Beast Wars Reviews Archive
Phase 2 - Transmetals and Fuzors	Radiative mutation...
	Last Updated 9/18/00 Page created.

    It should be noted that almost all of the Deluxe Transmetals from both waves have been re-released as recolored versions. I have not reviewed them, and they tend to be hard to find, shipping in smaller numbers.

• Basics - Air Hammer and Quickstrike: It was harder to assign definite waves to the Fuzors, because Quickstrike and Silverbolt got included in later boxes, being as they were in the show. But I'm going to call them solely Wave One.
• Deluxes - Sky Shadow and Silverbolt: These were the biggest Fuzor size. No Mega or larger Fuzors were ever made.

• Basics - Bantor, Buzzclaw, Noctorro and Terragator: It's hard to say if these were one wave or two, but I'm inclined to say they were a single wave. Noctorro was kinda weak, but Bantor and Buzzclaw were great toys...and then Toys R Us had them on clearance for months. They were almost enough to make me miss Fuzors.
• Deluxes - Torca and Injector: These guys, however, helped me get over the loss. Torca's so-so, and freaky-boy Injector was just pretty bad. He's still warming pegs years after his release.

• There were no Basics for Transmetals.
• Deluxes - Cheetor, Rhinox and Tarantulas: A side note of interest, TM Rhinox had a sort of centaur mode you could make by folding down his backpack and bending his legs at the knee a bit.
• Megas - Optimus Primal and Megatron: Among the best Megas to date. There were no Ultras in this wave.

• McTransmetals - Dinobot, Blackarachnia and Scorponok: Three toys destined not to get Transmetal forms instead got McDonalds toy premium treatment. I ended up kitbashing all three, plus an extra Dinobot into Grimlock.
• Deluxes - Rattrap, Waspinator, Airazor and Terrorsaur: As with the Wave Two Fuzors, one could argue these were two waves, but hey. All four of these are very good toys, so I'm glad they've been reissued more recently in new colors, although not in large quantity sadly. A recolored Rattrap was Hasbro's first foray into a chain-exclusive Transformer since the Machine Wars debacle, with a Wal-Mart exclusive toy.
    Toy Tips
  • Airazor - Her pontoons can be deployed as shoulder cannons in robot mode. Also, there's a definite Angel/Demon theme happening with Airazor and Terrorsaur
  • Rattrap - Dinobot or any of his remolds can indeed ride TM Rattrap as seen in the show. Put his feet on Rattrap's upturned forepaws and balance Dinobot's backside with Rattrap's exhaust pipes.
  • Terrorsaur - Readers eventually sent in nearly a dozen alternate modes, making this the most flexible toy until BMac Scavenger. With the upcoming recolor, if you don't already have this six-changer of sorts, get one soon!
• Mega - Scavenger: Originally to be named Inferno, but I guess the fact that original Inferno ants still clogged the shelves convinced them to change the name. And soon Scavengers were clogging the shelves, since he too was shipped solo or along with Wave One Megas.
• Ultras - Depth Charge and Rampage: The first Ultras of this Phase, and the last.
    Toy Tips
  • Depth Charge - A decent approximation of the Solar Sail simulation ship from Tron can be made if you don't like the official spaceship mode. Additionally, around the trigger area is a nice pilot's seat where a Basic or small Deluxe can sit.
  • Rampage - Using the cannon as a seventh leg helps stability in crab mode. In tank mode, the robot knees can get in the way of rolling, something you can fix by pulling the legs out and making them into a pair of cannons arched over the back.
• Super - Optimal Optimus: After a couple years, Hasbro decided to risk an even bigger price point, and they introduced the four-changing Optimal Optimus (since recolored as Primal Prime). Note: for car and ape modes, you need to shorten the legs by bending a joint hidden inside the shins. As the chrome tends to weld itself, you will probably need to apply excessive force the first time. The Primal Prime recolor was also slightly remolded, including changing the light-up gimmick so that you didn't have to risk launching the missiles in order to get the missiles to light up.