Hi guys, for my first review, i would like to use grimlock, the one transformer i wanted more than optimus prime when i was a kid. And since its my first review, hope you will understand if my review is lacking in some aspects but hey, i did my best so here it goes.

some pics of the packaging:
front:


rear:

top:

inside the box:

instruction/manual:

and finally:
me grimlock out of the box

front view

rear view

side view

and one of the features of this baby (changeable with the pull of a switch at the back of the head)

red visor

blue visor

and now grimmy with his nice sword (it fits perfectly on his right hand via the round peg)

and now the gun

its hard making grimlock carry both weapons since the other hand (the left) doesnt have the round peg and instead, it is fully moveable/poseable

now, transforming this baby is kind of hard since one has to be very careful if you dont want to scratch the paint. It took me a few tries to finally be able to convert the legs into the tail and fit it perfectly. after the tail and legs, everything else is easy and all fits into place easily

right profile

left profile

and yeah, i can look up too..

and here is the other feature, if he can change colors of the visors, he can also do the same when in dino mode via rotating the eyes inside the head

red eyes

blue eyes

and here are the extra accessories (IMO, these things are kind of useless and serve little purpose of adding aesthetics to this already beautiful creation, plus it makes him look wimpy)

me grimlock.. the order taker

and now, here is my chance to become autobot supreme commander!

and the best gimmick by far, the light sabre

and now more fun pics
poseability is somewhat limited but its still incredible for a toy like this

grimlock: you are lucky that you are the supreme commander, its the only reason you are bigger than me now..
optimus prime: tough luck kid

and oh, he does pass the kick test:

Grimlock: me grimlock no cheat the kick test

PROS:
very nice detail
nice packaging
easy to transform once you get the hang of it
even though the back part is a bit big, its not really that heavy and the weight is centered in the middle

CONS:
the size (he should be bigger IMHO)
there are limited diecast parts

(these 2 cons make it somewhat hard to justify its price but im willing to gamble that due to his popularity and the engineering of this bot, prices will go up)

with all this in mind, i give him an overall rating of
1/2 out of

there you go, hope you like it and thanks for looking

Front and Back shots of the boxed Mickey Prime

Robot Mode

Ok heres where the dissapointment starts. Absolutely little to no articulation. Yes you heard me. Articulation is limited to 2 points located at the arms and legs. Aside from that nothing else due to each joint directly affected by the transforming process of the toy.

Mickey in the pilot seat.

Detail of the toy is quite good same with the paint apps. If anything this is one of the few strong points of the toy.

Transformation time…..

Transformations is very simple. Mickey is basically a shell former so there isnt much to it.

Transformers gets Disnified. Check out the cartoon exagerated portions.

Transform and roll out!!!!

Size comparison with Alternity Convoy.

Ok all in all I have to say this was quite a dissapointment. The lack of articulation was a big let down and the lack of accesories didnt help any (all it came with was a manual). I mean cmon. I know this is a Disney product but the least they could have done was at least give Mickey Prime a Disnified weapon.

To say that this is a very unique fusion of two known brands is an understatement and the least they could have done was to at least give the toy some possability. This is a good collectible and nothing more. If you have 2k to spend get an Alternity Convoy instead but I know for completists like me this is a must have. I cant say I realy appreciate or like” Mickey Prime” but I have to say it is a trip to have in your collection and a definite eye catcher.

I give it a… out of

THE PACKAGING

It may be small but i really love the packaging. It takes off from where the bigger BT’s packaging came from w/ its own twist. The Packaging is quite simple and clean.

NISSAN GTR SILVER OR RED
TOP

SIDES

BACK

BOTTOM

some details of the insides

INTERIOR DETAILS
It being a Japanese car, it is right hand drive. For a smaller model, it has the same details as its BT counterparts

Some details from the back with the seat folded

ROBOT MODE
FRONT

BACK

SIDES

BOTTOM

TORSO SHOTS

SIDE BY SIDE

COMPARISON IN HEIGHT W/ BT/ALTERNATOR

HOW’S THE ARTICULATION?

