I saw ROBOTECH before Macross
BUT
a couple years before that I got an actual macross VF-1S
Something about the design of the mech and scull insignia got me
and I would draw Hikaru and MinMei from the box.
later I found another, this time packaged as a Converter
and it also had versions in different colors.
So when I saw commercials for ROBOTECH I freaked out
"cool, that's my favorite toy on t.v.!"
I watched Voltron too. The fact that the giant robots in these cartoons
were piloted by humans and had a reason for being giant robots made
me feel mentally superior to the Transformers fans.
Attack Of The Bionoids (DYRL) was a great discovery too!
Macross is obviously better for every reason but ROBOTECH holds a
nostalgic place in my early years and was a gateway to the anime addiction
(alongside AKIRA, Fist Of The North Star, Lupin, etc.) so I shant dis.