What more really needs to be said? Retrax. One of the most infamous Transformers ever and the most ill conceived toys in Beast Wars. In a line regarded as one of the best, he stands as one of the worst. It was just a matter of time before the Addict brought him into the White Room for a proper review. So what makes it so bad? Well, more to the point, is there anything good to begin with?
Release: December 19, 2009
- Artistic License – Biology: TJ points out Retrax has been altered so heavily from an actual pillbug that it might as well have made up their own animal at that point. He then gives an actual biology lesson on them to illustrate that point.
- Awesome, yet Impractical: Retrax is another 'Gimmickformer': his roll up gimmick does work as intended, but also completely cripples his entire upper body in robot mode to the point his arms barely qualify as arms. He's got an amazingly articulated lower body...which is completely useless due to their shape and his gimmick putting his entire beast mode's weight above his waist, making him so ludicrously top heavy moving them anywhere except directly under him will send him falling flat on his face.
- Body Horror: The fact that Retrax's robot mode head is visible through the side of his beast mode creeps TJ out.
- Dancing Bear: Invoked. TJ points out that the toy more or less exists for the sole purpose of getting the pillbug 'curl up into a ball' function.
- Deathbringer the Adorable: Points out that making the pillbug transformer a Predacon makes zero sense. Especially when his gimmick basically amounts to 'hug the enemy.
- Epileptic Trees: In-Universe, TJ theorizes Retrax is Beast Wars Unicron because of the uncanny resemblance to the Chaos Bringer.
- Spikes of Villainy: TJ points out how they stuck spikes on Retrax just to try to make him threatening.
