Here we have Scourge in his truck mode, a Western Star 4964EX model that is likely unlicensed. Hauling a chrome oil tanker trailer gives this toy an extra premium feel that, when accompanied with the chrome on the grille and wheels, results in a magnificently premium quality that is rare to find in mainline toys these days. Especially when it comes to how likely this got in rough play time by its previous owner (especially in the rear wheels). This also feels nice and hefty like Leader Class toys used to feel back in the day, which was something I said about the same line's versions of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. The added teal accents on the truck, as well as the pink windows and fog lights, results in a sharp color scheme compared to the somewhat unfocused Laser Prime.
The side profile is also pretty good, though I know some will find the biceps and feet to be eyesores somewhat due to them being visible and being gray instead of black. The feet are at least able to blend in decent compared to most recent Primes. I do admit I wish the smokestacks were in chrome like the grille and rims are.
The sword has storage underneath the legs, which is fairly seamless from every other angle. It slides in with the notches of the handguard.
For a comparison with his more recent iteration, here is our original RID Scourge/Black Convoy next to the Legacy version from the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection, which was a repaint of the mainline Laser Optimus Prime. The recent version works well for a more updated take on the original figure when it comes to the sculpted details and alt mode proportions, though it does have a few inaccuracies, mainly with the windows having a split windshield instead of a single windshield, the teal paint apps being going from simpler lines to more prominent pin-stripes, and the light pink being replaced with magenta. We'll get to the bot mode comparisons in a bit.
Transformation is very simple yet effective, as you extend the legs, shift the nose down to make the arms, and opening the faux grille to flip out the head. Not much else to say when it's a well-made figure overall for its time, especially with a robot mode that doesn't age terribly. Apart from the forearms being further apart from the body, this guy wears his blocky chunk better than a lot of G1 toys and recent mainline toys. The rest of the proportions work well, though, with giant shoulder pads that look powerful, a torso that doesn't look fat like on most old G1 Prime toys, and legs that are not too skinny. The figure uses stickers that are silver foil in bot mode (though there is a sticker on the back of the trailer with a paper sticker), but what may throw people off are the upside-down G2 Autobot insignias, which are used in this figure to represent being negative-Autobot as a result of being a former Autobot protoform turned Decepticon leader serving Megatron. For those unaware, the Predacons are the main villain faction of RID 2001 while the Decepticons are a subgroup solely consisting of Scourge and the Commandos (aka G1 Combaticon repaints). His chest is not the same as the truck mode cab, but it could be argued it was meant to be an entirely different design trait that is cosmetic because using the regular cab as the chest would turn out poorly (looking at you, Reveal the Shield Laser Prime). Oh, and the back features a button that doesn't work because Takara (yes, Takara and not Hasbro) removed the electronics, so the headlights do not work in truck mode.
His head sculpt is one of the cooler old-style Prime heads, beating the original, Powermaster, and Combat Hero versions of the character, with only the Beast Wars Ultra Class Optimus Primal being able to surpass it. The more dynamic shape of the head and the angrier eyes make it reminiscent of Classics Prime, though the left eye could use a bit more black paint to complete it better. Apologies for the dust. Articulation consists of a neck swivel, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep swivels, a ratcheted waist swivel, ratcheted hips both for front/back movement as well as outward movement, and ratcheted knees. despite missing wrist swivels, thigh swivels, and ankle pivots, the figure holds up perfectly fine for a 1995 toy. The sword going in his right hand, as well as it being all translucent, is a reminder that the original Laser Prime has the electronics that would light up the weapon, a feature that this repaint is missing as mentioned.
The trailer can open up if you hinge the front of the trailer down and press a trigger that springs the oil tanker open into a battle station, but be careful with the chrome getting scratched! From there, you can whip out an air-pump missile launcher missile in the middle, orient the main tower's cannon forward, and have both the disc launcher (on a ratchet joint with a swivel) as well as the five-point missile launcher ready (which connects to a ball joint). Certainly not the same as the mini command center of the G1 trailer or the Powermaster trailer's armed-to-the-teeth base mode, but this is pretty effective on its own. I wish the seller kept the discs because they were kept the same in terms of sculpted details regarding the faction symbol, albeit now upside down.
Both sides of the trailer feature storage for the missiles as on one side of the base and a spare air pump missile on the other side. Said missiles appear to be the same
Scourge can hold the tower gun as well as the missile launcher, with the right hand, once again, intending to go with the light-up gimmick that was removed from this toy. I'm surprised Takara gutted this feature on their Black Convoy toy as much as you guys and gals are.
