Hasbro Releasing Transformers Masterpiece MP-44 Optimus Prime Ver 3 for $440 USD

Man. I was hoping that IF Hasbro was to release this, we'd see a better price. Time to start saving. This will be the last MP Prime I ever purchase. I really do love the way it looks.

Two things, is there some sort of joint in the ax? Some pics make it look like there's a ratchet or something. We're all going nuts on the price, meanwhile I'm still waiting on them to get the Porsche license.

Looks like Takara has figured out how to make the "skirt" panels of articulation fold in, instead of out over the thighs.



Compare with the old way:

TulioDude wrote:I feel like Sideswipe doesnt fit as much anymore

Then again he was made with same design thoughs as MP10

There is nothing wrong with wanting cartoon accurate toys,but how far are we willing to?I wonder if vehicles are gone get cartoony too

I figure if Sideswipe were made as an MP today he'd be different than MP-12. But I think he's good enough. It's more Red Alet that bugs me, they left out his signature shoulders/arms because back then retooling was simpler due to lower budget.

As for vehicles, I'd say no. If anything they made Sunstreaker more like the real Countach.



And the reason Optimus Prime seems so complex is that they can have a super-accurate robot mode, with a more realistic truck. Different grills, different windows, different fuel tanks, lights, air intake, studs, wipers, etc.



A complete transformation. I think the smoke-stacks may be the only obvious truck parts shared by both modes.





⠀

This is a tad off-topic, but because of this thread, I now know MP-10 can bend at the waist. I just tried doing it on mine, but it doesn't seem to want to do it easily, at least via just simply pulling it forward. Can anyone explain how to do it? I'm fine with the reply being via PM if y'all feel like this would clog up this thread.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:On that screencap clipping in the comparison you can make out the outline of where the stripe ought to be. I think a Masterpiece should capture the essence of the cartoon depiction without stooping to its omissions and errors.

What you think and what Takara thinks are two different things. The current goal of the Masterpiece series is to capture what the characters looked like in the original cartoon, which is the most important work of fiction for all of Transformers.

Fixed that for you. The origin of the line had little to do with cartoon accuracy, even if that is the current direction.

TulioDude wrote:I feel like Sideswipe doesnt fit as much anymore

Then again he was made with same design thoughs as MP10

Nemesis Maximo wrote:You can say all you want how you don’t agree with the direction of the line, but you can’t seriously tell me you don’t think that what they’ve accomplished is anything short of amazing. It looks almost exactly as Optimus Prime was presented on the show.

Agreed that they've had to be innovative with their engineering, and he does very much look like the on screen respresentation (aside from that mahoosive backpack) of the cartoon.

Cyberpath wrote:And the reason Optimus Prime seems so complex is that they can have a super-accurate robot mode, with a more realistic truck. Different grills, different windows, different fuel tanks, lights, air intake, studs, wipers, etc.

A complete transformation. I think the smoke-stacks may be the only obvious truck parts shared by both modes.

[/quote]
Which raises another point of intrigue. If you need so many faux parts in the bot mode, is it not just a glorified shell-former?

Hasbro going for mrsp too?

Im expecting this to end up on discount if they stock to anywhere near a normal level. Of course if they go for piecemeal stock levels ill be dissapointed!

Before Prime Day 2019: $440

Prime Day 2019: $220 with Free two day shipping!

After Peime Day 2019: New starting at $900 from these swllwrs!

ThunderThruster wrote:Which raises another point of intrigue. If you need so many faux parts in the bot mode, is it not just a glorified shell-former?

He looks sharp to me, I don't see any shells hanging off him.

Jeddostotle7 wrote:This is a tad off-topic, but because of this thread, I now know MP-10 can bend at the waist. I just tried doing it on mine, but it doesn't seem to want to do it easily, at least via just simply pulling it forward. Can anyone explain how to do it? I'm fine with the reply being via PM if y'all feel like this would clog up this thread.

You mean an ab crunch? MP-10 can't do that.

You can try faking it with his waist rotation and the right camera angle.

So I'm a but confused on this pricing thing. Didn't we just have an article on here that told us that the 400 plus cost was due to the cost of places such as BBTS and TF Source having to purchase them from a third party in Japan in order to get them and import them here?

So shouldn't this figure be less money or is Hasbro or Entertainment Earth just looking at the pricing of the imported versions and charging that much?

