Allspark member lastmaximal ran across this at one of his local specialty stores in the Philippines, a previously unknown Platinum set featuring both the mysterious Classics Optimus recolor we reported on recently, and a new redeco of Classics "Nerf Gun" Megatron. The new use of Megatron is no small surprise since there has been no Hasbro release of it since 2006 when the original came out. No price was reported for this set, but for us in the United States, that may not be a direct concern. Keep reading to find out more.
Some years ago it was said that Hasbro was unlikely to ever use the Classics Megatron mold again due to it transforming in to a gun. While at the time of its original release it apparently cleared any concerns Hasbro legal might have held, it was felt that it couldn't do so again. Now, in the intervening years more than a few things have changed, and while it's possible the current environment within Hasbro is one where this is being given an attempt once again, it could also be that this set is not planned to see release in the United States. Toy guns are a very delicate matter in this country, which led to that mold falling out of use immediately after release in Hasbro's lines, though TakaraTomy continued to reuse it for years afterward. I think it's possible that this set might be designed for Hasbro Asia which probably doesn't have quite the same issues around toy guns. While the deco taken up by bright colors and clear plastic in gun mode come across as efforts to make the toy more friendly and safer for the US, it might be "just in case" steps in the event they can work out distribution here. It's speculative, but at the moment I'd advise not getting up hopes for a local release of this particular set.
