I was watching the Cybertron episodes on Hasbro's website and in one of the earlier episodes Hot Shot's is exactly Cheetor's and he calls Optimus "Big Bot" I watched all 24 episodes and that was the only time he called Optimus Big Bot was that like a homeage to Cheetor? Or a way to point out similarities between them. Although I know there are alot more then that one., like how Cheetor thought he was the Golden rocket the fastest bot in the universe.
Yeah that probably was an homage to Cheetor...and yeah the characters are a lot alike...it's the whole 'young soldier with leadership potential' role...Hot Rod, Cheetor, Hot Shot (Which I'm sure was supposed to be called Hot Rod if not for losing the name) all fill this character role.
i'm just glad that they figured out that yellow is not required as a specific colour for the identification of hot shot = hot rod + bumblebee = cheetor. i like the baby blue cybertron hotshot.
Well, yeah. Hotshot in Transformers Superlink definitely acted alot more like the Cheetor we could finally accept in Beast Machines. Since he was a second to Grand Convoy as is Beast Machines Cheetor became second in command to Optimus Primal. Hot Shot in Armada/Micron Legend(I prefer to call him Hot Shot since he looks nothing like G1 Hot Rod) was alot like Beast Wars Cheetor. Then there's Excillion. He was a BW "Cheetor", then started being all BM Cheetor after his Vanguard upgrade into Exigeyser. Galaxy Force is referencing too many old series.
NOTE: This may have no factual basis, so bear that in mind. I remember hearing that during the early conceptual phase of the TF Armada series, Designers were playing with the idea of having Beast Wars/Beast Machines characters rolled into the line as vehicles (like Transtech, but less Transtechy). They ultimately decided to go another way, but supposedly the early draft for the Hot Shot charcter was originally to be the next form for Cheetor, and named Hot SPOT. There might have even been a spot pattern planned for the yellow car, but there's not much to support any of this.
Yeah, I read that somewhere online too...can't really remember what was mentioned specifically but I remember about linking Armada with Transteck or something along those lines.
The only link from transtech to armada I ever heard about was Armada Scavenger coming from the Transtech Scavenger design. I've never heard of whatever Feralstorm was talking about. I'd like to know more if anyone else knows the whole story.
The info's pretty old for me, so I don't remember if there's real facts behind it, or just past fan speculation. I also remember tell that Armada may have originally been intended to be a continuation of G1 (as in post-Rebirth cartoon miniseries), and/or a bridge to the Beast Wars era. Hot Shot/Hot Spot may have been intended to be a pre-Maximal, pre-Beast form for Cheetor in that respect, but this is getting more and more speculative as I go.
I'm pretty sure there was something in ToyFair (mag) about the transtech idea. Just recently they showed some design sketches on tfu.inf (I think) They dropped the idea after BM and released RID in north America instead. I think the Armada was in the works long before, so Cheetor was never meant to become Hotshot, per say, but it was the same characterisation.
