Transformers: Adventure - Jeffrey Prime

I think it's fair to say that both the toy series and the animated television show follow up to Transformers Prime took the series in a different direction. Transformers Robots in Disguise (known as Transformers: Adventure in Japan) blazed it's own path with a more cartoony, light hearted approach. While I admit it took awhile for the animated show to appeal to me, I was intrigued by the toys from day one. While it was a departure from the what was then considered the norm, I liked the idea of the Decepticons having animal characteristics and traits. I like different and different doesn't always have to be bad. I was happy to see Hasbro trying something different, like they did with Animated years earlier. It didn't appeal to everyone, but that rarely happens anyhow. Just take G1 vs. Beast Wars or G1 vs. "Bayformers"...you get the picture. Rarely do Transformers fans ever agree on anything.

For the longest time Takara (now Takara Tomy) gave their line of Transformers that extra special detail that made their figures stand out against what pretty much everyone else in the world got. For this reason I and may others would import these figures at a premium versus buying the Hasbro versions at local retail. I ended up importing a good chunk of the Adventures series for this very reason, but even if you didn't care for the changes Takara Tomy made or had the income to import them there would occasionally be that one exclusive that would make (some) people open their wallets. For the longest time it was the black repaint of Convoy/Optimus Prime, but with the Adventures line Takara Tomy teamed up with the retail giant, Toys 'R Us for not only one release, but two different releases of a "new" character, affectionately known as Jeffrey Prime.

Jeffrey Prime as you can see is a take off the Toys 'R Us mascot, Jeffrey the giraffe. Takara Tomy used the deluxe class Optimus Prime mold as the base and gave him the "TRU treatment". He was also given a very cool translucent orange Energon axe weapon. Like with all Japanese Transformers, he was given the designate # TAV-EX noting his exclusivity. Jeffrey Prime was released later in the Adventures series, which you can tell by the Prime of Micron subtitle. Unfortunately I've never been able to find a translation of his profile as pictured on the back of the blister card.

At first I wasn't thrilled with this mold as Optimus Prime. I loved the legends class version of the mold, but the deluxe class took a while before I came to appreciate what it had to offer. Most of my opinion is based on the alt mode, but the robot mode itself is pretty good. 

Like with most modern Transformers the articulation is very good. All the limbs are connected with ball and socket joints, giving him fluid movement. By the time Jeffrey Prime was released this mold had already been used several times by both Hasbro and Takara Tomy, however I didn't notice and mold degradation.

The color scheme used is obviously Toys 'R Us colors, mixed in with yellow for Jeffrey the giraffe. They did a great job on the legs and feet giving it the look of a giraffe. What I didn't notice at first however are his orange spots are actually little stars. My only gripe with this mode is the inclusion of stickers on this red and green shoulders. It would have been nice if those designs could have been tampographed to the actual toy. Stickers are so 80s/90s!

The only accessory packaged with Jeffrey Prime is this large translucent orange Energon axe. This axe was included with several different versions of Optimus Prime and even the Adventure exclusive Nemesis Prime, however those versions didn't include the extension handle to make the axe longer. I like the look personally of the longer axe and I'm glad this extra piece was included.

Previously I mentioned having some issues with the alternate mode of this toy and I think you may be able to see why. The vehicle is missing the rear portion of the cab and exposes the hips of the robot. I can almost see an inch worm when I look at this vehicle from the side! Angled the toy does look a little better, but it's still not one of my favorite toys of Prime.

Here in this mode the stickers used on his shoulders are exposed as well. Thankfully they don't encounter any friction with other pieces of plastic during the transformation so the stickers should hold up for a long time...or at least that's what I'm hoping. I was a little surprised there weren't more paint apps on this toys, especially to the areas of the alt mode like the front bumper, headlights or even the wheels. I think those small changes would have really popped and helped the overall look of the alt mode.

Released around the same time in the Adventure line was an EZ Collection version of Jeffrey Prime, simply known as Toys 'R Us Prime. Outside of the differences in the mold used, there are plenty of similarities between the two toys. The one glaring difference however is the color of the cab. While the deluxe version retained the red of Optimus Prime, the legends version keeps the yellow/orange color throughout. Personally I'll take either version as they both look cool in my book.

In robot mode both toys share more of the same look overall, though there are still some minor paint differences that can be seen. The legends version is missing the white paint on the forearms and some yellow trim to the head. The other changes are based on the mold differences between the two toys.

Overall Jeffrey Prime is a fun toy (both versions) and one that I was glad I decided to import. Prices to this day still aren't too bad, with current listings online hovering in the $35-40 range. I'd say it's for completionists or die hard Toys 'R Us fans only however. Looking back at these photos that I took some time ago is a little bittersweet since TRU stores closed in the US, however it also serves as a good reminder of what once was and evokes plenty of childhood memories.

Transformers Adventures: Sideswipe TAV22

One of the main cast members in the 2015 animated Robots in Disguise series is the juvenile, show off Autobot Sideswipe. I'll admit it, he's pretty annoying in the show when he's bickering back and forth with Strongarm; however he's got some good combat moves when in battle against the Decepticons.

Hasbro was first to release a Warrior class (deluxe) version of the character and it really annoyed me that the red tones of the plastic didn't match. I figured that Takara would eventually correct this with their release so I waited. 

