The MOTU line made a habit of creating characters who were good/evil counterparts, and Roboto fits into that category pretty well. With his moving jaw and trio of interchangeable weapons that plug into his arm, I pegged him as Trap Jaw's nemesis right away, and it's always surprised me that most don't seem to see him in that light. Whoever you match him up against, Roboto is among the most visually interesting characters in the MOTU mythos, and often pops up on "top ten" lists. He was never my favorite, but his bright colors, cool clear torso, moving gears, and swappable weapons made him a constant presence in my play scenarios. He also has the distinction of having one of the very best redesigns in the 2002 iteration of MOTU. Is this newest incarnation of the classic character in the same class as what's come before? Read on...
It's clear that much of this wave's budget went toward tooling for Roboto, as he features all-new parts from the waist up. The arms have some very nice detailing, and would serve well as the arms for an Origins-style New Adventures Skeletor, if Mattel were so inclined. (Let's hope so! I'd love some NA space mutants in this line!) The head has a slightly different shape from the vintage toy, most noticeably with the jaw piece. This isn't a bad thing, as it's still clearly Roboto, and it looks quite sharp. The torso has fewer gears than the vintage toy, and while that has been the subject of much complaint, I can't say it hurts the figure's appearance at all. The legs, inherited from Trap Jaw and Man-E-Faces, have the same stubbiness that bugged me with those figures. They were smaller for a reason in the vintage line, but now the design team is simply recreating a shortcoming of the '80s toys for no good reason, and it's annoying. These legs also have the issue of being slightly turned inward, and with no thigh cut, there's no way to fix this. It's not a huge problem, and it seems that most people don't even notice it, but once you do, it's impossible to not see it.
Roboto has the sparse paint apps that are typical of this line, but what's here is applied very neatly by the standards of a mass-produced toyline. The red-on-blue combination can sometimes be problematic, but the red on the left arm is applied thickly enough that the bold blue doesn't show through. The silver on the thighs is also very neat, and the underlying red does not bleed through. Roboto has swivel & hinge shoulders, elbows, left wrist, hips, knees, and ankles. a hinged jaw, and swivels at the calves, waist, right wrist, and neck. The action feature necessitates the removal of the ball-jointed head that is present on most other figures in the line.
What's that? An action feature on a basic Origins figure? That's right! Just like the vintage figure, as you turn Roboto's waist, the gears inside his torso turn, and his jaw opens and closes. It's a neat feature that's fun to mess with, but whether or not it is worth compromising a key point of articulation is something that will vary from person to person. Roboto includes his standard trio of weapons that plug into his arm. The gun, claw, and laser axe are all molded in a bright silver, and swap out with no trouble. Unfortunately, the pegs are significantly shorter than those on Trap Jaw's attachments. You can share their attachments, but the fit isn't perfect, as seen below. The wave three minicomic is also included.
As a fixture in most iterations of MOTU, Roboto was always going to be a much-desired figure, so it's nice that Mattel did a good job with him. I'd like to see them correct the issues with these legs, but I really don't see that happening, sadly. This is Mattel we're talking about, after all. It also would have been nice to have the normal range of motion in the head, but I get why this was compromised. Neither of those issues are major ones, and they don't hold Roboto back much. This is a well-made figure, and regardless of how important the character is to you, he's a standout figure in the Origins line. With all his parts, and even an honest-to-god action feature, he's almost a deluxe figure masquerading as part of the basic line. With some of these figures coming in mighty light in terms of accessories, you could do a lot worse than prioritizing grabbing a Roboto for your collection over some of his fellow figures. That's it for today, but pop back over in three days for more! Until then, stay safe out there, and happy hunting!
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