They could've called him Wheeljack easily enough, since they could've made a story about Hot Shot somehow saving him from stasis lock or something after Armada, thus atoning for abandoning him prior to Armada and turning him back to the Autobot cause in the process.  Simply put though, they didn't want to do that.  Hence, Downshift.  Works for me!  ;)

but that wouldn't work since he was called Rampage in Armada, not Wheeljack.

Unless it works in both series, they can't do it. Also, Hasbro doesn't write the stories, Aeon/We've does this.

The Package says "Downshift" which is a much better name for a racecar than "Wheeljack", which I also didn't like for the Armada decepticon(Who woulda been better named Deadend).

So he's Downshift to me. I won't go all dillusional, decreeing "HIS NAME IS WHEELJACK CAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE THAT ONE GUY WHO WAS NAMED THAT 20 YEARS AGO! AND YOU BETTER KNOW IM TALKING ABOUT DOWNSHIFT WHEN I CALL HIM WHEELJACK!"

 

Also, he isn't an upgraded Mini-con, nor is Prowl or Inferno. They just share the name. Mini-cons were named by their owners, so its not totally out of the question that they coulda picked a name that someone else already chose for their little pal. The mini-cons all left Cybertron at the end of Armada, but a few stood behind that chose to.

Why isnt anyone asking the question when did downshift get a power up from a minicon to a full fledged autobot?

Because Minicons dont get powerups, and become Autobots.

 

Minicons are Unicronian, and they arnt going to change into something Cybertronian because of a 'power up'.

 

We are not even sure that they have the same thing, Cybertronians call a spark.

Those little buggers are radicaly different, which is why they were so coveted and unique.

 

Besides, IF your statement could happen, it would be more of a 'power down'.

but that wouldn't work since he was called Rampage in Armada, not Wheeljack.

Unless it works in both series, they can't do it.

Wrong. He was Wheeljack in Armada, and Rampage in Micron Legend. And as far as "it can't be done since it didn't happen in both series", yes it can. They're calling him Wheeljack in Superlink anyway.

but that wouldn't work since he was called Rampage in Armada, not Wheeljack.

Unless it works in both series, they can't do it.

Wrong. He was Wheeljack in Armada, and Rampage in Micron Legend. And as far as "it can't be done since it didn't happen in both series", yes it can. They're calling him Wheeljack in Superlink anyway.

That's exactly what I was talking about. Micron Legend IS Armada.

And if he's called Rampage in Micron Legend, they aren't going to do a story about why he's called Wheeljack in our show, especially if Downshift isn't called Rampage in Superlink.

We are not even sure that they have the same thing, Cybertronians call a spark.

Those little buggers are radicaly different, which is why they were so coveted and unique.

Well, according to Linkage, due to Rad's time-travelling experience at the end of Armada, Minicons posess human souls, in place of sparks. They also manifest themselves as Digital Entity Frames/Spark Figures, which are essentially their naked forms. Humanoid beings of pure energy, which are then wrapped up in the Minicon shells.

Need to see pic

Need to see pic

Of?

Call WheelJack/Downshift what you want. It makes no difference. Honestly, the alignment of the planets isn't gonna be thrown out of whack because of it, Armageddon isn't going to happen because of it, and the earth won't fly off into space because of it!! IT'S JUST A NAME!

 

(I prefer Wheeljack myself! :D)