Scathing Review for Hasbro 25th prime

[i_amtrunks]

Not sure how many of you here frequent the Seibertron.com website, but I am sure many of you have come across the Seibertron Galleries at one stage or another.

Ryan, the owner of Seibertron, (and who is responsible for all those galleries) has just taken pictures of the upcoming 25th Anniversary Re-issue of G1 Optimus Prime, and the reports are not all that good:
Short revised review.

For those who do not want to click the link:
This reissue of Optimus Prime is, without a doubt, THE worst official reissue ever as far as authenticity and quality goes.

If you want to buy this figure to keep in the package, I would highly recommend it. If you're looking to buy your first G1 Optimus Prime figure, you should stay as far away from this figure as possible. I'll write more once the gallery has been posted tomorrow.

This should sum up my thoughts: I've seen knock offs of Optimus Prime that are of higher quality than this version. I feel kind of guilty that I'm going to write such a negative review of a figure since I know so many people at Hasbro (which is a big part of the reason why I don't write reviews), but something has to be said so that my fellow Seibertronians don't waste their money on this figure.

I was really looking forward to Hasbro's 25th Anniversary Optimus Prime. I'm an owner of 5 Optimus Prime reissues, the G2 version and my original G1 version from my childhood. This is my 7th version of the original Optimus Prime mold and this is by far THE worst version of this mold. You're better off spending your money on an Encore reissue or one of the other reissues. Shame on Hasbro for passing this poor representation off as the 25th anniversary version of the legendary Optimus Prime toy!!!

"Big Deal" you might be thinking to yourself, well it kind of is, Ryan, is a well know Hasbro sympathiser, often siding with Hasbro and standing up for them when users of Seibertron.com go on a rage against them. In the same thread, he goes on to do just that (for un-related issues mind you).

You can see his gallery of 25th Prime here. He has comparison images with the Encore release on Convoy, which has it's own gallery here.

I originally wanted the Encore version, but left it to get this version, since it would be available in local markets, but with the pics and Ryan's report I'll be leaving the figure on the shelf when it gets released.

[STL]

So what's wrong with it? I trust Ryan entirely but I'd really like to know what the issues with it are.

[Hereticpoo]

I checked out the pics and the colours seem really washed out. There's gaps between the forearms and windscreen in Truck mode. Those colours are terrible. Its as if its been left in the sun or hasbro watered down the paint to save the shareholders 2c per unit. Yuk, I hope its just the photo quality...

[i_amtrunks]

So what's wrong with it? I trust Ryan entirely but I'd really like to know what the issues with it are.

Ryan states that having a Pink Prime is his main problem. The bone trailer and blue Roller don't help either.
His figure also had some minor QC issues with the left arm and a leg that required him to take apart the figure, but he wasn't too upset with the small fix he needed to make to the arm (and he has to live with the minor leg flaw).
I think he did not like the overall quality of the plastic either, but he doesn't really go into much detail.

And then to have the Encore version to contrast and compare right next to the 25th Anniversary version did Pinkimus Prime no favours, I'm sure.

On a brighter note, the voicebox thing is Peter Cullen's voice, not the call-in janitor that did the voicebox quotes with the last 20th prime repaint.

[STL]

Thanks for that. I only ever was probably going to buy it for the displayability of the packaging. I'm happy w/ my 2 Primes already. I'm more interested in getting the TFC version but that's pricey these days courtesy of the crashing $ so it'll have to wait.

... did Pinkimus Prime no favours, I'm sure.

Now that is gold! I'm going to get one just so I can call it Pinkimus. No, really!

[griffin]

Disappointing, but not really surprised with how cost-cutting has affected product quality lately, but maybe some of the colour variations could be intentional. Hasbro have said before that they make sure they make noticible changes to re-releases, to prevent collectors of rare or expensive figures losing too much value in their items (they don't really care, but if two options cost the same and expected to sell the sam, and one option will have them abused by the loud minority of serious collectors, they just go for the other). But in this case, colour change of the robot is not likely to be intentional, as Optimus is iconically red, and Hasbro could easily give it some other *discrete* variant, like datestamp or eye colour.

I was planning to get this figure, to keep sealed for display (I actually don't have any short-stacked G1 Primes to show non-fans how Hasbro neutered him), so I'm not too fussed about shoddy joints, but hopefully the colour isn't too obviously off through the box window.

[Pulse]

That is a real shame...

I mean, This is G1 Prime (a legendary figure among Transfans) & they give us a 2nd-rate version for the 25th Anniv? *shakes head*

[jacksplatt11]

Yeah doesn't look too good, I mean pink? hmmm... And again with the short smoke-stacks, I know its for child safety blah blah but it just doesn't look right..

I wasn't planning on getting it and now I guess I definitely won't

[GoktimusPrime]

...I'm so glad I'm not in need of a G1 Prime toy. If anyone does, go get an Encore asap. The after-market price for Encore Convoy might rise once more negative reviews of 25th Prime start circulating around the net.

[Lint]

Hasbro, keeping knockoff makers in business