Astro Magnum / Shockwave: Visual ID Guide: August 2025

Rainier / Rainbow: Robots & Space Guns
Made in Taiwan
1980s

How did we end up with
RG-908 Robot Fighting Gun?

Rainbow, also known as Rainer, was a Taiwanese toy distributor in the 1980s, known for releasing a series of space guns labeled RG901 to RG905. Following the trend of many toy companies at the time, Rainer transitioned from these space-themed weapon toys into the popular market of transforming robots.

Rainier released RG-908 'Robot Fighting Gun', an Astro Magnum bootleg.
The would then follow up with other transforming robots: RG-909 to RG-912.

There is an extremely high probability that Tai Fong Electronics was the actual manufacture for the guns and robots that Rainier released.

Tai Fong released their guns and robots using the catalog prefix of (TG).
Tai Fong + Gun = TG
Rainier released their guns and robots using the catalog prefix of (RG).
Rainier + Gun = RG
To learn more about this, visit our TG-117 Robot Pistol page (click here)

RAINIER SPACE GUNS

No.RG901 Super Electronic Gun Rainbow Space Series (Front)
$12.99 price sticker

NO.RG901 Super Electronic Gun
Rainbow Space Series (Back)

Bitronica
Ceppi Ratti Italian release of:
Rainbow Space Series RG901

Bitronica - Black colored version
Back of the box illustration in Italian

NO.RG901 Sonic Laser Pistol (Front)
Rainier toy gun
Made in Taiwan

NO.RG902 Sonic Laser Pistol
Rainier toy gun
Made in Taiwan
Scope attachment and extended back handle compared to RG901

Rainier RG903 Sonic Laser Pistol (Front)
Photo shows a sticker for the Italian toy distributor: Litaridi S.P.A.

Rainier RG903 Sonic Laser Pistol (Back)

Rainier RG-904A Sonic Laser Pistol (Front)
Similar to 3V Toys: Item No. VG 307 Super Diamond Laser Gun
Three Victory Co, LTD.

Rainier RG-904A Sonic Laser Pistol (Back)
Rainier

Side Note: Similar to the Rainer RG-904A, 3V Toys released their version called:
Super Diamond Laser Gun Item No. VG-307
3V Toys : Three Victory IND. Co. LTD

Unknown name or distributor, but clearly the same mold as RG-904A.
Gold variant with green & purple lights on the back of the gun.

Rainier RG-905A Sonic Laser Carbine
(Red round ball tip)

Extend and retract the red ball tip

Rainier RG-905 Sonic Laser Carbine
(Orange claw tip)
Both front & back images

Rainier RG-905 Sonic Laser Carbine

RG-906 and RG-907, currently unknown.

RAINIER ROBOTS

RG-908 Transformable Robot Fighting Gun
Rainer - for a complete overview on RG-908 (click here)

RG-909 3 in1 JETBOT (Front)
Rainier knockoff Robotech

RG-909 3 in1 JETBOT (Back)
Rainier knockoff Robotech

Photo Credit: Padillarrobertt Instagram

Vintage toy dealer catalog featuring 3 in 1 JETBOT

Rainier RG-910 Kingbot B/O Robo (Front)
Rainier 1985

RG-910 Kingbot B/O Robo (Back)
Rainier 1985
Knockoff Bandai Godaikin Vavilos
Japanese TV Series, Space Sheriff Sheider

Rainier RG-911 Mr. Robofan

Rainier- MR. ROBOFAN
Made in Taiwan
Mr. Robofan's blaster is identical to Tai Fong's Robotic Radio blaster.
Click here

Photo Credit: Roboplastic Apocalypse

Vintage catalog featuring Mr. Robofan

Video Review Credit: Vallco4084

RG-912 Robot HI-FI System (Front)
Rainier Taiwan
'Protable FM Radio' vs. 'Portable FM Radio'
Copyright 1985

Bilingual French & English box for Canada
Robot System HI-FI (L-112)

RG-912 Robot HI-FI System (Back)
Rainier - Made in Taiwan

RG-912 Robot in white foam insert.

CONVERT-A-BOTS Mini Figures
Village Toys - Division of J Shin Co. Inc.
Made in Korea

MINI CONVERT-A-BOTS
Series/Wave 1
1984

Mini Convert-a-bots!

Mini Convert-a-bots cardback artwork

Item No. 2904
Made in Korea
Figures stamped: CONVERT-A-BOTS 1984
Series/Wave 1 consisted of at least seven Mini Convert-a-bot figures. Cardbacks say 1983 while the leg stamps say 1984. Minis came in a variety of cars and trucks similar to other robot lines like Select Convertors, Transformers Mini-bots or Tonka's Gobots series. Target and TG&Y price tags list them for $2.99. Other price stickers show that Mini Convert-a-bots also sold at Toys-r-us for $3.28.

