Samurai Megatron.

“Repaint the tank figure and give it a Megatron head. It’ll be perfect!” – The guy in charge of the GDO Transformers, probably.

While that train of thought does make sense, choosing Bludgeon who has one of the most distinct robot modes ever to be remolded was a gutsy move.

I bet you’re wondering if it was worth it.

Packaging

Alternate mode

Megatron’s a fluorescent green tank. So that means he’s like how he was in ROTF. He doesn’t care about hiding. Actually, both this guy and the ROTF Voyager Megatron are green and turn into tanks. Hmm. Interesting that.

Detailing is plentiful in tank mode, as is the paint. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your tastes), the paint is absolutely garish. Bright green, purple and orange. Seriously, Hasbro? I mean I like it but I like it because it’s ugly.

For playability, Megatron is actually a very functional toy tank. For one, his tank treads are made of actual rubber. That’s so cool! Unfortunately they don’t spin like real tank treads but there are tiny wheels on the bottom of the treads so that Megatron can still roll. Another thing is the tank turret can rotate 360° as can the machine gun on top of the turret. If only the cannon could lift up, Megatron would have a flawless tank mode. As it is though, it’s very close to perfect.

Transformation

The transformation here is quite straightforward for an ROTF figure. It’s intuitive and nothing feels overly frustrating.

Megatron even has a dramatic head reveal! That wasn’t necessary but it’s a nice touch. Especially with the new head…

Robot mode

Okay, Megatron has decided to become a samurai. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened but it’s still really weird to see. With all the samurai armour and bones on display, it really feels they shouldn’t have bothered to make this mold anyone but Bludgeon. But then you get to the new head…

And it’s stunning. Seriously, this is probably the most handsome Megatron head ever. Period. That purple face and those luscious lips…

Anyway, the rest of the robot looks great too. There’s lots of molded detail and paint to make things look interesting. The big, silver Decepticon logo on his crotch armour in particular is very well done.

Megatron has quite a bit of posability. His head swivels at the neck. His arms rotate as well as go in and out at the shoulders. They actually go in and out at two places. He has bicep swivels as well as double-jointed elbows. His hands bend inward at the wrists. His legs rotate as well as go in and out at the hips. He has thigh swivels as well as bending knees. Lastly, his feet move forward and backward. He doesn’t have a waist swivel and sideways ankle tilts, but you can still get a lot of poses out of Megatron.

Gimmicks

This was an ROTF mold, so Megatron has some Mech Alive gimmicks. Opening the tank turret on his back reveals a hidden scabbard for the smaller sword. Opening the tank turret moves the scabbard into place while a big white gear spins. As far as Mech Alive gimmicks go, it’s quite interesting to look at. Also, it’s functional. Another Mech Alive gimmick Megatron has involves the visible bones in his thighs. Rotating his lower legs also rotates the bony parts inside his legs. Kinda gross but also kinda cool.

Onto his weapons. Megatron has a very long katana and a short dagger. Both are nicely molded and look good in his hands. It’s a shame they’re made of soft, bendy, rubbery plastic. Megatron can store them in a variety of ways. He can store both swords using the sheathes on his back or both swords using the sheathes on his side skirts. Versatile!

Toy or collectible?

Megatron’s more of a collectible than a toy. That said, I think this mold and figure would be fine to give to an older kid. It’s just I think adult collectors would get more of a kick out of this guy than a kid would. If you want a kid to experience this mold, you’re better off hunting down Bludgeon. He’s infinitely easier to find and will probably be cheaper.

Adult collectors went nuts over the GDO Transformers for awhile. Exotic Asian releases? Check. New characters with fancy paint? Check. New characters with beautiful heads? Check. The GDO Transformers, including Megatron, are pretty rare nowadays. I barely see them for sale anymore. So a rare variant of the ever popular despot with a gorgeous head? Of course an adult collector would love this Megatron.

Closing

This Megatron will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea. He’s basically… wait no. He is Bludgeon with a Megatron head.

But here’s the thing.

This Megatron’s head is beautiful. If you can get over the fact this figure is Bludgeon doing cosplay, you’re gonna get a great Transformer that’s aged very well with a new, gorgeous head.