The Energon Pub

by **thedistinctroom** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:47 pm

Just thinking... With all these modern and simplistic TF's invading our mindset as of late, what do some of you all think about the likes of the old RiD (No. Not the Prime series) Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus toys? Too complex? Not enough fiction to warrant a purchase? Or, do you worship them and try to hunt down every crystal-clear, or yellow Sam's Club variant that you hail as a grail?

Some people claim to hate these toys. And others besides them wouldn't even consider them as part of the "Prime" (or TF) lineage. Personally, I absolutely love these two toys, separately and when combined. They destroy the subsequent Armada and Energon Prime toys by a mega-parsec or 2. Amazing and thoughtful approaches were made in designing them. Even though they have got some issues with stability, the combined Omega Prime mode is really a sight to see, when viewed in person. I've got the Japanese Car Robots imports, which I've read are of different quality to the domestic versions. Not sure if that matters much, as both are quite similar.

I really recommend these two toys to anyone who is willing to step outside of the current trends in Transformers and to the related fiction thereof. And also, to parents who choose complexity and creativity, over basic simplicity, when buying TF's for their children.

And here's the Omega Prime gallery, for those who need a glimpse.
http://www.seibertron.com/transformers- ... ime/494/1/

News Credits: 1350 · by **ZeroWolf** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 6:56 pm

I've been after the pair for a while now, thought I'd finally found Prime for a decent price but it was only standard form of him

There's a lot of RiD stuff I want come to think of it, like the build team, rail racer, Megatron/Galvatron. Ah for a little bit of luck and a lot of money.

News Credits: 1 · by **adamassc** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:19 pm

Masterpiece. I love the RiD cartoon, and I absolutely adore my Omega Prime. Rail Racer and Landfill are both great combiners, too.

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:58 pm

I had them once. I found the whole thing ungainly and clumsy, so I sold it off.

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 10:27 pm

I really dug them early when the figures first released getting most of them. I eventually parted ways with most but only a few I kept finding true appreciation for them. I really dig JRX aka Rail Racer in combined mode mostly...it's over all a great fig.

But I couldn't let go Omega Prime. Yeah he's not the best articulation wise but it is possible to pose if you try. I wish I didn't have a crappy cell phone or I would share mine that I have on display with DOTM Lunar OP cannon mounted on his arm...bad-ass!

Anyway my Fire Convoy got my attention so much recently I bought 2 (at different times) Yellow OP, the Sam's Club exclusive just to have in bot mode and alt mode. I even removed the giant ladder from one making it so much more easy to display and pose.

I don't know if I would call this a masterpiece but it's a great figure to have. If I had to choose between Omega Prime and Armada OP...Omega all the way...'nuff said! :VEHI:

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 10:29 pm

I really dug them early when the figures first released getting most of them. I eventually parted ways with most but only a few I kept finding true appreciation for them. I really dig JRX aka Rail Racer in combined mode mostly...it's over all a great fig.

But I couldn't let go Omega Prime. Yeah he's not the best articulation wise but it is possible to pose if you try. I wish I didn't have a crappy cell phone or I would share mine that I have on display with DOTM Lunar OP cannon mounted on his arm...bad-ass!

Anyway my Fire Convoy got my attention so much recently I bought 2 (at different times) Yellow OP, the Sam's Club exclusive just to have in bot mode and alt mode. I even removed the giant ladder from one making it so much more easy to display and pose.

I don't know if I would call this a masterpiece but it's a great figure to have. If I had to choose between Omega Prime and Armada OP...Omega all the way...'nuff said! :VEHI:

News Credits: 2 · by **Nemesis Destron** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 11:04 pm

Sorry for the double post.

News Credits: 2 · by **Spider5800** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:01 am

I gotta admit, I am not a fan of the RiD line. I bought the three "brothers" (Prowl, Side Burn and X-Brawn) when the line first launched, and while the vehicle modes were really cool, the actual robot modes left much to be desired. Lots of unusual kibble placement and a weird off-center design aesthetic made them really ungainly and hard to pose.

Omega Prime shows the same issues. That double missile launcher was either a big weight on one shoulder, making him tip easily, or you could put it on the two little "arms" on his back, making him more stable but, frankly, looked absolutely silly. And he had pretty poor articulation too, making him more of a plastic brick than a toy.

I wouldn't call it an abomination (I would reserve that for something REALLY terrible, like Supreme Cheetor from Beast Machines), but I never thought it was a very good figure.

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 5:29 am

This has made we want to go an dig my OP and UM out and combine them again. Been years since I last tried that. I don't know about giving Omega Prime Masterpiece status, I seem to remember he was bulky and awkward.

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 6:37 am

Funny I see this, I just bought a Sam's Club exclusive RiD Optimus Prime on eBay. :lol:

It's 1 of my favorite Prime molds.

