Roll for It

This article is about the cartoon episode. For the mobile game event, seeRoll for It (Earth Wars).

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Soundwaveisan adult.
"Roll for It"
Production code	#700-02
Season	1
No. in season	5
Production company	Sunbow Productions
Airdate	October 13,1984
Written by	Douglas Booth
Animation studio	Toei,Ashi Productions,Nakamura Production
Continuity	Generation 1 cartoon continuity
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The Decepticons seek a powerful antimatter formula, and the Autobots with their new human ally Chip Chase try to stop them.

Contents 1Synopsis 2Featured characters 3Quotes 4Notes 4.1Production information 4.2Continuity notes 4.3Real-world references 4.4Animation or technical glitches 4.5Continuity errors 4.6Trivia 4.7Foreign localization 4.8Toys inspired by this episode 5Home video releases 6References 7External links

Synopsis

Starscream,still in command of theDecepticonsafterMegatron's disappearance in theSpace Bridge,leadsThundercrackerandSoundwavein attacking a hydroelectric power generator. The Autobots respond quickly, asOptimus Primearrives with an assault team. The battle is short, as a thrown piece of equipment destroys the Decepticon store ofenergon cubes.With little to show for their efforts, the Decepticons retreat. Optimus Prime sendsProwlandBluestreakto follow them.

Meanwhile, onCybertron,Megatron resumes contact with Earth, hoping that Starscream hasn't done too much damage in his absence. Despite his absence, Megatron commands that their scheduled attack on an antimatter laboratory will continue as planned in five billion astroseconds. The battle-damagedSeekersset out to find repair parts in the interim, to be ready for the attack, while Megatron boards the Space Bridge for transit back to Earth.

BumblebeedrivesSpike WitwickyandChip Chaseto the isolated antimatter laboratory where Chip works. As the security guard punches the access code to let them in, his actions are carefully spied on byReflector,who is perched outside in camera mode snapping shots. Inside the massive lab, Chip and Spike are greeted byDoctor Alcazar,who gives Chase a 5.25-inchfloppy diskthat will enable Chip's home computer to interface with the one at the lab.

As Bumblebee drives away, he is attacked byLaserbeak.Spike directs Bumblebee to take cover in the underground parking garage. With Bumblebee having escaped, Megatron realizes Optimus Prime might be tipped off to their laboratory attack. Rather than wait for Starscream and his team, Megatron orders an immediate strike.

Bumblebee drives Chip home, where the young scientist hopes to warn the lab of the impending attack. Bumblebee tries to call in Prowl and Bluestreak as backup, but they're tied up attacking Starscream's group, who are raiding the Ace Aircraft Factory for parts.

Megatron's attack group arrives at the antimatter laboratory. Reflector punches in the access code, and the Decepticons march inside. Doctor Alcazar receives Chip's online warning at the last possible moment, and succeeds in erasing the antimatter formula from his computer. Megatron detects that Alcazar has uploaded the formula to someone else. He lets Alcazar go.

In the aircraft factory, Prowl is injured by Soundwave's blasts, and hisbattle computergoes offline. Desperate, Prowl scans for another online computer to hook up to. Traversing the phone lines, his signals find Chip's computer, which has also received Doctor Alcazar's antimatter formula. Chip assumes control of Prowl, using his desktop terminal to guide Prowl through combat maneuvers. With Chip in command, Prowl takes control of one of the surplus jets, and fires its rockets at the Decepticons. Starscream and his cohorts flee the battle.

Megatron determines where Alcazar sent the formula, and communicates the location to Starscream and his team. Soundwave dispatchesRavageto retrieve Chip. Chip memorizes the antimatter formula and destroys all evidence of it just as Ravage breaks in to his house and fetches him. The Decepticons take Chip to the antimatter laboratory, where the Autobots are just arriving. Prime sees that the Decepticons have a human hostage, and begins formulating a plan involvingMirageandHound.These deceptive Autobots are able to outsmart perimeter guard Rumble with their holographic ruses, allowing them and Bumblebee to sneak past.

Inside, Soundwave uses his scanning abilities to extract the formula from Chip's brain. Megatron orders Chip disposed of, and begins creating antimatter with the equipment in his lab. Just as Thundercracker moves in to terminate Chip, the infiltrating Autobots attack. Bumblebee and Spike rescue Chip, and the Autobots race away, taking Chip to safety.

