Transformers/G.I.Joe Mashup H.I.S.S. MEGATRON

Discussion in 'Transformers Feedback & Reviews' started by Snake_eyes1975, Oct 25, 2022.

  1. Alpha Omega Trion Supreme

    Alpha Omega Trion Supreme One of the longest handles in the fandom!

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    $60 takes a little bit of the sting out of the issues this has as a Transformer.

    Not just Walmart. BBTS is also calling them 3.75" too, which was the only reason I bought the Retro Cobra Commander from them, who I agree is more like 4" and out of scale with Baroness and Megatron. The mislabeling seems kind of widespread.

    Edit: Shin, thanks for the Hasbro Pulse mention. Just bought the O-ring Duke & Cobra Commander 2 pack off Hasbro Pulse. Wish I would have been more informed about this O-ring stuff before buying the wrong Cobra Commander to compliment this figure.
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2022
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  2. Soundwinder

    Soundwinder I wind sounds!

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    So, real talk, how sturdy is this thing?

    I'm getting one for Christmas, and I need to know whether to put it under the tree or not... since my 3 year old daughter will want to play with it for a few minutes until she gets bored, but if there are any particular points of breakage likely, I'd like to know ahead of time.

    ... prolly going to try to find a Darth Vader figure that can fit in there. Complete the 80's Trifecta.

    Know what I would love? A G2 redeco of this guy. Would be pretty fiction-accurate, and if this mold gets as much flak as OP indicates, well, Hasbro continues the trend of making G2 redecos of the worst Megatrons. I either get a good G2 Megatron if the mold is good or I get confirmation Hasbro is personally trolling me by making terrible G2 Megatrons. That's a win for me either way.
     
  3. Soundwinder

    Soundwinder I wind sounds!

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    Update: Opened him up. Honestly was pretty disappointed at first. Size and sculpt is nice but... robot mode really is pretty weak. I'm not really complaining about the posability, it does what it needs to do in terms of articulation but it really is Cybertron-era Voyager in terms of articulation. The bigger issue is the robot mode does not feel good. In hand in robot mode, it feels more like an Authentics toy rather than a premium collectors item. The hips are also just poorly designed, with way too much space between locks, and way too much give between them. Meaning he really doesn't pose for shit... once I put him down in any kind of dynamic pose, he shifts a bit and then likely drops due to his new center of gravity. It's a great looking robot mode, but he feels light and thin, with some wonky kibble to accommodate the vehicle mode.

    Then I transformed him. Which was shellformer-y and while intuitive, pretty finicky. But fun, and eventually everything tabbed in and it was overall quite pleasant.

    And goddamn I love him in vehicle mode. Solid, locked, overall just really fun. The thinness/lightness of the robot mode goes away when compressed into the HISS mode.

    So yeah. Agree this is a Joe toy that happens to have a mediocre Megatron inside it, but for $60 I'm pretty pleased with it. If I paid full price... well, let me just say that this purchase has made me want to also get a plain ol' HISS to go alongside it.
     
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  4. openchallenge

    openchallenge It's own reward

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    No complaints about my copy. I'm buying these as G.I. Joe sets that transform and probably not having expectations about the robot mode past that era. I've always been a fan of the H.I.S.S. Tank and consider the design to be a ridiculous Lamborghini tank. Overall this set reminds me of TFA leader class Megatron, a little kibbley and odd to pose but still really fun because it looks the business.

    I'm a little nervous about Soundwave because I have no recollection of that Joe vehicle.
     
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  5. Cardion

    Cardion Courage and Good Cheer!

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    Woo-boy! Just got my Megatron HISS Tank. That is an excellent HISS Tank but at the expense of the robot. I know people said Megatron looked and felt hollow, but I didn't really expect to to be fiddly too. However, once I finally got him collapsed into a HISS tank, he looked and felt solid.
     
  6. Gingerchris

    Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

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    I cannot for the life of me get those tabs on the top of the treads to meet with the tabs on the underside of the main chassis for alt mode. What am I doing wrong?
    I encountered this issue myself when I bought one earlier this week. After a cursory examination, I sussed the simple solution. Instead of risking breaking anything by trying to snap it into place, I transformed it to tank mode so the arms were out of the way, loosened the two screws holding the halves of the backpack together until the two pegs were further apart and would slot easily into the hinge holes and then tightened the two screws back up. This method also means I won't risk breakage should I decide to remove the backpack to re-box the figure at a later date.
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2023
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  7. LoserBroadside

    LoserBroadside Your ship just came in.

