Tag Archives: Soundwave

Transformatorium, Videos

Australian Radio First – Ravage by Cybertronic Spree

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In an exclusive to The Big DJ Trev Show on KRR.fm, for the first time on Australian Radio, we are proud to present Ravage – the newest album from Cybertronic Spree.

For anyone unfamiliar with the band, Cybertronic Spree released their first album in 2019; Transformers 1986, containing covers from soundtrack of that cult-classic The Transformers: The Movie.  Known to perform live in excellently crafted costumes of beloved Transformers characters such as Hot Rod, Unicron, Shockwave and Soundwave, the band had found a successful niche within the pop-culture world.

Album Review – Cybertronic Spree: Transformers 1986

Ravage is a collection of new original music by the band, with heavy 80’s influences.  However don’t let me spoil it for you – why not take the opportunity to listen for yourself!

Tune in to The Big DJ Trev Show from 6 to 9pm AEST on Thursday October 5th to hear the album played for the first time on Australian Radio!

For those in Central West NSW, tune into to 98.7fm.  For everyone else around the world go online to KRRfm.org.au.  To celebrate the new album Ravage, not only we will be playing tracks from this new album, but having a Transformers themed night, complete with music from Cybertronic Spree’s first album, as well as music from the live-action movie soundtracks and other Transformer musical releases!

So tune in, rock on and roll out!

 

Album Review – ‘Transformers: Roll Out’

Album Review – Respect The Prime 1986 Revisited

My Transformer Collection Showcase, Transformatorium

Transformers Collection – Beast Wars/Beast Machines/Machine Wars

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And so the great cataloging for my personal and ever expanding Transformers Collection continues!

I pretty much took the 90’s off Transformer collecting, so my collection of original Beast Wars, Beast Machines and Machine Wars is so tiny I can pop them all in the one post!

(Note: All figures in photographs listed from Left to Right)

 

Transformers Beast Wars Collection

MOSC Reissues

*Item #BW0001: Transformers Beast Wars Maximal Rattrap (reissue) (MOSC)

*Item #BW0002: Transformers Beast Wars Maximal Cheetor (reissue) (MOSC)

(Reference: Photo #P00145)

 

Optimus Primal

*Item #BW0003: Transformers Beast Wars Maximal Optimus Primal (reissue) (MISB)

(Reference: Photo #P00146)

 

*Item #BW0004: Transformers Beast Wars Maximal Depth Charge

(Reference: Photo #P00147)

 

Waspinator

*Item #BW0005: Transformers Beast Wars  Predacon Waspinator (10th Anniversary reissue)

(Reference: Photo #P00148)

 

Transformers Beast Machines Collection

Vehicon Generals

*Item #BM0006: Transformers Beast Machines Vehicon General Jetstorm

*Item #BM0007: Transformers Beast Wars Vehicle General Tankor

(Reference: Photo #P00149)

 

Transformers Machine Wars Collection

Soundwave

*Item #MW0008: Transformers Machine Wars Soundwave

(Reference: Photo #P00150)

 

Games & Competitions, Transformatorium

Exclusive Card Reveal: Electro-Optical Visor. Transformers: TCG

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Thanks to Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, BigAngryTrev.com has once again been given an exclusive reveal for the Transformers: Trading Card Game to share with the world! Rather than a new character, this card is an Upgrade – Armour card from the new Titan Master packs that will be available later in the year.

Note: Neither Hasbro nor WOTC have paid for this reveal and have in no way tried to dictate the content of this review. BigAngryTrev would like to thank both companies for the continuing opportunities to share facets of this card game with the public.

 

So let’s have a look at the Action Card Electro-Optical Visor. 

 

Using the card in game

The usefulness of the card will rely heavily on what cards you and your opponent are sporting. If you are sporting a team of all Autobots, when you place this on a character and it adds 1 Defence point via an Armour Upgrade to its stats and the cards usefulness stops there.

