UPDATE (12/3/2020): Shattered Glass Optimus Prime added
The side view looks pretty decent, though the thighs are a little visible. The gas tanks are reminiscent of the Bumblebee movie, and the rims of the vehicle mode are from the MV1 version of Studio Series Optimus Prime...more on that in a moment.
The gun can be stored on the back, which isn't quite as subtle as the method used on MP-10, but it's neat to fill the gap, nonetheless.
Here is Optimus Prime's trailer, which isn't as nice-looking as the cab itself. Some nice molded details, but it feels a little lifeless. The dark gray plastic doesn't look too good with the light gray plastic, and the pieces that hold the tires look like they're attached with half-assed Lego pieces, and while the stand does look realistic for normal trailers, the lack of proper stabilizers makes this somewhat-loose piece feel like an afterthought. Additionally, the decal for the trailer looks ghastly due to the lack of a silver decal to go behind the blue lines and the Autobot insignia. As it is, it feels like an afterthought.
It could have been a lot better than it currently is, and it's not like I'm asking for it to be dipped in silver paint or have die-cast parts, but this feels more like a trailer that would come from a knockoff version of a Robotmasters Optimus Prime instead of the nicely done Optimus Prime this trailer comes with.
Optimus Prime can haul the trailer, and while Prime himself looks good, the trailer still feels lackluster on there. Like I said, it didn't have to be exactly a thousand times better than it is, but a little goes a long way.
Here he is in-between the G1 and Power of the Primes versions of Optimus Prime. I'll admit that POTP Optimus Prime's truck mode doesn't look too hot, so we'll only mention that the scale is similar to them (though the POTP trailer feels a little denser in terms of plastic compared to the ER version due to how it functions. Now G1 Prime's trailer is one of the more recent versions of the old mold, but the trailer feels better done in terms of how the sticker contrasts nicely from the rest of the toy as well as the design of the trailer not feeling quite as cheap in-hand as the Earthrise version did. This isn't me saying "they don't make em like they used to" like all the Facebook Geewunners would say, this is me saying "was this the best that Hasbro could do with Earthrise Prime's trailer?"; the cab is thankfully much nicer.
Here is Prime's trailer opened up. Once again, I love all the sculpted details throughout the toy, but I really wish that this wasn't the best that they got for the trailer. I get that they don't want to repeat the same mistake that POTP did and make stickers that would suck, but this trailer would honestly look much better with things like a bit of color and some of the small seats that were meant for the Diaclone line. Weird as it is for me to wish for something a little more "Geewun" on a toy, but if this was Hasbro's idea of making G1 toys but with modern engineering standards, why skimp on some details? It doesn't have to exactly be like a shrunken-down MP-10 trailer, but more could have been added for this thing.
I guess it is funny that the Combat Deck's head, which does swivel and hinge front and back, does look like it's got a goofy face thanks to the 5mm ports and the slit for the gap, but it looks more like it's reaching its claws out and begging for more paint or details. Not even the cockpit's painted!
Here it is next to the other Combat Deck. Obviously, the added color is just made from the stickers, but you can definitely see just how complete the old trailer feels by comparison. I didn't personally need there to be a sticker sheet from Earthrise Prime, but I'd most certainly love to have more life breathed into the color scheme solely by adding some blue. here and there. And no, Roller's not included with this set, but he is included in an accessory kit that comes with a Centurion Drone, which comes with Roller. Yes, you actually have to buy a repaint that comes with everything that could have come with Prime himself if you want to complete Optimus Prime. It's like Nintendo's methods of DLC, only in plastic!
The trailer can be stood up as always for another form or repair mode, which is nice but it's something that can be easily done if it functions like that.
And one more comparison with the G1 toy. I like that it comes with two claws instead of one, but it could look a lot less lifeless in terms of the plastic color.
For a comparison next to the Siege version of Optimus Prime, you can see just how Cybertronic the previous figure looked compared to ER Prime's more Earth form. Some will say that the Cybertronian form looks lazy because it's got eyebrows and a different front end, but I can appreciate that he has something that at least looks like a vehicle mode without relying too much on copying the WFC design (which is meant to be in the Aligned continuity despite not matching up with the TFP aesthetics). It looks more futuristic flat-nose truck than alien, but it's at least nice to see that they're both versions of Optimus based on the forms he's taken on two different planets.
Their weapon storage is different from one another, since Siege Optimus has the gun and shield on the back due to his lack of trailer.
Siege Optimus Prime can haul the trailer if he wants to, though it looks kind of out of place for his aesthetics.
The turn radius is pretty bad for ER Prime, as the front part of the trailer starts to clash with the smokestacks. Perhaps if the peg would be placed a little farther away from the cab, then I wouldn't mind it so much.
It's no better with Siege Prime, as he's got more bulk for the shoulders that make the turn radius even worse.
