In 2001, Hasbro unveiled a line of adorable Transformers toys made especially for preschoolers, with simple, gear-assisted transformations, bright colors, and chunky, rounded molding. The line was released under the Playskool brand, and was originally called Big Adventures: Transformers. It was later renamed Transformers: Go-Bots, and later (and currently), simply Go-Bots. The toys were also released in Japan as Kids' Transformers: Rescue Hero Go-Bots, which also included repaints of the Go-Bots' precursor line, Tonka's 1-2-3 Transformers (hence its inclusion here.)

Sadly, the line has been cancelled as of 2005. A handful of toys shown in 2004 were never released, but a number of them have made an appearance on eBay. The line may be dead, but the love (and this site) will continue.

The purpose of this site is simple: to become the internet authority on the Go-Bots line(s). This means collecting as much information as possible about anything and everything relating to the Playskool Go-Bots: toys, cartoons, whatever. I also want this site to become a repository for Go-Bots fanart, fan fiction, fan-created characters, and discussion. Above all, this site is meant to celebrate the cuteness and fun of the Playskool Go-Bots brand.

My name is Chris Hawks; I go by the name "Salt-Man Z" when online (I previously used the handle "TheGuruNow".) Prior to starting this site, I had spent the past 7 years rabidly collecting Transformers toys. After getting married in 2001, my collecting had to be curtailed somewhat, and I could no longer afford to buy every Transformers toy produced; instead, I had to begin picking and choosing.

My first 1-2-3/Go-Bots purchase was Rescue Roy, who I picked up only because I had a coupon. He was neat, but I didn't feel the need to spend my money on the later 1-2-3 toys. When the Big Adventures toys first came out, I thought they were adorable, but wanted to concentrate on the current mainstream Transformers line. But my brother bought me 3 of the 5 original Big Adventures toys, and got me hooked. I soon snapped up the remaining BA toys and bought all the Transformers: Go-Bots toys when they came out.

When the new "Go-Bots" toys (with the stylized "G" insignia) began appearing, I took little interest in them. I didn't think the new molds had the charm of the original toys, and many of the recolors were too similar to the originals to justify spending money on. But again, my family weakend my resolve. For my birthday, my sister got me Speed-Bot Racer, and I decided the new toys were okay. With birthday money, I picked up Tigertron, who I'd wanted desperately ever since pics of him went up online. But I still held back. Until Christmas again, when my brother gave me Cop-Bot. Over the next couple months, I finished my collection, buying every Go-Bots toy released thus far in the US. (I was still missing some 1-2-3s, though.)

Just after I decided to start building this website, news hit the internet that new Go-Bots toys were on their way, and I didn't know quite how to feel. On the one hand, I had just finished my collection, and could once again turn to collecting mainstream Transformers lines. On the other hand, I had fallen in love with the Go-Bots so much that I couldn't bear not owning the new ones. My Transformers collecting was dropped in favor of completing my Playskool Go-Bots / Rescue Hero Go-Bots / 1-2-3 Transformers collection.