Longtime lurker but I gotta break my silence to talk about this mold. I bought it for the novelty but it's so good! The main downsides are the trailer and the gun, I like their candycane paint schemes but they were both the weakest part of ER Prime and they're the weakest part here. But the actual bot... The cab is maybe the best alt mode a modern voyager/leader Prime has had (I just want to talk about the overall mold here, not the paintjob). My favorite parts are the visible matrix in the back window (because the front of that piece is the chest) and how the back of the truck mode is both very long and looks like the actual back of a truck for a change and not some kinda folded up legs. What's even better is how that whole section almost disappears on the bot mode. The transformation as many have said before me is sublime. There is a lot of interesting turning and folding to form the cab into the legs and none of it is fiddly or irritating. There aren't any ball joint parts that are going to pop off, it all just smoothly turns and clicks together. As mentioned above, the rear truck parts fold up incredibly cleanly on the back of the bot mode with the exception of the wheels which actually look pretty cool and are barely noticeable. The bot mode is stellar. He screams G1 Prime in a way the ER one doesn't despite the ER one technically being more accurate (I love ER Prime for the record). He nails the G1 Prime proportions down to about the waist. The thighs are a bit skinny and the legs aren't G1 in any way, but they look pretty good despite the entire front of the truck hanging off the back. It would be cool if those parts could fold up a bit more, but they really aren't that noticeable. Between the wheels on the back and the bulky legs, this mold has a weird optical illusion where you really don't notice the kibble all that much, I think it's just due to the great overall proportions. So yeah, setting aside the reused gun and trailer and the excellent but novelty colorscheme, I honestly feel like on its own merits this is one of the best Primes of all time. I rarely if ever repurchase molds I already own but this guy in traditional Optimus colors is going to be spectacular.
It's the intelligent, obvious, expected reuse. So I'm thinking no. (Mostly joking, but I can think of a few cases where Hasbro skipped the most obvious reuse of a mold.)
Not sure if it's been mentioned, but messing with this guy I found that if you dislodge his backpack/torso assembly he gets a pretty nifty ab crunch.
So my copy has an odd fitment issue with the rest most hinged piece of the truck. It will not sit flush with the rest of the rear i see no flash or extraneous molding the piece appears pinned in so i cant remove it anyone else have this
This cab/robot mold is great! I will most assuredly buy it again in more traditional colours. The trailer is standard and plain. I might get labels if they appeal to me, but until then, popping some battery powered white LEDs into the trailer gives a really nice effect.
I bought it. They are a little big for Santa Prime. I have it stapled in the back. But Fits Menasour perfectly. Should arrive on the 24th if you have Prime. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0773MGGJ4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
So, this guy. Pretty good, I'm not sure that I'd call him the best Voyager (or leader including trailer) Prime we've gotten in recent years, but he has his qualities. One of which is the truck, that genuinely might be the best we've gotten in a good while, even including the other licensed trucks we'vve gotten in Studio Series. The transformation is good, I like how the front panels are partially formed by the gas tanks, rather than being robot exclusive sculpting like this kind of leg transformation typically defaults too. His robot grill splitting and forming grill detail on the back of the cab is cute, it's hard to call it a fake grill at that point. The use of translucent green takes me back to Beast Hunters, for a minute tehre Hasbro really liked the combo of green windows on red primes there for some reason. I guess here it is christmassy, but it's still an odd combination in my eyes. The santa suit motof on the robot is effective, without really taking the figure too far away from it's identity as an Optimus Prime. I like how the front grill locks in at the specific angles required on his knees, but unfortunately there's a little bit of wobble where the black knee parts seem like they should lock in. The shoulders look a little low. The pivot point is perfect, but the shoulder boxes extend a little far down, and the outwards hinge is placed low, making them look a little off. Overall, a good variant, and I do appreciate the opportunity taken to given us another style of Prime headsculpt rather than just copying the Earthrise version. It's considerate. The trailer: The trailer is better here, the Earthrise version got chucked into a box almost instantly, but I like it more in white and it does complete the very nice cab. It is however regrettably plain inside- I know you weren't expecting people to buy this for the trailer's base modes, but no colour at all? There's a risk of going snowblind looking at the unfolded trailer, it's so white. However, I have a significant issue with the trailer: The two halves are not the same colur. One is a nice clean white, the other is noticable clean when directly compared to the proper side. Like, for example, when you close up the box. They're mirrored parts too, this isn't a POM vs ABS problem, this is the two halves of the trailer. Disappointing, and it detracts from one of this toy's real strengths. Reusing one of the trailer's cutouts on the underside to secure the new hitch is a cheeky but clever move. Still cheap to carve out 6 slots on the trailer, but now 2/6 almost have a purpose! While it is clear that no money went into the trailer beyond what was absolutely necessary, a new rear door/shield piece to match up the sculpting there would have been nice.
Oh, I forgot something- we are finally free of those Siege legs that left all the vestigial ports and tabs on the outside of Earthrise/Laser Prime's legs. Not that I think you could keep those parts with this leg transformation, but I also wouldn't have been surprised if somehow those parts persisted.
Opened mine today. Alas I've got the identical forearm back panel issue too. Other than that though, it's perfect. I'd try for a return, but seeing as Pulse is sold out (and every other UK retailer I checked), I'd expect to only be offered a refund and I'd rather have a slightly flawed figure than none at all.
Received mine today from Hasbro Pulse UE (no comments), and have the same issue with the trailer. Right side is like yellowed...
Mine arrived too late from hasbro pulse UK to be a part of the Christmas just gone but will be glad to have him next year. I'll keep him in altmode in whatever Christmas display I have I was surprised how small the packaging was, it all feels compact. If what people are saying is true about how good the bot mode is there is no question we will get a proper release of it.
