Review – KFC Mugan Vox
Transformers fans love Soundwave. Trust me, it’s a requirement. It’s demanded. You simply are not a Transformers fan if Soundwave isn’t in your Top Five Awesomest Transformers Characters Ever. I am pretty sure this is a scientific fact or something. And all of this brings us to today’s review, the KFC Mugan Vox . . . who really isn’t Soundwave.
Badbat
Before we dive into the Mugan Vox review I want to take a second to remind everyone that this toy also comes with a Ratbat-like toy, Badbat. I’ve reviewed the Badbat mold multiple times so check those out and then rejoin us for this not-Soundwave toy review.
A Perceptor Retool
KFC retooled their unofficial Perceptor toy to build this Soundwave, creating a new head and weapons and using completely different paint and plastic colors to pull off the trick. And it worked wonderfully! The below pic shows three instances of this mold, and since the robot mode is so very well done I’ve no complaints at all with having all three of these on the shelf. (And there’s a fourth version on the way!) If you stare at the details this is clearly more Perceptor than it is Soundwave — look at the chest shape and the thighs — but I really don’t care. This works!
Tank Mode
You may remember that the original 1985 Perceptor toy was a microscope (see my review of the reissue), but that microscope also transformed into a tank so that’s what we see happening in the below photos.
The tank mode is just okay. Why okay? Well, the pieces don’t snap together as well as I would like and the transformation design has some weird twists in it that slow down the play. The above right look of the tank mode also demonstrates how awkward the front of the vehicle looks; this is clearly a better robot than it is a tank.
Articulation
In robot mode, Mugan Vox is quite articulated and poseable, making the great look of the toy even better since you can get it into all kinds of combat-ready poses. The articulation breaks down as:
- Head – Ball-jointed neck.
- Torso – Swivel waist.
- Arms – Ball-jointed shoulders that connect to swivels, swivel cut above the hinged elbow, and ball-jointed wrists.
- Legs – Ball-jointed hips, double-hinged knees, and hinges on the feet and ball-jointed ankles.
All of that articulation combines to allow you to pull off some fun poses.
Closing Thoughts
Third-party Transformers toys are more expensive than the Hasbro releases, but as long as the toys are as fun as this unofficial Soundwave then I’ll keep buying the ones that interest me. The addition of an unofficial Ratbat packed with the toy sealed the deal for me, but even without that Ratbat this would have been a good buy for anyone who collects variations on Soundwave.
The tank mode is weak, yes, and I’d say that’s the one real flaw in an otherwise fantastic robot toy. Mugan Vox isn’t the best third-party toy we’ve ever seen, but it’s a strong release and looks best of all once you display it with several other Soundwave toys. I know I’m happy with my purchase . . . and I’m looking forward to the fourth version of this mold reaching my front door.