Honestly, the proportions of Optimus' window-pecs and grill-abs varied so much from shot to shot of him over the course of the show because of the animation being modest-budget-at-best hand-drawn and usually rushed too that using faux-parts to try and mimic the cartoon is a fool's errand that just adds pointless unnecessary complication. There are thresholds where reaching for high cartoon accuracy is like trying to grab smoke. It's impossible no matter how hard you try, and the harder you try the more of a fool you look.

Cyberpath wrote:

ThunderThruster wrote:Which raises another point of intrigue. If you need so many faux parts in the bot mode, is it not just a glorified shell-former?

He looks sharp to me, I don't see any shells hanging off him.

He sure doesn't look sharp in truck mode!

Coptur wrote:

Relic0037 wrote:One way I look at my decision to pass on MP-44 is that I already have MP-10, although to be 100% accurate, I have the TRU version of MP-10. This new figure doesn't represent a drastic change in scale like going from MP-01 to MP-10, so I will view it the same way I did when MP-12+ was announced.....if I didn't have Sideswipe already, I would probably get the + version, but since I already have him, I'm not buying him again to get some paint upgrades & in the case of MP-44, a few extra accessories.

Yeah instead of '+' Sideswipe & Wheeljack they could've just done Deep Cover ( ) & Slicer

When they take a mold & make a different character, which can sometimes be a repaint, as would be the case of making Starscream into Skywarp or Optimus into Nemesis, that changes my decision on whether to purchase the new version or not. When they are doing a repaint or new mold of a Transformer I already have on my Masterpiece shelf, I am less likely to repurchase the same bot or con again, unless they have really done something to blow me away.

Sometimes cost is a factor, like when I picked up the original version of MP-29 Shockwave because it had been heavily discounted & while the new version had a nicer paint job, it wasn't good enough to pay almost double the price of the original.

Red Alert was a character that I put off purchasing for awhile, so when I had the choice between the MP-14 & the MP-14+ at the same price, I went with the + because I preferred the paint job on that one. Had I already owned the original, I would have just stuck with that.

Getting back to MP-44, it looks like a nice figure, but there is not enough there from the pictures I've seen to warrant selling off my MP-10 & paying the huge upgrade cost to own the new version. For those who love him & will get him, that's great. I'm just planning to stick with what I have for now.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Honestly, the proportions of Optimus' window-pecs and grill-abs varied so much from shot to shot of him over the course of the show because of the animation being modest-budget-at-best hand-drawn and usually rushed too that using faux-parts to try and mimic the cartoon is a fool's errand that just adds pointless unnecessary complication. There are thresholds where reaching for high cartoon accuracy is like trying to grab smoke. It's impossible no matter how hard you try, and the harder you try the more of a fool you look.

Except it’s not impossible; Takara has clearly demonstrated their ability to bulseye wamprats with their T-16 back home make the figures mimic the mass-shifting and parts-morphing of the show. No smoke grabbing, no foolery required here.

Trying to mimic the cartoon isn’t a pointless at all, it is literally the current (Shout our to ThunderThruster )point of the Materpiece Line.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Cyberpath wrote:

ThunderThruster wrote:Which raises another point of intrigue. If you need so many faux parts in the bot mode, is it not just a glorified shell-former?

He looks sharp to me, I don't see any shells hanging off him.

He sure doesn't look sharp in truck mode!

To each his own.

The cab looks more or less like MP-10. Most notably without the stripes or silver apps around the windshields and wipers. Slightly different grill, too.

I’m a huge fan of Mp44, but I don’t see it as an upgrade. I see it as an alternative. It’s... kinda like you got Comicbook NECA tmnt, 80’s cartoon NECA tmnt, and 1990’s movie NECA tmnt. Yeah, they are all tmnt, but they are entirely different characters with common traits. You could easily have mp10, mp44, and mpm4 all on display and you’d be right to do so.
Mp10 is the stoic toy soldier. The powerful leader of a team of autobot warriors. The pinnacle of 1984 toy evolution.
Mp44 is cartoon Optimus Prime. Wise, compassionate, fatherly. He sees his autobots as his family, not just as the men under his command.
Mpm4 is movie Optimus Prime. Stressed and beaten down by centuries of war, Prime has lost much of his idealism towards life. Willing to do anything to stop the spread of decepticons, Prime finds himself resorting to their own violent tactics as a means to an end... what scares him more? The loss of his personal moral code... or the thought that he actually enjoys the killing?
That’s how I look at it.

