General Information
Release Date: September 2024
Price Point: $24.83
Retailer: Walmart Exclusive in the United States
Accessories: Blaster, Energon Blade
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon:
- MOVIE-INSPIRED 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TRANSFORMERS TOY: Inspired by the Transformers One movie, this Energon Glow Bumblebee Transformers action figure converts from robot to Cybertronian car mode for awesome 2-in-1 play
- ENERGON GLOW: This 6-inch (15 cm) Transformers figure has a light-up Energon feature in his chest (includes 3x A76/LR44 button cell batteries)
- 6-STEP CONVERSION: This Transformers figure can change from a robot toy into a Cybertronian car toy and back in 6 steps
- CYBERTRONIAN CAR MODE: Imagine epic battle scenes with this Transformers figure in Cybertronian car mode! Great for kids who love toy cars, toy trucks, and other vehicle toys
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Includes sword and blaster accessories that attaches in both modes. Attach the accessories together to create a larger blaster
- TRANSFORMERS ACTION FIGURES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 6 AND UP: Transformers movie figures make a great gift for boys and girls who love robot toys
- ICONIC TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CHARACTERS: Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, once friends bonded like brothers, who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. Look for more Transformers toys (each sold separately, subject to availability) to build your collection
Transformers One Energon Glow Bumblebee (B-127) 6" Action Figures for Kids Age 6+ Experience the epic origins of legendary Transformers robots with this Transformers One Energon Glow Bumblebee action figure! This 6-inch Bumblebee figure converts from robot to Cybertronian car mode in 6 steps. The action figure features a light-up area in his chest for an Energon glow effect. It also comes with a blaster and sword that attach in robot mode. Combine the accessories to create a larger blaster accessory. The figure is inspired by the iconic character from the Transformers movie, Transformers One. Movie-inspired interactive toys like this Energon Glow Bumblebee toy make cool gifts for boys and girls ages 6 and up. Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, once friends bonded like brothers, who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. Includes 3 replaceable A76/LR44 button cell batteries. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. © 2024 Hasbro. © 2024 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Background:
Transformers One is an animated theatrical film due to be released on September 20, 2024. The film features a core group of characters having an adventure before the beginning of the Great War during Cybertron's Age. One of the main characters in the film is B-127 aka Bumblebee who you can see in the trailer below:
Packaging:
Energon Glow Bumblebee is not a part of an assortment. Instead he is a standalone release that is exclusive to Walmart in the United States. That means his packaging is also unique in size compared to other Transformers One toys. The box is rectangular using the blue and light blue background seen on other toys in this line. The top half of the box has a window cut open with no plastic window. You can see most of the figure through this window. It also has a "Try Me" feature allowing you to press a button on his chest to activate the light inside. Below the robot is a CG render of his vehicle mode from the film. Below that is the "Transformers One" logo and under that is the name "Energon Glow Bumblebee" (with no mention of B-127).
The back of the box features Bumblebee in both modes calling out a six step transformation. Below him is the "Transformers One" logo and a ton of legal information in multiple languages.
Accessories:
Bumblebee includes two accessories:
- Blaster: Honestly, it feels weird calling this accessory a blaster but that's the official description so I'm running with it. Really, this piece is the end of his blaster arm's barrel. This is more inspired by Bumblebee's weapon in the live action Transformers films than Transformers One but I like it. This piece is made of gold plastic with gunmetal grey deco on the barrel. It has a 5mm peg that fits into either of Bumblebee's hands to make it look like his arm has "transformed" into the weapon.
- Energon Sword: As seen in the trailers, Bumblebee gains Energon Swords as part of his Transformation Cog upgrade. This accessory represents one of those swords. It has a base piece and then the blade looks like it is extending out from it. This piece is made of translucent blue plastic with gunmetal grey paint at the base. This attaches to the side of the forearms using a tab.
The two weapons can be connected together to attach to the vehicle mode. There is a 5mm port on the Energon Sword that you can connect to the blaster. This then attaches to the top of the vehicle via the tab on the Energon Sword.
