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I loved Rock ‘EM Sock ‘Em Robots as a kid. Two robots in a little ring and you controlled their punches to knockout your opponent robot. Well really you just hit a certain area on the robot to make the head pop-up. When the film Real Steel came out it reminded me of this childhood toy though a larger than life remote controlled version.
If you’re a fan of the original Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots you know they can be a challenge to find unless you are a clever online shopper. It may not be the original but Hasbro’s Transformers Battle Masters is the next best thing. These handheld Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron, operate under a similar game play as the original Rock ‘EM Sock ‘Em Robots. Users control their player’s punches in the hopes of popping up the head of their opponent.
Unlike the original players aren’t restricuted to a game board like boxing ring, with action controlled by a handle. The Transformers can even be removed from the handle for play or to fight. You can also purchase other Transformer Battle Master characters like Barricade, Prowl, Bumble Bee and Starscreen.
Although these are Transformers you should note that the BattleMaster players don’t transform. When playing we found the head was trickier to pop than expected but that didn’t stop the kids from playing. I found the BattleMasters came in handy as a tool to help solve disputes or make decisions with the kids too. Better to have the Transformers fighting than the kids.