Now, for some of the common niggles...
The backpack is actually season 1 & 2 accurate. Prime is often a hunchback. Remember, the G1 toy had no back, so animators had to come it with something, so they made a counterweight, which makes sense.

No silver stripe in truck mode is just as accurate as a silver stripe. It’s 50/50, and since the scene where Prime rolls out to take out decepticons in Autobot City was a focal point of the movie (going by the painstaking detail and shading absent much of the movie) I’d say that no stripe is the “official” configuration for cartoon Prime.

Saying “It’s not worth the price/gouging/mp10 is fine” ... that’s a perfectly valid opinion to have, and you are welcome to that opinion. MP44 won’t be for everyone. My only humble request is that people who don’t like it stop attacking those that do like it, or vice versa. We live in an incredible time, and collect a totally unique collectible... No other adult collectibles toy line has the options we take for granted. We have official figures, quality 3rd party figures, and even dedicated “perfected” knock offs. We are truly blessed.

Dont think anyone hs been attacking anyone else to be fair.. just stating opinions on the toy.

The truck comparison has put the bail in the coffin for me as from where im sitting its a downgrade, a less detailed version of mp10.

The roblt mode is definitely an upgrade, but not one that to me is worth the price if the alt mode feels like a downgrade.

Rodimus Knight wrote:So I'm a but confused on this pricing thing. Didn't we just have an article on here that told us that the 400 plus cost was due to the cost of places such as BBTS and TF Source having to purchase them from a third party in Japan in order to get them and import them here?

So shouldn't this figure be less money or is Hasbro or Entertainment Earth just looking at the pricing of the imported versions and charging that much?

I think Hasbro is going the luxury home audio route... Takara and Hasbro decided $440 is the MSRP of the figure... but really it’s up to vendors to decide what their profits will be on it. I sold home audio for years. Stores enjoy a 100 to 120% markup on a pair of speakers. The wholesaler ALSO has a 75% to 100% markup on their price to the stores... and the manufacturers also make money, so the average $500 pair of speakers MIGHT cost the factory $35 to $50 to make, including parts & labor.

So Takara probably makes mp44 for $20-30 each, and the rest is markups to cover expenses and a profit cushion for retailers... if Joe’s Toy Shack wants to make a ton of profit, he can buy the figure at $200 and make $240 profit... or he can take a hit by offering it at $300, only making $100, but hoping people will add to their preorders and buy current stock that is already affecting the business’s bottom line.

Stores did that with DVDs for years. Studio would announce msrp of $24.99, but Walmart would release it on Tuesdays for $13.99, make little to no money on the disc, and hope you bought popcorn, snacks, and batteries (with 100% to 300% markup) to make up for it.

Webz wrote: My only humble request is that people who don’t like it stop attacking those that do like it, or vice versa.

Well, don't think we're not here reading along. Honestly I feel like everyone is behaving inline with our rules. There are just some very strong opinions. I mean some folks seem to really just want to argue, boardering on trolling, but as long as nobody resorts to name calling or belligerent asshatery, the debate can continue, and should.

It's hot topic!
There's a lot to discuss.

Cobotron wrote:

Webz wrote: My only humble request is that people who don’t like it stop attacking those that do like it, or vice versa.

Well, don't think we're not here reading along. Honestly I feel like everyone is behaving inline with our rules. There are just some very strong opinions. I mean some folks seem to really just want to argue, boardering on trolling, but as long as nobody resorts to name calling or belligerent asshatery, the debate can continue, and should.

It's hot topic!
There's a lot to discuss.

Oh, I know you guys are lurking in the shadows with your Squeaky Mallets of Censoring™️ , and so far, the discussion here has been overall pleasant compared to other places online. I just like reminding people how awesome we have things right now... and it’s so easy for passionate people to take a comment wrong and spiral downwards. The backpack and price seem to be instant ignition rocket fuel in many places I’ve been reading discussions,

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Honestly, the proportions of Optimus' window-pecs and grill-abs varied so much from shot to shot of him over the course of the show because of the animation being modest-budget-at-best hand-drawn and usually rushed too that using faux-parts to try and mimic the cartoon is a fool's errand that just adds pointless unnecessary complication. There are thresholds where reaching for high cartoon accuracy is like trying to grab smoke. It's impossible no matter how hard you try, and the harder you try the more of a fool you look.

