Robot VS Steampunk! Machine Colour Comparison

     ROBOT VS STEAMPUNK! MACHINE COLOUR COMPARISON

      No matter whether you choose circuits or gears,

     The cost to paint your Neopet one will bring you to tears!

     Before we pit electricity against steam (kids, don’t try this at home), let’s cover some ground rules:

     1. The comparisons will mainly be between how the Neopets look when you first paint them their respective colour (and how they do when you look them up in the Rainbow Pool): Robot Neopets will be wearing their full outer casing and Steampunk Neopets in their entire attire & accessories. If something about their base designs under their clothes is notable (especially with the Robot Neopets) I may give it a mention (and include an image) and they could be used to decide tiebreakers.

     2. So that everyone has a good look at each pair, I highly suggest looking them up on the Rainbow Pool.

     3. And most importantly, these are just my opinions and it’s all in good fun. Feel free to agree or disagree (especially if you agree). ;)

     Now with all that settled, onto the comparisons!

     ACARA:

     We start off pretty basic with the Robot Acara. The sleek Robot design looks cool, and funny they gave it a “tail” antenna, but nothing much stands out. It’s almost the opposite of the Steampunk Acara which has a lot of little details. We have the wind-up mechanical arm, the gauge with two colored liquids attached to the hip, the spiked goggles with two different colored flip down lenses, and the gears inside its ears. It’s a little too much for me, especially the gears in the ears which I don’t know what purpose they serve; either they don’t work and are an odd decorative choice or they do work which feels like they would be a hindrance as the Acara would only hear grinding gear noises. Also the mechanical arm would have been cooler without the wind-up key and the spikes on the goggles are an extra layer of superfluous. Simple but effective, the winner is the Robot Acara.

     AISHA:

     I find the Robot Aisha disappointing. For a species that has strong magical connections and an alien variant (so much so they have the exclusive Alien colour so you can own an Alien Aisha), the Robot Aisha is so bland. It doesn’t even do anything interesting with the Aisha’s collars aside the charm is now hanging on a metal band instead of fabric collar. The Steampunk Aisha meanwhile has some fun if not random bits to it. I like the left eye’s extendable lens and the levers on the ear antennas gives it a slight sci-fi feel. The random wind-up key on the tail is odd, though I think also goes with the quirky nature the Aisha gives off, so the winner is the Steampunk Aisha.

     BLUMAROO:

     The Robot Blumaroo reminds me of a crash test dummy with the big staring eyes, red casing colour, and the metre on its front. In fact, I kind of prefer it without its casing as it still looks like a mostly completed Robot but has some cooler details like transparent forehead and a power core in the chest.

     The Steampunk Blumaroo also has something interesting underneath its clothes, there’s a small implant on its forehead (I’d call it a microchip but that’s not Steampunk’s style); making it an actual cyborg even without the clothes (not all Steampunk Neopets have something like this, and for this competition I feel it’s an important detail to include).

     Though the clothes are still cool too, it’s slightly complex, but not busy in the way the above Steampunk Acara was. All its parts blend well together so that all the additional details are more of a nice touch than a distraction. Since we’re more focusing on the clothes/casing for this competition, the winner is the Steampunk Blumaroo.

     BORI:

     On top of being a good design, one of the advantages the Robot Bori over other Robot Neopets is that it looks happy and friendly (just keep the casing on, trust me on this). To allude to the Bori’s shell, the body’s casing looks to be made with thicker layers of metal than the head (which also looks to be coming out from the body instead of directly attached). The green glowing lights on its tail, ears, eyes and nose is just icing on the cake. The Steampunk Bori also is good. It’s a cyborg, having a piece of metal on its forehead that I assume attaches to its helmet.

     While the Robot Bori has a glowing smile, the Steampunk Bori’s helmet gives a sense of sternness. I also like how they allude to the Bori’s shell with the riveted metal bands going down its back and covering the tail except for the tip (which has a bit of its natural tail fur sticking out). The winner here comes down to the details, and for the Steampunk Bori, that’s where it falters. The dark copper colour looks wonderful, but you have to look closely to see the fine details on the belt, gloves, pants, and even parts of the mask. It’s not a major detraction, but every point matters here; the winner is the Robot Bori.

