Pretty much every Transformers series has a character that fills the 'kid friendly' role. Often this character is yellow. This goes all the way back to the original cartoon and the little yellow 'Bot who is the subject of this review - Bumblebee.
Bumblebee is a very memorable character from the G1 cartoon. He was one of the first Transformers seen on screen and was a main cast member throughout the first two seasons of the show. And along with Optimus Prime he's easily the most merchandised Autobot in the franchise.
Vehicle mode:
Bumblebee transforms into a Volkswagen Beetle. While the original toy was a squashed approximation of the Beetle Masterpiece Bumblebee is properly proportioned.
This mode is very well done. The spare wheel cover is removable. There's a little black plug inside it that can be used to give him an approximation of a number plate. I say approximation because there's nothing actually printed on it.
Bumblebee can't do the gun-on-the-roof thing most other MPs do. Instead there is storage for his gun under the front of the car. You can also plug the spare wheel with the gun if you'd prefer not to have it attached to the back of the car.
Transformation:
Start by untabbing the doors and swinging the whole front of the car out. There's a small gap above the waist for a small section of the hood that is left behind. With the legs straight and the feet flipped out it's a simple matter to fold in the wheels and wrap the doors around the back of the feet.
For the upper body untab the arms from the back of the car and swing the side panels down. Then you can untab the arms from the sides of the car and adjust them into position. The rear of the car is on a hinge that lets you lift it up and spin it around. Fold the bumper in and collapse it onto Bumblebee's back and you've got a tiny, adorable yellow robot.
Robot mode:
This toy really does deserve the title of Masterpiece when you look at his robot mode. The proportions are spot on. Big car hood feet, car roof chest and his distinct horned helmet make this undeniably G1 Bumblebee.
He's also very small, only standing half as tall as the other MP Autobot cars. This is true to the G1 animation model size charts. The transformation works well to get a scale Beetle (admittedly a small car) into a properly small robot.
Bumblebee comes with two face options - happy and neutral. A third option for his toy face mask was included if the figure was ordered off of Amazon (although some other retailers got the alternate face as well). They plug in at the helmet crest. On mine they plug in very securely and can be a bit tricky to swap out.
Bumblebee also includes a small gun. It's a very generic pistol. The guns included with Ironhide and to be included with Ratchet are done in the same style.
Bumblebee's poseability is on par with the other MP figures. The one thing he lacks that the others have is jointed hands. And given just how small his hands are this is no surprise. Otherwise I've had not trouble getting him into running or shooting poses. His big feet actually help keep him stable more so than some of the other MPs.
Exo-Suit:
Because Bumblebee is so small a transforming figure of the exo-suit worn by Spike and Daniel in The Transformers: The Movie was included with him. Some sources say this is Daniel and others Spike. I think Spike is more likely given his relationship with Bumblebee but the face is so small and generic it can easily work as either. The suit is decently poseable and it's transformation is straight forward enough. It's a nice bonus but I don't think I'd have missed it if Bumblebee had been released without and slightly cheaper.
Final Thoughts:
Bumblebee is a really good figure. I know there are a number of fans out there who are more than a little sick of the yellow guy given how heavily merchandised he has been due to the Bay-verse movies. But if you're collecting Masterpiece figures I'd recommend checking him out. You've also got options now with both a gold G2 version and a red version available.
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