Cyberpath wrote:

ThunderThruster wrote:Which raises another point of intrigue. If you need so many faux parts in the bot mode, is it not just a glorified shell-former?

He looks sharp to me, I don't see any shells hanging off him.

He sure doesn't look sharp in truck mode!

I would say MP-44 is just as much a shellformer as much as AOE Evasion Mode Prime is. It's just faux parts that fold and twist around to reveal the bot and truck modes in a clean, kibble free way. The truckbed might not be the cleanest, but like MP Primal and Cheetor, it's mostly forgiving because it's mainly for the bot mode.

Rodimus Knight wrote:So I'm a but confused on this pricing thing. Didn't we just have an article on here that told us that the 400 plus cost was due to the cost of places such as BBTS and TF Source having to purchase them from a third party in Japan in order to get them and import them here?

So shouldn't this figure be less money or is Hasbro or Entertainment Earth just looking at the pricing of the imported versions and charging that much?

Yeah, its mega confusing. Its like the importers (like BBTS) still havent coordinated fully with hasbro's new MP distribution, so we are getting the same toy from different companies and retailers i the US.

But here is what is going on, since we have seen it in the past with Hasbro MPs. They are simply pricing it at Japanese MSRP. If you look at Bumblebee, Bluestreak, and MP 10 rerelease, their last TRU MP, it was all priced around the Japanese MSRP and not the price Japanese retailers are selling it for.

So basically, Takara told Hasbro MSRP is 50,000 Yen (which it is) and Hasbro said "sounds good, lets go" without looking at what the toy is actually retailing for in Japan.

Its the same case with Anime Prowl, Beast Megatron and any other MP from now on.

Cyberpath wrote:

And the reason Optimus Prime seems so complex is that they can have a super-accurate robot mode, with a more realistic truck. Different grills, different windows, different fuel tanks, lights, air intake, studs, wipers, etc.

A complete transformation. I think the smoke-stacks may be the only obvious truck parts shared by both modes.

Based on the seams in cab mode, it seems like this is the first MP Prime whose transformation sequence won't generally follow or resemble that of the G1 toy.

Feels strange to me to have a figure whose chest looks kind of like a cab face but none of the actual parts form any part of the actual cab, but then again, that always bothered me about G1 Powermaster Prime, too.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Honestly, the proportions of Optimus' window-pecs and grill-abs varied so much from shot to shot of him over the course of the show because of the animation being modest-budget-at-best hand-drawn and usually rushed too that using faux-parts to try and mimic the cartoon is a fool's errand that just adds pointless unnecessary complication. There are thresholds where reaching for high cartoon accuracy is like trying to grab smoke. It's impossible no matter how hard you try, and the harder you try the more of a fool you look.

This is why the drive for "cartoon accuracy" confuses me, because there is no such thing. Same with colors: there was so much variation/error that how can you ever really say the cartoons had a canonically different color scheme than the toys? They made MP-36 grey, but wasn't the cartoon's grey only ever just an approximation of silver that was easier to paint?

It seems especially silly with the differences in the Autobot and Decepticon symbols. Why differentiate between them when the cartoon ones were only ever approximations of the toy ones?

Anyone seeing any mention of Carly in new orders?

Starting to think it’s Spike and Sparkplug only.

Webz wrote:Anyone seeing any mention of Carly in new orders?

Starting to think it’s Spike and Sparkplug only.

Was she supposed to come on this set? I always assumed it was spike and sparkplug.

ZeroWolf wrote:

Webz wrote:Anyone seeing any mention of Carly in new orders?

Starting to think it’s Spike and Sparkplug only.

Was she supposed to come on this set? I always assumed it was spike and sparkplug.

The original Amazon listing had “Curly figure x1” along with Spike and Sparkplug. Many were saying it was actually Carly (probably season 2 version)

She's still listed on TakaraTomy Mall.

コンボイ本体（1）、コンテナ（1）、スペシャル高射砲（1）、ローラー（1）、エナジーアックス（1）、ビームエフェクト（2）、レーザーライフル（1）、マトリクス（1）、エネルギー補給パイプ（1）、スパイクフィギュア（1）、カーリーフィギュア（1）、スパークプラグフィギュア（1）、ロケットブースター（1）、スタースクリームヘッド（1）、スタースクリームインテーク（1）、アダプター（1）、ラウンドヘッド（1）、ダメージヘッド（1）、ダメージウェスト（1）、キャラクターカード（1）、取扱説明書 (1)

Ah fair enough maybe she's not finished yet, hence no pictures of her, I mean there's still 8 months till release

What I don't understand is why they are going for toon look in robot mode, but with a (relatively) realistic alt mode. If they do a toon look bot, I think they should do a toon look alt mode.

