Bumblebee's alternate mode looks like something out of TRON. It's very aerodynamic and futuristic-looking-- and basically a sleek spread-out bubble on wheels. It works remarkably well as a "pre-Earth" alt mode for the guy, and with the primarily yellow-and-black coloration you can practically see his future car mode given a wink-wink-nudge-nudge here. The bright red lines down the windows are really nice details, though having the tires interlaced with transparent red plastic is definitely my favorite detail about this mode-- it just looks so cool. Unfortunately, the transparent plastic used for Bumblebee's windows aren't dark enough where you can't see the folded-up arms behind them, which is a bit of a bummer. Other than that there aren't any robot mode extras in this mode, however, and it's very accurate to the War for Cybertron video game. The mold detailing is admittedly sparse here, but this is on purpose, to help give Bumblebee the extremely sleek, futuristic look he has here.
    In robot mode Bumblebee is also remarkably similiar to how he looks in the video game-- a fairly remarkable feat given that the designs didn't seen to initially be made to turn into physical toys. His proportions are spot-on, and he's got pretty much the quintessential Bumblebee look and color scheme. Although he's meant to be the same charcter as Prime Bumblebee, this guy's head is definitely a pretty faithful recreation of his G1 design, with a few extra added details on the cheeks and sides to "mech him up" a little more. I particularly love the way his legs transform AROUND his wheels into pretty awesome-looking feet. His arms are generally okay, but the headlight pieces hanging off the forearms don't really clip into place, so they tend to flop around too easily, unfortunately. He does have a spring-loaded flip-out transparent switchblade housed in each forearm, which is a cool gimmick. however. He also has a standard (non-firing) blaster that he can hold in his arms. The main body is done fairly well, but here's where Bumblebee has his biggest downside-- he's a pretty big shell former. Pretty much the entire upper two-thirds of his vehicle mode is collapsed together on his back. Granted, it collapses together into a remarkably small space, but it still definitely sticks out a bit, and is what keep him from being completely game-accurate in this mode. Additionally, as much as I like the light red lines when they're used as small paint apps against Bumblebee's black plastic & paint apps, using it on a large area near his waist makes it clear it's a rather obnoxious color when used in anything more than tiny amounts-- the bright pinkish red against Bumblebee's yellow is a bit of eyesore, there, in what is otherwise a solid (if not astounding) color scheme. The silver paint apps also help to bring a bit more color variety, though they don't contrast against the yellow as much as I'd like. As for articulation, Bumblebee can move at the neck (at two points), shoulders (at three points), elbows (at two points), wrists, waist, hips (at three points), and knees (at two points). So he's got pretty much all the major points covered-- but the waist and hip movement tend to be restricted a bit due to the bit vehicle shell he's got on his back. One additional note-- Bumblebee's transformation to robot mode is fairly simple and straightforward, but getting him back into vehicle mode is a bit of a challenge, given that he's got one of those transformations where everything has to click together just right, and everything's pretty compressed in there in his alt mode. Additionally, his legs can come un-pegged near the knees somewhat easily, which can add a little to the frustration.
    Cybertronian Bumblebee is a pretty darn nice-looking design in both modes, with his proportions and general aesthetic being his strongest points. His somewhat difficult transformation to vehicle mode and his large amount of vehicle kibble on his back in robot mode are fairly significant drawbacks, but thankfully they're about it when it comes to this toy. If you like futuristic alt modes and don't mind a transformation that requires some finesse, I'd mildly recommend him-- with the caveat that the other color schemes this mold has gotten are a bit more attractive.

Review by Beastbot

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