General Information:
Release Date: July 2018
Price Point: $29.99 (Varies by retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Target, Walmart, Amazon etc.)
Accessories: None
*Images and text below from Amazon.com and Amazon.com:
Convert to Activate Signature Action Attack
Convert and attack in with Transformers Cyberverse Action Attackers! Change figure from vehicle to robot mode in 8 steps. The last step of conversion automatically activates Megatron figure’s signature Fusion Mega Shot Action Attack move! Repeatable attack move activates in both vehicle and robot mode! Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
Discover Other Signature Attack Moves
The war between heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons continues on the Cyberverse animated series! Discover the unique powers and skills of each Cyberverse character, and see how those powers will be used to defend Earth… or threaten it. Imagine recreating awesome Cyberverse battles with Ultimate Class figures that perform the attack moves featured on the animated series! Explore the unique powers and skills of each character while bringing the epic adventures of Cyberverse to life. Look for other Action Attackers figures, each sold separately, to discover the signature attack moves of favorite Cyberverse characters!
Evil Decepticon Megatron
Function: Tyrannical Leader “Megatron is bad, bad, bad news. He leads an army of the worst bots Cybertron has ever seen. Not to mention the fact that he is ruthless, cruel, and- how do I say this nicely- evil to his core. I can’t believe Optimus Prime was ever friends with this guy. But don’t worry, humans, the Autobots are here to stop him from achieving total world domination. Thwarting his corrupt plans is one of my favorite past times. Followed closely by learning how to play rock ‘n roll on a ukulele.” - Bumblebee
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.
This Megatron figure is part of the "Ultimate Class" of figures, which centers around figures that are about 11.5 inches (about 29 centimeters) making them roughly the Leader Class figures of "Cyberverse".
Packaging:
Ultimate Megatron is packaged in a large window box. The front features yellow and black colors with details that make it look like shiny metal. The figure is in robot mode and you can see most of it through the window. The right side has a black, vertical "Transformers" logo with a Decepticon symbol above it. The bottom shows Megatron's name and calls out his "Fusion Mega Shot" feature with artwork for the character. The upper left hand corner indicates "2 Attack Modes". The back of the box shows the figure in both modes as well as using its Fusion Mega Shot action feature. It calls out an eight step transformation along with a cosell for Optimus Prime. I really love the look of this packaging. Its colors really pop on store shelves and it is distinctive even from other Transformers sub-lines.
Robot Mode:
The Cyberverse designs use the G1 character designs as their foundation. With Megatron, he has several key features that you would also find on G1 Megatron. This includes:
- The head design features a helmet with a line down the middle. The bottom parts of the helmet on the sides and back extend outward slightly. The face features thick brows over the eyes.
- The chest is rectangular with some line designs on them.
- The shoulders feature raised trapezoids which call back to the halves of the safety from G1 Megatron's blaster mode.
- The mid-body to the waist area features a circle and rectangles that recall G1 Megatron's "control panel".
- The robot legs feature a slight curve towards the bottom that echoes similar designs on G1 Megatron's legs.
- The Fusion Cannon is attached to the right arm and features a wide barrel.
All that said, there are a lot of details on this figure that are specific to this figure. This includes extra machinery detail on the middle to the back of the cannon, two distinctive circles on the waist area and treads on the back of his legs. I also like the bulkiness of the arms. It gives him an extra brutal appearance that looks great. New details also include rocket launchers built into his forearms and each leg features a missile pod near the ankles. From a sculpting point of view, this figure looks great.
Megatron is cast in grey, black and red plastic. Paint details include silver, black and red. These are all very classic Megatron colors and they look great on the figure. I do wish the circle and rectangles right under his chest were painted to make them stand out more, but that is my main quibble. I also wish the weapons on his arms and legs had some paint detail but I'm guessing they were left unpainted due to cost.
There are twelve points of articulation on this figure, making it more limited than his fellow "Ultimate" figure, Optimus Prime. I am also being very generous by counting the foot and heel pieces. Each fist features a 5mm port, allowing him to hold weapons from other figures. The main action feature is what I believe cost this figure several points of articulation. Swing each arm out to the sides, then swing them together at the hinge connected to the chest. The clips on the left arm fit into the side of the Fusion Cannon, locking the two together. Now, press the button on the left arm and the layers around the front of the cannon will swing forward to look like a blast. This reveals bright pink paint and mechanical details underneath. This is the primary action feature of this figure. Now, personally I think the figure could have had head articulation as well as elbow articulation and this feature would have worked just fine. Sadly, without these points of articulation the figure does lose something in my book.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the arms out to the sides.
- Swing the arms together at the hinges connected to the chest, clip the arms and cannon together.
- Push the halves of the feet together, then swing them back.
- Swing the top half of the robot forward to form the top of the tank.
- Swing the outer halves of the robot legs out and back, clipping it to the sides of the robot mode.
- Push the robot head down.
Vehicle Mode:
Megatron's vehicle mode is a tank, and a tough looking one at that! This tank is thick and chunky looking, giving it a very powerful appearance. Some of the best details include all the rocket launchers from the arms pointing forward, armored panels with letter "X" designs on the sides and treads that look like they have armor panels over them. In every way it looks like Megatron would be a really tough tank to stop!
The deco on this mode winds up looking a bit dull. The grey really dominates the vehicle and there is not enough red breaking it up. The treads are black and there is some silver at the base of the cannon but that's about it. I really think if the rockets were painted that would have helped a lot.
This vehicle lets you use the same action feature as the robot mode. It is a neat feature, but you wind up sacrificing any chance of the turret being able to turn (though to be fair, lots of Transformers tanks cannot turn their turrets even without such a feature).
Final Thoughts:
"Ultimate" Megatron is...not so Ultimate. I really like the design of both modes, but the figure needs more deco and more articulation to really qualify as "Ultimate" in my book. I honestly believe the action feature would have worked if the arms had elbow articulation (I mean, at least the left arm). His head could have also turned without affecting the functionality of the figure. If you can get this figure on sale (ideally for around $20 USD) it's a fine purchase, but I would hesitate on paying full price. It's not a terrible figure at all, just not worth the money being asked.
Pros:
- Nice design with lots of G1 nods.
- Action feature works well.
- Intuitive transformation.
Cons:
- Lack of articulation.
- Needs more deco.
- Price point is high for what you get.
