Phil's Technobot Reviews

[Philip Ayres]

I'd never owned a complete set of TECHNOBOTS till a week or so ago....

[Philip Ayres]

Afterburner

The Technobots are, like many of the 1987 Autobots, futuristic vehicles. Afterburner is a futuristic motorcycle, a mode which has always reminded me of the Tron Light Cycle. Mainly orange,with a painted white window over the passenger compartment the toy features a grey & white structure holding the 2 wheels in place. A close look reveals two small grey stabiliser wheels concealed in the bodywork. The vehicle mode comes armed: with the front towards you he has his Incendiary Missile Launcher on the left side and his Plasma Pulse Cannon on the right. Both are removable and are mounted on 5mm pegs so Computron can use them as hand weapons.

Transformation: remove the weapons. fold the passenger compartment forward 180 degrees. Fold the rear of the passenger compartment under the toy to form a heel spur and stand. Fold the back wheel down behind his head. Swing the sides of the bike round to form the arms and peg his Sonic Blaster Pistol into the side of his hand.

Afterburner's robot mode is mainly orange with a brown body, painted silver on the sides of the chest. The only white on the robot is in the middle of the waist. His shoulders turn and he can also bend forward. He can't use the Plasma Pulse Cannon in this mode because the 5mm peg holes don't allow enough clearance form the floor for it to be mounted, but the Incendiary Missile Launcher will peg into his right ankle.

Afterburner's robot mode forms the basis for both limb modes. Remove the gun and fold the arms to the sides to start

Arm mode: Fold the head forward to form the Scramble City connector. Plug a fist into the robot's feet.

Leg mode: Plug a foot into the hole in the robot's feet.

The instructions show Afterburner serving as Computron's right arm. When in arm mode Afterburner can mount both of his vehicle mode weapons as extra firepower for Computron. I put the Plasma Pulse Cannon on the top of the arm with the Incendiary Missile Launcher underneath.

Two decent modes, lots of weapons and a transformation that's different from the other Scramble City limbs. Fab.

Afterburner was released in the west in 1987 at Technobot TK-01 and also in the Computron giftset. In Japan he was Transformers toy C-90 also available in the C-91 Computicon giftset.

[Philip Ayres]

Nosecone

Nosecone has that favourite vehicle mode of Japanese Toy designers, a Drill Tank! When did the Japanese get so obsessed with Drill Tanks? When they saw The Mole in Thunderbirds? Or before that? He's got a mainly brown body, with a single white and sadly non turning drill at the front. The cockpit is painted in red and there's some yellow towards the back. The drill tank has two configurations: one where the drill lies close to the floor and another, when the tracks are pulled down & back, which elevates the tank body up somewhat. This is it's usual mode: two 5mm peg holes are exposed here on the sides which allows his two rocket propelled missiles to be pegged onto each side above the tracks. Each track contains a pair of small wheels allowing the toy to move. The drill tank can be pivoted forward on it's tracks so the nose points towards the ground.

Transformation: Remove the missiles. Push the tracks forward and up. Fold the rear of the tank back 180 degrees to form the robot's legs. Fold the nosecone back. Stand on the rear of the tank with the underside facing forward. Peg his gun into the 2mm peg hole on the side of his hand.

Lots of brown again in robot mode with the yellow from the back of the tank ending up on the front of the legs. Yellow is also used for the chest centre and head with the rest of the torso being moulded in white plastic. His arms move and his knees bend together as part of the transformation: that's it for articulation. Sadly there's no way he can use his missiles in this mode.

Nosecone's robot mode is the basis for both his limb mode. Start each of them by folding the lower legs back 180 degrees, folding the arms to the side and re-attaching the missiles.

Leg Mode: Plug a foot into one of the holes at the bottom of the toy.

Arm Mode: Fold the head forward to form the Scramble City connector. Fold the drill back into place. Plug a hand into the hole on the bottom of the toy.

Nosecone usually serves as Computron 's left leg. Nosecone is capable of becoming a longer limb if you leave the robot legs folded out: there are 5mm peg holes at either end of the leg. I prefer the more compact version.

TFWiki's Nosecone entry jokes that "According to Blaster, Nosecone won the Sportsmechanoid of the Millennium thanks to his Mecha-soccer skills." This is a joke at the expense of a Brave Police Toy, Drillboy, who looks very similar to Nosecone and comes with a football. Drillboy is the fourth construction toy in the Brave Police line and allows Build Tiger, formed from McCrane, Power Joe & Dumpson, to power up to form Super Build Tiger. I want a Super Build Tiger, my KO fell to bits!

My Mum bought me a Nosecone back from a Jumble sale many years ago and I loved it. For several years it was my only Technobot - I later owned Strafe but sold both when I purged the original collection in late 1995. Now I have one again and, as much as I love the Seacons, think he might be my favourite Special Team/Scramble City limb toy. There's some fun to be had here.

