Thrilling 30 Optimus Prime & Roller

Robot Mode: This particular version of Optimus Prime is based on Don Figuera’s design from IDW’s Transformers ongoing series (2009 – 2011). While it’s mostly the classic Optimus Prime look, it features a gap between the chest windshields with an Autobot symbol in it, a new shoulder design, and several other details. Size-wise Optimus here is sold as a Legends-class figure, though he is both a good deal taller and better articulated than most other Legends / Legion class figures we’ve seen these last few years and is closer to a modern Scout/Commander-class toy.

Case in point the articulation, which includes knees and elbow joints. Optimus is ball-jointed all the way, allowing him quite the range of poses. Detailing is very good for a figure of this size, so no complaints on that front, either. The only slight downside here is that the chest is not fixed in place, so every time you move the arms, Optimus’ chest plates move as well and you either widen or narrow the gap in the center. Also, I’m not sure why his shoulders have opening flaps on top of them, because neither the robot nor the vehicle mode really use them. Still, a very nice small version of Optimus Prime, including his classic black rifle.

Alternate Mode: Optimus Prime transforms into a red and blue cab-over-engine semi truck, naturally. The only real difference here is that the aforementioned shoulder flaps he has in robot mode form a sleeper compartment on top here. Also, he has no way to fold in his toes, so it’s kind of easy to see that the back of the truck is really two robot legs. Still, considering the size, a very nice truck mode. Optimus’ rifle can be mounted on top, but doesn’t really look that good there.

Partner: Optimus comes with a Minicon partner called Roller, a name familiar to G1 fans as belonging to the non-transforming drone that Optimus used to have in his trailer. Here Roller is a grey and black robot, not terribly articulated (he can move his arms at the shoulders and that’s it) but with two different alternate modes. He transforms into a blue SUV-like car or into a big double-barrelled gun for Optimus. The big gun can be further enhanced by putting Optimus’ black rifle on top, making for a triple-barrelled monstrosity of a weapon that is as long as Optimus is tall. So bottom line: a pretty cool Minicon partner for Optimus, no complaints.

Remarks: The new Generations legends line features better-than-Legends-sized figures partnered with Targetmaster Minicons and will include quite the number of former G1 Minibots that haven’t seen many (if any) toy releases in recent years such as Gears, Swerve, Cosmos, and Brawn. But naturally the first wave has to include Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and Starscream as well, though three of these four are most definitely not Minibots. Still, they were put into this size class to interact with Metroplex (Prime can comfortably fit into Metroplex’ shoulder gunnery seat), so that’s something.

Overall this is a nice Optimus Prime figure and it was also the very first Generations figure I ever bought at retail here in Germany, but apart from that novelty and having him interact with Metroplex, I’m not sure why you’d need him. So bottom line: nice, but no more than that.

Rating: B