However, if you have any Decepticons in your team, putting this card on one of them will not only add 1 Armor Upgrade point, but also:

*Makes your opponent reveal their hand

*Your opponent must scrap an Autobot card of their choosing from their hand

Of course, your opponent could quite easily have no Autobot cards in their hand, which means they don’t have to scrap any card at all. But even if this is the case, it still means that you get to have a good look at their hand, see what cards they are sporting and prepare yourself accordingly.

 

The Artwork

The artwork is lovely, showing Soundwave wearing what one assumes to be an Electro-Optical visor. Oddly I don’t recognise the origin of the artwork, so I am making the assumption it is from the IDW Transformers comics reboot, as I have not read all of them yet. If I am in error, or you know which exact comic, please pop it in the comments section below and I will be sure to credit you.

Note: According to reader ‘Flip Flip Bang Bang’ this is probably new artwork as WOTC no longer uses IDW comic art.

 

So all in all, depending on the cards you and your opponent have, this could prove to be either an average or a very useful card to pick up. I look forward to getting a physical copy in my hands and trying it out in gameplay.

The new Titan Master Packs for Transformers: TCG are slated for a release on the 17th of April, 2020.

  

Related Articles:

*Exclusive Card Reveal: Private Stakeout

*Exclusive Cards Reveal: Dirge and Defensive Driving

Transformatorium, Videos

Transformers Siege trailer: Character breakdown and analysis

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Today at the New York Toyfair the world was treated to the teaser trailer for the new Transformers cartoon trilogy coming to Netflix later this year – War For Cybertron: Siege.   Even though this has been touted as ‘Anime’ we are getting a CGI cartoon like the Power of the Prime’s trilogy rather than some stylized Japanese animation.  Based mainly on the Siege Toyline, but also reminiscent of the opening sequence to the 2018 Bumblebee Movie, this cartoon has kept many of us in keen anticipation and is set in the final stages of their war on Cybertron.  Watch below:

Video from Transformers Official Youtube Channel

 

So let’s have a quick rundown of what characters we saw in this short video, what they did and what implications it could have for the upcoming cartoons storyline.

 

AUTOBOTS

Optimus Prime: Voiced by Peter Cullen, we see Optimus doing his usual – saving other Autobots, battling Megatron, protecting the Allspark and so on.  More interestingly, you get to see some of his warriors questioning his methods rather than talking about how great he is.

Elita-1: The only  Transformer from the video that did not have a toy in the Siege line or the upcoming Earthrise (her figure coming out in POTP).  Her line said to Optimus ‘This is not the life I imaged for us’ brings up the question: is she referring to her and Optimus indicating a relationship between the two, or referring to the Transformer race in general.

Ultra Magnus: Instead being his usual ‘Yes Prime’ self, we see him questioning Prime’s methods, and even going in secret to see the Decepticon command.  This potentially could be the most interesting we have ever seen him portrayed on screen.

Bumblebee: Another bot that is usually at Prime’s beck and call, we see him telling Prime his attitude to the war will get him killed.  Thankfully it seems he is based on his G1 self which will get a toy in the Earthrise line, rather being based on the Bumblebee Movie.

Chromia: Seen fighting Barricade, one wonders with the inclusion of her and Elita, does this mean we will finally get a break from Windblade and Arcee being the two main female Autobots in any given story?

Cog: Seen dying of an injury, but his parts being used by Sideswipe in Weaponizer fashion.  Oddly later in the trailer we see a bot that has Cog’s body type but is coloured like Six-Gun running after Elita.  A trick of the lighting or the first animation error?

Wheeljack: Like Bumblebee, he has a figure coming up in the Earthrise toyline, so will he transform in the cartoon?

Sideswipe & Hound: Both seen in fight scenes

DECECEPTICONS

Megatron: Not voiced by Frank Welker, but sounds good all the same.  Sporting some battle damage and some big Overlord-style lips.  Like Optimus he is doing his usual – inspiring his army and trying to kick Prime’s butt.

Soundwave: Seen standing off to the side of the Decepticon command table.  Does this mean he wont be as big a character as usual?  Or without Welker’s voice that he may remain silent?

Shockwave: Also seen at the command table.

