Toy Review - JP 2010 Primus

[griffin]

(Please post comments, photos or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details to start you off)

Toy Review - Primus

Series - Transformers 2010
Sub-line - Gen1
Size/class - Supreme
New/remould/redeco - redeco
Wave - 5
Released here - No (in Japan October 2010)
Approximate Retail Price - US$100
Approximate Size - 34cm
Allegiance - none/himself
Alt-mode - Cybertron, battlestation
Main Features/Gimmicks - launching projectiles, electronics, 'triplechanger'.
Main Colours - Metallic Grey, blue
Main Accessories - 2 Missiles, 'Omega Lock', Cyber-key.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/jp1015a.jpg

And if you get both Unicron and Primus, the boxes can be alligned like this:

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/jp1015b.jpg

[LordCyrusOmega]

Triple changer hey? Never brought into that. Why does Cybertron need a battle platform mode when it/he's got those to planet busting cannons?

I do like the colours on this though, more like the Cybertron we know. I have the Cybertron version and it's a good mould. Yet another i want but can't afford.

[Tallestblue]

the only thing that's missing from this toy is the sfx of robots being flung into space when you activate the massive cannons on this thing.

Snarky aside this is just not as tempting as Unicron, seeing as it's really only shinier.

[LordCyrusOmega]

Snarky aside this is just not as tempting as Unicron, seeing as it's really only shinier.

I like the shiny's but each to there own. I also can't justify the price for a shiny repainted ball no matter how cool he looks.

[GoktimusPrime]

A good opportunity for anyone who missed out on the original - but for the rest of us... meh.


Triple changer hey? Never brought into that. Why does Cybertron need a battle platform mode when it/he's got those to planet busting cannons?
Heh... yeah. The battle platform mode is like the robot mode lying face down in a pool of his own vomit (at least Fortress Maximus' battle cruiser mode has him lying face up -- slightly more dignifying :p)


I do like the colours on this though, more like the Cybertron we know. I have the Cybertron version and it's a good mould. Yet another i want but can't afford.
Objectively speaking this toy looks plain Jane. From a G1 bias POV the planet mode does look nice... but the robot mode still looks rather dull. Although I don't know if a G1-accurate coloured robot mode would still look dull... but at least it'd be shiny!

[LordCyrusOmega]

Objectively speaking this toy looks plain Jane. From a G1 bias POV the planet mode does look nice... but the robot mode still looks rather dull. Although I don't know if a G1-accurate coloured robot mode would still look dull... but at least it'd be shiny!

I think some red around the chest, waste would give it a bit more life instead of the blue and hands with a different colour then the arms etc. Or even just some more detailing.

Was there a G1 Primus. I'm not overly familiar with the comics but he wasn't in the cartoon and thats how i judge G1 due to no exposure to the comics (I'm trying though). The first i heard of Primus concept was in War Within which i guess is in G1

[kup]

I have been debating if I should get this or not. I don't own the mold but I am not sure if this toy is worth it as a G1 inspired piece. Primus never transformed in G1 and the only G1 reference to his robot mode is in Furman's Ultimate guide which colors are different to this toy as seen here:

http://dluxstudios.com/html/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Primus.jpg

I am really not sure if it's worth it or not.

[LordCyrusOmega]

I have been debating if I should get this or not. I don't own the mold but I am not sure if this toy is worth it as a G1 inspired piece. Primus never transformed in G1 and the only G1 reference to his robot mode is in Furman's Ultimate guide which colors are different to this toy as seen here:

http://dluxstudios.com/html/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Primus.jpg

I am really not sure if it's worth it or not.

It would be worth it if it were done in those colours however Gok was right. It's kinda plain Jane.

[kup]

It would be worth it if it were done in those colours however Gok was right. It's kinda plain Jane.

Yeah that is what I was getting at.

[5FDP]

Primus never transformed in G1...

And it is for that very reason he does not interest me.

