Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Transformers engineering would have to be making G1 Megatron look good in his robot mode while also turning into a convincing pistol. G1 Megatron may have the best gun mode, but his robot mode shows its MicroChange heritage clearly. On the other hand, Hasbro made him as a Nerf gun for Classics and then made a Legends Class figure with slight transformation deviations for Reveal the Shield. As for TakaraTomy, they failed miserably with MP-05's horrible robot mode, flimsy transformation, and oversized gun mode without any additional accessories for the gun mode. It's been 7 years since MP-36 won fans over, but is my copy an official version or a knockoff? Let's find out!
Here we have MP-36 in his gun mode, which is about as faithful to the Man from U.N.C.L.E pistol that inspired the Micro Change/G1 toy as much as it could. I honestly feel surprised at how much space it takes, what with the stock and silencer taking up so much space and requiring me to photograph this elsewhere. Despite being thicker in proportions and having a ton of panel lines throughout it due to transformation, this alt mode manages to be accurate to the real-world equivalent. To denote this from the official version, keep in mind that the knockoff doesn't have the cartoon-style insignias on what looks like the robot chest, the matte gray paint that goes over the bare gray plastic, and stability for the silencer. The stock and scope slide into their parts just fine, but the silencer is loose as hell in there. Ironic since many fans complained about the overly tight tolerances.
Megatron's standard pistol mode better illustrates how he looks a little bulkier than the actual gun, especially since the accessories make it less noticeable. I guess the top part looks fine, but the handle is twice the width of the original toy. The numerous panel lines have been reported to not tab in as well as they should, but it is fixable. You can adjust the hammer and safety catch like on an actual gun.
Here is a comparison with his G1 counterpart, specifically the Chronicle version I got in 2021. The proportions, panel lines, and overall coloring are different, though it's obviously due to toy engineering and how their robot modes end up. My Megatron, being the Chronicle version, lacks chrome and thus has a warmer gray than the usual look he has.
Transforming Megatron into his robot mode is extremely complex. And it's no better when doing the reverse. The way so many parts are rearranged from one extremely unusual choice of an alt mode to a cartoon-accurate robot is astounding. And after what we had with the shitty MP-05, I am happy to say the end result is worth it. That being said, the tolerances of the knockoff vary depending on your copy, and some (but not all) are fixed by me. The resulting robot mode is definitely accurate, what with the leaner proportions that most G1-style Megatron toys don't usually have, a more subtle use of red than what was exposed by the G1 or Combiner Wars toys, and a slight two-tone mix of gunmetal gray and black on the legs. Apart from the panel lines on the thighs, unusual elbow joints, and the shins, the robot mode looks very clean. The back kibble is what looks compromised due to there being nothing to cover it, leaving the toy to be 95% complete. We can fix that AND the lack of an insignia for the chest (two signs you are getting Emp of Destruct instead of the official version).
Megatron's head sculpt is spot-on to the cartoon model, what with the better integration of the bucket head originally made from.a bit of the gun mode as well as the use of a whiter gray to make his face pop without using silver paint. I also love the metallic red paint for the eyes. The top of the helmet has the slightly sparkly matte paint that the rest of the gray is missing. Megatron's articulation, though not used at its full potential here, consists of a ball-jointed neck, ratchets for the shoulders moving front and back as well as in and out, hinges for additional range (which could be tightened on my copy), bicep rotation, deep elbow hinges that bend past 90 degrees, wrist rotation, thumb joints with movement at the base knuckle only, index fingers that straighten at 2 points, and the subsequent fingers are fused together. There is an ab crunch due to transformation (but only going forwards), a waist swivel, hips that ratchet front and back as well as in and out, thigh rotation, ratchets in the knees as well as in the ankles moving up and down while the pivots are the usual hinges.
There is a back piece that covers the kibble from the gun mode to make it look more cohesive. It fits like a glove and makes me wonder if Takara planned to make something like this but chose not to. In addition, a blue Kremzeek is included, which is random if you get either this, the traditional yellow one, or a purple one.
