Transformers Go! Hunter Optimus Prime review

The Beast Hunters line was somewhat known for its inaccurate color schemes and its character selection that the cartoon barely reflected. While cool in retrospective as the last cartoon to have a more traditional mainline than what we normally get nowadays. In addition, it was also from a time when Takara would outright skip Season 3's of their dubs of Aligned Continuity cartoons, with TFP and RID15 both ending in Season 2. Their version of the Beast Hunters line was rebranded as Transformers Go!, where we had more paint jobs that were either radically different from the Hasbro versions (Ratchet, all Predacons), closer to their cartoon counterparts (Bulkhead, Starscream), or not included in their line-up (Sharkticon Megatron, though Takara already used up their version of the mold twice). Optimus Prime previously had green translucent plastic despite having nothing to do with Synthetic Energon, and while customs have attempted to match his appearance much better, does buying the Hunter version work as a better alternative than Hasbro?

Here we have Optimus Prime in his vehicle mode. The show depicted his model similarly to this, but it wasn't as spiky as the front, and the proportions were not exactly 1:1 with how the actual truck looked in the show. Granted, it was a case of Hasbro trying to fit as much in their 2013 budget as possible, though it seems like this and the Cyberverse Commander toy each went for different approaches in recreating the CG model. Neither is truly accurate, but this one at least has what loosely resembles the back section that would become the wings. All this makes me wish we had some interviews with the Beast Hunters designers to know what concept art was available at the time while making the toys.

The weapons can peg on the 5mm ports found on the side and the top. Sadly, my copy's Star Saber handle is broken at the bottom, which appears to be an issue with tolerances between the handle and the 5mm holes in the hands. Speaking of hands, I wish they along with his head would be better hidden in vehicle mode.

For a vehicle mode size comparison, here he is next to the First Edition version of the character. The scale is not supposed to be like this, with Prime's new truck mode being of military scale and thus requiring it be larger than a more traditional semi truck. As it stands, the Deluxe may be a better scale with the Beast Hunters mold instead.

The transformation feels like a mix between Classics Optimus Prime and Universe Inferno, which I think is appropriate given the similar alt mode proportions and bulk. The arms and back kibble transform similarly to Inferno while the torso rotation and grille going on the back works similarly to Optimus, though while both figures end up feeling nice and sense given the economy having yet to go to shit, this version of Optimus suffers from feeling hollow internally. Yes, his robot mode looks big and bulky, but his arms, legs, and torso are empty. I don't mind that the shoulder pads are empty given how they work for the transformation, and the torso is somewhat excused because of the front section covering the gap normally used for the head in truck mode, but it comes off like a deception to make up for rising plastic costs. I felt a similar way with FOC Grimlock, and it feels like history repeats itself with 2023's Gamer Edition. WFC Prime where the budget was mostly used to hide how hollow the toy truly is by using the figure's bulk. It works, but it makes me wonder how much more he could have weighed if he was denser. The backpack is a decent addition, though the wings should be more folded away a la Buzz Lightyear's.

His head sculpt is a rare instance of a TFP Optimus figure not deploying his mouthplate, though he has a snarling expression that he rarely emotes with in the show. Kind of feels like something from Ninja Turtles in a way. His articulation has no ball joints used compared to the PRID toy, with swivels at the neck, shoulders (moving front and back), biceps, wrists, waist, and above the knees, while hinges are used for the elbows. Unusually, he has ratchet joints when moving the arms out and bending the knees, likely to make up for how hollow he is. Of note, some copies may have the waist fixed in place.

The accessories he comes with can be held in his hands like normal, though my copy's missile launchers don't work likely due to something happen from the previous owner. I tried disassembling them but they are glued in place from the assembly. You can place them on the back as boosters, but they caused stress marks to develop on my copy even more than on my old Beast Hunters Prime.

As far as reuses are concerned, this is the original Hasbro Beast Hunters Prime, using non-metallic colors, lighter gray plastic, and green instead of of blue for the clear plastic. I still question why Hasbro added the green on him even to this day. I wish Go! Hunter Optimus Prime made the figure even closer to the CG model via retooling as well as adding more paint apps, such as the rims. Sadly, we know they went the Exprime route.

This version of the mold uses different shades of red, blue, and green, but the missing paint apps on the Star Saber and wind visor make him even more incomplete.  The figure came with an equally budget-cut Predaking sold at international stores.

