HW Then & Now | Deora II

The Hot Wheels original Deora II has been significantly and contrasting from the original version. It’s consistently been released in multiple variations for the last twenty-five years, and it is still being produced and sold in the mainline range. Just like the original, there was an actual, real-life car version of this popular vehicle made from custom-made parts that resemble the actual toy. It’s the DNA of the original concept vehicle, and how Hot Wheels make their die-cast cars stands out among the other brands that keep them ahead of the pack. Of course, over the years, there will be significant changes to the casting due to cost-cutting and other changes to keep its production costs just like this 2024 edition of the Deora II, which is considered a fan-favourite despite the changes in the last five years!

HW Hot Trucks | Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck

There have been some interesting licensed pick-up trucks from Hot Wheels, but none of them had a unique look like the 1978 Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck. It is still being produced with a brand new deco/livery since its retool in 2019. The new look may not be noticeable, but the changes are there if you are into intricate details and do not leave the toy in its blister carded packaging. The most recent release in 2024 was part of the HW Celebration Racers, representing Valentine’s Day as that year’s vehicle, and as part of the MOPAR 5-pack in yellow with stripes. It’s probably the most decent colour to be released in the last 2-3 years, but in a multipack. For the 2025, the latest one this not disappoint either.

HW Screen Time | Snoopy

Snoopy is an iconic character that appeared in comics strips, which was created by Charles M. Schulz. His appearance was the main focus of the story for the Peanuts gang, they are consists of kids that populate their individual stories, adventures, and everyday life that relate to people. For 75 years, the Peanuts have continued to be relevant to this day, and they are being celebrated all year round in 2025. But at the heart of the comics strip is Charlie Brown, the ol’ blockhead, and his pet beagle, Snoopy, and sidekick Woodstock. There have been many merchandise produced in their image over the course of the comic strip’s existence, appearing also in various media that include animation and video games.

HW Xtreme Sports | Surf's Up

Hot Wheels has constantly reinvented itself to keep ideas fresh while maintaining its core interest in die-cast cars as its primary identity. There have been several castings that don’t solely focus on the “usual stuff” that would try to appeal to the general public, to catch them putting something that won’t appeal to their regular collectors. It’s an ongoing experiment that other brands don’t have the courage to dive into. Speaking of diving, the Hot Wheels team has produced a non-vehicle type casting that’s human-powered. It’s not even a bicycle, but it was produced before the ill-fated 2020 Tokyo Olympics that commemorate the inclusion of surfing as a sport. This is the introduction of “Surf’s Up.” It’s certainly one of the radical things from Mattel.

HW Justice League | Bully Goat

Superman is a celebrated comic book hero who is now 87 years old. Today, the character is celebrated for his first appearance in Action Comics #1 in 1938. The comic book has been published by DC Comics way past its 1000th issue, and they did celebrate that back in 2018. Fan all over the world would post their appreciation as their favourite character, and then there are some even clutching their action figures. There has been A LOT of Superman merchandise out there, but in die-cast form, you can only count a few that Corgi would produce, as they were the first to be licensed to produce DC-related characters into their vehicles, and Superman is one of them. But Hot Wheels would expand beyond what everyone knew.

HW Metro | 5 Alarm

Fire Trucks or Fire Engines have been around going back to the sixteenth century. It evolved from men moving a device that has a pressured tank to horse-drawn engines that have steamed powered pistons to spray water. Of course, the advancement of technology has changed the way how to put fire out with the development of these machines that are modified trucks. Specially-designed trucks that have firefighting apparatus that also transports personnel and carry an amount of water, which also carry special equipment for rescue and other emergency use. I’ve been fascinated by fire trucks at a young age and seeing one in person sparked my curiosity about these firefighting machines.

HW Metro | Propper Chopper

Hot Wheels is not just about cars, but also produces otherworldly and weird vehicles that some might not comprehend the concept that only kids would understand. In those early days of the brand’s life, they were popular with bright colours that broke the traditional way diecast cars were made similar to their real-life counterparts. To expand and continue to be on top in keeping their relevance in the toy aisle they also have to make other types of vehicles, and in the early days, one of them was not even in four wheels, but has given kids the imagination to fly. In 1990 Hot Wheels introduced the Propper Chopper, a play on words designed by the great Larry Wood. It might not have the same popularity as a Corvette or a Mustang but it took flight and had a follwoing for longtime collectors.

