Studio Series 86 Springer vs Legacy United Soundwave: Who's the Better Excuse of a Modern Day Leader Class???

Something that's been bothering me lately is Hasbro's tendency to use smaller figures with slightly better engineering or part count than they normally have to justify their higher price tags in a certain size class. Granted, it's been a thing we've seen before in lines such as the RID 2001 series with the Mega Class Predacon 3-pack featuring the redecos of Transmetal II Basics, but the difference was they did this to give fans an easier way to get them in one swoop at $15. If they were put out nowadays, they'd share the same price you'd normally find on eBay aftermarket prices. The practice done nowadays is very hit or miss; for example, Studio Series 86 Hot Rod works well as a Voyager because he has a fairly intricate transformation, has very few hollow spaces, includes uncommon points of articulation such as butterfly joints and finger articulation, and comes with a plethora of accessories. Meanwhile, the same line and size class's Ironhide falls short because even with a chunkier robot design, his engineering is not that much different from the Siege version, he only comes with two guns, a few areas remain somewhat hollow, (though not to the extent as the Siege version), and it is only slightly shorter in height than the Siege version. 2024 is definitely a year where fans are starting to get their wake-up call in questioning Hasbro's approach in justifying what are essentially Voyagers with Benefits, especially now where said Voyagers are reused from earlier toys with varying degrees of alterations. Studio Series 86 Springer clashes with Legacy United Soundwave as we're about to discuss which of the two will be granted the class of Leader.

Let's take a look at the two figures individually first. Springer's car mode is already the strongest of the two vehicles modes. As far as new tooling is concerned, the front section and the middle roof area received the most amount of changes, with the latter section having the light green components on hinges that can be angled depending on the mode Springer is in. The new wheels on the front are pinned on and filled in, though the back ones are still snap-on and remain with small holes on the rims. The back is functionally the same as the vehicle mode, which is fine for the vehicle mode at least (more discussion on this later down the review article). All of Springer's weapons can be placed around the rooftop thanks to the new tabs added for this version of the mold specifically. Again, we'll talk about those later as we go along.

For a car mode comparison, I find that both of them have comparable appearances. The Siege version was perfectly fine, and I feel a similar way to the SS86 version. The cockpits being differently molded colors is also noteworthy, though I half-expected it to be opaque; that being said, the green paint meshes worse with the molded plastic here than with the Siege version.

As for the helicopter mode, this is where I would have loved to see some additional tooling applied to the figure; the wheels remain exposed in this mode, which is inaccurate to the cartoon and was something one would hope Hasbro could fix for a supposed Leader Class figure. Of note, there is a new propellor blade made up from one of his two swords, but the blades are not designed to have them face the opposite direction from one another). Hasbro could have engineered some method in making them look proper.

Comparing the two helicopter modes leaves me feeling how even with the new tooling, one would hope Hasbro could make their Leader Class version of Springer feel more like it has an enhanced budget. I'm certain Hasbro could have found some method of adding additional parts to make the helicopter mode more convincing, even if it would be a difficult task or compromise the look.

Robot modes are where the differences start to become more apparent. Other than the vehicle parts I already covered, we have a new version of Springer's head closer to the cartoon, shoulder pylons that splay out to the sides, articulated hands, a new midriff, and hips and thighs with less detail on them. The forearms, lower legs, and possibly any of the structural components remain the same. I think the coloring is nicer on SS86 Springer, along with the changes from the thighs up, but it makes one wonder why the lower legs remain the same. It's fine from the front, but would it hurt them to add some covers for the backs? Not to mention how after the Wreck-N-Rule version had the tighter ankles, we're back to them being loose here.

Going over the accessories, Springer's propellor blades double as a green sword, but he also has a proper one with silver paint, and the sculpt work is closer to how it appeared to the cartoon; both replace the twin swords from the Siege version. He retains the blasters from the Siege version in addition to a new blaster sculpted similarly to the one Magnus used to fight the Junkions. 

We're not done yet, as in addition to those, he also has a hammer stolen from Thor based on the one from the Wreck-N-Rule collection exclusive to Amazon. It's something that was never in the movie but it is a nice accessory...in theory; there is an empty space meant for a Wrecker insignia, but Hasbro neglected to add it. I also wish it was painted to better match the hammer rather than look toyish as it is. He also comes with the missile used against Devastator where he recites how he wished he had better things to do than die. I wonder if the aforementioned better things to do tonight happen to include getting rid of the yellow paint on the missile. Oh and he has a forearm-mounted blaster, though it's underslung, requires opening that stabilizer fin for the helicopter altmode, and can be seen as negligible. So overall, Springer TRIES to be a Leader Class figure with the added budget, though I know there is room for improvement.

