MICRO MANIA

Are you up for the #BotBotsChallenge? You better be, because Hasbro is rolling out an army of the new toys, all tied up with a nice big bow of Transformers brand recognition. Transformers BotBots are Hasbro’s answer to the mini collectible craze that dates back to M.U.S.C.L.E. mania in the 80s. Shopkins, Grossery Gang, Tsum Tsum… they all have one thing in common: micro toys that are affordable and addictive to collect. It also helps that you have a theme that sells. Shopkins, for example, have their target locked on little girls with cutesy colorful fruits and blingy glamour. Grossery Gang are all about the icky stuff little boys like, you know, things like slime, monsters and bugs.

Hasbro’s Transformers BotBots have them all beat with broad cross-gender appeal. With BotBots there are numerous themes to collect, known in the BotBots universe as “tribes,” where each figure converts into an everyday item that everyone can relate to. 

To help us better understand these mischievous, unpredictable shape-shifting Transformers, Hasbro sent along a HUGE welcome package loaded with a sampling of the entire Transformers BotBots assortment now hitting retail. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at the many tribes…

IN MY TRIBE

SUGAR SHOCKS – Here’s a good example of that  cross appeal I was talking about. Who doesn’t like sweets?  What I like most about this tribe is that it’s easy to recognize what dessert each BotBot is suppose to be. Sprinkleberry D’uhnut looks like a frosted doughnut. Remorsel looks like a candybar. Heck, even most of their names imply what they are (Lolly Licks, Cocoa Crazy, Sippy Slurps, Waddlepop, and Unilla Icequeencone). There was one that took me awhile to figure out: The Plop Father (cannoli!). NRJeez doesn’t really fit the sweet tooth theme. I assume he is some kind of soda (which IS sweet, but not very dessert like)? There are NINE (9) yummy looking Sugar Shock BotBots to collect.

GREASER GANG – Snack food is the name of the game here, another theme most people can agree on liking. Duderoni (slice of pepperoni pizza), Hawt Diggity (a hot dog with mustard), Fottle Barts (not sure about that name, but it’s a ketchup bottle), and Spud Muffin (french fries) are my favorite of the bunch. Like the Sugar Shocks, these look just like their corresponding food item. Twerple Burple is a cup of soda, I guess to wash down the rest of the Greaser Gang (gasp, Transformers cannibalism!). Others aren’t so clear, such as S’Up Sawg (I finally figured it out as a corndog on a stick), Shredder Jack (Nachos?) and Angry Cheese (a grilled cheese, but it looks to me like a slice of bread). There are EIGHT (8) Greaser Gang BotBots to collect. 

TOLIET TROOP – Ah, potty humor finally rears its ugly head, albeit in a more literal sense. This tribe is (mostly) about actual bathroom items – there’s really nothing gross about them. King Toots (toilet paper roll) is sure to be the hot figure in this tribe because it’s just so dang funny. The rest are… strange. Sgt. Scrubadub (soap), Nobeeoh (underarm deodorant), and Sudsbeard (hand soap dispenser) fit the bathroom theme, but it took me awhile to recognize what items they were supposed to be. Poosham (butt wipes??) and Frohawk (hairspray??) really have me scratching my head. The oddest character is Stinkosaurus Rex which I *guess* is a compost box?? If he is, the character certainly doesn’t fit with the rest, which are clearly bathroom items. There are SEVEN (7) Toliet Troops to collect.

TECHIE TEAM – Everyone has a computer and cellphone these days, so this tribe is sure to be popular with boys and girls alike. My faves (meaning those that really stand out as the items they’re supposed to be) include Goob Tube (an old rabbit ear TV set, no flat screen HD 4K here!), Chilla Gorilla (headphones, love the name), Skillz Punk (game cartridge, Transformers no less!), Screen Fiend (smart phone), and S.A. Cheez (camera). Raddhaxx, a laptop computer, looks great in robot mode, but looks like a boring black block in item mode. I’m not sure what Fomo and Dr. Moggly are suppose to be. Polaroid and file cabinet? No idea. There are EIGHT Techie Team BotBots to collect.

JOCK SQUAD – I’m not a hug sports fan, so this tribe didn’t do much for me. That’s not to say it won’t be popular with those that are! The BotBots that take on the form of actual sports gear, such as Laceface (football), Kidd Klobber (boxing glove), Batsby (baseball bat), Pucksie (a hockey puck), and Fitness Monster (Fitbit watch), are the best in this bunch. Arctic Guzzlerush the water bottle (or is it Gatorade?) is an odd addition, as I would have rather seen more gear, such as a baseball (to go with Batsby) or a  hockey stick (to go with Pucksie). There are SIX (6) Jock Squad BoyBots to collect.

BACKPACK BUNCH – This tribe is for the back-to-school crowd. Point Dexter (a pencil) and Snippy Snappy (scissors) are my absolute favorites here as they really nail the item look. The rest, for me, are just kinda there. these include Professor Wellread (a book), Totes Magotes (backpack or messenger bag), Cranks (old school wall mounted pencil sharpener, they still use these?), Sticky McGee (tape dispenser), and Slappyhappy (ruler and/or eraser). I’m still trying to figure out what Ms. Take is. There are EIGHT (8) Backpack Bunch BotBots to collect.

