I want to sit in the middle of the carpet and smash it into things.
on September 27, 2011 at 12:30 am
I’ve had this guy for a while, but I figger that now he’s shown up in the comic, maybe I should get around to talking about him.
There’ve been toddler-targeted Transformers lines before, but Rescue Bots is the one that’s out now. Next year it’s apparently getting a cartoon! (On The Hub, so you have to have Good Cable.) I like trying out samples of Transformers toylines I don’t plan on collecting (if it’s inexpensive), so I tried this version of Optimus Prime. Well, technically, it’s two toys. There’s Optimus Prime and his human partner Charlie Burns, who are sold separately. They interact, so that’s why I got both of them.
Optimus Prime transforms very easily. When he’s in cab mode, just push down/straighten his legs and the rest of him springs into place for robot mode, sans the feet. You gotta manually transform those. To put him back, you just push everything back into place until things snap together. He has zero articulation, unless you want to count his manually-transformable heels, which you really shouldn’t. But this is good and appropriate, because this is a friggin’ toy for toddlers. Toddlers don’t obsessively count points of articulation. (Toddlers are, in this way, perhaps our betters.)
Charlie Burns comes with a convertible vehicle. It goes from stand-rideable tanked claw thing to extended tanked claw thing that Optimus Prime can hold. All you do is straighten the thing out. There’s some yellow buttons on the sides of the tanked claw thing that scissor the claws. I was way more excited about the interaction until I realized that Optimus Prime’s toy isn’t exactly weighted so that he can hold the tanked claw thing weapon without falling over forwards. If you’re very lucky, or find some uneven shelving, it’s possible. Just don’t sneeze. But again, toy for toddlers. Toddlers don’t put toys up on shelves and leave them. Toddlers play with things and then throw them against the wall. They are, again, perhaps our betters.
But I am not one, so I don’t find these toys terribly engaging. If I had a kid that was 3 years old, I’d own every single damn one, but I don’t. Gotta start the tykes early, y’know.
Well, if you really want to get this line or the next one to come, I guess you and Crazy better get hoppin! >;)
We’d love to, but I’m not missing SDCC *twice* in a row! (Count your months.)
I’m surprised you haven’t used this as a justification to check out NYCC, since Hasbro’s going to be there this October.
And just like that I know what my nephew’s getting for his fourth birthday ^.^
Wait, toys for Rescue Bots are out now, but Transformers Prime still left in the lurch? How does that work?
Those who want toys for those 12+ are currently being serviced by the Dark of the Moon line. Animated had a similar problem .
There is a big box in my closet with three Rescue Bots, three human partners, and the Optimus fire house. My kids have been started young and there will be much Transformery goodness under the tree come Yule.
Until they find the joy of building wooden train sets.
I have a kid who is 3. I expect most (or y’know ALL) of these will be under the Tree this Dec.
-ZacWilliam, the only real question is who will be the most into them.
I absolutely LOVE that thing. I have a nephew that’s the right age but he just doesn’t seem to care. But then again, when I was that age Transformers were just coming out and compared to what I had, I wouldn’t have cared either!
I absolutely LOVE that thing. I have a nephew that’s the right age but he just doesn’t seem to care. But then again, when I was that age Transformers were just coming out and compared to what I had, I wouldn’t have cared either!
I need this.
*Schedules trip to TRU*
My favorite thing about these guys is that all the humans are tooling around on modified-for-rescue Mobile Defense Bays. Rodimus Prime’s silly rolly battle cart is finally vindicated!
Charlie Burns is the name of our local electrician. Maybe he works on Transformers on the side.
I think this is sort of a cross between Transformers and those Rescue Heroes guys with the pun names. So, Charlie Burns is probably a firefighter of some sort.