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Namreko 3000 was a heavyweight robot entered by Mike Okerman and Curtis Nemeth into the 1995 and 1996 US Robot Wars competitions.

The original 1995 incarnation - competing as Namreko 2000 - took part in both the 1995 Heavyweight Face-Off and Melee events, but was eliminated in the first rounds by Blendo[2] and The Master[3] respectively. For 1996, the robot adopted its later name along with key upgrades, including the replacement of its original chainsaw and spikes with a set of electrically-operated lifting/grabbing jaws. Despite its larger and more effective weaponry, Namreko 3000 fared little better in combat; its Face-Off run was cut short after a controversial first-round loss against Munch.[4] Namreko 3000’s top-heavy design also caused defeats in the first round of the Heavyweight Melee,[5][6] and a concurrently-run 'Grudge Match' against Nemesis.[7]

Clips highlighting Namreko 3000's Melee loss were featured in the American Robot Wars 1996 and American Robot Wars Final 1996 VHS releases, interspersed in the former with footage of the overall Heavyweight Melee Final.

Design[]

Namreko 3000's design remained consistent throughout its US Robot Wars career, being a compact robot with a shell repurposed from a welded steel barrel. The strength and thickness of the barrel offered the machine a high degree of protection, compensating for a low top speed.[7]

When first built as Namreko 2000, the robot was equipped with a chainsaw - mounted horizontally from the right-hand side - and a pair of two-inch ramming spikes at the front.[8] The spikes were mounted in such a way that the left spike was positioned higher than the right.

The 1996 upgrades saw the renamed Namreko 3000 exchange its weapons for a new set of front jaws, operated by 'lead-screw linear actuators' supported by a small castor wheel. The jaws - slightly taller than the chassis - were capable of grabbing, lifting and carrying opponents to arena hazards. However, their size and placement, coupled with the robot's tall and narrow construction, made Namreko 3000 'dangerously topheavy'. The latter aspect made the robot vulnerable to toppling over while the jaws were raised, especially with the weight of other robots resting on them. Namreko 3000's design also lacked a self-righting mechanism, preventing it from recovering if it ended up on its side.[7]

Etymology[]

"Namreko" is team member Mike Okerman's surname spelt backwards, likely inspiring the name for both incarnations.

Robot History[]

1995 US Championship[]

Namreko 2000 fought in its original form at the 1995 US competition, taking part in both the Heavyweight Face-Off and Melee events. In the opening round of the Face-Off, it was drawn against Blendo, a full-body spinner built by future MythBusters alumni Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage.

Once the battle got underway, both competitors were initially tentative. Namreko 2000 shuttled back, forth and around Blendo at first. Upon dodging the Ball of Doom, it made a slow run towards the Colossal Pictures-sponsored entry, though neither machine made contact. Namreko 2000's driving, however, forced Blendo to drive into the range of the Ball of Doom, and in turn take damage to its industrial wok shell.[2]

Namreko 2000 began clipping the lip of Blendo's weapon with its lower spike; the impacts dented the spikes while turning the whole robot to the side. Further blows sent sparks and pieces of metal flying, while also incapacitating the chainsaw weapon. Namreko 2000 continued to sustain impacts to its base from Blendo, which also buckled the lower spike further. Eventually, Blendo's attacks were enough to sever the cable connecting Namreko 2000's battery and internals. Namreko 2000 became immobilized as a result, and was eliminated from the Heavyweight Face-Off by knockout.[2][9]

In the Heavyweight Melee, a repaired Namreko 2000 fought a three-way first-round battle, also involving Creeping Death and recently-crowned Face-Off co-champion The Master.

Audience footage of this Melee fight suggests that Namreko 2000 initially approached The Master - equipped with its Lexan 'whip' - and brushed the front of Creeping Death with its chainsaw. At that point, The Master approached and whacked Namreko 2000 from above; undeterred, Namreko 2000 followed and attempted to push The Master back as it took further hits from the 'whip'. More bumps and blows were exchanged between the two competitors; Namreko 2000, however, began struggling to maintain full mobility, often driving in circles on its right-hand side while The Master continued to attack. While The Master also encountered control issues of its own, careering into the walls and flippers nearby, Namreko 2000 could not assert itself fully as it took further blows from the 'whip'. Another bump between the two competitors left Namreko 2000 completely immobilized, and open to a final series of overhead attacks. With Creeping Death also immobile, The Master was soon declared the winner. Namreko 2000 would be eliminated from the Heavyweight Melee at that stage alongside Creeping Death.[3]

1996 US Championship[]

Namreko 3000's 1996 campaign also involved spells in the Heavyweight Face-Off and Melee tournaments. In the Face-Off, it battled Munch in the first round.

Namreko 3000 steadily moved forwards through the center in the opening moments, aiming to get a grasp on the smoking Munch. However, it was soon outmaneuvered by the Distraction Laboratories machine, which swerved, drove around the back of and quickly seized it in its own horizontal jaws. In an attempt to break free, Namreko 3000 raised its own jaw, while dragging and pushing Munch around in circles. Both robots remained stuck together, however; after a minute's worth of combat, Munch's attack was deemed to be a pin, despite Namreko 3000 still being fully mobile. Amidst 'displeasure' from audience members regarding the Judges' decision, Namreko 3000 was eliminated from the Heavyweight Face-Off once again.[7][4]

The next battle for Namreko 3000 was an exhibition 'Grudge Match' against Nemesis, which was also eliminated in Round 1.

