The Energon Pub

Sowndwave76 wrote:I won't be at all surprised if we get a SS86 Soundwave in '24.

Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

ZeroWolf wrote:Yeah, we're extremely unlikely to ever get a gun megs again in Generations, and I say, good riddance. I much prefer megs to be a tank.

I do too! But I'm focused on a close-to-G1 kinda thing with new toys. It'd be like having (my example was going to be Shockwave) SS86 Soundwave as anything other than the microcassette recorder.

RotorstormNZ wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Yeah, we're extremely unlikely to ever get a gun megs again in Generations, and I say, good riddance. I much prefer megs to be a tank.

I do too! But I'm focused on a close-to-G1 kinda thing with new toys. It'd be like having (my example was going to be Shockwave) SS86 Soundwave as anything other than the microcassette recorder.

Funnily enough, Hasbro very recently stated pointblank in their recent livestream for HasLab Deathsaurus that Gun Megatron isn't happening.

I think there's a strong possibility of a new Soundwave happening in the near future. The Earthrise Netflix mold was the best they could do at the time as an exclusive, just like ER Ironhide and Ratchet. And like Ironhide I'm sure Hasbro knows a redo is in order because what we got wasn't their best effort.

Emerje

At this point, I think the best we could hope for is a rerelease of Netflix Soundwave in whatever Walmart-exclusive subline comes after the Velocitron line. I say after that line since the still-recent release of Legacy Soundwave makes any rerelease of Netflix Soundwave too soon to happen in the Velocitron line. We need to first let Legacy Soundwave be gone from the shelves before any rerelease of Netflix Soundwave (or even any new Voyager-sized G1 Soundwave) has even a chance of happening. And since most stores are only just now getting Legacy Soundwave on their shelves, we'll be waiting quite a while for it to disappear.

Sowndwave76 wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Sowndwave76 wrote:If Ironhide can have Siege, ER, & SS86 figures, then a character like Soundwave definitely deserves similar treatment.

And he got it. Siege, NF, Legacy and SG.

Again, all 4 of those figures are based off of 2 molds.
The Siege and Legacy figures are only slightly different.
And the mold itself isn’t a proper G1 representation.
Neither is the SG figure.
This isn’t opinion, this is all fact.
Not to mention, half (2 of 4) of those versions have been exclusives.

So if we’re talking legit G1 incarnations, we’ve had 1.
One and a half if you’re willing to count the Core figure.

And as others have said, between the greebling, waffling, & stupid landing gear, there is definitely an opportunity & justification for a better version.

You can look at it any way you want, it's irrelevant. All that matters is how Hasbro looks at it. As far as they're concerned, they've released 5 different Soundwaves in the last 3 years.

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Sowndwave76 wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Sowndwave76 wrote:If Ironhide can have Siege, ER, & SS86 figures, then a character like Soundwave definitely deserves similar treatment.

And he got it. Siege, NF, Legacy and SG.

Again, all 4 of those figures are based off of 2 molds.
The Siege and Legacy figures are only slightly different.
And the mold itself isn’t a proper G1 representation.
Neither is the SG figure.
This isn’t opinion, this is all fact.
Not to mention, half (2 of 4) of those versions have been exclusives.

So if we’re talking legit G1 incarnations, we’ve had 1.
One and a half if you’re willing to count the Core figure.

And as others have said, between the greebling, waffling, & stupid landing gear, there is definitely an opportunity & justification for a better version.

You can look at it any way you want, it's irrelevant. All that matters is how Hasbro looks at it. As far as they're concerned, they've released 5 different Soundwaves in the last 3 years.

I would also add that it also matters what the main retailers think and my guess would be they would be even less inclined to want another Soundswave so soon than Hasbro. Hasbro may understand why some fans may want a re-do, but I'm betting a retailer will say "we just had one last year".

Sabrblade wrote:Funnily enough, Hasbro very recently stated pointblank in their recent livestream for HasLab Deathsaurus that Gun Megatron isn't happening.

