@@Hopson321 I found that floor polish really got inside the joints better than nail polish topcoat, it's more liquid. Nail polish has been good to balljoints for me.
I was not collecting when this guy first came out, but I'm super excited to see him show up again in stores. He looks like a great figure when in robot mode... that being said, the QC issues will probably keep me from grabbing one.
A couple of years ago I sold this version of Optimus prime and regretted it. Until recently I seen him at Target and picked him up. I'm still amazed that I seen him reissued and I have him in my collection.😊
That’s the thing I’m happiest about, just the fact that people can go back and grab him now! I hope they give Rodimus a rerelease as well, but it will probably just be OP here.
I remember seeing this guy on shelves when studio series first came out, I truly did love collecting the early studio series; the hit or miss of target was awasome
You are so right about this figure being a good. When this figure was in the store, I passed it up several times before I eventually picked the last one up. And at home It sat there for more than a year before I saw a review of it and realize that it’s a pretty good figure. It does answer the question of where does Optimus prime trailer go when he’s in robot mode. He’s in my top 5 favorite Optimus prime that I own
I wasn't planning on getting this rerelease because I'm well aware of the Prime Wars trilogy's QC, but if he isn't too expensive, I honestly might pick one up to make into a custom Ginrai or another powered-up Optimus character Also you mentioned how it only comes with a gun for Optimus and not Orion, but it appears that the gun actually splits apart in the middle, that's why it has 2 handles
I feel like this guy came out on a bad year. We got a new Ginrai the year before, and Magnus the year after. This figure could be awesome retooled into either!
Believe it or not there are collectors that still promote play with figures with their kids. I have a shelf collection and a collection I deem playable .
GREAT VID! Very informative! Not a transformers guy but i saw this @ my local target and thought, “damn, thats a pretty nice optimus figure!” May hafta double bk and pick it up.
I’m glad to have been of help! Especially if you just want a good Optimus for a collection or a shelf, I think this is a great pick. He’s taller than most action figures, and he has all the design elements you’d want in just a good, classic-feeling Prime.
I remember getting this toy for Christmas years ago. to this day one of the coolest toys ive ever gotten and really felt like a leader amongst the other Autobots I had. the battles I had on the living room floor are some of my favourite memories as a kid and he was so much fun to play with because he was so different from other transformers I had. Today he's displayed on a shelf above the head of my bed which is exclusive to Optimus prime figures (which I call Optimus shrine), some notable ones on there are: LEGO Optimus prime, MS-02EX (a magic square knock-off which I consider to be the most G1 show accurate prime to have ever been made) and most recently the missing link C-01 among a few other primes. He wasn't the first prime I ever got, I had others before him such as a warrior class RID prime or another RID prime which was a 1-step changer but PotP was the first BIG prime a got so he was very special to me and will always have an equally special place in my heart and will be forever cherished
That’s awesome! There’s nothing like a childhood figure. I still remember my first Optimus, it was the animated Cybertron one. He was great, but not really a leader feeling figure. That’s why Classics Optimus was so great to me when I got him later. Also, your Optimus Shrine sounds great!
It’s always the ones you wait on that go crazy in price. I left Legacy Beachcomber at a GameStop three times, and kick myself for skipping it that many times!
I truly loved this prime. He’s roughly similar size to mp10 and I used to treat him like Optimus if he was in some kind of SWAT mode, with the trailer forming additional armour. I doubt I’d view it the same way now, earthrise has been my boy for 5 years. But even with the cheap plastic and dodgy qc this was so much fun. It soured it for me when I bought nemesis prime and later star convoy and the qc degraded further. But this guy is a lovely throwback. I’d hunt one down but studio 86 and the other reissues take priority.
I really wish they had shored up this guy. He’s such a great Optimus and he legitimately does things no other Prime has or ever will, but he can be a nightmare to get standing.
