Revoltech Convoy

Prelude: Each generation has its heroes. One of mine was definitely Optimus Prime, the heroic leader of the Autobots and bane of the evil Decepticons. So for my very first review I selected Revoltech Convoy (which is Optimus' name in Asia), giving you my two cents on him.

Robot Mode: My first impression: Yes, that's Optimus as he should be. Full of details, nicely engineered. For a gimmick he comes with three extra hands that can be interchanged, as well as his mighty blaster, and one of the most important extras, the Matrix of Leadership, the leadership program, which is handed down from leader to leader. The hands as well as the Matrix are stored in the back of the package's black plastic, making it easy to overlook and discard them with the rest of the package. This version of Optimus can't transform, just like all the figures of the Revoltech series. This is definitely a collectors' figure, but it still offers a lot of play value.

Interchanging the hands isn't an easy feat. You need to apply quite a bit of force to separate the hands from the forearm. People like me, who are always afraid of damaging their precious toys, will probably invest a lot of sweat here. I'm not sure yet whether it'll get easier with time, I've only had this figure for a very short time as I write this.

I also think we're missing a fourth hand, one more suited for holding the Matrix, especially as it can't be put in the chest. It is possible to put the Matrix in one of the included hands, but it's not a very stable fit. Another small flaw is the hand meant for holding the blaster, which is a bit too lose for my taste. It can hold the weapon, but if things get a bit rocky, Optimus does tend to drop his weapon. This shows once again that this is not a figure meant for playing with.

You can also interchange the heads on figures of this series. Prime doesn't have an extra noggin', but if you own, for example, Revoltech Megatron, it is possible to interchange their heads for fun.

Now it might sound as if I don't think this is a good version of Optimus, but the mentioned flaws are easily countered through numerous positive factors. The many joints enable this Prime to hold any number of poses. Each pose can be further modified by changing the hands, making them interesting in different ways. Another positive aspect is that this figure, despite its small size (12 centimeters) offers a great amount of detailing. Every time I look at him I get excited again.

Conclusion: Revoltech Prime is a must-have for every Transformers fan and collector. He's not suitable for small children, though, mostly because of the many small parts which can get lost or swallowed. For everyone but the latter, though, he is a definite recommendation, despite his small flaws (no transformation, unstable holds on the blaster and the Matrix). The attention to details and the posability counter that easily and offer tons of play value to every Transformers lover. Again, not a toy, but as a collector's figure he's a definite success.