Super Megatron [Defender Version 8- Battle Stars]

It was very hard to patiently wait for the Blokees Amazon store to stock the newest Defender Version Series 8, as they tend to stock their main online storefront first. I've ordered from there several times, but I prefer to buy from their Amazon store because I get free and much faster shipping.

Series 8 is themed after the Battlestars manga and story pages from late Japanese Generation 1, and I was pretty ecstatic when I saw the news leaked on the Thailand Blokees page I follow for news.

I guess I never expected some of the more obscure corners of G1 to make it to Blokees, but man, am I glad they did!

One of the characters featured in the set is Super Megatron, who, like Star Convoy/Star Optimus, has a whopping FOUR kits available in the series. There's his vehicle form and either a standard, Special Galaxy Type (metallic paint), or Special Armor Type (metallic paint and extra pieces that form his Megatron Omega form).

As I ordered the case, of course I was promised each figure in the wave and at least one of the special types. My case had standard Super Megatron, which I was perfectly okay with, as frankly, that's what I wanted.

We're going to be talking about the standard robot and vehicle modes today.

The vehicle kit is the one from the series that comes with a coin. I don't think I've talked about those here before. When you buy a case of Transformers Defender Version Blokees, one will come with a coin. That coin is usually one of three available.

My vehicle Super Megatron came with a silver Windblade coin, while Star Convoy and Swoop are also available in the series.

They really know how to feed into blind-box fanatics' ticks, and it works. I'll buy the occasional blind box at physical retail even if I already have the case, just in case it's got one of the random things I didn't get.

In case you're not familiar with Super Megatron, by the time Battlestars is taking place, Dark Nova shoots a beam of energy into Galvatron's tomb, resurrecting him as Megatron again. Though, of course, now he's in a new form.

Later on, Dark Nova upgrades him into Ultra Megatron before ultimately merging with him to form Star Giant, whose image will often pop up on normies' timelines, causing them to ask their more in-the-know friends just what the hell that thing is.

Super Megatron's vehicle mode is a flying-tank-type vehicle that's pretty nuts and looks like something that would be in a PC-98 game.

Being that this is a manga/story page from around 1991, that shouldn't be too surprising, as anime, manga, and games often shared creative talent and influences.

Super Megatron was designed by Masumi Kaneda, who also worked on Gundam and Ultraman print media, for example, while Ban Magami did a great deal of the manga art. Ban did a lot of the mechanical design for Danguard Ace, for example, and even worked on Galaxy Express 999.

Ban is also a super nice guy whom I've had several pleasant conversations with online. Most recently, to observe the start of autumn, he posted a drawing of foxes. I told him my wife, who loves foxes, would enjoy this.

He then asked me to give her his regards.

Not related to this topic specifically, but falling in line with the tangent.

Shōji Kawamori, who created Macross (which gave us Jetfire), also did a lot of design work on Diaclone, among other robot series. Recently, he did the mech design for Pragmata. I was already in love with that game before learning of that, and it just gave me another thing to appreciate about it.

Like I said, this flying tank definitely looks like it came from this era, and I love that about it. Also, I just dig the design in general.

The tank elements include four cannon barrels and a design that combines a traditional H-tank with something out of Wheeled Warriors, while the flying parts are mostly some tacked-on wings and boosters that just look fantastic.

I don't know how straight it could fly when those cannons fire, but it'd look awesome doing it.

The kit is a pretty good representation of the vehicle, and it assembled very easily, much to my surprise. Admittedly, after spending as much time with Blokees Wheels as I have, my mind automatically goes to their construction style.

Often, with Defender Version vehicle modes, there is some compatibility with robot-mode kits, but it looks like there are just some ports where a weapon could plug in. Either something's coming in the future to use them, or whatever can be done hasn't been discovered yet.

Or maybe there's nothing else, but let me dream.

Robot mode is a very impressive-looking Defender Version robot. Despite the smaller size and cuter designs, Defender Versions come out looking even more badass than larger kits.

That really translates well with characters like Super Megatron, whose weapon pods and flight gear form something of an ornamental armor that's imposing and slick-looking.

If you're not familiar with Battlestars but find yourself recognizing the design, in Transformers Animated, Megatron's Earth mode was designed to resemble Super Megatron, while his Cybertronian body was based somewhat on the 2007 movie design.

Neat, huh?

While I've always been partial to that badass ornamental armor I was talking about, I really enjoy the new fusion cannon, which I've always thought looks like the front of the SDF-1.

Once again, the multiple series and mediums influence each other, and that's a cannon that looks like it could have been in a variety of games.

It also looks like it'd hurt like hell if he just hit someone with it.

Super Megatron ultimately looks like a powered-up version of classic Megatron, which I guess is what he is. But it's also fitting, as Masumi Kaneda had a supervision role on Transformers: The Movie, which was the last time we'd seen the animated version of Megatron until Battlestars. The manga took place within the animated continuity.

Robot mode isn't very hard to assemble, despite all that cool ornamental armor. It really just snaps into place like a normal Defender Version kit.

As someone who appreciates how things come together, the modular design of Blokees' blind kits is very impressive, considering just how unique many of them are from one another.

If you've noticed how it's practically impossible for me to dislike a Blokees product, you'd be correct.

They clearly know my siren song.

Ultimately, this is another great set of kits by them and a great representation of Super Megatron in both vehicle and robot modes in the Defender Version scale that I clearly adore.

Both assemble pretty easily and look great.

I'm trying my best not to end this with a play on Super Megatron being super.

But seriously, if Blokees is willing to dig into the weirder corners of Japanese G1 like this, I'm all for it. There's a whole lot of Transformers history out there that deserves a little more love, and I'd be perfectly happy to see more of it show up in plastic form.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go admire my tiny flying tank.

*edit* the video before whatever caused them to stop working is here.

