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HOME...REVIEWS...TOYS...TRANSFORMERS...ENERGON
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It's...
... a pen.
Not just any pen, mind you -- a Transformers: Energon Optimus Prime Figure Pen!
When I heard that this piece existed, I knew I had to get one. And so I did. And now, I review for your enjoyment.
Packaging:
The toy comes packaged in truck mode on a blister card, black with a
green/yellow starburst and the "Transformers: Energon" logo displayed on the
top. A small inset picture of the robot mode accompanies the text "Changes
from Vehicle to Robot". A standard Warning label is also on the front.
The back is all black and white, with the Energon logo and a line-art drawing of the pen in robot mode, with an arrow pointing to a tire saying "Push button to advance ball point cartridge." This time, the copy mentions "Changes from robot to big-rig and back!" There are also instructions on how to work the pen, the warranty, and copyright information.
Not exactly awe-inspiring, but hey, it's a pen; what do you expect, really?
One thing to note -- the pen is not refillable. So once you're out of ink, you're also out of luck, apparently.
Vehicle Mode:
The truck mode is 3.75" (9.5 cm) long and 1.94" (4.9cm) wide.
Except for the pen shaft sticking out the rear of the truck, this looks
like a miniature-sized version of the Energon Optimus Prime cab, although
a lot smaller and not as good quality. Still, you have six wheels
(free-rolling, not on axles) to move Prime around... maybe. A few wheels
spun on mine, but it was mostly pushing Prime rather than rolling him on
my desk.
Visually, it looks like Prime's vehicle mode, but there are different colors. A lot of the white and dark blue has been replaced with the grey plastic. His windows are now a lighter blue that drifts towards blue-grey on the spectrum.
There is a button on right side of the truck that you won't find on either version of the real toy. When you press it, out comes the pen cartridge, ready to write in black ink. Press it again, and click! -- away goes the pen.
(Yes, I do feel a bit silly describing how a ballpoint pen operates.)
You could write with the pen in this mode, if you wanted to, but it's meant more for writing after being changed to robot mode. Which makes for an excellent segue into
Transformation:
There are no instructions packaged with the pen, but it's pretty easy to figure out, and actually, the transformation is quite similar to the actual toy. The trickiest bit might be getting the legs to swing down, as the connector piece with the rear tires seemed to want to stay with the legs as opposed to on the hinge where it was supposed to stay. Anyway: swing the legs down from the rear wheels, and fold the rear wheels up towards the body. Swing the arms around at the shoulders, pull the upper arms down, bend at the elbows, and slide the fists out. Using your fingernail or some pointy device, pull the robot head out from the cab; it might be helpful to hold the toy upside down so gravity can give you a hand with this.
Super-Mode Prime bits: You can open up the chest pieces to show off his molded-in Matrix. You can also swing the super-mode helmet up and over the head, if you so desire. If you move it all the way down, it'll obscure Optimus' eyes, so just position it so it looks right. The side antennae do not fold down, however; you'll end up only warping them slightly if you do so. Be careful; the super-mode head has a tendency to fall off.
Depending on how you want to hold the pen, you may wish to skip the step of folding the rear wheels. You'll have to decide which one feels more comfortable.
Robot Mode:
First things first -- this toy will not stand. The robot feet have been
replaced by the pen shaft, so there's no flat surface to stand upon. The
rear wheel piece can come off the hinge, but there's no way to hook it
onto the legs in robot mode to make substitute feet. A shame, but then
again, this is supposed to be a pen.
The robot mode is 4.75" (12 cm) tall from head to tip of the pen holder (pen tip not out for use), and 4.45" (10.3 cm) from head to bottom of the feet. Again, the same color scheme changes apply here -- not as much white or blue, a lot more grey. Interestingly, the Matrix gets a yellow paint app just like the regular toy, and the detail is amazing considering how small and inexpensive this toy is. For the record, the inside chest panels are flat, and Prime has no mouth in his faceplate.
The pen does have holes on the shoulders where the Energon stars attach on the regular toys, but they're too small to use the actual toy accessories. Still, the small details are a nice touch.
Again, press the button on Prime's right thigh to use the pen. My hands can hold the pen easily; smaller hands of children may have a bit of a problem.
Articulation:
You have two joints at each shoulder (one to swing the shoulder, one to lower the arm), two elbow articulation, sliding fists, opening chest panels, and a head that can nod, but not turn left or right. Not great, but again, this is not a full-fledged toy.
Overall:
For $4, this is a nice addition to your Transformers Artifacts. If it could
stand up, I'd even recommend displaying it next to your other Transformers
in robot mode, simply for the ability to show off the Matrix. However,
the lack of feet make that impossible. If you're looking for a cheap Optimus
for Energon, however, go for it; you won't be able to get one for $4, I'll tell you that. Doesn't have much play value, but it's just a neat little thing. And certainly better than the McDonald's Armada Prime.
And hey, you can write letters with him. (Letters? What are those?)
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