Armada Unicron

Robot Mode: Unicron in robot mode stands taller than just about any other Transformer (except for you-know-who) and holds true to the original version from the 80s movie, as well as the one seen in the Armada cartoon. To sum it up, he looks scary as hell. The horns on his head and shoulders, the claw-like hands, the pincer feet, and the batwing-like struts that originate from his planetary ring all work together to make the closest thing to a devil ever depicted in robot form. Add to that super-posability (right down to individual fingers) and lots of extras such as hidden compartments, rocket launchers, a chest cannon and many other gimmicks you get one kick-ass robot. The only real drawbacks to this mode are that the whole assembly on his back (the half-shells of the planet and the batwings) are not terribly stable and the joints there are not fully strong enough to hold everythign in its right position. A minor flaw at best, though.

Alternate Mode: It was to be expected that you couldn't get a completely spheroid form out of a transformable robot, but Unicron's planet mode is the next-best thing. Nearly a sphere, it combines the best aspects of the movie version of the planet with the restrictions put upon it by the robot mode. The most difficult thing to implement was probably the ring (I really expected them to leave that out), but they managed it, too. The ring can also serve as a docking port for no less than twenty-four Minicons. Unicron's planet-grabbing pincers work, just like his maw. The designers did themselves proud here.

Partners / Add-Ons: Unicron comes with his own Minicon Dead End, who transforms into an armed moon. In the cartoon there were hundreds such Minicons working as Unicron's internal security system. In moon form Dead End can activate Unicron's chest cannon in robot mode or be placed on either his planetary ring or above the maw in planet mode. In robot mode Dead End looks stocky and powerful and is quite posable to boot.

Remarks: Back in the 80s when Optimus Prime led the G1 autobots in battle against Megatron, someone had an idea: Let's make Transformers the Movie. Let's introduce loads of new Transformers (all of which we can then make toys off and sell) and kill off the old ones that don't sell anymore anyway. And most importantly, let's introduce the baddest villain of them all: Unicron, a planet-sized Transformer.

Unfortunately it took nearly twenty years until we fans of the movie could get a toy version of Unicron into our clutches. But it was worth the wait, no doubt about it. This is as near to a perfect toy version of the ultimate Transformers baddy as you can get and the detail put into it is staggering. Unicron didn't come cheap, but was well worth the money. An additional version of Unicron came out as part of the Energon line, sporting a different paint job. It's a matter of taste which one you get, I guess, but the Armada version is the one that much more closely resembles Unicron from the Movie.

Rating: A

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