Review: #898
Name: Bumblebee
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Timelines
Year of Release: 2025
Size Class: Deluxe
Mold Status: new
PACKAGING:
Similar to the Optimus Prime / Starscream two-pack, Bumblebee comes with Megatron, and they're in a very nice box with a great looking piece of artwork on the cover.
Take the cover sleeve off and the figures are packaged in a book like packaging, that can open up with windows, so you display them like that if you didn't want to take them out.
VEHICLE MODE:
Based on the Hearts of Steel design which had a steampunk theme, Bumblebee transforms into a yellow and black tank engine.
It looks very good even from the back, and the color scheme really helps invoke his namesake.
The only negative is that he is quite small, even for a contemporary Deluxe. The figure is so compacted in vehicle mode that he is super short.
There is a bit of an scale issue when you compare the alternate modes with his packmate Megatron, but the Hearts of Steel figures, if you have all four, will look great together.
The wheels can roll on a flat surface, but the black bars don't, they're just for show.
There's an Autobot insignia at the front, and even the cow catcher is painted, this is perhaps the most surprising thing, given that Bumblebee didn't shy away from having a lot of paint applications.
Viewing from the bottom, you can see just how compact this figure is. There is no unused space, and both robot weapons store underneath, which is neat.
A great train mode, even if the size is questionably small.
TRANSFORMATION:
Bumblebee has a more complex transformation compared to Bumblebee, and he is more fiddly than Optimus given his smaller size. It can get frustrating at certain points as pieces may get in the way of each other, or you might need to grip a small small to put it out. . The front and bottom of the train become the legs, and this is the easy part. The back is the chest piece, and the arms from underneath that. The shoulder pads are from the front of the train. Getting the torso and shoulder pads out can be fiddly.
ROBOT MODE:
For such a compact train mode, Bumblebee manages to expand significantly and the robot mode looks very good.
He doesn't have much kibble on his, the shoulder pads adds character to the design.
The head sculpt is good, although the head looks a bit small compared to his chest, which proportionally dominates the whole figure.
He's much much smaller than Megatron, and the shortest out of the four Hearts of Steel figures. Although the set as a whole looks fantastic together.
Articulation is good, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
Bumblebee comes with two weapons, a hammer and a gun.
Both of them can be held in his hands, although the gun is small sized.
Something a bit surprising is that there are not dedicated places for you to store those weapons on robot mode if you don't want him to hold it.
Due to his smaller size, and where his knee joints are located, getting his legs to where you want when posing can be annoying too.
While there are some proportion issues, given his chest is so big, this is still a nice robot mode.
OVERALL:
There aren't really any real duds in the Hearts of Steel figures, and while Bumblebee may not be the best one, he is still a very solid figure.
-----------------------------------------------------------
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
