Hot Shot with Jolt
 Big Yellow Bulky Chunky Hot Shot was quickly written off as a second rate Transformers toy; at least by me. Within a week I looked at some extra pictures of it and decided it may actually be a fun toy......that thought came too late. Hot Shot sold out and had to be ordered from BBTS.
Transformers Armada Hot Shot and Hasbro's Mini-Con Jolt just hit me wrong at first and gave me a bad impression of the Armada toys . Picasso paintings hit me wrong the first time, Volkswagen Beetles puzzled me, and NYC row housing didn't make sense. Now I understand. You know, all Transformers must be realistic and measured versus the Gold standard -- TF Generation 1 robot toys. This guy was bulky plastic with a cartoon feel. Hot Shot didn't even close to "Reality".
My opinion has reversed 180 degrees now that I absorbed the new Armada style. I actually played with my new Armada friends. Hot Shot and Jolt are quite excellent once you get over their innovative new looks.
Color-- Canary Yellow. Add Hot Pink, GunMetal Gray, Flat Black, and metallic Blue.
Size-- 5 1/2 inches long by 3 1/4 inches wide. Fat.
Armament-- Two submachine guns on the hood, pinchers on the bumper, Minicon, rear axle missile, Visor, Hand laser (Japanese release).
First impressions-- Bulky, plasticey, heavy, easy transformations, solid and tough.
I found the U.S. packaging to average if not cheap. The twist ties drove me nuts to get off. Cardboard backing was generic. Tech Specs were omitted and a thing of the past. But the TOY is quite excellent and fun to transform. You get a free comic book to boot.
The Japanese box incarnation (pictured below) is quite excellent. It puts Hasbro's package to shame. However you will notice that the U.S. toy ($9.99) retails for less than the Japanese one (over $12 approximately). Once being a kid, and always a kid at heart, I appreciate saving a buck.
 Of note-- the U.S. toy has less detail in the red Autobot sign painting, slightly different plastic (maybe less quality), and less paint accents. The Japanese release, which actually came after the American release, has extra paint and an electronic light-up hand. The light inside the fist glows red on the Japanese release and the Autobot symbol (by the head) on the J-toy shows yellow in the eyes and symbol lines.
 Add the machine guns to the top of the engine and then you have a helicopter pad. Kids can either press firmly on the engine again to open the bumper (scissor arms) or add the helicopter atop. This spring loaded gimmick was quite cleaver.
 Then transform the sucker and prepare to be impressed by the innovative design. The hood transforms into feet, doors into arms, trunk into head (!), and rear windshield into abdomen. I give Hasbro kudos for innovating the standard Autobot design. Better than that, the robot held various poses well and stayed balanced. It is a bit bulky but kids seem to have no complaints and love it.
Another innovation worth noting is the rear tires. The tiree rotate around a fixed rim similar to radical new motorcycle designs.
Jolt has a number of convenient hard points to attach to. Each airfoil on H.S. has a hard point in addition to the engine and back.
Mini-Con Jolt is an excellent vehicle, but a bit unbalanced as a robot. Oh well, what do you expect when you carry around four half-inch helicopter blades.
 Overall I rate Hot-Shot as an excellent toy. Collectors and toy aficionados have degraded and derided Hot-Shot as a poor toy. Me, I whole-heartedly object to that notion. Hot-Shot is a toy. Kids love this Armada toy. It is durable and fun to play with. Most who criticize H.S. haven't actually played with him and have forgotten the merits of excellent toys-- accurate representations of their anime characters (check), durability (check), features (check), affordability (check. $10), and the elusive fun factor (double check). Hot-Shot probably won't go on a marble pedestal and be idolized. Instead it will be stuck in a sweaty Cheetos-covered kid's hand, played with, enjoyed, and scratched with hours and weeks of wear and joy.
-Ed
P. S. Winter 2003 TF Armada was rated the #2 best selling toy and only second to Yugi-Oh (not a toy figure but a game). |
