They may have looked like Transformers clones but Robotech action figures belonged to a sweeping space opera that spanned three (and counting) Japanese television series. American kids were treated to a dubbed, edited version that combined a variety of different storylines and characters. In a nutshell: After an alien military spacecraft crash-lands on Earth, all hostilities between nations cease so they can prepare against an extraterrestrial invasion—a frightening prospect, since the empty spaceship seems to be designed for beings six times the size of humans. Earth begins production of spacecraft, fighters, carriers and droids (collectively known as mecha), all based on the alien technology, while the crashed ship itself is retrofitted into a Super Dimensional Fortress (SDF-1). And that is only 0.0001% of the plot.

With plenty of good guys and bad guys all flying around in Robotech vessels, the toys spawned by this series ranged from small action figures to fashion dolls to non-transforming Battloids and scout ships to transforming fighters (the coolest of the bunch). The transforming toys—which were rare and more expensive—included the Valkyrie fighters with three different transformation modes and the SDF-1, also with three changeable positions.

The selection was immense and the quality varied as different companies released different toys. Matchbox, Bandai, Playmates and a multitude of other toymakers in the U.S. and Asia released Robotech mecha and figures. There were many knock-offs and cheap copies but hey, when you’re recreating the Zentraedi invasion of Earth, Zentraedi Cruisers are essential. If you couldn’t buy a toy, you could make it. Model kits were as popular as ready-made toys, albeit mostly among the die-hard Robotech fans.

Robotech as a franchise didn’t enjoy the popularity of Transformers in the U.S. but it does remain a cult favorite in anime circles. Robotech toys are collector’s items, bought and traded at conventions, online auctions and your friendly neighborhood model kit store. Japanese production of these toys (including specialty 5-foot statues of Valkyrie and Alpha Fighters) continues unabated much to the delight of old and new fans.