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Series: Beast Wars
Allegiance: Maximals
Categories: Action Set
Year: 1997
Prelude: Just in case you were wondering why there is a killer whale flying through space, well, that whale is Orcanoch, the Maximal MicroVerse Action Set from 1997. One of only two such sets produced by Kenner for the original Beast Wars line. And going by Beast Wars logic, the good guy base couldn’t be an insect or reptile or dinosaur, so we have a mammal. An aquatic mammal, which also flies through space. So here we have Beast Wars Orcanoch, the space-worthy killer whale base. Let’s say go!
Beast Mode: Orcanoch’s beast mode is an orca (Orcinus orca), sometimes known as a killer whale, the ocean’s top apex predator. Side note: Despite the name, it’s not actually a whale, but a dolphin. Now you know! Overall the orca looks very much like it’s supposed to and there are no visible robot bits. Sure, you see some seams and the rear fins look a bit suspicious, but otherwise it looks perfectly organic. No articulation worth speaking of, really. The side finds can rotate a bit, but otherwise this thing is a statue.
To reveal some of its cybernetic nature, you can remove the orca’s head (fire it off like a missile with the trigger under the chin). Now you see Orcanoch’s cockpit, which can seat one of the included micro figures (Optimus Primal and Tarantulas). Orcanoch comes with four grey missiles, one of which can be mounted underneath the cockpit where the orca head was slotted in. Same firing mechanism, of course.
Bottom line: it’s an Orca, it looks like an Orca, and it looks pretty cool with the Orca head removed, giving it a submarine / spaceship feel. Nicely done. On to the base mode.
Base Mode: Transforming Orcanoch into base mode is a bit of a weird process. You basically stand the Orca upright and then fillet it. The rear half folds downward, the middle separates into three different platforms, and the cockpit is folded up on a separate boom to tower over everything. The Orca head is basically left over in this mode and serves no function, but you can still put it over the cockpit here, too, if you want. A separate glider / boat is formed from the Orca’s side fins and has room for another micro figure.
Starting at the bottom, Orcanoch’s four missiles can be stored around the central pillar/spine of the base. The lowest of the three circular platform contains two double-barreled cannons with room for a gunner behind them. The middle platform shows a computer console and has holes to plug in several of the included accessories (more on that below). The top platform, finally, also has holes for the accessories and a flip-open storage unit where said accessories can be stored. Alternatively you can use it as a prison cell.
The accessories include a clawed arm, a turret, and a monitor, which you can plug in wherever you think they work best. See the pictures below for some variations. Personally I prefer the monitor on the top-most platform as a sort of control unit. The lowest platform has holes to plug them in, too, but depending on how you position the platforms, there isn’t much room for them.
Bottom line for the base mode: it’s pretty cool and contains the right amount of crazy to fit into the weird 1990s Beast Wars aesthetic. In direct comparison with Arachnid, though, I have to say that Orcanoch’s base mode comes in second.
Remarks: The two Beast Wars micro play sets were part of Hasbro’s MicroVerse line, their newest attempt to compete with the popularity of Galoop’s Micro Machines (Micro Masters were the previous one). Hasbro eventually bought Galoop and the matter was thus settled. The MicroVerse line never made it to Europe, but the two Beast Wars sets were still sold here as part of the regular Beast Wars lines. There are two different packaging variants. The one seen here is the one sold in England, Spain and Italy with the subtitle “Bio Combat”. Another one was sold in Germany, France, and the Netherlands with the subtitle “Ani Mutants”.
Orcanoch has almost no media presence to speak of. It was featured in the Beast Wars Source Book from IDW and more recently appeared in Takara-Tomy’s online Legends comics, where it became the craft of Dark Amber Leo Prime.
After getting my hands on Arachnid a while back, I really wanted Orcanoch, too. There are always some on eBay, but usually missing parts. Finally, I found a complete set and while it was a bit pricey, I don’t regret it. Overall I have to say that Arachnid is the slightly better set, but I love both of them and as a Beast Wars fanatic, it was never really a question for me whether to get them or not.
So bottom line: if you are a big Beast Wars fan like me or simply enjoy some vintage 90s era craziness, then Orcanoch is definitely worth a look.
Rating: B+
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