Phil's
Henkei & Universe Hotshot
Review

Hotshot

Universe & Henkei Hotshot are broadly similar. The differences can be easily summed up - Universe Hotshot has a black engine block and a rear number plate that reads JaM as a homage to the infamous Armada web comic. The Henkei version has a chromed engine block, a number plate that reads Hotrod and a pair of clear blue exhaust trails sticking out the back which detach to form missile launchers. For me it was a simple choice - missiles or no missiles. Your mileage may vary. Now to me Armada Hotshot is an obvious choice for some modernising work. The shoulders don't work very well only bending to the sides and he's got a bit more of a cartoon like appearance in robot mode than most TFs with (The other toys I'd revisit would be Smokescreen for the appearance and Thrust cos I think they can do much better - mount the minicon ports on top of the wings, give him extending hands, wipe out the gimmick) The car is mainly cast in yellow plastic with clear blue front & rear windscreen. I can't see why the same material hasn't been used for the side windows, it would add consistency - the roof would then be painted like the frame for the rear windows. As per the original version he comes with a Minicon Jolt - which I'll tackle separately. Jolt attaches to Hotshot in the middle of the rear spoiler but unlike the original his arms slide under the spoiler to lock him in place, he doesn't peg onto a Minicon post. Jolt can't be bent back here to form a propeller for the car which is a shame. In fact the only Minicon post on the toy is mounted on the rear of the vehicle and is pretty useless. Well you can plug Jolt's nose into it and mount him upside down as a rotor but you then end up with the tail sticking up in the air. It's almost as if someone looked at the finished product and said "Hang on, it's meant to be an Armada toy, where's the Minicon socket ?" The two to the sides of the car are missing as is the spring loaded claw gimmick in the front and the spring out missile in robot mode. Overall the car mode represents a more realistic vehicle mode than the original.

The TF is where things start to go wrong: As in the previous version the front forms the legs and the back the arms. But when you turn the car over you realise the chest is upside down for tis configuration and some parts are going to have to considerably move around. If you're working with the Henkei version then remove the exhaust missiles. Open the doors and fold them forward - the doors may fall off at this point - so they cover the sides of the front of the car. Pull the back of the car apart to the sides and fold the roof out to the sides. Fold the back of the car up a bit and spread the arms to the sides - at which point at least one of the shoulders will break off. Separate the front of the car and fold down so the waist comes together when you'll loose at least one of the legs bellow the knees. Fold the foot out of the leg and extend the heel spur. Fold the windscreen into the legs. Rotate the foot till the yellow panel with the circle in it faces out the front. Lock the shoulders into the chest - well try to - they'll pop out again - and fold the panels on the back of the shoulders back to free the arms up slightly. Rotate the roof pieces on the forearms under the arms. Rotate the head round to the front.

Robot mode resembles the original Hotshot and looks like it should have much more articulation. But the only real additions to the articulation - the turning head and rotating shoulders - are both heavily limited by the HUGE pieces of the car rear & sides hanging off the shoulders that make it night on impossible for the arms to move or the head to be grasped. In addition to the articulation above we have a bicep joint, bending elbows and universal jointed hips & knees all of which were found on the original toy. The head now features a fold down visor & lightpiped eyes moulded in clear blue which is nice.

All in all - a fallaparticon disappointment laden down with excess car kibble. Yes it's a better and more realistic sculpt but a toy should hold together much better than this - the shoulders need a metal rod through the fold in the panels they're on and the knee needs to be connected to the lower leg by a much more secure joint.

Really not worth bothering with.

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