Beast Wars 10th Anniverary Megatron:
I'd been looking forward to this figure, but wasn't crazy about the color scheme. Still, when I found it in my local toy shop, I couldn't pass it up…
Beast Mode:
This incarnation of Megatron is a techo-organic Tyranosaurus Rex. For the most part, mixing the most popular dinosaur with robots is a good idea, and whoever designed this figure did a nice job. There's a lot of robotic detail in the sculpt. Unlike a lot of other T-Rex toys, this guy is fully poseable. The nicest part for me is that you can move the head and give the beast mode some personality, instead of having him be stuck in a statuesque pose. Playability is extremely high in this mode, and it could probably sell on its own, even if it didn't transform into a robot. The only complaint I have about the figure at this point is the color scheme. It's reminiscent of the Beast Wars Megatron figure, with lavender covering most of the body. There's some nice metallic blue on the shins, but an ugly metallic green on the dinosaur's spine. I feel that the figure could have really come to life with more paint applications.
The force chip / key gimmick for this figure is... well, it makes me uncomfortable. I'm not as up on my dinosaur anatomy as I used to be, but the force chip apparently plugs into Megatron's rectal area. This causes the spine of his tail to swing up, revealing a missile launcher, complete with spring-loaded missile. I personally hate spring-loaded missiles on my toys. This missile shoots pretty far, once you've located the trigger button. In handling, however, the missile seems to pop out rather easily. The same is true for the force chip -- it just doesn't stay in place, but perhaps that's just my figure. Once the launcher is revealed, it looks like you've plugged the planet key into his crotch and he grew a rectal rocket. Like I said, it makes me uncomfortable.
Transformation:
Aside from the Silverbolt figure, I never bought Beast Wars figures until now. Thus, I'm not familiar with some of the transformations. Megatron's transformation feels similar to how it works in Season One of the cartoon. I honestly had some trouble getting all the flaps and panels out of the way so I could actually swivel Megs' robot torso into place. Truthfully, it's easier to get him into robot mode than it is to return him to beast mode. I have a lot of trouble doing that for some reason.
Robot Mode:
It's definitely Beast Wars Megatron, even if the colors aren't show-accurate. The T-Rex head for his right forearm is the most recognizable feature, and it works pretty well. Even though I don't mind the fact that the color scheme isn't show-accurate, I just don't really like the colors on this figure. The lavendar in beast mode clashes heavily with the black and dark purple of the robot mode. Megatron's mouth is open, but isn't painted. His eyes are red, but are a bit difficult to see. The nice metallic blue paint returns as a rim around his face as well as an H-shaped mark on his chest. Some red bars add nice detail and contrast to the torso, as well as what looks like a tribal necklace made of teeth, which matches the metallic paint on the toenails/claws.
As for the robot itself, it's not a bad figure. Megatron is well-balanced, and has a lot of poseability as far as stances are concerned. The main complaint I have about his robot mode is the entire left arm. Aside from the hand, it's just not cool. For starters, it seems to be way too short. It just doesn't look right. The hand is cool, but it's open. If it were a fist, the arm would look even worse. The shoulder pad is much blockier than the right one, for reasons regarding the transformation. Also, I have issues with how Megatron can hold his rectal cannon -- err, tail-gun. You can attach it the way it's set in beast mode, with the claws holding the tail. This resembles the original Beast Wars Megatron. You can, however, also use a peg to plug the gun into a hole on Megs' wrist. Think Cybertron Chromia/Thunderblast. Depending on how you fiddle with it, you can make this look alright, but it's best when you remove the planet key. The spine flap is rather unsightly, but there's nothing that can be done about that.
Accessories:
Megatron comes packaged with a Predacon ship, which looks pretty close to the one in Beast Wars except perhaps the color scheme. Megs also comes with an IDW comic book, "Beast Wars #1: The Gathering"... or perhaps "Beast Wars: The Gathering #1." I'm not sure which. This is a mini-comic book that is bound with... string, oddly enough. I haven't seen a book put together like this since I was a kid. I would be careful not to pull on any loose threads, lest the entire book come apart. I haven't read the book yet, but it looks good enough. I used to read comics religiously, but recently lost interest. I believe this comic has been released at full-size at comic book retailers. As one of my art school instructors told me, however, "Everything looks better reduced." It's true, as the book's art looks more detailed at this small size than it was probably drawn. Megatron also comes with a green Animatros/Jungle Planet force chip cyber planet whatever.
Packaging:
Megatron was packaged in the same box as the rest of the 10th Anniversary Beast Wars figures. Of course his has the usual Predacon intricacies here and there. There was a lot more tape holding this box together than the first two waves, and as with the earlier figures, you pretty much have to destroy the packaging to remove the figure. I use a pocket knife to remove the blister from the cardboard. This makes it easier to get to the twist ties, but it makes it difficult to repackage the figure if it's defective and needs to be returned. My Megatron cost me $16.99 at a small toy shop. I imagine stores like Target and Toys'R'Us will maintain their $15 price.
Overall:
A very good toy, albeit poorly colored. Playability is high, and the overall shape is nice in both modes. Definitely a good figure to put on display. I'm considering taking some paint to mine and customizing it. Id' hate to lose some of the nice metallic colors, but the lavender & metallic green color scheme just makes me kind of sick. Color is really the only issue regarding this figure. It wouldn't be hard to repaint Megatron as Grimlock, or even a Beast Wars Dinobot or Transmetal Dinobot. If you like Beast Wars, or even if you just like dinosaurs, this is a figure you'll enjoy. I'll give it 7.5 out of 10 points. Optimus Primal review coming soon.
| Reviewer | FoxtailGuy |
| Date | July 13th 2006 |
| Score |  (7 out of 10) |
| Reads | 18556 |
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