PERCEPTOR
Series - The Transformers
Sub-line - The Movie (a.k.a. "Transformers Retro")
Size/class - N/A
New/remould/redeco - Repaint of The Transformers ("G1") Perceptor
Wave - 3
Released here - August 2023
Approximate Retail Price - $65
Approximate Size - 19cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - light microscope, lab-tank
Main Features/Gimmicks - x14 scope magnification
Main Colours - red and blue with light grey accents
Main Accessories - rifle, launcher, x3 missiles

NOTE: This toy is a repainted reissue of The Transformers Perceptor (1985). Refer to dirge's Perceptor review for thoughts on the original toy. This thread will focus on differences made.











  • Toy is recoloured to match the cartoon model. The red is much brighter, the teal has been replaced with light blue, and black parts are now dark grey. All chrome has been removed and replaced with light grey. The yellow eyes on the original toy are now blue.

  • On the back of the box, the light greys kinda look silvery/chrome... I really wasn't sure, but you can especially see in the comparison photos with my TFC Cybertron Perceptor that it's definitely not not chrome. I wasn't a fan of how the blue eyes look on the stock photography, but they do look better IRL (still prefer yellow eyes though).

  • The stenciled tampographs on the thighs look really nice.

  • While I understand the lack of stickers for the sake of cartoon likeness, it really does make the toy look bland and exposes screws and rivets that I'm not accustomed to seeing. It would've been nice for Hasbro to include the sticker sheet and give collectors the choice as to leave it unapplied for cartoon likeness or applied for that hybridised toy/cartoon look. Speaking of which...

  • The original faceplate on this toy that's coloured just like the cartoon looks weird. I think that this is one time where Hasbro would've been justified in retooling the head with a cartoon-like face, similar to what Takara did with TFC and Encore Bumblebee (although Hasbro's decision to still use that cartoon head on the G1 toy-like Kmart reissues was dubious). If this were a G1 retro toy reissue with an original 1985 style box and G1 toy-accurate colours, then sure, original head all the way. But IMO if you're gonna repaint this toy like the cartoon and package it in cartoon-based packaging etc., it deserves a new head.

  • Not surprisingly, the missile launcher has no firing mechanism. I'm fine with this and much prefer it over having launchable but oversized missiles. These reissues are aimed at adult collectors who prefer aesthetic visuals over spring-loaded launching gimmicks.

  • This reissue has some loose joints. The most annoying of these is the dark grey base of the lens barrel which jiggles. I never got either of the previous two Hasbro reissues of Perceptor, so I don't know if the mould degradation started there or on this toy. This would be at least the 6th use of the G1 Perceptor, with previous ones being:
    (1) The Transformers [1985/86]
    (2) TFC reissue [2005]
    (3) e-Hobby Magnificus [2005]
    (4) Universe [2008]
    (5) Platinum Edition, Autobot Intel Ops [2015]
    (6) TFTM [2023]

  • The gold painted crest is a really nice touch.

  • There are no Autobot insignia on this toy other than the tampograph on the chest. While this is accurate to the cartoon model, it looks weird to me seeing the lens barrel without a massive Autobot logo.

  • This isn't a cheap toy. I paid about $42 for my TFC Perceptor back in 2005; while the cost of Deluxes has increased since then, the cost of a Voyager or Leader Class Transformer has remained pretty much the same. So let's roughly adjust TFC Perceptor's RRP to about $50 for inflation. As I never got Universe or Pt Edition Perceptor, I don't know how much they sold for here; I'm sure others did and would remember (although Pt. Ed. did come with Blaster, 3 cassettes and those microscope slides). Given that this is a limited store exclusive, I think $65 is an acceptable price.

  • The instructions and packaging only show the robot and microscope modes; it doesn't show the tank/mobile lab mode from the original toy, although obviously this toy can still transform into it. I guess because Perceptor never used this mode in the cartoon.


Is this toy worth buying? Only if having a cartoon-like repaint of the G1 Perceptor toy happens to appeal to you. If you want a cartoon-accurate G1 Perceptor toy, then Studio Series Perceptor is a much better candidate.