     CHOMBY:

     The Robot Chomby is fine, I do like the robot parts of it like the visible joint parts on the neck, legs & tail and the spot patterns made into a more angular logo. I just feel more could have been done (especially for underneath the casing); like they could have done something neat with the back plates. The Steampunk Chomby is a cyborg, the plates on its head have been replaced with metallic pieces connected by wiring.

     Speaking of which, I like what the clothes did with the back plates, nothing fancy but the additional green light on all of them gives me the image of the Steampunk Chomby using them as a multidirectional flashlight/spotlight system. I also feel they did a good job using all the space the Chomby’s body has, breaking it apart into pieces riveted together and having pipes going all over. It did what I wish the Robot Chomby would have done, so the winner is the Steampunk Chomby.

     CYBUNNY:

     The Robot Cybunny is another okay one; I like that the ears are on a swivel joint so they can turn & angle in any direction. But it’s another Robot Neopet that looks cooler under its casing, especially since it somewhat resembles an obscure but popular character, the Bionic Cybunny (originally just a normal enemy from Neoquest 2, it would make various cameo appearances, notably Topsi in his true android form). The Robot Cybunny may also be a cyborg as it has what looks to be real tufts of fur on the side of its mane and its tail.

     Speaking of cyborg, no, the Steampunk Cybunny isn’t one without its clothes. I’m not sure it’s even one with its clothes. I’m not even sure what it’s supposed to be. Moving aside the hat (which itself is all sorts of thrown together) it has what I’m guessing is a jetpack made up of two pairs of plane wings, tube rings, and a canister of green liquid I’m guessing is fuel (which you can’t see behind the Cybunny’s head; it’s only visible on the item art)? I could go on, but the winner is clear; the winner is the Robot Cybunny.

     DRAIK:

     I have some bias against the Robot Draik. It is a smoother design, notably with the ears, wings & body. Even the face, though looks like two halves riveted together, is also smooth otherwise. Only part that isn’t is the tail which is segmented, and is the only part of the Robot Draik I like. I also can’t fall back on what’s under the casing as, while it looks cool (especially the transparent body and circuit board aesthetic), it definitely looks like an incomplete robot.

     The Steampunk Draik on the other hand succeeds where the Steampunk Cybunny failed. Love the makeshift framing and stitched together ears and wings, and the additional small wings and sails on the tail. Even though those goggles only cover one eye (so I guess it’s just a goggle?), those white feathers tell me this Draik is a flying pro and those additional bits push its flying further (or at least makes it feel like it does). The winner is the Steampunk Draik.

     ELEPHANTE:

     Tough call, I debated calling this one a tie but felt that would be unsatisfactory. I’ll say the Robot Elephante is at first a rough look, a lot of grey metal, a lot of lines, and bits of colour here and there. However, as I take a closer look, I better see how it all comes together. Elephante are large Neopets so when you have a lot of details it can all blur together easily. That brings us to the Steampunk Elephante who I feel does a better job making the different parts of its clothes stand out from one another. The black metal and heavier shadows on the copper-coloured metal segments it nicely (I also like how the trunk part of the helmet is one giant breathing filter). Underneath the clothes the Steampunk Elephante is a cyborg but only via some small pieces of metal on its forehead; what’s under the Robot Elephante’s casing is more interesting in that case and has some elements which neatly line-up with the casing.

     I gotta go with my gut on this: The winner is the Steampunk Elephante. I just think the Robot Elephante’s casing could look better so that brings it down a peg.

     GELERT:

     The Robot Gelert doesn’t do anything too fancy, it reminds me of a retro robot dog toy (as in a robot toy in the shape of a robot, not a toy for your dog that’s a robot); it even has a screen on its chest which shows its heart. And that heart isn’t just for the casing, underneath it there is a heart-shaped part attached to wires (I don’t think it’s an organic heart so it’s still an android).

     Similarly, The Steampunk Gelert is a cyborg, uniquely so as its ears are actually covered in segmented tubing.

     Though with its clothing it’s seemingly more of a cyborg as its hind legs are prosthetics. There’s a bit of a “makeshift” aesthetic to it, especially when it comes to the face and front legs; like its progressively augmenting itself as it finds parts it can use (though not sure how useful it was to muzzle its snout with a belt). Some may feel it’s futile to resist, but for me the winner is the Robot Gelert.

