YMMV / RoboRiders

• Alternative Character Interpretation: With very little storyline material to work off of, fan interpretations of the Boss range from him being the Big Good to the Big Bad. Either he's the heroic leader of the RoboRiders fighting to save the Web from the monster virus, or else he's the Final Boss responsible for unleashing the virus upon the Web.
• Audience-Alienating Premise: It is generally believed that this was a major reason behind the failure of the toyline. LEGO's previous attempt at buildable, collectible action figures, Slizer, was a big hit for its creative setting (robots in different elemental settings) and for the uniqueness of the models. However, whereas the Slizers were identifiable characters with posable limbs, RoboRiders were essentially goofy-looking cyborg motorbikes with weird weaponry attached. They came with no rider figures, nor did they have seats — instead, the bikes themselves were the riders. Their front wheels featured printed decals on the sides representing the otherwise unbuildable talisman characters, and they launched these wheels like projectiles, meaning that every shot reduced the bikes to a nonfunctional mess with one wheel at the end. The concept was too esoteric for kids who wanted more Slizers sets, and the line failed.
• Common Knowledge: A version of the storyline widely circulated online claims that a mysterious Big Bad unleashed the monster virus, and the Web's inhabitants protected themselves by building wheel-shaped armor for themselves and becoming the front wheels and drivers of the RoboRiders. This seemingly originates from a RoboRiders topic on BZPower in 2005, with two users describing the storyline from memory without citing any sources. However, none of this is supported by any known printed publications or online media. The story does mention that nobody knows where the monster virus came from, but this does not seem to be building up to a big villain reveal unlike the purported version; therefore, assumptions that the story has an unresolved cliffhanger might be overselling a very simple Excuse Plot. While the Talisman Wheels do depict a wide variety of characters, their role in the storyline is unknown since the Talisman Wheels are merely described as Abnormal Ammo for the RoboRiders, which are actually their own drivers due to being cyborgs with human brains. To a lesser extent, while it was found on the official RoboRiders website and in UK catalogs, it is unclear whether the virus plot is the central overarching plot of the entire toyline or if it is just a one-off story for the web content (note that preliminary storyline makes no mention of the virus at all and just describes the RoboRiders competing in dangerous obstacle courses, which is more in line with most of the theme's marketing); therefore, RoboRiders such as The Boss who aren't involved in the online story may not be associated with the virus plotline at all.
  • Also, people assume the RoboRiders are meant to be aliens or, at least, nonhuman. Several sources explicitly say they are human brains in the bikes.
• Narm: The ridiculously over-the-top LEGO World Club Magazine marketing was likely meant to be pushing the theme as cool and edgy to appeal to an older audience, but ended up becoming unintentionally hilarious instead.
• Sophomore Slump: RoboRiders is LEGO's second major attempt at a TECHNIC action figure line, following Slizer and then being succeeded by BIONICLE. For various reasons, it's far less well-regarded than what came before and after it, making it feel like the odd middle child of the bunch.

---