"Nerf or nothing" was a phrase Hasbro said back in 2006 when creating Classics Megatron. He was the second attempt at a mainline toy that turns into a gun. As we all know, Hasbro can't turn Megatron into a gun because of the regulations that put strict laws on toys (unless we're talking about the Walmart guns), but I digress. While plenty of fans were hateful towards Nerf gun Megatron, I thought it was creative even if it was like a big Hasbro IP cross-sell. With all that said, let's take a look at the Decepticon leader's first entry as a CHUG figure!
Here we have Megatron in his gun mode. It's certainly got that Nerf look to him, and it's also based on the Nerf N-Strike Maverick with some modifications to make it more appropriate for a Transformer. Things like the scope, the proportions, and the parts that would later be used for the robot mode help make it stand out differently. Generally speaking, the details aren't as heavy in terms of sculpting, though it does the job perfectly fine when put with the paint apps. It obviously doesn't fire darts, but the scope does function like it has crosshairs, the trigger does have a click to it, and the weight combined with the size of it make for a decent size for anyone wanting to go for a role-play gimmick.
Here is Classics Megatron next to his G1 counterpart, and yes, I am also in disbelief that I actually own a G1 Megatron. Showing off the obvious differences between designs, G1 Megatron could easily be mistaken for a real gun even if he is missing the chrome while his Classics form is definitely more toyetic by comparison. I always had the assumption that G1 Megatron was smaller than Classics Megatron, but they're around a similar sort of size (ignoring the proportion and design traits.
Transformation is undeniably a shellformer, as the two halves of the gun open up to reveal the robot parts of the toy. It's kind of fun to know where the parts go in the transformation, especially with the arms as well as the little details like revealing the fists, lifting up the shin armor, and opening the chest for the head. The robot mode certainly stands out from his typical G1 design more than Optimus did, but it's kind of creative if you ask me. I like the combination of purple, green, and white-gray on him. Normally, it would be gaudy as hell but it actually makes for a cool combination. Reminds me of Buzz Lightyear in a way, and I wouldn't be surprised if Buzz used Classics Megatron in his gun mode but without the Decepticon insignias. The design certainly stands out for the wings on his back and the fusion cannon sticking out underneath the forearm instead of on the side. And yes, I know the orange on him. That is understandable for the safety laws, but I'm growing to it and it weirdly works on him. Of course, we have nicer alternatives out there as we'll cover.
Head sculpt is certainly a take on G1 Megatron, with a more stylized look to him than expected. He's got that unibrow on him that is a reverse of it being gray while the triangles on the inside are black, but it's nothing that I will lose my sleep over. His eyes are green, and while Megatron's known for having red eyes, blue eyes (a la his days as Megatronus in TFP and in Shattered Glass), and in purple eyes when using Dark Energon, the green eyes do stand out and are more commonly known for AOE Lockdown, ROTF Devastator, Unicron, among others at the top of my head. His articulation is on-par with Optimus Primes, though it works differently in some areas. His head is on a ball joint rather than a neck swivel. His arms move front and back on ratchet joints as well as in and out on different ratchet joints (though the right arm is inhibited due to the hammer on the shoulder bumping into the fusion cannon), the biceps swivel, the elbows bend on ratchet joints (though the fists can't face straight on the right arm due to the cannon inhibiting wings and even the trigger if it was left on there. His hips move front and back as well as in and out on ratchets, the lower legs swivel above the knee, and the knees bend on ratchet joints. Some fans complained that he can't use the cannon traditionally, but at least it can be used in a sense where it looks cool (the underslung look doesn't make his wrist look like it's upside down).
He doesn't come with any accessories, but the eBay seller that sold this to me (with the figure still in-package btw)...it's a miniature version of the gun mode made by Dr Wu! It's almost the same as it is, though the seller attempted to add some of the missing paint apps with admittedly so-so results). It moves around a little too freely on the handle, but this was a surprise sight since I wouldn't expect anyone to make a mini version of the Classics gun!
Let's go over the reuses of this toy! This is TakaraTomy's Henkei Megatron, given a much more accurate deco that gives him the traditional gray, silver paint, black, and bits of red here and there. He also has some chrome that is applied on the chest and kneecaps. It's no surprise that the fans got this version of the toy solely for the colors.
This is the United version of Megatron, which is plainer than the Henkei version but is at least more uniform overall. I think this one is the closest to the G1 cartoon apart from the red on the forearms. It's worth mentioning that he and Henkei Megatron have no orange caps, though the parts that were orange are dark gray instead of black. Henkei and United Megatron both have translucent red plastic for the eyes and the crosshairs while the wings are clear plastic painted over. My theory is that the wings are a different type of translucent plastic compared to the eyes and crosshairs.
And here we have the only other Hasbro version of Megatron! He's given a predominantly red deco to him, which is uncommon for Megatron even if he has some silver for the upper torso and thighs. It's a unique color scheme, and it was included with a somewhat different from his Classics release Optimus Prime, both of which were in a Platinum Edition set.
And here we have both versions of Megatron from different lines, with the one on the right being the Earthrise version. You can tell how while one is more cartoon accurate as far as design is concerned, the other is taller, is more unique, and weighs more thanks to his chunkiness, plastic, and ratchets.
And here we have the Classics and Earthrise versions of the Autobot and Decepticon leaders in the same shot! This puts in a lot of retrospect if you ask me. I can imagine Hasbro saying "We've obtained G1 accuracy, but at what cost?", and to that, I add that their figures feel like something's missing from them. Optimus is missing some paint apps and has an underwhelming trailer, while Megatron feels a little underwhelming due to him being too similar to the Siege version but with smoother details, Classics Optimus and Megatron trade their cartoon accuracy in favor of being unique and fun to play with. They're chunky, they're satisfying, and they make me miss when they were from a time period where value for money was a thing. I think the average Geewunner would want the Henkei and United versions of Megatron, but the Classics one is still a nice take on the character overall while having a unique deco to him.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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