Toy Review - TFPrime Deluxe Soundwave

[griffin]

(Please post photos, comments or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details)

Toy Review - Soundwave w/ Laserbeak
Series - TFPrime
Sub-line - Robots in Disguise
Size/class - Deluxe/Revealer
Wave - 1 (Regular series)
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - Should be here March (Released globally Jan 2012)
Approximate Retail Price - ($24-30?) US$12
Approximate Size - (14cm?)
Allegiance - Decepticon
Alt-mode - Spy Drone jet + (robo-condor)
Main Features/Gimmicks - none?
Main Colours - Grey, black, silver
Main Accessories - Laserbeak

Note - until people are used to the new size-class name, the old one (Deluxe) is being used in review titles)

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/tftoys/tfpr03.jpg

[Decepticon]

Robot is cool.....plane is just plain heeeeeeedious!!!!

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

White Mass-production Noisemaze repaint please.:)

[Jinto]

Robot is cool.....plane is just plain heeeeeeedious!!!!

I kinda like it :). I'd like to see him in alt mode again in the show, I think we only saw him transform once.
Definitely worth getting.

[GoktimusPrime]

Here (http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/5/5b/TfprimeSoundwavePredator.jpg) is a pic of Soundwave's alt mode in the cartoon.

[SharkyMcShark]

It isn't a plane, it's an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. It's based roughly on the Predator Drone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-1_Predator), except with the tail fins facing upwards and jet powered (lacking the rotor on the back that the real Predator has)

I only know this because I played far too much Battlefield 2...

[1AZRAEL1]

All I know is I want. He is cold and dark and silent. Works well in the show.

[Hursticon]

All I know is I want. He is cold and dark and silent. Works well in the show.

...And is easily one of the best re-interpretations of this character and I damn want this figure when he comes out - I think I might even go with Takara's version and get a bonus Targetmaster! :D:D:D

http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Webpics/1328106264_tfprimeamsoundwave.jpg

[kaiden]

looks like a scorpion that transforms into a club

[GoktimusPrime]

looks like a scorpion that transforms into a club
It'd be cool if they called that Targetmaster "Bludgeon" (instead of the more blasé "Scorponok") IMHO ;)

[Doubledealer]

It's based roughly on the Predator Drone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-1_Predator), except with the tail fins facing upwards and jet powered (lacking the rotor on the back that the real Predator has)

I think the exact model of UAV Soundwave represents is a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper).

[Hursticon]

I think the exact model of UAV Soundwave represents is a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper).

This toy is now guaranteed bought on sight!!! :D

[blackoptimus]

Wait, are Prime toys out in Aus yet like the R.I.D ones?

[UltraMarginal]

I think the exact model of UAV Soundwave represents is a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper).

yep, but the Reaper is a variant of the predator. Either way it's a fantastc alt mode, will definitely become part of my collection, I love accurateish tranformer jet/aircraft alt modes. especially when they also turn into a well executed robot. I'm looking at you Skyhammer:cool:

[Hursticon]

I'm looking at you Skyhammer:cool:

You've neglected to mention someone a little more... Glorious. :D

[GoktimusPrime]

I can't find any Decepticon logos on this toy. :(

[SMHFConvoy]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/6895009895_a30a536288.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009895/)
altmode (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009895/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6895009811_00ebf9fd74.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009811/)
laserbeak_topdwn (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009811/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6895009625_2562a5b6be.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009625/)
wlaserbeakdrone (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009625/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6895009131_2205dc77e0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009131/)
robot_front (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009131/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6895009455_dc21556e65.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009455/)
robot_midshot (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009455/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7050/6895009295_6bc4ecb4da.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009295/)
legs_closeup (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009295/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7186/6895009015_06b33237ee.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009015/)
altmode_wdrone (http://www.flickr.com/photos/50415524@N03/6895009015/) by ENsoehardi (http://www.flickr.com/people/50415524@N03/), on Flickr

[GoktimusPrime]

Image of Laserbeak attached to Soundwave's arms
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/prime_soundwave_birdie.jpg
"Laserbeak want a cracker??" - Maynard MacGuffin (http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/d/da/MMP2_laserbeak_wanna_cracker.jpg) (Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2)

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Really would have liked him to have a lightpiped face.:(

[1orion2many]

:(I was a little disappointed by that as well:(

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Yeh, me too. I unscrewed his head and discovered that his eyes are connected to the back of his skull, so with some different plastic in there it is definitely a possibility. But I ALSO discovered his face is glued in to the blue section. Ooo Errr.

