Beast Hunters Voyager Optimus Prime Review

He's big, he's imposing and he has two stress marks so he's going back to Myers tomorrow.

If you buy him be sure to check if the grey flaps that tab into the truck cab move easily. If they're tight just stop and take the toy back to where it was purchased. I also found when I pegged the cannon into the fender that makes up the toy's back it created a nasty big stress mark.

Which is really sad because BH Prime is a really nice figure, however, Hasbro has opted to use a cheaper, softer plastic and relaxed it QC.

Hopefully I can exchange it for another that is in better condition :-\

Ben Yee's review
...Ben's always been a rather optimistic reviewer, but even he's conceded to what appears to be some crucial flaws in this toy, which includes (according to him):
+ Inadequate paint decos
+ Gaps in the vehicle mode
+ NO symbols?!? (say it ain't so! Surely Hasbro wouldn't repeat the same mistake they made on Animated Voyager Prime!)

I can't say I'm sold on getting this toy. Only if it turns out that Prime's gonna appear in the show like this (which seems likely), and even then, I'd rather wait until I find it on sale. I've paid full RRP for previous TFP Voyagers (including Megatron)... not in the mood to do so again any time soon. :/

Well I exchanged my beast prime for a new beast prime. The new one has a stress mark on the same side as the old one. So I started a minor mod thread in repair bay forum. It just irks me that this toy will probably break on a kid and that's unfair, I'm an adult with disposable income I can replace stuff like this.

I hadn't noticed the lack of badgeness...

I saw the Commander Class figure of this toy today... seriously thinking about getting him and skipping the Voyager altogether. I already have Voyager FE Optimus Prime... don't really see the need to have another TFP Voyager OP toy.

hmm is it just me but are these new BH figures altogether using a "rubbery"kinda plastic? feels really cheap.:(. MInd you I don't wanna pick up this Optimus version, I just don't feel this look at all. IM content with the original release.

I don't mind the rubbery plastic so much... kinda gives a more Monster Pretender-esque organic feel. :) I like the alt mode of BH Optimus Prime as a CoE truck instead of a long nose truck... but I can't justify getting another Voyager Class Optimus Prime. I already have 3 TF Prime Optimus Primes! (FE Voyager, FE Deluxe and Cyberverse Commander)

So yeah, coupled with the dubious reviews I've read (also the lady at Myer commented about how she felt that Voyagers are really dropping in quality too), I think the Commander Class BH Optimus Prime might be best suited for me. :)

I'm sad to hear about the flaws in this toy. I think it's a really fun design and I was looking forward to it.

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Originally Posted by Tallestblue

I'm sad to hear about the flaws in this toy. I think it's a really fun design and I was looking forward to it.

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From what I've seen and read, it sounds like this toy was a poor execution of a good idea. :o

After fixing this guy and having it for a week or so it has grown on me.

To be honest it feels like it's teething problems with the change in plastic qualities and lack of paint application. Maybe there will be a swing back to stickers (doubtful) but I think we'll probably see better toys later in the line.

As it is I'm only getting a few bots and cons with primary interest in the predacons and Cyberverse figures.

Just bought Commander class Beast Prime. Oh. My. Glob. This thing is incredible. Kicks voyager @$$!

Sold! :)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...ptakemoney.jpg

Not sure if I really wanna pay full RRP for the Commander though... I'm sure he'll come out in cheaper outlets soon enough. Gah! It's like there's this Angel on my right shoulder going, "Wait until you find it at a cheaper price!" and a Devil on my left shoulder going, "What are you waiting for, buy it noooow!" :rolleyes: :p :o

the only real thing i liked from this release was the green star saber...

although it did have excellent ratcheting legs... so 2 things i liked.

Hmm, I have been enjoying mine quite a bit. Although that might be the wine typing :p

He's simple enough, has a bit of visible head syndrome in vehicle mode, but seems fun. The jetpack and wings are cool and I like that when the wings are folded down he has smoke stacks on his back. He also has a MASSIVE Galaxy Convoy feel to me which is great coz I love that toy!!

I think that with the wings for robot mode, the weapons on vehicle mode and the various home made configs you can set him up with, this makes a great toy for kids with lots of play options!

Not quite worth $50, $40 is just worth it. If I could have gotten him for 25 AmericaBUcks then I would say HELL yEAH. BUt otherwise its a solid purchase IMHO.

Omake:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...psf0dbccb9.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...ps516b2b02.jpg



Butterfly Vehicle Attack Mode (tm.)
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...ps91f2b026.jpg

Tetsuwan, did you find any stress marks on him?

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Originally Posted by SMHFConvoy

Tetsuwan, did you find any stress marks on him?

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Yes I did. In the exact same place as the pics on yours as well. I am curious to know if they'll get worse or not. The ones on the shoulder hinges weren't bad, but still... Oddly the hinges weren't tight at all. In fact they had about the exact amount of resistance you would want on them, and yet I still got the stress mark.

The ones for the guns showed up after I ad plugged them in to make the jet pack.

I am curious to see if they get worse or not. I think I will play with it quite a bit over the next week and see how they fare. If it's too crap, I will swap it over. I am now even more curious to know if all these toys will have the same issue. Seems like a bit of a design oversight...:rolleyes:

The specs....

