Review: #785
Name: Megatron
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Generations - Legacy Evolution
Year of Release: 2023
Size Class: Leader (Wave 2)
Mold Status: new
TANK MODE:
Given that we got Armada Optimus, it's only natural that we get Armada Megatron as well, and it's great that this is a brand new mold dedicated to the character (rather than a retool like the previous Generations toy was).
Megatron transforms into a H-tank, and it's fairly faithful to the original. It's a unique design, even amongst all the tank alt modes the various incarnations of Megatron has had, particularly thanks to the green.
He's fairly small in tank mode to be honest, Leader figures are definitely not what they used to be.
The turret can rotate, but not a full 360 degrees. It still has a decent amount of motion, and the cannon itself can tilt up and down.
There are small plastic wheels underneath the treads to allow him to roll on a smooth flat surface.
The tank mode is faithful to the point of having the robot head being visible here, although at least there is a piece of plastic covering the face. You can also see that the tank mode is pretty much the robot mode lying down.
It's a good tank all things considered, but somewhat lacking in play value.
TRANSFORMATION:
Transformation is easy, but there are a few extra steps to help make it a little bit more interesting. The basics are that each of the sections of the tank form the arms and legs. However, it's not a simple case of extending the pieces, the arms in particular require a few more flaps opening and contorting, which adds some much needed complexity to the simple core design. The legs on the other hand is as simple as extending them.
ROBOT MODE:
Megatron's robot mode looks great, and yes, immediately recognizable as the Armada character.
He has the whole turret on his back, given that it isn't required for transformation. You can have the cannon face in whatever angle you would prefer.
The head sculpt is good, and the huge antlers are such a core defining aspect of the character, and they have nailed it here.
If you're looking at the top of his head, yes, he is quite a bit short. Although he has huge shoulder pads to help offset the height difference... slightly.
Articulation is fine, he has joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
The cannon can point forward from his waist, which was one of the cool features of the original.
The huge feet plus the ankle tilts means he'll be stable in plenty of poses. Not sure why, but his left hand is molded open, while his right is in a fist.
He retains his Full Blast Mode, which basically has the whole turret rotated to the front of his torso, with the cannon and missile launcher pointing forward.
Finally, the tip of the cannon can be removed and plugged at the end of his arm. It looks okay there, a bit small looking to be honest.
The original toy has a plethora of gimmicks, but many of those were removed for this version. The aim of this figure is to provide a poseable update with some of the most recognizable gimmicks, rather than something that replicated all the gimmicks.
A good figure, if a bit static and... boring at times.
OVERALL:
Megatron is one of those that is a good update in terms of looks and articulation. Yet, he seems to be lacking some of the spirit that made the original figures so loveable. This figure keeps some of the gimmicks, enough to keep you happy, but feels like too safe a bet and the designer could have packed in a little bit more.
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