Transformers Studio Series ROTB Wheeljack review

Anyone find it ironic how the same people who didn't believe Bonaventura's comments on ROTB being a prequel to the 2007 movie are the same people who thought Wheeljack was going to be redesigned like Sonic was? I wish people would point it out more, but what else can I expect from the fandom? Anyways, Wheeljack wasn't as prominent in the movie, though I did like seeing him in the movie, whether he's showcasing his distaste towards Noah's "racism" and his decent attempts at being able to stand on his own in a battle. It's amusing seeing him do more than Downshift did in the Bumblebee movie, but let's see if the Studio Series figure manages to be better than the already good mainline Deluxe beyond the movie accuracy.

Here we have Wheeljack in his van mode, a proper Volkswagen Type 2 microbus. This is easily a step up from the original version, maintaining the similar details we already had with even better ones this time around, what with the silver trim that separates the light brown and the cream-white of the vehicle. The Volkswagen logo returns as well, especially after the Bumblebee movie had its titular character as a Beetle for a majority of time. I also like seeing the headlights and door handles picked out, the "Reparacion de T.V. Pablo" decals are intact (though the left side seen here separates the "-ablo" from the rest of it), and even the less noticeable details, like the rack on top as well as the bumper, better match the real model. Amusingly, Wheeljack's head is peering behind the windshield, which is sometimes funny to see like with X-Brawn, Armada Side Swipe, and some Ironhide toys.

The side of the vehicle is also looks pretty good in spite of the slight gap that the shins make since they don't entirely stay flush; it's due to the way what will be the forearms are molded. I wish the decals representing the "Ventas y Servicios" was intact, but it might be a nightmare to reproduce given how the toy transforms. I do wish the rims were given both the rims paint as well as the trim surrounding the rims.An actual issue I have with the toy has to do with the fact that the doors don't really match the shade of light brown that the rest of the figure has.

The gun can be stored on the top, which is a bit weak that it is a pistol similar to the generic Autobot pistol instead of the proper cannons that he had in the movie, but it loosely resembles the roof rifle that was shown only in a character poster where Wheeljack was fighting against Battletrap. I'm guessing it got cut since Arcee was already helping Jackie out.

For an alt-mode comparison, here he is next to his mainline counterpart. The new figure is already better than the previous version due to its much closer appearance to the movie's vehicle prop, between the sculpted details and the coloring being accurate. That being said, the mainline figure is a pretty good toy despite not being a licensed Microbus. Weirdly, Bumblebee was probably the only licensed carformer in the mainline Rise of the Beasts toy line, but then again, big name character and General Motors have been Hasbro's friend since 2007 (or earlier if you count Alternators).

And here we have Wheeljack with the rest of the Autobots recreating the promo pic Steven Caple Jr was in, and the scale is generally accurate apart from Optimus likely needing to be a bit bigger and Arcee a little smaller. Wheeljack being a small van is accurate to the real world since the Microbus wasn't that big of a vehicle to begin with, so this works pretty fine without causing worries over the size differences.

Transformation is where things get pretty bad for Wheeljack; it works well on paper yet the lack of spacing as well as the fact that the doors and the front of the van pop off due to them not being pinned ruins what might have been a decent transformation. The legs transform fine enough, but the doors don't have enough space to move out of the way due to the way they're oriented; meanwhile, the forearm kibble that is made up from the roof can be tedious to move out of the way if you're not moving the arms in the right direction during transformation. I don't agree with PrimeVsPrime that this is as difficult as the ROTF Leader Optimus because the issue that figure faced was a terrible instruction manual and fans not being patient or trained to transform the toy right at the time; I will at least say that the figure shouldn't have over-complicated the engineering that was seemingly taken from the Beast Weaponizer Wheeljack. As for the robot mode, it looks much better than past versions when it comes to the proportions. The torso is especially noteworthy for this thanks to the suspender design not being as clunky as on the original Deluxe. There are a few quirks that the figure does have,, such as the wheel facing inwards instead of outwards, and the lower back flap being visible (though it should go down further my bad). The biggest issue I have would be the wings facing the wrong way, which many found strange given how a lot of Transformers with door wings never have the same issue Pablo has. I do wish the robot mode had more paint apps, such as the Autobot insignia on the chest, the lights on the shoulders and thighs, the mirrors on the chest, and breaking up the hands from the forearms.