Refracktor/s: Two Refracktor’s are seen firing over a barricade.  The powers that be have obviously gone for the choice of having them all identical like the G1 cartoon, rather than Spectro, Viewfinder and Spyglass getting their own colour schemes and weaponry.

Barricade: I guess this solidifies Barricade’s inclusion to the G1 universe.  Seen sitting at the command table as well as putting the smack down on Chromia.

Skytread: Seen getting punched in the face by Optimus.

Jetfire: In a few scenes with Megatron and most definitely sporting the Decepticon symbol.  Looks like we will get the inevitable ‘Jetfire swaps sides’ storyline at some point.

Impactor: Like Jetfire we see his Decepticon incarnation.  Will he, like Jetfire undoubtedly will, join the side of the Autobots at some stage in the series?

SEEKERS: From some shots it looks like there is going to be a lot of them, perhaps all of them.  Here are the ones that were definitely spotted:

Starscream: In both battle scenes and at the command table.  Given all the other story implications, we might actually be spared the ‘Starscream betrays Megatron’ story that has been played to death in the past.

Skywarp: Battle scenes and at the command table.

Thundercracker: In a few battle scenes

Redwing and Acid Storm:  Seen standing guard as Ultra Magnus approaches the Decepticon base.

 

So, seems like there may be some interesting story arcs and some interesting takes on characters.  One can just hope that this cartoon is better than the last CGI transformers cartoons we received.

What do you think of this trailer?  Pop it in the comments section below!

Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Album Review – Cybertronic Spree: Transformers 1986

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Ok, c’mon Trev, be objective here…

Do not come across like a teenage girl at a ‘One Direction’ reunion concert screaming ‘Oh they are so dreamy!  I want to have their babies!’ 

Be harsh mate, be scathing, pull apart song by song to find any fault so that you can give a frank assessment of this CD….

 

… fuck it, I can’t! Its just too good!

 

Ahem.  I got my Cybertronic Spree CD this week.  I kinda like it.

 

About the Band

For those that don’t know, Cybertronic Spree is a true fan success story.  A bunch of singers and musicians came together about six or so years ago, dressed in awesome looking self-made Transformers costumes and sang songs from the Transformers 1986 movie.

It proved popular.  Amongst us TF fans it proved really popular.  So much so that they started getting gigs, appearing at various conventions and even earlier this year got their own IDW Comic Cover variant.

 

 

And so a Crowdfund Project is born!

So riding on the wave of that popularity they decided to Crowdfund a CD where they played 10 of the songs from the 86 movie. CD title appropriately ‘Transformers 1986‘.

The reaction was better than they could have hoped.  It all sold out fast.  I mean, really fast!  So then they reopened the Crowdfund and then that all sold out.  

So they now had the money and went to work recording their album.  Digital copies to those who contributed to their Crowdfunding went out about a month ago.

As much as I would have loved getting a signed poster, my funds at the time meant I was only able to order the CD.  And when it came to writing a review I wanted to review the CD, as I knew the digital copy I received would not do the music justice played over the shitty little speakers on my computer.  

So having received the CD this week, I set up my sound system in the disused outdoor carport on the farm, where the acoustics are puzzingly good and I could crank the volume to max, pulled out a deck chair, cracked a beer and sit back to listen to the music.

 

It did not disappoint.

 

The Music

This is a fucking awesome CD!  Damn they did a good job.  Whilst this CD is primarily a Crowdfunded fan project, you can tell that these are all singers and musicians who know what they are doing and have a genuine love for the material.

As someone who has the soundtrack to the 86 movie and knows every song by heart, it was so cool to hear these songs faithfully redone but with the twist of having new musicians and, most importantly to differentiate them from the originals, new vocalists.

Damn Arcee has a set of pipes on her!  Don’t get me wrong, Spike is a good backup vocalist and Hot Rod can sing his arse off, but Arcee has a voice that can pick you up and pound you flat with its power!  I’ve always loved female vocalists who sound like they could kick my arse.  I shudder to think of the poor singer inside the costume – how many TF Fanboys must there be out there she is currently starring in the fantasies of (my own efforts to get my good wife to dress as a Transformer have always met failure, as public record will testify).  As all the original songs were sung by men, to have Arcee singing half the songs and providing backup vocals on many others gives the songs a new and unique twist, breathing new life to tunes you’ve been listening to for the past 33 years.

