Dave's Transformers Prime Rant: Beast Hunters Voyagers

     Megatron (Beast Jet retool)

     Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Prime/VMegatron2

     The instructions (but not the box) call this Sharkticon Megatron, but it
looks more piranha-ish to me.  Or perhaps Evil Depth Charge.  ;) In any case,
a definite Horror From The Depths motif, as opposed to the avian look that so
many of the Beast Hunter retools have.

     http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Prime/VMegatron1 - original mold


CAPSULE

     $18-25 price point.

     Megatron: Original mold was recommended.  This is a pretty extensive
retool with an aquatic monster theme, and if it's a bit "kitchen sink" in its
approach, it still works very well.  Recommended.


RANT

     Packaging: Same as other Beast Hunters Voyagers, with Ultra Magnus as
the co-sell on the bottom.  However, despite this, his storyline chapter
jumps way ahead, with the Ultimates and the next wave of Deluxes having their
stories between Ultra Magnus and this toy.  I've passed up on Vertebreak a
few times now, so I might not have Chapter 21 unless I cut and paste from
another review site.  Keep in mind, however, that Megatron was presumed
killed fairly early in this not-remotely-show-accurate storyline.

CHAPTER 22

     Trapped in a tangle of ancient wreckage, his comm unit so damaged that
he can monitor what is happening on Earth but cannot transmit, MEGATRON
seethes with rage.  He gropes around in the pitch black silence of the
ancient wreck, but he feels nothing but rubble.  Until suddenly, his hand
happens upon something new.  It is the grip of a weapon - unclaimed by the
AUTOBOT raid - one that is familiar, though he never thought he would hold it
again.  He feels memories stir deep within his data banks, and remembers a
time long ago on a world consumed by savage hunger.  His damaged systems
surge to life.  The jagged metal pinning him shifts, then twists and warps,
bonding itself with his body, repairing damage, but also changing him.  His
nightvision systems restored, he looks down at the weapon in his hand.  It is
an object of incredible power - enough, perhaps, to bring the PREDACONS under
control, and do away with the AUTOBOTS for good.

     Continued in the black Bumblebee redeco I definitely won't be getting.
Man, that was some bad prose.


DECEPTICON: MEGATRON
Series 2: 006
Altmode: Beast Jet
Transformation Difficulty: Intermediate (2)
Previous Name Use: Yes
Previous Mold Use: TFP
Weapon: Tartarex Warp Sword or Sharktooth Spear (inconsistent)
Function: Decepticon Tyrant
Motto: "Kindly STAY dead this time, Optimus Prime!"

     The invincible DECEPTICON tyrant is repaired, refitted, and hungry for
revenge on OPTIMUS PRIME!

STR 10  INT 9  SPD 8  END 10  RNK 10  COUR 8  FRB 10  SKL 6  Avg 8.875

SHARKTOOTH SPEAR

     * Fires swarms of Energon-seeking micromissiles that explode on impact
          with target.
     * Blade is surrounded by an antimatter warp field that destroys
          whatever it touches.
     * Channels Dark Energon remnants still inside MEGATRON for added
          destructive power.

     Packaging: 7 strings hold Megatron's fury in check, one contains his
weapon. 
     The weapon is called the Tartarex Warp Sword on the box, but Sharktooth
Spear in the instructions.  Oops.  It's like the box and instructions were
designed by two different groups that didn't talk, and no one bothered to
proofread anything.  Different weapon name, Sharkticon Megatron vs. just
plain Megatron, etc.  [Later note: I'm told that a running change brings the
packaging into agreement with the instructions.  I simply haven't seen it on
the shelf since the one I bought.]

     As with Generations Sandstorm, so much was changed that I'm just going
to list the few parts the two versions share in common, then review it mostly
as a new figure.

     Common Parts: Collar, upper arms, elbows, hands, abdomen plate, pelvis,
hips, thighs, knecaps, torso back core, intake vent pieces on the back, toes,
heels, struts for the chest pieces, fold-out wingtips.  The head is similar,
but has a different crest on the helmet.