Next, Optimus strikes, driving through the lab walls and unleashing his warriors. But it may be too late, as Megatron throws an antimatter-powered energon cube at the Autobots, creating a tremendous explosion.

Injured Autobots emerge from the devastated laboratory. Prime orders a retreat to headquarters, so that his soldiers can tend to badly needed repairs. The Autobots limp back to theArk,whereRatchetandSparkplugimmediately get to work. Chip laments his inability to keep the antimatter formula from falling into Megatron's hands, butWheeljacktries to console him. He's got a plan for the formula, and could use Chip and Spike's help.

The next day, the Decepticons, powered by antimatter energon cubes, attack Autobot headquarters. Megatron turns into pistol mode, and Starscream fires his antimatter-bolstered bolts into the Autobot ranks. Prime manages to knock the pistol from Starscream's grip, andSkywarprecovers the weapon. Just then, Chip affixes a control device onto Skywarp's ankle, a transmitter that enablesTeletraan Ito take control of the Decepticon warrior.

Under Autobot control, Skywarp begins shooting randomly into the countryside, and Megatron's antimatter ignition temperature reaches near critical. He transforms intorobot modeand expels the remaining antimatter energon from his body. It detonates, devastating the Decepticon forces. Megatron orders a retreat, but swears vengeance. Meanwhile, the Autobots congratulate Chip for his heroics.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Can the chat and start kickin' pig-iron!"

—Brawn

"Starscream! Thundercracker! You two look like Optimus Prime ran you through a laser-powered trash compactor!"

—Megatron

"Nowthisis a human after my own central processor! "

—Prowl,commenting on Chip's computer-control

"There's no one here! I must have static in my rectifiers."
"Now that's the smartest thing you've said all day!"
(flattered) "R-really?...Hey, what's going on!"

—Rumble,hoodwinked byMirageand Hound

"Gosh! You guys look like the guests of honor at a 50-car pile-up!"

—Sparkplug Witwicky

"You may not be an Autobot, but when you rolled for broke back there you sure could've fooled me."

—Bumblebeecongratulating Chip

Notes

Production information

• First draft script: 15 June 1984
• Revised byRon Friedman:26 June 1984
• Finalised script: 2 July 1984
• Dialogue recording: 11 July 1984 (Dan Gilvezannot present for main session, later pick-up session required)
• Returned to the US for telecine: 2 October 1984
• Official Sunbow Productions synopsis:

Spike's friend, Chip, a handicapped computer genius, accidentally becomes involved in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. Having access to a secret energy formula the Decepticons want, the evil robots kidnap Chip from his home and try to extricate the formula from the boy's brain. Spike and the Autobots rescue Chip, and with the handicapped boy's help, defeat the Decepticons.

Continuity notes

• The Space Bridge, which first appeared in "Transport to Oblivion",reappears in this episode. It's much more stable now; Megatron just strolls in and takes a trip home.
• Gadgets and powers:
  • Bumblebee can reconfigure his interior to accommodate Chip's wheelchair and turn his door into an entry ramp.
  • Bumblebee also demonstrates the ability to actually transform into vehicle modearoundhumans, taking them in as passengers.
  • Prowl uses a pair of head-antennae to contact Chip's computer.
  • Soundwave demonstrates his mind-reading abilities, extracting the anti-matter formula from Chip's brain by placing his fingers on his head.
  • Megatron can detect specific computer activity by placing his hand over the machine.
  • Soundwave bizarrely activates the lab computer by zapping it with an energy beam from his fingertip... which lights up hisentire arm.
  • Thundercracker, who was loaded with energon cubes, transforms and materializes two of the cubes in his hands, one of many instances lending credit to the fandom theories ofsubspaceand the like.
  • The para-sail like parachute used by Mirage in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3"is shown again, this time used by Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.
  • And of course, Hound uses his hologram abilities (to disguise himself as a boulder rolling across the desert), and Mirage becomes invisible (doing so without the usual glowing cuboid surrounding him.)
• Megatron orders the jets to meet him in "five billion astroseconds" —time enough for them to replace some parts and have a short battle. Last episode, a mere "3,000 astroseconds" was an intolerably long wait for the space bridge to re-open, and time enough for a whole series of side adventures. Next episode, the space bridge will materialize "within 72 billion astroseconds", seeming to imply that this is not too long a time.
• Megatron's use of the anti-matter cubes would seem to be a sidelong callback to one of his tech spec abilities, wherein he can use the anti-matter of an inter-dimensionally linked black hole to create a highly destructive attack.