And finally, we have Hunter Nemesis Prime. Another case of TakaraTomy making their sweet black repaints unique for a key reason or two, this one comes with a new battle masked head that hasn't been used since then. Wouldn't it be nice to have that for a Hasbro variant closer to the show? 

For a size comparison, he appears to have the same height to that of the First Edition mold. While I don't own the official version of said figure, I know the plastic quality on that toy is denser than on Beast Hunters, which goes back to the whole discussion over plastic distribution for the bulkier figure. Beast Hunters Prime should also be much taller than the design he previously had in the show, especially since that gave him a height advantage against Megatron after he was greatly wounded from the blast that destroyed the base.

One thing I always found odd would have to be the design of the Star Saber. It's not a bad design, and it looks better in blue than green, but why does it deviate from the show? I kind of wonder what the intent was given how the PRID Voyager has a smaller but more accurate shape to the Star Saber by comparison. 

For a comparison with his eternal nemesis, here he is with the unofficial APC Toys Dark Master, which scales perfectly with First Edition Prime but is too tall next to the Beast Hunters version. 

The figure scales well with the actual HasTak Voyager, with this version being the Arms Micron Megatron Darkness that has the cool but inaccurate color scheme and chrome. Honestly, unless you have the money, I wouldn't go out of your way and hunt down Hunter Optimus Prime. While it looks nicer than the Hasbro version, the differences aren't entirely enough to justify splashing out more cash in it. I hope APC Toys takes this figure, upscaled it, and makes it closer to the cartoon model where necessary. This figure has the potential to be a cool toy, but as it stands, it's decent but has room for improvement...and plastic to fill up his hollow parts.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Power Rangers S.P.D. SWAT Megazord review

Space Patrol Delta has more than one Megazord for the core team, especially given the series being one of the first examples of a full-on suit upgrade that is beyond what the Metallic Armor and Super Dino Modes contained; rather than altering the cosmetics lightly, SWAT mode gave the Rangers black armor throughout their suits, mics on their helmets, and upgrades weapons that made them ready to tackle heavier foes. The SWAT Megazord also works perfectly with the Time Force-esque fliers, has a sleeker design than the blocky Delta Squad Megazord, and can transform into a gun! Suck it, G1 Megatron! Let's take a look at this childhood gap of mine, which is finally getting its due. Also, does anyone find it weird that it's called the Supreme Megazord? Was using the term "SWAT" not suitable for this toy despite it being a recurring power-up in the latter half of the season?

Here we have the SWAT Flyers as a group, each of them looking generally fitting for high-speed aerial combat and perfectly uniform with the black, silver, and specific Ranger color accents. The prominent black contrasts the use of white on the Delta Squad Megazord, and it makes me wish we saw this more in the night. Design-wise, I like how distinct these feel compared to the Time Flyers from Time Force, and these feel more futuristic than the preceding team's Zord aesthetics...though that could be due to SPD learning about Time Force when they traveled to the year 2001. The only design that looks odd would have to be SWAT Flyer 3, mostly due to the cockpit placement and how blocky it is on top of the wheels making it look more like some tank. Also, all of these have retractable landing gear that roll. 

Swat Flyer 1 continues the trend of making the Red Ranger's Zord the torso as well as housing the electronics. It's amusing to have the sirens on an aerial vehicle, but maybe it could work if the Rangers tried chasing both Anakin and Obi-Wan as well as Zam Wessel during the first bit of Attack of the Clones. The only issue with this vehicle mode would be the pegs sticking out, which look uglier here than on the car Jack uses in the show. Other than that, the chrome on the badge is gorgeous and a reminder of this being unchanged on the US version.

Speaking of Episode 2, SWAT Flyer 2 normally has a shape comparable to the Republic Attack Gunships shown in Geonosis, but the vehicle's wings can fold up when storing it in the command center. I hate how storing it in the plastic baggie warps the guns inwards, something that can be fixed if you don't use them.

SWAT Flyer 3's shape already looks weird for a flying vehicle, but the storage mode is even stranger when you have to split it in half and reattach the two parts at the ends. I bet you can make a wackier design if you attach two of these together.

SWAT Flyers 4 and 5 are the smallest, but they managed to add as much paint to keep them from being lost underneath the prominence of the other Zords. 4's rear landing gear doesn't fold away, so it ends up leaning forward somewhat. Still, it's yellow at least keeps its presence in the combination prominent unlike the lack of pink on the 5th Flyer. Not that it's a bad thing but it is an observation given how Pink Ranger Zords normally aren't entirely...well, pink.