I heard that and was a little disappointed! But I understand.

Sowndwave76 wrote:If Ironhide can have Siege, ER, & SS86 figures, then a character like Soundwave definitely deserves similar treatment.

And I will say, Ironhide should absolutely be the exception, not the rule. I have expressed my annoyance by his number of releases, especially since each of the 3 are pretty dang good. There are a lot of characters that need SS release instead of another Soundwave. And when you consider that SS is now rumored to have live action, G1, WFC video games, and live action video games, and Prime was stated as something that might happen in the future, and considering that we still haven't finished the live action bots that started this deal, I really REALLY do not want the line diluted further. Ironhide and by extension a soon to be Ratchet was truly enough for duplicates of characters within 5 years in this manner.

Also, new rumor is MP soundwave 2.0, so throw that on the pile too.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:It's been a while since I handled Soundwave and he's inaccessible to me right now. Was there anything terrible about him being descended from Siege? I don't remember being offended by anything other than feeling ripped off since I thought Siege would claim these characters for a while.

They need to make all the main tapes for both Blaster and Soundwave. I don't think we need a new Soundwave mold, but a re-release would be a good idea.

The back of his tapedeck mode is a mess that look like the Death Star's surface.
Plus he still have the "landing gears" of the spaceship on his arms.

Quite frankly, now that I have the mold, I do not see why the back of the tapedeck is such a big issue. It is the back, and it is not that bad.

I never said a SS86 Soundwave was or is an expectation.
I also never said the number of Ironhide’s releases should be the rule.

But to say there are so many different Soundwaves out there is ridiculous.
The Legacy figure is a re-pack and slight repaint of a mold that isn’t even fully G1.
Trying to say they’re different is like trying to say Kingdom and Legacy Galvatrons are different figures.
The most G1 version was an exclusive that was damn difficult to get ahold of.
And the SG version is also an exclusive, & has been so extremely repainted that it’s nowhere close to a definitive G1 representation even with the mold it uses.
So if a SS86 version is made in ‘24, that’ll be 5 years after the Siege version, & 4 years after the NF version… That’s not anywhere close to absurd.
Not to mention, it’s Soundwave. It’s not like I’m pushing for a 7th Powerglide figure within 3 years.

Starscream has had Siege, Siege Premium Finish, ER, SG, Core, SS, MP, & SS86 figures all within 4 years, right?
And only 2 of those were exclusives.
How crazy!!!!!!!

Obviously a SS86 Soundwave may never happen.
But to say there have been too many Soundwaves (especially G1 Soundwaves), is just dumb.

Sowndwave76 wrote:But to say there are so many different Soundwaves out there is ridiculous.

But they are different. Slightly or drastically, it doesn't matter. To Hasbro, remolding or redecoing an existing mold costs money. Additional costs qualify a figure as separate, thus different. The more they do it, the less chance of them doing it again, unless it's a guaranteed seller like Prime or Bee. And as much as I would like it to, Soundwave is not a guaranteed seller, not to younger kids anyway. To you or me, who have a built up recognition to the character, certainly. And as TF-fan_kev pointed out, retailers might also get a say in what they want Hasbro to put on their shelves. Maybe Wal-Mart has had enough of Soundwave for a while. 5 Soundwaves in 3 years. Really 7, if you count Soundblaster's 2 versions. But Hasbro probably considers him a separate character, even if they used 2 of Soundwave's molds.

Trying to say they’re different is like trying to say Kingdom and Legacy Galvatrons are different figures.

To Hasbro, they are.

The most G1 version was an exclusive that was damn difficult to get ahold of. And the SG version is also an exclusive, & has been so extremely repainted that it’s nowhere close to a definitive G1 representation even with the mold it uses.

Both still Soundwaves.

Not to mention, it’s Soundwave. It’s not like I’m pushing for a 7th Powerglide figure within 3 years.

Why insult the little guy? Besides, we're due for a deluxe Powerglide anyway.