SHED HEADS – This is the strangest tribe of them all. Half are great and live up to the “Shed Head” moniker: Cuddletooth (groovy, chainsaw!), Major Lee Screwge (drill, baby, drill!) and Nail Byter (hammer time!). Grit Sandwood (electric sander) is the exception as he just looks like a green block in item mode. The rest of the Shed Heads, while unique, are just downright weird. We’re talking plants and a rock here gang. These strike me more as Pokemon creatures than Transformers (to be fair, animals DO exist in the Transformers universe. Beast Wars anyone?). These oddballs include Rootwing (a tree), Fun Gus (mushroom, I give ’em credit for the catchy name), Slobber Rock (a rock), and Venus Frogtrap (a Venus Flytrap). Venus Frogtrap is the worst offender of the bunch as the character doesn’t even transform. You simply pull out four “legs” from his potted base and that’s it. Sorry Hasbro, that’s doesn’t make it a robot. Heck, none of the plants are robots…they’re, er, plants. Stick to cool tools, like a nail, saw, lawn mower, heck, you can even do a weed whacker. There are EIGHT (8) Shed Heads to collect.

LOST BOTS – This tribe is strange too, but only in the fact that all the items SHOULD belong in another tribe. I’m not sure why they are on their own here. Have these BotBots been exiled by the other tribes? Have they gone rogue? I will say that aside from Stinkeye Stapleton (stapler, should be a Backpack Bunch) and Game Over (game controller, Techie Team) which can easily be found in open packs, the rest of these characters are rare and were mostly found in the blind solo packs (more on packs below). These include Frostferatu (cupcake, Sugar Shocks), Dimlit (flashlight, Shed Head), Burgertron (cheeseburger, Greaser Gang), Bonz-Eye (another Shed Head plant), and Clogstopper (plunger, Toilet Troop). So the Lost Bots are rare chase figures? There are SEVEN (7) Lost Bots to collect.

FORM OF…

Each BotBot stands a micro 1 – 1.5 inches tall and usually includes about five points of conversion (head, arms and legs). Some are slightly more complex, featuring flaps that open up to reveal their face and form wings. For such a small collectible, it’s quite amazing the transforming ability Hasbro packed into each figure.

Some items convert to robot mode quite ingeniously. Clogstopper the plunger, Spud Muffin the french fries and Pucksie the hockey puck come to mind. Others require a little thought (or the handy checklist picture) to figure out. Occasionally I had problems pulling out a BotBots’ arms and legs, the limbs being quite flush to the body. Hasbro provides a small notch for you to pull the limbs out, but that’s easier said than done with my large adult fingers. Still, it’s totally understandable for their small size.

In addition, each BotBot – whether or not you like the item they turn into – packs LOADS of personality in robot mode. Some BotBots are more serious robot expressions (or totally expressionless in the case of Goob Tube the televison set), while others sport a mischievous smirk or emote pure happiness. Their faces go a long way in making each character fun and unique.

COLLECT THEM ALL!

Hasbro’s Transformers BotBots are being sold as blind solo packs (Approx. Retail Price $2.99), collectible 5-Packs where you can see four of the figures and one is a mystery (SRP $9.99), as well as larger 8-Packs with seven characters visible, one a surprise (SRP $14.99).  The 5- and 8-Packs are themed by tribe, I’m assuming the mystery figure being the tribe advertised as the rest of the pack are random.

For the money, the 8-Pack is the way to go, however, the solo packs proved to be the big winners as they produced A LOT of BotBot characters not found in the visible open packs. Burgertron the cheeseburger, for example, was ONLY found in the blind solo packs. It’s a smart move on Hasbro, providing a strong incentive for collectors to pick up the solo packs, as well as the larger ones.

ACCEPT THE #BOTBOTSCHALLENGE

So what exactly is the #BotBotsChallenge? I took it as collecting them all, which I was able to do thanks to the massive sampling of BotBots Hasbro provided me. But the REAL challenge is a social media promotion Hasbro came up with for the press. I’m sharing it because I feel this is something EVERYONE collecting BotBots can participate in:

When you’ve got a team, pose them together in a space where they can best hide and carry out their sneaky, silly, totally un-planned plans! For example, place the Shed Heads in a garage, or the Greaser Gang in a kitchen.

Once the tribe you selected has been posed, post a picture of the scene you created with #BotBotsChallenge. Ask viewers to see if they can spot the bots.

 MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Transformers BotBots are tons of fun for boys and girls… kids and adult collectors. These might have been created as collect-them-all micro toys that young kids crave, but my adult experience with the little guys left me hooked. Mystery toys are always fun to collect (and trade when you get those dreaded duplicates). Add on the mass appeal of Hasbro’s Transformers license (and the fact that these toys transform!) and you have yourself a winner. 

Transformers BotBots are in stores NOW! BotBots, roll out…

Scroll on for more photos!

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Samples Courtesy of Hasbro

[See image gallery at www.figures.com]

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