As far as reuses are concerned, the Hasbro version is similar to the Black Convoy release, only with darker gray plastics, matte gray stickers, blood-red translucent plastic, a blunt sword tip, and the inclusion of regular Decepticon insignias on the chest and the doors instead of the anti-Autobot insignias. If you got this version of Scourge, you are otherwise good to go and would not need the Takara version because they are otherwise the same. That includes the electronics still being removed.
And now for the trio of Optimus Primes that popped up from the line, starting with the original. This figure looks pretty good in alt mode, with a fairly prominent black body and a fade to red that predates the iconic Movie Prime flame decals, only the robot mode of this toy ends up being inconsistent with he blue being placed either in traditional areas (the head and hands), not fitting well with the rest of the colors (the feet compared to the shins), and being a bit random (the faux grille). The stickers on the chest windows say "OPTIMUS PRIME", similarly to the trailer decals where he burns a forest with the addition of the word "OCTANE" with no relation to G1 Octane other than them sharing a mold years later in Titans Return. Anyways, this figure certainly had a heavier reliance of stickers for the battle platform, but at least the electronics were there.
Takara later made a 2006 reissue of this figure with added improvements, such as the replacement chest decals representing the Matrix of Leadership, tampographs of the G2 Autobot insignias, and chrome for the chest and trailer. The electronics are added back into this toy moving forward.
Randomly for the Year of the Goat, Optimus Prime has been cast in black, clear, gray, orange, and translucent pink plastics (with translucent blue for the missile tips). Chrome is added on the trailer like with Scourge. Honestly. I never understood these kinds of repaints from Hasbro when it comes to the Chinese New Year Primes. The Year of the Snake gave Energon Prime G1 colors with a Prime Force set that matched the WFC-themed Omega Supreme, while the Year of the Horse repaint of MP-10 Prime looked pretty cool with the darker colors, gold chrome, and clear trailer that matched its disappearing ability in the show. Meanwhile, we get what feels like a vague prototype with this guy. Putting him in G1 colors like that Universe 2003 Spychanger Prime toy or in Bayverse colors would be appreciative, honestly.
Immediately after the Takara Prime reissue, eHobby would make an Ultra Magnus out of this figure. No retooling was done, but the cab has a scorchmark that makes it feel more like it drives far too fast, while the robot mode is colored to match G1 Magnus, down to the trailer being mostly blue with red paint apps here and there. The Autobot insignias are inverted in coloring compared to Optimus.
And finally, we have the canceled Universe 2003 Toxitron., who was canceled due to the poor sales the line experienced later in its run as well as the requirement to relocate bigger items from regular retail to store-exclusives. It appears to have no chrome present, but Toxitron at least got love in Animated before getting toys repainted from Optimus Prime in Combiner Wars for FunPub as well as the titular Toxitron Collection as a repaint of Legacy Laser Prime. I don't know if there would be stickers to cover up those screw holes on the window pecs and the shoulders.
For another comparison between the original toy and the updated figure, here we have them both in robot mode. At first, I thought Legacy Scourge was going to be perfect for me, but the more I look at them both, the more I feel the original version is actually the better toy. That doesn't mean I don't like the Legacy version anymore, but the coloring between versions shows how inaccurate the new toy is by being more like Nemesis Prime compared to Scourge going for a more original route with his deco. There should be more gray on the body, the windows shouldn't be pink, and the shoulders look incomplete with the translucent plastic being exposed. Hell, I feel the legs being reused mostly from Earthrise Prime might also compromise the accuracy of the character design, even though it's not really as bad as the inaccurate colors.
While the Legacy version may have the proper hands, a ball-jointed neck, and thigh swivels as well as ankle pivots, one feat it greatly fails at is the shoulder articulation. Because the shoulders are static in place, the new version has the arms start beneath a mere flap, something that the original Laser Prime/Scourge toy gets much better thanks to the engineering not being as held back when it comes to part count compared to the newer figure. I mean, the newer figure could pose fine enough, but OG Scourge wins because his range doesn't feel as limited. Hell, he can even do some yoga poses with his hip joints having even more range. So overall, the new Scourge is still fine for a modern display, but if you have the original RID figure or Car Robots Black Convoy like I do, then you don't need to worry about replacements. This figure is fun, and I'd say it holds up better than a lot of more recent kids toys do in the mainline. I mean, if I was a young fan and I had the option to get either this guy or RID15 Power Surge Optimus, I'd easily pick this guy.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
No comments:
Post a Comment