Transformers Movie Masterpiece MPM-4 Optimus Prime At US Retail

Here's to hoping he won't be hard to find!

2 In Janesville WI Toys R Us

I went to my local Toys R Us today and saw 2 of them. I was genuinely surprised. But disappointed, because I literally only have $2 to my name. It'll be a while before I can afford one of these things.

Courtesy of regular news source Loopaza Mega Store on Facebook, and the magazine Figure King 235, we have some images of the Takara Tomy specific release of Transformers Movie Masterpiece MPM-4 Optimus Prime! The images are mirrored below, and you can compare this to the Hasbro release by checking out our gallery here.

Do we know when this guy's set to release? The extra blue paint and lighter grey plastic that's a lot closer to the silver paint might make him worth the wait and the extra money.

Them lighter colours look much better. But how much will it cost?

I'm fine with hasbro version if I didn't buy version I would have bought for this version depending what price is

Is it me, or does the lighter gray have kind of a beige look to it? I'll probably stick with the Hasbro version and add tge extra details myself.

Quantum Surge wrote:Is it me, or does the lighter gray have kind of a beige look to it? I'll probably stick with the Hasbro version and add tge extra details myself.

It does. For some reason, Takara went for a more matte look and while I havent seen too much complaining here, lots of fans elsewhere have expressed unhappiness in the matter. I still preffer the fact that he has blue paint on his feet. But ultimately, I think I will just stick to the recent MB release, as sacriligious as that may sound. MPM 3 BB proved you could have something look great with an intuitive transformation that is complex but in no way annoying (once you get the hang of it). It doesnt prove to the same with this Prime. Plus I dont like his eyes and that is a huge factor when thinking of dropping loads a money on a toy.

william-james88 wrote:

Quantum Surge wrote:Is it me, or does the lighter gray have kind of a beige look to it? I'll probably stick with the Hasbro version and add tge extra details myself.

It does. For some reason, Takara went for a more matte look and while I havent seen too much complaining here, lots of fans elsewhere have expressed unhappiness in the matter. I still preffer the fact that he has blue paint on his feet. But ultimately, I think I will just stick to the recent MB release, as sacriligious as that may sound. MPM 3 BB proved you could have something look great with an intuitive transformation that is complex but in no way annoying (once you get the hang of it). It doesnt prove to the same with this Prime. Plus I dont like his eyes and that is a huge factor when thinking of dropping loads a money on a toy.

Funny you mentioned that, I thought you were the one that did the podcast/twincast on him (someone else did it) and I was wanting to ask you if I can get a hold of it (or if we'd do some trade).

Wish I would've known that Takara and Hasbro were going to have different versions...

Everybody is so chill here compared to TFW. We have been arguing back and forth for over 350 pages about MPM-04, and we saw the Takara testshots weeks ago (about a month ago).

Cool to see most people here like the Takara grey.

Notesandtabs wrote:Everybody is so chill here compared to TFW.

I know, I am so surprised at how different the discussion is. I don't mind it of course, its just cool to see how different the same fanbase could be

I like the looks of this one, i think i'll get the Takara.

william-james88 wrote:

Notesandtabs wrote:Everybody is so chill here compared to TFW.

I know, I am so surprised at how different the discussion is. I don't mind it of course, its just cool to see how different the same fanbase could be

it's only because I'm following the "if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all" rule.

Toydojo.com already has the Takara version of the MPM Optimus up for ore order I ordered mine just now for $149.99

I think Takara gray looks fine, but I'd prefer the Hasbro's version (if I had one ). Sure it'd be clashing with the brighter colors on it, but I think it kind of fits the rough Cybertronian metal better for me. Maybe a happy medium between the color grays would be good enough, but what I'm more worried about is distribution (maybe a knockoff copy would be good if not better).

