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Dave's TF Selects Rant: G2 Megatron
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Dave Van Domelen
Jan 3, 2021, 1:27:31 AM1/3/21
to
Dave's Transformers Generations Selects Rant:
GS-14 Megatron (G2 redeco)
Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Gen/G2Megatron
This is a redeco of Earthrise Megatron, which is itself a major retool
of Siege Megatron. I'm guessing it was labeled before Centurion Drone, since
it still has the GS number rather than being a WFC-E** number.
Note, while generally called G2 Megatron, the term "G2" or "Generation
2" is not found anywhere on the package or in the instructions. This was
released at the same time as Sandstorm, in which I had no interest (and it
sold out before I could ponder changing my mind anyway).
https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Gen/VMegatronE - Original deco
CAPSULES
$30 on Hasbro Pulse (where it is listed as "Megatron (G2)"), still
available as of the writing of this review in early January 2021.
Megatron: Original mold was at the low end of recommended. I'd say this
one is just mildly recommended on its own merits, it really leans on
nostalgia to lend affection for what's a kinda ugly color scheme.
RANT
Packaging: The standard Generations Selects brown box, only slightly
larger than the Deluxe boxes. The top is 9" (23cm) by 6" (15cm) (only a few
millimeters longer than a Deluxe box, but the same 6") and 3.25" (8cm) deep
(significantly different). Inside, Megatron is held by just the blister
shape, and the usual instructions (with teal as the accent color) and
warnings sheet are under the blister.
DECEPTICON: MEGATRON
Assortment: GS-14
Altmode: Tank
Transformation Difficulty: 21 steps
Previous Name Use: Yes
Previous Mold Use: Gen:ER
Packaging: No ties. As usual for Selects, there's no sigil, no
techspecs, and no other useful lore on the package or in the instructions.
Color Swaps: No simple assignment, so here's the whole list. Slightly
metallic medium gray plastic on the neck base, shoulder joints, elbow joints,
hip joints, thighs, toes, and the little wheels under the treads. Purple
plastic is used on the fists, arm cannon, pelvis, and the inside bits of the
treads from the backpack. Green plastic (slightly yellowish) used for
everything else, including the head.
Paint Apps: In robot mode, the head is dipped in gunmetal paint and then
the face is painted medium gray with orange eyes. There's also orange on the
tops of the shoulder roots (where the regular Earthrise version is painted
red), some abdomen details, and the kneecaps. The abdominal grills are
painted gunmetal. There's purple camo splotches along the upper arms, chest,
and the boots. Most of the tank gun barrel is painted purple except for the
bore evacuator bulge. The turret front molded onto it has a lot of purple
paint as well, and 20 orange dots on one front surface in a grid.
In vehicle mode, the tank treads are painted black with gunmetal rims on
the drive wheels, and more purple camo on the fenders. The left front fender
has an orange trapezoid with a purple G2 Decepticon symbol in it. There's
more purple camo on the front deck, but not the back deck. The smoke
dispensers molded onto the sides of the turret are painted orange.
The toes stand out even more in this deco's vehicle mode, because
they're really the only significant gray.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: There's already several 3P add-ons to let the arm cannon go
on the shoulder as with the "Big Stick" G2 Megatron back in the day. A
simpler solution, if requiring some skill and patience, is to put a slot in
the sword that will let the main cannon barrel stay on the tab of the
backpack. http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/G2MegatronMod.JPG
Back in 2002, when I was moving to Kansas, I mailed a bunch of
Transformers to my new address, including the original G2 Megatron. With
batteries still in. His talking gimmick almost got that box sent to the bomb
squad....
Overall: A bit of nostalgia for when I was in grad school, and they did
a decent job of making it look like that old "I excite electrons, implode
neutrons!" version of Megatron. But it's kinda pushing the recycling of the
mold, and if you were interested in this at all you probably have it
already. But if you were waiting to see if it had some retooling or a fatal
flaw, nope.
Dave Van Domelen, spent the weekend putting holes in Transformers....
GS-14 Megatron (G2 redeco)
Permalink: http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Gen/G2Megatron
This is a redeco of Earthrise Megatron, which is itself a major retool
of Siege Megatron. I'm guessing it was labeled before Centurion Drone, since
it still has the GS number rather than being a WFC-E** number.
Note, while generally called G2 Megatron, the term "G2" or "Generation
2" is not found anywhere on the package or in the instructions. This was
released at the same time as Sandstorm, in which I had no interest (and it
sold out before I could ponder changing my mind anyway).
https://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/Gen/VMegatronE - Original deco
CAPSULES
$30 on Hasbro Pulse (where it is listed as "Megatron (G2)"), still
available as of the writing of this review in early January 2021.
Megatron: Original mold was at the low end of recommended. I'd say this
one is just mildly recommended on its own merits, it really leans on
nostalgia to lend affection for what's a kinda ugly color scheme.
