It’s been nice to see Takara revert to form in the last few years regarding minor changes and upgraded paint jobs.  And this is most certainly evident in the latest Optimus Prime toy from Earthspark when compared to its Hasbro counterpart.  So without further ado lets take a look at DX Battle Station Optimus Prime.

 

Robot Mode

Optimus is redeco of the Warrior-class version of the toy from last year, sporting a bright colour scheme and that signature Earthspark large mouthplate.  The articulation is good and the flip-out battle axe is a nice touch.  Just a shame he’s got the nose of the truck hanging off him like an oversized bum-bag.

 

Truck Mode

Nice looking, and the bright colour scheme will really appeal to younger fans.  The arms are the letdown here.  Not only does it leave a gap between the shoulders on the back of the truck cab, but they are a total pain in the arse during transformation as they need to clip into the cab, the nose and the tail of the truck, and often when doing one tab you cause another to come loose or accidentally jostle the opposing arm free.  This makes what is otherwise a simplistic transformation quite fiddly and irritating.

 

Base Mode

The paintjob on this really sets it apart from its Hasbro counterpart as well as the Cyberverse versions this was lifted from.  It’s a pretty cool looking base with lots of 5mm ports you can attach extra guns to and will accomodate a deluxe sized vehicle.  It’s a shame that the big spring-loaded cannons come out the back of the base but this is necessary for the Battle Trailer Mode.

 

Trailer/Battle Trailer

It’s a good looking and well proportioned trailer.  The ramp at the back folds down to allow deluxe-sized vehicles to enter the trailer cavity.

A spring-loaded mechanism allows to big guns to flip out at the front of the trailer, and the roof folds over to not only allow for a turret gun but also another transformer to stand in the trailer to operate it, giving it a lot of play value!

 

Overall

This figure is realitively cheap for its size and its abundance in Japan makes it easy to find and import.  The only let downs are the transformation from robot to truck and overall it feels like the plastic is realitvely weak and cheaply made.  However this is a really fun figure and is highly recommended!

 

Unboxing Video!

Check out the unboxing video below from our YouTube channel, and why not give a like & subscribe while you are there!