Tonka GoBots 1984 Guardian LEADER-1

[@jasfrt6384]

I also remember gobots being pretty well liked by kids back then, myself included. I still think they're a quality line, despite what people think.

[@TheCastellan]

Same.

[@DBWalks2010]

I agree with you 👍

[@AlexanderCook-hr9vx]

I remember several years later they released a mostly die cast upsized version of leader-1 and cy-kill. They where pretty awesome!!!

[@robot2747]

So glad to see someone showing off the Gobots!

[@TonySalazar933]

My Leader-One played the part of Starscream in my playtime.

[@IM-xs3uv]

I remember Leader-1 being a lot bigger than that. Sadly mine was flung into the garden and lost forever. Gone but not forgotten.

[@killharrypotter330]

There was a "super gobots" one, bigger

[@Tr0nzoid]

Maybe you recall the Super Go-Bot of Leader One.

[@MrAvenger1975]

I collected both, but I was way more into GIJoe than anything else at that time. GoBots were definitely far more affordable and portable than your typical Transformer.

[@RaveSacks]

People been hating on GoBots since our 80s generation became adult collectors looking back on these things. I loved GoBots in the mid 80s for many of the reasons you stated, a lot of "bandwagon" Transformers don't seem to remember when these came out and were everywhere. I even remember drug stores, grocery stores, even hardware had GoBots. They were everywhere and cheap fun to collect! The Hanna-Barbera cartoon was solid too which also helped their likability at the time! I had a GoBots Lunchbox back in Kindergarten, I was never ashamed of it either. Transformers came after GoBots and took the concept to a higher, more expensive level. Don't get me wrong, I love Transformers too but loved GoBots first! Look forward to more GoBots videos!

[@BlastedBilly]

My favorite GoBot was Loco the black and red locomotive train engine!

[@Isolder74]

@@BlastedBilly I had a Loco. I’m not sure what happened to it.

[@stevenwilliams6602]

My favorite was Dive Dive. Not many frills, but he was simple to convert and had a good overall look. Honorable mention to Tux. He converted from a Rolls-Royce to a robot...with a top hat. Now how cool is that?

[@k3n0ju]

The GO BOTS!❤

[@DBWalks2010]

🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

[@AaronENichols80]

Thank you for putting a highlight on gobots! This was my first toyline I collected exclusively as they were very affordable.

[@jasonsangwin4006]

Oh yes ! The GoBots. My memory of these is exactly as you describe. kids would have a couple of Transformers but would have quite a few GoBots. They were extremely popular. My first GoBot was Tank and it came from the grocery store as a treat. I remember being so excited. Every kid I knew watched the GoBots cartoon. For some reason I remember everybody had Dive-Dive (the submarine) but it came in different colours, not sure if they were knock-offs or if it was released that way. I also had Water Walk (the Sea Plane), which was one of my favorites. These were really the only game in town as Transformers were pretty expensive.

[@xazylsclubhouse]

My brothers and I LOVED these figures and the cartoon. I think people only hated on them because of the lower price point and to try and sound cool. L-1 is awesome 👌

[@MichaelMercy]

The cartoon is top notch too. Even some Sunbow legends in it like Peter Cullen and Frank Welker.

[@danospitpatio6236]

I absolutely loved Go Bots before and after Transformers were available. Thanks for the review!

[@DarkAutumnScribe]

Love it! So glad you’re doing these now!

[@anandanjohnsimon3571]

I'm an 80s child and I still love the Gobots.

[@edwardstites3640]

I own a Leader One. He’s always been my favorite. I remember getting my cool neighbor to go to the Ames and get it for me because I wasn’t old enough to ride my bike to the store! Shout out to Rusty!!

[@jasonhinman6173]

I received a 50 cent allowance a day. I could easily be docked the day for not doing my assigned chore, but would receive an extra 50 cent bonus if I have a perfect week, for a total of $4 a week. There was rarely anything left over after grabbing my weekly $.65 - $.75 cent Marvel Comics. I miss those days of getting a comic for less than a dollar.

[@ericmadsen7470]

The unsung heroes of the time. Go Bots.

[@DBWalks2010]

It be great if they bought them back🤩🤩🤩🤩👍👍👍👍

[@mightyrobot42]

The small GoBots were way better than the small Transformers (like the minibots or cassettes) and the larger "Super" GoBots were on-par with most Transformers. The idea that they were the inferior toyline is just a weird fandom thing that's arisen in the years since the line ended.

