Very happy I passed on this one. Not nearly enough here to make me swap out my MP-28. Articulation is to limited for me, alt mode looks completely off especially when it doesn't hold together well. And these gaps in the torso I can't tolerate as well. Thanks for the review and saving me Money (once again).
I just got mine 2 days ago & I’m in love with him! When you’re tabbing in The arms for a vehicle mode, you got a put them in at an angle & then it should work in your favor.
After seeing this transformation it makes you wonder how Menasor/Superion will turn out. IMO bot mode looks better than official but official Alt/Car mode looks better.
@bobby skullface I have found out how to tab everything in at the end in alt mode. It´s not hard you just have to change the order. 1. The back part of the roof in on a slider you can lift that up a little to see where to tab things in more easy. 2. Wait to tab in the tiers, there are parts that gets in the way when trying to tab in the back part of the sides. 3. tab in the sides. 4. To fix the back wheels just extend the tab on the flap to the max it will hold very good and the tiers will not be in a angel. 5. slide the back of the roof back with the bumber inside of the channels. Done and it looks great. Keep up the good work!
Great review bro! Got mine recently, found that there silver pins behind the rear tires which allow small pegs to slot securely to his calves. Improves the body frame to hold better and keeps the rear tires from spreading outwards. Keep them content going! Cheers!
I always appreciate your reviews--as honest as you can be. In some ways I like the smaller backpack of this guy, and I'm not super-happy with MP-28, but I think it's overall better than this, and I love MP-28's car mode.
I hate to admit it but I'm not happy with this figure at all and am going to say something that would get any collector shunned... I prefer the takara. The hood and thighs look better but I prefer just about everything else. I hated the takara but would always find myself grabbing it off the shelf, posing, transforming it,etc and then one day I realized I don't do that with many of the pieces in my collection and had to accept that I actually like it. This was a missed opportunity by fanstoys.
Cracking review as always, but this figure looks a complete mess. It's almost like FT forgot they had this on their release schedule from a few years ago, then suddenly picked up the project half-baked ! Doesn't get close to MP quality, and I dare say if it didn't have a FT logo it would be getting far harsher reviews ? Cheers
He's just generally a bit chubby for my taste. I like it but I need him a a tad thinner and a tad stretched. Id at least like to know if I transform him, he'd look okay.
Hey man, great review as always. I had a similar issue with the transformation into alt mode the first time...try this: The piece that the spoiler attaches to collapses either side, leave it collapsed until last. Tab everything else is in and then re-assemble the spoiler mount/back of the car. This is a great looking figure, looks good on your shelf.
Yeah! The fanstoys Hoodlum just looks infinitely better than the Takara! There's just no comparisons. It makes it look like a Children's Toy! No lie. As always great video!
I just got mine in today. I am glad to have a Hot Rod I am not worried about posing. He will definitely be replacing my tru rodimus. He looks better next to Jabber too, Koot is in route. Enjoy the review as always sir.
all my problems lie in the neck area, the look and the limited articulation. This is the hardest piece ever to decide if i should swap out. I have them both on my season 3 shelf in the same pose. I will keep looking at it for a while to decide which on i should keep. they both have their pros and cons which are completely opposite of each other. The best way to sum it up is this. Its better than takara (marginally) but not nearly as good a figure we deserve.
Solid comparison review with very fair assessments. That said, I could never own a TF that had such a gaping hole in such a vital spot in robot mode. Seeing that and knowing that exists seems to destroy the fantasy that it's a miniature version of the "real" thing.
They had this bot for years. They could not figure out for a head tilt up at least. Or an ab crunch. The one thing that I still can't keep my eye off is that waist swivel. What's holding it together. I hope its some sort diecast. My G1 Mirage just broke in half but that bot became brittle after decades. This feels like it was rushed for some reason but they had years to perfect it. I'm not someone who's constantly transforming their bots. But I do pose them in their bot mode, which most of the time they are in. And the G1 in car mode. My complaint is that limited articulation it has. Thanks for the review.
I'll be swapping out with fanstoys..one thing I always agree with this company is sculpt and feel of the plastics it really does make u feel like u getting a quality figure so I'm all in
Already ordered mine and it's in the process of being shipped. I don't have MP-28 so swapping out is not a concern. I am a bit disappointed about the gap around the collar - I'm pretty sure there would be another way to do that without running the risk of scratching the paint (perhaps having the hinge slightly closer to the chest and have it fold around the top and tuck in, say). Hopefully I'll be pleased with my purchase when I get it in hand - though the gap from the side is also a concern and not really visible in the promotional photos. Interestingly, a growing number of FansToys' releases look great but have major questions/disappointments in the transformation that reduces the enjoyment of the figure - Koot, Rouge, Apache, Quietus, and now Hoodlum. It does make me wonder about their upcoming combiner figures - lots of people are actively waiting for those in preference for other companies' options, but with a recent history of problematic transformations going from robot to vehicle mode, I'm highly skeptical of their ability to throw in an additional limb/torso mode and have any fun left in the figure at all.
