Dec 19, 2012

[Transformers] Generations Deluxe Class Wave 3

I admit the table was rather messy when I took these shots LOL
Continuing my on-going reviews of the various Transformers Generations figures by release wave, we come to the rather timely pairing for Cybetronian Soundwave and Red Alert. I say this is timely only because of the Voyager-class Fall of Cybertron figures for Soundwave and Soundblaster that pretty much follow the same mold as this Soundwave figure with some differences.

This wave marked a change in overall distribution and a relative effort to release an equal number of Autobots and Decepticons overall. As of Wave 2 our count ended at 3-3 and now this brings us to 4-4. Good times.



Similar to the past waves, the "Cybertronian" prefix refers to toys based on the War for Cybertron video game, that's sort of reminiscent of the Dreamwave comic series Transformers: The War Within. And Red Alert is, well, Red Alert. There's not much more to be said in that area.

So let's go figure by figure.

Cybertronian Soundwave gives Soundwave a rather slim and sleek figure design that seems a little different from past releases that felt typically blockier and a bit heavier in the chest area. He oddly maintains the cassette tape design of his chest panel, although this is one of the rare Soundwave figures that does not feature some sort of a "cassette" style minion like Laserbeak. Instead, his chest panel is a handy carrying case for his two battery-shaped accessories - his shoulder-mounted rocket launcher and his gun. Other wikis describe the resulting visual appearance as being like cassette spools, but I feel that may be pushing things a wee bit.

I love the poseability on this figure and you can get some decent kneeling shots even with his rather large feet. And the overall Cybetronian styling does give Soundwave a nice edgy kind of character appeal to him that isn't often seen in a toy. I know I'm quite the Soundwave fan and thus I may be biased in liking this toy so much, but then again you really need to have the toy in-hand to fully appreciate what it's all about.

His vehicle is definitely a little strange with his appendage-like grill up front that can be moved on a pivot. Thus his overall look is sort of like a robotic flea or tick - at least that's how my partner first described it when he saw this Soundwave's vehicle mode.

You can keep his weapons inside the front panel or you can mount them on the vehicle as shown here, which is a nice bit of flexibility I really like how these newer figures always make it a point to find a way to store the weapons in vehicle mode, which makes keeping track of guns and such a heck of a lot easier.

Overall, Cybertronian Soundwave is a fun figure that seems small in vehicle mode but comes up to a pretty respectable height in robot mode. Nice gimmicks, good homage to the original G1 figure with a nicely solid transformation on the whole.

Now Red Alert is another redeco of the popular Sunstreaker / Sideswipe mold from the Universe toyline. And this is only fitting since the G1 version of Red Alert had also been a similar redeco of the Sideswipe mold and such. Similar to the Henkei! Henkei! version of this character, he instead has a G1-accurate black head (versus the cartoon red) and a rather quirky accessory.

While this is essentially the same gun used in the prior molds, this time the little engine add-on (the supercharger in most wikis) now wraps around his gun instead of being mounted on his back, which makes for a delicate balancing game when posing the figure. While the wrap-around does have corresponding pegs to go to, it really doesn't lock into place.

He has relatively decent poseability although his arms are best limited to elbow pivots and his legs aren't that amazing at the knee joint. He's decently stable as long as you can balance his weight right (plus balancing his gun).

His vehicle mode is pretty consistent with the prior versions of this mold but of course with the addition of the police lights on top. There's a nice amount of detail in terms of the decals applied including the necessary law enforcement logos down to his license plate. But for the most part he's pretty much consist with both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, so they really make a fun little trio when you have them all side-by-side.

That's the thing about these G1-style characters - you learn to accept a certain degree of redeco-mania, which in itself is in homage to the original toys and the cost-cutting measures imposed to make sure they got the most out of each mold.

I really need more practice with posing these figures
Both toys are fun in their own right and certainly continue the tradition of the Classics and Universe lines before them in terms of appealing to fellow G1 fanboys like myself. Soundwave is a fun original figure that I continue to enjoy a lot, thus making me somewhat hesitant if I want to repeat that mold with the recent Fall of Cybertron toys. And Red Alert is essential to completing your collection of the Sideswipe mold, if you have that quirky OCD tendency just like I do.

From a ratings perspective, I can't help but give Cybertronian Soundwave a full 5 out of 5 given novelty, poseability and continued playability. Red Alert gets a 4 out of 5, mainly because my love for the G1 cars only go so far and the balance issues I mentioned in the review.


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1 comment:

  1. Wow, these are really fantastic toys, how I wish I could have had it.

    ReplyDelete