TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Brendocon's review of: Soundwave

Faction: Decepticon
Function: Communications
Generation: One
Sub-Group: N/a
"Cries and screams are music to my ears"

"It is said Soundwave can hear a fly sneeze. Uses anything he hears for blackmail to advance his status. Opportunist. Despised by all other Decepticons. Sensors can detect even lowest energy radio transmissions. Able to read-minds by monitoring electrical brain impulses. Acts as radio link for others. Locates and identifies Autobots, then informs Decepticons. Carries a concussion blaster gun. Often target of retaliation by his comrades."

Alternate Mode: Soundwave comes packed in his alternate mode, ie a cassette player. He's a semi-realistic looking cassette player, with good detailing through moulded parts and stickers. The box has a message on the front stating that he 'Does not record or play cassettes. This is a moot point really, as his recorder mode is approximately the same size as an audio cassette anyway, so I can't see anyone managing to fit a tape in him, let alone complain when the 'play' button won't work.
In this mode, Soundwave is silver along the bottom, with silver speakers integrated into the sides 'boom box' style.The central portion is navy blue (maybe royal blue), with the exception of the cassette door, which is transparant aside from gold detailing and a Decepticon sticker.
There are three features to this mode that really add to the realism, firstly on the outside of the left speaker is a volume control dial, whilst there is another push switch on the right-hand speaker, though I'm not sure of its purpose. The third (and most important) feature is, of course, the eject switch on the top, near the left speaker. By pushing this switch down, the cassette door flies open, ready for use. This one feature can provide hours of fun for the undemanding Transfans among us, dependant on how many cassette TFs you own.

Robot Mode: The transformation for Soundwave is realy quite simple. The speakers fold down and away from the tape deck, to form at right angles with the main body. The base of the tape deck, where the speakers connect, then fold down ninety degrees to form the robot legs. The legs then turn inwards at the hips, and the feet fold down.
With the speakers out of the way, the robot arms can now be swung around from behind the back of the tape deck, and the fists extended. Soundwave's head is then swung up, and twisted 180 degrees to face forward. Attach the shoulder cannon, load the missile into the concussion blaster, insert into fist, and (in the words of Powerglide) away we go.
Soundwave's robot mode bears a very good resemblance to his cartoon counterpart (unlike a lot of other season 1 TFs). He stands about 6 3/4" tall, his chest is slightly disproportioned by the majority of it being a cassette deck, but looks better with a tape inserted.
His colour scheme is now predominantly blue, with grey forearms and silver shins.

Transformation:8 - easy but not the simplest or quickest
Durability: 7 - the nature of the design means that the joints are very loose,as a result, he feels very fragile
Fun:10 - Boredom? With that shoulder button?
Price: 8 - In good condition, anywhere between $50 and $200. Which can be justified considering his age and popularity, especially if Buzzsaw is included
Overall 8.25 Not the perfect Transformer, but he's damn close