Head sculpt looks great, even if it triggered purists of both G1 and the Bumblebee movie (cope and seethe), though the paint missing on the Autobot insignia as well as the glasses temples is annoying, making the head look a bit incomplete. Weirdly, he looks less nerdy without the light piping lenses that the original Deluxe had. Articulation consists of a ball-jointed neck, ball-jointed shoulders with a hinge for outward movement, elbow bends, bicep rotation, elbow bends, waist rotation, ball-jointed hips, thigh rotation, hinge knees with ball joints below them, and ankle hinges for slight front and back motion due to transformation as well as pivots. Also, his gun is clear plastic, which is unusual given how most of these weapons would be cast in opaque plastic or painted over; it's like a weird carryover from Legacy Year 1.

For a robot mode comparison, here he is next to the mainline version of himself, showcasing robot mode proportions that better matched the CG model than what we previously had. The one on the left does look like a Generations-esque take on the design, and while the original may have the lenses that glasses should always have, the Studio Series version at least shows the eyes better. Still, if you're not fussed about the aesthetic improvements of the newer figure and you have the original, then you can be fine with just the mainline take of Wheeljack. 

Here we have Wheeljack next to the other Autobots in the movie, and it's great seeing everyone look consistent in quality. Especially compared to early on when only Bee and Arcee were Studio Series figures while Optimus and Wheeljack were mainline; Mirage was stuck with a Battle Changer despite being the star of the movie that isn't either Prime or Bee! Wheeljack's probably in 4th place when it comes to my love for the molds representing the Autobots, meaning he looks better than Mirage but still transforms poorly. Instead of translucent plastic we have to worry about, Wheeljack has parts to keep intact.

And here he is standing next to his Beewun counterpart! This pic was made to spite the people that mocked our lord and savior, Pablomus Prime. I wouldn't be surprised if the fanbase couldn't resist sending death threats to Paramount or Hasbro when the mainline toy got leaked, but they remembered how fans reacted to Sonic in the first movie trailer and decided to stick with this superior design. 

Overall, Pablo Wheeljack LOOKS good as a Studio Series Deluxe, but there are problems that I have with the figure that are not the cliche "waahh Hasbro ruined Wheeljack reeee"; I wish the front of the van as well as the door wings didn't pop off constantly, and I especially wish the transformation wasn't as annoying as it turned out to be thanks to how tight spacing can be between steps. If the figure was able to have a little more time to cook, I could imagine it being better than it currently is. So in some ways, better than the mainline Deluxe, and worse in others.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Scorponok review

Scorponok, the sole Predacon of the movie, led to many wondering if we'd ever get any possible additions into the line to have a hypothetical Beast Wars cast in ROTB. I know not everyone doesn't want to have an army of scorpions under Scourge's command, and we know Rampage was meant to be in the film on top of Optimus Primal saying that there were Predacons who were slain. Until then, we have a proper Scorponok toy to either go with your already existing mainline version or outright replace it. Is it worth the wait after seeing its reveal in MCM London? Or is it shaping up to be as mid as Concept Art Megs and Gamer Edition Screamer? Let's find out!

Here we have Scorponok in his beast mode, in a color scheme that vaguely resembles the Beast Wars cartoon design. It's very subtle and desaturated by comparison, especially given the real-world setting. The design of this mode is much more fitting as a Terrorcon ally instead of a normal Predacon, especially given how it's more demonic and alien compared to the organic aesthetics of the Maximals. (orgasthetics? No that sounds bad). The purple applied serves as dry brushing. which is used sparingly here and there. The articulation consists of a ball-jointed head and shoulders, with two hinges going behind the pincers, slight leg movement at the hinges, and ball joint for the front scorpion legs (which are pretty limited), and two points at the tail, with the last hinge detaching too easily.

