Rock 'Em Sock 'Em ROBOTS Game
by Mattel
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Our Price: $18.75
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Category: Toy
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: MattelBrand: Mattel
Model: 68896
Product features:
- The classic game from 1966 in which the battling robots try to knock each other's blocks off
- Red Rocker and Blue Bomber battle it out in the arena, with realistic sounds and jaw-jolting action
- When a robot lands that blockbuster punch to his opponent's jaw, the victorious robot's head pops up with that Rock 'Em Sock 'Em gotcha sound
- Complete with robots and stadium
- A classic game fun for all
Toys and Games Reviews of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em ROBOTS Game
Customer Review: Like the old days
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I bought this, I was hesitant because of the mixed reviews. There were complaints that the product was not well made and was much smaller than the original. However, many of the "most helpful" reviews were from as far back as 2001. It made me wonder how well they reflected the current product.
The box shown for this item says "The original fighting robots" and also says that this is the "classic" game. That certainly implies that it's not a scaled down model, and to my relief it's full sized and very close to the original.
The robots themselves look very much like the originals, except for the stickers. The arena looks pretty much the same too, except the "ropes" are threaded through the posts, while the original game required putting the ropes over the hooks on each post. There are other differences that I'd consider subtle for a game player, though probably not for a collector.
Back in the 1960s, I never owned this. I played it at other people's homes. I was surprised at how smoothly everything moved on the new one compared to the ones I remembered. Some people have commented that one robot or another had a more sensitive head than the other. That was a complaint back when the originals were made too. I didn't find that to be a problem with the one I just got, but if it's a problem, just make sure that the players switch colors every few rounds.
The robots are right handed. Of course you can punch with either hand, but you can throw right hooks and left jabs if you know how. You can't do the reverse. You can retreat, work on proper position, and deliver a punch with the motion and timing you would use in real boxing. Obviously this is true to a much more limited extent than in real life, but the point is that you can use strategy and learn to improve style and technique rather than just banging away at something.I didn't remember it being educational to any extent when I was growing up, and it was probably just a matter of swinging wildly until a punch got through or we got tired of it. As an adult, I can now see how it's not devoid of educational value to somebody studying pugilism or martial arts. But calling it an educational game is at least as much of a stretch as it is with many video games.
Assembly was relatively easy. Snapping the base and controllers together was an easy task for a child. Getting the robots on the platform was slightly more tricky and required an adult, at least in my case. But that's a one time thing.
How much fun a child will have with this depends on the child. If he/she takes the time to learn and improve, then it becomes a competition. It might be the type of thing that a child plays with for a few hours and gives up on, until a friend comes over and wants to play with it. It's no good without friends. It's probably not the type of thing that will become a daily extended activity. If you want something that captivates for hours, get a video game. If you want something that a child will like, but not spend lots of time with on any given sitting, then buy this for a child who is asking for it. My rating is based on the assumption that it was wanted, and I hope to give one perspective of what you might expect. I can't say how well this would work as a general unsolicited gift.
Description of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em ROBOTS Game
A return of a classic! Mattel brings back the classic game from 1996 in which the original battling robots try to knock each other's blocks off! Red Rocker and Blue Bomber battle it out in the arena, with realistic sounds and jaw-jolting action. When a robot lands that blockbuster punch to his opponent's jaw, the victorious robot's head pops up with that Rock 'Em Sock 'Em "gotcha sound." Adult assembly required. Stadium measures 14.5"L x 10"W x 5.5"H.Long before TV shows like Battlebots, there were these guys: two plastic boxers battling it out in a ring, tirelessly jabbing at each other in an effort to knock their opponent's block off. Years go by and these fighters (creatively referred to in my house as "the blue one" and "the red one") are still at it, still operated by two players working simple controllers, and still madly punching in an effort to knock loose the other fellow's spring-loaded head. As was traditionally the case, it takes a while to maneuver the robots such that you can even land any punch, let alone a knockout blow. But for intense silly robot fighting, without the hassle of batteries, these guys are still champs. --John Moe
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