Transformers Evolution Armada Megatron review

Armada Megatron is very different from the other David Kaye Megatron we had in the Beast Era; this guy combines the smooth performance of the BW namesake with the classic G1 power for hunger, only much more driven to extreme measures that make him a force to be reckoned with. He would first want Mini-Cons for himself, then take all of Unicron's power in Energon, and finally use the Chaos Bringer's remains as armor for his third form in Cybertron for his quest of the Cyber Planet Keys and twist the universe in his image. This Megatron was even described by Optimus as once caring for his men before every subsequent upgrade (and name change as Galvatron) led to his hunger to grow beyond what his teammates are capable of. With that said, let's see if the Evolution take of Megatron is worth buying.

Here is Armada Megatron in his tank mode. A great H-tank all around, this guy retains the appearance of his old self, albeit with his gimmicks scaled back significantly. So gone are the Minicon traps, the trio of panels on the left tread that would unfold, the twin missiles on the turret, the barrel pump, abd the electronics. If you feel ripped off by that given how current Leaders are, maybe this guy isn't for you. Aside from that, he remains as faithful as one would hope, something that sadly doesn't apply with the early TFP guys. And at the very least, his colors are complete and accurate. I especially love the orange on this guy, combined with the forest green and purple (in bot mode) to make an extreme color scheme compared to Prime.

The turret is able to only rotate at 135 degrees, making it a massive shame it really couldn't move around entirely. At least the barrel does go up and down.

For a size comparison, here he is to Voyager Starscream from the same series. While Leaders have gotten smaller, the scale between these two at least keeps Megatron in a size that makes him feel bigger than the swordscon, which I appreciate. Makes me wonder how Cyclonus and Demolishor will stack up.

Megatron's transformation is very much like the original figure, but this time, you shift the front treads down, flip out the hands, and you open the chest to hide the face cover rather than shifting it down despite it being sculpted to look like you could pull it down. Armada Megatron's design is just as awesome as it was in 2002, with the H-tank influence carrying over to make him look like he stands for HELL. I also like how heels big with the chunk put into his shoulders. And lower legs, making this guy feel even bigger than one would expect. More purple is introduced, but it at least works well with the gray/silver also added from the torso and arms in addition to the green and bits of orange. His turret hangs from the back, though the angle it is currently in makes it look like a weapon that is stored on the back. 

Head sculpt is perfectly suitable for the design of Megatron, with the giant antlers that do admittedly make me want to replace them with sturdier ones because these ones come off easily, and they are made of a PVC material. I kind of wish the face was purple but silver is show-accurate at the very least. His articulation is basically improved from the regular version. Head movement is about the same, though the shoulders move beneath the flaps with the Decepticon insignias rather than the treads containing the front and back shoulder movement, an issue that we saw with the original and RTS Laser Prime/RID Scourge mold vs the Legacy versions. The arms still move out no problem, biceps swivel, elbows bend, both wrists swivel in addition to the differently sculpted hands (no knife on the left hand though), the waist swivels, hips move front and back this time around, in and out, thigh swivels, proper knee bending that was altered on the old toy, and ankle pivots. His cannon can be slung on his hip like with the old toy, though no Leader-1 in sight.

You can pull the waist up (and hinge the turret out) to rotate the assembly  as well as point the barrel and missile rack forwards, making the full blast mode that can't rotate a full 360 but at least isn't using a breakable lever. Alternatively, the barrel of the tank can be removed and be some kind of weapon in place of either hand...is it me, or does the extra 5mm port make me smell an incoming Tidal Wave?

For a robot mode size comparison, he appropriately towers over both Hot Shot and Starscream, even if you exclude the added height from either the horns or the shoulder treads. Genuinely can't wait for Optimus to arrive at my doorstep.

Overall, this guy is very good for what he has to offer, even if he trades gimmickry for articulation. I do still prefer Skyquake as far as the new mold Leaders introduced for Legacy are concerned, but he still makes for a great addition to your collecton unlike the Combiner Wars version. Now we await for Leader-1 and Tidal Wave...