     Robot Mode: It's like a "creepy undersea motifs" locker exploded and
random bits stuck to Megatron.  The shoulderpads are like robotic coral bits,
there's fins on the forearms, and a sort of piranha face on the chest.  
     6.5" (16.5cm) tall at the head, the shoulderpads add an extra inch.  The
predominant colors are a dark french gray with metalflake AllSpark Blue, wiht
some magenta, dark purple and light gray.  It's like a G1 Seacon made all
dark.  The dark gray plastic is used for the head, shoulderpads, forearms,
chest front pieces, boots, and some of the backpack.  The rest of the
backpack is light gray, as are the upper arms, thighs and the fold-out
wingtips for vehicle mode.  AllSpark Blue plastic makes up the collar area,
hands, kneecaps, chest piece struts, toes and heels.  A matte dark purple
plastic is used on the hip and elbow joints, while a slightly glossier dark
purple plastic makes up the pelvis, spine and some internal struts in the
boots.
     The dominant paint is a dark magenta used on the arm fins, the open
abdomen mouth, inside facings of the boots, some cheek bits on the chest
face, and details on the shoulderpads and backpack.  AllSpark Blue paint is
used on the face, forearms, and the dark circles under the eyes of the chest
face.  Both the regular eyes and chest eyes are non-metallic yellowy green.
Dark matte purple paint accents the upper gums of the chest face and covers
the front of the shins.  Less obviously, Megatron's eyebrows are dark purple.
I think they painted the inside of his open mouth black.  Theres a bit of
silver on the lower jaws of the chest face, and metallic green on the face
chest eyebrows and under the blue parts of the face eyes.
     Articulation is the same as on the original.  The hands can hold 5mm
pegs, and there are 5mm peg holes on the forearms.  The forearm fins get in
the way if the pegs aren't long enough, though.  There's also a peg hole on
the back.

     Weapon: The Sharktooth Spear's default form is a sort of chunky pistol
with dual bayonets on top and bottom, but it unfolds into a sort of spear or
oddball greatsword.  Either way, there's a strong piranha motif, so neither
"Sharktooth" nor "Tartarex" are really accurate descriptors.  :)  It's mostly
made of the glossy dark purple plastic, with the handle and small blaster
barrel made of AllSpark Blue.  Its eyes are the same green as the main
figure's eyes, and the upper gums are silver.
     In closed shape, it's 4.25" (11cm) long, with a rather long handle.  It
has short 5mm pegs on either side of the place where a trigger would be on a
regular gun.  If you pull the lower bayonet forward, the upper one will flip
back.  Folding the handle up and clipping it into the back of the lower
bayonet piece will lock it in this form.  It's 7.5" (19.5cm) long when folded
open, but the handle is completely closed so you need an open hand to grasp
it.  Or you need to put the handle in the hand first, then lock it in spear
form.  

     Transformation: The same as the original, as there's no functional
changes, just cosmetic.  And it's just as tricky to figure out, what with not
having a clear endpoint. 

     Vehicle Mode: While it's still an arbitrary "there's wing-like things so
it's a spaceship" mode, the Seacon motif turns it from an arbitrary spaceship
to an arbitrary sea monster.  The forearm fins form a sort of dual tailfin of
the aircraft variety rather than a single fish tail, but the appearance is
there.  And the front end is a fanged maw, although it could stand to have a
lower jaw.  Unlike the original, it looks fairly complete without the weapon
plugged in, thanks to the tailfins and a new piece that covers the robot head
completely (the original counted on the weapon for that).  On the downside,
the weapon stands out rather badly, and doesn't feel integrated at all.  You
can sort of wedge the spear mode of the weapon in between the tailfins to
make it a manta tail, though (pull the tail pieces apart a little, put the
butt end of the spear into the fuselage and hook the side pegs under the
tail, then push the robot forearms back together):
     http://www.dvandom.com/images/sharkmegstail.JPG
     8" (20cm) long with an 8.5" (22cm) wingspan, the length changes to 12.5"
(32cm) if you use my tail mod.  There's a pretty good balance of the colors,
except for the feet which are a bit too much blue at the back that isn't
matched elsewhere (the eyes don't quite do it).  Very little of the purple
plastic is visible in this mode, at least from the top.  A green faction logo
is printed on the fuselage to the left of the head-cover piece...it's a
Decepticon logo with circular eyes and a shark jaw wide open, cute.
     There's a 5mm peg hole at the back of the head-cover piece, intended for
mounting the weapon, plus the forearm peg holes are accessible at the back.
There's no other accessible connectors, and no 3mm compatibility.

     Overall: As with the other Beast Hunter retools, it's pretty extensive,
and it has a strong aquatic monster theme to it.  I'd have preferred a more
subdued face color, but otherwise it's a good Seacon homage.

     Dave Van Domelen, supposes a new head could make it TF:P Seawing....