Toy Review Archives

[Rack 'n Ruin]

How did you manage that? I'm guessing you took the tip of the cannon off somehow and slid it off?

Yup, bang on. Mine at least came off easily with no glue having been used by the factory. Good luck if you try it...

[numbat]

Review is finished!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Battle Ops Bumblebee
Function: What is the character’s purpose? Oh! HasTak Cashcow. That’s it.
Subgroup: Hunt for the Decepticons / Stand Alone Size Class

Bumblebee is ready for anything, any time. Though he’s known among the Autobots for his sense of humor, he is also a dangerous warrior with decades of experience under his hood. His demeanor changes with all the speed of his vehicle mode; he is never caught unprepared for a fight. Though the Decepticons have tried for years to destroy him, they have always failed. He has survived grievous injury and even serious defeat, but he always comes back with a grin on his grille, ready for more.

Bumblebee has been a life-long love of mine. The G1 figure was my first ever Transformer (and I still have him, rubber tires and all!), and I was very excited when Hasbro revisited the character in 2006 with the Classics line. Between G1 and Classics, Bumblebee seemed to slip by the wayside, despite being the character used to bring audiences into the G1 cartoon series plots (through his relationship with Spike). I was well chuffed when Michael Bay’s live action film re-enlisted Bumblebee for precisely the same role. Unlike others, I was also quite pleased with the new alternate mode – a ’74 Chevy Camaro. Frankly, I was just happy that a live action film was being made, and that Bumblebee would feature – the filmmakers could have done almost anything as far as I was concerned! Luckily, they actually did a good job, and have really improved the character. No longer a brave little ‘bot always getting into trouble, now Bumblebee has the battle smarts and firepower to back himself up (and explain how he made it so far in the civil war!). Top the character off with a fantastic design that epitomizes the classic G1 Autobot car look while throwing in some trademark features (horns, and, erm, yellow...), and a top notch new Concept Camaro alternate mode, and you have Bumblebee for the 21st Century – he’s back, and better than ever!

Which could be the motto for this review.

Now, Bumblebee is the breakout character of the live action films, and his character and design makes him perfect merchandising fodder. While Hasbro recognised this with the first movie, they failed to appreciate just how high demand would be, releasing just a few figures. They were not going to make the same mistake with Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF), and were well prepared to capitalize on every available penny kids and fans may be prepared to spend. A glut of ROTF Bumblebee figures has ensued. Many are remoulds and redecos of the Deluxe Concept Camaro Bumblebee figure, which is, frankly, a superb toy. One was enough for me, though – even with the new, more ‘aggressive’ front end of Bumblebee’s ROTF alternate mode. A brand new Deluxe mould was also produced as part of the Hunt for the Decepticons (HFTD) line (which followed on from the ROTF toy line). I don’t personally own this figure, but gather it is rather nifty. Also released was the superb Human Alliance Bumblebee figure – a toy round about Ultra Class size, with an articulated Sam figure that could interact with Bumblebee and sit inside the car mode. I would happily sing HA Bumblebee’s praises until the cows come home – I honestly thought this was the ultimate Bumblebee toy. It’s that damned good. Unlike Ultimate Bumblebee, which is a huge toy I have had the sense not to ever buy (either the original Movie 2007 release, or the Supercharged ROTF release) – even in less-than-half-price sales (which it always ends up in, and still won’t shift...). Ultimate Bumblebee was a step too far, and far too poorly executed. A Supreme Class figure crammed with daft gimmicks that reduced play value, articulation, and movie accuracy. No good for kids, and no good for collectors – Hasbro missed the mark!

With this plethora of Bumblebee figures available, Battle Ops Bumblebee took me off-guard. I somehow missed any indication of its impending release, and encountered it for the first time in a local store in Hamilton, Scotland (we don’t tend to get the latest Transformers releases...). It took me by surprise, and I didn’t know what to make of it. Larger than Leader Class, and considerably more expensive, advertising gimmicks up the yin-yang, yet looking as detailed as a Masterpiece figure... Bar that gammy hand on the cannon arm. It was love at first sight, but I couldn’t launch in and spend that amount of money on a Transformer I didn’t even know existed without doing a bit of homework first.