Maybe they are saving toon alt mode for V4.

hausjam wrote:What I don't understand is why they are going for toon look in robot mode, but with a (relatively) realistic alt mode. If they do a toon look bot, I think they should do a toon look alt mode.

Maybe they are saving toon alt mode for V4.

Alt mode is right out of the 1986 “you got the touch” scene with Prime. No stripe, same angles to the front of the cab. Just really close.

hausjam wrote:What I don't understand is why they are going for toon look in robot mode, but with a (relatively) realistic alt mode. If they do a toon look bot, I think they should do a toon look alt mode.

Maybe they are saving toon alt mode for V4.

If they had, they could've just used the same windows in both modes. The cab already has taller windows than MP10.

Cyberpath wrote:

ThunderThruster wrote:Which raises another point of intrigue. If you need so many faux parts in the bot mode, is it not just a glorified shell-former?

He looks sharp to me, I don't see any shells hanging off him.

Jeddostotle7 wrote:This is a tad off-topic, but because of this thread, I now know MP-10 can bend at the waist. I just tried doing it on mine, but it doesn't seem to want to do it easily, at least via just simply pulling it forward. Can anyone explain how to do it? I'm fine with the reply being via PM if y'all feel like this would clog up this thread.

You mean an ab crunch? MP-10 can't do that.

You can try faking it with his waist rotation and the right camera angle.

...Well alright then. I thought based on thr fact that people were saying MP-01 "didn't bend at the waist", in contrast with both MP-44 and seemingly MP-10, that the figure had an ab crunch I'd never known about before, but I guess I was just misreading or misinterpreting.

Like I said afore, unless this figure is made of solid gold, it ain't worth no four hundred dollars...

william-james88 wrote:Anyway, I TOLD you all. Hasbro aint gonna do you no favours. This toy is expensive, aint no way around that.

You didn't tell me.

Emerje wrote:There will be a Hasbro release, but it's going to be exactly the same as that's their new MP MO. Beast Megatron in Japan is 35,000JPY ($309 USD, though you can get it much cheaper) while Hasbro's is $320, so doing the math Hasbro's release of Optimus would be around $450, same price as TFSource and BBTS are asking

That was November 28. Expect the worst and hope for the best and it's hard to be disappointed.

I have to ask, though...



Does the repair drone doubling as a stand look super unstable to anyone else or is it just me?

Emerje

I’m a little surprised, and disappointed that for all the money it costs it doesn’t look like you can recreate the truck’s rocket boosters moment from the 1986 movie.



The drone stand he comes with, while not looking quite as heavy duty as BW Dinobot’s and BW Megatron’s stand, looks like it could hold the weight. Maybe he can, and we just haven’t seen it yet? He does come with the booster affect for his jet pack. I think it would have been an awesome addition for this figure.

He’s also got electronic components for sound, right? I assume those make up part of the backpack. Do we know what he sound clips are yet?

I weirdly really want those Sparkplug, Spike, and Carly mini figures. I so wish they were sold separately. I’d buy them in a heartbeat. They give these toys such an awesome sense of scale. I also want a Doctor Arkeville and Shawn Berger. I’d be legitimately ecstatic if they ever started making human minifigures of the Marvel comics villains, like Robot Master and Circuit Breaker.

Bucky wrote:I weirdly really want those Sparkplug, Spike, and Carly mini figures. I so wish they were sold separately. I’d buy them in a heartbeat. They give these toys such an awesome sense of scale. I also want a Doctor Arkeville and Shawn Berger. I’d be legitimately ecstatic if they ever started making human minifigures of the Marvel comics villains, like Robot Master and Circuit Breaker.

I'd love it if they did a full range of human figures GIJoe scale though.

I have convention ones already done. Snake, Marissa Faireborn, Human Rodimus Prime & Human Arcee.

So is anyone getting this?! I placed a pre-order through Amazon JP. Right now the all in price about $320 but that's based on current exchange rates. Not sure if I'll end keeping it. I have until August to decide.

