General Information:
Release Date: July 2012
Price Point: $14.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Rifle
*Images above with asterisks and text below in italics are from the Official Transformers Web Site:
The battle between AUTOBOT and DECEPTICON is never over, and this OPTIMUS PRIME figure is the next generation of awesome TRANSFORMERS action! Your OPTIMUS PRIME figure comes armed with an ion cannon that will make any DECEPTICON think twice about taking him on. But when he needs to be on the move, convert him to Cybertronian truck mode! Keep converting him back and forth so he can handle whatever his DECEPTICON enemies try to dish out! Figure converts from robot mode to vehicle mode and back! Includes ion cannon! Cybertronian truck mode!
Figure comes with accessory. Series 01 001 OPTIMUS PRIME. Ages 5 and up.
When 2010's "War for Cybertron" game was released, several figures were released in concert with the game including one of the most complex Deluxe Optimus Primes ever released. Now the Autobot leader is back for another turn in the "Fall of Cybertron" video game. As part of this game release the Autobot leader has taken on a new form, and you now what that means: a new action figure of course!
This particular incarnation of Optimus Prime has already taken some heat for its relatively small size (his fellow "Generations" release Jazz is actually bigger than him), and while I do understand that Hasbro has a lot of constraints to deal with now cost-wise (the sizes of toys are going down while prices are going up) I have to say that this Prime is rather small and should have been a bit bigger. However, I still want to evaluate the toy on its merits outside that one point.
Robot Mode:
In the new "Fall of Cybertron" game, Optimus Prime has a much bulkier form than he did previously. The screen capture linked above is assembled from screenshots of the actual CGI model from the official Transformers Game web site. This blocky, bulky design is reflected in the new design for this figure. This includes distinct features like a shoulder armor section with an "L" shaped cut at the top, a chest section that protrudes forward in the center and really bulky legs with knee armor that sticks out a bit. Even his fists look big and beefy, like this is a warrior who can take on a Decepticon with or without a blaster. It has been said that designers wanted Optimus to resemble a "fist" in these games, totally focusing on brutal power and this design conveys it perfectly.
What's also cool to see are some of the smaller details have been integrated into the figure as well. This includes the horizontal line details on his lower legs (which hark back to G1 Optimus Prime), the grille on his torso (another G1 inspired detail), smokestacks built into the back of his shoulders and rocket boosters on his back. He even has faux "wheels" sculpted into his back, which is seen in the CGI model from the game. I like it when details are sculpted in even if they're not a true part of the figures' transformation.
Optimus Prime is cast in red, blue and silver plastic. His wheels are a darker shade of silver while his blaster is more of a gunmetal color. These colors match up nicely with his CGI counterpart, with the primary difference being the lack of the scratched up, worn down look of the armor on the video game character. This is more representative of what this Optimus may have looked like when this body rolled off the assembly line, not after years of battles. Where cost seems to have cost the figure a bit is paint details. There are plenty including silver on his elbow hinges, face and legs. His eyes are painted light blue and the windows on his chest are painted black. However, the CGI model has several areas that are "glowing" in the game, including the Autobot symbols on his shoulders and smaller details on his waist and torso. The sculpted details are there, but for the most part they are unpainted. It should have been nice to see some of the bright red details used here. I know every paint application costs money, but I think these would have been worth it. Of course, there is a chance that this figure will be given a new deco in the future that has these details. Still it was disappointing to see them not present here.
There are eighteen points of articulation on this figure in robot mode. This includes four points of articulation in each arm and leg along with the ability for his upper body to turn around and even lean back. It's not necesarily "waist" articulation but it does open up extra posing possibilities. Optimus can hold standard 5mm peg weapons in either fist, but he can also attach weapons to the sides of his forearms and lower legs, opening up the possibility of making this Autobot leader positively overloaded with weaponry! Even his rifle can allow another weapon to be attached thanks to the peg on top. If you want to stash away his weapon, you can use the hole on his back to attach his weapon.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the rifle if attached and set it aside for now.
- Rotate the fists around.
- Swing the robot feet up so they wind up on top of the lower legs.
- Swing the smokestacks inside the shoulders up.
- Rotate the forearms around.
- Swing the back central panel up and move it forward. The robot head should sink down, causing the chest piece to swing back.
- Swing the forearms back and connect the tabs on the insides of the arms to the chest section.
- Swing the legs up and connec the tabs to the holes on the piece that forms the back of the robot mode.
- Rotate the bumper pieces around and connect them together.
- Attach the rifle to either hole on the back of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Optimus Prime is traditionally a truck in vehicle mode, and this time is no different. In "War for Cybertron" he certainly looked like a tractor trailer style cab, but not quite the same type that we're used to seeing on Earth. This vehicle mode looks more like what you'd expect a truck to look like, including some more hard angles on the bumper, windows and grille section. Borrowing from the design aesthetic of the "War for Cybertron" games, Prime has several mechanical details worked into his sculpt including angled headlights in the front, raised details on the front and thin, triangular details on the sides of the wheels. I also dig the large, exaggerated smokestacks in this form and the thrusters from the back of the robot mode now stick out the back of the cab section just as they do on the CGI model. Overall the sculpt looks fantastic.
The same colors seen in robot mode appear here, but the red and blue are much more condensed. The silver parts offer some contrast on the front and sides of the vehicle along with the wheels and rifle. Unfortunately, the lack of paint decos plays out here. The silver paint decos are front and center in the front and the sides and the black windows are prominent as well. However, the lack of bright red decos again subtracts from the overall accuracy and look of the figure. The front bumper for instance has several sculpted details such as the headlights that are left unpainted, and that's unfortunate since the figure would have looked much better with them. I don't hate the deco on this guy, I just think it could have been much better.
Optimus Prime can roll on all six wheels in this mode (no fake wheels on the sides here). There are four attachment points for weapons, two on the sides and two on the top of the vehicle's rear section. If you pick the right weapons, you can really make Prime look quite fierce.
Final Thoughts:
I feel like there are a lot of legitimate reasons why fans would not like this figure. It isn't as complex as the first video game version of Optimus Prime, nor is it as well painted as it could be. Still, I find this figure fun to play with and the sculpt itself is really nicely done. I do recommend the figure, but with reservations that I've noted above.