Combining them into the gun mode is something they normally do after getting in Megazord mode, but I want to bring it up now because of how awesome it is. You twist the feet backwards, attach the guns in the back of the legs as a stand, sandwich the wings of Flyer 2 together, and flip what will be the Megazord thighs out so the legs can slide in place. Flyer 2 has a clever mechanism where it slides in place and locks underneath Flyer 1. This gun mode may seem like part of the trend where PLEX aims to do more with a toy than they need to, but you get a sense that given how the SWAT mode has big guns as part of their theme, this mode feels like it was deliberately made during development rather than when they got the final toy in-hand (MMPR Megazord tank mode). The boosters repurposed as gun barrels, Flyer 2 being a gun handle, not to mention a trigger was added for said Zord. While the light and sound action is always a treat, I wish we either got additional sound effects for the blaster. A charge up sound would be ideal. Still, a neat gimmick regardless.

One thing worth mentioning is that you can separate Flyer 2 from the rest of the gun to recreate the part where Sky and Jack split up after the latter goes inside his suicide mission in destroying the meteor from hitting the city. The larger component should face the other way but at least like this, they're going separate paths till they reunited. 

As for the Megazord mode, it mostly works the same as the Delta Squad Megazord, but this time, the head rises from within the back of Flyer 1 by pushing on the nosecones. I love that the neck rotates in addition to the horn reveal. The resulting proportions are stumpier than they normally are in the show, but the pseudo wingspan made by Flyer 2 results in more unique design than what we normally see in PR/Sentai mech design. As mentioned before, the prominent black and silver accents add a more stealth-ops vibe to the overall color scheme, in contrast to the more daytime-friendly Delta Squad Megazord. It is amusing how thin the profile is compared to the front of the Megazord. It makes me wonder how an updated version would look if we get one from either Super Mini-Pla or Hasmates. Articulation is the same at the arms and legs, but the neck rotation adds a few more unique display options, especially for photography as he shows off his wicked lights and sounds. 

For a comparison with B-Squad's standard Megazord, the two contrasting designs add to the versatility that both Mecha display, from the well-rounded versatility and weapon variety of Delta Squad to the the sleekness and aerial efficiency of SWAT. Regardless, neither one is more important than the other, since they'd occasionally revisit Delta Squad for the Deltamax combination with the Omegamax Megazord.

One thing that Bandai Japan marketed was the ability to swap limbs between both Megazords, something that wasn't featured in the show but still a great gimmick regardless. It does show the contrasting color combos between each torso wearing their unintended limbs. Overall, the SWAT Megazord is a badass design overall, and the play features combined with its appearance results in a Top 10 entry in my opinion. Don't skip out on it if you want to get this design in your collection. And hey, with the US version being the same as the Japanese version, maybe calling it the Supreme Megazord makes sense in retrospect given it's overall quality.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Scouter & Awakening Blood Vegeta review

Vegeta's classic form has been very interesting when it comes to how much it represents the sort of role he had when he was more of an antagonist rather than an anti-hero. The shoulder pads, the scouter monocle, and the skirt panels add to the whole concept that I think of every time I see this version of the character. In addition, I always find it unusual that a classic Vegeta isn't always made available in Figuart form, with the first one being pretty dated in terms of proportions and articulation. There is a third one that is going to be a whole lot more faithful to the character's stretchier facial expressions to contrast the more stoic ones of this figure, but is this still worth getting? Let's find out.

Here we have Scouter Vegeta in hand, and my copy has been custom-painted by its previous owner to match the shade of blue associated with this design specifically.  It's not too noticeable in these photos, but there may be a bit of paint wear in some areas, and some joints may not have been painted entirely. Anyway, this figure generally matches the design well, though I have seen some fans complain that the armor isn't wide enough at the torso. On one hand, I could be fine with the way it looks given how 2D designs aren't always going to be quite easy to translate in 3D (unless we have a character drawn with multiple angles as is the case with a series like DBZ vs a show like Fairly Oddparents). On the other hand, the somewhat smaller torso does make the arms feel somewhat out of place, and that is attributed to the V-shape not being as dynamic as it normally would be. I do like that the tan parts of the armor plates are painted on so the lines would be more visible, and the inclusion of the tail wrapped around the waist is a reminder that the Saiyans have monkey elements to them. Honestly, I forget about that sometimes since they normally aren't drawn with their monkey tails. It's like how Wallace in A Grand Day Out had a smaller mouth than he is normally depicted in later movies, or how the first season of Spongebob had a somewhat different color palette and design traits for each character compared to later seasons.

