Glittering Shockwave [Defender Version 03-Heavy Metal War]

Purple is one of the colors associated with Halloween, so it's only logical that we take a look at Glittering Shockwave from Blokees Defender Version 03-Heavy Metal War today. It's neat that his classic design works as well in the Defender body type. Like Ironhide, Shockwave is a 'Glittering' version. Glittering is what they've been calling these neat translucent variations. I'd figure they'd call them Stealth... but look at Blokees doing their own thing. *Like this site*

Like all Defender Versions, Shockwave is well articulated once assembled. He's got his ray gun left hand and a little hose, matching his traditional look. It makes me think of Action master Shockwave and how fans used to use the hoses from GI JOE figures to give theirs one. Allegedly there was one in prototype stages that didn't get included in the released toy. It had the places to connect one. Fortunately Blokees included a hose with theirs. I'd hate to try and track down one tiny enough to fit this guy.

Shockwave's head is one piece and doesn't have the little neck part that also tints the robot's eyes. It's a unique sculpted part, so that makes sense. Though after assembling so many of these... something like that stands out. I really like the translucent plastic and how nice the colors look in it. The purples and grays really pop, damn, I wish Blokees would do Microman/Micronauts. I just know they'd do a great job.

Megatron and Shockwave [Swapticons]

These Swapticons sure are fun, but they need someone to fight. That's were the bad guys come in! This is a pretty fun little duo as the two combine to form a vehicle similar to Ironhide and Ratchet's alt modes from the Cybertronian scenes in Bumblebee.

It also looks like the vehicle from Moon Patrol (sorta). Regardless of whatever you compare it to, it's a neat looking little vehicle. Each half has a little gun. I wish the robot modes could hold it, but oh well. Robot modes are chonky little shits with devious little faces. Swapticons really are a fun little set of toys. Probably not for everyone, but great for those who'll like them. Seeing as the faces are printed on, I figure there's a lot of mold reuses in the future and this one has potential for some fun sets. Neat.

BIOS- Shockwave

"Clarity of thought before rashness of action."

Function: Military Ops. Commander

An awesome warrior. Plots the destruction of the Autobots with the same cold, computer-like efficiency as in planning the overthrow of his Decepticon leader, Megatron. Believes that only one as logical as himself can lead the Decepticons to victory. Left arm shoots a wide range of electromagnetic armaments from explosive gamma rays to super-hot infrared particle beams. Paired with Fistfight, a loathsome terror droid who enjoys dissecting late model cars when he's not in his long range, laser-sighted, lightning rifle mode.

Strength: 10 Intelligence: 10 Speed: 7 Endurance: 7
Rank: 9 Courage: 9 Firepower: 9 Skill: 9

Shockwave Plugin Needed

Shockwave has gotten two really good Core Class figures last year. His Studio Series release from the Bumblebee movie was a really good figure that I didn't talk about here (and I may still do so in the future). The latest is this great Legacy figure the Mrs stuck in the pile of presents she gave me this Christmas. The "G1" Shockwave toys have followed the same formula lately with this one doing the same. Very traditional robot mode that turns into a spaceship resembling his classic ray gun alt mode. Like the Legend Class toy from Combiner Wars, this figure has a handle to allow bigger bots to hold the space ship and use it as a ray gun. Shockwave often flew in ray gun mode, so it works well.

Simply put, this is a new toy of a design that's been done a few times already at a smaller size. That's not a bad thing, Shockwave is an Evergreen character that's going to get regular new releases. They're seemingly putting the classic cast into Core Class as a secret lower cost sub-line. Considering they're size compatible with the smaller Authentics figures, it's clearly a thing Hasbro is doing. I can realistically see smaller figures with Deluxe and Voyager sized bigger bots in the future. As someone who's been on the cusp on focusing mainly on smaller Transformers toys many times, I'd be ok with that.

