In robot mode the red and blue colors are pretty much reversed. The Hasbro version has a few added colors with some minor highlights painted in dark gray and an odd looking yellow. (I’m not really sure where that comes from.) The Takara figure relies on stickers for its additional highlights. Most of them are gold though, and make the figure a bit too shiny for me.
One thing you’ll definitely want to watch out for is paint scratching. Unfortunately the glossy blacks on Hasbro Rumble’s hands and face have already started flaking on mine.
The Takara figure does include a couple of cool bonus stickers though. One is his name with half of Soundwave Prime’s face. The other is a little logo that says “Team Soundwave”. Both are great extras that make me wish I also had Takara Frenzy’s.
Like most of their Prime brethren, both figures have excellent articulation. Each has a ball jointed head that can almost look straight up for excellent crouched over poses. Their shoulders, ankles, and hips are also on ball joints. They have swivel biceps and thighs, while their elbows and knees are hinges. Each also has a swivel waist, but it’s blocked by their crotch armor.
The Takara versions of these characters come with a little Arms Micron robotic octopus named Dago R. All four of his arms are on hinge joints and his torso can extend to transform him into a pile driver/blaster. I’m a pretty big fan of the Arms Micron figures, but this guy is a bit too bulky to be wielded like an ordinary gun. Plus, he really needs two of them.
I think Hasbro did a much better job on their accessories: two pile driver/blasters. They may not turn into minicons, but they do fit nicely over each hand to mimic the G1 ground pounder look.
Aside from the flaking paint, I’m pretty happy with how these two figures turned out. I love the tough little hunched over body that Hasbro designed. I’m also glad that Takara finished off the duo and even added a unique head design into the mix. Both figures may be a bit too big to pop onto Soundwave’s chest, but they still make excellent additions to his own personal army.
These guys are fun, albeit missing some articulation that I would have liked to see. Sadly the Japanese idea to exclude paint apps for stickers is utterly vexing, as usually the Takara version of any figure is the one with -more- paint!
Good little review! I’m just now looking into adding to my Prime figures as well.
I kept seeing Rumble at a local store when I didn’t know had a new Transfan in the fam. Then when decided to buy you can easily guess what happened. I dunno who he has but if see this one sale.again will indeed buy if spotted.
Though tge beast hunters toys look scrunched to me other then Smokescreen so happy found a normal prime Wheeljack.
I just got the Takara versions of the pair of these guys. Other than the piledrivers, I prefer the Takara version for both. I’m not a big fan of the chest-face on them, and with the stickers, the face isn’t quite as prominent (though it’s still there). I also love the deep shade of blue on the Tak version.
Normally, I hate stickers, but I really like them in this case. As you said, the Team Soundwave and the Soundwave face ones are really great.
Great Job!
Where can I get a team soundwave sticker for my car?
Sweet review and great pictures, as always. You just talked me into getting both Takara versions with some spare dosh I had kicking about. Plus, combined with the Hasbro Rumble I picked up a while back, I can now get two guys with two pile-drivers each.
In addition to just being plain creepy, I think the face-chests are also vaguely reminiscent of the original Cassetticons’ torsos with spindle-holes in them.
really? I think those face torsos are reminiscent of that mini-Unicron tank from a few years’ back.
I’m not really seeing it, mate The freaky new Unicron, sure, but not the tank version.
I know I questioned who the blue car was in a previous review, some weeks back. I didn’t know it was Rumble at that time and I only saw him a couple times up this way.
I’m not a fan of these “green mini” car modes, and prefer they stick more to the classic styles unless they go “Cybertron” and then it depends on each mode.
(for example: My sister just replaced her Durongo with a Scion and it just looks ugly to me.)
I do like the look of the red/black Rumble over blue Frenzy, tho, even if I didn’t have the Rumble/Ravage set back in the old G1 days. I did have the blue Frenzy and Laserbeak set, even if he was “misnamed” on the cartoon, so I was happy I had two of the three main cassettes from the show.
I guess you haven’t gotten the new “cassette team” yet in time for this review? I’d like to see your take on the new “discs” vs the cars. We just got them in last week up here and I don’t care for them or the new “Beast” iteration, either.
I dunno about the rest of the world, but here in Britain, lately, this style of vehicle is referred to as “Boy Racer Cars.” The youf get hold of the cheapest, clone-iest little hatchback they can get, then pimp the living Hells out of it with turbochargers, seismic sound systems, Monster Energy Beverage logos, underlighting, etc.
Considering the real-life loud, obnoxious, aggressive little punk angle, I think these are the perfect modern vehicle modes for Rumble and Frenzy.
ok, I can see it from that perspective. I haven’t watched past Fast and Furious 2, so what do I know? ;p
Vault, you forgot to talk about the wheels. You had some comments about them. :p