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This Prime is on fire!
Series: Superlink
Year: 2004
Allegiance: Cybertron
Class: Combat

 

Prelude: Remember when Energon Optimus Prime did a two-bot Powerlinx and was on fire? No? Well, then you probably skipped the special Japanese TV Magazine edition of Superlink Grand Convoy that was limited to 3,000 pieces, right? And you call yourself a Transformers fan? Come back when you’ve brushed up on your barely known Takara exclusives, all right? Until then, here is Superlink Grand Convoy Fire, ready to burn. Let’s say go!

Many thanks to my buddy Fuchs Geronimo for loaning me this guy for a review.

Robot Mode: This version of Grand Convoy, the Takara name of Energon Optimus Prime, is a repaint of Energon Deluxe Class Optimus Prime, who was only available in the West as part of a Toys R’Us exclusive two-pack with Energon Ultra Class Megatron. I reviewed that version of Optimus before, but it’s been nearly 20 years since then (dear God, has it really been that long), so I think we can start from scratch here.

Grand Convoy Fire is a Deluxe-sized incarnation of Energon Optimus Prime, a good deal smaller than the original figure and given a mostly red paintjob with some orange and chromed highlights. Much like the other versions of Energon Prime / Grand Convoy, he has a very square and somewhat tubby-looking upper body, carries a very big rucksack, and has rather spindly legs.

Side note: The legs are intentionally mistransformed in my pics. The intended design for the legs is for the thicker part to be the thighs, with the lower legs being quite spindly. Personally, I think it looks much better this way with the thick parts slid down to give him bigger lower legs, but that is entirely subjective, of course.

Whether you like the basic design of this version of Optimus Prime or not is entirely its own thing of course. The figure as such is very nicely articulated for a figure from that time, able to do sidekicks and running poses with no problem. He comes with a transparent orange rifle and additionally, he can flip both his fists around to reveal something that kind of looks like gun muzzles.

So bottom line: while there is nothing technically wrong with this figure as such, the design is not really my cup of tea.

Alternate Mode: Grand Convoy transforms into a truck, big surprise, a rather deformed looking one with clearly visible robot arms on the back. The truck can store the robot’s rifle on the back and is capable of pulling the trailer of the bigger Energon Optimus Prime, too. And… yeah, that’s pretty much it, really. Not sure what else I can write that the pictures don’t show better. It’s a truck, sure, but far from the prettiest one in the Transformers franchise.

Combined Mode: Grand Convoy Fire is an Energon Powerlinx combiner, meaning he can combine with another Energon/Superlink figure as either an upper or a lower body. Now the Energon Powerlinx Combiner gimmick was a hit or miss thing, as some figures (such as Inferno) work very well in both combination modes, some (such as Rodimus) only really work as upper bodies, and then there are those like… well, like Grand Convoy here, who kind of suck in both.

In lower body mode, Grand Convoy is basically just the lower body of his singular robot mode, with the upper body having split apart and hanging off the hip as kibble. Not a great look. He looks slightly better as an upper body, where the split halves of the torso and the robot legs make his shoulders look a lot broader and a helmet makes his head look bigger. Sadly his fists are now the wrong way around and cannot be rightened.

So bottom line: the whole point of this figure was to make an Optimus that could Powerlink with the likes of Black Rodimus and other Energon figures. So mission accomplished, I guess, because he can. Sadly he does not look good doing it.

Remarks: When Optimus Prime appeared in the Energon/Superlink cartoon and toyline, his design got quite a negative reaction from many a fan. And while the larger Energon Optimus at least has a lot of cool powerlinking options with his drones, Wing Saber, and Omega Supreme, this smaller one here… well, he can Powerlink, too. Just not sure why one should bother. Anyway, this red version of Grand Convoy was a limited exclusive, along with Black Rodimus. Black Rodimus is a very nice repaint and looks good. Grand Convoy Fire, on the other hand… let us put it like that. I only got the Hasbro version because it came in a two-pack with Megatron, and the only reason to get this one here is if you have a thing for rare exclusives.

So bottom line: if the exclusivity or the new paintjob aren’t enough to pique your interest, you might be better served to spend your money elsewhere.

Rating: C-

 

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