Transformers Legacy United Core
Item No.: Asst. F2988 No. F8517 Manufacturer:Hasbro Includes:2 blasters, Tank Drone sword/cannon Action Feature:Transforms from robot to space fighter Retail:$11.99 Availability: December 2023 Other: Tiny
I really liked the big version of this toy - and its smaller Voyager-ish version sold in Japan and at Toys R Us - but this newer Core-class Energon Universe Megatron is the new smallest version. It's a nice desk toy, and it has a good robot mode. I don't care for transforming it, and the jet mode could be better - plus I assume it existing merely sets the table for fans to ask "when are we getting a bigger one?"
Way back in 2004, the original Energon Megatron was basically a riff on Galvatron as a space ship who carried around his old body on his arm as a blaster. It was cool, big, and expensive at $40. Today it would be a bargain, but that's two decades of inflation for you.
Given that we had multiple big Galvatron toys in Kingdom and Legacy, it makes sense that they wouldn't want to do another big one right now over at Hasbro. This tiny one is a really nice sculpt, with some nifty changes. The shoulder blasters don't fold down this time, but they can pop out and be hand weapons. (They're kind of a tough fit in the fists - pegs are small.) The tank drone fits right on the arm, this time as a one-piece accessory. The wings don't have geared pop-open cannons on them this time, but they're still there. There's o clear plastic this time either, instead giving us the "Energon weapons" in bright opaque green.
I like the head a lot, and as an action figure it's a perfectly nice robot toy. He stands, he can be posed, he makes a compelling case for a smaller collection of "Leader" characters from over the years.
Transformation is a little bit frustrating, as there are a lot of tabs and slots that seem to get in their way. I needed the instructions even though it isn't very complex, mostly because the results were somewhat lumpy. It's not terrible, but you can tell they emphasized the robot, as they should.
The space ship does a perfectly nice job mimicking the original big jet toy, it just doesn't hold together well. You can plug the tank on his back, just like the original, but it doesn't do too much else. It's notable that you can use the cannon tips with the clear C.O.M.B.A.T. blast effects, you can wave the ship around, but there's not much to it as a toy. They got the general look and feel down, and at this size that's most of what you can hope to get.
I would recommend this to you as a collectible, but not as a toy for a kid. It looks cool, it may remind you of something you saw in a cartoon 20 years ago, it doesn't take up a lot of room, and it's cheap. I also don't assume we'll see more toys from the 2003-2005 Energon line if they're shunting one of the best designs to the mini-assortment, so presumably it's going to be a pretty narrow market for a really nice design. Maybe yours will massage together as a vehicle better than mine, but I mostly got it for the robot and I give the robot high marks.
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