TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Cliffjumper's review: Jolt

Name: Jolt. Or Hot Row in Japan.
Function: Sneak Attack Specialist. That's a job? Do they have a Consultant for Dashed Unsporting Attacks as well?
Sub-Group: Laser Rod if you're American or Japanese, Illuminator if you're European.
"!!"

Jolt is really fast and really mean. He can drive really fast in his car mode, and be really mean in his robot mode. He gives lip to his superiors all the time, and hates everyone, especially the Autobots, but especially the Decepticons. He's so fast he can't ever, ever be seen, and so powerful he can beat everyone ever without trying. He's also fast and powerful. His most fastest powerful way of destroying Autobots is to drive quickly behind them, at which point his friend Sizzle (who he hates) shoves their hated opponent over his crouching body. He is most high awesome and extreme.

Jolt was one of four Laser Rod toys issued in 1994. These were all based on hot-rod street racers, with the gimmick being each had an LED element that would light their engine in car mode, or a large transparent sword in robot mode. Jolt was also issued in Japan as TRF-5, renamed as Hotrow.

Alternate Mode:
The hot rod car mode is actually rather good. Thanks to this outlandish mode, the purple colour scheme works really nicely. It's not the most detailed of cars, and the seats look a little out of scale, but there's still nice work here. The light-up engine is pretty cool, and the join-lines aren't as visible as they are in the photograph. The block behind the cockpit (presumably a folded soft-top) looks good and breaks up the rear, while the front suspension and exhausts are nice touches. It's a solid, sturdy mode - a bit of an acquired taste, but one that I find tremendous. One of the best things about G2 is its' willingness to try something a bit different with alt modes and colour schemes, and when it works - as with Jolt - it can be splendid.

Robot Mode:
And then there's the robot mode. There are really few figures of this size than are as well-done as Jolt - Road Pig's about the only one that leaps to mind. Jolt looks fantastic - a good head cast, excellent proportions, punchy colour scheme and some fun little touches. I'm quite enamoured by the exhaust pipes/wrist guns,a nice touch. It's the sort of part that could have been left off without hugely damaging either mode, but shows than someone, somewhere went the extra mile on the thing.

Jolt also has fantastic articulation - I make it fourteen points - and importantly, he can strike a lot of poses without becoming unbalanced. The light-up sword gimmick is also most impressive. His scimitar is perhaps a bit over sized, but it looks great - I actually rather like the wire from the chest to the LED when it's in the robot's fist, even if it restricts movement a little.

Transformation: 7 - trickier than you'd think, but hardly likely to take long to master.
Durability: 8 - The only weak points are that his waist has one of the elastic bands you find in Action Force figures, which can probably snap without much warning if you push his flexibility too far, and his head can jam inside his body at times.
Fun: 9 - the alt mode is terrific and bizarre, the robot mode is both well articulated and superbly balanced, and the light-up sword is fantastic. Best part is all four Laser Rods work in scale with each other in either mode, and all have decent poseability, making them great for a low-effort diorama or desktop ruck.
Price: 8 - one of the pricier small G2 figures, especially with working electronics and the sword, but well worth it.
Overall: 9 - Good articulation and two nice-looking modes, as well as an inventive transformation, all add up to a classic Transformer.