I finally got the chance to unbox Hasbro’s SDCC exclusive Transformer “Primitive Skateboarding Optimus Prime.” It only took me, what, four months? I was, uh, waiting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Yes? No? I admit it, procrastination is not my friend. But it’s an awfully attractive exclusive, and I can get behind the fact that in all seriousness the little Titan Master figure is named “Shreddicus Maximus.” See below for the photo gallery.
Transforming Optimus the first time from robot to truck is tricky, but not as challenging for me as the Voyager Class Optimus from a couple months ago. If the cargo area seems flimsy that means you don’t quite have everything aligned right, it’s very sturdy when all the pieces have snapped into place.
I love the fact that Shreddicus Maximus is the head of the robot, but the robot has a helmet of its own that snugs down over the head, the only visible portion of the head itself are the blue eyes. I’m not sure why that tickled me so much, but it’s very nicely done.
The figure is stable while standing, but not as stable as some, because the wide “calf” portion of the legs are so big they get in each other’s way, but it’s also possible I didn’t have the thighs pivoted correctly.
The paint job is excellent, particularly the gold elements on the arms, the details of the little cogs and gears are gorgeous.
The hands are lightly articulated, with the fingers separate from the thumb. I had a little trouble getting the fingers to close around the handle of the various guns, but once again, I may have been trying to make them hold onto the wrong part.
I really like how articulated Shreddicus Maximus is. Like most of the head portions of the Titan Masters his legs are just one piece, but the arms can be moved both up and down and slightly away from the body at the shoulders, so combined with the swiveling of the head you can get different poses and expressions for photos.
The box itself has some impressive artwork, the gold on black on the front is very nice, but if you look inside the eyes there’s a black-on-black texture design, very intricate stuff. The back is also a black-texture-on-smooth-black design, which picks up the light very well.
Primitive Skateboarding Optimus Prime courtesy of Hasbro.