General Information:
Release Date: December 2018
Price Point: $9.99 (Varies by retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Target, Walmart, Amazon etc.)
Accessories: None
*Images and text below from The Official Transformers web site:
"Picture this: me, on Earth, still cooler than everyone this side of Optimus Prime, but I’ve got zero memories. Now I’m on a mission to recover my memories and discover all of my awesome powers. I’ll have to battle Decepticons, outrun an explosion or two, and be heroic- basically, I’m in for one epic ride across the Cyberverse."-Bumblebee
Experience the excitement of quick conversion with figures that change between modes in 1 step. Convert this 1-Step Changer Optimus Prime figure from robot to vehicle with 1 quick twist. Imagine charging into battle in the blink of an eye with Transformers Cyberverse 1-Step Changer figures.
Noble Optimus Prime leads the heroic Autobots on a mission to defend the universe. Look for other Cyberverse 1-Step Changer figures, each sold separately, to imagine bringing the epic adventures of Cyberverse to life!
- Includes Optimus Prime figure and on-box instructions.
- 1-Step Changer Optimus Prime figure inspired by the Cyberverse animated series
- Changes between robot and truck mode in 1 step
- Convert this figure in 1 quick motion
- Look for other Cyberverse 1-Step Changer figures, each sold separately, to imagine recreating awesome scenes from the animation
- Figure scale: 4.25 inches
- Ages 6 and up
- Warning: Choking Hazard - Small parts may be generated. Not for children under 3 years.
In late 2017 it was revealed that a new Transformers cartoon would be replacing "Robots in Disguise". The series focuses on Bumblebee with partial amnesia attempting to regain his memories. A blend of G1 and modern characters combined with a more kid-friendly animation style results in a show that leans more towards a younger audience than even "Robots in Disguise", something which is reflected in the toy line. The toy line was released in countries outside the United States such as Australia around late June 2018. A few weeks later it would be released in North America.
Among the first wave of "Cyberverse" figures were a few 1-Step Changer figures. However, those were all just redecos of figures from "Robots in Disguise". It was not until the second wave that brand new sculpts appeared. This Optimus Prime figure was one of them.
Packaging:
The "Cyberverse" 1-Step Changer packaging is very similar to the 1-Step Changer packaging from the tail end of "Robots in Disguise". Instead of sitting in a bubble on a card, the figure is attached to a plastic tray in vehicle mode. This is then glued to a card that folds around the figure. This packaging uses a striking blue and yellow combination of colors. A vertical "Transformers" logo sits on the right side with an Autobot symbol above it. The front section has a photo of the toy in robot mode and the name of the character. The background features character artwork and the "Cyberverse" logo. The back of the box features Optimus Prime in both modes, featuring his "twist" based transformation. It also shows his cosells from the same case: Megatron and Starscream.
Vehicle Mode:
So far Optimus Prime's appearances in the "Cyberverse" cartoon have been limited to flashbacks so the vehicle mode shown was his Cybertronian form. This truck mode reflects a lot of those semi-futuristic "scifi" style details. This includes angled, overlapping panels on the grille, angled headlight sections and some really nice line designs on the front fender and the sides. That said, at first glance the boxy shape, wheels and smokestacks on the vehicle make it look like it could easily be an Earth-based truck from some future scifi tale. I think the vehicle design and sculpt looks good for a 1-Step Changer.
The front half of the vehicle is cast in a metallic red plastic. The back is blue. The wheels are black plastic. Almost all the deco is focused on the front of the vehicle. The windows are painted light blue with black outline. The grille and fender are painted silver. the only other detail is an Autobot symbol on the right side. I really wish that the side windows had been painted. They are not that big and that splash of color would have gone a long way to keep the sides from looking too plain.
The vehicle mode rolls well on all six wheels (no fake wheels here!). However, the wheels are the "clip on" kind so be careful if you're battling hard against Decepticons because these types of wheels have a tendency to come off when stressed a bit.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
Between the smokestacks is a large black tab. Push it down and then start turning the top section of the truck counter-clockwise and the robot mode parts will unfold. Stop turning once all the parts have flipped out revealing sections like the robot head, arms and moving the legs apart.
It is interesting to note that this transformation mechanism has been used before with 1-Step Changer Galvatron from "Age of Extinction". However, other than possibly the tab you press to begin the transform, I do not believe the two share any parts, so he is not exactly a "retool", more like a new figure borrowing past engineering. Thanks to Pascal I. for the heads up on this.
Robot Mode:
When I first saw the official stock photos of this figure, I thought the robot mode looked way too chunky, partly due to the front wheels from the vehicle mode forming part of a section between the torso and the arms. However, now that I have the figure in front of me the "chunkiness" is somehow much less pronounced. Don't get me wrong, the figure is rather chunky from the torso to the waist area, but it actually looks good overall. This is due mostly to the sculpted details in this form. These include traditional Optimus Prime elements such as his mouth with a face plate, "windshield" windows on his chest and a grille flanked by headlights on the torso.
The top half of this figure is mostly cast in the metallic red plastic seen in the vehicle mode. Blue plastic is used for the he head and legs. There is a pretty impressive amount of deco in this mode considering this is a 1-Step Changer figure. Silver is used on the face, elbows, torso and thighs. The windshield windows are painted light blue with a black outline, even painting the windshield wipers! A bit more black can be found in the waist area. The finishing touches are light blue paint on the eyes and an Autobot symbol on each shoulder. For a 1-Step Changer, I am very impressed with the amount of paint used in this form.
Optimus has two points of articulation in this form: the arms. Each one can swing up and down. Each fist has a 5mm port, allowing him to hold weapons from other figures.
Final Thoughts:
"Cyberverse" 1-Step Changer Optimus Prime is a surprisingly fun and nice looking figure. It was said early on during the announcement of 1-Step Changers that they were partly intended to embrace the "magic" of transformation, and this figure really delivers on that promise. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Good sculpt in both modes.
- Really nice robot mode deco.
- Awesome transformation gimmick.
Cons:
- Limited articulation in robot mode (though this is not unexpected with 1-Step Changers).
- The robot mode may look a bit too chunky for some fans.
