ROTF Voyager Megatron Pictorial Review!

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by Peaugh, Apr 13, 2009.

  1. AniProwl

    AniProwl Banned

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    Like anytime when I fiddle with him, his chest does a complete 180.
    It's quite creepy.
     
  2. mx-01 archon

    mx-01 archon Well-Known Member

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    Does the Mech Alive work at all? There might be a gear missing or something, so there's no resistance.

    I've not opened the toy up, so I don't know if it's the mechanics providing the resistance, or just the regular friction.
     
  3. AniProwl

    AniProwl Banned

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    His Mech Alive causes the problem.

    I'll try tightening the screws this weekend and see if that helps.
     
  4. Gingerchris

    Gingerchris Telly-headed Tyrant

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    So it's actually his waist swivel that's loose? Yeah, sounds like a loose or broken gear. Looking through the abdominal holes on mine there appears to be a gear attached directly to the waist as it turns which transfers ninety degrees to a smaller gear on the inside of his back which then runs the larger one above it. It's possible the connection between the waist and its gear has somehow disconnected, or between his waist gear and the others in his chest. If you're feeling brave you could always open him up (chest and/or waist) and check that everything's okay in there. It's not working properly anyway so it wouldn't be too bad if you couldn't get everything back in right.
     
  5. Philister

    Philister Teutonicons Rising!

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    [​IMG]
    For more pictures, click on the image above

    Robot Mode: Let’s start from the top. The ROTF Voyager-class figure is probably the closest we’ve yet come to depict Movieverse Megatron, at least when it comes to the head and chest. The face especially is very well done and shows an amount of detail that is pleasantly surprising. The right arm is also very nicely designed and executed, finally giving Movieverse Megs the big gun he’s been missing in the first movie and enhancing it with that big blade he used to run through Optimus Prime in the famous forest battle scene. There is a mechanism there that unfolds the blade when the elbow is bent, but you can easily adjust it to remain in or out no matter what angle the elbow. So no complaints here.

    Now for the bad parts. Much like the Leader-class toy the figure’s left arm is a spindly little thing, though in this case it has a missile launcher included that fires a red projectile. Then the legs: Here the Leader-class figure easily beats the Voyager-class version, as the chicken-leg version with the flip out toes that we have here not only doesn’t fit with the rest of the body (thanks to the angle they seem much too short), they’re also very much useless when it comes to posing. Finally, there is the big shell Megatron carries on his back. He’s a shell-former in the purest possible way, seeing as most of his vehicle mode hangs off his back here. Now you either fold it back completely (which looks stupid when looked at from the side) or resign yourself to the fact that Megatron has big wings here, something he didn’t have in the movie.

    So the bottom line for the robot mode: Very nice sculpting, cool looks for the most part, but the big rucksack and odd legs pull him down quite a bit.

    Vehicle Mode: In the ROTF movie Megatron was a triple-changer, able to transform into both an alien space jet and an equally alien-looking tank. The Leader-class figure only implemented the tank mode. The Voyager-class figure, while still not a triple-changer, goes the middle way, basically giving us a tank with wings and jet engines. While I’d have preferred a true triple-changer, that hybrid alternate mode is okay by me, seeing as I don’t really know how you’d go about cramming these two modes into a single robot while retaining the look it had in the movie.

    Looking at Megatron’s vehicle mode, it does pretty okay for itself, though the main problem is one that’s not easily apparent. Basically, the vehicle mode is the big shell that Megatron carried on his back in robot mode. He folds in his legs, puts one arm forward and one arm back, and then everything is covered by that shell. The bigger pair of wings plugs into the sides of his tank threads to fix it in place and you’re done. Now you each got to decide for yourself whether that’s a problem for you. Me, I’d have preferred a real transformation instead of this. Still, the resulting vehicle looks nice and has lots of sculpted details, which does score it some points. Overall a good vehicle mode, but not the best transformation design ever.

    Remarks: Megatron returned from seeming death when Scalpel rebuilt him using parts salvaged from an unlucky, unnamed Decepticon donor and an AllSpark fragment. He went on to kill Optimus Prime, only to be soundly beaten by that very same bot after he had risen from his grave (seems to be a trend for leaders in the Movieverse). Megatron also received two differently-sized toys in the main ROTF toyline (not counting the various Legends, Fast Action Battlers, etc.). While the Leader-class toy is better suited to going head to head with Leader-Class Prime, this smaller Voyager-class version actually depicts the character better. Still, some odd design choices and the shell-transformation drag the figure down quite a bit in my eye. Bottom line: Better in some ways, but overall not quite as good as the Leader-class Megs in my opinion.

