Hasbro Transformers Armada Hot Shot

After seeing my housemate playing with the thing for three whole days, I feel qualified to write a review on the new Transformers Armada Hot Shot toy. Although if you listen to Matt, it's apparently not a toy at all - it's a collectible action figure aimed at mature adults. Despite it saying "for ages 5+" on the box. Whatever...

Hot Shot is part of the latest line of Transformers - an insanely popular range of toys that change ...
...lines - which needed either a degree in mechanical engineering or an eight year old child to transform correctly - the manufacturers seem to have moved away from complex transformations to an increased range of features on the toys. Hot Shot has a range of action features that are unlocked when a "Mini-Con" figure (which is also included in the box) is attatched to him. The most impressive of these is in his robot mode, when combining the ... more

After seeing my housemate playing with the thing for three whole days, I feel qualified to write a review on the new Transformers Armada Hot Shot toy. Although if you listen to Matt, it's apparently not a toy at all - it's a collectible action figure aimed at mature adults. Despite it saying "for ages 5+" on the box. Whatever...

Hot Shot is part of the latest line of Transformers - an insanely popular range of toys that change from robots to vehicles and vice versa. Unlike in previous lines - which needed either a degree in mechanical engineering or an eight year old child to transform correctly - the manufacturers seem to have moved away from complex transformations to an increased range of features on the toys. Hot Shot has a range of action features that are unlocked when a "Mini-Con" figure (which is also included in the box) is attatched to him. The most impressive of these is in his robot mode, when combining the figures makes a spring loaded missile launcher pop out of his back, spin round 90 degrees and fire in one smooth action.

Compared to previous ranges (which also litter our house and scare anyone that comes to visit), the actual quality of the model is dissapointing. Quite apart from the horrible bright yellow colouring, Hot Shot has far less articulation than most of the older figures - you can no longer bend the arms or legs, for example - and even in car mode the figure is an eyesore. On the other hand, the small MiniCon figure (a 3cm tall red robot called Jolt, who turns into a helicopter) that comes with him is fairly good for the size, having about the same level of flexibility as the main toy.

The transformation sequences for both Jolt and Hot Shot are remarkably easy - I easily accomplished both of them on the first attempt, which can't be said about equivalent models from different lines. Combining the two transformers is also easy, with the helicopter-mode Jolt simply plugging into an obvious plug in either the car or robot mode of Hot Shot. It is even straightforward to activate the additional features once you've put the minicon and main transformer together.

The Armada line is a tie-in for the series of Transformers currently airing in the USA, which isn't expected to make its way to Britain any time soon. In fact, the toys themselves haven't even been released in the UK yet - although that hasn't stopped many toyshops and collectors' stores from importing them and putting them on their shelves. It has, however, increased the price from the $10 (around £6) in America up to an average of £15. The price will probably fall back down again with their UK release.

Transformers are undoubtably a great toy for children, and are also for some reason popular among adult collectors. This particular Transformer, however, doesn't live up to the quality of previous toys - it looks ugly in both car and robot modes, due as much to the colour scheme as to the actual quality of the mould. If you're looking for this sort of thing, you'd do better to go for a different model. 

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