Cheetor and Jazz [Cyberworld Energon Surge/Cyber Changers]

@robfromzonebase Cheetor [Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge/Cyber Changers] no, not Tigatron #cyberchangers #energonsurge #transformers #cyberworld #zonebase ♬ Catcat Heaven - The Lethal Weapons

One of the things that first got my attention with Cyberworld was the Bull Megatron design. It reminded me so much of early Beast Wars that even if I hadn't jumped headfirst into my "get them all" quest, I probably would have gotten every version of him anyway. A year later, the Energon Surge toys are continuing that vibe with today's subjects: Cheetor and Jazz.

Both come with little caveats that make you pause for a second before you realize exactly what they're doing. Cheetor is white, while Jazz has a beast mode. Those little details lean even harder into that early Beast Wars vibe I was talking about.

You see, when Beast Wars first started, the fiction we know today wasn't there yet. It was essentially Transformers Generation 3, with familiar characters taking on a new gimmick. If you find any of the old concept art, that idea becomes pretty clear.

Cheetor originally began life as a new Prowl toy. That's pretty obvious when you look at the original toy's head sculpt, and I've always thought the cat-head chest was reminiscent of the car-hood chests of the G1 toys.

While this Cheetor is a mixture of white and translucent blue, it's a little hard for me not to think about that original Prowl destination.

Jazz, on the other hand, isn't a character I remember seeing in that original concept art, but I've always thought Polar Claw's head sculpt looked very Jazz-like. That makes Jazz's beast mode, which is a polar bear, stand out even more to me. Then there's the fact that we're taking a classic G1 character and putting his traditional head on a clearly beast-warrior body. That's exactly the kind of weirdness I love.

Part of me hopes they make a black bear Ricochet version of this toy.

@robfromzonebase Jazz [Transformers Cyberworld Energon Surge/Cyber Changers] yes, he's a polar bear #zonebase #transformers #cyberworld #energonsurge #cyberchangers ♬ VISIONS Theme Song of "KAMEN RIDER ZEZTZ" - NAQT VANE

It's worth noting that Cheetor is supposed to be a snow leopard and not a cheetah, despite his card placing him in the Jungle biome rather than the Arctic biome that Jazz comes from. Considering the arrival of the Maximal stasis pods shown in an Arctic region of the Cyberworld during the season-ending episode, it's pretty clear that the upcoming monster truck Optimus Primal is going to have a non-traditional crew of Beast Warriors. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with them.

Like other Cyber Changers, Cheetor and Jazz share engineering. That's clearly part of the model behind Cyber Changers: keep the price low through shared engineering and a universal silhouette that allows the smaller figures to interact with the larger toys in the line.

I really hope Cyber Changers continues beyond Cyberworld. Imagine having figures that can interact with each other for years regardless of what series they come from. Since these are the mainline toys aimed at younger kids (and loved by old farts like me), it's entirely possible that a kid could receive one from their grandparents years from now, bought from a liquidation or discount store, and have it work with whatever the current iteration of the kids' line happens to be.

I'd love to see straightforward versions of classic characters as Cyber Changers. The white-box general line already has Deluxe Class figures of traditional characters, so why not make some of those characters in this format as well?

There are differences between Cheetor and Jazz, though. They're not simply the same mold with different heads. Both have unique sculpting and deco. They're both primarily white and translucent blue, but their other colors are different, as is their glow-in-the-dark paint. One fun little tradition that carries over to Cheetor is having his beast-mode tail become his weapon. He has a tail that turns into a sword. Neat!

I do wish Jazz had a gun, though. I'll probably pair him with one eventually. It just feels right, you know?

The slight auto-transformation that most Cyber Changers have is present here as well, shifting their upright robot bodies into a more quadrupedal beast form. While writing the earlier paragraph about the original Beast Wars designs, I started thinking about the Manta Ray Optimus Prime sketch and the obvious comparison to Manta Ray from the McDonald's Beast Wars Happy Meal toys.

Man, I'd love to see that design fleshed out as a Cyber Changer.

I'd also love to see the Panther from those Happy Meal toys become the obvious eventual Ravage repaint of this Cheetor. Honestly, I might just make one myself. The sculpt is too similar. Which makes me think that toy really was originally intended to be Prowl, especially since Manta Ray was so clearly intended to be Optimus Prime.