Rodimus86 wrote:Toydojo.com already has the Takara version of the MPM Optimus up for ore order I ordered mine just now for $149.99

Thanks, just went for one myself! too bad he's a penny short of free shipping though, that's a bit unfortunate. Hopefully he's in sooner than later, I like his colors better and I feel like there's a chance the panels work better than the Hasbro version but there's going to be nothing stopping me from picking up Hasbro's if I see it in store, $50 is a big difference.

Personally I don't see the point in getting all up in arms until we get side by side comparisons. And I'm getting both regardless so....

Plus 1. Everybody on TFW is freaking out, but we have no clue what the Tak version will look like, and most of us don't even know what the Has ver looks like.

So, I finally found and re-uploaded my signature to another free image hosting website since Imageshack and photobucket require a half a grand to register pics for a year... Anyhow, I have the Hasbro MPM-04 Optimue Prime and I have seen the images of the TAKARA TOMY ver. coming out soon. I think the Hasbro is the better choice, as I believe the other will be exactly the same, with some additional paint apps. I have transformed mine and it works in either bot or alt mode. I think the only thing that is missing, is the additional paint apps to the Hasbro.

I will be releasing a full photo pic of my progress with the paint apps in the customization forum this evening. Please check there to see how the Hasbro version, with just a few minor paint apps.. nothing huge, can really make the Hasbro version surpass the Takara Version.

I wanted to make the bot look like it came that way from the factory, not go all out like a full blown custom paint job. The objective was to still keep it with the plastic colors, just add the additional silvers, golds, and blue where they Hasbro failed to do.

I have no gap issues in Truck mode, and will show that off in my pics as well. Also, the only thing I wish I could find is a mini sculpted and painted Autobot logo to glue onto his chest. That is the only thing missing with the figure.. other then really minor paint apps.

The Back Pack I think can be reconfigured without mods, which would go along way to making the bot look thinner up top. The Hasbro Darker Plastic actually works well. I like that better then the TAKARA light grey, or even silver casting. the Dark Grey almost looks like dark metal, and is perfect for the figure to give contrast with the other metallic parts.

If I had to choose again.. I wouldn't get the TAKARA version.. I would still get that Hasbro version. Mine came near perfect, with no problems in alt or bot mode, except additional needed paint apps..

FYI I don't think the red chest pieces actually are supposed to tab into the chest, it's more like the door stop behind a door.. it rests the large tabs on it, but the tolerances from the actual windowed chest are what holds them in place. It's hard to explain, but I will also try to illustrate that in my review and customization post later tonight.

Okay fellow Seibertronians, I know that I was going to upload a new forum post in the customizations forum section, but since this isn't about going all in depth, I wanted to show what I think was lacking in the Hasbro release as it comes to minor paint applications.
With my first pic here, you can see where I took some paint and added them to the mid sections on his chest. I used Testors Model Paint, and I am currently still in the process of painting the spots I feel HASBRO should have. As I have said before, My goal is not to go all out and do a super detailed Metallic style repaint of the entire figure.



1. A full on crazy repaint would look movie accurate, however it would not blend in with any of my other figures and would not look good next to my future purchase of MPM-03 Bumblebee.. So for me, I just wanted to make the MPM-04 Optimus Prime as perfect as I could without going so far as to knock him out of the similarity of the rest of the Masterpieces I own, or future Movie Masterpiece releases.



2. Making a full on paint redux to the figure would mean possible paint chipping in the fuuture, and it is a lot of work for a figure that I essentially want to remain the way it came in the package, however I do NOT consider minor paint app additions as such a big customization as to reduce the price of the figure, in fact I think the minor Paint apps were something Hasbro could easily have done, and if in the future they do the DOTM version with the redone abs, the rest of the paint Apps I have applied should be standard in any secondary or future release of the mold, barring any changes like the abs.



