Post by CkRtech on Dec 12, 2004 21:58:44 GMT -5
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/Bumblemovie.jpg)
Buddy.
“Hey! This is just like old times, Bumblebee.” – Spike, in the year 2006. Ghost in the Machine
Who would have thought this minibot would play such a big role throughout the stories of the original Transformers? He is the only Autobot (as far as we know) that lived throughout all four years of the Transformers cartoon, becoming Goldbug at the end of the third season. It did not take long for Spike and Bumblebee to develop a friendship. The writers held true to this throughout the duration of the cartoon series. We see them together in season 1, the movie, and even deep into season 3. Season 4 changed Bumblebee into Goldbug, and Spike was rather busy with Cerebros and the Autobot Giant, Fortress Maximus. I don’t know how much the two of them would have hung out at that point as Cerebros and Fort Max would be crippled without Spike. Talk about a change! Spike went from a young teenager who couldn’t do a whole lot to help the Autobots to a talented mechanic of an adult which was the cornerstone of the largest Autobot in the galaxy. (Yes, I say Fort Max is the largest)
Bumblebee was an adventuresome Autobot who managed to find ways to get himself in trouble. Optimus Prime relied on him quite a bit, and the good ol' bug pulled through all the time. It was great to get to see Bumblebee remain a constant throughout the G1 time span which covered over 20 years.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/bumblebeebox.jpg)
Spike and Bumblebee are almost synonymous throughout the cartoon, so Spike gets a little mention here. He’ll see more talk when I get to Fortress Maximus a long time from now. As far as the minibots are concerned, Bumblebee has a fairly nice representation of his cartoon self. Eventually, he would be reissued with a head which closer matches his animated character.
I didn’t have a Bumblebee when I was younger. I may have gotten a Pretender Bumblebee eventually, but I cannot remember.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/minibotcat.jpg)
Toy Facts:
Being a minibot, Bumblebee is a rather simple Transformer. He ranks somewhat mid-high in terms of transformation originality. The legs come out from the main body, the arms pull out and the head flips up. This transformation actually results in a minibot Transformer that is larger than his alternate mode. This is due to the hidden parts that are pulled out during his transformation. He has a little bit of chrome on the back of his car/head and on the wheels. Bumblebee even contains metal. It is located on his back and acts as somewhat of an anchor for all of the plastic parts to be screwed into.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/bumblebee.jpg)
Disappointments:
I don’t know if this should be classified as a disappointment, but the head of the Bumblebee toy was fairly different from the one used in the cartoon. This was changed with the reissue set.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/facepic.jpg)
On a larger note of disappointment, the arms can pull off easily. This will cause you to have a fairly handicapped Bumblebee. Loose joints absolutely kill this toy. If the head joint is loose, your Volkswagen is going to have a rear drawbridge. If the legs are loose, he is going to have a hard time standing up.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/bumblecar.jpg)
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/bumblebot.jpg)
Collecting Bumblebee:
Obviously, you want to make sure his arms stay on during transformation. Check for loose joints. Check for rust on the hubcaps. Make sure you can stand him up. He should have two stickers – one behind his head and the other on the roof of the car (Autobot faction symbol in either rubsign or non-rubsign form)
The G2 bumblebee was a gold-chromed Bumblebee!
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/vehiclemode.jpg)
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/robotmode.jpg)
The copyright for Bumblebee is located under his feet. The rubsign is located on the top of the car.
Bumblebee has no accessories.
Bumblebee is THE must own minibot.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/tfreviews1/bumblebeets.jpg)