Saw Sunstreaker in your comparisons. Swapped with Sunsurge? Robot mode nailed it. Alt mode, Takara Tomy wins. Transformation Takara Tomy wins. Also, I think Takara Tomy’s head sculpt is slightly better.
Well sculpted and well painted so it's a good TF figure, I don't think it's better then the Takara one but it's not worse either. Thank you for the review Bobby.
Been waitin' on this my freeeiiinnnnd. Can't wait for mine to come in. But it sounds a bit disappointing. I wanted FT's blitzwing for a long time, but don't think its ever going to come out.
One of the very few Hot Rods/Rodimus releases I am still missing...vehicle mode looks more like a Porsche concept than a modified Dome-0. Not as flat and streamlined as OG hotrod Edit, that I finally got one in hand, and the robot mode is beautiful and feels heavy. I keep mine in bot mode, and he's the only Hot Rod release besides G1 Crystal and Black that i dont have a second copy of. Super expensive now...
I think he looks good next to the other FT crew and will do just fine on my shelf. You're looking like a carpenter with those band-aids :^) Always looking forward to your take on new stuff, thanks as always for your hard work man!
Closest so far but still not Hot Rod enough for me to pull the trigger. Seems like a dated design - can't help but wonder if that's because it is and they held it back purely because they didn't think they could go toe-to-toe with Takara. Aside from the faux chest, they've done a decent job of a movie accurate transformation, though. Robot mode proportions are best so far for a Hot Rod; vehicle mode seems way off, though.
Arguably they still couldn't go toe-to-toe with the Takara version... Maybe X-Transbots can do a Hot Rod that'll knock it out of the park in both modes. Fans Toys seems to struggle with the movie designs to varying degrees.
@@DetectiveBarricade It's interesting to me that X-trans are looked at so positively, these days! :-) I'm interested in their Springer and I guess they're the only likely competitor yet to throw their hat in the ring. I agree on Fanstoys and the TF:TM designs. I really don't think they've succeeded with any of them. At least not as much as I want for a TF:TM MP collection...
@@TrypticOwen Believe me, it's weird to say near anything positive towards XTB. Yes, their stuff usually nails the look, but I'm the sort who likes to transform my figures back and forth, and for the longest time XTB has failed on that front. But recently they seem to be making their products a more pleasant experience to get between modes.
I really wish I waited for this instead of buying the Takara version. Although I might get trigger happy and pick it up anyways... I love the paint, diecast and optional Rodimus face sculpt. Great review!
If Open and Play came out with a Hot rod as good as their Springer, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. With a Rodimus Prime already in my MP display representing the character I don't need a Hot Rod enough to get any of the options out so far that i just don't think look good enough or fun enough to buy.
Each Fans Toys review after the next I get happier and happier, cause I spare me the frustration. Like...since Phoenix I never thought about a purchase again. Currently, to me, the release one letdown after the next. Thx, Bobby.
Looks good, mine will be here tomorrow. I think he's gonna end up being a chug Rodimus instead of a MP Hot rod for my collection though. Just picked up that G1 Wal-mart reissue for 12.00, the two should look nice displayed together.
As expexted; blows the Takara away aesthetically in robot mode - how I display - and is a bit of a chore to Transform. Glad I passed on Takara to get this one, robot mode is key for me.
The thing that sticks out to me, is that this, Hydra & Rouge were older designs (2015, 16 & early 17 respectively, revealed in that order). Perhaps it was stubborn adherence to the original designs that resulted in the fit and finish issues. But it has me worried for their Blitzwing design (revealed in 2016)
This looks fantastic in robot mode, but otherwise it's not great. I think I'll keep trying to get a cloud rodimus to use as my CHUG rodimus (potp rodimus is too big)
MT has always been good, but their designs have always been too Gundam inspired to fit with Masterpiece. They do own that niche market though. Zeta’s combiners are top of the game now but their individual limb boys hardly qualify.
This definitely looks like a sculpt that's been sitting on the shelf a few years. The figure looks good overall but the posability looks incredibly weak. Look at the pose at 22:26 it just looks bad. So the figure looks good, has a great presence, but the transformation maybe isn't worth doing because of paint scratching and the car mode itself isn't that impressive. So keeping it in robot mode is ideal but there is limited articulation not giving us much to work with. This is actually a tough one for me. I've been collecting the Fanstoys Season 3/Movie Autobots line and Hot Rod is really the center piece figure that seals the deal. I'll think about it a bit more, hopefully Bobby's SIt Down Saturday will help.
I like this figure. Does it have some issues? Yes of course it does but I have not run across a perfect Transformer yet. Still, it is a Hotrod figure so I am gonna get it no matter what. I think if this one would have come out back when it was originally planned we would all be singing its praises, but now that the design is a few years older and they do tend to show their age fast, so people are just meh. I would like to see a few more companies try and tackle their own version of Hotrod. I think X-Transbots could do a nice rendition. As always great review.