Megatron [Cyberworld Energon Surge/ Armored Cyber Changer & Cyber Changer]

@robfromzonebase Megatron [Cyberworld Energon Surge/Cyber Changers] #zonebase #transformers #cyberworld #energonsurge #cyberchangers ♬ 月が見えなくても愛して - Nebelhaus & MAD JAMIE

Today we have a tale of two Megatrons as we look at the two most recent Megatron figures in Transformers Cyberworld under the Energon Surge sub-line. This time we've got the all-new Armored Cyber Changer Megatron and a reissue of the excellent Bull Megatron Cyber Changer as an Energon Surge figure. Both are super cool and share a similar palette, which is appropriate.

Of course, I'll be spending more time with the Armored Cyber Changer. I've been giving the Energon Surge editions of prior Cyber Changers a look as part of my quest to cover all of Cyberworld, but obviously they don't need an entire post of their own.

In his Armored Cyber Changer debut, Megatron transforms from a more traditional version of himself into a drill tank. Apparently he shares engineering with Optimus Primal, which is something I didn't initially notice thanks to his arms, where the drill becomes his right arm. Looking at his core and torso, though... yeah, I see it now. That's pretty clever.

Cyber Changers are obviously really simple toys, so it's pretty neat seeing how they can reuse engineering so creatively. It gives their designs a modular feel. A lot of folks think a transformation needs to be super complex to have impressive engineering, when something simple can be just as impressive. They've managed to churn out a variety of toys with completely different alt modes using just a few basic skeletons to make them work. Neat.

Like I said, Megatron's right arm is the drill from the tank and even has elbow/wrist articulation (it's a little vague) in addition to the drill being able to spin. It's pretty neat. It's easy to compare a tank Megatron with his Generation 2 version, but this one is so unique that it's kind of its own thing. If anything, I'm a little reminded of the tank Megatron from the 2006 "Ultimate Battle" two-pack with Optimus Prime. That tank has a similar shape, and the robot also features a spinning arm weapon gimmick.

In robot mode, Megatron is nicely beefy, as someone who turns into a tank should be. That right arm with a giant drill makes him look a little crazy, too.

One thing I absolutely love about this toy is that it's an Armored Cyber Changer where the additional accessories are actually armor. Last year, when I was looking at the original batch of Cyber Changers, I kept saying how the multiple ports looked as if they were designed for some sort of gimmick. With prior Armored Cyber Changers, the "armored" part was essentially a giant Mech Tech-style weapon. Here, Megatron actually has armor for both robot and tank modes!

The armor pieces are made from a nice translucent purple that matches Megatron's body and look like a mixture of Energon shards and some form of energy armor. It looks neat in robot mode, but I really enjoy the way it looks on the tank. Thinking about it, if the toy were silver, it'd resemble the earlier live-action movie look for Megatron. There's even a gun that he can hold or plug into one of the many ports. This is a really fun toy, and it's awesome to finally see those ports getting utilized.

@robfromzonebase Megatron [Cyberworld Energon Surge/Cyber Changers] #zonebase #transformers #cyberworld #energonsurge #cyberchangers ♬ 불꽃으로 / Bulkkoch Eulo - past self

The Bull Megatron is the same toy I talked about before, and that's a good thing because it's a great figure. Definitely one of my favorite Cyber Changers and the toy that initially sold me on the line. I really like the new blue color used on this version in conjunction with the translucent purple. It's a nice new outfit, so to speak.

One thing about Cyberworld is that, despite their limited articulation, they remind me of Microman in the way the figures interact with the larger toys. Now that the Energon Surge toys are getting these translucent bodies, the comparison is even harder to ignore. I'm outright comparing them to '90s Microman, because regardless of the limited articulation, they visually match. Bull Megatron would make a fine Acrobeast!

Like I've said before, Cyber Changers are so much fun to collect and blog about. The new Megatron was an absolute treat to fiddle around with, while the Bull Megatron was like going on a new adventure with an old friend.

This mission of mine to blog the entirety of Cyberworld continues to be a great decision. 

BW Megatron (Special Galaxy Type & Tyrannosaurus Rex) [Defender Version 06-Brutal Fang]

Ah yes, Beast Wars Megatron. A character you can't talk about without either quoting him or hearing his voice in your head. Absolutely my favorite of the Megatrons, he started out as a lowly criminal before taking the namesake of Megatron for himself and beginning his quest of stealing the Golden Disks and traveling back in time to Earth to rewrite history in the Decepticons' favor.

Then later, he completely dominated Cybertron and ruled it with his new Vehicon army. Other Megatrons may be a threat, but this one actually succeeds, and he's charming as hell while doing it. His death actually caused the reformation of Cybertron, and whenever he pops back up... it's kind of a big deal. And he has a rubber ducky.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic when Blokees started working Beast Wars characters into their awesome Transformers Defender Version blind box model kits. In Series 06-Brutal Fang, there are four different Megatron kits available: a standard robot mode, beast mode, Special Galaxy Type, and Special Armor Type. I was fortunate enough to get Special Galaxy Type for my robot mode representation. The difference between it and the standard is that Special Galaxy Type has metallic colors and extra painted detailing on the Tyrannosaurus bits. It's really sharp looking and feels more show-accurate, while the standard resembles the original toy more. Special Armor Type has even more metallic coloring and paint detailing, along with a blast effect and the rifle he carried in the episode Call of the Wild.

Robot mode assembles mostly like a standard Defender kit, but there are some differences, mostly in his arm construction. His arms are composed of the T-Rex's tail and head. So instead of the standard forearm and fist construction, his right arm has a dinosaur head in place (the same mold the beast mode kit uses), while his left arm gets a tail piece that connects at the elbow, with a fist that fits inside it at an angle. Some of the arm articulation you'd expect from a Defender is compromised, but it looks fantastic.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex kit is a fun little build that results in a neat little representation of his infamous beast mode. He was colored purple as a bit of a jab at Barney the Dinosaur, which in turn has led to some folks thinking that calling him Barney is somehow a way to insult Beast Wars fans. Me? As a teen during the time Barney was huge, I appreciated the joke. Not to mention, I always thought he resembled Tyrantisaurus Rex from Masters of the Universe, and I've always liked the Grayskull era of MOTU.

