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Optimus Prime and Sparkplug; Transformers-Armada Meat and Potatoes; 4.5 Perks; 5.0 Homer Factor; 4.7
					Description;  At last, the Big Bot gets his due in the Amrada line. Everything is the same, yet everything is different.  Prime seperates into a truck//robot mode and trailer/battlestation mode.  The trailer opens-up into a three-leven structure with two cannons, and extra platforms to store Mini-Cons and to launch them.  Both sections can transform into a Super Robot mode.  All forms come with a plethora o' special effects sounds and lights, and the trailer automatically transforms when the cab is transformed. Sparkplug is Prime's Mini-Con and can transform from a sport car to robot and back.
	Ok... we've got the Villain, the Exuberant Kid, wait... where's The Hero?  Ah, NOW we're talking.  Finally, after waiting through a few Mini-Cons, Cyclonus, and Megatron, we have the Big Bot!   Hey, there's good reason to wait for this one.  Most versions of Prime/Convoy tend to be the Biggest and Baddest Bots Around.   We're talking the robot that's usually physically huge, loaded with cool options, and LOTS of weapons.  Hey, if you wanna throw-down with Megatron, you have to be prepared, right?  So after the wait and delays, is this thing worth the $40?  Well... sort of... Meat and potatoes are a very, very, very mixed bag, like everything else about this series.  Fortunately, the sculpt is excellent.  The figure captures a ton o' details such as panel lines, vents, and other hi-tech details.  A perfect example is the little display-board in Prime's base mode.  Rather then just clear plastic, the board is etched with a picture of a globe and other neat symbols.  Articulation, though... well, the Optimus mode has good articulation over-all; arms, elbows, the whole smash.  In Super Robot mode, though, it's barely a step better then God Ginari;  the arms do have elbows, but the legs do not move at all.  Since the trailer serves as the Super Robot base, the legs do not articulate at all, making the legs look like giant blocks.  Unfortunately the arms have a very big glitch; there is a little panel on the arm that keeps the arms from rotating over Super OP's head.  I have no idea what this is for, and a number of other folks have also wondered what the point was.  I just filed the section off and now have free-moving arms.  Yes, I DE-MINTED THE FIGURE, shame on me.  Hey, this is MY toy, and I cannot abide to having articulation this mediocre when I can fix it. Perks are solid over-all.  All the transformations are very cool, and the base-mode is a very nice piece of work.  Rather then just a giant flat surface with all the Mini-Cons just running along, the designers also created a two-tier platform that can carry Mini-Cons and weapons, giving the base real 'height' almost like Metroplex and Fortress Maximus   Once again, the Mini-Con features are just ok.  One Power-Link activates a miniature cannon, another one generates sound effects.  Considering how large this piece is, I expected a lot more special features, like more cannons activated by Mini-cons or something.  The automatic transformation... well, I'm still up-in-the-air about that.  It's VERY impressive; watching this thing change on it's own is mesmerizing and quite a mechanical feat.  But there are a few problems;  if you're not careful, you can set off the transformation by accident, messing with the figure.  You may want to use the 'on/off' switch between modes just in case.  Next, I wish whatever causes the transformation, button, whatever, was more obvious.  That way if the thing doesn't change, you can just press it 'right here' to get it going.  As the directions stand, just changing Optimus is supposed to do that, but I have noticed that sometimes the mechanism is a bit twitchy.  Sparkplug, Prime's Mini-Con, is very well made.  The transformation from what looks like a Ferrari Contach to Robot is simple but very neat, and the sculpting details on the figure are very surprising for something that small.  Homer factor?  Basically, this is the flag-ship of this hyped-up line, so you have to be waiting with serious anticipation on this one. Over-all?   Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed.  Considering how incredible Super Fire Convoy was, I was really looking forward to this; giant new OP, the Mini-Con options, a LOT of possibilities.  The toy isn't horrible by any means; it is a very good sculpt and the transformation is impressive.  BUT, considering what we've expected over the years, it's not quite what I had hoped.  In the end, this piece is really a result of who you're targeting.  In some ways, the Car Robots were for older collectors who think sound effects are ok, but are really looking for sculpt, articulation, and displaying it.  This piece seems to be for younger fans; lots of light and sound effects and the automated transformation to keep you interested.  If you're looking for another Optimus to snag, by all means this is a nice piece.   But if you're looking for a really stunning figure, keep reading more reviews, then decide.  Especially for a heft $40.