Nosecone was sold in the UK & USA in 1987 where he was Technobot TK-02, and was also available in the Computron giftset. He was Japanese Transformer C-87 and also part of the C-91 Computicon giftset. Both Japanese toys were sold into 1988.

[Philip Ayres]

Strafe

Strafe is a futuristic looking jet described as a rocket plane. Mainly red & white in colour he features wings that swing up & down where they meet the body. Four small wheels under the body allow the toy to roll along. At the front of the body are two notched 5mm peg holes which allow his twin automatic light -pulse blasters to be attached giving his vehicle mode two large spikes sticking out the front giving him a profile similar to Targetmaster Slugslinger.

Transformation: Pull the rear of the jet including the wings back. Rotate the front section of the middle of the jet back 180 degrees to reveal the robot's head. Stand. Pose the wings to your taste.

Strafe's robot mode is basically his jet mode, but stood on it's end with a head folded out. However there's some fun to be had here. The turning shoulders are the only articulation but that allows the arms to tip forward and turning the hands into the shoulders and the automatic light-pulse blasters into the arms. The light-pulse blasters come off and have a small peg that allows them to be used as hand weapons or he can hold his heat ray rifle. The exposed holes on the shoulders, when the blasters are removed, can be used to mount any 5mm peg weapon.

Like the rest of the small Technobots Strafe can form a limb for Computron. Strafe's construction is unique amongst the Scramble City/Special Team combiner limbs: he lacks a fold out peg. The connection for both modes is done through the head with the body's articulation moving it round. Start from jet mode for each limb configuration, but fold the robot head out so it points out the front.

Arm mode: Fold the head down so it points out under the jet. Peg a fist into the rear of the jet.

mode: Fold the wings down and peg a foot into the rear of the jet.

Both modes allow you to keep the light-pulse blasters attached. The instructions show Strafe as Computron's left arm where the light-pulse blasters look good sticking out the top of the shoulder.

Simple transformation but the light-pulse blasters that can be used in each mode and the innovation on the Scramble City connection make this toy.

Strafe was sold in the US & UK in 1987 as Technobot TK-03 and was also part of the Computron Giftset. In Japan he was numbered C-88 and was also part of the C-91 Computicon giftset.

Like the rest of the Technobots Strafe has never been reissued but the character has returned as a Generation 2 Cyberjet, a repaint of Spacecase (thought there is some evidence that the names for both series of Cyberjets were swapped - the Decepticons feature lots of Autobot red) and also as Getei Strafe, a repaint of Universe/Henkei Cyclonus which was exclusive to members of the Transformers Basecamp web site in Japan, which is itself exclusive to those who own a Transformers-themed Visa credit card. According to TF Wiki apparently "Gentei" is Japanese for "exclusive", and a pun on the normal "Henkei!" line name.

[Philip Ayres]

Lightspeed

To my mind Lightspeed's vehicle mode is the least interesting of the Technobots: he's a futuristic looking red car, with a rounded white windscreen and lower sides. There's a spoiler at the rear and to either side of it are 5mm holes for mounting his Infra-Red Missile Launchers.

Transform: Fold the rear of the car back under the car. Pull the front of the car - from behind the front wheels and forward - out to reveal the legs. Fold the front of this section further forward and fold up to become the robot's feet. Fold the sides of the rear of the car forward to become the arms. Peg the Light-Burst Gun into his hand and if you want remove the missiles, leave them as they are or remove them and re-attach them pointing forward under the arms.

The robot mode is a bit boring: the top of the car, stood on it's front with a head sticking out the rear. Sorry, can't enthuse here.

Lightspeed also forms a limb for Computron.

Arm mode: Use the car mode, but pull the front of the car - from in front of the front wheel - forward and up to reveal the peg hole. Peg the fist in. Fold the Scramble City connector out from under the car.

Leg mode: Use the robot mode, retract the legs and swing the arms to the sides of the body. Fold the feet backwards. Peg a foot into the bottom of the toy so that the Computron foot is facing out of the same side as the front of the robot.

The instructions show Lightspeed serving as Computron's right leg.

Sorry, Lightspeed is the one big failure in the Technobots in my opinion.

Lightspeed was sold in the USA & UK in 1987 at Technobot TK-04 and as part of the Computron giftset. In Japan he was Transformers toy C-89 and was sold as part of the Computicon giftset.

