GoBots
| The name or term "GoBots" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see GoBots (disambiguation). |
The original GoBots were the main competition for Transformers in the 1980s.
GoBots got its start as a Japanese toyline called Machine Robo which was created by Takara-competitor Bandai. Machine Robo was marketed internationally under the name Machine Man but didn't see widespread success outside of Japan until Tonka adapted the toyline into GoBots and created a new animated series for the brand, as well as an array of supporting merchandise such as coloring books, stickers, and even an official GoBots magazine.
GoBots / Machine Robo toys were small, similar in size to Transformers' Minibots, although they were generally more complex than similarly-sized Transformers. After the line's initial success, a series of larger Super GoBots toys was also released, featuring both new characters and larger versions of some pre-existing toys. Tonka also released a number of supporting toys such as spaceships, bases, the monster "Zod", and later a set of combining "Power Suits" which GoBots figures could be placed into.
The GoBots cartoon was produced in the United States by Hanna-Barbara. It aired in some markets outside the US with the title Machine Man, as the name change had not occurred in all countries.
In 1991, Hasbro bought Tonka and its subsidiaries (including Kenner), and at that time acquired all of Tonka's intellectual property, including jurisdiction over GoBots-related names and trademarks. The GoBots toys themselves, however, are still owned by Bandai, who had merely licensed the toys to Tonka during GoBots' lifetime.
