(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to Classics deluxe Bumblebee. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Classics deluxe Bumblebee here.)

    Bugbite is a Decepticon with a bit of a history-- Bugbite was originally a Gobot from the '80s who transformed into a car almost identical to Bumblebee. Much later, Bugbite was released as a white Decepticon repaint of the G1 Bumblebee mold in Japan, as an homage to the character. And now, Bugbite shows up here in the states as a Botcon exclusive with a similar repaint idea, but with some a few additional paint additions. The basic black/white/purple scheme works quite well, and the red and silver accents work pretty well, particularly against the black. I also really like the shade of white they used-- it's not a straight white, but more of a pearlescent color with just the slightest tinge of purple in it-- and it makes Bugbite's colors look a bit more eeevil, like he's a bit ghostly or something. The purple tribal tattoos on his vehicle mode look really sweet, too, and help to break up what would otherwise be a fairly dull alternate mode without those nifty, eeeevil designs (same goes for the purple fade pattern on the trailer, too). And, surprisingly, the Bumblebee head works as an evil character, with the friendly smile looking more like an evil smirk what with the red eyes and all. The only complaint I have about the colors is that his arms and legs in robot mode are completely black, and devoid of any paint apps to break up that color a bit more.
    No mold changes have been made to Botcon Bugbite, though he does have the same widened space on the chest for the faction rub symbol that Classics Cliffjumper has, but earlier versions of Classics Bumblebee didn't.
    Bugbite is a pretty interesting and unexpected homage repaint for an exclusive, but it works pretty well, and the tribal paint apps look especially eye-catching. Color-wise, I don't think he QUITE measures up to Classics Cliffjumper, but I think he easily outclasses Classics Bumblebee.

Review by Beastbot

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