As for Soundwave, we get a reissue of the once highly sought-after Netflix figure, though there are a few differences worth discussing. Altmode wise, what was previously silver is now a light gray to match the gray plastic better, the trim around the tape door is gold instead of silver, the white outline and eyes on the Decepticon insignia is thicker, and that's about it. I do wish they could have added the red dot on the rec/batt light, which amusingly has a slightly different font. I am annoyed that Hasbro added the serial numbers on the front of the tape deck mode, but let's see if the gray plastics won't yellow like on Netflix.

Robot mode transformation is the same for both figures, with there being no new additions whatsoever in terms of tooling. I kind of wish we could have found a way to make the legs transform without utilizing a waist swivel or having the robot shins face the inside of the tape deck mode. I appreciate that the red trimming around the forearms is added, and you can see what I mean about the yellowing on the Netflix version compared to the new copy. A weird aspect about the Legacy version would be how there is a slight A-stance that is permanent when the legs are straightened, a result from using the Dramatic Capture Series version that has the ridges within the hip joints. Maybe Takara added better plastic for the unpaintable parts so they won't yellow, though only time will tell. Still, I wish Hasbro could fill in any hollow parts, add panels to the forearm gaps whenever you transform the hands, add finger articulation, or at least something to make the budget feel more worthwhile.

There are a few differences in regards to the accessories, mostly in the deco thanks to the red trim added on. We get the same third gun from the Siege version, and you can see just how nasty the yellowed plastic looks. Let's hope the same doesn't happen to Legacy United or the DCS one.

Now for the tape comparisons, we have Buzzsaw instead of Laserbeak, finally completing the G1 Cassette team associated with Soundwave. He is a redeco of Netflix Laserbeak, and it's great to see them color the beak yellow along with replacing hte silver trim around the wings with gold. I'm amazed it took HasTak long enough to make Buzzsaw given all the opportunities with Soundblaster and even the Legacy 2022 version of Siege Soundwave. Hell, even the Core Class Soundblaster has a tease with a non-transforming Buzzsaw.

Ravage is where the differences are negligible. What was gray plastic on the original Netflix version is now black, and the teeth are painted on. Would have been cool to see another panther, but I guess this is probably great for the few of you with a DCS Soundwave and want this as Takara excluded it from their Soundwave.

Rumble has went from cartoon-accuracy to toy-accuracy, albeit not being named as Frenzy. I personally like the toy colors more since they compliment SS86 Frenzy better, but it would have been cooler if we got an Enemy instead. It could be argued that the added budget goes directly to the Core Class figure and the Micromaster set, but it makes me wonder why Soundwave couldn't have any quality of life improvements beyond the altered deco?

To wrap things up, here we have Springer and Soundwave with their accessories lined up. I know it's not easy to classify the cassette partners as such, but they really feel like they're there as an excuse to not retool Soundwave and improve him further. Springer wasn't 100% perfect but he came off like the designers really wanted to make the SS86 version to be the definitive CHUG-scale Springer of their collection in spite of the lingering flaws. If Hasbro wanted to put out the Netflix Soundwave out, then they should have reissued him along with improving the joints. A new mold would have been great, but I bet SS86 will add that because Hasbro refuses to let the damn 86 movie go. So who won this review? Springer: slightly superior. Soundwave: definitely inferior.

SS86 Springer ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Legacy United Soundwave ranking: ⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Transformers Legacy United Cannonball & Filch review

The Star Raiders subline found in Legacy: United is a surprise for someone like me, who was happy with some of the new molds and a retooled Blurr surpassing the regular version compared to the repaint-only Toxitron line. The latter line was alright but mostly based on canceled G2 redecoes (with the titular Decepticon originating from the Universe 2003 line) with a majority of the line having the same characters we've seen before. Star Raiders at least gives us a mostly new roster to look into, such as new versions of existing characters and a new toy for a character who never had any proper transforming figure before. This review covers the latter example with Filch while the former is demonstrated with Cannonball, who is both a new take on a Cybertron redeco and a tease for an incoming Red Alert (assuming we get that before the Armada version).

