Even as a kid I could never wrap my mind around the mass shifting of a P-38 turning into a giant robot, and not just a P-38, but a P-38 that scales with Starscream, another giant robot. Tank alt FTW.
Even as a tank Megs would be way shorter than Starscream. A main battle tank is about 26 ft, an f15 is about 63 ft long. Blast Off would be huge compared to Swindle. A space shuttle is about 122 ft long, so while not as absurd as a P-38 turning into a giant robot, there will always be mass shifting.
goldenrootsnet Agreed, there will always be mass shifting and a certain suspension of disbelief is always required, but watching Megs jump up into the air and origami himself into Starscream's pistol is a bridge way too far, and was even for my nascent 1980's perception of things. Size-wise I think the IDW stealth bomber alt works quite nicely vis a vis the Seekers.
MultiJamesman That's kinda what we got in this new leader class combiner wars thing, no? Not crazy about the back kibble but other than that the bot mode looks overall very G1 imo. Defo a nice head sculpt.
I haven't made this comment anywhere before but I haven't found anything likable about any of the Combiner Wars stuff. It's like toys for 15-20 years ago. Also it's basically not carried anywhere I've been to.
It's reviews like yours that pushes X-Transbots to improve...so thanks, peaugh! And I'm glad that X-Transbots is responding to all this feedback. Apparently, we're now getting a small screwdriver to open the battery compartment. Sweet!
Got to love sponsored reviews and the input from all of those that a play a part in the in availability of this figure; the early blurry photos, the far away shots, and the lack of early test shot reviews was an early indication of the poor design, engineering, quality control and other shortcomings of this figure. All of those (investors, vendors, designers, sponsored reviewers, free loaders, etc.) that have a part on this project want APOLLYON to succeed no matter what - things are falling off, hanging lose, overly tightened panels, pieces of papers coming off between the joints, dry glue falling off, quality control issues, but according to them, there is nothing wrong with that - and in fact, some are saying that it was designed that way. We as customer need to be more selective of what we buy, I know we been waiting for a screen accurate and in scale Masterpiece Megatron but we need to be more selective in what we purchase, if we do end up buying products that are less than perfect, we are just telling these manufacturers that we would buy just about anything, no matter how bad they are (FansToys, FansProject, Mastermind Creations and other great 3rd party companies, don’t get any ideas). Benjamin, it was not your fault that the peg broke, you did what anybody else would do, lack of instructions, going with a simple peg would have prevented that from breaking so don’t cover for them; I really appreciate your long disclaimer in your notes field, you are really helping them out here. Thanks for putting this out there so quick for all to see but I don’t quite understand why the comparison with KFC Transistor; you are very articulate with your reviews but couldn’t quite close this review - almost like a guy that get into a fight who is not able to land a punch so he starts to throw punches in the air. PD: don’t get me started with KFC Transistor, I don’t take sponsored reviews seriously since then
Well said. I place zero stock in reviews on unreleased figures any more. They're entertaining but I'll trust a review after the fact from a smaller reviewer that I know is being honest. This figure is simply not up to a standard I could accept, so it's not worth the price tag. That said I don't base my purchases on reviewer opinion, I make up my own mind. This looks ok, it's a representation of megatron, that's for sure. but third party's cut corners on mp's, or allow themselves to suffer substandard manufacturing, and fanboys lap it up like a crack addiction. I tried buying third party wannabe mp's in the past, and I got burned hard, now I keep my mp's takara only, and I'm happier that way. I may never get a comprehensive cast, but I know what I'm getting is worth it. After near 30 minutes of video, this is not worth getting.
CarniverousDog kind of dissapointed, I was waiting for this version of Megatron for a long time. We need more competition, we need another 3rd party company to come up with Megatron or better, Takara.
jthyn44 I totally understand what you are saying here, but the MP line 1-7 was a trial run at the idea of high end transformers. The seekers were designed for the alternators line, Prime and Megatron were first passes into this arena. From mp08 onward, maybe not MP rodimus, the line has hit a home run with the majority of fans, they arent slipping, theyre hitting their stride. I cant speak for the other guy, but as a collector its not unreasonable to say you are only interested in Takara mp's, no third party, and theres more reasons than just third party prejudice. If Takara did a second mp megatron, which I expect they will, it will be a HUGE improvement on mp05. Personally I like just picking up Takara MP's for the quality ive received. Ive been happy. It hasnt broken the bank.Theres plenty of fans on the flip side that will throw thousands a year into this, good for them, its insane to me, but good for them. Its like head canon, you cant criticise how somebody else perceives characters and the brand, they just do and its as legitimate as your viewpoint. And lot of third party stuff is shit im sorry to say, plenty is amazing, plenty is god awful. When its $20-$40, its not too bad, but at $150+.... if you arent wary of these things then you shouldnt have access to money
"The left leg/hip joint likes to pop apart in the video. It was fine earlier, and nothing is broken in that area. I checked after the fact and I'm still not sure what the issue is there. Again, stays just fine during display, supports the figure, but it does tend to pop loose if I put pressure on the leg from some angles. Should be a simple matter of tightening the peg that plugs into the middle waist bit. It's the one potential QC issue I've noticed." Position 15:30 to 15:45 you knock the black tab down, it folds out of the way without you noticing, thus does not tab in.
A+ on the design. They did a great job cramming a Megatron into that gun shape. I dont think the world is ready for this figure yet however. Maybe in another 5 years when manufacturing standards and materials are better,
this is great for the MP-10 scale - so far the best and what Takara hasn't been able to produced. I am sure most the issues are being fixed - can't wait for it!
Thanks for the review Peaugh, great as always. It's a shame they didn't do some form of ratcheting joint for the shoulders, particularly if the fusion cannon has electronics in it, as it seems likely to become very loose within short space of time if he's in dynamic poses. They do seem to be improving design wise though, & it is a fantastic looking figure.