3. In the final paint work up, I will do a final reveal in the customizations forum like I stated I would earlier. This post is just to show what the bot looks like with some minor paint apps already applied, and to show that HASBRO could have easily surpassed Takara Tomy's rendition all they needed was to add minor paint apps, and mold the Gun in silver with the black scorch paint applied. If Hasbro wants us to remain loyal with purchases in the future for high end market figures, then they really should pay attention to fans and their detail concerns. THERE IS NO REASON THAT MPM-04 SHOULD HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITHOUT THESE MINOR PAINT APPLICATIONS APPLIED...COST IS NOT AN EXCUSE.
AGAIN.. The Purpose of this post is just to show where HASBRO should have added additional Paint applications.. as you can see, the darker grey body plastic works well, much better then i think the light grey plastic of Takara Tomy. All that is really needed is the additional accents of paint. Namely the feet, and the minor copper paints and some silvers and the missing blues.
I will detail all my paints, and clear coat spray to help with any seibertronian who desires to do the same when i do the full blog forum post on my mod to the bot.

Bottom line for me...
I think the Hasbro release of MPM-04 is the better choice, but for minor paint applications. other then that, I think the Hasbro version is great. I don't have tabbing issues, or chest problems myself. as others have reported. To me, the chest sits on the slots, held in by friction, as apposed to tabs plugging in. Yet, If I had to purchase the MPM-04 again, I would still get the Hasbro version. Painting my Masterpiece transformers isn't something I like to do, but with this release, I felt it just needed a bit of extra to put it over the top in my book. I hope you guys like what I have done and can see the potential of the figure from the Hasbro side. It really is the best version IMHO.

Just got a payment notification from AmiAmi for Takara Prime! He only cost $135 including shipping, so I feel pretty good about preordering him from them. If their eBay shipping speed is anything to go off, he should be here in a week or two and I'll upload a bunch of pictures then.

They're orders are closed now..

ToyDojo.com
Has it up for Pre order still at $149.99 that's where I ordered mine and he's due to ship this month apparently, over all I know this version will be accurate just due to the blue on tops of his feet are painted and the autobot insignia is on his chest, the lighter gray mixed with metallic silver is nice although I do like the dark gray hasbro used too. There is small video clip of the Japanese Takara versio. On YouTube of the production piece.

Rodimus86 wrote:ToyDojo.com
Has it up for Pre order still at $149.99 that's where I ordered mine and he's due to ship this month apparently, over all I know this version will be accurate just due to the blue on tops of his feet are painted and the autobot insignia is on his chest, the lighter gray mixed with metallic silver is nice although I do like the dark gray hasbro used too. There is small video clip of the Japanese Takara versio. On YouTube of the production piece.

That's the main reason I went for the Takara instead of going with Hasbro's Prime, the dark silver/grey/whatever. There are so many pictures of him with that color in so many different shades that I can't tell exactly what color it is. Some of the pictures look nice but most seem to have the color as an almost bronze color and it clashes with the silver way too much for my liking.

I have read many posts and I have now made up my mind, I wont be getting this figure unless I find it for a really good sale where I wont regret anything. Because seriously, these pics I see of people fixing problems with the toy for things to fit better give me goosebumps. For example, these small parts connecting the truck roof to the sides are are pinned in the wrong direction and thus make it so that the shell cant fit together all that well. So it had to be unpinned and turned around. Man, I swear looking at these pics provided by Jarrod on the TFW boards scare the crap out of me:

Okay, So Again, I wanted to Post what the final paint applied view looks like. Since this is the actual toy forum, go here for a full post on my mods to the figure. Only paint mods, and just enough to make you proud of the Hasbro release. I love my figure now! Buy Hasbro, paint it, minimally, and enjoy!

See link here:
mpm-04-optimus-prime-custom-p1912739.php#p1912739

Beauty Shot!

Box images of TakaraTomy (proper) MPM-4 Optimus Prime via Mandarake.

Huh. No Latin script name text for this one. That's new.