Shockwave pleasantly turns into the aforementioned spaceship. I've generally liked this spaceship as it's got a great classic super robot or shooter game vibe to it. As a Core Class figure, Shockwave is a little smaller than the former Commander/Legend class and a little simpler. It's a general design that's been used regularly, but feels different as a Core. I like it. I like Core Class in general, with Shockwave there's a Convertors or even Gobots energy going on. Obviously I love that. However, Core Class offers more modern engineering perks like better articulation.

Shockwave has a radar dish that mounts on the spaceship and can be held as a weapon. I like to think of it as some kind of scanner. Maybe like that thing Evil Lynn used in the MOTU movie. I vastly prefer the classic cartoon version of Shockwave and can see it as a mobile version of his detection equipment on Cybertron. Just case Megatron calls him while out checking on things. For such a simple toy mean to represent an emotionless bore... it has a lot of personality.

A day with Shockwave

 

About 2 weeks ago as you're reading this, I finally bought a Turbo Changer Shockwave. I'd been wanting this figure since it came out in Cyberverse and for some reason never got it until recently under it's re release as a Buzzworthy Bumblebee figure. I've made my love for these simple figures know often here, so I'll spare you the details, but he's a pleasantly old school vibe robot toy. A week later after buying him, and a week before you'll read this, I opened him. I've got a pretty good backlog of unopened toys and the bulk of posts here are written in advance. I'm sure I've explained that one here as well, but thought I'd repeat it in case that wasn't clear. 

I've spent all the day with this Shockwave by my side. I work at night (I'm also sure I've said that before), and it was a Monday. I woke up early to see my wife off to work and spent the day doing odd tasks between goofing off and napping. Monday's for night shift folks are like Friday evenings for day shift folks. Shockwave got transformed a million times. If you look at the delightfully buggy alt mode, you'll see those rear legs. Squeeze them to auto-transform him into bot mode, pull them apart to go back. What kind of insect is he supposed to be? Maybe one of those flat grey ones I always see on my porch?

I spent a good deal of time playing Dig Dug 2 on my Switch. By my chair was a TV tray (the one from my Instagram). Shockwave stood there next to my Galaxy Tablet. When I wasn't playing, the pro controller would sit there with the two. I really wish this toy would get re released in different colors as someone else, just so it could get a little more out there. He really feels like a lost Beetras/Deluxe Insecticon. Maybe with a new head or in different colors he could be a new one.

He was by my side as I finished the current (and sadly last) season of Pacific Rim: The Black. Overlooked the making of my lunch that consisted of some tortilla pizzas and grapes. What's a tortilla pizza? It's a little pizza you make on a tortilla instead of a crust. I'm on a low sodium diet. With the right sauce, cheese, and tortillas, a pretty easy lunch that's tasty and also nothing to worry about. He found it logical to add some Mrs Dash prior to cooking. I thought it was a pretty good idea myself. 

During another round of Dig Dug 2... have you played it? It's really fun, I like it a lot better than regular Dig Dug. But anyways, while playing I found myself thinking Shockwave would be at home in an old 8 or 16-bit video game. Probably as a bad guy in some space shooter, his design would make for an excellent general soldier. I can really see him on the cover in that old school painted art style. If this really was an old toy, he might have actually popped up in one. Unofficially of course, but there he'd be. 

I'm at work now as I write this. Just sitting at my desk working, typing out a few lines here and there between working. Sipping on my water flavored with orange-vanilla Mio. About to eat my little Ziploc baggy full of low salt Ritz crackers that I'll dip into a cup of peanut butter. It's the simple kid, not much sodium. Kind of wish I'd have brought Shockwave with me. Not sure why I didn't, there's been plenty a work night with a Bumblebee nearby. I'm not sure if you're interested in getting this Shokwave toy, but he's good company.

Tales Of The Beast Hunters - Chapter 11: Shockwave

Tales of the Beast Hunters - Chapter 11

With Megatron gone missing, Shockwave makes the decision to end his Predacon cloning program. A force of Predacons, united under Predaking could spell doom for the Decepticons as well as the Autobots. He is in the middle of shutting down his Hyperevolution laboratory when he spots an Autobot spy hiding in the shadows among the still-occupied chambers. A plan forms in his precise and brilliant mind: Destroy the Autobot and the lab, and lay the blame for the annihilation of the cloning program at the feet of Optimus Prime and his soldiers. Such an event would drive Predaking into a rage that would doubtless utterly consume the Autobots in its fury.