For me anyway, FT usually means an instant swap out. I will be eventually replacing Blurr, Beachcomber, Warpath, and Brawn with the FT versions. Those 4, especially Brawn and Beachcomber, will be a little harder to swallow, this Hot Rod swap out seems a little more justified..... Thanks for the review sir and FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANSTOYS........
I got him,I'm cool with him,I don't really transform my figures,this have some issues but come on ppl,this looks and feels better than the Takara one,Car mode for my Takara Hot Rod,good review Bobby S.
I have a hypothetical question and I’m sure it has been asked before in one variation or another but here goes. If for 50-75% of the price you paid for any of the MP’s in your collection would you pass on the transformation entirely? Keep in mind the articulation would be flawless and the paint would be as good or better. Nowhere near the detail of Flame Toys but let’s call it FansToys Plus.
I was gonna get this but I'm kinda happy w the takara 1 esp I have it in car mode. I uset the dx9 version as my rodimus on the shelf. I love season 3 but all ft ones are not fun n articulation is limited on most. Tho I love look of Springer n arcee Cheers
Looking forward to the sit down. His lack of articulation kills it for me personally. I just want an add on for mp hot rods pinhead. And it didn’t look like a pin head or that he had big hands until seeing FT’s figure. FT’s got the proportions but wow that articulation is lacking.
Skull brother ! Great review as aways , i just got my mafex bane yesterday , but i 'm kinda concern , if i switch out the arms too much , will they get loose???
Very impressive looking robot mode but unfortunately my respect doesn't go further than that. As I've grown as a collector there are two things that I always look for in a transformers figure. Posability and a cohesive alt mode. Unfortunately it seems this figure is lacking in both those categories. While I'll admit that FansToys definitely delivers on impressive robot modes (though something about Rogue still looks off) I've never really been interested in a figure from then besides the Dinobots. Though I may be a bit biased from Maketoys for getting posability and a good alt mode down usually.
If you want a good transforming action figure go with the Takara. If you need a hot rod to stand on the shelf with the rest of your Fanstoys collection then get this one. Simple.
At 21:19 it looks like the legs are not pegged together. Considering how tight they have to be to fit inside the back of the car I wonder if your problems were stemming from there. Unfortunately I don't know since I haven't had a chance to try my own yet. I don't know if it would fix it all, but I have a feeling it would at least fix the issue where the rear wheels are angled in.
Fans toys is slipping, they’re getting wobbly on that top step. Wait someone’s knocking hard on the front door, hey welcome XT Bots come on in the top step is just there 🤘
Got the Takara and fans toys on the shelf right now! Gonna have to take the takara down and retire him to the box! The fans toys fits my collection better !
Ton of comments for a vid that hasn’t been out 24 hours. Love both modes on this thing. Looks way better than TT. Of course not perfect by far. Hope a fix comes out for head and shoulder connectivity issues (doubtful). Otherwise the look has won me over.
The youthful face and the additional height is enough for me to swap out. I don't think they should have given us the Rodimus face. They should have just made a Rodimus later down the line. I would have preferred to get an emotive or smiling face.
bobby you fix the angle on the tire moving a slide on the piece, the instruction doesn't show i think i do not have mine yet, still waiting on him but another reviewer show that and specific said that he miss that the first time he transform the figure, i didn't understand what he means but now i think its to fix that angle on the tires
I think the universe simply doesn’t want a perfect hot rodimus to exist. I think he looks great. Hollow areas and the collar don’t bother me. I think I’ll pass on transforming him though as I don’t really need that alt mode in my life.
I feel like this was a big opportunity for fanstoys to set a bar higher than Takara and it seems like they didn’t make it. I hope going forward they can prove themselves to be the third party company that makes better figures than takara. I mean someone has to with Takaras continuously increasing prices.
Not a huge hot rod fan, but this figure was so hyped up after the TT release, but after watching this review it has fallen short. Not a bad looking figure tho
I am on the fence big time over this guy, the design and engineering are a few years old now and I think its showing that age. The articulation is one of my main sticking points, its not great, almost not good with that practically swivel only head and 90 degree elbows. It looks beautiful, but if I can’t get it to work how I’m wanting pose wise it may be a wash for me. I don’t mind the Takara one save a couple aspects, I just don’t know if the swap is worth it for me. Really looking forward to that comparison video you have coming up!
