Phil's Beast Wars Ultra Megatron and
Beast Machines Dinobot T-Wrecks Review


Beast Wars Ultra Megatron


Megatron is one of the first two Ultra toys released for Beast Wars. It's not the first Beast Wars Megatron as there is a basic sized alligator in a 2 pack with Optimus Prime. This T-Wrecks is one of the largest Transformer Dinosaurs - probably behind Deszarus and Tripticon. The forearms are hinged at the shoulders, whereas the legs move at the knee and the toes. The dinosaur is capable of standing in a traditional upright pose and the more modern way of thinking of T-Rex's with the spine parallel to the floor. The lilac colour doesn't really suit a dinosaur but it's not that far removed from the grey traditionally used for Dinobots.

He's got 2 weapons gimmicks in this mode. Firstly the big round panels on his back hips pull out and rotate round to reveal 2 anchor shaped missile launchers. The other is in the head - if you pull the underside of the neck back and down it comes out to reveal a water pistol reservoir. When it's full and in it's place inside the dinosaur you can pull back on the top of the head for the Dinosaur to open it's mouth and fire the water pistol.

TF: Pull the hip panels out and swing them down on the leg. Open the back of the T-Rex up down the middle, fold down to the sides, and fold the panel at the front behind the neck down too. Fold the robot's head up from the middle of the body. Pull up on the middle of the body, turn round anti clockwise (as you're looking at it) 90 degrees, and fold back as far as you can. Fold the robot's legs down under the waist, fold the side panels of the beast further back and then lock the robot chest into place - making sure that the 2 panels above the robot waist slot into the robot's chest. Rotate both lower legs round 90 degrees at the knee., and fold out the heel spurs. Find the gaps along the top of the tail and pull the side panels down. Fold the top of the back of the tail down to form a claw, and twist the top of this arm round in the shoulder. Fold the head and neck of the beast down at the robot's shoulder to form the right arm.

The beast mode is a lot more exposed Black and Purple on the robot parts. At the time he was released Megatron had the most articulation for his size with bending toes, knee, rotation above the knee, ball jointed hips, a waist and neck, rotating shoulders with a fold to the side joint, bending elbows and a rotation on the robot head that form the right hand. In fact the biggest problem with this toy is that he has no traditional peg hole in the middle of a fist style hand. He can't hold any weapons. Instead he's got the water pistol firing head on one arm, and the other ends in a claw which is operated by pressing a lever on the elbow.

The robot has the "Mutant Head" gimmick of many early Beast Wars toys where the robot's head is covered by a mask or similar that's more bestial. Megatron's got a design with a horn in the middle, 2 eye sockets which you can see the robot's eyes through and a fan of bone on each side. Looks like a battle helmet. The head splits in two down the middle to reveal a more traditional Megatron head - if one with a slightly odd expression.

The lack of proper hands is a mild issue with the toy, as is the use of black on the chest plate and mutant head which hides some of the detail (see T-Wrecks bellow) But to be honest the main problem Megatron has was it was released in a case with possibly the best Beast Wars toy of all time and pales by comparison with it.


Beast Machines Dinobot T-Wrecks

Original Review "T-Wrecks is easily dismissed as a Megatron repaint - which is essentially what it is. However it's one of the very best repaints that Hasbro have done. The colours are a straight spray op substitution - a beautiful dark brick red for the lilac and a dark blue for the purple highlights on the Dinosaur body. Transforming it reveals a swap from purple to sky blue for the upper arms, groin, face and inner missile launchers, a gold head for silver, neon pink internal mechanisms and missiles - which were black before I think - should have got Megs out before writing this ! - and a great off ivory type colour for the chest upper legs, heel spurs and mask that reveals the details on the chest and mask a lot better than the black did. Eyes are now a green colour."

Eight years later I still love this repaint and quote it every time someone asks me what my favourite repaints are. The mold is a revelation under the new colours, especially the bronzey ivory off white bone colour used on the chest and the beast helmet that bring forth so much detail - it almost makes T-Wrecks look like he's wearing the skull of an enemy slain in battle. You'll want the original Megatron because it's the Megs from the BW cartoon, but you need this too cos he is just so good in the new colours.

A copy of Tomart 28 dropped through the letterbox today. Imagine my surprise to see T-Wrecks looking at me from the cover of a 1996(?) Magazine ! It turns out the Red with blue markings of his dino mode belongs to a toy/character called Diablo in the toyline/game Primal Rage !

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