Dave's Beast Machines Rant - Beast Riders: Che Mechatron Well, I went out to get some more boxes so I could finish packing the stuff that the movers are going to take (and I needed a box large enough for my boxed Omega Supreme to fit in, since I didn't want OS's box covered in routing labels), and against my better judgment I snagged Che and Mechatron today. By "against my better judgment" I mean that I really shouldn't be getting MORE STUFF two days or so before I move. Ah well. CAPSULES The two are functionally identical, although different molds for the most part. Some nifty gimmicks, and while I normally don't go for vehicles (they tend to be just bloated hunks of plastic), these are pretty good. It helps that they're near the bottom of the price scale, rather than at the top as most vehicles are. While initially very skeptical of the idea, I think that Beast Riders worked as a concept, although I'd like to see new gimmicks if they make any more. Recommended, but if you only want one, Mechatron is a little bit cooler. $7.99 at Target RANTS As usual, I have rewritten the techspec notes in the interests of improving grammar and eliminating some really bad prose. First, the background blurb, without any editing by me: After their apparent victory in the Beast Wars, the heroic Maximals have returned to Cybertron to find their home planet overrun by hoards [sic, should be hordes] of Vehicons controlled by the tyrannical Megatron. Developed from Vehicon technology and inspired by the ancient repulsor-lift chariots used to quell Transformer dissidents during the earliest freedom wars for Cybertron, the diabolical Megatron engineers the Beast Riders -- sophisticated, individualized pursuit vehicles spawned out of the need for rapid transportation throughout Cybertron. Each craft activates only when its primary pilot uses his spark energy for ignition. Over time, the Beast Riders have adapted to their pilots' control and developed specialized powers from their masters! The struggle for the salvation of Cybertron continues... MAXIMAL: Che Function: Interceptor Altmode: None Motto: None Relentlessly hunted by Megatron and frustrated by Optimus Primal's beliefs, Cheetor swiped the blueprints for Megatron's "Beast Rider" technology and created his own individualized transport. Encased in a unique Quintessian alloy recovered from the lower levels of Cybertron, Che is impervious to most portable weaponry. In assault mode, its razor-sharp battering rams slice through barriers while front-mounted galvaconductors emit megavolt discharges to shock enemies into submission. Twin hypermissiles mounted on the front pack only a weak explosive punch, but they're the only weapons Che can use with any accuracy at top speed. When in pursuit mode and at maximum acceleration, Che can reach hypersonic speeds while retaining the incredible maneuverability needed to survive on the ground at those speeds. Only Cheetor can get this peak performance out of Che, due to the spark energy interface the two share, but Che is still a useful transport for other Maximals when Cheetor is absent. STR 5.7 INT 1.4 SPD 9 END 6.8 RNK 2.4 COUR 7.3 FRP 4.9 SKL 6.5 Avg 5.5 Dumb as a brick, Che makes the drones look smart. }-> And the Quintesson ref was not something I added, by the way. Nice to see the techspec writers looking back at the original series a little. Oh, and so much for the "activates only from spark energy" bit from the overall blurb, Che's techspec does specifically mention others using Che when Cheetor's not around. I'll do the toy comments all together. VEHICON: Mechatron Function: Assault Chariot Altmode: None Motto: None Megatron created the Beast Riders technology to hunt down the remaining inhabitants of Cybertron and capture their sparks. His personal transport, Mechatron, is an unstoppable chariot fashioned as part of Megatron's sinster recycling projects. Though purely mechanical, Mechatron resembles his master's dragon mode, due to a failed attempt by the despot to erase the last traces of organic beast from his body. This eerie battle chariot is programmed to shred through or bombard anything that gets in its path. Twin flame-throwers roast enemies from large distances, and his central fusion cannon smashes those who resist the flames. Mechatron is outfitted with an upgraded spark-capture claw that can tear out the entire laser core of any Transformer. STR 6.3 INT 1.5 SPD 8.8 END 7.4 RNK 2.2 COUR 6.5 FRP 5.6 SKL 5.3 Avg 5.45 Trust me, the original prose was actively painful to read on this one. Okay, the toys