HW Celebration Racers | Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck

Valentine’s Day is always in the calendar as part of special day for most people, like couples and married people. It’s about love that is observed on the fourteenth of February. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions, it has also become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. In the world of Hot Wheels, it is celebrated yearly along with important dates, culminating with a special car with a Valentine’s Day-themed deco or livery. There was even a mini collection of Valentine’s Day cars in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2014. But the mainline car started appearing in 2017, 2018, 2021, and now, 2024 as part of the Holiday Racers and presently as HW Celebration Racers.

MOTU Origins DLX | Battle Armor Skeletor

When you talk about major baddies in an animated series there’s nothing like Skeletor, the dark lord of destruction. But of course due to TV ratings and making it kid-friendly they made him a bumbling heap of comedy in the Filmation produced animation that put the Masters of the Universe franchise into the stratosphere for the general public to take notice to know more about his backastory. The characterization was for intent ‘for kids’ but there are depictions of him being this terrible baddie, and not just about calling King Randor a ‘boob’ as the toys came with mini-comics that paints Skeletor as this evil monster from another dimension. This kept those kids that are now adults excited and curious that the action figures a must have for their collection.

Temple of Darkness | Sorceress

Masters of the Universe is one of the popular 1980s franchise is currently is at its peak of its revival due to being represented in their current retro play featuring their MOTU Origins toyline that takes inspiration from the vintage 5.5 vintage action figures. Despite the mix reaction to the Netflix animation series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation the popularity of the toyline continue to entice old and new collectors to the local mass market toy isle. Recently, I acquired a major playset in Castle Grayskull from the Origins toyline that plays an important role to MOTU mythology, which also includes an exclusive action figure that is the “Temple of Darkness” Sorceress.

Totally Turtles | Jokester Mikey

Almost thirty two years ago I spent my hard earned lunch money to acquire Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Playmates toys. For a time, I was ecstatic because of the new cartoon airing on my local channel every weekends and the allure of the action figures shown in their TV commercials got me all hooked. Recalling in my youth buying toys almost in your teens should have changed to becoming a little bit responsible as an adult, but the freight train of would-be future franchises was sort of at the tail end of the golden age of that era’s pop culture status. TMNT was radical that would be often getting imitated but never duplicated.

WFC: Siege | The Invincible Mirage

Mirage is an Autobot that has the ability of invisibility as the way Hound has this device to project small to large scale holograms, which both characters featured these in the original Transformers cartoons five-part episode “More Than Meets the Eye.” As a kid everyone warmed up to these characters because they were special but back then the toys weren’t as impressive as today. The War for Cybertron: Siege delivers some of the best figures based on the classic cartoon, comicbooks, and recent iterations of the character into one package. Some areas impressive as bringing enough nostalgia and there are others that are half-baked run in the mill figures just made to add variety to expand the range of assortments.

WFC: Siege | The Barricade Law

Barricade is an unknown character to most Transformers toy collectors, but was known because he was the Decepticon that chased down Bumblebee in the 2007 live-action film that was interrogating LadiesMan217 (aka Spike Witwicky) in search of the artefact that would bring back Megatron to life. There’s a similar character that was introduced in the comicbooks from the IDW 2005 Continuity and the most recent reboot for 2019. But the later takes inspiration based on the aesthetics and design from the War For Cybertron: Siege assortment of action figures released for 2019. This Barricade though takes both inspirations from the said Live-Action film and an old Micromaster toy!

Snap Squad | The Bite of Velociraptor Blue

02.21.2020 – If you’re into collecting dinosaurs chances are you’ve seen all the Jurassic Park films and its current series of movies with Jurassic World with the recent sequel Fallen Kingdom that was shown in cinemas back in 2018. Mattel has rolled out action figures, vehicles, playsets based on the recent films. Since fans are waiting for the third one there has been some ‘toy spinoffs’ to keep collectors and fans wanting more dino merchandise. Last year there were these super deformed versions of the dinosaurs that appeared in the films and it was insanely adorably a must have and I only noticed them sometime middle of 2019.

