Review: 10358 Transformers: Soundwave
Posted by CapnRex101,
10358 Transformers: Soundwave is the third in the series of LEGO Transformers launched over the past few years and our first Decepticon! The villainous communications specialist translates brilliantly to LEGO form, offering greater detail and articulation than past Transformers.
In addition, the model is remarkably functional, as the included Mini-Cassettes can be placed in Soundwave's chest and ejected to transform into the devious Laserbeak and Ravage. There is even a sound brick inside the figure, programmed with various phrases and sound effects, so I think Soundwave has the potential to be one of the best sets of the year!
Summary
10358 Transformers: Soundwave, 1,505 pieces.
£159.99 / $189.99 / €179.99 | 10.6p/12.6c/12.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Soundwave is a feat of engineering and easily the best LEGO Transformer to date
- Fantastic display value
- Near-faultless accuracy
- Surprisingly well-articulated
- Unparalleled functionality
- Transforming mini cassettes
- Fun sound brick
- Visible arms in cassette recorder mode
- Quite a few stickers
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The Completed Model
Soundwave famously converts to a cassette recorder in the Generation 1 animated series and starts out in that form here. The device measures 19cm wide, which is slightly smaller than the comparable 10334 Retro Radio released last year, but large enough to approximate the size of Soundwave's alternate mode onscreen.
The design is essentially faultless from the front, with nicely proportioned light bluish grey and dark blue panels. I wish there were gaps between the buttons underneath the cassette holder though, which seems like it would be achievable, maybe integrating 2x2 triangular tiles for the play and rewind buttons instead of 2x3 pentagonal tiles.
The use of stickers for certain details is also disappointing. A few were perhaps inevitable, but fourteen are used across the whole set, which is more than the other two LEGO Transformers combined! Moreover, some of those stickers are quite big, which can make them hard to apply without capturing dust underneath.
However, arguably the most important piece in this set, the window on the cassette holder, is printed. This 8x5x1 component is new and arrives packaged in its own bag, so it should be in pristine condition. The iconic Decepticon logo looks fantastic in purple and was actually based on Soundwave's head when the emblem was designed.
Pushing the pearl silver 1x2 ingot on top opens the cassette deck with a satisfying 'click' and there is space for either tape inside. The yellow stripes are splendid too, but the colour of the grey stickers leaves much to be desired because their shade evidently differs from the nearby light bluish grey parts.
Unfortunately, the cassette recorder is decidedly unattractive from the back. The arms are left folded up against the back of the casing, but are not really integrated at all. You could remove them altogether because they are only connected to what will become the shoulders with click hinge joints, but that is not really in the spirit of Transformers.
Also, there are places to attach Soundwave's weapons and the grey dart later mounted on his handheld cannon. This differs from the original G1 toy, where the shoulder cannon and blaster were kept in the boxy battery compartment, but I think prioritising their scale in robot mode was a good decision.
The transformation process is similar to the G1 Soundwave toy, albeit starting by removing the weapons and unclipping the shoulders from the back of the cassette recorder. These clips hold the legs in position, so with them detached, you can fold the legs down to each side, exactly like Soundwave's original figure from 1984.
Next, the legs rotate downwards and turn 90 degrees with the stickered knees forward, again mirroring the original toy. The shoulders, meanwhile, swing forwards and clip onto the sides of the torso, with a firmer connection than the similar shoulders on 10302 Optimus Prime.
The hands and feet then move into position, ready for robot mode. The folding mechanism for the latter is particularly neat because the shins concertina when the feet are retracted, but still provide enough support once extended. Lastly, the battery box on Soundwave's back opens to reveal his head, which folds forward, before attaching the weapons removed earlier.
Of the three LEGO Transformers produced so far, Soundwave's transformation is the quickest and easily the most enjoyable. Bumblebee's was cleverly engineered, but maybe too complex for a LEGO design, while Optimus Prime's transformation has some wobbly connection points. Moreover, I find Soundwave's proportions more effective than his Autobot precursors.
