"Generations" Power of the Primes Nemesis Prime & Giza Toy Review

12/10/20

General Information:
Release Date: July 2018
Price Point: $49.99
Retailer: Amazon Exclusive
Accessories: Dark Matrix of Leadership, Sword, Decepticon Giza, Dual barreled blasters x 2 and Rifle

Official photos above and text below in italics are from Amazon.com. Note: there's a lot of it:
EDITION TRANSFORMERS ACTION FIGURE - Celebrate Amazon with this Amazon exclusive Transformers figure: Nemesis Prime, the evil clone of heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime.
4-IN-1 CONVERTING FIGURE - Evolves from a 5.5-inch scale Nemesis Pax figure to a 9-inch scale Nemesis Prime figure. Both figures also convert to a vehicle mode (a tractor-trailer for the Nemesis Prime figure and a semi-truck for the Nemesis Pax figure). It's like getting 4 toys in 1. Can you master the advanced robot to vehicle conversion?
INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL EDITION ACCESSORIES - Comes with a Decepticon Giza figure and 2 accessories: an evil Matrix of Leadership and a Dark Saber sword accessory.
PART OF TRANSFORMERS POWER OF THE PRIMES - This is the first time Nemesis Prime, the evil version of Optimus Prime, has been introduced to the Prime Wars Trilogy story and toy line; great figure for Transformers fans, Transformers Generations Power of the Primes fans, and action figure fans. Add it to a Transformers collection as a dark foil to a Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Optimus Prime figure.

This Amazon exclusive figure evolves into a Nemesis Prime figure
Comes with a special edition Decepticon Giza figure and Dark Saber accessory
Includes Dark Matrix of Leadership -- insert the accessory into the chest of Nemesis Prime figure Works with Prime Master figures (Not Included. Each sold separately. Subject to availability.) Master the challenge with a Leader Class figure that converts in 35 steps

This Amazon exclusive figure evolves into a Nemesis Prime figure
Comes with a special edition Decepticon Giza figure and Dark Saber accessory

Includes Dark Matrix of Leadership -- insert the accessory into the chest of Nemesis Prime figure
Works with Prime Master figures (Not Included. Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)
Master the challenge with a Leader Class figure that converts in 35 steps

Leader Class Evolution Nemesis Prime
This Amazon Exclusive Power of the Primes Leader Class Evolution Nemesis Prime figure stands 9 inches tall in robot mode and comes with converting Evolution Armor. Use the Evolution Armor to evolve the figure from Nemesis Pax to Nemesis Prime. The included Dark Matrix of Leadership accessory fits inside the figure’s chest. It also holds Prime Master figures (each sold separately). Swap out the Matrix’s core and swap in a Prime Master figure to imagine giving Nemesis Prime the incredible godlike powers of a Prime. The Nemesis Prime figure converts to tractor-trailer mode in 35 steps. The Nemesis Pax figure converts from vehicle to robot mode in 17 steps. See if you can master the detailed conversion of this exclusive Leader Class figure.

Works with Prime Master Figures
Power of the Primes Leader Class figures work with Prime Master figures (not included, each sold separately, subject to availability). Prime Master figures can fit inside the included Matrix of Leadership accessory, then be placed inside the figure's chest. Collect more Prime Master characters and imagine Nemesis Prime receiving not only the authority granted by the Matrix of Leadership, but also the godlike abilities contained within the Prime Masters. Learn how Nemesis Prime would use these amazing powers with the included collectible character card. Prime Master figures are each sold separately, subject to availability.

Nemesis Pax Evolves to Nemesis Prime
The evil clone of Optimus Prime, Nemesis Pax may possess the same strength and intelligence as the Autobot leader, but is vile and without remorse. Fueled by the destructive energy of the Dark Martrix of Leadership, Nemesis Pax becomes Nemesis Prime, driven to eliminate all in his path.

Nemesis Prime has been introduced to many Transformers continuities, from the Unicron Trilogy to Transformers Prime animation and the Transformers: The Last Knight film. This is the character's first appearance as part of any Prime Day Deal, Prime Day Special, or Prime Day toy offering.

This Transformers Power of the Primes Leader Class Evolution Nemesis Prime figure is a 9-inch-scale figure that comes with converting Evolution Armor. Use the Evolution Armor to evolve this figure from Nemesis Pax to Nemesis Prime. Nemesis Pax is a newly created character making his debut in this Prime Day special edition.

The figure's design is inspired by his appearance in the Unicron Trilogy. It features 2 unique head designs, newly tooled arm-mounted weapons and comes with a Dark Saber (also known as the Vorpal Saber) accessory. Celebrate Prime Day with this Amazon exclusive Transformers action figure from Hasbro.

Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.