Vehicle mode is ok. Seems to have less plane hanging off the bottom than starscream, but noticeable bits of robot abound. Nevertheless, this is a very nice little figure. Great robot mode, despite the insect backwards knees. Would have like a fore arm joint to allow for some twisting up on his hands so Laserbeak could be held straight and low. Sparse paint, but it seems to work ok.

I LOVE how Laserbeak just disappears when you plug him into the chest! this is awesome! Without Laserbeak, he looks, OK I guess...

No faction Insignias anywhere on any of my Prime figs so far. Wheeljack, no, Cliffjumper, no (still in vehicle mode though) and Soundwave, no. This is bugging me a little.

Oh and I have just discovered he has practically no movement in his legs due to kipple and insect knees. Hope is is fine with looking badass in the backgorund...

Would have loved to have seen this toy with a bit more mass to him, buy that I mean, before they decided to shrink the deluxe size. A bit more body to him and the opportunity for some extra joints would have pushed him from "ok" to "wow!"

[GoktimusPrime]

I LOVE how Laserbeak just disappears when you plug him into the chest! this is awesome! Without Laserbeak, he looks, OK I guess...
Breast On!

"Okay" is exactly how I'd describe how Soundwave looks without Laserbeak; the Breast Forcers covered their holes with pop up panels (similar to the panels that cover the weapon holes on DotM toys) - but I think some factors may make it somewhat impractical on Soundwave; the cavity inside the torso for the head (when it folds away in jet mode) as well as shape and size of the hole. But otherwise he does look alright without Laserbeak - not as bad as I initially thought.

But I do like how this toy acts as homage to G1 Breast Force. :D

[Hursticon]

Well, I've obtained this awesome figure courtesy of the aid of LordCyrusOmega and I've got to say that I'm really rather impressed with Soundwave - Fanboy bias aside! :D


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-01.jpg



His Alt mode is immediately recognisable as an Unmanned Military Surveillance Aircraft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-9_Reaper) and looks really damn cool :D, but sure he does suffer from the usual Bot mode under-kibble but extremely few deluxes at this mass level have achieved better IMO ;); so this is a null issue to me but I will say that I'm not overly happy with the placement options of his Drone (Dubbed Laserbeak but it is in no way him at all) :o, as you can either plug it in just forward of the Tail-plane or within Soundwave's Bot mode chest which just bulks out the rear of the aircraft too much IMO and that's it. :rolleyes:


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-06.jpg



Transformation is quite engaging and really enjoyable I found :cool:, once you figure out that you start with the wings it all comes quite progressively from there :); My only real gripe about the transformation is the 'Revealer' gimmick shared throughout the TF: Prime Deluxe line of figures in that the 'auto-morph-esque' head transformation is really more annoying than anything :rolleyes:, and I think that had this not have been incorporated the lower parts count could've yielded some additional paint apps. :o


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-07.jpg



Paint apps-wise like the rest of the TF: Prime line figures and DOTM additionally, there is a distinct lack of them but what is there is used with absolute intent and effectiveness ;); I certainly wouldn't call him bland as that description is better fitting of Deluxe Ratchet from what I've seen :o, it is rather odd though that they all seem to be devoid of faction logos and although it could be explained away in Soundwave's case (Being he is supposed to be an Unmarked Surveillance Aircraft :cool:) it still feels rather odd and lacking in this respect as we do see them on the Cartoon model - located on his shoulder panel (http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/0/0a/DarknessRising5-Soundwaveturn.jpg). :confused:


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-09.jpg



Bot mode is where this figure really shines as he just exudes the same personality that is visually portrayed on-screen in the cartoon - silent, highly intelligent and incredibly creepy with his emotionless face, of which is greatly detailed and could've only benefited from more paint apps; his head is able to achieve a good range of positions considering it is mounted in the centre of his cranial unit, so do be mindful of this as any 'extreme' angles will pop it off the ball joint. :eek:


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-02.jpg



His arms I think could've really benefited from an upper forearm swivel IMO but given that his arms are attempting to achieve a similar if not a more daring accomplishment than that of Reveal The Shield - Lugnut, I can easily forgive this as the sheer lack of mass in the arms really don't allow for it anyway but he can still pull of a good range of poses with what he's got ;); Comprised of a pair of diagonally opposed swivel joints attached to a hinge, his shoulders lead to an odd mating of an inward-faced ball and socket joint connecting a horizontally opposed swivel section that also comprises a vertically opposed swivel joint and this entire section forms his elbow! :eek: - his forearm also has a hinge midway along it but this is simply a carry-over from transformation and terminates in Soundwave's amply dexterous fingers but with a hole right through his hands so to allow for the mounting of his Drone. :)

It also needs mentioning that this guy also has a swivelling waist joint coupled with a hinged lower back joint :eek:, which goes a very long way in conveying the sort of hinted hunched posture he has in the cartoon :cool:; both of which I think add miles to this figures range of poseability :D, as if these 2 areas had been neglected (Which could've easily happened) I think the the overall figure would've suffered greatly for it. ;)


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-03.jpg



Soundwave's hips are constructed of a ball and socket joint which allows for a good range of natural movement in the forward direction however the same cannot be said for levering his legs backwards as the backs of his upper thighs hinder this due to tiny (but intruding) pieces of Alt mode kibble :o, this has been attempted to be mitigated by the engineers by utilising mid-thigh horizontally opposed hinges that move said kibble just out of the way of Soundwave's skid-plate enough to allow for *some* clearance and hence movement but when coupled with the upper-thigh swivels it allows for quite a bit of movement surprisingly :D; His knees also suffer for the show's design aesthetic by having a 'Dog-bone' type of assembly which can be mis-transformed to avoid this look but it appears to me that this sort of design choice was employed to allow for enough clearance of some further (And the most obtrusive) Alt mode kibble on the backs of his upper-calves ;), said joint is masked by an adjustable 'knee-pad' which rests against his shin ending in a pair of typical vertically opposed ankle joints that have a good range of movement but sadly not in a sideways 'tilt' manner. :o

The only real piece of glaring kibble in Bot mode comes from the forward halved sections of the fuselage that would constitute the cockpit, if this craft had one :p, which ends up unceremoniously on the backs of his upper calves :rolleyes:; but IMO they really don't compromise the figure anything more than visually because physically they really don't get in the way of posing Soundwave just so long as you're not expecting him to pull off stuff he'd never likely do in 'Real-life'. :cool:


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-05.jpg



All in all an extremely cool and enjoyable figure that will really please fans of the Transformers: Prime cartoon and amply satiate Soundwave fanboys whole heartedly :D, I highly recommend this figure to anyone and would say that if you end up liking it enough (Like myself) you'll very likely want to end up grabbing the Takara version of him that is couple with a Targetmaster-esque Micron figure - available in April. :rolleyes::p

The absolute largest tragedy of this figure though is that he is only packed 1x to a case of 8x figures :eek::mad:, termed Short-Packed (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Shortpacked), leading to a situation where this figure is extremely hard to come by and looks to remain that way well into the Transformers: Prime - Revealers (Deluxe) line :(; So do not waste time thinking over this figure if you see him in stores as he will not last long at all. ;):cool:


http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a409/Darkone666au/Pro-Shot%20Photos/Transformers-PrimeDeluxeSoundwave-04.jpg



Now, go and get this absurdly awesome character and toy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTFmKO4_9P8) now whilst stocks last!!! :D

[griffin]

Nice sculpting... tiny size for a Deluxe though.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/186.jpg

An AU$30 toy in the middle of AU$15-20 toys.

[Shirokaze]

So I picked up this guy the other day and to say I'm disappointed would be a little harsh, because Soundwave is a really fun figure, but there are a few things they should've done better.