This was only the second Optimus Prime figure that I ever purchased new, never having been lucky enough to get the G1 figure as a child. I love this figure! I wish that there was a comparably good first party Megatron to pair him with (Combiner Wars Megatron just doesn't do the character justice), but if you want something equally as great at this scale track down Buzzworthy Bumblebee Titans Return Soundwave. He has a similar chunky design and looks absolutely perfect standing next to POTP Optimus. Thanks for posting!
@@ronbondujon9690 The shelf I have him on also has POTP Starscream (the combiner center one), POTP Elita-1, and a few of those Walgreens Generations figures which have a similar style but honestly don't really fit in anywhere else in my collection.
Some details to note with your review (good job btw~!) First and foremost, his Ion Blaster does split in half, creating two rifles for Orion to use (even though he wouldn’t being a pacifist lol). Then there’s the Matrix. It actually does fit securely inside his chest, you need to align the back of it with the top of Orion’s head when it’s resting inside the chest cavity. Once you get it plugged in there it won’t go anywhere. And lastly, it wasn’t JUST Star Saber they paid tribute to, but also Super Ginrai / Power-Master Optimus Prime~! I have a first-run of this figure myself and I have him posed with my Combiner Wars Leader Class Megatron, because they both pair really well together. He’s big, goofy, doesn’t have the best quality ever, but he’s a lot of fun for sure~ I even customized mine so I could snugly fit the Matrix that comes with the O.G MP-01 Optimus Prime.
I’ve been talking to people in the comments, but it amazes me that this mold never became Ginrai or Ultra Magnus, it would have been perfect for both of them! I think it’s just because they had a Powermaster Prime that came out the year before and a Magnus came the year after, maybe they just feared they would saturate the market. Thank you for the tips, too! It’s funny to think of Orion dual wielding on his dock.
@@ronbondujon9690 Right?? I honestly think it was a missed opportunity on their part. They could have EASILY made a Ginrai /PM Prime with this mold! As it is, the Nemesis Prime version of this figure only cements this fact. Smaller Nemesis Prime becomes a bigger one after combining with the trailer to form a super mode of sorts. So yeah, definitely could have! Oh! Small detail to note, you can remove the center of the Matrix from its handle piece and replace it with either a head master, or a Prime Master~ it’s a weird gimmick, but a neat one nonetheless~!
I found 2 at, one of the Targets in my area. Drove 30min to the other one and found 4 more. They made a sort of display of transformers. With Lego Optimus on the lower left of the display, had a bit of new stuff out along with stock they already have. Was sorta cool, at both stores. I only bought 1 from the other store. I wish I could afford to buy them all. Got them for $49 and some change at Target today.
@@ronbondujon9690 no, I’m just collecting whatever is cool. I don’t have a optimus and been waiting to get one and this is the one I got. Too bad the ankles are bad or else this would have been a very worthy item for resale.
@@Tubemint455 If you want to make the ankles work better, you can use floor polish to stiffen joints. There’s a lot of good videos on RU-vid you can watch so you can learn how to do it!
he's absolutely fantastic, always loved this figure since I got him awhile back* *as stated in the video, his feet are not great, I modded mine with some gap fillers that I made myself and it looks sensational now, stands great
Was surprised to find this guy at Target today; I have it from when it originally came out with the stickers replaced by a ToyHax set. Other than difficulty folding out Orion’s feet, I really like the toy. [and usually have the lower arms’ fist holes plugged into the chest panel [in truck mode] to act as supports]
Orion fits in to a good Chug collection, Optimus Prime is a great "stand alone" figure. I dare say he's a great display Prime, despite the grey trailer kibble even. Also as far as him standing. I was disappointed until I found a "fix pose". His shins can only bend so far forward until he the plastic bits allow to bend anymore. So the wide stance as you mentioned combining with a partially bent knee allows for a stance that is, I dare say, stable.
I love how Optimus looks, but it is the Orion that makes me call this one of the better Primes ever made. I adore the gimmick here. Also, thanks for the tip!
Great review and thanks for sharing for us! I still like the Studio Series 38 Voyager Bumblebee Movie Optimus Prime. I love the details on it. I like how the backpack part folds up nicely. The transformation is intricate but satisfying which always makes me appreciate the process.