The concept of an "evil" Optimus Prime goes back all the way to Generation One. In both the animated series and Marvel comic books there were stories that dealt with an Optimus Prime doppelganger wreaking havoc. Years later this concept would take on a life of its own with the introduction of Scourge in "Robots in Disguise", a Decepticon protoform that scanned Optimus Prime and partly used his schematics to take shape. From there on, there would be a pile of figures all based with a black/silver/teal/red deco pattern all intended to be an "evil" Optimus Prime. Some examples include:

Among other versions of the Scourge/Nemesis Prime character that have come out are a Bot Shots figure, a "Universe" version based on Big Convoy, a Spychanger and an e-Hobby exclusive Grand Scourge figure. Suffice it to say the idea of an "evil Optimus Prime" (with a penchant for black and teal colors) is an enduring one in the Transformers mythos. This figure is a redeco and retool of the "Power of the Primes" Optimus Prime figure so you will want to check out that review. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.

This figure was released in limited quantities in early to mid July 2018. However, this was mostly due to early (perhaps accidental) pre-orders taken by Amazon. This was originally intended for a "Prime Day" release (which was scheduled for July 16, 2018). While I can confirm this is an Amazon exclusive in the United States, I am unclear at the time I am writing this just how easy it will be for non-Amazon Prime members to order. It is worth noting that BWTF sponsor BigBadToyStore has a Takara Tomy version of Nemesis Prime listed which will likely just be the US version with Japanese stickers slapped onto the box. If you cannot get the Amazon version, this may be a good alternative (albeit at a higher price).

Packaging:
Nemesis Prime is a Leader Class figure, so his box is based on the same box design as other "Power of the Primes" Leader Class figures but it is much bigger due to the extra accessories included with the figure. The box has the standard "Generations" design (black background, vertical Transformers logo etc.) and features beautiful artwork of Nemesis on the front. Unlike most packaging, you get to see most of his body and not just his chest, head and shoulders. Inside sits Nemesis in robot mode inside a plastic tray. All around him are his accessories including his "Dark Matrix of Leadership", Decepticon Giza, the Vorpal Saber, his rifle and two dual barreled blasters. It really makes for an impressive looking package from the front.

On the back is Nemesis Prime's bio (indicating that he basically is the opposite of Optimus Prime and wants to destroy everything in his way). The figure is shown in every mode with a call out for the gimmick of combining Nemesis Pax with the trailer to form Nemesis Prime. It also calls out the ability for the Dark Matrix to store inside the chest. Overall this is a very striking package, worthy of an exclusive figure.

Accessories:
Since Nemesis Prime is an exclusive figure Hasbro decided to give him a few extra accessories to really sweeten the deal. This is especially cool if you consider the figure is the same MSRP as mass retail Leader Class figures ($49.99 USD). Nemesis of course includes the same rifle that Optimus Prime came with. Cast in black and able to split into two weapons, this doubles as accessories for Nemesis Pax.

Nemesis also includes a redeco of the Matrix accessory that came with both Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime. This time out the handles are black (despite being silver on the packaging) and the crystal in the center is translucent purple. The "casing" for the crystal is painted a beautiful metallic purple color. Just as with the other versions of this accessory you can pop out the casing/crystal and insert a Prime or Titan Master figure into it.

The next accessory is the "Vorpal Saber", also known in Japan as the "Dark Saber". Originally this sword was part of the "Armada" series where it represented three Mini-Cons who could combine into a powerful sword to counter the Star Saber formed by the Mini-Con Air Defense Team. Of course, this sword is a heavily stylized version and it is one solid piece of plastic, not three Mini-Cons. The sword has a distinctive "X" at the hilt, which calls back to some of the design elements from the original Dark Saber from "Armada". There are also some really nice indentations and designs running along the handle and blade. This piece is cast in silver with the blade painted red. The handle is a 5mm peg and there is an additional 5mm peg on the side for storage in vehicle mode. In a completely unexpected twist, this side peg is actually designed to be a Mini-Con peg that you can use to attach Mini-Cons from the Unicron Trilogy! Sure it does not make a whole lot of sense but it is neat that the designers even thought of it.

Additional accessories include two dual barreled blasters. These are intended to connect to Nemesis Prime's forearms, but they do have small 5mm pegs allowing them to be held by Nemesis Pax. These weapons are also a callback to the Unicron Trilogy. Specifically they reference weapons that were attached to the sides of "Armada" Nemesis Prime's forearms! However these are considerably more bulky and powerful looking than the ones on that figure. I love all the little details on them like the circles on top and the fins running along the barrel.

The final accessory (yep, it's a lot!) is a transformable mini-figure which I go into below.

