Rock'em Sock'em Robots (Pre-1970)

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots (Pre-1970)

Beginning in 1964, a new toy craze swept the nation. Before the advent of modern video games, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots was the original two-player combat action game. Pre-1970 Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots make a great addition to anyone’s classic game collection.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is a classic two-player action toy. It features a pair of dueling robots inside a yellow boxing ring. The game characters are known as the Red Rocker and Blue Bomber. The original version of the game was crafted from durable, high-impact polystyrene plastic, making the toys nearly indestructible.

Originally themed after human boxers, the toy was reformatted to include robots. The game was first manufactured by Marx toy company in 1964 and remained unchanged in form and packaging for over a decade.

In this two-player game, each player manually controls one robot using one of a pair of joysticks at the base of the platform. The joysticks contain plunger buttons that control the robots' arms, causing them to punch at one another. Gameplay begins when players depress the levers with as much force as possible.

The object of the game is to knock your opponent's block off — literally causing the spring-loaded head of the opposing bot to extend away from its shoulders. This is done by landing a punch at an angle and force sufficient to move the face an eighth of an inch, triggering the mechanism. The first player to accomplish this wins. The head of the defeated robot can then be pressed back into place, after which the game can then be repeated.

Only one version of the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game was available prior to 1970. It can often be recognized by its simplicity and packaging. The base or platform of the game was molded from durable bright yellow high-impact polystyrene plastic. The two robots, the Red Rocker and Blue Bomber, will be identical on vintage models, not sporting differences in their faces.

Also, measure the size of the boxing ring base. Pre-1970s games have bases larger than 13.4 inches in diameter. If packaging is available, examine printed details for production dates and look for classic artwork. The game is still in production so modern kids can see why the game was so popular back in the day. Current, updated versions of the game are manufactured by Mattel.