The epic battle between the Autobots and Decepticons has spanned galaxies and more than 10 million years. The Transformers continue to fight a galactic war for Supremacy; the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron, seek to conquer and rule, and the heroic Autobots, led by the noble Optimus Prime, fight to protect and preserve.
The Ultimate Transformers Store offers a huge range of collectibles and toys for the Transformers fan, from the classics up to the new movie products.
Perhaps the greatest of all Prime figuresJuly 16, 2007 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As far as any of the Primes' I've had the opportunity to play with, he's definatly the best to me. Yes, this is the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime figure. No, he's not a reproduction of the original. This figure is a reimagining of the original figure, this time around standing 12 inches tall. First, to begin the review, I will let you know that I own the original U.S. release of this figure, so as far as I know, here are the differences: This one comes with a display base with sounds, so I cannot comment on this item. Coloring is different. The paint scheme is pretty much the same, except there's a bit more silver trim on the legs, and also some blackening here and there on my figure to simulate battle damage. This one is painted to make him look prestine. Personally, I've grown to appreciate the blackening on my figure, it makes it look like Prime has seen his share of combat. His gun is also colored deferently. But all else apears to be the same. To begin, I imagine that the designers of this toy wanted to make an ultimate possible Optimus Prime figure that looks exactly like his show self, and atleast as far as his robot form goes, they pretty much suceeded. Optimus in his robot form is amazing. The thinner arms and legs from the original toy version of Prime are a thing of the past: this Prime looks like he's built pretty solid, and nothing looks wimpy about him. He has an amazing amount of possability: his ankles, knees, waiste, arms, elbos, shoulders hands and head all turn, pivot and swing. He even has colapsing pistons on his knees, elbows and ankles. Plus his individual fingers can move too! All this gives him an incredible array of possibilities for posses. Right now, my Prime is setting on the hutch of my desk holding the ticket stub from when I say the new Transformers movie about a week or two ago (I know, I'm a geek). Transforming this figure is a challenge, even to veteran transformer fans like myself. You might attempt to transform him with the instructions, but trust me, you WILL need them. His tranformation is incredible complex, more complex than any other Transformer I've ever seen. He has the same basic elements, like his arms folding into his sides and the legs moving back to become the back of the truck, but there's far more to it than that. Stuff like his headlights folding out from his back, and a second grill folding out from his chest all take place. I can go on gushing about how amazing his robot mode is, but his truck mode is not quite as impressive. Let me put it this way: you can tell he's a semi truck when transformed. But it looks blocky, (other than being a flat nosed semi, that is), with a hing or two exposed, and the details fron the front of his lower legs exposed in the back. The less than stellar truck mode doesn't bother me too much though, since I keep him in robot mode about 99% of the time anyway. It would be nive if they had a better truck form for him. Now, the added bells and wistles: This figure is built with the long lost art of die cast parts, which gives him some heft. The whole figure isn't die cast, just his chest and lower legs. But it's nice that you know some parts are tough to break. he comes with several accesories: his well known Ion Rifle, an Energon Ax that can attach to his arm (like in one of the first three Transformer episodes), Megatron in his compacted, gun mode (with removable shoulder stock, scope and silencer), and the Matrix, which fits in his chest. In fact, the Matrix not only fits in his chest, but it can be opened too, and there's an L.E.D. that it rests in front of, to give the illusion of it glowing. He has a panel that flips up on each of his arms to simulate a communications panel, with a picture of StarScream on one panel, and of Bumble Bee on the other. Part of his transformation includes (but does not require) fliping into place a hole on the back of his truck, which indicates that a trailor can ver easily be mounted on the back of him. He has these vents on his legs that open up when you puch down on his legs, which is odd since it's not really neccesary. Lastly, there's a button on the beack of his head that when pushed, moves his faceplate, simulating the action of him speaking.
