Transformers Power of the Primes Optimus Prime review

Optimus Prime has earned Leader Class figures in a majority of lines, yet it took the G1 incarnation until Titans Return to obtain that size class (even with all of the MP figures). That version from the TR line was based on the Powermaster incarnation, but this one is more based on the traditional G1 design (with some slight design compromises). While it's not going to easily beat MP-10 or the other Masterpiece incarnations of this figure, perhaps it could be a more worthwhile addition into the Generations line. Does it seem to be the case with the Power of the Primes line?

Here it is in its vehicle mode. Its alt mode kind of sucks. The cab doesn't look awful in some angles, but the arms are noticeable from the back. The truck cab is at least not too bad at this angle, but it gets worse in other images. As for the trailer itself, there is a big slab of red that doesn't help disguise the thing itself for a more cohesive look, and the hinges from the front disrupt the pattern for the stickers. Also, why bring back stickers? I know this is part of an Evolution gimmick that Leader Class figures had for this line, but it could have been better in some areas.

It's not a perfect look overall, but to its credit, it is neat to see Optimus have a complete truck and trailer at this price point. You don't see trailers very often for Optimus Primes, and it's a feature that makes G1 Prime feel naked without it. Other Primes are fine without them, but the trailer completes the otherwise boxy truck.

As mentioned, the original cab isn't too hot, and it hurts this version of Optimus because this design's one of the more simple to work with. The last time a G1 Prime had an awful truck mode was the Classics Deluxe, and I think this might be second-worse.

The front looks especially off; you can see how "fat" it looks from this angle, and the Matrix is exposed. The hinges don't add to the look, though the paint apps are appreciative.

The arms are exposed as mentioned along with the head (even when its upside down); yeah, it's not too great.

It's also a fairly small cab, too. Here it is next to Bumblebee from Titans Return. While there might be some smaller Legends, it does make this version of Optimus feel more like a Deluxe in terms of scale.

Here it is with G1 Prime. See what I mean? BTW, my Optimus has the shortened smokestacks.

Here are their trailers together. It's nice to have another Optimus that comes with a trailer, but it's sad how a figure from 1984 has better stickers than the 2018 figure (setting aside my G1 Prime being a reissue).

Transforming Optimus into his robot mode is funny. It's a version of G1 Prime, alright, though there are parts of it that make him look like he's made from truck parts than be in a more exact shape of a robot. The robot mode itself looks like a failed version of the G1 toy. Though the head is bigger and at least the hands don't come off. Still, why does he look like he's crouching weirdly? Next to Bumblebee, he's not as big as I anticipated.

Here it is with G1 Prime. It's crazy to see Hasbro attempt to be this slavish to Geewun. Like, damn, it's so close.

I'm only kidding. The cab's transformation feels like it's a reversed version of G1 Prime's transformation. It's almost like a parody of how the figure transforms, in a way. The resulting robot, however, is Orion Pax, the younger form of Optimus Prime. I've personally never liked the G1 incarnation of Orion Pax since it made the character feel worthless compared to some of the other takes on the character, like the 2005 IDW version or the Aligned version. Either way, this could be seen as the first cartoon-accurate Orion Pax, which does seem cool at first, though the figure kind of sucks visually. The front does look like Orion, alright, but then you look at the back and witness the blatant carryovers of the truck mode. Just, wow. As for stickers, this guy thankfully doesn't have as many as the trailer, with the only ones being on the shins and the tiny Autobot insignia, and there are some good paint apps to make you feel slightly less annoyed with the stickers existing.

The head sculpt looks pretty faithful to the show design, though with lips that are nowhere near as luscious as that of the cartoon.

Articulation is pretty good for what it is. Head is on a ball joint, shoulders move front and back, in and out, the biceps swivel, and the elbows bend at two joints. The wrists can point downward if it counts, though. Hips move front and back (with the hip pieces moving in unison), in and out, and the thighs swivel while the knees bend. There is no useful foot articulation. The figure can use two guns in this configuration, though one looks decent while the other looks dumb.

Oh, Megatron's gonna kill him. Gotta get him in his Prime mode...

