Mini Review - Magic Square MS-B27 Voice Ripple + MS-B28 Tapes Team
Magic Square brings the heat with this awesome mini rendition of Soundwave and his little pals! I was genuinely dumbstruck looking at the little minions and how articulate and expressive they are despite their diminutive nature. Voice Ripple is no slouch himself with some very impressive articulation and an effective suite of accessories. There’s even a sticker sheet included if you want to add more detail!
Magic Square knows how to get your hard earned dollar when it comes to Soundwave. Unfortunately if you want to assemble all the minions you will need to pick up 3 different items. The B27 version of Voice Ripple comes with the Auto Scout, and Rumble in cartoon colors. MS-B27B Sound Wall (Sound Blaster) comes with Laserbeak, and then the MS-B28 Tapes Team set includes Ravage, Ratbat, Buzzsaw, and Rumble in toy colors. Red pile-drivers are included so you can represent Rumble in whichever color you prefer. Once the whole team is assembled they look pretty fantastic together!
Special thanks to Paul N. for lending me these figures to photograph and review.
The Goodies (+)
MS-B27 Voice Ripple
+ A+ articulation, including a hidden ab crunch!
+ Easy to use swap out hands provide dynamic display options.
+ Chest opens up, providing a functional gimmick that can hold 1 cassette minion.
+ Weapon accessories are well done and easy to use.
+ Included minions are well made and a lot of fun to play with.
MS-B28 Tapes Team and other minions
+ Very impressive for their size.
+ Paint and sculpt work are above average considering their small size.
+ Articulation on most of the minions is impressive, allowing for a lot of expression and dynamic posing.
+ Easy to transform.
+ Pile Driver accessories are very well implemented for their size.
The Baddies (-)
MS-B27 Voice Ripple
- Transformation is needlessly complex for it’s size.
- The mushroom swivel at the waist came apart several times while twisting the waist. No damage was caused but it was a minor annoyance.
- Plastic quality is the same soapy, nylon plastic that Magic Square is known for. This plastic itself is strong and durable, but the in hand feel leaves something to be desired. This may be subjective.
- This is also subjective, but in my opinion Voice Ripple is a bit too tall depending on how you want him to scale with Megatron and the other ‘Cons.
MS-B28 Tapes Team and other minions
- Alt modes on the humanoid minions are sloppy and lacking cohesion compared to the others.
- Birds could be better articulated, lacking expression due to no joints in the neck or feet.
- Fit and finish could be better. Lots of burs and rough edges on both sets but especially noticeable on the smaller minions.
- Obvious sprue marks on Rumble/Frenzy faces right on their visors.
Final Thoughts (Do I recommend this figure?)
Short answer yes. I would absolutely recommend Voice Ripple as well as the tape team to anyone who wants a really cool Legends/Legends+ representation of Soundwave and his minions. There are a few minor issues but nothing deal-breaking and the tape minions are truly impressive considering how tiny they are. I want to check out the upcoming New Age versions before I make a final decision on which version I will permanently add to my collection, but to be quite honest that’s only because I prefer the plastic they use. If you’re not bothered by the soft, nylon style plastic Magic Square uses then these sets are an absolute home run and come highly recommended by me.
