Transformers: Hot Wheels
As all of the announced Hot Wheels Transformers are out, I thought it was a good time to complain about them. I’ve already reviewed the transforming Hot Wheels Optimus Prime. Remember that movie The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? This review is kind of like that. Let’s start with the good.
Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and Ultra Magnus
These all look awesome. I’m still waiting for my second Track Fleet Optimus Prime to come in, so no loose pic yet. Mattel did a phenomenal job on these. They really couldn’t look better. Though I do not understand why the Optimus Prime without the trailer does not have silver smokestacks, but that’s not a huge thing. My only big complaint with these is that I have never seen a single one in a store. A friend picked up one of the Bumblebee’s for me at a grocery store, so there are some out there, but not many. I really want more G1 cars, but I really want to be able to actually buy them in store. And now for the bad.
The Nameless Ones
I am assuming that some licensing bullshit is why the names are not on the packages, though that does not explain the G1 Bumblebee having his name on it, but I don’t care. If you’re going to make a Transformers character, put the fucking name on the package or don’t do them at all. “Crosshairs”, “Drift”, and “Stinger” all look awesome. Bumblebee is stupid. I assume they were going for him being found in the junkyard in the Bumblebee movie, but he was never modified like that. Then there is Barricade. No Barricade toy should ever be made without “To Punish and Enslave” written on him, period. If you aren’t aware, he does exist with his trademark motto, but it’s so rare, I never expect to have one. They made a running change to fuck up the thing they did right to begin with. Mattel is taking a page out of Hasbro’s playbook. Typical. And now for the ugly.
WTF?
I blame the 90s.
Overall: It’s awesome to have Hot Wheels style cars of Transformers characters, but it would be nice if they did them right and weren’t insanely hard to find.
Thanks for reading!