General Information
Release Date: September 2024
Price Point: $9.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Shoulder Cannons x 2, Tank/Sword
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com
- DISCOVER KINGDOM: Worlds collide when the Maximals and Predacons join the fight, coming together with the Autobots and Decepticons in an epic battle that will alter their destiny forever
- 3.5-INCH CORE CLASS SCALE: This collectible figure stands at the new Core Class scale and depicts the brutal Decepticon leader, Megatron! The 3.5-inch mini-figure allows fans to collect a mini version of the iconic character to pose out with other Megatron figures at larger scales! (Each sold separately, subject to availability.)
- CLASSIC EARTH MODE: This Core Class Megatron toy converts to his classic Earth tank mode with a swivel turret in 12 steps
- CLASSIC G1 ACCESSORY: Comes with Fusion Cannon and blaster accessories. Blaster accessory is inspired by the G1 alt mode of Megatron and can connect to his Fusion Cannon accessory
- GREAT GIFT: This 3.5-inch Megatron makes a great gift for kids and adults!
Unite your favorite characters from across the world of Transformers robots into your collection with the Transformers Legacy United Core Class Energon Universe Galvatron action figure! This 3.5-inch Energon Universe Galvatron action figure converts between robot and jet modes in 11 steps. Gear up for battle with the included cannon and blaster accessories that attach in both modes. The Energon Universe Galvatron figure is inspired by the character from the animated series, Transformers: Energon, and features articulated head, arms, and legs for awesome action poses. Celebrate the last 40 years of Transformers history with Transformers Legacy action figures. Transformers Legacy opens the portal to a whole new universe of -- More Than Meets the Eye -- bringing together every Transformers generation like you’ve never seen before. Collect and combine different characters to create your ideal Legacy lineup. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. © 2024 Hasbro.
Background:
In 2002 Hasbro and Takara launched a new Transformers trilogy which came to be known as "The Unicron Trilogy". The first part was Armada and its follow up was Energon. That series featured Megatron in a new form that looked a lot like G1 Galvatron (I know, weird). Last year Hasbro released a Core Class version of Megatron. This year they have given this figure a new deco as his "upgraded" form, Galvatron!
Packaging:
Energon Universe Galvatron is packaged in a standard sized Core Class box. The box is rectangular with a large flap on top. The background looks like dark blue machinery with some yellow and orange lights. The top flap shows Galvatron in vehicle mode (a recolor of Megatron's art) with the Generations logo next to it. The main part of the box shows Galvatron through a open window shaped with jagged edges that look kind of like the edges of rocks. To the right is the Transformers logo and under the figure is the Legacy: United logo and below that is Galvatron's name with "Energon Universe" over it. The back of the box shows the figure in both modes calling out an eleven step transformation.
Accessory:
Galvatron includes the same three accessories as Energon Universe Megatron. These are all based on features from the original figure released in 2004:
- Cannons: The 2004 Energon Galvatron figure had two shoulder cannons with designs based on G1 Galvatron's arm cannon. Unlike those cannons, these are not built into the figure. Instead, they are two identical accessories that are (once again) based on the design of G1 Galvatron's cannon complete with a cone shaped barrel. Each of these features a 3mm peg on the bottom and at the base. The end of each cannon can fit a Blast Effect, which looks great! Each of these pieces is made of yellow plastic with no paint applications.
- Tank/Sword: The 2004 Energon Galvatron figure included an accessory that was a tank and sword weapon. The tank was a callback to his alt-mode in Armada. This figure includes an accessory that is based on that tank with the sword blade sticking out the back. The tank portion is really nicely detailed. It's a shame this is all black plastic with no paint applications because a lot of the detailing gets a bit lost unless you stare at it. That said, this black plastic is much darker than the one used on Megatron and it is a bit shinier. I really wish they had used say, light grey on the sword blade but I understand why this may not have been in the budget. This accessory has a 5mm port that allows you to attach it to either of his forearms.
Robot Mode:
There have been no tooling changes made for this release. This figure still retains all the same sculpted details that make it look inspired by G1 Megatron. Here's the rundown from my Megatron review:
- Head: The head sculpt has a distinctive crown shape on the "helmet" section based on G1 Galvatron's animation model. However, the sides of the "crown" have ridges on them that were distinct to the Energon Megatron/Galvatron design.
