TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

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

fort_max's review of: Megatron

Name: Megatron
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Decepticon Leader
Sub-Group: NA
"Join me, and I will send you to battle. Defy me, and I will send you to oblivion."

Megatron has been reborn. Totally reformatted by Unicron, he now possesses an intense arsenal of weapons that will make him an unstoppable force during the battle for energon. In robot mode, Megatron fights his enemies with a remote triple-change tank module. In Gunship mode, he can use his hyper-power wings and rotating cannons to rain terror from above. Megatron's look has changed, but his goal of universal conquest remains the same. Beware, Megatron is back!

Vehicle Mode:
Megatron has been reformatted into a gunship, and I can honestly say he's never looked better. I don't know who designed him, but they deserve a big raise. The thing that really struck me when I picked Megatron up at my local Wal-Mart (Shameless plug. Send me money.) was just how large this toy is. Packaged in gunship mode, Megatron is about a foot long, with a wingspan of a foot and a half. Massive. As for the toy itself, I can honestly say that there's really not a whole lot I would change. The color scheme is terrific and the translucent plastic looks really good (despite it being green, when the rest of the toy is predominantly blue and gray). The vehicle's design is sleek and very imposing, and the enormous engines make it look like the ship can handle just about any speed. There are, however, two problems. First is the tank. Now, for those that don't know, Megatron comes with a small tank, modeled after his alt mode in Armada. This tank fits onto Megatron's top using four Minicon posts, and it looks absolutely horrible. Secondly, Megatron's head just sort of sticks out of the bottom of the ship. I suppose that one could just flip down the points of Megatron's "crown", making it some sort of gun turret. But otherwise, it takes away from the look of the toy. On the whole, though, Megatron's alt mode is top notch, and certainly display-worthy.

Robot Mode:
Where to begin? Well, for those that may not have noticed, Energon Megatron is heavily influenced by G1 Galvatron. He has the crown (which looks infinitely better than it ever did on Galvatron), and the torso and legs are very similar. Also, the cannons on Megatron's shoulders appear to be molded after Galvatron's. But don't get the wrong idea. Megatron is a great toy in his own right. At first, I have to admit to being disappointed by the amount of posability. I thought that Megatron had about as much posability as his Armada predecessor, but I was wrong. This time, they gave Megatron knees. I know, it's a minor detail, but it makes such a difference. Little warning, though: If yours is like mine, you may have to strongarm the legs a little to get the knee to bend. Thankfully, Megatron's size carries over to his robot mode. To give you an idea, Armada Megatron is on eye level with his stomach. I absolutely love this toy, but there are (again) two problems. I don't know who came up with Megatron's tank, but I just want to know one thing (as if they're reading): Why? The tank serves two purposes. First, it serves as Megatron's arm cannon. Also, it holds Megatron's sword, which, for some reason, does not have a handle. Now, I like Megatron's sword. The molding is great. But his not being able to hold it on his own annoys me to no end. Then there are the wings. They double the width of the toy, and there's not a single thing you can do about it. They don't fold in. They don't tuck away. If you fold them back, they add to how much room he takes up, yet again. However, all the problems that I have with Megatron are minor. He's quickly become one of my absolute favorite Transformers, and I highly recommend him.

Transformation: 4. Not difficult at all. In fact, you should be able to figure it out on your own. Just keep the instructions handy, just in case.
Durability: 9. After a thorough inspection, I've yet to find anything that's going to break under normal circumstances.
Fun: 9. May not be the most posable, but I can't see many situations where Megatron will just be left sitting on a shelf.
Price: At $40 US, the cost may be slightly prohibitive. Unless your birthday or Christmas is coming up, best start saving.
Summary: 9. Megatron is just an all-around great toy.