Name: Megatron
Series: Beast Wars
Allegiance: Predacon
Function: Predacon Commander
Alternate Mode: Alligator
ALLIGATOR MODE
Height: 3.5cm Length: 15cm Width: 5cm
I suppose it should come as no surprise that Megatron is green - mainly olive green with some army green on his forelimbs and along his spine. He has red eyes and white peg-like teeth. I'm no expert on crocodilians but this is probably closer to a caiman than an alligator. He lacks a distinctive protruding fang (which means he's not a crocodile), but Megatron's pointy snout means he's probably more a caiman than a 'gator (although they're closely related). At any rate, the profusion of green and plates all over the toy make for a pretty convincing crocodilian. I'm sticking with Alligator since that's what he's meant to be (and this toy is usually referred to as Megalligator or something similar in the fandom).
The poseability is pretty limited, but then alligators aren't really known for their flexibility. The legs have some wiggle and the front feet have ankles, the upper jaw can open and shut, and reveals a red tongue inside which is a nice touch, even if it's a very muppet-esque tongue. The tail can wiggle up and down a little but don't move it too much or you'll set off the auto transform.
Yeah it's simple but for Beast Wars' first effort this isn't bad. More convincing and realistic that any Transformer before him. Megatron's gator mode is a little off in proportions - notably the front legs, but it's nice that the rear legs don't end up becoming the robot legs, although front legs are destined to become his hands. A good first effort, even if it is simple and straightforward.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Pull up the tail and internal gears and springs do most of the work. The gator head becomes his torso and the tail sits against his back. Straighten his hands, fold back the hindlegs now on his ankles and fold down his feet. The tail detaches and folds out to become his handgun.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 10cm Width: 4.5cm
Again mainly green, with army green thighs and upper arms. The face is purple and the eyes red, and the head is the "buckethead" that G1 Megatron has, which makes sense the accompanying mini-comic portrayed rather than the distinctly different character the cartoon gave us in the T-Rex Megatron. Gold shins give Megatron a bit of colour, and the gold is a good choice since it adds colour without looking at all out of place.
To be honest, the buckethead is the only real G1 element here. The purple face and organic, rounded, surfaces really don't remind me of the G1 Megatron at all, and this toy doesn't really look much like the Megatron of the cartoon... no. But this is part of this toy's charm - it's in limbo but this is it's own toy - not just an updated version of the same idea over and over [cough] Cheetor [cough].
The play value here is actually really good, and follows on directly from the Cyberjets at the tail of G2. The neck, shoulders, elbows, hips and knees are ball jointed while his ankles and wrists are hinged - although the wrists only bend backwards. If you leave the tail attached to his back, you can swing it up over his head and deploy the barrel as a sort of overhead barrel, or you can go for the more conventional handgun, which is a giant green log with a barrel at the end. Both work equally well, and while the head-cannon isn't intentional it adds to the fun. The ankle joints really make Megatron a poseable toy.
For what it is, this is a great robot mode. There's a big gap under his chin where the head tucks away in beast mode, but that's the only major shortcoming. The poseability is great, and not limited by the auto transform - as is often the case with that sort of mechanism, and Megatron has surprisingly little kibble. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but everything works.
VARIATIONS
Released in a 2 pack with Bat Primal. That same 2 Pack saw an exclusive CD-ROM release in Japan, where Megatron was done in purple. Iguanus is a rather crude remould of Megatron.
OVERALL
Unspectacular but a very solid toy. The alligator mode is solid and the robot mode quite fun. The auto transform thing isn't for everyone, but in Megatron's case it doesn't really limit the toy. Recommended to fans of the Beast Wars line and herpetoculturists alike - 6/10
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