Beyond Transformers: Gakken, The Forgotten Company That Reigned Supreme In 1983 (ft. AFC Legioss)

In 1983, Gakken reigned supreme with advanced transformation designs that have yet to be surpassed today. So why doesn't anyone talk about Gakken anymore, and why is Jeff about to break a super rare AFC Legioss on camera??

[@cesardavis8700]

Oh nooo!! Brother, i am feeling your pain! Glad it worked out. That's why it's a good idea to shop for these in broken condition. You can get a cheaper price, and eventually be able to Frankenstein yourself an ideal sample. Great content!

[@classiccomicsforum]

Thanks much!

[@ting2006jd]

When I was visiting Hong Kong, I bought the Gakken blue Legioss mint in a box. The seller said that the toy was never taken out of the box and I believe him too because everything seems untouched. I didn't intend to keep it in the box so I took it out and felt it with hands. I still haven't transformed it. From just holding it on my hands, I suspected the knees were the weakest parts because of the spring inside. I'm waiting for special occasion to transform him. I love the chunky design, and the piece felt really solid except for its shoulders due to transformation. One of my prized possession indeed.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ting2006jd sounds like a special occasion worth waiting for!

[@jameshakola3603]

For my money, these Gakken Henshin Robo Legios were a close second in quality, design and coolness to Takatoku Valkyries

[@giantbonsai8950]

This is so pertinent to my niche interests. I'm glad i found this channel.

[@classiccomicsforum]

I'm glad you found it too!

[@atomicrocketgames]

Thank you for putting this one together, it takes me back. I honestly thought no one else but me remembered the Gakken toys, so it’s a delight to see you working with one of them. My Legioss never broke, thankfully, but the Ride Armor snapped clean off at the struts that held the motorcycle’s saddle in place, leading me to try a few times to glue it back together. Eventually I gave up and just left it in armor mode. I thought I it may still be in a box, somewhere in my garage.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@atomicrocketgames always thrilled to find fans of these forgotten series that deserve so much more love. Sorry about that ride armor. Unfortunately, your story is a pretty common one with that toy.

[@katamattyon]

There is no channel like yours, you deserve so many more subs.

[@classiccomicsforum]

Aww, thank you! Honestly, I'm happy to have a handful of folks to talk to about the things I love. Anything more than that is an unexpected perk!

[@PerpetualDarkMatter]

This channel is great man. Thank you for the content. It’s good to see people with good taste in robots finally

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@PerpetualDarkMatter thank you! So much of what I love about doing this is getting to talk to other people who get that.

[@bicyclelife7088]

I remember the first time I saw the motorcycle suit toy. I was blown away. That toy is quite amazing. I also love the Orguss toys. I wish this stuff was re-issued.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@bicyclelife7088 I really need to start getting into the Orguss stuff. Crazy that it was almost a part of Robotech.

[@AnotherGalaxyToys]

Great attitude after a terrible occurrence. Sorry that happened, but thanks for the video!

[@classiccomicsforum]

Thanks! I was in too much shock to be upset, I guess 😂

[@greatkhan7114]

My cousin had a red version and he used to live in Norway. As kids we had no idea what it was and called it Jupiter Base. It was a red/burgundy version of this one..was a cool toy.

[@classiccomicsforum]

Yes, there was a green one too. As I've never watched the cartoon, I still don't know why two say Mars base, and one says Jupiter base. Norway, though? Wow. It's crazy how wildly this toy was distributed, only for it to become so forgotten in the ensuing years.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

I'm surprised when that one broke but I am more surprised that you've got another. Anyways, many toys back then tend to get brittle as the years go by.

[@classiccomicsforum]

Haha. It's not typical for me to own more than one of a toy. In this case, I'd been looking to upgrade for years now and wasn't going to sell the old one until I'd thoroughly checked the new one out. Considering how fragile these toys are, I recognized that there was a chance (however small) that what ended up happening could have ended up happening.

[@pdean75]

😮 i feel u man...having it break like that. Never got to buy a complete one, instead I bought cheap junk lots on ebay. It took a couple years but I managed to rebuild a complete toy of all three versions plus a mix colored frankenstein missing an arm & wing. Still have them today ☺

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@pdean75 that's awesome! I've got the red one, but it's badly yellowed. I'd love to frankenstein together all three eventually.

