So, in Summer 2023 or so, a most interesting crossover product was announced - the Lunar Cruiser Prime. This Transformers product aimed to give Optimus Prime (yes, he was named specifically, rather than Convoy) the alt form of a Toyota JAXA Lunar Cruiser. A bit unorthodox, sure, but undeniably cool. Originally, this was only offered through a Japanese Kickstarter type of service before being brought overseas by Hasbro Pulse.. At the time of pledge though, this wasn't really an option so I ended up purchasing the Deluxe set, which ended up being a Japan specific item.
So the Stand comes in a separate box, so basically the US release will be just the box on the left hand side. I'll be completely honest - I should have saved the $40 CAD because the stand itself is basically a recycled MP stand but with "Lunar Cruiser Prime" as a label. Not really worth the money for the flex.
Content wise, there really isn't much that comes with the main figure, though I suspect this is due to the reality that you're not going to find a whole lot of weaponry on a space exploration vehicle. You basically get a Solar Panel and a Radar Dish. Yes, you can apply your imagination and make them into something else, but ultimately, you're still stuck with the aforementioned items.
I'm presuming since this is an officially licensed alt mode that it looks pretty close to the real thing. Certainly does not resemble any Earth based vehicle mode that I've seen. Sadly, being basically a glorified Mainline Voyager, this figure doesn't have working suspensions or steering like the Binaltechs did, nor does it feature rubber tires.
The Radar Dish and Solar Panel can be mounted to the vehicle. The Solar Panel can actually be stored inside the "trunk" of the vehicle mode, which really is just the cavity where the arms are stored. Otherwise, you'll notice in the cockpit a staple of any Optimus Prime figure, the Matrix of Leadership.
Transformation into robot mode is a bit more involved than your typical Mainline figure, necessitated by the sheer number of panels that need to be moved around. You end up with something that has that familiar Optimus Prime aesthetic, generally focused around the Chest and the Head. Considering how many panels you have to shift around, the result kibble isn't terrible. The design of the heels, however, IS terrible.
So the resulting figure isn't a superstar poser or anything (other than the knees, where you can cheat and get some more range of motion). It's more amazing that despite the sheer bulk of the figure, nothing gets in the way of posing. All your expected potions of articulation are there and functional, including the wrists. The proportions of the figure will affect what poses will come out natural looking, but at least there's nothing to impede motion. The Radar Dish and Solar Panel can be mounted on various points.
There's certainly more Paint than typical, undoubtedly aided by the budget and the fact they pretty much had to do it You don't really notice it much in vehicle mode, From what I can tell, the base plastic colours are predominately White and Blue. Having said that, quite a few areas needed to be painted in White and Blue in order to colour match the plastic, and they did a pretty good job. The Silver, Red, and other accent colours are painted. There's actually Silver AND Grey on the vehicle wheels, though its a bit hard to make out in the photos. Paint work is generally very sharp, with the exception of the back of the legs where they clip together in vehicle mode. Decals are nice and sharp, as the photographs show.
Build Quality for a Takara specific product has generally never been a problem for me, and it isn't a problem here. Considering the sheer number of tabs, slots, panels, joints and other features that need to work together in order to ensure both vehicle and robot mode don't fall apart, I think its safe to say we're good here. Cementing this status is the fact that the Solar Panel and Radar Dish fit into their respective spots with no complications.
The Lunar Cruiser Prime is a nice figure that celebrates both Transformers and space exploration in one neat package. All things considered, I'd say pricing is fair (especially if you were smarter than me and just go the figure on its own) but it's all about that novelty factor. Is it a must have figure? I'd have to say no, as people looking for a bit more death and destruction in their converting robots are going to be disappointed, and there are far cheaper figures figures for that sort of thing.
For Full Gallery, please visit:
Comments