Review #29: Mini Megatrons
Reveal the Shield Legends Class Megatron
and MasterShooter Collectables MS-01 Mega-Gun
In my last review, I mentioned I had something big planed! Well... this isn't it. That is going to be a very photo intensive review, and I've not yet had time to take the ones I shall need. Hopefully, next time. To hold us over, however... Something small. Two something smalls, in fact. A diminutive pair of Megatrons. One of them is an official toy, the other a third party product. We'll start with the official one, shall we?
I never thought I would see the day when a realistic gun Megatron (since the original) actually got released in the U.S.. But here he is! Of course, Hasbro may have felt more comfortable doing so with this toy as, since it is a Legends class figure, it is very unlikely to be mistaken for the real thing. Mind you, they did alas still have to put an orange tip on him. The entire front third or so of the barrel was originally a bright orange colour. Before this toy's release, many people said to themselves, "No problem, nothing a little paint removal cannot fix!" However, Hasbro was onto our ways, it seems. The front of the barrel was not painted orange. The barrel was made from orange plastic with the rear of it painted gray!
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Fortunately, some work with a silver Sharpie did manage to take care of things nicely. If you are going to do this yourself, I would suggest colouring the entire barrel over with the Sharpie. When I originally only did the orange tip, the difference between the Sharpie's silver and the barrel's gray was rather obvious, but with the entire barrel in silver it looks quite nice.
So... Some obvious compromises (most noticeable around what will be the robot's waist) in this gun mode, but overall not a bad tiny representation of a Walther P-38. One thing bothers me however, which I almost want to forgive at this scale but alas feel compelled to mention. This is a good tiny Walther P-38... but not a good tiny Megatron gun. Even more then Optimus with his trailer, Megatron's alternate mode feels incomplete without his scope, stock extension, and barrel extension. They are just such an iconic part of what Megatron as a gun looks like that without them... he just doesn't quite look like Megatron. (The lack of stock and barrel extensions were not so much an issue with the Classics Voyager Class Megatron, since he was such a different looking gun in the first place. But here, the omission is much more glaring.)
Still... that one somewhat not minor complaint aside, he's a U.S. released Walther P-38 based Megatron toy. I'll take what I can get!
So... Some obvious compromises (most noticeable around what will be the robot's waist) in this gun mode, but overall not a bad tiny representation of a Walther P-38. One thing bothers me however, which I almost want to forgive at this scale but alas feel compelled to mention. This is a good tiny Walther P-38... but not a good tiny Megatron gun. Even more then Optimus with his trailer, Megatron's alternate mode feels incomplete without his scope, stock extension, and barrel extension. They are just such an iconic part of what Megatron as a gun looks like that without them... he just doesn't quite look like Megatron. (The lack of stock and barrel extensions were not so much an issue with the Classics Voyager Class Megatron, since he was such a different looking gun in the first place. But here, the omission is much more glaring.)
Still... that one somewhat not minor complaint aside, he's a U.S. released Walther P-38 based Megatron toy. I'll take what I can get!
On one side of the gun is a number molded into the plastic, "02911," which I should expect is an artifact of the manufacturing process. If anyone else with this toy is reading this review, leave a comment. I'd be curious to know if (a) this is on every one of these toys or mine is just an odd fluke and (b) if it is the same number on every one. I'm sure this wasn't the intention, but I like to tell myself that that is something like the gun's serial number.
If you look at the gun's handle, you may notice an indentation on one side, and two little tabs on the other. These have a purpose, and one that is something of a surprise. It isn't often these days that two separately sold Transformers are designed to work together, and even more unheard of when those toys were produced five years apart! But that is the case here. So, if you have a Masterpiece Starscream (or one of the other Masterpiece seekers) you will find that that slot and those tabs are designed to fit around Starscream's hand, allowing him to hold Megatron. (I don't know if the same would be true for the recently released, somewhat remolded, newer version of Masterpiece Starscream. I suspect it should still work, but don't wish to say so definitively in the absence of proof.) This is awesome, and almost makes up for the lack of scope and extensions. Almost.