I was wondering between you and the other major reviewers who was going to get to review him first so congrats Peaugh! I did want to ask if MP-05 gun mode was still bigger than this one? As far as the bot he seems to have a worse hip problem than a 90 year old battling a flight of stairs. But as others have stated both modes look good but the transformation fun factor sucks. Honestly it really makes me appreciate the Hasbro Leader class one. The paint looks just as good or better, it has more detailing and it's about 1/4 the price. If a 3rd party would make a better looking fusion cannon, arm joint and some foot lifts for th e Leader class Megatron, this one would be DOA. I'm a G1 traditionalist but turning into a tank just makes more sense for Megatron and they made a nice tank for this mode.
Thanks for sharing, Peaugh. It's nice to finally see more than one review of this guy go up, and I really appercaiate the extra effort to transform this guy while reviewing. I want to get this guy, but after seeing this video, I think I'll put on the breaks and see what others think in the coming weeks. I hope the hip issue is an isolated issue, and I hope you can fix yours. The thin bars that control the arms in transition worry me. Maybe I worry too much, and everything is fine, but still I wonder how that'd all hold up should the guy fall. Anyway, thanks again for the review =)
***** to fix the peg, if the plastic is made of some form of ABS, then you can use acetone to melt it slightly and "weld" it back on. It will be much stronger than jb weld, epoxy, or super glue. Cheers
I remember my first G1 Megatron (pre orange cap version) that I got as a kid and this is far better than that thing ever was, in fact this ones legs are two to three times thicker than the original. This is how that one should have looked.
i can't wait for this. you'd think that someone who reviews so many figures would have a tool on hand at all times to do some of the steps.. especially when you know that you don't have nails.
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the hip. At 15:33, it clearly visible that the black locking tab on that side got pushed back in, preventing it from securing in place.
I Never got the mp5 megatron. I'm so glad I waited for this figure. Pre-ordered him. The mp 5 megatron just doesn't compare to the improved proportions of this newest design. And he looks great next to mp10 prime omg. Now I can display him next to my mp10 prime as it was meant to be. Great looking figure.
The tabs betray me, I fed up with this wurld. Well, I'll give the engineers props: that's as close to cartoon accurate as I think is physically possible. But wow, if there's any figure that proves 3rd party stuff is not for kids, this is it.
The figure looks spectacular in both of his modes, but the struggle is real when it comes to the conversion process. It seems a bit overcomplicated. Still seems to be the best of the gun Megatron's that have been made because of the extras included with it, and just the overall look. However, I do admit that 3P companies should focus on less frustrating transformations. Maybe someone should consider using the RTS legends Megatron as a basis for a g1 Megatron figure.
I watch reviewers like you because I loves me some third party, but I only have enough money for maybe one per month. So I have to get REALLY discriminating in my tastes. This shiny fella was near the top of my list, but after seeing how he transforms, he went way, way down. I like transforming my toys! I like Smart Robin or Invisible or even Continuously Variable. Something I can switch back and forth to my heart's content without worrying. As heart-stoppingly gorgeous as Apollyon is, I'd be scared out of my wits every time I transformed him. And I learned the hard way not to spend large amounts of money on very breakable items. RIP Yamato's Megazone 23 Garland.
I don't think it's normal feeling frustrated while watching somebody transform something like that. I guess that's already saying something about the toy when you can feel the frustration of transforming it without even transforming it. And to think people complained how easy Star Saber's Transformation is when it is really solid and fun to do. Sometimes simple triumphs something unnecessarily frustrating like this figure.
lanoche Agreed. I had high hopes for Apollyon. It's nice to see he scales with MP-10, but I have MP-01, and I really don't feel like I want to get a shrunken down MP Prime to size with him... Props to them though for having die cast metal components, but hoo boy this was difficult to watch, and my heart goes out to ya peaugh,snapping something that expensive is just.. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh..... I will wait for Leader Class CW Megs to come to Canada.
This is a great robot mode figure. I think we "should" all be able to agree on that. I wouldnt want to change it into gun mode personally but its nice that it can. Bottom line is this: There WONT be a better G1 representation of this figure for a while. And it would either be fanstoys or TT that would be able to pull it off. So I thank X-Transbots for making this homage to the mighty megs. Not saying its perfect, but in robot mode its looks more than great.
Great video Peaugh. Thanks for putting it up as a lot of folks like me are debating on getting this figure. One thing I wanted to ask was about those multiple swing arms. You didn't say they were an issue, but that's one of the major bits that worries me. The rods look thick enough, but I'm concerned about the pivot points where they bend. Do they feel solid enough to you? Thanks again for an informative review!
Will the weight of the canon eventually cause the arm to lose its rigidity and start to hang loosely? I believe you said theres something on the shoulder that supports the arm to keep it in position, is that right? Good work on the review though
due to the fact of the peg of the cannon broke, would you say that it is cheap plastic? cuz, its not normal to any of you (the reviewers) to brake a piece or part of a transformer, and considering that it is a master piece it should be hard to break
still fiddley but the best looking megatron yet. as long as those armatures for the arms, the one that swings out to make room for the arms to prg into the shoulders are die cast, i dont see this breaking too easily. great figure and hey, trying to get a gun turn into a robot is a hard time at best, impossible at worst. great figure in my opinion.
Looks amazing, but from the waist down it looks very fiddly and prone to popping apart at the waist. Is this a test shot or a pre-release review sample?
Which Reprolabels Decepticon symbol style did you put on? I see on there website a couple of different one's! Just wanted your opinion which labels you like!
Hugo OOO I don't understand why takara can't just let these company have the rights to put their logo and names..Its not like their are interfering..Takara takes to long to release anything..