And now I've had another thought.

A Cyberworld Happy Meal would be amazing.

I wonder if the toys would hold up to the Beast Wars-era Happy Meal toys. Probably not. But wouldn't that be amazing?

Cheetor [Defender Version Series 06 – Brutal Fang]

When Blokees Transformers Blind Boxes first started introducing Beast Wars characters in their Defender Version series, I was beyond excited. Of course they included Cheetor in the initial lineup—he’s one of the main bots, after all.

Cheetor also happens to be one of my all-time favorite Transformers, so getting a favorite character in a format I already enjoy?

Yeah, I’m a happy camper.

Cheetor really comes alive in this Defender Version style, and honestly, that goes for the Beast Wars characters in general. Their designs translate really well into this format. That said, I can’t help but think of Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battles—specifically how the character sprites there have a similar chunky, stylized look. I played that game non-stop for a while, often as Cheetor, so this hits that same part of my brain. Double dose of giddy.

Cheetor comes with his Quasar Rifle—or, as most of us called it back in the day, the “gut gun.” It’s the weapon you usually saw him using in the show, as opposed to the extra gun formed from his tail on the original toy. It’s such a distinct look that it just feels right to include it here.

I’m also really into the metallic paint used on his blue parts. It pops nicely against the yellow and gives the whole figure a striking look. Cheetor has always had a strong design, and that carries over perfectly into this style. It just feels natural.

Score one for this cool cat.

Cheetor and Tigatron [Swapticons]

When Swapticons were first to be shown off, it was today's subject that I was most interested in initially. Being a Beast Wars fan, I'm an easy sell for anything related. This set features Cheetor and Tigatron combining to form one long kitty boo boo.

Originally in Beast Wars, Tigatron was a repaint of Cheetor's toy. That bit of trivia stays on my mind with this set. Even if it's redundant right now, it's funny with the two paired up. They're a pretty neat little bots, and their wacky Swapticon faces make them look more cute than silly. They kind of remind me of Sacred Beast Legend Bioroid figures a little because of their shape. Not a lot, just a little. Obviously these are sillier toys that super serious collectors would scoff at... but there's something about them that's hard to resist. Of the four sets in the first wave, this is my favorite as you probably would guess. Of course I don't have the Walmart exclusive 5 pack yet, so I can't rule those out. It's all beast warriors, so you know I'll love it. Until then, this is the last of the Swapticons posts on the site until more are made available. Hopefully there is more, these little shits are pretty fun.

Arcee with Cheetor [Beast Alliance/Beast Weaponizers]

The last of the Beast Weaponizers, Arcee, is who we're looking at today as we close the book on the Beast Alliance toys from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Like Wheeljack with Rhinox, Arcee comes partnered with a recolored Cheetor. I don't mind the mold reuses as it's a good Battlemaster, but would have preferred a new character with a new deco. I guess they wanted to keep as many onscreen characters relevant as possible.

I've liked the Beast Weaponizers best out of the Beast Alliance 'main' figure types, so it's probably obvious that I find Arcee pretty pleasant. I know that I compare lots of Transformers to Microman figures, but this Arcee really looks like she could fit in with them. It's the sculpting. Like the other Beast Alliance figures, there's some hollowness here and there. It's most noticeable on her back as there's just a large open space. Fortunately it's part of her design as that's where the wheels go from alt mode. So that space does get filled up. Arcee is fairly articulated as Beast Weaponizers generally are. Transformation to motorcycle is pretty easy, everything just goes into place. Her windshield piece can pop off easily, so be careful. This is actually my second one as I initially didn't notice my first was missing out of the store. Dang it! Both modes are pretty good and part of me wishes I would have checked to see if another figure could ride the motorcycle. Maybe one of those Micromen I keep comparing toys too.

Cheetor has the same cheetah root mode and claw weapon mode as his regular Beast Battlemaster release. It's a very slight redco of that toy with darker yellow,and lighter gray plastic with less spots. It feels like a weird choice, possibly a last minute decision. Cheetor turns into the same claw weapon that I still like to think is some sort of electric gun type ranged weapon. It's just too awkward to imagine as a melee weapon... but I guess could serve as one. Once again, I really wish he was a different character or at least in a much different set of colors. Still a good toy, so my only complaints feel like a nitpick. Though I feel it's a fair one. Arcee can hold him in weapon mode or he can mount on her forearms, which would be more suitable looking for a melee weapon. Overall it's a decent set and another satisfying addition to a really fun series of toys.

