What if a classic toy were to be remade with modern articulation and detailing? That’s where the new Missing Link toys for Transformers come in, and they are amazing.
The first of these was the classic Optimus Prime, with the iconic trailer, quickly followed by an anime-accurate version (minus the trailer).
The version here is the initial “C-01” release with the trailer, and an awful lot else.
To back up a bit, most kids during the mid-80s would have likely had this version of Optimus Prime at one point. However, the original release had almost no real articulation to speak of.
It just stood rigid and couldn’t be posed at all. Furthermore, the hands were separate parts that had to be attached.
Don’t get me wrong, it was still a great toy, but this Missing Link version is really quite something else.
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Firstly, the articulation is way more involved now. You have more movement in its knees, hips, and feet, so you can actually pose the toy properly now. The arms are also more involved, as you can swivel them at the shoulder and elbow. The hands are now folded into the gap behind the radiator grate and can also be opened and closed.
The other big addition is that this release also includes a very shiny Matrix of Leadership. This, too, can be removed and held in the new articulated hands.
In the original toy, you can spaces for the small Diaclone figures, but these figures were removed when they came Westward as Transformers. The nice thing here is that the whole Matrix housing can also be removed to leave those old Diaclone seats as well.
So, that’s just the main toy; what about the trailer?
This is basically identical to the original. You get the little buggy, but it’s silver now, and the maintenance pod. The latter can also be removed and features hair-trigger, spring-loaded missiles.
The trailer can also be used in its three configurations: open, closed (but with the maintenance pod popping out), and the rather fun vertical maintenance bay setup (shown below). It’s pretty versatile, and you also have stabilisers underneath that can be pulled out and retracted as needed.
The main use of the trailer, though, was storing the other smaller Transformers toys, which this Missing Link toy line is pumping out multiple variants already.
Over the years, I’ve owned a lot of Optimus Primes. From multiple Masterpiece iterations to even the new Diaclone version, but this is probably one of my favorites. Even compared to the walking-talking Robosen version.
The fact it takes the classic toy and just updates it without changing anything drastic, just to make it a better toy, is something I cannot enthuse about enough.
All of this excellence is also pretty affordable, considering the amount of stuff you get, coming in at a decent $119.99.
Considering that the original 1984 toy can go for multiple times this amount, and doesn’t have any of the new articulation or gimmicks, makes this an absolute bargain.
So, if your parents threw all your old toys away and you’ve fancied replacing your classic Optimus Prime, get this one. It’s better than the toy you remember and is nowhere near as expensive compared to the original that’s on the collector’s market.
The Missing Link Optimus Prime is available from the Hasbro Pulse online store for $119.99.
Missing Link Optimus Prime Gallery
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy, Hasbro
Release Date: February 2024 (Japan)
Price: $119.99
Disclosure: Hasbro sent me this toy for the purposes of this review.
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