G1 Universe Optimus Prime 1984 Redux, Redux Transformers Legacy United Deluxe Item No.: Asst. F2990 No. F9848 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Matrix of Leadership, 2 Ion Blasters, Energon Axe Action Feature: Transforms from robot to truck, chest door opens Retail: $24.99 Availability: October 2024 Other: Smaller than G1/Missing Link, no metal, but fun
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I really like this toy. I can't put it down and keep playing with it.

It's kind of amazing to think about it, but after the G2 version of the character there weren't really many G1 Universe Optimus Prime toys on the market for several years. This year alone, we've had a few and they're on opposite ends of the spectrum for higher-end collectible interpretations of the 1984 character. Japan's Missing Link C-01 Optimus Prime (Convoy) [FOTD #2,700] took the original toy - metal and all - and worked in articulation and every detail they could sculpt or sticker in there to deliver you a toy that looks just like 1984 with non-losable fists and massively improved articulation. It's better than the toy you had as a kid. Studio Series 86 Optimus Prime [FOTD #2,777] runs with the cartoon version, giving you a cartoon model action figure (with a bit of a backpack) that turns into a very god truck with many of the accessories from the show, but is by no means a 1:1 creation. It's very close, it's very good, and it even throws in some toy elements. But this Optimus Prime does something different - they asked "What kind of Optimus Prime G1 1984 toy can we make with modern articulation for $25?" and the answer is "something like you probably imagined G2 should have been like."

This is a smaller toy than the 1984 original. There are no die-cast metal parts, and it's mostly molded in color. But his transformation is pretty simple, and that alone makes this a compelling toy to buy to keep on your desk. A $90 toy might get stolen, but a $25 toy... this is the kind of thing that you'll probably pull out any time you get new accessories.

I was waffling between getting it and passing on it because Missing Link came out first and was fancier. But I also never really played with it due to the expense and the chrome... which means I was in the market for a G1 toy I'd be encouraged to actually play with. This delivers.

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I didn't have Optimus as a child, and I got my first one when I was around 20. As such, new toys of him continue to hold an amount of fascination for me, mostly because they're riffing on the character, and the idea of the toy, resulting in something interesting much of the time. This one improves on the 1984 toy in many ways, but not in others. The original toy's removable fits gave you wrist articulation - but those joints are gone, in exchange for swiveling wrists into the forearms so you don't lose the hands. He still has rubbery (but supposedly not rubber) tires, and to be honest I wish they just made hard plastic tires because I have no idea how these may age.

The color aren't a perfect match for the original, and with the added light-piping to the eyes it immediately made me think of G2 stuff. The real original G2 Prime was just G1 Optimus with new accessories, but the line really spread around the ideas of added articulation and light-up eyes as an increasingly normal thing. If you had this toy in the 1990s, your head would explode. You don't get a trailer or a sound box, but slight ankle swivels, ankle tilts, and a flip-up "belt" so you can swing his legs forward are all pretty worthwhile additions. I was able to easily get him into some weird poses, including balancing on one foot. And it wasn't that hard to do. In the action figure space that's something of a miracle, it's difficult if not impossible to achieve that with traditional action figures.

His accessories are better than expected. You get two blasters based on original toy (and revised variant) designs, an energy axe, a Matrix of Leadership, and two removable smokestacks that also work as blasters. While he doesn't have many 5mm sockets, he has enough to store the items in robot mode and truck mode so you won't necessarily misplace them.

This Matrix of Leadership is kind of an oddball addition as the original era of the franchise did not introduce it as a concept until 1986 - and it didn't come out as a toy with an accessory that fit in his chest until the year 2002. It's clear blue, matching the windows, and mounts in the chest. His fists don't open, so he can't really hold it. If Hasbro left it out for budget reasons I may not miss it, but it's well-integrated and a nice extra. The same is true of the yellow energy axe. The original toy didn't have it, the 21st century reissues would sometimes include them, and it fits over his fist nicely. Would I miss it if they left it out? No, but it's fun to have and it even stores on the trailer hitch in truck mode.

The blasters both fit in his hands easily, unlike the original, and also store in truck mode. I would've been happy with either one, as they don't look terribly different, but are nice. Neither can use the blast effect pieces despite a tiny tip on the barrels - they're too small. Similarly his smoke stack blasters don't work with laser blasts, but they look cool and are a good example of integrating new toy features in a design that surprise you along the way. As kids we actually played with this stuff and tried to come up with new modes, or pushing things together to see if they fit or could do something fun, and I'm glad to see that spirit isn't dead in a collector line. Usually the emphasis is on articulation and authenticity - this is a toy that had more than a little "but this would be fun so let's do it this way instead" put into it.

Other than the wrists and the compartment to hide the head, transformation is almost identical to the 1984 original and as of this review, I have not consulted the instructions. It takes seconds, and I'm here for it - I do not like complicated tranformations. I want more toys that are this easy and satisfying to play with, because I get no joy or benefit from having to squint at a road map to figure out how to make a little truck. I just want to start having fun, and with all the articulation, it's still a good collector figure.

As a truck it is smaller than the original - but functionally similar. The new trailer hitch was designed to work with actual 1984 cargo trailers as well as the Studio Series 86 one, which is brilliant. (Also, I don't need more trailers.) I also tested it with the Legacy Laser Prime tanker trailer, Missing Link, and Earthrise - they all work. Be it coincidence or by design, I appreciate that there are toys being made that encourage you to go into your collection and try out combinations of things just to see if they work. It's not practical, but it's a lot of fun. Also, it reminded me that I have way more Optimus trailers than I need at this point, and if Hasbro stops making them I am OK with that.

Missing Link was a perfect Optimus Prime for collectors who want one and only one toy that gives you modern articulation with the look and feel of a 1984 toy. If you want something that reminds you of the 1984 toy but feels like a real modern toy, this is the better (and cheaper) one. The head looks like the original head, the light piping looks like it came out of the 1990s, and it integrate with your existing trailer stash. You may also already have dozens of Optimus toy and don't need another one - but I bet this is the one a lot of dads are going to get for Christmas and one I hope a lot of collectors give a shot if they ever see one in stores. $25 for a robot with a lot of gear, who can balance on one foot, and who looks like the toy you pined for as a kid isn't a bad deal. I'm hoping Hasbro makes similar "toy" toys for Soundwave (Siege-sized tapes would be fine), Bumblebee (G1 transformation but deluxe-sized toy), or the like, I would be thrilled. I'd even happily buy Optimus again in Nemesis or Sentinel Prime colors, and if it wound up in a Target 4-pack I'd go buy it. And if none of these things happen, even getting just this one toy is really cool and is a lot like what we got in early Masters of the Universe Origins toys - more or less your childhood, but a barely changed size with different coloring.

If you think you might enjoy having fun with this toy, go get one. If you want a Masterpiece toy, go get that - but this is $25 I'm really enjoying having spent.

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