Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

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Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is a two-player game/toy designed by Marvin Glass and Associates and released by Marx in 1967. Marx later became the Ideal Toy Company, which was later acquired by Tyco Toys, which was acquired in 1997 by Mattel, Inc. It is currently marketed by Mattel.

Each player takes control of either the red robot (the "Red Rocker") or the blue robot (the "Blue Bomber"), both of which are standing on a platform reminiscent of a boxing ring. By pushing 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 gets hit in the chin, its head will pop up, signifying that the other player has won.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is remembered for the phrase "Knock his block off!", which refers to the act of causing a robot's head to pop up. This phrase was used on the game's box as well as in television commercials promoting the toy.

A reissue of the classic version was developed by Mattel, as well as an action figure line, a PlayStation game, electronic handhelds, a head-to-head plug and play and even bobble head dolls.

In the new GameBoy Advance game, more robots were added, including: "Yellow Yahoo", "Brown Bully", "Orange Oppressor", "Silver Stretcher", "Purple Pyro", "Green Grappler", "Pink Pummeller", and the "Black Bruiser".

[edit] In Popular Culture

In the movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it is shown during the Mike Teevee song, in which both robots punch him from each side.

In the episode of Friends titled The One Where Rachel Tells (episode 3 of season 8), Joey and Phoebe are shown playing this game.

In the episode of The Simpsons titled Simpson Tide, when Homer joins the Navy, Marge expresses her concerns for Homer, who laughs and says "How could a game ever hurt me?", before reminiscing to a time he put his head in between the two robots and beat himself up. Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots were later parodied in the episodes Hungry Hungry Homer and Fat Man and Little Boy. In the latter episode, they are called "Sock-Em Knock-Em Cyborgs".

In the Futurama episode "A Fishful of Dollars", Fry gives Bender an "antique robot toy", but when one robot's head gets knocked off, Bender is horrified.

In The Pixar animation sequel film Toy Story 2 the main toys are searching a toy store for 'Al's office', and come across a set of Rock 'em Sock 'em robots. They ask them for directions, only for the two to argue about who was being asked, and fight.

They are also seen in the Pixar animation film The Incredibles on one of the shelves inside Mr. Incredible's office (look in the lower left corner on the middle shelf)

The band Tenacious D also sings about Rock'em Sock'em Robots on their debut album on the track "City Hall."

Towards the end of Sierra's Space Quest III computer game is an arcade sequence called "Nuke 'Em Duke 'Em Robots" and featuring two gigantic boxing robots very reminiscent of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em.