GODGINRAI Super Transformer
Toy review

Transformers are probably one of the greatest toy inventions of the past 20 years. The innovation to make a really cool looking vehicle change into a really cool (well, Ratchet excluded) looking robot was outstanding. But it also held another quality, the one factor to grab and hold the interest of kids - it was something that parents couldn't touch and couldn't understand. This has been the mark of almost every successful youth product. Punk, rap, video games, and for a while the internet; these are all things that parents not only didn't get, but also didn't approve of. So, parents didn't 'disapprove' of Transformers, but they certainly didn't understand them nor work out how to use them.

But I didn't have too many Transformers when I was a kid, I had a few, but from what I remember they were always a little too expensive for us. I made do with He-Man stuff; and I do have a fair bit to say about He-Man, but I'll save that for another time, maybe when the new figures are launched.

Well this is probably a first for eyemachine, not only am I now writing two reviews at once (no, not literally) but I'm writing this one on the fly, just because well, I've not got much else to do. But also because: to open the box and see it gleaming out at me was pretty exciting, so I took a couple of pictures and thought I'd best write this down.

To clear things up a little, I have just received my GodGinrai (Ginrai is the Japanese name of Optimus Prime, and GodGinrai is the Japanese version of the Powermaster Optimus Prime figure that was released over here) and I'm very excited about it. It's like, I knew what it was going to look like when I ordered the thing, but now I have it in my hands, and I opened the box, and it was much bigger than I expected.



Ok, so it's the reissue of GodGinrai that they've released in Japan with a whole bunch of the other original Transformers, it's come from Japan and it's taken a fair while to get here, taking about a week to clear my payment and about another week to get it shipped. It was then sent to where I used to work, and they had to forward it onto me. This morning the little guy was left, in the cold, on the front step of my building only to be rescued by the caretaker and finally delivered to me. So the guy has already had quite an adventure already.



Anyway, the box is open, so let's take him out. You have to love Japanese packaging, just look at the galactic battle they're engaged in! Carefully I cut the tape along the edges with a small, but effective, vegetable knife. See! I knew that thing would be useful for something. I'm being very careful at this stage not to try and add any more bumps or creases to the box (yes I'm that sad). The side flap is opened and I slide the sucker out. About halfway along there's a little resistance. Do I pull a little harder or call for help? Hmm, a tricky one, ah sod it! I want my Transformer. Ok, I pull a little harder and it's free. Woah, this looks complicated.



Look at this lot! I've got all sorts of guns and missiles and a giant robot head! And look at the pack you get with it, there are two sticker sheets in there. What, were they too lazy to slap them on at the factory? Christ, this is more like Airfix…Airfix that's in Japanese. Ok, relax.

Well I've opened the bag and taken a look at the instructions. Doesn't look too bad, I didn't see any instructions for where to put the stickers though, so maybe I'll just need to leave those off for the time being. Oh, there they are. All numbered with proper English numbers too.

I'd just like to say at this point that this is probably the least productive morning I've had, especially considering I don't have a job anymore and I'm meant to go sign-on later today. That'll be interesting telling the Job person that my attempts to find new work so far have included spending the entire morning trying to assemble a large Transformer, and you know what? Even if I explain to her that it's a Japanese import of GodGinrai and it was half-price and he has loads of guns and stickers…I still don't think she'll understand. Maybe I should take the large robot head and then see if she's still so cynical.

So, from what I can work out, I've got three separate models here. Firstly there's GodGinrai, which is basically Optimus Prime, but who can turn into a huge version of himself by combining with the trailer. Then there's who I think is GodMaster (well I've just read the Takara site, and he's called GodBomber, even though it says GodMaster on the box), who is an extra robot, who can combine with GodGinrai to make, I dunno, Super GodGinrai or something, and whose vehicle form attaches to the end of GodGinrai's trailer.

So think of him as being one of those birds that rides around on a Rhino's back, or one of those fish that nibble hunks of rotten meat from a shark's teeth. You also get this tiny little Transformer guy called Masterforce Ginrai, but Christ knows what he does. Anyway, he folds up and slots into Ginrai's grill. Nice and warm I suppose - weirdo, why doesn't he just sit up front?