Needless to say, after much careful deliberation, I did buy Battle Ops Bumblebee. (Otherwise this would have been a very long intro for a very short and unhelpful review!) What is the reality of this monstrously huge Bumblebee figure? Is it another Ultimate flop? A ‘Bee too far? Or is it the single best Bumblebee figure ever made? Read on, and I shall take you on a roller coaster ride of discovery!


Alternate Mode:

Battle Ops Bumblebee transforms in to a 2010 Camaro, as you’d expect. The ROTF version differs from the 2007 Movie in that it now possesses a more ‘aggressive’ front end. It’s a bit chunkier, which is perhaps more fitting for a modern muscle car, but not as sexy as the version shown in the first live action film.

Measuring 10” (25.5cm) bumper to bumper, Bumblebee’s alt mode is big at 1/19 scale, and packed with the level of realistic detail you would hope for from an oversized licensed car toy. It’s all in there – grill immense front-end detailing, moulded ‘Camaro’ on the sides (picked out in silver), moulded Chevrolet logos (outlined in red on front, painted gold on the rear), fuel cap, twin exhausts, number plate and rear lights (all four painted red). And, of course, Bumblebee’s iconic black racing stripes, complete with pinstripe outlines – for which it is necessary to commend Hasbro on their perfect job of matching these with the very many panels they pass through (although it’s a shame that one feels that commendation is warranted – you’d hope QC was this good on all their figures, but alas, it’s not so...). Finishing off the whole affair is a small Autobot insignia emblazoned on the front of the bonnet. And all those simple curves and angles that make the 2010 Camaro so gorgeous are all reproduced to perfection.

The figure is largely moulded in yellow plastic, with black, red, silver and gold details. The only visible painted yellow is at the sides of the windscreen, and, unfortunately these do not match the yellow plastic (they’re slightly darker) – but it’s not jarring, so can be overlooked.

And the best bit? Rubber tires!

It’s really a perfect version of Bumblebee’s Camaro mode – although, unlike HA Bumblebee, the interior is jam-packed with robot mode components, which are largely hidden from view by the transparent dark-blue windows. Open the doors, though, and you’re greeted by the shoulder rocket launchers and Bumblebee’s arms. So I wouldn’t bother doing that, if I were you.

Gimmicks? Well, by pressing the button (the Autobot insignia on the bonnet) you activate flashing headlights and various sounds. This is actually quite fun – the electronics on this figure really are well thought through – but I’ve foregone the lights and sounds for reasons that I’ll get to in the Robot Mode section.

Perhaps more fun is the fact that the shoulder rocket launchers can be deployed in the car mode, as with Deluxe Cannon Bumblebee. However, to reveal the rockets, you have to pop the roof up, flip the launchers forward, and then replace the roof – a little awkward, but still a nice touch.

Of course, the most important thing in the car mode (after the superb hyper-realistic detailing) is whether or not it rolls well – and Battle Ops Bumblebee does, and does it well, despite the size and complexity of the figure.

So far, Battle Ops Bumblebee is delivering very nicely indeed.


Robot Mode:

Battle Ops Bumblebee’s transformation takes the best components of the multitude of other Bumblebee figures, and throws in some new twists of its own, delivering the best toy version of the Movieverse character. The real brilliance of the transformation, though, is that the designers have not gone overboard with complexity. The temptation must have been there, at this scale, but they resisted. Instead, the transformation is relatively straightforward, intuitive, and immensely satisfying. The most significant change to the figure’s transformation is in the legs, which are unique to this version of Bumblebee, and finally deliver a very movie accurate look, while hiding the feet completely in car mode. The arms and wings also transform a little differently from previous Bumblebees, but it’s only a minor and necessary tweak. Unfortunately, the electronics will drive you insane throughout the entire transformation process – which is a pity, as, in principle, I actually like most of Battle Ops Bumblebee’s electronic features. However, after two transformations I couldn’t take it anymore and whipped those batteries out. Hopefully for you, my figure was overzealous and defective. Sadly, I doubt this is the case...

Anyway, after surviving the relentless gimmick onslaught, the end result is a stunning, superb and solid Bumblebee that begs to be played with and displayed.

Of course, Bumblebee comes packaged in robot mode, and you are apt to pick him up on the spot based upon this alone! (Well, you would be, if you had huge amounts of disposable cash to throw at Transformers...) I personally loved getting a Transformer in its alternate mode and figuring out how to turn it into robot, but I imagine Hasbro’s sales have gone up since the change to packaging in robot mode more consistently.