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Snarl review

When you think of how bloated the 1986 movie's cast was with the numerous Autobots that go down like flies, there are some that are either barely shown or absent entirely. Snarl is no exception, as he barely showed up in the film in addition to how infrequent his appearances can be considering how he easily blends in with the other quadrupedal Dinobots (basically anyone that isn't Grimlock or Swoop). Still, we gotta complete the team, and our Stegosaurus friend is taking the spotlight for today's review!

Here is Snarl in his dino mode. A mechanical stegosaurus, this guy continues the same trend of being a cartoon-accurate sculpt but maintain as much sculpted details as possible. The proportions do make him look a little pudgier than a normal Stego would, but I would honestly be more bothered by the gold plastic contrasting the gold paint considering how butterscotch it looks by comparison. And is does clash poorly with the other colors on the toy. The head does have some nice, blue eyes, but the insignia looks poorly aligned. Articulation is at least good, giving him jaw movement, legs that move front and back and bend where the fore legs and hind legs would. The hind feet are on ball joints.

His sword can be stored in the bottom, which is the first time an SS86 Dinobot has a melee weapon instead of a gun.

He lacks any 3mm ports for the mouth, so you can have him shoot from the 3mm spikes on his tail.

For a size comparison, here he is along with the other Dinobots from the from the line. His head faces the lowest among the others, yet his mass is comparable to the other bipedal Dinobots, which I don't mind. Now we just need Swoop.

Transformation is pretty involved and is much more unique than the likes of Slag and Sludge, due to the front portion becoming the legs while the back becomes the upper body. It also does a great job in not just hiding the front legs but also the head halves. But with that said, the robot mode does at least look up to standard with the rest of the figures we got previously. Snarl's color scheme is the typical gray, red, and black with gold accents here and there. What makes this guy unique are the tail halves on the back of the figure, that being how they aren't the typical Dinobot back kibble that we see with the original trio. They're just as unique as Swoop's wings, and I like how the stego plates remain on the legs and a bit on the back, too. Snarl's also got quite a hefty body in addition, at least for the upper torso. And luckily, the ugly butterscotch plastic isn't as prominent here apart from the feet and the back of his forearms.

His head sculpt is typical for the other Dinobots in terms of the likeness being good and all, but it is a more square version of Sludge's pudgy face, let's be honest. His articulation consists of a ball-jointed neck, shoulders that move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels, double-ish elbows, wrist swivels, a waist swivel, hips that ratchet front and back, in and out, swivel at the thighs, ratchet at the knees, and pivot at the ankles. I kind of wish the lower legs would be a little more spaced out because they'd help make him feel less like they're stuck together when they're close. And he can hold his sword no problem, but much like Legacy Blitzwing's sword, it is made of a flexible material.

For a robot mode size comparison, he is about the same height as the other Dinobros, and seeing the color layout on him next to Sludge further pushes my belief that Snarl really is more interesting than the Brontosaur. So yeah, if you want this guy, I do recommend him, but do keep in mind you'd probably want to paint those butterscotch parts gold like his teammates.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Buzzworthy Bumblebee/Studio Series ROTB Optimus Prime review

The leader of the Autobots got a new arc for his past in the BayKniCapverse, depicting him as being untrustworthy of the human race while remaining undercover with the few Autobots he's leading on Earth. I was surprised he not only had a Peter Cullen face in the movie, but that he also got his face-ripping habits before we saw that in the first movie in his fight with Bonecrusher. Yeah, I bet a bunch of Beewunners cried themselves to sleep upon seeing "MuRdEr PrImE" in a Geewun body and not their dumbass "Scourge = Bayverse Prime" theory coming true. Anyways, we previously saw the mainline Voyager from a few months back, so now let's see if this retool of the 2019 Bumblebee Movie Voyager in the Studio Series line makes a much better take on the Autobot leader.