    Rating: B-
     
  6. SPLIT LIP

    SPLIT LIP Be strong enough to be gentle

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    If you moved the backpack up his back and folded in the little wings it'd be less honking, or at least better-looking. (and the little fork thing rests in the face mask, holding it up)

    And while he's a shell-former, there's been much, much worse. The "shell" only covers half of him and his arms, legs and head are all visible and make up parts of the alt mode.

    And I honestly never felt his arm looked tiny, especially compared to the Leader version's. It's not as massive as his right arm but it shouldn't be.
     
  7. prime0850

    prime0850 Member

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    ROTF Voyager Megatron. WOW.

    So I finally found this guy today for 30$ MISB at my local comic shop and I scooped him up. Such an awesome bot, really he is. I have the DOTM Megatron which is great as well but I am totally digging the detail on this one allot more. I don't know what it is about megatron but I just love his design, the claw/sword arm the cannon.. he is armed to the teeth!

    Why has hasbro not reissued this figure in HFTD or something? He is such a great mold!
     
  8. rxlthunder

    rxlthunder Banned

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    You do know that search is back on and that we have a feedback thread, right?
     
  9. Stryker055

    Stryker055 Trying my best here!

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    He was planned to be repainted with more silver and packed in with some Legends Constructicons repains for HFTD, as well as an all-silver Japanese release, but both were scrapped for some reason. I don't have the mold myself, as I was waiting for the repaints that never came...
     
  10. prime0850

    prime0850 Member

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    Thank you forum police.

    No I did not know that, I have 10 posts. My bad, was just a bit joyful at finally finding a figure Ive been after awhile and wanted to open a topic for discussion. I'm sorry if I have done something against the rules.

    *above poster*

    SILVER? Wow.. that would have been great indeed. What was the deal with cancellation? Was it released in japan at all?
     
  11. mx-01 archon

    mx-01 archon Well-Known Member

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    There were a bunch of exclusives planned for the end of the line that didn't pan out. I guess by that point, retailers weren't interested in that extra glut of stock, waiting for DotM stuff to come out.

    But yeah, Voyager Megs really is a fun mold. That murder arm is suprisingly fun to toy around with.

    I'm not convinced by the overall opinion that he's a better figure than the Leader, though. They're just... different. Voyager has a more movie accurate vehicle mode and right arm, whereas the Leader has a generally more accurate robot mode and colours, and simply has a far more imposing and intimidating stature overall (the Voyager's narrow shoulders throw off his look quite a bit).
     
  12. Optimus1138

    Optimus1138 Well-Known Member

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    When he was in stores, I wasn't all that interested in him, but now I want him for a stop-motion movie I'm planning to make. I just wish that he'd be rereleased in a more accurate color scheme. Hopefully that HFTD exclusive will see release some time soon, along with the Sideways Sneak Attack set.
     
  13. AMG

    AMG Old School

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    I agree with this. The leader class is huge and menacing looking with tons of details. I love the looks of it.
     
  14. prime0850

    prime0850 Member

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    I dont mind the leader class, I just dislike his gimp arm. The voyager nails it in every aspect but color IMO. Even his back kibble doesn't bother me, makes an awesome set of menacing wings :D 

    I think my over all favorite feature on this guy is his headsculpt though.. so much better than anything ive seen from the voyagers in the DOTM line. The Murder arm is pretty great too :D 

    I would totally buy a repaint of this fella and sell off this green one if I could.
     
  15. Optimus1138

    Optimus1138 Well-Known Member

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    Same here, pretty much. I like the vehicle mode pretty well. It looks really strong and menacing. All I'd change about his robot mode would be to make his lift arm bigger and to add an elbow joint to his murder arm.
     
  16. lars573

    lars573 Well-Known Member

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    Both were canned. Hasbro made far more HFTD exclusives than retailers wanted. And the Takara/Tomy one was canned too.
     
  17. prime0850

    prime0850 Member

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    On that day, they buried with him the dreams of a thousand collectors. -.-

    That's really too bad, I have seen some fan made repaints of the mold and they just look so fantastic cast in more screen accurate colors.

    This is the only ROTF voyager I own so far.. are they more or less always better than the DOTM voyagers? My DOTM optimus/Megatron are nowhere near the same level as this guy when it comes to detail in the sculpt/paint.

    Don't get me started on my DOTM deluxe sideswipe..
     
  18. AMG

    AMG Old School

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    Do you have the HftD voyager Optimus Prime yet? He is an amazing figure and would go great with your new Megatron.
     
  19. MrTuesday

    MrTuesday Well-Known Member

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    I was one of those waiting for the silver repaint of the ROTF Voy. Megs mold. When that never happened, I tried to find the regular version. Finally got him recently. I like him. The back kibble I don't mind. Shorter than Voy. Starscream, but I can live with that.
     
  20. NCStarscream

    NCStarscream Me Grimlock cute

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    I got it and repainted it silver to put in my Voyager scaled forest battle diorama. It's awesome; probably my favorite Megatron figure.