Review: Hasbro Transformers Age of the Primes Voyager Class Prima Prime

“Activate your Alt Mode”

Transformers: Age of the Primes is a current sub-line of the Transformers: Generations series from Hasbro, replacing the Legacy line and launching in 2025. The series focuses on the original, mythical 13 Primes, and their artefacts, as well as their descendants, following the established sizing principles with the releases falling into Deluxe, Voyager, Leader, Commander or Titan class. 

Prima Prime is the first Voyager release in the Series, arriving in Wave 1. He is packed into a larger box befitting his size with a dark black/blue backdrop which creates a stark contrast to the red Transformers logo and the dull gold ‘Age of the Primes’ text, a colour also then used on the character name and the conversion ‘steps’ information. The left hand of the box carries an illustration of Prima Prime, a larger version of the one also featured on the box front. The right-hand spine carries a section of a larger image of The Thirteen as gold statues, focusing on the segment of the semi-circle that includes Prima Prime. 

The back of the box shows both versions of Prima Prime as both robot and vehicle and the included sword accessory. The figure itself is strapped onto a card insert in the box by way of several elasticated bands. 

As a Voyager Class release, Prima Prime stands 7 inches tall (17.5cm), taller than the likes of Alchemist and Solus, the other Primes released so far from The Thirteen. Prima was the original Prime and has roots in the original Transformers Cartoon, IDW and EH comics, as well as the Cyberverse and War for Cybertron Trilogy Cartoons. He was also featured in the recent Transformers: One movie. He is presented in his grey/white armour with contrasting darker grey shoulders and waist, and with blue highlighted panels across the chest, arms, and legs. The look is very traditional and in keeping with the likes of Optimus Prime, but also hints at design elements we also see in Megatron, reinforcing his history as the first Transformer.

(scaled alongside Deluxe 86 Bumblebee and War for Cybertron Voyager Optimus)

The usual articulation is engineered into Prima Prime at the arms, legs, and with the head, allowing a number of robot mode poses available, both neutral and dynamic, as befits his history and his accessory, the included Star Saber Blade. 

The blade comes in two parts: a grey/white hilt and a translucent blue blade. The saber will fit into either hand and can also be expanded by adding the included Matrix of Leadership accessory. The Matrix was originally held by Prima, and in this Age of the Primes release, it has been engineered to sit on the hilt of the Star Saber, or you can also open up Prima Prime’s chest cavity and have the Matrix of Leadership installed in the sockets beneath.

Conversion to vehicle mode is done across 20 steps, with a pictorial guidance sheet included, as is the standard for Hasbro’s Transformers. Transformation is straightforward, and converts Prima to a Cybertronian armoured truck featuring a darker grey lower carriage, and white/grey body, complete with translucent blue windscreen with more blue on the headlights across the front bumper.

There are six wheels in total, which are freewheeling, allowing the vehicle mode to be moved around - although doing this on a hard surface will put the head at risk where it sits underneath the main vehicle. The Star Saber can be stowed by plugging the hilt into the sockets on the side of the vehicle, even allowing a jousting blade of sorts if you turn the blade forward. 

Prima Prime is certainly a centrepiece of the smaller end of the Age of the Primes series, lining up much taller than the Deluxe Class releases of Alchemist and Solus Prime. There are, of course, larger members of the Thirteen incoming, which will allow collectors to expand the original Primes in their display to a much larger collection, with Prima Prime still being a key part of that display with his stark armour, Star Saber, and the Matrix of Leadership.

Alchemist Prime is available at Hasbro Pulse for £24.99 plus shipping. Thank you to Hasbro Pulse UK, who provided this figure to us free of charge for review purposes.

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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

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