As for Omega Prime. I wouldn't call it either an abomination or a masterpiece. For it to be a masterpiece, it would have to be near flawless, and it is certainly not. The Prime component, however, is far superior to the Magnus component, but Magnus does what he is supposed to when it comes to the combined form: enhance the base figure, that being Prime in this case. Much like Jetfire and Prime in RoTF. The Prime figure is vastly superior, but the dead Jetfire parts make him even more badass. Without Prime, though, the other part just sucks by itself. The plus of Omega Prime, IMO, is the massive size, thus its intimidating presence. It looks good on a shelf. But that's about it. So it all depends on how you approach pieces of your collection. If you're purchasing TFs for display, it's a great piece. If you actually want to play with it, or at least regularly transform it, it becomes rather annoying. My Omega Prime I actually customized a bit. I combined them differently, where I managed to include all of Super Fire Convoy's left over parts, such as his feet and shoulders. The only part I couldn't place is the head/chest/ladder piece. I also added DoTM Laserbeak's dual guns in combined form for 1 awesome cannon. It makes the figure even more massive and intimidating on my shelf. It's almost the same size as my G1 Scorponok in robot mode, so I am leaning towards considering it to be my Marvel comics version of Powermaster Optimus Prime. He and Scorponok were nearly the same size in the comics.

Also, it might have been more kid-oriented, but I liked the cartoon and the toy line from RiD. There are very few figures I didn't care for. (The Predacons, mostly, except Skybite and Megatron.)

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:12 am

Concerning stability issues, the Japanese version is more stable. Rubber tires (cross fingers) haven't broken yet (the USA version of mine cracked the wheels within 6 months of purchase)

Got "rid" of my USA version and got the Japanese version.....no regrets......awesome figure.

News Credits: 650 · by **ScottyP** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 11:03 am

For it's time, one hell of a figure. Now? Really awkward and fiddly combined mode with severe balance issues when you try to pose it. My Cybertron 2-pack re-release/slight variant set stays together and upright better than my RiD guys, but that may be due to them being 4 years or so newer.

News Credits: 2 · by **paul053** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 11:53 am

I once hunt down both of them to form the Omega Prime. The combined form is a beauty although pain in posing and don't really like all the plastic rubbing squeaky sound. After I owned them for a while, sold them all and never regret. The transformation and aesthetic are just too "Brave Series" for me, not enough "Transformers". Don't get me wrong. Great figure but just not for me.

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 4:46 pm

iirc Brave and TF design teams are the same so no surprise.

News Credits: 13 · by **grimdragon2001** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 8:23 am

Right now i only have half of the equation (Fire Convoy) but i do hope to one day have Magnus and see Omega for myself

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 8:55 am

fenrir72 wrote:iirc Brave and TF design teams are the same so no surprise.

For a part yes. In fact, in Korea Car Robot was renamed as a Brave series. :lol:

I wouldn't call Omega Prime a masterpiece or an abomination, every toy of similar nature is bound to have problems one way or another. But what they do get right (well, most of the time, look at Fire J-Decker) is look majestic and powerful, which is their main draw.

*sigh* I wish they'd re-release that Super God Sword, that would make my Omega Prime perfect.

News Credits: 12 · by **Evil Eye** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 4:33 pm

I absolutely love my RID Prime, even if most of his chrome has flaked off and one of the hinges on his super mode chestplate has snapped. Magnus has a really cool vehicle mode, but the transformation is a **** nightmare and the robot mode, while imposing, can't pose very well due to the absurdly long legs and dreadful stability. Also, Magnus has not aged well over the years- his hips are super loose, his buttflap/vehicle mode bumper refuses to stay on and his gun is floppy as hell.

Omega Prime looks awesome, and is technically poseable, but if you try to put him in anything other than a neutral standing pose he topples over.

by **thedistinctroom** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:34 pm

It's good to know people's opinions on this one. Cheers and thanks.

I was kinda' disappointed when I read that Tomy had scrapped the proposed Super Fire Convoy reissue. Maybe on the 20th anniversary of Car Robots (In Disguise)...

:G2BOT:

News Credits: 11 · by **Overcracker** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 7:57 pm

I really like these 2. Yes the combined form is unstable, and Prime's waist just wasn't built to handle the weight, but all in all they are pretty cool.

I'm still trying to complete the main cast of R.I.D. Just missing Rail Spike and the Predacon 3 pack. and recently acquired the Scourge in my siggy pic.

And yes, Landfill is awesome.

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 10:00 pm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
fenrir72 wrote:iirc Brave and TF design teams are the same so no surprise.

For a part yes. In fact, in Korea Car Robot was renamed as a Brave series.

*sigh* I wish they'd re-release that Super God Sword, that would make my Omega Prime perfect.

There 3rd party versions of that BF Sword (handle is detacheable too compared to the original). Maybe they can stand in for the real thing.

Anyways, being a bit OCD, I had wish my God Magnus came with a biocard.....mine, was just 99% complete.

grimdragon2001 wrote:Right now i only have half of the equation (Fire Convoy) but i do hope to one day have Magnus and see Omega for myself

You know, it's the Prime part that's hard to find. Same in Japan, the Firetruck is the HTF component.............that or more expensive. Btw, don't forget to remove the batteries people.

by **Geminii** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:23 am

I like mine. It's surprisingly enormous and heavy, and the combined mode is very impressive (if not quite perfect).

