General Information:
Release Date: June 2018
Price Point: $5.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Blade Weapon, Bomb-Burst Decoy Armor
Official images above are from Hasbro. The official text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
The Autobots and Decepticons use Prime Masters to wield the incredible powers of the legendary bots who shaped the universe: the Primes. The Prime Master of Megatronus grants bots the apocalyptic powers of a merciless dark warrior. How will the Autobots and Decepticons use this evil power? Anything is possible and everything is at stake when the Power of the Primes is unleashed! Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Prime Master figures are 1.5-inch-scale figures that work with other figures. Attach this Prime Master figure to a Power of the Primes Deluxe, Voyager, or Leader Class figure (each sold separately) and imagine that bot wields the power of Megatronus. Figure Specs: Megatronus Prime Master 2 Modes: robot, spark Converts in 1 step Comes with Bomb-Burst decoy armor -- the Prime Master figure hides inside Decoy armor converts to weapon Works with other Power of the Primes figures (each sold separately) Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
The trilogy that began with "Combiner Wars" concludes with "Power of the Primes". This line focuses on the original 13 Primes themselves returning. However, instead of gigantic beings storming the battlefield, the Primes have distilled their essence into Sparks that can be used by Transformers to gain all new powers. Depending on which Spark the Transformer takes on, they are powered up in different ways. From a play value standpoint these figures are an extension of the Titan Masters from last year. Instead of coming with beasts or vehicles, these mini-figures now come with "Decoy Armor" based on the designs of G1 era Pretender shells. The idea is that the Primes do not want just any Transformer to take their power, so they infuse these characters with their essence and are "pretending" to be other Transformers, a wonderful play on words and concepts.
When Pretenders were first introduced in 1988, one of the first Decepticons in that sub-group was Bomb-Burst (aka "Blood" in Japan's "Masterforce" series). As one of the "original" Pretenders it was only fitting that a line of figures paying homage to Bomb-Burst would be included in this line. This figure is a retool and redeco of Liege Maximo with Skullgrin Decoy Armor so it is worth checking out that review before reading this one.
Packaging:
The packaging for the Prime Masters is similar to last year's Titan Masters. The figures are in a blister attached to a small card. Unlike last year however the card art on the front features Megatronus in the Bomb-Burst Decoy Armor charging at someone, teeth bared. This is a far better choice than last year where Fortress Maximus' head was on all the packaging for the Titan Masters. The back of the packaging shows a CG render of Megatronus showing how he interacts with the Decoy Armor. On top it shows the weapon mode. The side shows a cosell of Quintus Prime.
Robot Mode:
Being a retool and redeco of Liege Maximo, I was disappointed to see that Megatronus' "inner robot" figure is just a straight up redeco of the inner robot figure included with Liege Maximo. All the details are the same, down to the faux treads on the sides of the legs. The way the designers reproduced the details from the G1 "inner robot" figures on these little guys is one of the best parts of the Prime Master line, and it's a shame it was not done here.
The main detail that is unique to this figure is the Megatronus symbol on the back. The symbol roughly like the letter "M" with jagged lines and teeth like details around it, suggesting chaos and violence which makes sense for the character who would wind up betraying the Primes.
This figure is cast in two shades of grey plastic. The face is painted silver and the symbol on the back is painted pink. The colors are a bit dull, but that is largely due to G1 Bomb-Burst's colors being mostly grey, so that carried over so the "inner robot" figure in this set.
The Prime Masters all have five points of articulation. This includes the head, arms, hips and knees. The legs move together since they are fused together. The joints on my copy of Megatronus are nice and tight with no issues.
Transformation to Spark Mode:
The Prime Masters all transform in the same fashion as the Titan Masters from "Titans Return". Swing the hips up and fold the lower legs in.
Spark Mode:
The Spark mode is basically the same as the head modes from last year's Titan Masters. Instead of a "face plate" however, there is panel with Megatronus' ancient Cybertronian symbol (discussed above).
The Prime Master Spark modes are designed to attach to Voyager Class figures directly or connect to the "Prime Armor" included with Deluxe figures in the "Power of the Primes" line. They can also replace the various Matrix accessories included with figures such as Nemesis Prime.
Decoy Armor Mode
Reusing a sculpt is a tried and true cost saving method when developing toy lines and the Bomb-Burst Decoy Armor reflects a heavy recycling of the Liege Maximo Skullgrin Decoy Armor. The back/feet, arms and weapon are all the same as those used on the Skullgrin Decoy Armor.
The only new piece on this figure is the panel that swings down to reveal the robot inside. This panel has a lot of the details from G1 Bomb-Burst including the large "bat ears" on the head, the three raised claw like details over the shoulders, distinct panels on the chest and distinct waist armor featuring two small panels towards the top overlapping a larger panel underneath. There are also armor pieces over the thighs and knees. At first glance, the figure looks just like a miniature G1 Bomb-Burst, and while I would have loved for his shoulders to have bat wings (as the G1 version did) I understand the need to reuse tooling and I think the designers did a good job of it for the Decoy Armor.
Like the inner robot, the Decoy Armor is mostly two shades of grey. The chest panels are painted a dull pink with a Decepticon symbol in white. The ears are painted blue, a callback to G1 Bomb-Burst. Dark grey paint is used on the lower body, roughly matching with the same patterns on G1 Bomb-Burst.
The Decoy Armor has two points of articulation: the arms. The weapon accessory included with the figure can be held as a claw weapon or attached to the back for storage. Interestingly, the fist holes are 3mm, allowing you to attach Cyberverse weapons too!
Transformation to Weapon Mode:
- With the weapon attached on the back, swing the claws forward.
- In between the feet, swing the peg down.
- Attach Megatronus in Spark mode to the small pegs in the back.
Weapon Mode:
Since this mode basically recycles most of Liege Maximo's parts, it winds up looking like a redeco of Liege Maximo with the only distinguishing feature being the plate with the Megatronus symbol on it. It is still a cool weapon and it suits the character well.
Final Thoughts:
Of all the Prime Masters released in "Power of the Primes" I would say that Megatronus with Bomb-Burst Decoy Armor is the most disappointing. The designers have done an amazing job of recreating the original Pretenders in a tiny scale, but the shortcuts taken on this figure, while understandable from a financial point of view, do not live up to the other figures in the line. I still recommend this to complete your set of Primes, but it is one notch below the others.
Pros:
- The Decoy Armor is a nice representation of G1 Bomb-Burst.
- Good deco for the Decoy Armor.
- Fun weapon mode that is very in character.
Cons:
- If you are not a fan of the Pretender concept, this likely won't change your mind.
- The inner robot is a straight up redeco with no new parts.