[@SamGuthrie1977]

A lot of kids at my school had GoBots too. We'd bring them to school and play with them during recess. Granted, they were a lower price than Transformers but I still thought they were fun toys. The bigger GoBots - the ones the size of the '84 Autobots - were really cool.

[@Isolder74]

You should see if you can find a super Gobots Leader-One.

[@jsteelav8r]

Yes! Gobot!

[@cbob131980]

Leader One is my first toy memory. I love this so much. Thanks!

[@HPTBANDIT]

I loved gobots. They was small and could fit in my pocket.

[@cowpuddles4851]

Yes! Leader 1 was my first ever transforming robot. I followed him up with a bigger Stacks and one of the cars, then I discovered Transformers and never looked back. Still, he looks great!

[@dyl_pickle16-mta48]

I’ve been watching the Machine Robo Revenge of Cronos anime recently, and Eagle Robo is Leader One’s Japanese counterpart. In the anime he would occasionally help Rom Stol and the other heroes defend their home planet of Cronos from the evil Gyandlar.

[@TheCastellan]

Flip-Top, Dive-Dive, Pathfinder, Dumper, Tank, Bugeyman, Loco and Jeeper Creepy was my favs.

[@Chris.Mc83]

My first Gobot was Fitor, I got him at Consumers Distributing. The Leader-1 I had was all grey (no black paint on the legs), so it was likely he was a knock-off, which was common at the time.

[@beatrixwickson8477]

Love me some Gobots! I knew them as Machine Men and I always admired their study construction. I never felt they were inferior to my Transformers. It's a shame they didn't get a better deal.

[@Tr0nzoid]

I never understood the tired old debate about Go-Bots being a "poor man's Transformer" or whatever. They were different toys. If I wanted a toy, I wanted it for what it was. I got into Go-Bots before Transformers and in the late summer/fall of 1984. It was probably driven by my desire for the Go-Bot Command Center which I got that Christmas. At first, I didn't really like how some of the Transformers looked as robots. At the time, I had not seen the cartoon for any of them. I had a weird way of not always choosing the most significant characters so I would get Leader-1 late in 1985, but by then, I was barely interested in Go-Bots.

[@Commander_Bly327]

Leader One was definitely one of my favorites as a kid.

[@gazz_N7]

Go-Bots always caught my eye because they were Matchbox/Hot wheel sized. That and not many accessories. Well at least the majority of them anyway. I liked them a lot, and they had so many cool vehicles from submarines to WWII fighter planes and more!! Leader-One looks cool in jet mode and even cooler in hot mode, such a brilliant toy line!!! Nerdmasté. 😘👍

[@MichaelMercy]

Yeah they were great in terms of scale. Perfect with Hot Wheels cars and then all in scale with each other in robot mode. Surprising that they didn't outlast Transformers considering they were much more affordable too.

[@ivane5110]

I was definitely one for the cheaper toys as a kid; the math was simple: 2 or 3 cheap toys always won out over 1 expensive (when even that many cheap toys was an option), so Go bots wouldve been the winner had I still been into toys as much by then. Plus I like the smaller size and they had the more fun cartoon. I do recall seeing more of these at yardsales not long afterwardsbut usually in vehicle mode so I always wondered how many parents bought them never knowing their secret.

[@RedSiegfried]

I never owned a go-bot until last year when I went to a garage sale and picked up a thruster. Now I want to own more of them. Go boxes showing on MeTV toons in case you’re interested in watching it. The small figures like this to remind me of Convertors though, which is not a bad thing at all.

[@schmidington]

I've got a small collection of Go-bots, but when I first saw them on the shelves The Transformers line was just being released as well. A choice had to be made. The designs and flash of the Autobot line won me over. TF for life, but I won't disrespect the world the Go-Bots once resided in.

[@shoked99]

Look forward to more GoBots content. Thanks for your video. Growing up I'm certain I had more GoBots than Transformers. Wonder how it would have been if I hadn't been so into GI Joe. 😀

[@1diamonddogg1]

You've got to do crasher next.

[@ZedMazaus480]

I'll second that motion!

[@MichaelMercy]

I don't have her.

[@georgelewis3173]

You are right they were considered the redhead step child. towards the end of their run Go bots tried to compete with transformers but could never really size up personally, I thought they were alright and I like most kids at the time had both to play with as well my G.I. Joe’s thanks for the throwback 👌

[@JackHammer77]

Back when I was 7 in the second grade (1984-85), I loaned my Leader-1 GoBot to a third-grader. When I eventually asked for it back, he claimed he'd already left it on my front porch (without knocking on the door) a long time ago, an obvious lie that I couldn't believe even back then. Sucked that I never got it back.

