Toy Review - RtS G2 Optimus Prime

[Vector Prime]

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/phuynh1979/IMG00234-20110119-2236.jpg

EPIC FAIL! Don't buy it - save your money for something else!

Now that I have that out of the way, for those still interested, keep reading, but those that aren't, save your money and time - don't keep reading further since this guy just isn't worth it IMO.

Let me just start off by saying that I wasn't impressed with the way this guy looked from the initial time I saw the first pics of him.

Now that I have him in hand, I wish I could turn back time and reseal him back up into his plastic prison and hide him in the corner somewhere.

He may be an okay homage to the original G2 version, but in this era, this guy just stinks.

RTS G2 Prime should have been released in the Armada or Energon range...actually scrap that, the homage should have even been done pre-Armada since Armada Deluxe Prime is way cooler and a much better toy than this guy by light years.

His transformation is simplistic and a tad bit fiddly but the overall look of this guy is where he suffers the most - get him if you love Hasbro grey since there's an abundance of it.

He lacks paint apps in plenty of spots and even the pic on the cardback has been doctored up - it shows red paint on his knee caps whereas on the actual toy, it's left as black plastic....cheap looking black plastic.

The only thing cool about this guy is his sword (and that's only because I love sword-wielding bots).

Anyways....this guy's not worth buying unless you can pick him up for under $15 or you solely want him so you can have one of this mold (like myself).

4/10 (I've even voted 'No' to buying him)

**EDIT - I went back and transformed this guy again and realised that the wheels on his legs can be pushed up and in to sit further inwards (so as not to resemble Armada Prime where the wheels just sit on the side of his legs). Typical me, should have read the instructions :o Nonetheless, this doesn't redeem him any way - I still score him a 4/10 - below average**

Here's a pic of Armada Prime owning him - he's that bad!

http://i954.photobucket.com/albums/ae21/phuynh1979/IMG00235-20110119-2237.jpg

[kaiden]

The sad thing is - his instructions show an alternate head :rolleyes:

[Vector Prime]

The sad thing is - his instructions show an alternate head :rolleyes:

Yeah I just saw that. (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/alternate-head-for-reveal-the-shield-g2-optimus-prime/20625/)

I'm normally a big fan of black/Nemesis Prime redecos, but my dislike for this figure is so great that I won't even bother this time around (probably :o)

[kaiden]

Yeah I just saw that. (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/alternate-head-for-reveal-the-shield-g2-optimus-prime/20625/)

I'm normally a big fan of black/Nemesis Prime redecos, but my dislike for this figure is so great that I won't even bother this time around (probably :o)

well the problem there is that the new head looks ugly - even more than kups.

[KaRNiV8L PRiME]

I really like the mold.

+ The transformation is fun and clever
+ Great update/homage to G2 laser prime
+ Robot mode is very cool
+ Would definately look AWESOME repainted as Scourge, Nemesis Prime in all black with red translucent windows, red sword and different head
+Great for posing, awesome articulation, tight joints, can hold sword in 2 hands

- G2 laser prime colours, wish alt mode was just prime colours
- Side windows painted orange, could've been translucent
- Sword sux. Should've just been separate and clip under the truck
- Could've been voyager size

Really this mold has a lot of potential. A resculpted head, a new paint job and a big kick ass sword that doesn't transform is ALL this mold needs. Bring on the nemesis

8/10

[GoktimusPrime]

The thing with "Classicsverse" is that they're meant to give us updated and improved incarnations of older Transformers using current toy engineering and technology. I really don't like it when this doesn't happen, cos then it kinda defeats the whole point of making them in the first place. That's why I didn't like Universe/Henkei Cheetor and Dinobot, IMO neither of them were substantial improvements over their originals.

Looking at pics of this toy and reading Vector Prime's comments, I wonder if RtS G2 Optimus Prime really is a substantial improvement over Laser Optimus Prime? Laser Optimus Prime is just a brilliant figure and just blew my socks off in 1995. I was so impressed I actually bought two of them! (I've since sold my spare off years ago) And it wasn't until 2007 and 2009 with Leader Class Movie and ROTF OP that we even saw another Optimus Prime toy that could be considered as comparatively well designed as Laser Optimus Prime (by the standards of the day).

