Blog #844: Toy Review: Transformers: Platinum Edition: Year of the Goat Laser Optimus Prime and Masterpiece Soundwave with Buzzsaw, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage and Rumble

Transformers: Platinum Edition: Year of the Goat Laser Optimus Prime and Masterpiece Soundwave with Buzzsaw, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage and Rumble

So, to some up these toys, they look like crap.  I don’t know what drugs someone was on when they came up with a metallic burnet orange and clear color scheme for these toys.  The look awful.  I don’t mind out there color schemes, I love G2 toys, but these look terrible.  I’m not a huge fan of clear toys, but if you want to do clear then do as much clear as you can.  There are always a few parts that can’t be clear, and that’s fine.  Do those in white.  I do really love translucent colored toys, and that’s what they should have done.  Optimus Prime would have looked awesome in translucent G1 colors.  For Soundwave, a translucent G1 color Soundwave and cassettes would look awesome, but even better, why not do Soundblaster and the add Ratbat or replace one of the birds with him?  Now, I hope that there is some reason for this color scheme.  Maybe it has something to do with Year of the Goat, or maybe this is what the toys would look like if a goat ate them, shit them out, and then they were put back together.  I don’t know, but they look like crap.

Then there is the price.  BBTS.com has them at $140 for Prime and $160 for Soundwave.  This is overpriced.  Soundwave was $120 when he came out at TRU, and I can’t see the prime at more than $90.  I can’t see Soundwave going up in price 33% in just a couple of years.  HasbroToyShop.com has the Soundwave for $180.  Optimus isn’t up yet, but I’m guessing $160.  ToysRUs.com has Optimus Prime for $180 and Soundwave for a mind blowing $190.  So, if you are a completist and need these, get them from BBTS.com.  They are still way too expensive, but it’s the best option I’ve seen.

Of course, the other option is to wait until the are deeply discounted, which will happen.  Chances are they won’t be able to give these things away.

Optimus Prime

To add to the absurd color scheme, his missiles and disks are translucent pink.  I mean, if not for the clear plastic, I could look at it as a wacky G2 color scheme, but all that clear plastic just sucks.  I do like the chrome trailer, but that’s not exactly saying a lot.  He’s got very few paint apps, especially on the robot.  They should have at least painted the windows on his chest blue if nothing else.

Soundwave

I did not bother transforming the cassettes.  I was nervous transforming the regular ones, but it didn’t seem worth the risk with all the small clear plastic bits.  The set still has all the accessories of the original TRU version.  If Soundwave were clear and gray, he might not look bad.  He has fewer paint apps than the regular version, which just adds to how overpriced it is.

All in all, these are really only for completists and people who like shit ugly toys.  The worst part is that they could have picked really good color schemes and made these toys people would have really wanted even with the ridiculous prices.

Thanks for reading!