Rescue Bots may have been a kiddy show that gets looked down upon by older fans, but it manages to have a pretty good goal of making a simple yet effective way of getting younger kids into Transformers without insulting their intelligence at a Barney level. But what I wanted more were CHUG figures of the Rescue Bots themselves. Medix was the first one we got, but who else to give us proper molds that fans wanted more than Chase himself? Let's roll to the rescue and review this guy!
Here we have Chase in vehicle mode. Cop cars have been pretty common in the Transformers universe, no doubt thanks to Prowl and Barricade, but Chase manages to be a little more original with his color scheme and design. Being more of a muscle car certainly gave him some kid appeal for anyone who wants a cool car rather than a more traditional cruiser. The clear yellow plastic used for the headlights and windows is normally unusual yet it fits the color scheme of Chase pretty well. In fact, the altmode feels more aggressive than it was depicted in the series, which I see as fitting after he becomes a full Autobot.
For a comparison with another Aligned cop, here he is (with floodlights equipped) next to last year's RID15 Strongarm. Always nice to see the same concept of a cop-themed Transformer get different between characters and series, even though Strongarm and Chase are in the same universe.
Transformation is great to see on Chase, as we never had a Rescue Bot character that isn't a custom or a redeco (looking at you, Medix) yet is a full-on Generations figure with an involved transformation. Chase's robot mode looks very accurate to the Rescue Bots series, al beit with a sharper look that takes him from being a rookie to a battle-ready Autobot. In fact, he has a normal insignia rather than the one made for the show. He generally looks good from the front, though the back of the legs and the little winglets are distracting. While I'd appreciate a panel to cover up the lower legs, this still looks better than the unfinished, Concept Art Sunstreaker that was recently leaked. And hey, he has the siren on the back of his head, which I appreciate. Some people have commented that we would get a possible TFP Cliffjumper retool from this guy, and I can sort of see it with how square CJ's torso is versus the Rescue Bots aesthetics in their show.
His head sculpt is a more mature version of the original character design, even taking the shades from his appearance in Rescue Bots Academy. I approve! His articulation includes the standard head movement, shoulder rotation and outward movement reminiscent of SS86 Hot Rod, bicep rotation, elbow hinge, slight wrist curl, waist swivel, hip rotation, outward movement, thigh swivel, knee bend, and the kind of ankle pivot where you have to click it past where the foot locks. He can have his Energon claw slide over his hand as one method of tackling his rescue missions.
The claws can be removed to become hooks that attach to his floodlights, which, btw: not only do the headlights remind me of Lego pieces (studs and a 1x1 tile), but this makes Chase look like he's going to rip Grindor's face off after taking them all on. Fuck yeah. You can really tell how much they were able to use the Generationator appropriately by making Chase's design feel more like a proper Aligned continuity look rather than a stylized cartoon aesthetic. I want to see more Rescue Bots in this look. Heatwave, Blades, Boulder, and anyone else who isn't from TFP or RID15.
And here he is with Strongarm once again. I would love to see these two work together in some way, but maybe that is the case after the Aligned Continuity ended. Still, I like Chase; this is honestly how I imagined him to end up as, and I wouldn't have it any other way...other than the shoulder joints and the back of the legs. Still recommend him.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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