Death's Head
22-08-11, 09:53 PM
Before the Masterpiece Prime hit the market, Laser Prime represented something of an ultimate version of the character. With posability and articulation in spades and being a good, chunky looking fella to boot, it’s no wonder that for many years, this was the favourite version of Optimus for many fans.
Released in 1995, as the Generation 2 line was failing (so much so that the US packaging had dropped the ‘Generation 2’ subtitle by this point), the toy incorporates just about every gimmick present in the line; there’s rapid fire missile launchers, disc launchers, light pipng LEDs, an air bellows rocket launcher and improved engineering – the only thing missing is colour changing!
Eschewing the traditional cab/trailer for an altogether more beefy looking petrol tanker mode - with shock! Long nose cab (something of a controversy when picked as an alt mode in the recent films, how forgetful fans are) - Prime looks possibly more brutal here than in any of his other forms. Being a Generation 2 toy, he is perhaps a little too colourful, and the artwork on the side (by a certain Geoff Senior) once again jettisons any attempt at disguise (but at least spares us something hilarious like ‘Blackrock Petroleum’). The use of grey also makes some parts look a little dull. Pressing a tab on the roof makes the headlights light up, which is a nice touch.
The transformation sequence is a winner, though. It’s not very complex; the legs are formed from the back half of the cab simply by extending them and moving them apart. The arms are formed by pulling out the sides of the engine block and those bits below the cab. Holding the figure with the underside facing you, you open the blue grill in his abdomen to reveal the head which flips up on an axle and rotates 180 degrees, and there you have it. The ‘window chest’ look is carried over from previous Primes, but unlike Powermaster Prime and 1994’s ‘hero’ version, this additional sculpted ‘cab’ front doesn’t look silly. This is because it’s not red and so obviously aping the front of a vehicle. The Prime module has some of the best articulation ever seen in a Transformers toy. Ratchet joints capable of movement in a number of directions are used for the legs, there’s movement at the waist and neck, plus the shoulders and elbows. Placing the sword (my favoutire) or gun in his hand and pressing the tab on the cab roof (now on the figure’s back) causes either of these to be illuminated when held in his right hand.
The trailer feature’s a spring loaded transformation. Stand it on its back end and flick the small grey tab under the front and it opens out. Inside, the air bellows fold out of the central tower, with the rocket launcher popping out of the back of this piece. The disc launcher folds up from part of the sides and the rapid fire launcher unclips from the opposite side and plugs onto the top of the panel. This new base mode is clearly built for a Prime who is not taking prisoners; it’s bristling with weaponry that would decimate any advancing Decepticons! It’s a lot of fun and stops the trailer from being the sideshow it usually is. In a thoughtful design twist, there’s storage for just about all of Prime’s missiles sculpted into the base (only the spare rocket can’t really fit anywhere).The only real issue I have is with the rapid fire launcher, it might just be age, but I’ve found that the triggers are very tightly sprung, and it frequently launches missiles of its own accord!
If you’re looking for a Prime figure to properly play with that looks the business, this is the version to go for. Yeah, the Masterpiece has diecast, is huge and has extra detailing, but come on, you’re not going to do anything other with that than have it on a shelf looking pretty. This is a Prime that demands to be played with and still very much represents something of an ideal version of him. Only the pretty RiD Scourge mould steals the toy’s thunder, but that version has no electronics and will probably set you back twice what this guy will. A reissue, with some nice chrome, was brought out in 2006.
293294295296297
Released in 1995, as the Generation 2 line was failing (so much so that the US packaging had dropped the ‘Generation 2’ subtitle by this point), the toy incorporates just about every gimmick present in the line; there’s rapid fire missile launchers, disc launchers, light pipng LEDs, an air bellows rocket launcher and improved engineering – the only thing missing is colour changing!
Eschewing the traditional cab/trailer for an altogether more beefy looking petrol tanker mode - with shock! Long nose cab (something of a controversy when picked as an alt mode in the recent films, how forgetful fans are) - Prime looks possibly more brutal here than in any of his other forms. Being a Generation 2 toy, he is perhaps a little too colourful, and the artwork on the side (by a certain Geoff Senior) once again jettisons any attempt at disguise (but at least spares us something hilarious like ‘Blackrock Petroleum’). The use of grey also makes some parts look a little dull. Pressing a tab on the roof makes the headlights light up, which is a nice touch.
The transformation sequence is a winner, though. It’s not very complex; the legs are formed from the back half of the cab simply by extending them and moving them apart. The arms are formed by pulling out the sides of the engine block and those bits below the cab. Holding the figure with the underside facing you, you open the blue grill in his abdomen to reveal the head which flips up on an axle and rotates 180 degrees, and there you have it. The ‘window chest’ look is carried over from previous Primes, but unlike Powermaster Prime and 1994’s ‘hero’ version, this additional sculpted ‘cab’ front doesn’t look silly. This is because it’s not red and so obviously aping the front of a vehicle. The Prime module has some of the best articulation ever seen in a Transformers toy. Ratchet joints capable of movement in a number of directions are used for the legs, there’s movement at the waist and neck, plus the shoulders and elbows. Placing the sword (my favoutire) or gun in his hand and pressing the tab on the cab roof (now on the figure’s back) causes either of these to be illuminated when held in his right hand.
The trailer feature’s a spring loaded transformation. Stand it on its back end and flick the small grey tab under the front and it opens out. Inside, the air bellows fold out of the central tower, with the rocket launcher popping out of the back of this piece. The disc launcher folds up from part of the sides and the rapid fire launcher unclips from the opposite side and plugs onto the top of the panel. This new base mode is clearly built for a Prime who is not taking prisoners; it’s bristling with weaponry that would decimate any advancing Decepticons! It’s a lot of fun and stops the trailer from being the sideshow it usually is. In a thoughtful design twist, there’s storage for just about all of Prime’s missiles sculpted into the base (only the spare rocket can’t really fit anywhere).The only real issue I have is with the rapid fire launcher, it might just be age, but I’ve found that the triggers are very tightly sprung, and it frequently launches missiles of its own accord!
If you’re looking for a Prime figure to properly play with that looks the business, this is the version to go for. Yeah, the Masterpiece has diecast, is huge and has extra detailing, but come on, you’re not going to do anything other with that than have it on a shelf looking pretty. This is a Prime that demands to be played with and still very much represents something of an ideal version of him. Only the pretty RiD Scourge mould steals the toy’s thunder, but that version has no electronics and will probably set you back twice what this guy will. A reissue, with some nice chrome, was brought out in 2006.
293294295296297