Because the base figure is very good but it could be better. Besides the base figure build quality wise is better than all of the third-party offerings.

With this upgrade kit you are getting the best transformable Masterpiece Bumblebee Optimus Prime on the market under $200.

 

Because for me, the 3P / ko’s aren’t there either.
Toyworld one is a mess.
BMB is on the right track, but you can’t raise its arms.
Lemon tree is a runt.
I would have secured WJ’s, but I just don’t like it’s proportions- which is a crying shame, really because it could easily be the king of the hill because it has both bot and truck modes down, and a lot of nice painted features.
But that huge chest and spindly arms tho... arg!

Has Tak’s is, IMO, is the best looking robot mode one- depending on what you’re willing to sacrifice.

 

At least hastak found a way to make a transformation that doesn’t disintegrate…

 

It's the best one out right now. I've owned or do own several figures of this design and this is the best one. Doesn't mean it can't be better. Why is this such a hard concept to grasp?

 

The great stuff always comes later, huh?

 

So far most results have been less than stellar (Freedom Leader was amazing, but I've heard of there being breakages, notably emgo breaking his copy during transformation), or are KOs that slightly still miss the mark and have slews of QC and breakage issues to the point that it's not worth it (I think of Aoyi Mech's more Screen Accurate Optimus)

The ones we really look forward to by builders such as Transcraft, Toylab, and TMT have barely lept off the floor and seem unlikely to come out for a foreseeable future.

For now, even if the core figure is still laden with problems by and large for what one carrying the Masterpiece Label does (Though you could say that for many... MANY MP Figures stans be darned), at the very least, this feels more tangible than what some third party companies have made.

Besides that, the Third Party Aftermarket for some of these figures is absolutely not worth it when the end result prices could end up costing much more than buying a subpar figure and giving it a bodyjob. If you don't really wanna have to buy what is essentially a pre-built figure needing to be broken apart to make a new one, that's fine and I understand that, but honestly the wait's gonna be long and I really wanna fill that shelf presence since even with the Upgrade Kit and a MSRP MPM-12, I'd still be spending less than even the threezero DLX Optimus.

 

I had high hopes for toyworld…. They broke me…. *twists nipple*

 

RE: QC issues MP-47 would like to have a word......... Takara arent exactly riding high with that cloud still lurking on what was one of their best designs ever.

I would probably get this but I wont give TT my money on this sub standard stock figure, stock its barely better than the (admittedly great) studio series version which is significantly cheaper and not as weird looking.

 

The SS dont look a damned thing like the final design. I dont know why people defend it so much.

 

I don't agree with the people who say it's better or the MPM is just an upscale or stupid shit like that but the ss did have a better truck mode for sure. Bot mode is of course inferior.

 

and MPM-12 is a piss poor excuse for a "masterpiece", I dont know why people defend it so much......

As for not looking like "a damned thing" like the final design, well, I hope you get that eye surgery you desperately need because if you being nitpicky then in no universe ever did MpM-12 truck look like on screen Prime.

 

The robot design for BB Prime used a different truck for reference than the physical vehicle, so...

 

It's clearly based on concept art not on the final design. Have YOU gotten your eyes checked? And yes although it is a nicer looking truck mode it's not the right truck at all.

 

I own the mpm, and I'm not defending it. It's the laziest masterpiece ever made.

And I only collect masterpiece so, a 6 inch figure wont do much, for me.

 

Yes, I hate myself. I found these at my local Target (only 3 left) and couldn't help myself. These guys are more expensive online than in the store. The bad thing is I pre-ordered the DK-27 and bought the Go Better Studio GX-26 BEFORE I had this figure in hand. I blame you guys for making this post.  

 

I don't understand why it is based on the concept art to be honest because while MPM BMB movie Bee was rushed out the door, MPM12 didn't come out for 3 years after the movie. 3 years is about the length of time it takes for a toy to go from a thought to a final product, so I don't know how they could have screwed the pooch so bad here. Frankly, for all the issues the kit fixes, if they had JUST put the cat ears on a hinge I still might have filed this guy under "good enough".

How much? I got mine online for $126. I'm still within the return window if it saves a few bucks.

 

Owning the figure myself, I have to say that I genuinely enjoy it 10000x more than I thought I would. But it makes it that much more frustrating how lazy many parts of it are. Either way, excusing it because it’s “based on the concept” is lame and doesn’t work here. This isn’t MpM BB Bumblebee, they made this figure 3 years after the movie dropped with all the final movie designs. It wasn’t based on the concept, they were simply too lazy to make it as accurate to the movie as they should have.

 

Tbf, he was talking about SS-38 which is clearly based on concept art.

 

Ah, gotcha. Missed that part, my bad.

 

I thought it was clear I was talking about the SS figure… but if it wasn’t then sorry. MPM12 is definitely not concept art based the robot mode is highly accurate. The truck mode is a bit lazy though. OK it’s QUITE lazy, hence why I already posted earlier today that the SS only wins in truck mode. They’re both inaccurate trucks so might as well have an inaccurate truck that actually looks like a truck.