You know, when they revamp this model and retool the mold in the future for DOTM, I wonder if they will be releasing it with modified forearms. I would like to see the forearms with the twin spikes coming off the back of them like in the movie. They can easily do that with the figure. I also wonder if the new abs section will be molded in the darker grey or silvery style plastic..

It'd be nice if the Molded abs are also diecast. I think also, if they rerelease the MPM-04 as say another MPM for DOTM, they should do the Gold bits on the waist with plastic caps, instead of diecast, so the paint there doesn't rub off over time. I think a DOTM Prime of this mold would definitely be a purchase I will get, and hopefully they paint it well, so it can at least match the MINIMUM paint I did on mine to make it worthy of the title Masterpiece...



If they do a remold, I also hope they fix those tubes that were supposed to hook into the under smoke stacks. I wonder if a piece of flex hose like plastic would work? make it look like a hose is fed to the smoke stacks like a dryer vent hose...or this Lego Hose would work too..


would make the truck mode a bit more cohesive.. and let's hope they fix the tabbing issues for the truck hood to be seamless with the windows..

But for the most part, between MPM-03 and MPM-04, I think I am happy with the 10th Anniversary movie line up thus far. Can't wait to see a fully Masterpiece Megatron, a New and not a repaint MPM Star Scream, MPM Barricade, and of course I want an MPM Ironhide!

Curse You Traitor Sentinel Prime!! I loved Ironhide!! LOL

Ah... Bayverse..

Love it or hate it.. It's exciting!!

After getting the MPM-04, I went back and rewatched Transformers and Transformers ROTF. I think the Transformers movies are great... But for me, TF-1 is like Star Trek the Motion Picture.. while TF-2 ROTF is like the Wrath of Khan, an epic movie out of the original Trilogy, fantastic! I love ROTF, and then there's the icing on the cake.. DOTM! But I love 2-3 the best of the movies.. so much awesomeness, and sadness.. (Ironhide)

But in terms of the MPM-04 and the rest of the 10th Anniversary line up.. I am so happy they have a limited amount of Bots in the 1st movie.. My collection of G-1 MPs and MPMs is kinda running out of shelf space.. so I will most likely get all the MPM line up, and pick and choose certain bots for my DOTM and sequel collections..mainly Rebuilt Megatron Tank/Jet and Sentinel Prime. Can't wait to collect the best of the movie line up!

Also, I think I may have to get the Jetfire Upgrade.. if not, I wonder if Takara Tomy or Hasbro will be doing a MP-Jetfire that can be turned into the armor.. but considering how Jetfire sacrificed himself for the parts to add to Prime, I am cool just buying the Armor, and saying a nice prayer for RIP Jetfire, while enjoying this!!!!!!!

I ended up getting this toy. Its fine and well worth the price for what you get. Its just too bad so much of him is based on the transformation for ROTF. He feels more like an "advanced" version of that mold rather than something totally new.

The fun part is that my copy has no gap problems, everything fits nice and tight in truck mode

Is that the Hasbro version?

william-james88 wrote:I ended up getting this toy. Its fine and well worth the price for what you get. Its just too bad so much of him is based on the transformation for ROTF. He feels more like an "advanced" version of that mold rather than something totally new.

The fun part is that my copy has no gap problems, everything fits nice and tight in truck mode

I suppose I should dig this out of storage (the attic) and give it a second go at transforming, but the hate is still strong.

I sort of gave up on this toy after hearing about the transformation issues and it only really being an advanced version of the RotF version. That and it will never show up at a TRU near me, and I don't want to spend $140+ for this guy online

william-james88 wrote:I ended up getting this toy. Its fine and well worth the price for what you get. Its just too bad so much of him is based on the transformation for ROTF. He feels more like an "advanced" version of that mold rather than something totally new.

The fun part is that my copy has no gap problems, everything fits nice and tight in truck mode

Happy to hear yours is in good shape!

I have yet to find a TRU one, or transform my Asia version

skywarp-2 wrote:Is that the Hasbro version?