RANT
Packaging: The standard Generations Selects brown box, only slightly
larger than the Deluxe boxes. The top is 9" (23cm) by 6" (15cm) (only a few
millimeters longer than a Deluxe box, but the same 6") and 3.25" (8cm) deep
(significantly different). Inside, Megatron is held by just the blister
shape, and the usual instructions (with teal as the accent color) and
warnings sheet are under the blister.
DECEPTICON: MEGATRON
Assortment: GS-14
Altmode: Tank
Transformation Difficulty: 21 steps
Previous Name Use: Yes
Previous Mold Use: Gen:ER
Packaging: No ties. As usual for Selects, there's no sigil, no
techspecs, and no other useful lore on the package or in the instructions.
Color Swaps: No simple assignment, so here's the whole list. Slightly
metallic medium gray plastic on the neck base, shoulder joints, elbow joints,
hip joints, thighs, toes, and the little wheels under the treads. Purple
plastic is used on the fists, arm cannon, pelvis, and the inside bits of the
treads from the backpack. Green plastic (slightly yellowish) used for
everything else, including the head.
Paint Apps: In robot mode, the head is dipped in gunmetal paint and then
the face is painted medium gray with orange eyes. There's also orange on the
tops of the shoulder roots (where the regular Earthrise version is painted
red), some abdomen details, and the kneecaps. The abdominal grills are
painted gunmetal. There's purple camo splotches along the upper arms, chest,
and the boots. Most of the tank gun barrel is painted purple except for the
bore evacuator bulge. The turret front molded onto it has a lot of purple
paint as well, and 20 orange dots on one front surface in a grid.
In vehicle mode, the tank treads are painted black with gunmetal rims on
the drive wheels, and more purple camo on the fenders. The left front fender
has an orange trapezoid with a purple G2 Decepticon symbol in it. There's
more purple camo on the front deck, but not the back deck. The smoke
dispensers molded onto the sides of the turret are painted orange.
The toes stand out even more in this deco's vehicle mode, because
they're really the only significant gray.
Mold Changes: None that I noticed.
Other Notes: There's already several 3P add-ons to let the arm cannon go
on the shoulder as with the "Big Stick" G2 Megatron back in the day. A
simpler solution, if requiring some skill and patience, is to put a slot in
the sword that will let the main cannon barrel stay on the tab of the
backpack. http://www.dvandom.com/kitbash/G2MegatronMod.JPG
Back in 2002, when I was moving to Kansas, I mailed a bunch of
Transformers to my new address, including the original G2 Megatron. With
batteries still in. His talking gimmick almost got that box sent to the bomb
squad....
Overall: A bit of nostalgia for when I was in grad school, and they did
a decent job of making it look like that old "I excite electrons, implode
neutrons!" version of Megatron. But it's kinda pushing the recycling of the
mold, and if you were interested in this at all you probably have it
already. But if you were waiting to see if it had some retooling or a fatal
flaw, nope.
Dave Van Domelen, spent the weekend putting holes in Transformers....
Codigo Postal
Jan 3, 2021, 10:14:40 PM1/3/21
to
Great review, as always.
Do you think it pushes enough of the nostalgia buttons to warrant a purchase?
In an era of unprecedented fidelity to the source material with Studio Series and WfC, the 'close enough' redeco that would have sufficed in a previous era somehow feels like 'not enough' now.
Ideally he'd be a little larger, a little better engineered regarding the defects you mentioned, and and with a face coloured more like his iconic-ish comics incarnation than his original toy.
Do you think it pushes enough of the nostalgia buttons to warrant a purchase?
In an era of unprecedented fidelity to the source material with Studio Series and WfC, the 'close enough' redeco that would have sufficed in a previous era somehow feels like 'not enough' now.
Ideally he'd be a little larger, a little better engineered regarding the defects you mentioned, and and with a face coloured more like his iconic-ish comics incarnation than his original toy.
Dave Van Domelen
Jan 4, 2021, 12:58:31 PM1/4/21
to
In article <f6acf978-caca-4083...@googlegroups.com>,
Transformers as an adult in graduate school, so it's hard to generalize the
nostalgia. (I mean, if it came with newly made special energy effects to put
on the fists for the imploding neutrons bit, it'd be hands down pushing the
nostalgia buttons for anyone who was into transformers when they came back in
GIJoe comics.)
Dave Van Domelen, now reviewing Netflix Soundwave and quite impressed by
how they managed to keep so many parts from the original while still creating
an all-new altmode.
Codigo Postal <codigop...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Great review, as always.
>
>Do you think it pushes enough of the nostalgia buttons to warrant a purchase?
It did for me, if barely. But G2 was when I got seriously into
>Great review, as always.
>
>Do you think it pushes enough of the nostalgia buttons to warrant a purchase?
Transformers as an adult in graduate school, so it's hard to generalize the
nostalgia. (I mean, if it came with newly made special energy effects to put
on the fists for the imploding neutrons bit, it'd be hands down pushing the
nostalgia buttons for anyone who was into transformers when they came back in
GIJoe comics.)
Dave Van Domelen, now reviewing Netflix Soundwave and quite impressed by
how they managed to keep so many parts from the original while still creating
an all-new altmode.
