General Information:
Release Date: October 2018
Price Point: $14.99 (Varies by retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Target, Walmart, Amazon etc.)
Accessories: None
*Images and text below from 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 cybernetic."
The tyrant Megatron leads the evil Deceptions on a merciless quest to conquer the universe. Convert and attack with Transformers cyberverse action attackers! Change figure from vehicle to robot mode in 9 steps. The last step of conversion automatically activates Megatron figure’s signature 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.
- Warrior class Megatron figure inspired by the cyberverse animated series
- Each action attackers figure performs a signature character attack move
- Convert Megatron to activate fusion Mace action attack move
- Once converted, attack move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps
- Changes from robot to tank mode in 9 steps
- Includes Megatron figure and instructions. Ages 6 and up.
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.
In October of 2018, the second wave of Warrior Class "Cyberverse" figures hit shelves in the United States. Included in this wave was the Decepticon leader, Megatron. Prior to this release Megatron had already appeared in the line as both an Ultimate and Scout Class figure. This size scale puts the character in between those scales more in line for display with "Robots in Disguise" Warrior Class figures.
Packaging:
Warrior 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 he has a "Fusion Mace" feature. Megatron's function is listed as "Tyrannical Leader". The packaging also calls out his cosells (Optimus Prime, Windblade and Acid Storm). His transformation is listed as having 9 steps.
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.
Robot Mode:
Between the "Prime Wars Trilogy" and "Cyberverse", the original Megatron design has made quite the comeback in animation the past few years. This figure takes several of its design elements right from G1 Megatron. This includes:
- The head design features G1 Megatron's iconic helmet section with distinct "brows" sculpted into the top.
- Megatron's chest is rectangular with a section that angles up towards the head.
- The middle of the body has a square section with designs in it that look like buttons on a control panel.
- The parts flanking the "control panel" section features layers of armor that look almost like vents.
- Each arm features a raised section on top that calls back to the "gun hammer" sections on G1 Megatron's shoulders.
- While his alternate form is a tank, the lower legs are shaped like they become the handle of a gun.
- The right arm has Megatron's Fusion Cannon attached, featuring a wide barrel, a rectangular mid-section and a round part at the end.
- The feet are designed with small tabs on top in the center.
All that said, there are some details that are different than the original Megatron. For one, the Fusion Cannon is much longer in the front than previous versions. This is likely to make the cannon look more impressive in tank mode, but here it looks a bit too exaggerated. Also, there are a lot of small details on parts like the arms and chest that are unique to this figure. One of the nicer details are raised weapon pods on the sides of the lower legs.
Megatron is cast in metallic silver and black plastic. The silver makes up most of the figure, with black used for the waist and Fusion Cannon. Paint colors on the figure include red, pink, black and purple. The red is found on the eyes, torso and elbow area. The black is used on the "control panel" on the torso and his right fist. The pink is "Energon" colored and is used to paint the flail weapon on his left arm. The finishing touch is a Decepticon symbol on the center of his chest. The figure may look a bit plain with all the silver colors, but this is pretty accurate to how Megatron looks in general.
For the most part, I really love the look of this figure. It is kind of neat to have a "Deluxe"-ish sized Megatron figure. Unfortunately the aesthetics are kind of ruined by one thing: the left arm. See, the left arm is the foundation of the action feature on this figure. The flail weapon is there in place of a hand. It is attached by a string. Press the trigger next to the left shoulder and the arm swings up, the flail launches out of the left arm and um...flails around. The arm is on a spring, so if you let go the arm swings back down to the side. It is a fun action feature, but the arm is permanently stuck straight down the side, so you lose the ability to pose the arm. It is really unfortunate because the rest of the figure looks great. There are eight additional points of articulation (which sadly, does not include the head). If the left arm had been a "normal" arm the figure would have looked much better.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Make sure the flail weapon is attached to the wrist.
- Straighten out the right arm and cannon.
- Raise both arms up, then swing them together and connect them in the middle.
- Swing the sides of the lower legs out, then swing each leg back.
- Use the tabs on the sides of the waist area to attach the legs.
- There are tabs on the forearms that attach to slots on the leg panels.
Vehicle Mode:
Megatron's alt-mode is a tank in this version. Megatron has been a tank plenty of times before so this is nothing new, but the design is rather unique in some ways. First off, the Fusion Cannon is huge, which is good or bad depending on your point of view. Megatron also has additional weaponry including two blasters in the front and missile pods on the sides of the vehicle. You can imagine him blasting away as he leads Decepticons into battle.
Unfortunately, there are some design issues here. The front section clearly shows the robot thighs and the waist section. It looks like there is a piece missing in the front that the designers forgot to include. It sabotages the "Robot in Disguise" aspect of the figure, which is unfortunate. Don't get me wrong, there are some cool aspects of this sculpt, but like the robot mode one element just kind of messes up the design.
Final Thoughts:
Megatron comes very close to being a cool figure. The basic design looks great on paper, but the gimmick winds up sabotaging the robot mode while the vehicle mode's front end winds up looking incomplete. That said, this is still one of the better Warrior Class figures in the line so far. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I think this figure is potentially fun for kids but older collector's will (at the very least) want to wait for some type of sale before picking up this figure. Ultimately, this figure is not a bad figure, it just could have been a lot better.
Pros:
- Great basic design with lots of cool G1 nods.
- Relatively good articulation for a "Cyberverse" figure.
- Good deco.
Cons:
- The arm gimmick really messes with the aesthetics and posability of the robot mode.
- The lack of a cover for the front section of the tank sabotages the aesthetics of the vehicle mode.
