We love the Autobots and all, but Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the rest of the gang do get a bit too much of the limelight. The good guys won’t have such interesting stories without all the antagonists who get in their way, after all. As such, LEGO’s first Decepticon set is such a welcome addition to the line. While we would have appreciated a Megatron model, it turns out this LEGO Transformers Shockwave will be the first brick-built Decepticon you can add to your collection.
Why Soundwave? We’re not really sure. Maybe, there’s a big contingent of Transformers fans who have been craving for a Walkman robot? Maybe, they think it will sell well right next to the burgeoning cassette revival subculture we’ve got going on today? Whichever the case, you can now get a Transformer that morphs from robot to cassette player and back.
The LEGO Transformers Soundwave is a detailed recreation of the G1 version of the powerful Decepticon, who has long been one of Megatron’s most trusted confidants right alongside Starscream and Shockwave. He is, however, the most loyal of the three, making him an indispensable ally for the Decepticon leader. Unfortunately, he also makes one of the least exciting transformations in the franchise, as he turns into a boring cassette player. Of course, that seemingly mundane alternate form is what allows him to carry out his main role as the Decepticons’ eyes and ears, giving him the ability to spy on both organics and Cybertronians like no other.
While the model isn’t a 1:1 recreation of the G1 Soundwave, it is quite a capable rendition all the same, reprising his familiar colors, weapons, and the large cassette deck across his torso. He gets a laser blaster to take on enemies at mid-range, as well as a rocket pod on his right shoulder. More importantly, the robot has articulated joints, so he come up on a fallen opponent and smash them with his fists, along with performing a whole host of other poses. And yes, he’s pretty big, standing at 13 inches tall, so he’s half an inch shorter than the previously released Optimus Prime model.
The LEGO Transformers Soundwave can morph from robot to cassette form without requiring any disassembly, so you can play with them like a real Transformer toy that shapeshifts from one form to another. In cassette mode, you get access to two buttons: one to play voice recordings and another to play sound effects. And yes, there’s totally a voice recording of the character saying “Soundwave superior” like he always mutters in the show.
Aside from Soundwave, the set includes a pair of the character’s minions, namely Ravage and Laserbeak, both of whom can also morph from robot to cassette and back. In cassette mode, each of the smaller robots can fit inside Soundwave’s cassette deck. The set is comprised of 1,505 pieces, which is just three pieces less than that of the Optimus Prime set, and comes with a display plaque showing the character’s power statistics.
The LEGO Transformers Soundwave comes out August 4th, priced at $189.99.