[@Crowquilll]

I was a weird teenager who was into anime in the late 80's/early 90's. I was THRILLED to find the Gakken toys on clearance at Children's Palace. Bought the Blue Alpha and the large Cyclone for probably $15 each. Unfortunately my college apartment had a nice window sill where I displayed several of my prized robot toys, so my Alpha (and Jetfire) have yellowed quite a bit. That same shoulder joint had broken on mine in the mid-90s. It's on my list of things to fix with 3D printing. If I get around to modeling the black plastic pivot I'll post it free to download. Maybe it's time to revisit that.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@Crowquilll would love to see you accomplish that!

[@poettdn67]

I remembered Gakken. I found it while looking for the valkyries on ebay back then. I happened upon a green Alpha last year for $40 at the swampmeet not broken aside from the missing knees. Transformed it once and placed in a box to keep safe. Now I need to look for random knees lol.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@poettdn67 that's an amazing find. Way to go!

[@GonzElias-f4u]

Transforming that toy or watching you do it is like walking through a minefield.

[@classiccomicsforum]

It's really pretty enjoyable so long as nothing snaps!

[@GonzElias-f4u]

@@classiccomicsforum Yes, it's the snapping that built the tension while watching it. Those were the mines in the minefield.

[@Crowquilll]

Even new out of the box in 1990-ish mine felt like all joints were very tight and under tension. There was a fair bit of snapping and clicking just by design. Things like the spring-loaded kneecaps made it SOOOO satisfying to transform. Now it's just nerve-racking knowing how brittle the plastic and even the die-cast is. Was that a good snap or a bad snap?

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@Crowquilll you describe it far better than I ever could!

[@CarnageCreations]

Shame about the break dude. Thanks for sharing.

[@classiccomicsforum]

No worries. it all worked out in the end.

[@JomasterTheSecond]

Before I found out about the Gakken Robotech/Mospeada toys I knew about them from their kits like the theremin and gramophone sets they've made. Cool stuff.

[@ARCWuLF]

I have a (heavily used) standard Gakken Mospeda Legioss that I got somewhere DECADES ago. I remember that they were sold at K*B Toy Stores in the 80s, but I was so focused on Star Wars and Transformers at the time I never got one new. I have to say that it's long been a favorite of mine. Despite the fact that it really only has the "Gerwalk" transformation, the figure is frighteningly heavy and durable. It's found a place on my random "80s" shelf. It's such a cool looking mecha design I'm sad that you don't see more of them around. Thank you so much for posting!

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ARCWuLF ill never understand why they put higher quality parts into the standard version and then decidee not to give it full transformation. Beautiful ans frustrating toy.

[@ARCWuLF]

@@classiccomicsforum I would argue that the Matchbox Robotech/Macross Valkyrie for their line of 3.5" figures was more frustrating, as they couldn't include the original Japanese toy's robot mode due to legal reasons. Given the choice I would pick the mecha over the plane, but it's a shame we couldn't have both.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ARCWuLF agreed. And that indirectly hurt Gakken and the popularity of the Legioss and Cyclone in the US as well, as kids pretty much tuned out on the Robotech toyline as a result.

[@LOSKOSKI]

I feel your pain brother, it's hard to make it through life without any breaks if your a toy collector. Lord knows I've fixed my fair share of G1 and modern Transformers. You think your using kid gloves then pop! Repair time. Great video.👍

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@LOSKOSKI thanks much! This is actually only the second most unexpected break I've ever had. The first was when I was just beginning to introduce my stepson to the hobby, gifted him a KO Black Optimus Prime from my collection, and as I was showing him the transformation and cautioning him to be careful, the legs snapped right off in my hands. Six years later, he's still laughing at me about that.

[@theshakeups]

I hear ya! It took me 35 years to finally get the deluxe Gakken blue Alpha, and an arm broke off the first time I tried to transform it. :P

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@theshakeups oh no! So sorry to hear that it wasn't just me.

[@ronaldpaterni5081]

@@classiccomicsforum Great video! I have some Takara Blockmen/Select Toys Mecha/vintage Transformers bought in the 80s, and recently. Some breakages just happen, but my heart sunk when yours happened. Great to see you could repair it! Degraded diecast and stressed plastic are the most terrible breakages. I have Monogram model's Cyclone and Legioss, and I'm still trying to fix one of the Cyclone rider's plastic (?) leg pins. My Revell model's Valkyrie also didn't survive long. Of my Select Toys, SDF-1 has had Icarus joint glued multiple times, and one blue superdeformed Valkyrie needed it's arm glued.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ronaldpaterni5081 sadly, as these toys get older, breakage is just going to become more and more a fact of life. Sorry to hear about yours!

