Originally written May 2020.
So, Cyberverse was (and still is) an odd moment in Transformers history. The CGI-animated, ten-minutes-an-episode TV show is actually, in my opinion, one of the best Transformers shows in existence, essentially a wild speedrun through the greatest hits of the franchise, along with plenty of inventive original ideas. But the show’s three seasons seem to have came and went without much of the fandom paying attention, which is a shame (by the way, the entire series is freely and legally streaming on Hasbro’s official Transformers Youtube channel, you really should check them out if you haven’t).
The toyline, meanwhile, decided to forego having any kind of “normal” Transformers figures for most of its run, instead focusing entirely on gimmick toys. While I heard some of the larger Ultra-class ones were pretty good, I also heard a lot of horror stories about the rest of the line. It’s only now, towards the end of the show’s run, that Hasbro has started releasing waves of standard Deluxe-class figures, in what feels like a “throw the collectors a bone” moment. To be honest, they came kind of late for me to have much interest in picking most of the range up, despite being a fan of the show. However, they did manage to get me interested by doing the one thing I’m always a mark for: Doing a new Hot Rod figure.
Hot Rod’s Cyberverse robot mode design is probably my favorite new take on the character ever, incorporating all of the best bits of the G1 design, while incorporating proportions that make me think of the IDW version of the character.
I’m less of a fan of the boxy car mode, but still, the fact that it was getting a regular deluxe class figure was excellent news. That being said, there’s one big caveat to the figure, which I’ll get to in a moment.
Robot Mode
I’ll start with the colors, because that’s the big issue here. To put it bluntly, Hot Rod’s missing a ton of paint apps, being mostly red, when the actual character model is a whole whack of different colors. This is particularly vexing when the rest of the Cyberverse Deluxes seem to have more paint apps, or at least distribute the ones they have better. It wouldn’t have taken much for Hot Rod to look right. If the spoiler on the back was yellow, or there was some color on their midsection, it wouldn’t look as plain, but as it stands, they’re Very Very Red, with only a bit of orange, grey, and silver here and there to break it up.
That being said, in person, it doesn’t look as plain as the pictures would suggest. It helps that they picked a very good shade of red as the main color. It’s very eye-catchingly vibrant in a way that the G2 lover in me vibes with, and it doesn’t wash out the sculpted details.
Speaking of that, this is an excellently-sculpted figure that manages to convey one of my favorite things about the design: Its lanky proportions, which feel right for the character. All of the important details are there, like the spoiler backpack, the arm-pipes, the flaming hood-chest, and the stompy boots, but it’s got a slick, characterful look to it.
I particularly like the headsculpt, and its shape and style make me think of the More than Meets the Eye iteration of the character, which is where I’m putting them on my shelf.
I’d say the only drawbacks of the sculpt are a bit of a kibble backpack (though it keeps out of the way).
That, and the panels hanging off the arms, which were probably meant to look like exhaust-pipe claws, but have a bit too much mass to them. Still, they don’t mar it too much.
Size-wise, Hot Rod feels a bit on the short side for a Deluxe, mostly due to the slimness of the silhouette, but is actually the same size as most Siege Deluxes.
Hot Rod’s a bit shorter than the Titans Return range of fellow 1986 characters, meaning they work more on a More than Meets the Eye shelf than a Generation One shelf.
The poseability on Hot Rod’s pretty aces. You’ve got most of the joints you’d expect from a modern Deluxe, and they’re plenty tight (I heard this line’s Deluxw Megatron is really loose). There’s no ankle tilts, but Hot Rod’s feet are big enough that they can stay standing even when the feet aren’t straight.
The only other poseability gripe is that Hot Rod’s shoulders are sculpted in such a way that they knock into the figure’s head in any kind of “pointing to the side” pose. Aside from that, the poseability does that thing I love where it mingles with the sculpting to give that ever-elusive sense of “personality.”
For accessories, Hot Rod comes with a pair of transparent flame effect parts, made out of the same rubbery plastic as Siege’s effect parts. They clip onto the ends of Hot Rod’s arm-mounted exhaust pipes, for some impressive flamethrowing action.
Here’s an equally impressive extra thing they have going on: There’s an entirely separate connection point on the back of them that makes them compatible with Siege figures, so you can mount them on their weapons, too.
It’s this extra bit of cross-compatibility that really shows that they wanted these Cyberverse figures to mingle with mainline Generations ones.
Oh, also, Hot Rod comes with an entire spare leg. See, these Deluxes are copying the Marvel Legends model of including a piece of a figure in each box, and if you collect them all, you can build Maccadam, a bartender and more-important-than-he-seems character from the Cyberverse Tv show. But I’m not planning on picking up the whole line, so I guess I just have a leg now.
Transformation
This is the kind of transformation I like: Quick, yet involved. I looked at the instructions once, and never had to again. It’s a bit of a shellformer-y one, in that a lot of the car folds out of the backpack, but it all pegs together without any frustration. Also, in what’s probably a coincidence, this Hot Rod figure has the same “compress the legs up into the thighs” sliding move as the original G1 Hot Rod’s transformation, which tickles me.
Car Mode
Like I said at the top, I was never too fond of this car mode design on the show, and it’s faithfully replicated here. It’s not a bad car, though, it’s just really boxy, when Hot Rod usually changes into a more curvy, angular sports car. This makes me think more of Sideswipe, especially considering how red it is.
On one hand, the weird lack of paint apps strikes again, in that we don’t even have the iconic hood-flames in this form, much less the yellow spoiler in the back.
On the other hand, we do have properly painted wheels and headlights, so as a standard car, it actually looks well-painted enough (though, in terms of sculpt, the robot feet can be seen from the back.)
Aside from the colors, it holds together fine, and it rolls well.
For gimmicks, you can again plug the flames into the exhaust pipes, making the car look like it’s in the middle of a nitro boost from racing, appropriate for the character.
Overall
Maybe it’s just because it’s one of my favorite characters, but I still like this figure. It’s got a great sculpt and engineering, great poseability, a great transformation, great effect parts, and a great sense of personality. It’s just a fun, simple little desktop Deluxe, great to transform and pose. If only they’d put more paint on it, it would easily have been one of the best Hot Rods in my book. As it stands, it continues the bothersome trend of Hot Rod getting toys that are almost there, but have one big problem. Still, if you’re looking to find a good mainline Hot Rod figure at retail, this is the one to get right now, and it’s one I like, problems aside. I’ll add this at the end, though: If Toyhax comes out with a set of stickers for this figure to fill in the missing colors (and looking at the sculpt, it would be really simple for them to do), I’ll bump it up to an unconditional recommendation.
2021 update: Welp, the further away we get from Cyberverse, the less likely that upgrade kit’s coming, so the figure will have to stand alone it its un-paintedness. That, and I did get my basically-perfect Hot Rod update later on, in the form of the Studio Series 86 figure, sort of invalidating the “best you can get for now” nature of this release. I guess, at this point, this figure’s recommended if you a) like Cyberverse, and want that character specifically, b) want a Hot Rod for your Lost Light shelf that isn’t the Flame Toys kit (that’s where this one lives right now, on my shelves), c) want those cool flame effect parts for your War For Cybertron Trilogy figures, or d) just want a fun little Deluxe, and don’t care about the plain colors.
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