Review – Marchon Roadbots Loadorr (1984)
We’ve seen Loadorr before. I reviewed a different version of this toy way back in 2009, but it has been so long since that last review that I thought it could be fun for another look at the Marchon Road Bots toys. Roadbots or Road Bots? These are the questions that keep me awake at night. Yeah, I’m sad.
What Are Marchon Road Bots?
This is my thirteenth March Road Bots toy which doesn’t sound so bad until you realize that there are only three different molds in the series. A fourth design was announced by Marchon back in the eighties (see the design here), but that fourth toy — Scooporr — was never released. At least, I don’t think it was ever released in stores. If Scooporr was released then I’ve never seen one. Anyone have news on the fate of Scooporr?
Anyway, the Marchon Road Bots line was released in 1984 and is a a type of cheap transforming robot toy most commonly known as a “partsformer” design. Instead of parts folding, swinging, rotating, and pivoting to reveal a robot you instead snap the dump truck apart and assemble the bits into a robot. Some fans of Transformers and transforming robot toys look down on partsformer designs, but I’m perfectly happy with this approach whenever the parts snap together well. The Road Bots may be the best of the partsformer toys I’ve ever seen; there’s a reason I have over a dozen of these little guys.
Loadorr
As I mentioned already, I reviewed Loadorr in 2009 so you really should check that review for more on the toy. This robot dump truck has a friction motor that drives the truck or robot forward, and transformation is quick and easy with everything popping apart and back together without any difficulty. That earlier review is far more critical of the toy than I am today; seven years of battlegrip.com has changed me and I now focus on playability and fun more than I do toys as collectibles. Still, it is kinda neat to read the old review again and disagree with my past self.
Road Bots Aren’t For Everyone
I’ve reviewed all three of the designs over the years — Loadorr review here, Hookorr review here, and Cementorr review here — and have even discovered that there was a carrying case (posted here), making battlegrip.com the source for Road Bots info online. I never set out to have more info on the Marchon Road Bots toys than any other site on the web, but since it’s happened I’m embracing the situation and happy to share more info as I find it.
I love this line, but in searching the web I have to think I’m the only one insane enough to collect over a dozen of the toys . . . and still willing to grab more when I find them.