I had the original toy back in the 90s with the big black and grey guns, it was cool. The new version does look much better, obviously, but it could have been better engineered.
Si happy you did a comparison beteeen thise Orion Pax and the Legacy one. Ive always been curious how thry stack up together. I love the animation accurate sculpt of the Legacy one morez but its so small and while more accurate with thencolore doesnt look as premium as the power of the primes orion pax. Happy this figure is coming back wo I can maybe pick this up to have an orion pax more in scale with my Masterpiece Primes
I got this guy back when he came out at the same time as I got nemesis and rodimus and he still holds up compared to the newer figures for the most part
Got this guy years ago, after seeing he actually combines with trailer stead of it being just a trailer or repair bay or wte, I just had to. Its so rare. My only minor gripes are orions legs are a touch loose but still manageable, a few of his smaller pin joints had lighter areas that worry me they might fracture if Im not super careful transforming. And prime has silver stead of blue hands. Prime having no waist or wrist articulation whatsoever. This one I understand due to engineering / stability concerns, particularly cause hes a real beeeg boi. But I do still wish he coulda had at least a little at the waist lol, woulda made for so much more poses
This Optimus really is such a nice change of pace, from the size to the gimmick to how it uses the trailer. I do wish it had come out a little bit later though; this guy with Siege’s budget jump could have possibly had some of those missing articulation points.
The matrix does have grooves to lock into. I really wish that they took this mold and upgraded it like they did for Springer. That would probably mean that it would end up being another commander, but who doesn't want another commander Optimus?
I've always thought this design would have made a way better Super Ginrai than the magnus retool we got. Especially when you look at the Star Convoy version.
I still have the Rodimus he was my first leader class figure and even since I have gotten the superior commander class Rodimus for $10 more than potp (he was on sale) the potp one is more of a fun toy stickers have held up somehow and even though I was a bit disappointed in him at the time the recent prime reissue has made me appreciate this figure for what it tried to do at the time of potp, for all that line’s faults it still had some really fun figures like battletrap or the terrorcons. I wish they made starsaber in potp he would have fit right in and it would be more affordable than the haslab
I loved that Prime Wars trilogy, man. Titans Return and Combiner Wars are some of my alltime favorite series because the toys came first, more so than accuracy.
@@ronbondujon9690 combiner wars and titans returns were the first lines I really got into (more so titans returns as I was only able to get Sunstreaker at the time) a lot of the prime wars versions of characters still hold strong and I would not be as interested in collecting as I am now
The 'Touch-me-not' Prime! 😅 I adore the Nemesis retool of this. It's still one of the best ~ at least of the three toolings of this mould. 😊 Stay 'evolved'! 🎉
Best looking Optimus figure ever released at retail? Well, as they say, YMMV. That said, I am in TOTAL agreement with your take on POTP Optimal Optimus. That figure gets a ton of hate that just baffles me. I have him, I had the original (sold it off), and I just love it. I think they nailed it, personally. Sure, the plug in "regular" Primal is so-so, but the Optimal Optimus mode is a winner, and given the constraints of the POTP line, I think he turned out great. Anyway, I passed on this back when POTP was current, because there were several design aspects that just didn't jibe with my tastes. 1) A G1 Optimus has to have blue fists (Unless he's PM-Op, in which case they can be red.) 2) Those horrible, horrible foil stickers. 3) Too many obvious hollow-parts, like Orion's legs. And 4) The horrible alt-mode. Now that he's back, my previous issues on top of the current QC issues (possibly down to mold-wear) will keep me from picking him up again. However, I'm glad that collectors who missed out on him the first time around now have a second shot.
I totally get what you mean. I am enamored with the design of this Optimus, but that’s mostly because he is so different. So many Optimus Primes now are all just trying to be sunbow, I feel like this was the last time we got a G1 Prime that was trying something really new, you know? Also, Optimal Optimus Solidarity✊
Funny you mentioned it in the video, but this optimus was in fact the figure that got me started seriously collecting when it was on the shelves on its first release! I still have mine, still love him! Also, you had his arms mis transformed in vehicle mode. It doesn't clean up the look too much in the correct position, but it does help!