[@JMan1380]

I probably loved watching GoBots more that Transformers. Loved that Hanna Barbera animation. I still have my Turbo which is missing an arm now. Still a fantastic toy but I wished I had Leader 1.

[@jimdigitalvideo]

I remember these. They were called Machine Men in Australia and they came out before Transformers. I had Leader-1, Cy-Kill, Cop-Tur, Fitor, Loco and Turbo. I liked the cartoon at the time (also called Machine Men here in Australia) because it reminded me of the Transformers, but the cartoon is a bit dated now.

[@willmoore5862]

My favorite go bots were Psycho, Baron Von Joy, and Herr Fiend. I used to incorporate those with my transformers.

[@WhiskeyShred]

Awesome I had so many of these little guys by the time I started collecting transformers I had forgotten. This was a cool toy

[@stevenwilliams6602]

(Leader-1's nosecone keeps dropping down) Powerglide: Hey, Leader-1, having some problems there? Leader-1: Shut up 😄😆

[@ronaldannas1935]

One difference that I can remember about Go-bots vs Transformers. In some cases the Go-bots pulled off the robot mode better than some of the (gen 1) Transformers. I feel old thinking about seeing the Go-bots on toy shelves when they were released.

[@filmandpage1138]

I really liked the bases they had for the gobots. Also the power suits that would combine into a bigger robot.

[@CB-ke7eq]

I appreciate that you acknowledge that not all of us 80s kids were fortunate enough to receive a USS Flagg or even an Omega Supreme (oh how I longed for you Omega lol). Looking back, some of my fondest memories are of the cheapest toys, $3 GoBots or their knockoff competition like the "TransMobots" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpnZf6R4f5WngLssi=cWyPTpo-xDsXUljv from Zayre's stores.

[@ZedMazaus480]

Ah, good old Leader one. He's deffinetly a classic toy, and a fond childhood memory. I found that nose cone got pretty loose very quickly after a while when I got him new as a kid. I actualy had to replace him a couple of times because his left wing kept breaking off. Alas the bain of all GoBots sadly. All prone to breakage. 😢 My favorite GoBot figure was the super GoBot Future Psycho Machine. I just loved how it transformed. I hope that Hasbro/Takara do a modern updated version of it sometime in the near future. I wouldn't care if they had to completely redesign the robot mode due to the show licensing issues as long as he has that beautiful altmode. It'd be a shame not to get a perfectly exact updated version for both modes, but I can live with it if they can only do the altmode accurately only. Oh! Before I forget, does anybody remember some of the GoBots cardbacks having a hologram picture on some of them? I think I remember a few figures had them, but I don't know if I'm just mixing it up with other toylines. It got really popular at one point that just about every toyline used those 3D hologram pictures that shifted between images depending on the angle you had them.

[@mattmiller6352]

Excellent video! Very insightful. Leader-1 is great but I love the cyc wall!

[@touchingevil2302]

Yes!! Love Gobots, still waiting for they to re-rekease the figures like they did with Transformers.

[@Dystnine]

Scorp was my fave Gobot. Pathfinder aswell.

[@kingvagar]

Ah, memories… I only had a couple of GoBots (I wanted more, but my Mom gift was focused on Transformers) Leader-1 and the combiner that was made of bats and insects (I don't know the name of the robots or the combiner). In my kid imagination, they coexisted with my Transformers.

[@farminglittlepeople9623]

Oh Mike, you do love me!😂 YES!!!! You know how much I have always loved me some GoBots!🙏 I very much look forward to that History Of video on these cool guys! Thanks brother

[@MichaelMercy]

Me too! It's been way too long for some GoBots videos.

[@BrianDrake-u2h]

Die cast construction, it's a lost art.

[@sir_chris]

I read in Japan, the Cykill character was a hero so maybe that's why his figure came out first.

[@killerontheloose80]

GO BOTS......THE POOR MAN'S TRANSFORMERS

[@chrismunce8085]

Excellent video. YO JOE!!! :)

[@diegocorradini7072]

The flappy gobots suck even today but they're very nostalgic 😂

[@ThePlanet_L.I.]

Scooter was my favorite GB

[@sethputnamsghost]

I still own the original cassette of the challenge of the go bots.👍

[@RisingBean]

I had Leader-1 as a kid. Pulled his arm off converting him. Had to go and have some baddie blow his arm off for toy continuity. Good times were had back then.

