 |
The Transformers are 20 years old. It's a sobering thought for those
of us who grew up playing with the robots in disguise and probably
even more sobering to realise that so many people across the world
even care - for what was a massive rebranding excercise, it's truly
amazing to think that the series captured the hearts of so many people.
The toy stands at 12" when in robot mode, and consists primarily
of die cast metal, making it a fairly heavy piece. The toy features
rubber tyres, real suspension, a
light-up Matrix Annex built into the chest and even
a button on the back of the head to move the faceplate in order to
mimic speech. Further surprises can be found the arms - each arm has
a communicator built into the wrist, one featuring
the face of Bumblebee and the other featuring Starscream.
There are a number of extras included with the toy, including the
energy axe as seen in More Than Meets the
Eye, a removable Matrix (which can be opened),
Prime's distinctive blaster and even Megatron
in his gun mode with removable sotck (just like his original
toy)! The Japanese version also made an attempt to please critics
who pointed at the lack of a trailer by including a high quality
cardboard trailer in the box. You can't fault Takara's efforts
on this one.
The transformation itself is satisfyingly complex. I spent ages looking
at pictures of this toy on the net, trying to figure out how it would
transform, and it's very sly - the grill that makes up Prime's ribs
in robot mode isn't the one you see in cab mode - just one of the
surprises you'll discover as you get to know it better.
In short, this is an exceptional toy. It has incredible build quality,
thoughtful extras and every fan of the series should own one. As a
side note, the US version will have shorter Smokestacks (to comply
with US law) and battle damage, so the choice is yours - a Japanese
Prime in showroom condition, or a dinged up Prime who needs a respray
- I'll take mine in showroom condition, thank you very much!
10/10 - A truly superb piece of craftsmanship.
Back to Menu
|
|
