Animated Prime (Cybertron mode) : small review

[Pascal]

You've already seen a lot of pictures and the video review, so I'll be quick.

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k132/megatroptimus/100_3220.jpg

Came bagged with instructions in truck mode. My Prime has a number engraved under the cab (72781), something I've seen on some of my other test shots.

TRUCK MODE

Cab is slightly shorter and narrower than Machine Wars Prime but slightly bigger than Energon DLX Optimus Prime. Mainly red and blue with some silver and yellow paint apps. Very Prime-ish to say the least. There's a silver Autobot symbol on top of the cab. Windshield is of a nice translucent blue. There are tank tracks molded where the rear wheels should be, too bad they're left unpainted in blue. I can already see customizers taking care of this. Same thing with the exhaust pipes, although I don't remember what color they are in the show. Myself, I don't think it looks kidsy at all. If anything, it looks more "serious" in this mode than Armada Prime and more "finished" than Energon Prime. In this mode, the axe looks like it forms a hitch of some sort. I wonder if Prime will be able to tow something further down the line?

TRANSFORMATION

Finally a Prime deluxe that doesn't transform like crap (looking at you Armada Supercon Prime and Energon DLX Prime!). A bunch of neat little tricks, some old (legs), some new (torso and arm location). No real "automorphing" like my Animated Starscream had though. I like how the shoulders and torso are formed, something we hadn't seen yet in a Prime.

ROBOT MODE

Now that's an awesome looking Prime. I for one like the mouthplate-less look. The figure is superbly articulated (there's even a waist joint). Again, looking at it. I don't think it looks all that cartoony or "deformed". Prime looks like a fierce warrior with his shield and axe. The toy has a lot of presence in this mode, it almost looks like it's alive. Out of the 3 different axe modes, I prefer configuration #1, the one used most of the time in the show. The combined form with the shield doesn't look much like an axe to me, but it's still okay.

Seriously guys. This line is kicking all kinds of asses.

[Paradigm-Shift Prime]

c'mon trailer to tow!!

I really like the looks of the bot mode for this Prime, the alt mode only seems so-so to me though (I wish they had a flap to cover over the arms at the back in alt mode), it would look a lot better with something attached to that hitch though! (and then he wouldn't look as much like a protoform comet).

This is one of the few (or two?) ones we are supposed to see well before June or August or whatever right?

[Pascal]

Probably part of the 2-pack with Megatron (both in Cybertron mode version).

[Team Jetfire]

Very nice. I am already looking at this guy as a potential b-day present for my son. He wants a prime, but still too small for the leader sizes..

[Autovolt 127]

That Instruction art for the cover is much like the Classics line.

[pud333]

Although I haven't been a fan of the animated show, everyone that actually owns any of these tend to love them, so I think I may have to change my mind and wait until I see them in person before I make a final decision. Looks promising though.

[SPLIT LIP]

Probably part of the 2-pack with Megatron (both in Cybertron mode version).Supposedly, the two-pack Prime is Cybertronian Prime remolded to look like his earth-mode self.

[Pascal]

That's something I was wondering about when watching the show... how come Prime is identical in robot form even after scanning his new alternate mode? I was expecting the robot mode to be changed a bit?

[Incepticon]

That's something I was wondering about when watching the show... how come Prime is identical in robot form even after scanning his new alternate mode? I was expecting the robot mode to be changed a bit?
It is a changed a little bit. He has a solid piece blue chest in Cyb form, but has 2 distinct windows similar to traditional Prime's while in Earth form... along with the addition of firetruck lights on his back.

To be honest, I first thought that they pulled another G1 "More Than Meets The Eye" when I saw the Cyb forms of the Autobots since they look *so* similar to their Earth forms. But I eventually noticed while watching the show again last night that while in Cyb form, Bulkhead has tracks on his feet & back instead of wheels, Ratchet also has tracks instead of a wheels and a slightly different chest, and that Bumblebee has differently colored areas and slighlty different arms/shoulders. Still can't see the difference of Cyb vs. Earth forms of Prowl though... or Starscream, Blitzwing & Lugnut (?) for that matter.

Overall it's just a similar situation to G1 - where they obviously designed the Earth forms first, but made some small hindsight Cyb alterations for sake of animation and the Cyb toy versions of Prime & Megatron.

[Autovolt 127]

Pascal is Animated optimus very loose.

[Pascal]

Pascal is Animated optimus very loose.

Very loose as in very out of package, yes. :p

Very loose as in very loose joints, not at all; actually the shoulder ball joints are almost too tight (which is good in my book because they will last).

