Battle of the Bots: Combiners Unite! Round 721!

The 721 Combination from Microman.

This is the second in a series of reviews that I don't particularly like to do. However, like the Battle Buffalo Set reviewed previously, it's been a long time in coming.

As always, my favorite type of robot has been the combiner team, the 'gestalt' if you prefer. I have had, in my possession at various stages of my collecting, several combiner type robots from a number of series, including GodMars, Puzzler, and an odd assortment of the usual suspects from the same era. I'd even built combiners out of legos in order to swell the ranks (and provide explodable cannon-fodder for my tf troops). Alas, as time wore on, most have left this humble abode. Still, when an occasional new one comes to play, the joy returns, if only briefly. Nostalgia fuels me. As does a good toy. This set has attempted to do both.

And failed.

This toy is a nice piece; I was likely the first to remove it from the tray and transform it. The item has a nice heft to it; diecst construction, as well as the heady smell of plastic and polystyrene combine to give a nice first effect.

It doesn't hurt that this was also produced by Takara, the manufacturer of some of my favorite toys.

The 'newness' of an old toy, and the history nonwithstanding, where this item failed me is in the fiddle factor. I liked the puzzle of putting the item together by looking at the picture on the box (no instructions for me, thank you) but once that initial heady rush passed, I realised... this toy is destined for ebay.

Well, at least you can be the lucky second person to fiddle with this toy (and the fist to remove the sprues and apply stickers).

So enough words... onward with faded glory!

Takara Microman 721 Combination!


First layer:


Inside box:


Little robots first combine!


Back of team with microman jet:


Second team combine:


Ultimate Combination!


It's actually quite a fun little set. There were nuances of Reflector in handling the little bots. As I said, to keep the set as minty as possible, I didn't apply stickers or pull the accs off the sprue (unlike the Battle Buffalo Set reviewed previously(hopefully the new owner wasn't *too* mad at me having my fun). It's interesting to me that one gun on this sprue is a dead-ringer for the actionmaster Axer handgun... but enough to that. Off to ebay!

That's it for me. Hope you enjoyed this little looky-loo. Special thanks to G and M. Couldn't have done it without you!

Fred. Please insert witty line here.