There's alot of good about this figure, but a few things worth mentioning that could stand some improving: his ankles are a little weak. Some report that they have difficulty posing him in anything but a straight "at attention" stance. Personally, I can pose him in a few different poses, but it's tricky. He often seems to want to fall forward of backward. Strengthened, ratchet style joints there, like in the rest of his legs, would have been very helpful. Die cast parts usually mean paint on them, and the paint can chip off easily. I've had my Prime for more than three years, and I am quite careful with him, but even still, I do see him chiping in the chest area. I wish his knees were tooled differently, since it's not quite possible to make him get down on one knee because of the design. Overall, my complaints are minor, except for the one about the ankles. This Prime figure is mostly for serious collectors, or those who wanted a very show like Prime. I'm not so sure he'd be well suited for children, especially not for $60+ dollars. And ultimatly, you have to ask yourself if this is worth that price to you. Me personally, I was willing to spend $70, and I really don't regret it. But not everyone is willing to. Just make sure you know what you're getting first. And if you want a Prime figure, but don't care for the price, maybe you should get another figure, like the Classics Optimus Prime, although not at the current Amazon price of 49.99 (which is a MAJOR rip off). Classics Optimus Prime retails at about $19.99. This is a more budget concious figure, although he does depart abit in terms of design somewhat. But probably still a worthy Prime figure.
Long Time Fan!July 13, 2007 The product is great. The toy is very realistic and true to the original cartoon from the 80's; however, the voice of Prime was not what I had expected. I am sorry to say that it is not the original voice, I am a little disappointed of that. Over all, great item for a collector.
Awesome! but there are a few things to note.June 19, 2007 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the 2nd edition of the 20th anniv. figure. The older reviews for this describe the 1st edition released in 2004. There differences are that there is NO battle damage on the 2nd edition, it comes with an electronic talking base, and I think (can't be sure) the colors are painted brighter and truer to the animated movie. What's even more confusing is that there is Japanese Takara version that is based on the same body but has longer smoke stacks and more subdued or different colors in some places. A friend has the Takara version but it is much more expensive.
This toy was built with a lot of thought and it shows. The figure is very poseable and oozes with quality construction. There are cheap parts here and there but it doesn't ruin the overall quality. The toy is big and heavy. It is sometimes difficult to pose and get it balanced without falling down. Be careful, this is not really a toy for young kids but for collectors or fans. At less than seventy dollars, it's a bargain and a must own for transformer fans.
A fantastic followupMay 30, 2007 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This new Optimus prime is a fantastic update to the original Optimus prime (A photo of the original can be found here: http://www.toybin.org/search.php?q=1984+Autobot+Optimus+Prime). The american version has shorter smokestacks are less likely to break then the imported Takara version which is a plus. Big heavy, metal, posable out the wazzo it is fun to play with. Many times people comment on how they remember having this very one when they were little until shown the above image. This re-imaging of the toy is a fantastic update for everyone who had or wanted the original toy and now can enjoy all the detail that was put into this toy.
Good for a collectorMay 19, 2007 I bought the 20th Anniversary Edition Optimus Prime basically for a collectible. It is very nicely detailed, and is a good size for an action figure to play with or just to keep in its box, even though I am extremely tempted to open it up and transform it. In doing some comparison shopping about where to buy it from, I noticed that on here it was definitely cheaper than what some stores and other websites were asking for it; I saw the exact same action figure priced at $99.99. Overall, I am very satisfied with the whole purchase. Shipping was fast and easy, and the quality of Optimus Prime is just what I had expected.
Powered by the Force.
Transformers News from Seibertron.com
Takara Style MP Starscream Custom Box Seibertron member, Coolpop has found a interesting custom box for Masterpiece collectors, MP Starscream U.S. Edition in a TakaraTomy style box. Coolpop gives us his review:
Custom Made Takara Style Masterpiece MP-3 Package Set
This set is made by a Chinese TF fan and he only produced 50 sets of them (probably all sold out now). The fixed selling price was RMB150, plus all shipping and fees, it came out to be around RMB314 (I used Airmail for international shipping from China to USA), and this is about US$47.50 shipped.
The purpose of this custom package set is to convert US Masterpiece Starscream into Takara style Masterpiece packaging. Unlike another MP Starscream custom package set seen last year on eBay that only comes with outside color box (you put the whole US MP Starscream w/ original package into this custom box), this new set actually comes complete with inner plastic clampshell tray, plastic nose ; tail holder/divider, updated graphic/art instruction booklet ; character card.
