So, what's a BeastBox then? No, it's not got something to do with a YouTube influencer. BeastBox is a line of transforming robot toys produced by 52Toys (pronounced 5-2-toys). It exists in the Transformers-adjacent space where unlicensed third party products dwell as well diecast Japanese collectables. As the name implies, you get a beast, usually a robotic one, which via a transformation compresses down into a cube. In Transformers terms, we’re looking akin to Soundwave’s chest minions, but roughly comparable in size and complexity to a modern deluxe. Remember Siege Refraktor and his intermediary cube form for the camera mode? Pretty much the same sorta mass and footprint. BeastBox has been going on for a while now, and 52Toys has spun-off the concept into other areas, notably MegaBox, where they do licenced characters and non-beasts. 52Toys has been sufficiently successful that they have their own imitators, and have licence with Disney. And once you’ve got people copying you, while you do merch for the mouse, you’ve made it, haven’t you? After a prolonged period of these beeping on the edge of my radar, I took the plunge.
Before I talk about the initial few I got, I want to talk about the general experience. While a box is probably the least interesting thing for a robot to turn into, I'd suggest it shows a deeper understanding of the toy collector mindset than some. You see, one of the fundamental, if difficult to verbalise, joys of a transforming robot toy is the physical act of transformation. The tactile experience, if you will, the click of plastic tab into it's slot, and so on. The whole puzzle box aspect of the toy, you know? And what can happen? Once you've got it transformed, you've got a compressed shape that does less than the other mode. Almost, one might say a box. And this would likely be the mode you keep it in when storing it. BeastBox seems to be leaning into this as a stylistic choice and self-imposed challenge. It's all about slicing cubes into every more clever and involved shapes, all with highly collectable presentation. The box mode has a storage case, which is translucent, pegging together with other boxes for display. A BeastBox's packaging takes the form of an attractive and colourful window box, almost nice enough to not to open. The instructions are pictorial, with the moving part in red, and there's a little bilingual bio card. And a catalogue. And a sheet of plastic that you fold to act as a spring for the storage case, so the BB will come out of it more easily. Its hard to fault these as collectables, and as my initial experiences seem to suggest, they don’t phone in the toy either.
BB-30 MEGA DIO
Mega Dio was the first BeastBox I got, and it seems I skipped to the end, only to work backwards. It has a fifth anniversary logo on it, while the other two I'll talk about are somewhat older. Mega Dio is sort of a revamped take on Dio, the original Beastbox and the company's mascot. The vibe I'm getting here is a bit Powermaster Prime, in that elements of the original are still there, but used in a more scifi and warlike manner. The original had a much larger head, and maybe looked like one of those Mousers from Ninja Turtles with smooth and simple lines. Mega Dio however tends towards more a Zoids-like aesthetic typical of more recent BBs; lots of techno-greebling, translucent plastic in abundance, less cartoon proportions, but the design lineage is clear. This connection is further reinforced by the "back frills" that can carry a regular Dio in box mode, which only adds to the Powermaster Prime feel I’m getting. I don't currently have a compatible Dio, so I can't comment on how that works, but I do intend to get one. What I can say though, In an apparent contrast to the original, Mega Dio is a rather involved design while still having a symmetrical conversion. The legs move around a fair bit, while the head folds into the body, and the tail wraps around. I will admit to a certain degree of reference to the instruction sheet, both as a beginner, but also because it uses a lot of small tabs and things get involved with the legs. It is the most finicky of the three by some significant distance. While lacking knees, the resulting dino-robot is quite posable, with significant character, and some nice "digital-look" flame effects. Two minor concerns however. First off the balljoints are rather tight, to the point of squeaking, and the flame effects don't obviously store anywhere. So, while obviously good enough to make me try another, Mega Dio suffers a bit around the edges. Perhaps more for fans of intricate transformation, five primes out of seven.
BB-13KM KARMAKUMA
Karmakuma meanwhile the toy that really sold me on the concept and the 52Toys house style of cutesy robo-animals. It's simpler than Mega Dio in terms of engineering, although the subtle tabbing thing is still evident, and there is a locking mechanism in the hips labelled in English. Notably it's designed along the edge of the cube, not a face, and is actually two figures in what seems to be a parent and child pairing. The larger one is almost cuddling the smaller in box mode. As adorable as it sounds, and trust me, it is quite adorable, there's definitely a momma bear thing going on with some sculpted angry eyes and two translucent shoulder cannons that combine. It's very large & in charge, wearing what seems to be metallic sumo gear, <internet search>, a mawashi. The cub meanwhile is obviously all about being a baby, being fairly simple due to his size. He can use the big one as a mecha though, with a spartan but elegant cockpit arrangement in the chest. Both have sufficient articulation to do quadruped poses, with the larger getting good arms, but no knees. The box mode however is the least convincing of those we're looking at here. It's not really a problem, but the translucent bits stick out a wee bit. Overall? Immensely charming, mainly just right, 3 bowls of porridge out of 3.
BB-08AF EMPEROR
The final Beastbox I picked up before writing this article, the Emperor set is the oldest we're talking about today. It's also the one most pushing the envelope as to what a Beastbox can be. There’s no translucent plastic for one thing, so think of it as early instalment weirdness, if that helps? This time we have four mechanical penguins forming the box, all identical save for a playing card symbol and a large head frill for your favourite to wear. These penguin wedges have minimal articulation except in the head, which have a little gear system to change the eyes. The options are "open", "closed", "angry" and "hey if you don't turn it all the way you get blank deadite eyes". So, you can variously have them standing, swimming or sliding about, with a mix of expressions, cute. The transformation is this interesting bit though, and what makes the set possibly child-safe. Possibly. Once you've compressed the Pingu-looking blighters down, it's just a matter of lining up right, as they are magnetised and do the rest for you. It's not deep, there’s just less going on than the toys above, but I can see an actual kid loving this. I also wish the tail feathers locked in a bit better on these. Definitely adorable, possibly too simple, eight happy feet out of a dance scene.
Overall? I find myself quite pleased with the toys above, and I see a wider appeal that could easily become a new hyperfixation. These are very collectable, definitely appealing if animal robots are your thing, and there certainly enough creativity going on to balance out the box thing. There are however a few little areas that suggest imperfect quality control, and that's where we need to have the price discussion. Assuming you aren't rolling the dice on an international order, you have to go to Amazon to get these, whom have a decent selection but a bit of a mark-up. This puts the toys in the 25-30 quid price bracket usually, roughly the same as a modern Transformers deluxe or just below a voyager at RRP. I don't quite know if that's a fair comparison to make, given that a Beastbox has stated age range of 15+ and has its origins in the collectors market, but it's a discussion you can have. I’ve nitpicked a few things above, but its exactly the sort of flaw I’d expect to see people complaining about in a Hasbro release. So, if you see one you like the look of? I'd say give it a try.
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