Yes, he was. I can live with the dark red for Evil Stepper. I mean, you can't get any darker than black. I think Decepticon Purple would have been a better choice, but dark red I can live with. The the use of the name Ricochet - which is a retconned concept - doesn't sit especially well with me.
If any of these toys needed dark red, surely it was Motorm... er Optimus Prime.