Transformers Masterpiece Optimus Prime / Convoy With Trailer - MP-04

This toy is not for children, but more for collectors. This toy awesome and if you are transformers fan, you should definetely buy this toy. I have waited atleast 6 moths before I decided to buy this toy, because of the high price. But now that I have it, it is worth every penny.

Don't spend crazy money on this. It's due for reissue at the end of July 2009, at the moment here it's priced here at £399, you'll get a new one for £150 in a couple of weeks so save your cash.That said it's an awesome toy and worth the cash, but don't waste money when you don't need to.

Optimus Prime has to be one of the most often-released figures in the Transformers universe, and yet in spite of this each version of him seems to sell by the bucket-load. This Masterpiece version has to be, for me at least, not only the definitive version of the one and only Prime, but also the definitive Masterpiece. It looks good, has styling fairly true to its origins and feels sturdier (and is easier to transform) than some of the other Masterpiece figures. The transformation is hardly G1-easy, but it's certainly nowhere near as fiddly as, say, Masterpiece Megatron's, and, unlike Megatron, you rarely get the feeling that you're going to break something off.The box Prime arrives in is big, nicely detailed and, even though it's written almost totally in Japanese, has enough images of Prime in his modes and in various poses to satisfy the most ardent of collectors. Opening up the box reveals Prime in his robot mode and his trailer, which was notoriously absent from the original MP-01 release. The trailer is to all intents and purposes a larger version of the original G1 trailer; it opens up by splitting down the centre and comes complete with opening rear doors, rear ramp and repair bay. Unfortunately, and unlike Prime, who has a lot of die-cast content, the trailer is exclusively plastic.Prime comes with a nice set of accessories, including his gun, battleaxe, a mini-Megatron in gun mode and a Matrix that can be removed from his chest and which lights up when inserted. One point of note here - Prime arrives with the battery to power the Matrix's LED already inserted so if you're buying him with an eye on collection / appreciation, you should probably take the battery out before storing him away. I believe that the only thing that's missing when compared to the original G1 Prime is Roller, which I believe was a Japanese Toy Club exclusive. It's a bit disappointing (and slightly odd) not to have the complete package but Roller is available to buy as a separate accessory if you're bothered by his omission.As I said, this has to be the definitive version of Optimus Prime and a worthy addition to any Transformers collection. Whether, given Takara's propensity to re-release popular figures, it will ever seriously appreciate in value remains to be seen but if you're buying one to collect rather than as an investment then I think it's a terrific buy - if you can get it for a reasonable price of course.