Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is a popular two-player action toy and game, designed by Marvin Glass and Associates and was first manufactured by Marx toy company in 1964. It features two dueling robot boxers, Red Rocker and Blue Bomber, mechanically manipulated by the players, and the game is won when one player knocks the head off of the opponent. The 2000s version of the game by Mattel features physically smaller robots.

Each "manager" takes control of either robot: the "Red Rocker" or the "Blue Bomber", both of which are standing on a platform molded in bright yellow hi-impact polystyrene plastic, representing a boxing ring. By pushing plunger buttons on a pair of joysticks at the base of the platform, players make their robot punch at their opponent's robot. If a robot's head is hit with sufficient force at a suitable angle, the head will overextend away from the shoulders, signifying that the other player has won the round.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots has enjoyed far-ranging success in the United States, selling in the hundreds of thousands and becoming something of a minor popular culture phenomenon. The history of ownership of this game was unclear. There were various production runs by Mattel, Hasbro, Playco, Toys R Us, and other toy companies.

The game was available in the United Kingdom during the 1970s, where it was sold under the name Raving Bonkers.

Marx Toys also released an updated version of Rock'em Sock'em Robots called Clash of the Cosmic Robots in 1977. It featured robots of a more design more suitable for the Space Age. The redesign was inspired by the success of the film Star Wars, released that May. Instead of a red robot and a blue robot, Clash of the Cosmic Robots featured PROG-2, an orange robot with a head more like that of RoboCop, and V-STYX, a white robot with a long, protruding mouth (but no eyes). The boxing ring was molded in black to give the game a look reminiscent of outer space. Stickers and decals (for both the robots and the ring) were provided, following the same concept.

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