(NOTE: Although a reissue of a G1 toy, and labeled as a "commemorative toy", Soundwave was packaged in Classics-style packaging to fit the mainline at the time he was released.)
 

Laserbeak

Difficulty of Transformation: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Black, red, chrome silver, and some chrome gold
Individual Rating: 7.4

    Laserbeak's alternate mode is a cassette tape. Obviously, it's not a solid cassette tape due the transformation, so it's obviously not a real cassette tape, but it still looks fairly good given the technology of the time that the toy was made. The stickers do make the creases in the toy more obvious than just straight paint apps would have, but they weren't able to do paint tampos at that time, so there you go. The creases aside, this mode is pretty good, and the stickers give some realistic details to it like labels of the tape sides and measurements and whatnot.
    In bird mode, Laserbeak looks fairly good, even by today's standards. His feet are rather oddly shaped, but otherwise he has pretty good proportions, and the large guns on his back add some needed bulk to his frame. The red-and-black color scheme is pretty basic, but works well for a Decepticon, and the golden eyes look nice against the black. (The red body, by the way, is diecast.) I also like the mold detailing on his head-- he looks appropriately stern and menacing for a Decepticon minion. Laserbeak and move back-and-forth at two points on the wings, as well as up-and-down at two points on the head.
    Laserbeak is the better of Soundwave's two cassettes, with a decent, if obviously fake, cassette mode and a nice bird mode that still holds its own even today.
 

Ravage

Difficulty of Transformation: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Black, chrome silver, and some dark gunmetal gray and chrome gold
Individual Rating: 5.3

    Ravage's cassette tape mode isn't nearly as convincing as Laserbeak's, even taking into account the requisite creases throughout the mode. The reason for this is that the jaguar legs (which are diecast) stick out like a sore thumb, being mostly different in color from the rest of the toy and also making the tape mode look pretty asymmetrical as well. The stickers do add some realistic details to the cassette mode, though, like the measurements and side labels that were also on Laserbeak's stickers.
    Ravage's beast mode may have been passable back in its day, but it looks rather goofy now. Reason being that it's so two-dimensional, it's almost like Ravage got run over by a steamroller. From a side view, he looks alright (if rather stiff-looking), but he has almost no width at all, outside of his side-mounted chrome silver guns, which do look pretty cool. He does have rather good articulation, however, with back-and-forth motion at his hips, knees, ankles, tail, and at two points on his neck. The black-and-silver color scheme, while plain, also fits the beast mode nicely.
    Ravage is the only one of the trio that doesn't hold up well enough under today's standards, with an unconvincing tape mode and a very two-dimensional beast mode. He does have the best articulation out of the toys in the set, however.
 

Soundwave

Difficulty of Transformation: Easy
Color Scheme: Dark navy blue, light silvery gray, silver, and some chrome silver, chrome gold, yellow, clear plastic, and dark gunmetal gray
Individual Rating: 8.6

    In his micro-cassette player mode, Soundwave looks very realistic for a Transformer. His buttons can't be pressed in, and the back of his head is rather visible on the top of this mode, but otherwise it's flawless. There's tons of little details on his stickers, like miniature "rec" and "stop" button arrows and a fake battery light. He also has a turnable "volume wheel" and an on/off switch on his sides! His overall color scheme of dark blue, silver, and some red also looks great, even if it's not the most dynamic scheme I've ever seen. Unlike the original G1 toy, this Soundwave reissue has had its mold taken from the Japanese Soundblaster reissue-- a repaint of the original G1 toy, but with one important modification-- the flip-down cassette door can hold two tapes, not just one! This makes Soundwave's chest stick out slightly more than on the original G1 toy, but it's definitely worth it considering that he can hold both of his tapes.
    In robot mode, Soundwave is pretty boxy, but his proportions are pretty good for the most part (besides a rather wide chest, which is a necessity given his tape-launching schtick). He also has pretty good articulation for a toy from his time-- he can move at the head, back-and-forth at the shoulders and elbows, and forwards at the knees. His toes are the only diecast parts on him. His weapons are very inventive-- I love how they're made from the batteries of his cassette player mode, with one becoming a handheld gun and the other becoming a shoulder-mounted cannon. The missiles can't be stores in the cassette player mode, though, which always bugs me. He has the same opening-chest schtick in this mode that he has in his other mode, so you can still launch his tapes to your hearts' content. Oh, and his Decepticon rub symbol is on his lower back, in case you're wondering.
    Soundwave is a great toy, and only slightly limited in some aspects even by today's standards. Definitely one of the best G1 toys made.
 

    G1 Reissue Soundwave was one of the best G1 toys already, but even after all these years there hasn't been a gimmick that's been quite as cool as having a miniature cassette tape army for a Transformer. This highly increases the desirability of a toy that is already decent even by today's standards, and given that he comes with two cassette buddies-- one of them pretty cool even today-- and he retails for the very reasonable price of $30 U.S., he's the G1 Reissue I'd recommend the most out of all of them.

Review by Beastbot

(Images taken from Transformers.com.)

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