Robot Mode:
Energon Glow Bumblebee is a rather unique figure. Fans are very accustomed to standardized size classes nowadays and with them come certain expectations about articulation, detail, deco and so on. However, there is no "Energon Glow" class (at least not yet), so this unique figure gets to be its own thing without expectations of being a class like a Voyager or Deluxe. Size wise, it kind of sits in the middle of the two. So what is this figure exactly?
Energon Glow Bumblebee is a relatively simple figure built around a light up gimmick with accessories to boot. The figure has a simplified transformation, which means some screen accuracy is sacrificed. That said, the figure does have a nicely detailed sculpt. For instance, the lower legs are not "screen accurate" because they form the rear of the vehicle mode, but they have plenty of panel details sculpted into them that look really nice. His shoulders are also not screen accurate as they are formed by the vehicle's front wheel wells and headlights. Yet they still look very cool and futuristic (yes, I know technically this is set in the past). The rest of the figure is screen accurate including his head sculpt, torso and thighs. Normally I would say lack of screen accuracy is an issue, but in this case I get that the designers were going for a simpler figure with a gimmick that still has good articulation and accessories. To that end I think the designers did a great job.
Unlike the Prime Changer Bumblebee figure, this one has gold colored plastic making up most of the figure. Other parts are made of gunmetal grey and translucent blue plastic. These colors are much closer to what is seen on screen. Even before B-127 gets his Transformation Cog, he is mostly gold in color and not a bright canary yellow like G1 Bumblebee. I was very happy to see these colors since they help the figure look more like it has the metallic shine the character has on the big screen. Paint colors on this figure include gunmetal grey, silver and light blue. Overall I really like the deco on this figure. It looks fantastic.
There are eleven points of articulation in this mode. That's not a lot by today's standards, but the shoulders, elbows and thighs are all ball joints, allowing for a nice range of movement. Don't pull on the arms too hard however. I did that and they popped off (they snapped back on). His blaster can be held in his hands and the Energon Blade can connect to the sides of his forearms. For a simplified figure tied around a gimmick, this is just fine by me.
So what's the gimmick? The "Energon Glow" refers to a light that activates when you press a button on his chest. Interestingly the light does not only have one pattern. Press the button once and a purple light just slowly fades in then out. Press it again and it pulses over five times in rapid succession. Press it again and now a blue light fades in, blinks a couple times, then fades out. Another pattern has the purple light blinking twice, fading out, then blinking twice again. I know this seems basic, but electronics are rare in Transformers toys (that can convert) nowadays and the lights are rather pretty to look at.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accessories, connect them together and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the arms back against the shoulder armor, then swing the whole arm and shoulder sections down.
- Connect the two lower legs together.
- On the back, swing the middle panel forward.
- Swing the lower legs up to form the rear of the vehicle.
- Swing the arms up and connect them to the middle panel.
- Connect the weapons on top.
Vehicle Mode:
When I first transformed this figure I have to admit, I was shocked at how good this vehicle mode looks. I think between the Prime Changer and the Cog Changer figures this vehicle mode looks the most like the one on-screen in terms of sculpt. The vehicle has an oval shape that flattens out at the back. There's a lot of line detail on here and the signature exhaust pipes sticking out on the sides at angles. He has a small grille in front with thin headlights.
One of the big differences between this figure's vehicle mode and the on-screen CGI model are the colors. Most of this mode shows off the gold plastic on the figure. The panel from the back of the robot mode is translucent blue plastic and painted gold on the edges. The wheels are also translucent blue plastic, which is not screen accurate but it sure looks good! Paint colors include gold, light blue and gunmetal grey. It is important to note that the gold plastic and gold paint do not 100% match (you can see this in my photos). Still, between the overall shape and the sculpted details, Bumblebee looks great in this mode.
Bumblebee can roll on all four wheels and his weapons attach to the slot on top of the vehicle.
Final Thoughts:
Energon Glow Bumblebee is not the most screen accurate Transformers One figure, but it is a fun figure that looks cool. It's perfect for younger fans with its light up feature and simple transformation. Recommended!
Pros:
- Cool sculpt (however screen inaccurate parts of it may be).
- Very nice deco.
- The light up feature is fun.
Cons:
- The screen "inaccurate" parts may not be the liking of some fans.