Cheetor (Legacy: United/Core Class)

Of all the pleasant surprises in Transformers Legacy, a Core Class Beast Machines Cheetor was definitely not expected. Beast Machines was one of the more derided series of the past 40 years in Transformers due varying reasons and doesn't get a lot of attention when it comes to updates and homages. Personally, I've always liked it despite the departure from Beast Wars (which it was a direct follow up). Sometimes it does irk me from time to time, but with all the actual problems from the real world... I just take it in stride usually. I've always liked Cheetor's BM design, though in toy form it's been hit or miss. The Night Slash Cheetor mold is the best version of the character personally, though this new Core Class might just give it a run for the money. It's pretty good. As you'd expect, Cheetor turns into a techno organic cheetah.

The transformation is fairly easy, he basically lays down and a few things fold/unfold around to present his beast mode head and feet. His main torso stretches out and tail unfolds. Pretty simple. I know one complaint some had about beast era toys was often transformation was basically standing up... they're still going to have that complaint here. No reason to overly complicate the transformation when you have something with four limbs that turns into something with four limbs. My only complaint in transformation is the robot head doesn't tuck away neatly. The beast head flips over it like the hood on a hoodie. That's fine, but you end up with a visible robot face. You can turn the head around a, but some bits poke out of the neck. I'm sure creative posing can help hide that some... but it sticks out like a sore thumb. I'm fond of Cheetor's twin scimitar swords. They're faithfully recreated here and can even be doubled up like in the episode 'Fires of the Past'. Cheetor can hold them individually, or in double blade form. They even store on his shoulders neatly. This is a pretty impressive toy for a Core Class, which admittedly I'm often impressed by regularly... it's impressive what's being done at the small scale.

I hope to see recolors of this new toy mold into characters like CatSCAN or incarnations like Night Slash Cheetor. I'm reminded of the Go-bots cat bots by those larger front paws, so would definitely be game for some of those characters to make an appearance here. I like this little toy. It's a solid example of why Core Class Transformers are so great. They're small, but not specifically lesser than the standard Deluxe Class figure. I like that for the $9.99 I paid for Cheetor (what I USED to pay for a Deluxe) I got a solid action figure that doesn't feel compromised. Your results may vary, but I'm VERY happy with this cool cat.

Cheetor (Flex Changers)

Flex Changers are an oddball novelty Transformers line that I'm not sure how I feel about. They're a form of those rubber band type action figures you'll see that are clearly popular enough to warrant a constant shelf space. I guess it's a type of fidget toy, I can see the fun in them. I do have some gripes though, mainly the price. Cheetor was $16.99 and doesn't have any actual articulation in robot mode. A Core Class is around $10 and does. So, it's a little bit of a thorn in my side. I do plan on getting more... but they're going to be on some sort of discount or clearance price. 

I bought this Cheetor because I wanted to check these little figures out and love Cheetor. Like other Cheetor figures in the Rise of the Beasts toy line, he's got a more traditional look. This leads me to think the figure will pop up in other lines. Toy companies like to reuse assets and I can see these selling well at the holidays. Like Titan Changers, they're obviously sold at a huge mark up and make profit even when on clearance. As the name implies, they 'flex' to transform. The parts are all held together by a larger rubber band. You essentially take them apart and reassemble to transform with said rubber band holding everything together. It's a simple toy that honestly pleasant if you can get past the limitations... or the price. If you don't mind the price or can get one on sale or clearance it'd make a great little desk toy.

Cheetor (Studios Series/Voyager)

While the prior Cheetor toys from Rise of the Beasts have been more in line with his classic design, the Studio Series release has our favorite cool cat in his new movie looks. Like I've said before, Cheetor is one of my favorite Transformers characters. It's going to be hard to be impartial with this one, and to be honest, I love this toy. I'm going to gush. This is a good, solid, figure and great representation of Cheetor's movie appearance. He's a Voyager class figure. That seems a little large for a character who's normally in the Deluxe range, but it's nice having this larger toy. The Maximals size up to regular Transformers in the movies, so it's not too odd. Not to mention, with his movie looks...it just fits. I can't believe I'm comparing this with toys like Clench or Stalker... but the larger size feels super appropriate here.