Decepticon Giza

Giza is fun callback to "Arms Micron" Nemesis Prime who came with a Mini-Con partner also named Giza. However, according to The TFWiki Giza's name comes from the words "nokogirizame" meaning "saw shark" (Giza transformed into a saw shark). This time out however Giza is a bird! He has a sleek design with a distinctive beak in front, a crest of feathers on top of the head, a fin on the back and tail feathers. His wingspan is huge since the wings form the sword blade. The way the figure is sculpted, he appears to only have one foot on the bottom so it is kind of comical imagining him hopping around everywhere on one foot!

To transform Giza, swing the tail feather piece over the back, rotate the wings and then swing them together. This forms a substantial looking sword. The bulkiness of the base does give it some resemblance to "Arms Micron" Giza, but the bird head sticks out so you can still see the avian design influences.

Giza is cast in silver plastic and his eyes are painted red.

Nemesis Prime

Robot Mode:
Nemesis Prime could have easily been a straight up redeco of Optimus Prime and it would have worked. After all, most versions (see list above) are just that, a redeco of some Optimus Prime figure in the same line. However for this version of Nemesis the designers decided to go an extra step: giving him a new head. This may seem redundant since for the most part Nemesis Prime's head design is the same as Optimus Prime's. Traditionally both feature a central crest, mouthplate, "antennae" on the sides and circles on the sides. However, for this release the designers went with the idea of what Optimus Prime's head would look like if you reworked it with design elements from the Decepticon symbol. The result is this head sculpt. Yes there is a central crest, but it has two distinct points on top, just like the Decepticon symbol. The head has thinner eyes than Optimus and they look narrowed like he is angry. The mouthplate is more narrow than Optimus' and the way the helmet section comes over the mouthplate evokes the appearance of the sides of the Decepticon symbol. Overall this head sculpt is beautiful and distinctive. This is definitely not a face that looks like the character is in a good mood!

The rest of the figure uses the same body as Optimus Prime. This means it benefits from having many of the Masterpiece MP-10 Optimus Prime design elements on it including the overall proportions and the details on the torso, arms and legs. That said, the "final transform" of the robot mode has one added element: the dual barreled blasters on the forearms. Technically you could attach these to Optimus Prime as well since both figures have the small peg on the sides of the forearms. Attaching these weapons to the sides of the arms helps complete the visual callback to "Armada" Optimus Prime, who in part helped inspire this figure (see the official description above).

Nemesis Prime is mostly cast in black plastic (no shock there). Some of the smaller sections such as the thighs and smokestacks are silver plastic. The windows on his chest are translucent dark red. Teal blue paint applications can be found on the forearms and waist area. Meanwhile silver is used to paint the face, mouthplate, grille and the vents on his legs. The chest panels have black paint on them since they are made up of clear plastic. The black blends well with the plastic, but it does have a more shiny appearance under certain lighting. Finally, the eyes are painted red. This figure does still make use of stickers for some details. Each shoulder has a Decepticon symbol sticker on it and each forearm has designs that look like pistons near the elbows.

All twenty one points of articulation on my copy of this figure are just as tight as those on my copy of Optimus Prime. You do need to make sure the ankle joints are locked in place or he'll go flopping around pretty easily. It is also important to keep the panels on the sides of the forearms clipped in since the added weight of the dual barreled cannons will pull them outward otherwise. Like Optimus Prime, you can open up the chest panels to reveal the Matrix and remove it. Technically speaking if you store the rifle on the back (by attaching it to one of Nemesis Pax's fists) the figure can have all its accessories attached to it at one time.

Overall this robot mode looks great. The colors are "classic" Nemesis Prime colors and the teal and silver really pop against the black. The red windows and eyes add a bit of extra depth to the overall color scheme. I also love the way the new accessories serve as homage and additional play value.

Transformation to Vehicle Mode:

Detach the weapon(s) and set them aside for now.
On the back there is a black tab. Push it down and pull out the "back pack" to remove the Nemesis Pax portion of the figure.
Swing the legs on Nemsis Pax down, then rotate them outward so the wheels are on the left and right sides. Slide the tab on the right side into the corresponding slot on the left side at the end of the legs to keep them together.
Swing the clear red panel on the back down. Then swing the robot head down.
Swing Nemesis Prime's head down.
Swing each of Pax's arms back, covering Nemesis Prime's head.
Swing down each of the window panels in the front, revealing the front wheels and side windows.
Swing the panels with the front wheels back to form the sides of the cab.
Starting with the trailer, swing out the silver panels on each of the lower legs and unfold them all so the panel is flat.
Push each foot up.
Push the top of each smokestack down.
Fold out the panels on the forearms, swinging each small panel out.
Swing each arm up, rotate it around, then swing the arms forward on the shoulder hinge.
Swing the silver panels on the lower legs up and fold the top halves together.
Swing the small panels on the arms back to complete the trailer. The panels on the arms clip to the ones on the legs.
On the front of the trailer, swing out the small peg. This allows you to connect the trailer to the cab.
The rifle can be attached to the top of the trailer.
Connect the two swords together, then attach the Vorpal/Dark Saber to the top of the truck.
If you swing out the forearm panels forward on the trailer section you can attach the dual barreled blasters.

