Decepticon Frenzy (Red) Transformers - Studio Series 86 Transformers Studio Series Core Class Toy Item No.: Asst. F3135 No. F7492 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: 2 blasters, 2 piledrivers Action Feature: Transforms from cassette tape to robot Retail: $11.99 Availability: November 2023 Other: Arguably worth the asking price
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I'm not sure what the issue is with tapes when Hasbro makes a figure like Decepticon Frenzy (Red) or any of a number of cassette 2-packs, they're always a huge hit, you rarely see them on store shelves, and they immediately command high secondary market prices. Frenzy (or toy-colors Rumble if you're nasty) is something fans want - and heck if you can find one in a store. The entire assortment is being phased out, which is a real shame because fans are clearly buying this specific kind of toy whenever it's available. I'm not saying "Hasbro should just make Core the all-tape assortment," but I just did, and they should. People do show up for these things.

Since the TV show follows FIRRIB (Frenzy Is Red, Rumble Is Blue), that's what we're getting in Studio Series. I dragged my feet opening this fairly excellent little figure, who is pricey for what he is but gives you pretty much anything you could want out of a toy of this size. It can change into a tiny tape, it keeps the original toy's back blasters, and it has the big piledrivers. He also can fold up into a tiny cassette tape that can, technically, fit in Soundwave's chest - but it's a tight fit, and it' hard to open once you stuff him in there.

As a kid, I had the Rumble & Ravage two-pack, so to me, Rumble is Red - and this toy is completely necessary for me to be happy. If you were a cartoon kid (or had Frenzy & Ratbat / Frenzy & Laserbeak) you might be happy with Rumble [FOTD #2,513] - but I needed both.

One of the struggles Hasbro and Takara-Tomy have are updating some of the strongest toys of the entire line. The 1980s cassettes and Soundwave were all a masterclass of toy engineering, with better-than-average articulation, some clever spring-loaded elements, and top-notch accessory interaction as 1:1 recreations of the real-world microcassette recorders. It was a roleplay toy and an action figure all in one - so of course fans regard them highly. Some figures (like Steeljaw) came up short when compared to the originals, but I would say Frenzy and Rumble do a good job of delivering something that does a pretty good job of delivering a toy worthy of your childhood memories within the confines of the smaller-scale modern mini cassette tape toys.

As a robot figure, he's basically the same as Rumble but red and black, with light gray bits. The original toy had blasters that were vac-metal silver and feet that were die-cast metal. This one just casts everything in a light gray that doesn't quite match, but the rest of the toy gets the job done with some nice gold chest paint and tiny gold shins that do a good job of replicating the delicate foil stickers from 1984. The face is very small, but determined, with red optics and a cranky silver face. He also has a number of ball joints, allowing him to assume all kinds of action poses while making use of his accessories. Given the limitations Hasbro had on price point and the size to maintain Soundwave compatibility, this is arguably a perfect robot.

The transformation is easy enough, with the legs and arms wadding up to make a perfectly nice cassette. They do a good job with some printed details on the flip side, giving us something that's not entirely unlike the original toy's stickers. It's not far off from the cartoon, and since it's on the back of a toy you're unlikely to ever transform after purchase, it is arguably a corner worthy of cutting when it comes to deco.

The tape barely fits in Soundwave's chest, which is a shame - it's so close. I hope Hasbro considers making a Studio Series 86 Soundwave with a slightly bigger chest area so this guy can fit in there. It's a very nice tape, and I wouldn't be opposed to another couple of repaints in new and different colors - there's no reason the cassettes couldn't be treated like Seekers, especially given the likes of Enemy, Rosanna, and other various flavors of tape.

His accessories are fine. The blasters are the same as Rumble's, light gray, and I wouldn't have minded them being in a darker color. They it in his back nicely, and there are tiny holes in the back of his forearms to plug them in too. They get the job done, I would love vac-metal ones though.

The piledrivers are recolored from Rumble, and work great. If you tuck in his fists, they slip over the forearms and look great. The tips aren't telescoping - they won't go in and out - but they do have 5mm holes on top so you can put in blast effects to give them some sort of illusion of jets shooting out to slam them down on the ground. The parts hitting the ground are filled, so you can't put an impact element under them to indicate they just hit the Earth. They're good though, and it's great to see this sort of thing included in more American toys that aren't Masterpiece Edition releases.

If you're a G1 collector you either have or want this to go with your Soundwave. Hasbro did a good job, and Frenzy has always been a pain in the neck to find. I never saw this guy (or Rumble) in a store. Given his high secondary market price of $40, I assume there's a lot of demand to fill with collectors - and even more you can sell to toy dads who would probably only buy it if they saw it on the pegs at a store. If you ever get a crack at this guy at a fair price, buy it, it's a good example of what they can do with a small toy. It's kind of expensive for the size, but the added pile drivers and articulation make it so I am not upset for what I got for my money. It seems most "tape" toys are a huge hit in the past decade, so I'm unsure why Hasbro is so hesitant to make more for the masses. These things sell.

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