Year of the Snake 2013: Omega Supreme!

Presenting the Transformers Year of the Snake Platinum Edition Omega Supreme.

When news of the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme started filling the internet I originally balked at the idea of having to pay over US$ 120 for a repaint of the Energon Omega Supreme  (That I already had) - even if it did come with a new arm and a new head. So I passed when it hit the market

But when I saw it in Toys R'Us I just had to have it and I started rationalizing that it was technically not the same collectible, but a brand new collectible and a fine rendition of one of the most iconic Transformers characters to ever be made.

So I spent over US$ 120 to but him, and here he is in all his glory.

The Transformers Platinum Edition Year of the Snake Omega Supreme comes in this most glorious looking Red and Gold (Special color, very expensive) hard case with velcro locks in celebration of the start of Chinese New Year - though personally I do not understand what Omega Supreme has to do with the Year of the Snake or why he was chosen for this esteemed honor

The inner blister card of the hard-case reads "Year of the Snake Omega Supreme: As a Guardian of Cybertron, Omega Supreme is a conduit for the very energy of the machine world. He prefers to remain quiet and still, aloof from the petty conflict of the Autobots and the Decepticons. But when the safety of his world is threatened he awakens, and the mighty arsenal at his command shakes the foundations of the planet."

It lists Omega Supreme's statistics as

• Strength - 10
• Intelligence - 8 - not bad. I'd always assumed that he was more... mentally challenged.
• Speed - 6 - Also assumed that he'd be slower
• Endurance - 6 - Surprising. But then he does use a lot of energy just to move.
• Rank - 4 - You'd think that a walking giant would get more respect
• Courage - 10 - Hard to be scared when you're that big.
• Fireblast - 9 - Again a surprise considering he's a "conduit for the very energy of the machine world"
• Skill - 9

At this point we should probably point out that this particular rendition of Omega Supreme is NOT the one from the War or Fall of Cybertron. It's still the design from the Transformers Energon cartoon.

What's to like about the Year of the Snake Platinum Edition Omega Supreme?

Gotta love than new paint-job. It no longer has the "Bio-Man" clashing colors of the Energon Omega Supreme.

As you can see Hasbro tried to stay true to the gold and red motif popularly used during the Chinese New Year - though duller and more yellow than gold - and threw in a lot of light-gunship-gray (That matches the G1 Omega Supreme Colors) so that at least the colors between the two are uniform unlike, again, the colors of the Energon Omega Supreme.

Unfortunately the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme does not keep the red or gold of the G1 Omega Supreme.

Next up is that beautiful claw that surrounds his main-laser weapon. The actual claw spins around just like it should when Omega Supreme charges his main-weapon and each individual claw can be re-positioned to open and close the entire claw

Now throw in the main weapon on his right arm, raise the cannons on his torso, knees and shoulders and you have an Alpha Strike capable Omega Supreme - Check out the excellent articulation by the way! He can kneel!




Speaking of Alpha Strikes, the Platinum Edition Omega Supreme has a built in head that is closer in appearance to the G1 Omega Supreme - which includes a single cannon built into the back of his head. I don't quite know where I first saw it, but I do remember a cartoon episode which had Omega Supreme firing everything he had, then he - at the last minute - turned his head and fired that tiny cannon forward as well.

And as with the Energon Omega Supreme, the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme can split into two and become two separate cannons/weapons platforms, or a stand-alone mobile artillery platform and "Yamato" inspired space-battleship:

The mobile Artillery cannon:

The Space-Battleship. The gear that the Energon Omega Supreme has that allows you to turn all the forward mounted guns to turn to fire a broadside is still there; as are the two spring-loaded missiles in the large turret. The discrete that you press that fires the "main-gun" though feels stiff and doesn't move - albeit there is a casing for batteries at the bottom of the vessel. Unfortunately, as of this writing, I do not possess the necessary screwdriver to open the triangular nut that Hasbro used to close it.

The two combine to form a Cybertronian Armored Supertrain:




What's NOT to like about the Year of the Snake Platinum Edition Omega Supreme?

The false package advertising. The box of the Year of the Snake Platinum Edition Omega Supreme shows a retooled photo of the Energon Omega Supreme - they couldn't be bothered to change it.... actually come to think of it, that's not even much of a retooled image given the mismatched gray color. You can tell that it's the Energon Omega Supreme thanks to the two horns jutting out from behind the image's head.

Actual "Lunging Arm"

And it gets worse. Flip the box and look at the back and it says that the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme comes with a "Lunging Grip." It does not. The Energon Omega Supreme does because of it's crane arm. The Year of the Snake Omega Supreme does not because the crane arm is replaced with his main cannon instead.

The last lie on the packaging - and the actual instructions - of the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme is that it "Combines with the Platinum Edition of Optimus Prime" Look closely at the photo in the packaging. All they do is take Prime's Drones and attach him. They didn't bother actually combining him with Optimus Prime.

Why?

Because despite what the instruction manual says, because the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme's head doesn't detatch!

You can fold it in - as you should when you transform him, but it doesn't flush 100% Hence, you cannot attach the shoulder drone with the head there.

Further, because the new arm is sooo big, the right-arm drone's attachment is askew

At best, this is what you will end up with:

Omega Prime looks like crap anyway. 

So who would win in a battle between the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme and the Energon Omega Supreme?

Between the two "cranes" of course the one with the huge cannon will win:

Between the two Space Battleships. I think the advantage goes to the Energon Omega Supreme because  the real "Omega Supreme" in the Energon line is this tiny little drone that becomes a command center on the Space Battle Ship:

But between the two Omega Supremes?

If the two went toe-to-toe in a long range battle, advantage goes to the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme what with it's huge laser cannon. But close up? Hand-to-Hand? Assuming the Year of the Snake Omega Supreme's main cannon is kept from being put into play - which isn't so hard by the way given how big it is - this would probably happen:




Advantage: Energon Omega Supreme with its "lunging" arm.

Now let's assume that the "Lunging" Arm is ALSO not brought into play, the advantage still goes to the Energon Omega Supreme, because of the fact that the Energon Omega Supreme can actually operate without it's head. It's two robots - a big giant and a minicon:

Which will allow the Energon Omega Supreme to do this:

It's always the little guys :)

As mentioned, the Transformers Year of the Snake Platinum Edition Omega Supreme was purchased from Toys R'Us in Galleria here in the Philippines for PhP 4,999.75 (Roughly US$ 121.95). He's available on Amazon for US$ 99.99 (Roughly PhP 4,099 plus a TON of shipping as he's heavy).

I think he's worth it.

For the full review and gallery, do visit Darklorddungeon.blogspot.com.