Invasion of Faces

I talked about this briefly Thursday, but I'm so excited for it, I felt like talking about it more. This set was found at Target by popular toy reviewer Peaugh (the pics in this post are from him) and looked to be put out earlier than intended. It's not entirely known (but speculated) if this is exclusive to Target, but it scans at 29.99 on their checker, which is a pretty good price. A little earlier this year, maybe a month or two ago, first looks at the new Cyberverse packaging with additional naming on the packaging got out and this looks to follow suit. It looks nice.

I don't know if this set references an episode of the cartoon, or is just a fun thing on it's own. I don't care. I dig it. Something like a neat box set with a theme is a thing I really appreciate and it doesn't have to be confined to a big expensive thing either. Something like this is the kind of thing I like.

It's nice to have a Quintesson in the set. Some folks have pointed out his black body instead of gray, which makes me wonder if there will be multiple releases of the toy in various colors. Perhaps this is a individual Quintesson and lhey've just used one trademarked name to represent many. I'm going to call him Earl. Earl seemingly has made some neat mind control helmets that fit over reuses of the Spark Armor versions of Shockwave and Prowl. I like the idea of the Autobots and Decepticons having a mutual enemy in The Quintessons. That kind of thing is fun in a fictional setting. Maybe the cartoon will feature Decepticon focused episodes of them fighting Earl and his gang. That kind of thing is neat.

I'm your Tubro Beetle

It's been so long since I've talked about robot bugs that I feel like I owe it too myself as much as I owe it to you all to talk about robot bugs. Not to mention it's been awhile since I've pointed out the whole 'today's more simple toys are throwbacks to older toys' thing I never seem to shut up about. Up above this paragraph is a picture of Beetras, I've made a few posts before about Beetras (follow the tags below to see) and man don't they look great? Just great old school robots from a time that seems forgotten despite it being homaged so much with various high end and regular retail releases. As the Deluxe Insecticons, Convertors, odd bootleg toys, or even in their original release, Beetras are just awesome robot toys. I really wish there was a new Beetras style figure so I wasn't continually living in the past and had something new... wait..

Look at that glorious robotic sci fi beetle. LOOK AT IT. One again the 'simple' sub lines aimed more at younger children comes through with an extremely old school super robot toy. This is the new Cyberverse Shockwave Turbo Changer/ One Step Changer toy. Inexpensive and quick to transform, Shockwave's weird insect alt mode when reduced to a mode simple form looks like a Takatoku toy lost in time. It's not just limited to alt mode either.

Look at that angry cyloptic menace to the galaxy! Sure it's not exactly a reproduction of the old Beetras, but it's pretty darn close. I wish he came in multiple colors. I can see it in red or green or grey. I want to put a chrome weapon in his hand. Seeings has one hand is already a blaster, maybe a sword. Part of me wants to chrome some of those parts up, but seeing the nature of a Turbo Changers transformation involves lots of folding up... it could scratch off. The similarities are probably coincidental, but I'll take it!

Jetfire and Shockwave

One of my birthday gifts was a Siege Shockwave figure. It's hard not to like Shockwave, just a great sci fi looking robot and a badass villain. So having Shockwave on the mind, I decided to see what old stuff I could find on him and as logic would dictate, his old commercial popped right up. Co-sold here with Jetfire, they really present the two larger toys well. I really like the animated bit, it's not often you got to see Jetfire animated in G1. Usually, thanks to legal issues, you had to take Skyfire and like it. Sure Jetfire's original toy could be see animated on the other channel, but man it just looks great in red.

Shockwave (Cyber Battalion)

Another great Christmas gift from my wife was this Cyber Battalion Shockwave toy. She knew I had been looking for one and secretly held onto the one she saw for a nice surprise. As a toy, Shockwave is great. Just a wonderful chunky old school style robot toy. He's just sharp looking and man I love playing with him.