Nevertheless, the new Decepticon looks impressive alongside those previous sets. The figure measures 33cm in height, which is similar to Optimus Prime, although Prime remains taller, as he should be. Seeing this duo together really raises my hopes that Megatron can join the group soon, although presumably converting to a Cybertronian tank, rather than a gun.
Apart from looking brilliant, Soundwave also has better articulation than 10302 Optimus Prime and 10338 Bumblebee. The addition of knee joints is certainly welcome and you can alter how the feet are positioned as well, thanks to the transformation. The only major problem is that the legs cannot move forward or back at the hips, only outwards.
I am also slightly disappointed that the arms cannot quite be posed for Soundwave to push his own eject button, although the double elbow joints are very useful, especially because they are able to move sideways a short distance, which makes Soundwave far more expressive because the arms can hang down naturally.
Soundwave's blocky legs are excellent, closely resembling the character's G1 animated design. The yellow vents under his knees are a nice addition in particular, while the stickered details on top are inspired by artwork from the original toy packaging. For absolute accuracy, there should be red accents above the knees, but space is decidedly limited there.
The sides of the legs are finished with tiles, only interrupted by a Technic axle hole on the right side, where Soundwave's concussion weapon is attached in cassette recorder mode. The legs even look reasonable from behind, though I wish the panels moved from under the feet actually locked into place somewhere.
Moving to the torso, the high standard of accuracy continues. As mentioned earlier, the buttons on Soundwave's waist could probably be spaced apart further, but the cassette deck inside the chest is perfect and I think the proportions of the arms strike a good balance between the 1984 action figure and the animation, where the arms were chunkier.
The figure incorporates a sound brick behind the aforementioned buttons. A Technic assembly on the back keeps this element in place and it actually plays the Transformers scene transition theme when first installed, which is a fun touch! Cleverly, this Technic structure can be removed very easily, should you need to replace the batteries.
You can listen to all of Soundwave's phrases and sound effects in our video. This is another fantastic addition to the model, featuring a blend of audio from the animated series and new dialogue in the same style. There are no secret phrases that I know of, as there are in 76429 Talking Sorting Hat, but maybe they just have yet to be discovered!
However, I am surprised that the 'play' button is not printed, as I can imagine the sticker being damaged if pressed regularly. Additionally, its colour differs from the neighbouring buttons, like the stickers on the front of Soundwave's cassette recorder mode, mentioned earlier.
The silver eject button opens the cassette holder much like the classic toy. The mechanism is fairly simple because the cassette deck opens with gravity, but is normally held in place with a click hinge, until you press the eject button.
Soundwave is a proficient spy, aided by various smaller robots known as the Decepticon Mini-Cassettes. Laserbeak and Ravage are probably the most famous of these cassettes and both are actually able to transform, which I find amazing given their size. The duo are near-identical in size in their cassette mode, so they fit snugly inside Soundwave's chest.
I love the printed tiles representing the cassette reels and Laserbeak in particular looks totally complete, even on the back. There are a few gaps in Ravage, but understandably so because the jaguar-like Decepticon has a surprising number of moving parts, considering its size.
However, I think Laserbeak is the place to begin, as one of the first parts of the set assembled. This transformation is very close to that of the original toy, as the head emerges from between the printed tape reels and the legs fold down at the back, before unfolding the wings, which are easily adjustable.
Laserbeak looks superb as shown above, but also comes with boosters and weapons to place on his back. Personally, I find these rather bulky. I can understand including the fins and grilles for accuracy's sake, although I would have accepted some compromises for lighter boosters on the back of the model.
However, the printed details on Laserbeak's head are perfect, including his intimidating yellow eyes and some little vents. Similarly, the printed Decepticon logos on the wings look great and an extra 1x1 tile is included too, which could be useful for other Decepticon creations.
Ravage's transformation, by contrast, is totally different to his G1 figure, which was infamously flat! The sides of the mini-cassette fold down to become the body and the grey elements hinge outwards, forming the lower legs. Lastly, the head and tail move into place and Ravage is ready to go!