I just hopped on the FT bandwagon with Koot, Quietus and Sovereign. So far, I was in love. Got this guy in hand and mine has a huge chunk of chrome missing. Not impressed at all and the lack of paint to the accents on the helmet and huge forearms make me just disappointed. 😫
the only thing that prevents me from wanting this figure, and i love the character, is the arms. I don't know why people dont talk about it but they're too thick vertically and its a small thing that a lot of people overlook but idk, i like that the mps arms are more proportionate and i think his face is a little puffy looking
Sad that nobody can give this character decent shoulder articulation. I was looking forward to this figure for a long time but after all of the delays....i think they should went back to the drawing board with this figure. Plus I like to play and display my figures and even tho this looks good on a shelf...but thats about it
Kinda figured you’d savage this guy worse than you did! I’m sure you’ve sussed it by now dude but if you pull out the sides of the back section with the spoiler on it before you wrap it around the leg sections, it will all align and clip together better once you push those bits back in! Definitely agree it looks better than takaras, I think the real problem with this figure is how old the actual design is!
In my mind: ‘86 TF Movie Autobot cast completed. Places them on display. Maybe swap out UT Blurr. :::breathes in::: would you look at that, just look at it. ...Ok time to look at what’s next on my buying list.
the one thing you didn't mention that really does it for me over the takara that ive always hated putting my takara next to the koot rogue apache is the height. takaras is way too short next to them and this one fits perfect with them. anyone else that collects 3rd party and gets an official figure and it just feels like a cheap toy compared to fanstoys?
Talisac80 Yeh, height wise he’s better for sure. Personally, I wish all of the FT figures were shorter to match Takara MP’s, but I’m sure many wish Takara MP’s are taller to match FT :) It does have better shelf presence when taller.
Fans Toys CREEK, lol. In terms of the look, FT Hoodlum has it. But the rest is a fail to me as there isn't enough improvement to justify me replacing my official MP Hot Rod. They had 2 years to do this one and it feels like they stopped over a year ago and never bothered to update or improve upon the design. I wish they had done their own version of Rodumus Prime instead since the official one stinks.
I hate that they made Rodimus look older, I would have preferred him as the young leader of the Autobots like Lion-O was to the Thundercats cause I never really connected to Rodimus like I did to Hot Rod.
This does not look like a good figure at all. I am not going near this thing or Takara's. No need for me to list the whys because this review points every single one of them out. One after the other as you watch through the entire review. (Enjoyed the review, as always) But I do have to say that gap in the back? Holy moly - And the profile of this figure is horrible. I keep saying this any time I can.. Hot Rod and Rodimus are animated characters that seem to be too difficult to engineer from screen-to-toy. I will wait until the next one comes out from a different company and hopefully it will get the legs and presence right. AND! I will say this... I am not a Flame Toys fan at all but maybe for Hot Rod and Rodimus I would be very supportive of that and maybe go in since no one can crack the engineering code for them.
Very happy I passed on this one. Not nearly enough here to make me swap out my MP-28. Articulation is to limited for me, alt mode looks completely off especially when it doesn't hold together well. And these gaps in the torso I can't tolerate as well. Thanks for the review and saving me Money (once again).
Same here, MP28 isnt perfect by any means, but this isnt enough of an improvement to warrant an upgrade.
I just got mine 2 days ago & I’m in love with him!
When you’re tabbing in The arms for a vehicle mode, you got a put them in at an angle & then it should work in your favor.
Fans Toys figures always looks good but they never make a fun, smooth and intuitive transformation.
Quakewave, I'd say, is pretty smooth and fun to me
The dinobots are the exception.
Grinder is not bad at all
Ahhh I don't know if I can justify swapping it out (like MP10). Will look forward to the comparison video 👍
After seeing this transformation it makes you wonder how Menasor/Superion will turn out. IMO bot mode looks better than official but official Alt/Car mode looks better.
@bobby skullface I have found out how to tab everything in at the end in alt mode. It´s not hard you just have to change the order. 1. The back part of the roof in on a slider you can lift that up a little to see where to tab things in more easy. 2. Wait to tab in the tiers, there are parts that gets in the way when trying to tab in the back part of the sides. 3. tab in the sides. 4. To fix the back wheels just extend the tab on the flap to the max it will hold very good and the tiers will not be in a angel. 5. slide the back of the roof back with the bumber inside of the channels. Done and it looks great. Keep up the good work!
God, feels like I've waited for ever for this figure to come out.
Big Meh.
I'm staying with the official.
Great review bro! Got mine recently, found that there silver pins behind the rear tires which allow small pegs to slot securely to his calves. Improves the body frame to hold better and keeps the rear tires from spreading outwards. Keep them content going! Cheers!
I always appreciate your reviews--as honest as you can be. In some ways I like the smaller backpack of this guy, and I'm not super-happy with MP-28, but I think it's overall better than this, and I love MP-28's car mode.
I hate to admit it but I'm not happy with this figure at all and am going to say something that would get any collector shunned... I prefer the takara. The hood and thighs look better but I prefer just about everything else. I hated the takara but would always find myself grabbing it off the shelf, posing, transforming it,etc and then one day I realized I don't do that with many of the pieces in my collection and had to accept that I actually like it. This was a missed opportunity by fanstoys.
@tbonbrad it’s ugly
Looks like an excellent Hot Rod statue, and a garbage Transformer.
razingst0rm that’s an excellent point. If we buy transforners figure not to transform them, then might as well get statues.
