Death's Head
22-08-11, 09:34 AM
The Generation 2 version of the original Optimus Prime, released in 1993, is probably my favourite deco for the character. There’s just something about the brighter colours contrasting against that bad-ass looking trailer that just makes me think ‘aww yeah, Prime looks the bomb’ (er, or something). That he’s packing extra firepower also helps! The box is a fairly plain update utilising the original box art (which still looks awesome, even with whatever’s going on with that hand). This European box, like all the other European packages, doesn’t look quite so sexy as the US versions, with the plain black and blocked up ‘Generation 2’ subtitle, but it does the job, in a slightly underwhelming way.
Out of the box, Prime looks really slick. He just looks so much sleeker with that black trailer, and even the idiotic ‘Optimus’ logo on the sides looks awesome, even if it blows the disguise element. The electronic voice box that clips to the front of the trailer similarly looks great, with that nicely sculpted Autobot logo standing out in silver. It is perhaps a little too big, though as it does touch Prime’s smokestacks, in part due to the battery compartment which takes a couple of AA batteries (although for ‘try me!’ purposes, the toy comes with two button cell batteries and an adapter to make these work) which adds to the size. Prime came in one of two colours – one version with the traditional purple legs/ trailer parts or a new bright blue (which is the version I have), with the former being the rarer variant.
In addition to the voice module , which makes an engine noise, laser fire and features a voice clip that says “I am Optimus Prime” in a voice that doesn’t sound like Optimus and also like its being broadcast from a cheap transitor radio, Optimus comes with two additional weapons. These new kid-safe missile launchers are quite chunky things, but are surprisingly powerful and can be attached both to the voice box and to Optimus’ fists. Creating the attack mode as glimpsed in the Generation 2 comic with these extra weapons looks awesome and it’s nice for Optimus to finally have a gun that he can hold properly without it pointing off at right angles. Pleasingly, new toy safety standards had yet to affect Prime’s smokestacks, which retain their original length (seriously, can someone explain to me why smokestacks are a health and safety hazard these days?).
I like that the voice box can be attached to Prime’s robot mode, thanks to a new addition to Prime’s mould at the back, which makes him look like some rambler gone postal. The trailer, as ever, opens out to form a weapons platform. This is a little neutered now, with the firing mechanisms disabled (a more sensible choice in comparison to those awful elongated missiles that came with 2002’s Commemorative Series reissue). The platform looks nice sitting in all that black, and the bright blue used here really works against the pitch black (the purple version looks a bit lost against the black).
He’s probably one of the easiest Generation 2 toys to pick up on the aftermarket and definitely worth persuing over his 1984 toy and certainly over the 2002 reissue.
284285286287288
Out of the box, Prime looks really slick. He just looks so much sleeker with that black trailer, and even the idiotic ‘Optimus’ logo on the sides looks awesome, even if it blows the disguise element. The electronic voice box that clips to the front of the trailer similarly looks great, with that nicely sculpted Autobot logo standing out in silver. It is perhaps a little too big, though as it does touch Prime’s smokestacks, in part due to the battery compartment which takes a couple of AA batteries (although for ‘try me!’ purposes, the toy comes with two button cell batteries and an adapter to make these work) which adds to the size. Prime came in one of two colours – one version with the traditional purple legs/ trailer parts or a new bright blue (which is the version I have), with the former being the rarer variant.
In addition to the voice module , which makes an engine noise, laser fire and features a voice clip that says “I am Optimus Prime” in a voice that doesn’t sound like Optimus and also like its being broadcast from a cheap transitor radio, Optimus comes with two additional weapons. These new kid-safe missile launchers are quite chunky things, but are surprisingly powerful and can be attached both to the voice box and to Optimus’ fists. Creating the attack mode as glimpsed in the Generation 2 comic with these extra weapons looks awesome and it’s nice for Optimus to finally have a gun that he can hold properly without it pointing off at right angles. Pleasingly, new toy safety standards had yet to affect Prime’s smokestacks, which retain their original length (seriously, can someone explain to me why smokestacks are a health and safety hazard these days?).
I like that the voice box can be attached to Prime’s robot mode, thanks to a new addition to Prime’s mould at the back, which makes him look like some rambler gone postal. The trailer, as ever, opens out to form a weapons platform. This is a little neutered now, with the firing mechanisms disabled (a more sensible choice in comparison to those awful elongated missiles that came with 2002’s Commemorative Series reissue). The platform looks nice sitting in all that black, and the bright blue used here really works against the pitch black (the purple version looks a bit lost against the black).
He’s probably one of the easiest Generation 2 toys to pick up on the aftermarket and definitely worth persuing over his 1984 toy and certainly over the 2002 reissue.
284285286287288