Laser Optimus Prime = exceedingly outstanding by 1995 standards.
RtS G2 Optimus Prime = ...by 2011 standards... ???

Vector Prime: Could you bring your RtS G2 Prime to the next Syd meet? If so I might bring my Laser Prime so we can make a comparison and take some pics (unless you have Laser Prime and wanna just do the comparison yourself) ;)

[Vector Prime]

I really like the mold.

+ The transformation is fun and clever
+ Great update/homage to G2 laser prime
+ Robot mode is very cool
+ Would definately look AWESOME repainted as Scourge, Nemesis Prime in all black with red translucent windows, red sword and different head
+Great for posing, awesome articulation, tight joints, can hold sword in 2 hands

- G2 laser prime colours, wish alt mode was just prime colours
- Side windows painted orange, could've been translucent
- Sword sux. Should've just been separate and clip under the truck
- Could've been voyager size

Really this mold has a lot of potential. A resculpted head, a new paint job and a big kick ass sword that doesn't transform is ALL this mold needs. Bring on the nemesis

8/10

Wow! :eek:

Were we looking at the same toy? :p

I suppose everyone has different expectations and tastes - many people are fine with Universe Silverbolt for example whereas I hate it and think it's one of the worst Classicverse toys.


The thing with "Classicsverse" is that they're meant to give us updated and improved incarnations of older Transformers using current toy engineering and technology. I really don't like it when this doesn't happen, cos then it kinda defeats the whole point of making them in the first place. That's why I didn't like Universe/Henkei Cheetor and Dinobot, IMO neither of them were substantial improvements over their originals.

Looking at pics of this toy and reading Vector Prime's comments, I wonder if RtS G2 Optimus Prime really is a substantial improvement over Laser Optimus Prime? Laser Optimus Prime is just a brilliant figure and just blew my socks off in 1995. I was so impressed I actually bought two of them! (I've since sold my spare off years ago) And it wasn't until 2007 and 2009 with Leader Class Movie and ROTF OP that we even saw another Optimus Prime toy that could be considered as comparatively well designed as Laser Optimus Prime (by the standards of the day).

Laser Optimus Prime = exceedingly outstanding by 1995 standards.
RtS G2 Optimus Prime = ...by 2011 standards... ???

Vector Prime: Could you bring your RtS G2 Prime to the next Syd meet? If so I might bring my Laser Prime so we can make a comparison and take some pics (unless you have Laser Prime and wanna just do the comparison yourself) ;)

Whilst I've never played with or owned an original Laser Prime (so a definite no to doing a comparison myself), I totally agree with what you're saying Gok.

I think the thing that disappoints me most about this guy is that by 2011 standards, he's very ordinary and he just doesn't look or feel the part of a toy that's only just been released.

There have been a few G2 homages in recent times, however even though most of them (all?) have been redecos of existing molds, they've stacked up well against current stuff since they're relatively fresh in design and transformation complexity.

The disappointing thing is that this guy was a whole new mold and was designed from the ground up but they've managed to do a crap half-hearted job on it (which is disappointing since it's a representation of the iconic Optimus Prime).

Anyways, everyone has an opinion and they're entitled to it - I'm sure he will sell like hotcakes anyway, purely because it's Prime, so my comments may have no relevance.

As for bringing him to the Parra Fair, I won't be there for long ~ half hr to an hr max, so I won't be attending the post-fair food court meet.

[KaRNiV8L PRiME]

Vector Prime: Could you bring your RtS G2 Prime to the next Syd meet? If so I might bring my Laser Prime so we can make a comparison and take some pics (unless you have Laser Prime and wanna just do the comparison yourself) ;)

If I get a chance (moving house today) i'll get some comp pics up. Hopefully RTS holding the 1995 G2 laser prime sword

[GoktimusPrime]

As for bringing him to the Parra Fair, I won't be there for long ~ half hr to an hr max, so I won't be attending the post-fair food court meet.
Ooh, then please remind me to have a look at your RtS Prime and compare it with Laser Prime at the Fair itself, cos otherwise I'll probably think, "I'll wait till the food court." :p There's a quiet spot near the entrance where we can makehang out. ;) :D

[UltraMarginal]

Here's another review that has a fairly different take on the figure:
http://www.shortpacked.com/2011/blog/laser-prime-3-0/

personally I'm probalby still going to pass. I have my masterpiece prime.