• Signage in the city includes an ad forPrim Cola.
• Chip's phone number is 94-7244. Strangely, he doesn't answer when you call him.
• Although difficult to hear on the audio track, thedialogue scriptclarifies that Sunstreaker mockingly calls Thundercracker "big noise" when attacking him - one of only a handful of references to Thundercracker's sonic boom power in the cartoon.
• The Decepticons are never shownlosing theantimatter formula,yet they seem to have abandoned its use in future episodes.
• The partnership between Prowl and Chip in this episode is recalled in theBinaltechstory"Prowl & Chase".

Real-world references

• Cliffjumper uses the phrase "your friendly neighborhood Decepticon wreckers," a paraphrase ofSpider-Man's self-given nickname.
• The antimatter formula includes handwritten screens with the following written on them:

AH ONNAG HOSHII

DOKOKANI ee ONN

AGA ORANKNAA

KYOUMO HAYO KA

EETE NEYO

….. El HABARA

….. MOU DOUTEI

….. SUTETAKAI

….. SONOUTHI

….. TORUKO IKO

….. UZE

This appears to be a Japanese staff joke, as in English the text roughly translates: "Gah, I need a woman. Ain't there any hot babes around? Let's call it a day, get home quick and hit the sack. Hey, Habara (likelyNobuyoshi Habara^[1]), did you pop your cherry yet? Let's go hit aTurkish bath(a kind of brothel) some time. "

Animation or technical glitches

• Coloring errors:
  • Thundercracker is repeatedly depicted with Skywarp's colors in the opening scene, or in some cases, with Starscream's hue.
  • Starscream's head is light gray instead of dark gray as he transforms and lands in the power plant.
  • In the next shot, as Soundwave lands, Starscream's face is white instead of medium gray.
  • Brawn's head is almost entirely yellow instead of gray as Cliffjumper bounces off of him.
  • As Starscream raises the generator over his head, the whole side of Brawn's vehicle body is colored windshield-blue—metal panels and all.
  • The tip and cockpit area of Starscream's nosecone is red as he flies away from the power plant.
  • Starscream's air intakes are gray instead of red as Thundercracker scorns him.
  • Shockwave's "ears" are purple instead of gray as Megatron lectures Starscream and Thundercracker. Megatron's symbol is a maroon red instead of purple.
  • As they do barrel rolls, Thundercracker is a much deeper shade of blue than normal, and Starscream's air intakes are light gray instead of red.
  • When he lauds Megatron's leadership, Thundercracker's left air intake is blue instead of gray.
  • After he lands on the lab compound's wall, the tops of Reflector's torsos are light gray instead of purple. The error repeats in the last shot of him flying away.
  • Thundercracker is colored as Skywarp when he delivers his "You don't have Prime and Brawn" line.
  • When Bluestreak delivers his "not so fast" line, his crest (red) and gauntlets (dark gray) are all light gray. He also gets Megatron's fusion cannon sound effect for his laser blast.
  • Prowl has white tires as he says his "my own central processor" line.
  • When the Decepticons are fleeing the jets' base, Skywarp (who hasn't been shown before, except as a miscolored Thundercracker) appears besides Thundercracker and Starscream. Soundwave's tape door lacks its yellow outline as he retrieves Ravage.
  • As Megatron orders Starscream to retrieve the formula, Thundercracker is the same toy-based dark blue as before. In the next shot, the front and back of Starscream's nosecone is red again. Alternate color models, perhaps?
  • When he lands in the street outside Chip's house, the top of Starscream's air intake is gray instead of red.
  • When Spike is shown in Bumblebee while the Autobots are on the highway, Spike's hair is blond instead of brown. Did he have a five-second dye job or something?
  • Prime has whitewall tires as he orders the Autobots to "transform for action".
  • When Megatron throws the antimatter energon cube, it is first colored black (meaning someone forgot to apply the glowing backlight effect), and then it's portrayed as empty (meaning someone forgot to color it in at all).
  • When the Decepticons are loading the antimatter-powered energon cubes, two Starscreams are shown (one as a jet being loaded with energon cubes, and one as a robot listening to Megatron).
  • As he watches the Autobots gab and natter, Ratchet's head crest is white instead of gray. In the same pan, Sideswipe's shoulder is white instead of red.
  • In the shot of Prime giving his big speech, the blue of Prime's eyes was apparently drawn on the same layer as his faceplate, because when his mouthplate moves, his eyes flash from blue to white and back in perfect synch with it!
  • Sunstreaker's windshield is yellow instead of white-blue as he delivers his "jet judo" line.
  • Wheeljack's launcher is beige instead of light gray as he flees from the Seekers' fire.
  • Megatron's face is mostly black as he transforms out of gun mode.
• As the plant worker calls for help, Starscream has gone from Soundwave's right side to his left, and Thundercracker has become Skywarp.
• As Soundwave prepares energon cubes, the interior of his chest-compartment is not illustrated, instead showing a solid wall of blue.
• Starscream's air intakes are missing as Prime wrestles the generator away from him.
• When Soundwave runs through what appears to be a chainlink volleyball net, the net is animated as if the background art is sliding, but the background is sitting still; the result is that the net seems to movetowardSoundwave.
• As Soundwave escapes, Prowl transforms and gives chase, followed by Bluestreak. However, in the next shot, it's Bluestreak who knocks Soundwave over, even though Prowl was in the lead.
• After Starscream catches Soundwave, he pulls alongside Thundercracker... who has Starscream's colors.
• Bluestreak transforms torobot modeand shoots the jets. When Prime walks up to him and Prowl, however,Prowlis the one in robot mode, standing next to car mode Bluestreak. The next shot shows a closeup of Bluestreak in robot mode again... then back to the previous shot with Prowl in robot mode.
• Bluestreak doesn't move his mouth as he chuckles at Prime's order to not bite off more than he can chew.
• When Prowl (who was Bluestreak a second ago) transforms and drives off after the retreating Decepticons, he runs over Optimus Prime's foot. What a prick.
• Behind him, an "engine vibration" effect for Bluestreak has him strangely jiggling.
• Casey Kasem seems to have misparsed Bluestreak's "Come on, Prowl" as a statement of incredulity, which would make sense if he was reacting to a statement by Prowl—but it'sOptimuswho just warned him not to take on too much.