Standing 11” (28cm) tall, Bumblebee is huge, and a substantial display piece. He’s a head taller than ROTF Leader Optimus Prime (as you can see in the comparison photos), and just slightly shorter than Cybertron Supreme Class Primus. Such a large figure of a relatively small character (certainly one that turns into a regular car) is a real novelty, with the previous attempt in Ultimate Bumblebee being a total disaster of proportion. Not so with Battle Ops ‘Bee. Although he is very big, Bumblebee is perfectly in proportion, and packed with moulded detail.

Yellow is still a major colour, with a dark gunmetal blue also coming to the fore for most of the mechanical details. Those strange protrusions on Bumblebee’s feet (that also grace most movieverse Transformers – presumably something to do with balance) are moulded in bronze plastic. Black, silver and bronze paint picks out various details around the figure, and the number plate is reproduced on Bumblebee’s crotch. Rather than being oddly warped as in other figures, the plate is clearly just bent on Battle Ops Bumblebee – in line with how the transformation would work, if it could ever be built in to a toy (I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for this feature in a better Bumblebee toy!). The red Autobot insignia from the car mode finds itself on Bumblebee’s chest, and a smaller insignia is tampographed on his head.

Which does bring us to the head. And wow! The designers have done a phenomenal job sculpting Battle Ops Bumblebee, and the paint job totally compliments this, showing it off to best possible effect. I can’t describe how awesome it is – easily my favourite Transformers head sculpt. The head also transforms, of course, with the battle visor flipping down. However, the process is slightly more complex than with other Bumblebee figures – you need to lift the central head crest before moving the visor piece. Be warned though – that crest has a dangerous tendency to pop off! The end result looks great, though!

In theory, Battle Ops Bumblebee can have two hands. The only trouble is that the right hand (on the cannon arm) is funny transparent blue claw. This gammy hand almost put me off buying the figure at all. It is such a blemish, and jars terribly with the otherwise amazing figure. Of course, this arm converts to Bumblebee’s signature cannon, hiding the gammy hand (which becomes the ‘plasma’ within the barrel). Straightening this arm triggers the conversion to cannon (which is actually great fun – kids will love it, and, grudgingly, so do I!). Unfortunately, it seemed that this arm can only be in cannon mode when fully extended and straight, as if you bend the elbow again, that blue claw begins to peak out... However, thankfully you can lock the arm in cannon mode! Unfortunately, the instructions do not tell you how (not surprising). To lock the arm in cannon mode, you need to rotate the bronze plastic piece on the top over to point towards the outside of the arm. If you didn’t already know this, run off and try it! You’ll discover a whole new world of display options for your Battle Ops Bumblebee! If you haven’t bought the figure because you had heard of this issue with the gammy blue hand, fear no more! Run out and buy the toy, safe in the knowledge that you can lock than blemish away, and display in any pose, cannon present, gammy hand banished!

It’s probably appropriate to mention the cannon’s electronic gimmicks at this stage – the toy makes a conversion sound and cannon blast noise, straight from the film, as it automatically transforms, and lights up (where the blue gammy hand really comes into its own!). The red button on the arm then allows you to activate the plasma blast noise and lights whenever you like. Unfortunately, I find that the cannon arm has a tendency to continue to sporadically make blast noises when converted, which is quite irritating.

If you want to bring Bumblebee into full battle mode, you can also flip over the shoulder missile launchers, which also possess lights and sounds (a central light amongst the bank of missiles). These shoulder launchers are moulded in the gunmetal colour, and perhaps could have done with a lick of paint to pick out the missiles, but this is really a minor point – the figure has such a high degree of detail and a quality finish that was unusual for Hasbro releases over the last few years, but seems to be becoming the norm with the newer lines (HFTD Leader Starscream being the real point-in-case!).

The final gimmick in robot mode is the lights and sounds activated by the button on Bumblebee’s chest, marked with the Autobot insignia. This activates a variety of phrases and lights up the eyes and car lights. It’s not a bad gimmick, but I can do without it.

Which really sums up the toy’s electronics – they’re not bad, but I would happily do without. They’ve packed the electronic features in here, and while each in itself is actually quite nice and well thought out, they are adding to the cost of the toy, and when combined drive you crazy while transforming the figure, as they seem to trigger far too easily. It’s a shame, as this could have been the second figure with electronic sounds that may have retained its batteries (HFTD Leader Starscream is so far the only Transformer in my collection to make noises that has retained its batteries). It’s also a shame because you are paying for these gimmicks – through the nose! They are the reason this figure has such a high price tag.