[Pascal]

It is a changed a little bit. He has a solid piece blue chest in Cyb form, but has 2 distinct windows similar to traditional Prime's while in Earth form... along with the addition of firetruck lights on his back.

To be honest, I first thought that they pulled another G1 "More Than Meets The Eye" when I saw the Cyb forms of the Autobots since they look *so* similar to their Earth forms. But I eventually noticed while watching the show again last night that while in Cyb form, Bulkhead has tracks on his feet & back instead of wheels, Ratchet also has tracks instead of a wheels and a slightly different chest, and that Bumblebee has differently colored areas and slighlty different arms/shoulders. Still can't see the difference of Cyb vs. Earth forms of Prowl though... or Starscream, Blitzwing & Lugnut (?) for that matter.

Then it'd be cool to have the Cybertron version of each character released at some point (at least for the ones seen in the show).

[SMOG]

It is a changed a little bit. He has a solid piece blue chest in Cyb form, but has 2 distinct windows similar to traditional Prime's while in Earth form... along with the addition of firetruck lights on his back.

To be honest, I first thought that they pulled another G1 "More Than Meets The Eye" when I saw the Cyb forms of the Autobots since they look *so* similar to their Earth forms. But I eventually noticed while watching the show again last night that while in Cyb form, Bulkhead has tracks on his feet & back instead of wheels, Ratchet also has tracks instead of a wheels and a slightly different chest, and that Bumblebee has differently colored areas and slighlty different arms/shoulders. Still can't see the difference of Cyb vs. Earth forms of Prowl though... or Starscream, Blitzwing & Lugnut (?) for that matter.

Overall it's just a similar situation to G1 - where they obviously designed the Earth forms first, but made some small hindsight Cyb alterations for sake of animation and the Cyb toy versions of Prime & Megatron.Yeah, they're all different in their pre-earth robot modes, though with the colours almost the same, it's not obvious. Prime has differences all over his body, but particularly in his chest and shoulders. Bulkhead has very evident treads, etc...

Even Prowl is different, though his changes are the least noticeable. I think it's mostly around his legs... his earth form almost looks like he's wearing brown riding pants, while his cybertron form is sleeker and darker as I recall.

Their symbols also change... the crests on Ratchet's shoulders become medical emblems, while Bulkhead's become military stars.

I'm betting that part of the reason we only see Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime from the neck up is to save them from having to come up with modified Cybertron modes for them (since we already know that they'll have Earth modes).

zmog

[Incepticon]

Then it'd be cool to have the Cybertron version of each character released at some point (at least for the ones seen in the show).
I don't think it would necessarily work. We never actually see the Cyb alt modes for Bulkhead, Prowl or Bumbles which tells me they probably couldn't (or simply didn't want to) pull them off in toy form, and the one that we do see for Ratchet looks rather thrown together and done solely for the two seconds it appears in the show. IE: someone was told just to draw tracks instead of wheels, but pretty much leave the rest of the design as-is. I have a feeling they all would look pretty much exactly the same, but just have some out of place looking treads thrown on where wheels are on their Earth forms along with different painted areas. Nothing as dramatically different as, for example, G1 Earth forms vs original War Within Cybertron forms... which is pretty much evidenced by the two Animated toys of Prime we've already seen considering how similar they are to each other.

I also think Hasbro probably deems it as a bit redundant considering their Earth forms are already so futuristic, subsequently taking the "wow" factor out of their equally futuristic looking Cyb forms. Not unlike how few differences were seen in the War Within versions of futuristic characters like Springer, Kup, Blurr, Hot Rod, Arcee, etc. If one didn't know better, it would be easy to assume their Earth forms *are* their Cyb forms.

Not trying to shoot down the idea or anything :) Just offering a drawn out explanation instead of bluntly saying it would likely be redundant and not worth the effort on Hasbro's part. I think the only reason they're making exceptions for Prime & Megatron are because they're Prime & Megatron... and are also 'teaser/preview' figures similar to what they did with the Movie protoforms of Prime & Starscream.

[Pascal]

Just for fun... (btw, the reds match almost perfectly in person, the flash makes it look bad)

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k132/megatroptimus/100_3242.jpg

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k132/megatroptimus/100_3244.jpg

[Pascal]

I just realized that you don't even have to detach the roof and axe for transformation. From truck to robot, just swing the roof to the left (the post it is pegged to can pivot) after swinging the exhaust pipes up. As for the axe, it will come up with both arms when you swing them over the head. You just need to slide the left fist off and straighten the axe.