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Name: Beast Changer Megatron's method for removing the organic elements in him is riddled with unknown side effects, the first of which is Beast Changer. A completely organic Warrior born of the by-products of Megatron's organic elements, Beast Changer is his own breed. Extremely powerful with acute senses. In Wolf Mode, claws and teeth rip through synthetic alloys with a vengeance. Capable of flight in Beast Mode, and scales offer more protection than any type of known Vehicon armor. Has genuine hatred for Megatron, but Maximals are still cautious and unsure of him due to his origin. Nightscream sympathizes with the self-proclaimed "outcast". Rank: 7.5 Courage: 7.9 Firepower: 8.7 Skill: 9.2
One of the most controversial characters to appear in the Beast Machines Transformers series was Savage/Noble. As the first completely organic Transformer, many fans felt this was not a "true" Transformer as even the techno-organic Maximals had technological parts. Despite this controversy Enter: Beast Changer. Originally, this toy was named Savage/Noble, but there were copyright problems with using the name. In an effort to keep some of this original identity, Beast Changer's packaging lists him as transforming from a "Savage Beast" to a "Noble Wolf". This play on words was a clever way around the legal problem.
Wolf Mode: In this form, the wings from the Savage mode are attached to Noble's back. In an effort to make the colors work with the blues and purples used in this form, the underside of the wings (which are visible in this mode) are translucent blue plastic. However, you can detach the wings to make the toy look more show accurate. The rest of the toy in this mode is red except for the claws which are painted gold. In terms of appearance, the Noble Wolf mode manages to pull off a reasonably nice depiction of the CGI character. A nice touch can be found by examining the upper arms where the purple/dark blue parts are painted. The arms look like there are two layers of fur, one "ripping through" the other. This effect is very dramatic and also serves to remind us of this character's unique nature. The only part which throws this off is the very visible Savage beast mode's head which is folded back and above the wolf head. If there was a better way to have concealed this, the toy would have looked much better. In a nice touch that emphasizes Beast Changer's strange origins, the Spark Crystal located on his right arm is a twisted combination of a Vehicon and Maximal symbol. This symbol also serves another purpose. Push the Spark Crystal up towards the shoulder. Now lift the panel on the back (with the wings attached), and then pull up the panel under that. You will feel some resistance, this is the gear mechanism locking into place. Now push the Spark Crystal down and his lower arm rotates as if he is slashing away at Vehicon enemies! Beast Changer has twenty four points of articulation in this form. Much to the toy's credit, despite his legs which arch back and relatively small feet, he stands very well. Also surprising is the right arm's ability to pose well as long as the action feature is locked. The toy's arm does not flop around at all. The Noble Wolf mode is quite impressive in its execution. Cool details and a fun action feature make for a fun mode.
Transformation to Savage Beast Mode:
Savage Beast Mode: Beast Changer's details in this mode are very nice. The body is covered with scaly details on the tails, back and head. Spikes protrude on the wrists, back and head. The teeth pattern on the head is appropriately gnarled as portrayed on the show. As with the CGI model, Beast Changer does not appear to have eyes in this mode. Flip the beast over to see more gory detailing. The underside of the head shows a piece of skin ripped away revealing bone and muscles. Below that is the piece which activates the arm slashing feature. This piece seems to show exposed muscles as well.
In this form, Beast Changer rests on the two upper arms of the Noble Wolf mode. This may seem unstable, but he actually stands very well since the claws reach out so widely. The nice little action feature in this form is activated by pressing the button on the left side near the Savage Beast head. Beast Changer delivers a toy that was at one point thought to be near impossible to create. This also helps bring collectors one step closer to assembling a show accurate cast of Beast Machines characters, and the care given to the details such as the Spark Crystal are very cool. If you can get past the "organic Transformer" concept, this toy is highly recommended. A |
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