• Improbable viewpoints:
  • While inDecepticon Headquarterson Cybertron, Megatron gets a traveling view of Starscream and Thundercracker flying in jet mode on Earth.
• Shockwave's eye doesn't flash as he wishes Megatron a safe journey.
• The security guard's mouth doesn't move as he says "Welcome back".
• The security guard's access panel has digits 1-9 and a variety of mathematical commands (?!), yet lacks a zero.
• Bumblebee is abnormally small as he walks behind Chip and Spike, not more than eight feet tall.
• There's an audio editing error after they enter the laboratory. When Chip responds to Spike's "V.I.P." line, he calls him "Spy" - the "k" sound can then be heard at the start of Alcazar's next line.
• Bumblebee is drawn all sorts ofwrongwhen the professor talks about Chip at the laboratory. For one scene, his roof chest becomes humongous, the Autobot symbol on it becomes mutilated, and his head looks squatter than usual. In the next scene, when he says "...and I thought you were just another pretty face", his forehead, nose and eyes are drawn rather oddly; his nose has no indentation at the top.

• The lab's computer is weird. It loads floppy disks backwards...unless the good doctor is befuddled and inserted the disk the wrong way.
• When Laserbeak attacks, Bumblebee is in the desert. An instant later, he's in a city (complete with underground parking.)
• The damage that Laserbeak inflicts on the parking garage just appears out of nowhere, with no lasers or explosions.
• When Megatron orders the attack on the laboratory, the Decepticon insignia on his chest is missing.
• As Megatron leads his crew to attack the lab, they are all shown using foot thrusters, in contradiction to the Decepticons' normally unexplained means of flight.
• When Bumblebee radios Prowl and Bluestreak, his voice is modulated as if coming over the radio... even though the scene is the inside of his own cabin.
• When they enter the jets' base, Prowl's and Bluestreak's Autobot insignias are not shown. When Bluestreak delivers his 'manifold-mouth' line, Prowl's mouth is also moving.
• As Starscream raises his arm to fire, his weapon is mounted on the front of his shoulder, rather than the side. (Either that or he twisted his arm at an impossible angle.)
• As the Decepticons land at the lab, Rumble's voice is heard laughing; however, it isn't electronically modulated, making him sound like a creepy old man.
• The security access door code is 2-9-5 when the security guard punches it and 4-7-2 when Reflector punches it in.
• When the jet Prowl takes a ride on fires missiles at the Decepticons, everything (inclusive of scaffolding, barrels and other jets) behind them is utterly vaporised, despite all logic dictating that there should be at least some debris. The walls of the hangar, however, remain unblemished.
• Prowl clearly fires all three missiles of the jet's right wing in sequence, yet after Starscream shouts "Let's get out of here!", the same footage of all three missiles being fired from the right wing in sequence is shown again.
• The shot of Soundwave ejecting Ravage to retrieve Chip is supposed to take place outdoors, but the background art is that of the hangar interior seen earlier.

