Rotary Kidd
Review by JoshB
The late 80s Machine Robo toys were pretty innovative but relatively unknown to US collectors. The Go-Bots line had fizzled out and these were never imported over.
I love the MR boxes from that time.
Rotary Kidd is part of the Battle Hackers series. This toy transforms from Robot to helicopter with a relatively simple transformation.
What makes Rotary Kidd cool is his pull back action. In Helicopter mode, you can pull him back and release him and he goes zooming across the floor. Even better - the helicopter blades turn while it moves!
There is no metal in this toy, only plastic and the rubber for the wheels. But the plastic feels great and is strong. Make no mistake, this was meant to be played with.
Articulation is limited and I think more could have been done with it but that's always been the case with the classic Machine Robo Toys.
To me the draw has always been the overall 80s Japanese aesthetic which emphasized hard futuristic lines and chrome detailing.
Comments
6 comments postedWow...gorgeous!
Thanks for posting this...yet another toy I wouldn't have known about if it weren't for CDX. Now, I gotta go track one down! :P
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Sanjeev
Great indeed. Just look at the color of this guy. Absolutely fearsome! Like Sanjeev, gotta track this one.
I remember having a helicopter transforming toy, but for the life of me I can't remember what toy line it was from. I don't think it was a Transformer. I believe it was light blue, but it may have had several knock-off designs. Anybody remember it?
What would I do without Google? Looks like it _was_ a Transformer but was originally part of another toy line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirl_(Transformers)
Yeah, that would probably be G1 Whirl aka "Gazette", but I think there was a similar helicopter to this one earlier in the Machine Robo series... "BMR-04" aka "Warpath".
"Dinobots, destroy Devestator!"-Optimus Prime TFTM
Part of the Wheelman series but surprisingly debuted in ep. 9 of Battlehackers along with Twin Cam Jimmy who tagged along. Jimmy also being part of the Wheelman series,these guys were infiltrating a Gurendos plot involving blowing up a power plant. Rotary Kidd is more of like a stealth spy than anything else like Soundwave's operations for example.
He is voiced by Houchu OHTSUKA and you might remember him as Yazan Gable from Z Gundam,Ultra Magnus in TF Headmasters and Gaihawk from TF Victory as well as Tapp Oceano from Metal Armor Dragonar. Funny enough,the voice of Blue Jet and R.Jettan as well as Luke Stewart's voice seiyuu do have roles from Battlehackers to Dragonar too. It's Obari as FUCK in this his-ouse!
Oh and this guy is Signalman from Carranger and Deneb from Kamen Rider Den-O. Wow,this guy,man. Wait,he's also the narrator from Kamen Rider Gaim?! This is even better than I expected.