Beast Wars Cheetor

Robot Mode: In robot mode Cheetor offers the high standard of posability and TV likeness Beast Wars has become known for. Thanks to his balljoints you can put him in just about any pose and he's stable. His animal parts barely hinder him, the only thing slightly akward is the big cheetah head sticking out from his chest, but that's just a minor problem. Like with many early Beast Wars Deluxe toys his head can swivel to reveal a 'mutant' monster head. His Beast Mode tail becomes his rifle and he has an additional water-squirting weapon. All in all Cheetor is an exellent robot.

Beast Mode: Unsurprisingly Cheetor becomes a Cheetah. The cat looks very life-like, but does have some posability problems. You can't move the front feet much without sliding open panels and revealing the robot. Also, one of his two weapons is stored underneath the belly and peeks out rather annoyingly. A fun feature is that the cheetah head has the same slightly startled, wide-eyed look Cheetor often had in the TV series. A good, if short of excellent beast mode.

Remarks: Cheetor is probably the most often-reproduced robot of the Beast Wars / Machines line, appearing in even more different incarnations than Optimus Primal. The character in the series is also the best example of a maturing youngster I've yet to see in any cartoon series. The hot-headed, fun-loving youngster from Beast Wars Season 1 believably turns into a hardened veteran by the time Beast Machines rolls around. The toy nicely reflects the early Cheetor, even though it's not as good as the follow-up, Transmetal Cheetor. Recommended for all Beast Wars fans.

Rating: B