• When we see Chip's room through the window, he has a college pennant that reads USC, an odd choice for Chip. Later, his room has two different college pennants, one with the lettersCSUNand another with YAL (likely Yale, with the 'e' obscured by the SUN pennant). There's also a pennant with P-ERCE, meaning eitherPierce Collegein Washington state orLos Angeles Pierce College.
• Ravage breaks through Chip's front door, taking most of a side window with him. After he opens Chip's bedroom door and absconds with the human, he leaps through the now-repaired side window, and the front door is undamaged as well.
• Ravage's leap over Soundwave is physically impossible as drawn; it only works due to some layer fudging—specifically, if Ravage were high enough to pass over Soundwave's shoulder, he would not then immediately land 20 feet directly below Soundwave's shoulder, on Starscream's fuselage. In the same shot, Soundwave's eject button is blue instead of white.
• Soundwave's line of dialogue, "Excellent, Ravage" is heard withoutScott Brownlee's sound processing, so that voice actorFrank Welker’s "Dr. Claw" voice is audible.
• Chip's street must be the width of an interstate, as both jets can easily fit in a single lane. In fact, Thundercracker only takes uphalfof the lane!
• Soundwave's insignia is missing after he extracts the formula from Chip's mind.
• Mirage's verbal jabs at Rumble come as though he were right next to him, despite being some distance away and in a constantly-changing location.
• Soundwave's mask is overdrawn as he kneels to activate the computer, giving him the appearance of having two large eyes.
• Megatron is missing the two polygons on either side of his chest in the thrice-recycled shot of him giving orders to the Decepticons.
• For some reason, Mirage's voice is radio-muffled as he says "Hold it right there!"
• Starscream is once again holding one of his arm-weapons in his hand as he threatens Bumblebee and the humans.
• The window that the escaping Autobots smash through is still intact after they crash through it.
• Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
  • The group that bursts into the lab includes Sunstreaker, Jazz, Ratchet, Prowl and/or Bluestreak, and Hound. The group shown emerging from the lab is Prime, Trailbreaker, Ironhide, Bluestreak, and Wheeljack.
  • Ratchet is shown as both a member of Prime's attack group, and also waiting for them to return at Autobot Headquarters.
• As Trailbreaker and Prowl transform, they show no damage until they reachvehicle mode,at which point various cracks appear out of nowhere.
• Wheeljack's "ears" flash orange in this episode, instead of their usual blue. The same inconsistency is found in "S.O.S. Dinobots",an episode with a similar style of animation - suggesting this was an alternate color model.
• The sky background behind Starscream is missing as he catches gun mode Megatron; it appears half-way through the shot, replacing a generic blue background.
• Starscream is missing his wing insignia as he fires Megatron and rants about how invincible he is.
• During his "now or never" lines, only the front of Wheeljack's ears flash.
• When Rumble calls for help when being fired on by Skywarp, Skywarp's mouth moves.
• Sunstreaker's mouth doesn't move as he congratulates Chip.
• The remastered DVD releases of this episode incorrectly use the closing credits from thepilot mini-seriesinstead of the expanded Season 1 credits.