Yup yup. And by no gaps, I was referring to the front of the truck which is supposed to be a problem area.

I don't get the criticism on this figure being just an advanced version of the ROTF figure? MP-10 is in some ways similar to MP-10, transformation wise (torso rotation, arms swing out), and the trailers of both are kind of like enlarged versiond of the G1 trailer.

Anyways, I saw Rob A's review on the Takara version, and even with the added paint apps, it looks kind of naked. Hasbro dark gray plastic may not match up with the silver details, but it gives it a feeling of metal in ny eyes.

william-james88 wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:Is that the Hasbro version?

Yup yup. And by no gaps, I was referring to the front of the truck which is supposed to be a problem area.

Mine is quite excellent also. I will show you pics of it in Alt mode when I get a chance. My only gripe was the lack of paint applications and it having the title Masterpiece. As I have never owned the Leader Class movie Prime, I'm fine with its transformation. My only goal is to collect Masterpiece because of a lack of space to store and display.

Quantum Surge wrote:I don't get the criticism on this figure being just an advanced version of the ROTF figure? MP-10 is in some ways similar to MP-10, transformation wise (torso rotation, arms swing out), and the trailers of both are kind of like enlarged versiond of the G1 trailer.

Yes, you said it perfectly, it is exactly like comparing the change from MP 01 and MP 10. And I also am not a fan of it. I much preffer when the designers try to approach a transformation differently than base it off a previous one. And especially on such prominant toys everyone already has and knows well. Because since I already know ROTF Prime well, it kind of takes the fun out to handle MPM Prime and know right away what to do with his feet (which have an identical transformation). I paid close to 100$ for it, I want to be wowed. I want a new transforming experience, not just something I already know well. I felt the exact same way handling MP 10. I hope that explains some criticism.

william-james88 wrote:

Quantum Surge wrote:I don't get the criticism on this figure being just an advanced version of the ROTF figure? MP-10 is in some ways similar to MP-10, transformation wise (torso rotation, arms swing out), and the trailers of both are kind of like enlarged versiond of the G1 trailer.

Yes, you said it perfectly, it is exactly like comparing the change from MP 01 and MP 10. And I also am not a fan of it. I much preffer when the designers try to approach a transformation differently than base it off a previous one. And especially on such prominant toys everyone already has and knows well. Because since I already know ROTF Prime well, it kind of takes the fun out to handle MPM Prime and know right away what to do with his feet (which have an identical transformation). I paid close to 100$ for it, I want to be wowed. I want a new transforming experience, not just something I already know well. I felt the exact same way handling MP 10. I hope that explains some criticism.

I can't really agree on the transformation being similar being what takes away from the figure. Sure, lots of elements are taken from the ROTF figure, but I feel that the specific transformation is a staple of the Movieverse Prime design. I'd like to see how the grill becomes the chest,but then I think about how hard it'd be to put in a sliding joint while keeping it from being fragile. The only real issue I have is that I wish there was a proper neck joint so you wouldn't have to see the gap.

I forgot about mentioning something like that with MP-10; even if it's just a smoother version of MP-01 without the pistons, mouthplate gimmick, and light up Matrix, I can forgive it as well when it comes to the transformation being what would define the design of G1 Prime.

Plus, it's common to see a lot of toys have similar elements to previous toys, and I feel that even if one wouldn't be wowed by what's slightly changed, there'd be at least some fans who'd want to give a slightly tweaked Batmobile or X-Wing for example if they missed out on the previous versions.

Back on topic with this, if anyone is worried about scraping the silver paint, I'd recommend using a piece of cloth under his feet to reduce any scraping. It worked alright with one of my cousins who had a Buster Prime (KO mind you).

So I got my TRU Optimus....



I wanna know what the deal is with the stickers. What sticker? This sticker.



The silver TRU Exclusive sticker. It's been slapped on every TRU MP so far, and I've seen it on MPM'3's. I'm assuming the sticker'd MPM-3's are American, because all of the ones I've found locally (in Canada) are stickerless.

