Hasbro Transformers G1 Soundwave - Sound or Power? With the Walmart Soundwave reissue now out, I take a little look at the age old mix-up between Soundwave's speaker and battery stickers! Square One: Hasbro G1 Soundwave - Sound or Power? All the best Maz
My Japanese double cassette door has the stickers on his batteries. I went old school on the Walmart one and used them as the speakers.
I think that's what I would do if I opened the Walmart one or on any other reissue, but on a vintage one I'd stick with the batteries. I do genuinely like how they look as speakers. All the best Maz
That's awesome! I had absolutely no idea that was an official thing. I always just assumed people didn't like the look of the speakers on the legs, so they figured out the stickers worked on the weapons. Now to see if I can get my not-actually-supposed-to-be-speaker stickers moved...
I’d never known about this issue either until @mcluskyism pointed it out to me last week in a discussion about the Walmart reissue. But even so, it’s nice looking as the speakers! All the best Maz
It's funny because I've never really liked the look of them as speakers, but just went with it because that's what the instructions showed.
Is it about 49 USD where you are? Man I wish I'd got it for that price, paid almost double post-import! All the best Maz
Just a very minor tidbit to add: There was actually a running change to Takara's own 1985-onwards Soundwave! Version #1 had the internal hinge and individual buttons like the MicroChange version and the Hasbro release did, while version #2 had the external hinge and the monobutton that would be then used as the basis for Soundblaster and all subsequent Soundwave reissues. Compare: Takara Soundwave with internal hinge and individual buttons: Takara Soundwave with external hinge and monobutton:
Cool! It seems a bit like Optimus's case where very limited quantities with grey roller and metal plate trailer were released in Japan at the start of the run. All the best Maz
Now I'm wondering if I need an extra set of stickers so he can have both battery and speaker stickers, just so I can post the "Why not both" gif All the best Maz
Rip I just applied the stickers on mine, as instructed, I like em more on the batteries tho that makes infinitely more sense lol
I agree it makes more sense, with the added benefit of being where the original designer intended for them to go...but they do look swish on the legs as speakers too All the best Maz
I will say my originals I did place them where the sticker sheet showed them. However, I also remember wondering why you never saw them on him in the cartoon. All releases after that I put them on the batteries where they were supposed to go.
I'd love it if every now and then we could get a straight and accurate answer from the folks who worked in marketing for G1 TFs as to why they made changes like this. I'm sure it would be as simple as "We just thought it looked better", but still All the best Maz
Yah, probably some intern. I've gotten testshots with completely random stickers, but it was always more for mock ups. The Diaclone/MicroChange stuff really makes no sense not to have them placed correctly.
This is one of the cases where the MSRP is right about where I feel it should be. This line have been 50/50 on pricing. I just haven't seen a Soundwave in any stores yet. Or the cassettes, but for $40 for the set...that's a tough sell for me.