Cracking review as always, but this figure looks a complete mess. It's almost like FT forgot they had this on their release schedule from a few years ago, then suddenly picked up the project half-baked ! Doesn't get close to MP quality, and I dare say if it didn't have a FT logo it would be getting far harsher reviews ? Cheers
Does look good
Is it just me, or does the vehicle look a bit...chubby?
Super Deform'ish?
I 100% agree.
kinda wide & short. yes.
i won’t be transforming him though
He's just generally a bit chubby for my taste. I like it but I need him a a tad thinner and a tad stretched. Id at least like to know if I transform him, he'd look okay.
Nestly Nes definitely
Hey man, great review as always. I had a similar issue with the transformation into alt mode the first time...try this: The piece that the spoiler attaches to collapses either side, leave it collapsed until last. Tab everything else is in and then re-assemble the spoiler mount/back of the car. This is a great looking figure, looks good on your shelf.
Yeah! The fanstoys Hoodlum just looks infinitely better than the Takara! There's just no comparisons. It makes it look like a Children's Toy! No lie. As always great video!
I know I'm enjoying everything about this figure. Hoodlum is indeed my permanent Hot Rod. Great review!
I just got mine in today. I am glad to have a Hot Rod I am not worried about posing. He will definitely be replacing my tru rodimus. He looks better next to Jabber too, Koot is in route. Enjoy the review as always sir.
all my problems lie in the neck area, the look and the limited articulation. This is the hardest piece ever to decide if i should swap out. I have them both on my season 3 shelf in the same pose. I will keep looking at it for a while to decide which on i should keep. they both have their pros and cons which are completely opposite of each other. The best way to sum it up is this. Its better than takara (marginally) but not nearly as good a figure we deserve.
Wild wacky action bike! 😂
Solid comparison review with very fair assessments.
That said, I could never own a TF that had such a gaping hole in such a vital spot in robot mode. Seeing that and knowing that exists seems to destroy the fantasy that it's a miniature version of the "real" thing.
Man I have that same, single arm tabbing issue going to car mode! So frustrating since the rest transforms fairly smoothly.
Dx9 Carry still looks the best!
They had this bot for years. They could not figure out for a head tilt up at least. Or an ab crunch. The one thing that I still can't keep my eye off is that waist swivel. What's holding it together. I hope its some sort diecast. My G1 Mirage just broke in half but that bot became brittle after decades. This feels like it was rushed for some reason but they had years to perfect it. I'm not someone who's constantly transforming their bots. But I do pose them in their bot mode, which most of the time they are in. And the G1 in car mode. My complaint is that limited articulation it has. Thanks for the review.
I like it, but idk if it's enough for me to go in on this thing, just kinda looks a wee bit frustrating to mess with.
I'll be swapping out with fanstoys..one thing I always agree with this company is sculpt and feel of the plastics it really does make u feel like u getting a quality figure so I'm all in
Already ordered mine and it's in the process of being shipped. I don't have MP-28 so swapping out is not a concern. I am a bit disappointed about the gap around the collar - I'm pretty sure there would be another way to do that without running the risk of scratching the paint (perhaps having the hinge slightly closer to the chest and have it fold around the top and tuck in, say). Hopefully I'll be pleased with my purchase when I get it in hand - though the gap from the side is also a concern and not really visible in the promotional photos.
Interestingly, a growing number of FansToys' releases look great but have major questions/disappointments in the transformation that reduces the enjoyment of the figure - Koot, Rouge, Apache, Quietus, and now Hoodlum. It does make me wonder about their upcoming combiner figures - lots of people are actively waiting for those in preference for other companies' options, but with a recent history of problematic transformations going from robot to vehicle mode, I'm highly skeptical of their ability to throw in an additional limb/torso mode and have any fun left in the figure at all.
Does the backpack plug together better if you slide the sides out, as it is obviously supposed to do?
Saw Sunstreaker in your comparisons. Swapped with Sunsurge?
Robot mode nailed it. Alt mode, Takara Tomy wins. Transformation Takara Tomy wins. Also, I think Takara Tomy’s head sculpt is slightly better.
Well sculpted and well painted so it's a good TF figure, I don't think it's better then the Takara one but it's not worse either. Thank you for the review Bobby.
Loved the Transformation. Enjoyed your review. Shared in my group TF3PUK as I do all your 3rd party Goodness. FANSTOYS 🇬🇧
Been waitin' on this my freeeiiinnnnd. Can't wait for mine to come in. But it sounds a bit disappointing. I wanted FT's blitzwing for a long time, but don't think its ever going to come out.
One of the very few Hot Rods/Rodimus releases I am still missing...vehicle mode looks more like a Porsche concept than a modified Dome-0. Not as flat and streamlined as OG hotrod
Edit, that I finally got one in hand, and the robot mode is beautiful and feels heavy. I keep mine in bot mode, and he's the only Hot Rod release besides G1 Crystal and Black that i dont have a second copy of. Super expensive now...