Assembly is pretty easy. Really, the body comes together almost like a shell, with the limbs connecting afterward. There's a fun fire blast effect that plugs into his mouth (which opens) and can also be used with the robot mode kit, as the head is the same molded piece. I've seen some complaints from folks sticking the flame effect in too hard and breaking teeth... and I have no clue how they manage that.

This little dino also reminds me of the Predacon Mini-Con Gnashteeth from around 2008. I jumped all over that Micron Booster series he hails from, and it was so much fun. Ultimately, this is a great little set of models that results in solid mini figures of a classic character I clearly love. I really appreciated the variety in their builds, as the beast element brought some welcome variety and made for a newer experience. Really good time.

Megatron [BMK Series 1]

I had been meaning to dip my toes into Yolopark’s newer BMK line of simplified model kits. Meant for younger children, these are extremely easy snap-together kits that are just right for getting them started without overwhelming them with a large part count. Snap together a handful of pieces and you’ve got a solid figure of the classic Transformers, looking like they just stepped out of the TV.

Considering I’m not exactly a younger kid and have been handling toys and models my entire life, what do these hold to make me want them? For one, they remind me a little of older garage kits. More importantly, they make for great representations of the main characters, and a long-term goal of mine is to have a decent representation of the cast on a shelf, with almost all my stuff in a more organized storage solution. Initially, I intended to use the Yolopark minis for this… but I do like the BMK kits’ size. So I’m thinking these, paired with a small acrylic Transformers logo stand, will work pretty well.

Seeing as the word “Mega” has flavored this week, Megatron seems like the ideal starting point to look at in this series. So far (in Series 1 anyway), the BMK kits seem to follow the same template: legs from the knee down, arms, head, and accessories all connect into the central torso. For the most part, they snap into place easily, though some of the heads take a bit of pressure to seat properly. The joints are tight and the plastic quality is pretty solid — maybe a little too solid. Megatron’s left arm squeaked loudly when I moved it.

Once assembled, Megatron looks great. There’s a reasonable amount of arm articulation, along with movement in the neck and feet, plus a waist swivel. While the finished product may be basic, it looks sharp, and the larger size should look good in that future display.

Megatron [Wheels 01 – Roll Out]

I’ve been meaning to talk about this particular Megatron from Blokees Wheels Series 1 – Roll Out since assembling him. It’s one of the larger kits in the series, and it’s pretty damn impressive. Unfortunately, having more parts apparently means no Solidex pieces like the regular-sized kits include. That’s unfortunate, as that would have been especially nice on Megatron considering his design.

Megatron is based on his appearance in IDW’s Stormbringer comics, a design by Don Figueroa that gives the Decepticon leader a pretty cool-looking tank alt mode. Thankfully, the turret articulates with a satisfying click, which keeps it in place when posing instead of spinning freely, as is often the case with tank toys. It can also be removed to allow a driver to be placed inside.

The detailing and colors create a sharp-looking little tank that I could easily see blending into a Diaclone battle scene.

Wheels kits are generally pretty easy to assemble; however, each kit’s instructions are presented in the same format as a Defender Class, printed on the back of the mini trading card included with the kit. For a Defender, that’s not a problem, but Wheels kits have more parts, and it can sometimes be tricky to determine the correct orientation from the smaller diagrams. After assembling Megatron’s front treads, I think investing in a magnifying glass for future builds might be in order.

It’s a minor quibble that doesn’t result in a lesser product, so it’s not actually a real issue. Overall, despite how much better Solidex would have made Megatron, he has a very satisfying build process, and the final product is pretty impressive.

Megatron (2007 Movie Version) [Classic Class]

Megatron’s movie design was a bit of a departure from his original looks. That goes without saying. To me, there was always some King Walder and Acroyear DNA in his new appearance. Considering the 2000s Microman line and Cool Girl — which had a heavy Diaclone influence — were being produced by Takara around the same time those first movie toys were being designed, I wouldn’t doubt there was some cross-pollination. I’ve also always found him a little similar to the Guyver. Not completely, but just enough to notice. Of course, Megatron got a new design in each movie, but today we’re looking specifically at the 2007 version.

I got this model kit among a mountain of others at Christmas from the Mrs., who absolutely spoils me. Considering how many redesigns Megatron gets throughout the movie series, I was eager to spend some time with the 2007 one, so building it was a real treat. As a Classic Class kit, Megatron is larger than the Galaxy and Defender Versions that are really popular right now. Once assembled, you end up with a pretty premium-looking figure that just looks amazing. It’s easy to forget how neat his 2007 design actually was. There’s a lot of detailed alien design packed into all those sharp points, and I’ve always appreciated the more feral look of the Decepticons in the earlier movies. I’ve felt for a long time that part of the design philosophy was to make them feel like living creatures. Honestly, the live-action designs always felt like a continuation of Beast Machines to me. Part of me likes to think that if things had continued as originally planned, something like the Bayverse designs could’ve ended up on a Saturday morning cartoon.

This kit looked like it would take longer to assemble than it actually did — and that’s not a complaint. With all the intricate pieces that make up Megatron’s armor, I assumed I’d be building tiny sub-assemblies forever. While there are sections like that, especially in the arms and legs, the process flows pretty smoothly: assemble the forearm, attach armor parts, connect it to the upper arm, attach more armor, and so on. I do find it amusing that at the core of Megatron is a standard Blokees Shining Version upper torso piece. The entire much larger figure builds outward from it, which I just find funny. That core also houses the components for Megatron’s light-up features.

Speaking of his upper torso, you get a choice of chest pieces. There’s the standard chest armor like the one shown in the photos, or an alternate piece depicting his death at the end of the movie. There’s even a tiny Allspark Cube included.

