General Information:
Release Date: July 2018
Price Point: $7.99 (Varies by retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Target, Walmart, Amazon etc.)
Accessories: None
*Images and text below from BigBadToyStore.com and Amazon.com:
"Picture this: me, on Earth, still cooler than everyone this side of Optimus Prime, but I’ve got zero memories. Now I’m on a mission to recover my memories and discover all of my awesome powers. I’ll have to battle Decepticons, outrun an explosion or two, and be heroic- basically, I’m in for one epic ride across the Cyberverse." -Bumblebee The tyrant Megatron leads the evil Decepticons on a merciless quest to conquer the universe. Convert and attack with Transformers Cyberverse Action Attackers! Change figure from robot to vehicle mode in 4 steps. The last step of conversion automatically activates Megatron figure’s Fusion Mace Action Attack move! Once converted, attack move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps Look for other Action Attackers figures, each sold separately, to discover the signature attack moves of favorite Cyberverse characters! Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
In late 2017 it was revealed that a new Transformers cartoon would be replacing "Robots in Disguise". The series focuses on Bumblebee with partial amnesia attempting to regain his memories. A blend of G1 and modern characters combined with a more kid-friendly animation style results in a show that leans more towards a younger audience than even "Robots in Disguise", something which is reflected in the toy line. The toy line was released in countries outside the United States such as Australia around late June 2018. A few weeks later it would be released in North America.
Among the first waves of figures released were the Scout Class figures. Unlike Scout figures of the past such as Firetrap or Arcee these figures are smaller (in general taller than a Legion Class figure but shorter than a One Step Changer). These figures have a robot mode, but do not fully transform into a vehicle form. Instead, they become a part vehicle/part robot "attack" mode.
Packaging:
Scout Class "Cyberverse" figures are packaged on bubble cards. The cards have a new design which takes cues from more recent Transformers packaging. There is still a vertical "Transformers" logo on the right side, above it is a symbol (Autobot or Decepticon based on the character) and the character art is at the top of the packaging with the "Cyberverse" logo under it. Perhaps the most distinctive part of the packaging design are the colors, which utilize yellow and light blue helping them stand out against the black and red colors used for "Generations" packaging on shelves. The back of the packaging features the figure with its action feature called out. In Megatron's case it is his "Fusion Mace" feature. There are also of course cosells (Megatron's cosells are Starscream, Bumblebee and Grimlock).
The insert on the packaging notes a recommended age of "6+" which is important to keep in mind with this Class of figure. Contrast that with a "Generations" Deluxe (such as Jazz or Sunstreaker) which have recommended ages of 8+. This age recommendation is more along the lines of "Robots in Disguise" Legion Class figures such as Bisk. This (partly) explains the new play pattern being introduced here, which eschews the traditional "robot to alt mode" play pattern and instead focuses on a partial transformation with an action gimmick.
Robot Mode:
"Cyberverse" Megatron's design is based on his G1 counterpart, and there are some very nice callbacks on this figure to that design. But first, let's just talk about his proportions which are ridiculously (and unintentionally) hilarious. On first sight at Target the first two thoughts that hit my head were SNL's Hans and Franz (because I'm erm...a more seasoned fan) and then Cartman from "South Park" yelling "Beefcaaake!". Part of this is because his arms are gigantic compared to the rest of his body, with this fists slightly overlapping his knees. His arms are thick too, looking like he has been lifting some serious weights! Then add in his really thick legs but relatively tiny head and he looks somehow fierce, imposing yet funny all at the same time.
Okay, enough of that. The G1 homages are strong in this figure. Here's a rundown:
- The head design is classic Megatron, complete with a curved helmet that extends out the back a bit and a face with sharp lines at the cheeks.
- The chest is a rectangular piece with a section that is slightly beveled inward towards the neck area.
- The mid-body has a "control panel" looking piece in the center with angled sections featuring horizontal lines on either side.
- The legs have a similar curve to G1 Megatron's legs, complete with knee armor that curves forward a bit.
Megatron is entirely cast in a metallic grey plastic. Details are painted on using silver, black and red paint. The nicest deco is around the waist area, where the red and black are used nicely to provide some detailing. His eyes are painted red, which looks nice against the silver paint on his face. You will see some black on the sides of his legs where the vehicle mode treads are located. A tampographed Decepticon symbol graces the center of the chest. While I would have liked a bit more deco to bring out the sculpted details more, Megatron was never the most colorful Decepticon so I can give it a pass.
While Megatron looks nice in the design and deco department, he winds up being extremely simple in the play value department. There are five points of articulation on this figure (the head, the shoulders and the hips). Each fist has a 5mm port in it, allowing you to attach weapons from other figures. You can use his "Fusion Mace" feature by pushing the right fist in to swing out the weapon or you can turn Megatron's upper body all the way to the right, then push the trigger on the left side of his body to make the torso swing forward and unleashing the mace. This is a fun little feature but at a price point of $7.99 I cannot help but want more out of this robot mode.
Transformation to "Vehicle" Mode:
- Swing the arms up.
- Swing the legs up.
- Swing the side panels on the legs out and back.
"Vehicle" Mode:
You will notice I write "Vehicle" above with quotes. That is due to the fact that this is not a true vehicle mode in the traditional sense. Instead it looks more like Megatron is in mid-transformation, getting ready to fight. Whether or not this is a good thing I will leave entirely up to each individual to judge. Just note that this is not a traditional "robot to vehicle" alt-form.
Like the robot mode, Megatron winds up looking a bit unintentionally humorous in this form. Having his robot mode's upper body sitting on tank treads winds up looking a bit like a Megatron float at some type of parade, so your mileage will vary on how cool (or not cool) this is. The tank tread details are nice, but they are left unpainted which is a bummer. I would have liked to see the black paint used on the mid-section of the robot mode on them to really help that section pop.
This mode is the one that was really meant to use the action feature I described above. Turn the robot body to the right until it "clicks" in place, then push the rear section of the left side tread and this pushes a tab against the trigger, activating Megatron's "mace" feature. Since his arms point forward in this mode, adding some weapons to his fists would help give him some much needed firepower.
Final Thoughts:
My biggest issue with this figure is not the pseudo-vehicle mode (though I'm not a big fan of the idea), it's that as a value proposition it is not worth the $7.99 price point. The action feature with the mace is fun but it does not make up for the lack of articulation and lack of accessories. If this was priced at say, $4-5.99 I might give it a mild endorsement. Keep in mind, "Authentics" Megatron is about $2-3 less than this figure and has more articulation and a cannon accessory. Sure it lacks the spring loaded feature, but you sacrifice a lot for it.
The best I can say is, some kids may like this figure but it isn't worth the price point. I would wait for a sale before purchasing. Fans who are more into the "Generations" and "Masterpiece" lines will likely want to avoid this figure altogether.
Pros:
- Nice design with lots of G1 nods.
- Good deco in robot mode.
- Action feature works well.
Cons:
- Partial transform may frustrate some fans.
- Limited articulation (though that is somewhat expected at this price range nowadays).
- Price point is too high for what you get.