Cheetor turns into a cheetah of course. As with the case with the other movie beast warriors, it's a techno organic cheetah. If I were to compare it with anything, this Cheetor looks like a cross between his Transmetal and Beast Machines design with a dose of late Euro G1/G2. It's a mix of design cues that somehow just works. If I had any complaints, I wish the yellow was a little more varied. Cheetor is a somewhat metallic Dijon mustard that works, but I'd have preferred something different. The colors are a little darker than normal because movie, but I feel like there was other dark yellows that would have worked better. It's not a deal breaker at all, just a slight nit pick. 

Transformation is a breeze, and kinda works exactly how you'd expect. I do really appreciate the fact that his weapon doesn't form from the beast mode tail. Tail weapons are pretty standard for beast type toys, so it's really refreshing then they're not. Cheetor's spear splits in half and can be held as a whole or in halves. It also mounts on his back in both modes. That's not a big feature or anything... but I feel like that really adds to his look. Since his arms are made from the cheetahs front legs, the claws can either fold out of the way, or over the hand as a melee weapon. For some reason this reminds me of the claw gimmick from Supreme Cheetor. Not his most popular figure, but hey... this one is much better!

Cheetor (Jungle Mission 3 pack)

Cheetor is the reason I wanted the Jungle Mission 3 pack to begin with. Fortunately the entire set was pretty great. As of this writing, I haven't seen the movie yet (but will have by the time you read this). I know enough going in that this toy is not based on his character design from the movie. A few of Cheetor's toys were made from an earlier working design that's closer to his original Beast Wars character. This is giving us some variety in cool cats, but probably confusing a few folks. To be fair, this has happened with prior movies (and even a few regular line) toys. While I enjoy his movie design, the BW fan in me is overjoyed. There's a fair amount of tech detailing that really adds a cool twist on the classic design.

Of course Cheetor turns into a cheetah, and while the robot mode was classic BW, this has a Transmetal vibe. I dig it. For the record, I do not have a bad thing to say about this toy. Cheetor is one of my favorite Transformers characters and I love getting new toys of him. The more mechanical parts in his beast mode break up the main yellow of the cheetah body with some brown in the hind legs. This is an odd color choice that I wouldn't have made on my own. However I do think it looks good. While it's a different big cat, the colors make me mentally think Tiger Force from GIJOE. I love how these toys are making me come up with all these mental comparisons. The metallic blue Maximal symbol is also a nice touch. It contrasts really nicely against the yellow. I've always like blue and yellow together.

Cheetor transforms fairly easily and everything goes where you'd expect it too. I did find myself struggling here as it is a slight bit different from prior Cheetah toys and my fingers went into full muscle memory from the Kingdom mold. I guess with the multiple different versions of that toy, my mind just assumed it was another one. A lot of people have mistaken this for a remold of the Kingdom one and to be fair... it'd be easy to do so from pictures alone. However it is a much different toy in hand. Things work and joints move differently. Just as visually, engineering is a different take on a similar design.

Cheetor has a variation of some of his classic weapons. A laser gun stores from his abdomen similar to the classic toy's 'gut gun' and the beast mode tail once again becomes a melee weapon. This time a sword similar to the original Beast Machines toy. It's really neat how this toy is as much of an update of prior ideas as is a new take. I really like it. Score one for this cool cat... I'll never not say that.

Cheetor (Beast Battle Masters)

Like the prior Beast Battle Masters I've talked about here, Cheetor has a beast main form and a weapon alt mode. I really do love a good partner figure, so I'm enjoying the crap out of these. Like prior uses, I do wish these were new characters... but whatever. I like to think Cheetor here is an updated Catgut, even if his weapon mode is different. Speaking of that, Cheetor's weapon mode is some sort of large claw weapon. I'm not sure of it's a melee weapon, or perhaps some sort of electric trident type gun.

He's fairly articulated in cheetah mode, not super articulated, but the basic parts move. If there's anything to point out, it's that his main body is gray as opposed to a matching yellow. I understand he's likely group molded with another toy to save production costs, but the consumer doesn't save anything when they do that, so it just looks cheap. Cheetor is pretty great, just a bit weird.

