Toy Review - Transformers Platinum Edition Omega Supreme

[drifand]

To further understand my view, this is where I begin from

http://www.toyarchive.com/Diaclone/G...atronMIB1.html

Omega's original design was already dated because I already seen it when I was a 5 year old.

Basically Omega came out as transformers much later.

I understand the frustration of the Energon version because we seen better quality toys from Takara. Realise here I am not mentioning Hasbro because they are normally the lesser quality version.

I have to say, yes if you hated Energon Omega in the first place you wont take a second glance at YOTS version. But for me, this was it for NOW.

Shiny box aside, the toy is fun, imo reminds me enough of the Omega G1 and is just simply awsome.

[GoktimusPrime]

Each have their own here, obviously so fans are restricted to G1 thinking and will stick to the G1 design of What Omega is, a space station.

I don't have a problem with the alt mode not being a rocket base. That's never been the basis for my criticism of this mould. The issue is the incredibly simplistic and underwhelming engineering and design of the toy for something so big and expensive. The entire transformation is basically split the robot in half, straightened them out and lie them down.

I don't mind if the alt mode is different from the G1 toy. I understand that it's not G1 -- Energon was never G1. The issue is in the engineering/design. Look at Generations Darkmount. His tank mode is entirely different from the space cannon mode of G1 Straxus, but it's a good tank mode and a well designed solid action figure. So I really do quite like the toy because it's well made.

But I come way back before Transformers was even borned, I seen the Diaclone version and is a kid's toy made into Omega Supreme.

Technical point: Omega Supreme wasn't a Diaclone but was from another line called Super Change Robo. The toy's name was Mechabot 1. It wasn't made by Takara, but by another company called Toy Box which was since bought out by Tomy. After Tomy merged with Takara, Takara obtained the rights to the Toy Box Transformer moulds; namely Mechabot 1 and the other robot who was used as Sky Lynx, hence both Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx were reissued in the Encore line.
http://pic2.actoys.net/attachment/Mo...f320e7d.jpg?89

Now for $98 bucks this guy looks solid in the shelf with original G1 colours. The head sculpt is well done. Unlike the Energon version, I was hesitating whether to buy it. Getting the claw hand right was the key selling point.

Oh yeah, visually this toy is great. As I said, the colours work a lot better on this version ('cept the wheels - I would've preferred if they'd kept them the same colour as the original Energon OS), and the new head looks fantastic. It has been criticised for being small, but it needs to be that size in order for it to transform correctly and also connect w/ the YotS Optimus Prime vehicles. So it's really as big as they could make the head without compromising the existing play features on the toy.

But as I said, the issue is the rather substandard engineering/design of the Energon Supreme mould, and this version has further sacrificed some of the original toy's play features to make it look more like War For Cybertron Omega Supreme. The Headmaster gimmick - gone. The transformable neck - gone. The grabbing claw gimmick - gone. It's just a less fun toy to play with. They've taken what was an ordinary toy and made it even more dull (but more visually appealing). Form over function.

To further understand my view, this is where I begin from

Omega's original design was already dated because I already seen it when I was a 5 year old.

Basically Omega came out as transformers much later.

Sure, but as I said by 1980s standards this toy wasn't a bad figure. The robot mode is blocky, but that was commonplace in G1. Articulated robot modes didn't come along until late G2 and wasn't standardised until Beast Wars. Having a blocky robot mode was acceptable by the standards of the day. And if anything, Omega Supreme arguably has better arm and head articulation than a lot of other G1 Transformers. He has 9 points of articulation. And as I said, he does have multiple motorised gimmicks for walking, tank rolling, turret spinning, barrel moving and light up window. Yeah sure, the transformation is pretty much pull every thing apart and put it back together, and you have those annoying little yellow clips (which would be a beeyotch to lose)... but overall it's a reasonably decent toy by G1 standards as the first baseformer. Subsequent baseformers did improve on the design by have far more self contained parts (which isn't hard ), but also none of them are trying to have a continuous track running around that allows a motorised vehicle to run along it. So it's kinda like comparing apples and oranges.

I understand the frustration of the Energon version because we seen better quality toys from Takara. Realise here I am not mentioning Hasbro because they are normally the lesser quality version.

