Transformers Legacy Velocitron Speedia 500 Override review

Every once in a while, Hasbro likes to make surprises with how they release certain figures. If you recall, Cosmos was put in the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection as a new mold among a handful of redecos and a heavy retool with Blurr. But he wasn't the only one to have that luxury (or compromise given how scarce he is), because Override was also given a new mold despite initially being planned for a retool of SS86 Hot Rod. Honestly, her being in the Velocitron subline made sense given her origins as a resident of that planet, but what does this mean for those who hate store exclusives even if this one is fairly easy to get? More on that later!

Here is Override in her vehicle mode, being the same speedster vehicle mode that she is known for in the Cybertron series. It's certainly more of a stylized variety than the norm for the franchise, what with the Speed Racer-esque design and deco, but it fits the look of Velocitronians pretty well. The red cockpit and wheels might blend in with the rest of the red, but at least they're cast in translucent plastic in addition to coming with gold or copper paint apps. There is a bit of black and fewer highlights of blue to break up the white and red, and the vehicle flows well for the most part.

The aerodynamics of the vehicle are pretty approachable, though some may find the vehicle mode to be a little blocker than the original. And while the rims are different from the original, at least we get pinned wheels this time around. And yes, the head is exposed from the top. 

For a vehicle mode comparison, here she is with her fins now hinged downwards as she's next to Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime and Generations Selects Hot Shot (who is different because of his Matrix Workshop upgrade). She fits in pretty well with Optimus, though Hot Shot really needed that upgrade kit so as to not be just a blue Hound.

Transformation is very different from the original toy, as it's manual rather than automatic given how the original toy relied on spring-loaded mechanics rather than the traditional methods of a Transformer. It's fairly interesting seeing how they were able to make it less gimmicky, but I will say that the struts that the arms are on are annoying, as they, combined with the hinges and sliding rails, can be cumbersome if I'm being honest. But yeah, the robot mode is much more refined this time around, as the proportions are made much better compared to the old toy, which comes from it not being built around the gimmick. The design better showcases that Override was male in Japan, in addition to having the name Nitro Convoy. As a North American Transformers fan that grew up with Cybertron and not Galaxy Force, Override is female to me; the Hungarian dub had Override as both genders, so I'm wondering if Mae Catt's upset that her non-binary Acid Storm was beaten to the punch by a non-binary Override. But anyways, the figure feels like a Speed Racer-themed luchador, especially with the colors and boot-like design of her lower legs. The back is flat and having little color on it kind of ruins the look, though you can always put the weapon back on. Also, the little shoulder nubs are easy to break off, so be careful.

Head sculpt is accurate to the character model, being much more refined and proportionate to the design used in the show. Amusingly, despite having red light-piping, her eyes are blue. Her articulation is standard for the line: neck swivel, shoulders that move front and back, in and out, bicep swivels, elbow bends, wrist swivels, a very limited waist swivel, hips that move front and back, in and out, thigh swivels, knee bends, and ankle pivots. 

Her weapon is made up of the back engine of her vehicle mode, only this time, there is no Cyber Key gimmick, so you have to move it manually. It's alright, though it does feel weird to see a Cybertron-series character not have that feature. Oh well. Anyways, here she is with her original figure, and the difference is night and day. I know there will always be some nostalgia towards the old toy, and the extra paint apps make it feel more complete, but the updated version is one I will always appreciate, especially after reading about the intended use for the character as a retool of SS86 Hot Rod. I don't see how that would really work in any way, shape, or form, ao to have a new mold, even if it's flawed, would work much better than the half-Override/half-Hot Rod approach...Overrod? Hot Ride?

For a robot mode comparison, she's not that much taller than Hot Shot, who's one of the shorter Deluxes in the line; it makes her fairly short for a Voyager, but not to the same extent as SS86 Hot Rod, making her feel a little closer to the price point one would want from a modern Voyager. And that should tackle the Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection in terms of two repaints of molds I skipped out on in Wave 1 and 2 new molds I always wanted from the beginning. I think Override's a pretty great addition to the line-up if you ask me; whether you're a fan of Cybertron or not, you have to admit that this is the type of modernization for non-G1/non-BW/non-Movie characters is always appreciative. It feels nice to get a Generations figure that can be from RID and the Unicron Trilogy, especially after getting a majority of characters from the lines that were mentioned but with the non- part. She should be easier to get than RoadHauler somehow.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