Living on the edge, not afraid to die

A few weeks ago I spoke about how excited I was for the new Kingdom version of Shadow Panther. Fortunately the Mrs found him a little bit back and I now happily have one. If you don't know who Shadow Panther is, let me educate you a little on him. His bio reads-Outer appearance looks like a Cybertron but in fact he is a Predacon soldier. Shadow Panther specializes in performing surprise attacks from the darkness. He doesn't stop his hunts until he has preyed upon countless Maximals. Depending on release, he may or may not be Ravage. That's because he was originally a Japanese exclusive character, however Hasbro chose to import him when they ran a collectors web store (pre-Hasbro Pule). Initially sold as Shadow Panther, however at some point they renamed the toy Tripredacus Agent.

If you couldn't tell, it's a repaint of Cheetor. However not a direct repaint as Shadow Panther has a different head. The first bath of Beast Wars toys had the mutant head gimmick. This would usually give the figure another head that could be swapped out to represent a battle mask or helmet. When it came to repaints, these mutant heads would usually serve as the new characters head. Shadow Panther normally used the standard Cheetor head, but for this release he has the mutant head. Considering there's another Cheetor likely on the shelf nearby, that's a pretty good idea. Not going to lie either, it's a good choice. Makes him look more savage. With that sickle/whip weapon and the black colors, Shadow Panther looks like the anime shadow warrior the bio makes him out to be. 

The black on yellow with silver colors look as good as ever to me. Silver on black is a classic look and the yellow is so strikingly different that it contrasts nicely. Not to mention, makes me think of a Henshin Cyborg. There's a pretty big Transformers iceberg, and it's probably a coincidence, but the similarity is hard to ignore. As you've guessed by now, I'm happy with this toy. You might be too. The base mold is already a good one and it's a character I have a fondness for. I'm pretty happy that Hasbro went with Shadow Panther for Kingdom. With the Netflix version of Cheetor also available, I would have assumed they'd pass over another use of the mold on the shelf at the same time. Sometimes it's good to be wrong.

Bios: Che

Function: Interceptor

Relentlessly hunted by Megatron and frustrated by Optimus Primal's beliefs, Cheetor swipes the blueprints oft he Beast Riders technology and creates his own individualized transport. Encased in a unique Quintessian alloy recovered from the lower levels of Cybertron, Che is impervious to most artillery attacks. Razor-sharp battering rams slice through barriers while front-mounted galvaconductors emit 10,000-volt charges to neutralize any obstacle. When in pursuit mode and at full acceleration, Che can reach hypersonic speeds while maintaining incredible maneuverability. Only Cheetor can operate Che at its peak performance through the focus and balance of his spark energy interface, but allows his fellow Maximals to pilot it in his absence.

Bios: Cheetor

Function: Jungle Patrol

Like a bolt of greased lightning, Cheetor strikes fast and strikes hard. Quiet and confidant with incredible reflexes, he is equally efficient when battling in robot mode or in his artificially enhanced organic earth form. Cheetor constantly stalks the jungle in search of Predacon enemies, daring them to challenge him and his laser-powered quasar cannon.

Score One For This Deluxe Cat

Sunday I picked up the new Cyberverse Deluxe Cheetor figure. I also got a Cherry Vanilla Coke and a Bueno bar, but I didn't want to show off. Let's just focus on the cat. Speaking of, what a good kitty he turned out to be. Normally I prefer to focus on the other classes with Cyberverse. Warrior, Turbo Changers, you know the variety. It's not that I don't like the deluxe class, I do. I also buy plenty of it in Generations and enjoy the variety. Not to mention, like I've said before, I enjoy the old school nature of these simpler toys. With the design aesthetic of the more kid friendly lines, they really take me back to older robot toys. It's something I enjoy a lot. Am I crazy? Probably.

Cheetor really works for me here. Cyberverse gave him a more angular design, similar to G1 Predacons. While I love my Beast Wars, I admittedly have always dug that angular animal look and it looks fabulous here. As you could expect from a Cyberverse toy, it's a faithful character representation in the visual style of the series. Cheetor looks like you'd expect him to and turns into what you expect. They did give him some new gear. Dual energy swords similar to the scimitars he carried in Beast Machines and cool snap on armor for beast mode. Combined with the swords, the armor makes for a cool new look on an old design. The claws and helmet can be mounted on his robot mode as well. It's a nice little extra touch. 