Year of the Rat | Thrilling 30: Rattrap

01.24.2020 – Chinese New Year is happening in Binondo Manila this Saturday and it is going to be a busy weekend with fireworks, dragon dance, and, parades that celebrate the occasion. Usually, the event has a huge turnout in terms of foot traffic to various places where the gathering venue is being held it is also the year of the ‘Metal Rat’ as the last time ‘Year of the Rat’ was celebrated in 2008. To celebrate the occasion the featured character spotlight to associate this year is from Transformers Generations: ‘Thrilling 30’ Rattap, which was part of the ninth wave of action figures released in 2014 for this series. Since it is also the year of the ‘Metal Rat’ that means this Cybertronian is just the right bot for the year.

Studio Series | Cogman of Mystery

01.17.2020 – The live action Transformers films have produced five main movies and a spinoff from the success of Bumblebee. It built interest to attract a huge fandom, but to be honest; the only significant live action film I remember was the 2007 introduction and the later mentioned spinoff from 2018. While the rest of the follow-up films from 2007 are forgettable, but the toys and merchandise that came with it wasn’t all that bad. The fifth film Transformers: Last Knight was Michael Bay’s swan song although making a lot of money at the box office it had mixed reactions from the press and the fans alike. Considering the last movie would produce some interesting toys namely a character named Cogman.

AoE Evolution | Energized Grimlock

12.06.2019 – Every kid who saw the classic Transformers cartoon had their favorities. Most of those kids who would grow up to collect the ‘modern’ Transformers toys would still pursue the same character they’ve been want in their collection. Personally, as you mature most of the choices now are to get the ones from childhood. Rarely I’d diverse from that focus as in comparison a decade or so and I’ll be always a Transformers Fan despite some interest has change. While at the Toy Kingdom Toy Warehouse Sale’s preview day I came across this 2-pack set. Normally I’d pass it up but if you’re a fan of any of the Dinobots chances are you’ll pick Grimlock!

Power of the Primes | Bludgeon Prime

05.24.2019 – There have been many characters introduced in Transformers from the original animated series to the beloved comicbooks written by Simon Furman with artwork by Andrew Wildman. It’s a challenge to track each one if you just got into the hobby collecting the characters. But as fan for its world building the stories by Simon Furman got some interesting characters fleshed out that wasn’t given screen time in the cartoon. There have been some interesting ones out there that are dark and weird and one of them became a personal favourite with Bludgeon, the Decepticon’s Samurai Warrior!

Disney Label x TF | Mickey Mouse

04.05.2019 – The Transformers brand has gone through so many incarnations from the vintage G1, Beast Wars, and other collaborations like Marvel and Star Wars. But in Japan, Takara Tomy takes these collaborations way past the norms. Some are controversial while others are interestingly unique it’s only exclusive to this country. Then there’s Disney x Transformers dubbed “Disney Label” short stint collaboration between Japan’s Takara Tomy and Disney that produced only a few related tie-in even without the support of a Comic Book, Animation, or videogame it was popular for its time that puts Mickey Mouse & Optimus Prime in the mix.

WFC Siege | Megatron Blasting Con

02.15.2019 – Transformers Generations in the past has been met with mix to positive views bringing them back from the classic cartoons. The Prime Wars Trilogy was the recent culmination of the brand that they can revive nostalgia back to the fans that grew up with the series. Hasbro has cemented Transformers to the collective consciousness again to its relevance. Despite the recent negativity of the ‘Bay Formers’ films the toys continue to be innovative. After the Bumblebee Movie screening in cinemas, they’ve also slowly changed that perspective. Now the Generations line gets a new trilogy with War For Cybertron (not to be confused with the videogame) it beings with its first installment “SIEGE” introducing one of the two Voyager Class figures in Megatron!