So, down to business: For a start, I'm going to stop with all this 'Ginrai' business. It's confusing enough for me and I've got the bloody toy in front of me. From now on, it's Optimus Prime, Super Optimus Prime when he's combined with his trailer. And the extra robot can be erm, Barney. And they combine to make Super Duper Optimus Prime. There.

Ok, so I make the truck up first - just the basic Optimus Prime truck. Barney can sit on the sidelines for the time being. Hmm, seems simple enough. There's a large rod that needs to be swung down so you can fit the truck to the trailer, but that's about it. And there it is in all its glory.



It works, it rolls and nothing's snapped off in my hands yet, so it's all going well, which is surprising considering how cheap the plastic feels. But that's all part of the charm isn't it. Ok, let's get Barney in on the action and stick him on the back. This was a bit tricky as his axle has to fit inside Optimus' trailer. Yeah, laugh it up, Fuzzball. Ok, so I had to pull open the trailer which was a bit tense as it had these sort of hidden clips which provided a little resistance. Got there in the end though, now just stick the guns on and he's ready to roll.



Hang on. Robot's In Disguise?! What the hell is he disguised as here? Some sort of Delivery-truck battle-station of Doom? Not going to look too inconspicuous pulling up outside Dixons armed to the teeth with those laser cannons. Mind you, if he did have to drive through Liverpool it's entirely justified.

Ok, let's ditch Barney again and get this battle-station made up. So first I had to transform Optimus Prime. This was a lot trickier than I was expecting, mostly because of one major factor - the front of the Optimus we all knew and loved also became his chest. A design which I would have thought'd stay the same, how wrong I was, and how panicked I was until I simply turned him round to discover a new 'front' on his back. Just take a look.



See his arms looked like they were on backwards, 'shit' I thought. Also, the instructions showed that what looked like his bumper was meant to fold down, and this metal thing wasn't moving anywhere. A simple turn around though, and all is revealed. And relax. I should just point out that I haven't put any of the stickers on yet either. So the battle-station was easy enough to assemble after that, and look at it shine.



OK, next step is to make Super Optimus Prime! This again was an easy process of making the trailer look like a huge robot, but with a gaping hole in his chest, just large enough for the truck, when folded up into a cube, to fit into. Well how about that? Convenient. But then the next bit is where I have a bit of a problem with Transformers.



Ok, so Optimus' head has been folded down, and it's now situated somewhere in Super Optimus' chest, so then you need to stick this extra giant head on top. How does that work then? It wasn't part of him in the first place but now he can use it, quite comfortably, as a head. Plus, there's no real place to store this thing in truck mode either. I'm sure the Autobots weren't strangers to cries of 'Erm, excuse me? Has anybody seen my head - anyone? No? Ok' and as Optimus walks away, you can faintly hear "shit…think damn it, think" on the battlefield.



Ok, let's give Barney some attention; he's been sat on his own for long enough. And besides - I need him for the next stage of Optimus' growth. Ok, so he's a bit odd in trailer mode and can't really do much. I dare say he's been left in the garage on more than one occasion, Optimus stating that he simply wasn't needed when he was only popping to Tesco's, followed by laughing as the Autobots drove off into battle.



And making Barney into a robot was a strange affair because it didn't encompass the usual 'Transformer' method of twisting limbs and bending joints. No, Barney needs to be ripped apart - all of is pieces come away completely and you just reassemble them into a robot. Weh-heh-hell, getting a little slack there aren't they! The weekend started early the week they had to come up with a way to transform this guy. Anyway, Barney looks like he can hold his own, especially as his shoulder cannon actually fires, and yes, I found that out the hard way - by almost losing my eye. But what a team the two of them make!



Barney: "Can I have a gun, Optimus?"
Optimus: "No"
Barney: "Go on, you've got two"
Optimus: "Speak to me again and I'll shoot you"
Barney: "…"

So making Super Duper Optimus Prime is just a case of taking Barney to pieces again and sticking them to different parts of Super Optimus' body. An appropriate real-life example is sticking Halfords' fog lamps and spoiler onto a mark II Ford Cortina. In theory he should look bloody awful, impress no-one and get laughed at once to often, but in reality he's a shining tower of a beast and if no-one else then he impresses me. Now I just need to slap the stickers on. Barney, you stay there!

david twomey

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