Pros:

• Robot mode looks good
  
• Chrome and the colors in general look pretty great in person
  
• Lots of ports for micron combos
  
• Good headsculpt
  
• FACE VOLCANO
  
• "Cape" Mode

Cons:

• No hands
  
• Knee Articulation
  
• Stickers
  
• Weak micron
  
• "Cruiser" mode
  
• Official Combo Mode
  
• Arm spike potential breakage issue (see below)

Gotta say, in person the figure is pretty gorgeous. Most pictures, including my own, don't really capture how good the chrome looks. Unfortunately he gets the shaft in knee articulation. He only gets one or two ratchet clicks before it can't bend any further. Disappointing! The ball jointed hips still have a pretty good range, but the knees limit what you can do with it somewhat. The stickers on this figure are pretty weak. In robot mode there are only stickers on the hips, feet, and faction symbol if you choose to use them. Minimal stickers will probably appeal to some people though. (I forgot to put them on at first, so the only picture with stickers is the last robot mode one. Sorry!) Like Coconut Monkey he also has no hands. (You get a No-Prize for getting that reference.)













The micron is probably the weakest one I have built so far. It's very Unicron specific, and just isn't really all that fun. Plus, I have no freaking idea what the heck it is supposed to be. It's sort of animal-y.. but with treads?  





So the "vehicle" mode is from what I understand supposed to be a "space cruiser." It's pretty much trash.







It's all about the Face Volcano!






Combined mode time! I don't have a PRiD Optimus Prime to combine with so lets go with Megatron. Er.. No sir, I don't like it. "looks like he's strapped in to ride a roller coaster" - @TheReigner. Arm movement is of course hindered by the chrome parts attached to Megatron's shoulders. Plus all the crap hanging off his back.. so all he can do is just stand there really. Note that I did not peg in the arm spikes to the shoulders. There is a reason for that, which I will get into below.



I DO however think this looks kinda neat. Sort of a cape mode using the aforementioned arms spikes on the back so there isn't a gaping hole there.







Finally, lets get into my issue with the arm spikes. Unicron is packaged with them split apart, one plugged into each elbow. They can however be snapped together on one end and flipped around and plugged into the other to have a "whole" one. This is good. What's not so good however is the joint used to snap them together.







If you have put together any of the AM microns, this joint will be familiar; its the same shape as the snap on parts for all of the microns. This was a TERRIBLE IDEA for this part of the figure. Taking these joints apart severely stresses the clip on part of the joint, and I have no doubt that it would not be too long before it breaks. I separated them ONCE and a rather large stress mark appeared on the inside of the middle "c" clip. So I put them back together and decided never to do that again. I didn't realize they were supposed to plug into chrome parts that become the combined modes shoulders when I did that, which is why none of my pictures has them separated. Consider yourself warned: If you don't want to risk breakage, either don't put them together or leave the arm spikes snapped together. Separate them at your own risk!

Anyways. Despite that flaw, I like this figure for its robot mode quite a bit. The "Halloween orange" chrome is really great looking in person. While a bit small for the main line, its a pretty cool companion piece for the Cyberverse line. (I was dumb and forgot to take pictures with some Cyberverse figures. This will happen after sleep.) If you really like Prime Unicron's robot mode and the weaknesses of the other two "modes" doesn't bother you a whole lot, get him. Otherwise, he is probably not going to be worth it to you.

www.didacticdiversions.blogspot.com/2012/10/am-19-gaia-unicron.html

 

Sweet. Can't wait to get mind from you next week b

 

I think I'll be shaving down the middle part of that clip. give it enough grip to grab, but not too tight to risk breakage. Even though I can't see myself even wanting to transform him often, I don't want to take the risk.

Thanks for the warning on him.

 

Thanks for the review. I am thinking for a long time whether or not to paste the stickers on the crotch area and the feet in robot mode. I think I'll do without the stickers for the feet and continue to think on the crotch stickers. The stickers on the crotch doesn't look bad but without the stickers, it doesn't look bad either, then the colour are more consistent with the rest of the body.

 

I was hoping they would make a Unicron fig after seeing how awesome he was on the show. So I was really excited when I found out about this release and seeing the promo pics. The gold/copper and teal chrome parts made it look stunning.

But now I'm disappointed that all the teal parts have been changed to dark grey instead and there's less chrome on the fig.

Still want one though.

 

So... yeah. Face Volcano is pretty novel, but... no.

No hands, no... real, useful alt-mode. It would basically be an Action Master. But with a mediocre robot mode thanks to the chrome (seriously, that's pretty out of place, considering he turns into... rocks), handlessness, and just being pretty meh.

I do like the Micron. He's an awesome little drill-mole, what's not to love?

That said, I would pass on this if I saw it at stateside retail. I'm certainly not willing to put in the time, effort, and money to import it.

 

Nice review. While his robot mode looks great, his... Flying Volcano?... mode looks pretty bad. The lack of true arms is also a downer.

In my opinion, I can see why Hasbro isn't going to release Unicron.

 

...

Seeing that face on a Max is actually making me reconsider my "not interested" stance on the upcoming Encore Fort Max release  

There's something bizarre and appealing about what is essentially a new age Rock Lord.

 

I'm guessing the real reason is because it doesn't even come close to meeting US toy standards. It'll poke your eyes out!!  

 

  That too.

 

Actually, that reminds me of something I didn't mention in the review; he has a lot of rubber bits. The er, antlers,horn, parts of his arm spikes, and knee pads are all rubbery.

You just made my day.  

 

I don't think there's any way to "combine" it with Optimus or Megatron that doesn't look like a really weird sex act.

 

I hope a third party makes him some hands (as he does have them on the TV show) and perhaps a new "Sword" that is better than the Micron offers.

 

Got mine today. Hes pretty cool, I like him alot. Im just hoping a third party like Dr. Wu or even Fakebuster makes some actual hands for him. Also it looks liek the knees were assembled wrong, which is why the knee movement sucks. But it will be a pain to switch them with the pins there. Cutting is also an option, but not one I want to do on this guy...

 

So, is it possible to transform him without swapping parts?

 

Yes, it just causes the clips to be on the outside of the forearms and the spikes on the inside, but it doesn't look too bad.

 

Great review, wondering if it would be possible to get some size comparison pics with the cyberverse range? can't help but imagine he'd look great towering over the commander and legion figs like those goliath manifestations Megatron took down!!

 

Got him today.

All three alt modes are trash, robot mode is "meh". Looks cool, but posability and playability is very low.

A waste of $65.

Here's a pic of him with Prime Cyberverse Optimus Prime.

 

Just to let you know there is more to the "combined" mode than that, it's hard cuz the instructions are in Japanese but a buddy of mine showed me and it actually looks pretty decent not amazing but still good, i do like your "Cape" Mode though i think i'm going to use that on my Megatron