I think the figure looks excellent like this, definitely capturing the robot's feline silhouette. The design of the legs is particularly important, with bulky thighs. Also, you can attach a couple of rockets to Ravage's back, shown below. Their proportions work much better than Laserbeak's boosters, in my opinion.
Again, the head includes a couple of printed parts to match the source material as closely as possible. My only minor complaint is that I wish the head could move down further, especially since you cannot really recreate Ravage's iconic pouncing stance without that ability.
Nonetheless, plenty of dynamic poses are possible, thanks to the three joints on each leg. The paws are easily adjustable for stability and the rocket launchers are moveable as well. You can even place Ravage in a sitting pose, although the restricted head motion is again frustrating.
Returning to Soundwave himself, I have already mentioned his versatile double-jointed elbows, while the stickered details on the arms look good too. Moreover, the fingers are fully articulated and both hands include Technic connection points for the weapon.
The concussion blaster is simply designed and includes a removable dart, like the original toy. However, I wish its cylindrical shape continued around the handgrip and the wrist joint needed some reinforcement, as it sometimes rotates under the weapon's weight, if not posed in exactly the right way.
In addition, Soundwave is famously armed with a shoulder cannon. I like how Technic wheels are used for colourful stripes and the holes at the end approximate this weapon's appearance during the 1980s Transformers animated series.
Brickset member SolidState pointed out in a prior article that the Technic wheels forming the tip of the shoulder cannon should be oriented in different directions, so the red part shows through the holes in the blue one. This is a nice effect, again reflecting Soundwave's classic design.
The back of the torso has very few gaps or unsightly colours, thanks in part to the battery box, where Soundwave's head is stored in cassette recorder mode. Even the red Technic elements underneath do not look completely out of place, given the red accents elsewhere on this model.
Soundwave's head re-uses the 2x2 curved wedge slopes produced for 10302 Optimus Prime, though three are provided in metallic silver this time. Their shape works perfectly and the dark blue section is accurate too, using an upside-down 1x1 tooth plate for the textured detail on the forehead and 2x2 curved slopes for the panels on either side.
Furthermore, the set comes with alternative trans-red and trans-yellow 1x1 slopes for the eyes, reflecting their different colours between the original Soundwave toy and the animated series. I know this is a tiny thing, but one I really appreciate.
Like the previous LEGO Transformers, a stickered plaque is included. Though I wish these 6x8 slopes were printed, I like the graphical style and the statistics mirror Soundwave's G1 toy. Also, a small pocket is hidden on the back of the plaque, where you can store the alternative eyes and a spare 2x3 tile with a cassette tape decoration.
These pieces are included for the smaller iteration of Soundwave, supplied in reference to the character's 'mass shifting' ability, when he converts from a five-metre robot to a micro cassette recorder. This model looks superb and I love the details on the printed cassettes, ready to swap between Ravage and Laserbeak. Even the tiny 'MC 60' lettering is present!
Overall
10358 Transformers: Soundwave is one of my favourite sets of the year so far. I was pleased with 10302 Optimus Prime and could applaud 10338 Bumblebee's ambition, if not necessarily the execution. However, given the brilliant engineering of the transformation and other features, Soundwave is undoubtedly, as he can tell you himself, superior!
Issues are few. Ideally, some of the stickered elements could have been printed, especially the 'play' button, while the folded arms on the rear of the cassette recorder mode are odd. Even so, this is an exceptional model and the price of £159.99, $189.99 or €179.99 seems reasonable to me, particularly given the inclusion of a sound brick, plus Ravage and Laserbeak.
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49 comments on this article
Idk why people call this overpriced. Its perfectly valued IMO. It has basically the same amount of pieces that Optimus did. It has side builds that also transform and look great and it has a FUNCTIONAL SOUND BRICK and its only 10 bucks more than Optimus was 3 years ago. Can't wait to get this.
This looks great. I have the first two, so I'll be getting this one at some point in the future.
The arms folding back and sticking out on the back side in cassette player mode is pretty similar to the G1 toy.
