Predacon Scorponok WFC-K23 Transformers Generations War for Cybertron Kingdom Deluxe Item No.: Asst. F0364 No. F0677 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Rocket plug, Cyber Bee drone plug Action Feature: Transforms from scorpion to robot Retail: $22.99 Availability: July 2021 Other: More or less cartoon Scorponok
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As we've gotten away from the Prime Wars Trilogy and into War for Cybertron toys, the "toy" part seemed to go away. Hasbro more or less acknowledged this with Predacon Scorponok and the recent news of his 1990s toy being reissued, as the original Predacon had spring-loaded bees and rockets and an attacking tail. It was a decent toy with lots of fun gimmicks. This new one is a super-posable robot that turns into a scorpion, both of which are modeled after the Beast Wars cartoon somewhat. It's good! But it's clear that the "toy" part has left the building.

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The robot for Scorponok borrows extensively from the 1990s cartoon, with a head and colors that'll make you say "I recognize that!" There are numerous changes to the figure, pike the shape of the pincers and the shape of the chest. Also the leg detail. And the colors of the tail. But a lot of elements, like the shoulders, the fangs on the helmet, and some of his accessories are inspired by that animation model, giving you a pretty good little toy. It's just not an exact replica of the Predacon stooge. The toy has some impressive texture and nice additions like a red stinger, but it's also very much a new thing. As redesigns go, it's pretty nice.

Arms and legs are nicely articulated, making some interesting decision so you get the most out of the transformation. Each foot is a little different, which makes sense as one gets crammed in the tail! The arms are loaded with joints, and there are several other jointed elements. The Cyber Bee and rocket plug in 5mm sockets inside the pincers, which is a perfectly nice storage place. I love that they're decorated well, even if the bee isn't exactly the color of a bee. The original toy got it right, but this new thing isn't bad. It's just different.

I needed the instructions to transform him, but it wasn't a bad puzzle other than one element. The hands become pincers, the feet go into the tail and body. The scorpion head is tucked in the back - and a bit tricky to pry out. The one thing I didn't like is that the robot chest splits open for transformation and stays open in scorpion mode. It looks weird, and I don't love it. You don't really notice it, but it's awkward.

Our scorpion friend is fine - not great, not terrible. I don't love the shoulders under the head, but the articulated legs are nice and the tail looks good. Much like Decepticon jets, or recent Blackarachnia toys, it's basically an alt mode with robot bits under it - there's no escaping it at this price point. It's still a nice critter to play around with, thanks to the opening claws, jointed stinger, and moving legs. You can actually do something with it! It's more than a brick with wheels. This makes him fun.

After 25 years of Beast Wars, this is a pretty great first remake. It combines elements of the first toy and TV show, plus it's not too expensive - and it scales nicely with the Kingdom toys. Having said that, there's still room for those who want Mainframe-specific sculpting and I assume that's coming in 5-10 years. Te current range of Beast Wars revivals are all very good, but those wanting something closer to the cartoon have to buy Masterpiece toys and/or keep waiting. For $20-$23 this is better than waiting, but I don't doubt we'll all be interested to see what - if anything - Hasbro cranks out in a few years when it comes time to redo this series once more. It's certainly good enough for now!

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