So overall Peaugh… What’s your overall opinion of X-transbots Megatron? I have to admit that I started chuckling a few times when you started having problems with him! God knows that I have had a # of days like that lately! But I was kind of holding off with getting him until I kind of saw what other people’s opinion of him. I base that on my personal experience that I had with Krank. I didn’t have problems with Pipes, but I have done through 2 Kranks… & might do a 3rd. Returned the 1st 1 that got, & am thinking of getting a 3rd because I have issues with the 1 that I have now. So if anything breaks in the future, I can just do a parts swap like I have done with a # of guys that have bite the bullet. I just kind of ask the question after I saw that X-Transbots did a recall with the 1st wave that they released of Apolloyon. With all the problems that I have had with Krank… I don’t know if that carried over to Apolloyon as well. The Masterpiece Megatron is well known to have problems with bars for his arms. I like the fact that this version… his arms just pop off. When you look at an old G1… that’s usually the main thing that is wrong with him. Overall… how durable would you say that he is? I don’t plan on transforming him 15 gazillion times. He will be a display piece if anything else. And even when I display him, I am not going to put him up high. I am going to keep him out of the way… but he is dropped to a carpeted rug from a desk, will he smash to a million pieces? Like I said… I just ask because with all the problems that I have had with Krank. Megatron was 1 of the 1st Transformers that I had as a kid… so a lot of fond memories there. I just wanted your 2 cents worth on that. Thanks man!
thebigdb1 As uncooperative as he was on camera, I think he's a pretty decent figure, and a great addition to an MP shelf. He's not perfect, but he's pretty nice.
no clue if it's intentional man, but my god, them ham hands. lol you were struggling so bad in a lot of areas. I could totally tell you were annoyed in certain points. really rough on this guy. I do my best to not handle the high end collectibles so rough. I'm sorry he seemed rather difficult to stay all pegged together for ya.
In my opinion, this is the absolute perfect masterpiece Megatron. Having said that, I really don't want to nitpick but I do have one problem with it. I absolutely hate what they did with the fusion cannon. Why did they find it necessary to put those long grooves in the middle of it? The grooves don't look good alone plus, being in the middle, they make the fusion cannon look shrouded. It would be perfect if it was consistently smooth. I mean no offense to anybody who likes it. It's just my personal opinion.
Great review on this figure. While I absolutely loved it the first time I saw the preview, I feel a bit let down with the finished end product. I've read so many negative reviews on him that I've become sceptical about buying him. Your reviews however have shed a little reassurance on me. While it's not a spectacularly perfect figure it's definitely a good figure with minor kinks. They'll be overlooked by me somehow when I own this. Thanks greatly.
From XTB's Facebook Page: Dear Fans and Retailers: We've had a discussion regarding issues that have popped up with production sample reviews. We will address the elbow sliding mechanism and the bicep swivel at the factory before we ship to our retailers. The problem has been solved. Additionally, we'll include another set of tighter fitting ball sockets for the shoulders. All arms are able to hold the canon up without any issue but some arms seem loose holding it outward. If this is your experience, the replaceable sockets will fix that issue. We'll also include a small adapter for the extension canon's secondary mode. Finally, we'll include a small screwdriver with each figure for accessing the battery chamber and in case you need to replace the shoulder sockets. Apollyon will ship from our factory the last week of April. Your retailers should have them by early May. Thank you all for your patience, support and feedback. And thank you to the reviewers for their valuable input.
peaugh - After watching the other reviews, yours was the one I was waiting for. As always great review. Also I hope you day got better. I noticed a lot of others are complaining about the broken peg. You did mention that you broke it before the review by placing it in the wrong way. Some overlooked that you said that. Mine should be here in a few days. One thing though and I think it would clear some stuff up. Yours, is it a test piece or is it a production piece. also aren't these supposed to come with an extra set of ball joints that are tighter. some of the other reviewers mentioned it. I believe it is worth the 150 , I like the fact there is a lot of transformation to him. People nothing is perfect. and even though this figure looks amazing, it is not meant to be transformed constantly. Me personally. I will transform mine a few times and he will go on display shelf. peaugh-I also wanted to ask. are you going to do a follow up to show some of the Easter eggs that Apollyon has. like the panel in the back that shows the 3 bots going after the heart of Cypertron. and the mount for lazerbeak?
I can see why people are kicking up a fuss about the ball-joint shoulders, but to be honest I would prefer a ball-joint that pops off in a "d'oh" moment than an intricate pinned joint that breaks in a "F$%&, I can't fix this!" moment. Looks like an improvement on the MP5 in any case.
And as for the support strut, I like that; even if it didn't have ball-joint shoulders I would have appreciated a support clip to take stress off the shoulder joint.
While I will pass on this one- I want an MP Megatron that doesn't rely on tiny tabs and far-too-intricate transformations, hopefully that isn't too much to ask- I do agree that this is a step in the right direction for both Transbots and the rest of the 3rd party community as to quality control, over-engineering, and customer service.
Great end results, and a lot of neat designs for transformations. But less is more. I feel like 3P companies are all trying to outdo themselves with these complicated and fiddly transformations, that really it could have been made much, much simpler. Wasn't the whole problem with MP05 that he was fiddly as hell? This looked essentially like a scaled down revision of the MP05 design with how fiddly it looked to transform him. Wish they would have just kept it simpler without having to fold out this and that and making sure this slot fits into this fragile-looking tab.
I think the problem there is with the design of the character itself. Unfortunately you're just not going to get a G1 Megatron that looks good in BOTH modes without a complicated, fiddly transformation. At least the end-result here looks good, unlike MP-05, which is an abomination by comparison.
This is clearly a display piece not meant to be transformed on a regular basis....if that is your goal you need to buy a TOY! Not a masterpiece scale collectible designed for adults.....this is a gorgeous representation of G1 Megatron...Great job Xtransbots and pay no attention to the crabs in the barrel if you know what I mean : ) .... It seems like the people on UA-cam that hurl the most accusations are the same ones who are working for the competition.... Excellent review as always Peaugh...
Is anyone ever going to figure out a way to make a Gun alt-mode Megs not have an incredibly flimsy transformation? Hasbro can't, various third-party companies can't, is this just the impossible challenge of our age?