Gimmicks aside, Bumblebee has superb articulation (14 meaningful points, most with multiple planes of movement), and an amazing centre of gravity – he’s not nearly so back heavy as he may appear, and those legs are far sturdier than most probably appreciate! And the head does turn! The trouble is it is on a very stiff ratchet joint (for some reason...). However, if you are careful, you can balance it in any position. Alas, it can only swivel, due to the electronics wired through.

Battle Ops Bumblebee is really amazingly good fun, and a superb display piece. He is the ultimate Bumblebee figure, and would be a must for any Transformers collection, if it weren’t for the steep price. That is the real problem with the figure – those electronics almost price the figure out of the market. Still, I can understand why Takara are releasing the figure as part of their Masterpiece line – the details and design makes this figure a near perfect representation of Movie Bumblebee. It really does go beyond the child market. Still, this figure succeeds where say ROTF Leader Optimus Prime or HFTD Leader Starscream fail – any child could transform Battle Ops Bumblebee and enjoy it. Battle Ops Bumblebee is so much fun, he has become the Transformer I am most likely to pick up and fiddle with in my spare room / office. I absolutely love it! It is competing for my top Transformer spot (against HFTD Starscream [current title holder], MP Convoy and Takara 2010 Unicron). You know what? I would not be at all surprised if Battle Ops Bumblebee wins as my favourite Transformer if you ask me again in a few months.


Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 10 – Battle Ops Bumblebee’s transformation is perfectly designed and immensely satisfying, while being straightforward enough to just pick up and fiddle with.

Durability: 8 – The figure is totally solid, with the exception of the head crest which is apt to pop off when converting the head to battle mode. This drops the score by two points as, frankly, if your figure is missing part of its head it really will have a significant negative effect on its displayability!

Fun: 10 – This figure is more fun than monkeys! I love it. Battle Ops Bumblebee is the figure I am most likely to pick up and play with randomly – it is immensely fun! Oh, and did I mention, he has rubber tires?

Aesthetics: 10 – Battle Ops Bumblebee looks amazing in either mode (so long as you lock away that gammy hand!). The detailing is superb, and the figure is the perfect representation of movie Bumblebee.

Articulation: 10 – The articulation is very well executed, and the centre of gravity allows for a huge degree of poseability. Despite being such a large figure, Battle Ops Bumblebee is capable of standalone poses most Deluxes would be jealous of!

Value/Price: 6 – Battle Ops Bumblebee is a big figure, so you would expect it to cost more than Leader Class. However, this toy is priced anywhere between £59.99 and £79.99 depending on the store. That’s a lot more than Leader Class, for a relatively small size increase. It is difficult to justify this – particularly for this character (unless you’re a diehard Bumblebee fan). It is a standalone display piece to boot, as it is not to scale with other figures and is in a size class all of its own! You are paying for the electronic gimmicks which are well designed, and packed into the figure – it’s just unfortunate that the combined execution is not so good, and the sensitivity means they trigger repeatedly during transformation and posing. I would have been happier without the electronics, and a more reasonable price tag.

Overall: 7 – Battle Ops Bumblebee is the definitive Bumblebee figure. I really can’t express how much fun it is! Unfortunately, the price is high, and the scale is odd, and there is the rub. The price, coupled with the huge size (in a unique size class to boot) will put off a lot of prospective buyers. This is a great figure for your collection – if you can afford it (in terms of money and space!). If you’re a Bumblebee fan, you really should pick it up. Otherwise, consider carefully.

[numbat]

Well, Hasbro seems to really like Bumblebee, since we have three fantastic figures of him in the Deluxe (Battle Blades Bumblebee), Gigantic (Battle Ops Bumblebee) and semi-large (Human Alliance Bumblebee) classes. I wager they'll all be repainted a gazillion times when TF3 comes, though...

Bumblebee is the real cashcow of the live action Transformers movieverse. I don't see that changing for the 3rd! I have no doubt you're right - they may remould the vehicle mode (or maybe robot mode...) ever so slightly just to sell a few more.

I've yet to buy more than one of any size class (except for Legends, and I do have the Concept Camaro and '74 Camaron Deluxes, but those are radically different, and I have an addiction to Legends...). He'd need a radical overhaul in Dark of the Moon to sell any more to me! (And then, only Deluxe.)