I think he looks good next to the other FT crew and will do just fine on my shelf. You're looking like a carpenter with those band-aids :^) Always looking forward to your take on new stuff, thanks as always for your hard work man!
Closest so far but still not Hot Rod enough for me to pull the trigger.
Seems like a dated design - can't help but wonder if that's because it is and they held it back purely because they didn't think they could go toe-to-toe with Takara.
Aside from the faux chest, they've done a decent job of a movie accurate transformation, though.
Robot mode proportions are best so far for a Hot Rod; vehicle mode seems way off, though.
Arguably they still couldn't go toe-to-toe with the Takara version... Maybe X-Transbots can do a Hot Rod that'll knock it out of the park in both modes. Fans Toys seems to struggle with the movie designs to varying degrees.
@@DetectiveBarricade It's interesting to me that X-trans are looked at so positively, these days! :-) I'm interested in their Springer and I guess they're the only likely competitor yet to throw their hat in the ring. I agree on Fanstoys and the TF:TM designs. I really don't think they've succeeded with any of them. At least not as much as I want for a TF:TM MP collection...
@@TrypticOwen Believe me, it's weird to say near anything positive towards XTB. Yes, their stuff usually nails the look, but I'm the sort who likes to transform my figures back and forth, and for the longest time XTB has failed on that front. But recently they seem to be making their products a more pleasant experience to get between modes.
@@DetectiveBarricade Yeah. I like them to be fun to transform, too.
I really wish I waited for this instead of buying the Takara version. Although I might get trigger happy and pick it up anyways... I love the paint, diecast and optional Rodimus face sculpt. Great review!
If Open and Play came out with a Hot rod as good as their Springer, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. With a Rodimus Prime already in my MP display representing the character I don't need a Hot Rod enough to get any of the options out so far that i just don't think look good enough or fun enough to buy.
Each Fans Toys review after the next I get happier and happier, cause I spare me the frustration. Like...since Phoenix I never thought about a purchase again.
Currently, to me, the release one letdown after the next.
Thx, Bobby.
Looks good, mine will be here tomorrow. I think he's gonna end up being a chug Rodimus instead of a MP Hot rod for my collection though. Just picked up that G1 Wal-mart reissue for 12.00, the two should look nice displayed together.
Well time to turn the AB compressor on and get out the gaia notes paint.
As expexted; blows the Takara away aesthetically in robot mode - how I display - and is a bit of a chore to Transform. Glad I passed on Takara to get this one, robot mode is key for me.
The figure looks absolutely phenomenal! I don't know, I think FT killed it with this one. It's a must have for me. As always great review! 🙏
2007suprasport except for the head and neck. No respect given there. Otherwise I agree. Hope a fix comes out for neck part.
The thing that sticks out to me, is that this, Hydra & Rouge were older designs (2015, 16 & early 17 respectively, revealed in that order). Perhaps it was stubborn adherence to the original designs that resulted in the fit and finish issues. But it has me worried for their Blitzwing design (revealed in 2016)
TKO Podcast i can see that. once they got him functional a few years ago, it likely wasn’t revised. their later designs seem better.
This looks fantastic in robot mode, but otherwise it's not great. I think I'll keep trying to get a cloud rodimus to use as my CHUG rodimus (potp rodimus is too big)
calling it now... XTB could become the new FT
And vice-versa, it seems...
Was thinking the same. XTB always seems to leave exactly one killer flaw in every figure but has been a great collection for me otherwise.
eyescovered maketoys mp line is banging, zeta is proving themselves too
MT has always been good, but their designs have always been too Gundam inspired to fit with Masterpiece. They do own that niche market though. Zeta’s combiners are top of the game now but their individual limb boys hardly qualify.
So close! I'm disappointed but i'm guilty of expecting it to be perfect. It doesn't seem to live up to the promo renders.
This definitely looks like a sculpt that's been sitting on the shelf a few years. The figure looks good overall but the posability looks incredibly weak. Look at the pose at 22:26 it just looks bad. So the figure looks good, has a great presence, but the transformation maybe isn't worth doing because of paint scratching and the car mode itself isn't that impressive. So keeping it in robot mode is ideal but there is limited articulation not giving us much to work with. This is actually a tough one for me. I've been collecting the Fanstoys Season 3/Movie Autobots line and Hot Rod is really the center piece figure that seals the deal. I'll think about it a bit more, hopefully Bobby's SIt Down Saturday will help.
I like this figure. Does it have some issues? Yes of course it does but I have not run across a perfect Transformer yet. Still, it is a Hotrod figure so I am gonna get it no matter what. I think if this one would have come out back when it was originally planned we would all be singing its praises, but now that the design is a few years older and they do tend to show their age fast, so people are just meh. I would like to see a few more companies try and tackle their own version of Hotrod. I think X-Transbots could do a nice rendition. As always great review.