[@UnChannelDuVulpineX]

I have a figure on its way to me that I'm very happy about, Fugu Model FG-01(Jetfire) with fast pack, missiles and a gorgeous stand. It may not be as big as the DX VF-1S, but it looks just as good to me, plus the whole thing is only £120 for the version with the stand, £100 without. The cherry on the cake has to be the box it comes in, it is *very* close to the G1 Jetfire box. ShowZed have even said that they'll pack them extra carefully, so that the flap at the top of the box doesn't get folded. It is going to look *SOOO* good next to my G1 box!

[@classiccomicsforum]

Sounds awesome. Hope it brings you much joy!

[@jasonschneider7224]

I loved the Gakken toys! As a Robotech fan I bought an Alpha and the Cyclone at Grandpa Pigeons for a dollar in the mid-eighties ( I was both obsessed and had a friend who went to Japan periodically, so I had trickles of information about robot toys it seemed like hardly anyone else around me knew about, and I hunted for more *relentlessly* as a child and young teen). My parents sold both when I went to college in the 90's (I'm still a tad bitter about that). At the time, the Legioss was completely intact. Among collectors, that heavy fighter used to be known for being nigh indestructible (much like the Takatoku Valkyrie, it was the age that hurt them more than anything else - the plastic and metal eventually became brittle, and those complex transformations just mixed badly with that - but in their era, they were an amazing blend of intricacy and rock solid engineering). Heh, the cyclone, not so much. Metal bars supported by thin plastic were admittedly a bad mistake, although I'm still trying to figure out how my 7-year-old neighbor's sister managed to break a solid bar of 1980s die-cast metal. I held that toy together with tape and string and still love that design immensely - if my parents hadn't sold it, it would probably still be leaping into action on my shelf. So you know - Sentinel HAS made the Legioss now and has made prototypes for the beta, which look absolutely amazing. I've always been more of a fan of the transformable mecha of that era than the actual Transformers. My own mecha designs are trying to feel like things did back in the day, and if I can ever get enough people behind it (and my lazy butt to do more than a few designs) I'd love to pitch it as if it were some lost media from the eighties found in a warehouse somewhere. Great stuff, man. It's always awesome to see vestiges of the golden age of transformable mecha pop into my timeline now and then!

[@classiccomicsforum]

Hard to believe there was ever a time when you could get these guys for a dollar a piece. Wow! And it really is a shame that Gakken didn't build these guys to last. The images of the Sentinel Legioss really don't impress me. Their Cyclone was exactly to scale with the original and only seemed to improve upon it, whereas their Legioss is a clear downgrade in some respects (especially size). I think I'll stick with the original. And if you ever do get around to creating your "lost media," I'd love to be the one to leak it for you! Thanks for the kind words.

[@jasonschneider7224]

@@classiccomicsforum I know, crazy, right? At one time this stuff sat on otherwise empty shelves with dust and dried chewing gum with orange bargain stickers just pilling up on top of each other and getting cheaper until you could buy them with leftover school lunch money. It's funny how things change. Nostalgia is expensive!

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@jasonschneider7224 Sure is, but I guess I'll keep helping to drive up the price of it.

[@jasonschneider7224]

@@classiccomicsforum Don't we all! I had a stint were I was pretty hard core for Macross designs....yeah, thank god for not caring about "new in box" and trolling for yard sales and e-bay cluster buys, because at their worst those things are more expensive than my first car....and yet I'm still part of the demand that keeps those prices so high!

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@jasonschneider7224 who can put a price on joy, right? There are far more costly ways to have a midlife crisis.

[@KazuyaMithra]

As a book publisher first and foremost, its kind of astonishing Gakken pulled off the Mospeada line as well as they did. Minor correction, Popy was always just a Bandai subsidiary, they were just absorbed into their parent company in the early 80s.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@KazuyaMithra thanks for that info! That's a huge revelation for me, and I appreciate it.

[@dani27more11]

The design is very cool, would love a modern take on this guy. Since the company doesn't make them anymore it would be really cool if Hasbro made a figure of this character in the next toyline after Legacy

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@dani27more11 several companies have made and are currently making modern versions, but none match the quality of the original, at least in my opinion.

