Having already explained the basic concept behind the line, let’s move right into discussing the figure himself.

            The Autobot partner for Cody Burns, Heatwave naturally transforms into a fire ladder truck. In truck mode, he’s pretty big, blocky, and chunky… par for the course considering he’s a Playskool vehicle. All four wheels are free-rolling and he has no ground clearance issues, making him a perfect toy truck for little kids. You can vaguely tell that his front lights are his fists, but beyond that and the obvious gap lines there isn’t any robot mode kibble unless you look underneath him. There’s no way for Cody Burns or any of his vehicles to interact with him in this mode, and in fact Cody is taller than he is in this mode. But that’s just normal scale issues again.

            Transformation is simple: have one hand push his ladder forward while the other pushes his rear bumper down. Once he’s in robot mode, you flip his feet out. It’s that simple. Heatwave has zero articulation in this mode outside of his feet, the result of his blocky design. He also has a rather noticible gap in his torso that can be seen from any angle except dead front. But at the same time, he has a surprising degree of molded detail, even on hard-to-see places like his inner arms.

            Accessories like the Rescue Hose connect by being flipped upside down and inserted into a hole in the bottom of either fist; his design makes it impossible for him to hold anything like a normal pistol. Note that you must ensure his appropriate wheel ends up in the appropriate gap beneath the vehicle for best fit. Also not mentioned in the instructions is that you actually can have Cody attach in this mode as well: his hands are in open fists, and so are just large enough to grip the top rung on Heatwave’s ladder and put a foot on one of Heatwave’s shoulders (I find that right arm / left shoulder works better than left arm / right shoulder, *and* it allows you to have his left arm in the air like he’s waving).

            If you’re looking for a reasonably solid toy for younger kids, then Heatwave will do the job. But don’t hold him to the same standard as toys meant for older enthusiasts, especially since the biggest part of his gimmick requires another figure to pull off. Rating: 8 / 10.