Starscream has had Siege, Siege Premium Finish, ER, SG, Core, SS, MP, & SS86 figures all within 4 years, right?
And only 2 of those were exclusives.

Because it's Starscream. Most likely the most popular Con. Only Megatron rivals him in term of figures received. I like Soundwave too, but comparing the 2 is a big disservice to Starscream. Makes your earlier comparison of Soundwave to Ironhide quite adequate actually. Soundwave to Megatron is like Ironhide to Optimus. Whereas Starscream is more closer to either Grimlock or Hot Rod. It used to be Bumblebee, but lately Bee has pulled far an away in terms of being represented.

Let me make it clear: I would like a SS86 Soundwave. A cleaned up version of the Netflix figure would be great. Hell, a straight reissue of the Netflix figure in SS86 packaging would be fine too. I'm just tempering my expectations and being realistic.

But to say there have been too many Soundwaves (especially G1 Soundwaves), is just dumb.

No, it's not. It's being realistic. Especially if you're looking at it from Hasbro's point of view. Dumb is expecting a multi-billion dollar toy company's design team and accounting department to not only think like you but to cater to you just because you like a certain character.

No one will ever convince me that 1 exclusive, very difficult to get figure, 1 figure that gets repacked with a couple paint app alterations (that’s not even completely G1), & 1 Core figure have been an overload of a G1 representation of any character in a span of 3 years. Especially one as popular as Soundwave.

I can tell you that the person/people that designed Kingdom Galvatron, Siege Soundwave, ER Cliffjumper, & any other figure that ends up having a straight repaint would never claim that the repaint is a “different figure”.
That would be like telling a photographer that once their images are digitally altered into black and white, those now show different compositions.

You’ve attempted to conflate “different figures” with multiple releases.
Which sure, someone concerned with the financials at Hastak may claim repaints as “different figures”. But trying to claim a slightly repainted mold that has zero retooling is a “different figure” is utter bullsh!t, and everyone knows it.
Why are some people disappointed with this new Breakdown? Weird, because even with a different headsculpt, slightly altered torso, & vastly different colors, it’s the same figure as Wild Rider.
I am more than okay with different characters sharing the same mold… I actually kind of like situations like Rumble and Frenzy. But no matter the color differences, and despite making 2 purchases to have them, they still use the same figure mold.

With new SS86 Core cassette figures on the way, it’s really not that unrealistic that Hastak would come up with a new Generations release (whether a heavy retool or a new mold) for the figure/character that basically helps make sense of those Core figures’ alt modes, and also shares an extremely related play gimmick.
Again, my thought was for a SS86 Soundwave in 2024… While you can condense the number of releases from the first initial mold into 1 sentence in under a minute and make it sound like they’ve all happened very recently, the reality of the actual span of time will have been 4-5 YEARS… Claiming this brings too many G1 Soundwave figures to the table as though it’s fact is an exaggeration that is pretty myopic.

The other aspect you’re not considering is the fact that most people don’t buy every release of a character. While this is more so the case for all of the consumers who aren’t collectors, there are plenty of collectors in this same boat. This increases even more when the same figure mold is used for variations and other characters. Meaning, just because I bought Soundwave, doesn’t mean I’m going to buy a Soundblaster. Or the SG version. Or the Core class version.
On top of that, when a release is an exclusive, it can become a situation where that release basically doesn’t exist. Do you realize how many kids who may like TF will never even see any of the SG figures (let alone own any of them)?
Hell, unless I decide to order SG Soundwave (which I won’t), I’ll never see that version in-person.
I could never find NF Bee. Many people can’t find Cosmos.
Obvsly I don’t literally mean these releases don’t exist. But the vast majority of consumers won’t ever attempt hunting/searching and/or the legwork it can take to get a hard-to-find toy.
Not to mention costs. I consider myself a collector, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend over $28 to have NF Bumblebee. For so many people, some of these exclusives are at most, images on a webpage.
You can say “It doesn’t matter because Hastak doesn’t care either way”. And of course, they don’t need to care about which consumer groups were able to get which releases(s).
But Hastak knows the in’s and out’s of what can happen with the limited nature of exclusives.
And that they do care about. Because it’s business. And this is part of my whole initial point— Hastak knowing that there’s only been 1 legit G1 Soundwave figure (which WAS a relatively scarce exclusive) outside of the Core class, means it wouldn’t be shocking to get another legit G1 Soundwave release 4-ish years later.

