When Shoji Kawamori designed VF-1J Valkyrie, do you think he had this in mind?

When Shoji Kawamori designed VF-1J Valkyrie, do you think he had this in mind?

These little soft vinyl renditions of the Macross mechs are far from anime accurate, but somehow they manage to capture the feel of the series fantastically.

The blue version VF-1J valkyrie is the tv version of Maximilian Jenius iconic fighter.

In 1983, these came bagged with a header card and cost about $10. Talk about toy crack! The amazing thing is that these can be had today for about the same price!

The VF-1J Armored Valkyrie is one of my favorite designs from Macoss, and here it is rendered in dog chew toy vinyl.

The VF-1J Armored Valkyrie is one of my favorite designs from Macross, and here it is rendered in dog chew toy vinyl. Of course, it is so homely I can't help but to love it.

Typical of the time, this is one of a bunch of cheap soft vinyl renditions of mecha from the Macross TV series. Made in 1983, these toys came bagged with a header card and were a much cheaper alternative to the expensive transforming toys.

The Armored Valkyrie is far from anime accurate, but it has a folk-art appeal to it. There is an increasing appreciation for these vintage mecha vinyls in the Japanese toy collecting community and I can see why. These things are funky as hell, and come from a time where not everything had to be anime accurate.

Bask in the glory of sofubi mecha!

You can't deny the charm of these soft vinyl representations of classic mecha.

You can't deny the charm of these soft vinyl representations of classic mecha. The Regult is the standard tactical battlepod of the Zentradi army as seen in the Macross TV series (Or Robotech, for those of you in the states). it's a design that has almost no toys made of it. In fact, the best toy of this design came from a US toymaker of all places - The Matchbox battlepod.

This vinyl comes from Takatoku and was sold bagged with a header card. Its a cheap little toy that is not in the least bit anime accurate, and that is its charm i think. I've really warmed up to these small cheap Japanese vinyls.

Why some company hasn't come through and made really nice high quality versions of this mecha is beyond me.

The Destroid Spartan MBR-07-MkII is one of the supplementary mecha that appears in the Macross anime series (later shown as Robotech in the states). Unlike the other supplimentary mecha in the series, this one gets a small spotlight when Hikaru Ichijoe (or Rick Hunter) pilots it.

These were sold in Japan bagged with header cards. I’ve heard these were also sold in the US at Spencers Gifts of all places.

Why some company hasn't come through and made really nice high quality versions of this mecha is beyond me. Can you imagine a 10" tall diecast articulated Spartan? Either way, the toy is pretty cool and is one of the easier Macross vinyl’s to get. Its smooth lines seem more anime accurate than an injection-molded toy ever could.

At only about 4” tall and 3 points of articulation, it doesn’t do much. When I took it out of the bag you couldn’t stand it up due to the vinyl warping. I had to put it under a hairdryer to get it back into shape.

At only about 4” tall and 3 points of articulation, it doesn’t do much. When I took it out of the bag you couldn’t stand it up due to the vinyl warping. I had to put it under a hairdryer to get it back into shape.

The Destroid Defender ADR-04-MkX is one of the supplementary mecha that appears in the Macross anime series (later shown as Robotech in the states). While the mech does not get a lot of screen time in the show, it has been made into toy form many times.

One of the funkier offerings is this soft vinyl made by Takatoku toys. These were sold in Japan bagged with header cards. I’ve heard these were also sold in the US at Spencers Gifts of all places.

Either way, the toy is pretty cool and is one of the easier Macross vinyl’s to get. Its smooth lines seem more anime accurate than an injection-molded toy ever could.

At only about 4” tall and 3 points of articulation, it doesn’t do much. When I took it out of the bag you couldn’t stand it up due to the vinyl warping. I had to put it under a hairdryer to get it back into shape.

A very recent aquisition of mine... But being a massive Robotech nerd, you could easily ask, what took ya so long!?

First off, if you want to check out more super-dimensional action, be sure to check out Atom's great review of Wave's 1/5000 DYRL-version Macross! Afterall, we have him to thank--at least in part--for this review. The recent release of Wave's Macross and Atom's subsequent review actually inspired me to pick up this 1985 US release of Matchbox's "Robotech SDF-1 Battle Fortress", a repackaging of the 1984 Japanese release of Takatoku's 1/3000 "Storm Attacker Construction" Macross toy.

Funny how toy collecting works sometimes. Toys, even vintage ones, that are extremely ubiquitous tend to fly right under my radar, no matter how cool they really are. ...For instance, it took me forever to get a Zinclon Mekanda Robo, any one of the umpteen releases of the diecast Lion Voltron, and even a Matchbox Vehicle Voltron. For me, Matchbox's fully-transformable SDF-1 had been the same way.