Here we have Filch and Cannonball in their respective alternate modes. Filch's altmode is a mechanical corvid decently matching the RID15 aesthetics while Cannonball is a mix of a Dodge Magnum's design traits with a Honda City Turbo's smaller size. Filch's alt mode retains the same functionality found in Airazor, with a neck swivel, opening beak, multi-hinged wings (with 5mm ports for the outer parts of the wings), and slight leg movement despite them being folded up. Meanwhile, Cannonball was retooled to better match the alternate mode of the original toy back in 2005, though Cannonball being a Dodge Magnum meant that this new toy would have one row of seats/doors less. The deco is also different from the old toy, with more bronze surrounding the tires and the hood whereas the original toy had them as silver for the former and was blank on the latter. At least the rims are painted silver, including the mushroom pegs for the front tires.

For a comparison with the vast, predatory birds, here we have Filch next to Airazor. The remaining parts from Airazor are not as noticeable in their alt modes beyond the feet and the structure for the torsos, but so far we can see how distinct the two already are as we go from organic to mechanical, with the obvious coloring differences. 

As for Cannonball, here he is next to Medix, last year's (final) Walgreens exclusive toy. The white and orange/green-accented Autobot is a use of Legacy Crankcase, already a heavy retool of Skids from the same line, with a new shell for the vehicle mode that ditches translucent plastic for the first time. The squatter proportions don't match the original toy's look, but I do find it to be a decent compromise if we're going to stick with this figure as our Cybertron Red Alert.

Of note, this figure comes with a new accessory that goes on the roof, giving Cannonball a siren and Cyber Key port to complete the look. The key itself isn't translucent like with Vector Prime, Hot Shot, and Starscream, but at least it tries to break up the inaccurate bronze patch on the back. Said lightbar even has Cannonball's head sculpted as faux to homage the old toy.

The transformation is the same as with the Kingdom Airazor mold, transformation is the exact same as one would expect. Filch adds an additional step where the wings would be removed from the 5mm ports, allowing them to be pegged on the forearms just like the show model. As far as the new parts are concerned beyond the wings and beast mode head, the back, the robot head, the shoulder pieces, and the shins are new. While I am impressed with the retooling applied to Filch, I do feel that there is room for further improvement, mostly with the rest of the torso, the codpiece, the rest of the arms, and the thighs. Regardless, I'm surprised Hasbro went back and made a Decepticon from RID15 that we didn't get previously in the show's line, on top of the current state of representation in RID15 characters in the Legacy line (don't get me started on that Ratbat redeco named Nightstrike).

As for Cannonball, the shoulders are new to better match how they looked on the old toy, this time better-scaled as faux parts, thankfully. While a more faithful update would be ideal, the Skids/Crankcase mold is the next best thing for the character design. The original Cybertron Red Alert had a charm of its own yet didn't feel as practical aesthetically compared to most of his contemporaries, with the oversized lower legs that surprisingly retain knee articulation in addition to the doors. The Skids/Crankcase mold is admittedly basic as it stands, especially the original Skids tooling, but Cannonball could be the best version of the mold; the legs are functionally the same as the others, but I like how the upper body turned out this time, making it feel more robust compared to the others. And yes, the shoulder cannons from Crankcase are intact, and they're just as tiny as on the old toy.

One thing that I find ingenious would have to be the way Hasbro used the empty spaces within the lower legs as weapon storage. I don't know how early their retool plans were for Cannonball, but while many would find these empty spaces (and the knee joints) unsightly, this at least homages how the old toy would store its weapons.

Because of the nozzle replacing the left hand, Cannonball can utilize either a claw or hammer, which he could use for combat or repairs if he's a medic like Red Alert.

Overall, this is a remarkable pair of retools for the Star Raiders capsule line. Not only will it be great to have a Cybertron Red Alert to go with a growing Cybertron collection, but it's also great to see a RID15 Decepticon pop up. With the former, I can happily say that Hasbro went many steps further with their budget compared to Generations Selects Hot Shot being just a head swap of Siege Hound. As for the latter, I don't know how soon we'll get more Decepticons from Steeljaw's Pack, but this retool could fit in decently with the other Warrior Class figures (but please give us better versions of Steeljaw and Underbite, Hasbro).

Cannonball ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Filch ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Since I wanted to give more attention to the other Star Raiders figures, I'm happy to see a new reuse of the Kingdom Cyclonus mold, with Ferak featuring altered wings, nosecone, and a toy-accurate head to boot. He sadly suffers from the flat gray plastic, though there is a Reprolabel set to make him look better if you really want to. As it stands, he could have been made better.