[@dani27more11]

@@classiccomicsforum I've just checked some other versions and I have to agree. The original seemed like a genuine fun and fairly advanced (for it's time) toy that feels like it was made for play. It has a chonky and solid build and just a simple but super creative transformation. Those other modern versions try too much to feel like expensive and complex collectable items for display rather that just fun toys and I think that's pretty unfortunate. I myself am a massive Transformers fan ever since I saw the Bay movies as a kid and I think Hasbro/Takara could make a great update for this toy. Nowadays TF toys have brilliant engineering and great possabaility but they still feel like toys (even though they don't really have gimmicks anymore and tend to be pretty overpriced) so I think they would make a better toy that all those other companies that tried to update the original. I think the design is really cool and could fit the Transformers esthetic pretty well while being a genuinely fun toy made for play as well as display

[@neomatrix001]

Dude there is no way that piece breaks that easily, whoever sold you that figure played you nasty, it definitely came in broken.

[@classiccomicsforum]

I inspected the damage pretty closely, and it would have been very difficult to have put back the broken joint as if it hadn't broken. Honestly, I misspoke in the video: I'd always assumed that joint was metal, but it's a soft plastic. That kind of wear was inevitable. I'm going to be a lot more careful with the stress I'm putting on the arms from now on. But thanks much for your concern. I appreciate it!

[@TimmyDisorder]

Owned one as a kid. Same breakage. It was the green model. Those arms come off too easily.

[@jahrta]

When plastic ages it can become brittle

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@jahrta this was sort of the opposite. So soft it almost lacked structure. And it was in climate and humidity controlled room.

[@erikc.9167]

I recall my older brother having one of these.

[@legendfang]

I remember my older brother having the red fighter in the 80's and i loved it as a kid tho it was his as a teen. Wish i knew what happened to it. I now mostly collect Bandais DX and Arcadia macross lines but I do have some reissues 1/55 valks from Bandai.

[@sloth210983]

I had one of these and the bike as a kid and .. yeah that ended up the way you think it did. Bits and pieces. Theyre such fantastic transforming toys. I still constantly change from a state of "sad that I completely broke these toys that would be center pieces in my adult collector shelves" to "happy nostalgic memories of playing with them"

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@sloth210983 well said. I'm not sure whether I'm sad or glad that I never got to experience that as a kid.

[@เสือดํา-ผ6จ]

I feel that this is where 3d printing comes into play. You take all the parts of the toy and make a composite of the parts, 3d print all the parts to spec and work with every piece that makes a functional clone of the original. heck you can probably cast different color variants of the old one.🤔

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@เสือดํา-ผ6จ I would totally agree if I had any personal success with 3d printing. I tried and apparently do not have the necessary resin thumb. I leave it to the experts!

[@NoName-zm1ks]

Yup, 3D print the parts, makes the toy more durable.

[@ZedMazaus480]

NOOOOOOO!!! Sorry to hear about the breakage man. That super sucks. Sadly alot of companies during that era were made with subpar materials to maximize profits rather than ensure long lasting life spans. Metal parts that seem really strong in the begining, but become more fragile than pewter as time goes by. And alot of plastics just become very fragile over time no matter what you do to preserve them. At least you had that first one to repair the second. Maybe you can find some cheap broken ones to make whole figures to recooperate the cost. While providing the service of giving people a chance for a unbroken figures for their collection. To bad no one is trying to make reissues of it with better materials that are ment to last. I'd love to get one. I had one of the small 6 inch robotech alpha fighters and loved it. Sadly the left leg busted off on me very early on from constant play. I tried collecting anything that was a robot toy when I was little, and that love for them never left me. If I can I'll try to find this glorious toy to add to my collection some day.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ZedMazaus480 well said all around! I'd hoped Sentinel would do a loyal reproduction of the original Legioss since they did such an excellent job with the Cyclone, but their current offering is definitely a downgrade. Hope you're able to find one of these joys in good shape!

[@ZedMazaus480]

@@classiccomicsforum Thanks! I might get the sentinal version just to have a non fragile version that I won't be sweating bullets to play with it. Having both isn't necessarily a bad thing. The sentinal version may not be as great, but it's at least something that people can enjoy that is a reminder of it's origins.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ZedMazaus480 I'd never knock any toy that brings folks joy. I own two Aoshima Legioss, myself. I just wish they were more like the original.