Okay, thanks! I must have read the instructions wrong. Also, it’s awesome that this was one of your first Optimuses. I never had this toy when it came out, but I remember just how much I wanted it back then. I think we’ve been too spoiled by lines since Siege to where now everyone needs the figures to be as cartoon accurate as possible, but I honestly still love more esoteric ideas and gimmicks like this.
There used to be a way of pushing those ankle pieces back and somewhat lock them in place. The feature may have been lost to mould degradation and bad quality control though.
I had a chance to get htis guy complete in box for $120US just a couple weeks back, and waffled on it too long, and he got gone when I finally decided to pull the trigger. I think I should've gotten him. Speaking of waffling... those legs on Pax tho.... WOW! I wonder if the light is right can you see through them lol.
Picked up my copy today and a weird oddity I noticed is that all the copyrights are still stamped "2017" Did Target just *have* these thing laying around in a warehouse or something? Im genuinely curious if this is in fact a silent reissue for the movie or if Target just stumbled upon a warehouse full of these things and are now selling them as new old stock. Very strange
I think it’s a little of column A, a little of column b. I don’t think Hasbro planned this, either Target found excess stock or asked for another run for TFOne.
I like the Rodimus. It's on display in my livingroom right now. I view the small robot as Rodimus (scales well with SS86 Hotrod) and the big robot as a trailer combine mode. I couldn't see spending $90 plus tax for a leader class figure with extra blast effects-(Kingdoms Rodimus) I also got a good deal on it, ripped the cheap foil stickers off, and replaced them with toyhax labels.
@@ronbondujon9690 I saw how some people swap out the "Hot Rod" head from POTP version to give to the Kingdoms version and that definitely sold me. I also think the Kingdoms version has a bit too much detail on its robot mode and has an ugly face, although it's very cool.
I could’ve breathed in this figure and there would’ve been a 50/50 change of it falling down, it felt like. In all seriousness, that would be a great deal on this Optimus.
I just got this guy and he's so much fun but the ankles almost ruin the figure. It's such a unique design with a cool gimmick but the fact that he's so back heavy and nobody thought those ankles would be an issue is astounding.
A couple of mainline Primes had matrix pieces prior to this one. I believe galaxy prime and that original MP-01 that was sold at Walmarts back in ‘03-04 as I recall. For his faults, I might get them as a piece of history. This is the last leader class at this size.
I’m worried I come off like I was bashing the figure, I love this Optimus warts and all. He’s big, meaty, has an amazing headsculpt, and the Orion Pax just seals the deal.
I love this figure, but I was also super disapointed. I apparently grabbed one that was damaged, or something, as it was missing a pin in one of the feet so that it comes out, and a smoke stack housing is slightly bent. As a result this Prime is an always in full robot mode for me so that he doesn't fall apart.
@@ronbondujon9690 I thought about returning it, but I have not seen the figure in the stores since Transformers One released in theaters, so I am afraid I wouldn't actually be able to replace it. Bah!
I ended up using a blue paint pen to tighten up the ankles, it worked a treat, but its a shame that I have to do it in the first place. I really do love the figure, though.
@@ronbondujon9690 I agree. I can't really blame the mold, it's been through two figure releases already (OG POTP Prime and POTP Nemesis Prime), but Hasbro can always plan for mold issues. I feel like we're seeing the same QC as the 4-pack with Legacy Cliffjumper, Tarn, Squeezeplay, and Tarantulas, which makes me worried that it's a trend that'll creep into other reissues or mold-sharing figures. Hasbro just expects us all to keep the floor polish handy, I suppose.
@@christianespiritu9407 Absolutely! There’s a lot of great older figures out there for characters you might like, and most of the major characters have had recent toys as well!
