Toy Review - Platinum Edition Optimus with Trailer & Sideswipe
Another Promo-Review thanks to Hasbro Australia, who sent me a couple more items to review here (and globally).
I was honestly surprised to get this set. I was told that they were sending the Breakout Battle set and "one other", but I was expecting the Autobot
5-pack or the Leader 2-pack, since they are the other ones that have been shown off by Hasbro at BotCon and SDCC... and should be out before
this set. So it was like Christmas for me, getting a surprise toy "wrapped up" in a box. (along with a Construct-Bots toy that I didn't yet have
either - so I'm very, very grateful... and I want to make sure I earn them with these reviews)
This Review will be moved to the Reviews section later. Please post comments, (and photos & your own reviews when it ends up being released).
Series - none (TF4 movie Generations)
Sub-line - Platinum
Size/class - n/a
Wave - n/a
New/remould/redeco - redeco First Edition TF4 Optimus Prime, redeo & minor modification MP Trailer, redeco TF2 2009 Sideswipe.
Released here - November 27th - Myer exclusive (a day after the DVD/BR release here)
Approximate Retail Price - $??? (I'm thinking maybe AU$150)
Approximate Size - 27cm (Optimus robot), 28cm (truck), 30cm (trailer), 14cm (Sideswipe)
Allegiance - Autobots
Alt-mode - Western Star Truck with Trailer & Corvette Stingray
Main Features/Gimmicks - Sword of Judgement, Trailer converts to battle station.
Main Colours - blue, silver, grey, red, yellow (Optimus & Trailer), metallic red, black (Sideswipe)
Main Accessories - Sword ONLY (no shield).
Official Images first.
As noted at the top, this was an item donated for me to review for Ozformers (and any global fansite that is interested).
And since all of it is redecoes of toys I already have, there won't be much commentary on the engineering or playability of them. I will focus more on
the colours, modes and comparisons.
Since Myer appears to be the home for Platinum Edition movie packs in Australia, this one is expected in Myer stores at around the time of the
DVD & Bluray release of the TF4 movie in Australia (end of November).
When it arrived (with the Breakout Battle pack - to be reviewed tomorrow), I was amazed at how long the box was. The official images
that were released a few weeks ago told us that it would be a big box, but when you see it in person, it is still bigger than expected.
To give an idea of how long the box is, here are a couple photos of it with the First Edition box and YOTH Masterpiece Optimus box... and one with
Generations Metroplex and YOTH Dragon Optimus with Trailer.
.
On the front of the box are a couple of interseting things - one noting that it has an exclusive Sideswipe figure, suggesting that the "Truck & Trailer"
combo might see future releases (like we saw with the TF3 Ultimate Optimus). And I'm sure many are wondering why this wasn't called Stinger,
since this is a TF4 toy, and Sideswipe is apparently dead BEFORE this version of Optimus existed. Either Walmart prevented their "exclusive"
character from being released elsewhere, or maybe with this being aimed at Collectors, it wasn't appropriate to use the Sideswipe mould. If it was a
General Release Stinger, Hasbro could get away with a mere redeco, and the majority of sales to non-Collectors wouldn't know or care that it was a
2009 mould.
The other thing to note on the front is the golden Generations sticker, which we saw on the mainline packaging at Toyfair to differentiate the
gimmick stuff from the collector stuff... but never ended up seeing them on the toys released in stores. Now, both of these Platinum packs have this
sticker, so it will be interesting to see if they start showing up on the General Release items in stores soon as well... or just on the smaller
number of exclusive items.
On the back we have the bio and different modes. A pretty generic bio there, with nothing specific mentioned, and nothing of Sideswipe at all.
The least they could have said is that he was assumed lost (hunted), but later found in hiding like the other Autobots... and just didn't hear the call
to regroup during the movie.
Such a wasted opportunity to assure fans of the character that he isn't dead... and imply that others not seen killed on screen may still be alive as
well.
(also - note the Robot mode having a lower back-pack... I saw this and got excited that they must have modified the toy to hide the kibble more,
but I was later disappointed, which is noted further on in the review)
A theme with the Platinum Editions is the cover-flap, revealing a nice big window underneath and a giant TF4 logo above.
Sideswipe is half in the back of the Trailer, with both in vehicle mode.
The thing that hits you the moment you open it, is the big shiny surface of the Trailer. It needs the Gen1 stripe, or something along the middle, as it is
too much chrome. (which is something Hasbro have been going nuts over this year on their Transformers toys for some reason - way too excessive)
Opening the side flap reveals the full artwork of Optimus.
Sliding out the inner tray. Now the shine of the Sideswipe toy hits me, and I like it. It isn't paint... it is shiny plastic, but done nicely (no swirls, glitter,
or flow markings).
The other thing that hits me now as well, is the bright yellow on the truck cab. It looked bad in the official images, and now it stands out even more.
I can understand the need for different decos as an incentive for people to consider buying the same mould more than once (if it isn't a different
character), but this yellow clashes way too much to look nice.
There isn't much they can do to keep it screen accurate, but maybe some other colours could have been used that matches... or consider the
inverted colours of the Evolutions Optimus (red truck with blue flames) to give this Trailer version a more Gen1 feel to it.
The complete contents - tray with toys, and instructions.
