Excellion
(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 the original Cybertron Hot Shot. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of the original Cybertron Hot Shot here.)
Excellion-- named the
same as the Japanese version of Cybertron Hot Shot-- is a redeco homage
to G1 Hot Rod. It's certainly fitting,
given that in several aspects this figure highly resembles the G1 Hot Rod
toy in ways besides the color scheme, such as the "wings" on the shoulders
in the robot mode and a similar transformation. Granted, the wings are
blue on Excellion instead of yellow like on Hot Rod, but Cybertron Hot
Shot's wings were already yellow, so keeping them the exact same color
would've been rather redundant. Otherwise, the color scheme is spot-on
G1 Hot Rod, with a great mixture of red, orange, gold, and silver. The
nice gold flame paint apps on the front of the vehicle mode are especially
wicked-looking, and the colors go together especially well in robot mode--
I just love that shade of orange, especially. (A slightly darker, more
"pure" shade of gray would've looked a little better, however.) When it
comes to the red in vehicle mode, however, I do have what is my only major
complaint about the colors used-- the red paint used on the side doors
and part of the roof is of a decidedly lighter, brighter, and more glossier
shade than the red used for the plastic parts. It's quite noticeable, and
throws off the unity of the vehicle mode a tad.
No mold changes have
been made to Excellion.
Excellion is an excellent
redeco of Hot Shot, and quite frankly are the colors this mold should have
had in the first place. I have a bit of an issue with the mismatched red
colors in vehicle mode, but other that he's an A+ repaint of an A+ mold.
Highly recommended, even if you already have the original Cybertron Hot
Shot.
Review by Beastbot