Now that MPM-4 is hitting TRU's on both sides of the border, I'm wondering if it's going to be the same. My Canadian OP has no sticker obviously. But I've Google'd and couldn't find a single image of MPM-4 with that pretty silver sticker.

Has Prime only been spotted a handful of times in the States or something, or can I bank that he's stickerless across the board?

william-james88 wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:Is that the Hasbro version?

Yup yup. And by no gaps, I was referring to the front of the truck which is supposed to be a problem area.

I finally got my own MPM-4 and I just transformed it back-and-forth. The instructions being completely useless. I explored the toy by transforming it on my own. Transformation is hard, but very similar to the old ROTF leader. The hardest part was for everything to tab in properly to have a flush hood. I failed. Then a video review shown me that I missed a step, meaning pushing the hip joints up toward the back of the truck. Oh well, next time.

I really don't like the vehicle mode. Clearly this mode was sacrificed in favor of the most perfect bot possible. Greatest offender being the HUGE gap between the gaz tank and the doors. And it's hard as hell for it to not look like a deformed mess.

Where the bot shine is his bot mode. No voice box mean a more compact transformation and it show. I also LOVE the die-cast of the feet, legs and belly. The Matrix and faces gimmick work well. I prefer the mouth face because most Movie Optimus I have on display are the ones with faceplate. I don't like the weapons, especially with the lips so I use the hands very limited articulations to make him point with determination instead of a battle pose. He look GLORIOUS and ooze authority. Worst flaw in this mode is that his shoulders just refuse to stay tabbed into the torso's pegs. Fortunately, he hold any poses easily.

Overall, was it worth the price? At 107.58$CAN with all the rebates and coupons, it's okay. But I would have been pissed if I had to pay the regular 150$CAN. MPM-4 will be one of those "transformers statue". Meaning I'll transform him very rarely. But man, does it look GOOD in bot mode. I still think my DOTM Buster Optimus is the best toy, but I don't regret not missing out on the flawed but still nice MPM-4.

See I am seriously thinking about going all out and painting my MPM-04 in total like this guy has done in his video. It just looks much more accurate to the movie and CGI model. I think I've done good so far. It's matching the colors without having to mix which is the biggest hurdle.

Watch this Youtube vid below to see what I mean! exceptional paint apps!

https://youtu.be/Ix0sGCwJdlM

In transforming the figure, yes, there are flaws in the design. However, My Alt Mode Tabs together perfectly, it seems like to me, they forgot to add steps in the directions.

I love the overall look of the truck mode, I think the guy in the video did something to make the smoke stacks fit to the pipes underneath, a connection many have complained about. I think maybe there was some assembly problems there?? If there is a fix by simply re-screwing parts back into the truck mode, I would love to know.

for me.. I think I am going paint the silver on my guy.. I will be leaving out the darker grey in areas where there seems to be a lot of movement so as to not effect my paint. I think Enamel is the best bet, and is more durable then acrylics are.



My silver looks great on the legs, and the blue's are proper and very close. What I need to find now is a red, because the forearms have reds on them too..

I still love the mold, it's just the paint apps I have my biggest problem with..


See how the back of the arms need work?




If they just painted him better, he probably would have a better reception, and more fans like myself could overlook some of the problems with the mold..




I figure I'll add more pics to my custom paint thread.. but you see what I mean.. The paint apps lacking are kinda halfassed IMHO.. There should be a future release with proper paint applied, bring back that Premium paint for the MPM line, and keep the MP line as it is..

