Title:
Optimus Prime
Description:
Optimus Prime (Ultra, 1997)
Accessories: Laser rifle, 2 missiles
Available only at KB Toys, Machine Wars Optimus Prime is a redeco and slight retool of the European Generation 1 exclusive Turbomaster leader Thunder Clash. It’s easy to see why Thunder Clash was chosen to become the new Optimus Prime, given his adherence to Prime tradition: the truck cab disconnects to become the robot, while the trailer unfolds to become an assault tower with twin missile racks. On the original Thunder Clash version of the mold, the racks operated on a gravity-feed system where a new missile drops into the launcher from above each time one was fired, allowing for twelve to be fired in rapid succession using a pinball launcher style mechanism.
For Machine Wars Prime, this feature had to be retooled for safety reasons, sealing the gravity feed slot and cutting the original launcher plungers down to just the handles, which do not move. The small missiles were replaced with much larger new molds to prevent choking hazards and triggers were added to the sides of the launchers, becoming regular spring loaded (and unusually powerful) single-firing weapons. There seems to have been some disconnect between the deco artist and whoever handled the redone Thunder Clash stickers, as some stickers replicate details already handled by paint on the figure. Like the other four large Machine Wars figures, no guide exists in the instructions to show how said stickers should be applied. Also not noted in the instructions is that the handgun is meant to serve as the drive shaft for the cab, storing between the legs on the backside.
The package art for this toy is a retouched version of the art for Generation 2 Laser Optimus Prime (see above), but now positioned so one robot arm is always "off the edge” of the box and unseen - conveniently hiding the sword this toy has never had, yet leaving the Laser Prime faceplate intact.
This version of the mold was planned to be redecoed into Menasor for the Universe line, but the release was canceled.
Accessories: Laser rifle, 2 missiles
Available only at KB Toys, Machine Wars Optimus Prime is a redeco and slight retool of the European Generation 1 exclusive Turbomaster leader Thunder Clash. It’s easy to see why Thunder Clash was chosen to become the new Optimus Prime, given his adherence to Prime tradition: the truck cab disconnects to become the robot, while the trailer unfolds to become an assault tower with twin missile racks. On the original Thunder Clash version of the mold, the racks operated on a gravity-feed system where a new missile drops into the launcher from above each time one was fired, allowing for twelve to be fired in rapid succession using a pinball launcher style mechanism.
For Machine Wars Prime, this feature had to be retooled for safety reasons, sealing the gravity feed slot and cutting the original launcher plungers down to just the handles, which do not move. The small missiles were replaced with much larger new molds to prevent choking hazards and triggers were added to the sides of the launchers, becoming regular spring loaded (and unusually powerful) single-firing weapons. There seems to have been some disconnect between the deco artist and whoever handled the redone Thunder Clash stickers, as some stickers replicate details already handled by paint on the figure. Like the other four large Machine Wars figures, no guide exists in the instructions to show how said stickers should be applied. Also not noted in the instructions is that the handgun is meant to serve as the drive shaft for the cab, storing between the legs on the backside.
The package art for this toy is a retouched version of the art for Generation 2 Laser Optimus Prime (see above), but now positioned so one robot arm is always "off the edge” of the box and unseen - conveniently hiding the sword this toy has never had, yet leaving the Laser Prime faceplate intact.
This version of the mold was planned to be redecoed into Menasor for the Universe line, but the release was canceled.
Theme:
Machine Wars
Manufacturer:
Kenner
Year:
1997
Date Added:
2023-03-26 20:47:01
Date Added:
2023-03-26 20:47:01
