Gigawatt

 Gigawatt

Transformers Back to the Future Mash-up - Hasbro

As I have said before, I’m not much of a gearhead.  However, my love of pop culture does extend to various rides, wheels, and random vehicles associated with my favorite properties.  Most of this bleed-over is satiated by smaller, cheaper Hot Wheels, but lately Hasbro has been delivering the goods in a larger scale with a twist:  Transformers masquerading as movie rides!  What would be on top of the list, after Ecto-1/Ectotron?  Why the Back to the Future Delorean time machine of course!

Instead of having these transform into mech versions of the movie characters, like the horrible Star Wars Transformers a decade and a half ago, these have been given unique/original Transformers identities.  Sure, Gigawatt is loaded with movie specific references/designs, but he’s not a Doc Brown mech: the goggles, the integration of the flux capacitor in the chest, lightning rod,  the Mr. Fusion canon...but without the weird hair!

The transformation to the car is much smoother than it was for Ectotron.  It’s fun, simple, and works with little frustration.  I didnt even need the instructions on the second go-round.  Of course the gull wings work and are integral to the switch!

The silver parts have a neat striation/grading texture to them to simulate the stainless steel body of the car.  The minimal paint is appropriate and applied well.  Little details, like the license plate and gizmos on the back end, are well defined.  The tires can be rotated downward for 2015 hover conversion.  Sadly, he does not sport BTTF III 1955 substitution parts or tires...that may be one variant I would pay for, if it came with a dusty, dirty paint deco throughout.

The bot’s gun can be stored within the body of the car...something that most Transformers are lacking.  Mr. Fusion can plug onto the gun on the top or back end, and the lightning rod makes a secondary hook weapon to Gigawatt.  I’m not sure what all these power ups do...maybe they explain in the comic book crossover from IDW?

Like Ectotron, Gigawatt came in a retro-Transformers packaging, complete with robot tech specs on the back.  This is of the few toy packages I plan on keeping.  He looks great with Ectotron.  I hope Hasbro continues to drop surprises like this in the future.  Spoiler warning:

In the meantime, take a look back at Ectotron in detail:

https://terribletoyman.blogspot.com/2019/07/ectotron-and-starscreams-ghost.html