US Masterpiece Starscream ; all accessories placed in the inner plastic clampshell tray
Side by side comparisons with origial Takara MP-3 Green Starscream:
Inner tray with toys ; accessories
Color instruction booklet ; character card (front). It's a pity that the creator decided to use actual toy shot instead of using toy art like the original booklet cover
Color instruction booklet ; character card (back)
First two inside pages of instruction booklet
Front of box
Back of box
Top of box
Bottom of box
Side of box (both sides are the same)
Another comparison photo
Final comparison shot
Overall the quality of this custom package set is very good, I am very impressed with the extent of details the creator has paid attention to match with the original MP Starscream box and inserts (reshoot of the toy with correct position, angle, distance, light source, reflection, placement, art, font, color, etc.). I consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity to purchase this custom box set, and it will surely add that extra specialty to my complete Masterpiece collection.
Later comment: So much for the 50 sets limited run, hahaha. I just found out the Chinese seller I bought from just put out 10 more sets for sale, I guess the creator saw both bigger demand and extra income, and he decided to pump out more.
It can be found on Taobao but only open to Chinese residents. Panli does allow foreign transactions.
Seibertron.com's First "Buried Treasure" Review - Cybertron Cannonball! The year 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the Transformers franchise. To celebrate this incredible milestone, Seibertron.com will look back at a quarter-century of great Transformers toys, bringing back into the limelight some brilliant figures that have fallen through the cracks over the years.
Once a week, a fan (be it a member of the staff or a user on the site) will have the opportunity to write about one of their favourite "hidden gems" of the Transformers Universe, and have their review posted on the site's front page.
We hope this feature will be a great success, and that many of you will be encouraged to look back at the last 25 years of Transformers and perhaps take a worthwhile second-look at some real unsung classics of the Transformers universe.
Buried Treasure - Cannonball (Cybertron series - 2006)
By Skowl
Avast ye Transformer fans! For the inaugural "Buried Treasure" Review, I decided to pick a figure that embodies the very notion of "buried treasure." Pirates have not been all that common in the franchise, and for years only the Beast Wars II Seacons could lay claim to that title. But all that changed during the amazing "Transformers Cybertron" line, when we were given a unique repaint of popular Autobot character.
The Red Alert mold had been released in the first wave of Deluxe figures and, from my memory, had been a decent hit with the fans. The mold was a vast improvement over the Armada Red Alert but still retained many of the character's traits. From the obvious "medic" element, to the sympathetic look on the head sculpt, to all the first aid tools and add-ons - it was obvious that the new Cybertron Red Alert mold was all-Autobot. Which is why many fans were so surprised to see the figure repainted later down the line... as a Decepticon!
Around the same time that the Autobot Red Alert got a massive upgrade, the deluxe-class Decepticon Cannonball was released. Perhaps the character, whose bio reveals him to be a looter of sorts, salvaged the old Red Alert toy and saw it as a good enough mold to use for himself!
It's difficult to write about any figure from the Cybertron line without mentionning the brilliant packaging. The series has come and gone, but it still had the most eye-catching packaging of any Transformers toy line I've ever seen. From the faction-shaped card backing to the brilliant character art, everything about the packaging was clean, sharp and just great to look at. With nice, dark colours and cool silver highlights, Cannonball blends in beautifully with the packaging, making him a great piece for any MOC/MIB collector.
But the real fun starts when you get this little buccaneer out of the packaging. It's amazing what a little paint can do, isn't it? Looking at Cannonball, it's difficult to tell he was once an Autobot ambulance (type thing). The dark colours give him a very menacing look, ressembling some sort of hearse, and the whole thing is beautifully decorated with sharp silver highlights, including silver trim and mag wheels, and wicked skull decals that really add alot of personality to the figure (as if a Transforming pirate wasn't cool enough already).
The old "Cyber Key" gimmick works just as well with Cannonball as it did with Red Alert. Just stick it in the slot at the rear end of the car and watch as some cannons flip out, ready to blow any landlubber to pieces (should I stop with the pirate jokes? They're just so easy to write!). Not an amazing feature, but still added value, especially since the key gimmick really doesn't get in the way of the toy's functionality.
His transformation, like Red Alert's, is unique and shows alot of creativity in the engineering. Cannonball's body is basically made from the middle of the car, while the front and back ends come together to form the legs.
Yes, Cannonball's vehicle mode is wicked, but it's his robot mode that really makes him shine. I doubt many people thought "pirate" when they first laid eyes on Cybertron Red Alert, but it works so well in robot mode you would think that's what the designers were aiming for all along. Red Alert's "gun-hand" and add-ons just scream pirate-y hook hanks and the black "eye-patch" over the left side of his visor is a real nice touch. The colours work really well in this mode, with the nice silver detailing continuing over his chest, shoulders and legs and the clear purple windows of his vehicle look great in the proper lighting. And don't forget how cool those blue skeleton decals look in robot mode - two on his shoulders and the big skull on his back. Sweet.
