The purpose of this thread is for posting retrospective reviews of Transformers toys, as opposed to our regular reviews of current toys. As I don't expect people to be writing retro reviews that often I figured that it'd be better to just have one thread for all our retro reviews rather than posting whole new threads for each retro review that would then clutter this section of the board and potentially distract from current toy reviews. If this thread becomes popular enough then I might edit this first post and create an index that will link to people's individual retro review posts.

General rules:
* This is for reviewing toys that were either released before the OTCA board was created, or released at a time when there was no existing review thread for that particular figure or its line. If a review thread for a toy or its line already exists then please just post there instead.
* Same basic rules as other review threads; use the standard info proforma and feel free to share thoughts and pics. I am adding "Year of release" as a new criterion since, ya know... retro.
* Note: this is for new reviews of old toys. If you have an old review of old toys, then please post that on the Reviews of Yesteryear thread. The difference between Yesteryear Reviews and Retro Reviews is that Yesteryear Reviews were current reviews that you wrote long ago (but they toys were brand new when you made those reviews). Retro Reviews are new reviews that you are making now based on old toys.

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OPTIMUS PRIME
Series - Cybertron
Sub-line - N/A
Size/class - Leader
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - Yes
Year of Release - 2005
Approximate Retail Price - $100
Approximate Size - Variable; noted throughout review
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - fire engine
Main Features/Gimmicks - Planet Key activated weapons, retractable faceplate, Matrix chamber in chest
Main Colours - red, blue, grey
Main Accessories - pistol, Planet Key, Matrix, missiles

Fire Engine Mode
At 32.5cm in length and 13.5cm in height, this is feels like a beast of a toy compared to the ever shrinking size of Transformers today.

The detailed sculpting looks great and I quite like the colours on this toy. The vehicle mode is rather "gappy" in places and the uncovered robot chest and top of the robot head looks kinda weird.

I can forgive the head as at least it is retracted and attempts to hide, but the lack of any attempt to conceal the chest has always been a drawback on this mode to me. I'm not the biggest fan of faux kibble but when they don't even bother to conceal it... <shrugs>. This is also a fantasy fire engine with dual articulated ladders.

The wings also don't tab into place and in time they can be prone to flopping out as the wing joints become loose.


The cab section also looks pretty silly without the trailer component... although honestly it's not a "cab" or "trailer" -- this is meant to be just one fire engine mode, similar to Fire Convoy.


The fire engine mode also has a flight configuration because... ya know. Why not?

Robot Mode
Height: 21cm

A really nice looking robot mode. I think the colours are done well and I love the use of the dark metallic blue plastic. I also love the G1 accurate yellow eyes on UT Optimus Prime toys as yellow always pops out better against a blue head than blue eyes. I also love the way that the head rises and lowers with the use of a back lever as it reminds me of the way that G1 Optimus Prime (and several other G1 TFs) transforms in the cartoon. The head still has full swivel although lacks up-down movement.

It's a nice, beefy looking robot and it has a surprisingly firm grip on its gun despite having articulated fingers. Toys with articulated fingers tend to suffer from loose grips, but Cybertron Optimus Prime here is an exception to this trend. This is also a really nice looking Cybertronian Optimus Prime. Back in 2005 - long before we ever had a WFC/FOC Optimus Prime or any real Orion Pax toy - Cybertron Optimus Prime was the nearest thing we had to a "Cybertronian (pre-Earth) looking Optimus Prime. And Cybertron Starscream was the nearest thing to a Tetrajet. I remember often playing with my Cybertron TFs as pre-Earth contact Transformers before WFC/FOC came along. The way that the water gun detaches from the right ladder and becomes a pistol is also pretty neat. I just wish that the shoulders could lock into place.


The Matrix chamber in the chest is also really well done. And this was done at a time when this sort of thing was a rarity. Up till then the only Matrices we had were...
* Lio Convoy (1998) - embedded in chest but non-removable
* Big Convoy (1999) - fully removable with bicycle handlebars
* Fire Convoy (2000) - embedded in chest but non-removable
* New Year Special Convoy (2002) - fully removable in Diaclone cockpit but not able to be held
* MP01 Convoy (2004) - fully removable and holdable (and openable and illuminable!)

So Cybertron Optimus Prime was really only the third Transformer to have a removable and holdable Matrix. And the first non-MP Optimus Prime toy to have one.


Super Robot Mode
Height: 29cm with guns facing forwards

This was by far the best super robot moded Optimus Prime toy, and IMO remains one of the best Super Optimus Prime toys ever made. It's big and imposing but still manages to maintain a good range of articulation. Hasbro have learnt their lessons from previous super moded OPs; this toy is much more solid than Super Fire Convoy, it's not a brick like Armada Super Pants Prime, and it's not a fat robot with vehicles stuck to his limbs like "Mega Zord" Super Energon Optimus Prime. And this super mode gives Optimus Prime flight capability without needing to purchase Jetfire.

The way that the weapons deploy with the Planet Key is pretty neat and, like many Cybertron toys, these are fairly non-intrusive gimmicks.

I also really luuuuurv the retractable faceplate gimmick. It's done so much better than Animated Optimus Prime's (cos ya know, who needs a neck?) and I can't think of any other Optimus Prime toy that pulls off this gimmick as well. The head wings don't lock into place and are prone to wing collapse during handling which is a bit disappointing.

Overall thoughts
By far the best Unicron Trilogy Optimus Prime toy and, IMO, one of the best Optimus Prime toys ever made. Cybertron Optimus Prime and Megatron were also the first Leader Class toys ever, although this was really a new name for the previous Supreme Class which had just one toy - Cheetor. Given that this was the new "Supreme Cheetor," I think that it gave us far superior value for money than its predecessor! Supreme Cheetor is a toy that gives you buyer's remorse but this is a toy that, even now, I still enjoy playing with.