,,,IT PASSES THE KICK TEST

…AND SOME POSSES

I hear a lot of gripes about its small size. Yet for me, though its small its a pretty amazing toy. For a deluxe size it is quite heavy and very stable. My gripe before was that i thought that the automorph feature located on the bumper pannel, the locking mechanism of of the entire torso, would ruin it. Suprisingly it didn’t.
Unlike the tftm line, the automorph feature of the torso are the die cast parts. It’s a lot tighter and more stable. Though like most die cast parts i fear it from chipping, it’s well hidden so it would be ok.
I also find this model more articulate as compared to the Alternator/Binaltech line especially on the leg parts. Unfortunately it has no hip articulation and the arm movement is quite limmitted because the arm is quite short while the chest is quite thick.
I also liked what they did by integrating Prime’s cannons in his arms and hidden by the seat. You can’t loose those that way.

The red variant has more details and is more Prime looking. Though personally i preffer the Silver because it looks cleaner and tough looking “MAANGAS!!!” The silver variant head reminds me more of a gundam than prime.

THINGS TOO WATCH OUT FOR
LEG peg insertion – It’s both made of plastic but but the point of insertion is made of clear transparent (weak) plastic, which i fear may crack or break after time

MID SECTION insertion – This points of insertion are both die cast. You know what that means…high suceptability to paint chipping due to continous use.

All in all i highly recommend getting this toy! Though it may be small it’s very playable and looks good to both Bot and Model Car collectors, much like the Bt/alternator line is.

Hope this helps in making the decision in getting this toy and/or wether to get the silver, the red or both.

Thanx for veiwing!

The much awaited upgrade parts for Ultra Magnus by fansproject is finally out and boy did they deliver!!!!!

Packaging:

The upgrade parts come in a blind box so pray that you get a good piece. (So far I dont have any complaints with the piece I got)

Inside you get…..

The trailer, manual/comic book and a sticker sheet. The trailer is made of hard plastic (Im not sure if its resin but the feel is hard plastic) with no die-cast parts.

Manual:

I first found the manual to be a bit since it depicted Prime against unknown robots led by Pharaohtron during the Egyptian times. But I guess it made sense since this is technically an unlicensed piece, they had to make some revisions. (Primus is refered to as Ra-mus while Prime is called Orion, reminiscent of Orion Pax in the series.)

The instructions were quite unique as it was incorporated into the comic book as part of the scene. (Strangely though, the color scheme and the base bot used in the manual is Prime so the Powered Convoy comparison pics posted MIGHT be a probability in the near future)

Trailer Mode:

Its not your typical car carrier. I think this set was more intended for Prime since the trailer looks more like a container trailer IMHO. Still it fits Magnus very well. You basically just pop it on Magnus and its all set to go.

Top view.

Side View.

Rear. Yeah the doors open but it CANT fit any classics toy inside. Theres no space inside for them.

Pre-transformation:

I thought the transformation for this would be complicated seeing a show its technically a garage kit. I was quite impressed on how easy it was to transform. Also it may look complicated at first glance but the comic style instruction guide was actualy quite accurate. It was actually more accurate and easy to follow compared to Takara or Hasbro manuals.

The parts fit well although Im a bit skeptical with the arm parts. Theres not much to fasten this area with so it can tend to slide off if not attached properly especially while holding the big-a$$ gun.

Armored Magnus!!!!

Attaching the armor pieces to Magnus is quite simple. Just folow the instructions and you cant go wrong. The only trouble parts I see here are the attachment of the leg parts as you have to put the leg in a certain angle. I was quite worried that outting too much force into the toy might break of a piece but the quality of the armor is quite good.

Ultra Magnus!!!

You can attach Ultra Magnus weapons for added bad-a$$ effect.

Fans-project thought of everything and they made sure evey part could be used for this set.

“Ultimate make-over indeed!!!!”

Ultra Magnus Equiped:

There are two ways to equip the gun. First is in the missle launcher mode as shown below and in riffle mode (pics to follow)

Launcher Mode:

This is the most stable way to hold the gun IMHO since the weight is equally distributed in the arm and it can prevent the joints of your Magnus from loosening.

Riffle Mode:

I dont recomend that you keep your Magnus displayed with the gun i this position. Its too heavy for Magnus arm and it can make the arm armor slide off if not displayed properly. Its good for a few photo shots but put it back in missle launcher mode if you’re displaying it.

Theres a way to make Magnus hold the gun in riffle mode without putting stress and thats by resting the gun on his knee as seen above.

Comparison Shots:

Prime looks so plain compared to Magnus. Unless Prime gets the similar treatment, expect Magnus to be the centerpiece of your Classics collection.

“I’m not worthy!!!!”