Vehicle Mode:
If you leave off all the accessories, this truck mode is basically just a mostly black version of Optimus Prime's truck mode. Even if you attach the rifle (the only weapon the two figures share) he is still mostly black. The front windows are translucent red and the side windows are painted red. There is some silver paint on the cab on the side view mirrors, a stripe on the sides, the grille and the windshield wipers. The headlights are painted the same metallic teal color used in robot mode. The trailer mostly uses stickers along the side for detailing. These stickers follow a similar pattern to Optimus Prime's, but they are teal on silver with Decepticon symbols on the sides.

The heavy use of black colors may sound like it would look dull, but in fact the black color does something interesting. I noted in my Optimus Prime review that the trailer winds up with a lot of small gaps that kind of mess with the overall aesthetic. However, on this figure the uniformity of all the black plastic helps "hide" those gaps a bit (unless you're shining a super bright, blazing light on the figure). This helps the appearance of the figure quite a bit.

One heads up: on my copy of this figure the stickers on the sides of the trailer were applied nicely (see my photos above). However, a friend of mine received a copy of this figure where the stickers were very roughly applied and did not look good. If you plan to take the figure out, I would recommend doing it as soon as possible to see if you need to arrange for an exchange.

While this mode does not have any retooling, the vehicle form has to accommodate all the accessories included with the figure and that gives it a very different look. The dual barreled blasters wind up on the sides when you swing out the forearm panels. The swords and rifle wind up on the top. The overall effect is a mean looking, heavily armed truck in heavy contrast to Optimus Prime who only had his rifle. I absolutely love the look of this vehicle with all the extra parts attached. It has a distinct and "evil" look to it!

For those curious, there are still four pegs on top of the trailer to connect 'Master figures. The only issue you may have is with having all the accessories attached and trying to attach four 'Master figures. The weapons simply get in the way of the ones towards the middle, so you need to move the weapons to accommodate them.

Transformation to Nemesis Pax:

Separate the cab from the trailer.
Swing the panels with the front wheel wells up.
Swing the side panels out, then forward.
Swing the sections with the two rear wheels down, then separate them from one another to begin forming the legs.
Swivel each lower leg so the wheels face the back.
Swing each foot out.
Swing the robot arms back, then rotat ethe lower part of the arms around.
Swing the fists out of the forearms.
Swing the torso panel up and swing the head down.

Nemesis Pax

Nemesis Pax is a whole new character, and it is interesting to think of a hypothetical universe where Orion Pax was corrupted, then upgraded into Nemesis Prime! Most of the time, Nemesis Prime is just presented as a corrupted Optimus Prime, with the Orion Pax identity never really coming into play.

The Orion Pax head was a rather "friendly" looking, so the designers gave Nemesis Pax a whole new head. This head design really shows the designers decided to have some fun. The general shape of the head looks like Optimus Prime's head gone punk. The middle has a series of spikes running from the back to the front where the crest is located. This gives the appearance of a robotic mohawk! Then the face has a very jagged look to it that looks aggressive. Then on the sides, the circles and "antennae" have raised, pointy looking sections. The end result is a face that looks more like a warrior than a peace loving robot and it looks fantastic!

The rest of the figure reuses Orion Pax's body. Most of the figure is black, with silver plastic used on smaller bits like the elbow joints and the thighs. The chest panel is translucent red plastic with parts on the perimeter painted black. The section in the middle is painted metallic teal. Under that (and on the face) are silver paint details. Combined with the red eyes, this brings the figure in line with the larger Nemesis Prime figure in terms of deco.

The finishing touch on the deco are three stickers. The left shoulder has a small Decepticon symbol on it. The legs each have small teal and silver stickers that echo the leg vents on the larger Nemesis Prime figure. Overall the figure looks great as an "evil" Orion Pax!

All the joints on my copy of Nemesis Pax are just as solid as those on my Orion Pax. He can hold all the weapons in this set in his hands, but for the dual barreled blasters you'll have to adjust them a bit since their pegs are not very long.

Final Thoughts:
Nemesis Prime is a fantastic example of how to do an exclusive. I think I would have been happy with just a Nemesis Prime deco and one new head. But two new heads and a few new accessories to boot? A reference to his "Arms Micron" version? An "Armada" reference too?! There's a lot of love in this exclusive and I highly recommend it!

Pros:

Two new heads instead of just one!
New accessories add play value and serve as nice homages to previous figures.
Deco continues the Nemesis Prime "lineage" with familiar colors.
Original sculpt had fun play value, and this figure is no different.

Cons:

Stickers may not be applied well right out of the box.
Being an Amazon exclusive may make this difficult for fans to order.

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