I also have to show you Road Pig, the second reuse of last year's Crashbar. The black, silver, red, and gold from the G2 toy look cooler than the Junkion colors, but the pipes and even the head are cast in red plastic; the pipes could be an homage to the old toy's light-up gimmick, but the head is a possible consequence of them being from the same sprue. Amusingly, the Transformers logo is on the left of the altmode, but it is the current brand version of the logo seen since 2014 rather than the G2 version.

Since he is the second use of the Crashbar mold, we can now have a complete Junkion line-up consisting of three characters that color-match Wreck-Gar, a Decepticon Junkion whose deco does not match the others, and another Decepticon who was never a Junkion to begin with. Hey. beats a test shot version of Crashbar that the Hasbro designer used for Junkasaurus.

The proper Junkasaurus configuration is now possible with five members, with the Crashbar mold used as arms and the Scraphook mold used as legs; Trashmaster serves as the torso, and the result I have here...is similar to how Devastator looked in Revenge of the Fallen. See, depending on how strong the 5mm ports are, this combined mode wouldn't stay together or pose that well; Junkasaurus is best left as a display piece rather than a new mode to play with. I do like the approach in having the more colorful limbs on one side of the combined mode while the traditionally-colored Crashbar and Scraphook share a dedicated side of their own. Either way, this is even less stable than the 3-bot version of Junkasaurus from my experience.

As for the other repaints I have yet to buy, Lockdown is a figure I'd love to have given I'm a big fan of the Animated design. Apparently, Hasbro mentioned you can use Road Pig's arms to make the legs better match the unique design this bounty hunter is associated with. He appears to be the hardest one to find, likely due to being shortpacked (an annoying aspect toy companies do). Meanwhile, Thundertron, Calcitron, and Nightstrike come in a multipack labeled as a Leader Class set; the latter two are unique, but Thundertron isn't entirely different from his regular release beyond the brighter colors, a TFP-accurate head (with eyepatch), and a hook instead of a right hand. I don't think it's been reported if this set was spotted at retail like last year's Toxitron Leaders, so wish me luck.

Transformers Generations Comic Edition Straxus, Flame, and Emirate Xaaron review

I never reviewed the first two Comic Edition Transformers, though I did mention Grimlock in the SS86 Swoop review. He and Shockwave were given unique accessories, with the former having swords for himself and Slag and Sludge. In contrast, the latter had a display piece featuring the head of Optimus Prime (styled after the comics AND compatible with Earthrise). Given that they were straight repaints with no major differences in functionality, I decided to try and wait for Straxus as well as Flame and Emirate Xaaron to pop up after hearing they'd be retooled from prior figures with more going on than usual head swaps. Let's see if they're worth getting.

Here is Straxus in his vehicle mode, a very familiar space cannon. While many would find it odd that he would be a retool of Kingdom Galvatron, he did have this altmode in the old Marvel Comics, perhaps an unintended hint that he would possess a cloned Megatron body to reclaim control over the Decepticons. It's amusing that said alternate mode is mixed up with a color scheme reminiscent of Ultra Magnus. Speaking of colors, one somewhat nitpick I have is that the figure's blue could be a little darker to better match the comics, but there are black streaks and a subtle hint of dot tone paint apps to match the aesthetics of the Marvel Comics made back in the 80s. Unlike Grimlock and Shockwave, the details are nowhere near as prominent given how Hasbro likely wanted fans to have the figure fit in a shelf without having the super-obvious paint app contrast (look at the cel-shaded 2019 Prime and Megs for example).

Overall, it's a great recreation of the alt mode from the older comics, and while the axe does stand out more in the silvery gray plastic rather than be blue to fit with the rest of the alt mode, it is at least able to add to the design. One complaint I have would be the the exposed thighs, an issue Galvatron never had for his toy.

For a tank mode comparison, here he is next to Galvatron, and while some of Galvatron's tooling was kept intact, major changes like the cannon, the legs, and the back section forming an acute angle when hinged downwards with the front two stabilizers, in contrast to Galvatron's where it can go at 90 degrees.

Transformation is about the same as Galvatron's, but the main differences include how the shoulder bits work within the upper body as well as the tank treads not tabbing in anywhere like with Galvatron. As for the robot mode, the upper body, front cod piece, and the shins are new to Straxus. Some of the Galvatron parts have been kept intact, but it's nothing too obvious in addition to their designs being similar already (even with how the two fought for Decepticon leadership). 

The head sculpt is unique for Straxus, feeling a lot less traditional compared to the usual robot faces with the occasional mouthplate, visor, or both; this is almost comparable to G1 Shockwave's uncommon head design, with the faceplate almost being like something we'd find from a version of Iron Monger. Hell, the blue from the comic version of the character also comes to mind (though this is in-line with the MCU version being closer to Iron Man). The articulation is the same as with Galvatron, though he now has to hold his cannon with the 5mm ports gone.