[SharkyMcShark]

Got this on an impulse today. Couldn't disagree more with the OP - I absolutely love it. I'm really looking forward to any repaint

[SharkyMcShark]

To be honest the only real criticism I can level at it is the lack of a gun - I wish it had come with the double barreled laser gun that the G2 version had.

[Tallestblue]

When I get this guy he's getting my spare Classics Deluxe Optimus gun. Just makes sense. But it may just tempt me to buy the original G2 Laser Optimus Prime.

...Or Rather the Japanese Battle Convoy re-release.

[GoktimusPrime]

But it may just tempt me to buy the original G2 Laser Optimus Prime.

...Or Rather the Japanese Battle Convoy re-release.

I'd say that might be a better option. As I said before, the whole appeal of Classicsverse to me is to see old G1/G2 toys 'updated' and improved using contemporary toy technology, but I'm not sure how much of an improvement this toy is over its original G2 counterpart. Cos Laser Optimus Prime is honestly one of the greatest Optimus Prime toys ever made. And the reissue has chrome! :)

I'll bring my Laser Prime to the Parra Fair and compare it with Vector Prime's RtS G2 Prime - take some photos and do a quick comparative review to see whether or not it's a worthwhile toy. Does anyone here already have both G2 Laser Prime and RtS G2 Prime? (cos if so, maybe they could go ahead and take some pics and do a comparative review first)

[Quickstrike]

I like that I can put him in a "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL" pose. I don't know why I like that, because I don't really like Masters of the Universe.

[GoktimusPrime]

You can do the same with the G2 Laser Prime mould too. ;)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Laser%20Magnus%20Photocomic/photocomic_lasermagnus12.jpg

[Doubledealer]

EPIC FAIL

Pretty much my thoughts as soon as I saw pics online. Looks like one for the G2 fans and that's about it

[Vector Prime]

I'll bring my Laser Prime to the Parra Fair and compare it with Vector Prime's RtS G2 Prime - take some photos and do a quick comparative review to see whether or not it's a worthwhile toy.

I no longer have a loose version of this toy (only a MOSC one which I will not be opening), so therefore I won't be able to bring it to the fair for you to do your comparison.

[5FDP]

I no longer have a loose version of this toy.

Did you blend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7SKDnhI3Eg) it :p

[Vector Prime]

Did you blend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7SKDnhI3Eg) it :p

That's awesome! :D

As much as I detest this toy, no, that's not what I did, I gave it to my nephew so he could trash it. :p

[Tallestblue]

Did you blend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7SKDnhI3Eg) it :p

Wha...? N...no....NO!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

WHYYYYYYYY!!!???

[Blurrprimecoolboz2008]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwS6MFLjVFU

[Robzy]

I had such high hopes for this figure... couldn't wait to get it! I'm very disappointed with the end result though! :(

First, he's way to small... even by deluxe standards. He's Bumblebee sized :rolleyes:. Second, the plastic clips on his swords are so brittle I'm almost scared to hook it up between his legs in truck mode. Third, I dunno about everyone else, but My Prime's hands don't seem big enough to grip the sword. The handle is slightly too big - it fits alright, but it's tight and I've already got stress marks on the inside of his hands from holding it :mad:. Uhhgghhh! Forth, his alt mode looks really crappy when you can't get his grey tanks to line up (over his hands, and with his legs). The back wheels don't roll properly if not aligned... I've seen so many video reviews discussing this very issue, yet they all show how to transform him from truck to robot instead of the other way around :rolleyes:

He does have some very clever transformation ideas... which is why it's such a disappointment he has all these other shortcomings. Could have been a brilliant figure... ends up being a weak figure imo.

[griffin]

Mine can't hold the sword either. So looks like I have to sand out another bot's hands (like Bludgeon, Banzaitron and Arcee before him).

[Gutsman Heavy]

No issues here, A tad fiddley to get into alt, but otherwise I quite like him :)

[tjparkside]

this is a cool figure! nice version of optimus as a long nose truck imo!
other otca members ideas to give him a rifle weapon sound good!!

[Mr Ed]

I got him out of packaging and played with him.

I dont know if it is just me, but I LOVE the heat labels. Maybe its a G1 thing!