...Until I read Atom's review and the desire kicked in! ;)

Okay, let me just start by saying that I'm not going to go into gory detail about how big a Robotech nerd I am because of how the early '90's Eternity Robotech comics got me into anime. I'm not going to go into "which one's better": Robotech or Macross (or even Macross TV versus DYRL). I'm not going to go into why Carl Macek should or shouldn't be lynched. We've all been there... And no one should care.

Let's stick to the toy, shall we?

First off, the outer packaging was clearly redesigned by Matchbox, who distributed the toy in the States under the "Robotech" monicker [and check out this cool robot-japan thread for pics of the Takatoku version, including its box]. It's neat to notice that Revell, Inc. is recognized as the "Robotech" trademark owner on the box, as well as Harmony Gold and Tatsunoko being mentioned as copyright holders. The box measures 17" x 9" x 4" and features a door/lid that opens to reveals the toy inside. Under the door, cellophane-covered holes show the toy in "Battle" mode.

Outer box lid. Note the heart-breaking Kay Bee clearance price tag!

Underneath the lid. "3 Exciting Versions"!? How can ya go wrong???

Though the outer cardboard box is obviously very different from the Takatoku release, the styrofoam tray within is identical.

Styro tray. Mmmm...

Once you break out the toy, it's all play from there! This toy is simple, rugged, and fun. It takes less than a minute to transform and you sure won't need to consult the "Operating Manual" (which consists of a lone double-sided sheet!), you won't need any tools, and you don't have to be ginger with it. This is a children's toy, folks.

First, let's take a look at "Cruiser" mode. The craft measures 15" long. It's gorgeous.

Now, one of the first things you may notice is that there seem to be two holes at the tips of the Main Gun. Unfortunately, I've never handled the original Takatoku version, but I assume that these are for firing missiles--though I can't seem to find where the buttons would be. In fact, there are no spring-loaded mechanisms found in the Matchbox release at all, and the toy doesn't come with any missiles. I assume these features were gutted to conform to US toy safety standards. Further, there seem to be flip-up launchers near the aft of the ship. Similarly, there are no actual firing mechanisms present in the Matchbox version--though they're cruelly mentioned on the back of the "Operating Manual".

Gutted launchers? Boo.

There seems to be some storage spaces in cruiser mode, as well. There is a very tiny one just aft of the bridge (though I forgot to photograph this!) and a larger one in front of the bridge. I just assume they're for storing extra missiles. Or drugs.

Ya put your wee--*ahem*...sorry. I just tell people that's where the city goes! ;)

Next is the landing gear. Wait...what??? "Landing gear"? Really? For a gigantic spaceship that holds a city in its belly? Well, this is just for convenience. Without the gear, you wouldn't really be able to put the thing down in Cruiser mode!

Landing gear detail.

Cruiser resting on its gear.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot else to Cruiser mode. It just looks great and is fun to fly around the room (hmmm...this is a recurring theme for me, isn't it? maybe we should add "fly-ability around the room" as a toy category...)

One thing to be aware of on these older toys is the elbow joints. They can tend to sag a bit. This is most apparent in Cruiser mode when looking from the side. The super carriers, Prometheus and Daedalus, tend to droop a tiny bit, as you can see here:

Droopy Prometheus.

Droopy Daedalus...but also note the "Bandai" stamping on the feet/thrusters...

...Honestly, I wish I could tell ya more about the history of this toy. I'm aware that Bandai bought the molds for the Matsushiro/Takatoku 1/55 Valk, but I wasn't aware they'd done so with this 1/3000 Macross toy until I just recently saw the stamp. So what's the deal? Did Bandai ever release their own transformable Macross? If anyone has any knowledge about this, please post a comment (Ginrai, I'm looking at you).

[*EDIT*: Ginrai did update us with a little history lesson! Check out the comments below. Also, while we're at it, for more history on the 1/55 Valkyrie, see Ginrai's Missing Link article reposted by yours truly on TBDX]

So, anyway, on to "Battle" mode. Again, very simple transformation. This is the classic SDF-1, with the impressive Main Gun elevated vertically and the inhabitants of Macross City safely tucked away inside.

Yep, not a whole lot going on here other than big, plasticy robot action. The figure is pretty great. It looks good, has nice surface detail (molded and from the numerous decals), and has good-nuff poseability.

One thing that's kinda neat is the ability to remove the super carriers. They simply pop on and off pegs at the elbows. This adds some neat play value and helps fire up the ol' imagination--giving you some sense of how truly enormous this thing's supposed to be.

Super carriers' attachment pegs.

They look pretty cool alongside Cruiser mode, too.

Lastly, we have "Attack" mode. All it really is is the Main Gun elevated onto the shoulders and pointed forward, and a curious step I never noticed in the cartoon when they fired the Main Gun: the thrusters on either side of the upper chest splay outward a tiny bit. This, in turn, makes the Main Gun's pylons appear angled outward. Who knows if it's "canon" or not...but it looks cool!

