Zero - Gobots

Zero Robo MR-39

This model was originally designed in Japan by Bandai and released for their Machine Robo Series line as Zero Robo. By this time Tonka's successful rebranding to 'Gobots' and US distribution saw the now more established name 'Zero' applied and adopted for Robo Machine in Europe and the Australian Machine Men release; predominantly to benefit from the Challenge of the Gobots cartoon. Multilingual Robo Machine blister cards display both Zero Fighter and Zero in the name section.

Further details are below, on the Series 1 Index and for more in-depth reading see the Toy Line History page.

Region Codes Used: JP Japan / US United States / CA Canada / AU Australia / EU Europe / TWN Taiwan
NOTE: Region codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet possibly incomplete.

ZERO - 8 cm

Gobots 40 Series 2 US/CA Tonka 1984
Gobots 40 Series 2 US/CA Tonka with 3-D Sticker 1985
Gobots Renegade Gift Pack #2 US Tonka 1985
Robo Machine RM-39 EU Bandai 1984*
Robo Machines Series 2 EU Bandai 1992*
Machine Men AU Bandai 1984*

ZERO ROBO

Machine Robo Series MR-39 JP Bandai 1983*

C-14 - Bootleg

'Machine Robo Series' Bootleg TWN [Black and Grey] (old on cardback and in official Machine Robo Series shaped boxes)

* Machine Robo Series or modified Robo Machines extra sticker sheet issued with this release.

NOTE: when applying Zero Robo's stickers it's very worth referencing the example shown here, the box photograph and an actual Mitsubishi A6M Zero plane's markings as the sticker guide is fairly vague. This is especially important with regard to the orientation of the yellow wing strips. The yellow strips were intended to be laid along the front of the wing, however due to the machine gun placement this is not possible. The angled end to the strips would have compensated for the angle of the wings in the originally intended place. In the prototype image below the strips have cut-out sections for the gun barrels. Presumably the gun barrel cutouts were removed for the production version and the sticker placement raised to compensate. The exaggerated angled ends were not modified to match the raised placement of the stickers making them look a little odd yet correct.