I've had this guy on pre-order at another site since December of Last year. Then it was pushed back to January 2015, then March 2015, then April 2015, and I found out today that ONCE AGAIN it's been pushed back to May 2015. I have written to X Transbots 3 times and received no reply; I have facebook messaged them, and finally went to the seller site who couldn't offer me an explanation as to why this kept getting pushed back. THEN, I watch this video. I feel very bad for the reviewer because he's not having a good time of things, and frankly, the toy is crap. I'm cancelling my order and bringing my business over to TF Source to buy something else. BAD MOVES, X TRANSBOTS.
personally ive been buying masterpieces for years, and the lack of a decent megatron has never been an issue. Id never buy this though, just couldnt do it.
CarniverousDog I'm glad it's not an issue for you, but many collectors (myself included) feel that there is a gaping hole on our MP shelf with no Megatron to oppose our MP-10. I don't know why you're so certain that there's going to be an official MP Megatron 2.0. For one thing they'd be developing a figure that would be pretty complicated and expensive to engineer and manufacture, KNOWING full well that they'd never be able to release a Hasbro version in the US, or Australia, or anywhere else where a toy that looks like a fairly realistic gun would cause people to completely lose their shit. I would very much like to see an official version, but I honestly don't believe it's going to happen. And I've heard no indication whatsoever that any other 3rd party has any plans to tackle this one either. This doesn't look perfect, but it's the best Megatron we've seen yet.
Wow, that review was like watching that Microsoft unveiling conference when the tablet crashed lol, it looks so nice and yet transforming it with heavy club hands just makes it all look embaressing and awful, compared to MP5 though... no comparison, 1000% better than that!!
This is a $140 (BBTS) toy and he is falling apart... WTF ?! For this price there should not be any "easy to fix" things... He looks great and I really loves Your Review but this thing is not worth $140 plus shipping :/
Really really love Apollyon but he is way to flimsy. Recently I turned his head for a different pose and it simply broke off the neckjoint. I was like wtf is this? To many production problems with this figure. If you have one handle it with extreme care cause it breaks really easy.
Sweet Odin, that looks finicky. A marvel of toy engineering, certainly, to get a decently realistic looking pistol to turn into a robot mode with cartoon model accuracy and an athletic and muscular looking bulk to his body (the lack of such a build being the biggest, most obvious drawback in the flimsy looking MP Megatron for me). But jeez, so much fiddling with the finickiest looking finicky bits.
Damn Peaugh as cool as this guy looks, it kindda reminded mw the old mp meg, and it sure looks like a pain in the ass to get it transformed, an in one piece, cuz it wouldnt stop from unsnaping n shit, still nice work from the xtransbots crew, i just think i couldve been more stable, still great video as always, regards!
I think this video went a long way to convincing me to not buy this figure. It looks absolutely amazing in both modes but good god is that one fiddly figure. The issue with the hips not staying tabbed in, or the arm with the fusion cannon being loose or just straight up falling off, for its price should not be there. Its really too bad though, Like I said, it looks great and has a lot of cool additional features like the heart of darkness, but I think I'm unfortunately going to have to pass on this one. I really wanted this figure to be good too.
Even as a kid I could never wrap my mind around the mass shifting of a P-38 turning into a giant robot, and not just a P-38, but a P-38 that scales with Starscream, another giant robot. Tank alt FTW.
I too hope for a great G1 cartoon robot Megs w/ tank alt mode.
Even as a tank Megs would be way shorter than Starscream. A main battle tank is about 26 ft, an f15 is about 63 ft long. Blast Off would be huge compared to Swindle. A space shuttle is about 122 ft long, so while not as absurd as a P-38 turning into a giant robot, there will always be mass shifting.
goldenrootsnet Agreed, there will always be mass shifting and a certain suspension of disbelief is always required, but watching Megs jump up into the air and origami himself into Starscream's pistol is a bridge way too far, and was even for my nascent 1980's perception of things. Size-wise I think the IDW stealth bomber alt works quite nicely vis a vis the Seekers.
MultiJamesman That's kinda what we got in this new leader class combiner wars thing, no? Not crazy about the back kibble but other than that the bot mode looks overall very G1 imo. Defo a nice head sculpt.
I haven't made this comment anywhere before but I haven't found anything likable about any of the Combiner Wars stuff. It's like toys for 15-20 years ago. Also it's basically not carried anywhere I've been to.
It's reviews like yours that pushes X-Transbots to improve...so thanks, peaugh! And I'm glad that X-Transbots is responding to all this feedback. Apparently, we're now getting a small screwdriver to open the battery compartment. Sweet!
@JobbytheHong How has no one replied after 9 years💀💀
Got to love sponsored reviews and the input from all of those that a play a part in the in availability of this figure; the early blurry photos, the far away shots, and the lack of early test shot reviews was an early indication of the poor design, engineering, quality control and other shortcomings of this figure. All of those (investors, vendors, designers, sponsored reviewers, free loaders, etc.) that have a part on this project want APOLLYON to succeed no matter what - things are falling off, hanging lose, overly tightened panels, pieces of papers coming off between the joints, dry glue falling off, quality control issues, but according to them, there is nothing wrong with that - and in fact, some are saying that it was designed that way. We as customer need to be more selective of what we buy, I know we been waiting for a screen accurate and in scale Masterpiece Megatron but we need to be more selective in what we purchase, if we do end up buying products that are less than perfect, we are just telling these manufacturers that we would buy just about anything, no matter how bad they are (FansToys, FansProject, Mastermind Creations and other great 3rd party companies, don’t get any ideas). Benjamin, it was not your fault that the peg broke, you did what anybody else would do, lack of instructions, going with a simple peg would have prevented that from breaking so don’t cover for them; I really appreciate your long disclaimer in your notes field, you are really helping them out here. Thanks for putting this out there so quick for all to see but I don’t quite understand why the comparison with KFC Transistor; you are very articulate with your reviews but couldn’t quite close this review - almost like a guy that get into a fight who is not able to land a punch so he starts to throw punches in the air.