Take that, you pesky Zentraedi!

Again, that's pretty much all there is to it! Simple. Fun. Rugged. That equals a classic toy to me. I'm not going to debate which Macross toy is better: this or the Wave. Everybody collects for different reasons, and these two offerings appeal to very different collecting aethetics. Just be happy we have a choice!

The Destroid Monster comes from the series Super Dimension Fortress Macross. It was the largest assault mecha created by the Earth forces. Meant as a mobile siege cannon, the Destroid monster is 22.5 meters or 75 feet tall. Compare that to the valkyrie’s 12.7 meters or 42 feet, and you can see that the Destroid Monster is one HUGE mecha – almost twice as tall as a Valkyrie!

This is the original Destroid Monster toy, made by Takatoku Toys in 1983. This toy was later released in the US by Matchbox in association with Bandai. This later release was under the ROBOTECH banner, and was painted a solid green color.

The Destroid Monster comes from the series Super Dimension Fortress Macross. It was the largest assault mecha created by the Earth forces. Meant as a mobile siege cannon, the Destroid monster is 22.5 meters or 75 feet tall. Compare that to the valkyrie’s 12.7 meters or 42 feet, and you can see that the Destroid Monster is one HUGE mecha – almost twice as tall as a Valkyrie!

The toy is a good hunk of metal, featuring diecast feet and body. The arms and cannons are plastic. Each arm can swivel and move up and down. The top barrels do not move but the whole section is removable. According to Robotech.com, the barrels were only good for about 30 shells and then were removed and replaced with a new set. Perhaps this is why they are removable?

There is also a plastic block on the underside of the rear that slides backwards; I don’t know what the reason is for this.

The toy comes packed in a Styrofoam tray inside of the typically cool Takatoku box. Inside are instructions and a sticker sheet.

The Destroid Monster is notorious for having fragile hip joints. Most loose specimens tend to have the legs broken off.

This is a very cool mech, and no Macross / Robotech collection is complete without it.

The Takatoku 1:60 Ishkick Commander was actually designed to be painted and detailed (The box even says diecast / plastic model). The images on the back often look nothing like the toy pictured inside.

The Gerwalk Ishkick Commander Version MBG-21F-1 comes from the show Super Dimension Century Orguss, the follow-up show to Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

My love affair with Orguss started with the Robotech Model kit line by Revell. Back in the early 80s, Revell imported a bunch of model kits from various lines, including Macross, Dougram and Orguss, and released them under the Robotech name. While this Ishkick commander was not part of that line, the Orgroid was, under the name Nebo. I could not build that model correctly to save my life, but I really loved the design. Time flew by and I discovered that Nebo came from Orguss, and I fell in love with all the mecha in that line. Unfortunately, I would learn that these toys are fragile as hell.

The yellow connector at the hip is where these toys commonly break

The Takatoku 1:60 Ishkick Commander was actually designed to be painted and detailed (The box even says diecast / plastic model). The images on the back often look nothing like the toy pictured inside. You have to assemble several pieces, paint, and apply stickers. However, most people just see them as toys, and leave them as they are.

Painted Ishkick from the back of the package.

I found this toy in a small store in Shimo-Kitazawa called Home Rice. It was only 2,000 yen, but it was missing a few accessories. I actually knew someone who had the parts I needed, so I grabbed it right away. The notoriously fragile hip joints were unbroken, a rarity for this toy.

The Ishkick Commander version is actually a pretty cool toy. It has die-cast metal feet, tons of leg articulation, opening cockpit and missile bays, removable rear armor plate, a small pilot and a few weapons. The toy does require minor assembly, including small handles on the legs, and attaching the weapons. The weapons fit snugly into the holes on top, so PLEASE don't force them all the way in.

The box is classic Takatoku with the textured cardboard and glorious shots of the completed toy. The toy rests snugly inside of a styrofoam tray.

Box Front

Box Back

Be aware that there are also knock-off versions of this toy. The toy itself is almost identical; the only way to tell it apart is that the copyright info on the bottom of the feet is blocked out. The box is easy to tell - the bootleg version is all in English.

Batrain comes from the anime "Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger", which was produced by Kokusai Eiga Sha, TV Tokyo, and aired from April 1983 to January 1984.

The main mecha of the show was called Batrain. Takatoku toys put out several different toys of this character in the early 80s. The toy is a very solid mix of die cast and plastic. The die cast content is limited to two swing bars in the waist. Transformation is simple, but involves removal of the arms.

Batrain included missile firing fists, a gun, and missiles.

The toy pictured here may be a bootleg. I can't find any markings on it anywhere, but I have not had the opportunity to examine another one to compare. The pictured toy is missing the gun, missiles, and a small green ring that goes around the yellow stack.