Amelie. the cab mode for this Optimus is neither realistic nor cartoon accurate. It's a hideous trainwreck with laughable nigh-2D details pretending to be fuel tanks and a bunch of exposed robot kibble on the bed. Those don't align with the real Freightliner FLT (which, by the way, NO version of MP Optimus has a license for! The only licensed depiction of Optimus' Freightliner mode is the Jada model) nor do they align with the cartoon model!

Amelie wrote:Part of me thinks the whole reason we are seeing the "realistic" cab mode on Prime is that because they've had to license the cars for Sunstreaker, Bumblebee, Wheeljack ect - that a completely anime looking Optimus Prime cab would look bizarre next to them. They couldn've have used the animation models for the cars and I doubt very much that the car companies would want the slightly deformed shapes of the animation models representing their brands, either.

That sounds perfectly plausible to me. I’m sure a simplified and stripped down version of the cab would have been a pretty stark contrast. A more realistic/detailed alt mod, with a cartoon accurate bot mode is actually appealing to me personally.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Amelie. the cab mode for this Optimus is neither realistic nor cartoon accurate. It's a hideous trainwreck with laughable nigh-2D details pretending to be fuel tanks and a bunch of exposed robot kibble on the bed. Those don't align with the real Freightliner FLT (which, by the way, NO version of MP Optimus has a license for! The only licensed depiction of Optimus' Freightliner mode is the Jada model) nor do they align with the cartoon model!

I’m calling bologna on that trainwreck comment. If it doesn’t resemble the Classics Deluxe Class O.P. Vehicle Mode, than you can’t call it a trainwreck.

And realistic does not have to mean fully licensed; wouldn’t you say that RTS Lugnut has a more realistic plane mode than Animated Lugnut? Or how about the fact that Brawl from the 2007 film transforms into a vehicle an actual physically altered real life tank that was also used in one of the Triple X films that even in real life isn’t a fully licensed anything?

And the robot kibble’s gotta go somewhere, so it may as well be the LEAST CONSPICUOUS SPOT on the toy which will (a) be facing a wall at least at a 45-degree angle if you display it in vehicle mode, (b) hardly ever seen because it will be in robot mode 90% of the time, and (c) probably covered up by the trailer in vehicle mode anyway.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Amelie. the cab mode for this Optimus is neither realistic nor cartoon accurate. It's a hideous trainwreck with laughable nigh-2D details pretending to be fuel tanks and a bunch of exposed robot kibble on the bed. Those don't align with the real Freightliner FLT (which, by the way, NO version of MP Optimus has a license for! The only licensed depiction of Optimus' Freightliner mode is the Jada model) nor do they align with the cartoon model!

I’m calling bologna on that trainwreck comment. If it doesn’t resemble the Classics Deluxe Class O.P. Vehicle Mode, than you can’t call it a trainwreck.

I can and I did. This one is marginally better because the front of the cab at least meshes, but it's still second-worst.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:And realistic does not have to mean fully licensed; wouldn’t you say that RTS Lugnut has a more realistic plane mode than Animated Lugnut? Or how about the fact that Brawl from the 2007 film transforms into a vehicle an actual physically altered real life tank that was also used in one of the Triple X films that even in real life isn’t a fully licensed anything?

Realistic doesn't have to mean licensed, but I was just pointing the lack of license out as an additional detail. My main point was that the truck mode
IS. NOT. REALISTIC. Here is an actual Freightliner FLT cabover. Note how, being a real truck, the fuel tanks are three-dimensional objects. Nice big cylinders in fact.
It is also not cartoon accurate insofar as that's achievable (as can be seen, the proportions are so inconsistently drawn that aiming too hard for the cartoon is foolish):
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:Masquerade_prime_vs_mmaster.jpg
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:PrimeProblem_Twin_primes_rev_up.jpg
https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:Optimus_ram.jpg
Whenever seen from the side, Optimus' tuck mode was always drawn with proper, three-dimensional fuel tanks that were cylindrical or at least trying to be.
As I have said umpteen times by now, this overengineered waste of plastic's truck-mode fuel tanks are laughable. They're almost 2D! A couple of flat barely-protruding oblongs with a couple or flat barely-protruding straps overlayed on them.