Pretty fun, but not as good are Perceptor.

I am a bit disappointed that the photo is different to the actual toy.

ie fuel tank colour (should be blue and not grey) and the door should have a red Autobot insignia.

Oh well, I guess Reprolabels can make some decals.

[Stompy]

Hmm. While I'm not dissapointed, I'm not too impressed by this figure.

The alt mode is not too bad and the swordhides nicely at the back. It just looks like it's missing something. I think its the rather bare rooftop look. Like there needs to be something there to pad it out. It doesn't scream Leader enough for me.

Conversion was pretty good if a little inelegant witht he way the back armor forms since it hits other parts during the process. The way the torso converts is quite unique. The legs had all manner of perhaps extraneous converting but I guess we do demand a little more complex figures. Converting back to it's alt was tricky and simply loses any class or elegance the torso conversion had. Lining up the legs with the sword and the fuel tanks on the side is a bit of a nightmare and ends up suffering the dreaded and common uneven wheels syndrome.

Robot mode is ok. The legs are a bit messy looking but it might just be the colour scheme that puts me off this Prime a little. Instead of Hasbro Grey they should have gone for a slightly darker colour or even gunmetal. Not to mention the really short stature. Dwarfed by all other deluxes in the line so far. One of the smallest Primes. The articulation is excellent though and the sword is pretty nifty. But why is it way too big for the hand? It can be forced in but you will get some stress marks on the fingers. Otherwise an ok figure and probably for Prime fans and as a tribute to the original.

[1AZRAEL1]

I saw this guy on the shelf. I ended up passing on him. I may pick him up at a later date if he is cheap.

[kup]

I had such high hopes for this figure... couldn't wait to get it! I'm very disappointed with the end result though! :(

First, he's way to small... even by deluxe standards. He's Bumblebee sized :rolleyes:. Second, the plastic clips on his swords are so brittle I'm almost scared to hook it up between his legs in truck mode. Third, I dunno about everyone else, but My Prime's hands don't seem big enough to grip the sword. The handle is slightly too big - it fits alright, but it's tight and I've already got stress marks on the inside of his hands from holding it :mad:. Uhhgghhh! Forth, his alt mode looks really crappy when you can't get his grey tanks to line up (over his hands, and with his legs). The back wheels don't roll properly if not aligned... I've seen so many video reviews discussing this very issue, yet they all show how to transform him from truck to robot instead of the other way around :rolleyes:

He does have some very clever transformation ideas... which is why it's such a disappointment he has all these other shortcomings. Could have been a brilliant figure... ends up being a weak figure imo.

Really sad when the nearing 20 year old toy offers superior satisfaction :(

By the sounds of it, he seems to suffer from the same issues as MP Rodimus Convoy. A toy which core concept is good but the end result seems rushed as if they did not bother to test him properly during the prototype stage in order to iron out all these issues.

[GoktimusPrime]

yeah, I've seen this toy in stores plenty of times and I keep passing it up - even at $23 at Kmart.

Anyway, hopefully this Sunday I'll be able to make a comparison between Vector Prime's RtS G2 OP and my G2 Laser OP and see how well this toy stacks up against the 16 year old original figure.

[Vector Prime]

Anyway, hopefully this Sunday I'll be able to make a comparison between Vector Prime's RtS G2 OP and my G2 Laser OP and see how well this toy stacks up against the 16 year old original figure.

I won't be bringing it since I no longer have it mate (as mentioned above (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=219260#post219260))

[GoktimusPrime]

:( Well I won't be lugging along my Laser Prime then. Unless someone else attending has a loose RTS Prime they wanna bring?

[GoktimusPrime]

I picked this toy up today on sale, and I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised. From what I've been hearing from people and judging from pictures and looking at the toy MOSC in stores, I thought this toy would royally suck, but I find it has far exceeded my expectations!

As I mentioned much earlier on this thread, the idea of "Classicsverse" is to use contemporary toy engineering to improve upon older toys, like G1. With most G1-based Classicsverse figures, they have improved on the old toys. With the Beast Wars based ones, they haven't (IMHO). G2 Laser Optimus Prime though was a masterpiece of an action figure by 1995 standards... and I gotta say that I wasn't sure if RtS could do it justice, but I find that it has in several ways.

