Classics Hot Rod sucks, TR Hot Rod also sucks but with a headmaster gimmick, POTP Hot Rod is a cheap compromised gimmick mess, and neither of the MPs are generations. (and have their own bag of issues) Hot Rod's been shafted in that he semi-regularly receives toys but they're almost always terrible. Dude needs at least one mainline release that can represent him accurately and not suck balls. He really isn't. He's just another lumbering movie monster like most Decepticons from the Bay films. He's a tiny, skinny Devastator with little arms that hold a gun. Hell, his anatomy is basically the same as the Nokia Phone bot, in it was a quadruped with elongated forelimbs and an underslung weapon. He's really not that unique, you just think he is because he's a metal Cloverfield monster. Even calling him a character at all strains credibility. He was a prop and had a grand total of 18 seconds screen time. (and somehow still managed to get utterly annihilated with ease like every other Bay Decepticon)
Can't say I remotely agree about any of the three mainline Hot Rods. But even given that, a sucky toy is better than no toy at all. Plus given how with many of the G1 toys the latest version is always the new hotness, in another 2 years when they come out with the next Hot Rod toy this one will probably be declared to be sucky as well. Also can't say I remotely agree with you about Devcon, but at the very least he's considerably more unique than Hot Rod.
It's not like we don't have plenty of movie guys left. TLK Onslaught, Megatron, AOE Galvatron, the other AOE Dinobots, etc. Oh and a proper Infernocus would rock too. But we'll probably get the other G1 Dinobots from 86, and I wouldn't count out Rodimus Prime (unless he ends up as Kingdom's Commander toy).
Man, Freeway Jazz is looking fine! I mean, they could expand the line to include the Autobots & Decepticons from the Movie Tie-in games. Technically, Video Game Studios might work as a "Loophole" for that sort of line.
So many mentions of the goodness of RTS Jazz. I don't find that figure very remarkable, other than the nice paint. The proportions are strange-- the arms and torso are too elongated, and in general it looks somewhat insect-like. The legs in particular look very awkward to me, almost like the back legs of a cat (i.e. long foot, walking on toes).
That's my whole problem. If it was JUST Devcon, I'd be like, "Okay, yeah, Movie line's almost over". But we've got those guys, Mohawk, Dreadbot, maybe a Dispensor w/ accurate robot mode.... I mean there's so many cool designs that have yet to be done, whereas the Bayverse designs are already clearly taking a budget backseat to these guys.
Yeah, but let's be fair. RTS Jazz was like legendary, he's still my ideal Jazz toy. I love him so much. If it were legally possible I'd marry RTS Jazz, and yes you can quote me on that. I want it written on my grave.
How does this have anything to do with whether the character is deserving of a toy or not? The vast majority of TF characters are one-dimensional if that. Doesn't keep people from clamoring for a new Huffer or whatever. Heck, we've had entire lines with no real media support whatsoever (see avatar). Don't care. Cool design is cool.
Fine by me. Judging by most members of my family I will most probably still live for at least another 60 years. Seeing as most people guess me for mid 20s although I'm nearly 40 I'm probably right on my money. So 60 years more of G1. You brought that upon yourself, muahaha
Yeah, this is the best Hot Rod toy maybe ever, and TLK Hot Rod got a retool that never saw wide release and had no weapon. Granted, that was before Studio Series, but still...
@Pixelmaster Hasbro talked about a Japanese exclusive coming this year, when I asked about more G1 reissues ala Japanese cassettes. Has your source mentions this at all? I'm desperate for a G1 Artfire reissue.
Bay liked to think you could substitute a personality with a gimmick, so there were plenty of "unique" Transformers that were in reality completely worthless as characters and only served their gimmick briefly and without much substance. Not really. A sucky toy feels like a waste of time and money. A vacancy at least keeps your pockets full. Seeing missed opportunity after missed opportunity is aggravating when you just want something half-decent. You say that as if it has any actual merit by itself. "Uniqueness" means diddly if it's got no substance. I could design the most unique Transformer ever that's just a syringe and doesn't transform or do anything. But I say it's a Transformer, and it appears in a movie, and there's nothing else like it. It's unique, so does that mean it should have a toy? Hot Rod may not be "unique" in terms of design, but he's Hot Rod. He's a character you can say stuff about. "Unique" is all you can describe "Devcon" as, because there's literally nothing else to him. Ah yes, Dreadbot, the recolour of one of the Dreads, named Dreadbot. Can't call a movie display complete without him. I mean, you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with the TLK 'Cons. (and you know what? They'll probably still be made one day. You know SS86 isn't replacing the Bay SS figs, right?) Where'd you get this from? We haven't even seen any live-action characters since these have been revealed, how can you say they're taking a budget backseat? Because look at who got toys first? Bumblebee, Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide, Starscream, Blackout, named characters who actually did something, have influence and popularity regardless of how deserving it is. Characters that actually are character will always mean more than ones who aren't. That's why Transformers uses generics in the first place. That's why Transformers even has fiction in the first place. At least Huffer actually talks and is on screen for more than thirty seconds. One dimension is better than zero dimensions. I mean, have we really? Name me a line that doesn't either have a dedicated supporting fiction, or otherwise references established fiction (ala Generations and G1) for its characters? I mean, for all we know we could still get Devcon, but complaining about actual characters with merit getting toys before him is silly. You act like it's shocking and incomprehensible that anyone would want an established character like Hot Rod over a literal nobody most fans don't even know exist.
OK, cool, a triple changer, truck and weird looking battle station. You got any pics of the bot mode as well?