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    Are the treads lined up properly with the smaller hip-treads? That might be messing up alignment.
     
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  8. Gingerchris

    Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

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    The hip treads do occasionally crack open so maybe I've not got something right there. Just wanted to ask before I take another crack at it in case there was something fundamental I'd gotten wrong at the start of the transformation that had a negative knock-on effect by the time it came to tabbing the chassis to the treads.
     
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  9. Shin Densetsu

    Shin Densetsu I WILL DESTROY YOU Content Contributor Veteran

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    Beneath the pelvis there’s 2 slots that are hard to see but the lower leg tabs go into them(they don’t click into place, it’s not a tight connection). If they’re out of alignment when you try to compress the lower legs and chassis, it’ll keep the chassis from connecting. Thing is you’re fighting the tightness of the hip joints when trying to align them and it’s hard to see due to minimal spacing. IIRC I think the hips also aren’t raised all the way, they might be lowered by 1 click at an angle. Once those lower leg tabs are aligned to slot into the pelvis, the chassis and lower legs should be able to compress further to tab in properly(press from the top of the tank and bottom of the treads).
     
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  10. Gingerchris

    Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

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    Thanks for the info. I just had another go at tank mode and made sure to check those tabs were correctly located. Also last time I hadn't gotten the struts holding Meg's chest completely straight when tabbing in the hip treads. And the thighs weren't back right against the body. After doing all that, and applying a bit more pressure than I'd risked last time, the tabs connecting the chassis to the treads finally went in. And then popped out one side. And the other. After finagling everything seems to finally be in its proper place.
    You'd think after all these years in the Transformers game I'd have a handle on these conversions.
    Ta to ye and LoserBroadside for the assistance.
     
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  11. Predakwon

    Predakwon ...Green Lantern's light!

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    Getting Reprolabels and the Shockwave Lab SL-163 fill in kit made me take this guy out again. I really do enjoy him. I think the only thing that bugs me now are the gaping holes in the forearms, but that can't be helped due to the transformation.
    20230123_174905.jpg 20230123_174933.jpg 20230123_165331.jpg 20230123_165343.jpg 20230123_165558.jpg
     
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  12. MECHADOOM

    MECHADOOM I'm Doombot and I know it

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    I love this toy!

    20230225_030750~3.jpg
     
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  13. fraenhawk

    fraenhawk Well-Known Member

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    FYI, if you're getting anything else from the 3/6 Pulse warehouse sale, the previously recommended O-Ring Cobra Officer/Trooper 2 pack is part of the sale. Finally getting a pack to go with my Megatron.
     
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  14. Soundwinder

    Soundwinder I wind sounds!

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    This guy's only $40 on Amazon at the moment.

    As a reminder, I was a bit tepid about the figure, but I bit when he was $60 and I'm very pleased. At $40 he's a steal and I wholly recommend. You'll have fun as long as you know what you're getting into.
     
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  15. Shin Densetsu

    Shin Densetsu I WILL DESTROY YOU Content Contributor Veteran

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    $40 is very reasonable as that’s the cost of the o ring 2 packs at Pulse. While I think $20 per figure is a bit much, to see the HISS Megatron at a $20 value…it’s definitely worth it.

    Compared to modern Transformers, it comes up short. Engineering-wise it fits in more with figures developed before the mid-2000s. Had something very similar been available in the 80’s-90’s GI Joe lines it would’ve likely been seen as ahead of its time. I think it’s more successful as a GI Joe ARAH toy rather than as a standalone Transformer.
     
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  16. Snake_eyes1975

    Snake_eyes1975 Well-Known Member

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    Had to post my reprolabels pics too. Serious game changer. I'll finish the hiss mode stickers tomorrow..but WOW..what a difference, and a huge improvement.

    Gijoe transformers are my favorite product from hasbro right now.

    1000020097.jpg 1000020098.jpg 1000020099.jpg 1000020100.jpg 1000020101.jpg 1000020102.jpg 1000020103.jpg
     
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