TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Additional Image:
Additional Image:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Detective Barricade's review: Transmetal Waspinator

Name: Waspinator
Function: Aerial Attacks
Sub-Group: Beast Wars Transmetals Deluxe Predacon

After the quantum surge, Waspinator became a meched-out, armored wasp with the ability to change into a fighter-jet as well as a bio-genetically-enhanced robot. His personality, however, did not change much; he's still high-tempered, aggressive, and dangerous when angered. Only now Waspinator is faster, armed with a toxic stinger and more driven in his mission to wipe out the Maximals forever!

Waspinator has never had much of any luck. He’s been blasted, crushed, possessed, sliced, diced, zapped, and otherwise dismembered countless times. At the start of season two of Beast Wars, he gets knocked into an open CR pool, thus preventing him from being affected by the quantum surge following the destruction of the “Planet Buster”. This was for a more subtle purpose later in Beast Machines. (he becomes the slick Vehicon, Thrust) And now onto reviewing the toy of Waspinator, if he had gained a Transmetal body.

Alternate Mode:

In beast mode, Waspinator is a large, mechanical wasp. Not a big surprise. He has ball joints in two places for each of his first four legs. The rear legs are slightly modified from the robot legs, like the original toy’s. The legs aren't strong enough to support the toy’s weight, something few “bug-formers” can claim otherwise. In addition to that, the main wings are hinged to the body and can swivel back and forth. The rear wings are ball jointed, and even the mandibles can move. Waspinator is mostly dark translucent green, barely translucent green, and red, with pale gold chrome on the eyes, abdomen, and wing veins. His left main wing bears his name. I really like the mechanical detail of this mode!

Transportation Mode:

All Transmetal figures have a slight reconfiguration of their beast modes called a transportation mode. Naturally, that means Waspinator has one. Just rearrange the legs, adjust the wings, flip up the jet cockpit, and it’s done. It’s one of the better ones, but nothing to write home about. Although, the main wings do bear a striking resemblance to an F-15 Eagle, and the rear wings sit a bit like an F-22 Raptor... Maybe Starscream had some more subtle influences on Waspinator even after leaving his body?

To transform Waspinator into robot mode, start in transportation mode. Flip the rear legs onto themselves to form the robot legs, flip the body forward under the wasp head, pull out the arms, flip the body and wasp head down, push up to lock it in place, and flip the robot head up. One can remove the stinger to use as his weapon.

Robot Mode:

In robot mode, Waspinator takes a lot of obvious design cues from the original toy, which are for the better! His (now chromed) big, fat, stripy... abdomen, the stinger weapon, the wasp head as his chest, the rear legs as his robot legs, and even the head design, which is based on the original toy’s “mutant head” that was used as the show’s head. Also like the original toy, he has light-piping! It’s almost moot due to the plastic being nearly opaque, but it is noticeable. He has a total of 15 points of articulation, 29 if one counts the wings and legs. The legs will often get in the way of posing, and there’s not much that can be done about that. The “hidden Energon chip” (AKA rub-sign) is located near the tip of the abdomen. A slight problem I find is keeping the body pegged together. It's simply hard to find where it goes as it's not the same spot it pegs into in beast mode. It's kind of frustrating...

An interesting note, the beast head configuration in robot mode bears more than a passing resemblance to the Predacon symbol, like G1 Soundwave’s face resembles the Decepticon symbol, and G1 Prowl’s the Autobot symbol. Very curious...

Overall, Waspinator is very neat! All of the modes are relatively open for interpretation, which I find likable. The transportation mode is better than some (Terrorsaur, Airazor, Cheetor), but not as cool as others. (Tarantulas, Depth Charge, Rampage) It really is a shame Waspinator didn't receive this form in the show, as he really could have used it, IMO. Somehow, his eventual "alter-ego", Thrust, isn't even half as cool.

Transformation: 5 Not hard, but not easy either.
Durability: 8 Fairly sturdy. The chrome may or may not chip.
Fun: 8 The insect legs will get in the way, but is fun nonetheless.
Price: 7 I got mine for about $12 USD. That’s quite reasonable.
Overall: 7 The Transmetals all seem to be worthwhile. Make Waspinator happy at last!