Continuity errors

• The "anti-matter" that the Decepticons create... can't really be anything of the sort. If it was, the entire laboratory, not to mention Megatron himself, would have been obliterated instantly. And anti-matter doesn't really have an "ignition temperature". Certainly the shots that Megatron fires can't be anti-matter, as it would completely annihilate anything it hit including his fusion cannon the second it was fired.
• When the security guard initially greets Chip, he is voiced byChris Latta.A second later, when he welcomes Chip back to the lab, he is now voiced byDan Gilvezan,who performs all the character's remaining lines.
• Reflector is shown watching for the password to enter the lab. Considering how often the Decepticons are seen to just blast their way into whatever facility they want, the stealthy approach is unusual.
• Laserbeak's attack makes no sense. At this point, Spike, Bumblebee and Chip have nothing of value to the Decepticons, and attacking them (as Megatron points out!) merely serves to tip off the Autobots to the Decepticons' interest in the lab.

• Chip's keyboard-based control of Prowl's elaborate movements seems highly improbable.
• Dropping their disguisesbeforethey enter the lab doesn't seem very clever on Mirage and Hound's part.
• Corey Burtonuses a slightly different voice for Sunstreaker this episode, lacking the character's usual sharp, nasal tone. At least one line ( "When we're done with 'em" ) sounds like it was read by Michael Bell.
• The USC pennant, possibly standing for theUniversity of Southern California,which as an institution with a reputation as a 'party school' is an odd choice for somebody as academically accomplished as Chip; it might be theUniversity of South Carolina,although this is unlikely, as largely only people in the Carolinas call that university "USC." However, the apparentYalepennant that appears later seems like a good fit for somebody of Chip's talent.
• While Chip tries desperately to contact Doctor Alcazar via his computer, he never tries with the piece of equipment right next to his computer: his telephone. Then again, prior to the spread of the internet in the 1990s, an average American home would only have ONE phone line, and it can be presumed that if his computer is connected to Dr. Alcazar's computer, then the phone line would be in use by the computer to communicate with it. For that matter, no phone was seen in Doctor Alcazar's lab...
• As noted above, the college pennants in Chip's room change between scenes. But why does he have pennants from three different universities?
• Flying Autobots:
  • This early in the series, the "Autobots can't fly" convention hadn't quite been settled upon. Prowl makes an improbably huge leap at the jet plant.
  • Bumblebee flies into the lab behind a distracted Rumble.
  • Sunstreaker and Sideswipe fly out to defend Autobot Headquarters. At least Sideswipe has arocket pack!
• Superhuman Chip:
  • When the Decepticons visit Chip's house to steal the antimatter formula, Chip memorizes the code...AND RIPS A FLOPPY DISK APART WITH HIS BARE HANDS. If that doesn't seem like a tremendous feat of strength, try doing so yourself (...if you can find one...) Chip must have absolutely tremendous upper body strength.
  • Ravage uses Chip as a battering ram to bash out an entire window of his house. Chip survives the experience without so much as a scratch.
• If Mirage leaves footprints as he walks toward the lab... shouldn't Hound also be leaving footprints? (Mirage, of course, is the only Transformer whoeverleaves footprints, andonlywhen he's invisible.)
• How can Megatron hear Sunstreaker ( "We've gotta get those energon cubes before it's too late" ) when there's a whole solid wall between them?
• Spike's attack on Skywarp... doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Was he supposed to be making a hole to provide access for Wheeljack's device?
  • Chip had the device, so maybe he was trying to distract Skywarp from Chip planting the device.
• Superhuman Spike:
  • Spike is still in Skywarp's grasp when gun mode Megatron flies out of his hand. A second later, Skywarp is visible among the Decepticons laid low by the exploding antimatter cubes. So... how did Spike get free and survive that massive explosion?

Trivia

• In several scenes in this episode, all of the Transformers are drawn using different, more stylised animation models. In particular, the Decepticon jets seen near the beginning are sleeker, more detailed and have a drooping nosecone. Other scenes have stylized shading, angles, and poses, such as the strange poses used by the flying Decepticons at the episode's end.
• Soundwave's screaming sound is most amusing. And rare—this is one of only two times in the cartoon it's heard.
• In one part, Starscream calls Megatron "The Anti-Matter Gun" instead of his name. Why?
• This was one of twelve episodes ofthe original cartoonreleased as audio adventures by theGermancompanyKarussell Musik und Video.

Foreign localization

French

• Title (European French broadcast):"En avant!"(" Onward! ")
• Title (Canadian French broadcast & European French DVD release):"La formule"(" The Formula ")
• Original airdate:?