Here is Optimus Prime in his vehicle mode. A modified Freightliner truck with a few modifications to the front with the sun visor and grille guard, along with altered silver paint apps on the sides with slightly sculpted detailing representing the new fins on the shoulders. I honestly groaned seeing the old cab in Bumblebee, especially with the back section looking wimpy as hell. At least the new bits added for Rise of the Beasts made it interesting, and the back section where the trailer would go is at least bulkier! It makes the truck look much stronger by comparison, though I do wish the grille guard and the smokestacks were painted silver (same goes for any unpainted gray parts). Speaking of, the smokestacks do look a little thicker here than they normally should be. One other annoyance is the trio of hinges on the sides.

The back of the truck on this toy is admittedly worse, as the limited use of molds according to Hasbro designers is smaller than the norm for a Voyager. The shins don't have enough parts to make them flush, but I do know an upgrade kit is coming soon as courtesy of DNA Design. Oh and the sword as well as the cannon can be stored in the back.

For a vehicle mode comparison, here is Optimus in-between the SS-38 and mainline ROTB figures. His truck mode is accurate to the prop in the film, and that goes down to the BB version using the Marmon 97 (Evasion Prime ironically doesn't). The mainline version is stylized in comparison, though it gets the details of the movie generally right while doing its own thing. BB Prime does have the best back section out of the three, while the mainline version is not far behind in spite of looking like a dump truck type of bed. It is also in-between the sizes of the other two toys.

And here he is next to Scourge, and the scale between the two should be accurate like in the movie, and this should mean either Studio Series or Battle Blades Prime will scale with this flat nose fellow. And no, this isn't an endorsement to that stupid ass Scourge = Undead Prime fan theory, get real.

And here he is with the other Autobots in both lines! Arcee is oversized, yes, but this Prime is in better scale with his teammates than the mainline Voyager. I do wonder how the Studio Series version of Mirage will look, as well as wait for Wheeljack to get a figure in that line.

Transformation is about as involved as the original SS-38, but we have a few new tricks related to the way the design works, such as the panels that fold into each other with the forearms and the insignia pieces, making this distribute its truck pieces more evenly. However, the torso is what gets more steps, while the legs are much simpler. The resulting robot mode is much leaner and not as blocky and wide as the original figure, better matching the CG model and the proportions. Optimus's design in the movie was criticized for being skinnier than the Bumblebee movie physique, which is nowhere near as noticeable comparing the two CG models in contrast to the changes in the coloring and Earth mode tweaks. The gray plastic on the thighs as well as on the shoulders and forearms does look cheaper than the gunmetal gray or silver, though it comes down to the sprue used to make the mold. Said sprue means some parts had to be painted, including the back where it's blue plastic painted red.

His head sculpt is much closer to the CG model more than the previous toy, and it has a good level of sculptwork that makes it sharp despite being a bit smaller. I would love an unmasked version. As for the articulation, the head has more range this time, the shoulders move front and back like normal but now they move in and out as part of the upper body due to transformation rather than having dedicates shoulder joints (think of SS86 Hot Rod), yet the bipeps swivel and there are now double elbows. The wrists rotate as well as curl inwards slightly because of transformation. There is an ab crunch and a waist swivel a la Marvel Legends, the former being a rarity for a Transformer. The legs move front and back on non-traditional hip joints due to the altered waist, but they move in and out normally. The thighs swivel, knees bend, and the ankles can pivot side to side as well as move around on ball joints; they're also stable unlike SS-38.

His weaponry includes a blade that mimics the Energon blades he'd later receive in 2007, and it can peg either next to the hand or on the forearm; it is also possible for hold it in the hands. His arm cannon is smaller than in the film, but it mimics how the cannons transform out of the hand. It is undersized, however, and there is no axe. You can expect the upgrade kit to rectify those issues, though Optimus Primal is set to come with an axe as well.