1. The black piece that connects Soundwave's arm to his shoulder always pops off during transformation.

2. He has as much leg articulation as a kitchen table, and the kibble on the back of his calves always feels like a knee-bending obstruction.

3. For $28, boy does the plastic feel flimsy!

4. The spring loaded head is an annoyance when trying to pose it, more than it is a cool feature.

That said, I wouldn't NOT buy him, but I didn't get that same "Phoar! I'm really impressed with this figure for the money" feeling that I got with Wheeljack.

[Sky Shadow]

It'd be cool if they called that Targetmaster "Bludgeon" (instead of the more blasé "Scorponok") IMHO ;)

I think the coolest homage name for it would be Stinger. Since Takaratomy have just released Stripes (one of Blaster's cassettes from the original script to Transformers the movie) it would be great if Prime Soundwave came with Laserbeak and Stinger.

[Hursticon]

I think the coolest homage name for it would be Stinger. Since Takaratomy have just released Stripes (one of Blaster's cassettes from the original script to Transformers the movie) it would be great if Prime Soundwave came with Laserbeak and Stinger.

Who's Stinger dude?

*Have updated my review with some additional pics of Soundwave in Alt mode. :)

[Sky Shadow]

Who's Stinger dude?

An obscure cassettebot from the first draft of TFTM:

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/7456/stingertftmdraft.jpg

But they've just released Stripes, so it seems the right time to homage the others. Plus it wouldn't be the first time a Transformer's weapon was described as a 'stinger'.

[Hursticon]

An obscure cassettebot from the first draft of TFTM:

*snip*

But they've just released Stripes, so it seems the right time to homage the others. Plus it wouldn't be the first time a Transformer's weapon was described as a 'stinger'.

Ah ok, cheers for that dude and you'd be right, it sure wouldn't be the 1st time. ;):)

[Doubledealer]

Snagged mine today but I'm saving my thoughts/review for the Takara release (keeping my Hasbro one MISB). One thing I will say though is this...Courage a 4?? Pfffft!!

[GoktimusPrime]

We haven't any well written tech specs from Hasbro since Cybertron (and even then the best stuff wasn't printed on the packaging but accessible online with their key codes).

[UltraMarginal]

You've neglected to mention someone a little more... Glorious. :D
My bad, you're absolutely right. the HFTD Lugnut was also excellent as a Plane mode.


I opened up my soundwave the other night and while I really like the vehicle mode, with little kibble and the Robot Mode is very good, though the ratio of forearm to upper arm lengths is off a bit and I totally agree with the wish for a rotation either at the wrist or Elbow.

My only personal complaint is that when returning him to vehicle mode, the plastic in the legs is alittle soft, as such it's very hard to get the front of the plane to clip together cleanly without leaving gaps.

It looks like Hastak are using a less stiff plastic. bummer.

I am not as impressed with this one as with wheeljack. I hope in the future we get a voyager release for him, that will be awesome.

[5FDP]

Okay... I've worked out what my problem is with this toy - assuming people know nothing about this character in Transformers Prime and ignoring the fact his name is printed on the packaging, most people would be hard-pressed to recognise him as being Soundwave. Sure, it's a cool looking figure, but is it Soundwave? No.

The thing that I liked about the Animated toy and even the WFC version, it is instantly recognisable as Soundwave.

It's because of this fact I can't see myself picking him up because I can't relate to the character. It makes it especially hard when he doesn't even speak in the show (he's gone from having an ultra-cool synthesized voice in G1 to being a mute :confused:)

So to summarise my thoughts - Cool toy: yes; Is it Soundwave: no.