[GoktimusPrime]

I can't remember where I read or heard this, but I think initially Sunbow writers did conceive of Cybertron as being a massive Transformer, but the idea was ultimately shot down and never came to realisation. Then they rehashed the idea later for Transformers The Movie by creating Unicron.

[kurdt_the_goat]

Plain jane isn't what i'm seeing. Sure, he has less colours overall than the Cybertron version, but the silver will look spectacular i think - this mould is known for it's extensive detailing. Just look at Buster Prime & Comic MP Grimlock to see how much better large toys look when fully painted. It looks more like a collectors piece than a kids toy - which is fitting for the 2010 line whether our wallets like it or not :o

It's hard to see in those official pics but i think, like 2010 Unicron, he has some panel-lining which'll bring out the details even more.

Some more pics to halt the Primus-bashing!
http://i56.tinypic.com/15jzb5.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2dt6ekl.jpg

[kup]

Plain jane isn't what i'm seeing. Sure, he has less colours overall than the Cybertron version, but the silver will look spectacular i think - this mould is known for it's extensive detailing. Just look at Buster Prime & Comic MP Grimlock to see how much better large toys look when fully painted. It looks more like a collectors piece than a kids toy - which is fitting for the 2010 line whether our wallets like it or not :o

It's hard to see in those official pics but i think, like 2010 Unicron, he has some panel-lining which'll bring out the details even more.

Some more pics to halt the Primus-bashing!



Nice, but still not addressing the 'Is this worth it as a G1 piece?' factor which is my primary concern.

As mentioned by LordCyrusOmega, if he were painted in a color scheme similar to the Ultimate Guide, then yeah I may get it but with the current color scheme, there is little incentive.


I can't remember where I read or heard this, but I think initially Sunbow writers did conceive of Cybertron as being a massive Transformer, but the idea was ultimately shot down and never came to realisation. Then they rehashed the idea later for Transformers The Movie by creating Unicron.

To be fair, there are some strong hints in G1 that suggests that Primus does have a robot mode. Afterall why would there be a giant head inside of Cybertron?

However for me, this is not enough incentive given the new colors which are more made up than tributing any sort of canon.

[jaydisc]

That's gorgeous

[kurdt_the_goat]

Nice, but still not addressing the 'Is this worth it as a G1 piece?' factor which is my primary concern.

As mentioned by LordCyrusOmega, if he were painted in a color scheme similar to the Ultimate Guide, then yeah I may get it but with the current color scheme, there is little incentive.

From my perspective, for ~$150 you better like more than just the paint scheme/tribute value. Personally i think the Ultimate guide colouring is the dullest of all those presented. What gives Furman's representation of canon back in 2005 any more credence than Takara toy designers own representation now? Maybe Furman got it wrong, maybe Takara is saying this is how it is now and how it was supposed to be. What would you be thinking had this toy come out before the ultimate guide in this colour?

Or it could just be a wickedly cool looking toy. Sometimes i wonder if people would collect G1 debris as long as it was the right colour and seen at least once in the corner of a comic strip!

[kup]

From my perspective, for ~$150 you better like more than just the paint scheme/tribute value. Personally i think the Ultimate guide colouring is the dullest of all those presented. What gives Furman's representation of canon back in 2005 any more credence than Takara toy designers own representation now? Maybe Furman got it wrong, maybe Takara is saying this is how it is now and how it was supposed to be. What would you be thinking had this toy come out before the ultimate guide in this colour?

Or it could just be a wickedly cool looking toy. Sometimes i wonder if people would collect G1 debris as long as it was the right colour and seen at least once in the corner of a comic strip!

- Furman created Primus not Hasbro/Takara designers.

- Primus never transformed in G1 making the Ultimate Guide the only 'G1' view of the robot mode.

- I don't collect G1 debris.

[kurdt_the_goat]

That's not the point...
Imagine 2 scenarios:
Furman designs Primus as in the picture you posted, but Takara releases the blue Primus. INNACURATE!
Furman designs Primus in blue, Takara releases the blue Primus. ACCURATE!

The toy is the same in both scenarios, but an intangible feeling you get from the original drawing is affecting your like or dislike of it.