...which is pretty neat, if we're being honest. I kind of like seeing the panels fold to better shape Optimus while Orion folds up into a cuboid form to make Prime's chest. The best part is how the cube locks in with a satisfying clip, thanks to the lock from behind the robot frame.

The full Optimus Prime mode is pretty solid overall. While it's not perfect thanks to the massive amount of gray left over from the trailer, and the parts that are painted red aren't the best, it's a decent job at being a larger-scale Optimus Prime. I do wish the kegs weren't so annoying to pose, because it's ankle hinges are kind of loose while the soft ratchets of the hips can be annoying to make him stand straight. Speaking of legs, Orion's legs being exposed from the back doesn't bother me. They make for a decent jet pack in a way.

Headsculpt is the best part of this figure. It's as good as MP-10, and also beats the new MP Prime for not looking bad. The blue eyes complement the look, too.

Articulation for this mode is slightly different. Head is on a ball joint, shoulders move front and back, in and out (though the joints are slightly tighter than normal), the biceps swivel, and the elbows bend at a single joint. The wrists cannot swivel, though. Hips move front and back as well as in and out, and the thighs swivel while the knees bend. The feet can pivot front and back as well as side to side, thankfully. 

One accessory he has is pretty neat is the Matrix of Leadership. It opens (albeit without a piece for covering it like with the MP guys).

This Matrix up close is decently detailed, though obviously not as shiny as some versions. The core can be removed to accommodate other Prime Masters or Enigmas, which was a feature of the line. Sadly, this Optimus lacks finger articulation, meaning he can't hold the Matrix either by opening it or by holding it in the palm of one hand. It's nonsensical, especially given how this could work as an affordable stand-in for a Masterpiece.

The Ion Blaster is pretty good in his hand, though the second handle is present. And while this Optimus isn't the most poseable in the world, he can pull off some decent poses with it.

Here are some size comparisons with Titans Return Bumblebee and Combiner Wars Megatron. They look alright, though Bumblebee should be slightly taller. As with Megatron, he's pretty good to have next to him, which makes me pretty content with having an Optimus Prime and a Megatron in the same size. I've gotten a similar collection mindset with Siege and Classics, though I do want to have a G1 Megatron to go with G1 Prime someday.

These two are not too bad. They're both flawed figures that make them feel a lot less appealing due to their newer figures from Siege taking the spotlight as well as the best versions of the characters (and ones that scale better) while also being neglected by richer fans that take advantage of the Masterpiece and 3rd Party lines. The best aspects of them do make them worth keeping in my opinion. Megatron's tank mode and silver paint make him worth owning, while the gimmicks and inclusion of an Orion Pax make this Optimus Prime worth owning.

Final Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Combiner Wars Megatron review

Megatron's involvement in the CHUG line has been pretty rocky, with the initial Classics figures consisting of a Voyager Nerf and a Deluxe tank from a 2-pack with a mediocre G1 Optimus. His Takara repaints were nicer but expensive. His IDW forms in the Thrilling 30 line looked good but were sadly small, and it wasn't until around Titans Return and Siege where G1-styled Megatron figures got to be nicely done. Combiner Wars Megatron was once seen as the best version of the character for a while, but it has since been forgotten about or looked down upon now for how it aged. While it's nowhere near as worth the money compared to 2009 Leaders like ROTF Optimus Prime or Animated Ultra Magnus, does it manage to be a decent toy when viewed specifically in its own line?

Here is the tank mode, and what a tank mode it is! The silver paint makes it feel a lot more premium than it actually is, the sculpted details look slick, and I especially love how well it goes for a tank design that's more traditional. While a wash would accentuate the sculpting present on this toy, I like the shiny silver paint on this altmode. I also love how the treads don't have tiny wheels and molded plastic, but they're actually working treads. As far as I'm aware, the last figure that had this feature was Armada Scavenger, which was made in 2003 and predated this figure by 12 years! The red tip on the barrel of the tank? That's a missile that launches, and now we must move on to the other parts of this figure.