Megatron comes with his Fusion Cannon, which can be held in either hand. You can’t quite combine both arms into the exact pose he used in the movie — maybe an approximation, but not a perfect match. It honestly didn’t bother me. When held in one hand, it almost reads more like a rifle, and that works just fine here. His eyes light up a really satisfying red, which surprised me with how much I liked it. It genuinely breathes a little life into the finished kit.

It’s probably been a bit too long since I spent real time with the 2007 design. Building this made me appreciate the layering of silver over bronze parts much more than I ever did back then. A lot of the toys released around the movie glossed over those details, and I haven’t handled a newer take on this design until now. I always thought it looked cool, but its intricacies are standing out more to me this time around.

His head is amusingly a mix of the final movie design and elements from the abandoned earlier look. It’s funny — what we ended up with was considered to be more “G1.” I can kind of see it, but it’s still very much its own thing. At the time, Megatron getting a new design every incarnation was pretty much expected. So it was pretty status quo at the time. Thinking back, that stretch from 2003 — when the movie was first announced — to its release in 2007 was strange. News came and went, things were constantly in flux, and part of me is still surprised it ever actually came out.

I really like his animalistic face. There’s definitely some H.R. Giger influence there, and the part of me that loves bio-horror is all over it. A display stand with whoosh effects is included, but I found Megatron perfectly capable of standing on his own without it. This was a cool build and a great experience overall. The finished product looks fantastic, and it was genuinely fun reflecting on this version of Megatron while assembling it. At this point, I’m convinced Blokees is incapable of making a product I don’t like — and what kind of idiot would complain about that?

IDW Megatron [Galaxy Version 06 – Parallel Universe]

Megatron had a pretty fun design in the More Than Meets the Eye comics, so seeing it represented as a Blokees Galaxy Version kit is pretty great. I lucked up on a case of Series 06 – Parallel Universe at a local Target not too long ago, and he seemed like a great choice for today’s post. Today’s post is, of course, the first toy post of Zone Base’s 10th year — well, aside from the regular weekly update on Monday — but I think you get the idea. For the start of Zone Base’s 10th year, he felt like the right pick.

I’m not sure if you reading this are aware of where Megatron was in the IDW Transformers comics around the time this design represents, but he had switched sides and joined the Autobots, eventually finding a home among the misfit crew of the Lost Light and its adventures. More recently, Megatron also switched sides in the Transformers: EarthSpark cartoon series. The “bad guy becomes a good guy” trope gets reused a lot, but I don’t mind it when it’s done well. My personal favorite version of this is still the G2 Marvel comics, when he and Optimus teamed up to battle Jhiaxus. Sure, if that comic had continued, Megatron probably would have gone back to his old ways eventually — but he really came off well in those issues.

As a Blokees Galaxy Version kit, Megatron comes out great. Admittedly, I can’t really find fault in anything Blokees does, but their signature style matches his design especially well. I’ve compared the Galaxy Version look before to a Mega Man X–style design. There’s just something very 16-bit game energy about these figures once the model is built. Megatron feels like he should’ve been in a PC Engine CD-ROM game. Galaxy Version 06 uses the sturdier bodies with improved construction that I’ve raved about in prior Blokees posts. There have been more waves with that improvement than without at this point, and I still can’t stop talking about it. This Megatron is one of the nicer Galaxy Versions, with a more deluxe set of parts — you start to get a feel for that sort of thing once you’ve built enough of these. It’s a really nice kit, and I especially like his backpack. Even though these don’t transform, the alt-mode kibble displays really nicely.

Megatron, of course, comes with the standard closed fists and open palms for a variety of poses, as well as the display stand that Galaxy Version kits included up until recently. He also comes with a purple blast effect that plugs into his cannon. I didn’t include it in my photos (total brain fart), but it’s a newer version of the pew-pew laser effect that comes with some of these kits. In addition to his standard parts, he also has a new set of forearms unique to this version, which are more comic-accurate than the usual Galaxy Version forearms.

Overall, Megatron just feels more extra than what you normally expect — and I like that. It’s neat that some of these figures are nicer than others; it makes the blind-box nature of the line a little more exciting, you know? There’s also an all-white version of this Megatron that was produced as an exclusive for a campaign at the Toys “R” Us in the Power Plant Mall in the Philippines. That would be super neat to own, but unfortunately it’s a little out of the way for me. Thankfully, the standard version is excellent in its own right. This was a satisfying experience all around.

Megatron [Cyberworld/Ultimate Cyber Changers]

Whenever I talk about toys aimed more at smaller children, I often make a comparison to older Transformers and other robot toys. Various Turbo Changers, Light Up and Armor gimmicks. That sort of thing. They mainly come out in droves around the movies, but you're bound to see some tied into whatever mainline is going. With today's engineering, it's easy to forget that older robot toys were much simpler. There's some fans who avoid older ones all together for that reason.

Me, I like the little step back in time they offer. I don't buy all of them, but I like to dip my toes in the old school DNA flavored water they present. It's just neat to buy a new 'old' toy. Well, I'm not crazy *in those regards anyway* as someone at Hasbro apparently sees it too. While I've been comparing the Transformers Cyberworld toys to older lines, they outright made a new G2 Megatron for the line. Not just a G2 colored Megatron, but one directly out of that time frame. Utilizing the Armor Turbo Changer Hound toy from Transformers The Last Knight and giving it a heavy retool... we've got a figure straight out of Euro G1.5 available at your local Walmart in the year 2025.

Megatron is billed as a Ultimate Cyber Changer and also has 'RIDE & BATTLE' emblazoned across his package. Like other larger Cyberworld toys, he offers interactivity with the standard Cyber Changers figures. In vehicle mode, one can ride on his back and man the vehicles guns. Admittedly it's a lot less than Grimlock or Scorponok *we'll get to him soon* offer. However, considering it's a modified mold of a toy released in 2017... not bad. In robot mode, Megatron is about 7" tall and very stocky. Movie Hound (who should have been Bulkhead) is a big boy and that carries over here even with the extensive remolding.