Love myself some Powermaster Prime. It’s a shame this one never got retool into Powermaster Prime, I think it could have worked! Maybe make Hi-Q a proper figure.
IMO, Hasbro could had done something similar to NewAge H27&H28 UltraMagnus for Optimus turning it into PowerMaster with the extra armor. Plus add HiQ. I do have that Hasbro Plus limited edition Orion Pax/Kup but it's just gathering dust in its box.
Hopefully just having these guys out in the states can help lower the aftermarket on the figure worldwide. He was never the most expensive figure, and having so many case-fresh versions of them back out in stores might be able to calm the price even more.
The Evolution Rodimus Prime was actually pretty good on balance. If you want a good version of THIS mold, though, your best bet is the version of Nemesis Prime that they did with it.
I got it for around $45 at Target today. Think it's worth keeping considering vehicle mode is not so nice looking? I currently have the YoloPark AMK pro figure. Though it doesn't transform the robot mode looks awesome.
Honestly, when I tried getting this guy every time I order them from Amazon, he had one defect after another,(sometimes the lake pops off sometimes the pins weren’t in) so I just stuck with the Amazon exclusive, nemesis prime….. I gotta say the color scheme works better
Fully agree on Nemesis there. I have to say, I think a lot of newer fans or people with nostalgia think I’m overblowing some of the QC issues at the time, but Transformers we’re legitimately dodgy during Prime Wars. Great toys and awesome designs, but they were also loose, prone to breaking easily, and could even be packaged with the wrong accessories. It’s not like now where Transformers, generally speaking, all come out and work like how they should.
@@ronbondujon9690 for homemade honest, I did get a few of the CW/TR/POTP toys, and to be fair some were good, some were not, but I got a good bunch of figures…….. but WFC and ER/Kingdom Prime were as close to G1 accurate as it got, and to be fair, when they repackage the WFC prime, as nemesis by adding parts from the POTP nemesis, it kind of felt like they just had extra parts they want to sell
Don’t know how target got their hands on more of these unless they found a lost pallet or something. But it’s not an exclusive they stopped making this figure before end of 2019 otherwise it would have a sticker on it saying exclusive I got this guy when originally released well 2 of them so I could have an Orion pax and an Optimus prime on my shelf same with rodimus. I wish they had only released these versions so collectors didn’t waste money on the other Optimus or other hot rod/rodimus
So I thought it was an excess pallet, too, but it’s one Pulse and is officially an exclusive to Target. Hasbro is claiming it’s a proper rerelease, but I agree with you that it seems more like it’s just excess stock.
I have the Star Convoy version of this figure and he’s super cool. However I got mine used and the seller foolishly packed it in the box wrong resulting in the star on his chest to be bent. I’ve had it held in place with zip ties for a few months hoping it will return to the proper shape after a long time of being held in place lol
That Star Convoy version is so cool looking, I wish I had picked it up! I hope you’re able to get that star bent back into place. There’s nothing worse than shipping accidents like that. I bought a G1 Six Shot, and it showed up with both wings snapped off😬
@@ronbondujon9690 it really is. The issue with mine came when the person tried to put it back in the box and they didn’t realize the star wasn’t in place so it basically sat on their shelf bent for who knows how long 😂. Here’s hoping we get less broken figs in the future lol
I had heard they were reissuing this, and I was really hoping they would give it an Optimus colors version of the inner robot from Nemesis Prime, because I just hate the way Orion looks.
@@ronbondujon9690 Absolutely. I'm glad it exists for the people who like it, I'm just not one of those. I'm a UT kid, so I like the idea of an Optimus Prime power up rather than how this set works. I almost considered getting Star Convoy since it came close to what I wanted, but those prices were ridiculous.
@@zuttoaragi8349 We need more UT love. Red Alert was my guy when I was a kid, and it breaks my heart we still don’t have a new version of his Armada toy.
I said as much in the review, but I maintain a figure that you need to perform surgery on to make good should be discussed. It’s an easy fix and I like the toy, but at $60 I think it’s fair to say they could have had better QC.