[Warcry]

Mine's stuck firmly in place alas, which is a shame because it's off-center by about five degrees and has been driving me nuts.

[tahukanuva]

I just noticed (while reading this thread and playing along at home) that, even if you can't pull the sliding thing off, with a little effort it does snap into place. So at least it won't be sliding all about the place.

[inflatable dalek]

he actually looks better to me there than in any of the official stock pictures. I want one now.

[tahukanuva]

Yeah. He looks much Straxusier in person than he does over photos. Especially the stock photos. To have been transformed correctly they certainly managed to turn out awful.

[Warcry]

Nice that they used gold and red, since Yomtov couldn't decide on which one to use as the secondary colour.

I think the colour scheme really makes the toy a lot better. Neither the Japanese Straxus or Skullgrin really do much for me, but Hasbro really hit one out of the park this time around with the scheme they chose.

Actually I think Generations in general has been one-upping the Japanese paint jobs (have you seen the Japanese Blurr? Ick!) which is a nice change of pace.

I just noticed (while reading this thread and playing along at home) that, even if you can't pull the sliding thing off, with a little effort it does snap into place. So at least it won't be sliding all about the place.

Hmm? Haven't noticed that. I'll have to fiddle when I get home.

he actually looks better to me there than in any of the official stock pictures. I want one now.

Then my work here is done.

But having someone say that some poorly-lit pictures I took in my dining room in less than fifteen minutes are apparently better than what Hasbro's professional photographers could manage is actually kinda sad.

[Thunderwave]

But having someone say that some poorly-lit pictures I took in my dining room in less than fifteen minutes are apparently better than what Hasbro's professional photographers could manage is actually kinda sad.

To them it's "just another toy". To you it's something much more special.

Subjects that the artist cares out tend to come out better.

[Warcry]

But the people who are taking these pictures are professionals. I don't give half a damn about a lot of the things I do at work, but I still do a good job of it because that's what I'm getting paid to do. Bad stock photos have to have at least some negative impact on sales, and I'm surprised Hasbro doesn't demand a higher standard of work from their people.

[Thunderwave]

But the people who are taking these pictures are professionals. I don't give half a damn about a lot of the things I do at work, but I still do a good job of it because that's what I'm getting paid to do.

Then honestly you're a better worker then most people. Most people just do the motions and not really care. As long as they don't get chewed out then they are good.

Besides, have you ever really looked at Hasbro's Stock Photography? There are so many mistransformations and shitty photos over the years I can't count them all.

[ElectricGecko]

Here's the review. If anyone can possibly take pics for this, I'd be grateful. My digital camera died on me a few months ago, and its replacement isn't coming until around Christmas. (That said, if no one posts pics by the time I get my new camera, I'll make sure to put up pics then.)


Cybertronian Megatron
Allegiance: Decepticon
Subgroup: 2010 Generations Deluxe

Megatron changes weapons continuously to catch Autobots by surprise.

And now for the guy who needs no introduction. Here he is, in his War for Cybertron video game incarnation: the mighty, indomitable Megatron. But is he worth adding to your collection?

First, I must admit something bizarre and strangely shameful: this Cybertronian Megatron represents the first and only Megatron I’ve ever owned. When I was a kid, I came to the Transformers game a few years late, and thus missed the chance to obtain a true G1 Megatron. (Curse those effete parental concerns about realistic-looking firearm toys!) Galvatron appeared under the Christmas tree one year, but he just wasn’t the real deal. He wasn’t Megs.

Over the years, later versions of Megatron never grabbed my interest enough to warrant a purchase. The alt modes always stank, or the robot modes stank, or both. This rendition, however, peaked my interest. The low price point and heavy G1 nods enticed me.

After I took this pocket-sized Megatron home, I wasn’t disappointed.

Robot Mode:

This Megatron comes packaged in robot mode, and that’s certainly by design. Simply put, his robot mode looks awesome. The styling is sort of a nifty halfway point between the alien, angular aesthetic of the movie designs and the simpler, boxy G1 look. What’s key for me is that this version looks like Megatron –- which is more than I can say for the movie rendition. He possesses the powerful poise, the menacing face, and the big ol’ gun on his arm.

