Although Mega Optimus Prime is a completely new mold, the overall engineering and-- well-- pretty much the entire design is taken straight from the 3-step changer version of Optimus Prime, so if you aren't familiar with that mold, read my review of that first so you know the basics of the design. As for this version, it's about 30% bigger than the 3-step version, with the mold details and coloration based on Optimus Prime's temporary "upgraded" form in the Season 1 finale of the show. In vehicle mode, the most obvious difference in terms of the mold is that Prime's even more angular than normal, with a sharper, more diagonal rear back end, diagonal "arrow-like" details on the top of this mode, and several vent details that-- although not outright intricate-- are more intricate than those on your average RID2015 toy. As with the 3-step toy, the feet are pretty obviously the front of the truck "trailer" section, and unfortunately there's no real back end to the vehicle, with some pretty obvious gaps in between the arm-halves on the back. In fact on this version it's worse, because the arms are bigger and come out farther fron the connection points, so at the back end they tend to "bend outwards" slightly, making the trailer a bit wider than it should be because there's no "locking point" back there for those arms. As for the front truck cab section, it's actually more curvy than the 3-stepper here, with more curved pieces on the sides as well as a slightly more curved roof and a shorter (though still angular) front hood section. The main colors in this mode are the usual Optimus red and blue, but a lot of the blue has been replaced with black plastic for the bulk of the trailer, which accurately reflects "powered-up" Prime in said Season 1 finale. I think it adds a bit more variety and I appreciate it, but I REALLY appreciate how many more paint apps this has than the 3-step changer. He's got some white "eagle-like" angular designs on the front hood as well as white on the arrow-like details on the top of the front section of the trailer and more white details on the arms near the back that are more obvious in robot mode. There's some black paint on all the truck windows, as well as the front grill. (Unfortunately no silver on the front bumper or smokestacks, which are the only major details lacking paint in this mode.) Finally, there's some nice moderately light aquamarine on the headlights, on three little diagonal shapes on the sides of the trailer, and on bits on the parts that become the knees and feet of the robot mode. All it all it's fairly eye-catching with some great contrast, and although I wish there was a little bit more light aquamarine, overall it's definitely one of the better schemes Optimus has had.
    The transformation for Mega Optimus is the EXACT same as the 3-step changer-- you take the cab section, rotate it back and under, then push it through the back of the trailer and everything else auto-transforms as a result. Again, all the aforementioned paint apps really makes this mode look pleasing to the eye in terms of colors, with more of the white on the arms visible as well as some bits of aquamarine on the shoulder divots and on the waist. The light milky gray also shows through in this mode on the fists, middle of the arms, and the upper legs, as well as a few other minor bits. I still think it's a boring color, but it's not a huge part of the color scheme, and the slight blue shade to it does improve it slightly in my opinion. Oddly there's a darker, duller shade of red on some parts like the mid-shoulder bits and the bit behind Optimus' head, which doesn't show much in the vehicle mode but is pretty obvious here. I'm not sure why they didn't just keep it all the same color, as it's not different enough to contrast or complement against the "regular" red much. The headsculpt is quite sharp, with slightly enlarged black side antennae and a nice dark metallic blue on the head with a silver faceplate and forehead grill and aquamarine eyes. Because of the exact same transformation, all the same downsides and upsides of the 3-step changer are present here-- he's got one big uni-leg, the wheels stick out the back but otherwise there's relatively little vehicle mode extras, and the sides of his chest stick out a little too much, but otherwise he's pretty decent if you consider the target audience. Although the articulation is still very limited, beyond just back-and-forth motion at the shoulders, he can also move at the elbows (at two points) and rotate at the wrists. There is one significant issue I have with this mode that the 3-stepper doesn't have, though, and that's that because of the larger size and construction, the truck cab/chest section doesn't really sit all that secure in between the shoulders and arms. When handling him, that section can move back slightly, with the head moving down a little because of the auto-transformation and the shoulders trying to "push" the chest section out back. It's mildly annoying. Oh, and one last thing-- Mega Optimus Prime can mount several Minicons on him. You can mount them on his lower arms (at two points each), shoulders (at one point each), one on each kneecap, and one on the side of each lower leg. He can't really DO anything with them, or launch them, though, so I don't really see the point of doing this. You're just putting a bunch of discs or balls on Prime for no reason.
    Mega Optimus Prime does have more paint apps and a bit better of a color scheme compared to the original 3-step Optimus Prime toy, as well as slightly more articulation and a few nice details. However, having a $30 toy with a unileg, little articulation outside of the arms, and basically being a carbon copy of a toy $20 cheaper with the only major advantage mold-wise being rather useless Mini-Con mount points, I'd just recommend getting the 3-step Optimus Prime toy instead. You're not missing much if you have that and not this.
 

Review by Beastbot

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