You can swivel the turret on a mechanism built within Megatron's chest. While I like the fact that it's got that feature, I have to admit that the mechanism sounds bad. Instead of it being a nice ratcheting swivel or a more silent one relying on friction, this instead has a mechanism that makes the toy rattle so awkwardly, and it sounds lifeless, too. On another note, there are plenty of 5mm ports on this altmode, and while they do allow for some Minicon compatibility, there were no Minicons in this line. Given how Armada Starscream and Centurion were in the Thrilling 30 line, part of me wondered if Megatron and Armada Megatron were supposed to be in that label instead of the Combiner Wars moniker. Either way, they aren't as noticeably lacking as the two miniguns that would serve as missile pods if they were included. Alas, I'm missing them.

There's not much else in terms of paint apps aside from the silver coat, though you do have a Decepticon insignia. It's nicely applied, though I should mention that there was a sticker sheet included with extra Decepticon insignias as well as Autobot ones and the swirly details from the old G1 toy.

The transformation is very basic for what it's going for. The instructions say that there are 15 steps (same amount as the AOE First Edition Optimus Prime and less than both Leader Optimus and Grimlock from the same line), but BWTF mentioned 10 steps. That's an extremely low count for a Leader Class figure, especially when most Leader Class figures have more steps than that. While some from the Cybertron or Animated lines have had simple conversions, at least they felt more enjoyable because of how they transformed. Combiner Wars Megatron just has you straighten his legs, attach the chest piece, roll up his sleeves, and relocate his HUGE tank tread chunks to the back, which kind of makes him lean.

The robot mode certainly captures the G1 character design for Megatron. It's got the design cues from the shoulder, chest, and fusion cannon down pretty well, but I'm not too sure if it's really as perfect as some thought it was back when it first came out. Yeah, it's a nice, big Megatron, but the figure has a huge backpack from the side, the design makes him look like a parallelogram, and there's not much else to make this figure look more dynamic when not in a pose. It's like a Titan Hero figure got a massive budget upgrade, though said budget upgrade comes from a Deluxe Class Transformer rather than a Leader Class one. While there are parts of the design that I don't like, I do love how the lower legs at least resemble a gun handle from the side, and I also like the treads actually being integrated from within the legs rather than being pasted on the sides. I should also mention that the fusion cannon is reversed intentionally. The missile should normally face the front, but it's better to have Megatron's cannon look bigger when it's pointing at an enemy.

The head sculpt is very nicely done, and it may as well be the best part of this figure. The light-piped eyes especially add some intimidation that I personally feel is lacking from G1 Megatron. I say that because while he does have the "angry" look on his face, the voice (in the cartoon, at least) and ridiculous plans make this version of the character lack the tyrannic essence of his Unicron Trilogy, Movie, Animated, Aligned, and Cyberverse incarnations. 

The articulation is decent, though it does have its own share of problems. The head can swivel left and right on a mushroom joint, and it can also look up and down. The shoulders move front and back as well as in and out, but said shoulder joints look bad. They're actually a lot lower than they really need to be, and when you try to pose Megatron with his arms out, these red poles end up looking bad when they're exposed. You can somewhat hinge them front and back on butterfly joints, bend them at the elbows (also on ratchets), and swivel the wrists. There is a bit of a waist swivel, and the hips move front and back, though both joints are limited. The legs can move outwards, swivel at the thighs, and bend 45 degrees at the knees. Yes. While some poses can be possible, they're not all as dynamic as you'd want them to.

This is the Takara version of Combiner Wars Megatron, now in the Legends line. It removes a lot of the red and replaces it with silver or grey. There is still some red leftover, though, so not a whole lot of differences are present here.

Here is the simultaneously released Armada Megatron, which doesn't look too bad in some ways. While I would love a much more faithful action figure overall, this is not too bad, though it's dumb how immediately available it was along with the G1 version. Sort of like if Hasbro made two Bumblebees in the same wave.

This is the Takara version of Armada Megatron, also in the Legends line. It's curious how he's not called "Micron Legend Megatron since most Legends figures had their Japanese monikers. Regardless, this one is a bit more accurate to the anime while the Hasbro version was more reflective of the American version of the toy.