For me, i can't buy a toy if i don't like the look, so i can't understand how you'd buy something just because it was coloured like canon. I call it the G2 Botcon toys curse! :D

[kup]

That's not the point...
Imagine 2 scenarios:
Furman designs Primus as in the picture you posted, but Takara releases the blue Primus. INNACURATE!
Furman designs Primus in blue, Takara releases the blue Primus. ACCURATE!

The toy is the same in both scenarios, but an intangible feeling you get from the original drawing is affecting your like or dislike of it.

For me, i can't buy a toy if i don't like the look, so i can't understand how you'd buy something just because it was coloured like canon. I call it the G2 Botcon toys curse! :D

I like the colors but there isn't enough incentive overall for me to get a $150 toy which I am not sure about getting to begin with. I am the one not sure about getting it not you, so why keep trying to proof that my own deterrents for not getting it are wrong or that of anyone else's? No one is bashing the toy but you seem intend on looking down to those who have reservations about it.

I am not keen on a Primus toy to begin with or I would have gotten the Cybertron/Jap 'G1' version ages ago as I did with Armada Unicron. The fact that there is little incentive from a character/fiction/canon perspective makes it even less so.

[kurdt_the_goat]

I did say before that you'd want to like more than just the tribute value for it to be worth it, so i'm not saying you're wrong to not want it.

I guess it was my mistake for thinking you were more keen on the toy itself than you are that's all.

[kup]

Well I am not sure about wanting the toy to begin with and tribute value would be the only thing that would entice me to get it but IMO it's lacking here.

I hope we understand each other now.

[kurdt_the_goat]

For now... :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Ya know, for the robot mode to have truly G1-accurate colours, you'd need to have it entirely gold (like this (http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/f/f4/GodPrimus2.jpg)) - and I'm not sure if that'd be a good look. :p

I'm still not convinced that this repaint is significantly different enough for people who already own the original version to get it again. I've noticed several people who own Armada and/or Energon Unicron are picking up 2010 Unicron - it's not something I've done, but considering that it is a retool and more G1-accurate repaint, I can see why people have done it. I wonder how many people who already own the original Primus are racing out to get 2010 Primus too.

I dunno... if I found 2010 Primus cheap enough (like, really cheap) I might consider getting it so I can display it in Cybertron mode (I think it does look better in planet mode compared to the original) - but otherwise I could live without it.

[Sky Shadow]

Does anyone know the cheapest place to get a Primus, shipped to Australia?

[kaiden]

Does anyone know the cheapest place to get a Primus, shipped to Australia?

in my opinion - a group order from robot kingdom.

at the moment, you're guaranteed to get at least $0.95US for the dollar through paypal, so if there are enough people willing to do a big order from RK, the shipping should be kept pretty low.

its only $89.95US +$20-30 shipping, so you should be able to get it for under $130AU

[Soundwarp]

Yuck, i think it could be so much better than blue and grey.......
Boring!

[Sky Shadow]

in my opinion - a group order from robot kingdom.

at the moment, you're guaranteed to get at least $0.95US for the dollar through paypal, so if there are enough people willing to do a big order from RK, the shipping should be kept pretty low.

its only $89.95US +$20-30 shipping, so you should be able to get it for under $130AU

That is good. Maybe I should look into making my first-ever purchase from Robot Kingdom...

[jaydisc]

Worst. Review thread. Ever.

[Sky Shadow]

Worst. Review thread. Ever.

It's hard to review when, as far as I know, nobody actually has one yet - all people have to go on is pictures and the original Cybertron/G1-double-0 release.

If I'm going just on the photos, my review would be:

This recolour is the best representation of Cybertron ever released. And it transforms into God. If one doesn't own the original, surely this should be more of a must have-for people's collections than anything else released this year.

[jaydisc]

It's hard to review when, as far as I know, nobody actually has one yet

Ed Zachary ;)

[Sky Shadow]

Ed Zachary ;)

Ed Zachary rike your @$%! :p


To be fair, there are some strong hints in G1 that suggests that Primus does have a robot mode. Afterall why would there be a giant head inside of Cybertron?