Full credit to the musicians too, The guitarists (Unicron & Hot Rod) provide those tasty big 80’s riffs big time and Rumble the Drummer pounds those skins like a true professional.  

 

This CD hits all the right notes for me.  The Touch gave me goosebumps, Dare gave me a nostalgic lump in my throat.  I didn’t understand why they chose to have Hunger as the last track on the album until I heard the end.  That massive instrumental finale right at the end of the song kicks so much arse you wanna put your fist through a wall, headbutt a tank and yell to the world that every other sci-fi genre sucks Quintesson Balls compared to ours!

 

So yes, I liked this CD.

 

 

Cybertronic Spree, all I can say to you is (cue eye-rolling song lyric references):

 

You’ve indeed got both the touch and the power

You’ve got the passion and the pride.  It can’t be denied.

When it came to getting this CD made you let nothing stand in your way and us fans count ourselves among the fortunate ones.

 

And if you ever decide to tour internationally, I can guarantee you a sold out show in Sydney.  The tendrils of Big Angry Trev will twist throughout the Aussie Fandom to hound TF geeks out of parents basements, comic stores and online chatrooms across the land to fill a venue in your honour (with extra security to keep the fanboys off Arcee).

All I ask in return is that you let me get on stage and do the ‘AAAAAAAA-AAAAA’ at the end of Instruments of Destruction 😉 

 

 

 

Extra Merchandise

As I mentioned, I was only able to afford at the time the CD.  However fellow Transformer Enthusiast and Skydiving Superstar Brendan was able to get some more of the merch. 

 

 

Got something to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

*Album Review: Transformers Roll Out

*Album Review: Metal Resistance by Baby Metal

 

 

 

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Cyberverse Soundwave

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Good old Soundwave, after having a break for many years he got revived for the Cybertron series and has been a staple ever since.  Animated, Prime, RID(15), Movieverse – he’s been in them all.  It should not come as much of a surprise then that Soundwave has cropped up in the new Cyberverse series, ensuring he gets yet another new toy.  So lets take a look at Cyberverse Warrior-Class Soundwave. 

 

Robot Mode

‘Operation: Look Awesome’

I kinda like the style of it.  Somewhere between the G1 and Animated Soundwaves.  The blue is quite vibrant, the yellow stands out well on his chest with the Decepticon Symbol in the middle, the soundwave patterns on his shoulders, the shoulder cannon – all good!  Good to see the cassette-player symbols on there too despite the fact that’s not what he transforms into.  He also has an extra little satellite dish that can flip out from the side of his head.

The articulation here is better than most other Cyberverse Warrior class figures too with the elbows and knees bending, the neck turning and the leg and shoulder connections being able to swivel.

The only letdown is how bare his legs look, much like Cyberverse Prowl, they look far too plain due to making up the back half of the vehicle mode.

 

Vehicle mode

Quite a letdown.  A survellience vehicle  is a good alt-mode choice for him but this is just way to bland.  Some different colours on the lights and grill or even a stripe down the side would have helped break up this big box of blue.  Once again you can flip out the satellite dish which makes sense for the vehicle, whereas the cannon definitely does not.

 

The Laserbeak Blast

‘Laserbeak: Eject. Operation: Attend Rave Party’

This made me laugh the first time because I didn’t mean to activate it, I was just seeing if his head swiveled.  By turning his head & cannon you make Laserbeak (who sadly can’t detach) pop out of his chest compartment at a surprising speed!  But that colour – translucent neon pink?!  Haven’t seen a Laserbeak this pink since he was pretending to be a Bumblebee copy in DOTM!  It’s kinda fun and it’s kinda quirky – it would have just been a lot better if Laserbeak popped all the way out.

