Given the growing popularity of the Legends class toys, it was only a matter of time before the Generation One "classic" design of Optimus Prime got remade in this size, I suppose. In vehicle mode, this version of Optimus Prime looks pretty much exactly as it should-- a red square cab, silver smokestacks poking out of the back end, and the dark blue robot legs forming the tail end of the mode. However, due to the small scale, Prime's robot toes stick straight up from the back end in this mode, making it even more obvious than normal that the back end is made up of his legs-- he also doesn't have any real rear bumper to speak of, either. The middle tire on each side is also fake, with only the front and back tires actually rolling. The latter isn't that much of a downside, though, given how cheap these little figures are-- something had to give, after all. Pretty much every necessary detail is painted in this mode, a rarity for a Legends class toy-- the windows are painted that nice light silvery blue, and his grill, headlights, and the like are all painted silver. His side windows aren't painted, but those are rather small details so that's not a big deal. (And speaking of mold detailing, this toy has it in spades-- all of the necessary tiny little details are packed into this guy, the level of detail stopping juuust short of actually molding in little rivets on the toy. Wow!) Given the whole "Reveal the Shield" gimmick of the subline this toy was released in, Prime also has a small sticker on the left side of this mode that, if you rub it, reveals that he's an Autobot (wow, who knew?!).
    Optimus Prime's robot mode suffers a little more from the small scale than his vehicle mode did, but it's still quite good given the inherent limitations of the tiny size class (in fact, the transformation is nearly identical to the much-larger G1 toy, which shows you how far toy design has come since the '80s). His abs are merely molded onto the otherside of the piece that forms his truck grill, and his hands have the front wheels just hanging off them unceremoniously, but that's it when it comes to vehicle mode extras. The proportions are pretty darn good, if a bit more "curvy" and "puffy" in the legs than he's traditionally been. The details on his chest, arms, and head are nice, crisp, and accurate to the cartoon, however. Most of his paint detailing carries over to this mode, though the couple of new details like the fine paint detailing on his head and abs are a nice touch. (That said, a bit of paint on his hands and/or waist wouldn't have hurt.) Optimus Prime's biggest downside in this mode is probably his articulation-- he has a few points of movement, but it's nothing great. He can move at the shoulders (at two points), elbows, and restricted movement at his hips, due to part of the truck grill being behind those joints. (He can TECHNICALLY rotate at the mid-section, but it's just below his chest, and thus doesn't really look right if used any more than the slightest amount-- it's a side effect of his transformation, not a deliberate point of movement in this mode.)
    "Reveal the Shield" Legends class Optimus Prime is a great downsized version of his G1 design, and remains quite faithful to it in both modes. A few limitations of the size class are apparent-- such as his obvious toes in vehicle mode, the wheels hanging off his arms in robot mode, and his limited range of movement-- but for the price, you won't find many molds better than this one. Recommended for Optimus or Legends fans.

Review by Beastbot

*In 2012, this toy was re-released in Generations packaging at discount outlets like Dollar Stores. The colors and paint apps are the same as on this initial version, but with the "Reveal the Shield" sticker removed and an Autobot symbol painted on in its place. Also, the Generations version came with a small extra sword accessory, which is why I rate that release slightly higher than the one reviewed.

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