According to the Team Spike website, it enjoyed a strong start, grabbing and beginning to lift Nemesis with its jaws. While steering it towards a mousetrap, however, Namreko 3000 lost its grip once Nemesis was knocked out of its jaws by the hazard's descending net. Worse still, the same impact caused the top-heavy Namreko 3000 to topple onto its side. Unable to self-right, it lost the 'Grudge Match' to Nemesis.[7]

In the Heavyweight Melee tournament, Namreko 3000 fought three opponents in its first-round battle - Merrimac, Red Scorpion and Tazz.

Namreko vs merrimac vs mousetrap

Namreko 3000 is toppled over by the Mousetrap following an attack by Merrimac

Slow to get in the action, it attempted to capitalize on Merrimac's early misfortune; the Industrial Light & Magic representative having become pinned by one of the mousetraps. Namreko 3000 grabbed and began lifting Merrimac, just as the mousetrap net swatted the latter. Unfortunately, as in its 'Grudge Match', the collision between the hazard and Merrimac caused it to topple onto its side. Still holding Merrimac in its jaws, Namreko 3000 played no further part in the battle, with Merrimac eventually breaking free and helping Tazz pin it against the wall. Namreko 3000, the only robot from this battle not chosen to compete in the Final, was eliminated at that stage.[5][6]

Results[]

NAMREKO 2000 - RESULTS
1995 US Championship
Heavyweight Face-Off
Round 1
Round 1 vs. Blendo Lost
Heavyweight Melee
Round 1
Round 1 vs. Creeping Death, The Master Lost
NAMREKO 3000 - RESULTS
1996 US Championship
Heavyweight Face-Off
Round 1
Round 1 vs. Munch Lost
Heavyweight Melee
Round 1
Round 1 vs. Merrimac, Red Scorpion, Tazz Lost
Other Battles
Grudge Matches
Grudge Match vs. Nemesis Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 5

Series Record[]

Events Namreko 3000 Event Record
1994 Did not enter
1995 Heavyweight Face-Off, Round 1 as Namreko 2000
Heavyweight Melee, Round 1 as Namreko 2000
1996 Heavyweight Face-Off, Round 1
Heavyweight Melee, Round 1
1997 Did not enter

Outside Robot Wars[]

After their US Robot Wars appearances, Mike Okerman and Curtis Nemeth competed in various BattleBots events under the Gammatronic Robot Brigade and Gamma Brigade team names. They initially entered an updated Namreko 3000 into the inaugural Long Beach and Las Vegas events in 1999. For Long Beach, Namreko 3000 retained its front jaws, which were modified to feature a pair of small cutting discs. The jaws were later replaced by a larger set of articulated sawblades for Las Vegas, which also saw self-righting arms being added to each side. A 'dome head', which became a signature design feature on the team's later machines, was added to the top of both incarnations.

Namreko 3000's BattleBots campaigns yielded similarly little success; at Long Beach, it was eliminated from the main Gigabot Duel tournament following losses to Punjar and frenZy respectively. An appearance in the Gigabot Rumble saw it damage and cause an internal fire within Juggernaut, as well as turn UK competitor Razer over with its jaws. Namreko 3000 later took damage from the future Robot Wars UK and World Champion, which ultimately won the Rumble on a crowd vote. At Las Vegas, Namreko 3000 collected its only career win against Minotaur, only to be eliminated from the heavyweight division upon losing its next fight to Nightmare. The newly-added srimechs also failed to work once BioHazard flipped it during the Heavyweight Rumble, eliminating Namreko 3000 from contention.

Namreko 3000 was subsequently retired ahead of the televised Comedy Central series, which saw the team debut the heavyweight walker Gammatron. Initially featuring an array of interchangeable weapons - including a turret-based titanium hammer[10] or sawblade - it won its first match in Season 1.0 against Suicidal Tendencies on a 6-3 judges' decision. Gammatron would be eliminated soon after, however, upon losing a 7-2 judges' decision against Punjar in the quarter-finals. It would also be defeated early in the Heavyweight Royal Rumble upon getting turned over by BioHazard. Despite also receiving byes in Seasons 2.0 and 3.0, and switching to an overhead flail spinner in the latter, Gammatron also lost its first battles of each season to Panic Attack 3 and Little Sister respectively. A further Rumble loss also occurred in Season 2.0, this time to OverKill.

Walkerbot rule changes for Season 4.0 prompted the team to retire Gammatron. For the final two Comedy Central seasons, they competed in the superheavyweight division with Gammacide - a box-shaped robot armed with a lifting scoop. Gammacide immediately demonstrated improved form, winning three battles to finish in the Round of 32 in the Season 4.0 superheavyweight division. This earnt the Gamma Brigade their best BattleBots results and a seeded position in the Season 5.0 tournament. However, Gammacide could not build on its success, losing its only battle in the latter season to Dreadnought.

After a prolonged absence, the Gamma Brigade made a surprise return to BattleBots for the 2018 Discovery season, competing with the heavyweight Gamma 9. A four-wheel drive robot initially armed with a crushing claw, Gamma 9 endured a difficult debut run, losing both of its Fight Night matches and not being selected for the main tournament. Coincidentally, one of its matches was a three-way Rumble involving Team Big Brother and their multibot The Four Horsemen, which won the match on a split decision. The 2018 build was also involved in a sketch segment alongside Bronco, whose flipper threw Gamma 9 into a dumpster.

A second build of Gamma 9 later competed in the 2020 season, exchanging its claw for a five-pronged lifter. As in 2018, it lost both of its Fight Night battles against the walkerbot Chomp and the punching drum spinner Tantrum, while taking extensive damage from both.

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