MoonbaseTom

Recently Kabaya, the candy toy crack dealer of Japan, made some Optimus Prime/Convoy models. Like the toy crack junkie I am, there was no way I couldn’t pick them up.

Kabaya use to make Transformer candy and toy models back in the 80′s. The little models were basically scaled down versions of the real toys, complete with weapons and similar transformations.

I had hope that the new kits would follow in the footsteps of the old ones. Sadly they didn’t, there’s a lot of part swapping to the transformation, and it really takes the fun out of the miniature figures.

Both kits look pretty nice in truck mode, a few more labels wouldn’t have hurt but maybe the guys at Reprolabels could help with that.

The Kabaya kits are roughly 1/2 scale of the toys there based on.

-G1 Optimus Prime/Convoy-

Look at that chrome shine! I love me some G1 Prime. The G1 Prime is the Hasbro commemorative edition with G2 Prime smoke stacks. I added the rub-symbol the the Kabaya Convoy.

Takara’s WST Convoy is roughly 1/2 the size of the Kabaya kit. The WST Convoy has rolling wheels, a perfect transformation, and die-cast feet.

The sizes just work out perfectly, now if I only had trailers for the Takara and Kabaya toys.

The transformation dose require you to take the lower arms off, and then peg them back on. But with a little ingenuity and some left over Gundam model parts, you can make the G1 Convoy perfect transform.

It’s a very simple mod, and it only takes a few minutes. I encourage anyone who has this kit to do it.

The Revoltech Convoy’s Matrix of leadership fits perfectly in the Kabaya Convoy’s hand.

This is my favorite kind of display, staggered from largest to smallest.

Toy crack: 5 – Irresistible, a must have for any Prime/Convoy fan.

Overall: 4 - With a simple modification, the kit can be made into a great little toy.

-Classics/Henkei Optimus Prime-

The pegs on the sides of the Kabaya kit are an eye-sore.

The pegs are for when you “transform” the toy, and peg his arms back on. If you can really call this a transformation.

I would’ve been nice if Kabaya put a little more effort into this one.

After all the part swapping is done, the toy actually makes a rather nice looking miniature Henkei Convoy.

Shown here with Classics Prime instead.

Toy crack: 4 – It’s hard to pass up a mini Henkei Convoy.

Overall: 3.5 - The toy would be a lot better if it didn’t have to be taken apart and put back together again.

There is actually a 3rd Kabaya kit. Star Saber. It’s not really all that great, and I don’t have a Star Saber to compare it with, but here it is.

-Star Saber-

Robot mode isn’t bad at all, it looks like a smaller version of the Robot-masters Star Saber. The gun came from a knock-off Robot-master toy.

There called “Transformers”, not “Trans-Fall-aparters”.

I’d rather have the real Star Saber.

Toy crack: 3 – It’s gonna be hard to buy the other two Convoys and not pick this one up too.

Overall: 2.5 – Like I said before, I’d rather have the real Star Saber toy. This thing is just disappointing.

This concludes the Toy Crack report.

-Tom B.

Tags: Classics, Convoy, G1, Henkei, Kabaya, Optimus, Prime, Saber, Star

This entry was posted on Friday, May 21st, 2010 at 8:36 pm and is filed under Import toys, Toys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.