Pros:

+ Very nice articulation. The wrist can bend forward so that he can hold his sword aloft with the tip of the blade pointing up like He-Man. :) He can do a lot of impressive poses.

+ Good playability. Unlike Perceptor and Jazz, this toy doesn't come apart in the middle of fast-action toy play. The joints move smoothly and easily, something which has been standard in Transformers since Beast Wars, but with recent engineering flaws, this makes the toy stand out.

+ Complex transformation. I thought this toy would transform in a similar way as G2 Laser Prime - and it kinda does, only with greater complexity. Which is impressive considering that it's a smaller and cheaper toy (mind you, a lot of G2 Laser Prime's cost is taken up by the trailer/battle station). But yeah, not having an electronic block means they have more creative freedom... the way the truck windows actually becomes the chest windows was a surprisingly clever touch I thought (whereas on the original toy the chest windows are very obviously fake).

+ I like the way the sword transforms into a hitch for the cab mode. On the original toy it just stows underneath like Drift's sword, but with RtS Prime the sword is part of the alt mode. "What's so good about that?" Well...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/comparisons/Classicsverse/comparison_chugurg2_optimus3.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/comparisons/Classicsverse/comparison_chugurg2_optimusprime2.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/comparisons/Classicsverse/th_comparison_chugurg2_optimusprime1.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/comparisons/Classicsverse/comparison_chugurg2_optimusprime1.jpg)
That's right! RtS Optimus Prime's sword allows him to hook up with G2 Laser Prime's trailer!! :D :cool: That's cool! And it fits in pretty tight too, as you can see in that last pic. ;)

+ Doesn't have "Optimus Prime" written all over him in vehicle mode. Let's face it, that was always a silly feature on the original toy. :p

Cons:
- No gun.
- The doors just hang off the arms like they have no place to go and kinda get in the way.
- The stripes on the top of his head light pipe real well, but the eyes don't!

Other comments:
* I'm not a huge fan of the head sculpt. There's nothing wrong with it - just personal preference.
* Truck mode has moofie-inspired chopper flames. I don't like nor dislike this over the original vehicle cab colours.
* Sword's a bit tricky to place into the hands

Here are some comparison pics between the original and RtS figures:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/comparisons/Classicsverse/comparison_chugurg2_optimus2.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/comparisons/Classicsverse/comparison_chugurg2_optimus1.jpg

Overall I think this toy is pretty decent, especially for a Deluxe price point. Even better if you can get it on sale. Sure, Laser Optimus Prime comes with more accessories and a trailer battle platform as well as electronic gimmick, but that toy cost about $100 retail iirc (it was certainly the most expensive toy in '95). So putting it in context of the relative price difference, I think RtS Optimus Prime offers comparable value for money.

I'd recommend this toy -- even moreso if you can find it on sale of course. :D

[Vector Prime]

Glad to hear you like it Gok... I still can't bring myself to like this figure in the slightest :(

[gekisou]

Sure, Laser Optimus Prime comes with more accessories and a trailer battle platform as well as electronic gimmick, but that toy cost about $100 retail iirc (it was certainly the most expensive toy in '95).

Wow! Really?! When I got in 1999, I was lucky enough to get him for like 20 bucks. Still my favourite TF toy ever, hands down.

It is also the reason I want the RtS version of Laser Prime and its nice to see one positive-ish review over all the other negative ones. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah well in 1999 the toy would've been marked down to clear dead stock. After all, import collectable stores in Sydney marked down reissue God Ginrai to $20 a pop too after they'd been shelf-warming too long. But discount price =/= retail price. Actually, I think I got my G2 Laser Prime for pretty cheap too... found it at Toyworld in 1998 for $20 too... but I vaguely remember seeing it at full retail for about a hundred or so in 1995 (again, this is only IIRC... which I probably can't :p). I had 2 Laser Primes at one stage - one I bought on sale... another one I'm sure I paid full retail for. Gah... too long ago! XD


Let me just start off by saying that I wasn't impressed with the way this guy looked from the initial time I saw the first pics of him.
Aside from the head, I don't mind the look of this guy. He's a pretty good homage to the original toy which is what the "Classicsverse" line is meant to be about. And my lack of liking for the head is purely a subjective thing - there's nothing technically wrong with it, except maybe the poor light piping in the eyes, but RtS Jazz's eye light piping is also really poor too. In fact, a lot of RtSes don't light pipe well.


