Upgrading Roboto was something of a no-brainer. People love the unrelated song using the name, and the 2002-era Roboto figure was obscenely popular and somewhat hard to get in some markets. Masters of the Universe Classics is positively overflowing with fantasy, with precious few sci-fi characters like Optikk and now our plastic pal who's fun to be with.
One of the more exciting things about this line is just how loyal the designs are to the original toys. Take a quick glance at Roboto, and he might look just like the 1985 original with a better pose. As always, closer inspection reveals tons of articulation and deco that were just unreasonable to expect on the original figure. Some parts are recycled-- the legs, particularly-- but so much of it is new. The clear torso houses one of the line's few gimmicks, as you can turn his waist and the gears inside spin around. It's really cool and a nice touch. Fans of the show will no doubt love the fact that inside his guts is a clearly visible heart. Truly, as robotic chess player toys go, this one is the finest.
The head is a clear improvement over the two previous Roboto toys (unless there's one I forgot), and he has a manually opening jaw. It looks best closed, but you can crack it open if you're so inclined. His right hand is completely removable, and you can swap it out for a claw, an axe, a blaster, or, obviously, a hand.
While the Masters of the Universe Classics line is lacking in surprises, it tends to be pretty good in terms of providing a figure that's hard to improve upon. Sure, the shoulders are supposedly swapped, but it doesn't hurt movement or the aesthetics. I've seen a few reports of cracked torsos-- even seen pictures-- but mine got here in great shape and I'm told Mattel is good about replacing bad figures. (I've not had to do this myself yet.) I would add Roboto to the short list of must-own figures in this line, along with He-Man, Merman, Skeletor, Webstor, Orko, and Optikk. All quality stuff, kids.
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