That neck tho....
Mp hot rod looks kinda better in alt mode. Course it may be different in hand compaired to in video. But fans toys hits the bot mode.
I'm debating on this one. Someone already got me the Takara Hot Rod for my birthday so I can't really justify getting this.
For me anyway, FT usually means an instant swap out. I will be eventually replacing Blurr, Beachcomber, Warpath, and Brawn with the FT versions. Those 4, especially Brawn and Beachcomber, will be a little harder to swallow, this Hot Rod swap out seems a little more justified.....
Thanks for the review sir and FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANSTOYS........
"I have not transformed this correctly. Now I will explain why this is Fans Toys' fault."
His arms form the front and span to the back as the taillight things. 10/10
I hope if they ever make a Rodimus. They bring in repairs for this bot and not try and sell it separately.
This doesn’t feel good enough to replace the Takara.
Toys hanger keep both then...😉
Bruce Jovi nah is fine, I wasn’t a fan of the Takara either. Just leaving it as it is
I got him,I'm cool with him,I don't really transform my figures,this have some issues but come on ppl,this looks and feels better than the Takara one,Car mode for my Takara Hot Rod,good review Bobby S.
Great review Bobby I'm glad you did the review.. But I'm pass on this one sticking with Takara
I have a hypothetical question and I’m sure it has been asked before in one variation or another but here goes. If for 50-75% of the price you paid for any of the MP’s in your collection would you pass on the transformation entirely? Keep in mind the articulation would be flawless and the paint would be as good or better. Nowhere near the detail of Flame Toys but let’s call it FansToys Plus.
I will probably get this because of the size , Takara is to short , I already have the other Fan-toys so, I guess it most be done.
I was gonna get this but I'm kinda happy w the takara 1 esp I have it in car mode. I uset the dx9 version as my rodimus on the shelf.
I love season 3 but all ft ones are not fun n articulation is limited on most. Tho I love look of Springer n arcee
Cheers
Looking forward to the sit down. His lack of articulation kills it for me personally. I just want an add on for mp hot rods pinhead. And it didn’t look like a pin head or that he had big hands until seeing FT’s figure. FT’s got the proportions but wow that articulation is lacking.
Skull brother ! Great review as aways , i just got my mafex bane yesterday , but i 'm kinda concern , if i switch out the arms too much , will they get loose???
savager 2003 I haven’t had that issue as of yet. But ya never know.
Very impressive looking robot mode but unfortunately my respect doesn't go further than that. As I've grown as a collector there are two things that I always look for in a transformers figure. Posability and a cohesive alt mode. Unfortunately it seems this figure is lacking in both those categories. While I'll admit that FansToys definitely delivers on impressive robot modes (though something about Rogue still looks off) I've never really been interested in a figure from then besides the Dinobots. Though I may be a bit biased from Maketoys for getting posability and a good alt mode down usually.
It seems like all the fanstoys TF movie figures have some type of issue.
If you want a good transforming action figure go with the Takara. If you need a hot rod to stand on the shelf with the rest of your Fanstoys collection then get this one. Simple.
At 21:19 it looks like the legs are not pegged together. Considering how tight they have to be to fit inside the back of the car I wonder if your problems were stemming from there. Unfortunately I don't know since I haven't had a chance to try my own yet. I don't know if it would fix it all, but I have a feeling it would at least fix the issue where the rear wheels are angled in.
Thanks for the video, I'm looking forward to the comparison with MP-28.
Fans toys is slipping, they’re getting wobbly on that top step.
Wait someone’s knocking hard on the front door, hey welcome XT Bots come on in the top step is just there 🤘
Got the Takara and fans toys on the shelf right now! Gonna have to take the takara down and retire him to the box! The fans toys fits my collection better !
How did this pass QC. With all the looseness.
Ton of comments for a vid that hasn’t been out 24 hours. Love both modes on this thing. Looks way better than TT. Of course not perfect by far. Hope a fix comes out for head and shoulder connectivity issues (doubtful). Otherwise the look has won me over.
The youthful face and the additional height is enough for me to swap out. I don't think they should have given us the Rodimus face. They should have just made a Rodimus later down the line. I would have preferred to get an emotive or smiling face.
Woof. 1st and last fanstoys for me.
You can't ride it you can't ride it wild wacky action bike!!! Lmao :D
@13:46 didn't you say you were happy with
Badcube SunSurge and you wasn't going change him out with MP Sunstreaker?
That's what I'm doing. The Takara definitely looks better, but Sunsurge looks like more of a brother mold standing next to MP Sideswipe.
bobby you fix the angle on the tire moving a slide on the piece, the instruction doesn't show i think i do not have mine yet, still waiting on him but another reviewer show that and specific said that he miss that the first time he transform the figure, i didn't understand what he means but now i think its to fix that angle on the tires
I like the silver pupcaps.
