I must admit that I'm not a big fan of "gun toys", and while we don't have an outright ban on them I do try to limit the number of toy guns that end up in my boys' toy collection. When my Transformers-loving eldest began his begging and pleading campaign for the Transformers Optimus Prime Battle Big Blaster I wasn't thrilled. Still, using the logic that it was a Transformer first and foremost, we broke down and gave it to my son for his 6th birthday, and now I must grudgingly admit that it is a pretty cool toy.

Product Description:

The Transformers Optimus Prime Big Battle Blaster is indeed a Transformer, but it is unlike most traditional Transformer toys. It is one of the easiest-to-transform Transformers that I've ever seen. It has 2 modes, "vehicle mode" and "gun mode".

Vehicle Mode:
When in vehicle mode the toy looks like your typical Optimus Prime tractor-trailer truck, and measures roughly 15 inches long, just under 5 inches wide, and approximately 7 inches tall. It has 10 large plastic wheels and rolls well over a variety of surfaces. The truck's trailer is open in back and has storage for the 3 rubber-tipped, Nerf-like projectiles that can be shot when in "gun mode".

Gun Mode:
The gun mode is quite impressive. There's a bar inside the truck's trailer for your child to hold onto when converting the toy between modes and when shooting the missiles. The gun's trigger is built-in to the handle. On the outside of the toy a robotic blue hand appears to be holding the gun's trigger, mirroring your child's hand on the inside. The gun's barrel is long with an orange pump on the end. To fire you simply load the foam dart, pump once on the orange slide, and pull the trigger inside the gun to launch your missle. The darts are made of lightweight foam with a blunt rubber tip.

Converting between the two modes:
Conversion between the two modes is extremely easy. When in truck mode there is a large handle just above the truck's cab. To convert you simply hold the bar (the one with the trigger) inside the truck's trailer and pull back on the handle that is above the cab. A number of things happen when the handle is pulled -- the gun's barrel (which had been hidden away underneath the truck, beneath its wheels) flips up and forward. The truck's cab compartment opens and separates, revealing a place for your child to look through to perfect his aim. Lastly, the front half of the truck's trailer flips back to reveal the robotic Optimus Prime hand, mirroring your child's hand on the inside of the gun. When in "gun mode" it goes quite well with the Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet, which we also own.

Converting it from the gun back to the truck is similarly easy -- just grasp the bar inside the trailer and push forward on the handle above the truck's cab, which flips everything back down and out of sight again.

The product is recommended for children ages 5 and up. There are no batteries required.

Our Thoughts & Experiences:

Overall this toy has been a big hit, and I am quite impressed. My 2 year old, who is obsessed with anything on wheels, loves the toy in "vehicle mode" and enjoys stealing it from his big brother and rolling it around the house. My 6 year old likes it best in "gun mode" and frequently does target practice with the darts. He also loves converting it between the two modes, which I'll admit is fun and rather addictive to do. The toy makes a loud clacking sound as it converts, and seems to lock securely into place in both modes so that you don't accidentally knock it into a mid-conversion state. It is quite impressive that the look and functionality of this toy can change so drastically with just the simple push or pull of a lever.

My son received this along with his Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet for his 6th birthday, and the two toys do go together quite well. With his helmet on and his "Optimus Prime Hand", he's almost got a complete costume. He's informed us that he now plans on being Optimus Prime for Halloween this year. The toy is a bit heavy, so I'm not sure how long he would be willing to carry it along with him while trick-or-treating.

Typically I encourage my son's fascination with Transformers, because I think switching the toys between the two modes is a good mental exercise for him (it's usually like solving a complex little 3-D puzzle -- learning to do things in the right order, folding things this way and that, plus it helps him work on his manual dexterity as well). That being said, this is not your typical transformer. There's absolutely nothing complicated about the transforming process with this toy -- which can be viewed as either good or bad, depending upon your viewpoint. The transformation doesn't challenge my son as some of his other Transformers do, but one of the reasons he loves this toy is because it is so big and easy and fast to transform.

Quickie Summary
Pros:
+) It is 2 toys in one -- a truck and a toy gun that shoots nerf-like missiles
+) Super-easy and super-quick conversion between the 2 modes
+) Very sturdy and durable
+) Truck toy rolls well and looks like Optimus Prime in vehicle mode
+) Gun toy looks like it is being held in Optimus Prime's hand
+) The darts are fairly safe (made from lightweight foam with a blunt rubber tip)
+) No batteries or assembly required
+) There is storage for the 3 missiles in the truck's trailer
Cons:
-) Not really "Transformers-esque" transforming - not challenging (if you're into that sort of thing)
-) It is a gun - some parents don't allow "gun toys" into their homes

Quickie Summary:

I don't normally like buying "gun" toys for my son, but this and the helmet were the main things he was begging for for his 6th birthday. The Transformers Optimus Prime Battle Big Blaster really is quite a nifty little piece of toy engineering, with the ability to transform between a rolling Big Rig truck and a gun that can shoot nerf-like darts in an amazingly fast, easy manner!




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 25.99