Pepsi
Optimus Prime (Botcon 2007/Hasbrotoyshop.com Exclusive)
(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to the original G1 Reissue Optimus Prime. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the original G1 Reissue Optimus Prime here.)
I guess Prime really
needed some cash, as he apparently decided to shell out his vehicle mode
to Pepsi for a while. Pepsi Optimus Prime was actually done in Japan a
while ago (and again a short while ago), and this is a direct import of
that toy, with different packaging, instructions, and the like. The color
of the core robot mode of Prime remains pretty much unchanged-- he's still
red and blue in nearly all the same places, so he's still easily recognizable
as Optimus Prime. The main difference is the trademark blue-and-white curvy
"Pepsi" line across Optimus Prime's midsection in truck mode (which extends
to his arms in robot mode). It's not much, but it does spice up Prime's
look more than you'd think, and the shade of metallic blue used is particularly
eye-catching. There's also a Pepsi logo on Prime's left shoulder now, though
an Autobot symbol still adorns his right.
The main difference
between Pepsi Prime and the original G1 toy, however, is obviously the
trailer. Instead of a cool fold-apart mini-base with its own turret, Prime's
trailer carries either 3 soda cans or one soda bottle (laid down horizontally).
Stands can fold out from the side to stabilize the trailer just like on
the original toy, but... why? Also, the stickers they give you to put on
Pepsi Prime, for the most part, are assigned to go anywhere, and the larger
ones don't fit very well on the trailer because of all the mold detailing,
so they sort look out-of-place no matter where you put them, which is sort
of lame. What's the point of including the extra stickers, then!? Other
than the modified trailer, however, no mold changes have been made to Pepsi
Prime.
Pepsi Optimus Prime
has a slightly better-looking core robot than the original G1 Prime toy
because of the cool white/metallic blue "Pepsi stripe," but honestly his
trailer is severely limited in play value when compared to G1 Prime's trailer.
Because of that, unless you're a big novelty collector, you might want
to pass this one over. He is considerably cheaper than the G1 Prime toy,
though, probably due to his simplified trailer, so you may want to keep
that in mind as well...
Review by Beastbot