-Submitted by: mag jr. I'm not the world's biggest Armada fan but the line did have its share of good toys. This incarnation of Optimus Prime is a decent one, even if it isn't as good as the smaller, less expensive deluxe-sized OP.
Sparkplug
Vehicle Mode
Sparkplug is one of the better Mini-cons. Modeled (pretty obviously) after a Lamborghini Diablo, Sparkplug is about 2 inches long, or in the same size range as a G1 minicar or Micromaster. While the only colors he shows are yellow and flat black (for the windows), he has a fair amount of sculpt detail (vents on the engine cover, rear windows that aren't painted, a Mini-con faction symbol on the roof, taillights, headlights, even tire treads). The result is a cute little toy that succeeds (better than some of the larger Armada toys) in looking like a vehicle that could actually exist.
Sparkplug's Mini-con peg hole is on the underside of the car, so his lines aren't unduly spoiled.
Transform To Robot Mode
Pull the arms out to the sides, then pull the legs down and flip the feet up. Rotate the head piece into the vehicle, then pull his chest down and lock it onto his leg brace.
Robot Mode
While his name is an homage to one of G1's human characters (from the comics), Sparkplug's head has a little commented-upon resemblance to Bumblebee's animation model head. The helmet shape is the same and even the face sculpt is very similar. With the yellow color, the result is a reincarnation of one of my G1 favorites. Appropriate then for him to be Prime's companion.
Sparkplug is also one of the better Mini-cons in robot mode; although the only articulation he has in his legs is at his ankles, his arms are quite poseable (he also has tiny little fists sculpted on; they're hard to see at a distance, but they're there). His arms are a bit huge, but so are his chest and feet, so he still looks in proportion.
I really like Sparkplug; he's got a decent transform and good robot and alt modes. He's not a reason to buy this set but you probably won't hate him either.
Optimus Prime
Vehicle Mode
Ironically, this (and the fact he could combine with his trailer, but more on that in a moment) is what sold me on the toy. Unlike certain other early Armada toys (Hot Shot, cough cough) this version of Prime actually has enough detail to look at least respectable next to other Prime toys.
He's also pretty large--over 13 inches from stem to stern when hauling his trailer, and a good 8 inches long without it. In fact, while most Energon toys have been a bit bigger than Armada toys, this Prime is longer than Energon Prime.
As far as details go, he's solid--not every rivet is accounted for but he's got fog lights, side detail, vents, and a nice wheel sculpt (Monster Prime Convoy--a good insider reference). He also has clear windows, although these do expose his electronics to an extent, and a faction symbol smack-dab on the center of his roof.
By himself, the only thing that lets him down are his supermode fists, which just hang out at the rear of the toy. When he's hauling his trailer, you don't see them. I suppose I also would have been picky enough to prefer silver stacks to clear, but then that wouldn't have worked as well with his light-up gimmick in supermode.
Prime has three Mini-con pegs, although the rearmost one is really only good as a trailer hitch. The other two are usually covered by his trailer.
His trailer is interesting. It can haul four Mini-cons on top and is posessed with tank treads and an exposed light. Its big gimmick is supposed to be that when you put batteries in it and unhook the side pieces from the trailer, it will unfold into base mode (when the switch is turned on) when you transform Prime. Needless to say, it doesn't really work--it either doesn't transform all the way, or goes too far. However, you can do it on your own without bothering with this.
As far as colors go, Prime is the standard red, blue, and silver (like the swoops on the hood) in this configuration, with a little gold. His trailer is mostly blue and gray, apart from the massive faction symbols on it (just as in G1, Prime apparently wants everyone to know that he's the leader of the Autobots, even if he's supposed to be hiding).
Base Mode
Unfold the trailer by pulling the side pieces out and the bottom and top sections down until it can rest flat. Pull the clear screen in the middle up.
The base mode is odd, but it grows on you. It bears a definite resemblance to a pulled-apart robot from the rear, yes, but it's OK if you think of it as an accessory.
