The Energon Pub

Optimus Prime is a fantastic blend of new and old styles but the use of friction and ball joints leaves me concerned for the toys longevity. Roller is a perfect, simple companion that I really like. Much like Bumblebee and Blazemaster I highly recommend this set.

Seibertron.com member chuckdawg1999 is back with a review of the recently released Transformers Generations Legends Class Optimus Prime with Roller. Check out his review embedded below:

Optimus Prime is a fantastic blend of new and old styles but the use of friction and ball joints leaves me concerned for the toys longevity. Roller is a perfect, simple companion that I really like. Much like Bumblebee and Blazemaster I highly recommend this set.

He doesn't know it's based on the IDW esthetic. Kind of too bad.

Sabrewing wrote:He doesn't know it's based on the IDW esthetic. Kind of too bad.

I do but IDW went out of my head while I was shooting, kinda funny since they have an ad on the box.

A decent review. I'll buy him if I see him in a shop but I won't go out of my way for him. I don't want Rollar, just OP and his gun.

Roller's so freaking adorable! I really wish his handles were 5mm so he could be compatible with either the Classics Deluxe or Voyager Optimus. I might pass, but it's definitely something to consider.

so if his chest is not supposed to be opened why would they put some effort into detail inside the chest? its supposed to look like the picture on the card which shows its open
i learned a long time ago the instructions are often wrong on some TFs

Ultra Markus wrote:so if his chest is not supposed to be opened why would they put some effort into detail inside the chest? its supposed to look like the picture on the card which shows its open
i learned a long time ago the instructions are often wrong on some TFs

It's funny but when the head is up the chest doesn't close all the way so you do see some of the detail but it's not as pronounced as on the card art. If you open the panels more, like on the card, the arms get pushed back.

15 minutes for a legends figure. Way too long a video. Anyway, IF I get this figure, I'm chopping off the shoulder bits.

omega666 wrote:15 minutes for a legends figure. Way too long a video. Anyway, IF I get this figure, I'm chopping off the shoulder bits.

I don't think you have to as I'm fairly sure they're held in by friction.

I'm posting this in both review threads, because it applies to both reviews.

Ok seriously, how can any transfan worth their salt and doing a Targetmaster review, miss the vehicle mode Targetmaster hardpoint?

Bowspearer wrote:I'm posting this in both review threads, because it applies to both reviews.

Ok seriously, how can any transfan worth their salt and doing a Targetmaster review, miss the vehicle mode Targetmaster hardpoint?

It wasn't shown in the instructions. I already had to contend with missing steps so while I noticed the holes on Prime and Bumblebee I didn't think to mention them. For what it's worth I'm hearing that roller can double as a jet pack of sorts and Blazemaster doubles as a heli-pack.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:It wasn't shown in the instructions. I already had to contend with missing steps so while I noticed the holes on Prime and Bumblebee I didn't think to mention them.

I get that the instructions were dodgy as all hell, but here's the thing. The formula for Targetmasters has been identical since the first Targetmaster came out in 1987 - namely, gun changes into partner, partner can be held in gun mode, partner mounts on hard point in vehicle mode. I didn't need the instructions to tell me that the back of Prime's head was the targetmaster hardpoint, I just knew to look for it because the entire targetmaster gimmick has been formulaic for almost 30 years now - I spotted it within 5 seconds of looking at the alt mode, because I was expecting it.

Tbh I'd have been scathing of Hasbro if they hadn't been included. You say you didn't think to mention them, but a) you went and mentioned "a hole on Bumblebee's back" that allowed Blazemaster to emulate his helepack and b) surely with how big roller is, issues with how stable prime in vehicle mode is with Roller mounted on him are worth exploring as tbh, one thing I have to wonder is whether Roller is so heavy that he tips forewards in robot mode and it's actually one thing I would have liked covered in that review. Due to where the hardpoint is on Bumblebee and the shape of his alt mode, I can't see him having the same problem however.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:For what it's worth I'm hearing that roller can double as a jet pack of sorts and Blazemaster doubles as a heli-pack.

And this is what has me shaking my head and facepalming. You're far from the only person that's been guilty of that here. The instructions apparently don't list it meaning there was a breakdown in communication between the design team and whoever does the instructions, you've missed it in your review entirely and others are saying "hey there's this hole on Prime/Bumblebee that by some happy accident allows you to give him a flight pack", completely missing that it's the hardpoint doing double duty.

How did so many people miss something that should have been so obvious, especially Hasbro themselves?

Bowspearer wrote:

chuckdawg1999 wrote:It wasn't shown in the instructions. I already had to contend with missing steps so while I noticed the holes on Prime and Bumblebee I didn't think to mention them.

I get that the instructions were dodgy as all hell, but here's the thing. The formula for Targetmasters has been identical since the first Targetmaster came out in 1987 - namely, gun changes into partner, partner can be held in gun mode, partner mounts on hard point in vehicle mode. I didn't need the instructions to tell me that the back of Prime's head was the targetmaster hardpoint, I just knew to look for it because the entire targetmaster gimmick has been formulaic for almost 30 years now - I spotted it within 5 seconds of looking at the alt mode, because I was expecting it.

Tbh I'd have been scathing of Hasbro if they hadn't been included. You say you didn't think to mention them, but a) you went and mentioned "a hole on Bumblebee's back" that allowed Blazemaster to emulate his helepack and b) surely with how big roller is, issues with how stable prime in vehicle mode is with Roller mounted on him are worth exploring as tbh, one thing I have to wonder is whether Roller is so heavy that he tips forewards in robot mode and it's actually one thing I would have liked covered in that review. Due to where the hardpoint is on Bumblebee and the shape of his alt mode, I can't see him having the same problem however.

chuckdawg1999 wrote:For what it's worth I'm hearing that roller can double as a jet pack of sorts and Blazemaster doubles as a heli-pack.

And this is what has me shaking my head and facepalming. You're far from the only person that's been guilty of that here. The instructions apparently don't list it meaning there was a breakdown in communication between the design team and whoever does the instructions, you've missed it in your review entirely and others are saying "hey there's this hole on Prime/Bumblebee that by some happy accident allows you to give him a flight pack", completely missing that it's the hardpoint doing double duty.

How did so many people miss something that should have been so obvious, especially Hasbro themselves?

Dude, showing a vehicle carrying a weapon isn't a big deal and wasn't that important. FYI Prime doesn't tip over but it does look silly. I follow directions implicitly unless there is something glaringly wrong because I won't take the chance of doing something different and breaking the figure. If there are more of these Legends figures I assure you I'll make a point of showing any weapon storage or "carry" modes.

I just want this because I'm getting Metroplex when it comes out.