Also, since Primus is a multiversal singularity, this toy is, by definition, the same dude as G1 Primus.

Sorry to keep harping on about it, but if I do pre-order this from Robot Kingdom (so I can ultimately review it here) with other stuff that's in stock now, will it all ship at the same time as Primus comes in? And when is it charged?

[jaydisc]

Yes. Charged immediately.

[Sky Shadow]

Yes. Charged immediately.

Thanks Jay. Sounds like a plan then...

[kaiden]

Unfortunately i ordered this (and unicron) at the same time as i ordered shadow scyther which will get delivered to me in december -_-

so i cant even think about reviewing this toy any time soon and i dont have the previous version.


Worst. Review thread. Ever.

We were reviewing the price :P

[Lint]

http://i56.tinypic.com/14iis1z.jpg


Okay heres my lengthy review, pics pending

I don't own the original Primus figure so I will be drawing little comparison with the original figure and evaluating him as a standalone purchase.

The Skinny
Impressive looking figure! Is grey, not silver like in promo pic. Looks a lot better in person than review photos and videos would have you believe. Unified colour scheme and rustic/metallic paint apps give Creator Primus credibility as an ancient god.

Packaging
Creator Primus comes in a nice collectors-grade box with the blue artwork that can combine with Dominator Unicron's box to complete the blue orange mosaic. The back of the box has the promo artwork most of you would have seen from RK and other sites selling the figure. Opening the box you will find that Primus is held to a cardboard frame in robot mode by our old nemesis the metal twistyties. I was dismayed when I first saw Unicron packaged in such a manner because:
A) twistyties are a pain to undo
B) its way more difficult to replace a figure back into it's packaging when its tied to cardboard backing.
After undoing way too many twistyties (i refuse to cut them) and trying to liberate Primus like King Kong (the liberation was far less graceful and theatrical than I had hoped) I resolved that I would never attempt to tie him back to his original backing and put him back in his box. Why couldn't TakaraTomy put these 2010 figures in bubble form packaging like the Masterpiece line? Huge dissapointment.

Robot Mode
Creator Primus is a handsome boy. I don't have the original cybertron version but I think the 2010 version tops it with shiny metallic paint apps and an abundance of detailing. The grey has a pearly lustre to it (less easy to see now that I have no natural light) and is not a flat colour like I had feared. The gold/sand colour looks a lot better in real life than it does in photographs. While it is not gold as some of the promo pics had us believe, it has the same type of pearly lustre as the aforementioned grey and is not ugly at all. The dark blue is the same kind of subtlely metallic plastic we've seen on figures such as WFC Prime. A lot of the finer details have been accentuated by black detailing.

Creator Primus' has far more poseablility than I would have expected for a figure of his size class. The only articulation limitations I've found so far are his wrists (no articulation whatsoever). Other poseability limitations include his wings and arse kibble which restrict limb movement backwards and his rubbish toes + heavy upper body which limits his balance to one hip click forwards and backwards. That said Primus looks his best standing up straight and being a deity probably shouldn't reduce himself to tacky action poses :p. One thing I have note is that Primus has five digit articulation in his hands with double knuckle joints on all fingers. This is fantastic except he has no accessory to hold. Also his fingers are disturbingly long.

Gimmicks in robot mode include two firing shoulder launchers. Creepy grabber arm things in the legs and the arm cannons which pop-up and out when the force chip in inserted in the slot. I don't know what the purpose of this is, maybe its so that Primus only accidentally shoots off his fingertips instead of his whole bloody ginormous hand when he's feeling triggerhappy.

Transformation
Primus' transformation is nothing to write home about. It's fairly simplistic but I still get a kick out of it because its fun imagining him unfurl from planet to robot. Transformation "necessitates" the use of the Omega Lock accessory which I find to be quite plain in appearance.