[@JohnSchafer-rs2nh]

I still love Warpath.

[@cujoedaman]

They need to bring back Super Go-Bots :D

[@jordel2010]

I might be wrong about this, since the only GoBots I owned back in the day were Pumper and Turbo, and also my memory isn't as sharp as it once used to be; but I think you have the Japanese version, since yours is branded as Bandai, and GoBots were branded as Tonka over here in the west (if I recall correctly).

[@snesfan8935]

I like one big thing about Machine Robo / Go-Bots that they are not part-formers like G1 Starscream, or Optimus for a example.

[@rheel6747]

Mighty Machine Men! Mighty Robots!

[@joeadrianmendoza]

I loved gobots due to them being pocketable

[@TFfangeek]

Great review!!! Leader-1 is a great leader, his name says it all. lol :D

[@EmpireofNewEstrea123]

I Just Subscribed Keep up the good work!!

[@MichaelMercy]

Thanks!

[@EmpireofNewEstrea123]

@@MichaelMercy Your Welcome

[@benflay6038]

I remember mine being bigger ? But you nailed it affordable I mixed them together and had the bike and the all metal car that I remember was the dr Everyone uk remember the cartoon on tv it was part of wakaday go bots go botty

[@shoked99]

Maybe you had the Super GoBot version.

[@ryanricardo]

👍👏

[@TheHoboPig]

The cheaper GoBots always looked better than the minibots or cassettes, given how they look more cohesive in robot mode and alt mode to me. Then, if we look at the Super GoBots I'd say they're definitely on par or sometimes better than regular transformers, the Super Leader-1 has a cleaner transformation than G1 Starscream. I have no idea as to why many people think the toyline was inferior? The cartoon and lore, sure that's debatable, but the toys themselves always have good quality for the price of just a grocery store trip toy. What is funny to me that GoBots had the idea of the two leaders of the factions being friends at one point before the other felt betrayed by one action. Cy-Kill joined the Renegades as he became disillusioned with the directives of the Guardian Council and how little they did to truly make the planet better for all GoBots, he was eager for glory and wanted to show his approach was better than the bureaucracy that plagued Gobotron for many years, he pressed the Council to allow him to be entrusted with the task of moping up the Renegade remnants on Xeros and was given the task. When he failed, caused them to strip his rank of high protector, only ruled into his anger over what he saw as the Guardians' failings. Comrade Fitor agreed and felt Cy-Kill and Leader-1 should take control of GoBotron, though Leader-1 refused to join them, believing no GoBot should be master of another. With this betrayal of who he considered his own brother, Cy-Kill then became a Renegade and soon took over the whole faction. I always thought it was interesting knowing this backstory for the two faction leaders, and later on Transformers would do something similar with Megatron and Optimus Prime. I'm not saying they copied GoBots or anything, but it's interesting to know that the "inferior" changing robot toyline had this story that will go on to define a major aspect of Transformers

[@teddyfreddie4739]

I still have Limo & Cop-Tur in good condition....My Skooter got missin....I wish the Cartoon would've went more seasons ☹️☹️☹️

[@bobahicks]

Go Bots ❤ Love Leader-1

[@Ironmew05]

In Transformers Armada, Megatron's minicon is named Leader-1.

[@darrenbent7601]

Only instead of transforming into a jet, he transforms into a sort of drill tank.

[@James-kd5oe]

Go bots was the Kmart transformers. But i still loved them.

[@MichaelMercy]

True, I think I bought some GoBots at Kmart.

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

I had a dark blue version of this toy. Not sure how many other variants there were

[@p.a.u.l.555]

Awesome, the budget transformers😊

[@markheadley125]

Cool 😎 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@PaulMyers-q1m]

GoBots were in MacDonald happy meal in 85 I got only one

[@seanlavoie2]

Only ever had the happy meal (I think) tan double propeller helicopter. I didn’t get many transformers either until much later . . . I did get a rock lord too . . . *** Nose cone loose try plumber’s tape / pft tape / Teflon tape in the joints can stiffen it up . . . Inspired by Toypoloy

[@bingbongtoysKY]

🎉🎉🎉TOYS!!!!!