Laserbeak can also pop out the back of the vehicle.  I can’t figure out if this works in the figures favour or not.  On the one hand it forces Soundwave’s head to be uncovered and the overall effect is weird.  On the other hand the back panel dropping down like that and Laserbeak shooting out makes it looks like Soundwave is getting tailed and is deploying Laserbeak out the back of his vehicle – could make for some interesting play options.

 

Worth Getting?

I’d say that this figure is worth getting for the price tag, but only just.  The robot mode is really nice (if small) and has replaced Shockwave as my favorite Warrior-Class bot.  However the vehicle mode is definitely lacking.  Pretty simplistic transformation too.  It may simply be a case of how amusing  you think you or your kids will find the Laserbeak gimmick.  But it’s easy to say this is definitely one of the much better Warrior-Class Cyberverse figures.

Got anything to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

Toy Review: Titans Return Soundwave

Toy Review: Combiner Force Soundwave

Toy Review: Cyberverse Acid Storm

Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Movie Review – Bumblebee

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Over the past 5 live-action Transformer movies we’ve come to expect certain things.  From the humans:  wacky, half-psychotic characters and overly-sexualized stereotypes.  From the robots:  zero characterization and dialogue, overly-complex bodies and fight scenes one has no hope of following.  Throw in a few convoluted plots and some smutty humour and badda-bing badda-boom, another TF movie pumped out by Hollywood.

However Transformers 6 – Bumblebee, seems to be something different.  Something GOOD!

What a delightful breath of fresh air this movie is!  It contains none of the issues listed above, and replaces them with relatable characters, great dialogue and a lot of heart!

 

The Plot (yes, there is one this time!)

The Bumblebee movie is actually a prequel to the last 5 movies, set in 1987.  Bumblebee comes to Earth, after a 10 minute opening scene which will have every G1 fan looking for the tissues for their eye ducts (and possibly elsewhere) due to the amount of fan service contained within.  The first 10 minutes is based on Cybertron and showcases G1 characters actually looking like G1 characters, still in their Cybertronian modes having a huge battle!  They are all there – Soundwave, Shockwave & The Seekers all blasting away at the likes of Wheeljack, Arcee, Brawn, Ratchet and so on.  Seeing the battle will be lost, Optimus Prime orders the Autobots to evacuate Cybertron and sends B-127 to prepare a base for them on the aforementioned Earth.

Arriving on Earth, B-127 is almost immediately attacked by the US Army (their involvement one thing that has not changed) and then near killed by Blitzwing, the only character in the movie bearing no resemblance to his G1 incarnation (besides having a jet mode).  B-127 loses his voice, loses his memory, and manages to scan a Volkswagen Beetle  before going dormant.

We now get introduced to the heroine of the story – Charlie.  Just turned 18.  But unlike Sam Witwicky she doesn’t seem like a nutjob.  And unlike every female character before her, she seems to dress in a way that doesn’t border on the pornographic.  In fact, Charlie turns out to be a very endearing character that the viewer comes to care about.  This was a very smart move on the part of the new writers and directors, going with a female-teen instead of a male and keeping sexuality completely out of it.  It stops them retracing old ground from the TF1 and good on them.  In fact all the humans are fairly likeable and all seem to serve a purpose to the plot, rather than being thrown in for the sake of it.

You know what? It IS as sweet as this pic suggests!

At the same time this is happening, the only two completely new robot characters in the movie – the Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick make an appearance.  In fact starting off by torturing Cliffjumper on one of Saturn’s moons looking for B-127.  They soon find their way to Earth, adopt car alt-modes, (and later secondary flight alt-modes) and search for the missing Autobot in order to find Optimus.  They trick the human army into letting them use their equipment and the race is on!

Bad guys with dialogue – what a twist!

From there it could be said to be the usual.  Charlie reactivates B-127, freaks out, he freaks out, they bond, they have some loveable adventures, they get found by the military, he saves her, she saves him, he saves her again, they get found by the Cons, have a huge fight and then save the day.  It’s kinda predictable but is an enjoyable ride and very entertaining to watch.