PD: don’t get me started with KFC Transistor, I don’t take sponsored reviews seriously since then
Well said. I place zero stock in reviews on unreleased figures any more. They're entertaining but I'll trust a review after the fact from a smaller reviewer that I know is being honest. This figure is simply not up to a standard I could accept, so it's not worth the price tag.
That said I don't base my purchases on reviewer opinion, I make up my own mind.
This looks ok, it's a representation of megatron, that's for sure. but third party's cut corners on mp's, or allow themselves to suffer substandard manufacturing, and fanboys lap it up like a crack addiction. I tried buying third party wannabe mp's in the past, and I got burned hard, now I keep my mp's takara only, and I'm happier that way. I may never get a comprehensive cast, but I know what I'm getting is worth it. After near 30 minutes of video, this is not worth getting.
CarniverousDog kind of dissapointed, I was waiting for this version of Megatron for a long time. We need more competition, we need another 3rd party company to
come up with Megatron or better, Takara.
Bravo!
jthyn44 right on! You tell him bro! Lol
jthyn44 I totally understand what you are saying here, but the MP line 1-7 was a trial run at the idea of high end transformers. The seekers were designed for the alternators line, Prime and Megatron were first passes into this arena. From mp08 onward, maybe not MP rodimus, the line has hit a home run with the majority of fans, they arent slipping, theyre hitting their stride. I cant speak for the other guy, but as a collector its not unreasonable to say you are only interested in Takara mp's, no third party, and theres more reasons than just third party prejudice. If Takara did a second mp megatron, which I expect they will, it will be a HUGE improvement on mp05. Personally I like just picking up Takara MP's for the quality ive received. Ive been happy. It hasnt broken the bank.Theres plenty of fans on the flip side that will throw thousands a year into this, good for them, its insane to me, but good for them. Its like head canon, you cant criticise how somebody else perceives characters and the brand, they just do and its as legitimate as your viewpoint. And lot of third party stuff is shit im sorry to say, plenty is amazing, plenty is god awful. When its $20-$40, its not too bad, but at $150+.... if you arent wary of these things then you shouldnt have access to money
Holy crap is that thing fiddly.
Then again, this is probably one of the hardest transformations to engineer out there.
Thanks, Peaugh, for making me feel better about passing on him and sticking with CW Megs with the DX9 Upgrade. Keep up the good work!
"The left leg/hip joint likes to pop apart in the video. It was fine earlier, and nothing is broken in that area. I checked after the fact and I'm still not sure what the issue is there. Again, stays just fine during display, supports the figure, but it does tend to pop loose if I put pressure on the leg from some angles. Should be a simple matter of tightening the peg that plugs into the middle waist bit. It's the one potential QC issue I've noticed."
Position 15:30 to 15:45 you knock the black tab down, it folds out of the way without you noticing, thus does not tab in.
A+ on the design. They did a great job cramming a Megatron into that gun shape. I dont think the world is ready for this figure yet however. Maybe in another 5 years when manufacturing standards and materials are better,
Looks like the hip won't stay tabbed because the tab it is supposed to connect to came out of position....
this is great for the MP-10 scale - so far the best and what Takara hasn't been able to produced.
I am sure most the issues are being fixed - can't wait for it!
Thanks for the review Peaugh, great as always. It's a shame they didn't do some form of ratcheting joint for the shoulders, particularly if the fusion cannon has electronics in it, as it seems likely to become very loose within short space of time if he's in dynamic poses. They do seem to be improving design wise though, & it is a fantastic looking figure.
I was wondering between you and the other major reviewers who was going to get to review him first so congrats Peaugh!
I did want to ask if MP-05 gun mode was still bigger than this one?
As far as the bot he seems to have a worse hip problem than a 90 year old battling a flight of stairs. But as others have stated both modes look good but the transformation fun factor sucks. Honestly it really makes me appreciate the Hasbro Leader class one. The paint looks just as good or better, it has more detailing and it's about 1/4 the price. If a 3rd party would make a better looking fusion cannon, arm joint and some foot lifts for th e Leader class Megatron, this one would be DOA. I'm a G1 traditionalist but turning into a tank just makes more sense for Megatron and they made a nice tank for this mode.
Megatron just isn't meant to be transformed. It's nice to know he Can transform , but mine will stay in bot mode for eternity.
I agree lol. Mine will never be transformed into the gun. Robot mode for the rest of its days.
Zeus Razor I agree, that is what the mini megatron that came with soundwave is for. lol
Richard Zoller exactly lol
Gree187 Yep I will get this and put it on Robot mode for ever..I might get shot my cops if I am carrying a gun these days.
Gree187 I didnt like to be held in someones sweaty hand anyways. >:)
The best all Megatron G1(Design) !!! Very good proportion.
I just noticed on on an online picture that Apollyon has a tab on his forearm(left), can laserbeak tab on to it
I got the first run of apollyon. Took it out twice, put it away for about a year. Came back to it today and he immediately snapped into two :(
So what's this little baggy with the screw driver and plastic bits meant for....
Because it's not in the instructions
Thanks for sharing, Peaugh. It's nice to finally see more than one review of this guy go up, and I really appercaiate the extra effort to transform this guy while reviewing.
I want to get this guy, but after seeing this video, I think I'll put on the breaks and see what others think in the coming weeks. I hope the hip issue is an isolated issue, and I hope you can fix yours.
The thin bars that control the arms in transition worry me. Maybe I worry too much, and everything is fine, but still I wonder how that'd all hold up should the guy fall.
Anyway, thanks again for the review =)
I can't wait to add this guy to my collection.
This thing looks about as fiddly as the original but with a much better end result
Slayershoop It's less fiddly without a camera in the way, but that sounds like an accurate assessment.
***** to fix the peg, if the plastic is made of some form of ABS, then you can use acetone to melt it slightly and "weld" it back on. It will be much stronger than jb weld, epoxy, or super glue.
Cheers
Slayershoop THE FIDDLIEST.
I remember my first G1 Megatron (pre orange cap version) that I got as a kid and this is far better than that thing ever was, in fact this ones legs are two to three times thicker than the original. This is how that one should have looked.
