Transformers Armada: Optimus Prime (deluxe)
Written: Jun 21 '09
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Better constructed than the smaller version, lots more features.
Cons: Bad design on the deluxe form.
The Bottom Line: This Prime is a give and take, durable main figue, flimsy back-end, and the truck design leaves a lot to be desired.
|
|
|
| cdm72's Full Review: Hasbro Transformers: Armada Powerlinx Optimus Prim... |
When the TRANSFORMERS: ARMADA figures came out, I was pretty pleased to find I could get my son an Optimus Prime figure for only $10. That’s a lot cheaper than they were when I was a kid and wishing I had an Optimus Prime. At first I didn’t think it the least bit odd that the figure didn’t come with a trailer. And while awesome, he didn’t seem to be any bigger than the other figures. Smaller in fact than some.
Then I realized my mistake. The Optimus Prime I’d bought him for $10 was only the cheap version. The REAL figure was more expensive, stood a good two inches taller, and came with a trailer. Now THAT’S an Optimus Prime figure.
Physically identical to the smaller version, the bigger Prime is definitely the sturdier of the two, still going strong and in one piece after however many years it’s been since my son first got it. The transformation is the same as the smaller Prime, only the deluxe edition comes with a few bonus features.
First off is his trailer, which in all things Optimus Prime is never just a trailer, never just for show. This one opens up to reveal a pretty complex battle base with multiple layers, several guns, even a small cage in which to imprison pesky enemy mini-cons. The construction of this base isn’t the most sturdy, but it does present a pretty cool look when laid out. In trailer mode, the illusion lasts about as long as Prime does in truck mode, which isn’t long. At first glance, all appears to be normal until you realize the windows are over the wheel wells where no door could possibly be, and the back of the trailer rolls on treads, not wheels. Also, the top of the trailer is indented, not flat, and that’s because of the trailer’s other hidden feature.
It’s not enough to have a deluxe Optimus Prime figure. You need to make that deluxe Prime even MORE deluxe. How? Well, bigger is better, right?
The trailer has a third form, and that is Prime’s lower half. See, the cab of the truck turns into Prime’s body, but the cab and trailer can also combine to form an even bigger Prime. To do this, you turn Prime upside down, fold the feet in, which will fold the fists out, and his legs become the arms of the super Prime. The top and hood of the cab--Prime’s back in robot mode--become the chest of the super version and, once clicked into place, a second head pops up from the chest cavity. This upside down and backward torso is then set atop the trailer, which, when turned inside out and stood upright, forms the legs of the super Prime.
The design of this super form? Well . . . it’s better than the PowerMasters super version, I’ll give it that. The top half of the front of the figure is pretty impressive, but everything from the waist down is horrible. The legs/trailer do not pose, they do not go together, they do not move at all. Super Prime stands there with a constant inverted V from the waist down and, when seen from any angle at all, it looks like he’s wearing a skirt, to be honest. And if you turn the figure at all, the illusion is totally ruined because the side and rear views reveal all the parts you’ve had to tuck away, like the smaller form’s arms, the battle scaffold sections of the trailer, and that’s not even mentioning the gaping empty space back there. While the idea was a good one, the design of the Super-Prime was just not well-planned at all. And I have to say, seeing Prime in truck mode . . . remember I said folding the feet in reveals the bigger figure’s hands? Yeah, in truck mode, those hands--big golden fists--are sticking out from the rear of the truck, behind the wheels. Not very subtle there, guys.
As with all things Armada, Optimus Prime has his own mini-con. While the smaller version came with Over-run the jet, the bigger figure has Sparkplug, a yellow Lamborghini. I’ve always liked the way this one transforms. The hood splits and becomes the feet while the rear quarter panels unfold to become the arms and the roof of the car shifts back while a sliver of hood and windshield fold under to reveal the head. There’s something very organic about this character’s design that makes it feel less like pulling pieces out and folding others in and undoing this to pull this fist out and fold that arm up, and more like an honest transformation of a car into a robot. This is probably the first Armada figure to really impress me.
When attached to the Optimus figure in super mode, Sparkplug unlocks a button on Prime’s shoulder that makes his gun light up. There’s also another feature that’s supposed to cause the trailer to begin transforming when the figure does, but we’ve never bothered with batteries in the main section, so I have no idea how well, or even if that feature works.
While this deluxe Prime isn’t perfect, it makes a decent figure, an imposing leader, and a great addition to your Transformers collection. While the smaller version is cheaper, for the full Optimus Prime effect, this version is worth the extra cost. Just take care with it; that trailer really is flimsy.
Other Primes:
Optimus Prime, Armada Super Con
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 25
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
cdm72
|
 in Music, Movies, Books |
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: St. Joseph, MO, USA
Reviews written: 769
Trusted by: 112 members
About Me:
That's me in front of Trent Reznor's house in NOLA several years ago.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.