FLASHY JIM R7

Maker: Sankei SNK

I have always had difficulty sorting out the intriguing group of robots by Sankei (SNK). The manufacturer, SNK or Sankei, often associated with the ACE logo, seem to have made one set of molds and to have exploited them for a small but illustrious group of primitive robots. Once these robots lose their boxes they can be difficult to identify.
 

Flashy Jim

 

There's no mistaking Flashy Jim, (Boogaerts #51). He has a plain silver finish, a small antenna emerging from his head, a suggestion of a meter and, his clearest feature, R7 in a red circle on his chest. Jim is a battery operated robot powered from a basic remote control box. He shuffles forward as his eyes light up. There's a little surprise well hidden fron view on Flashy Jim: instead of the usual ratcheted rubber wheels under his feet you'll find a tiny thin metal wheel on the end of a shaft protruding through a hole. It's an effective if unusual way of stopping him going backward.