[Philip Ayres]

Scattershot

I've been a Doctor Who fan since I was 5ish, a Star Wars & Blake's 7 fan since 7 and a Star Fleet fan since I was 9. So I like my Spaceships. But do I like Scattershot's spaceship mode? We've a white cannon at the front, mounted on a cherry red cockpit which is in turn on a white a brown body that expands up, down & to the sides as it stretched to the rear where there are a cherry red wing on either side. There's loads of detail moulded into the odd block shape including a pair of grey gun barrels just as the body starts to rise behind the cockpit, large moulded engines in the rear of the toy and a brown rotating cannon on top of the rear of the toy. The toy has an action feature: press down on the grey roof of the cockpit and the cannon splits in two down the middle, folding out to the sides allowing the middle of it to extend and exposing the silver grey end. A fold down landing gear can be found under the cockpit.

Scattershot has a documented Attack jet mode: Take Computron's chest shield (supplied with Scattershot along with the head, hands and feet of the larger robot) and position it with the two points at the top facing forward. Slide Scattershot into it, providing the spaceship mode with a more secure & stable base.

Scattershot also has an undocumented tank/ground vehicle mode: Fold the landing gear down, then fold the wings down to the side so that the small wheels in the tips of the wings touch the floor. These wheels are not mentioned in any of the instructions, so this is a nice little bonus using them.

Scattershot also has a defined base mode: Fold the sides of the jet down 45 degrees and stand. Slide the points of Computron's chest shield over the sides of the cannon and open the cannon up. Lovely chunky ground based cannon.

Now Scattershot is based round the cannon, and it is obviously a cannon. But it does occasionally put me in mind of Perceptor and his Microscope. The advanced Technobot theme vaguely fits with Perceptor's Autobot scientist role and you could see Scattershot as a space telescope. So if Scattershot is Perceptor who are the rest of the Technobots? Well Perceptor came out in 1985 and there's a drill tank in 1985 so Nosecone becomes Twin Twist (Twin Missiles + Drill), and where you have Twin Twist you also get Top Spin who is a good fit for Strafe in terms of the vehicle mode. Two toys left, and there is another paiting of Autobots in 1985: The Deluxe Autobots. Roadbuster, the jeep serving as the ground assault commander is a good match for the heavily armed Afterburner leaving Whirl to become Lightspeed, which I will freely admit is where the analogy breaks down. Totally.

Transformation: Remove the Computron chest shield, if present, and fold the cannon down 90 degrees. Swing the sides of the ship forward 180 degrees. Rotate the rear of the ship so that the top cannon & grey dual cannons are on your right so it becomes the robot's body. Fold the cannon upon to the robot's back. Fold the top an bottom of the rear of the ship out to become the arms. Fold the chest plate down and raise the head. Fold the wings back. Peg another cannon into his right shoulder (on your left) and place the gun in his hand.

Scattershot's robot mode is big and chunky: it feels a bigger and more solid robot than the previous Special Team leaders. The robot mode repositions all the colours: the brown ends up on the shoulders, upper arms and lower legs as well as the additional automatic acid-pellet gun. The white forms the body, head and upper legs. The cherry is confined to the waist, chest shield and lower arms as well as some vehicle mode kibble attached to the back and legs. The face & visor and painted light blue which makes them hard to tell apart: I'd have painted one of them silver, probably the face. Articulation: the cannons on the shoulders stiffly turn but the shoulders themselves are much looser. Each arm bends in twice at the elbows allowing them to be folded across the chest. If you fold back the cannon the waist will turn. The legs turn at the hips and bend at the knees. I think this makes him the most articulated of the Scramble City Special team leaders.

Scattershot forms the central body of the Technobots combined form Computron. Take Scattershot's robot mode, remove the gun and shoulder cannons, fold the arms down to the side and then in so they're along the sides of the body. Bend the lower legs back at the knees. Slide the larger chest plate round the sides of the smaller one attached to the robot. Slide the Computron combined robot head like a helmet over Scattershot's head.

The four smaller Technobots then attach to Scattershot to form Computron. It's important to note that even though Computron's western boxset pictures the combined robot holding two guns, only one is supplied in both the boxset and the individual Scattershot.

Overall: Top, top toy. I liked it when I saw it in 1987 and couldn't afford to buy one. I love it in 2010 now I own one. Best Special Team/Scramble City leader.

Scattershot was sold in the US & UK in 1987 as boxed Technobot TK-05 and, as we've already said, was part of a Computron giftset. He was first sold in Japan in the same year as Transformers toy C-86 Scattershot and also as part of the C-91 Computicon giftset. I have a 1988 Masterforce leaflet showing the toy for sale the next year as well.

Scattershot has returned once, as a Legends sized toy which is a slight repaint of the very similar Legends of Cybertron Vector Prime, in the Universe Legends Special Team leaders box, while a similar name has been used several times for other toys which aren't the same character: Cybertron Scattorshot, Cybertron Defence Scattorshot and Movie Scattorshot.

[Philip Ayres]

Note to self: Be very careful when typing Scattershot. Make especially sure it is the O you hit towards the end.....