The instructions, which shows the Cab on one side, and Sideswipe and Trailer on the other side... including that stand-up "Repair Bay" mode that
was a feature of the pre-Transformers JP Convoy (Gen1 Optimus) toy, that has persisted to rear its head with a number of JP Gen1 homage toys over
the years... which I don't think ever appeared in the cartoon or comic ever since it became a Transformers toy.
.
Toys removed from packaging.
So shiny. (it was difficult taking photos of this toy with a flash, which I needed to highlight details of the non-shiny parts)
I really like the Sideswipe toy... but first, Optimus.
Next to the other TF4 Trailer toy - Battle Command Optimus from Japan.
The trailer opened up... and is surprisingly (and maybe unnecessarily) chrome coated as well.
Compared to the Hasbro Masterpiece trailer and YOTH trailer.
Underneath you can see that a new part was added to this version (the middle one), which replaces the small circular swivel bit that plugs into the
Masterpiece Optimus toy. It can now plug into MP-01 Convoy/Optimus, but can't plug into the MP-10 Convoy/Optimus.
A closer look at the new part... also unnecessarily chromed. (see at the end for other Optimus cabs it can plug into)
The inside compared to the Hasbro Masterpiece trailer.
Now the Cab - next to the first First Edition Optimus cab (all red flames).
This new one has all the back chromed, which was just "Hasbro grey" on the First Edition version.
Autobots rolling out.
(Hound is sooo out of scale, despite being a larger size-class to the cars)
Transforming to robot mode... the shell "explodes" in all directions.
Robot mode, with unpainted sword and no shield... probably to reduce to cost of this big expensive set a little. (maybe to get it under a particular
price-point for Retailers)
Close up on the head.
The robot face is a modified sculpt, with a face-plate (right) instead of the mouth version on the First Edition toy (left).
Now... as I had mentioned when looking at the back of the box above, when I transformed Optimus, I found that the backpack was still way up
above the head. So I had another look at the back of the box...
...and finally noticed what they had done. The abdomen is sitting above the waist, leaving about a centimetre gap, which the pink lines in the
photo below are pointing to. The blue "groin panel" is hiding this, and you can even see it in the official image as well... so Hasbro have consistently
been deceptive with the promotion of this toy, trying to hide how bad the big backpack looks sitting up behind the head. (when you see the actual
toy in the photo above)
In robot mode, the two versions are almost the same. A little extra chrome on this Trailer version ath the back and on the arms, and bits of yellow on
the kibble at the back. Plus, the sword is a new colour.
.
The sword with this pack has no paint detailing on it, with really makes the difference on the First Edition sword. It looks really cheap without it.
And... the Repair Bay mode. Not something I was planning to do (because it's a Pre-Transformers gimmick, not a canonical Transformers gimmick),
but figured that there might be someone out there wanting to see how it looks. No place for the sword to plug in that I could see.
Now for Sideswipe.
A spectacular looking metallic red colouring, and I can see people selling off the Optimus & Trailer just to get this toy.
This figure is a redeco of the TF2 ROTF Sideswipe toy in mid-2009 (not the 2010 or 2011 moulds)... which was then released later in 2009, in red as
Swerve (and as a Legends toy as well).
The colour layout is identical to the 2009 Swerve, with all the same paint apps. The red plastic is a metallic colour, while the windows are a lighter,
more see-through blue.
.
Plus the Legends version, and the Gen1 Sideswipe.
In robot mode... very nice.
Close up on the head.
If Sideswipe was sold on its own, it would sell like hot-cakes... so it will be a tough choice for people to buy this full set.
Both bots.
And the full set, out of box and transformed.
.
Some Optimus trucks that the MP-10 trailer can now plug into.
Hasbro Anniversary Optimus (MP-1 Convoy mould) from 2004. The cab is a bit too big though, which can be seen in the next photo.
MP-1B ... Black & silver. As noted above, the cab is so big, the trailer ends up sitting on its back wheels because the front end is sitting upwards.
It also plugs into the Leader class TF4 Optimus.
The cab has a longer proportions to the First Edition, but is smaller, so probably looks better in scale to the trailer.
Bling overload! (Target Silver Knight DLX TF3 Optimus)
A little out of scale - TF4 Voyager Optimus.
It also can plug into the TF2 DOTM Leader Class Optimus, but I wasn't going to transform one just to show it in truck mode. If you have an MP-4
Convoy Trailer, you can see for yourself, as it is the same sized post.
This Sideswipe, filling in for the original movie Sideswipe, playing out that early scene in ROTF. (it also gets more value/use out of those expensive toys of mine)
Overall...
I'm one of the few people who actually liked the First Edition Optimus toy, so for me, having that toy instead of the Leader version in this pack is a
good thing. But the yellow flame details ruins the truck mode in this one.
I also like the bling of the trailer, but it is becoming overkill now from Hasbro... who must have found a cheap source this year, for all the
sudden chroming we are getting with Transformers right now.
Finally, the Sideswipe toy. The Truck and Trailer are best for display, but the Sideswipe toy is the one for play. And I'll be playing with it a lot, it is
so beautiful.
Depending on how much this ends up going for at Retail, I recommend considering it.... mostly for the Trailer and Sideswipe, and Optimus in Robot mode.
If it is under AU$150 here (and taking into account a future sale price), I think the combined contents are worth it. If by chance it is up to AU$200,
wait for a sale.
It is basically a Masterpiece Optimus with a Deluxe toy... so estimate the Retail price from those two (particularly if you are in another country
reading this).
Tomorrow... The Breakout Battle set.
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Originally Posted by griffin
