In Hand Images of Transformers Prime AM -01 Optimus Prime, AM-04 Ratchet and AM - 06 Skywarp

Looking at Ratchet...Wow...just wow....

Having to apply THAT many stickers on the poor guy to accomplish a (lazy) paint job that's similar to Hasbro's attempt is just unforgivable. For the first time as a collector, I can say that I feel sorry for Japanese collectors. It's like Takara doesn't even give a shit about the Prime line AT ALL. Not even the semi decent Microns can make up for this amount of laziness.

I guess the only positive thing to say is that Skywarp at least looks passable...

Man, for once I'm proud to say that I'm an American collector.

Wow, when I heard the Takara Prime figures were going to take stickers, I didn't think essentially ALL paint details were going to be stickers? We didn't even have this in G1. This isn't so much Hasbro FTW as it is Takara for EPIC FAIL. Sorry, I don't pay money for prototypes, when they release painted versions, let me know. Also, the holes they punched all over the figures look awful. Takara can't survive without a gimmick the figures, can they?

Here is the thing about the kitbashing, a miniscule fraction of fans are kitbashers, a figure being tailormade to do-it-yourself should be a no-sale for the vast majority of people.

Now, if you take the Takara stickers and put them on a Hasbro figure, you might get a pretty close to complete figure. Of course, I will just get Reprolabels to do that, with better color-matching.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I prefer Hasbro's Ratchet...

I don't dig the sticker idea at all. If G1 toys are notorious for missing and damaged stickers, what's stopping these sticker-needing guys from the same problem in the future? I didn't like them with the one Kre-o figure I bought, so I definitely don't like them here. Didn't enjoy applying them in the least.

I do think it's kind of funny that Takara took the extra step of giving Ratchet the heart monitor on his arm, but they have (most of) it on the wrong side. Lol. I understand why - the outer part of his arm is filled with that wheel and cramming it in would be uncomfortable/cramped - but it's still a little weird, especially since it got all broken up in robot mode. It does add a nice touch in truck mode though. Can't have the best of both worlds I suppose.

Skywarp is the sole clear winner here. I will be buying him and Megatron so all my Autobots can cower before their Merged Micron Drill Cannon Death Action!

...ahem....

Wow, just wow.

When they said stickers I thought Prime would be the standard. Nice paints, but needed stickers to cover the accents. Ratchet... As many have said, he'd make a good autotrooper. Perhaps some 3rd party will take pity, and in conjuction with with Reprolabels a new head and decals will breath some life into him. Seriously it's his only hope. Even the sword minion isn't worth it in my eyes.
Skywarp on the other hand looks fine and his bull minion is cool. Isn't if funny that the Decepticons come out of the box looking fine, and get the better minons. I think the animals make better weapons because they require less compromise to make some sort of critter work and vice versa.


I knew the minions were going to require some compromise. That's the deal with any TF gimmick. But to have no paints at all? Why didn't they just make it a separate line of kits? I could see Hasbro being lazy and trying to shoehorn them in, but Japan already has this EXACT concept with those gum figures.

Hasbro, if you make the minions, launch them as a separate deal like Cyberverse. It'll cover the limited weapon options that come with the figures.

Stickers aren't a bad thing. It would be a first where it is required, but the stickers do look of high quality. Similar to stickers that come with HG/MG Gundam model kits.

However for Transformers, and the perspective price points it is a mixed bag.

Ratchet has an extra clear window on each side that the Hasbro version does not. There are a few differences that if you switched them around you would have the perfect ratchet. The holes aren't bad either. The thing that is weird is the beige ports balance out the just plain whiteness.

To me this is a no-brainer. Ratchet for the US is definitely cheaper and regardless of how many waves he appears in, he will be sought after because of what Takara presented. If you are a Takara fan and like what they did, then buy that one for a higher unjustifiable price.

On the real Hasbro's is better because it doesn't need the gimmick.

Looks like FE prices are gonna skyrocket. So what's gonna happen with Arcee and the rest of the deluxes.

They could of at least painted Ratchets one silver and gave the sword edge a brighter silver, but no a dull grey and slap on stickers....yay

SGD$?

I like stickers.