The black, white and red colour scheme is nicely accented by some nifty, transparent purple highlights. (Really, how can you argue with a figure that has light-piping in its legs as well as its eyes?) There are some places on my figure where the paint application could have been neater, but I’m not griping; there’s a ton of paint on this toy, and that goes a long way toward making this figure look as great as it does. The eyes in particular are a rather unusual affair: they feature the aforementioned purple light-piping, but they’re also painted red in the center. This results in eyes that glow faintly purple around their edges when held up to the light – a nice touch, in my opinion.

In terms of poseability, this Megatron is rock solid. His joints are nice and stiff in the legs and his feet are enormous, making most standing poses a breeze. You could probably stand this dude up on the back of a moving dachshund with little difficulty. The shoulder joints, however, are more limited in movement and restrict the directions in which Megatron can point his big, freakin’ gun. The head lacks the ball joint that we all desire, but it’s mounted to a panel that can tilt up and down, so Megs can look in myriad directions with ease.

Alternate Mode:

Alt-mode on this Megatron isn’t exactly the main selling point, but it’s worth a look. Megatron now turns into a vaguely tank-like … thing which can flip its treads beneath its body to convert to ‘hover mode’. (I adamantly refuse to call this a triple changer.) To my mind, the alt mode looks more like a flying saucer than a tank, but it’s undeniably cool in concept.

Transformation is interesting and original, yet very simple. I like my Transformers on the complicated side, but there’s a haiku-like beauty to this one that I really dig. My four year-old son had no problem managing the conversion. One notable feature here is the arms and hands: they split right in half and fold out to form the tank treads; it’s unexpected and interesting. (You can even leave the arms split open, giving Megatron four tiny hands with which to crush his foes.)

The gun comes off, and must be removed and reattached for conversion. That suits me far better than the awkward configurations we saw in the movie Brawl and Generations Galvatron figures, where the arm cannons remained attached throughout transformation. You can even make Megatron a leftie if you want by mounting the cannon on the other arm. Southpaws rejoice in unison!

Marks out of ten out of the following:

Transformation Design: 8 – Simple, elegant and wholly unique. Some might find this transformation on the easy side, but there’s nothing wrong with a quick conversion.
Durability: 10 – Built like a brick $#!+house. His joints are thick, his build is solid, and even my one year-old daughter can’t do him any damage. (That’s saying something, let me tell you.)
Fun: 9 – A mean-looking Megs with some great poses, a decent alt mode and a firing projectile to boot. That’s my definition of fun.
Aesthetics: 9 – Looks like Megatron. Smells like Megatron. It’s like someone took G1 Megatron, filtered out all the 80’s cheesiness and purified the remaining product with a tiny shot of Michael Bay goodness.
Articulation: 7 – Good articulation on all joints except the shoulders, which had to spoil the party with their bulky awkwardness.
Value/Price: 9 – For the price of a deluxe figure, you get one unforgettable Megatron. (And we all know there have been many, many forgettable ones…)
Overall: 9 – Cybertronian Megatron is simply a must-buy for any fans of the G1 design. Go. Get him now.

[burnitall]

There's some pics, if you like. I tore the box art on mine, so no go for that. sorry.

[inflatable dalek]

In my case what tends to put me off about stock photos is the person who's going OTT on doing too good a job, the photoshopper. There's a tendency for toys to wind up looking like crap CGI rather than real objects and Straxus in particular suffers because he needs to feel real and gritty.

The fact Warcry's house is clearly the sort of decadent hovel Straxus would feel at home in helps as well.

[Warcry]

I take offence to that! It may be decadent and a hovel, but it's definitely not a house!

[Firestrider57]

Name: Soundwave
Faction: Decepticon
Function: Communications
Alternate Mode: Cybertronian Communications Car

The most iconic of all Decepticons in the G1 line-up was not Megatron nor Starcream, but the dronish, emotionless Soundwave. Personally, back in '84, I didn't see what everyone liked about Soundwave, other than the fact that he was big and housed cassette robots. He had mediocre articulation (his legs bent backwards). His weapons (batteries) were nifty enough, but Soundwave just wasn't for me. The cartoon clarified his role to me, though. After watching a few episodes it left me with a better opinion of him. He was a colder villain than Megatron himself. He was an excellent warrior and an even better "reporter". After all, in the grand scheme of '84, no one on Cybertron would have figured out that a Panasonic Cassette Player measuring 4 inches across, could transform into a robot over 35 ft tall.

