General Information:
Release Date: June 2008
Price Point: $4.99 (varies depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Head/cannon piece
Text from Hasbrotoyshop.com:
Get ready to roll out with this fierce-looking DECEPTICON figure! Convert the detailed MEGATRON figure from camouflage-covered robot to reveal a tough
tank in vehicle mode!
In 1993, the Transformers were in the midst of an attempted relaunch of the line known as "Generation 2". This series involved many characters from the original series taking on new forms. When Megatron was reintroduced into the line, laws had already been passed that prevented the designers from making him
into a realistic gun. As a result, Megatron took on a new form: a tank. This theme of Megatron transforming into some type of military vehicle would continue for years to come including Armada's tank Megatron and Animated's helicopter Megatron.
Robot Mode:
The robot mode for this figure is heavily based on the Generation 2 tank Megatron figure released in 1993. By the standards of the time, the figure was fairly standard, with little articulation but big, blocky parts. What I find funny is that about fifteen years later, the Legends Class version of the figure has just about the same amount of detail and articulation.
Megatron has the same basic shape of his G2 predecessor. The front of the tank forms his chest, the cannon is mounted on his shoulder and it's obvious the turret split to become his arms while the back of the tank became his legs. There's quite a bit of detail on this figure, thanks in part to his alternate mode. The head design is a very basic Megatron head design with a helmet section and a face set in a deep scowl. It's almost odd to see such a "simple" Megatron head after reviewing several versions of Megatron in the past few days who have assorted complex head designs! The cannon is a simplified version of his G2 barrel, with only a tube connected to a rectangular base. There is no vertical chamber for missiles (not that it's necessary either). His arms have lots of small details including circles, tubes and what appear to be doors to storage compartments. His chest features raised circle and rectangular
armor plate details, complete with small circular indentations indicating where the plates are bolted down. The legs have several indented lines showing armor panels as well as small raised circles and rectangles. The back of his legs feature half of his tank treads complete with wheel and tread details.
Megatron's feet are designed with a slight angle to them, allowing you to stand him with his feet spread slightly apart. This is a bit different from the larger G2 version where the feet were flat, and this Megatron looked like he was standing rigidly - all the time. I like this design as it gives him a more natural stance (or as natural as a tank/robot can be).
Megatron is cast in dark green and gunmetal grey plastic. The grey makes up parts like the cannon on his shoulder, waist, hips and upper legs while the green makes up the rest of his parts including his chest, arms and lower legs. This is a sharp contrast to the brighter green used in the G2 version of the figure. In recent years, Hasbro has strived to use more "realistic" deco patterns that tend to shy away from anything overly bright, so this makes perfect sense. They did however, keep one fairly funny deco pattern which is his purple camoflague. I'm sure somewhere out there purple camo is used, but I'm not sure how common it is. In the center of his chest is a tampographed Decepticon symbol in purple and white. Specifically he uses a G1 Decepticon symbol rather than the G2 symbol seen on Generation 2 toys and comic books. Silver is used for his fists and face while his eyes are painted bright neon red.
Megatron has eight points of articulation in this form, which is pretty good for a Legends Class figure. This includes the ability for his head to turn (not something a lot of Legends figures can do) and two points of articulation on each leg.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Point the cannon barrel straight up and turn Megatron's head so he faces the right side.
- Swing the robot chest piece up.
- Swing the robot legs up.
- Swing the robot arms together.
Vehicle Mode:
The tank mode for Megatron is loosely based on the M1A1 Abrams tank. Significant details include the shape of the large turret and the row of squarish panels running along the sides of the vehicle. It is in this form a lot of the details seen in the robot mode together. Now the round panels on the top of the turret reveal themselves as hatch covers into the interior of the vehicle. You can also see small machine gun turrets sculpted near the hatches as well. The other details including the panels on the sides and raised line details all consolidate here to form a cohesive, realistically styled tank. If this were in different colors I could easily see it being used as a miniature of a real life Abrams.
There are four wheels on the underside of the vehicle, two towards the front and two towards the back, allowing the figure to roll. The turret cannot turn due to the way the figure transforms however.
Final Thoughts:
This Legends figure harkens back to a somewhat interesting (and at times goofy) point in Transformers history. Nostalgia alone makes me like this figure, but it is really neat to have a tiny version of Megatron that becomes a tank. It's not the best that the Legends line has to offer, but it is a well made figure. Recommended.
