Transformers Prime Beast Hunter Optimus Prime

Product Information

Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro), Hironori Kobayashi and Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy), Don Figueroa (concept artist) All this for the low, low price of an arm, a leg, and your firstborn son! (Note: Basketball accessory not included.) Part of the first wave of Robotmasters toys, "G1 Convoy" (as he is amusingly referred to even in fiction) visibly takes its cue from 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, featuring a similar sculpt, but sharing few to none of the larger toy's other attributes, least of all anything that could be described as a successful transformation. Hasbro Asia re-released this in 2014. It came with an exclusive addition—the Key to Vector Sigma. In 2017 it was basically reissued under Generations co-branding.

A finished sample of the Hero Optimus Prime redeco was among the rare toys auctioned off for charity at BotCon 1996, along with several other unreleased Generation 2 items. None of the toy's motorized joints are capable of supporting substantial weight without electricity. This means that when powered off, the robot cannot stand upright without external support. If the toy is in robot mode and senses its batteries are getting low, then to prevent a damaging fall, it will automatically shift into a droopy squatting pose that it can safely sustain while powered off. The average operating time from a full battery charge is approximately 40 minutes. The charging port is not accessible while the robot is standing up. Plugging in the charger while the toy is powered on might endanger fragile components.

Contents

Hasbro released a redecoed version with additional accessories as part of their Generation 2 line in 1993; Instead of the standard "Convoy" of Japanese releases based on older media, this toy uses the "Optimus Prime" name. It is explained as a name made popular by Hollywood movies—referring to the live-action film series, which does not change character names in Japanese localization. His transformation shares engineering with the Thrilling 30 Legends figure, but with sculpted detailing directly based on the Earthrise mold, down to details like the vestigial knee flaps from the Siege mold. The included Ion Blaster features a 3 mm handle under a 5 mm post, dedicated to the C.O.M.B.A.T. System. He is also fairly articulated for a figure this small, having head rotation and tilting, torso rotation (which actually looks a bit unnatural), ab crunch, butterfly joints at the shoulders, and ball joints in shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. Rumor about the Classics lineup that turned out to be spot on aside from Voyager Soundwave and Deluxe Optimus Prime. This version of the mold was used to create the e-HOBBY exclusive Laser Ultra Magnus, and somewhat more perplexingly, was briefly repurposed by the second Beast Wars Reborn text story as a temporary body for Optimus Primal!

To round things out, an Ultimate Collector's Series-styled display plaque featuring Optimus Prime's name (in both English and Ancient Autobot), function, motto, and Tech Specs is included. This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other Transformers GT toys: GT-R Saber, GT-R Megatron, and GT-R Maximus. Part of the first wave of "Battle Upgrade" Hero Mashers toys, Optimus is a non-transforming action figure with ratchet-joints, about six inches tall. He has multiple peg-holes all over that can be used to mount any Hero Mashers accessory. As a first-wave figure, he has extra ankle articulation that is not present in later waves (a cut that was made to all Hero Mashers lines, not just the Transformers-branded ones). Part of TakaraTomy's 35th anniversary celebration, he was initially released at Summer Wonder Festival 2018, then later through Cybertron Satellite stores across Japan and TakaraTomy Mall on September 9, 2018. Along with the rest of the Golden Lagoon toys, he was later rereleased through Hasbro Pulse in January 2021.

This figure, with the included intakes and alternate head in place, also doubles as Starscream from " Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1". Takara reissued the toy once again in 2003, as part of their The Transformers Collection line of reissues, numbered 00 and featuring additional accessories such as an energon axe; The figure was personally designed by comic artist Don Figueroa, who created the original comic design in the first place, and his signature is left on the figure in the most literal way: the word "DON" can be seen sculpted into the barrel of his silver ion blaster. The paint on the handle of his ion blaster scuffs rather easily when placed into his hands. This mold was also used to make the less ambiguous Optimus Prime-recolored Convobat, the separate individual Convobat, Onyx Primal as well as inspire the comic character Nyx. Shouldn't be hard for him to fit in with the Decepticons... There's like, two other "evil Optimus Prime" guys in their ranks.