Cyberworld Snarl

Prelude: Today we have Snarl. And it’s really Snarl, not Slag who stole Snarl’s name because some people considered Slag a curse word. No, not Slug, either. Snarl, like the original G1 Dinobot who transformed into a Stegosaurus. Got it? Never mind that he looks more like a Junkion than a Dinobot, it’s still Snarl. So let’s say go!

Robot Mode: Snarl is a typical Cyberworld Cyber Changer figure in many ways. He is the same size as (most of) the other figures, he has the same level of articulation (could really do with elbows) and a pretty nice amount of detailing for a figure this size. The only clues as to his alternate mode are the head on his chest and the Stegosaurus plates on his back.

As mentioned above, in some ways Snarl looks more like a Junkion than a Dinobot. He is mostly orange and brown, he has spikes, he has some details that look like exhaust pipes (right shoulder and left thigh) and even his head works as either a Dinobot or a Junkion, really. I was wondering whether he was in some way related to Junk-Ron, but so far at least there seems to be no connection.

His sole weapon is his beast mode tail, which serves as a melee weapon, looking like a cross between a sword and a mace. He has several 5mm ports, so attaching additional weapons is easy. Overall, I like this figure a lot and the strange mix between Dinobot and Junkion aesthetics works pretty good in a weird sort of way. So thumbs up for the robot mode.

Alternate Mode: Unsurprisingly Snarl transforms into a Stegosaurus and the transformation is basically the same as Galvatron’s. He goes down on all fours, flips in the lower legs, attaches the tail, and you’re pretty much done. The resemblance to previous Transformers Stegosauri is... present, let’s leave it at that. You can tell what it’s supposed to be, though no one would confuse it with a real Stegosaurus. 

Articulation is restricted to the front legs, who (again, like Galvatron) are supposed to tab into the torso, which would reduce their articulation to zero. Not sure who thought that to be a great idea, but you can just as easily not do it. What surprised me a bit is that the beast head includes an opening mouth and you can even see some sculpted teeth inside. Hadn’t expected that.

That’s pretty much it, really. Snarl transforms into a robotic beast that manages to somewhat look like a Stegosaurus. The 5mm port on his back means you can attach weapons to him in this mode, too, though you need to fold down his back fins. So bottom line: not the greatest Cyberworld alternate mode yet (Sky-Byte’s car with wheels still takes first place in my book), but good enough.

Remarks: Snarl appeared alongside Grimlock in Cyberworld, following the Dinobot leader around and making sure he stayed out of trouble (as far as Grimlock is capable of it, at least). At times he talks like a shady character, but hasn’t really strayed from supporting his buddy and, by extension, the other Autobots. Probably his most famous line is “Whilst he (Scorponok) was out digging holes in the sand, I was studying the blade!”. Interesting line for a kid’s cartoon.

Snarl is neither the best nor the worst Cyberworld figure yet and, given that he is part of a very fun toy line, I am happy to have gotten him. I am not sure how appealing he might be to Dinobot fans in general, but if you enjoy Cyberworld the way I do, Snarl is worth taking a look at.

Rating: B-