The gun accessories can be used in two ways: with the silencer opening on the back and sliding it through the gun barrel on the back, or by sliding the fusion cannon on the silencer to give him a face gun a la AOE Lockdown. Be sure to rotate the silencer so the ridges have the usually arm-mounted weapon to cover the face. It should be worth noting that my copy's fusion cannon doesn't work with the electronics, but the official version would have transforming noises, inaccurate fusion cannon sounds, and reused Japanese voice clips from the 2005 G1 Galvatron reissue; the knockoffs add Chinese voice clips from the cartoon that sometimes replace the Japanese voice clips, but it is unknown how many have Frank Welker voice clips. The fusion cannon also has proper fusion cannon sounds from the cartoon.
The stock also doubles as a flight stand that goes up his butt, and I appreciate that it is something done to make the accessory a little more unique amongst the usual play features from the scope and silencer. And of course, you can combine his gun parts into a battle platform reminiscent of the original toy's play pattern, something I never experienced with Chronicle Megatron since he didn't have those accessories.
You have two options for the mace, with either an actual chain to connect the Shockwave-like punch dildo and spike ball, or an articulated chain made from the same clear plastic for better display options. The length is slightly different between either option, but it should be mentioned that my copy had the pegs glued in place, requiring me to use enough force to break the pegs free from the glue. Nothing broke thankfully, but goddamn was it annoying to do that just to see how it'd look with the regular chain. Megatron is also here with his angry face.
The helmet he used to control a fake Optimus Prime is present, and it slides on pretty well without using any tabs that would affect his appearance. I have to admit that the episode this accessory was based on is stupid as hell. Megatron also has the purple lightsaber from the 1986 movie that predates the one Samuel L Jackson wanted in the Prequel Trilogy (or the stories of the Expanded Universe that predated the prequels). I wonder if this movie inspired his dream of having a purple lightsaber, but Mace Windu did it better than Megatron.
There is also a Key to Vector Sigma made out of die-cast, but no ball included to put this into. Good thing both Megatron and Optimus can hold it.
Speaking of Optimus, you can use the blade from Megatron's lightsaber and repurpose it as a blast effect. I don't have a Masterpiece Hot Rod, so don't expect me to do all those photos recreating the scene.
Well apart from this one where Megatron is about to kill Prime and traumatize 80s babies everywhere. Rumors say it still traumatizes 80s manbabies and womanbabies. Aka Geewunners if they aren't busy bitching about Michael Bay for the 1,986th time like the unoriginal twats they are.
Megatron's battle damaged face plate captures the "It's over, Prime!" scene, with cracks, dents, and Energon bleeding from his wounded face. A damaged chest plate is also included, but even it lacked an insignia, so pray the sticker doesn't peel off overtime with the way the chest is sculpted. Whenever the face and chest are removed, sculpted details representing the inner workings of Megatron are displayed. These are based on his reformatting into Galvatron from the 1986 movie. Speaking of which, we have 3 Season 3 Autobots, so when will we get any Decepticons, Takara?
As far as reuses are concerned, we only got the toy-accurate version made a year later, ditching the cartoon and movie-specific accessories and giving him chrome as well as a warm gray plastic that matches the Encore release. He also ditches the battle damaged details in favor of having a toy-accurate face and chest plate with the "hairs". If the knockoff companies did this version, I'd get it ASAP. Only issue is that the front of the forearms has the red sections instead of the inner sides due to the transformation. Also, the Decepticon insignias on the gun handle end up on his ass in robot mode.
For a comparison with some other G1 Megatrons, here he is with the vintage toy and the Earthrise release. The former shows how far we've come with Megatron having a weird body type to his normal physique, while the Earthrise figure reveals how wide his proportions are. Not a bad thing perse, but it has me interested in seeing how the SS86 version would look.
And here he is with the Combiner Wars version. For the longest time, many would use the 2015 Leader Class figure as a stand-in for the character, and while I love the silver paint and the idea of Megatron being a tank instead of a gun, that toy felt like an upscaled Deluxe by comparison to what we had before with the size class. Of course, many third party attempts have been made to keep its height comparable to MP-10 or adding articulated hands, but the Masterpiece figure reigns supreme by comparison. And that is something I highly recommend if you want to get a KO for it. Sites like TF-Safari and ShowZStore should have it available, and that is something I greatly recommend. He may be complex and the KOs might have worse QC, but at least you end up paying more than half the Takara price. Just be on the lookout for stuff like the yellowing plastic.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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