It would have been nice if they’d included the extra parts so you could convert Laserbeak into Buzzsaw, since that’s the cassette the G1 toy shipped with. Yes, you can just buy the yellow parts and do it yourself, but you can’t get the printed tile for the smaller player.
Is it possible to ask TLG why "PLAY"-button is sticker?
Well, we hope that this SET could be about 90-100 eurodollars. LEGO is more and more expensive in future. 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030... this set is about 250 eurodollars... NOT good.
The alt mode looks pretty authentic to the real toy, even with exposed arms. - In general this looks like a top notch effort by the LEGO designer. - Looking forward to grabbing this and doing the ‘Bag-chapters’ with my kids.
@quincy said:
"The alt mode looks pretty authentic to the real toy, even with exposed arms."
The stickers are also pretty authentic to the G1 toy. Unfortunately, I can see myself potentially buying three copies. One to keep sealed, one with red eyes, and one with yellow eyes. Of the two built copies, one could be in robot mode with Laserbeak deployed and Ravage in the chest, and the other could be in the alt mode with the cassettes reversed.
Can he also go into lamp mode from More Than Meets the Eye Pt. 1?
Fantastic set - looks great, we’ll-designed, and a fair price considering the large, new, individually packed element, the IP license, and the sound brick.
Absolute instant purchase for me. The price is perfect, the execution is insane, and the detail is better than actual Transformers toys today. I hope Lego continues with these forever! I’d love Megatron or Starscream next.
I’m glad the sound brick is easily removed - I still haven’t gotten the dead batteries out of the pop up party bus.
I know about as much about Transformers as they know about me, but I'm always impressed by these sets. Mind you—wasn't a complaint about Bumblebee that in "disguised" mode his little car was completely out of scale with the Optimus truck? Without having ever seen it, it's difficult see how that's not also a problem with a cassette.
Can't say I was too interested when this was first presented, but the more I see about it, the more I get the feeling I want it. It's all about the details, like the transforming Laserbeak and Ravage, or the functional eject-button. So as soon as I see it with a good discount....
As for the stickers, the weirdest bit to me is which decorations are prints and which are stickers. I mean. I mean, why is the play button a sticker (could even be reusable in other sets), or the identical stickers on the arms, or the plaque, while those two 2x3 tiles for the small tapes are printed? Wrong priorities if you'd ask me....
As a Transformers fan, Optimus was a no-brainer pickup, Bumblebee a pretty easy skip, but this one feels like the Transformers set they wanted to make from the beginning. The amount of function and transforming and even the sound brick makes the brand crossover make the most sense to me.
Despite all the negativity Bumblebee received I'm still impressed that Lego now has the ability to bring us functional Transformers in brick form. I look forward to their next iteration hopefully they can keep it to at least 1 per year.
@Freddy_Hodson said:
"I know about as much about Transformers as they know about me."
Wow, that’s impressive, because Soundwave knows everything about you. Everything.
This surely looks like a fun build, I wonder how many parts I'd need to source to build this with what I have from my stash if I'd leave the model's colors for what they are and just go for the building (and later transformation) experience. Surely that big window will come in handy for a MOC later.
@Retroblox77 said:
"Idk why people call this overpriced. Its perfectly valued IMO. It has basically the same amount of pieces that Optimus did. It has side builds that also transform and look great and it has a FUNCTIONAL SOUND BRICK and its only 10 bucks more than Optimus was 3 years ago. Can't wait to get this."
Part of it is that Optimus launched at $170 for a few months before the slight price hike. That he's been consistently discounted for the last while doesn't help either.
I definitely see the value here - but I'm also a collector of both Transformers and Lego, so it's no real shock.
Major props to the designer for this one. Even if it’s essentially the replicating the toys, the amount of LEGO math and parts usage to get everything to move, while being stable and accurate is serious impressive. Especially impressive with the tiny Lazerbeak and Ravage models!
@Mister_Jonny said:
"I’m glad the sound brick is easily removed - I still haven’t gotten the dead batteries out of the pop up party bus."