For a beast mode comparison, you can see how much closer the new figure looks to the CG model compared to the original. The proportions, deco, and part layout are already giveaways, but the head and claws properly match how they appeared in the movie, something that the original Beast Weaponizer didn't have because of its simpler engineering.

Optimus Primal also looks great with them when he's posed dismantling them as a gorilla, so poor Studio Series Scorpy better watch out!

Transformation may seem a bit been-there-done-that at first glance with a lot of other toys in this style, but I can at least say that the arms don't just move down as the forearms actually unfold from the scorpion pincers, which are now the shoulders. The robot legs are reused from the beast mode legs instead of being from the scorpion's back, and the robot head is...the same one as the beast mode, so that's a little similar to the way it worked on G1 Scorpy. The tail can be removed if you want, but I like keeping it on him since it goes with his feral appearance. Scorponok's robot mode also contrasts that of the Maximals in the movie, at least the ones we saw transform in the movie (basically, not Airazor). You compare the more rounded and traditional shoulders of the Maximal Males to this guy, and the contrast is crystal clear with the claws now serving as spikes, and the aforementioned beast legs add a somewhat spider-like (or Doc Ock-like vibe?) with the way they protrude from the back, almost giving them an unpredictable aura. The cinched waist makes his more alien posture fitting as he is hunched over instead of standing upright, which is helped by how far his head sticks out. The hands and the feet, however, look comical by comparison,  with the lavender popping out even more on them as well as the feet compared to the biceps and hips; they also look proportionately cartoony and not quite as sharp as they normally are. Oh, and the little Predacon insignia on his back is the same one we'd come to expect in the past. 

Since we already looked at the head, the articulation for the shoulders now has the ball joints on steps that attach to the sockets within the torso, meaning they move somewhat like on SS86 Hot Rod or ROTB Optimus Prime. The biceps swivel, the elbows are double-jointed, the hands are on ball joints, the waist swivels a little too tightly, the hips are on uncomfortably tight ball joints, the thighs are also on tight swivels, and the knees bend despite making the shins und=tab, and the ankles are a bit loose. The tail can be removed and pegged within the inner side of the forearm, which results in a whip that almost looks like it was transformed from his arm.

And here we have him in bot mode next to his mainline counterpart, who is surprisingly a bit taller than the new toy, though it can be explained that this is possible thanks to the smaller part count of the Beast Weaponizer versus the Studio Series version. So yeah, the design is generally good for both modes, though I do have to cut some points off for how tight the leg joints are while the ankles, on top of being a bit goofy like the hands, are too loose. The shoulder joints kind of suck in some poses, and the tail coming off too easily is a pain in the ass. But we'll see Wheeljack make the part-popping issue even worse in the next review!

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Concept Megatron review

"Overrated" doesn't even come close to describing how I think of the Bumblebee movie, but it is due to a variety of factors, mainly how people dickride the nostalgia of the 80s, the fact that it isn't a Michael Bay movie, and the Geewun influences that totally don't contradict continuity and make the prequel vs reboot debate messy as hell. Megatron was going to have two different kind of scenes in this movie that were both scrapped: an appearance on Cybertron that would go against his appearance on Earth with the same Geewun aesthetics that everyone else had, and a callback to the 2007 movie where he is frozen in Hoover Dam, albeit still with the same design. Megatron was practically cut, and no mentions of him were made in the film at all. We did see his Beewun design in an official manner first via a Tiny Turbo Changer and then a Titan Changer box art render that made people think he'd be in the movie despite being a re-release of an Evergreen toy (suckers), and now he is here in Studio Series glory. Was it worth the wait, Geewunners/Beewunners? Let's find out...if I'm not going to be biased in this review...

