New Microman Series

Micro Robot W - R9 Hurricane, R10 Typhoon & R11 Cyclone (c.1982)

MICRO ROBOT

1974

Microman Zone
First year included the Founder Microman, Micro Kit Machines and Conning Tower.

1975

Project Victory
Second year saw more Microman and several new sub series such as the Acroyears, Titans and Victory series.

1976

Spy Magician

The line finally came into its own during the third year with new figures and the classic Microman Transfer Fortress.

1977

Command
A watershed year for Microman series, this year saw some of the best toys for the line.

1978

Police Keeper

Takara tried new design and direction for the series with the released of Hoodman and Arden.

1979

Rescue Team
Takara "rescue" attempt for the line with the Rescue Team Microman. This year also saw updated of the old favorite like the New Tower Base.

1980

Punch & Blizzard Man
The last year of the original series saw the shift in the line to more robot like look and larger figures.

New Microman Series

1981

New Microman
Takara reset the line and relaunch the series under the New Microman banner.

1982

Micro Robot
Micro Robot series became the main focus of the new line. Takara also tried to cash in on the "pla-mo" popularity with Real Type and Micro Borg.

1983

Micro Change
The "transformation" for Microman series began with the Micro Change series.

1984

Transformers

Takara continued with the successful Micro Change series but the changing of the guard was inevitable.

R9 Hurricane (Red Type)

Micro Robot W was the third in the Micro Robot series to be released by Takara for the New Microman line. Micro Robot were micro-size living robots that can transformed into vehicles or weapons for the New Microman. Beside the early series, the later Micro Robots can also combined together to form a larger robot or a large battle armor. There were three members in Micro Robot W series - R9 Hurricane, R10 Typhoon and R11 Cyclone. Each Micro Robot W shared the same basic body but had its own distinctive head and chest design along with its own unique weapon and wing. Each Micro Robot W also came in three color variants red, green and blue (same color variants as the Micro Borg) and made for a startling total of nine different variations. Micro Robot W stood about 9cm tall (slightly shorter than standard Microman) and had die-cast body with metallic paint.

PACKAGE

Micro Robot W were sold in individual blue box with small window to show the variant colors inside. Each box was distinctive design for each of the three Micro Robot Ws. The figure is package in robot mode and can be partly visible in the window with vehicle mode feature on the box art.

Micro Robot W like most New Microman toys, were sold with three variant colors - red, blue and green.

GIFT SET

Takara also sold Micro Robot W as a set. The set came in big long box with beautiful box art painting of Micro Robot W combining.

Micro Robot W Story

Micro Robot W build by Mother Cosmos in alternate dimension to aid Micro Borg in the fight against the Acroyears

Micro Robot W Accessories

L-R: R9, R10 & R11 Missiles

top: launcher (also used to form a foot for combine form) and torso adapter to combine Micro Robot W with Micro Borg

Micro Robot W, like Micro Robot V, was design as a combiner robot. However, unlike Micro Robot V or the later Micro Robot 7, Micro Robot W only require two of the three robots to form the bigger combiner robot. (Hence the name Micro Robot W, since letter W is often used to denote "two" or double form in Japanese - special thanks to Dave B for this info) Each Micro Robot W can transformed into either upper or lower part of the robot and with three distinctive designs and three colors variants, multiple variations of Micro Robot W can be formed. (Granted they were not really that much differences from one another). Beside combining with one another, Micro Robot W also came with a torso adapter that allowed them to combine with Micro Borg (probably one of the reason why they shared the similar color schemes). This feature seem to have been added later to Micro Robot W design since Takara included special instruction on separate sheet for the adapter and the main instruction had a drawing of the adapter added to the original instruction.

R10 Typhoon (Green Type)

L-R : R9 Hurricane, R10 Typhoon and R11 Cyclone (all Blue Type)

Below: New Microman M004 Eiji Blue with Micro Robot W parts.

Beside the ability to combine with one another and Micro Borg, Micro Robot W can also transformed into hover transport for Microman figure. The wing can also be used as power-up unit for Microman figure. The launcher (foot part) can be mount on top of the wing and turn the unit into missile launcher wing-pack much like the old Hand Bazooka Microman. The launcher was spring- loaded and shoot the yellow winged missile. The missiles were unique to each of the three Micro Robot W and not a single generic design. So while Takara had not totally abandon the interchangeable aspect of the Microman line, the emphasis had clearly shifted to transformation and combiner play instead of the old "building block" style.

Takara sold Micro Robot W in both individual unit as well as the three-pack gift set. The gift set were somewhat harder to find than the single unit. Each gift set came package with all three Micro Robot W and one of each of the colors (which seem to be randomly distributed). Each individual Micro Robot W came with a chrome gun, yellow wing, missile launcher that doubled as feet for the combiner robot and three yellow missiles. The missiles were different for each of the three Micro Robot W. It was mind boggling to see all individually design parts for each of the small robot instead of the common "shared" parts that was the common practice of the old Microman line. This characteristics of Micro Robot would became a trademark for the series that carried on into the Transformers line.

R11 Cyclone (Blue Type)

Micro Robot W & Micro Borg

Micro Robot W in various combined modes. Left : R9 Hurricane (Red Type) & R10 Typhoon (Blue Type). Right: R10 Typhoon (Green Type) & Green Micro Borg