If you look at the gun's handle, you may notice an indentation on one side, and two little tabs on the other. These have a purpose, and one that is something of a surprise. It isn't often these days that two separately sold Transformers are designed to work together, and even more unheard of when those toys were produced five years apart! But that is the case here. So, if you have a Masterpiece Starscream (or one of the other Masterpiece seekers) you will find that that slot and those tabs are designed to fit around Starscream's hand, allowing him to hold Megatron. (I don't know if the same would be true for the recently released, somewhat remolded, newer version of Masterpiece Starscream. I suspect it should still work, but don't wish to say so definitively in the absence of proof.) This is awesome, and almost makes up for the lack of scope and extensions. Almost.
(I know, I know... Megatron is a bit anachronistic with Starscream in his coronation gear... but hey, it looks cool!) Anyway, shall we move onto robot mode?
This little gun turns into a good looking Megatron robot. The only thing that is kind of off is the fusion cannon being silver rather then black, but since it is formed from the gun mode's barrel (rather then a non-existent scope) I can get past that... better then a gun with a black barrel! Compromises often have to be made on Legends class figures, and this is one I can live with.
As a figure from the Reveal the Shield line, this Megatron sports a little rub symbol on his chest. I considered replacing it with a standard faction symbol, and still may someday, but it just didn't seem a priority for me at this point. The transformation for his legs, specifically the way the gun's handle splits to form them, was an inspired decision by this toy's designer, letting this Megatron not have insanely thin legs. It does alas leave him with legs that are obviously hollow from behind, but they look great from any other angle. If, much like has happened with Optimus, they ever release another freshly designed Masterpiece Megatron, I hope they take a look at this guy for some thoughts on the leg transformation. He has awesome leg articulation for a Legends class figure, with ball joints in his hips and knees. His arms can rotate 360 degrees or be raised outwards. And... that's about it, really. No elbows, waist, or neck. That'd be horrid on larger figures, but on a Legends... well, we take what we can get. |
All things considered... a fun little figure. Good robot mode, and the gun mode? Well, my complaint may be a bit on the picky side, I suppose, and if we ignore that it really isn't a bad gun mode, either.
So then... what is this other Megatron, then?
So then... what is this other Megatron, then?
Say hello to my little friend! This is the MasterShooter Collectables MS-01 Mega-Gun. On the surface, he may not look like much. In fact, it may be kind of obvious that he's sort of just a robot bent in half with a barrel coming out of his but. Yeah... But! This toy was designed to be able to be held by most any Transformer with a standard sized 5mm peg hole in his hand. (His peg has a thinner part at the bottom, and may work with 4mm holes, as well. Perhaps before writing this review I should have tried him out with Hot Rod? Ah, well.) So basically, this guy is designed to be an accessory for other guys.
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With that in mind, I think he works pretty well. He obviously doesn't look anything like a Walther P-38, but rather he is a sort of abstract suggestion of Megatron's gun mode that is close enough that at his scale it works. The suggestion becomes reality, you look at this, and you see Megatron. In fact, not to beat a dead horse, but with the scope, barrel extension, and vague suggestion of a stock extension, I'd dare to say that at a quick glance or from a bit of a distance, this toy (as a gun) looks more like Megatron then the above discussed official toy.
There is one slight complaint with it, however. I must say that his peg fits rather loosely into the hands of other robots. I couldn't say if this is just a flaw with mine, or a common problem. I do mean to fix it one of these days with some clear nail polish, a light coat on the peg to thicken it ever so slightly, and if you have the same issue you might think about trying the same.
As a third party product, this guy didn't originally have any faction symbols on him. Fortunately, I had a few tiny Reprolabels Decepticon symbols left, and used one on each side of his gun. You'll see a third, on his chest, when we get to robot mode.
There is one slight complaint with it, however. I must say that his peg fits rather loosely into the hands of other robots. I couldn't say if this is just a flaw with mine, or a common problem. I do mean to fix it one of these days with some clear nail polish, a light coat on the peg to thicken it ever so slightly, and if you have the same issue you might think about trying the same.
As a third party product, this guy didn't originally have any faction symbols on him. Fortunately, I had a few tiny Reprolabels Decepticon symbols left, and used one on each side of his gun. You'll see a third, on his chest, when we get to robot mode.
As said, this one is designed to actually be used as a gun by Transformers with 5mm peg-hole hands. But there is one mold in particular for which it is a natural match... the Classics Deluxe Seeker mold. And of those, of course the best choice would again be Starscream. So, in what may be a bit of a sneak preview for that big review I've said I hope to do soon, here is Starscream wielding his master.