 

In typical Takara fashion even the packaging is an upgrade over what Hasbro offers. Sideswipe comes packaged in a blister card, but the bubble can be easily removed without damaging the backing card. The back features his tech spec and lets you know about the mobile app and how you can scan the Autobot symbol on the toy.

Tech Spec

The designers did a pretty good job at capturing Sideswipe's show counterpart, however the toy has a lot of kibble. From the windows that hang off the undersides of his arms to the car's hood and windshield on his back. The kibble isn't that bad however; I'm more annoyed by his un-usually large clown feet. I also don't care for the two pieces that sit on each side of his head. They don't lock into place and I found it hard to get them to me symmetrical. His headsculpt is pretty spot on and even includes that smug smirk he wore at times in the animated show. Sideswipe comes packaged with black sword.

In vehicle mode this is where this toy really shines. I absolutely love the overall, sleek look of this red sports car. It also helps that the different red panels match better than the Hasbro version. The hood and the rear of the car has what appears to be some Japanese characters (is it Kanji?), but at least to me it doesn't detract from the overall look. Sometimes it's just the subtle differences that help complete the look such as the thin blue paint app to the tires.

I still find that the Decepticons have the more interesting character designs, although I really like Sideswipe's alt mode. I chose to compare him here against Thunderhoof since the two characters had a pretty cool one on one confrontation in the animated series.

 

Is Sideswipe worth importing? It's hard to say. I'm not a huge fan of the mold, though the changes Takara made do make the toy look much better. I ended up importing pretty much the entire Adventures line as I preferred to have a more show accurate display on my shelves, but I'll let you make that final call.

Transformers Adventures: Thunderhoof TAV38

I wasn't sure what I thought after I watched the first episode of the new Transformers Robots in Disguise animated show. It looked different and had a more "kiddie" feel to it, however I gave it a chance. With each new Decepticon that was introduced in the show the more I enjoyed it. It almost felt like the show writers were following the Scooby Doo formula...each episode featured a new scenario and villain. Once Thunderhoof made his debut he quickly became one of my favorite Decepticons on the show. I mean, what is there not to like about a mafia like tough guy w/ a New York accent that just happens to have antlers?

Sadly when it came to getting a toy of Thunderhoof fans had to wait. Eventually Hasbro released the character as a one step changer and then as a legion class toy. Thankfully Takara Tomy stepped up to the plate and announced a Warrior class (i.e. deluxe) figure was on it's way as part of their Transformers Adventures series. Finally, I have a great show accurate figure and I couldn't be happier!

The packaging is your standard blister card with the bubble taped to the card. I was surprised it wasn't the type of packaging where the backing card could easily be removed from the plastic blister. None the less it's still some very attractive packaging. Packaged inside are a set of instructions as well as a poster/catalog. Sadly no character tech sec card.

In place of a character card, the profile is posted on the back of the blister card. I'd love it if someone could/would translate this.

Thunderhoof is a beautiful figure, let me start of by saying that. It seems like the molds used for this series (Hasbro's RID as well) have been hit and miss. Some of the toys look nothing like their show counterparts, while others suffer from being hollowed out in places. While I still have a good many figures to open, this toy quickly jumped to the top of my favorite list. For starters the mold feels solid. The plastic doesn't feel cheap and I never thought any part of him was going to snap in half during his transformation. The figure is well articulated and is generally a fun toy to play with. Combine that with the premium paint applications courtesy of Takara Tomy and you have yourself a winner.

Thunderhoof's main color is that of a turquoise blue with black used for the limbs. On his chest is a nice metallic pearl turquoise. His wheelwells are a shiny metallic silver and when combined with the shades of blue he stands out as a great looking figure.

Thunderhoof is aptly named for his animal like features. His antlers are easy to notice, however check out his feet. Hooves...that has to be a first for Transformers. He comes packaged with a very interesting looking shotgun. Look carefully at the top of the gun and you'll see something that looks like antlers. Flip that around and it would look like one of the guns from the video game Gears of War.

Articulation is pretty good on the figure, much better than the poses I came up with. His shoulders are on ball joints, but because of the wheelwells and the antlers there is some restriction. His waist can rotate a full 360 degrees, but that is mostly due to the transformation. Hips are on ball joints while he has a mid thigh swivel. Knees are hinge joints and the lower leg is on a pin. This gives you some movement, but again it's part of the transformation.

I was surprised at how small and compact Thunderhoof was when transformed into his alt mode. Everything snapped together and held in place just fine and his large wheels rolled across both smooth surfaces and carpet with ease. I love the fact that he transformers into a combine tractor and it's surprisingly fun to play with in this form. The "teeth" on the front can be lifted up a little.

I didn't see this documented anywhere on the large instruction sheet, but you can place his shotgun right in the middle of the underside while in vehicle mode. It fits in perfectly and doesn't hinder the toy rolling on the ground.

As much as I love this toy, Thunderhoof is a little undersized. Take a look at the screen shot above from the animated show.

None the less this is one of my favorite RID/Adventures figures thus far. The Decepticons have sorely been outnumbered in Hasbro's series so it's great that more characters are on their way. The Hasbro version of this figure should be released to retail around the time of this post, however if you don't want to wait or just want a more show accurate deco look no further than the Adventures version.