Oh, it has its faults - the Blue Bolts weapon needs to be completely revamped, the ladder component has nowhere useful to go in combined mode, Optimus's super mode head is badly disguised in fire truck mode, and the transformations are combinations of Lego and panelbeating. Not to mention Magnus's robot mode proportions.

Even so, the altmodes themselves are remarkably solid and good-looking, and use all the parts (Blue Bolts being optional). Cab-mode Optimus has a nice transformation and is really workable as a standalone action figure. Super-mode Optimus looks great and retains most of the inner-robot articulation (restricted a little in some places). I particularly like the way the rather plain fire truck becomes the somewhat baroque robot, an aesthetic which would be repeated in the live-action movies. The transformation of Omega Prime's forearms is hugely amusing, too, and just a little impressive with the engineering of how the hands of the smaller robots combine.

Yes, it could have been done better. Blue Bolts in particular always annoyed me; I would have liked to see it replaced, perhaps by a pair of oversized super-rifles with no gimmickry. Something that Omega Prime could brandish or have attached to his shoulders or hips. Likewise, the fire-truck ladder would have made a great shoulder-mounted bazooka or railgun; the missile rack gimmick was kind of overcomplicated.

(And yeah, after Animated, I started thinking RiD Prime could have used a fire axe instead of a tiny little handheld pistol.)

All in all, though, it's a great toy, even if it's a little unwieldy and has some fiddly parts.

News Credits: 9 · by **Mykltron** » Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:17 am

In my opinion Omega Prime is the only good Hasbro combiner. Yes, I have the RiD train combiner as well.

Ultra Magnus is awful but it's worth owning him to make Omega Prime. He could use longer thighs and upper arms as well as thigh swivels but he's an amazing figure for his day.

News Credits: 4 · by **craggy** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 10:13 am

I remember seeing the prototype pics way back on dial-up. When I saw them in the shops I had to get them, even though I was really trying to limit my TF and toy spending. I prefer the individual design of Magnus to Prime, although Optimus is the better robot mode, his super-mode chest is too Blaster-y for me. The smaller robot is class though. Magnus' vehicle mode is a real favourite of mine, in particular the cab, and the robot is pretty impressive too. I'd have preferred the legs to be able to condense a bit to make them shorter and less hollow but he still looks great any way.

Both have their problems with weapons. Blue Bolts is awkward and a bit ugly, but I appreciate the idea. Small Prime's little gun is really cool, but in super-mode his ladder is a bit of a mess. Combining the two robots together is also a little tricky. I like a lot of what they did. Some really nice engineering, especially those hands, but then there's that awkward back section, and the way Magnus' body fits over Optimus' extended torso reminds me of a winter jumper. It fits more or less, but you always feel a little uncomfortable about it.

As a combined robot Omega Prime is really something. I love how he looks. There's enough of each bot that he doesn't feel just like an upgrade to Optimus Prime, like Superpants Armada Optimus, or Dismembered Corpse Armour Movie Optimus. It feels like a true gestalt of the individual bots and it's very imposing. He is a little unsteady but you can get some okay poses out of him. Last time I set mine up I gave him my blue Infinity Warfare sword, and whilst it was a bit unwieldy, it looked great.

Certainly wouldn't trade him away, and those saying that he feels like a Brave toy...well, maybe, but I love those more Japanese feeling designs of some TFs. I have the TF Go! Samurai team and they're great alongside Omega Prime. Funny seeing complaints about the Car Robot Brothers having awkward kibble up there, because that's very true, but they're basically Beast Wars bots that have car bits instead of animal bits, and I like that.

by **Geminii** » Sat Jul 12, 2014 4:00 pm

craggy wrote:Corpse Armour Optimus

Best. Description. Ever.

Thinking on it, though, I wonder if Omega Prime might be able to get a tweaked re-release at some future point? The primary demographic for Transformers wasn't even born when the original came out, so it's not as if they'd be likely to already have one.

And really, it's a great design. Improve Magnus's legs with modern transformation options, simplify Optimus's ladder and strengthen his waist, replace the Blue Bolts gimmick, and it could be the linchpin of a show-based line. Its only real hurdle is price, but that didn't seem to hurt it back in 2001.

And a thought - given Prime's partsformer super mode, why not make the ladder detachable at its base with a simple 5mm peg, add a slider so the base can move about halfway along the ladder, and allow its weapon mode to plug in at various points on Super Prime and Omega Prime? 5mm holes in the hips, shoulders, middle of the back (for storage), backs of the shoulders (for underarm wielding), even turn the pile-of-parts 'refueling station' kibble-altmode into an AA battery or tank?

by **Optimum Supreme** » Sat Jul 19, 2014 4:53 pm

Omega Prime is what got me back into Transformers after leaving them behind at the end of G1 and with only a very limited foray into G2.

So yeah, I kinda love it/them, warts and all.

Optimus's small robot mode is one of my favorite OP's ever. Super mode looks good, but is way too unstable. Magnus has issues in his proportions, but it doesn't bug me. Omega, just a big mass of kick ass, weapon aside. But that guy doesn't even look like he needs a gun.