How extensive is that remolding? He's got a new head and abdomen in addition to the new gunner platform and blaster. Some of Hound's detailing is still there, but it blends in pretty well. Since this is a new G2 Megatron, all the bullets and weaponry make me think of the comics. I don't know whose idea it was to take the brightly colored robots and adorn them with spikes, bandoliers, and assorted weaponry... but it was awesome. Speaking of bright colors, Megatron has been painted to resemble his first G2 toy and they did a great job. Cyberworld toys are pretty bright already and it blends right on in. The new blaster even resembles the originals tank cannon. If only they'd included a G2 Decepticon logo. Or a Predacon one... *oooohhh*

Transformation to armed military truck mode is done in a simple 4 steps. Knees are one piece and were pretty stiff on mine. The little back panel disconnects from his back to fold into a gunner platform and connects onto the rear end. The blaster connects here and as I said earlier, a standard Cyber Changer can RIDE & BATTLE. Overall it's a pleasant vehicle mode and the G2 colors carry over nicely. It really does look and feel like a toy from that time. I do wish the windows were painted, some stickers would have went a long way. I also wish the robot mode had more articulation. Going in, I knew it would be limited, but a little more would have been nice.

Ultimately, this is a toy I bought for two reasons. One, the novelty of a new 'old' toy. Two, I'm trying to complete the Cyberworld toy line. Even though, though Megatron should have been a little cheaper, it's a fun little mostly inexpensive line and completing it should be pretty easy. I do hope there's future Ultimate Cyber Changers that recreate older style toys as it's pretty neat stepping back in time this way.

MEGATRON ATTACK!

Megatron [Cyberworld/Cyber Changers]

The initial leaked blurry image of 'Megabull' sold me instantly, so I'm more than happy today to be looking at Megatron from Transformers Cyberworld. Megatron is a Cyber Changer, the standard class of Cyberworld and like I've said in the prior two posts, kind of like an up sized Legend/Legion class toy with a uniformity across the line. One of the reasons I was hooked from the start with this line was the creative designs.

Megatron, as you can see, turns into a bull. This alt mode is reflected in his robot mode wonderfully. Looking like an unused bit of early Beast Wars concept art, Megatron is delightfully beastly and full of character. I really appreciate his dark blue color. It reminds me of older robot toys that often came in similar colors as well as thanks to the bull alt mode, Noctorro from Beast Wars. Of course being a Cyberworld toy, he's a little limited in articulation and detail, so reminding me of older robot toys is on brand. While I'm comparing him to older toys, he makes me think of an AcroMonster too.

Transformers is a 41 year old toy line with a family tree that goes back longer, it's almost impossible not to see the heritage from the lines history. Megatron originally being a Microman toy, it's only fitting that this newest figure reminds me of another Microman toy. Megatron comes with a unique axe weapon that he uses on the cartoon. It's an oddly shaped axe with a curved blade that rises out from the middle. The weapon attaches to the bulls rear end, cleaning it up a little and giving him a tail. The shape of it's handle makes me wonder if there was a handle attachment planned at some point and dropped. Maybe it was originally the head of a spear?

Megatron has the standard Cyber Changer articulation and transformation is pretty simple. From what I've deduced, there seems to be some shared engineering with him and other similar shaped alt modes (we'll see it later). His arms becomes the bulls front legs, while the body folds into itself forming the body. His legs form the rear legs by folding onto themselves and compacting. Like I mentioned earlier, the axe weapon connects on his rear and creates a tail.

While there's sculpted hooves, there's no hiding robot modes hands at certain angles (like in the pic). This is sure to annoy some folks, I'm just writing it off as part of a cheaper toys budget. Yes, it costs what a deluxe once did... but we all observe rising prices over time. It is what it is. The simpler nature of bull mode makes me think of G1 toys. This feels like the alt mode of a Pretender inner robot. Megatron is full of character and charm. It's nice to see the creativity Cyberworld is bringing to the table and I'm enjoying it. Honestly, no bull.

Megatron Type Godzilla [Synergenex]

Megatron, hungry for power has scanned the DNA from Godzilla's scales. Now he has an all new powerful form powered by Godzilla's energy and strength! The Emperor of Destruction can now turn into The King of the Monsters! Takara Tomy's T-Spark Synergenex project has been creating some really cool crossover toys, but I don't think nothing has been as cool as a Godzilla! This collab brings us a Godzilla version of Megatron with a MechaGodzilla version of Optimus Prime (whom hasn't been released yet) set in the Millennium era.

Specifically the setting from Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla and Tokyo S.O.S. Which has been perfect for past collaborations and one of my favorites. You've probably noticed that Megatron uses the Studio Series 86 Grimlock figure as a base. I've seen some complaints online regarding this, but personally don't mind. I've gotten several versions of this mold because I like it. Could they have done more? Maybe, but I'm happy with what they did. Not to mention, similarities to Grimlock and Godzilla have been made since Dinosaur Robo Tyrannosaurus. 

Megatron is a Leader Class figure, thus larger than your standard Transformers toy. This is obviously fitting all things considered. It's also a nice hefty and chunky robot, which is super satisfying and fits the character well. His chest for example, with a little clever paint, actually evokes the look of classic Megatron. I really like the little Godzilla Transformers plaque dead center in his chest. A neat touch is the new head, the sculpt originated for Sludge. Thanks to some creative painting, it looks a lot like Megatron with some scale like ornamentation. A nice little touch is that his face is painted a different gray than the silver of his helmet. It may not be immediately noticeable, but looks pretty nice and provides some depth in a mostly same colored head. Megatron has a silver repaint of Grimlock's blaster that looks nice against the Godzilla green. There's a lot of good color contrast.

Transformation to beast mode is pretty easy and fairly similar to the original Grimlock toy. This was something that stood out to me the first time I transformed the Studio Series 86 Grimlock. They really improved on the original. Considering so many toys these days have what feels like unnecessary steps in the transformation, an updated version of the original just works so well. There's something to be said for that.