He may be an okay homage to the original G2 version, but in this era, this guy just stinks.
I think he's a good upgrade of the original toy. He's far more articulate which is impressive considering that it's a substantially smaller figure. The shoulder articulation is a bit constricted by the truck kibble - but they put that there to make to toy look like the original Laser Prime, so I can forgive it. And even then, I can still freely swing his arms about with the shoulders popping out like Perceptor's or having his chest fly up like Jazz.


His transformation is simplistic and a tad bit fiddly but the overall look of this guy is where he suffers the most - get him if you love Hasbro grey since there's an abundance of it.
The transformation is rather fiddly, but I found it to be a lot more complex than I was expecting. I thought it would transform like the original toy, but it's significantly more complex than that. I like the way the fuel tanks tuck away and the tyres actually swing up and tuck in. Gives the robot a more streamlined look compared to the original.

The Hasbro grey looks better than I was expecting... but then again, the original toy has an abundance of Hasbro grey too. :p


He lacks paint apps in plenty of spots and even the pic on the cardback has been doctored up - it shows red paint on his knee caps whereas on the actual toy, it's left as black plastic....cheap looking black plastic.
I did notice that, but it doesn't bother me that much. It wouldn't surprise me if reprolabel made a sticker set to make this toy look more like the original figure.


The only thing cool about this guy is his sword (and that's only because I love sword-wielding bots).
The fact that the sword also allows the toy to interact with the original toy's trailer is a really cool feature. And that's probably why they sacrificed the red paint on the kneecaps - cos the sword has multiple parts and a moving joint to allow it transform from a sword to a truck cab hitch. I like this idea cos it not only incorporates the sword as part of the alt mode instead of just having it in storage like on the original (or like on Drift), it actually contributes to the toy's play value! :)

[kup]

I also had a bad opinion of this toy and bought it on a whim when it was on sale. I am also pleasantly surprised, it is a lot better than I expected although it is not as good as other figures in it's line.

So only if cheap.

BTW: What's with this loose Perceptor and Jazz complaints? Perceptor can be tricky but his backpack does lock in place if you transform him properly and Jazz is a pretty solid figure.

[GoktimusPrime]

BTW: What's with this loose Perceptor and Jazz complaints? Perceptor can be tricky but his backpack does lock in place if you transform him properly and Jazz is a pretty solid figure.
My Perceptor's shoulders don't lock in tightly. I mean, they lock in tight enough for display and light handling, but I start actually playing with the toy then his shoulders can be easily dislodged if I'm not careful. Not as easily as Deluxe Movie Brawl - but still not tight enough for my liking. And Jazz's chest doesn't lock down on my toy either. So when I play with the toy the chest flies up (and of course the head ducks down thanks to the automorph gimmick). Try making your Perceptor and Jazz fight each other and see if the shoulders and chest don't displace.

[SkyWarp91]

The vehicle mode is pretty cool, nothing jaw-dropping but cool nonetheless.

The robot mode looks nice as well, I like how it's a re-imagining of the G2 toy with a hint of movie influences. The transformation was more complex then expected but nothing too difficult. A pretty good toy, but nothing memorable about it. 7/10

[Grievous]

I like both modes...and the sword is awesome...
but he just seems a little small to me...

:(

[griffin]

Toy Review - Optimus Prime

Series - Reveal the Shield
Sub-line - N/A
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - New
Wave - 2
Released here - Jan 2011
Approximate Retail Price - $25-30
Approximate Size - 15cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Truck
Main Features/Gimmicks - rubsign, compatible with original Gen2 Trailer
Main Colours - Blue, red, black, grey.
Main Accessories - sword

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/rts15a.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/rts15b.jpg

[Lint]

Finally picked one up on the cheap.

I had bad expectations but overall I am quite pleased with him. He's simple yet satisfying to transform, has a very faithful colour scheme to the G2 toy, has decent poseability and a cool sword.