All his electronic gimmicks kick in during transformation. The omega lock accessory lights up whenever it is plugged in to any of the four available sockets. There are electronic sounds when you open the lock to unveil the planetary guns and more sounds when you use the lock to unveil Primus' head in the final stage of transformation. His eyes also flash red for a bit at this stage! The goofy sound effects start to piss you off after a short while. I wish there was some other means to make his eyes light up after he has been transformed.

Planet mode
Creator Primus transforms into a fairly solid planet Cybertron. In planet mode all the pieces lock together reasonably well. I have one hemisphere on my one which is a little loose but it doesn't detract from the spherical appearance of the planet. The unified colour scheme really shines here as Primus really does look like planet Cybertron. The big blue fists and cannons which are showing in this mode are a little distracting but they don't bother me a great deal. The molded details are really impressive and the sandy rubber pieces look good in this mode. The four cities at the top of the planet are painted in metallic gold which is really pretty. At the 'back' of the planet the city which I believe is 'Kaon' is really well sculpted though it looks like a big blue barnacle on the face of the planet. Though the planet looks nice in this mode it is not the bright silver ball of bling as advertised in the promo pics which is disappointing. While it still looks great I would have like a little more paint detailing across the planet aside from the sparse splotches of copper and silver at various points of interest across the planet. Also absent in this mode is the black detailing which made the robot mode look so good.

In planet mode there are a few gimmicks. Firstly are all the minicon ports, you can whack several minicons onto Cybertron. They don't activate anything and it makes the planet look ridiculous so don't do it. Secondly are the side cannons. They work exactly like they do in robot mode and actually make a lot more sense in this mode. I wish the 'turret' could rotate though. Lastly are the planetary guns. By inserting the Omega Lock into the top port and shifting it the two top hemispheres of Cybertron split apart and the planetary guns deploy forwards. Looks somewhat ridiculous but is still cool with some imagination.

Overall
This is an excellent figure. Despite this version not existing in any official canon I think he is a fair and complimentary imagining of the TFverse deity and the planet Cybertron. Compared to what I've seen of the Cybertron version of this mold, the unified colour scheme makes for a much better looking planet and in robot mode Primus definitely has credibility as an ancient god instead of looking like a cheap plastic toy. While i'm not pleased that TT have pulled a Hasbro photoshop con job on us (I will never trust a TT promo pic again) Primus is still a great looking figure. Whether he is worth the money I would say, for me, yes. Previous owners of this mould might not find as much value in it having already played with the toy. Especially since there is no retooling and does not come with any new accessories on top of the planet key, omega lock and missiles. Overall, despite the high cost, I am satisfied with my purchase. He is an impressive looking figure which looks great on display. While I will probably add some custom paint details for the fun of it, I would be otherwise pleased to keep the figure as it is. My absolute biggest gripe with this figure is the packaging.

[GoktimusPrime]

Gah! Colours look far too bland IMO. I prefer the way the original toy had more colours to break up all that blue and gray. JMHO.


Primus has five digit articulation in his hands with double knuckle joints on all fingers. This is fantastic except he has no accessory to hold.
The original Primus did. :)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/collection%202010/th_collection2010_2004_gods.jpg

But tbh toys with articulated fingers are the poorest at holding accessories. When it comes to holding accessories, I much prefer a traditional Kung Fu grip or closed fist with a hole. Finger articulation is great for bare-handed poseability, but craphouse for holding stuff.


I resolved that I would never attempt to tie him back to his original backing and put him back in his box. Why couldn't TakaraTomy put these 2010 figures in bubble form packaging like the Masterpiece line? Huge dissapointment.
Dude... you're probably one of very few people out there who'd buy a toy, open it, then want to re-tie it back in its packaging! Remember that adult collectors themselves are a minority anyway; and remember that Masterpiece was produced in limited numbers in Japan and marketed exclusively at mature collectors, whereas the Primus mould was initially intended for and marketed at children. While the repaint has a more collector-centric focus, I don't think TOMY are excluding the child market either (as they did exclude with Masterpiece). So I wouldn't really fault TOMY for not accomodating for such a niche desire.