I want this but I don't cause I know I'll never transform it! Will Takara ever revisit MP-5?!
hegemon is always gona be the best g1 megatron for me
I just realized something. The X-Transbots Megatron makes Takara's Megatron look like it's a G1 figure.
i can't wait for this.
you'd think that someone who reviews so many figures would have a tool on hand at all times to do some of the steps.. especially when you know that you don't have nails.
hi peaugh, i was hoping you would show him with size comparison with MP optimus prime. are they the same height? thanks.
bubbachuck14 I show them off together at the end of the video. They're roughly the same height, yes.
Thanks for the review, Peaugh!
The more I see of masterpiece-esque P-38 Megatrons, the more I would just prefer a tank.
can't get it til may, they been delaying it so much.
BBTS is going to restock this later in June, don't know why.
I love your reviews! Feel for you about the breaking of the stock. Thanks for your time.
Guess Apollyon is a tough opponent. I watched in 30 mins how you fought with him in terms of ball joints, taps and slots...
love the size and detail
Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the hip. At 15:33, it clearly visible that the black locking tab on that side got pushed back in, preventing it from securing in place.
What batteries does he use?
I'm glad he comes in robot mode. If I picked one, up that's exactly how he would stay.
I Never got the mp5 megatron. I'm so glad I waited for this figure. Pre-ordered him. The mp 5 megatron just doesn't compare to the improved proportions of this newest design. And he looks great next to mp10 prime omg. Now I can display him next to my mp10 prime as it was meant to be. Great looking figure.
I love how Apollyon can have a mid-transformation gun-walk mode XD
I'm surprised with the figure size. I expected it to be larger than the Combiner Wars Leader, but it looks roughly the same size.
The tabs betray me, I fed up with this wurld.
Well, I'll give the engineers props: that's as close to cartoon accurate as I think is physically possible. But wow, if there's any figure that proves 3rd party stuff is not for kids, this is it.
I cant wait for mine to arrive!!!
The figure looks spectacular in both of his modes, but the struggle is real when it comes to the conversion process. It seems a bit overcomplicated. Still seems to be the best of the gun Megatron's that have been made because of the extras included with it, and just the overall look. However, I do admit that 3P companies should focus on less frustrating transformations. Maybe someone should consider using the RTS legends Megatron as a basis for a g1 Megatron figure.
For all its falling apart, at least it's the best looking megatron yet and a wonderful display piece.
I watch reviewers like you because I loves me some third party, but I only have enough money for maybe one per month. So I have to get REALLY discriminating in my tastes. This shiny fella was near the top of my list, but after seeing how he transforms, he went way, way down. I like transforming my toys! I like Smart Robin or Invisible or even Continuously Variable. Something I can switch back and forth to my heart's content without worrying. As heart-stoppingly gorgeous as Apollyon is, I'd be scared out of my wits every time I transformed him. And I learned the hard way not to spend large amounts of money on very breakable items. RIP Yamato's Megazone 23 Garland.
I don't think it's normal feeling frustrated while watching somebody transform something like that. I guess that's already saying something about the toy when you can feel the frustration of transforming it without even transforming it. And to think people complained how easy Star Saber's Transformation is when it is really solid and fun to do. Sometimes simple triumphs something unnecessarily frustrating like this figure.
lanoche Agreed. I had high hopes for Apollyon. It's nice to see he scales with MP-10, but I have MP-01, and I really don't feel like I want to get a shrunken down MP Prime to size with him...
Props to them though for having die cast metal components, but hoo boy this was difficult to watch, and my heart goes out to ya peaugh,snapping something that expensive is just.. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh..... I will wait for Leader Class CW Megs to come to Canada.
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How good is this guy next to Faith Leader (scale-wise)?
I was wondering if you were going to pick this guy up.
This is a great robot mode figure. I think we "should" all be able to agree on that. I wouldnt want to change it into gun mode personally but its nice that it can. Bottom line is this: There WONT be a better G1 representation of this figure for a while. And it would either be fanstoys or TT that would be able to pull it off. So I thank X-Transbots for making this homage to the mighty megs. Not saying its perfect, but in robot mode its looks more than great.
I suggest you use tweezers to get little tabs out.
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Hey, great review, but I have a question; did you use heat to remove the orange plug, because mine Won't budge.
Great video Peaugh. Thanks for putting it up as a lot of folks like me are debating on getting this figure.
One thing I wanted to ask was about those multiple swing arms. You didn't say they were an issue, but that's one of the major bits that worries me. The rods look thick enough, but I'm concerned about the pivot points where they bend. Do they feel solid enough to you?
Thanks again for an informative review!
hmrc4evr Yeah, no issues there.
Don is the greatest!!
Why is it so hard to make a non-fiddly Masterpice Megatron? Couldn't they just take the Legends and make it a bit more show accurate?
Will the weight of the canon eventually cause the arm to lose its rigidity and start to hang loosely? I believe you said theres something on the shoulder that supports the arm to keep it in position, is that right? Good work on the review though
Zeus Razor Should should be fine, especially since they're improving it.
I think if I buy any G1 styled Megatron, I'll go for the Combiner Wars version.
due to the fact of the peg of the cannon broke, would you say that it is cheap plastic? cuz, its not normal to any of you (the reviewers) to brake a piece or part of a transformer, and considering that it is a master piece it should be hard to break
still fiddley but the best looking megatron yet. as long as those armatures for the arms, the one that swings out to make room for the arms to prg into the shoulders are die cast, i dont see this breaking too easily. great figure and hey, trying to get a gun turn into a robot is a hard time at best, impossible at worst. great figure in my opinion.
I predict a lot of breakages.
CarniverousDog indeed,nice toy overall but oh man I see a lot of "Noooooo!!!!" In the future for many owners.
AnT Booth yeah, and they will buy it regardless. which is very sad
is this the test shot or the final product?
Looks amazing, but from the waist down it looks very fiddly and prone to popping apart at the waist. Is this a test shot or a pre-release review sample?