Downsides are all the little panels are pretty thin and will yield if bent, the light piping did not work out to be as awesome as it was in theory, he doesn't scale awesomely with most other deluxes and umm... short smokestacks? :p

[Decepticon]

The head and the sword is the only thing I like about this Prime:mad:

[GoktimusPrime]

The toy is awesomely well articulated and I'm still really impressed that it can attach to G2 Laser Prime's trailer! It's not too often that we see Transformers engineered with "backward compatibility" and it's a really nice touch.

[KillinSpoon]

The head and the sword is the only thing I like about this Prime:mad:

My favourite part about it was the $8 pricetag!

[GoktimusPrime]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/meme_threadnecro_zps54d14072.jpg (http://otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=546285#post546285)

Conclusion:
I'm by no means an "Optimus collector", but I do buy most Optimus figures that have an interesting design. This figure happens to be one and despite the minor issues I quite like it, and it can replace the RtS figure to be my modern Laser Optimus.
I personally feel that the original G2 Laser Optimus Prime has yet to be suitably surpassed by a modern version, and that's due to that figure really being such an incredibly well designed toy for the mid 1990s. I remember first seeing this toy and just picking my jaw up off the floor in terms of the massive leaps and bounds in engineer. Surely this would be the toy that would save the dying Transformers franchise! Alas, in spite of the toy's many flavours of awesome, it did not. And the original toy shelfwarmed badly for years. I remember seeing stacks of these toys still gathering dust at Toyworld (back when Sydney still had 'em) and TRU as late as 1998~99. :( But what an amazing toy it is - the articulation, light-piping, LED headlights and laser sword etc.; we may take these features for granted today, but by pre-Beast Wars standards, this was freaking amazing! IMHO HasTak didn't surpass the engineering poured into an Optimus Prime toy until 2007's Movie Leader Class Optimus Prime, which was later surpassed by RotF/DotM Leader Optimus Prime. But 1995's G2 Laser Optimus Prime really stands apart as one of the great kilometrestones of Transformers toy engineering, as well as one of the greatest Optimus Prime toys ever made. It's a jolly high standard which is hard for any modern toy to match.

For this reason I was personally not that enthralled by Reveal the Shield Optimus Prime (which I got on sale, thankfully). That's not to say that it's a bad toy though, bear in mind that RtS Deluxe Prime is $25~30 at retail, whereas I paid about $100 for my G2 Laser Primes (yeah, I bought two because it was so common (I've since traded off my spare back in 2000 :p)), and that's not accounting for inflation. So relative to price, I think that RtS Optimus Prime isn't a bad toy, and I'm sure that this Voyager isn't bad either for what it is. A triple-changer Optimus Prime personally doesn't interest me though. And I'll probably skip this mould when it's eventually redecoed as Tall Tankor as I already have Henkei Octane. Although I do hope that Hasbro actually uses the name "Tall Tankor" to differentiate him from Generations Tankor (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Qaen7eYhL.jpg), and also to continue playing along with IDW's running joke of Fat Tankor and Tall Tankor. :p Or maybe Hasbro might try to regain the Octane trademark (they've actually been getting a lot better at that). :)

P.S.: One pleasant and unexpected surprise from RtS Optimus Prime was his ability to connect with G2 Laser Prime's trailer, and he connects with it better than the original toy! :D Backward compatibility FTW.

[FatalityPitt]

Problem I have with RtS Laser Prime is that it's too small for an Optimus Prime toy. As a stand-alone, he's great! But when you stand him next to something like Generations Blurr... :/

[GoktimusPrime]

That's no where near as bad as standing Machine Wars Megatron next to MW Soundwave or Starscream. ;) Whoa... this year is the 20th anniversary of MW. :eek:

[FatalityPitt]

Machine Wars was a strange, strange line. Admitedly I didn't buy any of its toys since I was more interested in Beast Wars at the time, and I think I might've been in the majority.. I don't think Hasbro invested much thought into that line either and probably just did it in attempt to please the "trukk-not-monkey" crowd (I mean, they made Prowl into a formula 1 car with a green head..).

[GoktimusPrime]

Machine Wars was a strange, strange line. Admitedly I didn't buy any of its toys since I was more interested in Beast Wars at the time, and I think I might've been in the majority.. I don't think Hasbro invested much thought into that line either and probably just did it in attempt to please the "trukk-not-monkey" crowd (I mean, they made Prowl into a formula 1 car with a green head..).
Replied here (http://otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=546651#post546651). :)