Starscream may be more popular than Soundwave, but the difference being as substantial as you say is definitely questionable. I’m betting across all types of merchandising, they are way closer than you think.
Not to mention, with this, no kids would know Starscream anymore than Soundwave.
I’m sure there are pitches thrown at retailers to help sway them to stock products… But I highly doubt those involve character popularity contest stats. Being that there are so many series and characters in this franchise, popularity criteria would end up being a detriment. If a major company is proposing a product to a retailer, then they have confidence in it. This along with Hastak’s reputation makes the thought of a retailer rejecting a new Soundwave figure sound silly. It’s the company who has more to lose if they manage to push a product to retail that flops.
Why would Target reject a SS86 Soundwave when niether the NF or SG versions were theirs?
You think Walmart is going to stop selling the entire SS & SS86 line because a future wave contains a character that they had as an exclusive 4+ years prior??

It is absolutely dumb for someone to expect a company to think exactly the same way they do, and/or want a company to cater to their personal wants.
I’m not sure why that was even mentioned, but I definitely agree with that point.

In contrast 5 Soundwaves over 3 years doesn't sound as bad as 40 versions of Bumblebee in two years. lol

Sheesh, somebody please just buy Sowndwave76 a Netflix Soundwave for Christmas so we can move on from this.

Sabrblade wrote:Sheesh, somebody please just buy Sowndwave76 a Netflix Soundwave for Christmas so we can move on from this.

Sorry, but naughty boys only get self-warmers for Christmas. HO HO HO!!!

Gauntlet101010 wrote:In fairness Siege doesn't come with that either.

I am aware of that. I own SIEGE. And because SIEGE is only a Deluxe, it was excusable on that figure. SS86, on the other hand, is a Voyager - a more expensive price point with greater plastic and parts allowance. Which SS86 has in my opinion completely squandered and so AFAIC it can kiss my skidplate.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:You need to spend more money to get 3P upgrade parts to partsform it every time.

AFAIK nobody actually made a proper Onebox component for the SIEGE mold in the first place, I'd have to do that myself - and I'd already been planning how. I just hoped that them doing a Voyager Ironhide would save me the trouble, since I didn't think that they'd utterly waste the Voyager budget on being "Earthrise with integrated roof".

Gauntlet101010 wrote:And to make Siege acceptable you need 3P feet too.

...Are you thinking of Earthrise? On SIEGE, the stock feet are fine because it's not an earth mode figure.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:That's a lot to spend on already expensive exclusives.

SIEGE Ironhide was a regular retail figure. I think you're thinking of Earthrise. Ratchet was an exclusive, true, but he was still regular price and as a Walgreens exclusive he wasn't too hard to get.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Studio 86 is the final word on these characters for me. They aren't perfect, but sometimes good enough is good enough.

Well, goody for you. But for my money, SS86 Ironhide is multiple steps away from good enough. Unless they make Ratchet a new mold or somehow retool this mold to have the Onebox component, or I win the lottery and buy the Botcon versions that SS86 has failed to make obsolete, the SIEGE figures will be the "Good enough" versions for me.

Sabrblade wrote:

RotorstormNZ wrote:

ZeroWolf wrote:Yeah, we're extremely unlikely to ever get a gun megs again in Generations, and I say, good riddance. I much prefer megs to be a tank.

I do too! But I'm focused on a close-to-G1 kinda thing with new toys. It'd be like having (my example was going to be Shockwave) SS86 Soundwave as anything other than the microcassette recorder.

