TRDQ: Monkey May-Nia 2024 - Beast Machines Primal Prime Review 

SHOUT OUT! I'm famous. This must be what Gavin feels like EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Q: What does an 800 pound gorilla turn into? A: Whatever it wants!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT ITS LEADER OF THE WRECKERS OF THE BEAST ERAS (Also I just started pounding my chest like a gorilla when i saw the thumbnail cause I love the wreckers)

I grew up watching Beast Wars, and I always felt that this colour variation made the most sense story-wise for Primal, versus the Orange and blue layout he went with on the show. Yes, I know this version came out a few years after the original, but I really wish this was the first choice... Well, it is to me, in my head canon.

The Planet of the Apes reference is appreciated, a man of taste

I’ve never loved the Optimal Optimus mold but the gorilla mode is the best. It was the first Beast wars figure with electronics and the first transformer with electronics in quite a while at the time. The red translucent treatment is better than the garish orange, but I think if the original had replaced orange for black and brown chrome for deep red chrome it would have improved the look immensely

ive always loved the 90s charm of this toy, & yes my favourite mode is the jet with fists- ideally displayed with the rest of the maximals standing atop it

I’m still not sure why the Power of the Primes convention exclusive Optimal Optimus redeco went with a full Optimus Primal color scheme instead of Primal Prime

Those vehicle modes have a modern Diaclone vibe 😎

thank you Gavin for dealing with this absolute nightmare of a toy so that i no longer have to. cheers

Eyyy, nice zoids turtle, I love that kit.

Imagine you were me at age 9. This was the most expensive Beast Wars toy, therefore it must be best. Oh how wrong I was.

OOOO! Shiny! OOOH! He beeg!" AHH! Clear plastic!?!?!?!?!? Great review, sir.

It just hit me that we never got a recolor and retool of POTP Optimus Primal as Primal Prime. We only got him in Optimus Primal's colors as a SDCC exclusive. Could have worked as a Generations Selects figure.

I had both Optimal Optimus and Primal Prime. I have to agree with you. There were both...let downs. I was in college, had money from my first job and bought GI Joe and Beast Wars/Beast Machines Transformers. So when this came out, I had to get it. I did like the slight upgrade to Primal over Optimus with the button to activate the lights. With Optimal, you risked shooting yourself in the face because the same "plunger" that fired the missiles activated the light. But all modes were still...eh...bad. I think I spent more time trying to make it look good than doing anything else with it. But to no real success. I did manage to make the vehicle modes carry Optimus Minor in a sort of ride on way...so...there was that.

I respect your opinions on Optimal Optimus. They're fair, they're balanced, and they make perfect sense. But also: I like him anyway.

i kinda feel like this shouldve been the default colours for this mold, i never understood the design ethos of transmetal colour schemes being largely “whatever the toddler with a colouring page comes up with”, this feels much more intentional and like it wouldve been a triumph as primal’s last form in the show. like, he achieved that form by borrowing optimus prime’s spark, i think a little cross-pollination in the decos would make sense, yknow?

What a rare piece! I now understand why all of these secondhand Optimals are missing the shoulder pads, they all exploded with supernova force. I'm really afraid of the next Optimal Optimus being a Haslab, because they don't seem to get repaints... and they're outside of my budget...

Repugnus’ singing voice is beautiful he should start writing songs

The original toy looks like a handful and a half, it almost makes me wonder what the next toy version of it will be like. I was going to say it would have been a Commander Class, but it feels like to be a possible HasLab feature if they want to do it right.

That flight mode is actually pretty cool.

I wonder if the Optimal Optimus design will get remade again. I know the POTP version wasn't exactly the most well liked version of that design

See, I love my Optimal Optimus but you are not wrong about the transformation. I'm never sure I'm on the right track with it. Especially with which orientation the shoulders are meant to be at. This has reminded me that I should probably take the batteries out of mine though cos I think they've been in there for 20+ years.

I never understood why this design gets particular flak like any Transmetal alt mode was convincingly anything approaching a complete vehicle

Anything that flashes its chest is great in my book!

Noice 😎

Did Perfect Effect ever do a Primal Prime repaint?

"Fairly decent artist" 😂😂😂

Cool. But original color fit him while he is in kong mode

I have a soft spot for this guy, even though yeah hes nowhere near as good as the other two large Transmetals. Although to be honest if I had to compete against TMII Megatron and god damn Tigerhawk I wouldn't have a chance either.

I have a soft spot for this design it was my first transformers toy I ever got and it was on my birthday, so this Monke get a pass from me

This is my favorite monkey

mom get the camera Monkey Mania is back

Us monkey maniacs appreciate a new monkey, even if hes not that good

Is that a fucking Bottleman at the end? Didn't know Gavin was into yeeters.

I like the original orange

Cool, so cool. Very cool. Me like big monkey.

I'll say this as an unabashed Optimus Primal fanboy...you're out of your mind if you don't like this figure.

Hope you're having a good day

Hello Gavin

Gavin I mean no disrespect but how the FUCK do you have one of these The closest I ever got was a Buyee bid I lost like half a year ago

Trukk-ish not Munky.

That's a bloody awful toy but I see why YOU have it. The monkey is fun I GUESS.

Do do do dodo, it's the worst toy ever on TRDQ-ia