Here he is in-between the other versions of the design, with the dumpy proportions of the SS-38 guy and the more stylized take of the mainline figure. I feel that the SS-38 version is a case of Hasbro trying too hard to make a Moviefied G1 Prime that is different from all of the other reuses of that design, but it ends up feeling clunky and unrefined, which is how I see a lot designs in the Bumblebee movie on Cybertron vs the ones made before the new opening was added. The ROTB Voyager is pretty good for what it is, but it still has the cheaper quality, smaller size, and an over-reliance on the blue paint with how no blue plastic is used. It at least has the smokestacks pointed backwards than sideways. SS-102 has the best proportions, and his colors are more fitting for this design compared to the BB version or ROTB version.

This guy generally wins in comparison to the other toys, even with some minor issues that he has. Ironically, he has no Ion Blaster, but you can take either figure's gun to make him feel more complete with the giant rifle that fits him best. The mainline one is reminiscent of TFP while the SS-38 is full-on G1.

And here he is next to Scourge, the main antagonist for the movie. He is taller than the Autobot leader yet part of that goes down to the inaccurate neck design. I feel that if you were to replace it with the final head design, Scourge would be a little shorter than he currently is by at least a few centimeters. But regardless, you can show the evil truck the real power of a Prime while also going "up yours" to the fan theory that wanted to go "up yours" to the Bayverse but failed. Bonaventura - 1, Bay-antis - 0!

And here he is with his teammates, from the Studio Series line with Bumblebee and Arcee as well as the mainline with Wheeljack (whose SS counterpart remains a listing) and Mirage (whose SS counterpart is still up for preorder). And I must say after the mistake of just focusing on one Autobot in a filler movie, it's great that we get another iconic 5-bot team every decade, which works in terms of when the movies came our or the chronological timeline of the films. 07 team in 2007, AOE team in 2014, and ROTB team in 2023 for the release date and 1994 in terms of in-universe events!

And finally, here he is with his future iterations in terms of chronological timeline rather than when each film came out. If I were to put ROTB Prime on the left, it'd be a way of showcasing Optimus going from traditional G1 to a more balanced mix of new and old with the Original Trilogy design, and his more original AOE/TLK design as a knight, making Optimus look further different from the traditional template than when we first saw him in 2007. It's pretty good evolution if you ask me, and honestly, after rolling my eyes on the set dressing fan wank of the Cybertron battle in Bumblebee, I grew to appreciate this design more in ROTB? Is it because it's got silver bits and some less Geewun elements like the unmasked face and weapons? Is it because it's got Peter Cullen's voice without feeling like he had to dub over an imitator voice (Jon 3.0)? Or is it because Optimus was less "LOOKATMEIAMGEEWUNWEEEEE* and more "I should never have brought us so far away?" and felt more like a genuine prelude to the character's appearances in later films with his trust on humans going up and down? Either way, this is an Optimus Prime that I highly recommend you get, even in spite of the flaws it has. What really sucks, however, is the fact that it's exclusive to Target rather than being a mass-retail release. An almost entirely new mold for the leader of the Autobots getting relegated to a store-exclusive status is bullshit to me. That doesn't take points away from the quality of this amazing toy, but COME ON HASBRO!!!!!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Buzzworthy Bumblebee ROTB Jungle Mission 2.0 review

Our last 3-pack gave us a Cheetor, Nightbird, and Wheeljack, which I felt as figures were pretty good despite being inaccurate, mixed overall due to the kibble, and honest-to-God very good despite people whining about the design, respectively. Now, it's time for the trio of Scourge's victims (though one of them survived) to take the spotlight as the next set of Jungle Mission characters. Probably should have called this set "Museum Mission" since they were all present at the museum battle. Regardless, let's see how these three will turn out!