[GoktimusPrime]

Okay... I've worked out what my problem is with this toy - assuming people know nothing about this character in Transformers Prime and ignoring the fact his name is printed on the packaging, most people would be hard-pressed to recognise him as being Soundwave. Sure, it's a cool looking figure, but is it Soundwave? No.
One could say the same about a lot of TF series that aren't G1. A lot of movieverse characters look nothing like their G1 namesakes (which was part of the fun of making the movieverse/G1 comparison photo thread :D). <shrug> But for most kids who don't have G1 bias, I imagine they'll just care that the toy looks like Soundwave from the TF Prime show. A lot of the time when I show or describe G1 Megatron to kids, they're like, "No way, that's so stupid." :o :/


It makes it especially hard when he doesn't even speak in the show (he's gone from having an ultra-cool synthesized voice in G1 to being a mute :confused:)
It's not Soundwave's fault. It was Airachnid cos she weighs the same as a duck (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2aBT6Tz2GUw/TdbRX30N2gI/AAAAAAAAAWc/SHsMb5kENBM/s1600/HolyGrailDuck.jpg). :p

[UltraMarginal]

You've neglected to mention someone a little more... Glorious. :D


Okay... I've worked out what my problem is with this toy - assuming people know nothing about this character in Transformers Prime and ignoring the fact his name is printed on the packaging, most people would be hard-pressed to recognise him as being Soundwave. Sure, it's a cool looking figure, but is it Soundwave? No.

The thing that I liked about the Animated toy and even the WFC version, it is instantly recognisable as Soundwave.

It's because of this fact I can't see myself picking him up because I can't relate to the character. It makes it especially hard when he doesn't even speak in the show (he's gone from having an ultra-cool synthesized voice in G1 to being a mute :confused:)

So to summarise my thoughts - Cool toy: yes; Is it Soundwave: no.



That's a very interesting point that you make and probably one of the reasons I like this soundwave a lot.
I'm a little tired of the modern versions of soundwave looking like a ttapedeck in a different form. they got away with it in animated by the "tape deck" visual being artwork on the car mode.
But in the world of TF Prime they have departed from tradition and made soundwave something else entirely. his character is still stealthy, devious and from all accounts a lot darker than his G1 counterpart, at least as far as the TV show goes. A Military UAV is a great new form for soundwave.
though he hasn't talked yet, he apparently will. There is a lot of Silent Badas in this character now. He doesn't have to say anythnig to make his point yet. I do look forward to him talking eventually. and I agree, the sooner the better.

[Decepticon]

Its 2012 guys!! Not 1984!! I call it evolution when things change......for the better!

[Doubledealer]

I regrettably opened my Hasbro Soundwave today. I say regrettably as I'm not very happy with the quality control on mine.

One of the helmet spikes has been badly squashed while tucked away in his chest area. Can't tell you how much this annoys me...

Other than the head being ruined, the finish on the plastic is bloody awful with swirls everywhere. I've re-pre-ordered AM Soundwave in the hope that these issues are ironed out. :(

[ITZTRU]

I too have a minor gripe with QC on the inside of his left elbow (f you could call it that) which is permanently bent and I can't straighten out. I'm thankful it's not on his head though like DD's coz that would annoy me to no end also, given that all of my TF's are always displayed in Bot mode.

And I'm damn excited about hearing him actually having something to say as Soundwave himself. Defs looking forward to that!

[Doubledealer]

I too have a minor gripe with QC on the inside of his left elbow (f you could call it that) which is permanently bent and I can't straighten out. I'm thankful it's not on his head though like DD's coz that would annoy me to no end also, given that all of my TF's are always displayed in Bot mode.

And I'm damn excited about hearing him actually having something to say as Soundwave himself. Defs looking forward to that!

Ugh, you got stung as well huh. I wonder if we tried blow drying the parts if that would soften the plastic and let us "fix" him? Wishful thinking most likely...

To be honest, I'm so disappointed with my Soundwave's head and the overall quality of the plastic I feel like simply tossing him in the bin and waiting for the AM. :p

For now I've put him in UAV mode, stuck some leftover Decepticon stickers from AM Skywarp on his wings and removed his T-Cog. Who's laughing now Soundwave?!

Soundwave: ... ... ......... ... .......? ........!!

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

And I'm damn excited about hearing him actually having something to say as Soundwave himself. Defs looking forward to that!I really hope it's something like saying 'Shut up' to one of the other characters.:D

[Doubledealer]

Soundwave with AM Skywarp's leftover faction stickers:
http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu332/Doubledealer_83/soundwavealt.jpg

[ITZTRU]

I really hope it's something like saying 'Shut up' to one of the other characters.:D

Ha! How do you "like" comments on message boards?