 

Continuity Errors

Being a prequel, this movie should match up with the previous 5 and set the stage for TF1.  It doesn’t.  There are multiple continuity errors brought up in this, such as Bumblebee only arriving in 1987 when yet in The Last Knight he was shown to be present during WWII.  Optimus arrives on Earth that same year rather than in 2007.  The Transformers know English rather than learning it from the world wide web.  There are many more but you get the drift.  To be honest, this really should have been a reboot rather than a prequel, as this is far better than anything that has come before and I’d rather have the new ideas than the old.

 

G1 Goodness!

What?! Arcee isn’t a motorcycle that goes around on one wheel and has a face like a smashed in colander?!

For your G1 fans, this is the movie you always wanted.  Bumblebee is a VW Bug.  Optimus is a short-nosed truck with a big silver trailer.  The Seekers on Cybertron are Tetrajets.  Everyone looks like everyone hoped they would all the way back in 2007.  There are plenty of Easter Eggs, it brought joy to my heart to see my son whoop with joy when Bee started playing ‘You’ve got the Touch’ when encouraging Charlie to dive.  It’s… it’s just beautiful!

 

A PG Rating

Another smart move made by the makers of this film is making it PG rated.  A lot of the adult Transformer fans have become pretty jaded from the last four films in particular, so this enabled the producers to open this flick up to a younger audience untarnished by Michael Bay scrotum jokes.  And it’s worked.  My son turned 6 three days before TF6 was released, so it was perfect to take him and his friends to.  And they loved it!  Some kids that age might find a few things scary, but most will enjoy it.  No blood from the 2 humans that get killed, minimal swearing, zero sexuality.  It was a smart way to go.

 

So worth watching?

Yes.  YES.  A thousand times yes!  This is the movie we hoped for many years ago!  So much heart and character and humour and joy!  Great for kids, amazing for G1 fans; the only ones disappointed will be those in love with the Bayverse and those folk are hard to find these days.  Take the whole family out to see this, you will not be sorry!

 

Got something to add?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

Movie Review – The Last Knight

Transformatorium, Videos

Video – My 100+ Generations Decepticons

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For a bit of fun and a bit of comparison I pulled out of my storage crates a lot of my Decepticons.  In particular, toys that were updates of classic characters, mainly (but not exclusively) from G1.    I was amazed and how many characters have gotten new toys!

So enjoy this short video I made of the display.  Also below you will find some screenshots and a full list of the Decepticons on display along with links to reviews of many of the figures displayed here – have fun!

 

 

 

 

Acid Storm, Apeface, Astrotrain, Axor,

Banzaitron, Battletrap, Bonecrusher, Black Arachnia, Blast Off, Blitzwing, Bludgeon, Bombshell, Breakdown, Brawl, Bruticus, Buzzsaw,

Caliburst, Catgut, Chop Shop, Cyclonus,

Darkmount, Darkwing, Dead End, Devestator, Dirge, Doubledealer, Drag Strip, Dreadwind, Dreadwing,

Fangry, Frenzy, Full-Tilt, 

Galvatron, Gnaw, Grabuge, 

Hook, Hun-Grrr, 

Jhaixus,

Kickback, Krok,

Laserbeak, Leozack, Liokaiser, Long Haul,

Megatron, Menasor, Mindwipe, Misfire, Mixmaster, Motormaster,

Needlenose, Nightbird, Nightstick, Nemesis Striker,

Octone, Onslaught, Overkill, Overlord

Pounce

Quake

Ramjet, Rampage, Ratbat, Ravage, Rippersnapper, Rodimus Unicronus, Rumble, Runabout

Scavenger, Scourge, Scorponok, Scrapper, Shockwave, Singe, Sixshot, Shrute, Skrapnel, Skullgrin, Skullsmasher, Sky Byte, Sky Shadow, Skywarp, Slice, Slipstream, Slugslinger, Soundblaster, Soundwave, Spinister, Starscream, Submarauder, Sunbeam, Swindle