Nemesis Maximo wrote:And the robot kibble’s gotta go somewhere, so it may as well be the LEAST CONSPICUOUS SPOT on the toy which will (a) be facing a wall at least at a 45-degree angle if you display it in vehicle mode, (b) hardly ever seen because it will be in robot mode 90% of the time, and (c) probably covered up by the trailer in vehicle mode anyway.

It is NOT the least conspicuous spot, you can see it whenever you look at him from even slightly above him, even with the trailer on. As can be seen from the pics in this very thread. And even if you can't see the mess of robot kibble, the laughable fuel tanks are still visible from the side. And as for "the robot kibble's gotta go somewhere", there wouldn't BE any conflict between the truck mode and the robot leg kibble if the overthinking designer hadn't added needless complexity and instead just had the bed of the truck made from the legs directly.

Webz wrote:Alt mode is right out of the 1986 “you got the touch” scene with Prime. No stripe, same angles to the front of the cab. Just really close.

What's funny, Webz, is in a conversation I was having with Cobotron and carytheone the other day I mentioned "The more I look at MP-44, the more I hear 'The Touch' playing in my head." And I hate it and love it for it!! I don't WANT to spend this much money on an MP Optimus Prime, but why wouldn't I want to complete the set of MP1 (TRU version), MP10 (first TRU version) and now MP44?!

itscramtastic wrote:

Webz wrote:Alt mode is right out of the 1986 “you got the touch” scene with Prime. No stripe, same angles to the front of the cab. Just really close.

What's funny, Webz, is in a conversation I was having with Cobotron and carytheone the other day I mentioned "The more I look at MP-44, the more I hear 'The Touch' playing in my head." And I hate it and love it for it!! I don't WANT to spend this much money on an MP Optimus Prime, but why wouldn't I want to complete the set of MP1 (TRU version), MP10 (first TRU version) and now MP44?!

Don't bother getting him, the overcomplicated transformation will drive the song right out of your head.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Don't bother getting hi, the overcomplicated transformation will drive the song right out of your head.

You're speaking to a proud owner of Apollyon!

itscramtastic wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Don't bother getting hi, the overcomplicated transformation will drive the song right out of your head.

You're speaking to a proud owner of Apollyon!

My point was that overly complex transformations don't mesh with that scene. And don't belong on toys of G1 Optimus in general IMO.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

itscramtastic wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Don't bother getting hi, the overcomplicated transformation will drive the song right out of your head.

You're speaking to a proud owner of Apollyon!

My point was that overly complex transformations don't mesh with that scene. And don't belong on toys of G1 Optimus in general IMO.

You missed your opportunity to quote Unicron speaking to Megatron.

"The point is, you are a fool!" To which I would've replied, "Let this mark the end of the MP-44 wars.."

That movie, it's all things to me. Much like Breath of the Wild. I've found over the years that you can't put a price on nostalgia, and I think Takara might capitalize on that satisfaction now.

You are correct in that an overly complicated transformation may not lend itself to that scene, but OptimusTimelord will make it look spectacular!

Problem is scram, the other op mps you have are the toys r us versions... Its unlikely that will be the case for MP-44 (unless you live in Canada, then I hate you )

ZeroWolf wrote:Problem is scram, the other op mps you have are the toys r us versions... Its unlikely that will be the case for MP-44 (unless you live in Canada, then I hate you )

Oh I'll go to Canada and get this if TRU gets it, and some delicious poutine!!

Or I'll just ask WJ or Shaj to use their sneaky coupons and somehow make shipping less expensive. Which won't happen.

itscramtastic wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Problem is scram, the other op mps you have are the toys r us versions... Its unlikely that will be the case for MP-44 (unless you live in Canada, then I hate you )

Oh I'll go to Canada and get this if TRU gets it, and some delicious poutine!!

Or I'll just ask WJ or Shaj to use their sneaky coupons and somehow make shipping less expensive. Which won't happen.

A fine plan just coincide Primes release with a little family trip to the frozen North

ZeroWolf wrote:

itscramtastic wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Problem is scram, the other op mps you have are the toys r us versions... Its unlikely that will be the case for MP-44 (unless you live in Canada, then I hate you )

Oh I'll go to Canada and get this if TRU gets it, and some delicious poutine!!

Or I'll just ask WJ or Shaj to use their sneaky coupons and somehow make shipping less expensive. Which won't happen.

A fine plan just coincide Primes release with a little family trip to the frozen North

EXACTLY!! North of the border, up Canada way!!