Eeh... it's not even that. In general we saw a decline in engineering/design in Armada and Energon with a lot of toys being compromised by their gimmicks (giving birth to the fan term "wHy My ShOuLdErS hUrT?" ). Before Armada we had Beast Wars and Car Robot/RiD which gave us slews of just amazing toys and pushed the envelope in terms of toy engineering and design. Armada and Energon felt like a significant step backward from that. IMO some of the best toys from Armada and Energon were actually the Mini-Cons rather than the Autobots and Decepticons. Takara's versions were cosmetically nicer (and the LED gimmick on Micron Legend Hot Rod was really cool), but still basically the same toys with the same weaknesses (ML Hot Rod's shoulders still hurt!). To Hasbro's credit, Cybertron was a much better line -- it looked like they'd finally gotten the hang of creating toys with gimmicks that compliment the toy without overtly compromising their design.

I don't think that the Energon Omega Supreme mould is bad per se. It does have a lot of neat features and fun things about it, even with the YotS modifications. But I don't think it's a great toy either. But given how expensive the toy is, one would expect more. Having said that, YotS Omega Supreme is substantially cheaper than Energon Omega Supreme's original retail price IIRC, so that's a plus.

[drifand]

RID was a pain with Ultra Magnus and Prime, as much as it was nice, I could not pass it as a transformer, it was almost jigsaw puzzle for me.

The only reason why I rave about YOTS Omega way because the head looks better even than the Project X which I feel it was a let down at that price tag. The arm and the claws of that guy is wonderful however when I watch the youtube it look vulnerable to break. and the proportion of the legs do not look big enough. The arms were the weakest link and soon in time the joints wont hold up.

G1 Omega is a pass for me, it is nice in the cartoon but for a toy is not something I will really go with. Again is very selective on how I look at Omega. In the cartoon for G1, is awesome! The toy is totally not what I am after in this case.

Granted a fan is subjective on Omega's originality as well. But I am having fun with a toy I know it looks good enough to pose. You could really pose it up and it would make people buy it in a snap when they see how nice it can be.

I thought project X would be fantastic, and is probably is, however, I just kind of fear of some issues with the design. For that amount, I put my money into Metroplex.

Again I am coming from some different perspective and I think this toy was a bit underrated. A lot of people are just going by "Same thing, different colour" Which is true, however the claw hands and the head was a straight bang, this is Omega Supreme in another mode.

I do like to see Takara come up with a new G1 omega supreme with a new serious take on it. because by far only Project X by 3rd party is the only one, and I don't feel too comfortable sinking money for that piece.

I do see your view on it though, but for me is a good piece to display as to half wondering whether should I buy the Energon version back in the older days.

Also I am not interested in YOTS Optimus nor Ultra Magnus. This is also where I am coming from as to me it doesn't cut it.

[drifand]

Engineering btw, yes simple, I do not think the toy was intended to be complicated like what I encounter for RID Optimus and ultra Magnus. They probably got shot the last time.

This toy was aimed at lower age kids that won't break it out of frustration.

I know this myself, I have almost the entire Binaltech and Grimlock Mustang isn't fun to transform at all.

this is one reason why MP 1 Optimus Prime won toy robot of the year.

Also because this is my first time opening this version, is probably why I am more excited than most people as well. so forgive the excitement if you didn't got the same feeling. lol

[kup]

I was entertaining the notion of buying it...Then I saw it in the store.

[drifand]

You must be lucky because I couldn't find it at all in most stores. Only one has a price tag and empty shelf.

[GoktimusPrime]

You must be lucky because I couldn't find it at all in most stores. Only one has a price tag and empty shelf.

I got mine at my local Big W too. Although it did sell out very quickly.

The arms were the weakest link and soon in time the joints wont hold up.

That's an interesting point that I hadn't thought of. The arms on my Energon Omega Supreme still hold up just fine, but the new claw arm does feel heavier so it might be more prone to making that arm loose over time.

Again I am coming from some different perspective and I think this toy was a bit underrated. A lot of people are just going by "Same thing, different colour" Which is true, however the claw hands and the head was a straight bang, this is Omega Supreme in another mode.

I do like to see Takara come up with a new G1 omega supreme with a new serious take on it.

Retooling Energon Omega Supreme is obviously a cheaper option, which makes perfect sense for a limited figure. It's just not viable to develop a whole new mould unless you're planning on releasing it in the mass market, and evidently Hasbro chose Metroplex as their mass market big ticket toy. I guess they didn't want to "cross compete" against Metroplex with a mass release whole new Omega Supreme toy.

