If you thought I would give all the attention to Animated Optimus after reviewing the Legacy United and later Flame Toys versions, you're wrong! While Megatron had yet to get a new toy since the end of this show, we still have a good bit of backlog to revisit for his past merch. I already own and reviewed the Deluxe version that is out of scale with the Optimus he's included with, but the other Megatron we have comes in the form of the poorly received Voyager still based on the Cybertronian design. Let's be honest, neither really matches the show all that well, and with the tolerances on the joints combined with the questionable use of clear plastic (especially the fingers), you might not need that one. As for the Leader Class, we're about to see if that is worth getting in the aftermarket for anyone who foolishly missed out all those years ago.
Here we have Animated Megatron in his helicopter mode. Specifically, this is a high-tech dual-rotor assault model, which is fitting for Megatron thanks to how threatening the shape is from the front. You got the giant cannon slung underneath, the blood red cockpit on top, and the shape of this altmode feels close to a predatory insect than anything. Now, while I like the altmode design for the most part, you can practically see almost all of the robot folded up. The chest is blatantly visible underneath the front section, and the tailfin is clearly the legs. But that is mostly forgivable when this toy is meant to balance chunky fun and articulation + displayability for older collectors. That said, maybe it's from the toy's age, but the rotor gimmick doesn't work as well as I would like. They're supposed to rotate together if you move one, but the thing's either got the gears jammed or stripped of their teeth. I almost want to modify it so they can spin freely.
In addition to the landing gear used for the fusion cannon, you can also flip down the part included under the canopy (which lights up while helicopter sounds play). This allows the alternate mode to stay upright if the fusion cannon is missing (though you can carefully remove the cannon from the connector plate if you want to cover the head).
Transformation is straightforward given the relatively basic engineering. The torso has very little to do beyond having the arms straighten after moving the wing pieces back and bringing the hands out. The fuselage goes to the back and shifts down, and the rear section splits in half to become the legs, with the lower sections rotating and tabbing in place as the landing gear folds away. The under section with the fusion cannon making a large chunk of the alt mode sucks for the partsforming context, but once again, a Leader Class toy like this for a line meant for kids in general can be excused, especially if it means said toy can still pose well, has hefty plastic, and features good gimmicks. And what a design we end up with for the robot mode! While one can say it's G1-influenced like Energon Megatron, it's moreso stylized in a way that gives him his own identity in this continuity instead of feeling like a corporate mandate in using Evergreen designs for "brand synergy". I love the dynamic shape of the shoulders combined with the fuselage on the back, almost feeling like towers that surround his head, and while the logo should be purple and there shouldn't be the clear red lines on the torso, they still compliment this Megatron design very well and almost give him a sense of rage should they glow while a Decepticon backstabs him for the first and last time (Starscream). The fusion cannon shouldn't depend on the grey piece since that wasn't present on the animation model, but at least it uses a unique connection method by tight friction wedges going over either arm's ridges. The legs being so pinched together at the knees is awkward, but once again, that is part of the Animated style, and I assume if a Legacy or AOTP style toy of this character was made, he would be like Super Megatron as a helicopter. Regardless, I love how chunky and satisfying this bot mode feels in-hand, even if I wish the arms locked in place without the wings shifting around.
Head sculpt is marvelous for this version of Megatron, thanks to the slightly larger chin, the huge cheek guards with the Lego nubs, and the slight hint of a Bayverse silhouette if you look at it from the front. It's more obvious with the Cybertronian version. As for the way his mouth looks, we'll get to that later down the review. His articulation consists of a neck swivel, ratchets for the shoulders, hinges for moving the rest of the arms in and out, bicep swivels, wrist swivels, double jointed elbows, a slight waist swivel, ratcheted hips, swivels above the knees, ratcheted knees, and ankle pivots. Sadly, I am lacking the missile, but the fusion cannon cocks a bit and can either fire by a button or pressing the barrel back.
His propellor blades form twin swords that look cool with the hollow space within the blade. Might be a bit disadvantageous if someone sticks a smaller weapon in there unless he takes advantage of his foe. Just remember what blade to flip back when turning him into helicopter mode, as it all depends on how stable the rotated blade is when pointing the opposite direction. And while 3D printed replacement parts are available, be careful with the stock swords. Pressing his Decepticon insignia results in his mouth opening and his unibrow moving to simulate him talking. As his eyes and chest light up, the following voice clips include "Where is the Allspark?!", "Crush the Autobots!", and maniacal laughter. Either Corey Burton or a near sound alike gives us these cheesy yet glorious sound clips. Combine that with his marvelous build quality and very good articulation, and he beats Combiner Wars Megatron overall despite being an older toy! While I don't have Bulkhead (yet), his Headmaster accessory can attach over Megatron's head, but no new sounds are activated.
The Japanese release was coated in silver paint to make him more premium like with many Takara Animated toys. It looked beautiful, but I have to admit, it jars with the artstyle where characters aren't colored to be metallic. The electronics have new sounds, Japanese Cell voice actor Norio Wakamoto has the toy say "I am Megatron!" in Japanese while "Megatron, transform!" and "Fusion Cannon!"
As for Shadow Blade Megatron, this version has him in stealthy black and purple, with some slight remolding near the tail section of the helicopter mode. The only issue is that the nose isn't painted, but hey, I guess he has one thing in common with Rudolph when his electronics light up.
For a size comparison, here he is with the Flame Toys and Legacy United versions of a persistent little Autobot, whose name is (Animated) Optimus Prime. The aesthetics between the more stylized nontransforming Optimus and the original Animated line's Megatron seem to match pretty well with each other, and I guess the Legacy United figure almost fits well if not for the shorter torso and different aesthetics. Makes me want to see how the Baiwei KO looks, and yes, I need to get an original Animated Prime (or Wingblade).
Overall, I love this figure in spite of the basic transformation. He is still very poseable in spite of a small number of limitations, the gimmicks are fun to mess with, and the accuracy to the show is just about accurate. Would I like to see a new Legacy figure? Sure, but it just depends on what can be done with having him work more intricately or be a victim of Generationized as with his fellow Animated cast members. Either way, this makes me miss when Leader Class toys were enjoyable centerpieces instead of hollow figures as with Combiner Wars or Voyagers with Benefits since 2019. If you see him for a good price, pick him up!
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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