Great review as usual....but my goodness I hate this! Let’s pray flame toys do my favourite character
I think the universe simply doesn’t want a perfect hot rodimus to exist. I think he looks great. Hollow areas and the collar don’t bother me. I think I’ll pass on transforming him though as I don’t really need that alt mode in my life.
You got it early, nice, but like others I guess its a pass but the thing has has over official is rubber tires :D
ok.. for the people..I will ask you... Rogue, Koot or Hoodlum.. which of the 3 is the worst transformation from bot to altmode and back.
I feel like this was a big opportunity for fanstoys to set a bar higher than Takara and it seems like they didn’t make it. I hope going forward they can prove themselves to be the third party company that makes better figures than takara. I mean someone has to with Takaras continuously increasing prices.
Not a huge hot rod fan, but this figure was so hyped up after the TT release, but after watching this review it has fallen short. Not a bad looking figure tho
I am on the fence big time over this guy, the design and engineering are a few years old now and I think its showing that age. The articulation is one of my main sticking points, its not great, almost not good with that practically swivel only head and 90 degree elbows. It looks beautiful, but if I can’t get it to work how I’m wanting pose wise it may be a wash for me. I don’t mind the Takara one save a couple aspects, I just don’t know if the swap is worth it for me. Really looking forward to that comparison video you have coming up!
I just hopped on the FT bandwagon with Koot, Quietus and Sovereign. So far, I was in love. Got this guy in hand and mine has a huge chunk of chrome missing. Not impressed at all and the lack of paint to the accents on the helmet and huge forearms make me just disappointed. 😫
How long has this design been sitting in a computer file somewhere?
the only thing that prevents me from wanting this figure, and i love the character, is the arms. I don't know why people dont talk about it but they're too thick vertically and its a small thing that a lot of people overlook but idk, i like that the mps arms are more proportionate and i think his face is a little puffy looking
Sad that nobody can give this character decent shoulder articulation. I was looking forward to this figure for a long time but after all of the delays....i think they should went back to the drawing board with this figure. Plus I like to play and display my figures and even tho this looks good on a shelf...but thats about it
That car looks like hot garbage, regardless of tabbing. It’s like if they released a kids ride-on bigwheel version of the movie car.
Kinda figured you’d savage this guy worse than you did! I’m sure you’ve sussed it by now dude but if you pull out the sides of the back section with the spoiler on it before you wrap it around the leg sections, it will all align and clip together better once you push those bits back in! Definitely agree it looks better than takaras, I think the real problem with this figure is how old the actual design is!
"Confusing me for Omnigonix? OMNIGONIX?!? I know I'm a KO, but screw you, buddy!"
- Tiger Tracks
I'm pretty sure it's just me but why do I hear StarWars Theory talking
MP-28 forever!
In my mind: ‘86 TF Movie Autobot cast completed. Places them on display. Maybe swap out UT Blurr. :::breathes in::: would you look at that, just look at it.
...Ok time to look at what’s next on my buying list.
the one thing you didn't mention that really does it for me over the takara that ive always hated putting my takara next to the koot rogue apache is the height. takaras is way too short next to them and this one fits perfect with them. anyone else that collects 3rd party and gets an official figure and it just feels like a cheap toy compared to fanstoys?
Talisac80 Yeh, height wise he’s better for sure. Personally, I wish all of the FT figures were shorter to match Takara MP’s, but I’m sure many wish Takara MP’s are taller to match FT :) It does have better shelf presence when taller.
Fans Toys CREEK, lol. In terms of the look, FT Hoodlum has it. But the rest is a fail to me as there isn't enough improvement to justify me replacing my official MP Hot Rod. They had 2 years to do this one and it feels like they stopped over a year ago and never bothered to update or improve upon the design. I wish they had done their own version of Rodumus Prime instead since the official one stinks.
I hate that they made Rodimus look older, I would have preferred him as the young leader of the Autobots like Lion-O was to the Thundercats cause I never really connected to Rodimus like I did to Hot Rod.
Sjit, i wasn t planning on getting this, now i m torn 😁
This does not look like a good figure at all. I am not going near this thing or Takara's. No need for me to list the whys because this review points every single one of them out. One after the other as you watch through the entire review. (Enjoyed the review, as always) But I do have to say that gap in the back? Holy moly - And the profile of this figure is horrible. I keep saying this any time I can.. Hot Rod and Rodimus are animated characters that seem to be too difficult to engineer from screen-to-toy. I will wait until the next one comes out from a different company and hopefully it will get the legs and presence right. AND! I will say this... I am not a Flame Toys fan at all but maybe for Hot Rod and Rodimus I would be very supportive of that and maybe go in since no one can crack the engineering code for them.
You: "One degree of ab crunch". . . . Me: "One degree of Fanstoys". . . . . Buys it. . .
First final thoughts pose is like autobot Elvis
You don't think UT's Buzzing/Blurr holds up?
Paul Spurgeon it holds up fine. I was just speaking in terms of size. He’s always seemed a bit big. It was just a comment on that. :)