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Transformers Toy Review Archive (older series, 1984 to date)
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Neuronutter's review of:
Galaxy Force Master Megatron

Name: Master Megatron
Allegiance: Destron
Function: Leader

The last few years have seen a plethora of new incarnations for Megatron. From Armada's tank, to Energon's imposing jet, it seems obvious the designers are exploring new forms for the leader and Galaxy Force Master Megatron is no exception. When I saw the pictures of Galaxy Force Megatron my first thought was wow, I gotta get me one of those. So I did and man do I love this toy.

Car Mode:
Megatron's new form is a stunningly imposing, hugely stylised and very sleek racer with a look that oozes speed and power, from the sharp angles and the huge back wheels to the turbines built into the back, everything about this car screams that it will go faster than any competitor and will laugh when its enemies are laid to waste. The car is kinda reminiscent of the Batmobile in Batman Forever, with an extremely streamlined design and a look that says it would easily grip the ground whatever the speed as it glides round bends and screams down the straights. The main colours on the car are grey and purple, traditional Destron colours, with a splash of orange and a little black towards the back of the car. The colour scheme works really well, again enhancing the sleekness of the racer. The Destron symbol sits in the middle, just above the clear blue cockpit, and is set on a white background making the symbol stand out well.

I think the design of this toy is fabulous, however, there are a couple of small problems with the design and the manufacture of this toy in that the purple plastic parts that form Meg's knees in robot mode just hang off the back of the toy, and the purple plastic that forms the nose cone of the jet doesn't fit together perfectly. It looks like the plastic wasn't made properly and this detracts from the look slightly. Hopefully they'll fix this problem in the Cybertron issue. For me these little problems are vastly swamped by the good points of this toy and in terms of play value I think this toy is superb. I can imagine kids having great fun roaring this car around their house, and racing him against competitors.

Jet Mode:
Megs is another of these TFs that look like the designer threw in another mode, just because they could. Changing from car to jet is laughingly simple, just a case of swinging the front of the car to the back, however, the effect is very striking and works well. The front wheels and the piece that connects the front wheels do a good job of hiding the back wheels and makes the jet mode more convincing. Meg's jet resembles G1 Blitzwing's jet mode and I fully expect to see shots of Meg's roaring off a cliff and changing to jet mode in midair in the cartoon. Despite thinking this mode was a little unnecessary I do really like it and think it was a worthwhile addition to the toy adding another display mode and increasing play value.

Robot Mode:
Meg's robot mode is very imposing with thick legs, a well proportioned torso and suitably bulky arms. You get to see more orange and white in this mode, though purple and black still dominate. Meg's head is quite unusual with two large purple spikes sticking up, against a background of blue and white (See picture). He has a stern expression, looking like he's analysing the situation, a fitting look. He also has transparent blue eyes, with the back of his head clear blue plastic allowing light to shine through. I really like this feature of the recent toys, making the eyes seem alive! Meg's head has a very nice mould and works really well. The overall level of articulation of the toy is good, and he can be displayed in quite a few poses, however, the backpack can tip his balance, and limits movement of his hips, as well as the poses he can adopt.

One of the minor problems with the Energon range of toys was weapons. Toys either seem to be bursting to the brim with huge weapons, or had a distinct lack. Luckily Megs is very well equipped. He comes armed with two weapons, a rail-gun made from one of his front wheels, which looks ridiculous, but does turn giving the illusion of a functioning rail gun, and a melee weapon made from a part of one of his front wheel arches, very reminiscent of the needler weapon in Halo. It has three large spikes and looks lethal. Again I expect to see him bashing the brains out of Autobots in the cartoon with this imposing weapon. Meg's robot mode is also bursting with detail, from the design of his shoulders and forearms, to the sculpt on his waist he seems packed with elegant detailing. A very nice, imposing robot mode.

Force Chip and gimmicks:
Megs force chip is very stylised with parts coming off that look almost like wings. When you push it into its receiver it activates a sound, a long futuristic jet like noise that's impressive and seems to suggest lots of power being built up. It also activates the jet-like turbines at the back of the chassis, causing them to extend about an inch and rotate as they do so, again giving the feeling of power building up. It's quite a nice little gimmick adding to the flavour of Megs. In between the turbines are two rockets that also activate a sound when fired. This sound is similar to an extended laser blast and also works quite well, adding to the play value of the toy.

Overall the designers seem to have taken a lot of influences in making this toy and come up with a stunning new incarnation for the Destron leader. I simply adore this toy in all modes, although the car is easily my favourite for display and seems to exude power and force, like Megatron should.

Transformation: 8 - Satisfyingly complex from Robot to Car, pathetic from car to jet.
Durability: 9 - Seems great so far, no parts seem fragile, very sturdy figure.
Fun: 10 - Excellent vehicle and robot modes and nice gimmicks.
Price: 6 - I got this on Ebay from a UK seller so it was reasonable, probably about the same as when Cybertron will be released, but expect to pay more for import.
Summary: 9.5 - Fabulous toy, wonderful for display and play. Very highly recommended.
 
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