are both about the same size, but before I go into detailed descriptions, I need to define some terms that are Undocumented Features. While the Beast Riders don't actually transform, the claws can either be locked forward so they rotate as the wheels turn, or locked back and out of the way (you need to push them until they snap into place, either way). I call "assault mode" when the claws are forward, and "pursuit mode" when the claws are back, figuring that it'll go a little faster when it doesn't have to devote energy to spinning the claws. Che and Mechatron are both 7.5" (19cm) long in assault mode. In pursuit mode, Che is 6.5" (17cm) long, while the longer-snouted Mechatron is still 7.5" long. They both have the same basic design, including gimmicks, launchers, etc, but most of the pieces are different between the two. About the only things they share molds for are the internal mechanisms, the wheels and the driver platform. All the other parts have mold differences, which is a nice touch since many of them could have been identical without really affecting the overall looks of the toys. On the top of each Rider's head is a panel that flips open to deploy a twin-barreled non-firing weapon and a claw. The claw is geared so that both jaws move in synch, and serves two purposes. Mainly it's there to hold the waist of the driver (and I'm told Cheetor can drive Che if you squat him down some), but it can also flip forward and be used as a spark extractor. When the panel is folded down, the claw can't really hold a figure, although I suppose some Basics could ride in sitting position this way. All my TFs are packed away, and I'm using Gundams to check the grip of the claws. There's also niches for the feet, helpful for the longer-footed TFs like Blackarachnia. The main part of each head/body is made from transparent plastic, letting you see the gears inside pretty well, which is a nice touch. While it's kinda weird to have a head rolling along with puny (proportionally, anyway) claws jutting out at the sides, I think the designs work pretty well in person. Most of the pointier bits are made of floppy plastic (the twin gun barrels, the claws, Mechatron's antlers) and do tend to deform a bit if stored without care. The missile launchers inside the mouths fire pretty nicely, and the way the buttons are opposite each other lets you fire both missiles at once if you want, although it looks like you're trying to plug the toy's nose or something when you do that. One major quibble I do have with these toys is that there's nowhere to store the missiles other than in the launchers, and they stick out of the launchers something fierce. A couple of clips on the sides, or holes in the fenders or something would have been nice. Che and Mechatron can use each other's missiles. Okay, okay...I know you're chomping at the bit by now, so here's the main gimmick. Push down on the nose (closing the mouth) and you wind a spring. This spring drives internal gears and makes the toy zoom along. In pursuit mode and without a pilot, Che goes about 13-14 feet (about 4m). In assault mode without a pilot, Che runs only about 10 feet (3m). It is left as an exercise to the reader to determine the fraction of total energy required to run the spinning claws (which really do spin pretty fast!). My Mechatron went a little farther in both situations, so there's some spring variability. Adding a Basic-sized pilot (in this case, the Shenlong Gundam action figure) only reduces total distance by a few inches, not too surprising considering that the internal mechanisms of the Riders make them a bit heavier than most figures. For their size, performance is pretty impressive, I'd say. Although if I were designing them, I'd probably have gone with a friction motor/flywheel instead of a spring, and had the mouth open and close as the toy moved. But that's me. }-> Oh, and each has a warning sticker under its chin: "CAUTION: Hair entanglement may result if child's hair comes in contact with moving wheels of toy. Adult supervision is required." Or just make sure all your kids and pets have short hair, I suppose. Overall: While there's a few ways they could have been a bit better without being more expensive, they're surprisingly good value. And in a rare incident for Hasbro, the actual toys look better than the pictures on the package. I wouldn't mind seeing more Beast Riders, provided that they don't just recycle the same gimmicks and internal mechanisms. Dave Van Domelen, going on hiatus for a few weeks starting Monday or Tuesday....