     GRUNDO:

     On the surface the Robot Grundo looks really simple, I would not blame you if you thought it was a normal Grundo wearing a robot costume. But it is a robot, remove the casing and you’ll find one of the more unique underneath frames.

     Its entire body is a liquid-filled tank with a device that sort of looks like a robotic version of a heart with lungs (though since robots don’t need to breathe, and the “lungs” have wires attached to it going to the head and limbs, they probably have a different function). It is also funny to see that underneath the ear antennas, which on the casing are green orbs creating a green electric arc between them, are just incandescent light bulbs. Meanwhile the Steampunk Grundo is anything but simple. Taking a page from the Steampunk Aisha, it goes a more sci-fi route with a steampunk space suit complete with blaster. But it probably should have taken a few more pages as I feel it went too sci-fi, notably with the glowing green slime tubes; there’s one big one replacing its left ear antenna (with no idea what it does) and two on the blaster which already feels out of place. It’s also one of the less interesting Steampunk Neopets without its clothes as it’s nearly identical to an Orange Grundo. The winner is the Robot Grundo.

     HISSI:

     The Robot Hissi is a great design, there are three standout parts to it. First the belly or underside is a link of joints as it’s a serpent and that’s the best way a robot would imitate slithering. Second, the rest of the body, including the head, is covered in armour-like scale plating; the combination of the entire body reminds me of a tank. And third is I like how the “wing hands” were done, the casing alludes to feathers on the arms while the fingers are made into brightly painted claws (as the Robot Hissi likely doesn’t need the fingers to help it fly). That’s not to say the Steampunk Hissi is bad (which is a cyborg, under that hat it has a device attached to its head with a wire connected to its eyebrow).

     I like the look of black & brown buttoned leather clothes layered over one another with just a few metallic elements like the gloves & tail tip; and how can I not mention that fashionable hat & mask? But it does come out looking kind of generic, a good generic, but in a comparison the winner is the Robot Hissi.

     JESTAM:

     Probably one of the most popular Robot Neopets (at least before Customisation), the Robot Jetsam combines sleekness with mechanical articulation and a touch of Virtupets branding. Because it’s an aquatic species, the head and body is sleek with sharp fins for better hydrodynamics. The hinged shoulders and segmented-joint tail helps emphasise its robotic appearance (as opposed to being a Jetsam in a suit). I also like that underneath the casing the body has a rotor and the head has the support for the red visor.

     The Steampunk Jetsam also goes for an aquatic theme, putting it in a diving suit (the irony). The most notable part is, of course, the helmet which looks neat but hides a lot of the Jetsam’s identity (they tried to emphasise the fins but I don’t feel it's notable enough). Speaking of the helmet, underneath it reveals a microchip-like device on its head making it a cyborg.

     But that little detail isn’t enough to sway my opinion: the winner is the Robot Jetsam.

     KOI:

     Odd to say, but the Robot Koi looks even more like a real life fish than a normal Koi does; beady eyes, pushed out lips, and some fish have vein-y “arm” fins. Of course there’s still plenty about it that makes it a robot like the casing over its head fin and tail; even the parts that make it look more fish-y has something machine-like about it. Meanwhile the Steampunk Koi keeps to its goldfish name by having its clothes coloured orange and yellow, making it one of the more colourful Steampunk Neopets (its arm fins have green bands on them, making it look like they’re wrapped in seaweed). It has some diver elements like the Steampunk Jetsam, but it’s lighter on them (like having goggles and a filter mask instead of a diving helmet) which I think works better. It also has a lot of details but not too much, I especially like the wiring of the whiskers. Both are a bit bland underneath (Steampunk Koi does have a chip on its head, so it is a cyborg), so just judging them on outerwear, the winner is the Steampunk Koi.

      KOUGRA:

     Another simpler Robot Neopet, I like how the bands on its legs make it look like it has more “stripes” where a Kougra normally doesn’t. I think it could have used more, especially around the parts of the body that a Kougra normally has stripes. I’m mixed on the face, it’s fun that the jaw joints look like puffed cheeks and neat they added the ear notch, but the rest of the head along with the main body just looks unfinished (and more power to you if you can figure out what’s going on underneath the casing).

