Legacy Evolution Hot Shot

Prelude: At a time when Bumblebee was still that harmless kid-appeal Minibot and Hot Rod was the hotheaded up-and-coming leader, the Unicron Trilogy introduced a fusion of the two in Hot Shot. After starring in Armada, Energon, and Cybertron, the hotheaded yellow speedster now returns in the Legacy Evolution line. Is he a worthy successor to the original Armada bot? Let’s say go!

Robot Mode: For all that he was one of the main characters of Armada, the original Armada Hot Shot figure left a lot to be desired. Many gimmicks, but very little articulation and a look more at home in a Fisher Price toyline. The new Legacy Evolution figure does a lot to change that. Not only is the figure itself a good deal better proportioned and more screen-accurate, it also has nearly full articulation. No twisting wrists and the knees bend only about 45 degrees before clashing with the car kibble on the back of his legs, but still: Hot Shot can finally move.

Sadly the figure still has a few problems. One is the aforementioned kibble on the legs and the legs themselves being pretty much open on the inside. Given how he transforms, I am rather sure you could have added an additional plate there to hide the inside of the legs without impeding anything. He does have ankle tilt, at least, and while the knees don’t bend that far, they click in solidly into the shins to hold everything together. Also, the big shoulder pads (cue every long-time fan mouthing “Why my shoulders hurt?”) click into the torso, but not very solidly, so excessive arm movement is almost certain to loosen them.

Problems aside, Hot Shot carries the same engine block gun he had way back in 2002 and also has the same Powerlinx gimmick. Sadly without the Powerlinx part, given that he comes without his Mini-Con Jolt. Now the Powerlinx Hot Shot that just came out does have Jolt and that one is fully compatible with this Hot Shot here, too, but he still does not actually active the gimmick. Said gimmick being Hot Shot’s rear axle flipping forward from his back to become a big bazooka. To help with aiming, a visor can flip down over Hot Shot’s eyes, too.

So bottom line for the robot: a definite improvement over previous Hot Shot figures, but there is still room for more.

Alternate Mode: Hot Shot transforms into a yellow sports car that somewhat resembles an Audi TT (but not quite enough for a lawsuit). Overall the car looks very nice, though it does have the same problem that Earthrise Sunstreaker had, namely that the yellow plastic of the chassis and yellow painted roof don’t quite match. Though at least it’s just the roof here, so it’s a bit easier to ignore. Color mismatch aside, though, this is a very nice car mode. Due to the way he transforms, you can even open up the doors, though there is no interior cockpit, of course.

Hot Shot’s engine block gun now sits on top of the hood. Just be careful not to push it in too tightly, because it’s a very tight fit and you need tough fingernails or pliers to get it out again. Also, you can somewhat simulate one of Hot Shot’s old Armada gimmicks by unfolding the feet that form the front bumper, forming a kind of capture claw. Nicely done. Of course the prominent Mini-Con port at the back of the car only calls attention to the fact that, no, Hot Shot does not come with a Mini-Con.

So a very nice car mode in total. No visible robot bits, a little gimmick, strong resemblance to the original, all good.

Remarks: Hot Shot was a mainstay of the Unicron Trilogy, being one of the main players in all three series and getting multiple toys in each one, too. Now Legacy brings us a homage to the original Armada Hot Shot figure, only this time with actual articulation, but sadly, no Mini-Con. That would be reserved for the Pulse exclusive repaint Powerlinx Hot Shot (gallery and review coming soon).

As for the figure itself, it is certainly much better than the original, but that is a pretty low hurdle. The car mode is great, the robot mode could be better. Overall, though, the best Armada Hot Shot figure we have seen yet. Minus the Mini-Con, of course.

Rating: B-

Picture Gallery: