Transformers Age of the Primes Prima Prime review

Step aside, D-16. The Age of the Primes has just begun...again...see, back in 2018, we retroactively called a trio of Generations lines the Prime Wars Trilogy, consisting of Combiner Wars, Titans Return (not Titan Wars), and Power of the Primes. That specific line represented the Primes as little Titan Master figurines with Matrix cores and Pretender shells, a contrast to the full-fledged toys we have for the characters. Sure, the Evolution gimmick had Orion Pax, Hot Rod, and Optimus Primal turn into larger Leaders, but then there was the leftover of combiners to sell. Both lines may have the titular Transformers and combiners, but with varying differences in how they function. Smaller scale figures below Deluxes were scrapped, while Commanders were added. Let's start with Prima, the very first Prime to ever exist.

Here we have Prima Prime in his altmode. It's comparable to the design we've seen on G1 Kup, as well as the Siege versions of Ironhide and Ratchet. It has more of a lunar rover influence, no doubt fitting the more unconventional areas of Cybertron at the time he was around. The contrast between the light gray and the gunmetal makes for a solid combo, though it is a case of me both wishing that the gray were painted silver while hoping it doesn't yellow. The size of the windshield does come across as something ginormous concerning the rest of the altmode. It's generally not the most inventive altmode ever, but it befits the trend of making Autobot leaders truck-like.

A hover mode involves lowering the wheels down and having them face the ground, similar to Siege Optimus Prime. Unlike that figure, however, Prima has his bonus mode officially mentioned in the instructions.

The Star Saber can be split apart by putting the blade into the middle of the legs while the hilt goes underneath. The former works okay while the latter looks goofy with the reliance on a 3mm peg. I also prefer if the sword weren't split apart. 

The sword can also peg into the front of the altmode for some crazy jousting action. The Star Saber itself may look different from..what we saw in the Transformers Prime series, but that was because the sword was meant to homage its appearance in the Covenant of Primus. That is a trait similar to the die-cast Star Sabers Dr. Wu made a decade ago.

Transformation is comparable to what we previously had with the aforementioned Kup and Ironhide figures, mostly the sequence Titans Return Kup has. Though things are different with the leg transformation and the intricate torso conversion, I can't help but wonder if there were some intended similarities between this and the examples I mentioned. That or it could be a coincidence since the front of the altmode merely goes on the back. The robot mode is based on his Covenant of Primus design, though blockier to fit the Generations aesthetic. I don't mind that too much since it does allow HasTak to come up with a way to engineer an altmode for a figure they'd put as part of a mainline budget rather than an MPM budget. The color break-up works fine enough here like in the altmode, but I once again feel like the figure could go for silver paint. At least the blue accents help it's sculpt pop. The backpack having a flap that doesn't fold away is bothersome, and I kind of wish there was a way to have it fold inwards. Other than that, the robot mode works well for the character in question.

The head sculpt is meant to resemble the "Powerful Robot" shown in a G1 cartoon flashback; that former generic nobody was retconned by Ask Vector Prime into Prima as we know him. That comment on wishing the gray was painted silver definitely applies to the face, which just looks unfinished. The articulation is standard for a Voyager, with a ball jointed neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, bicep rotation, hinged elbows, wrist rotation, finger articulation a la Earthrise Prime, waist rotation (somewhat hindered by the skirt flaps being above the joint), universal hips, thigh rotation, hinged knees, and ankles that hinge as well as pivot. 

The Matrix can be stored either on the hilt of the Star Saber or within his chest, and it is also able to store on the side of the backpack. I wish the silver paint job didn't come off as looking like it was sprayed on since you could see the blue peeking through. 

For a size comparison, here he is with SS86 Optimus Prime. It wouldn't surprise me that Optimus would tower over his fellow Primes if he was meant to be the Big Buddha of the Autobots. I mean, Earthrise Prime was Voyager scale, but I'm fine with this. Overall, Prima Prime is a solid take on a character we rarely see in physical form, and his stab at an action figure also works well for him. Not perfect 100% but I'm stoked to see how the others will turn out.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