[@fiveironfrenzy13]

That was the most stressful 20 minutes of my life!

[@classiccomicsforum]

Haha. Well, it all worked out in the end, more or less!

[@mix-up9003]

I would almost say that it looks better then the more resent toy/model designs.

[@classiccomicsforum]

I totally agree!

[@feralstorm]

I had the red "Rook Bartley" version for a long time. It got beat up with age, but over the last year or so I was scrounging parts and junkers on Ebay, and fixed up the damaged parts. Mine's in good shape now, aside from some sun-yellowing on the white parts.

[@NemesisEnforcer4937]

I still have mine and the left arm is broken as well. I like the gun he came with.

[@classiccomicsforum]

I don't think I've ever seen the gun! I'll have to check out some images online. Thanks for the heads up!

[@MyshkaKyrpenko]

Had the same shoulder joint failure on my green Legioss. I am looking into creating a substitute joint to remedy the problem. My blue Legioss is still fully intact and goes through its mode cleanly. The biggest problem with the shoulder joints is the soft plastic they used. It is a thin piece that is supposed to support the weight of the pivot to swing the arms out and the articulation of the die-cast input for the arm to move around at the shoulder. A good ABS would probably to the trick, but I think aluminum would be better.

[@classiccomicsforum]

If you succeed in creating a substitute joint, please let me know! I spent over a year trying to master 3d printing, and I was an utter failure, so I marvel at others who do it so well.

[@johnduval760]

The Mospeada toys are still incredible

[@classiccomicsforum]

Definitely.

[@natedavis4937]

The sentinel Legioss are all nice too!

[@paolozago6123]

When I was a kid I there were a lot of japanese import toys in shops, I had the chance to buy both a Legioss and the transforming motorcycle, and I missed both :D Tell me about regret...

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@paolozago6123 ouch! I feel that.

[@gpthree]

If I'm remembering correctly, the model kits of the motorcycle and jet transformed the same way as the toys.

[@classiccomicsforum]

I've never ventured into model kits. Would you say they're an adequate substitute for the toys?

[@gpthree]

@classiccomicsforum if you enjoy model kits maybe but they are plain plastic for the most part and would need painting. It's some decades since I've actually transformed one.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@gpthree thanks for telling me about them!

[@vincentlee8009]

Had the green one as a kid, then eBay purchased a set of all 3, plus added 2 additional blue ones. Lost my job years ago so had to sell the 2 blue ones. Regretted it to this day.

[@lastsunofkrypton7950]

My local flea market sold alot of Gakken back in the 80s. Bought the blue Alpha Scott Bernard Jet there I believe. And the motorcycle. I bought two of the motorcycles. One I gave away to another fellow collector. I still have a mint in box one stored somewhere.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@lastsunofkrypton7950 it continues to amaze me hearing how readily available these guys were. Totally off my radar as a kid!

[@lastsunofkrypton7950]

@@classiccomicsforum My flea market is the Berryessa Flea Market in San Jose Ca. This place was huge and an infamous spot for bootleg Japanese toys as well as legit Japanese toy imports. The Mospeada bike and Alphas were sold by multiple vendors there. Voltron toys and transformers were abundant there too but not the American version and actually the original Japanese toys. And they were cheaper than buying the official US released versions you would find at Toys R us or Walmart and such. Those were awesome times.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@lastsunofkrypton7950 oh yeah. I think the Go-Lion Voltron still sells for less than the American version, and yet it fires all those awesome missiles.

[@lastsunofkrypton7950]

@@classiccomicsforum Yup. Child safety be damned. You know us kids back then fired those missiles at each other. lol. And my first Lion Voltron was bought at that flea market. The black, blue, and yellow lions were made of die cast. I don’t remember if the packages said Go Lion or Lionbot or something, but it definitely did not say “Voltron”. Also a lot of the Macross jets were sold there too. Die cast as well. I forgot to mention, I think I saw the Beta armor for the Alpha Mospeada jet there at one point. I only seen it once and the armor set for the Valkyrie/Veritech. It was so awesome back then. You could not walk 10-15 feet without seeing another vendor selling the Japanese toys.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@lastsunofkrypton7950 I need to get me a time machine.