The Party Bus, from 2019! Hey, so - you do know batteries tend to corrode after three to five years, yes?
Can’t wait to see builders MOC Rumble.
Transformers came around 15 years too late for me. My robots of choice were Zeroids (https://toytales.ca/zeroids-from-ideal-1968/). Nonetheless this Lego creation is excellent and will definitely join the first two in my collection at some point.
@sjr60 said:
"Transformers came around 15 years too late for me. My robots of choice were Zeroids (https://toytales.ca/zeroids-from-ideal-1968/). Nonetheless this Lego creation is excellent and will definitely join the first two in my collection at some point. "
A Lego robot like those, now that would be cool!
(and I'm not even that old....)
I-I-I-I know almost nothing about Transformers and never was interested in them, but man... This guy is CRAZY. Such a cool menacing character.
US$190 is not reasonable, the preorder price I paid at around US$135 is reasonable.
I think the Canada price is also more reasonable than the US price.
Love him, can't wait to get him! Now just needs a Rumble (the blue one, just so we're clear).
Maybe it's fun to switch the existing soundbricks between the sets...
@Crux said:
" @Mister_Jonny said:
"I’m glad the sound brick is easily removed - I still haven’t gotten the dead batteries out of the pop up party bus."
The Party Bus, from 2019! Hey, so - you do know batteries tend to corrode after three to five years, yes?"
Yeah, it’s going to be fun taking this set apart eventually.
@Elite_1 said:
"Absolute instant purchase for me. The price is perfect, the execution is insane, and the detail is better than actual Transformers toys today. I hope Lego continues with these forever! I’d love Megatron or Starscream next."
My heart agrees with you, my wallet says, "Please, no!" My shrinking amount of display and storage space nods enthusiastically when my wallet says that.
@PurpleDave said:" @Freddy_Hodson said:
"I know about as much about Transformers as they know about me."
Wow, that’s impressive, because Soundwave knows everything about you. Everything."
Best comment, 11.75 out of 10.
@ra226 said:"Love him, can't wait to get him! Now just needs a Rumble (the blue one, just so we're clear)."
Even if Hasbro can't make up their minds, RIRFIB!
I didn't think I wanted this set but the review has almost convinced me otherwise.... looks like an excellent job by the designers here!
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Elite_1 said:
"Absolute instant purchase for me. The price is perfect, the execution is insane, and the detail is better than actual Transformers toys today. I hope Lego continues with these forever! I’d love Megatron or Starscream next."
My heart agrees with you, my wallet says, "Please, no!" My shrinking amount of display and storage space nods enthusiastically when my wallet says that.
@PurpleDave said:" @Freddy_Hodson said:
"I know about as much about Transformers as they know about me."
Wow, that’s impressive, because Soundwave knows everything about you. Everything."
Best comment, 11.75 out of 10.
@ra226 said:"Love him, can't wait to get him! Now just needs a Rumble (the blue one, just so we're clear)."
Even if Hasbro can't make up their minds, RIRFIB!"
Trust me my friend, my bank account is terrified of August 1st and beyond, the Black Pearl is right around the corner. Haha, I’m in danger.
The first transformer set seems to be forgotten all the time 8852 ??
The stickers and the alternate eye color are to let you build Soundwave like from the cartoon or Soundwave like the Hasbro toy from the Cartoon. The choice is yours!
Can’t wait to see people’s versions of Rumble and Frenzy, “first we crack the shell, then we crack the nuts inside!”
Happy to see that Decepticons emblem is a print. It would've been terribly unenjoyable to put a sticker that size on a clear. LEGO piece. Leaving all the other stickers off actually make him look more cartoon accurate, so I can live with the decision to have all the other deco as recalls -- even though I feel they really should've been prints.
@ickis said:
"The stickers and the alternate eye color are to let you build Soundwave like from the cartoon or Soundwave like the Hasbro toy from the Cartoon. The choice is yours!"
Actually, the toys came first, so it would be "build him like the toy, or the cartoon from the toy."