     The Steampunk Kougra also goes back to traditional Steampunk Neopet attire. I like the base clothing design, especially the hat and shirt. The additional details start to get a bit much near the feet but it’s not distracting. The winner is the Steampunk Kougra.

     KYRII:

     The Robot Kyrii doesn’t do anything special (at least with the casing), but it doesn’t need to as it looks great. It sort of has a Virtupets vibe, all it’s missing are red accents and a “V” shaped part. It does do something a little interesting under the casing: its “hair” is bundles of colored wires (some tied together), something only a few Robot Neopets do (and each time differently).

     The Steampunk Kyrii takes the cyborg gentleman approach (though only with the clothes on), wearing a dapper feathered hat, red ascot, green vest, and green pin-striped pants while augmented with a mechanical hand, ear, and eyepatch. It works, they’ll fit right in Moltara, but doesn’t stand out aside from that. Both are good, but comparing them, the winner is the Robot Kyrii.

     LENNY:

     The Robot Lenny is a bit of an oddball as its design is a mix of styles. The legs and beak are segmented though not in a way to make them look more flexible. The body, arms and head are angular though the tail, wing “feathers”, and “hair” are smooth rounded parts. But when you look at it as a whole nothing looks off. Speaking of hair, the Steampunk Lenny is a cyborg having its “hair” replaced with a domed device attached to its head.

     As for its clothes... oh boy. I think the legs and wings are fine, the feathers having hooks is an interesting idea. But that mask is doing it no favours, its hat looks more like a bucket, and the colours feel off. No contest, the winner is the Robot Lenny.

     NIMMO:

     If you just judge it by the face the Robot Nimmo looks pretty plain; however there’s more nuance to its design. The arms & upper legs look to be made of a flexible material and the lower legs & feet are more armoured (noted by a bold red colour); this gives the Robot Nimmo more of a sense of flowing movement and agility (especially when jumping). The emote on its chest is a cute bonus detail (and a bit of a relic of its pre-customisation design where the emote changed to match the Nimmo’s feeling). Under the casing the Robot Nimmo has an interesting water pipe/hose structure, a striking turquoise & yellow colour scheme, and its eyes look normal, possibly making it a cyborg.

     Not to be outdone, the Steampunk Nimmo also looks good and is a cyborg (having a spout-like device on its head which could connect to the hose on its helmet).

     It takes more of an inspiration from miners with the headlight helmet and cloth face mask. It also has 5 hexagon nuts covering its arms like a long bracelet; maybe not functional but certainly fashionable. Can’t go wrong with either, but Robot Neopets like the Nimmo have a leg up with a unique appearance under the casing, so the winner is the Robot Nimmo.

     SCORCHIO:

     The Robot Scorchio starts out strong with sharp angled plated armour (which gives its eyes a fierce stare) and replacing its spikes and wing stripes with angular red light bulbs (also having some other red lights on its wings and throughout its body to add to its intimidating appearance). Funny enough, if you remove the casing you’ll find the Robot Scorchio still has its wide eyes and big smile, the white armour hiding a black frame with even more red lights and exposed wires; gives it a different but equally neat design.

     The Steampunk Scorchio tries to compete by covering itself up as much as it could with a mechanical hat, wings, breathing mask, and segmented tail matched with a complimentary jacket, gloves and boots (also underneath its clothes it has a chip on its head so is a cyborg).

     But all this does is make the Steampunk Scorchio more clothes than Scorchio, the winner is the Robot Scorchio.

     SHOYRU:

     The Robot Shoyru is probably what many people would come up with if asked to draw a Robot version of a Neopet: silver coloured casing, segmented moving pieces, red glowing lights (especially for the eyes). You’d think it would look too plain but all the parts come together, with some additional small details, to help it stand out alongside other Robot Neopets. But if the casing is still too plain, underneath it is a more “computerised” Robot Shoyru with darker grey metal, transparent forehead, and wings being a giant circuit board.

     Meanwhile, the Steampunk Shoyru is anything but simple. The design calls back to the Shoyru’s draconic roots with scaly armour, long horns, segmented tail with spikes and fins (there’s also fins on its shoes), and of course leathery wings with a LOT of stitching (I bet you didn’t notice it was wearing a furry aviator’s jacket). If it was a “Dragonpunk” Shoryu it would win hands down, but it’s not so the winner is the Robot Shoyru.