As far as gimmicks goes, this thing is loaded with them. Set a Mini-con on one side and a cannon pops up. Set it on another and you can activate sounds (if the trailer has batteries installed and is turned on). The sides even have hidden Mini-con storage compartments; just pull up the blue panels to reveal them. There's also a pull up missile launcher and a flip-out platform that does... well, I have no idea what it does. But it does something. You can even store his supermode cannon in here by resting it sideways on the middle pull-up platform; it can stay in here even in vehicle mode.
A fun and decent accessory if you like to play with your toys. Otherwise you probably won't like it because of its odd appearance.
Transform To Robot Mode
1. Flip the supermode fists up to reveal feet. Pull the legs down.
2. Unhook the grille from the front and fold it down to become his chest. Pull the arms out to the sides and straighten them.
3. Push the lower arms up to reveal his fists.
Robot Mode
While Armada OP is definitely one of the less traditional-looking Primes (his windows don't become his chest), it's a decent look for him--he still looks strong and powerful (maybe a bit too much with those linebacker shoulders). While not as overloaded with gimmicks as his base, Prime does have a few.
You can remove his stacks and combine them into a handweapon, if you like, or leave them on his arms. His grille opens up to reveal a Matrix chamber and a button on his head moves his mouth (similar to what Masterpiece Prime has). He also has a fair amount of articulation--9 points, although his head movement is a bit limited by his huge shoulders. He can also hold his supermode rifle. Prime stands at 7 inches even in this mode.
Overall, I like this Prime--he isn't in the top 5 Primes, but he's a good toy. The only thing is, the deluxe-sized Armada Prime is a much better toy--he's more poseable (owing to ball joints) and has smaller shoulders, so his head isn't dwarfed by them, and looks less bulky overall. Still, we're not done with this dude yet.
Transform to Super Mode
1. From robot mode, pull the arms back up as if returning to vehicle mode, then snap the grille back up.
2. Separate the legs at the waist, then push the arms up at the top of the elbow joint so they face straight out from the bottom of the vehicle.
3. Rotate the arms out to the sides and pull the lower arms down. Flip the feet back up to expose his fists. Push the lower arms up against his shoulders. If the peg on the stack is facing the rear you can leave them attached.
4. Take the base and remove the super mode rifle (if necessary). Fold the bottom and top parts of the trailer all the way down, then hook the new legs into the sides of the trailer. Make sure the screen is up.
5. Push the Prime torso down onto the pegs on the trailer and press on the head to flip it up. Flip the ears out to the side.
Super Optimus Prime
This, I have to admit, was the reason I picked up the toy--I loved the idea of OP combining with his trailer (instead of it just kind of hanging around when he didn't need it) and I didn't realize he would have no leg movement.
From the front, Super Prime looks cool (he's rather hollow from the back or side, but cool-looking from the front). Unfortunately, like G1 Ultra Magnus's super mode, all of his articulation is in his arms (and his head, which does turn). No wonder fans dubbed him Superpants (or Battlepants) Prime.
This doesn't really bother me at this point (and if you want a little more leg movement, he also combines with Armada Jetfire--a combination I will cover sometime in a separate article). I do appreciate the fact that he looks so imposing (with a face borrowed directly from both G1 Wheeljack and RiD Prime's supermode), and he is undeniably huge (a good one foot tall in this mode, making him probably one of the biggest Primes out there). He also has 7 points of upper body articulation.
His supermode rifle is a nice nod back at his G1 rifle, and there's a reason why it has clear bits--put it in his right hand and press the button on that shoulder, and it will light up red (this also works with the "stacks" gun).
Visually, this mode works well--it just isn't that much fun to play with, although it does harken back to such bricks as G1 God Ginrai, Victory Saber, and Star Convoy (not to mention Ultra Magnus). Prime is better off when he combines with Jetfire and Overload, and I wonder if Hasbro was figuring on that--"Hey, let's get the fans to pay another $45 to see if they can improve Optimus!" (Probably; as much as I hate to admit it, they wouldn't be a very smart company if they hadn't at least considered it.)
Last Word
I do like this toy and am happy to own it, for whatever reason. It's not the best Prime ever, but it's somehow appealing and fun to fool with. (I also like his other combined modes, which I plan on covering one of these days.) If you don't already have one and are into toys that are likely to become obscure in about ten years, pick one up; if you don't like Armada at all, or nonposeable toys, give this one a miss. |