Kick Test:

Ok, I really dont want to copy this from Rohml but for the reviews sake…Armored Magnus fails due to the weight of the leg armor. My Classics Magnus was brought of the box only know and for this purpose so I believe the joints of my Magnus are still fresh yet it couldnt support the leg armor. Prime has to help Magnus pass this test.

Pros:

1. Excelent detail.
2. Very good plastic quality.
3. Fits perfectly with Ultra Magnus.
4. Excellent proportions.
5. Easy to follow manual
6. It increases classics Ultra Magnus look 100 times over!

Cons:

1. Price. For a “bootleg” kit its quite pricey but hey, its worth every peso.
2. The connection of the arm piece could use abbit of improvement.
3. the gun is too heavy and can cause UM’s arm joints to loosen.
4. Minor paint blotches but I think Im being a perfectionist.

All in all this upgrade kit really rocks! Fansproject really outdid themselves with this piece and if it they originally released Classics Magnus with this traielr its a candidate for toy of the year. This upgrade kit totally revamped a somewhat plain looking Classics mold and made it into a totally wicked new toy! If you have the money to spare get this! You will not be disapointed. The minor flaws can be overlooked and believe me, you wont be disappointed. Im really hoping they release the Powered Convoy color scheme for Prime cause really now, Classics Prime looks pale in comparisson to Magnus when he’s equiped with this bad boy.

This set gets a…

out of

Yes! Its that d**n good! And Im not even a Magnus collector. Classics Magnus with this upgrade kit is THE BEST MAGNUS TOY EVER.

To discuss more about this, join us over at our forums or multiply page.

Transcanning Optimus Prime, a japanese exclusive item which features Optimus Prime from the Transformers movie. The toy is basically a skeleton with accessories that enables him to turn into either his Protoform version or his Earthform version.

Me and a friend of mine has lovingly dubbed this toy as “Souchaku Henkei”, as a portmaneau of “Souchaku Henshin” (a Bandai toyline that depicts characters with removable die-cast armor) and “Henkei” (The new recolor line of Transformers Classics). The reason is this: The toy is a Transformer that is equipped with armors.

Transcanning Prime will be referred to as TSOP for the remainder of this document.

Review

I will review TSOP in three categories:

- Sculpt (Form and Color)
- Articulation (Movable Parts and how can it be moved)
- Fun Factor (How did I enjoy it — and any other stuff)

Sculpt

Skeleton:

TSOP as a toy is a basic skeleton of Optimus Prime. The skeleton features a thin build with holes all over the body. The holes are used to hold the armor pieces that come with the pack, also the holes seemed to be used to lock on to a position when transformed. On it’s chest is a blue light orb, not really sure what this is for… probably to depict where Movie Prime’s spark is. Aside from the chest the whole body is painted metal gray, except the eyes which are orange. The face of the skeleton is also the face of the Protoform. The body is well sculpted, with minute details and panels all over.

Robot mode (Protoform)

Using some of the armor pieces included in the pack (indicated in the manual), the skeleton could be turned into Movie Op’s protoform body. Armor pieces for the shoulders, forearms, chest, pelvis, shins and feet are used to transform the skeleton to the protoform. Sculpted from ABS plastic, the armor pieces are hard materials with pegs that attaches to the holes in TSOP’s body. They are painted blue, with purple details around some of the parts. The armor is also scuplted with a lot of fine details. The look is superb and is well worth mentioning. One thing I didn’t like though is if you turn the figure around… there is nothing more to see… instead, most of the armor just covers only one side of Prime’s body. Leaving him, for lack of a better word, bare-assed… actually there is a better set of words… he looks naked from behind. His colors (blue and purple) also seem to remind me of BBoon from Beastwars II.

Compared to the TFTM movie deluxe Protoform Prime, this design is more closer to the actual movie depiction of a Protoform since it doesn’t have the windshield chest and it’s head is simpler and smaller compared to the deluxe movie toy,

Also unlike other toys I know that installs an armor piece for the shoulders, the armor is actually attached to the bicep, rather to the shoulder, this actually impedes posability. But at least it tends to fall off less.

Alternate mode (Protoform)

The protoform’s alternate mode is a piece of meteor, this form of a chunk of space rock is the Movie Transformer’s way of traveling through space. Speaking of which… what the heck was that on the picture?!

Sure, there is no standard look for a piece of space rock… but… COME ON! What the heck was that?

