Review – Transformers: Rescue Bots Optimus Prime & Cody Burns

The latest wave of Transformers: Rescue Bots toys (Amazon.com search*) is now in stores and today we’re looking at the two-pack with Optimus Prime and Cody Burns. Unlike the earlier Rescue Bots robot toys these new ones don’t transform . . . and the new human characters have zero articulation. This wave is a pretty big change in the line.

Cody Burns

First up is Cody Burns, 2.5-inches tall and scaled quite nicely with the earlier human character toys released in the line. And the sculpt is every bit as nice as the earlier human figures and captures the look of the character from the cartoon perfectly. Overall it’s a great accessory to the Optimus Prime toy.

Wonderful Sculpt and Paint

The below photo shows the front and back sides of Cody Burns and I think that you’ll agree that Hasbro did a great job on the toy. Simple color choices and a cute sculpt, all based on the cartoon, work together nicely and I can easily see younger kids enjoying this toy right alongside human character toys like the earlier Cody Burns (review here) and Charlie Burns (review here).

Why No Articulation?

And we’re back to money again. Hasbro could have added the same articulation as the earlier human characters — swivel head, hinged legs, and ball-hinge shoulders and swivel wrists — but that added cost would have either reduced the articulation on the included robot toy or pushed the MSRP up a few bucks. I do kinda wish they had chosen the “raise the MSRP” option, but without seeing sales data I can’t say if that would have been the right move for the line.

Toy design, as with most things in life, is an exercise in balance and compromise and I’m sure Hasbro feels that eliminating the articulation on the human characters in this wave was the right choice. I guess sales will tell us if their decision was right or wrong.

Optimus Prime

Now we get to the star of the pack, Optimus Prime! Standing 3.5-inches tall, this Prime may tower over the human characters in the line but he is quite short compared to the earlier Transformers: Rescue Bots Optimus Prime toy (review here). He may not transform, but if you have an Optimus Prime collection then you need to grab this toy today.

Articulation

Optimus Prime has the same articulation as the earlier human character toys — swivel head and wrists and swivel-hinge shoulders — and that combination makes him quite poseable and playable for kids. A waist swivel would have been appreciated, but I can’t deny that what we get works just fine and next to the included Cody Burns the Prime toy looks like he’s bursting with poseability options.

Sculpt and Paint

Both the sculpt and paint are as fun and well-crafted as anything we’ve seen in the Transformers: Rescue Bots toys (Amazon.com search*) so far. I’m especially a fan of the cartoon-inspired sculpt of the toy; the wide stance and curved lines and smooth edges all have a fantastic toy-like quality to them and this really is an Optimus Prime toy that all Transformers Generation One fans should seriously consider grabbing.

Closing Thoughts

The Transformers: Rescue Bots toys (Amazon.com search*) are perfect for younger kids and this new wave of smaller packs is a fun way for kids to get the robot characters in a smaller form than the earlier transforming toys. I know that not everyone enjoys the style of the Transformers: Rescue Bots toys (Amazon.com search*), but if you’re into the look of the line and have enjoyed any of the earlier toys then I think you’ll love this new wave.

Next I’ll have to open the new Heatwave because the fireman’s helmet design on him is too adorable for the toy to stay sealed for long.