After first having heard about them a while ago, I got pretty excited for Bot Shots. I really didn't expect we'd start digging into classic characters like Mirage so soon, but I'm not complaining! As part of wave 2 (I know it says "series 1" on the package, but trust me, it was part of wave 2) the blue sportscar is loosely inspired by a mix of generations and is distinctive in that it actually has some painted windows. (Most Bot Shots are molded in color and are lacking this detail.) The head sculpt and coloring reek of the 1984 character, but the lack of rally markings and the relatively plain blue detail feel more like something new. Oh, and it's a remold: the basic body is the same as Bumblebee, with a new bumper, hood, spoiler, head/chest. The arms, feet, and the bulk of the body are reused.
Packaged in robot mode, transformation is painfully easy. Just fold in the arms and feet, fold down the hood, and presto-- you're done. Two transform it into robot, just hit the bumper-- it'll jump into robot mode, and if you hit it just right, he'll even stand up.
In robot mode, the sculpt is basically more or less what you would want: a nice head, decent robot detailing, and a reasonably simple design much like the classic Battle Beasts, if less defined. Unfortunately the arms are pretty much just decorative and there's no articulation to speak of, but it is a toy built primarily on the original gimmick of this brand: transformation. If you look at this kind of a figure as a step beyond Robot Heroes, a small, collectible line that transforms, I think you'll dig it.
Given the figure's low price and lack of accessories, there's not a lot to say other than if you like what you see, go buy it. It ain't getting any cheaper. $4 is a bargain for a figure like this, which is kind of nice and kind of sad. 15 years ago, it was pretty easy to get figures for five bucks. Today? There are very few, most action figures are in the $8-$20 range and even with a toy like this, which is nice, it's not quite as impressive as those early $5 Beast Wars toys in terms of size. Bot Shots are a lot of fun, and one of the reasons I'm chasing them down now is that it seems like this could be one of those things that gets expensive later. While some toy lines seem to go down in price, when you start at $4, there's nowhere to go but up. (Like $7.) To date I've only seen these at one particular Toys R Us and the online store/place I work at Entertainment Earth.
Troubleshooting Note: There are two screws on each figure's chest. If you tighten these, the trigger is a little jumpier. If you loosen it, it weakens it a bit. Depending on how well the figures do (or don't) spring up, you may want to keep a screwdriver around to adjust them to your liking.
--Adam Pawlus
Additional Images
Want to buy this figure? Check Transformers availability at our sponsors: Entertainment Earth
16bit.com is best not viewed in Apple's Safari browser, we don't know why. All material on this site copyright their respective copyright holders. All materials appear hear for informative and entertainment purposes. 16bit.com is not to be held responsible for anything, ever. Photos taken by the 16bit.com staff. Site design, graphics, writing, and whatnot credited on the credits page. Be cool-- don't steal. We know where you live and we'll break your friggin' legs.
RSS 
