Optimus Prime Transformers - Studio Series 86 Transformers Studio Series 86 Commander Class Toy Item No.: No. 86 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Roller, repair drone, blast effects, truck jets, container, ion blaster, Energon axe, Matrix of Leadership, diorama Action Feature: Transforms from truck to arguably the most famous robot toy ever who isn't Voltron Retail: $89.99 Availability: September 2024 Other: Big, but not the biggest, of the Classics/Generations/Universe/Legacy/Studio Series era
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If you work in the toy business, it can be challenging to estimate demand. I got this Optimus Prime in September, but it was already pre-sold out at a number of stores for months, and the Amazon price was over retail, and goodness knows if any big box stores are going to stock this $90 toy. There have been a ton of very good Optimus toys recently, from ornate Masterpieces to enhanced (and de-enhanced) recreations of the 1984 toy - if you want a G1 Optimus toy, you can get one. In theory, you'd expect some fans to get the version that's available instead of chasing down the new hotness, but that's not how collectors work. They know this one is interesting, so I expect it to be expensive and hot for a while unless Hasbro does another production run for 2025. They should - fans are going to want this for a while.

This figure isn't huge, but he's complex. The transformation isn't irritating, and the accessory pack-out is about what you would expect for this class of toy. Smaller human figures can't drive him, but you do get most of the important accessories from the 1984 toy and the two most important cartoon-only items, his Energon Axe and the Matrix of Leadership. It's bigger and more complex than the previous gold standard, Earthrise Optimus Prime [FOTD #2,190], which did much of what this toy does for half the price. If you want "good enough but incomplete," go buy that toy. If you want "Masterpiece at US toy prices," get this one. The 2024 Studio Series 86 release is so good that Hasbro might have to innovate rather than iterate on the classic toy-ish, cartoon-esque releases. Maybe we'll get a new Fuzor, or a stapler, or even an Optimus that turns into a bunch of train cars. Because after this truck mode, I think they will struggle to improve on him.

I do not necessarily believe this will be the last form of this mold or this character. Hasbro could still do "anime window" deco on a second or third run, replacing the silver with gray or white like the cartoon cels. This is a very good toy version of the cartoon character, and I assume Takara-Tomy is looking at the mold to do something that looks like they applied the animation cel deco directly to the toy. There's certainly precedent for this.

A recurring incorrect statement since Earthrise toys started to hit was that I expect a lot of these toys to be "the last version I'll ever need to buy," although I always assumed there would be a market for "the original toy" (and we're getting two of those, three if you count Hot Wheels) or "the cartoon," and we've had several toys with that goal in mind lately. This one has some challenges - it can't be a "money is no object" Masterpiece toy, and it needs to offer a compelling value at the $90 price point. The MP-44 version of the character may be the definitive model, but its $450 price tag was something of a non-starter for a lot of collectors. You can buy most of the US line for that, or at least, you could at the time. This is $90 - not cheap, assuming you can find it for retail price, but if you can convince yourself this is the apex of what this character is going to be... it's probably worth it.

Missing Link Convoy C-01 [FOTD #2,700] is the most "toy" new toy of the character, and this is probably the most "cartoon" toy. It does a lot of amazing things - much of the cab kibble becomes a pretty nice backpack. The head looks cartoony, the chest windows open to reveal a Matrix of Leadership storage chamber, and loads of articulation. If you never transform it, it's still a very convincing action figure with tight joints and a good chunky feel that seems almost impossible to be real. It's remarkable how things fold in and tuck under other things, removing much of the kibble one might normally anticipate.

Are there problems? I had a couple - the windows have specks under them and I have so far been unable to pop them out to remove them. It's an impressive detail, although I can't help but wonder if they just skipped it - would we miss it? Could the toy be $5 or $10 cheaper? I don't know that clear plastic windows really enhance Studio Series cartoon toys, mostly because clear windows are less of a feature in cartoons. They're usually blue - and these are also blue, and opaque in spots, which is an interesting combo platter.

Purely as an action figure, he's taller than most non-combining Optimus Prime toys from Hasbro. For the price, he needs to be - and he has multiple joints on his hands, including his index finger, plus the usual rocker ankles. Everything works really well, and I had no real challenges getting poses out of him. His shoulders even have extra joints, should you need to light their darkest hour or do special photo shoots with your fancy camera rigs. With the larger Dinobots, this enhanced stature will probably make Optimus your new default in any diorama, with the rest going to the back of the shelf, or a bin, or eBay. They're all still very good, but if you're looking to make a cartoon cast diorama of any kind, I can only assume this will be everybody's new favorite.

He incorporates most of what cartoon fans will want, with some toy elements. The robot itself is clearly toon-based, with the axe from the More Than Meets the Eye miniseries dam battle, Roller, a diagnostic drone from the toy, and the repair bay in his trailer. There are no stickers - it's largely unadorned, and glossy. You also get energy effects, including some specific for the needs of the truck mode. I don't miss the hoses and nozzles from the original toy, personally. This has everything a kid who watched the cartoons but never owned the original toy could want as an adult. But not if you want a comic or a toy version, those are separate purchases.

The transformation is pretty involved but not a hassle - you can probably figure most of it out without the instructions. My main problem was getting the head to flip down in the cabin, it kept getting stuck until I forced it and heard a loud "snap." I also needed to apply hot water to make it go the first time, so be careful with this one. Everything else is explosion and expansion - the legs all rotate and tuck in, and the robot backpack to more or less make a mask for the truck's cab. I think you'll like everything about it other than how the smokestacks are easy to knock off-center.

The truck is very much like other flat-nosed red trucks - the blue section is a bit thicker for all the leg folding, but it looks like most Optimus toys. The wheels turn, it's red, there's at least one Autobot symbol on it, it's pretty good. The brake light parts were switched during assembly on most if not all units, but it's not exactly a big deal and there's a fix. The truck itself doesn't do much but carry the trailer, which is more or less what you want here. There is, however, a new feature.

In Transformers: The Movie, Optimus changes from truck to car with the help of some little jets - which this toy finally includes. A pair of two-piece flame pieces boost him up slightly, letting you capture a few frames of animation on your desk as Optimus crashes through Decepticons to save the day. It's hard to come up with a new feature for an Optimus Prime collectible, but they did, and I've seen some nice diorama shots so far. If you don't care about the truck mode, you can ignore these... but it's nice to see Hasbro and Takara-Tomy incentivize use of the alt modes. I would absolutely love to see more of these toys give fans a reason to put the toy in a non-robot mode - other than combiners, I assume most toys stay as the robot once purchased. This is kind of a shame, as the entire point of these robots are that you also get a second toy mode at no extra charge.

Depending on your budget, this is - and let's hope I'm right - the last cartoon-specific Optimus Prime toy you may ever need to buy. They nailed the basic look from the show, and while it could be colored more cartoonily - cartoonesque? - this hits the high notes as to how it should probably look to delight the most fans. If you have the Masterpiece toys, you probably are covered - but if not, and if you're enjoying Studio Series 86, this is a good set to get as the line continues to drip out the remaining movie-specific versions of these guys. I assume this toy is going to be very tough to find in 2024, but Hasbro has been increasingly good about bringing back their best-sellers for reruns, or exclusives, or even in the main line. It's really quite amazing to see that after going out of their way to not make toys based on this original version of Optimus Prime in the USA for quite a while after G2 ended, you can all but guarantee some new flavor will be out every year or two. I assume we'll get another one. But I doubt it'll be more ornate.

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