Generation 1 Soundwave

Next up is my personal all-time favorite.
The sneaky, mind-reading, blackmailing, backstabbing Soundwave
Everything about this guy mesmerized me when I was but a wee lad (and still does): his completely expressionless face, his ability to call in a small army from his chest-compartment, his underhanded ways, but most of all: his spine-chilling voice. A voice which echoes through my head every time I look at his toy. Kudos to mr Frank Welker.

On to the toy itself. First of all, it's a bitch to get in good condition for a fair price, and I'm still happy that I got the chance a few years back.
His overall design, though a bit blocky, is still going strong and, even after nearly 30 years, remains one of the most iconic.


His alt-mode, the microcassette player, is no less iconic. Although the device itself is hopelessly outdated, he could still pass as one, and this I believe underlines the whole "Robots in Disguise"-deal. What I find particularly creative is how his shoulder cannon and handheld concussion blaster become the batteries for his alt-mode.

As is the fact with most if not all G1 figures, poseability is sacrificed in favor of the transformation. And however much I love this guy, I think it's a bit of a shame.
That said, compared to other G1 figures, Soundwave's poseability is still pretty good. Because of his transformation his shoulders fold back horizontally, giving his arms have a lot of freedom of movement. This makes up for the lack of freedom of movement in his legs, as they fold up the wrong way, so to speak, when transforming, Soundwave has no knees... although he can perform a pretty mean straight-leg groin kick.

Overall: because there are plenty of newer figures that are way worse, I won't go so far as to call him dated. But objectively, the technology and designing have improved vastly over the years, so in that perspective time has left it's mark.
Now I think Soundwave as a character has achieved near-legendary status, and his toy is still highly sought after. Anyone lucky enough to have him, treat him right ;)



PS: As soon as I obtain a functional figure of one of Soundwave's troups, the Cassettes, I'll do a seperate review for them. The Buzzsaw that's currently residing in his chest-compartment, as seen on the picture, lacks a head, making a decent review for him impossible. Sorry.