Over the years I've stated that the Roton is one of my favorite Masters of the Universe vehicles. Honestly, it probably is my favorite. It's a close tie between Roton and Land Shark. I love the crazy design and the sinister color scheme, and I've loved it since I was a kid. While the vintage Roton was released in 1984, I probably got mine later than that considering the oldest I could have been in 1984 was 1. I think most of my early MOTU collecting years were between 1986 and 1989 when the vintage line was wrapping up, on clearance, and transitioning into He-Man/ New Adventures. While I distinctly recall purchasing some items new at retail, a good number of my vehicles and playsets came from yard sales. Where'd I get my vintage Roton? Who knows? I picked up the Masters of the Universe Origins Roton recently from Walmart, however, and it comes in a big, gorgeous window box just like the vintage toy. Like the Masters of the Universe Classics Roton, this updated version of the original toy also takes some design cues from the vintage Monogram Roton model kit. Ready for an updated version of Roton, the Evil Assault Vehicle? Then join me after the break...
Length: 8 7/8ths inches
Articulation: Three rolling wheels and rotating blade.
Accessories: Two cannons, front armor, and canopy.
Non-Scalper Price: $33-$35 dollars
* On the left is the MOTU Origins Roton while the vintage Roton is on the right. Overall they're quite similar though the Origins Roton is a bit larger with shinier plastic and somewhat metallic looking red parts.
The Positives:
* To pay tribute to the Monogram model kit of the Roton, Mattel included some extra pieces you can use to customize the vehicle. First up is a canopy to provide a bit of extra protection to the pilot. This is a simple piece that snaps over the cockpit via four pegs. I like it though I'm sure most folks prefer the straight up vintage look.
* Next up is the larger, red front face from the Monogram model kit. This snaps over the standard face using two pegs and gives you another way to set multiple Rotons apart if you're planning to display a few at once. I'm not a huge fan of this face but I'm always excited to get more options and it is a cool throwback to a more obscure MOTU toy.
* I love the look of the Roton. That black and red just go so well together and here the black plastic body is extremely shiny while the red plastic blade and cannons are cast in a red plastic that has somewhat of a metallic sheen to it. It looks really impressive!
* Roton has large eyes on the front that give it a creepy, almost sentient appearance. Is the Roton a blending of technology with some organic creature? I think it's intended to be just a technological terror but the eyes and the green reptilian "skin" on the stickers always made me wonder as a kid.
* The stickers come pre-applied and I didn't have any problems with mine. They all look great and are quite faithful to the vintage stickers. Lots of cables, wires, dials, and a weird green pattern that makes me think of reptile skin, as I mentioned above.
* The cannons on the Roton can swivel and you've got two of them. They're sturdy but can pop in and out easily.
* Flip the Roton over and you can see the base. It has three functioning wheels, sculpted jets (since the Roton is oven depicted as flying), and the giant blade circling the machine. Roll the wheels forwards or backwards and the blades spin with a nasty "clicking" sound. It works really well and is as good, perhaps even better, than I remember. This one really impresses me.
* The cockpit is just a big open seat and most Origin figures can pop right in to this devastating Eternian lawnmower of terror. You know, what if this really is just an Eternian lawnmower that Skeletor has redecorated and augmented with some laser cannons and such. Would that really surprise anyone? He'd do something that ridiculous, right?
If the Roton is your ride of choice also check out my reviews of the Mega Construx Battle Cat vs Roton set, the Eternia Minis Skeletor and Roton set, and the series 3 M.U.S.C.L.E. standard Roton, purple Roton, and orange Roton!
For more Masters of the Universe Origins reviews check out the following:
For more Masters of the Universe Origins reviews check out the following:
Funky looking vehicle. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I love it. It's just so crazy. I'm not sure if it'd be ultra useful or if it's wildly impractical but I still love it.
DeleteIf you were planning to use it for Classics and Masterverse then, yeah, it's way too small. That MOTUC Roton sure did shoot up, didn't it? I remember when they were being clearanced out by Mattycollector and BBTS while Classics was transitioning to Super7. As an Origins/ vintage Roton, it's excellent however and as fun as it ever was. Just a simple upgrade of the vintage toy.
ReplyDeleteWould you still be able to put a MOTUC or Masterverse figure in it, at least? It's bigger than the original, after all, and I know you can squeeze the 7" figures into the Origins Land Shark.
DeleteThat's going to be a tough fit. The Roton cockpit is much smaller and there's just not the leg room for the Masterverse figures.
Delete