Cheetor looks pretty great, and is well articulated. In all he's a pretty good figure. If I had any complaints, it would be his beast mode chest didn't hold together super tight. Or at least it didn't on mine. Another point of concern is newer Transformers toys are moving away from cellophane on the boxes. I don't mind that too much, however you really have to check your figure ahead of time to assure it isn't missing anything. I'd advise looking over the toy and in the box to be sure that you're getting everything that's supposed to be there.

Fortunately the little tie downs they use in packaging hold things in pretty well, but I saw one missing a cheetah head on the shelf. With shitty people in general you can never be too careful. Take an extra second to look over your purchase. Come to think about it, with Christmas around the corner... your loved ones may not know about this. Either let them know or be prepared to do some exchanges in the future. You never know if somebody trashed a toy on the shelf or stole a part. Some people suck.

I really liked this figure. It was fun to play around with in my living room while watching paranormal TV. Cheetor is one of my favorite characters in Transformers and I try to get as many of his toys that I can. Despite my issues getting his beast mode to hold together perfectly, it was still a pretty good cheetah. It's not exact, but it's similar enough to his toys that have came before. I transformed him mostly by muscle memory from those figures and that's not something I mind. The battle armor is a welcome addition and I thought it made him a little more badass. I would easily welcome several repaints of this mold. Score one more for this cool cat.

Ultra Gear

I'm pretty partial to Cheetor. He's one of my favorites in the world of Transformers. So it's probably to no surprise that when the images of the new Cyberverse Deluxe toy of him popped this past weekend, I was pretty ecstatic. With Cyberverse toys I'm content with all the other toy offerings and hardly mess with the nicer deluxe figures. I have a few, but it's the weird way I enjoy Cyberverse in particular. 

There's no shortage of Cheetor toys lately, there's plenty. However, this one in particular really talks to me. Maybe because, like the prior Cyberverse Cheetor toy, it's something new. Sure it still looks like Cheetor, but the more angular nature of the design really works for me. He's more mechanical, fitting in with G1 style animals and I've always liked that blocky look on animal bots. 

Not that I mind the more organic look of Beast Wars, I've always liked it in fact. Just this particular Cheetor, man, he does it for me. If it were the older days of the fandom, I could and would expect multiple repaints of him. Though for no particular reason that I can think of right now, the toy I want made from this most is Jaguar from the McDonald's toys. I can just see that every time I look at these pics. It's just an insane siren song that these JPEGs have been singing. He's wonderful

Score One For This Cool Cat

Oh hey, when I got Rattrap, I got some other Kingdom figures. Cheetor here is one of the new bots I absolutely needed to have. I mean, I need all the new Beast Warriors, but Cheetor was a priority. He's always been one of my favorites from the beast years and honestly one of my favorite characters. So I'm easily sold on new toys of the guy.

This new Cheetor is a really good update of the classic design. In beast and robot modes he looks like he walked off the cartoon screen and onto a TV tray in my living room. I'd like to point out that I capitalized TV, because spellcheck goes nuts whenever I don't. Happy now you toxic asshole? Where was I? I love his head sculpt, you know Cheetor was originally intended to be Prowl right?

This new toy features a bunch of articulation. He bends and twists in all sorts of ways. I do wish the designers would have included the gut and tail gun, instead they opted for the tail weapon from his Transmetal toy. It's not bad, but for such a good homage, the guns do feel left out. That's the closest I have to a complaint about this guy, and it's just a minor nitpick at most. I'm totally happy with my new Cheetor. His transformation is natural and everything just works for me. It's pretty great.

Bios- Cheetor

Like a bolt of greased lightning, Cheetor strikes fast and strikes hard. Quiet and confidant with incredible reflexes, he is equally efficient when battling in robot mode or in his artificially enhanced organic earth form. Cheetor constantly stalks the jungle in search of Predacon enemies, daring them to challenge him and his laser-powered quasar cannon.