Shockwave turns into a neat spaceship that resembles his G1 incarnations laser gun. It's such a good looking ship that it's hard not to love. Once again I'm reminded of older toys while holding this ship. A fun cruiser that looks straight out of a Toei super robot cartoon. Totally love this toy.

Cyberverse Shockwave (warrior class)

I've said I only plan to buy the occasional standard sized Cyberverse toy, because there is some super cool figures that I just need. Shockwave here was impossible to walk away from. His normal design just lends itself to the Cyberverse cartoonish styling. The new Warrior class for Cyberverse is different from the Warrior class from Robots in Disguise in that each one has a much more prominent play feature. Shockwave for example has a 'wave cannon'. I've talked about the really sharp packaging before, but just look at that. Those colors are so sharp! While I didn't need to use the instructions, I found myself looking through them as the colors were on those as well and made for a really nice looking pamphlet.I wish they'd include some story blurb or a bio to take advantage of that good looking paperwork.

Just look at that darn Shockwave. He looks really nice in this toy and aesthetic. I do wish he had a few more paint apps to bring out more of that sculpted detail, but for $14.99, there's going to be some compromises. I pay about $16.99 for a Generations deluxe which has more paint and 20$ for a Studio Series deluxe which has the more premium treatment. Siege toys look to be going towards that as well, so I assume they'll be more premium as well. So $14.99 is going to have a few concessions to make it cost a little less. It is what it is. Shockwave as some hollow parts and thinner plastic as well. He's pretty light, but was still pretty sturdy and didn't fall apart or anything. So honestly, it's not much to complain about, for me anyway. He has a fair amount of articulation, but his head doesn't move. Which isn't a big deal, but does seem a bit odd considering.

So that wave cannon on his back can fold over to mount on his shoulder for some fighting action.The cannon actually pegs into his back pretty well, and that peg is the lever intended to use to deploy the wave action. By the way, do you notice his antenna? There's not room for the cannon to fold down without hitting them, fortunately they can move forward to make the needed room. I'll be honest, I didn't care for that. There's nothing really wrong with it, I just didn't like it. The cannons lever moves to fold out the laser waves (snicker) of the wave cannon firing during that fight.

Kinda looks like the slime from Ghostbusters 2

I don't know if this is just one mine, or on all Shockwaves, but those fold out laser waves (snicker) didn't work well. The outside one did just fine, but the inside one stuck and didn't want to deploy. Maybe I got a weak spring.

Aside from his Alternator toy, Shockwave has never turned into a realistic Earth based form. In Cyberverse this continues as he turns into a spider tank. Spider tanks have been used in Transformers before and work for a cool sci fi tank variation. I almost wish this was a different character though as the mode seems more suited for someone more eccentric than Shockwave. It looks great though. The wave cannon is more present here, though you have to unfold it to let the wave shoot out.

Soon, the city will be mine and Megatron's... mainly Megatron's.

Warrior Class Shockwave is a good figure and really sharp looking despite a few flaws here and there. The flaws are mostly easy to ignore (and in some places are subjective) and it's a pretty good figure. I'm happy to have him and am reminded I need to get Cyber Battalion Shockwave as logic dictates that Shockwave toys are always a good choice.

Got more whoah

After picking up our grocery and Five Guys orders (we literally do everything from an app), we swung by Target and walked up on the Transformers section. A Transformers section freshly stocked with new Cyberverse figures. Man, no matter how many times I see a new line for the first time, it never stops being exciting. The eye catching packaging really pops on the shelves.

I only grabbed a Scout Grimlock and Warrior Shockwave for the time being. I still mainly plan on getting the Scouts with the occasional larger toy, but I don't want to do it all at once. I'll probably get the other first wave Scouts next week though. Sure they only partially transform, but I'm buying basic versions of the characters, they'd stay in robot mode anyway.

Man, that packaging looks super good.

I'm a very silly person

The weekend of the last BotCon, even though I couldn't make it, I still made a point to do a BotCon tradition just one more time. Have a Big Mac.Thanks to Facebook memories for bringing this picture back to my attention. I had been wondering where it went.