Here are the three figures in their altmodes. Two cars and a giant bird. I feel Bumblebee's vehicle mode is his best mode, yet it has issues of its own, mostly with the inconsistent shades of yellow for the molded plastic and the clear parts painted in the same color. Bumblebee toys have had this issue in recent times, but this is the worst example of it yet. At the very least, his wheels are pinned, but that robot kibble will lead to some clearance issues. Airazor is not too bad in terms of her beast mode, but it is neat that despite having her legs become wings, they manage to work well enough and not look too clunky than one would expect. It can be tricky to get her to stand because her arms become the bird legs, though. But this is based more on concept art and isn't screen-accurate. Mirage's vehicle mode isn't a licensed Porsche but manages to remain faithful enough apart from the paint not being silver. I also don't like how the tires aren't painted while the rims are. Makes no sense.

Here is Bumblebee next to his Studio Series counterpart, which manages to be the overall better toy. Having the figure reduce the use of clear plastic for the doors and instead make them separate pieces was a smart decision. I also like that the Studio Series version looks more complete in terms of detailing, with the headlights being more prominent and the stripes not being broken by thr 

If you wanted, you could display this guy without the accessories, but while the windshield looks fine, the bumper looks like its mustache got shaved off and looks.worse without jt

Transforming this guy is no different from the average Bumblebee since 2007. But I will say that I like how the wheels go behind Bumblebee's head rather than stay in front of the doors like before, though the leg transformation and backpacks looks like it's back to parts hinging onto each other rather than folding inwards to be more flush. The resulting robot mode looks like a mashup of the design we have from ROTB mixed with the proportions he'd have in 2007. It's a weird mix that feels like it's trying to mimic his Classic Camaro design he briefly had in the first movie, yet it doesn't go well with the simpler design traits. He thankfully is closer to the aesthetics of the main 5 movies for Rise of the Beasts, but it just doesn't really fit that well for the accurate design, especially with how it wasn't meant to be lean. That and he has his cheat with the pecs parallel rather than angled like Bumblebees generally are. He is also REALLY lacking in paint for some areas, mostly the thighs, feet, and the arms.

His head sculpt is bot too bad, and I guess it does a better job at doing the unique yellow detail around the cheeks better with how it doesn't look too cheap. He also doesn't have an Autobot insignia on his forehead, which is explained by Scourge taking it from him briefly. His articulation consists of ball joints for the neck, shoulders, and hips, swivels above the elbows as well as the left hand, waist and thighs, hinges at the elbows, knees, and both the ankles below the knees and as well as pivoting side to side. His bumper can become a pair of daggers, which do a decent job at passing off as such despite being partsformed weaponry. Better than the windshield guard being a shield; why does Hasbro make vehicle parts with holes as shields on Transformers? His right hand can flip around to become a blaster, which is reminiscent of his AOE Camaro Concept Deluxe counterpart's gimmick. And no, my copy doesn't have issues with the torso not tabbing in. I was able to resolve that by hinging the torso upwards where it stays properly. The head doesn't really feel secure, though.

For a comparison with his Studio Series counterpart, you can tell which figure got more attention put towards it than the other, as I feel the mainline Deluxe was made before the Studio Series version was even put in production, what with a difference in concept art and the movie being delayed by a year. Studio Series makes for a much stronger mold by comparison, feeling refined and not as half-baked as the mainline version.

If you lived in the countries that sold these Deluxes individually rather than in 3-packs, then you could easily skip mold if you need to. By comparison, getting Mirage and Airazor in the US means you have to get Bumblebee as well. I mean, you could sell him, but it would be odd to go from the well-made Studio Series toy to this.

Up next, here is Airazor next to her Studio Series counterpart. Obviously, neither figure is accurate to the movie, as the design has more feathers and us a darker color overall, but both figures do bird modes quite well enough. One is basically a moviefied Kingdom Deluxe while the other resembles the old Basic figure if I'm honest.

And here she is along with her fellow Maximals. Their beast modes don't match the CGI models that well apart from maybe Primal, but they make good designs regardless, and it makes me wish we had tbe rest of the Season 1 team, and by extension, the Predacons.

Transformation is more original than the Studio Series figure, as it goes for its own sequence rather than copying an existing figure. We already mentioned how the wings become legs and the bird legs become robot arms, but the way the bird rotates upside-down to be in bot mode position while the head rotated to remain in the traditional animal head chest position makes this figure more creative than what the Studio Series version is. The robot mode definitely is a different style from the movies, looking more like a TFP version of the character than a movie Airazor. I kind of like it, as a fan of both the movies, TFP, and Beast Wars. The colors are also much nicer here, nowhere near as washed out as on the Studio Series. The wings are smaller but they don't make her hard to remain standing on some surfaces.

Head sculpt looks very non-movie with how smooth it is, which once again makes me think of this figure as more of a TFP take on her. Didn't the series intend on having Maximals in addition to the Predacons before the budget issues rose up? Anyways, her articulation is about the same as Bumblebee's, but she lacks ant wrist articulation of any kind while her waist is static and her ankles do not pivot. The two blades stored on her wings can peg onto her hands, and I like these on her with the wings deployed.

For a robot mode comparison with her Studio Series counterpart, neither is accurate once again as Airazor remained in beast mode the whole time, but I will say that the mainline figure impressed me more than the Studio Series version, though I will criticize its elbows being loose.

And here she is with the Maximals. I like that the mainline figures differentiate themselves from the Studio Series versions by choosing to be accurate to Beast Wars Season 1 while the final designs resemble Beast Machines by comparison. And that covers the Maximals as their team is complete (there is no Apelinq toy yet).

And finally, we have Mirage next to the Battle Changer that I got before the Deluxe. While the cheaper toy isn't too bad in altmode, I will admit that a somewhat shinier gray plastic and the extra paint apps on the Deluxe make it more definitive, though the gray tires still look stupid. 

His weapon can store on the back, and not in a really convenient way as it looks slapped on there. At the very least, this guy will look good with the rest of the ROTB figures, seen here with mainline Wheeljack and the Studio Series versions of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Arcee.

Transforming Mirage is somewhat concerning due to the fragility of clear plastic on recent Transformers, and my copy has a crack near the hinge in vehicle mode, sadly. That being said, apart from the use of faux parts, this guy manages to be fairly faithful to the CG model than the Studio Series version. Yeah, he has a backpack, and the shoulder kibble looks off when it sticks forwards (on top of him looking like a good guy Recon Barricade), he doesn't look like a shellformwr thr way the Studio Series figure does. And hey, unlike a lot of figures from the mid-2010s, you can still see his hands from the sides since they're separate pieces! One criticism I do have is how blocky the colors look on him. With some color break-up to make him match the CG model, I'm sure he could pop better.

His head is noteworthy for how inaccurate it is to Mirage's character design. Only the promo art has this masked look, as the final model not only gave him a exposed face, but he also had a lot more blue than this toy does. I kind of want to give it a head swap and paint this guy up badly. Oh, and his articulation is the same as the others, but his wrists curl inwards while there is no ankle articulation.

For some size comparisons, here he is next to the Battle Changer to showcase that maybe adding some extra coloring helps make a toy look less drab as is the case with the lower-tier Mirage. And next to the other ROTB mainline Autobots, he honestly ranks in third place while Wheeljack is in second and Bumblebee falls in fourth place. Being a Voyager makes Optimus in 1st place, of course.

And that covers the second Jungle Mission 2-pack! Honestly, this set kind of falls a bit short than the first set. While Nightbird was a bit mediocre, Hasbro did a good job with Cheetor and especially Wheeljack, as those two were equally good in my opinion. This set has a really good Nightbird, a decent Mirage, and a weak Bumblebee. Once again, I'd recommend getting Airazor and Mirage if they were individually sold in the US, but you're stuck getting them as a set sold exclusively at Target. Otherwise, it's still worth getting as it isn't overly expensive because you're not paying nearly $80, and Target tends to have deals often, so maybe wait for it to go on sale if you think Bumblebee holds the set back? 

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