Funnily enough, Hasbro very recently stated pointblank in their recent livestream for HasLab Deathsaurus that Gun Megatron isn't happening.

Not even as a Power Rangers-esque blaster or Van De Graaff raygun? Ah well. I wonder if they'd go for "gun-silhouette vehicle" so that we could at least pretend.

ZeroWolf, as far as your preference goes... 1. We're spoilt for choice and 2. Your preference doesn't change the '80s fiction

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Gun Megatron ... I know it's blasphemy, but:
-Hegemon snip-

Seems to be getting hard to find, though. And of course it doesn't really count.

No, that Deluxe-height (IIRC) midget doesn't count.

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:Personally I think the Netflix version works well as a TF:TM representative. And like D-Max said, we already got 3 Soundwaves, not counting the SG figure. And yes, technically they're all different, but they represent the same character.

So cassettes, yes. Soundwave? No. At least not yet. We have others who need attention.

Though, being a Marvel fan, I would love a Legacy/Selects comics version who is purple, using the Netflix mold.

This is what I was going for yes. We got Siege, Netflix, and Legacy Soundwave. All 3 are G1 Soundwaves.

Re: Legacy... if you're talking about Core, I don't know that he qualifies for the main count, and Legacy is only a reissue of SIEGE.
And of course Netflix wasn't the most accessible release for people, due to the timing, and is difficult and/or costly for those who missed that chance to get hold of.

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:Heck, I just realized we also had TR and the Bee movie retool of that figure that all count as G1 soundwaves as well.

Albeit ones more in scale with G1 Galvatron than with the majority of CHUG (unless you treat them as enlarged upgrade bodies)

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:we have gotten 3 good soundwave molds, 2 seeing 2 releases, in my mind, he should be done for a while. Considering the number of post-1986 cons that still need done, I think he can wait his turn again.

Mmm, I don't know, I think a new Soundwave wouldn't be a bad idea. See below for why.

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:It's been a while since I handled Soundwave and he's inaccessible to me right now. Was there anything terrible about him being descended from Siege? I don't remember being offended by anything other than feeling ripped off since I thought Siege would claim these characters for a while.

They need to make all the main tapes for both Blaster and Soundwave. I don't think we need a new Soundwave mold, but a re-release would be a good idea.

The back of his tapedeck mode is a mess that look like the Death Star's surface.
Plus he still have the "landing gears" of the spaceship on his arms.

He also has the SIEGE mold's shortness and its dodgy tape door (just found out for myself how... less than impressive that is after getting Legacy SIEGE Soundwave), if pics are anything to go by.

So, not only is the mold underheight... it also has an iffy tape door that probably won't work too well with Core-class tapes like the new Rumble (and from what I recall reading didn't work all that great even with the Micromaster ones - or, in the case of Ratbat, not entirely at all). So, I'd personally be down for a do-over. They could possibly manage it as a heavy Blaster retool.

Until that point... for my money, G1 Soundwave, limited in articulation though he may be, makes a better tape deck Soundwave for CHUG than Netflix does. He even works better with WFC/Legacy/SS86 tapes than the Soundwave they were nominally designed for, due to having a roomier tape door (because it was made for wider tapes) that actually has backstops.

Goddamit Zelda, you have lots of free time!

But seriously, am I the only one to truly enjoy my 3.5 changer Siege Soundwave? All thanks to some 3D printed shoulders parts that allow Siege Soundwave to change into a "cybertronian tapedeck" mode AND the spaceship mode, AND the lampost mode (the .5 mode) and the bot (obviously)?

You should gets those parts too and upgrade your Soundwave too. For me, with those it's the best Soundwave toy ever!

I'm good with my Netflix Soundwave.

Which I did NOT find in-store, but rather acquired via another user on here finding one in their store and then selling it to me. At the time, said user claimed that their store had plenty and was offering to pick up and sell any of them to anyone on here who needed help finding the figure. So I took them up on their offer and got mine that way. Anyone else here still looking for the figure could have done the same.

