COUNTDOWN: SS86 Soundwave – 8 things to talk about!

SS86 Soundwave is here!

After being rumoured for months now, we finally have our first look at the upcoming Studio Series release, which promises a fairly screen-accurate take on the Decepticon communications specialist (and some of his tape troupe)! So to celebrate, let’s dive right in and take a look at what this design has to offer.

#8: It’s an all-new mould

First things first, it should be clarified that what we have here is an entirely new design, not a repaint or retool of the previous Legacy Soundwave. This might sound obvious to some, but a cursory glance at the two toys next to each other will reveal there are indeed plenty of similarities in their robot modes, and not just in the overall body shape. The legs and the chest area all bear a remarkable resemblance, and, whilst that is largely to be expected when you have two competing efforts both chasing the same cartoon-styled vibe, it’s still a significantly closer comparison than, say, SS86 Optimus Prime or Megatron versus their Earthrise equivalents. We currently do not know how the new set will compare in terms of size. It is worth noting that, like last year’s Legacy: United set, it’s being packaged as a Leader class release, although if SS86 Prime is any indication, the new Soundwave may be slightly larger overall. Still, our money says they’ll likely end up roughly the same, and there’s another very good reason to think so…

#7: The cassettes are new too, but likely the same size as before

Like Soundwave, the three included cassette toys here are all-new designs, entirely unrelated to the previous versions of these characters we previously saw during Legacy and the WFC trilogy. However, it would not be a shock to learn that the size of the cassette modes themselves has been kept consistent between the two versions of Soundwave, if only because it makes sense to retain such cross-compatibility in the ongoing Generations line. Let’s also bear in mind there are other cassette designs which have already been released primarily under the SS86 banner, so a ‘rebooted’ scale would be a definite curveball at this point. Some have started to compare the design of the tape forms, though, especially as the new reveals look to be significantly more gappy than before. Regardless of your preference, we may never hit the highs of the Masterpiece designs at a Generations price point!

#6: There’s no Ratbat, but there is a Buzzsaw!

The choice of cassette characters is very interesting here. Ravage and Laserbeak are obvious inclusions, given they were both regular stalwarts of Soundwave’s brigade and quite iconic assets of the franchise’s mid-80s roots. They also featured in the 1986 movie, which, of course, serves as the basis for this new design; however, that also makes the third beastly buddy in the box a bit of a surprise. After all, Buzzsaw may have appeared in a handful of cartoon episodes back in the day, but come the big-screen adventure, he was nowhere to be seen, meaning that his presence in this package is likely down to easy repaint potential more than anything. As far as the film goes, Ratbat was the new winged thing on the block, and would have arguably made a much more logical choice here, even if one suspects the budget simply didn’t stretch to such an idea. Perhaps we’ll see him pop up later down the line alongside a potential repaint or accompanying another release entirely. Meanwhile, the new Buzzsaw is sure to be a welcome sight for anyone who didn’t pick up the Legacy: United version!

#5: There’s a reason Rumble & Frenzy aren’t included…

One reaction I have seen quite a bit already to this set is people wondering why Soundwave’s humanoid sidekicks were omitted. After all, Rumble and Frenzy are an integral part of the gang and, as far as cartoon continuity goes, the only members to have actual speaking roles. Well, it’s actually quite simple – they already had dedicated SS86 releases back in 2022, when both characters were dropped individually at the Core class price point. We’d be amazed if the plan wasn’t for them to work with the upcoming Soundwave, which, given Rumble was also released alongside the Legacy: United version, is surely the final clarification needed that the two different cassette designs are compatible with both toys.

#4: The cassette deck mode is a step up!

While the two robot modes share some visual similarities, a comparison of their respective tape deck designs reveals where the differences from the WFC release become apparent. After all, the previous Soundwave did a fine job at realising his classic alternate guise, yet there’s little doubt the SS86 figure boasts a noticeably cleaner look. That’s primarily thanks to the knees no longer sticking out at the sides, giving the whole endeavour a more rectangular boxy shape befitting a screen-accurate take on the character. However, the panelling around the tape deck door is extra cohesive, and the uniform blue bottom skirt feels more accurate to the source, to boot. Overall, it’s hard not to think this is an upgrade.

#3: The missing piece is not actually missing…

One aspect of the reveal that had eagle-eyed fans talking was the evidence of a missing piece from the promotional pics of the alternate mode! Look to that bottom left corner and you’ll see what appears to be an omitted panel, revealing a fairly unsightly screw beneath. Now, we tend to think that blaming every perceived flaw on stock photography mishaps or mistransformations is often overegged. Still, in this case, it turns out to be true! Rest assured, the back of the box showcases how the figure will actually be presented, complete with that piece intact, so it’s time to put down those pitchforks.

#2: Yes, that’s a YouTube screenshot…

Another real oddity of the reveal is related to the packaging, which features the kind of unfortunate gaffe that you just know the fandom will not soon forget! The back of the box boasts the now-familiar use of a still from the 1986 Transformers movie as part of its SS86 branding. However, in this case, it’s become swiftly obvious that someone in the design team simply screenshotted the clip from YouTube, as evidenced by the small but perceptible “Play (K)” pop-up in the bottom-left corner. Whoops! Time will tell if this is corrected for the physical release of the toy.

#1: There will no doubt be repaints!

Artwork credit: Delbo / Bulanadi

As ever with a new design, our head immediately starts turning towards the potential repaints that might follow as a consequence. Sultry black Soundblaster makeovers are often a given whenever there’s a new Soundwave in the offing, and that certainly wouldn’t be a great surprise here – perhaps even with an accompanying Ratbat, similar to the Masterpiece MP-13B release from 2014. However, a much more intriguing prospect could be a purple ‘Comic Edition’ repaint styled after the classic Marvel depiction of Soundwave, which would also be a truly fitting opportunity to include a new Ratbat, too, considering how influential the one-time fuel auditor was in that storyline! We have already heard rumours of such a thing, and we know from a Triple Takeover chat with Hasbro’s Evan Brooks that they once considered such a repaint of the WFC design, so here’s hoping. The only question will be if it has a mouth or not!

So that’s our list! Are you excited for SS86 Soundwave?

TTFN