Tankorr, Thrust, Thundercracker, Thunderwing, Treadshot, Triggerhappy, Trypticon

Vortex

Waspinator, Wildrider, Wingspan, Windsweeper, Wolfwire,

Zputty

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Combiner Force: Blurr, Windblade & Soundwave

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The Robots in Disguise(15) toyline continues, despite being wound down somewhat to accommodate shelf space in shops for the upcoming TF5 toys.  Today we will be looking at the latest wave which oddly does not involve semi-creature modes in any form.  No, this wave consists of new versions of much loved (in two cases anyway) classic characters.  Despite being part of the Combiner Force subline these figures do not combine, but rather try to seduce you with a mixture of new alt-modes and nostalgia.  So let’s take a look at the Warrior-class Robots in Disguise: Combiner Force Blurr, Windblade and Soundwave.

 

Blurr – Robot Mode

I likes to play it fast baby!

Seems to be a nice amalgamation of Blurr’s look from Rescue Bots (which RID does do crossover episodes with) with the look he has been sporting in the Generations line.  He has the more rounded head with the large goggles that he has in the RB cartoon/toyline but the lighter colours and high shoulder pads one associates with Generations/G1 Blurr.  The proportions are quite nice and he is able to be posed in a number of positions due to the ankle, knee, elbow and shoulder joints.  The head is quite maneuverable too, tilting in pretty much any angle you desire.  Being from RID instead of RB, this Blurr is now sporting a blaster as well.

Blurr – Vehicle Mode

Sleek and Sexy!

Almost a cross between the first and second Generations Blurr toys.  Most definitely a stylized Earth vehicle however with the distinctive pointiness that the latest Titans Return version has.  Quite a sexy futuristic sportscar with its spoiler, big wheels and dome.  The blaster can be put on either side of the vehicle or on top, giving you different battle options when at play.

 

Windblade – Robot Mode

My mask hides my pain. Well… actually it hides what is otherwise a cool face design.

Windblade is sporting here her battle mask and due to her having such a distinctive face it is a shame it cannot be removed, detracting somewhat from the figure overall.  A nice touch I found was the different options you have with the sword and sheath.  You can either have her holding her sword with the sheath on her hip (as pictured) or the sheath can act as a giant second sword.  Also the sheath splits in two  so you can have half on each hip if that is the look you like.  The way her wings affix to her body looks far superior to the Generations version with which she shares the more lithe arms with.  If it wasn’t for the head, overall I would say this is actually superior to the Generations version but as it is that one will have to go to the judges.

Windblade – Vehicle Mode

Do VTOL turbines still work if you cover them?

What is disappointing is that her wind turbines are covered by caps on the top in her VTOL jet mode.  With the Generations version you could actually blow on the turbines and make them spin, here they are not even visible in her vehicle mode.  It’s not a badly proportioned jet and is very indicative of the screen character.  Her sword sheath can be affixed underneath but I only recommend this as a way to not lose the piece – otherwise it looks simply terrible and certainly ruins the aerodynamic look of the jet which is somewhat already hampered by the way the robot arms jut out from the sides, much like many of the Combiner Wars figures.

 

Soundwave – Robot Mode

Soundwave superior-ish

Like Blurr being an amalgamation of RB and Generations Blurr figures, this Soundwave seems to be an amalgamation of the TFPrime and Fall of Cybertron Soundwave toys. The head sculpt is most definitely a carry over from TFPRime (the precursor cartoon to the current RID series) and the proportions are very in line with most of the other RID figures.  However with the added shoulder cannon, distinctive chest and bulkier limbs he is certainly as shout out to the Soundwave figures of old.  The light piping in the back of the head can make for some good effects and the shoulder cannon can be removed to be used as a handgun.

Soundwave – Vehicle Mode

Gun or periscope?

This is where the toy really calls out to the Fall of Cybertron figure.  Ruby translucent wheels along with a roof cannon and a bulky blue Cybertronian-armored car is the flavor here and the flavor is good!  He has a more distinctive cockpit which is a definite plus, but the peg that holds the roof cannon in is way too long, it makes it look ungainly sitting on top.  Despite this I couldn’t bring myself to remove it as it seems intrinsic to an otherwise odd alt-mode.  This peg flaw is made up for somewhat by the fact that the cannon can not only be swiveled 360 degrees but also be tilted up and down.