The transformation is familiar yet different from Siege Prime. I love how the torso works, with the faux grill folding away to fill up the diaphragm while the wheels fold away to the back so they won't be seen too prominently from the sides. The waist swivels for the transformation like some Primes did, and the way the legs transform isn't as creative as with the Siege version. And now we get to the robot mode, which does look good but could be a bit better. In terms of proportions, the waist ends up looking different due to the side parts being used for the transformation, the arms are a little stubby, the legs look noticeably longer, and the chest windows stick out a little bit more than they normally would. These parts of the figure make me think of MP-01's proportions, though he was able to hide his wheels. The wheels themselves evoke how the Studio OX design looks, though I'll be honest and say that they at least look better here than they normally would. You can clip them off if you want, though it will make the clip weaker and the lower back empty. And finally, there are some color discrepancies that I don't understand. The back of the head and the hands have metallic blue paint that looks nice but they don't match up with the rest of the toy; there are gray biceps instead of red ones, there's no yellow for the middle part of his waist, and there are gray pieces for the back and inner parts of the legs that should be blue.
Head sculpt is the same as the Siege version, though I think it's worse in some instances. The back of his head is metallic blue despite the original version having the same color on both parts of it. Additionally, the eyes look like they're not painted yet they are; that's because there's no silver paint for the face. The eyes were supposed to be yellow, which would stand out more from the rest of the face, but that is not the case. I plan to swap heads with this figure.
Articulation is about the same as we did previously with the Sieger version, though the hip, shoulder, and waist swivels are different from what we got. The biggest difference is that he's now got articulated fingers, which is quite honestly nice for a Voyager Class figure! I wish Jetwing Prime, as well as Siege Magnus, had them, too. The gun he comes with is a new mold from the Siege version, which is nice that it's not reusing parts but it does look a little too thick and stubby. It's nice that it folds away, but its proportions look more like they belong to a super-deformed version of Prime. Also, there's a gray handle for some reason.
The Matrix opens up if you want to recreate him passing it to another wielder or if you want him to "light our darkest hour". The chamber itself is nicely painted and also has the window pieces look like they're a part of it, too. The Matrix itself contrasts nicely with its silver handles, copper shell, and blue core. Looks nicer than the Siege version's empty gap.
The open hands not only show that he can hold it, but that the paint could be a little sloppy.
He can hold it in a decent way as if he was opening it. Not perfectly, but it's manageable with some patience. The stubby arms can't let him pose as if he was opening it from the front.
The trailer can be displayed repairing him like days of old...
...but it can also be used to have him laying on his death bed if you so desire!
The head of the Combat Deck is removable, so you can easily make him look like he's using a jet pack. This is a neat way to depict him with flight capabilities without asking Sideswipe for his jetpack. It does look odd, but it is appreciative in a way.
And the trailer itself can have its ramp removed and serve as a shield. There are some clips made for the ramps if you really want to attach him to Soundbarrier.
While I'm at it, let's go over some of the reuses of this mold. First up, it's the Alternate Universe Optimus Prime variant of the figure, coming with all the accessories that the original Prime came with. He's basically a dead Optimus Prime, which was last seen in toy form with the expensive Convoy Sleep Mode repaint from the Masterpiece line. I wonder why Hasbro didn't do this with all their G1 Primes. Anyways, it's got a nice bonus in terms of tooling, as the head is battle-damaged from the fight with Megatron. Otherwise, cosmetics are simply gray-scale.
Here's another version of the figure, also a store exclusive, but he ditches the trailer like G1 Prime's Walmart reissue did in favor of coming with Sheeldron and Enerax, repaints of Soundbarrier and Pteraxadon. In terms of differences, there are some small metal streaks on the paint and some smokestacks scorches. Interestingly, this is the first version of the mold to lack the trailer while Nemesis Prime, using the Siege mold, comes with it.
For a comparison with his G1 self, you can see that this is basically what people would post pics of on their Instagram accounts and go "Which one do you like?" and what not.
Here he is next to the other recent Leader Class Optimus Primes. They consist of Siege's Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime and Studio Series Jetwing Optimus Prime. Why did I bring them together? Well, I wanted to share you my thoughts on which version of Optimus Prime is the best in terms of engineering and value for money. Siege Galaxy Upgrade Prime has a good amount of beef to him in terms of his proportion and comes with the snap-on armor that makes him a bit bigger than before (though not by much). Studio Series Optimus Prime comes with plenty of accessories and a trailer that gives him different display options and a trailer that transforms into the ring. I felt there could be more to make him worthwhile, like gap covers, extra paint, and some new tooling to make the figure look even more accurate (like with the wheel wells). Earthrise Prime, I feel, doesn't have that much to make him worth the value for money that the other two tried their best to live up to. He should be a 100% perfect slam dunk that would require no real improvements aside from 3rd party upgrade kits, but the fact that the trailer feels cheap, there are some questionable execution with what doesn't get paint, and the fact that some accessories aren't included with this figure but come with a repaint from an obscure character doesn't do it for me. I'd rather have a Cybertron Prime that doesn't transform accurately and a DOTM Prime that's missing some attributes to make him feel more complete than an Optimus Prime that feels rushed and would later get high fan demand from scalpers for a good while.
