First released in Japan by Bandai as part of the Machine Robo Series range these larger scale, mostly highly detailed models were quickly added to the US Gobots, EU Robo Machine and AU Machine Men lines.
The Machine Robo Scale Robo, Machine Robo DX and Big Machine Robo lines, loosely became Super Gobots Series 1 and 2 while Series 3 also having been designed in Japan were not released for the Japanese market. Series 3 Super Gobots see the most US / EU variants and as more than half of the series were produced in limited numbers, some very limited they have become very collector desirable.
Additional Details on the Super Gobots Index Page
Region Codes Used: JP Japan / US United States / CA Canada / AU Australia / EU Europe
NOTE: Location codes only shown where items were known to be released. This list is accurate yet likely to be incomplete.
Super Gobots Series 2 024 US/CA Tonka (overt USA themed stickers with 'US86L-1' text tail stickers) Stamped Japan 1985
Robo Machine Super Gobots EU Bandai (overt USA themed stickers with 'US86L-1' text tail stickers) Stamped Singapore 1985
Super Machine Men AU Bandai (overt USA themed stickers with 'US86L-1' text tail stickers) 1985
Machine Robo Big Machine Robo BMR-02 JP Bandai (USAF themed stickers with 'FF 96031' text tail stickers) 1985
Robo Machines De Luxe EU Bandai (lighter blue sticker sections with 'Robo Machines' text tail stickers and less opaque canopy) Stamped China 1993
Stamping:
Super Gobots stamped (c) Bandai 1985 Japan
Intended Star and Stripe Sticker Direction The prototype and Robo Machine box art show the two smaller stripe stickers running across the body linking up with the two star stickers dumbbell-style across the body. The strips on the star stickers then point to the wingtips. For the initial release there was no clear guide as to the direction of the stripe stickers as the sticker sheet diagram did not indicate an orientation, only placement. The largest released US Super Gobots box art did not show the stickers applied at all at all and while a the Canadian Super Gobots and European Robo Machine Super Gobots both used the Robo Machine box art the assortment selection photograph on the rear of both boxes shows the stripes running lengthwise along the body near the jets. While open to speculation, the length of the two stripe stickers in question adds some weight to their intended placement.
Which way to apply? Whatever you like best. If you want the model to look how it was conceptually intended then laterally across the body linking the stars. If you'd prefer it how the marketing department interpreted it then apply them along the top of the body towards the back of the plane; see prototype image below.
Prototype While not as interesting as some of the Series 3 prototypes, a prototype for Leader-1 was pictured in a Tonka product trade catalogue showing the sticker placement as presumably intended; see below image.
CREDIT Prototype image kindly supplied by Jörg Zimmermann.
