Animated Megatron (Activator)

Prelude: Many thanks to TFU reader Jan K., who lent me his Activators Megatron for this review.

Robot Mode: When you compare the Megatron we saw in the Animated TV series with this little robot right here, you don't see all that many differences. Activators Megatron is a pretty good likeness of the Decepticon leader and there are really just two things that stand out a bit. One, the rotors of his helicopter mode don't detach to become swords, but rather remain on his back. And second, he doesn't have his signature big cannon on his arm. That, too, remains on his back, attached to the cockpit of the vehicle mode. While this might somewhat disappoint some fans, I don't particularly mind in this case. The Activators are fun play toys and Megatron is certainly fun. He is very posable, looks cool and has the Activator gimmick (more on that below), which all adds up to play value. Which is all this figure is meant to have, really, so thumbs up.

Alternate Mode: As an Activator Megatron has an auto-transformation gimmick that, in theory, turns the vehicle into the robot with the push of a button. It's not quite that easy, but it works well overall. Of course this somewhat limits the alternate mode, especially in the case of something more complicated than a mere car. Megatron's helicopter mode still looks as it should from most angles, but it can hardly deny the fact that the robot's legs hang underneath it in plain view. Still, it can transform with a single button push (and some minor adjustments to feet and arms), so it's fun and that's the point of the whole thing. Not perfect, but fun.

Remarks: While I'm not personally a big fan of the Activators, I do think them a very good idea in general. Especially for a cartoony-looking series like Animated (it wasn't cartoony as far as the plot went, but that's another story) it was good to have what amounts to an easy access point for smaller children. Small figures, the transformation happens more or less automatically, all of them the same size and easily handled. A great way for the youngest fans to be introduced to the world of the Transformers.

For me as an adult collector the Activators are not all that interesting, but I do think that many of them, including this figure here, are pretty well done. To all adult fans I'd recommend the Leader or Voyager version, but if I had a kid, I'd buy it this version of the Decepticon leader in a heartbeat.

Rating: B

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