However, if there is one recent-era Leader Class Optimus Prime that I would recommend, Power of the Primes may not be the perfect line that Siege was, but in terms of engineering, play pattern, and value for money, this guy's honestly more worth the $49.99 price tag he went for than the other ones are. I know that Hasbro wants to go with making Leader Class Transformers that are merely Voyagers with additional accessories, but that doesn't mean they'd certainly be worth their price of admission. Galaxy Optimus isn't worth it that much on his own, but he does better fit the price tag somewhat compared to Studio Series Prime and especially Earthrise Prime. As for Earthrise Prime himself, I feel I've been harsh on him. He's not god-awful by any stretch of the imagination. There are things I like about him, especially considering the robot design and the torso transformation. I already mentioned that he's got accessories missing on top of having a weaksauce trailer, but I find the reused parts neat but questionable at the same time. If you do want to get this figure, first of all, be sure that you can find him in-person. Second, try to get him with some gift cards. And third, try to be lucky finding a good upgrade kit if you have no interest in getting the Centurion Drone. At the regular retail price, he really isn't worth it.
Here we have Optimus Prime in his truck mode. While I appreciate the Siege version for looking unique from the standard truck norms of the G1 take of Optimus Prime, this version of the character is still great to revisit in the Generations offering! It's got a truck mode that gives me serious MP-10 vibes, and that's honestly a good thing since it's one of the better versions of G1 Optimus Prime. There is a little bump that sort of ruins the look, the front rims of the car should be painted, and I wish the smokestacks were longer once again (which can't really be easy to fix given they're molded on the shoulders), but this is honestly one of the best-looking versions of G1 Prime without question. I even love the blue windows looking nice and reflective without exposing any robot parts or attempting to look like the cartoon aesthetic.
Head sculpt is the same as the Siege version, though I think it's worse in some instances. The back of his head is metallic blue despite the original version having the same color on both parts of it. Additionally, the eyes look like they're not painted yet they are; that's because there's no silver paint for the face. The eyes were supposed to be yellow, which would stand out more from the rest of the face, but that is not the case. I plan to swap heads with this figure.
The gun can also be stored on the back if you want.
This figure has received a couple of issues with consistency between stock images. Firstly, the initial images depicted a blue middle section for the trailer, blue hands, blue inner sections for the legs, and yellow eyes. The eyes are left intact for the Hasbro secondary images while the hands and inner leg parts are gray, and the trailer is now the final version. Then Takara made things even more confusing by keeping the same by using blue biceps, a mismatch of parts for the trailer, and the hitch all being on the right leg.
Now we have Shattered Glass Optimus Prime, who is included with a Ratchet that's also decked out in the Shattered Glass color scheme. This guy is reminiscent of the Masterpiece version of the character and had he actually come with the trailer, he'd make for a sweet mini-MP. Sadly, he doesn't come with a trailer like Walmart Prime does, but the trailer did get reused for Netflix Nemesis Prime.
Now for a comparison with another version of the character, which is basically the same but different. It's nice that they have some differences to make them feel different from one another, with Siege Prime having the futuristic look to him and the battle damage while ER Prime has standard G1 Prime elements. I kind of like the proportions of Siege Prime better, since the arms don't look as stubby and his legs don't look too long. His chest also looks a bit nicer in terms of proportions. While their arms, torsos, and thighs are different from one another, their legs appear to mostly reuse parts.
Their heads are one of the few parts reused from the previous figure as mentioned previously. Siege Prime's looks nicer because of the silver paint used for the face contrasting the eyes, whereas they look blank on ER Prime.
Their legs have the engineering borrowed from Siege Prime (who has the covers tucked away to make things easier to see), which is weird because the hinged used for the original toy were not necessary for this version of Optimus. Due to the wheels no longer needing to hinge in a different around the legs so the shins can face forwards, Hasbro reusing the shins like that is neat in terms of saving plastic but is otherwise unnecessary in terms of engineering.
Their chests are different from one another, with Siege Prime having no Matrix chamber to speak of and the Earthrise one coming with one.
Though Siege Optimus may not have a normal Matrix on his chest, the vehicle mode does have a faux chamber for decoration purposes. Shame because that figure would look nice with a Matrix of its own.
So I switched out the heads between the two figures, and ER Prime looks a lot nicer with the proper head coloring while Siege Prime looks like a factory error. He won't stay like that because I intend to replace the ER Prime head with another Siege Prime head.
Their articulation does differ slightly from one another, as Siege Prime's waist swivel has more range while ER Prime's is hampered somewhat. The hips on ER Prime, on the other hand, have more range of motion since the waist piece is broken up.
Weirdly, these knee pieces can still open up despite there not being any purpose for it. The legs don't transform exactly like Siege Prime, so why bother leaving them on there?
Their guns are also different from one another. I think I like Siege Optimus's gun compared to ER Prime's due to its proportions, though the Centurion Drone will come with an even nicer Ion Blaster.
Earthrise Optimus doesn't have an ax, but the jet pack gives him a bit more versability.
Their shields are also different, with one being a ramp from the trailer and the other being a shield that doubles into an ax.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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