@TheOtherMike said:
" @ickis said:
"The stickers and the alternate eye color are to let you build Soundwave like from the cartoon or Soundwave like the Hasbro toy from the Cartoon. The choice is yours!"
Actually, the toys came first, so it would be "build him like the toy, or the cartoon from the toy.""
I believe the way it actually happened is the Japanese toys came first, then Hasbro got their hands on the IP with the intention of selling them in the US, but they had to delay release of the toys until the TV series started airing because US law at the time considered a toy based on a show as normal merchandising, but a show based on a toy was an ad-supported advertisement. If the toys hit stores first, they would have been forbidden from launching the show by the FCC. Government logic. Gotta love it.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @ickis said:
"The stickers and the alternate eye color are to let you build Soundwave like from the cartoon or Soundwave like the Hasbro toy from the Cartoon. The choice is yours!"
Actually, the toys came first, so it would be "build him like the toy, or the cartoon from the toy.""
I believe the way it actually happened is the Japanese toys came first, then Hasbro got their hands on the IP with the intention of selling them in the US, but they had to delay release of the toys until the TV series started airing because US law at the time considered a toy based on a show as normal merchandising, but a show based on a toy was an ad-supported advertisement. If the toys hit stores first, they would have been forbidden from launching the show by the FCC. Government logic. Gotta love it."
There wasn't an IP to get their hands on. There were multiple existing toylines with transforming robots that Hasbro got the rights to manufacture under license and built an IP around. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Pre-Transformer_franchises
@TheOtherMike said:
"There wasn't an IP to get their hands on. There were multiple existing toylines with transforming robots that Hasbro got the rights to manufacture under license and built an IP around. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Pre-Transformer_franchises"
IP covers anything that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. That includes the physical designs of the transforming toys, which they did not create for the G1 line. Yes, they came up with the Transformers brand, but first they had to acquire the rights to produce toy designs (a form of IP) from several other companies.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"There wasn't an IP to get their hands on. There were multiple existing toylines with transforming robots that Hasbro got the rights to manufacture under license and built an IP around. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Pre-Transformer_franchises"
IP covers anything that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. That includes the physical designs of the transforming toys, which they did not create for the G1 line. Yes, they came up with the Transformers brand, but first they had to acquire the rights to produce toy designs (a form of IP) from several other companies."
But there still wasn't "an" IP, there were multiple IPs, so I'm technically correct. The best kind of correct!
Of all the Lego TFs this would be the one to interest me the most, but I already have an MP Soundwave from many years back (and all the Microcassettes, excluding that Nightstalker/Steeljaw they randomly did once), so I'll probably hold off. The MP is one of my favourite figures of all time, so much so that I got the Third-Party Blaster to go with it!
Glad they focused on incorporating toy elements into this design because I find cartoon accuracy to be really boring (and sometimes ugly) to look at.
RiRFiB to the end.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
"There wasn't an IP to get their hands on. There were multiple existing toylines with transforming robots that Hasbro got the rights to manufacture under license and built an IP around. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Category:Pre-Transformer_franchises"
IP covers anything that can be patented, trademarked, or copyrighted. That includes the physical designs of the transforming toys, which they did not create for the G1 line. Yes, they came up with the Transformers brand, but first they had to acquire the rights to produce toy designs (a form of IP) from several other companies."
But there still wasn't "an" IP, there were multiple IPs, so I'm technically correct. The best kind of correct!"
Property is a plural of property, therefore IP is a plural of IP. So technically...
A set I'll buy as soon as it's properly discounted, as it is my favourite Transformer but not wort the 180€ price tag.
I really like this. Transformers was what I grew up with, and I have Optimus and Bumblebee, so I'll definitely be getting Soundwave. I'd like Galvatron next.
@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @ickis said:
"The stickers and the alternate eye color are to let you build Soundwave like from the cartoon or Soundwave like the Hasbro toy from the Cartoon. The choice is yours!"
Actually, the toys came first, so it would be "build him like the toy, or the cartoon from the toy.""