That darn cat bot

The other day I was playing with my Spark Armor Cheetor. It's a pretty fun little toy and for a Beast Wars fan it's nice to buy a Cheetor at Target again. It's not uncommon for my mind to race through potential repaints for the mold. There's the obvious Ravage (I'd go nuts for a Shadow Panther version) and Tigatron. That's always going to come up. Then my mind went to CatScan and Panther, which is a little more under the radar, but something I'd be all for. Though something I'd love would be a homage to the Fox Kids Transmetal Cheetor.

Beast Wars was a syndicated show here in the US that later aired on Fox Kids. New releases of some of the toys were made available to go along with the show now getting seen by a new audience. These Fox Kids versions had different paint jobs to differentiate them from the prior versions. Some a lot more extreme than other, like Transmetal Cheetor. Now in a darker red and black scheme dominating the toy, Cheetor looked like someone else.

It's a lot different than you'd expect Cheetor to look. Despite the weirdness of it, I've always liked the repaint and just thought it looked great. Spark Armor Cheetor, while looking more like the original Cheetor toy, is pretty angular and I'd like to think could pull these colors off pretty nicely. I'd be pretty happy with a million recolors of the toy in a million different cat bots. It's a great figure and one I'd love to see homage random versions of... Hey, you know what would also look great? The Armada one!

That darn cat

I've been really looking forward to the upcoming Spark Armor figures from Cyberverse and early today the first looks at Cheetor figure popped up. If your dogs started barking like crazy, my bad, that was me. I am absolutely in heaven over this figure. I love Cheetor so very much and getting a new toy of him is something I'll break the sound barrier over.

Cheetor is a much more mechanical cat than his traditional Beast Wars look would suggest, and I dig that. I've always dug the mechanical look of animal based TF's in G1 and it looks great here. Weirdly enough, Cheetors Spark Armor partner is a reuse of the boat that comes with Bumblebee. I don't have any real complaint with that, it just seems odd. Bumblebee often comes with some sort of water themed gimmick as a throwback to his original special ability of being able to swim. Cheetor... not so much, but it doesn't look bad in armor mode at all. I'm guessing it has more to do with compatibility of the molds than anything.

The prospect of a Cheetor mold in a mainline TF line excites me as a fan of Transformers who fondly looks back at the beast era. I really hope for a ton of repaints. Obvious ones like Ravage or Tigatron or even something more obscure like CatScan or Cataclysm would be a great start. Actually a Shadow Panther or Panther from McDonald's Beast Wars Happy Meals would look great too. That's one of the great things about a more simple toy mold like this one, it lends itself to other things easily. Thinking about it, Tigatron with a blue jet armor would make for a great Tigerhawk.

Transform Squadron episode 4- New Glowstick Crunch

Listen Now!

In the December 2018 edition of Transform Squadron: Rob talks about the Christmas robot toy selection at his local Family Dollar. Then about Kinder Jurassic World toys before looking back at the Night Slash Cheetor Mold.

Tacos and Transmetals

College was a simple time, sorta. Classes , job, social life, staying up all night on the internet or in front of a video game, and somehow living with just a few hours sleep here and there. It was basically childhood version 2.0 where I got to call my own shots.

When the Beast Wars Transmetals game was first released as a Blockbuster Video rental exclusive here in the states, it's no surprise how that went. I'd regularly swing by the video store, rent the game, then a quick run through the nearby Taco Bell drive through before getting home.

Several all nighters were spent with Cheetor walking in circles around opponents (it was a fighting game, a very basic fighting game meant for small children) and doing that weird kickball attack.

Before long, I found a used copy of the game for sale. It was around the time I learned that there was a secret character named Megatron X (a variation of Megatron with dragon wings) and if I beat him the right way, he'd become a playable character.

That's when the madness began. Each free night, I'd stock up on Taco Bell and Mtn Dew, then go all night. I was destined to unlock Megatron X, countless hours resulting in countless battles with him and heartburn. Frustration took hold and so did obsession.

I was going to do this, I was going to win.

My roommate and neighbors were going to kill me for the random screaming fits at 4am. That and the after effects of several hundred pounds of Taco Bell.

I'm just as amazed as you that I'm still alive.

In the end, I'd like to tell you I succeeded and unlocked Megatron X for play. Or is love to tell you I walked away from it out of better behavior.

But eventually, I found a used copy of the PlayStation game that was tons better. 

But there was still tacos.