Once transformed into beast mode, you've got Godzilla! Godzilla mode is clearly Grimlock in a new coat of paint, but it works pretty well. The Godzilla green carries over from robot mode and there's even more scale detail added that really looks great. Some of the translucent bit from his neck has been colored blue to represent him powering up his Atomic Breath. There's no spines sadly, but this little touch conveys it well and breaks up the green nicely. The gun can store on his back and there's some blue effect pieces that connect inside of Godzilla's mouth for that trademark fiery blast!

I'm admittedly on a high with this toy and cannot fairly find any fault with it. A Godzilla and Transformers crossover is a dream come true. I'm really impressed by the creativity used to turn one figure into the cool concept of Megatron modeling himself after Godzilla. The original mold already was a pretty nice toy, but with the new paint and details has made for one premium looking figure.

I'm really happy with it and am looking forward to the MechaGodzilla Optimus Prime. There's some upgrade kits on the way for those who want to add on some extra flair, or may be unhappy with these. I'm obviously enjoying mine, but do think the kits are neat. I hope they come with a bus for him to pick right up and throw back down. I've never said he's got to go. Go! Go! Megatron Type Godzilla!

D-16 [Galaxy Version 05-One]

This Blokee of D-16 represents him shortly after getting a Cog, getting his worldview shattered, and bordering on his eventually heel turn into the Megatron we all know. Kinda heavy for a blind boxed model kit, but hey... pretty awesome too. Once again, the Blokees style really fits Transformers One and D-16 looks great. The newer construction style I've been talking about with this series is present and I'm assuming is the new standard going forward.

I can't help but to bring it up so often as it really improves what was already a positive experience. It's always a good time assembling these little bots despite the fingertip pain. No matter how many smaller modular toys you assemble, it'll always hurt. Thankfully this new design negates a little of that pain now that the joints come pre-assembled. It's also super satisfying when the parts click into place. What was always fun now feels a little therapeutic. Put on a little lofi and enjoy yourself.

Once assembled you have a very well done D-16. These little kits don't transform, so there's always that one mouth breather who'll make an Action Master joke. As if Action Masters are a bad thing... and to be frank, these newer designed Blokees really feel like upgraded Action Masters. Many make that comparison with the ReAction Transformers figures, but these feel like they could be sold under the banner. Updated for the modern age with better articulation. All that's missing is an O-Ring, and modern articulation removes the need for those anyway. Galaxy Version is a cool name, but could you imagine if these were called Action Masters? I clearly have.

D-16 looks great, as I said. He's got his fusion cannon and that secondary gun his One design sports. Not Megatron yet, so the details aren't quite as hard. When he swaps out his Cog for Megatronus's though, the look get a little more severe. D-16 is still a good guy here, even if he's on the edge. A nice detail is the carved in Megatronus (he hasn't dubbed them Decepticons yet) symbol on his chest. That little bit of violence inflicted upon him by Sentinel Prime was a good bit of story telling in the movie and I like it's inclusion here. Of course he has the set of open/closed hands and display stand. Though I think D-16 is clearly in a closed first sort of mood at this point. I don't think I've ever had a negative experience with a Blokees and that's the case still with this guy. Great looking, fun build, and overall awesome. What's not to like about that?

Megatron and Shockwave [Swapticons]

These Swapticons sure are fun, but they need someone to fight. That's were the bad guys come in! This is a pretty fun little duo as the two combine to form a vehicle similar to Ironhide and Ratchet's alt modes from the Cybertronian scenes in Bumblebee.

It also looks like the vehicle from Moon Patrol (sorta). Regardless of whatever you compare it to, it's a neat looking little vehicle. Each half has a little gun. I wish the robot modes could hold it, but oh well. Robot modes are chonky little shits with devious little faces. Swapticons really are a fun little set of toys. Probably not for everyone, but great for those who'll like them. Seeing as the faces are printed on, I figure there's a lot of mold reuses in the future and this one has potential for some fun sets. Neat.

Megatron [Legacy/Core Class]

As the 40th anniversary of Transformers winds down, I feel as though it wouldn't be right to not take a moment and pour one out for Generation 2. Often wrote off as neon repaints of G1 toys, G2 actually had a lot of original molds and introduced innovations in engineering Transformers that would pave the way for toys for years to come. Our highly articulated figures of today got their start in G2. The tank Megatron was one of the first original molds in the line and a standout toy for years to come. The figure we're looking at today pays homage to that toy and it's bright colors. This Core Class Megatron figure is a repaint of the Kingdom Megatron Core Class figure.

In robot mode Megatron is pretty great. He's basic, sure, but pretty decent. I like Core Class quite a bit admittedly, but this is a solid figure for the size. He's nicely articulated and that G2 neon green and purple deco just works better on the sculpt than traditional Megatron colors. This just is a much nicer looking toy in eye searing neon. A nice touch that's carried over from the original release is his blaster. In addition to the trademark fusion cannon is a tiny replica of G1 Megatron's gun mode. Transformation to tank is easy, though like the Kingdom figure, leaves a little to be desired. You'll have to plug the blaster into the cannon for it to protrude further out. There is some aftermarket add on upgrades available that extends the cannon and creates a more desirable looking tank if you so choose. It's not the end of the world for me, but also impossible to ignore. I like this toy overall and find it a fun homage to an important piece of Transformers history. MEGATRON ATTACK!

Megatron [Studio Series/Deluxe Class]

Transformers One was a very special movie that no doubt has already found it's way deep into the hearts of many a Transformers fan. I was fortunate enough to be included in receiving a special promotional box from Hasbro and Paramount Pictures. Inside the box was several Transformers One figures including this early release of the Studio Series Megatron figure from the movie. I've never gotten one of these boxes before or a pre-release figure, so to say I'm honored would be an understatement. Not to mention, I'm fresh from the movie and full of pure euphoria. While he's D-16 through most of the movie, the bad guy we all know as Megatron is born by the end and that's who this figure represents.