Which Reprolabels Decepticon symbol style did you put on? I see on there website a couple of different one's! Just wanted your opinion which labels you like!
it looks incredible..but I just canceled my Preorder. Not what I was hoping for. THANKS BEN!
Is he approved by Takara?
Hugo OOO I don't understand why takara can't just let these company have the rights to put their logo and names..Its not like their are interfering..Takara takes to long to release anything..
The robot mode is dope but the transformation is hellish.
Random question, does TFSource charge sales tax?
To be totally honest, I think I will be fine with Combiner Wars Megatron. As good as Apollyon looks, I just don't feel like I want him....
hi Peaugh, i can't remember in the video if you said this is a test shot or the finished version?
MrCable75 This should be pretty close to the final product, I believe.
***** thanks mate.
gregformercy LOL
The face is strange somehow an angry inspector gadget springs to mind.
So overall Peaugh…
What’s your overall opinion of X-transbots Megatron? I have to admit that I started chuckling a few times when you started having problems with him! God knows that I have had a # of days like that lately! But I was kind of holding off with getting him until I kind of saw what other people’s opinion of him. I base that on my personal experience that I had with Krank. I didn’t have problems with Pipes, but I have done through 2 Kranks… & might do a 3rd. Returned the 1st 1 that got, & am thinking of getting a 3rd because I have issues with the 1 that I have now. So if anything breaks in the future, I can just do a parts swap like I have done with a # of guys that have bite the bullet. I just kind of ask the question after I saw that X-Transbots did a recall with the 1st wave that they released of Apolloyon. With all the problems that I have had with Krank… I don’t know if that carried over to Apolloyon as well. The Masterpiece Megatron is well known to have problems with bars for his arms. I like the fact that this version… his arms just pop off. When you look at an old G1… that’s usually the main thing that is wrong with him. Overall… how durable would you say that he is? I don’t plan on transforming him 15 gazillion times. He will be a display piece if anything else. And even when I display him, I am not going to put him up high. I am going to keep him out of the way… but he is dropped to a carpeted rug from a desk, will he smash to a million pieces? Like I said… I just ask because with all the problems that I have had with Krank. Megatron was 1 of the 1st Transformers that I had as a kid… so a lot of fond memories there. I just wanted your 2 cents worth on that.
Thanks man!
thebigdb1 As uncooperative as he was on camera, I think he's a pretty decent figure, and a great addition to an MP shelf. He's not perfect, but he's pretty nice.
peaugh Would you swap an MP05 for him? I have the option, but some of the QC issues folks have had with the shoulders and hips are putting me off.
no clue if it's intentional man, but my god, them ham hands. lol you were struggling so bad in a lot of areas. I could totally tell you were annoyed in certain points. really rough on this guy. I do my best to not handle the high end collectibles so rough. I'm sorry he seemed rather difficult to stay all pegged together for ya.
In my opinion, this is the absolute perfect masterpiece Megatron. Having said that, I really don't want to nitpick but I do have one problem with it. I absolutely hate what they did with the fusion cannon. Why did they find it necessary to put those long grooves in the middle of it? The grooves don't look good alone plus, being in the middle, they make the fusion cannon look shrouded. It would be perfect if it was consistently smooth. I mean no offense to anybody who likes it. It's just my personal opinion.
I'm glad the orange caps are easily removed.
Great review on this figure. While I absolutely loved it the first time I saw the preview, I feel a bit let down with the finished end product. I've read so many negative reviews on him that I've become sceptical about buying him. Your reviews however have shed a little reassurance on me. While it's not a spectacularly perfect figure it's definitely a good figure with minor kinks. They'll be overlooked by me somehow when I own this. Thanks greatly.
From XTB's Facebook Page:
Dear Fans and Retailers:
We've had a discussion regarding issues that have popped up with production sample reviews. We will address the elbow sliding mechanism and the bicep swivel at the factory before we ship to our retailers. The problem has been solved. Additionally, we'll include another set of tighter fitting ball sockets for the shoulders. All arms are able to hold the canon up without any issue but some arms seem loose holding it outward. If this is your experience, the replaceable sockets will fix that issue. We'll also include a small adapter for the extension canon's secondary mode. Finally, we'll include a small screwdriver with each figure for accessing the battery chamber and in case you need to replace the shoulder sockets. Apollyon will ship from our factory the last week of April. Your retailers should have them by early May. Thank you all for your patience, support and feedback. And thank you to the reviewers for their valuable input.
Seriously? You broke it less than 2 minutes in? Thats gotta be a record.
its pretty show accurate but too big. like hegemon myself.
did you change your camera? you sound muffled.. unlike with your older camera :-)
peaugh - After watching the other reviews, yours was the one I was waiting for. As always great review. Also I hope you day got better. I noticed a lot of others are complaining about the broken peg. You did mention that you broke it before the review by placing it in the wrong way. Some overlooked that you said that. Mine should be here in a few days. One thing though and I think it would clear some stuff up. Yours, is it a test piece or is it a production piece. also aren't these supposed to come with an extra set of ball joints that are tighter. some of the other reviewers mentioned it. I believe it is worth the 150 , I like the fact there is a lot of transformation to him. People nothing is perfect. and even though this figure looks amazing, it is not meant to be transformed constantly. Me personally. I will transform mine a few times and he will go on display shelf.
peaugh-I also wanted to ask. are you going to do a follow up to show some of the Easter eggs that Apollyon has. like the panel in the back that shows the 3 bots going after the heart of Cypertron. and the mount for lazerbeak?
I can see why people are kicking up a fuss about the ball-joint shoulders, but to be honest I would prefer a ball-joint that pops off in a "d'oh" moment than an intricate pinned joint that breaks in a "F$%&, I can't fix this!" moment.
Looks like an improvement on the MP5 in any case.
And as for the support strut, I like that; even if it didn't have ball-joint shoulders I would have appreciated a support clip to take stress off the shoulder joint.
