The Energon Pub

[william-james88]

More importantly, this Optimus Prime is a complete mess. We're back to the look with the gray hands, yellow eyes, and unpainted cod piece. That means we should be seeing the version of the trailer with no blue plastic, because the hands are allegedly gang molded to the trailer parts. However, the trailer has the blue plastic parts like it did in the initial Hasbro renders, meaning the hands on Prime should be blue, but they're not! Furthermore, it looks like the bicep pieces are gang molded to the trailer too. They're ALSO blue on the robot mode! They've shown up as gray in all other stock photography and renders before. Did Takara mix and match different test shots of the figure for their stock photos? That still wouldn't explain the blue biceps and gray hands, though. Both should be one color plastic or the other.

When I read that first line I was sure you would also bring up the fact that he has a 5 mm trailer port that doesnt hide away in robot mode.

[Jeddostotle7]

These new Takara shots of Optimus heavily confuse matters. Not jusr the lack of the added blue paint apps, but also blue plastic instead of dark grey for the inner shoulder, bicep, wheel-on-back-hinge-piece, etc. Hopefully it turns out to be like the previous couple examples of all-over-the-place decos and plastic colors between different shows and sets of stock photos for some figures, and the end product turns out more like the leaked photos from a couple days ago.

[Skritz]

Much like Siege, this is the perfect example of how one can have line-wide gimmicks which collectors can choose to ignore and thus won't endlessly complain about it 'ruining' a good toy, like with Titans Return mandatory headmasters. Mind you I like Headmasters but I know plenty of angry grognards who were mad at characters being turned into headmasters.

[joevill]

Wow looks pretty fun!!

[Wolfman Jake]

More importantly, this Optimus Prime is a complete mess. We're back to the look with the gray hands, yellow eyes, and unpainted cod piece. That means we should be seeing the version of the trailer with no blue plastic, because the hands are allegedly gang molded to the trailer parts. However, the trailer has the blue plastic parts like it did in the initial Hasbro renders, meaning the hands on Prime should be blue, but they're not! Furthermore, it looks like the bicep pieces are gang molded to the trailer too. They're ALSO blue on the robot mode! They've shown up as gray in all other stock photography and renders before. Did Takara mix and match different test shots of the figure for their stock photos? That still wouldn't explain the blue biceps and gray hands, though. Both should be one color plastic or the other.

When I read that first line I was sure you would also bring up the fact that he has a 5 mm trailer port that doesnt hide away in robot mode.

Holy crap! How did THAT happen? All of the other pics we've seen show a much different assembly, with 2/3 of the hexagonal 5mm hole on the right leg and 1/3 on the left, creating a bit more symmetry and not making it look like some weird growth is sticking out of the right leg. That's the Hasbro renders, the NYCC at show pics, and the recently leaked pics with the new paint apps all follow this "split" design. Where did this Takara stock photo come from!? Nothing about it makes sense!

Also if they had kept the trailer parts blue and preserved the correct color of the inner calves of the robot mode, that split hexagonal port would be even less obvious. They could have avoided so many issues with this mold (gray hands, gray back of head, etc.) if they had just realized no one would be upset about blue parts on the trailer, since it's supposed to have some blue parts anyway, and they didn't interfere with the look of the alternate mode at all. Or, some smarter parts distribution among the molds might have helped too. Yeah, I know, "budgets and sizes and logistic and blah blah blah," but it's Optimus Prime, for goodness sake! Bend a few rules to get him right! It's not like he won't sell out!

[TF-fan kev777]

Yikes, Prime does not look good from the back.

The weird torso proportions in that photo look like when girls try to photoshop themselves a thigh gap.

Also, the wheels and small hexagonal flight stand port give Prime a very surprised looking "butt-face". I can't unsee it now.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

I agree on the Soundbarrier front. That is a lazy figure. If you want to see a good shield figure, look at TR Lione. that figure pulled off a lion and a fantastic shield mode, he is the definition of a good shield-former

[Jelze Bunnycat]

I agree on the Soundbarrier front. That is a lazy figure. If you want to see a good shield figure, look at TR Lione. that figure pulled off a lion and a fantastic shield mode, he is the definition of a good shield-former

He's as much a shield as Soundwave's cassettes are, and simply repurposed from a different, primary function: a ramp. In that aspect, I don't really see how else it could be done other than making him a flat, and above all fragile mess.

