Was really lucky to find the last piece based on a fellow collector’s sighting in Singapore!

I never had a chance to play with the original Optimal Optimus. I did however, love my Primal very much and fiddled with that weird Transmetals 2 toy with the skateboard. So with that in mind, I will just briefly describe my first hour with the toy.



Optimal Optimus:
Articulation is very good. Due to the size of his feet, together with ankle tilts, you get a very steady bot mode.



It can definitely hold many different poses. I would say just based on this mode alone, the price of admission is worth it. Again, I have never played with the original so take that as you will. Backpack can be an eyesore to some though, it being a rectangular block there.



Matrix is surprisingly detailed.


Monkey with skateboard:



To be honest I never understood the skateboard heh.
Monkey’s leg articulation is hampered due to his short stumps.
With the skateboard as a backpack, articulation of the legs are worsened, as the length of the backpack obstructs the backward movement of the legs.


Mini Primal:



Mini Primal is... a nice homage. Again, facesculpt is great. However, even with double hinged knees, his thighs and shins feel like stumps. Even when he transforms into that skateboard space craft, his feet weirdly sticks out at the sides.
It just feels like they rushed out his bottom half and it inadvertently affected the other modes.


The damn weird spaceship mode:



I could somehow squeeze in a headmaster lol.
I don’t have much to say about this mode because it feels reallllly tacky.


In summary:
With its flaws, this toy is still worth buying if you constantly play with all the gimmicks. There really is a lot of play value in each of its modes. At the very least, you get one mini Primal and a Monkey, which can combine to form Optimal Optimus which is large and has a commanding presence.

If you are irked by half-assed modes combining to form a nice big robot with a half-assed backpack, then stay away.

I personally am having quite a bit of fun playing with it/them.

 

From all the pics it looks like if you pull the pin and have a primal fig and a complete optimal with no hollow back as a gorilla or backpack as a bot. Albeit some parts forming still for optimal

 

cant do it. easy pass for me. Thanks for the good review.

I think if anyone wants an optimal..there are enough originals to go around. this one just does not do anything better. no mode really shines as "worth it" to me.

 

i am in love with that boxart. i want that tattooed.

 

Thanks for the review. YouTube recommended me Baltmatrix's review and between this, it pretty much confirmed my concerns over the mold. I just can't get behind any of the leaders in this line, they're all hampered too much by a gimmick that doesn't really appeal to me (Rodimus is the closest) and I feel overly compromises the quality of the figure. To those who like it, great, enjoy it for me.

Laughably, I think my favorite OpOp is still the Titanium one, but then again, I'm weird like that.

Again, thanks for the review, those are some nice pictures and it's a good write-up.

 

I can't decide if I like this toy or not. The smaller Primal looks cool, sans the backpack and skateboard. Optimal Primal bot looks cool, sans the huge backpack. All alt modes look like they were made after a drinking binge. I'm also not all that into the character, so the blah-ness is really highlighted. Pretty annoyed with the results of this poll. Not only were my votes fruitless, but it resulted in a not very good toy.

 

Thanks for the review. This'll probably be my last POTP pick up, it actually looks good unlike the G1 figures.

 

Even as someone who voted for Primal, I'm miffed at the choice. I understand it needed this gimmick, but the vote was for Optimus Primal, not 25% Primal and 75% Optimal.

 

Looks like a lot of fun. Are the holes for the gun barrels 5mm? If so, I can insert a Constructbots blade to make a longsword.

 

This has been on my “Need” list since I saw the stock photos back in February.

 

The thing I don't like about this toy is how the gimmick is implemented. With Optimus and Rodimus you actually have the feeling of a small bot that is powered up with a super armor, since the little bot actually form a parts of the super robot. In this case Primal does nothing for the combined form, he simply turn into a backpack. All the meaningful Optimal parts are formed by the hoverboard, that in turn is awfully integrated with Primal, being only a big backpack that clips on his shoulders or on his back depending of the mode. They don't feel integrated at all.

 

They're both the same character though. Like how Orion Pax and Optimus are the same character and vice verse for Hot Rod with Rodimus Prime. The theme of the gimmick is to show the evolutions of the same character going from one form to another and Optimus Primal still fits that as Optimal Optimus.

 

Huh. You may be right.

Yes! Tight though.

It felt like all they wanted to do was to fit as many iterations of Primal they could into one figure. That said, I wonder if the suggestion above to split mini Primal could result in all round better modes.

 

I really can't see how this offers any new benefits over the OG Optimal Optimus/Primal Prime figure.
OG looks so much coolers than this guy.

 

......... Ankle tilts?

 

That might be the first thing i do. I don't see any down side and primals alt mode is already garbage so that is no loss. He will just turn into a smaller brick

 

I want to like this (Lord knows I will support BW in any form if they'll keep giving us toys), but it's leaving me feeling kind of "meh." Especially with how awesome PE's Beast Gorira looks, I just can't help but think this missed the mark.

I don't know. Maybe if it goes on sale I'll jump on it, but it's a hard pass at retail price.

 

I mean, outside of that, (yes, it's nice that it has it) I still think the original is superior.

 

Yeah, I'm with you

 

I agree that the original is still probably the all-round better figure, but this one does give us:

• Better proportions
• Screen accurate BW matrix/ Prime spark container
• Ankle tilts
• Gorilla head articulation
• Optional non-deployed cannons look
• No GPS (have heard some figures have suffered from this)
• No flaking/discolouring vac-metal paint
• Pre-BW Primal design
• Same play functionality as all PoTP Leaders

Not saying everyone cares about these things, but they're there and at least have to be acknowledged.