DX 9 04 Armour Kit for AOE Optimus Prime

Sigh... Transformers 4... yeah didn't see it and have no desire to. If there is one bright spot about the movies is that the Evasion mode Optimus Prime is surprisingly a good figure. Well designed, good proportions, fun transformation and overall a nice figure.

Except for that head sculpt... and that goofy shotgun...

I know I'm not the only one out there that hates collecting Prime figures that feature no faceplate, and I was well prepared to pass this figure by until DX 9 of Unique Toys conjured up just the fix to put aside my prejudices and made this Mike Bay offering cool again.

Oh so shiny!!!

I want to start by saying when it comes to Transformers I LOVE the look of the Studio OX versions that were created for promos in the early eighties. These illustrations were wonderful departures from the pedestrian, boring, boxy and mundane designs of Floro Dery. Sorry Transformers fans but the OX boys just did it better, and it reflects in the offerings of the third party community as they often manage to capture the spirit of the Japanese super robot designs.

That being said when designer DX 9 (the name that he goes by) showcased the AOE upgrade I naturally went to Big Bad Toy Store and Placed my Pre-order. When my kit arrived in the mail I was not disappointed.  The Unique Toys offering turns movie Prime into God Ginrai (or Powermaster Optimus for American fans) from the Masterforce series.

The first order of business for me was to get rid of the old head. Yes I immediately decapitated the Bayformer abomination and replaced it with it's newer, sleeker cranium.

Old and busted.

The new hotness!

Next up were platform shoes for the Prime.

Available in blue or grey.

then a new chest piece,

Chromey!!! Difficult to attach

wings,

With smoke stacks!!!

shoulder pads.

With guns and a new crotch piece!!!

 and most importantly new firearms, replacing the improper Megatron shotgun.

Guns, guns, guns!!!

 In the end you get a beefed up Prime that has more of an anime look which is what I really dig. Granted the vehicle mode makes it look like some Mighty Max type of thing but it works, and let's face it you're rarely going to display it in vehicle mode anyway.

The only minor gripe is I have that there is no storage for the twin rifles.

Mini assault truck.

As you can see the results are stunning. This is a third party kit that takes a good figure and makes it into a great one.