Top 5 Best (non movie) Bumblebee Transformers Toys

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Best (non movie) Bumblebee Transformers Toys


With the ridiculous abundance of Bumblebee toys released in the past 10 years, it made more sense that for this character I split his top 5 best toys into 2 lists. We got his movie toys list last time, so this week we look at all the other renditions of Bumblebee over the years and the toys that I feel are must haves for any collection. Enjoy!

5. Transformers G1 1984 Bumblebee (Bumble)

A real classic if there ever was one and probably the second most iconic G1 toy (the first being Broadside, obviously). The transformation is quaint but fun and the car mode is perfect for what it is. I especially like that there is barely no hint that it transforms, with a really nice chasis underneath and that good old diecast. The sticker for the penny racer motor is a nice touch too. This being the toy that started it all for Bumblebee, I am glad it was reissued so that everyone can enjoy this fun toy.






4. Transformers Classics Bumblebee (Bumble)

It was tough to choose where to place Classics Bumblebee and Robots in Diguise Bumblebee on this list. Both are in it of couse, but while these are very different toys, they end up having the same amount of Pros and Cons each meaning that making any of them surpass the other a disservice the other. In the end, I prsonally placed RID Bee just a little higher than Classics. What's great about Classics Bee is how solid he is. It is a great reinterpretation of the G1 character with a more modern car that still retains the roundness. The mold is aged a bit, especially with the cumbersome arm doors but it's still a nice little package. And the boat accessory is fun. I do really like the inner car detail like the doors, which become pockets in robot mode.







3. Transformers: Robots In Disguise Bumblebee

Robots in Disguise was a great effort to bring Bumblebee and the fun of Transformers to a new audience without sacrificing too much in terms of engineering (looking at you CYberverse!). One of the best thigns I ever read was a Takara designer saying how he made sure that he added the need to rotate the waist 180 degrees during transformation just to give it taht extra dynamic involvement in motion. That's great because it is very easy to imagine a version of this design and toy where the robot body is already properly aligned all under the vehicle. Here are is some more love for this toy from our members:

D-Max: RiD Bee looks so much better than Classics Bee, being more streamlined and the aesthetic is one I like more than the Classics. Plus RiD Bee has the better car mode IMO. But there's the kibble. The back is alright, though I wish the wings were a bit more prominent compared to the trunk lid, and then the whole roof being on the back of the legs can be a bit of a pain sometimes, at least to me

Itscramtastic: I really like RiD Bumblebee. He's fun to toss around, satisfying to transform. While there is kibble, it's less of a problem here than on Classics Bee. Sure, there is the roof calf but I forgot about that, as the figure is just so awesome. I'm also getting used to 'Bee being a muscle car....what the heck. Let's put it this way, I have Hasbro MP21, Takara MP21G, and RiD warrior Bumblebee out to have fun with. The others are in the bin, awaiting their fates!!






2. Transformers Prime: First Edition Bumblebee

The prime toyline has some of the best Transformers toys ever made. Almost every character they touched resulted in some of their best retail toys these characters ever had (like Cliffjumper and Wheeljack) along with the best transformations schemes we have ever seen (Vehicon). So it's no surprise that Bumblebee would get an excellent toy in this line as well. He actually got two main deluxe molds and while they both have their charm, I really like what they did with the first edition Bumblebee. Like with First Edition Prime, Bulkhead, Cliffjumper and Starscream, you could really feel that Hasbro designers were stepping it up a notch for complexity in a cartoon line and aiming their toys at collectors (they even came with display stands). In many ways, this is as perfect a toy as you get with a great looking and accurate bot and car mode and a satisfying transformation to get you from one form to the next. The design itself is great too with it being a really cool hybrid of Bumblebee's movie look and smoother/curvier G1 look. I can't recommend the Prime line enough (except for that one major stinker) and same goes for this Bumblebee.






1. Transformers Masterpiece Bumblebee

While the Bumblebee movie may have given us more VW themed toys than ever before, we can't forget that for a long time, the G1 toy was all we had for a Bumblebee turning into a Beetle. So when this Masterpiece came out, it was truly a time to celebrate. Not only did we finally get an actual Bumblebee that turned into a Volkswagen Beetle but it turned into a model Beetle rather than a super deformed version like in G1. And yet the amazing designers still found a way to give us the same look in bot mode as if it did turn into that same alt mode, with the recreation of the full car roof on his torso.

I really love that Transformation. The legs, for instance, do give homage to the G1 transformation but with added complexity to integrate kibble better and give him a nicer shape. And Takara provides all the articulation you would need.