Here we have Megatron in his tank mode. This is probably the strongest of the two modes, as the G1 design better fits the tank mode motif that is commonplace with a lot of G1 Meg designs, especially in Cyberverse. Granted, some could pull off other alt modes differently and generally maintain the look as seen with Animated, but this is a mode I can tolerate fine enough. The design itself is a lot more compact than I expected, honestly reminding me of how the old ROTF Leader Class toy, even with the fusion cannon extending past the torso. While not included, you have little nubs meant for the blast effects common in many WFC Trilogy Transformers toys. The torso sticking out past the treads is a bizarre place for it. Perhaps if it was better integrated within the vehicle mode, or if it was replaced with a more convincing front for the altmode, it can be better than how it's currently done. The tank can rotate at the (admittedly far-back turret) and aim up and down, but there are no wheels for the toy to roll over surfaces. Yeah, sometimes I question the current trend of Leader Class figures where they claim to have a better budget for engineering yet skimp out on details like this. Also, why is it that the turret is at an angle even if the toy is locked in place?

Transforming him into his jet mode kind of sucks. You need to make sure the hip joints are rotated along with the legs for the transformation, the arms don't properly tab in place thanks to the lack of proper slots, and the spikes made up from the knees have no locking space. Sometimes, the Fusion Cannon could point the wrong direction because the stability is poor as piss. I'm not surprised that this is how rushed the figure feels overall, but the jet mode looks like even more of an afterthought than I expected. Granted, there is a cockpit and a set of wings that try hard to give this toy a convincing alt mode again, but it feels very half-assed compared to the original jet mode he had in the 2007 movie. 

Here is the obligatory gun mode, where it showcases ow even 40 years into the brand, certain fans refuse to cope with facts regarding tank >>>> gun. Anyways, this fan mode sort of works, as it even has a trigger that is just there for display only. But seriously, Geewunners and Beewunners, y'all tell people to move on from the Bayverse after The Last Knight failed yet you refuse to move on from Megatron not being a gun, that's why I can't take you mfs seriously.

Transforming Megatron into his robot mode is pretty involved, mostly with the hip joints requiring that the black sides face the front while the gray sides remain in the back. Be sure to also have the biceps facing forwards so the elbow joints aren't interfered with, while the forearms have the 5mm posts facing away from the body. The tank treads within the thighs should be shifted inside so they flow better with the sculpt. The robot mode we end up with...is what I expected the character to look like in the Bumblebee movie. That being said, I can't be the only one who sees the proportions of the waist compared to the thighs to be funky as hell. Almost Pixar-mom if you ask me, especially if you notice how he has a skirt that further makes him look like he has those child-bearing hips on a humanoid design versus the alien looks of the other Megatron designs. I do appreciate there being a good use of silver paint throughout the toy, with some gunmetal or black plastic breaking up most of the character details where appropriate (apart from the red biceps). However, the light gray plastic looks a bit awkward, and it's especially prominent in the fusion cannon (which I think has one of the slots facing the wrong way. This feels like a very confusing attempt at trying to make a G1 Megatron design look live-action. He looks much messier than a lot of the Cybertronian designs in the Bumblebee movie, so he ends up being more of an AI generated images. Also, his Decepticon insignia is crooked.

The head sculpt looks strangely like AOE Galvatron with a Tidal Wave mothplate in a Geewun bucket head. I always felt that the Movie Megatron faces worked because they were meant to be built from the ground up as more monstrous by comparison. This, on the other hand, looks too much like a photoshop on DeviantArt that was made in the earlier days of Bayverse hate. Not a properly well-thought out face, sorry. Anyways, his articulation consists of a  ball jointed neck, shoulder rotation, outward movement, butterfly joints (which is a rarity for Transformers in the mainline), bicep rotation, elbow bends past 90 degrees but not quite a double joint, forearm rotation, wrist articulation, and finger articulation where they all bend at two points while the index finger moves independent from the middle, ring, and pinky. There is a waist joint, hip movement front and back along with in and out (with some hip skirts in the way), thigh rotation, fairly deep knees that may hang a little low, and ankle movement up and down as well as pivoting side to side.