I'm glad they chose to do Metroplex though. I guess from Hasbro's POV they figured that there's already a recent Omega Supreme mould that they can retool/repaint as a new G1 Omega Supreme, but Metroplex was in greater need of a new toy.

Engineering btw, yes simple, I do not think the toy was intended to be complicated like what I encounter for RID Optimus and ultra Magnus. They probably got shot the last time.

This toy was aimed at lower age kids that won't break it out of frustration.

Air Attack Optimus Primal, Unicron and Primus are all big toys that are pretty intuitive and possible for young kids to transform (unlike say the totally shellformerrific Darth Vader/Death Star which is a fiddly pain in the bum! ). Omega Supreme is really simplified because the body is hollow since it acts as a Pretender Shell for Optimus Prime. This seriously compromises the design of the toy IMO.

I know this myself, I have almost the entire Binaltech and Grimlock Mustang isn't fun to transform at all.

this is one reason why MP 1 Optimus Prime won toy robot of the year.

I find most Binaltechs to be fun to transform. But I agree that Grimlock and Wheeljack aren't. The problem with that mould isn't just that the transformation is fiddly/complex - there are actually BTs that are more complex to transform but not nearly as frustratingly annoying; IMO the problem is that the transformation is counter-intuitive and not designed to be fun to transform. BT Overdrive, Meister, Streak etc. are much more intuitive and enjoyable to transform IMO.

MP Megatron is another example of a toy whose transformation is not very intuitive or enjoyable to transform (for me anyway). Not quite as bad as BT Grimlock/Wheeljack, but still not as enjoyable as Convoy/Optimus Prime or Soundwave etc.

Also because this is my first time opening this version, is probably why I am more excited than most people as well. so forgive the excitement if you didn't got the same feeling. lol

Heh, fair enough. I've owned Energon Omega Supreme since 2004, so YotS Omega Supreme doesn't feel as "new" to me as it might to you.

Anyway, glad you're enjoying him.

[drifand]

That's an interesting point that I hadn't thought of. The arms on my Energon Omega Supreme still hold up just fine, but the new claw arm does feel heavier so it might be more prone to making that arm loose over time.


I am referring to the Project X Expensive Omega. I find the youtube of that toy was the part I made a decision very quickly, as I have a lot of toy robots I can sort of guess future problems.

The Omega Energon and YOTS edition will have less arms issue imo they are going to last quite a while.

Oh in terms of transformation I can understand why someone may be bored.
However I found the mobility of this toy isn't bad, and it can pose and stand very well.

[GoktimusPrime]

Oh in terms of transformation I can understand why someone may be bored.
However I found the mobility of this toy isn't bad, and it can pose and stand very well.

Posing and standing is all well and good for display purposes, but for toy play (which is the core function of a toy) it needs to be fun. And I feel that some of the more fun features of the original mould have been removed from the YotS version.

[drifand]

Unfortunately I don't fancy the headmaster, nor do I fancy light and sounds.

Hey I get it, you don't want simple transformation. I have a lot of old power rangers by far has more thought in Engineering than today's toys.

But if I were to take a pick, G1 Omega or this YOTS Omega, my choice is this over the G1. Being said, it was a choice very easy for me because one of them is too expensive the other is dated. And I do not have any of them, hence why I picked YOTS Omega. Let a kid today pick the toy and see if he picks the G1 or YOTS at the same price.

Until Takara come out with their new Omega, I think I am overall happy with this. Yes I agree, it lacks the seriousness in terms when you compare to a MP series. The darker red would have made it better, a lot of minor things can do it up. I found myself playing with this like some 12 year old lucky kid who had the luxury of playing with it. A battleship and a cool train. I am not looking at it as an adult, like said, if this was going to be a 30 steps transforming toy it wouldn't be $98.00 it would reach further into over $150 easily.

I have Macross Quarter and is no way in hell half as fun as this and it cost more than this. I think the main issue is you have the G1 and you appreciate it for what it is, whereas I wasn't into the G1 even when it reissued I had looked at it again and again and I felt its not the character I know in the cartoon.

I was half set on the Energon version but yes the colour and the claw hands did not felt right enough for me. I was the same on Unicron as well, first glance says yes, second time no.

I am pretty sure many may not get this if you are a die hard fan of the original Omega. But I thing if you want to, you can turn this YOTS version into some more fearsome.