• In the European French dub, Soundwave is called "Shockwave" twice again.

German

• Title:"Die geheime Anti-Materie Formel"(" The Secret Anti-Matter Formula "),"Ein Held namens Chip"(Generation 2," A Hero Called Chip ")
• Original airdate:June 2,1989

Hebrew

• Title:"LeHatsil Et Optimus Prime"(להציל את אופטימוס פריים," To Save Optimus Prime ")
• Original airdate:?

Italian

• Title (dub 1):"Un nuovo amico"(" A New Friend ")
• Original airdate:?

• Both Brawn and Optimus Prime call Cliffjumper with Bluestreak's name. This is likely because, according to theoriginal English script,Bluestreak was going to be in Cliffjumper's place for those scenes, which appears to have been changed later on.
• "Five billion astroseconds" became "fivetrillionastroseconds ". This is actually a pretty common translation mistake caused by the fact thatItaly uses long scale while the United States use short scale.
• When talking to Hound, Optimus seemingly says: «Ben and Hound.» («Ben e Canguro.» in Italian). He was probably supposed to say: «Okay, Hound!» («Bene, Canguro!»).

• Title (dub 2):"In marcia per la vittoria"(" March Off for the Victory ")
• Original airdate:?

Japanese

• Title:"Megatron no Kikan"(メガトロンの quy hoàn," The Return of Megatron ")
• Original airdate:August 3,1985

• Cut:When Spike and Chip pull up to the laboratory in Bumblebee, the scene following the guard saying "Welcome back", typing the 7 into his number pad and everything up through his line, "Well, I never met an Aw-toh-bawt before", have been cut. The sequence resumes at the group approaching the green door and the line, "Let me get you through our security doors".

Mandarin

• Title:"Quántǐ Chūjī"( toàn thể xuất kích," All Roll Out ")
• Original airdate:?

Brazilian Portuguese

• Title:"Vamos Rodar"(" Let's Roll ")
• Original airdate:?

Russian

• Title:"Poyekhali!"(Поехали!," Let's Go! ")
• Original airdate:?

Serbian

• Title:"Veliki preokret"(Велики преокрет," Great Vicissitude ")
• Original airdate:?

Swedish

• Title:"En hjälte på hjul"(Generation 2,"A Hero on Wheels" )
• Original airdate:?

Toys inspired by this episode

• MasterpieceMP-13Soundwave(TakaraTomy, 2013)

One of the accessories included with the figure is a display grid that attaches over his chest door: On the last page of the instruction booklet is a pair of cutouts you can place behind the grid to simulate Soundwave projecting them on his chest, one of these being the antimatter formula hacked from Chip's brain in this episode.

Home video releases

VHS

1985 —The Transformers— Volume 6: "Roll for It" (Family Home Entertainment)
1995 —The Transformers— The Autobots vs. The Decepticons (Malofilm)
1995 —Transformers— Autobots vs. Decepticons (Malofilm) — French audio only.

LaserDisc

1994 —Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers— Convoy Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1998 —The Transformers— Autobot Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2001 —The Transformers— DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2002 —Transformers— Original Series: Volume Two (Sony Wonder)
2002 —Transformers— Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder)
2002 —The Original Transformers— First Season Collector's Edition (Rhino Entertainment)
2002 —The Original Transformers— Volume One (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 —Transformers— Collection 1: Series 1 (Madman Entertainment)
2004 —Transformers— Season 1 (Metrodome)
2004 —Transformers— Le Retour de Megatron (UFG Junior) — European French audio only.
2006 —Transformers— The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 —Classic Transformers— Series One: Part One (Metrodome)
2007 —The Transformers— Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2007 —Transformers— Box-Set (3DVDs) (Flex Media) — German audio only.
2008 —Transformers— Box-Set (2DVDs) (Flex Media) — German audio only.
2008 —Transformers— Volume 01: Stagione Uno Parte Prima (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
2009 —Transformers— Season One (Metrodome)
2009 —The Transformers— Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 —The Transformers— The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2009 —The Transformers— More than Meets the Eye (Shout! Factory)
2009 —The Transformers— The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2011 —The Transformers— The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 —The Transformers— The Complete First Season: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2014 —Transformers— The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

References

External links

• Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle
• Full script as revised on 2nd July 1984
• Model sheets and background layouts