Hasbro Transformers Generations Hoist 2012

When I first started getting back into Transformers last year after a very long break, I was most intrigued by their Cyberverse Commanders, as they seemed to really be the best of both worlds. All of the transformation and articulation of larger bots, but with a much smaller size and price tag. A combination of this curiosity and very cheap prices on Amazon led me to grabbing a few of them to see what I thought. Today's review, Hoist, is one of those first figures that I picked up, and he did nothing to deter me from buying more.

I don't really know a lot about Hoist. He's not a character I have a long history with at all. He's an Autobot (good guy) and he's a tow truck. That's pretty much it for my knowledge of him, but sometimes that's all you need to know.. especially if you buy him at a great price point.

As one of the smaller Transformers, you're not going to get any kind of hyper-detail in the sculpt, but what there is works very, very well. The front of the vehicle, in particular, got a lot of love and looks very convincing. Also, the way the windshield is designed is very eye-catching as well. Overall, he's very convincing in his truck mode - just don't judge me for my crappy transforming technique. DON'T JUDGE ME!

The transformation process is pretty straight forward, but really effective. There's no wasted space in the transformation, since at this size there really can't be. It means that vehicle mode is very solid rather than being hollow, and the robot mode still manages to have believable proportions.

Hoist's robot mode has a surprising amount of personality, especially in the head sculpt. The large helmet and faceplate give him a unique appearance that stands out, especially compared to other shelf mates. Of course, being bright green and orange never hurts, either. He has all of the articulation you could possibly hope for, and thanks to be so solid he's incredibly well balanced and able to keep a lot of poses.

I'm not going to lie.. I'm not entirely sure that there are any bad Cyberverse Commanders at all. If there are, I don't own any. These small figures are really the epitome of fun at an affordable price. The best part is that they really maintain their price - most of these are available through Amazon or other sites for prices at or lower than their original retail price. That's hard to complain about! Just be careful when you pick one up, since you might fall into the trap of wanting more like I did!