With as great as this figure is, there are still two issues that kept him from being absolutely perfect for me. The first is his hands. They designed him to have closed hands with the 5mm in the center for holding things. This was probably done to make him transform easier. But I’m a really big fan of the open hands that allow for gesturing, so this was a bit of a disappointment.
My second issue is his height. Ultimately I’d have preferred if he were made a larger class than Deluxe, like their new reworking of FoC Soundwave. This isn’t a huge deal because he does fit in with the War for Cybertron and Deluxe class Prime figures, but he’s still a smidge smaller than even them.
Shockwave’s paint job is very simple. The whole figure is mostly molded in a dark purple, with a few pieces done in black and translucent purple as well. The majority of his painting is silver and neon purple highlights. This minimalistic approach really works well and fits perfectly with his character.
Shockwave’s articulation is just as nice as any of the Prime figures. His head is on a swivel joint, while his shoulders are swivel/hinges. The elbows and hips are on ball joints, while his wrists, knees, and ankles are hinges.
Shockwave comes with one accessory, a blaster. This gun is made up of two parts, a black body with a three pronged barrel and a larger “Y” shaped barrel that fits over the three prongs. This gun can be held by either hand, or it can be attached to his arm and replace either hand. I always see Shockwave as having a cannon arm, so I find it a bit odd that he can carry a gun instead. But I’m glad the option is there for those who want it.
All around this is a great figure, even if he is a bit small. I love that he’s an updated look of his G1 counterpart, and I think he’s a perfect figure that can smoothly transition between the various Transformers brands on a collector’s shelf.
-Vault
Just got him recently. Very fun figure.
Easily my favourite of the three Fall of Cybertron figures so far.
Been debating on getting this guy but man what a price hike on this scale. Though it is a cool design so that has me debating the most. I just hope we’ll see some earth designs in this new line. This review has made me think more toward getting him though. The pics sell it.
I’ve had this figure in my hands on a couple of occassions, but the price hike and smaller size have put me off. I may still pick him up, but I’m definitely passing on the rest of the first wave. When the Prime figures were released, I came to accept them being smaller and a little more expensive than previous Deluxe class figures, but it seems like these new “Generations” toys are flimsier and I just don’t see the value.
If I do decide to pick up Shockwave it’ll be because of the character. He hasn’t been represented in the “classics” series at all, so he is a highly sought after addition to the collection.
The guy is great, and I think worth it even at $15. Have him on my classics shelf and he looks great.
Great review, as always. Got this guy in my Pile o’ Loot and look forward to him shipping next month.
Yea, it the small scale that keep making me pass on him when I see him @ Target. That coupled with the price point!
Great Job Vault!
Hows the quality feel for this guy? I bought FOC Jazz and he feels super cheap
Gonna go ahead and join the chorus — the smaller size is a turn off, but thats happening to deluxe figures in general, not just ‘ol Shocky here. The price hike — well, for the most part deluxe figures have been in that $9.99-$12.99 zone but along with everything else consumers have to expect to pay more now. I guess the burn is the smaller size in addition to the price bump — Anyone here buy cereal? Have you noticed how boxes keep getting smaller & smaller? Same principle, I think.
They’ve been doing that with chocolate bars here in England for decades. The price stays the same, but they get smaller and smaller. Then, one day, they reintroduce a new, bigger size (the original size) at a price hike.
I’ve seen him 2-3 times now, and the price hike keeps making me pass on him. I didn’t have the original, I think I saw it only once, but I did have the Action Master version, which I think I had commanding the SixShot around all the time! LOL
I think the increased price for that smaller size, and the fact he has a three pronged cannon arm instead of his classic singular cannon are what are keeping me from buying him. I’m also trying to talk myself into the (WFC?) Jazz while I’m at it. Prime is just too small to bother with, tho. :/
You know what the one thing is that annoys me about this guy? The one thing that really makes me resigned about him? It’s not his size in comparison with the older toys. It’s not his alt mode. It’s not his transformation. It’s not even his price point.
It’s those damn reedy legs they put on their Generations toys now that make them look like they’re standing on sticks. They bother me on Shockwave, they bother me on the Combaticons. It’s a weird thing to get hung up on, but it really is a nuisance for me.
yep! It makes them look like stick figures!
(Stikfas?)
Yeah, I’m kinda with you on that point, too. But if I recall correctly, the original Shockwave had rather skinny legs to begin with, so this version doesn’t look quite so bad to me.
Vault! You should check the Ulisse 31 intro, the head is a clear copy of the cyclops from that show
He’s nice, though I really dislike that recently Hasbro is making smaller and smaller figures. Next to the earlier Generations/RtS toys (i.e. RtS Jazz, Gen. Blurr) FoC toys or some of the Prime ones look small and simplified, more like a Scout class than Deluxe (FoC in particular). Or RotF vs. DotM. It’s quite a sad tendency.