Hong Kong jsut came out with this bootleg of a Happywell Roadbot.
After Hasbro/Takara came out with their Alternator/Binaltech toy line, a Hong Kong based company, Happywell, created their own versions. The first were 1:18 scale, bigger than the Alt/Bin at only 1:24 scale. Normally Chinese companies just bootleg an exisiting design. They usually scale up or scale down the toy, add a few funky colors, and if need be, throw in designs from another toy like Voltron.
Well Happywell is known for bootlegging a Takara toy line, Brave Series. But here they went and made their own designs and molds. The toys are not as complex as the Takara/Hasbro versions, they utilize “parts transformation” meaning you have to remove parts to complete the transformation. But they make up in size and electronic lights and sounds.
The crown jewel of the Roadbot line are the 1:12 scale Ford GT and Mitsubishi Evolution. Happywell claims that they have actual licensing from the car manufacturers to use their car designs and brand name, a feature only Takara/Hasbro can claim for a fact. However the Roadbots do seem to have the trademarks and all the correct designs of the cars they make. Here it is in comparison to the Hasbro Ultimate Bumblebee, and the subject of this article, the roadbot bootleg
Now onto the bootleg of a bootleg. Some diehard Transformer enthusiast, will make the statement that Roadbots are bootlegs of the Alternator/Binaltech line. I can see where they might think so, but in no way is it a bootleg. Loosely it is a transforming robot that has a detailed car mode. But I think they stand on their own from The transformers.
But here I found this 1:12 scale bootleg of a roadbot at Kaybee, one of the few large US retailers that are a portal to true bootlegs, such as Happywell’s Brave Series KO could be found there in the past.
This KO is called “Morphbot” and is a part of the “Mutataters Collection”. They offer a 1:16 Ford Bronco, 1:24 Ford Mustang, and a 1:32 scale Ford GT.
The car mode clearly shows that they pulled a mold from the Happywell Roadbot. The wheels and lines of the toy are the same. However there is a HUGE difference in quality. First of all, this is NOT a Transformer. A Roadbot can be considered a Transformer, due to the complexity of its transformations sequence. This Morphbot is just a robot that lays down on its front and the cockpit roof closes the parts together. In car mode, the arms are just placed to the side of the body and due to poor quality materials and quality control, they dont really stay in place. they fall down and hit the ground.
Now here are pictures of the robot mode.
Now next to the Roadbot.
Here is a picture alongside the largest Transformer
This toy only cost $15 on sale. Normal price is $20. I say go get a Roadbot, it is sturdier and has a ton more detail.
