The Energon Pub

I got the takara version and am happy w/ it. I have YET to even see (offline) a TRU version. Yes the Takara version and cassettes may have been more expensive but at least I got em. If I had tried to get a Hasbro version I would've had to get one online and pay as much as I did for the takara version.

GuyIncognito wrote:

Noob-Sai-Bot wrote:

Sinnertwin wrote:I dont know about the comics, but the yellow eyes appear to be a nod to the G1 toy. In esence, theyre made at the same factory, few different paint apps and you're getting SW & 5 cassettes for less than the Takara SW alone.

For how much did TRU sell this Hasbro Soundwave?

$120 or $125 at TRU in the U.S.

For me, the extra cassettes add way more value than differently-colored eyes.

Youtube videos suggest the TRU SW has a "duller" cassette-bezel. And does anyone have a clear Ravage picture for me. At first I thought this is genius it looks so good. Now I see (small) pics and think 'wow ravage has been made uglier than the G1 version'. So not sure which one it is.

Frenzy/Rumble (the frickin' blue/purple one) has a more G1 cartoon color scheme with the Hasbro version (he's purple instead of blue). The Takara version is more toy accurate (blue, not purple).

Because of that difference, I bought Hasbro Rumble/Frenzy off of ebay (he's Rumble on my shelf just because of the show, no argument to those who more accurately call him Frenzy, I'm just sayin') so that I could have the most show accurate versions of everything.

MP Ravage is just as good if not better than the G1 original (this is coming from G1 enthusiast) so it depends how yo like it. "Brick" or modern engineered?

fenrir72 wrote:MP Ravage is just as good if not better than the G1 original (this is coming from G1 enthusiast) so it depends how yo like it. "Brick" or modern engineered?

The MP version is way better IMO. He has some quirks/limitations, but all in all, when standing on the shelf with Soundwave and his other minions, he looks pretty damn good, and from most angles, pretty damn show accurate.

I love the yellow Buzzaw. Seen it on youtube yesterday. Good choice by Hasbro. Also the Purple Rumble looks cool. Sad I will never have this because of insane prices through ebay. And I'm also wondering why TRU makes this toy so darn exclusive and limited. Who knows..

Did TRU in UK or rest of Europe ever sell Masterpieces by Hasbro anyone know, especially in Holland? Maybe I;m not making enough effort to get them.

Noob-Sai-Bot wrote:
Youtube videos suggest the TRU SW has a "duller" cassette-bezel.

I'm not even sure what that means, but I know this: when I look at my display case and I see MP SW with his four minions, I'm not paying attention to the cassette-bezel.

Noob-Sai-Bot wrote:Now I see (small) pics and think 'wow ravage has been made uglier than the G1 version'. So not sure which one it is.

Since there is some question on how Masterpiece Ravage looks compared to G1 Ravage, I thought I'd do some quick photos. Apologies in advance if these aren't the best, I didn't do anything fancy like pull out my normal backdrop. (I just stood them a blank white piece of paper.)

Also, even though it wasn't part of the question, just for fun I thought I'd throw my 2008 Universe Ravage into these pics, as well. (This Ravage has been Reprolabeled.)

In all of these it will be G1 (reissue) on the left, Hasbro Masterpiece in the center, and Universe on the right.

First, the Cassette modes.

The front:



G1 and Masterpiece both look pretty darn good here! I'm going to say the MP edges it out slightly, however, as there is a visible gap under the right reel on the G1. The Universe one is only saved from being a disaster in this mode by the Reprolabels.

The back:



Cassette based Transformers almost invariably suffer from not bothering too hard on one side. The G1 version suffers from lack of a cassette deco here. But not too surprising, as one side needs to favour the jaguar mode. The Masterpiece one probably suffers the most on this side compared to any of its Masterpiece cassette brethren. In this case, though, I'd actually say the Universe one wins! It may technically still be the weakest cassette of the three, but the Reprolabels give it cassette details that neither of the other two have on the B side.

On to the jaguar modes!



This is probably the best angle on the three. Overall, I like the Masterpiece the best. But the other two aren't shabby.

The Universe one suffers from being a bit of a brick. Okay, you can wag his tail, and reposition his rear legs slightly... but the lack of articulation in his feet limit what you can do with his legs to almost nothing. His head sculpt always looked a bit funky, too. Almost beak-like rather then a feline face. It does have integrated weapons on its hindquarters, but given that they are tiny and colored black, people almost always overlook them on this figure, so they may as well not even be there. His jaguar mode does have cassette detailing (thanks to the Reprolabels) all over him, but he makes it work. I just think of it as the look of "Classics" Ravage rather then a true G1 Ravage look.

