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 toys were initially marketed in the United States under the name Machine Men by Bandai themselves, but the line didn't see widespread success 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.
(For Transformers fans, this situation is similar to how some Generation 1 Transformer molds were released by Takara in the Diakron toyline before their partnership with Hasbro began.)
GoBots / Machine Robo toys were small, similar in size to Transformers' Mini Vehicles, 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.
Bandai seemed to retain international marketing rights to the toyline. In Europe, where the toyline began as Robo Machine, the packaging changed over a period of time to reflect Tonka's developments, eventually touting iself as Challenge of the GoBots: a Robo Machine product. In Australia, however, the line appeared to begin with Machine Men moniker, which it did not seem to change from.
The cartoon, called Challenge of the GoBots, was produced in the United States by Hanna-Barbara. It aired in some markets outside the US (possibly just Australia) with the title Mighty Machine Men.
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.
