We Build the LEGO Transformers: Soundwave, a Beautiful 80s Dream Come True

Getting the chance to build this set was the culmination of a lot of childhood wishes, and I'm happy to say the process is a good time. The end result is now the crown jewel of my LEGO collection, even if I've put together other sets that had more surprises and fun packed inside.

It's kind of amazing to me how Soundwave has withstood the test of time so well. Soundwave was my first ever Transformer toy back in 1984 (yes, I am that old). Everything that makes him awesome is seemingly a product of those heady days of the early '80s. Portable cassette players were to 1984 what the iPod was to the 2000s, or what... well, I don't know if there's even a comparable piece of must-have audio technology in 2025. The novelty of a portable music player as the late 1970s moved into the early 1980s was still extremely strong.

They weren't just devices for listening to music: they were a fashion accessory, a statement on how cool and young you were. Just look at Marty McFly in Back to the Future. Here we have the coolest dude in his school, and clipped to his belt is an Aiwa HS-PO2 MkII cassette deck to let audiences know at a glance "this IS a cool, hip teen of the '80s." That particular model, by the way, is highly sought after now by collectors, thanks in large part to its role in Back to the Future, but also because it was a really sweet tape deck.

Soundwave was one of the first Transformer toys to hit the US, and the insane popularity of the Transformers toy line was similarly a defining trend of the era. I think this mash-up of bleeding-edge cool is what made Soundwave the absolute coolest. Here was a new toy in the hottest new kids' toy line that transformed into the hottest teen tech accessory. You had the fun of a toy for a 7-year-old kid like me mixed with the aspirational teen coolness all kids crave. It also helped that on the 22-minute episodic Transformers commercials/animated series, his voice was heavily filtered through a vocoder.

It's another one of those things that is hard to comprehend now, but electronic sounds were still new and felt unusual to the ears. It gave him that extra bit of futuristic, robotic oomph that was lightning in a bottle. Sure, the Autobot communicator Blaster was based on a whole boombox, something that was also extremely cool and a major part of the 1980s, but as I mentioned earlier, Autobots are nerds and his voice was only mildly filtered through what now sounds like one of those megaphone toys for kids.

As if Soundwave wasn't already cool enough, he came with a cassette that could also transform into a robot. My memory told me Laserbeak was the pack-in for the original, but a little research has revealed some flaws in my recall thanks to the ravages of time, and Buzzsaw was actually the original G1 pack-in cassette. In fact, there was a whole slew of Decepticon cassettes that you could buy and use with Soundwave, compared to stupid Blaster, who only had four. Also, the Autobot cassettes were called Recordabots, which is a terrible name, although "Recordicons" really isn't much better. Even if you never expanded beyond the pack-in, Soundwave was a fearsome Decepticon who came with an extra, smaller Decepticon packed in. Two transforming robots for the price of one? Now that's a value my parents could get behind.

I'm extremely happy to say the LEGO Soundwave is every part as cool as its original G1 toy, with the ability not only to transform, but with two Decepticon Mini-Cassettes by way of Laserbeak and Ravage. Cooler still is the fact that all of them are able to transform into their alt modes. The addition of a sound brick, one that's activated by Soundwave's Play button, transforms this elite Transformer into a level of cool you just don't find in the modern era.

When it's all said and done, you have a pair of Decepticon Mini-Cassettes, a fully functioning Soundwave with the ability to speak and a working eject button for his cassette minions, a tiny brick-built replica Soundwave in his alt-form complete with a pair of cassette bricks to match the larger models, and a sign showing off his stats.

That's one of the features I love the most: they could have put anything on that little sign, but for the Transformers line, they adapted the stats originally printed on the back of the G1 packaging. Did you know Soundwave only scores a "2" in speed, but a "10" in skill? Now you do.

As far as the process of assembling Soundwave goes, it's a pretty straightforward build. It doesn't have much in the way of Easter eggs. I built the Pac-Man Arcade cabinet, and true to LEGO's video game-inspired line, there's a really cool secret hidden in its back panel. The LEGO Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City set might have been the most fun I've ever had putting together a LEGO set, with hidden secrets and nods to the series peppered everywhere, to the point there was almost a narrative unfolding while I built it. Soundwave doesn't go that deep, unfortunately.

That's not to say there isn't a fun little hidden gem. The sound brick could have just been a brick hidden inside, used for some structural support or just existing on its own, but it actually ends up resembling a 2D approximation of Soundwave's face, something I love and appreciate. They didn't have to do that, because once you install the brick, you won't see it again until you change the coin battery sometime in the year 2040. But they did. And I appreciate it.

I'm so glad I was given the opportunity to build this kit. Not only is Soundwave my favorite Transformer, the LEGO Soundwave is now one of my favorite LEGO kits. The attention to detail, the cleverness employed in its transforming design, the fact he can freaking talk, this is the stuff 1980s dreams are made of. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. It's so choice.

Seth Macy is Senior Social Commerce Producer, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him online at sethgmacy on Instagram or SethFromMaine on X.