One of my favorite things to come out of the 1980s was the vast array of giant Japanese robots. From Voltron to the Shogun Warriors, each mammoth mech seemed to be more impressive than the last. Similarly, Marco De Bon‘s LEGO tributes to these Super Robots also seem to just get better and better. Today we look at their recreation of Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3. I’m not super familiar with this show, but after watching a YouTube clip, I’m sold on the concept. Clocking in at am impressive 340 mm tall, Marco has managed to pack the model with clean lines, vivid details, and even multiple vehicle modes!

First, let’s look at the robot mode. Marco makes heavy use of curved slopes to create the shaping on the shoulders, chest, and head. The legs make great use of inverted arch brick, and I really like the bold colors used throughout. My favorite detail, though, is the use of a tooth plate in the chin.

With a bit of recombining, the base model can convert into Dai-Tank mode. It’s a tribute to the original character designers in how “a robot lying on his stomach with guns coming out of his feet” still manages to look awesome. I like how the shoulder armor folds up over Diatarn’s head to help disguise the otherwise humanoid shaping.

Lastly, another round of changes, and we get the Dai-Fighter. Different enough from the Dai-Tank to feel like a completely different toy, this mode looks pretty swooshable.

If, like me, you can’t get enough of Marco’s LEGO mechs, check out our archives to see some other great examples. Let retro reign!