I would give a spoiler warning for that last line, but it's literally the marketed premise of the movie. The Studio Series figures are intended to be a more screen accurate toy intended for a collector. In the case of this Megatron and his Optimus Prime counterpart (I'll get to him a little later), they outright feel like a premium offering. This is a nice toy. I really enjoy Cybertonian versions of Transformers characters, especially on someone like Megatron whose traditional design really benefits from a little extra flair. He looks great here, mostly resembling his traditional appearance.

There's a few weapons attachments for firepower. His signature Fusion Cannon is present as is another smaller gun that can mount on his left forearm similar to it's appearance in the movie. This weapon attaches to the tip of the Fusion Cannon in tank mode. There's also two smaller tank mode guns that store on his back that you could get creative with in robot mode. Megatron is decently articulated and features some long legs. They looked longer in pictures than in person to me, but there's no denying he didn't miss leg day. Out of the package the knees are locked into place with a connection point. Mine was really stiff to free from this. Be careful as to not break your figure.

Transformation was pretty easy, but did find maneuvering the legs just right a little tricky. That was due to my misunderstanding of how it they work. Once understood it just went into place. Aside from that everything just goes into place where it should. You do have to get everything just right. Take your time and be patient. Alt mode is a Cybertronian Tank like Megatron forms into in the movie. It's similar to an H-Tank and a pretty neat design. One thing about the Cybertronian designs from the movie I liked was the wheels and tank treads. Often guys like Megatron get 'hover' variations of vehicle ideas. Which I suppose works for a sci fi design... but what's the point of having aerial and ground units then? It's clear Cybertron has gravity, so a big guy like Megatron probably isn't leaving the ground very often. A little realism in fantasy isn't a bad thing in my mind. This is a great new Megatron figure that represents his appearance in a wonderful movie. It's hard for me as a long time fan to not be full of happiness right now and I hope you like you Megatron figure when you get one.

Much thanks to Hasbro and Paramount Pictures for providing Zone Base with this review sample. It's an honer and a privilege. Thank you.

Megatron/D-16 [Transformers One/Iacon Race 3-Pack]

Rounding out the Target exclusive Iacon Race 3-Pack is Megatron/D-16. Like the others, Megatron is a retool/repaint of a prior existing One Step Changer from Cyberverse that got a bit of use. The grays are darker, but most noticeably are the new parts for his tank mode. Like Optimus, just a few changed parts easily make the toy look like his new movie counterpart. Pretty neat and the tank honestly looks cool. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mold in Cyberverse after skipping over the first version and getting the Cybertronian tank remold later when I couldn't find Megatron X. The toy was fine, just I had gotten the second One Step Changer Megatron and liked that toy a lot more. So the other one was a little underwhelming personally. A few years later with some cool updates and I'm a bigger fan of it now. I guess the new tank mode really improves it.

As a One Step Changer, Megatron auto-transforms by pushing the purple fin/button on his tank cannon. These are simpler toys where the gimmick is more so the toy than the figure itself. If you can get past that, you're going to enjoy this. If not, then you've already dismissed it. Megatron has simple articulation like the others in this assortment and that just is what it is. Like the others, I enjoy the old school flavor of the toy (outside of the gimmick), so I look past it without a second thought. The chonkiness of this toy is really satisfying and made me want to compare it to various older robot toys. Dorvack maybe. I do wish he had a sword or something, that would top it off nicely. A design element from the Cyberverse toy that I didn't like unfortunately returns here. In robot mode, the tank back end forms a backpack. That in itself isn't bad, but it's pretty loose and moves around much easier than I'd like. If only it would lock into place. It's not only a cosmetic issue, the stability of the robot mode comes into play as it's a part of the spring loaded transformation. Aside from that gripe, the toy is a neat little figure. The tank looks really cool and there's a super robot look to the whole thing. Neat.

Megatron/D-16 [Transformers One/Race Changers]

Included in the Race Changers 2-Pack with Optimus is Megatron, whom also a retooling of an older Bot Shots toy. This time around the tank mode had some extra fire power added on. Megatron is also in a more 'G1'  grey as opposed to the variety of colors on the original Bot Shots toy. As a Bot Shots fan, another version is more than welcome. Like the Optimus Prime he's packed with, Megatron's dice gimmick from Bot Shots has been removed and replaced with a Decepticon symbol. I loved the toys, but never played the game. So this isn't a big deal to me personally. 

I do wonder if there was dedicated players who is pissed off by this? Megatron also comes with a version of the new launcher Optimus comes with. It doesn't work very well either. Like I said with Optimus, I do wish they would have skipped over these in favor of another figure. Part of me wonders if the launchers were intended for Bot Shots in it's run or left overs from some other line. It's hard to imagine a completely brand new part like this being tooled and molded for a one shot store exclusive pack. Though it does give me hope of more Bot Shots making a return in the future. Megatron is a fun little toy and I'm happy to have these little bots back even in such a limited way.

Megatron [AMK Mini Series]

Starting our look at the Transformers AMK model kits by Yolopark is Megatron. He is from the G1 themed Mini Series, which are a more basic kit than their larger offerings. There's no painting or removing parts from sprues (give the nippers a break!) and the parts snap together with relative ease. They don't Transform, but you probably were aware of that going in. Once assembled, Megatron looks pretty nice. He's pretty show accurate and has a nice shiny silver paint job. These kits come with a variety of hands. You get a closed fist that can also hold a weapon, open palms, and a set of pointing fingers. Combined with the surprising amount of articulation and Megatron is one expressive figure. If you would have handed me an assembled one, I'd never have guessed it was originally a model that required assembly.

