Top 5 Best G1 Megatron Toys
Megatron has had loads of toys throughout the years and unlike Optimus, they have all been very very different from one to the next. That's because his original alt mode, a realistic 1:1 gun, is not something that can be made a toy of as easily as a truck. This list is an update to the one we did regarding toys that evoke the original look of Megatron we all know and love. Unlike Optimus Prime, that look has changed throughout the years but the general theme and aesthetic was still maintained.
5. Transformers Reveal The Shield Legends Megatron
This toy HAD to be on this list, at all cost since it is much more significant than one may think. It is, to this day, Hasbro's final stab at a Megatron toy that turns into a hand gun. Sure, he is small, but that comes with its own set of advantages. For one that means you have a G1 gun Megatron to scale with larger toys like Generations Metroplex, joining other G1 styled smaller toys like Optimus and Starscream. Plus, him being so small, means you have a transforming Megatron toy that can be held by Masterpiece Starscream. In fact, in terms of cross compatibility, Megatron in his gun form can be held by Starscream in both robot mode(thanks to a peg at the handle) and jet mode (thanks to the clip underneath).
Image from Yatsuya's Reviews
4. Transformers G1 1984 Megatron (Reissue)
While G1 Megatron may look of with propotions and a trigger hear his crotch, I feel this is one of the main G1 toys everyone should experience. The transformation is very clever and it is very impressive how back in the 80s they could have a realistic gun turn into a robot. There are plenty of reissues available, so taht helps, and it turns out the reissues are even better than the original. The original Hasbro version couldn't fire pellets while the original Takara release was not silver but several reissues give you the best of both worlds by having a silver/chrome finish gun that actually fires.
3. WFC Siege Megatron Netflix (specifically the Netflix boxset)
This toy was a looooooong time coming. While we had several Classics Megatrons over the years, they were either too small or too big or a redeco of another character (like Blitzwing or Bludgeon). And finally in the Siege line, we got a G1 styled Megatron who was the right size and not someone else's mold/body. That is worth celebrating, let alone the fact that he is a fun toy. The proportions are nice, especially the size of the fusion cannon, and while the tank mode could be better the robot mode makes up for any alt mode shortcoming. I especially recommend the Netflix version since the deco is more apt, especially int terms of the weathering, and it fixes an issue with the ankles. Plus it comes with targetmasters we actually needed like a properly coloured Lionizer and pinpointer.
2. Transformers Generations Selects Super Megatron
This is a pretty awesome release. Super Megatron was a pipe dream to many. And while most fans were unaware of this G1 iteration's original source material, the look and character models were. Especially when there were intentional callbacks to that design in the now iconic Animated look. Also, it made the Titans Return Galvatron mold a worthwhile endeavor. That mold was so disappointing for getting so much right but still not enough. And here it is reworked perfectly as if there was no Galvatron toy and this is the toy designed from the start. Not true, of course, but it speaks to the fact of how well this toy works. It has a lot going on with two alt modes, and three robot modes (albeit they are simply changes in faces and chest details which is still pretty cool and rarely seen). Deep down it's a fun figure of a niche version of G1 Megatron that looks amazing.
1. Takara Transformers Masterpiece MP 36 Megatron
I will be honest, I had my doubts with this toy. The price was the highest I had ever paid for a Transformers figure and the intricacies of the transformation worried me. The previous MP Megatron was not fun to transform and this one was even more complex.
But all those worries melted away when I first transformed the figure. Well, even before even because i was amazed at how solid the robot was. This toy has great articulation and parts don't unclip, he really stays together as a full fledged action figure. And then when transforming him you see just how many parts are involved and you wonder just how it's possible that you have all these small moving piece that can disconnect and reconnect themselves in different positions to form two solid modes. The transformation, while complex, was not annoying. Every part had a place to go, it felt like a pleasant journey. I especially liked the side of his abdominal area disappearing within the body of the gun. I also like transforming the legs since there are smaller pieces used just for the robot mode to fill out the legs and since they disappear when forming the gun handle, it really gives the impression that the toy is morphing to accommodate closer proportions to what we see on the show even though initially the handle of the gun simply split into two legs.
Whether that last part was clear or not doesn't matter, what I want to get across is that I felt I had a great toy and a great experience and that it was money well spent. I do not know if this is the best Masterpiece toy of all time but it is easily the best G1 Megatron toy by a country mile.
Honourable Mention: 3. Transformers United Megatron
For over a decade, this was the best G1 styled Megatron toy. The design is still great and very smart. I especially love how the legs become different parts of the gun's alt mode and yet are identical. While the Hasbro deco was a bit off, with some purple and neon green, the Takara versions and the recent Platinum release have some very nice paint schemes. And while there have been better toys to represent G1 Megatron on a shelf since then, this is still one of the best designed and original Transformers toy to ever come out.
a gun never made sense anyway to me, as far as Alt Modes go. Also I think Hasbro wants everyone to think that this is G1 Megs now, a tank.
