I hate to flood you with this many toy news stories, but, you know, they are a necessary evil. Transformers collectors who are smitten by nostalgia will want to hear about this. The Autobots’ answer to the Decepticons’ Soundwave, Broadcast—or Blaster, as he is known outside of Japan—has gotten the MPG treatment, and much like the MPG-19, it is kind of a two-parter.
There are actually two MPG sets announced. There’s the Transformers MPG-25 Broadcast and Steeljaw, and there’s the Transformers MPG-24 Eject and Ramhorn, featuring the other two trusty Cassettebots of Broadcast. Let’s start with the boss of the cassette minions.
Broadcast is as toon-accurate as it can get, thanks to its clean lines. I mean, what else do we expect of a radio-cassette recorder, right? I dig the look, and it does bring back a lot of memories. This latest addition to the Takara Tomy Transformers MPG lineup converts from bot to radio-cassette recorder mode, complete with a “functional” tape deck. Pressing the switch on Broadcast’s abdomen opens the tape deck, which can accommodate two cassettes.
Speaking of cassettes, it comes with one Cassettebot—Steeljaw—which converts between cassette and lion modes, giving you a solid start. Steeljaw is kind of the Autobots’ response to Soundwave’s Ravage. Both Broadcast—I mean Blaster—and his sidekick boast deco and details inspired by the OG cartoon series.
Broadcast and Steeljaw come with a healthy selection of accessories, including Broadcast’s Electro-Scrambler blaster, Steeljaw’s left and right solar-powered pellet blasters, two megaphones, two sound-wave effect parts, a monitor panel, and a barrier case for cassette storage. In addition, you’ll also get a swappable smiling head inspired by The Transformers: The Movie. Rounding out the package are the original packaging, Japanese-language instructions, and a character card. You know, the usual stuff.
If you’re looking to beef up Broadcast’s team, there’s the cassettebot set, Transformers MPG-24 Eject and Ramhorn. This set features Eject, the Cassettebot supervisor, and his trusty partner, Ramhorn, a Cassettebot warrior. In cassette mode, they fit inside the chest of MPG-25 and, if you so desire, MPG-19 Soundwave too. Eject is, of course, a humanoid, while Ramhorn is a robotic rhinoceros. Both feature deco and details inspired by the cartoon series.
Accessory-wise, Eject gets his Electric Overload Blaster, while Ramhorn is armed with a pair of laser-guided missiles. The set also includes two barrier cases for cassette-mode storage, along with the original packaging, Japanese-language instructions, and a Japanese-language character card.
Pre-orders are happening now for the Transformers MPG-25 Broadcast and Steeljaw and Transformers MPG-24 Eject and Ramhorn, priced at 27,500 yen plus tax [JP] and 9,350 yen plus tax [JP], respectively, in Japan. Meanwhile, Hasbro Pulse is also taking pre-orders for MPG-25 and MPG-24 for US$174.99 and US$59.99, respectively. They are expected to ship in February 2027 in Japan and around April 2027 in the U.S.
Images: Takara Tomy [JP].