/food theme today we have Pancakedumptruck. Want to take a wild guess as to what this comprises this set? Well, at least the combined form is a little of a surprise for this combo.

The dump truck portion of the set is a large heavy construction type vehicle. Molded in a bright orange plastic with a splash of black paint applied in the area of the windows, the truck does have a decent amount of sculpted detail. The sides of the truck are a little hollowed out, which is unfortunate, but almost expected in today's scene of toys. The large black wheels roll freely across a smooth hard surface. The truck's grill has the two connection points for the combination. As for the overall size of the truck, I'd say it's comparable to a modern day deluxe class Transformer figure.

The companion food piece in the set is a stack of pancakes. Maybe it's just me, but I think these pancakes look a little off. Perhaps it's how thick it appears each individual pancake is, or the fact that the top is so dark. Did that top layer get burnt, or is that supposed to be a layer of syrup sitting on top? Either way, there is also a dollop of whip cream added and a few blueberries added to the stack of wheatcakes. On the backside you'll find the combination connection ports.

Lining up the connection ports on each piece requires the pancakes to be placed on their side and butted up against the grill of the dump truck. Once you add some pressure pushing the two pieces together, the spring loaded transformation takes over and converts the pair to a large robotic elephant. Fold down the legs located at each wheel to complete the transformation.

The pancake forms the elephant's face including it's trunk and tusks along with the ears while the dump truck forms the rest of the body. It's pretty large and commands a decent amount of space in your collection. Keeping with the music theme, the elephant's eyes are shaped like musical notes and inside of the elephant ears contain audio equalizer bars.

So far I haven't met a Unitroborn set that I didn't like, in fact this one is one of my favorites thus far. The whole idea of a vehicle combining with another object to create some sort of robot or robotic animal is so far out there that it falls right in my lane. Goofy, yes, but the execution of these is fantastic. Like with most sets, it's fun to disassemble the pair only to combine them again and again. If I worked at a desk in an office environment, toys from this line would easily be my "desk bots". 

Machine Robo Unitroborn Unitrobo: Planeeraser

Several months ago I finally reviewed the first figure I purchased from the new Unitroborn series, Bulldozerburger and I immediately loved it. I purchased Planeeraser at the same time so I figured it was time to take a look at this smaller scaled piece.

Packaged in the same blister card type packaging, the music theme is less evident with this release. The card art on the front is fantastic and the removable blister bubble is a Japanese trait that I enjoy. The back side of the package shows the combination/transformation between the plane and the eraser. Once combined we have a nice looking robotic wolf.

The plane reminds me of some rich guy's private jet. Sleek, white, simple, but with some flair. The wings do fold up, but that's really a part of the combination.

The eraser is pretty basic. Small with blue paint apps that mimic a paper sleeve art erasers may come in.

When the plane and eraser are attached together, the legs of the wolf pop out. To complete the transformation you must fold out the front legs and fold up the wings.

Once fully combined/transformed, the music theme is more noticeable. From the light bar stickers on the underside of the wings and on the top of the head to the musical notes that sound the wolf's eyes. 

While this particular figure is a little more smaller and simplified, it still has it's own unique charm. This is a weird line and that's what makes it stand out in such a crowded landscape of toys. These can be imported via companies such as BBTS if you are so inclined to check them out yourself.