For a comparison with the figure he was retooled from, I am happy to say that retooling Galvatron into Straxus was a genius move on Hasbro's part, especially given how unexpected of an idea it was at the time. Not only would one assume the Generations Deluxe would be it for the character, but neither would the likelihood of the toy being retooled this much would be a thing, either. I bet that the upcoming SS86 Galvatron would mean that the Kingdom mold will be stuck with Straxus now (assuming it'll be a new mold).

Fun fact: the intent for the Legacy line was to make him the "central villain" for the Netflix series, with the IDW body being used in addition to his later appearance being a hodge podge of parts not unlike Autobot Spike. Netflix dumped the series, Transmetal II Megatron took the spot as the final Leader, and we later got the Straxus retooled from Galvatron, which I am more than thankful with.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As for Flame and Emirate Xaaron, these two need a little more explaining; the former was a Marvel UK-exclusive Autobot scientist who was disgraced by the others in his faction for his over-the-top and dangerous ideas. The latter, on the other hand, was prominent in both American and British comic runs. Xaaron was part of an underground Autobot resistance who later gave full leadership to Optimus Prime. Flame is a retool of Studio Series Gamer Edition Megatron, while Xaaron is a retool of Siege Refraktor with a few new accessories added. Despite the different aesthetics between the more stylized High Moon Cybertron game designs and the more traditional G1 blockiness found in the WFC and Legacy lines, Flame's altmode manages to get the point across with the way the altmode looks (though I still wish the treads can be deployed, an issue I brought up with Megs). Xaaron's is made up given how he never transformed in the Marvel comics, but it fits better with the Cybertronian combat modes seen on the old comics more than the alt mode on Flame, though I question how he can move easily with that ski in front of the treads.

Compared to Megatron, this feels like how FunPub once took the TFP First Edition Megatron mold and retooled it into Rampage/Protoform X. This time, the colors feel like an even bigger contrast with the use of warm colors on the retool versus Megatron's massively dark color scheme (while the TFP version has silver paint).

And next to Reflector, Emirate Xaaron feels like he has a somewhat better altmode than the figure he was retooled from thanks to the tank turret and added treads. It's still not perfect, given how the front of the altmode looks like crap with the feet exposed and unchanged lower legs, but hey, they retooled the cockpit.

Their robot modes for them have varying degrees of alterations; Flame receives a new head, chest, pelvis, and thighs while Xaaron has a new head and chest (with even a scar to boot) with the treads requiring partsforming. That comment I made on FunPub retools rings a little less true here, and moreso on Flame, thanks to there being more effort in ensuring they feel closer to the comic designs where they see fit. While I wish Flame had more retooling that wouldn't compromise the base mold's structure or function, this is still a better approach than, say, a mere head swap on Siege Cybertron Defense Hot Shot.

Compared to Megatron in robot mode, Flame somehow works better with the mold better than I thought. I personally think it turned out better than on the Decepticon leader, likely because of how lower my expectations were on the original version. If you want a version of the mold and already own the Planet X Pluto as your High Moon Megs, then Flame is the way to go. Also amusing how his head is bigger than Megatron's.

One annoying aspect kept from Megatron was the pair of tabs that inhibited knee articulation, requiring you snip them off to give him the proper range. This was already annoying on the previous version of the character, and for a Hasbro Pulse exclusive, very inexcusable. You can snip said tabs off if you want, but again, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO!!!

As for the comparison with Reflector, Emirate Xaaron feels more like a possible D-16 pretool given all that buzz (or lack thereof, marketing and box office wise) for Transformers One. He ends up feeling even more like a Genericon than Reflector with the color blocking Marvel did on background characters, but at least the bronze paint apps and the unique Megatron/early Iron Man-esque face makes him unique. And hey, he has no sign of GPS!

Of note, Flame has the ability to remove his right forearm while Xaaron can still transform into 1/3rd of a camera via being a cube, allowing for amusing display options. 

Overall, this set isn't as good as Straxus, but there are still things to like about it when it comes to the retooling and character selection. While they probably will have less demand than Straxus would, I have to commend Hasbro for doing deep lore cuts like these in an anniversary where we keep seeing the same circlejerking to casual G1. And hey, their comic art paint apps are nowhere near as distracting as the cel-shaded repaints Hasbro does more, especially if you compare this set and Straxus to Grimlock and Shockwave.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