Things I miss: Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots

One of my favorite management techniques, back during the dotcom boom and bust, was to have engineers on my team solve their differences with Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots!

A quick check shows Rock 'em Sock 'ems aren't gone, but I haven't seen a set in years. Mine are in a box in my basement, marked for the last start-up wherein I attempted decision-making by robot duel.

The controls? Kinda awful. Opponents sliding forward/back and side-to-side tends to keep the boxing ring bouncing about. Those buttons also take a lot of force, and over time one robot or another's head latch would get loose, giving the opposing color a sure win. Repairs were possible, but over time both robots would become incredibly sensitive. Sometimes, as the weary boxers aged, heads would break free and launch themselves into orbit!

I miss knocking your block off.

Current Era Mattel Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots via Amazon