[jaydisc]

Great review. I agree with you and think the colors are excellent, vastly more realistic, and much less gaudy than the original's (same as Unicron). Colors breaking up colors are fine for a coloring book, but I prefer subtle, more realistic blending which this figure and Unicron have.

Gok, I think you've misread him. He's not going to put it back in the box BECAUSE of the twist ties. He has no desired to re-tie it. Have I understood correctly?

As for people who want to put toys back in packaging, Takara has seen fit to invest extra so that this is possible with most of their TFs, and they would not be doing it without customer demand. I, and many other adult collectors (it may be "very few" in your circles, but certainly not mine), appreciate this feature as we either rotate items in display, display items in packaging or might have a multitude of other reasons. And since we at least agree that Takara does indeed market to adults, the twist ties are indeed disappointing.

[Lint]

Gok, I think you've misread him. He's not going to put it back in the box BECAUSE of the twist ties. He has no desired to re-tie it. Have I understood correctly?


That is correct. I have limited display space so I need to cycle toys for display. If the packaging is nice and partial to it I will return toys their packaging (which is quite easy to do for most TT tfs). It's space inefficient, but it helps keep them in good nick.



But tbh toys with articulated fingers are the poorest at holding accessories. When it comes to holding accessories... ...Finger articulation is great for bare-handed poseability, but craphouse for holding stuff.


I know what you mean (e.g Hasbro MP Screamer) but this guys' hands are huge and in typical TT fashion the joints are super tight.
http://i54.tinypic.com/2604syf.jpg



While the repaint has a more collector-centric focus, I don't think TOMY are excluding the child market either (as they did exclude with Masterpiece). So I wouldn't really fault TOMY for not accomodating for such a niche desire.

If this was marketed at children they should have made it a windowed box (which by default would set him in bubble form packaging :D). I believe the original Cybertron Primus was sold as such. Also I don't see a big black box with a low contrast blue artwork catching the attention of kidlets. Additionally the price point here is getting beyond what a parent would find reasonable for a kids toy. If you're trying to say that exclusion of the bubble form inset makes this toy more attractive to children or has lowered the pricepoint to meet the needs for that demographic I would have to disagree.

Now that I think about it though, Creator Primus quite a heavy toy and the run of the mill bubble form packaging would probably buckle and crack to a degree under his weight. I've seen with other large toys packed in this manner. The cardboard backing he was tied was was extremely rigid and secure.

But thats a poor excuse and it still sucks.

[Sky Shadow]

http://i54.tinypic.com/2604syf.jpg

I LOLed at Primus's book, sake and keyring. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

As for people who want to put toys back in packaging, Takara has seen fit to invest extra so that this is possible with most of their TFs, and they would not be doing it without customer demand.
There's actually a practical reason why Japanese toy companies usually design their toy packages to be intentionally easily repackaged, and it isn't really for adult collectors. A lot of children's toys are easily repackagable (here's an example (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/greattoys/New%20July%202006/LOGIA2.jpg)).


Now that I think about it though, Creator Primus quite a heavy toy and the run of the mill bubble form packaging would probably buckle and crack to a degree under his weight. I've seen with other large toys packed in this manner. The cardboard backing he was tied was was extremely rigid and secure.

But thats a poor excuse and it still sucks.
Remember that Japan is in located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and as a result Japan experiences frequent seismic activity - typically low intensity tremours and occasional volcanic activity... nothing hugely major most of the time, but it can be enough to knock things off shelves. So you can imagine that if you were a collector living in Japan, and you had your Transformer stored in its box, and a tremour caused it to fall from its shelf - you'd really appreciate a more rigid and secured package over something that would be more liable to buckle and crack.

You guys know I love nothing more than keeping my Transformers loose and free, but even when I was living in Japan I kept all my Transformers inside their boxes. Even Hasbro Transformers that I'd imported... not that Hasbro's packaging would've saved them that much compared to Takara's (so naturally I never stored my Hasbro TFs at any height - I put them on the bottom level of my cupboard :p).