To form… “chunk of space rock”, you need to bend some of his parts in almost the same way as the Deluxe Protoform Prime, however TSOP lacks the other parts that hide the robot’s form when in alternate mode, which ends up looking like a … … … I honestly don’t know… I guess it’s a “chunk of space rock”. You rock Hasbro! ( )

Robot mode (Earthform)

Using some of the armor pieces included in the pack (indicated in the manual), the skeleton could be turned into Movie Op’s Earth Form body. Now here’s where it really gets interesting, 19 pieces of armor are used to create the movie prime look. On this form, a new head is needed and the way it’s attached to the body very much screams “Souchaku Henshin” (The headpiece of earth form Prime is two pieces of armor that is worn over the Protoform body’s head.) Also, the armor used for the Earthform is heavier than the Protoform, though not die-cast.

There are some variations of this figure from the other Movie Op toys released, for one thing “the backpack” is a lot larger and more prominent that the other designs, and the large metal tubing found on the side of the truck can swing forward and provide TSOP with some menacing firepower.

On this form the familiar red and blue scheme of Movie prime is seen along with red licks of flame across the doors and shins. The details of this form are amazing, for a toy whose in scale with Robot Masters, it has quite a decent amount of detail. Unike the Protofrom, his whole body is covered.

Alternate mode (Earthform)

The truck form is extremely nice. For a small figure, the look of the truck is comparable to the Leader Class Optimus Prime. And check out the chrome! The front grill is painted with vac-metal silver giving it a clean chrome finish. Even the smokestacks are chromed! Way cool! Another special feature of the truck mode is the “doors” can be opened, giving it a nice detail for a toy this size.

With all that coolness for the truck mode, there’s gotta be a catch! YES THERE IS… You can easily experience the beauty of TSOP’s truck mode… IF YOU CAN TRANSFORM HIM!!! Well you can Transform him, but it takes A LOT of patience and an endless supply of sanity… Because in a rank of Good, Bad or Ugly… he makes a new category… CRAZY.

Trying to Transform TSOP into a truck mode is pure heck! First off, parts get easily dislodged causing you to either stop transformation and re-attach the part or continue hoping the part that came off isn’t important. Second, some of the parts are themselves annoying to re-attach… I often had the lights on the roof of the truck come off and it’s a pain sticking them back in. Seriously.

Fortunately.. there is hope. The armor for the earth-form mode can actually combine without the skeleton, enabling you to have a robot and a truck at the same time. (Probably to re-enact the scene in which he will scan the truck for the first time.)

But if a simple truck is not your cup of tea, you can try this: remove some of the parts first before attempting to transform the toy (specifically the knees and the backpack), then systematically transform the backpack and the body at separate times before reuniting them again to form the truck.

Articulation

This is where TSOP shines the most. Since the skeleton has a wide array of joints, the toy can be posed in almost any position humanly possible. Almost 30+ points of articulation!

With the armor on (any of them) some of the posabilty of the figure is lost. However the loss of articulation is significant only using the Movie Prime armor, in which a lot of the parts tend to be either too heavy to move or is blocked by another part.

KICK TEST TIME:

So far all forms passed, though Earth Form tends to be unbalanced by kibbles.

Fun Factor

Aside from the armors, the set comes with two extra hands (opened) for Prime and a base for displaying “chunk of space rock” form.

The main attraction of this line is the usage of armors to create a Transformers’ status (whether still a protoform or has chosen an alternate form.) However because of the the Protoforms’ simple and seemingly forced alt mode and the Earthmode’s Heck-on-earth transforming issues, the standard and most important concept of a transformer toy is lost.

However, the posability of the figure may have saved this line a bit for me. It also helps that the skeleton is highly customizable with other toy parts (as long as it fits the scale and the pegs fit TSOP’s holes). Though not enough to push TSOP’s ratings up, these features are enough to make it survive another toy wave.

Overall

The toy is a good attempt on a concept that went wrong. A transformer must always be able to tranform into a convincing and stable form, if ever a TF toy falls short on that requirement, then its just considered to be an action figure. Transcanning Optimus Prime is a Transformer Toy last I remember.

Would I recommend this? Only to someone as wacky as I am and never to a person with rage issues. As for the others, think about it. It’s not a bad toy… it just not a good transformer toy.

PARTING NOTE: I got two of these… Ain’t I NUTS? XD
BEACH BUM!

Rating:
Skeleton : A-
Protoform : B+
Earthform : C-
TOTAL : B

Since we did give it the nickname “Souchaku Henkei”… I decided to try this out:

EEK! Undead Kuuga!