Sabrblade wrote:I'm good with my Netflix Soundwave.

Which I did NOT find in-store, but rather acquired via another user on here finding one in their store and then selling it to me. At the time, said user claimed that their store had plenty and was offering to pick up and sell any of them to anyone on here who needed help finding the figure. So I took them up on their offer and got mine that way. Anyone else here still looking for the figure could have done the same.

I'd like a second shot at Netflix Soundwave (if a new figure never happens) simply because mine is defective. The pin for one of the feet wasn't lined up right and was jammed straight through the side of his leg instead of the pin hole making it impossible to fold his foot away to transform him. By the time I opened it it was long gone from stores.

Emerje

Sabrblade wrote:I'm good with my Netflix Soundwave.

Which I did NOT find in-store, but rather acquired via another user on here finding one in their store and then selling it to me. At the time, said user claimed that their store had plenty and was offering to pick up and sell any of them to anyone on here who needed help finding the figure. So I took them up on their offer and got mine that way. Anyone else here still looking for the figure could have done the same.

Except Covid screwed people on money too. I missed almost the entirety of Earthrise & Kingdom while they were on shelves because the job that provides most of my spending money didn't run those years, plus for a big chunk of 2020 we had crap piled in the driveway that blocked me from using my recycling bins. And I know other people had hours cut or had funds eaten up by higher bills and having to get stuff delivered...

-Kanrabat- wrote:Goddamit Zelda, you have lots of free time!

Sometimes, anyway.

-Kanrabat- wrote:But seriously, am I the only one to truly enjoy my 3.5 changer Siege Soundwave? All thanks to some 3D printed shoulders parts that allow Siege Soundwave to change into a "cybertronian tapedeck" mode AND the spaceship mode, AND the lampost mode (the .5 mode) and the bot (obviously)?

I do enjoy him, as SIEGE Soundwave. But he is not without issue. I've had mixed results testing the tape door with Eject (because only tape I have); sometimes it works fine, others it doesn't. How Eject is inserted is definitely a factor (one orientation, it just flat out won't open because Eject stays in the chest rather than falling with the door) but it still doesn't feel entirely consistent; it's certainly not as universally reliable as Blaster's. Have we had any reports on how it behaves with SS86 Rumble?

-Kanrabat- wrote:You should gets those parts too and upgrade your Soundwave too. For me, with those it's the best Soundwave toy ever!

Oh, I've had my eye on them. But idk about best ever; I don't see leg extensions, and one of the downsides of SIEGE Soundwave & his Netflix retool is height (because that plastic went to the SIEGE toy's engines). Nor do I see a new tape door, and the door is definitely wanting - in addition to what I've learned about it in hand, I know from reading that it only barely accommodates the SIEGE Rumble/Frenzy mold, and that SIEGE Ratbat actually distends it.
And of course we're a long way off from having a full set of Soundwave tapes of this size (which IMO also doesn't scale with CHUG as well as the G1s & Universe Ravage do, although SS86 Rumble is definitely an improvement).

I have a feeling that hasbro will keep Soundwave at the same height due to whatever internal scale chart they're using.

As for the gun Megatron thing, I bet if hasbro had the capability, they would go back and not use that mold for Megatron in order to save themselves future headaches. Of course, it would raise the question of who they'd use as Decepticon leader A fun thought experiment at least. Maybe in that reality, we'd have also got female ratchet.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:(Dat tapedeck door and other things.)

You may have landed a lemon because it's the first time I heard of that specific issue. Mine works fine.

Also, "legs extentions"? Why? To be more "toon accurate"? In that case it wouldn't be able to properly transform unless those new thighs parts can compress and extend at the right length, and can be stable in both modes. If you can create such parts with on hand scraps, I would be very impressed.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Gun Megatron ... I know it's blasphemy, but:
-Hegemon snip-

Seems to be getting hard to find, though. And of course it doesn't really count.No, that Deluxe-height (IIRC) midget doesn't count.