Comparison between:
Select Convertors 'Wagon' (left) and Covert-a-bots 'Bronco' (right).
Despite color, sticker and tire tread differences, many of the Convert-a-bots share similar molds with the Select Convertors and Mark Robo Car figures from Japan.

Series/Wave 1 Figures

Instead of unique names like Bumble Bee or Geeper Creeper, MINI CONVERT-A-BOTS appear to have simply been called by the known vehicle names of the time.

A: FIREBIRD
B: MUSTANG
C: 4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP
D: VAN
E: BRONCO
F: CORVETTE (No Trim)
G: CORVETTE (Gold Trim)

November 1984 - TG&Y Print advertisement for
Mini Convert-a-bots at $1.99 each.

FIREBIRD
Mini Convert-a-bots

FIREBIRD
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea

FIREBIRD Robot mode

Leg stamps
Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1984

FIREBIRD
Top: Number 16 in wrong spot, missing other stickers
Bottom: Full stickers

Blue foil hood sticker with variant red foil sticker

FIREBIRD
Missing orange rear spoilers and all stickers

Front & back of the Firebird instructions
Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Interior instructions to Convert-a-bots Firebird figure.
Note the sticker instructions.

MUSTANG
Mini Convert-a-bots

MUSTANG
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea
Toys R Us price tag: $3.28

Woolworth variant packaging.
Distributed by Woolworth. Woolworth price of $3.00

Logo and copyright printed on the blister card.

Robot mode for 'Mustang'

Photo Credit: RandomToyReviews

Instructions for Convert-a-bot Mustang

While most figures came with both a sticker sheet and instructions,
some figures only came with sticker sheets.

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP
Mini Convert-a-bots

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea

Orange Arms
Robot mode

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP

Sold at Toys R Us for $3.28

Photo credit: Sam Ford

Blue Arms
Robot mode

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP vehicle mode
Top: Orange arm without any stickers.
Bottom: Blue FORD stickers to place on the 'blue' variant arms

Often referred to as "Sand Bully" because one of the

stickers you can apply says "Sand Bully".

Note: Red & Yellow 'FORD' stickers on tailgate

It appears that the term "Sand-Bully," as well as the sticker designs and their placements may have been directly inspired by or copied from the 1983 Nikko "Ford Ranger Power Winch" remote-controlled truck.

Note: Black and Yellow 'FORD' stickers on tailgate.

Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1984
Leg stamps

VAN
Mini Convert-a-bots

VAN
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea

Loose example with applied stickers
next to his MOC counterpart.
Select Convertors minibot is also called 'Van'.
Japanese Robo Car version is called 'Town Ace'.

Awesome black van vehicle mode.
Move over Ironhide!

Instructions for 'VAN' figure.

Village Toys sticker

VAN leg stamps
1984 Korea
Convert-a-bots

BRONCO
Mini Convert-a-bots

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Made in Korea
Target price tag of $2.99

Loose Bronco with his frozen in Carbonite companion.

Robot mode - Bronco Convert-a-bots
Brown & orange figure.

Figure E: BRONCO - vehicle mode
Mini Convert-a-bots
Instructions and optional stickers under the vehicle in the package.
Pictures show truck mode with and without stickers applied.

Bronco Convert-a-bots

One way to identify the Bronco figure is by a

sticker applied behind the cap for 'Village Toys TM'

A second way to identify a Bronco figure is by the leg stamps on

the backside of Bronco's legs which read:
©1984 Korea
Convert-a-bots

CORVETTE
Mini Convert-a-bots

Figures F (Black underside)
Figure G (Gold trim underside)

Figures F & G are the same mold but G comes with gold color trim details around the chest area as well as the prominent gold 'V' at the nose of the car.

CORVETTE
Figure F
Mini Convert-a-bots

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Made in Korea
Fred Meyer price tag of $2.88

Figure G: CORVETTE (Gold trim variant)
Convert-a-bots
Note: Front metal bumper folds open
to reveal two separate small silver heads

Figure F: CORVETTE
Stickers applied in alternative locations.
Number '17' on top of the car.
Note: BLUE colored windows & metal front bumper

Figure F: CORVETTE
No stickers applied

Photo Credit: CollectionDX

Figure F: CORVETTE

Figure F: Corvette (no gold trim)
Leg Stamps
Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1984

This sample came with both the instructions and the sticker sheet.

MINI CONVERT-A-BOTS 2
Series/Wave 2
1985

Mini Convert-a-bots 2 cardback artwork

Item No. 2905
Made in Korea
Figures stamped: CONVERT-A-BOTS 1985
Series/Wave 2 consists of at least four Mini Convert-a-bot figures. Cardbacks say 1983 while the leg stamps say 1985. Minis came in a variety of sports cars.

Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2
"Cars with hearts of steel".
Second series of mini vehicle transforming figures.
A: JAGUAR
B: CAMARO
C: PORSCHE
D: CORVETTE

JAGUAR
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2