     TECHO:

     Much like the Robot Shoyru, the Robot Techo is close to what I’d imagine people would come up with for a robot version of a Techo. And, much like it, has additional details to make it stand out such as the head crest and the glowing blue chest core. The chest core is also there without the casing which is also similar to the Robot Shoyru, minus the circuit board wings. But unlike the Robot Shoyru, the Robot Techo has competition. The Steampunk Techo has the steampunk style down; a peaked cap, goggles, and clothes fancied with copper-coloured metal pieces but also looking patched together (complete with mismatched repair patches). Its right hand, feet, and tail are covered in mechanical components, each made of many pieces and rivets as much for show as for function. Finally the Steampunk Techo is a cyborg but more unique than others: instead of something attached to its head, its mouth and throat are bolted together.

     Both are good, but with all the more interesting things done with it, the winner is the Steampunk Techo.

     UNI:

     An unexpected Robot Neopet would be the Robot Uni, galloping in with a bright yellow and blue colour scheme. Though outside of that eye-catching colour scheme, there’s nothing else which really stands out about it. And looking under its casing... is a mistake that I suggest you don’t do. And then there’s the Steampunk Uni. I apologise to the Steampunk Scorchio for saying it covered everything it could, because at the very least you could see its eyes. Every bit of the Steampunk Uni is covered, whether it’s in purple fabric (such as its hat, fly mask, and caparison) or mechanical parts (the wings, tail and legs). If that wasn’t enough there are also little details like the feather and gear on the hat, the superfluous monocle, gauges on the leg, and its horn being replaced with a metal cone which also makes it a cyborg.

     There is just a lot going on with both designs, but if I had to pick one, the winner is the Steampunk Uni. If you’re going to go audacious you might as well go all out (plus it didn’t give me nightmares).

     USUL:

     The Robot Usul looks unfinished, I get it's supposed to be a plain design but that doesn’t make it any more interesting. Then there’s parts of it I don’t get like the blue “mask” paint and the panel with buttons on the “stomach”; feels thrown on for the sake of it. The only interesting part is the mane of wires, which they further expand upon with the tail and ears under the casing; but even those just blend in as there’s nothing else to really look at.

     The Steampunk Usul may not have many mechanical parts but has plenty of interesting accessories. The clockwork top hat (plus white feathers, can’t forget those), the asymmetric goggles, the gown with gear parts, holding a pocket watch, and a metal tail covering because why not. The winner is the Steampunk Usul.

     ZAFARA:

     Our last Neopet for this comparison! The Robot Zafara finishes the Robot roll call looking like one of Dr. Sloth’s creations. Its angular dark grey metal body and red highlights (eyes, chest sensor, back spikes, knees, and tail tip) gives it a menacing appearance. But if you want a gentler Robot Zafara removing the casing reveals a more rounded frame, features more colours (such as a green chest core), has a cool holographic tuft of hair, and reveals it has normal eyes meaning it’s a cyborg.

     Finishing the Steampunk roster is the Steampunk Zafara, and it came prepared. Where to begin? Over its green-striped overalls, from its head to its tail, it’s just covered in either metal or leather (or both) decorated with studs, gears, and piping among other little details (like its shoe having a spring heel). It’s a very busy design, in fact I would say it’s too busy as your eyes don’t know where to focus. They’re both good designs, but sometimes simplicity is better than complexity, so the winner is the Robot Zafara.

     Those are all the Neopets with both a Robot and Steampunk Colour (while all Neopets come in Robot, at the time of writing this 32 species are still waiting for their Steampunk Colour). What’s the final tally? Robot Neopets won 13 times, Steampunk Neopets won 10 times. The winners are the Robot Neopets! Steampunk Neopets put up a good fight with plenty of good designs (or at least designs better than their Robot counterparts), but Robot Neopets just have the advantage of its base design underneath the casing essentially making it a two-for-one colour, many times cinching tiebreakers. However, remember this competition was focused on which colour was more machine-like; for personal preferences I can see players, especially customizers, preferring Steampunk Neopets for their unique base colour underneath their clothes. But for now, we can put an end to this article that the most machine-like colour is Robot.

     (Dancing Robot Sloth Clone approves)