I won't respond to your points about how much more acceptable ER Ironhide is because, really, it's terrible. You're picking on my post because I got one word wrong, but I think you know exactly what I meant. But as for Hegemon being a "deluxe sized midget", that's easily disprovable.




If anything he's a bit too tall. You seem to be arguing just for the sake of arguing because you'd see that if you bothered to check.

Soundwave ... he could use a re-release over a totally new mold. There are ways. A "Marvel" recolor with a choice of heads in the Buzzworthy line maybe? Maybe one with a different shade of blue just to get it out there? He just isn't even close to how bad Ironhide was, so I don't see the point of redoing him. Better forearms and a cleaner back in alt mode doesn't seem like enough.

I never bought the Siege version because I wanted a completely G1 version. Between not liking the alt mode & hating the greebling and battle damage, I couldn’t do it. Which is also why I passed on Shockwave and Astrotrain.

I haven’t opened my NF version; it looks so good in-pacakge…. I may eventually.
Then I finally caved and bought the Legacy version. Also not opened because I’m not sure I’ll keep it.
I’ve had the thought of returning it a few times, and since I used my Red Card, I have until mid-Feb. to decide.

@ kanrabat— for what it is, that add-on kit makes a decent tape deck considering the mold wasn’t intended to do that.

@ Gauntlet— I don’t know if I’d say ER Ironhide is terrible, but imo the SS86 version makes that look sub-par for sure.
I also agree with your point that there are times where good enough is good enough.
I can’t really think of a figure that hasn’t missed the mark in some way. And usually it’s 2-3 ways.
And this is said fully knowing that there have to be compromises in design simply because of what these toys do.
I’ve said it in old posts; we now have some figures that are so good, that the 1-3 improvements that could possibly be made really don’t warrant a re-do, retooling, or especially a new mold.

SS86 Ironhide suffers a little from having shoulders that are too broad/wide, although his overall proportions aren’t overly bad because of it. Plus it kind of works with his tough-guy personality.
The Siege Datsun bros mold is the worst with horrendously wide shoulders.

It would require a new mold, but Soundwave’s legs are too short. He should be as tall as Blaster.

I won't argue the Soundwave point past this post: he has had the TR leader, Siege voyager, and NF voyager for good releases in the past few years. TR and Siege even got re-releases. Plus he got a core figure. G1 Soundwave has done well. And Siege/Legacy repaint count as G1 Soundwaves.

For reference, In pure G1 terms, we still lack the complete Targetmaster lineup (stars of the 4th season and the JG1 headmasters), the Powermasters (huge gimmick thanks to prime being one), and a lot of G1 characters who eventually got fun fictional roles (Jr Headmasters, triggercons, etc.). Plus, the pretenders are sorely lacking. So there are G1 characters who actually need new toys, and a lot of them.

Outside G1 but within SS, there are still lots of characters, especially from AOE and TLK that need toys within the line. The fact that we won't have a Que is criminal. And don't forget, more movies coming, plus video games coming into the mix, plus a though that Prime could enter the mix at some point for more accurate updates, and there is a lot of dilution in the line with a lot left to do a first time.

Outside G1 Soundwave, there are a number of soundwaves that still need good, better, or any toys, like BW mutant, a Cybertron update, Prime, and ES.

So, in the grand scheme, Soundwave has done very well, and he can rest. Let others have some shine. We should not need any more pre-1986 movie characters, and those that are 1986 movie and later, there are ones that originate in that movie or later who need attention.

On that sort of note and moving on to another topic, I actually got SS86 Ironhide yesterday, thanks to a sale at Target where I got him for $17. I need to give him more attention but so far, I am not a fan of him.

Also its worth noting that it looks likely that SS86 will get fewer releases if the War for Cybertron releases are handled like ss86 is (aka mixed in with normal SS).