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Oh God the Takara version's stickers are annoying to apply. Especially the pink bits on his shins.
EDIT - Really really disliking the stickers. They're OK for blocky G1 toys but on the small, fairly streamlined Prime toys they're a pain to apply and tend to unstick easily.:( This is probably gonna be one line where I mostly stick to the Hasbro versions.

Soundwave himself is kinda meh. If he was a Voyager with better leg and head articulation he'd be awesome, but as a small Deluxe with limited poseability he's just not that good. I like the altmode but again it's not that well executed - too much bulk in the rear and wings that are either too short or have obvious hands on the ends.

On the upside, the scorpion micron is pretty nifty - he's been reassigned to Animated Blackout, which is mostly why I got him truth be told.

I'd say get him if you're a fan of the character and/or a completist, but even then try for sales.

[Paulbot]

The current sale has encouraged me to finally open some of these toys that have been sitting on my shelf for ages. Soundwave was initally disappointing. I do like the drone mode but he's showing a bit too much robot below, and they didn't even bother to hide his face? In a wave where "revealing" the head is the gimmick I find this very poor. And I can't quite figure out where Laserbeak's head should be.

He seems to have lots of joints and pieces that don't actually need to be there and don't add anything (like his small hip flex) so transforming was simplier than i expected. The final robot mode does look really good though. The long arms work better than they should. So does the featureless face and the locked in position Laserbeak.

As someone that hasn't watched the show, he doesn't strike me as a "Soundwave". He does seem to be wanting to be redone in purple and black and called Ratbat.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I'm using him for an Odieverse Sideways myself - I'd love to see a Noisemaze-esque repaint someday.

[Polursine]

Do yourself some wonders, and put some balljoints at his shoulders. Make those arms fall straight downwards.
Done on min, but I'm still trying to find a way to make him taller

[lancalot]

I do like the drone mode but he's showing a bit too much robot below, and they didn't even bother to hide his face? In a wave where "revealing" the head is the gimmick I find this very poor.

hey paul his face fold back under the tail piece in drone mode completely hidden....just flip the whole tail piece back and then the head fold in...

[Paulbot]

Oh yes of course it does. :o Much better. Thanks!

[SMHFConvoy]

As someone that hasn't watched the show, he doesn't strike me as a "Soundwave". He does seem to be wanting to be redone in purple and black and called Ratbat.

Just bought a spare on Wednesday and I'm planning on making it into a BM Thrust ;)

[Polursine]

Why Thrust? Thrust was a motorbike.
Jetstorm no doubt?

[BigTransformerTrev]

I like the fact that Laserbeak comes out of his chest like G1 but they have done a variant of the theme, much like the Breastformers from the Japanese cartoon. Normally I would not like a toy with these kind of arms but I think TFP Soundwave has made a place for himself in the Multiverse and it kinda works for him. The shape of his head gives a nod to G1's forehead with the spikiness of ROTF, and the no-face thing has won me over (though that took some time).

I wonder if any 3rd party developer will come up with some tentacle tubes that can be attached to him like in the cartoon?

[SMHFConvoy]

I wonder if any 3rd party developer will come up with some tentacle tubes that can be attached to him like in the cartoon?

Someone made them on Shapeways (http://www.shapeways.com/model/608884/tfprime-soundwave-tentacles.html?li=productBox-search)

[BigTransformerTrev]

I wonder if any 3rd party developer will come up with some tentacle tubes that can be attached to him like in the cartoon?


Someone made them on Shapeways (http://www.shapeways.com/model/608884/tfprime-soundwave-tentacles.html?li=productBox-search)

Not bad looking, with a metallic paint job they would look great!

[UltraMarginal]

Not bad looking, with a metallic paint job they would look great!

I totally agree, but would paint ruin the tolerances for articulation? would be better as the black strong and flexible, or even violet..

[GoktimusPrime]

I wonder if any 3rd party developer will come up with some tentacle tubes that can be attached to him like in the cartoon?
Or one could custom make some w/ a Toy Biz Doc Ock action figure. ;)