Transformers Kre-O Autobot Command Center with Building Set Optimus Prime Vehicle and Rippersnapper and Kreons Shockwave, Arcee, Bumblebee, Knock Out, and Ratchet
Hasbro for the first time has done what they should have started doing a long time ago. The Autobot Command Center is the first building set meant specifically as a play set for Kreons. Considering that Kreons seem to be the most popular segment of the line, play sets for them seem to make sense, especially since the actual robot building sets always end up heavily clearanced. Currently the only Kre-O items scheduled to come out is the Micro-Changers Wave 4 and the Micro-Change Combiners Computron and Menasor. There is however a Kreons Encyclopedia due out next year with an exclusive Orion Pax Kreon, so this would suggest the line is continuing. Perhaps Hasbro has figured out that focusing on Kreons rather than robot building sets makes sense.
Unfortunately, at best, this set is okay. But at least it’s a step in the right direction.
Kreons
It’s funny, every time I think Hasbro is getting their act together, they regress. The early Kreons had lots of problems with faces being badly positioned on the heads. For a long time though, they seemed okay. This set, unfortunately, has issues in that area. Shockwave’s red spot should be painted higher up so that it fills in the hole in the helmet. Even worse is Ratchet. His eyes are painted so high up that they are nearly covered by his helmet. Overall this isn’t a bad group of Kreons, but things like painting the faces in the wrong places really takes away from them.
Optimus Prime Truck
The Optimus Prime truck is pretty cool. His action feature sucks though. It is supposed to launch a net. I don’t have it put on correctly in the photo, since it just flopped off the back of the truck the way they say to put it on. It’s a bad design.
Rippersnapper
Yet another screw up by Hasbro, they have continued the habit of not bothering to put the beast names on the box. This guy is supposed to be called Rippersnapper even though he looks nothing like Beast Hunters Rippersnapper (though he honestly looks better than the actual Rippersnapper toy). He’s pretty cool looking for a demonic killer goat. I don’t know what else he is supposed to be. Not sure we’ve ever had a Transformers goat before, so there’s that.
Autobot Command Center Armory
The armory is…kind of lame. It’s got a bunch of weapons and what appears to be some kind of energy tap, maybe? I’m not sure. I’m sure this is meant to work as part of the Custom Kreons idea. The idea didn’t work there either.
Autobot Command Center Brig
The brig portion of the set is kind of cool. The roof is open, so presumably the claw is an easy way to put prisoners inside, though that seems a bit unnecessary since there is a door. The security camera is a really nice touch though, and it has a break away rear wall for jail breaks.
Autobot Command Center
The Command Center is really nice, if lacking in…well, everything. The door (with the large Autobot logo on it) flips down. It has two guns on the second floor and a dual missile launcher on the roof. It’s nice looking, though I kind of hoped for more.
There really isn’t much to it on the inside, accept a control room with some graphics up on the monitors. Not sure why Optimus Prime’s face is on the floor.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, maybe something with a larger control room with multiple stations, and more elaborate defense systems? A medical bay, hangar, Ratchet’s lab, would have all been nice. It’s not a bad set, just not really special.
Hopefully Hasbro’s next foray into Kreon play sets will have more to it, perhaps an ark? They could even make it look like G1. Now that would be awesome.
Thanks for reading!
