Review #3.1 - Universe Cheetor

To start off our four-part look at the 3rd wave of the Universe line, we will focus on everybody's favourite feline from Beast Wars.....no, not Tigertron....Cheetor.



I don't think I really need to explain much in terms of who Cheetor is and why he is so popular, as most of us new Transformers fans basically grew up with him. He is - essentially - the Bumblebee of the late 90s. But for those who don't know him, I shall give a brief synopsis.



Cheetor, who named himself after his newly acquired cheetah alt mode, is a hot-headed and cocky rookie to the Maximals (the future descendants of the Autobots). If he was not kept in line by his leader Optimus Primal, Cheetor would be content with running into danger head on with little to no regard for his own safety just to prove his worth to the team.

He's that overconfident.

This, in turn, usually gets him into scraps that his friends have to get him out of. But as the series progresses, Cheetor proves himself to be a capable and compident warrior, even a good leader during the time Primal is absent from the show.

By the end of Beast Wars, his character has made almost a 360 degree flip from young and arrogant to mature and wise. It is sort of a throwback to how Hot Rod changes from being his overconfident self to becoming the Autobot leader Rodimus Prime. But enough of his character bio, let's get onto the actual toy review, starting with his "vehicle" mode.


VEHICLE:



If you were to say this looks nothing like Cheetor's show mode, you'd probably be given a swift smack to the head. This is an extraordinary representation of the character, and a much needed change. Don't believe me? Look at the original toy...



Yeah...I'd take the Universe version over this one.

In any case, this spotted cat has a ton of articulation. All four paws pivot up and down, his front forearms can move up and the whole leg assembly can turn 45 degrees. The back legs have a 90 degree turn radius and have the same range of motion as the front legs. His tail also can move up and down.

There is also a gimmick involving his head. Back in the early toy line, there were two Cheetors; one with red eyes, the other with green ones. The fanbase could never decide which eyes were his actual colour as both do appear in the show, so for the Universe toy, Hasbro created a small lever that - when pressed - makes the top half of the head pivot up to reveal red eyes and fangs.

The only real issue with this mode is that some Cheetor toys have a lanky left front paw, making his ability to stand in vehicle mode limited. But aside from that, this vehicle mode gets top marks in my books.

Vehicle: 24/25


ROBOT:



It seemed that Hasbro was trying to immitate Cheetor's cartoon personality when they created this toy. The cheetah mode is great, however the robot mode leaves something to be desired. Firstly, the figure oes not tend to stand very well in robot mode due to his huge back half, and I have actually had to make his legs leans backward just to keep him upright. His back is another issue; it is unnecessarily big. It is literally the entire chest area and head of the cheetah mode with legs and arms and head on it. But still, it isn't that bad once you get used to it.

ARTICULATION:

Cheetor is just as articulate as he was in cheetah mode (thank god); his arms can rotate 360 degrees and can bend at the forearm. His head can rotate nearly 180 degrees, however it gets hung up due to some kibble (leftover pieces) from the transformation. His legs are on ball-joints and have a wide range of movement, and his feet can pivot as well. So if you can balance him, Cheetor can be put into numerous action poses.

Articulation: 20/25


GIMMICK:

Cheetor has a few of them actually. Firstly, when he transforms, his tail detaches to make a sword. This would be cool it is wasn't for the fact that the sword still looks like a tail. Some fans will remember that his original toy had the tail as a gun. So...why change that? It was awesome as is....just modify the original design to fit with the new mold.



Cheetor also has - of all things - ninja stars. NINJA STARS?! Is Hasbro seriously trying to ruin Cheetor's character or what? I mean come on...Cheetor doesn't exactly scream "ninja" when you see him. Yes, I can see the whole "cheetah = speed = ninja" thing, but this is Cheetor people. He's fast, but he's also loud. Still, it is good to see Hasbro trying new things, even if those things make no god damned sense whatsoever.

Gimmick: 19/25


FUN FACTOR:

It seems that if you are an animal transformer, you will get a bit more play use out of you. I can imagine giving Cheetor to a kid and them using it like his or her other animal toys. That would be fun enough, but add in the fact he transforms and you got yourself a truly awesome toy. The ninja stars and sword might be a bit dicey when it comes to younger children, but even without, Cheets is a great toy to have, and I'm sure any kid would love him to death.

Fun Factor: 22/25


OVERVIEW:

Universe Cheetor is not only a better mold than his previous Beast Wars era incarnation, but a great toy for any collector or child alike. He also has the notoriety of being the first Maximal and Beast Wars figures to be featured in the Universe line. The hump-back kibble and his gimp paw are only minor errors and can be overlooked after a while. This toy is worth every penny you will spend on it.

My score for Universe Cheetor: 85/100


This is a figure I saw and instantly wanted; no questions asked. I loved him in Beast Wars and now I can have him as a physical entity to transform and play around with. And I am sure any Beast Wars fan will come to love this remold, despite its shortcomings.