cdm72's Full Review: Hasbro Transformers Cybertron Leader Optimus Prime
When Transformers made their big comeback a few years ago with the release of the Transformers: Armada toy line, who could have guessed it would be the hit it was, or that it would go on to make the toy line even more popular than it had been during its original 1980s run? Transformers: Armada gave way to Transformers: Energon, which gave way to Transformers: Cybertron. And that line saw the release of the coolest Optimus Prime figure yet.
Stepping away from the traditional semi design, Cybertron Prime transforms into a fire truck, albeit a very Japanimation version with a swept-back front end and angled light bar to match. What would be the ladder on a regular fire truck is instead two side-by-side guns, one that fires a plastic missile while the other lights up and makes noise. The top rear section of the truck comes off, revealing Prime’s body ready for transforming.
While I miss the traditional transformation of the original Prime, where the front of the cab became his chest (on so many later versions, the front of the cab became Prime’s back, while the back of the cab opened to reveal . . . a facsimile of the front of the cab, creating that same look, only on the back. Yeah, I always thought it was stupid, too), there is something very fluid and natural about the way this Prime transforms.
The front of the cab splits down the middle and open up to the sides of the cab (becoming Prime‘s shoulders), then the bumpers rotate down and around further, becoming Prime’s hands. The back of the truck is still his legs, which just open and rotate 90 degrees downward. The extended section of the back flips down and back to become the back of his legs. The side windows on the fire truck cab flip closed around the back of the cab, which is now Prime’s chest, then his head lifts up front the roof, and you’ve got yourself an Optimus Prime.
With hands that open and close as well as points of articulation at the shoulders, elbows, hips, thighs, knees and neck, this Prime is very poseable. Additional features on this figure include Prime’s traditional faceplate, only this one slides down to reveal the actual face of the character. Prime’s chest opens up, then a cover folds down to reveal Prime’s matrix, which you can also remove. For what it’s worth, the look of this figure in robot mode is the first one I’ve seen since the original generation 1 model that I’ve felt really earns the title Optimus Prime.
Of course, since we’re decades beyond generation 1, everything since has to be bigger, better, more, so this Prime has some upgrades. You knew it was coming.
The removable “ladder” section has straps on it that allow it to click onto Prime’s back like a backpack and the side-by-side guns open or you can rotate them down to fit under his arms. The sections of the truck we folded down and behind his legs earlier, flip back up and click into place to form bigger feet, giving the figure another inch in height. I’m not too crazy about this enhanced mode and after a few years of playing with it, the parts get a little too loose to make it worthwhile anyway as the weapons pack makes him top heavy on the rear and he doesn’t stand up too well unless you can balance him forward at the waist enough to hold him upright. But then it just looks like the pack is too heavy for him and he’s straining to carry it.
The red and blue color scheme is still here, which is good. The Energon Prime figure had a bunch of minions he combined with to make his super form, but they were all different colors and Prime is red and blue, that’s all there is to it. Anything else is NOT Optimus Prime. In fact, the Energon Prime figure was so ugly, my son didn’t even want it, nor did I want to get it for him. It was really wretched. Luckily they more than redeemed themselves with the Cybertron Prime figure.
Of all the Optimus Prime figures to come along since the original run 25 years ago, Cybertron Prime definitely gets my vote for most awesomest ever. Not only is its transformation sequence interesting and convincing--I can see, in my head, this figure folding and turning in on itself in a very natural, organic way--but it’s also got two very interesting alternate modes, robot and vehicle, that just make it pleasing to the eye no matter which mode you’ve got it in. This is Optimus Prime at his best.
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