An inevitability of the current toy industry is that nostalgia reigns supreme, which is why the line has legs. Cybertron Universe Override is based on - and a little bit bigger than - a figure from the 2005 Transformers Cybertron line, which was built around the gimmick of every figure including at least one key for transformation and/or gimmick activation purposes. This 2022 release doesn't have a key, but there's a slot for one on her blaster. The original toy had pop-out barrels, this one you have to move them manually. There are 3mm tips for C.O.M.B.A.T. blast effects, too - but since the barrels are painted I advise against leaving them on display there. Take 'em off when playtime is over.
There isn't much new ground here, but you do get a sturdy figure that manages to keep what made the original look good with what makes current figures sturdier and less likely to fall over. It's a good upgrade and a decent replacement for the original.
The good thing (and also bad thing) about the collector lines is you know what to expect. There's a level of articulation you can probably guarantee every new figure will have if it's a deluxe or larger, with question marks on some things like rocker ankles or swivel wrists. Override has both, and sports a grand total of 26 meaningful points of articulation. The original toy had fewer moving parts plus some spring-loaded elements and a lack of heel spurs, which means this one is probably going to be a lot easier to display and pose - but I do miss the wacky spring stuff. 2022 Override also lacks some of hte paint found on the original - she's missing some blue paint, her weapon has less decoration, and quite a few details changed for aesthetic reasons. The red paint on her shoulders now lacks an Autobot symbol, the feet don't have any gold paint - nor does the blaster - and much of the blue is missing. But at first glance you'd just assume this is a slam-bang remake of the original toy, because she looks (and is) sturdier and more stable with more or less the same colors.
Why change them? I have no idea. But I do appreciate they Cyber-Key compatibility with the blaster, the bright colors, and how so many of the unique patterns were kept. It's curious that the changes were made, mostly because it's so darned close to the original - but it's also a new mold for an exclusive Voyager class toy, and we almost never get those. Also surprising, there are very few open gaps on the robot mode. Take a look, other than the back of the legs (with pylons inside) she's pretty sturdy. You may appreciate the myriad 5mm ports on her arms, feet, and blaster for adding additional gear, armor, or goodness knows what else they come up with.
Transformation from car to robot is pretty easy. You lose the spring-activated auto-transformation bits, but you get a bigger toy that looks more or less like you remember. There's really nothing new to her change-up, but rarely do you see transformation innovations these days. I'm just glad they didn't give her a fake car chest or something. The car becomes robot, the robot becomes car, and there's no false window or other craziness like we see on so many of the G1 guys.
The car mode is pretty great and it looks a lot like the original vehicle. The feet are the bumpers, the gun mounts on the back, her head pops out behind the windshield, and there are red candy-like wheels. It's a good update that holds together well, with nicely spinning wheels and a few 5mm ports to plug in accessories. Considering how many figures we get where the wheels barely move, this is a welcome feature.
I'll probably consider selling my original Override at some point because I have this one. If you're going to buy this figure just to open, transform, and shelve, I'm going to suggest you skip it if you have the original. At a glance, the toys look the same minus the height and you don't need to spend $34 on a thing you've already got. If you want a bigger, more stable Override - or missed the original - this is a great one to pick up. She doesn't look like most of the "classic" toys on the market, and is a nice departure from the boxy 1984-1986 toy remakes we usually get. (No shame on those, I still love them.) Along with Metroplex and Optimus Prime, it's nice to see that the 2005-2007 line wasn't forgotten as we don't get a whole heck of a lot not-G1/G2 toys in these lines.
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