Here's my bottom line thoughts on MPM-04. I plan to show off his alt mode later, right now I am painting the figure because I wasn't satisfied with his Grey color. I have to agree with the guy in this video...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix0sGCwJdlM&t=331s

Essentially, I am PRO HASBRO in purchasing the MPM-04. In the video the guy says that the figure should be painted, and that the only level experience you need is if you did modeling as a teen, then you can paint this guy pretty easy. There are parts that you can paint that WON'T HAVE a flake problem, especially in enamel. The MPM-04's molded details are suffering from not painting the bot the silvers, and golds, and also the missing blue's and Red's. I plan to finish mine very nicely.. I also hope to get one of my Favorite Youtubers to review my guy, and if I get a yes, I will box him up and ship him out for the review. I am working very hard to get my bot in perfect shape, paint app wise.

This MPM-04 deserves a decent paint job. Buy an MPM-04.. paint it, and enjoy it. Tho, if it says Masterpiece, it should be good to go out of the box, but if you do get the Hasbro, paint it. It's worth it. I plan to do a picture painting guide based on American paints available in my customization thread in the customization forum. It will have all the areas and step by step guide that will look professional, so if anyone in the future wants to follow the guide and make theirs look more like the movies, it will be there for you to use. I plan to take pics of mine when done, and along the way to help with people who want to paint theirs.

In final analysis, I think painting my MPM=04 has made me love it even more. I have come to appreciate all the parts, and have become very very close to almost instinctively knowing the bot's engineering. I love this figure, and I am happy I got him. Especially after painting him.

skywarp-2 wrote:Here's my bottom line thoughts on MPM-04. I plan to show off his alt mode later, right now I am painting the figure because I wasn't satisfied with his Grey color. I have to agree with the guy in this video...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix0sGCwJdlM&t=331s

Essentially, I am PRO HASBRO in purchasing the MPM-04. In the video the guy says that the figure should be painted, and that the only level experience you need is if you did modeling as a teen, then you can paint this guy pretty easy. There are parts that you can paint that WON'T HAVE a flake problem, especially in enamel. The MPM-04's molded details are suffering from not painting the bot the silvers, and golds, and also the missing blue's and Red's. I plan to finish mine very nicely.. I also hope to get one of my Favorite Youtubers to review my guy, and if I get a yes, I will box him up and ship him out for the review. I am working very hard to get my bot in perfect shape, paint app wise.

This MPM-04 deserves a decent paint job. Buy an MPM-04.. paint it, and enjoy it. Tho, if it says Masterpiece, it should be good to go out of the box, but if you do get the Hasbro, paint it. It's worth it. I plan to do a picture painting guide based on American paints available in my customization thread in the customization forum. It will have all the areas and step by step guide that will look professional, so if anyone in the future wants to follow the guide and make theirs look more like the movies, it will be there for you to use. I plan to take pics of mine when done, and along the way to help with people who want to paint theirs.

In final analysis, I think painting my MPM=04 has made me love it even more. I have come to appreciate all the parts, and have become very very close to almost instinctively knowing the bot's engineering. I love this figure, and I am happy I got him. Especially after painting him.

Now you're making me assign you with painting my MPM-4, that is if I had one!

If you find an mpm-4 with a 72 stanped number code its should tab in correctly.

The 71 stamp code is the ones that dont tab in.

Bumblebee21 wrote:If you find an mpm-4 with a 72 stanped number code its should tab in correctly.

The 71 stamp code is the ones that dont tab in.

71 tabs. I have a 71 and it tabs when I use the Emgo method.

william-james88 wrote:

Bumblebee21 wrote:If you find an mpm-4 with a 72 stanped number code its should tab in correctly.

The 71 stamp code is the ones that dont tab in.

71 tabs. I have a 71 and it tabs when I use the Emgo method.

What tab where? Are we talking about the arms that connect to the shoulders/torso for bot mode?

william-james88 wrote:

Bumblebee21 wrote:If you find an mpm-4 with a 72 stanped number code its should tab in correctly.

The 71 stamp code is the ones that dont tab in.

71 tabs. I have a 71 and it tabs when I use the Emgo method.

Mine doesn't. The 72 number has more reported cases of it tabbing in.
His method didnt work on mine either.