I find it hard to deny that Starscream wielding a properly scaled Megatron is pretty darn cool looking. And for added versatility, thanks to a little adapter, included with MS-01 Mega-Gun, that fits around one of the peg holes under Starscream's (or another character of the same mold's) wings and adds an additional peghole, Starscream can carry Megatron while a jet as well, without sacrificing the use of one of his included weapons. I personally am not quite as keen on how this looks, but the inclusion of this feature is a nice touch.
As stated above, he pegs into 5mm holes quite loosely... Into his under-wing adapter, he fits just tight enough to not fall out. Into an average fist, he fits looser still. Someday, as I said, I shall fix that with some clear nail polish. But if you don't wish to do so yourself (or you're someone like me who will just take forever to actually get around to making that fix) then even though he is quite loose in the hand, with very little work you can come up with a good pose where gravity will be sufficient to hold Megatron in place, as long as you're just leaving him still on a shelf as part of a display. If you plan on moving your figures around a lot and want your little Megatron to stay put in someone's fist, I'd be sure to go ahead and thicken up that peg. (This is all, of course, assuming that I don't just have some freak slightly thinner peg, mind you!)
But enough of that. Let us now look at this guy's robot mode!
But enough of that. Let us now look at this guy's robot mode!
At first glance, this looks a lot more simplistic then the above talked about Hasbro figure. And in some ways that may be true. But first off, this is a figure that is actually much smaller then a Legends class figure. And secondly... in some ways, those looks are a bit deceiving.
He definitely, from head to toe, looks the part of the Decepticon leader. As far as articulation goes, there is nothing as far as his head or his waist. (Unless you use the transformation joint in the waist, but that would pretty much only be good for if Megatron wanted to offer someone a polite bow.) His arms actually are superior to the Legends class toy, with shoulders that can swivel 360 degrees, and ball jointed elbows. His legs however are, depending on what you do, either not very articulated or not articulated at all. The peg that his gun mode is held by is found between his ankles, linking his legs together. Also, the barrel, which ends up pretty much just hanging on the robot mode's back as kibble, will accept the peg into it holding his robot mode together very tightly and giving him a very nice base to stand on... but making his legs completely immobile. Or... the piece that is the peg is removable, allowing the legs to be separate. (This obviously means the barrel then is not plugged into, but this really isn't essential as everything still holds together quite well and is stable without that. That was pretty much just stability overkill.) The hips have ball joints, but without knees it really just limits the leg poseability to giving him a wider stance or moving the legs slightly forwards or backwards. |
So, a cool Megatron gun accessory scaled to be wielded by Transformers figures, working particularly well with (but not limited to) the Classics Seeker mold. And as a bonus, it actually transforms into a little Megatron. This thing is a win, plain and simple.
As usual, Sailor Moon steps up to provide a size comparison for these figures with a DVD case.
So... final thoughts. These are both great figures with some pros and cons. The Legends class figure is an official product, always a plus in my opinion. It has a great looking robot mode and also makes a pretty good Walther P-38, even if there are some obvious robot parts visible. Yet, even if it makes a good Walther P-38, the lack of a scope and the stock and barrel extensions stop his gun from having that truly iconic Megatron look. (And of course, while fixable, the orange tip is an unfortunate strike against this figure.) MS-01 Mega-Gun, on the other hand, even if he is far less accurate to how a Walther P-38 looks, has something about him in his gun mode that definitely captures the iconic appearance of Megatron as a gun. And that gun is wonderfully scaled to be able to work with many other Transformers figure, unlike Legends Megatron who (while it is a nice touch that they included this) is only able to be utilized by one specific mold as a weapon. And this gun is still able to transform into a tiny Megatron robot. So... they both have pluses and minuses. Which one do I like better? I honestly can't say. They're both good for different reasons! So I say, if you're looking for a tiny Megatron, I'd say think about what it is you are looking for in your tiny Megatron and choose based on that. Or... just get them both! They've both got a lot to offer and will make good additions to your collection. Review added 7 June 2012 by Yotsuya. Please comment! |
Oh, a quick post-script. I will definitely get that big review I've been talking about up later this month... with any luck, probably in about a week. And hopefully I won't be disappearing completely after that. However, I do wish to say that June and July might see me a bit less prolific, as I may be otherwise occupied with getting ready for and then implementing a move of residence in mid July. Once I am fully settled in the new place, however, I'll definitely be getting back to my reviewing! But for the next few months, I do apologize if I am slightly sporadic in my updates.