Series - Transformers Prime
Sub-line - Beast Hunters
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - March 2013
Approximate Retail Price - $40-50
Approximate Size - 16cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - all-terrain truck
Main Features/Gimmicks - ?
Main Colours - red, blue, black, grey, green
Main Accessories - sword, 2x missile launcher, 2x missile

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/tfpbh05.jpg

IMO the Star Sabre would look cooler if it were transparent blue instead of green. I suppose Hasbro wanted to make it more distinct from TFPRiD Voyager OP. :o

The bot mode doesn't look too bad, he's a nice beefy OP but that alt mode - ugh. Far too kibbly for my liking, too much junk. Plus there doesn't look like too much attempt to hide the legs.

Compared to Voyager FE Prime, this one just doesn't do it for me. Sorry.

in hand I love him. Yes, the plastic feels very cheap and there are stress marks on the holes behind the wheels for the guns/rockets but still, a beefy rocket powered Prime with a sword? Awesome. The only thing that would make him more awesome would be blue plastic and Takara has that covered. I'm hoping that the plastic will be sturdier Taktom Hunter Optimus.

Kmart have him on sale for $35 in their latest catalogue. Might be good for those wanting one cheap.;):cool:

A fun toy although it's not that impressive engineering-wise. The truck mode is extremely disappointing in that the robot limbs just fold back behind the torso and... that's pretty much it. You can clearly see the legs and arms (since they're only partially covered by the wings), it doesn't have the sculpted details you'd expect of a truck apart from the cab (and even that, it's not too realistic).

The robot mode is where Optimus is a lot of fun. Love the Star Saber (although the blue plastic used on the Japanese version is superior, the green here seems tacky and ugly) and the inbuilt wings. What I like is that although his arms and legs are hollow, they've sealed it so you don't actually see the hollowness. Like others have said, the grey plastic is softer than you'd want which is odd.

Overall, a fun toy but not the best Optimus.

I bought this guy a few weeks ago, but until I got all stoked watching BH: Rebellion the other day (making sure not to give out any spoilers here) I had not gotten around to taking him out of the box.


Robot mode:
*Not bad proportions, though not (whoops - that was a spoiler - better delete ;) ).
*AWFUL face - just give him his damn faceplate!
*Not bad weapons

Vehicle mode:
*Not as impressive as I thought it would be. From the pictures I had seen it looked like someone had crossbred a tiger with a human fist and then turned it into a truck with a close up trailer. Rather than this he looks more like a sort of weird spiky dump truck thing. I've seen worse, but not that many. It would have perhaps made a better 'Cybertronian Mode' version of him rather than his new earth vehicle mold. The cannons aren't too bad on the side, but the sword on the top just looks silly (as we prob all knew it would do).

Overall
Glad I grabbed him as I do not intend to get many of the BH toys, and even then just those figures from the last couple of seasons such as Smokescreen and Dreadwing I had failed to get in the past (Will make an allowance for the Terrorcons though ;) ) Optimus is the only character I already had that I decided to get again, but at this rate I think the Weaponizer version is better. Glad I grabbed him, but even gladder I only payed $39 and not full price.

My thoughts on this guy: http://kalelreviews.wordpress.com/20...prime-gallery/

Thank God, I thought I'm not the only one who think his guns look like satellites :)

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Originally Posted by SMHFConvoy

Thank God, I thought I'm not the only one who think his guns look like satellites :)

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:P

Got Transformers Go G-11 Hunter Optimus Prime today. Posted pics here. And I took a quick comparison shot w/ the Hasbro version at Kmart. :p

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...pse6b93f1c.jpg

I like the fold out "I'm Batman!" wingaling thing. ;) The colour scheme is also pretty nice, using metallic red and blue plastic (whereas the Hasbro version is flat). It also has a darker shade of grey than Hasbro's. The yellow headlights on the Hasbro version has been replaced with orange, and the side windows are painted dark blue to match the transparent blue chest windows. Overall this version looks similar to the Hasbro version, but with metallic coloured red and blue plastic and more darker/subdued highlights. The eyes are transparent blue which will appease fans of show-likeness, although I think the green on the Hasbro version looks a bit nicer as it better offsets the blue helmet. Never been a massive fan of blue eyes on Optimus... yellow would be the best IMO. :/ The clear blue on the blade of the Star Sabre looks really nice too. The missile launchers have a more unified dark grey compared to Hasbro's "two tone" greys. So overall the colour differences (aside from the greens) are fairly subtle, but work significantly to improve the look of this toy. Sadly the faux-wheels on the inside of the legs are also unpainted on this version. I was really hoping for TakTOM to pick up where Hasbro dropped the ball on highlighting this part of the mould, but alas they've fumbled too.

However no cosmetic change can cover up the flaws of the mould, which others have noted previously on this thread too. Some things that bug me include:
+ The claws sticking out from the stomach. Looks ridiculous and gets in the way. :(
+ The shoulder pads don't lock at all.
+ The transformation is rather underwhelming. As christalcase said, the limbs pretty much just fold back, and as SMHFConvoy said, in relative terms the Commander Class is actually better designed. The Commander certainly has a significantly more clever transformation scheme and alt mode (it manages to have an 'empty' trailer section looking like it could carry a load, whereas the trailer section of this toy is just the arms!).
+ NO AUTOBOT INSIGNIA!!! :mad: It's bad enough when Hasbro does it, but this is really disappointingly out of character for TakaraTOMY! The Commander Class toy has a tampographed logo, why not the Voyager?!?


One positive thing about the mould is the shoulders; they lock in a _whole_ lot better than on First Edition Optimus Prime! But could still stand to be tighter. :/ Overall I'd only recommend this toy if you _really_ want it and you can get it for under RRP.