As for Prime's 5mm trailer hitch, that may be a last-minute design change. Non-solid or split peg holes usually have problems holding things in, just ask anyone with a PotP Sludge, Slug or Rippersnapper.

[toycave_studios]

If this is how Prime is going to look... I'm either going to pass, or have someone professionally repaint it for me. This is ridiculous.

[Microbot]

Now I'm confused...Optimus how will look like at the end??? I assume was with blue hands and eyes...but now.....oh boy....

[Rainmaker]

Man, Earthrise Prime's back look great compared to what we usually get!

Also Soundbarrier is just fine as he is to me.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Now I'm confused...Optimus how will look like at the end??? I assume was with blue hands and eyes...but now.....oh boy....

There seems to be some sort of hiccup between the color charts and assigning parts to plastic colors/molds, that may be related to the change in design of the hitch. The hands seem to be gang-molded with the hitch and/or the elbows, they've all changed between blue and grey in different types of stock images and the sample at NYCC.

[Ultra Markus]

where the hell is roller

[Sabrblade]

where the hell is roller

Never a part of this Optimus toy to begin with.

[Emerje]

where the hell is roller

Never a part of this Optimus toy to begin with.

Here's to hoping for a Micromaster sometime down the road. The size should work fine with the trailer's more compact size.

Emerje

[ZeroWolf]

where the hell is roller

Never a part of this Optimus toy to begin with.

Here's to hoping for a Micromaster sometime down the road. The size should work fine with the trailer's more compact size.

Emerje

Only problem would be who he came with given that Micromasters are packed in twos, unless they make a hot rod to go with Selects Star Convoy.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

In light of Sixgun, Brunt and Ironworks, they might even make Roller into a bot this time?

[ZeroWolf]

In light of Sixgun, Brunt and Ironworks, they might even make Roller into a bot this time?

It's possible, would be fun if they tailored him specifically to Optimus Prime, making him a mini godbomber of sorts (Godbomber, the original Weaponizer!)

[Skritz]

I'd be down for a Roller figure!

[gothsaurus]

I think that's a fantastic idea, and very much in line with Hasbro's game plan these days. Separate out some of the extra figures from Titans as cost saving, then offer them on the shelf to the masses. You can sell more of the little guys that way.

Still hoping for a Slammer, Roller, Fasttrack... and heck, whatever the repaint partners for Grand Max and Black Zarak were. Wasn't the little gold partner guy's name Gipi Essu? (It's hard to translate the katakana.)

Also have to say, I'm also holding out for a whole metric buttload of little bases. They better at LEAST put out four so you can connect them in a square, or I'll start flipping tables.

[Sabrblade]

Still hoping for a Slammer, Roller, Fasttrack... and heck, whatever the repaint partners for Grand Max and Black Zarak were. Wasn't the little gold partner guy's name Gipi Essu? (It's hard to translate the katakana.)

Grand Max had Cog (a different one from Fort Max's Cog formed by Koka and Onomisu instead of Gasket and Grommet), BlackZarak had Black Roritchi.

[gothsaurus]

Thanks for the info Sabrblade. I really appreciate that!

[no-one]

Man, Grapple is looking good, but this is the first thing I thought when I saw that new image.

where the hell is roller

Never a part of this Optimus toy to begin with.

Here's to hoping for a Micromaster sometime down the road. The size should work fine with the trailer's more compact size.

Emerje

I'm hoping for a Roller Micromaster as well, but I have some alternative options in mind.



or



That second option could be pretty handy if a WFC Blaster ever becomes a thing.

[gothsaurus]

Thinking about Roller. All things considered, a six wheel vehicle is ALSO ... Fasttrack. They could shoot for those two sharing transformation and giving each a little bit of retooling.

[ZeroWolf]

Thinking about Roller. All things considered, a six wheel vehicle is ALSO ... Fasttrack. They could shoot for those two sharing transformation and giving each a little bit of retooling.

When you put it that way, rolled could easily be a generations selects release of fast track.