Third party company Fans Hobby, via their Facebook account, have shared images of a new update of their MB-18 Energon Optimus Prime.
This is a colored test shot from the actual molds without spray paintings, imprints or chrome plating. We have an extensive gallery showing:
- Core robot in his 2 configurations: toy-inspired (wheels on the sides) or slimmer waist (without wheels on the sides).
- Drones vehicle and arm/leg modes.
- Combined mode in 4 original combination plus extra combos. Good range of poseability in any combination.
- Alt mode with trailer.
See all the mirrored images on this news post and then join to the discussion on the 2005 Board!
SPLIT LIP
I hate the Energon cartoon as much if not more than most, but even I recognize the designs and some of the toys were awesome. (especially the Decepticons)
God Orion
Ok, that's fair enough. Now why do you come and pollute others experience with this figure? I mean, you can say whatever you want, but there is always a good way of saying things.
TheLastBlade
My hatred for Energon is that great.
God Orion
It looks like you got exactly what you wanted: being the center of attention. It's a shame it's for being negative.
SPLIT LIP
I feel this is an all too common response to criticism, specifically in regards to anything that is a reimagining of a pre-existing material, where a credible response to shortcomings cannot be found so instead the goal post is moved to the original somehow not being apparently worth the fondness that spawned the remake. It's a flimsy rebuttal especially since if Energon Optimus wasn't like by at least a good number of people than Fans Hobby wouldn't be making one with this level of adherence to the source material.
It's like when a beloved movie or TV show is remade poorly and the criticism is countered with "yeah well the original wasn't even good anyway." It's such a disingenuous and non-constructive argument.
Nova Maximus
Ramjet555
Wrong. Energon Optimus is awesome. I remember head scratching at the design a bit because of how stout and portly he was after we had the overall badass Armada Prime, but the character is what really made him cool. He was an actual representation of PTSD and dealing with the traumatic events of the previous series and events before that, and was a majorly flawed leader. Maybe a little too real for a kids show, but I always thought he was a super interesting take on subsequent rewatches.
Plus, drone squad super mode always felt pretty Scramble City to me and I loved it.
BWIguanusfan2
I W
I was thinking more like
Nemesis Compactor
So like, is this Grand Convoy's theme?
BWIguanusfan2
…he's ice cold!
Chibipoe
E. Op was a lot of fun and the Wing Saber bits having two different configurations was super neat. The figure wasn't flawless, no, but people fixated on one thing, the base figure's appearance and deriding that kind of eclipsed everything else. Even when it is pointed out that the obvious design here was the combined mode being designed first and thus the base figure's entire design is aimed at that and not at his own qualities as a singular figure.
FH's take nicely bridges the gap between the two, imo. Smooths out the base figure and retains/updates the combined mode which was always the toy's focus originally.
TF Hot Rod
While I never grew up with (or even watched Energon) this Prime and it's my least favorite of his UT designs. I don't 100% agree with that mainly cause the combined mode is cool looking.
Kaynowa
View attachment 29537806
Nova Maximus
My childhood Nostalgia says otherwise, but this guy having the drones include more black and grey alone makes this guy look far more visually appealing.
![[IMG]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTnBxA3aQAAc0tq?format=jpg&name=large)
TheLastBlade
Energon Optimus was never cool….
SPLIT LIP
I can agree with this. Stylized or not I feel like this take on Energon Prime is a technical achievement but an aestehtic disappointment. He is a lot rounder, puffier, and simpler in detail. The face especially just looks too soft with larger, forward set eyes.
"Seriously egregious" is a bit of an overstatement. While some aspects do change size (namely the backpack) things like the torso between core and combined robot modes is fairly consistent. It's also less to do with mass shifting of parts and more the aesthetic contributing to sense of roundness. The show model kept things very sharp, angled, and three-dimensional. The details and body parts had depth. FH's is a bit softer and shallower in that regard.
Not that this figure looks bad, or that they're not allowed their own take on the design, but when there's only one real iteration of Energon Optimus to go off of, comparisons will naturally be drawn. The fact is FH's take isn't as "cool" as the TV show made him look, and I think that's a fair assessment. I was very excited for this at first but the inconsistent deviations from the original design and the general flattened look put me off as well. Happy for those still into it though.
Junkmech
In all fairness, Fanshobby has never aimed for 1:1 animation accuracy at any point with any of their figures. They seem to prefer a stylized approach at all times, so expecting it to line up with any specific previous depiction is just setting yourself up for disappointment.
Nova Maximus
Cause the show model is an example of some serious egregious mass shifting where everything from his limbs to his head to his chest changed size between all 3 modes as to not have the proportions of the toy, which is impossible to do in reality. This is probably the best we're ever going to get.
Papa Zoinks
just got my hands on the original energon prime and after comparing it to the show model as well is the pics we have of this guy so far, its kind of making me actively dislike how this guys shaping up to be, hes so much more rounded off to me for some reason while the show was a lot more angular and slender. I get the original toy isnt the best, but its rly grown on me and idk what fanshobby is rly going for on this guy, just looks like its their own take on the design which is fine and good for the ppl that like it but theres so many things off ab it to me im probably gonna pass on it
Kaynowa
Well they made Athena rather curvy and Go Shuta isn't exactly a body builder, I wouldn't imagine they'd build kicker any different than the cartoon