He is fairly poseable in robot mode, but lacks alot of movement in his legs. It's ok though, he more than makes up for it by having cool, interchangeable pirate weapons (handy for shooting blaggards in the face), a great colour scheme with lots of unique detail and an awesome bio. Heck, he doesn't need to be super-poseable, he looks great just standing there!
Cannonball is a brilliant figure and one of the best, most original repaints in the history of the franchise. His unique personality makes him a great addition to any collection, and a must have for pirate fans... if you can ignore the fact that this pirate transforms into a car of all things...
So set sail, collectors! This is one piece of Transformers treasure that should definately not stay buried!
You can visit the complete Cannonball gallery on Seibertron.com by clicking here, and find your own buried treasures by visiting all the galleries here!
If you would like to submit a review of an obscure or rare Transformer figure for our "Buried Treasure" feature, please contact me (Skowl) via private message! Mini-review new ROTF "Dead End" Figure Seibertron.com member Guyincognito has just informed us that a mini review of the recently revealed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Scout Class figure Dead End has been posted on Cybertron.ca.
The review, performed by Pascal, gives us some great size comparison shots in both robot and alt mode, and discusses some of the major pros and cons of the figure.
Courtesy of Cybertron.ca
Courtesy of Cybertron.ca
You can view the complete review with more images by clicking here. Video Review of City Commander Upgrade Resident Transformer reviewer Peaugh has posted a nice, detailed review of the recently released City Commander upgrade set created for the Classics Universe Ultra Magnus figure.
The video goes in the great step by step detail on how to convert and attach the new addition along with nice video angles showing off the impressive attachments.
The images show both robot and vehicle mode (Earth Helicopter). The image of the robot mode shows that Megatron has decent articulation, but unlike the Leader Class version, his cannon cannot be attached to his forearm.
To view all the images of Activator Megatron, please click here.
Seibertron.com Reviews Soon To Be Released Glu Mobile 'Tranformers: G1 Awakening' Game Thanks to staff member Stormrider, I was given the chance to make contact with a member of Glu mobile;#x2019;s PR staff, and was able to play a demo of the soon to be released ;#x2018;Transformers: G1 Awakening;#x2019; game for cellular phones. Glu Mobile was very kind and even sent me a compatible phone loaded with the game to play, as they do not currently have a version available for the iPhone.
I was able to spend about a week with the game, wasting many precious hours, staying up until the wee early hours of the morning as I played the addicting game, and tried to experience as much of it as I could before I had to send the demo back....
First off we have Stealth, err, Goldbug... I mean ELITE GUARD BUMBLEBEE by Tamo536. Straight up repaint of the Original Animated Bumblebee, but according to the reviewer the 'stingers' are now able to better fit into the arms...
And also a huge picture montage courtesy of the Japanese Transformers Image Board showing Sentinel in package, with other Elite Guard members, and with the Headmaster unit firmly placed on his shoulders.
Everybody should want to get Sentinel as soon as they can...
"Move bots or you'll have to do more transform ups!!!"
Gallery and Review of Club-Exclusive Nightbeat Figure Philip S. has posted a detailed photo gallery and review of the upcoming Official Transformers Club exclusive deluxe figure Nightbeat.
Read the review and see the photos by clicking here.
Video Review: McDonalds TFA Optimus Prime Resident Transformers video review master Sean Long has done it again. This time, Sean reviews the upcoming Mc Donald's Happy Meal bonus figure, Transformers Animated Optimus Prime. Sean gives us a good look at the figure, with comparison shots of it next to Movie Legends Optimus Prime, TFA Bumblebee, and TFA Deluxe Battle begins Optimus Prime.
This figure appears to be leaps and bounds better than previous Mc Donald's figures that were available in the past.
To view the complete review of this surprisingly nice figure, click here.
Transformers Animated Bulkhead - Video Review Sean Long has done a video review of Animated Transformers Bulkhead Leader class. The review shows the step by step transformation process and demonstrates the accessories. He also demonstrates the size comparison with Animated Bulkhead Voyager class.