The head sculpt has more hair than noggin, fitting for the prince of the Saiyans such as himself. I love that the slight linework around the cheekbones and tips of the eyebrows add a sense of depth to his face from the animation. Even the mouth has a bit of paintwork implemented to make it stand out while matching the animation. As far as accessories are concerned, his tray includes an alternate head with his scouter, three alternate faceplates, an uncoiled tail, a left hand with the broken scouter, and two pairs of hands with their fingers either splayed out or clawed somewhat. He also has his arms detached, but why is that you may ask?

We'll first cover the articulation, which consists of neck joints that feature a ball at the tip, a hinge underneath it, and rotation at its peg, a ball joint at the base of the neck, ball joints at the shoulders, bicep rotation, double-jointed elbows, double-wrist joints for rotation at the neck and hand as well as a hinge for any direction, a diaphragm joint, a slight waist swivel, ball-jointed hips, thigh rotation, double-jointed knees, double ball ankles, and toe-ticulation. The shoulder and skirt plates can move out for extra space, though the waist rotation probably should have a better range.

Perhaps most noteworthy is the monocle-like scouter device that clips over his left ear, and it's even intricately painted to represent the schematics of any power level he's scanning. He also has a pair of alternate arms that look more naturalistic given they were made to be crossed. This was a feature previously shown on another Figuart from another Toei anime I reviewed long ago, that being Sailor Uranus (and Neptune, by extension). As for the alternate left hand, you know what that means...IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!!!! The joke may be old but it's still got a bit of charm in some ways like "pingas" or "Mama Luigi" do.

Neither tail really likes pegging in that well on the butt. The one wrapped around the waist at least is not a loose fit given it has a respectable length to it, but this option required me to use a bit of extra force or shave any plastic or paint that the previous owner might not have shaved off. You could leave him displayed without the tail, but doing so will leave his ass hole present. On a side note, my copy's left leg has a tendency to pop off (in fact, both legs are removable but the left one is moreso), so I came up with this next pic for shits and giggles.

For a comparison with other Vegeta figures with similar attire, on the left is the 1.0 released early on in the Dragonball Z franchise's Figuart resume, with the one on the right being the 24000 Power Level version made recently. The original version of the character was made when they just developing their experience making Figuarts of characters who'd normally have stylized proportions versus the more armored Kamen Rider characters (they also did some Super Sentai characters but they were much skinnier than the figures we saw from their relaunch as well as the Power Rangers Lightning Collection). 24000 Power Level is much more accurate to Vegeta's proportions, and though he lacks the skirt plates, that figure does capture the earlier episodes he appeared in at the time. Mostly the ones where the facial expressions would be more exaggerated than in later seasons. I may get 24000 Power Level someday, though I know he has limited articulation. Though 2.0 does have some issues with how he was designed, he at least manages to make for a good second stab at the character. He may fit in better with the style of some of the recent Figuarts fine enough, though I think 24000 Power Level may be easier to get if you want that version. One thing is certain, however: He is a short king. 

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As for Super Saiyan Vegeta: Blood Awakening, this figure better captures his training clothes without those shoulder or skirt plates, and it manages to clean his silhouette up while still retaining his iconic silhouette. It's definitely the hair. The figure's hair is painted with a metallic wash to simulate the Super Saiyan hair glow typical of the series, and the torso articulation is thankfully much better. He has one less alternate face plate, but they still retain most of the same expressions we saw earlier apart from the lack of a gritted teeth expression.

And for anyone wondering, yes, you can use this for a more vanilla Vegeta if you want. (Vaneta? Vanilleta? Vegilla? I don't have a good pun). The heads are easy to swap, thankfully. Makes you wonder why we don't get both normal and Super Saiyan heads in the same set. Oh well, you can't have it all at once...anyways, I don't mind that his hair looks somewhat different from Goku's since it gives them some form of distinction between how their Super Saiyan appearances look compared to one another. Plue, at least it's nothing to lose sleep over like, say, the inconsistencies between some Lightning Collection Rangers.