Robot Mode:
This is Soundwave's triumph. I loved this version of Soundwave because of the great robot mode. I contend that this is THE BEST Soundwave EVER because of several factors: 1) The robot's head is VERY G1! Who cares if the rest of the body is "alien", the head says it all. 2.) This has all the articulation that everyone wished that the G1 character had. It is the most posable version of Soundwave ever. 3.) His weapons are more versatile than G1, but look precursor to G1. 4.) His overall appearance looks completely menacing. I loved the shoulders and the throwback chest. This guy looks so G1 without actually being G1. I am definitely replacing my ROTF Soundwave with this one! To me there is no comparison between the two. WFC Soundwave has a definite alt mode. What was ROTF Soundwave again? A Vector Prime wannabe? I hated that version!

My only bone to pick with him is that he is the same size as WFC Bumblebee. The game pictures Bumblebee as shorter than Optimus Prime, only coming up to Prime's sternum. Prime would have been shoulder height to Soundwave in WFC, making Bumblebee the midget he was supposed to be. Four figures in the WFC line should immediately been made in the Voyager class: Prime, Megs, Shockwave and Soundwave. Yet Hasbro has decided to make all the WFC's in the same scale, which warps the whole lot of them . What will they do with Omega Supreme? Will he be made at least a Leader class or will he go Deluxe as well?

Alternate Mode:
This is a curious alternate mode. It reminds me of the comm trucks from the US Military which are refitted Hummers and Jeeps. Although he isn't imposing in this mode, he still looks menacing with those weapons positioned on the sides of the vehicle. It looks like a vehicle that would dig for land mines as well. Given that Soundwave was not that courageous, he probably wouldn't try his luck at the land mines. Nonetheless, I like the alt mode quite well. Great G1 colors.

Marks out of ten for the following:

Transformation Design: 7/10 Not exactly as complicated as HFTD Ironhide, but borderlines on Advanced transformation. The feet play a huge part in the process.
Aesthetics: 10/10 This guy looks great either way. He has a menacing robot mode and a cool alt mode. Love the colors and obvious G1 paint scheme.
Fun: 9/10 Weapons for a deluxe, not too hard, what's not to like? Try no little minions! What? No Laserbeak? Overall, I don't miss him enough to let the guy suffer a bad review. Too bad he's not a voyager.
Price: 10/10 Loved not paying full price for the little squeaker. $10 at Wal-Mart -- great buy.
Articulation: 10/10 This guy has the articulation everyone wished G1 had but didn't. Best part about the figure!
Durability: 9/10No fragile pieces here. All pretty tough.
Packaging: 8/10Good artwork, but why are we ditching the tech specs again? I had to get G1 specs to supplement this article.
Overall: 10/10 Again, Classics knocked it out of the park with this figure! I would recommend this to any die-hard G1 fan. It's just simply a better figure.


Tech Specs:(G1)

Strength: 8.0
Intelligence:9.0
Speed: 2.0
Endurance: 6.0
Rank: 8.0
Courage: 5.0
Firepower: 6.0
Skill: 10

[ElectricGecko]

There's some pics, if you like. I tore the box art on mine, so no go for that. sorry.

Many thanks. They're beautiful pics, and far far better than anything I could ever take.

[Paul053]

The eyes in particular are a rather unusual affair: they feature the aforementioned purple light-piping, but they’re also painted red in the center. This results in eyes that glow faintly purple around their edges when held up to the light – a nice touch, in my opinion.

Yours is doing that way!? Mine just being totally painted in red. So nothing comes out through the light-piping.

[ElectricGecko]

Yours is doing that way!? Mine just being totally painted in red. So nothing comes out through the light-piping.

Ouch! Rough luck. I would imagine it's really hard to get the paint app on tiny eyes right. In honesty, I think it's a rather weird concept to paint light-piped eyes. Perhaps they decided at the last minute that Megatron shouldn't have purple eyes. I dunno. My figure's eyes still glow, but maybe I was just one of the lucky ones.

[Thunderwave]

Ouch! Rough luck. I would imagine it's really hard to get the paint app on tiny eyes right. In honesty, I think it's a rather weird concept to paint light-piped eyes. Perhaps they decided at the last minute that Megatron shouldn't have purple eyes. I dunno. My figure's eyes still glow, but maybe I was just one of the lucky ones.

Mine glow as well. >.>

Nice review by the way.