Beast Machines Savage/Noble
Officially called Beast Changer (due to some copyright issues), this is the toy version of
Savage/Noble from the show we love to hate or hate to love or just love or hate (or something),
Beast Machines. Of course the character behind the toy brought forward a lot of controversy
and speculation due to his completely organic composition.
But we aren't here to talk about the controversy behind the toy, now are we? No, we are here
to review this bitch. And by we, I mean me. Yeah.
Anyways, ol' Beast Changer is packaged in Noble mode, so we shall review that first. Actually,
Noble mode is really more like robot mode because there's some kibble, though surprisingly little
of it considering what he changes into. He also stands on some really cool legs, kinda like TM2
Scourge, only they don't hinder anything and they're tight enough so he won't flop on his face. Actually,
considering the fact that the feet (even with the heel spurs) are pretty small, I'm amazed this
guy can stand without any problems at all in this mode. Kudos to the designers on that one.
Also more kudos are in order for the show accuracy. While this toy is red unlike the blueish
color of the Noble in the show, the relative look of of the toy is nearly dead on with the show,
aside from the aforementioned kibble (mainly Savage's head which sits on Noble's shoulders).
The wings of this bugger also can be detached (as you can probably figure out) for a more
show-accurate look. However, leaving them on, coupled with the huge ankle protrusions (which
become Savage's tails) makes for a pretty cool demon-dog look.
Articulation is not a problem on this dog either. He has all the joints every Transformer
should have, and then some. Even his gimmick arm is not hindered by the gimmick, though it
is bulkier than the other arm. Even his ears and mouth move, and he has a little tail as well.
Ah yes, the gimmick. What you do is lift up a panel on his back (it's under the one his
wings attach to) and his arm will spin 'round and 'round. Not very threatening looking, but it
beats the hell out of Punch Monkey's gimmick any day of the week. You can also shift his spark
up and down to toggle the gimmick. Pushing it up will disable it, and, amazingly, his arm is not
made limp or extra tight or anything. Very cool.
Transformation isn't complicated by any means, but there is a lot to do and you may leave
something off if you aren't careful. I know I did. There's some folding and a lot of rotating, which
is all fun and very satisfying in the end. The only Beast Machine toy with a better transformation is
deluxe Jetstorm, and that's saying something.
End result, Savage. To a tee (or is it 'to a T'? I forget). Actually I haven't seen an
episode with Savage in it in a while, but checking a few screen grabs on BWTF.com, I see that he
is, indeed, very accurate. He doesn't appear to have any eyes on the toy, and none of the screen
grabs are at the right angle, but either way that annoys me.
The spinning leg (well, it's a leg now, on Noble it's an arm) gimmick still works fine,
though he can't do it unless he's flying (in theory of course). However, there's a button
on the side of his head that opens his mouth. Not quite as satisfying or fun as the spinning
hand thing, but it's something.
Overall, this is an excellent toy. Yes indeed. I'm going to go out on a limb and even
give this guy a 9, which is a score only deluxe Jetstorm has attained (speaking of only
Beast Machines toys here, mind you), though I will say that deluxe Jetstorm is the best
Transformer ever, and this is not, though it's pretty darn close. For the $10 - $15 it'll
cost you (BBTS has them for $12 I believe), it's well worth the price tag. Add this to the
list of must have Beast Machine toys.