[Philip Ayres]

Computron

Computron is the combined form of the Technobots composed of the following toys:

TK-01 Afterburner
TK-02 Nosecone
TK-03 Strafe
TK-04 Lightspeed
TK-05 Scattershot

Afterburner

Afterburner's robot mode forms the basis for both limb modes. Remove the gun and fold the arms to the sides to start

Arm Mode: Fold the head forward to form the Scramble City connector. Plug a fist into the robot's feet.

Leg Mode: Plug a foot into the hole in the robot's feet.

The instructions show Afterburner serving as Computron's right arm. When in arm mode Afterburner can mount both of his vehicle mode weapons as extra firepower for Computron. I put the Plasma Pulse Cannon on the top of the arm with the Incendiary Missile Launcher underneath.

Nosecone

Nosecone's robot mode is the basis for both his limb mode. Start each of them by folding the lower legs back 180 degrees, folding the arms to the side and re-attaching the missiles.

Leg Mode: Plug a foot into one of the holes at the bottom of the toy.

Arm Mode: Fold the head forward to form the Scramble City connector. Fold the drill back into place. Plug a hand into the hole on the bottom of the toy.

Nosecone usually serves as Computron 's left leg. Nosecone is capable of becoming a longer limb if you leave the robot legs folded out: there are 5mm peg holes at either end of the leg. I prefer the more compact version.

Strafe

Strafe's construction is unique amongst the Scramble City/Special Team combiner limbs: he lacks a fold out peg. The connection for both modes is done through the head with the body's articulation moving it round. Start from jet mode for each limb configuration, but fold the robot head out so it points out the front.

Arm Mode: Fold the head down so it points out under the jet. Peg a fist into the rear of the jet.

Leg Mode: Fold the wings down and peg a foot into the rear of the jet.

Both modes allow you to keep the light-pulse blasters attached. The instructions show Strafe as Computron's left arm where the light-pulse blasters look good sticking out the top of the shoulder.

Lightspeed

Arm Mode: Use the car mode, but pull the front of the car - from in front of the front wheel - forward and up to reveal the peg hole. Peg the fist in. Fold the Scramble City connector out from under the car.

Leg Mode: Use the robot mode, retract the legs and swing the arms to the sides of the body. Fold the feet backwards. Peg a foot into the bottom of the toy so that the Computron foot is facing out of the same side as the front of the robot.

The instructions show Lightspeed serving as Computron's right leg.

Scattershot

Scattershot forms the central body of the Technobots combined form Computron. Take Scattershot's robot mode, remove the gun and shoulder cannons, fold the arms down to the side and then in so they're along the sides of the body. Bend the lower legs back at the knees. Slide the larger chest plate round the sides of the smaller one attached to the robot. Slide the Computron combined robot head like a helmet over Scattershot's head.

The four smaller Technobots then attach to Scattershot to form Computron, with one of the arms holding Scattershot's gun. It's important to note that even though Computron's western boxset pictures the combined robot holding two guns, only one is supplied in both the boxset and the individual Scattershot.

Similar colours used throughout the toy give Computron a cohesive feel, while the advanced limb vehicles make decent arms and legs that don't look for the most part like there's obviously bits of vehicle hanging off. All the limbs can incorporate their vehicle weapons in this combined mode, with Strafe looking especially good with his attached. The vehicle weapons for the other three toys all have 5mm pegs (Strafe's does to, but his have an extra notch) so Computron can use these as hand weapons. My only complaint is I'm not sure that the red face on the brown head quite works white or silver would separate the two more. Articulation is limited as is usual for these combined robots: The shoulders and hips turn and that's it.

Computron works for me. Love it.

Computron was sold in the US or the UK in 1987 either as the individual toys listed above or in a box set.

The Japanese Takara version of Computron was called Computicon. He was made up of the following Japanese Transformer toys:

C-86 Scattershot
C-87 Nosecone
C-88 Strafe
C-89 Lightspeed
C-90 Afterburner

Computicon was also sold as a giftset numbered C-91. These toys were first sold in 1987. I have a Masterforce leaflet showing them to still be available into 1988.

Computron's Japanese name is Computicon. It's odd seeing the -con suffix, usually associated with the Evil Decepticons, on a heroic toy. In Japan the factions have different names: The Heroic Cybertrons and Evil Destrons. The -tron suffix there is generally associated with the Destrons (Megatron, Galvatron) so the name for Computron changes.

Computron has never been re-released or repainted in either Japan, the US or the UK. However at one point he was rumoured as a repainted boxset for the Beast Machines toyline to supplement the Vehicon forces.

[grahamthomson]

Just been catching up on your reviews, Phil!

I would love for Computron to be reissued! Abominus, not so much... but I'd probably still get one!

I had Strafe as a kid, and loved the little fella. He was an honourary Aerialbot as he was the only Technobot.

[Philip Ayres]

Computron is really good, it's just a degree better than the others.