I believe the way it actually happened is the Japanese toys came first, then Hasbro got their hands on the IP with the intention of selling them in the US, but they had to delay release of the toys until the TV series started airing because US law at the time considered a toy based on a show as normal merchandising, but a show based on a toy was an ad-supported advertisement. If the toys hit stores first, they would have been forbidden from launching the show by the FCC. Government logic. Gotta love it."
I'm very curious where you heard this, because I've never heard anything like it. The closest thing I can think of is that Hasbro intentionally delayed the toyline for the 2011 series Transformers Prime so they could present it as a Cartoon Worth Watching and not merely a 20-minute commercial, but that was for appearances, not legal reasons.
@Andrusi said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @ickis said:
"The stickers and the alternate eye color are to let you build Soundwave like from the cartoon or Soundwave like the Hasbro toy from the Cartoon. The choice is yours!"
Actually, the toys came first, so it would be "build him like the toy, or the cartoon from the toy.""
I believe the way it actually happened is the Japanese toys came first, then Hasbro got their hands on the IP with the intention of selling them in the US, but they had to delay release of the toys until the TV series started airing because US law at the time considered a toy based on a show as normal merchandising, but a show based on a toy was an ad-supported advertisement. If the toys hit stores first, they would have been forbidden from launching the show by the FCC. Government logic. Gotta love it."
I'm very curious where you heard this, because I've never heard anything like it. The closest thing I can think of is that Hasbro intentionally delayed the toyline for the 2011 series Transformers Prime so they could present it as a Cartoon Worth Watching and not merely a 20-minute commercial, but that was for appearances, not legal reasons."
Well, that was why I was asking. It definitely wouldn't have been anything released after 1990, since the laws involved all got repealed during the 1980's. The Wikipedia page on the 1984 TF series very briefly touches on the existence of these laws, but doesn't explain them. I'm pretty sure it was this brand that I heard it about. Voltron is another possibility, but where Hasbro licensed the toys first and created the TV series after, Voltron was created by licensing three TV series, so there wouldn't have been any reason to delay production if they still had to develop the toys anyways.
And my understanding of the laws involved could be flawed, since I was hearing about them secondhand at best. I do know there were several restrictive laws regarding broadcast television. Some have been repealed, while others are still in place. They stem from the fact that TV started out as over-the-air signals, and the idea that the airspace used to transmit them was property of the American public. TV stations that wanted a license to broadcast had to agree to several conditions. One was that they air a block of news, for the purpose of making sure the public was kept informed. Another was that they also air a block of educational programing for young kids. I'm pretty sure both of these are still in force under the FCC. Another was the restriction on content based on timeslot.
Restrictions on producing TV series based on toys (and possibly vice versa) would have largely been eroded by the option to put kid's shows on cable TV, where they weren't subject to FCC oversight. They're definitely gone now, since shows like Galidor and Ninjago were produced in conjunction with their respective toy lines. They never applied to films, because those were initially played in privately-owned theaters, rather than being broadcast over publicy-owned airwaves. By the time they reached broadcast TV, the only restrictions the FCC could really place on them were for content and timeslot.
@PurpleDave:
I haven't been able to figure out when Transformers toys actually hit shelves more specifically than 1984 (and the answer is probably "gradually over a period of several months"), but I know the 4" GI Joe toyline (1982) predates the GI Joe cartoon made to advertise it (1983), which Hasbro got away with doing by claiming it was *actually* an advertisement for the comic book (also 1982). The same loophole would have been available to Hasbro with Transformers, since it also had a comic book (May 1984) that predated the cartoon (September 1984).
(He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983) also was based on an existing Masters of the Universe toyline (1981), but I'm not very familiar with that franchise so I don't know what their excuse was.)
That said, the relevant regulations were apparently lifted in June 1984, so Transformers would have been one of the first few "glorified toy commerical" cartoons to not have to worry about it at all (although not, I'd imagine, in time to affect the actual timing of production). That might be the context where you heard about them together.
@TheBrickBulbasaur said:
"Can he also go into lamp mode from More Than Meets the Eye Pt. 1?"
UPDATE: He cannot :(