- Torso: The torso has a distinctive shape with an armor piece sticking out a bit in a curved shape. On either side are two small cylinders stacked on top of one another and the "abdominal" area has a distinct pattern of squares.
- Arms: The arms are all blocky and rectangular, which is more of a direct callback to the 2004 Megatron and Galvatron animation models rather than the G1 Galvatron design.
- Wings: The wings from the vehicle mode wind up on the back of this figure and they add a very dramatic, sweeping shape to the silhouette of the character. The original character design also had wings like these and they were among the most distinctive features of Energon Megatron and Galvatron.
- Legs: Each of the legs has a distinctive hex shaped knee armor piece and a raised detail under it that looks like an arrow. This and the cylindrical shape of the legs are based both on G1 Galvatron's design as well as Energon Megatron's.
I absolutely love this sculpt. It looks fantastic in this mode and pays homage to the original design beautifully.
Core Class figures are fairly simple, so the color swaps are very straightforward. The silver on Megatron has been replaced with a slightly darker silver color. The black parts on Megatron are now a much darker black that is a bit shiny (the color used on the tank accessory mentioned above) and the neon green parts have ben replaced with yellow. There is an extraordinary amount of paint on this figure. Specifically there is a lot of purple used to paint the torso and waist section, something that was not done on Megatron (because it was not needed). The purple is also used on his head and the wings on his back. Black paint is used on the legs to paint the arrow-like designs. The black is also used on the fists. There is a dark purple Decepticon symbol on his chest, and the "abdominal" area is painted red. The face is a light blue color with red eyes. This is a very impressive deco, especially for the Core Class price point. I am very happy they did not try to skip some of the purple paint on the body since this is crucial to evoking the look of G1 Galvatron. I only wish they could have painted the shoulder cannons orange, but I can understand why that would not have been possible (either because of design issues or cost).
There are eleven points of articulation on this figure. This includes two ball joints on each arm and the head. If you want to be generous you can include the wings on his back for a total of thirteen points. The yellow cannons can attach to his shoulders pointing up or forward (a nod to the same weapons on the original figure). They can also be held in his hands. The tank/sword accessory can connect to either forearm. That's a good amount of play value for a Core Class figure. For those worried about this being a redeco and loose joints, there's no need for concern. All the joints are still nice and tight.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Point the robot feet down.
- Swing the cockpit section on the back up over the head.
- Rotate the wing piece on the back around.
- Rotate the forearms around, then push the arms in and swing the forearms up.
- Rotate each lower leg so the knee armor pieces face each other.
- Swing the legs forward, connecting them to the arms.
- Swing the wings down.
- Attach the blaster weapons to his shoulders.
- Attach the tank/sword to the top of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Instead of having a mobile cannon alt-mode like G1 Galvatron, Energon Megatron transformed into a spaceship. This vehicle mode is based on that form. It has a unique design with a curved cockpit section with a "neck" leading to the main body of the vehicle. The cannons from the robot mode flank this "neck" section. The main body of the vehicle is very chunky since it contains most of the robot mode parts, but that is consistent with the design from 2004. The wings are a unique shape, angling upward, then at a hinge piece in the middle it angles downard. This shape is reflected in this figure. Overall the vehicle mode looks great.
There are no color surprises in this mode. The only real "new" reveals are the wings and cockpit/neck sections. The wings are yellow plastic with purple and silver paint on them. The cockpit/neck section has red paint on the sides with yellow on the windows. The combination of purple, silver, black, red and yellow all come together beautifully. Of the two versions of this figure I really do prefer this color scheme.
This form is basically a flying battle platform, which is appropriate for a Decepticon leader. This mode has five attachment points for Blast Effects. Two on the wings, the blasters flanking the neck and the tank barrel. He looks super cool with so many blasts coming out of him.
Final Thoughts:
I loved the original version of this figure and the deco on this one is even better, in my opinion. The sculpt is great, there is good articulation, nice accessories and beautiful colors. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt that represents the character nicely in both modes.
- Beautiful deco.
- Relatively involved (but intuitive) transformation for a Core Class figure.
- Includes the shoulder cannons and the tank/sword (not just one or the other to save budget).
- Good articulation.
Cons:
- While I would love extra paint applications frankly at this price point it's not realistic.
