Classics Megatron
By Josh Hechinger
January 5, 2007 - 12:39
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But Megatron does not rule with an iron fist.
He prefers the gigantic cannon grafted to his forearm.
Likeness
Like the other characters in the Classics line, Classics Megatron is a homage/update of the original Megatron character. As such, this toy keeps the main points of the character’s design (the helmet, the boots, the preposterously gigantic arm cannon) while adding its own flourishes (giant wings, more colors than white/gray). In short, it’s unmistakably old-school Megatron, just a little fancied up.
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For the first time since 1984, Megatron turns into a gun. Not the Walther P38 of old, but some sort of Nerf six-shooter gun (note: it does not actually fire Nerf darts, and more’s the pity).
The gun mode is scaled so that for children, it’s impressive nail driver of a gun, whereas it’s a nifty and compact sci-fi pistol for adults. And yes, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility that adults will find themselves covertly playing around with the thing; it just seems to invite it.
You might even be tempted to make shooty noises while you do so. It’s ok. I won’t tell.
Robot Mode Sculpt
Megatron looks impressive. His sculpted expression is a little cold and contemptuous, without being an overblown caricature. He’s large without being bulky, and the “wings” formed by the gun mode’s casing give him a bit of flourish. They’re not unlike a cape, but they’re a good deal more sensible. They also tie him in well with the other Decepticons, most of whom are jets or other flying vehicles.
The other big selling point of the toy’s design is, of course, the giant arm cannon. It’s a fine cannon, but it’s attached strangely to the forearm. Instead of the usual placement on the back of the forearm, it’s attached to the underneath. This makes the cannon less of a big gun, and more like a nightstick or tonfa that happens to shoot big plasma bursts.
Which, frankly, makes the toy seem that much more of a nasty combatant in robot mode. It and the wings are probably the biggest design tweaks to the figure that pay off.
Transformation
Megatron’s transformation sequence is surprisingly simple. Just pop open the shell of the revolver, twist the torso into place and unfold the various limbs.
In a welcome improvement over the last attempt at a gun-based Megatron, the trigger no longer forms the crotch of the figure. Indeed, everything slots into place very well between the two molds, giving cohesiveness to the figure.
Paint
The toy has very nice paint applications, particularly in the gold detailing. The sole misstep is the strip of black above the figure’s eyes. Frankly, it looks like a unibrow, and takes some of the menace out of the figure.
Scale
Megatron is a Voyager class figure, which means he’s bigger than your average Transformer at a commanding 7’’ (8’’ and change with the wings).
Stability
Megatron’s wings may cause him to fall backward, but only if you deliberately distribute his weight that way. For the most part, he’s a stable figure, and unlikely to fall over randomly.
Articulation
Megatron is articulated at the shoulders, elbows, biceps, knees, and hips. His head is on a ball joint. His shoulders, hips, elbows and knees feature ratcheting joints to prevent looseness.
Plastic
Megatron is made of durable plastic, and should stand up to extended play pretty well.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend pistol-whipping anyone with the gun form. It’s not that durable, and you shouldn’t be pistol-whipping people with toys anyway. Even toys of evil fascist robots.
Props
Megatron needs no props. Megatron IS a prop.
Packaging
Like the other Classics Voyager figures, Megatron comes in a red window box featuring the original Transformers logo. He’s packaged in his gun mode. A folded bit of cardboard on the front shows the figure in gun mode, but can be flipped up to show the robot mode. The back of the box features a biography and statistics for the character (strength, intelligence, firepower, etc.).
Cost
As a Voyager Class action figure (i.e. A little larger than the regular Deluxe toys), Megatron has a shelf price of $20.
Availability
The good news is that most major retail stores seem to be carrying the Classics line. I saw them at K-Mart first, and Wal-Mart and Target soon followed.
The bad news is that the Voyagers seem to be carried in smaller amounts than the Deluxe figures, and that most stores carrying them have been picked over for Christmas. Give it some time though, and you’ll probably be able to pick one up, no problem.