R/C toy | robot:Rumble Robot: Clamster

Toy maker Ross Hornsby combined several popular modes of play when he designed his battling Rumble Robots. His remote-controled figures, organized originally into a red army and blue army, also required collectible cards that, when swiped at the robot inscreased its speed, agility, or laser powers. With increased powers, the robots attempted to kill their enemies' power supply, tip them over, or hit their antenna-like terminate switches. Via the remote-control device, Rumble Robots traveled forward and back, delivered punches, and vocalized battle cries. Hornsby's robots sold well in 2000 when they first appeared. By 2003 more than two million battling 'bots had sold, but Trendmasters was out of business by then. Hornsby rebounded: by 2010 his widely successful Zhu Zhu Pets had hit the market.