This is a decent figure at best. I don't think it managed to age as well as I thought it would, considering how it was once seen as the definitive version of the character. Since the Voyager scale did Megatron a bit more justice, it's a shame this guy feels less like a must and more of a figure completionists would stick with. Funny how many people put this in a display with MP-10 Prime before the Masterpiece version was officially made in 2017. Right now, this figure may be in most fans' storage rooms, but it could be decent if you want to get it for cheap or for a display with POTP Optimus. Otherwise, get the Siege figure.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Power Rangers Beast-X Megazord review

The first three Zords were pretty good overall, even if they had their own issues, be it from some design choices I don't like or how they're priced. They were pretty solid versions of the Go-Busters mecha with their own additions, which make them stand out a bit more than the Bandai America versions of Japan's incarnations individually. Now that we've taken a look at the Racer Zord, Wheeler Zord, and Chopper Zord, it's time to see how good the Beast-X Megazord is!

Here are the three Zords before they merge into the Megazord of the season. Racer Zord's the only one that needs slight adjustments while the others require partsforming...

...and said partsforming is quite shocking! This combination is pretty involved in terms of part count and where the pieces go. In some ways, I can see kids won't be used to this method, but I for one like the approach that the Beast Morphers Zords have. They're more than just folding limbs or wheels away to make an arm or a leg, and this combination feels a lot more worthwhile as a 3-piece combiner compared to the other ones from the past. Storm Megazord and Thundersaurus Megazord were my childhood favorites, but in hindsight, it's obvious that the Zord sizes were so lopsided. Jungle Fury had two Zords as legs while one as the upper body, while RPM had two Zords be the torso and one be the legs. Dino Charge brought back the lopsided Zord scale again by having at least the main Megazord have the Triceratops and Stegosaurus as smaller units compared to Rexy. Beast-X Megazord reminds me of Zord combinations like Thunder Megazord, Mega Voyager, and Titan Megazord, where it's not immediately obvious where each piece goes. 

This does the approach the most in my opinion, with the parts spreading out somewhat to make the layout of the Megazord look less obvious with where each part goes, and as many pieces as there are to keep track of, I love this method and find it refreshing in comparison to many recent Megazords. Hell, I find this is more like a Transformers version of Thunder Megazord's combination, what with the similar sequences from the new boots, arms, chest piece, and helmet. That being said, I do feel some connection methods are a bit off in terms of how they connect. The new boots have to be precisely attached to the Racer Zord's legs without making them feel like they could slide off somewhat, the arms can feel like they wiggle slightly when moving the figure around, the clips for the rabbit and cheetah heads feel loose, the helmet horns feel a bit loose even out of the box, the helmet not quite moving simultaneously with the Racer Zord's head underneath it, and the back piece consisting of the gorilla and the rabbit's forelegs wobble way too much, even if they won't come off. Everything else, like the gorilla arms attaching to the gorilla legs before they go on Red's Zord, the chest piece, the helicopter blades, the weapons, and the helmet pieces, all work well.

Now, after all of the wait for the first combination of the line, here is the Beast-X Megazord in all its glory. I have to say that it's impressive to have a mainline Megazord that blows away what the Bandai America Megazords have to offer in terms of not just proportions, but also in height. While it's slightly lighter than I anticipated, its size makes it feel more accomplishing overall compared to the previous Megazords due to its buildup from having three Zords that had 7 modes before they even made the giant robot. It's pretty tall and impressive from the front, though the side and back have the rabbit piece stick out like a sore thumb. It was sort of like that in Japan, but it's more prominent here thanks to the gorilla torso already being there. Thankfully, you can remove it if you want, and it can sort of work as a stupidly funny ED-209 if you want. Also, the arms aren't sticking out from the back in a stupid way, though you have to lower the hand of the right arm so it won't clash with the rabbit head. The colors aren't the metallic shades that they had in Go-Buster Oh, but at least they are not awfully lacking any serious details. I can imagine Bandai America not entirely painting the helmet, the rabbit ears from the helicopter ears, the silver rims, and some of Red's parts if they made this design for the Zordbuilder line.

