The Transformers Archive Skip to main content / Also skip section headers

[The Transformers Archive - an international fan site]
Please feel free to log in or register.

 
  • transformers forum
  • transformers fandom
  • transformers toys
  • transformers comics
  • transformers cartoon
  • transformers live-action movies

TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Hover here to pick reviews from this section! ↵
Latest Reviews, Toy Checklists,
Resources & Current Lines
Transformers Toy Review Archive (older series, 1984 to date)
Robot Mode:
Alternate Mode:
Box Art:
Technical Specifications:
STR
INT
SPD
END
RNK
CRG
FPR
SKL

Blitzwing's Ghost's review of: Soundwave

Name: Soundwave
Allegiance: Decepticon
Function: Communications
“Cries and screams are music to my ears”

Having never been that interested in Soundwave in the cartoons, (I was a fast car & tanks person), I took the opportunity to acquire the titanium release from Argos for £11.50, slightly confusing as (a); the catalogue advertised him as £14.99. And (B); the catalogue advertises WW Prime.

Alternate Mode:
Soundwave’s alternate mode is the faithful boom box/stereo that we all know and love form the G1-era cartoons & comics. He is in traditional dark blue colour with gold cassette door and silver highlights. The mould incorporates the control buttons for the cassette player and speaker details. From the front it is indistinguishably Soundwave, on the back we have a small amount of kibble, mainly his arms which sit either side of the battery compartment which houses his weapons, and from the top you can see the back of his head. The highlight of this mode is the opening cassette deck with a tiny version of Laserbeak hiding within. Laserbeak, as you’ve probably guessed by now, is a sort of cassette thingy minus the holes as the figure is incredibly small. Soundwave is packaged in robot mode so I’ll do the transformation from that section.

Robot Mode:
Soundwave’s robot mode is again, a good representation of the G1 character. The head sculpt is fantastic with the yellow/gold visor and silver faceplate more like the toy than the cartoon. Here we have dark blue on the legs, shoulders & upper body, but the body is now dominated by the cassette door. Silver appears on the lower arms, upper legs and (for want of a better word), crotch. There is only one slightly puzzling thing about the robot mode, and that is: why does Soundwave have the biggest crotch in transformer history??? Place the hips as the instructions say and it comes down to his knees!!! But I digress… Weaponry includes the handgun and shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, but the shoulder fitting is just a peg-in-the-hole job, so Soundwave can hold his rocket launch in his hand if you really feel like it. The guns are still battery-shaped and store nicely in the recess in his back when in alternate mode.

The really cool bit is that you can still open up the chest and launch Laserbeak ready for a daring spy mission. There are also flanges on Soundwaves shoulders on which you can perch Laserbeak in bird-form, just in case you feel like playing pirates. Die-cast parts include the body, lower legs and lower arms. Not too top-heavy but mine does slouch just a touch due to the hip joints which appear to be a square peg in a flexible hole thingy. Articulation is quite good in this figure, neck, shoulders, arms (twisting), elbows, wrists, hips, knees & ankles allow for a range of poses form the waist-up at least. The knee joints are the ’angled-type’, so you basically have straight-legged, and almost 90 degrees at the knees and that’s it. Then again, Soundwave would be probably be sitting on a hill somewhere with a can of beer trying to pick up jazz FM rather than doing anything like running or fighting. Like all 6” Titaniums, we have a grey plastic display base with a Decepticon insignia and his name (just in case he forgets who he is).


Transformation: 6/10- Simple transformation, if you had the G1 figure you could do it with your eyes closed.
Durability: 9/10- Die-cast parts aren’t going to break easily, but beware of the plastic parts around children.
Fun: 8/10- Soundwave is a great figure to have if only for the cartoon character, and the addition of Laserbeak is fantastic.
Price: 10/10- £11.50 is the cheapest I’ve been able to get one of these fellas in the UK
Overall: 10/10- A figure everyone who calls themselves a fan should own.

 
With thanks for long-term support to sponsors: