Hands On With Robosen’s Grimlock: a $1,700 T-Rex Transformer

I’ve now witnessed something cooler than Optimus Prime auto-transforming into a truck and back via voice command. Robosen—the robot company behind the various self-converting iterations of Optimus over the last couple of years, as well as the non-transforming Bumblebee G1—is launching a high-dollar version of the Dinobot leader, named Grimlock.

I got early access to one for testing—full name Transformers Grimlock Auto-Converting Robot – Flagship Collector’s Edition(Opens in a new window)—and despite some bugs in the software, it’s clear that the company has hit its stride with this Hasbro license.

I wrote in a previous story about Bumblebee how I hoped that any incremental improvements from that limited bot would “be applied to future members of the lineup … maybe, fingers crossed, a Grimlock that can really go full T-Rex.” That’s why I was gobsmacked when an oversized Robosen package decorated with pictures of the OG Grimlock performing acts of destruction appeared at my door. I couldn’t wait to evaluate this latest robot.

The Grimlock Box alone is pretty (Credit: Eric Griffith)

(If you need backstory: Optimus leads the Autobots, the good-guy transformers who came to Earth after the destruction of their planet Cybertron. In the original 1984 show(Opens in a new window)—now called Generation 1, or G1—the Autobots were inspired by old dino bones to create the Dinobots to serve as extra muscle in the fight against the evil Decepticons. The incredibly powerful Grimlock almost teamed up with the bad guys because he thought he should run everything. It took seeing Optimus being heroic to change Grimlock’s tune and beg Optimus Prime’s forgiveness.)

The box’s arrival thrilled my five-and-half-year-old testing assistant, Pax (code name Paxitron X) even more. He’s a Transformers know-it-all, to whom I frequently shout “ME AM GRIMLOCK” to mimic the voice of that character from the original 2D animation…which I’ve forced him to watch (it’s on The Roku Channel). A home can’t thrive on CGI Transformers alone.

Opening the box did not disappoint. The black Styrofoam case is about three to four times the size of the one that contains Optimus Prime, but that’s because Grimlock is bulky no matter what form he’s in, whereas Optimus’s truck mode is nice and compact. The case’s two top doors open to reveal the magnificent silver bot with gold-and-red trim ensconced inside.

Inside the Grimlock box (Credit: Eric Griffith)

Robosen says Grim is the “World’s first dualform bi-pedal robot” and he does indeed have two ambulatory forms: the stunning Tyrannosaurus Rex robot “disguise” and his full humanoid form. Both are largely dead-on recreations of the original toys. He can walk upright on two legs in either form, as well as perform several animation actions. It seems like a lot more than Optimus is capable of—when that bot is in truck form, he’s limited to wheeling around and honking.

Although the Grimlock G1’s box is bigger to accommodate the robot’s overall bulk, the figure is about the same height (about 15.4 inches in Dinobot form, and 15.0 inches in robot mode) as the $699 Optimus Prime Elite. But Grimlock’s got a T-rex-sized price tag. Preorders with an expected ship date in the fall come in at $1,499. At retail, you should expect to pay $1,699. That’s close to $2K for a robot that, like its predecessors, is more of an enthusiast display item than a real toy. However, Grimlock is still a lot more fun than any other Robosen Transformer yet.

Paxitron X gets Grimlock’s attention (Credit: Eric Griffith)

Me, Grimlock, Play

The Grimlock G1’s transforming action is stellar and smooth. The robot’s arms turn into the dino’s legs, his torso flips up to hide his humanoid head, and then finally the Dinobot’s face full of sharp teeth plops on top, ready to chomp. Inside, 85 different microchips control 34 servos. The jaw moves up and down in tandem (but not really in complete sync) with over 150 sound clips of him yelling—all recorded anew with the original voice of Grimlock, actor Gregg Berger(Opens in a new window). When deactivated, Grimlock goes limp, just like “Floptimus Prime,” but the bot feels as solid as a fossilized rock when powered up. Don’t put your fingers too close during the conversion process or else they might get pinched.

For out-of-the-box fun, say the wake word: “Hey, Grimlock.” Once he acknowledges with “Yes, we go!,” shout out one of the 42 preset phrases to animate the bot. Some commands work in both modes, but several are specific to one or the other. He can perform push-ups and squats for instance, only in the humanoid form.

Grimlock towers over truck-form Optimus Prime (Credit: Eric Griffith)

The other method of control is a mobile app (available for Android and iOS), which was in beta at the time of testing. It’s still rough in some areas, but Robosen is improving the software with each new Transformer in the line. The app supports drag-and-drop block-based programming that lets you create special moves for Grimlock, plus offers moves you can download. It’s not a great way to learn programming—Paxitron X had no interest—but it’s still a nice option. Not available for testing was the “mini theater” option, which promises to let you set up little skits involving Grimlock and other Bluetooth-connected bots using their preprogrammed sound bites and actions. Robosen is also promising a future computer-based 3D programming integration.

Some commands only work from the app for now, like the one Paxitron liked best, called “Farting.” (Grimlock surreptitiously looks both ways to make sure the coast is clear before he does.)

This Dinobot is, much like Optimus and Bumblebee, still not much of a walker. Yes, these droids all can shuffle about, but even C-3PO could outrun them. In robot form, Grimlock has a slow and fast speed you can switch between in the app, but I couldn’t discern much difference between them. Inside his dino mouth is a red flashlight, suitable for mimicking his animated flame-thrower or blaster-ray breath. You can customize the color of the eyes and the mouth flashlights with various presets via the app.

Grimlock’s Crown of Leadership gleams (Credit: Eric Griffith)

There are a few other accessories in the box. He comes with weapons (his signature red Energon Sword and a black, light-up, double-barrel Galaxial Rocket Launcher for the other hand), plus a “Crown of Leadership(Opens in a new window)” because the arrogant SOB thought he was that big a deal. Robosen throws in a golden metal coin with Grim’s visage; it will eventually serve as a counter for the limited edition release of this robot (mine is numbered “00000”). I’m happy to see that Grim charges via USB-C, too; a cable and a charger block come in the box. I got about two hours of activity out of Grimlock after a full charge.

If I had to complain about something, it’s that getting Grim back into the case is a trial because you have to place a foam stabilizer between his floppy-when-deactivated legs. However, Robosen is planning to change the case design before Grim goes to full production.

A contemplative moment between a boy and his Dinobot (Credit: Eric Griffith)

Me, Grimlock, No Bozo! Me King!

Robosen has addressed everything I didn’t like about the Bumblebee G1 with the Grimlock G1. Simply by being able to transform, any follow-up was going to be better. By making it Grimlock, Robosen truly set the stage to make Transformers uber-fans happy. But only uber-fans with money to spare.

Grimlock and Optimus in “disguise” (Credit: Eric Griffith)

Hopefully, the price for this bot drops as precipitously as the one for the initial Optimus Prime Flagship toy, which now costs about half as much as it did at launch. By this time next year, Robosen might well be trying to move units after all. Just hope there are still some models left to get if Grimlock receives a truly limited run.