 

Overall

Well I’d say Blurr is a definite must-grab if you like the character and fits in well with the other multiverse versions of him.  Windblade has her pros and cons and it will really be decided on whether you like the character and whether you already have the previous RID version of her.  Soundwave… well… it’s damn hard to pass up a new Soundwave figure!  However there is another SW RID figure on the horizon which, whilst looking inferior, will come with Laserbeak so it may be worth waiting for that toy to be released and then compare before making your purchase.

 

Related Post: Multiverse Blurr Toys Gallery

Like the reviews above or got something to add?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

 

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Titans Return Soundwave

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Operation: Soundwave Review

Perhaps even surpassing Megatron, Soundwave is along with Optimus Prime the most recognizable and remembered characters and toys from the 1980’s – even non-TF fans remember Soundwave with a fondess – there was something just so cool about him!  A tape deck that ejected micro-cassettes that turned into animals and robots and was a bad guy had massive appeal.  And here we see Soundwave recreated yet again, this time for the first time as a Headmaster with Titans Return Soundwave.

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 Robot Mode

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It’s lucky that both Blaster and Soundwave are boxy characters, so with a simple palette swap, a new head and a shoulder cannon this does looks like Soundwave rather than a recoloured Blaster (which he is after all).  The proportions are ok though I would have liked to see more articulation.  Nothing beats a Soundwave that can actually bend his arm upwards and press his eject button (aka MP SW).  His gun is from Blaster and for those in the know it looks nothing like Soundwaves regular firearm which is a bit disappointing, but I suppose even Transformers are allowed to change their armament every few million years.

 Tape Deck Mode

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The smartest thing they did here was to change the way the speakers look.  It now looks like a tape deck from the early nineties rather than a proper Ghetto Blaster (all you kids born this century, you might have to do some research here to know what I am talking about).  The mode looks better than I thought it would; it looks sleek and somber, just a shame there is the odd little gap here and there.

 Base Mode

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This mode suits Soundwave far more than Blaster (who I still maintain should have turned into a DJ booth with dance floor.  For a review of TR Blaster – see HERE).   The darker colour scheme works for the mode as well as the extra cannon.  Overall better than I expected.

 Soundblaster

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For those that didn’t follow the JP G1 cartoon, Soundwave and Blaster killed each other but got rebuilt by their respective leaders, Soundwave turning into Soundblaster (the only difference with the toy besides a darker colour scheme was it could hold 2 cassettes).  Soundblaster has been brought back here but this time as Soundwaves head.  The funny thing is that they redid the face on his back to look like Soundwave, as well as his little head, but the legs are still those of Twin Cast (Blasters Headmaster partner) with the speakers on the front.  Since it would not have affected the face, they should have made his front much darker to represent Soundblaster more.

 Transformation

No change from Blaster.  If you haven’t converted Blaster know that this figure isn’t difficult for a leader class figure.  There is no real challenge here, however transforming him for the first time you have to engage your brain to turn him in to what is a reasonably two dimensional alt-mode as the Tape Deck.  Conversion to base mode is very straight forward.

Overall

Soundwave is one of two figures which can be said to be a crossover between Combiner Wars and Titans Return, given that CW Buzzsaw can be put into TR Soundwave in both Robot and Tape Deck modes.  Interestingly in the instructions it only mentions him being compatible with the upcoming Laserbeak and Ravage, most likely as these toys are to be released soon (bet Hasbro is just thrilled with IDW for having killed Ravage 6 weeks ago in MTMTE #55).  The fact you can insert these smaller figures into him along with the Headmaster gimmick and he is a triple changer means there is a lot of playability with this figure.  While certainly not the ultimate Soundwave toy, on the whole this one is pretty good and it’s nice to see Soundwave once again as a musical device rather than a van or truck.

Got your own thoughts on Titans Return Soundwave?  Would love to hear them in the comments section below!

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