Transformers Power of the Primes Leader Class Optimal Optimus (with upgrades): Peak Boss Monkey?

By fan demand, Optimus Primal returns as the newest Autobot leader. A brand new toy where he can stand shoulder to shoulder with Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime, he even got a convention exclusive black repaint that I won't be covering here even though I am still bitter about the last four Prime Masters being locked behind it. I was excited when this was announced, curious as to how it was going to work given the gimmick of Power of the Primes Leader Class figures. Then I saw it and... oh dear... credit for trying? It had problems, it needed a lot of help to improve it, which is why for this review, not only will I be reviewing the figure but the two DNA Design upgrade kits that came for it, along with one free modification you can do to any copy of the toy.

Transformers Beast Wars Transmetal Mega class Optimus Primal: ... the heck is Mega class?

What do you do when your repeat visit with Transformers Generation 2 fails spectacularly? You use your new assets in the form of Kenner, tell them to go nuts, and as a result, they turn everyone into robots with biological animal bits, then robot animals with biological robots, then a fusion of the two while also deciding to throw animals together... along with implementing franchise wide improvements like ball joints, the move from Die-cast metal to plastic, size classes, having a show that isn't all about selling new toys (ok not everyone adopted that one but there have been some great shows that have), helping to pioneer 3D animation for television... basically there isn't much to mock Beast wars of. While I wait patiently for my foot to heal so that I don't need to roll the dice with select stores and how they handle stock cataloging on their sites, I figured I would go back and review the one Beast Wars figure I personally own, before I eventually review Power of the Primes Optimal Optimus... and maybe one day that Masterpiece Primal if I can find one, that just looks great. Anyway, come and take a trip with me to the distant past of 1998, as we tackle a Transmetal gorilla.