Magne Power Robotman Series

Takara released Robotman Dean, Endeavor and New Giant Acroyear as the last three toys of the Magne Power line. All three were the largest of all the robots in the 1999 line-up. By this time the Magne line began to suffer from declining sales due to poor response to both the manga series and the big budget TV anime series. Many of the old Microman fans were also disenchanted with the new line of toys which many complained were nothing like the Microman of old. Takara at this point was contemplating ending the line. The anime had already been cancelled along with the manga.

Despite the declining sale Takara went ahead and released the Fall 1999 line up which turned out to be some of the best toys in the Magne line. Takara, had already curtailed production of Super Microman and Magne Arden, which turned out to be selling well and led to shortage of these figures in the initial shipment. With this renewed hope for the line, Takara decided to extend the line into 2000 but this time without the anime.

Robotman Dean, Endeavor and Giant Acroyear, were based on the original series idea. Both Robotman Dean and Endeavor stood about 10" tall and had cockpits for the 10cm Microman figures, much like Robotman from the old line. Robotman Dean head also resemble the look of Robotman 2. While the three new Robotmen had similarities to the original Robotman, Robotman 2, and Giant Acroyear, they introduced quite a few new features. The three Robotmen were designed to be compatible with magnemo-11 and both Dean and Endeavor also were designed as combiner type robots. While these features gave the toys more playability, they also made the robots quite un-stable due to the magnets lacking enough strength to support the weight, and some parts would subsequently fall off. Despite the magnemo-11 problems that seemed to plaque the new line, Robotman Dean and Endeavor were very nice looking robot toys if a bit too busy looking.

Transforming Robotmen

Robotman Endeavor and Dean can be broken apart to form several vehicles and weapon platforms for Microman figures. The main body for example, could form a sub, while the legs form a tractor and a tank and the arms turned into a crane or turret.

Beside these combiner/transformer features, Robotman Dean can be interchange with Robotman Endeavor to form Super Robotman. (Takara released them together as Toys R Us Exclusive Super Robotman Set which was basically repaint versions of Dean and Endeavor sold together)

Unlike the old Robotman which used the concept of interchangeable, Dean and Endeavor was more like the New Microman toys with self-transformation and combiner features.

Robotman Dean for example can be disassembled into five vehicles for each of the five Magne Microman. Deans arms became gun turrets while the legs form a pair of bikes. The main body became a jet for Magne Arthur.

053 Robotman Dean (c.1999)

054 Robotman Endeavor (c.1999)

055 Giant Acroyear (c.1999)

In September of 1999, Takara released the last trio of the Magne Power Microman toys. The last three toys were all large size robots including the two new Robotman robots (053 Dean and 054 Endeavor) and new Acroyer robot called Giant Acroyer (055) as a homage to the old Giant Acroyear from 1970's Microman series. The new Giant Acroyer however had very little in common with the original version. 055 Giant Acroyer, like the two Robotman D & E, was also based on the magnetic "Magnemo" mechanism. The joints were made from metal balls and sockets. Giant Acroyer was the largest Acroyer toys released for the Magne line and stood nearly 10" in height when in combine mode. While the overall design of Giant Acroyer was quite attractive with bright colors and several chrome and clear parts not to mention many references to the old Giant Acroyear design. The problems however was the excessive parts and accessories which made the already cumbersome toy even more busy looking. Another problem with the toy was the magnetic joints and the added weight that came with the feature. The magnet was just simply too weak to hold up the heavy parts and the figure suffer a major stability problem. It seem toward the end of the Magne line Takara was throwing everything at the series to see what would work and the Giant Acroyer design (along with Dean and Endeavor) seem to reflex the series direction or lack there of. The figure was one jumble of parts and gimmicks. Sometime, more is not more and Giant Acroyer is the case in point. Not to sound negative as the toy do have many good point such as cool pilot seat for Arden figure and the ability to break apart into three separate smaller figures. These three small figures (Acro-Alpha, Acro-Beta and Acro-Gamma) in many ways were better toys than the sum of their parts that made Giant Acroyer.

ACRO-ALPHA

Acro-Alpha was humanoid shape robot made from the head and chest section of Giant Acroyer. The robot clearly had the insect look and remind me a lot of the Insecticon robots from Diaclone (and Transformers) Alpha body connection were all made from Magnemo joints and he made a very cool small insectoid "Magnemo" style figure.

ACRO-BETA

Acro-Beta was the second figure that form Giant Acroyer. Beta looked a lot like the old Micro Robot-1 from 1970's series completed with (fake) tank tread feet, drill and claw arm. The head was also clearly a homage to the Micro Robot. Beta mainly came from one of the shoulder of Giant Acroyer with the rest of his body parts came from the various mechanical arms that attach to the shoulder wheel.

ACRO-GAMMA

Acro-Gamma was the last of the robots that made up Giant Acroyer. Gamma was the largest of the three with the main parts came from the pelvic and the leg sections. Gamma was quad-pedal design with the shoulder wheel disc as body and the cockpit section became the robot head. Gamma had no real arms but instead the two missiles launchers form the "arms" for the robot. Beside forming the Giant Acroyer, the three robots can combine with one another to form almost limitless combination (especially when combine with other magnemo toys from the series such as Robotman A, B, C and the Acro-Monster). The back of the box showed several combinations that can be made and this feature of the toy really made this Giant Acroyer worth picking up as its really took the line back to its original root of interchangeability.