Waaaay back in the 80's my brother and I each got an "Alphabot" toy in the lead-up to Christmas. They were letters that could transform into robots. My parents couldn't find either a Z for me or an A for my brother Alexander, so they got us an N (which I guess looks like a sideways Z) and a B (which is the next closest letter to A). I never really knew what the purpose of them was, but I loved them. Eventually those original two were either lost or sold at a garage sale (against my will), but I never forgot about them. While doing some research on them last year, I discovered that line had been rereleased in Italy! This time the figures came out in blind-bagged packaging and actually had more than one series. The first series was Alphabots Force 2, followed by Alphabots: Mission in the Dark and Alphabots: Mission Galaxy. Alphabots: Mission in the Dark had glow-in-the-dark elements, while Mission Galaxy had transparent parts. I found these right at the end of Alphabots Force 2, so I was only able to get the letter "I" from that line, but I did complete the sets of Mission in the Dark and Mission Galaxy.
Implantor (Alphabots Force 2), Illuminor (Mission in the Dark), and Infinitor (Mission Galaxy)
In each series, the characters were repainted (some more than others) and renamed, so each robot from each series is a unique character. Mission Galaxy went the extra mile and grouped the Alphabots into different teams based on their specialties. Since I took pictures of the Mission Galaxy series after I changed to my new photo set-up, they look the best and I'll start with them. I'll probably go back and retake the pictures of Mission in the Dark and my vintage figures and cover them later on. So I'll be working backwards!
I'll going into the different teams first before getting into the pics of all the figures. I translated these from the booklet that comes with each figure and I don't speak Italian, so the translation could be pretty rough. But it gives you the gist of what each group does.
MASTERMINDS - Are the strategists with a capacity for analysis and the collection of secret information. Some rotate their heads, keeping situations under control to assist the other Alphabots with valuable instructions, while others are Alphabots doctors that repair the others damaged in action!
SENTINELS - Equipped with power-ups of view and have an amplified capacity for far sight. Note how some of them have binoculars and viewers incorporated into their designs!
MESSENGERS AND VOYAGERS - Some move at great speed, others can slide on surfaces paper thin and can be inserted anywhere. To clear the road, those equipped with laser eyes can create a slit and reach the places less accessible.
FIRST LINE - Indispensable in the more extreme missions, these are the shields that open the road and protect the other Alphabots! They are resilient and often equipped with large fists to reduce/eliminate any obstacle.
BREAKERS AND LAUNCHERS - Are the most massive and rugged, and can remove obstacles even larger than themselves! They have mighty arms and hands/grippers which they can use for grasping and shearing.
INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT - Are robots/computers that store data and information to provide to the others during missions. They are assistants to the doctors and bomb technicians and able to defuse bombs at a great distance!
ALEPH ALEX
Masterminds
BIG BANG
Masterminds
CYBORG
Breakers and Launchers
DANGER BOT
Intervention and Support
ECLIPSER
First Line
FAHRENHEIT
Intervention and Support
GALILEO LEO
Intervention and Support
HACK ER
Breakers and Launchers
INFINITOR
Masterminds
JUST-IN
Messengers and Voyagers
KINETIC
Sentinels
LIGHT SPEEDZ
Messengers and Voyagers
METEOR ZX
Sentinels
NEUTRONEX
Intervention and Support
ORION
Breakers and Launchers
PLUTO
Masterminds
QUARKZ
Masterminds
RING SATURN
Breakers and Launchers
SUPERNOVA
Messengers and Voyagers
TOM TOMZ
Messengers and Voyagers
UNIVERXE
Sentinels
VOYAGE R
First Line
WEGO
Messengers and Voyagers
X-PLORER
Intervention and Support
YACOMET
First Line
ZINGY S.
Breakers and Launchers
NO-ONE
Alphabots Numbers
UNIT-X
Alphabots Numbers
PRIME PRIME
Alphabots Numbers
TRINITY
Alphabots Numbers
EUCLID
Alphabots Numbers
PENTA-GONE
Alphabots Numbers
2X3
Alphabots Numbers
SEVEN HEAVEN
Alphabots Numbers
OTTO GAUSS
Alphabots Numbers
3X3
Alphabots Numbers
One thing I love about this line is that you can use these robots as anything. They can fit into any world you make up, and you can give them special meanings by spelling out certain words (like a squad of robots that spell your name). The main username I use on various online forums is "Neutron Hacker", so I can't help but pair Neutronex and Hack Er together (it's just too perfect!). You don't even have to have them transform into letters. Just knowing that you have a little unit that reminds you of a certain name, word, or date can make them feel special. They're also incredibly easy to transform, so you can quickly switch them back and forth as much as you want! Occasionally I came across some loose joints, but for the most part they're nice and tight. The loose joints could usually be fixed by tightening the screws with a small screwdriver, but there are some that I can't do anything about. I tried three or four Penta-Gones trying to find a good one, but they all have a loose, floppy center piece. I really can't complain about this line, though. The idea of having pretty much universally useable robot figures that are uniquely significant to whoever is using them is a wonderful thing for me.
Oh, and by the way, "Galileo Leo" is one of the most fun things to say. Ever. Just repeat it over and over. It's great!
I love these things! Thanks for sending along the ones you have. I swear, not a single one turns into a ugly robot; they've all got something asthetically pleasing about them. I wish I had some of these when I was little, 'cause I would have LOVED them.
ReplyDeleteNo worries. When I come across something I love, I want to share it! I hope another series comes out, even though I don't know what else they could do with them. After glow and clear, what do you have left? Color change? I suppose they could play around with the colors (maybe with some wild patterns or something). I'd go for pretty much anything.
ReplyDeletegreat learning toys
ReplyDelete