I've reviewed Titans Return Bumblebee and thought that would be my definitive CHUG Bumblebee. Then I got the WFC Netflix Bumblebee and made him my definitive CHUG Bumblebee. But there was always that itch for an older version of the character that may not be on my main G1 display but at least have a spot for a neat Bumblebee figure. Apart from the smaller-than Deluxe guys, there is the duo of Masterpiece figures that some would encourage to get but they're a double-edged sword; one is off in terms of proportions and the other is pretty messy. So the only other figure that fits around that scale that doesn't have wonky proportions or doesn't suck would be the Classics guy. So let's see what he's got to offer as a 15-year world toy.
Here we have Bumblebee in his vehicle mode, which is a fictionalized Honda Civic from the 90s with the addition of custom parts to make it further stylized than the original vehicle. It's one that fits well for Bumblebee without him being a Volkswagen Beetle, and I do appreciate that the proportions and custom parts are added to make it look a little tougher than he normally would be without the customizability. The details on this car are fairly smooth, which is appropriate that he has minimal sculpting applied given how this alt mode wouldn't normally be seen as too heavy on the details beyond the panel-lining. What I do like is the raised hood for the engine, the spoiler on the back, the fully painted and pinned rims, the clear headlights, the subtle silver for the grille, and the inclusion of stripes. The stripes were an addition to make the toy look colorful on the shelf, and while it may not be accurate to G1 or not look as good as the black stripes, it does fit him quite well.
The vehicle mode's got some nice proportions that fit the line between looking cartoony and somewhat small at the same time, yet it doesn't feel too super-deformed. I also love how the interior has seats to make it look a wee-bit more complete, even if there is no minifigure compatibility or proper scale next to Classics Prime's seats. One thing I found unusual is that the back third of Bumblebee has a mismatched shade of yellow next to the rest of the toy molded in yellow plastic. It's not a dealbreaker and does look better than some recent attempts, but it is worth mentioning.
The jet ski trailer can tow on the back of the car with an additional little peg that it slides into. It does come off easily, and the jet-ski itself may be out of scale with itself for how undersized it is, but it serves another purpose that we'll get to. It's otherwise a cute accessory, but now I just noticed how the back looks like a pogging clown.
For a vehicle mode size comparison. here he is next to Optimus Prime from the same line. He's still smaller than Prime but may believe he is a little too such like he's supposed to be smaller than him. It's not an awful scale, but I'm sure that the seats of a Civic are smaller than that of a truck.
Transforming Bumblebee feels rather interesting; as while the Classics line felt like it borrowed engineering traits from Cybertron, Bumblebee feels more like he transforms similarly to what an Alternators version of him would be like. Of course, Bumblebee never had a figure in the line beyond the pre-production stages, but between how clunky the figure looks and how the figure transforms, you would likely think he is not a mainline release with how he works. Unlike Optimus, Megatron, Starscream, etc, Bumblebee feels more like a robot that is designed after the fact that a vehicle exists, which is the opposite of other Transformers when its robot mode is designed in conjunction with vehicle mode choice and transformation. The resulting robot mode we end up with is definitely chunkier than what we're normally used to for the character. This guy was designed to be based on a teen with a hoody back in the 2000s; this is especially seen with the arm panels, bulky legs, and how low the chest piece goes down. It thematically fits him when he first came out while Hasbro tried to upsell the first mainline Bumblebee toy since G2. I like how it turned out, even if the figure does have car chunks to get on some's nerves. Some issues include how the left engine block having some stripes not match while the arms don't go all the way down. Also, it is ironic how the figure looks bulky until you remember how the midriff behind the windshield works. On a side note, he has a rub-sign like most Classics figures did.
Head sculpt looks insanely good, and it fits the character quite well. Even if the eyes aren't light piped in an appropriate color like light blue. His articulation is fairly solid but a little limited, with ball joints for the head, shoulders, elbows, and hips, while the upper leg swiveled and bend at the knees. His jet ski, the Wave Crusher, can split into two halves, swivel around, and become a jet pack for him to use decently! It further completes his look with the fact that it covered the hollow spot behind his back.
As far as repaints are concerned, this is the Legacy of Bumblebee set that was released on Walmart in 2008, depicting this guy who had black sprites instead of white and was included with Premium Series Bumblebee toy as well as one for Animated. The Wave Crusher is molded in different colors though.
And this is the third Hasbro Bee from this mold, this time in Reveal the Shield. He's closer to the movie deco and looks quite nice for a bystander. This was one I'd likely have gotten back then.
Next up, this is Henkei Bumblebee, depicting him with a cartoon-accurate deco, blue eyes, and the inclusion of chrome on the spoiler and engine block. Nice as it may look, though the chrome was random as was the case in the Henkei line.
This is the United Bumblebee figure, giving the toy a cool metallic paint job as it resembles how a Goldbug would work. It does chip too easily. though.
Now we have the canceled blue repaint of Bumblebee which interestingly resembles Glyph. Beyond that, nobody knows what it was for in general.
After covering all the Bumblebee repaints, here we can see only Hasbro covered the different characters. This is Cliffjumper, who may be a red Bee but at least has some silver paint apps to make him a little more distinct. Some new weapons and an alternate would be fine for creativity and what-not.
And finally, this is Bug Bite from BotCon 2007! He's based on the 2005 G1 Gobots version of the toy with the added tribal decals and head with a different shade of white from the rest of the toy. This goy looks cool although Generations Selects is more frequent.
And for a size comparison, here he is with Optimus, Megatron, and Starscream! He's shorter than them all but still feels big in some capacity. It's interesting because Bumblebee never felt this size in fiction but was a sign of how Deluxes in different sizes could gather attention. And while he may not be as modern as the WFC trilogy, he is still a nice, chunky toy that anyone should get in spite of how it's sometimes in the clunkier side of things that makes him feel more like the Citroen C4 robot than a real Transformer.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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