Codigo Postal
Jan 5, 2021, 12:23:18 AM1/5/21
to
On Monday, January 4, 2021 at 12:58:31 PM UTC-5, Dave Van Domelen wrote:
> >Great review, as always.
> >
> >Do you think it pushes enough of the nostalgia buttons to warrant a purchase?
> It did for me, if barely. But G2 was when I got seriously into
> Transformers as an adult in graduate school, so it's hard to generalize the
> nostalgia. (I mean, if it came with newly made special energy effects to put
> on the fists for the imploding neutrons bit, it'd be hands down pushing the
> nostalgia buttons for anyone who was into transformers when they came back in
> GIJoe comics.)
>
Appreciate it. And I'm sure someone at one of the various 3P companies is probably coming up with some cleverly designed and overpriced accessories to do just that!
> >Great review, as always.
> >
> >Do you think it pushes enough of the nostalgia buttons to warrant a purchase?
> It did for me, if barely. But G2 was when I got seriously into
> Transformers as an adult in graduate school, so it's hard to generalize the
> nostalgia. (I mean, if it came with newly made special energy effects to put
> on the fists for the imploding neutrons bit, it'd be hands down pushing the
> nostalgia buttons for anyone who was into transformers when they came back in
> GIJoe comics.)
>
> Dave Van Domelen, now reviewing Netflix Soundwave and quite impressed by
> how they managed to keep so many parts from the original while still creating
> an all-new altmode.
Message has been deleted
Codigo Postal
Jun 12, 2021, 11:45:46 AM6/12/21
to
An enterprising fan has 3D-printed a solution to permit Megatron's cannon to be shoulder-mounted. I've got one and it's amazing what a difference it makes.
https://www.jrcdesignstore.com/product-page/g2-megatron-shoulder-adapter
https://www.jrcdesignstore.com/product-page/g2-megatron-shoulder-adapter
Zobovor
Jun 13, 2021, 7:43:51 PM6/13/21
to
On Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 9:45:46 AM UTC-6, Codigo Postal wrote:
> An enterprising fan has 3D-printed a solution to permit Megatron's cannon to be shoulder-mounted. I've got one and it's amazing what a difference it makes.
Yeah, it took me a while to get mine but I love it. It positively transforms the toy. I love it.
> An enterprising fan has 3D-printed a solution to permit Megatron's cannon to be shoulder-mounted. I've got one and it's amazing what a difference it makes.
Zob (ME-GA-TRON AT-TACK)
Codigo Postal
Jun 28, 2021, 11:56:50 PM6/28/21
to
And one might be right.
In any event, this upgrade kit looks interesting - anyone here own it?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1025741659/upgrade-kit-for-wfcgs14-g2-megatron?ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1
Zobovor
Jun 29, 2021, 8:14:07 AM6/29/21
to
On Monday, June 28, 2021 at 9:56:50 PM UTC-6, Codigo Postal wrote:
> In any event, this upgrade kit looks interesting - anyone here own it?
>
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/1025741659/upgrade-kit-for-wfcgs14-g2-megatron?ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1
Oh, wow. That looks even better than the adaptor piece. Normally, I hate the look and feel of 3D-printed parts, but I might have to make an exception in this case. I want a set!
> In any event, this upgrade kit looks interesting - anyone here own it?
>
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/1025741659/upgrade-kit-for-wfcgs14-g2-megatron?ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1
Zob (too bad it's sold out...)
Codigo Postal
Jun 30, 2021, 11:40:36 PM6/30/21
to
Codigo Postal
Sep 14, 2021, 1:55:57 PM9/14/21
to
With apologies to Dave, I will keep updating this thread until the mods shut me down.
(*cups hands to ear* - "what's that? i see!")
1) Forge Factory in Japan has released a very nice looking upgrade kit:
https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/c917180700
2) JRC Design Store has an upcoming kit which looks to one-up the Larkin's Lair upgrade.
https://twitter.com/JRCDesignStore/status/1423004682365059076
https://twitter.com/JRCDesignStore/status/1423090565911138307
https://twitter.com/JRCDesignStore/status/1430948447830564871
I may have to buy multiple G2 Megatrons to accommodate all these kits.
Side note: I wonder if there would be a market for a G2 Megatron reissue? His mold was around for BWII's Megastorm in 1998, and if the appetite is there, I would absolutely be down for one.
(*cups hands to ear* - "what's that? i see!")
1) Forge Factory in Japan has released a very nice looking upgrade kit:
https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/c917180700
2) JRC Design Store has an upcoming kit which looks to one-up the Larkin's Lair upgrade.
https://twitter.com/JRCDesignStore/status/1423004682365059076
https://twitter.com/JRCDesignStore/status/1423090565911138307
https://twitter.com/JRCDesignStore/status/1430948447830564871
I may have to buy multiple G2 Megatrons to accommodate all these kits.
Side note: I wonder if there would be a market for a G2 Megatron reissue? His mold was around for BWII's Megastorm in 1998, and if the appetite is there, I would absolutely be down for one.
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