The helmet does look pretty good, and while it makes the face look pretty small, it's a lot more prominent as a while with the Megazord body. I also like how it combines the aesthetics of the three Zords, though the horns could really use a bit of yellow paint at the tips to complete them.

The articulation is still pretty decent, though a bit hindered unlike the Racer Zord. The head can swivel side to side unlike the Japanese version, shoulders can move front and back and in and out very, very slightly. The arms swivel at the biceps, and the elbows bend (last two features I'm sure the Japanese version can't do), and the waist swivels. You can attempt to pose the legs, but not so much in an effective way that the Racer Zord has. Some poses are more possible than others, such as the one I pulled off in the second pic. It's not perfect like Soul of Chogokin Megazord/Daizyujin, but it's better than what most Megazords can do. Also, the sword looks pretty decent in hand with the helicopter blades.

Here is the Beast-X Megazord next to Go-Buster Oh, the candy toy version from Bandai Japan, and the nontransforming Beast-X Megazord from Hasbro. Many Sentai purists, be it ones that did grow up with Super Sentai or the ones that act like they've been fans of the series way more than they did with Power Rangers since they have Ameritaku tendencies, would almost always praise the Japanese molds just because they have a lot more paint or have dense plastic and will trash the American Megazords just because they're not the Japanese molds. Japan's Sentai Robo may have somewhat metallic colors and nicer plastic quality, but its proportions SUCKED. Between the massive size of the forearms, the huge gap between the legs of Ace and then the extra space made even further with the boots, the tiny head, and how oversized the thighs are, this Robo ends up looking awful compared to Hasbro's version of the Megazord. The candy toy's slightly better, though it's very small and required stickers. It's somewhat poseable like the Hasbro version of the Megazord, but it's not quite perfect. The nontransforming version is pretty decent in terms of proportions, and its size fits in better with previous Megazords, though it's not able to split in three Zords, nor is it too poseable.

Here it is next to some of the more recent Bandai America Megazords. If you want to make a stop motion based on the Dino War, this Megazord will tower over the others quite a bit. No, I don't have Thundersaurus, but I'd love to someday!

For any Transformers fans curious about the scale, here it is next to MPM-4 Optimus Prime and Power of the Primes Optimus. Racer Zord was in a similar height with both Primes, but now he towers over them. I think he might be the size of a Combiner Wars Gestalt or MPM-8 Megatron.

Here are the basic figures for an idea of the scale. I also want to give a bit of attention to the original stock photos. They did not do much justice with the design of the Megazord. The arms didn't look like they would bend, the legs have a gap reminiscent of Generations Metroplex, the rabbit ears looks like they were bent incorrectly and would ruin the look of the gauntlet, and it made the Megazord look less convincing than it is in-person. I wish Hasbro put up more official images of the Beast-X Megazord to show how it'd look in person and with better angles because these initial stock images do a massive disservice to what it's actually like.

This first attempt at a Megazord is a lot better than I expected. I knew Hasbro was able to pull off pretty good basic figures and a Morpher among some of the other items shown at Toy Fair, but the Zords made me wonder how they'd be handled in the US due to how they work overall. Hasbro could have made these Zords as weak as the Overdrive ones, or they could have made them feel as compromised as the Zordbuilder ones from Samurai or Super Megaforce, but I'm happy that they were not only faithful to the Japanese functionality but also added some new things that the Japanese version didn't have, like the added articulation and the better proportions. Sure, I wish the paint was more metallic, and I do wish the plastics were a bit denser overall. I still wish the Dual Changers were priced at $19.99 and have the Triple Changers easy to spot in-person for those that want to get them individually, but in-hand, it's impressive on display and even plays pretty well, too. The 5-pack version includes Grid Battleforce logos for these Zords and the little figurines, but how I got my Zords involved me getting the Racer Zord from Mexico while the Wheeler and Chopper were both at Targets near me. If you want to get these Zords individually, happy hunting and be sure to find some discounts if you don't like paying full price for them. Until next time (in terms of Power Rangers reviews), pray that some silver and gold show up in this site sooner than later.

Overall ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