The fusion cannon is also able to peg on the back if you want to give him a bit of a G2 look, although it can point upright constantly as the gun barrel did in G1 at the cost of not giving him a fusion cannon on his arm. Alternatively, it can be stored via rotating the barrel 90 degrees to utilize another tab that allows the barrel to hinge in a more compact mode.

For a size comparison, here he is with his prior designs from the 2007 movie as well as Revenge of the Fallen, whose altmodes alongside the Maurader Megatron design that was scrapped in Animated Season 4 (thanks for not promoting it well, Cartoon Network). I know the Average Geewun Fan™ will easily jerk off to the cancelled design and beat a dead horse with their Bayverse hate as is the case with stuff like this in the fandom. That being said, Megatron worked better having his own identity in subsequent iterations rather than trying to copy the G1 look with some tweaks. Even if Animated did something like that, he was at least not the same as a character and turned into a helicopter. But what do you expect from the mentality of a fanbase who grew up with Saturday morning cartoons of varying degrees?

I don't care what Geewunners and Beewunnwrs say; this design is inferior compared to the past Michael Bay designs of Megatron other than being comparable to the Galvatron design since it's pretty bland compared to the main trilogy designs as well as The Last Knight, which had one of the few good things being Megatron's new look.

And here we have Megatron in-between the Decepticons who DID appear in the movie. I always felt that these designs were clunky as hell, especially considering how rushed they were in order to win over the same people that hated Paramount's involvement with Transformers since 2007, and while Megatron doesn't have any awkward wings or bell pants like with screamer nor isn't as fat as Soundwave, he still embodies how half-baked almost everyone was in the movie. Some people say that Megs was going to be the gun that Soundwave held in his hand, which probably theorizes why it looks out of place. But then again, the people making the movie boast about what we already know instead of talking about what we don't know.

For another size comparison, here he is next to Optimus Prime as he appeared in Rise of the Beasts. I know people would mention that the Bumblebee movie matches the movie better, but the ROTB version has better proportions and looks cooler than the Beewun version. Besides, I don't want to have any fanboys to ejaculate on their screens if the size comparison featured the 2019 Voyager.

Honestly, this figure also reminds me of Super Megatron from the Generations Selects line, mostly with the altmode and the radical take on the G1 design. However, I feel that Supermegs is more worthwhile as a figure. On top of wanting to experiment with the new bits added, the jet mode is much better on the Voyager than on the Leader; the tank mode admittedly has some issues with that big gap in tank mode. I'd argue that seeing Megatron as a Triple Changer is neat, but a figure like the Studio Series Concept Art one should have been a slam dunk had it not been the designers prioritizing the bot mode more than ether alt mdoe.

Overall, Concept Art Megatron is going to be seen as an overrated figure to hype up. Those Geewun influences won't be enough to save a mediocre tank mode and a horrible jet mode, especially if you have to spend $55+ for a figure that doesn't feel worth the asking price. Granted, a lot of Leaders are guilty of it, too, but all I can praise this guy for are no hollow parts on top of having some weight compared to Scourge and Primal; the articulation is great, and the silver paint is nice. Honestly, while this figure at least has more going on than Combiner Wars Megatron did in terms of engineering, they both feel like the epitome of being overhyped versions of the character that are going to get praised for looking like the "definitive" versions of a character. If you really want this guy, who am I to stop you? Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend him unless he is on sale.

 

Final ranking: ⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Car Robots Black Convoy (RID 2001 Scourge) review

A lot of the versions of RID01 figures I reviewed were from the Hasbro iterations, which makes sense as they were not only much easier to buy but they added a few more paint apps to make them feel a wee bit more complete, with only the Build Team set coming with the Car Robots equivalent of Grimlock, Build Hurricane. So what happens when we go for a fully Takara release? That honor shall go to none other than the Car Robots repaint of G2 Laser Optimus Prime, or as he shall be known henceforth, RID01 Scourge. Yes, I was lucky to get the Takara version, and he will take the spotlight for today's review!

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