[@songsan807]

1 remembered having 2 different versions of this Leader-One back in the 80s. One is like that more plasticky and the other had a die cast all over. Thing I didn't like about leader one is after a while the wings and the nose get very loose. All the gobot toys not really much to transform and the cartoons didn't caught interest with the viewers like Transformers did. My favorite toy was the big combining robot suits. Didn't have much money back then so was able to only brought one of the leg suits. About 6 years ago at a garage sale got all 5 pieces for $10.

[@KNIGHTOFELEMIA-i7i]

The poorman's Transformer the cartoon was corny but I love it. I wish Hasbro would do something with the Go Bots.

[@anthonybird546]

I always thought people's weirdness about Go-Bots is so goofy. Bandai had an amazing series of bots under the Machine Robo line. I think Bandai did much better combiners than Takara does, thanks to Bandai's experience with Chogokin/Godaikin (in fact, some Godaikin figures are actually Machine Robo figures. They would have been the "killer app" if they were released as Go-Bots)

[@kingdave31]

I had way more Go-Bots than Transformers because of the price. And honestly, the Go-Bots were better toys than the Transformers mini-cons like Bumblebee, Brawn, etc.

[@aaronappleman4104]

About time

[@OldManTheseDays]

GoBots were fantastic as toys, less so in the cartoon (IMO). But I’ll tell you something I’m certain of: had we gotten Machine Robo here instead, we would have all watched Michael Bay’s Machine Robo movies, just seen Machine Robo One, etc, etc. That cartoon was awesome.

[@MichaelMercy]

😆 GoBots: Beast Wars instead of Rock Lords. The cartoon doesn't have the same gravitas but the animation and attention to detail is pretty impressive. All star voice cast too, including some Sunbow regulars.

[@OldManTheseDays]

@@MichaelMercy I’ll give the cartoon one thing: it was very consistent episode to episode. Even the transformations typically looked consistent, unlike Transformers which seemed rife with animation errors and a “what works best at the time” approach to the bots.

[@MichaelMercy]

Yup, the transformations matched the toy, and the characters looked exactly like the toys. That's one thing it had over Transformers. The continuity is pretty impressive too for the age of 65 episode runs that were stand alone stories.

[@mechamanblade8465]

I have Leader-1. He's not in a good spot since I have him forever in the clutches of my Armada Unicron.

[@robertr2849]

I had the blue Leader-1. I used him as a transformers mini bot and would pretend he was Powerglide with a new body.

[@MichaelMercy]

Superpower Glide. 😁

[@timothyhance4044]

I definitely had more Gobots as a kid and I will put GoBots over transformers any day of the week as far as toys are concerned

[@FyreCat3454]

IMO, this is better than the OG Starscream. No parts-forming.

[@Krommer1000]

I agree that the toys were fine, and even better in some instances than The Transformers, but the cartoons weren't even close. The Transformers just had the 'cool' factor, and the GoBots just felt like an also ran show. If they had managed to capture that same lighting in a bottle with their show, I believe the two brands would have been more competitive.

[@robertwong2412]

I had them as Bandai brand, they were really cheap to own that time.

[@TheCastellan]

The gobots pilot was far better than the transformers pilot. I also liked quite a bit of the gobots series, and machine robo. G1 had a fair bit of stinkers, I mostly liked season 3 of G1, and the Japanese stuff.

[@Crasher1982]

I have a silver leader one.

[@Steven-ip8xo]

Hi Micheal, even though you're Asleep Great video about Tonka GoBots 1984 Guardian Leader-1, keep them coming, Also your latest video was outstanding, Also as for your latest video I'll watch it tomorrow, Also The Heroic Guardians are my favorite GoBot Hero Team/Faction but Also my best and most favorite Unsung Hero Teams/Heroes of all time, Also my favorite Guardian is Leader-1 the Leader of the Guardians and his arch rival and enemy is Cy-Kill the Evil leader of the Evil Renegades, Also Leader-1 was my favorite transforming toy, I Also remember gobots being pretty well liked by kids back then, myself included. I still think they're a quality line, despite what people think. Alsi Thank you for putting a highlight on gobots! This is was my first toyline i collected exclusively as thet were very affordable. I absolutely loved GoBots before And Transformers were available. Thanks for not only sharing but also for the review! Micheal all I can say is: keep up the good work stay safe out there in Canada have a good night and Nerdmaste.🙂💪🟢🤩🏋️🇺🇲🦸🎉🥊🥷 5:47 am.

[@johnnyphesto1247]

Leader-1 and Megatron have the same colour scheme, and Optimus Prime and Cy-Kill have the same colours as well 🤔

[@bendj70000]

hi