General Information:
Release Date: September 2012
Price Point: $5.99 (varies depending on retailer)
Retailer: Limited Markets (Dollar General, Big Lots! etc.)
Accessories: Sword
Back in 2011, the small "Reveal the Shield" line of Transformers was released with figures on different size scales. This included the "Legends" Class (now referred to as the Legion Class since "Dark of the Moon"). This small group of figures introduced classic characters such as Starscream and Optimus Prime in new molds in a small size. About a year later, these same figures were repackaged (sans heat sensitive rub symbols) and put on "Generations" style cards (minus the actual "Generations" logo) and re-released at stores such as Dollar General.
Fast forward a few months, and it was announced that several Legends Class figures were going to be given new decos with some even getting retooling and weapons as part of the "GDO" Asian exclusive line of Transformers. This included "Motorbreath", a redeco of Optimus Prime based on the G1 Stunticon leader "Motormaster". Motorbreath came with a sword, representing one of the key weapons included with the G1 version of the character. To refresh the "Generations" Legends/Legion Class figures at stores like Dollar General, sculpts such as Motorbreath's were released but as the original characters they were intended to be, plus the new accessory. The result here is an Optimus Prime figure that comes with a sword, but it's really interesting to see the roundabout way that this figure came to be.
This review is going to focus on the changes made to the figure for this release. For my original thoughts on the sculpt, check out my "Reveal the Shield" Legends Optimus Prime review.
Robot Mode:
Normally when I cover redecos, there's all manner of detail to be chronicled. In this case however, there's virtually none. This version of Optimus Prime uses almost the exact same deco pattern as the previous version of this figure. The biggest difference (which this figure shares with its non-sword carrying version) is the removal of the heat sensitive rub sticker and the inclusion of a tampographed Autobot symbol on the left shoulder. There's also a very minor difference in how the back of the head is colored due to that piece being resculpted (more on that in the vehicle mode review). The paint used on the back of the head is rather shiny, and though its shade is close to the red plastic, it's not exact and does stand out.
Optimus Prime's sword is cast in red plastic with no paint details. The red plastic is a slightly different shade than the red plastic on Prime. It's a bit more dark and dull in tone, but it works well color-wise as an accessory. To hold this sword, Optimus' hands have been retooled to give him C shaped curves that allow the sword (or any 3mm post weapon from Legion Class figures) to be attached. The sword itself also has a hole in it, allowing you to attach the sword to another weapon.
While this sculpt has been used a few times now, the tooling seems to be okay. The joints are nice and tight and the details still look great.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Push the robot head down.
- Connect the two legs together and swing them back.
- Swing the upper body back.
- Bend the arms at the elbows.
- Swing the robot arms back, then swing the forearms forward to form the sides of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Much like the robot mode, the vehicle mode has no new decos. The pattern follows the same one as the previous release. What is new is the resculpted piece from the back of the robot head. The piece has been made a bit larger to accomodate a hole (yes, Optimus has a hole in his head now). This allows the 3mm peg on the side of his sword to attach in this mode for storage. It really makes very little sense and it looks somewhat awkward so my preference would be to leave it off or attach a blaster to it to lend it some credibility as a weapon in this form.
Final Thoughts:
If you're going to capitilize on a sculpt, this isn't a bad way to do it. However, if you already own this figure a couple times over as I do then it becomes a bit less worthwhile, especially given that you're going to be paying about $6 for it (what a Scout Class figure used to cost). I would recommend this for anyone who skipped this figure during its first couple of releases, but if you already have it you can skip this version.