[@vger9084]

I bought mine from the toy section in an Albertsons grocery store! Always check the grocery stores!😂😂😂

[@elianicolettesnow512]

Gonna be honest, I'm surprised this doesn't happen in reviews more often. I have seen some pretty nervewracking transformations of vintage toys on KZbin!

[@rimjobledouche5201]

Brilliantly done, mate. I have a special fondness for these kinds of toys. I hope you look at more. I think I saw they did a die-cast L-gaim. I'd love to see it.

[@ZZtheDark]

As much as I want a Valkyrie, I have seen how some metal parts seen can wither badly so the best thing I did was buy a KO Xbots version of a Skull Valkyrie instead. Plastic holds a lot better now that I have seen how brittle metal can be over time.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ZZtheDark the 1/55 reissued I bought twenty years back still seem like new, but yeah, those Xbots are outstanding. I've bought four already and have had a blast customizing them.

[@ZZtheDark]

@@classiccomicsforum That is one of the benefits from these guys. May not be metal but its BETTER than the real thing which the designers at the time didn't have the gift of hindsight that these things will be beloved for years to come. I might need to find some stickers for my toy later on.

[@Gman_Having_Fun]

I have a blue and a green legioss that I bought in Japan during the mud 80s. Unfortunately I don't have the cycle armor.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@Gman_Having_Fun very few people still have an intact Cyclone.

[@Gman_Having_Fun]

@@classiccomicsforum I bought one for my little sister's birthday because, selfishly, I liked it. I don't think she has it anymore.

[@littleBIGrobots]

I had the red version as a kid and have been thinking of getting one off eBay. Every time I see one I go hmmmm.... Nah and then regret it later haha

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@littleBIGrobots I hope you'll pull the trigger eventually. So much fun!

[@littleBIGrobots]

@@classiccomicsforum yeah same, they're really not bad but I always find an excuse. Always spending too much for my channel

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@littleBIGrobots same!

[@XARIER39]

Sorry it broke on you. I think you could probably get some strong metal glue? I absolutely love the Mospeada mech designs too!

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@XARIER39 fortunately, I was able to repair it with parts from another one, but the piece that broke would never hold with glue. Too fine a piece holding too much pressure. Thanks for the suggestion, though!

[@XARIER39]

@@classiccomicsforum I was thinking a little dab of JB Weld applied with the end of a toothpick might do it if you decided. Unless that entire metal piece is all crumbly.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@XARIER39 it turns out it's a thin joint made of soft plastic supporting a thick metal piece. No amount of glue is going to help it endure the regular stress of transformation for long, unfortunately.

[@mazinz2]

I still have the driver to the motorcycle I found once at a flee market in the late 80’s. Though he stands roughly 6-8” tall. Plastic feels more like a model kit. Was the driver that tall? He is very poeseable

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@mazinz2 I got my driver in a random lot on ebay, and yes--super tall and posable.

[@jesseshaffer9234]

Used to have the green one as kid and I never had any issues with mine. And this is coming from a guy who, as a kid, accidentally blew up his back yard. The plastic they used must not age well and the pot metal must be especially brittle. Shame. The design is awesome.

[@classiccomicsforum]

Okay, you can't lead with a hook like that and then not tell the story. How did you blow up your back yard???

[@jesseshaffer9234]

@@classiccomicsforum At the tender age of nine, I decided to build a liquid fueled rocket engine. I was in the middle of doing hypergolic drop tests when I screwed up. Simply for fun, I had been doing it remotely using a crappy robotic arm that I had built the weekend before. It’s the only reason I survived. The crater left behind was ENORMOUS. I was home alone and frantically ran to my neighbors yard and began stealing as much dirt as I could to fill the hole. It took me at least two hours to hide all the singed bits and fill the crater about 3/4 full by the time my mom got home. She caught me red handed shoveling stolen dirt into the crater and completely freaked. She shouted, “What are doing digging that hole?!” And in that moment, I knew there was a God. I was SAVED!!! “I’m digging a hole to China, Mom!” I didn’t tell her the truth until I was 22 years old.

[@OTAKUJHE]

through the years the plastic became brittle. that is why it easy to break.

[@megamus9744]

I love the Alpha and the Beta

[@unorthdoxcleric6953]

I have 1 Gakken toy and its so so awesome

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@unorthdoxcleric6953 which one?

[@unorthdoxcleric6953]

@@classiccomicsforum Oh its a Toy caled Gakken Dynamic Derby, a Horse racing game that u can actually use coins to bet on.