Looks great, but at $150!? idk
While I will pass on this one- I want an MP Megatron that doesn't rely on tiny tabs and far-too-intricate transformations, hopefully that isn't too much to ask- I do agree that this is a step in the right direction for both Transbots and the rest of the 3rd party community as to quality control, over-engineering, and customer service.
Great end results, and a lot of neat designs for transformations. But less is more. I feel like 3P companies are all trying to outdo themselves with these complicated and fiddly transformations, that really it could have been made much, much simpler. Wasn't the whole problem with MP05 that he was fiddly as hell? This looked essentially like a scaled down revision of the MP05 design with how fiddly it looked to transform him. Wish they would have just kept it simpler without having to fold out this and that and making sure this slot fits into this fragile-looking tab.
I think the problem there is with the design of the character itself. Unfortunately you're just not going to get a G1 Megatron that looks good in BOTH modes without a complicated, fiddly transformation. At least the end-result here looks good, unlike MP-05, which is an abomination by comparison.
This is clearly a display piece not meant to be transformed on a regular basis....if that is your goal you need to buy a TOY! Not a masterpiece scale collectible designed for adults.....this is a gorgeous representation of G1 Megatron...Great job Xtransbots and pay no attention to the crabs in the barrel if you know what I mean : ) .... It seems like the people on UA-cam that hurl the most accusations are the same ones who are working for the competition.... Excellent review as always Peaugh...
Is anyone ever going to figure out a way to make a Gun alt-mode Megs not have an incredibly flimsy transformation? Hasbro can't, various third-party companies can't, is this just the impossible challenge of our age?
combiner wars megs still looks badass imo
Cool!! I can't wait to have it!
The question is if its better than the first Masterpiece Megatron
and the answer is…. yes
dayum this is amazing!!!!
I've had this guy on pre-order at another site since December of Last year. Then it was pushed back to January 2015, then March 2015, then April 2015, and I found out today that ONCE AGAIN it's been pushed back to May 2015. I have written to X Transbots 3 times and received no reply; I have facebook messaged them, and finally went to the seller site who couldn't offer me an explanation as to why this kept getting pushed back. THEN, I watch this video. I feel very bad for the reviewer because he's not having a good time of things, and frankly, the toy is crap. I'm cancelling my order and bringing my business over to TF Source to buy something else. BAD MOVES, X TRANSBOTS.
It isn't crap, it's poorly made, words do make differences y'know.
He has so many loose joints.
This was painful to watch, parts falling off, unpegging etc. Looks nice but looks so fragile!
Agreed
Scully Andrea haha yeah, I was feeling so irritated when Peaugh was transforming him.
The legs could be better, but overall I'd say that I would be perfectly OK if they didn't release a Masterpiece Megatron 2.0
Yeah, thing is they WILL release a megatron v2. Give it a year or so, they will
CarniverousDog I'm not saying with certainty that it won't happen, just that if it doesn't happen it won't be a huge deal.
personally ive been buying masterpieces for years, and the lack of a decent megatron has never been an issue. Id never buy this though, just couldnt do it.
CarniverousDog I'm glad it's not an issue for you, but many collectors (myself included) feel that there is a gaping hole on our MP shelf with no Megatron to oppose our MP-10. I don't know why you're so certain that there's going to be an official MP Megatron 2.0. For one thing they'd be developing a figure that would be pretty complicated and expensive to engineer and manufacture, KNOWING full well that they'd never be able to release a Hasbro version in the US, or Australia, or anywhere else where a toy that looks like a fairly realistic gun would cause people to completely lose their shit. I would very much like to see an official version, but I honestly don't believe it's going to happen. And I've heard no indication whatsoever that any other 3rd party has any plans to tackle this one either. This doesn't look perfect, but it's the best Megatron we've seen yet.
I imagine this would be the least favorite transformers for Peaugh.haha..
Watching this video feels so painful..
This toy looks kinda fragile but it seems better than the current mp megatron
He looks like a nice figure and definitely more proportional than his predecessor. I'd like to have him, but... he is super fiddly looking.
Wow, that review was like watching that Microsoft unveiling conference when the tablet crashed lol, it looks so nice and yet transforming it with heavy club hands just makes it all look embaressing and awful, compared to MP5 though... no comparison, 1000% better than that!!
Well, after seeing all the reviews for this figure, I'll wait for the actual product.
This is a $140 (BBTS) toy and he is falling apart... WTF ?! For this price there should not be any "easy to fix" things... He looks great and I really loves Your Review but this thing is not worth $140 plus shipping :/
I wouldn't touch the thing. He can't stand up straight! That alone is a deal breaker
Really really love Apollyon but he is way to flimsy. Recently I turned his head for a different pose and it simply broke off the neckjoint. I was like wtf is this? To many production problems with this figure. If you have one handle it with extreme care cause it breaks really easy.
Sweet Odin, that looks finicky. A marvel of toy engineering, certainly, to get a decently realistic looking pistol to turn into a robot mode with cartoon model accuracy and an athletic and muscular looking bulk to his body (the lack of such a build being the biggest, most obvious drawback in the flimsy looking MP Megatron for me). But jeez, so much fiddling with the finickiest looking finicky bits.
Very intricate transformation. It's a nice design. It seems like better pegging system would have helped.
Damn Peaugh as cool as this guy looks, it kindda reminded mw the old mp meg, and it sure looks like a pain in the ass to get it transformed, an in one piece, cuz it wouldnt stop from unsnaping n shit, still nice work from the xtransbots crew, i just think i couldve been more stable, still great video as always, regards!
I think this video went a long way to convincing me to not buy this figure. It looks absolutely amazing in both modes but good god is that one fiddly figure. The issue with the hips not staying tabbed in, or the arm with the fusion cannon being loose or just straight up falling off, for its price should not be there. Its really too bad though, Like I said, it looks great and has a lot of cool additional features like the heart of darkness, but I think I'm unfortunately going to have to pass on this one. I really wanted this figure to be good too.
Wow great figure there
Why can't anyone do the g1 feet RIGHT? They are the most simplest feet I've ever seen!