Galaxy Force Soundwave design art has surfaced, showing a space shuttle alt mode and a Laserbeak partner, and guest host Rob is thrilled. Rob records this May 15, 2005 Radio Free Cybertron solo for Brian Kilby. He also covers the Takara and Tomy merger and a mysterious Universe two-pack. He reviews his new e-Hobby exclusives and looks ahead to Transformers Cybertron and the new BotCon.
News
Galaxy Force Soundwave Design Art Revealed
Design drawings of Galaxy Force Soundwave have appeared online, and the toy will become Cybertron Soundwave in the US. He turns into a space shuttle, which Rob likes because it recalls a G2 Cyberjet. The robot mode still has Soundwave’s squared-up chest, and an engine piece becomes a Laserbeak-style partner. Rob jokes he wants it named Astroglide and expects a great toy. [Source: not found]
More Galaxy Force Reveals: Rumble, Chromia, Roadstorm
Rumble becomes a four-legged spider tank, which Rob thinks doesn’t fit the character but looks cool. Roadstorm turns into a Harley-style motorcycle, and Chromia is a female Decepticon who turns into a boat. Upgraded Hot Shot and Red Alert get military-style vehicle modes. [Source: not found]
Alternators Prowl Coming Soon
Rob thinks the upcoming Alternators Prowl looks great. He finds it funny that fans who complained about repaints are now complaining that Prowl is not a repaint of Smokescreen. [Source: not found]
Takara and Tomy Merge
Takara and Tomy have merged into one company, with a Takara Tomy media network planned within a year. Rob does not expect the merger to hurt Transformers at all. He hopes Tomy, the maker of Zoids, will improve Takara’s quality control after his loose-in-package Beast Wars Metals Waspinator and flimsy Robot Masters molds. [Source: not found]
Universe Cyber Power Supreme Gift Set Spotted
ActionHQ.com posted a photocopied mock-up of a Transformers Universe two-pack, listed as shipping in June. It pairs the full-size Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, apparently with Cyber Key gimmicks. The mock-up uses Galaxy Force Convoy box art, which Rob finds odd, but he will not call it fake. [Source: ActionHQ.com]
Tip: TF at the Moon’s In the News Page
Rob recommends the In the News page on TF at the Moon, linked from its quick links. It refreshes every 10 minutes and pulls headlines from TFormers, TFW2005, Allspark, Transfandom, Transformers.com and others in one place.
GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords and Heavy Metal War
Rob watched a bootleg DVD of GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords, which he calls a theatrical film that goes nowhere and looks like a long TV episode. He notes the movie meant to sell Rock Lords toys makes the Rock Lords useless. He followed it with the G1 episode Heavy Metal War on an FHE tape, which holds up better despite its rushed production. He says GoBots could have rivaled Transformers with more effort, and he demands a Crasher toy now that Leader-1 got an Armada figure.
Rob’s New e-Hobby Exclusives
Rob picked up several e-Hobby exclusive reissue repaints. Detritus, a Junkion mercenary on the Hound mold, has a splotchy salmon desert deco that reminds him of weathered military vehicles. The Cobalt Sentry team, Gargoyle and Howlback, uses the Soundblaster cassette molds, and some sets shipped with two right-side guns. The Diaclone-colored Insecticon clones, Shothole, Salvo and Zaptrap, look wild, though he dislikes their names. Overcharge, the Blitzwing repaint, comes with Quintesson, Autobot, Unicron and Earth Defense Command stickers and a sharper Japanese sword.
Looking Ahead to Transformers Cybertron
Rob says Cybertron loosely continues Energon: Unicron’s destruction creates a black hole, and the heroes hunt Cyber Planet Keys across worlds. He likes the jungle and speed planets and the Beast Wars-style designs. He praises the Galaxy Force Micron Booster packs, including Blurr, Longrack, Buzzsaw and Runamuk remolded from Armada toys. He finds the Galaxy Force CGI near Beast Wars quality, and he wants Vector Prime, one of the original 13. He also enjoys the club comics featuring Sentinel Maximus, Ramjet and Nemesis Prime.
BotCon 2005 and the New Fan Club
Rob is looking forward to BotCon but disappointed it moved to September, since many friends with school or work schedules can’t attend. Fun Publications now holds the license, and some fans worry it will run BotCon like a G.I. Joe toy show. Rob has faith, citing the fan advisor panel of the Hartman brothers, Ben Yee, Pete Sinclair and J. Alvarez. He is glad the BotCon name is back after the OTFCC confusion.
Closing
Rob signs off from his toy room, praising the Soundblaster reissue as he plays with it.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:41 — 21.6MB) | Embed
Radio Free Cybertron 776 – 2007 AF
Radio Free Cybertron 867 – Firehouse Maximus
Radio Free Cybertron – 408
Radio Free Cybertron 559 – High Quality Third-Party Knock-Off Chicken