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@unorthdoxcleric6953 Gakken made some pretty wild stuff! Sometimes I think their transforming robot output was some of their least ambitious work.

[@charleshunterii7157]

Waaaaaait I have four of those that harmony gold rereleased. The red , blue and green one plus the shadow variant. Those are the alpha fighters from robotech

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@charleshunterii7157 correct, except the original 1983 Gakken versions are a lot bigger and (I think) more fun to transform.

[@justinneese4449]

OK, Now I'm sitting here wondering if I can 3D print a Gakken inspired Alpha

[@classiccomicsforum]

If you do, please let me know! I'd love to feature it here.

[@justinneese4449]

@@classiccomicsforum OK, Now I'm all inspired. I've been a Robotech/ Mospeda since the beginning and collect Transformers and Macross still today. ANd I've done Printed add-ons for TF's already. Let me see if I can get a rough prototype together (Ugly but transformable)

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@justinneese4449 cheering you on!

[@ahchiu9]

I don't know why, but the original Valkyrie and the original Alpha are the best ones and i feel they totally still hold up. Countless companies keep trying to make more modern versions and they're always fiddly messes. I don't know why the can't make good modern versions

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@ahchiu9 too obsessed with cartoon accuracy and not enough with solid toymaking, I suspect.

[@datkat2001]

@@classiccomicsforum It's just how the audience is. as a part of that audience stuff with toy-primacy looks just ugly and wrong to me.. I want THAT thing damnit (and it better be spiced up for the modern era, just look at a what a lot common toy releases for basically franchise do, they cut out of a lot of the crust that even old animations had definitely prefer the much sleeker modern mechanical hands every design gets vs circa 1980 bubble hands) not something vaguely similar to it....different era I suppose

[@plaztik767]

Ohhh Robotech invid invasion (story arc) in the USA 🇺🇸 Scott Bernard’s ship.

[@jahrta]

I had the cyclone and the alpha (blue and green)

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@jahrta did yours hold up to childhood play?

[@jahrta]

@@classiccomicsforum yeah they were great. I played with them a lot. I sold them to a collector in the Netherlands. Someone in customs tried to transform the alpha without knowing how because they were "concerned I might be trying to smuggle drugs" even though the package wasn't flagged by anyone. They snapped off the little fold-out radar assembly, which really pissed me off

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@jahrta that's infuriating. Sounds like they just wanted to play with your cool toy.

[@jeffreywong5112]

They did good. Quality of plastic needs improvement

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@jeffreywong5112 best design ever. Just wasn't made to be durable. I've no doubt these toys left quite a few kids crying back in the day, but they were perfect if you were careful and knew what you were doing.

[@jeffreywong5112]

@@classiccomicsforum yeah

[@edwarddeguzman3258]

What’s the difference between the Gakken Alphas and the Special Editions Released by Toynami a while back, the ones in the book shaped boxes?

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@edwarddeguzman3258 totally different toy. The ones you're describing are much smaller. They contain a nice amount of metal but still somehow lack the heft. And the transformation is almost the same but somehow doesn't feel as satisfying. It's hard to explain. It just feels like it was designed more to be looked at than played with.

[@edwarddeguzman3258]

@@classiccomicsforum Definitely more of a display piece

[@themollymachine]

41 years old

[@ShaneSkaalerud-nk2jk]

7:23 😂 you mean feet.

[@classiccomicsforum]

Yes. That would have been a better choice 😂

[@MKojiro]

I don't suppose you'd part with the 'leftovers'? I need parts!

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@MKojiro not hard to find broken ones for parts on ebay. I'll probably sell mine eventually, but I'm going to keep it around for now in case anything else breaks on my new one.

[@genoedcknifecollecter1538]

Metal fatigue shouldn't happen out of the box shows bad factory quailty

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@genoedcknifecollecter1538 once I got inside the toy, I was able to see the joint was actually made of soft plastic. Very bad choice for such a critical moving part.

[@shishoka]

Mold the parts. Make superior bootlegs.

[@Void_xplorer]

oh shit i have this lol is it worth anything?

[@classiccomicsforum]

@@Void_xplorer in good shape, it sure is.

[@richardmiller1345]

Hexa gear has some awesome new transformers in 1:25 scale..a car Mecha in two styles. It’s like Lego meets transformers..but not.