Megatron (Legacy: United/Core Class)

The Unicron Trilogy was one of my favorite eras in the past 40 years of Transformers. That time frame was a fun time for me in my fandom. The stuff that came out and went on was just great. It's kinda a dividing line as a before and after the movies came and the big boom. I'm not begrudging the movies or the big boom, just fondly looking back at a fun time. Both the Armada and Energon designs of Megatron are some of my favorite versions of Megatron to this day. Thankfully recent Transformers releases have paid attention to Armada (we'll be getting to that a little later), but today let's look at this super cool update of the Energon version of Megatron in my much loved Core Class.

Toy engineering is a funny thing, the original Energon Megatron came out 20 years ago and was a fairly large and impressive Leader Class figure. 20 years later, this MUCH smaller toy is a pretty accurate recreation of that figure. I wouldn't say it's exact, but it's close. Megatron turns from robot to spacecraft/jet in a few simple steps. It's very similar to G1 Thunderwing's alt mode, which lead to several fans hankering for a Thunderwing repaint back in the day. The original toy (and it's smaller alternate version) got released in a variety of colors as versions of Megatron or Galvatron, but never Thunderwing. It's funny how the toy looks like G1 Galvatron in robot mode and G1 Thunderwing in vehicle mode. The Unicron Trilogy toys were full of homages while still coming up with new things.

The tank/sword weapon returns in a much simpler form. You can no longer separate the sword from the tank nor does the tank fire a missile or feature any lights or sounds. It's a really simple version of the original accessory. Folks would often find ways to have their Megatron hold the sword more traditionally back in the day. There was also garage kits of swords that Megatron could hold. It was neat seeing all the cool stuff people were coming up with. Still, it was always an odd choice for Megatron's Armada body to be his weapon in this upgraded body... and they held onto it for this new toy. Somebody at Hasbro or Takara is REALLY stuck on that. A neat newer feature is that the shoulder cannons can be removed and held as traditional blasters. The orignal guns were on joints that would allow for pivoting. These are much smaller and cannot, however can be plugged in either standing straight up, or forward. Neat! This is a cool little update of a fun design and a great little figure all around. I'm very happy with it, not just because of my personal fandom for the character... but it's just a neat toy. I'm hoping some of the other recolors of the original toy get released. That would be awesome.

Transmetal II Megatron (Legacy: Evolution/ Leader Class)

I can't think of a better way to welcome the Year of the Dragon than taking a look at an update to my favorite version of Beast Wars Megatron. In the show, BW Megatron was attempting to merge his spark withthat of G1 Megatron. This combined with an act of treachery knocking him into lava resulted into the creation of Transmetal II Megatron, whom transformed into a giant red dragon! Even though later G1 Megatron's spark was removed, BW Megatron was a dragon through the bulk of Beast Machines. When I was younger, the original toy was one of the most badass things in Transformers. Right next to Unicron in my mind... and it's still there now. Dragon Megatron is just a cool concept that you wonder why it took as long as it did to happen. This new toy is an update of the classic one (of course) and a really solid one. Vastly improving on the original idea and looking far more like his cartoon model. The original toy's third mode isn't available now... though you could probably do it yourself with some added on wheels.

As both a robot and a dragon, Megatron is large and imposing (as it should be). Transformation isn't hard, but is a little tricky the first time. There's a few parts that don't work exactly how you imagine when moving everything around. However, once you've done it... you've got it. Megatron comes with a fire breathe effect that can be placed in the dragons mouth or held as a club by Megatron. The original toy had two missiles to fire from the dragons mouth and I'd often have Megatron in robot mode hold the extra one as a weapon. I'm not sure of the designers had the same idea with the orignal toy, but it's a neat bit of symmetry. One big improvement of this new toy is that the dragons neck is jointed instead of a rubber piece as was the original. This allows for more posing while the originals just hung there and could also possibly rot. As you can see I'm very happy with this new toy of a favorite. It was another gift from the Mrs. who absolutely spoils me every Christmas. I hope a Cryotech version follows and would love for TM2 Megatron to get more exposure overall. Sure, his dinosaur mode is cool... but the dragon is badass! 2024 is the 40th anniversary of Transformers and the Year of the Dragon. I can't help to think it's going to be special. Gong hei fat choy

Gamer Edition Megatron (Studio Series/Voyager Class)

It feels kind of odd that Transformers Studio Series would dip into video games for inspiration. Not that I'm opposed to it, just it seems more like something for Legacy. Regardless, nicer and higher quality toys of the War for Cybertron designs are welcome. Once again, thanks to Hasbro's reuses of names, I should clarify it's the War for Cybertron video game and not the War for Cybertron Trilogy. Considering we're at 40 years of Transformers, I suppose the entire thing is a War for Cybertron. Regardless, they made new toys of older designs that looked cool then and still do now. I was always fond of this version of Megatron. The War for Cybertron game (WFC from here out) featured the characters before arriving on Earth and with sci fi Cybertronian alt modes and designs. I've always enjoyed that aesthetic.

The original WFC Megatron figure was a Deluxe Class and pretty good honestly. This step up to a Voyager does add some extra heft to the big bad leader of the Decepticons. Like I said, I like this version of Megatron. So obviously I'm going to think this new and updated version looks great. I used to joke that his Cybertronian tank was a Roomba, but these days I can't help but to make comparisons to Action Master Megatron's Neutro-Fusion Tank. I think it's the similar shape. If it were in more similar colors it'd probably work. That's obviously a coincidence. Transformation from robot to tank isn't too hard, but a little fiddly at spots. Your mileage may vary of course. As a robot Megatron is fairly articulated. I've seen some complaints of his knee joints being weird. I personally didn't notice it on mine, but admittedly wasn't measuring the entire range of motion either. Once again, your mileage may vary. The tank's cannon barrel is Megatron's signature Fusion Cannon in robot mode. He also has the games take on his classic energy mace/morning star. Personally, I'd love this design to use the sword the Microman toy had. That design would work very well. I'm really happy with this toy and plan to get all the Gamer Edition figures in Studio Series. Those were some cool games and the designs were awesome. I'd love to see Fall of Cybertron get this treatment as well.