General Information: Images:
Mech Tech Weapon: Is this disappointing? Absolutely. However, it must be stressed that this seems to only apply to the deluxe wave one so far. Larger figures do have weapons that can "stay" transformed and who knows? A future deluxe wave may have figures that can stay in their alternate form. Also please note that in my photos, I had to use various tricks to make the weapon stay in its alternate form (including liberal use of paper and paper clips to keep them in place). Jolt's weapon has two forms. The default mode is a "blaster" mode. The design however speaks to a weapon that greatly resembles a machine gun. The front barrel has oval shaped openings on the sides, reminscent of the circular holes on the sides of real life machine gun barrels. The top of the weapon has a targeting scope and the back section looks like it has a hammer sculpted on top. To transform the weapon, pull the targeting scope back and the rather bulky sides of the weapon swing out and move towards the front, extending the length of the weapon. The "machine gun" like barrel is then covered up by these side sections and in the front, a new barrel is formed. This barrel looks more like a scifi energy weapon and looks super cool. Even cooler? Two of the hinge pieces that swing forward in this mode have tiny barrels themselves, looking like extra weaponry mounted on the sides of the cannon. The weapon's transformation is very dramatic looking and looks like something you would see in one of the live action movies. The weapon is cast in black and light blue plastic. The black makes up most of the weapon, with the light blue plastic used on the targeting scope, the hinge pieces on the sides and the "machine gun" barrel. I really like this weapon and this is one of those that makes me really wish these could be locked in their alternate forms.
Vehicle Mode:
Looking at photos of the Chevrolet Volt on the official web site, I'm really impressed by how many of the small, distinctive details of the real life vehicle were captured in this sculpt. However, there are some differences. The top of the vehicle and the hood has an interesting jagged pattern that looks almost like the tracks on a tire. This sculpt is also missing the small antenna found on the top of the real life vehicle. As "Dark of the Moon" has not been released yet as I'm writing this, I have no idea yet if this is accurate to his appearance in the film (if he appears at all), but I can say that these differences serve to make Jolt look more distinctive even if not 100% accurate to the "showroom" version of the car. In this form, Jolt is mostly made up of grey, translucent grey and black plastic. The grey makes up most of the vehicle, with the cabin cover and windows cast in translucent grey. This grey is also used for the lights in the front. His wheels are cast in black. These colors seem influenced by the version shown on the official Volt web site. Paint applications are done in black, red, gold and silver. The black is the most heavily used colors. You'll find it on the top of the vehicle and on the back section. Red is used for the rear lights (matching the colors of the real life vehicle) while gold is found on the Chevrolet logo in the front. Silver paint is found on trim that starts at the front of the vehicle, running along the edges of the cabin section to the back. It adds a really nice metallic splash of color and looks fantastic. In addition to paint, there are some light blue tampographed stylized "circuit" type patterns along the edges of the windshield and on the sides. These details really add a lot by hinting at the robotic nature of the vehicle. Overall, I'm very happy with this color scheme. On the top of the vehicle are two grey circles where you may insert Mech Tech weapons (or other standard sized weapons such as those from "Energon"). I really like the way these circles pop up and then push down as you insert the weapons. I prefer that over the vehicle having two big holes on top. Transformation to Robot Mode:
*Note: My photos neglected the step of turning the wheels on his feet in, I hope to correct this in the future.
Robot Mode:
There significant differences are more structural in nature. His doors and windows split, forming wing-like sections on his back. His robot feet are formed from the front of the vehicle mode, looking more akin to a Generation One Transformer in style. Many of his parts are in very different places than the previous version of Jolt. For instance, the first version had the robot arms embedded in the halves of the cabin section of the vehicle whereas here they are separate pieces that swing out from the bottom of the vehicle mode. The net result is a much sleeker looking robot mode, and I would say more refined. While I liked the previous Jolt figure quite a bit, this is definitely an improvement over that one. Jolt shows off the same colors in this form as the vehicle mode. Like the vehicle form, the grey color dominates, but you see the translucent grey plastic on parts such as his upper legs, and not just where the windshield halves wind up but also on the actual hip joints themselves! The plastic colors alternate the most on the legs where they go from translucent grey, to solid grey, to black, then grey again. Paint applications are done in the same colors as those seen in the vehicle mode. The robot head has black details on the mouth area with blue eyes. The same light blue is found on the forearms and the middle of his body. At the very center of his torso is a black Autobot symbol. Some red paint lines show from the rear of the vehicle, offering some additional color variety. Overall it's a nice looking color scheme that is quite refined looking. Jolt has seventene points of articulation in this form. This includes an interesting swivel joint arrangement on his arm. It doesn't bend at the elbows, but instead is sculpted partially bent. The forearm is on a swivel joint that allows it to move out and in. It's an interesting design choice that isn't seen very often. Each leg has five points of articulation, not counting he ability of the heel piece to be moved for different poses. Each of the robot arms has a hole that can accomodate a Mech Tech weapon and on his back, you'll find a hole in the center that you can store his weapon on. I like this particular touch a lot as it was not 100% necessary.
Final Thoughts:
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While the Cyberverse makes up a smaller scale of figures in the "Dark of the Moon" toy line, the size class most fans are used to returns with "Mech Tech" technology. The generaly concept behind "Mech Tech" are weapons that transform from one type of weapon to another. These have standard peg sizes that allow the weapons to be swapped between figures. One of the characters chosen to join the Deluxe scale of Transformers this time out is Jolt, who appeared super briefly in "Revenge of the Fallen". He played a critical role in the combination of Jetfire's parts to Optimus Prime at the film's climax, so at least he got to do something before basically disappearing by the end of the movie.