The otherwise excellent G1 figure just suffers from a lack of dimensionality that the above photo hides well, but will be more clear from other angles seen below. Also, while it does have awesome, huge, chromed weapons over the hindquarters, they are separate pieces that have to be removed for cassette mode. Not unusual in a G1 toy, but it must be mentioned if we are comparing it to the Masterpiece. And, of course, on his reverse side he has obvious cassette details. (Not as bad as the lack of such details on one side of the cassette mode, but still note worthy.)

So, the Masterpiece. Good sculpt. Nice face. Good and expressive articulation. Integrated weapons. And it is three dimensional! A minor complaint would be a bit of kibble on the inner sides of the legs, but it isn't enough to make me dislike the look of the figure, and it also doesn't hinder the articulation in any way.

(The only major complaint I'd have is that mine came misassembled, and I had to do some scary surgery involving pin removal, plastic trimming, and a silver Sharpie to fix him... But I've not seen anyone else complain about this, so I hope I was an isolated case.)

Additional photos:







And just for fun, some photos I already had, taken just after getting the third party Beastbox and Squawktalk. (Hence their emphasis in these photos.) Ravage with other cassette based animals:



Frenzy, Squawkbox, and Rumble. (Or, if you must, Rumble, Squawkbox, and Frenzy: )



Cassette modes:



My Masterpiece Decepticons shelf:

My biggest gripe with Universe Ravage is that his tail appears to protrude from the middle of his back. He's very oddly proportioned. And the foot problem you mentioned is annoying as well.

The MP Ravage is awesome. They way the integrated the weapons is great.

Great comparison shots! Thank you!

@Yotsuyasan: thank you very much for taking the time to do this comparison

I slightly hoped I would not have to chase the Mp-ravage if it was ugly for my tastes. But now I think I must.. robotkingdom website says they did a last restock of the frenzy (or rumble) + ravage cassettes.. sheet.

I hope Hasbro will issue all 5 cassettes as a seperate kit. haha. :pray: I also love the yellow buzzaw and purple-ish rumble

I must be the only one who prefers the LOOK of Generations Ravage over MP. It looks more cartoon accurate, at least in the torso / shoulders / thighs area, though its brickishness does hamper things quite a bit.

after having the TRU MP soundwave i can honestly say i cant belive anyone would pay $50+ more for red eyes. the toy is beautiful, does not feel cheap at all, cassetts feel amazing and i have had no problems with him or the cassetts at all.

Doubledealer93 wrote:after having the TRU MP soundwave i can honestly say i cant belive anyone would pay $50+ more for red eyes. the toy is beautiful, does not feel cheap at all, cassetts feel amazing and i have had no problems with him or the cassetts at all.

I'd pay $100 more for red eyes. Those eyes are one of the most iconic things about him to me. It would be just as bad as Hasbro releasing him in entirely hot pink instead of blue. It's something I would not accept.

Yotsuyasan wrote:

Noob-Sai-Bot wrote:Now I see (small) pics and think 'wow ravage has been made uglier than the G1 version'. So not sure which one it is.

Since there is some question on how Masterpiece Ravage looks compared to G1 Ravage, I thought I'd do some quick photos. Apologies in advance if these aren't the best, I didn't do anything fancy like pull out my normal backdrop. (I just stood them a blank white piece of paper.)

Also, even though it wasn't part of the question, just for fun I thought I'd throw my 2008 Universe Ravage into these pics, as well. (This Ravage has been Reprolabeled.)

In all of these it will be G1 (reissue) on the left, Hasbro Masterpiece in the center, and Universe on the right.

First, the Cassette modes.

The front:



G1 and Masterpiece both look pretty darn good here! I'm going to say the MP edges it out slightly, however, as there is a visible gap under the right reel on the G1. The Universe one is only saved from being a disaster in this mode by the Reprolabels.

The back:



Cassette based Transformers almost invariably suffer from not bothering too hard on one side. The G1 version suffers from lack of a cassette deco here. But not too surprising, as one side needs to favour the jaguar mode. The Masterpiece one probably suffers the most on this side compared to any of its Masterpiece cassette brethren. In this case, though, I'd actually say the Universe one wins! It may technically still be the weakest cassette of the three, but the Reprolabels give it cassette details that neither of the other two have on the B side.

On to the jaguar modes!



This is probably the best angle on the three. Overall, I like the Masterpiece the best. But the other two aren't shabby.

The Universe one suffers from being a bit of a brick. Okay, you can wag his tail, and reposition his rear legs slightly... but the lack of articulation in his feet limit what you can do with his legs to almost nothing. His head sculpt always looked a bit funky, too. Almost beak-like rather then a feline face. It does have integrated weapons on its hindquarters, but given that they are tiny and colored black, people almost always overlook them on this figure, so they may as well not even be there. His jaguar mode does have cassette detailing (thanks to the Reprolabels) all over him, but he makes it work. I just think of it as the look of "Classics" Ravage rather then a true G1 Ravage look.