@@joshcrandall8428 Audibly, I could hear them click. Were they clicked in every second of this video? Probably not, because I did make a point of showing what the figure looked like with ankles pushed forward, but it was clicked in whenever I had him just standing in place.
i have zero problems with my ankles think i lucked out. i got him when he first came out. if nothing else my ankle is sturdy and tight so might be a QC issue but if you spread in leg and tilt the ankles gives him even more sturdiness. mine has never fell down once.
I’m glad you got a good one! From what I understand, this was a common issue, but there’s a lot of work around, like changing the stance or adding floor polish.
this was an easy pass for me as i got it when power or the primes 1 orignaly came out and was not that good of a figuer in my opinion . nice review keep it up
@@ronbondujon9690 to be honest i like the nemesis version more because it gives me nemesis pax. that is the only version of that character as a toy and love those head sculps
@@dragonflye4561 I still want to find that Nemesis. I honestly think that’s the best Nemesis Prime of all time. Not the best Scourge, but definitely the best Nemesis.
Huh. My copy of PotP Optimus - both Optimus & Orion - was okay; only real problem was that the ankles are hot garbage, *EVEN IF YOU LOCK THEM INTO PLACE CORRECTLY*. (Of course, Orion Pax's joints have loosened over time) This...this...THIS...is where both Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime & Optimus Primal/Optimal Optimus absolutely destroy Orion Pax/Optimus Prime. Actual ankle stability. But...to be fair...there were only two reasons I got it: first was to go along with my MP Megatron until I got my MP44 KO, the second was after that, it would be my mainline Orion Pax. Rodimus's actual Rodimus Prime mode wasn't great...but for me, the Hot Rod served as my Rodimus Prime (up until I got the Kingdom Rodimus Prime) since I already had Titans Return Hot Rod *as* Hot Rod (later replaced by SS86-4 Hot Rod), with the actual Rodimus mode being the Super Mode. And Optimal Optimus gets a ton of help from the two DNA Design upgrade kits for it (DK08 & DK08+)...making him even more superior to Optimus Prime & Rodimus Prime. A couple of the parts are massively mahoosive to the design: they're wheels. They're wheels that literally give back the armored truck mode that the designers inexplicably took out...which beats the old Titanium Series figure, that one lost the gorilla mode but has both truck & jet!
Fully agree on Optimal, especially when you’re able to get kit for him. Also, I’d say POP Rodimus is a great looking Rodimus, he just doesn’t pose the best.
I almost shouted out loud when I saw it today and snagged it so fast. With target 15% transformers for a few days and my circle rewards I basically got it for 30 bucks. After I’ve played with it for an hour I kind of wanna return it. He looks really fucking cool in the box and standing solo in his Prime armor mode. But….. the figure itself is janky and it only looks good from the front and the smaller figure AND truck mode are pretty trash. I keep trying to talk myself into keeping it but I’m really leaning towards returning it. It’s pretty bad in hand.
It’s not great. You can use floor polish to tighten up joints, but it sucks that you have to work to get a solid figure. This was a bad period in Hasbro QC.
@@ronbondujon9690 above heard about the polish trick. Def wanna try it on a few figurines. It’s really not the joints tho. I can live with that. I was surprised how bad the back of the figure is with the dude crawling out the back practically and how the trailer barely sticks into the truck. I was actually bummed about it. The figure looks so good in the package but I just couldn’t justify the 50 bucks. I hope people get enjoyment out of it but this is the first time I was personally really disappointed with a figure. Thanks for the content tho!! Good shit!
@@racheljung4381 I don’t know if this would help out, but Hasbro Pulse just put him up for sale. I don’t know if it’s worldwide or not, but you could check there and see if you could grab this guy!
@@ronbondujon9690 dang, was gonna buy him because that hero is born as super rare, wish they reissue orion in the main line, would make sense given TF1
@@ronbondujon9690 given next year prime theme line, I hope they reissue the Titans return Sentinel and the Nova Prime, im amazed they haven't release that on retails as Nemesis Prime
