Beast Wars Optimus Primal (Basic)

Robot Mode: A small and very posable robot, this version of Optimus Primal looks very different from the other incarnations of the Maximal leader and doesn't have a lot of traits of the classic Optimus Prime look, either. If you disregard that, though, you have a nice little figure that fulfills the Beast Wars standard in terms of posability and, while not overly detailed, is still nifty. Optimus is armed with two swords stored in his wings. Bottom line an average Beast Wars figure, but that still makes it quite good.

Alternate Mode: Optimus transforms into a bat. Not sure who came up with that idea. Come to think of it, it's possible the first (only?) Optimus Prime / Primal to ever get a flying mode as an alternate. The bat looks decent from the front and the top, but if you look underneath you see the robot parts. Like many of the first-wave basic Beast Wars figures his transformation is 'automatic', meaning if you release the tail of the bat he snaps up into robot mode (more or less). Bottom line the beast mode is not one of the better ones from Beast Wars, but still decent.

Remarks: Bat Optimus Primal, only available in a two-pack with Basic Megatron never appeared anywhere except for a small comic-book given away along with the figures. Not sure what the big idea was with him. He is a decent Transformer, but not an Optimus in my book. The figure looks better in robot than in beast mode. Recommended only to Beast Wars fanatics or avid Optimus Prime and Primal collectors.

Rating: C