The otherwise excellent G1 figure just suffers from a lack of dimensionality that the above photo hides well, but will be more clear from other angles seen below. Also, while it does have awesome, huge, chromed weapons over the hindquarters, they are separate pieces that have to be removed for cassette mode. Not unusual in a G1 toy, but it must be mentioned if we are comparing it to the Masterpiece. And, of course, on his reverse side he has obvious cassette details. (Not as bad as the lack of such details on one side of the cassette mode, but still note worthy.)

So, the Masterpiece. Good sculpt. Nice face. Good and expressive articulation. Integrated weapons. And it is three dimensional! A minor complaint would be a bit of kibble on the inner sides of the legs, but it isn't enough to make me dislike the look of the figure, and it also doesn't hinder the articulation in any way.

(The only major complaint I'd have is that mine came misassembled, and I had to do some scary surgery involving pin removal, plastic trimming, and a silver Sharpie to fix him... But I've not seen anyone else complain about this, so I hope I was an isolated case.)

Additional photos:







And just for fun, some photos I already had, taken just after getting the third party Beastbox and Squawktalk. (Hence their emphasis in these photos.) Ravage with other cassette based animals:



Frenzy, Squawkbox, and Rumble. (Or, if you must, Rumble, Squawkbox, and Frenzy: )



Cassette modes:



My Masterpiece Decepticons shelf:

Thank you for NOT including FoC Ravage and the other data discs!

Noob-Sai-Bot wrote:I hope Hasbro will issue all 5 cassettes as a seperate kit. haha. :pray: I also love the yellow buzzaw and purple-ish rumble

I'm betting not, seeing as how all five come with Soundwave in the Hasbro version. I highly doubt they'd split it off from the main.

Delicon wrote:Thank you for NOT including FoC Ravage and the other data discs!

Even if I liked the data discs (which I don't... although I do put up with them for my "Classics" Autobots), it would be silly to include them in a comparison of Ravages with cassette alt modes? (Similarly, if I hypothetically owned it, I'd not have included Device Label Ravage. A USB memory stick is not a cassette.

xyl360 wrote:

Doubledealer93 wrote:after having the TRU MP soundwave i can honestly say i cant belive anyone would pay $50+ more for red eyes. the toy is beautiful, does not feel cheap at all, cassetts feel amazing and i have had no problems with him or the cassetts at all.

I'd pay $100 more for red eyes. Those eyes are one of the most iconic things about him to me. It would be just as bad as Hasbro releasing him in entirely hot pink instead of blue. It's something I would not accept.

I second that. When, spending hundreds per month on such a luxury, I want the best possible version. Don't get me wrong, I'm not rich, and $50 is a lot to me, but to me it would be like

xyl360 wrote:

Doubledealer93 wrote:after having the TRU MP soundwave i can honestly say i cant belive anyone would pay $50+ more for red eyes. the toy is beautiful, does not feel cheap at all, cassetts feel amazing and i have had no problems with him or the cassetts at all.

I'd pay $100 more for red eyes. Those eyes are one of the most iconic things about him to me. It would be just as bad as Hasbro releasing him in entirely hot pink instead of blue. It's something I would not accept.

I second that. I'm not rich, but if I'm buying the exotic luxury sports car from Italy, I'm springing for the best options.

xyl360 wrote:

Doubledealer93 wrote:after having the TRU MP soundwave i can honestly say i cant belive anyone would pay $50+ more for red eyes. the toy is beautiful, does not feel cheap at all, cassetts feel amazing and i have had no problems with him or the cassetts at all.

I'd pay $100 more for red eyes. Those eyes are one of the most iconic things about him to me. It would be just as bad as Hasbro releasing him in entirely hot pink instead of blue. It's something I would not accept.

You are aware that the Hasbro version is accurate when it comes to the original toy release, right? Takara's red eyes version is only that way because of the red eyes in the cartoon. The G1 toy had yellow eyes, so that's why it's that way.

neums wrote:

xyl360 wrote:

Doubledealer93 wrote:after having the TRU MP soundwave i can honestly say i cant belive anyone would pay $50+ more for red eyes. the toy is beautiful, does not feel cheap at all, cassetts feel amazing and i have had no problems with him or the cassetts at all.

I'd pay $100 more for red eyes. Those eyes are one of the most iconic things about him to me. It would be just as bad as Hasbro releasing him in entirely hot pink instead of blue. It's something I would not accept.

You are aware that the Hasbro version is accurate when it comes to the original toy release, right? Takara's red eyes version is only that way because of the red eyes in the cartoon. The G1 toy had yellow eyes, so that's why it's that way.

Yes, I'm perfectly aware of that, but that's yet another reason I went for it. I prefer cartoon accuracy. It's the same reason I spent $25 on ebay for a Hasbro Frenzy/Rumble (the frickin' blue one ) because it had more of a purple tone rather than blue and thus was more show accurate (even though I already had Takara's Rumble/Frenzy and every other Takara MP cassette released so far).