Let's quickly showcase some repaints (or prepaints depending on your POV). From left to right are SSGSS Vegeta, SSGSS Unwavering Saiyan Pride, and Older Style Battle Clothes. The former two represent the new blue hair signature of DB Super while OSBC represents his attire in the Frieza Saga. The latter one I have on the way, but I need to wait for Premium Bandai to ship him ASAP.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Studio Series Hatchet review

In 2022, two figures for the Studio Series line were intended to be part of the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line: an Earth-mode retool of Hound as well as the final member of the Dark of the Moon Dreads named Hatchet. Neither figure got released due to poor sales with said line's Deluxes, resulting in fans initially getting the Detritus redeco that should have been made after Hound while Hatchet would get nothing for the 2023 selection. Around the same time, both figures were confirmed to be canceled in 2024, listings for the 2025 line did confirm Hatchet would get a release once and for all (Hound proper was included with the Autobots Stand United 5-pack with cartoon-accurate redecoes of Jazz, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, and Trailbreaker). After 3 years of not having the bestial Dread member, is this figure worth the 7-year wait to complete the trio? Let's find out.

Here we have Hatchet in his vehicle mode. It's the same modified Chevrolet Suburban altmode we've seen from prior Dreads, with the same sculpted details, elevated height, and sirens signature for these altmodes. There isn't much else to say beyond the fact that it still retains the same minor color break-up with the gray hinge in the middle of the doors. That being said, the slits intended to store the spikes in vehicle mode are left untouched despite the figure not coming with those accessories.

Here he is alongside the other Dreads, showcasing how minor the differences are beyond the thicker Chevy logo on the right vehicle as the somewhat different shades of blue for the windows. Hatchet is mysteriously missing a Decepticon insignia, with Berserker including the narrow-eyed version signature of the movies while Crowbar comes with the more traditional design seen in other media. Imagine if Hasbro randomly gave Hatchet a Generation 2 insignia.

The transformation is mostly the same that we've seen before with the other figures, with the front of the vehicle now being the back of the robot mode. We end up with a quadruped rather than a biped for the robot mode, however, and it kind of shows both the ambitions and limitations of making a Transformer that stands on all fours from one that stands like any other person. In all honesty, the kibble being on the back was always an issue that I had when the sole stock render was leaked in 2022, and I'm afraid to say that nothing has been changed to rectify it. Granted, the new parts are appreciative of making the figure feel different from the other Dreads, but I feel like this would have gone by better if this was an earlier release for the line rather than a more recent offering. Sure, some figures made recently can be held back in terms of engineering due to a hard-to-make design (such as ROTB Mirage, only that was due to the Porsche license dictating the car be accurate), but other figures like AOE Galvatron, TLK Crosshairs, and Offroad Bumblebee manage to be relatively clean in their robot modes from utilizing more experienced engineering compared to older figures in the line. The tail I can forgive at least given that it was bound to partsform while Hasbro would have to come up with an "accessory" of sorts. Speaking of partsforming, I feel the same could apply to the forearm kibble because of how easily it pops off during transformation; do yourself a favor and superglue them in place, even if we shouldn't have to.

Articulation consists of the general same points we've had before, though we have some weird things going on here and there. The head rotates at the base of the neck, and the jaw does open rather wide (oh no, here comes MuppetHistory), but the dreads, despite being poseable, clash with the shoulders shrugging close to the neck and simply retract inwards. Despite being at an angle, said shoulders are on ball joints while the biceps are on swivels, and the elbows can bend decently well in conjunction with the front paws. The hips and, strangely, knees are on ball joints while the ankles are on hinges. So while we have the same points found on the other Dreads, some of the changes are unusual given how they didn't need to be altered (especially the angled shoulders and the ball-jointed knees). Also, I am not a fan of how loose that connection is with the tail's slots, so I'm just going to say you can slide it higher in the back.

Here we have Hatchet alongside his fellow dreads, with Berserker standing in for Crankcase since Hasbro foolishly repainted Crowbar into Crankcase with no new tooling. These three do make for a great trio, though I'd rather you find a better background that looks more like a highway chase with these three going after Dino, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee as the Autobots protect Sentinel Prime.

And here he is standing on his hind legs as Dino chases after him! This is the best I could come up with until I get more creative displays to better recreate the DOTM scene. If you're someone like me who's a big fan of Dark of the Moon and always wanted to recreate the brief yet memorable Dreads trio, then who am I to stop you. Honestly, I know there'll be a group of people who'll say "Oh geez, you got what you wanted and you still complained about it how ungrateful ☝🤓"; first off, tell that to the typical Geewunner and come back to me. Second, even when the stock photo was first leaked, I was still on the fence about how it would turn out, and while I doubt it'd happen, I would have appreciated Hatchet be reworked from the ground up rather than be a retool of the other Dreads. He's far from the worst figure in the line, but I know he's going to be ranked low on the list.

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