Toy Review - RtS G2 Optimus Prime

[GoktimusPrime]

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 )), 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, and also to continue playing along with IDW's running joke of Fat Tankor and Tall Tankor. 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! 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.

[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.