Laserbeak is a black Microcassette. On one side we have silver and orange tape detailing, the other a mainly red centre with black surround. In this mode Laserbeak can live inside of Soundwave's tape player mode or his chest in robot mode.
TF: place the tape facing you with the red metal side pointing up and the black strip at the back. Fold down the lower half of each side to become the legs. Fold the top half of the sides out and back to form the wings. Pull the head out the front of the toy. Plug the weapons into the holes on the top of the bird - the engines at the rear fit between his tail fins while the gun barrels at the front are either side of the neck.
Laserbeak's bird mode is a red body with black wings, feet, head & neck. It looks like a bird crossed a little with a plane but robot bird would seem to be the intention. There's two hinges in each wing allowing the wings to be positioned but both are in the horizontal plane so you can't raise or lower the wings. The neck bends in the middle and at it's base where it can also slide backwards or forwards in it's body. The legs can be swung slightly to each side by virtue of the transformation joint but not too far because the tail fins, moulded as part of the same piece, will catch on the weapons.
The tape mode is the tape mode, there's not much you can say about that. The bird mode is reasonably articulated for a toy of the time and looks very nice.
In the west Laserbeak was the first toy sold with Frenzy in 1984 & 1985: Frenzy was also sold in the USA in 1986 & 1987 where Frenzy is replaced with Ratbat.
In Japan Laserbeak was called Condor, the same as the original Microchange toy. All of Condor's releases include a clear plastic tape case for him to live in when he's not in robot bird mode or contained in Soundwave. In 1985 Laserbeak was sold as Transformers toy number 20. He was also sold in 1986 as toy numbered D-60 which is quite a nice little joke as Laserbeak is a 60 minute cassette according to it's markings. Condor is reissued in 2003 with the Transformers Collection #10 Soundwave and the 2007's Encore #3 Soundwave. He's released *again* in the Transformers Encore Collection as part of 2009's Cassette Big Mission 3 with Rumble, Frenzy & Overkill.
In the USA Laserbeak re-appears in the Transformers Classic Soundwave with Ravage. 2009's Universe Soundwave also includes Ravage and Laserbeak, but this time also includes Buzzsaw and Ratbat. This set was an exclusive for the San Diego Comic-Con in 2009. In 2010 an opposition set was released containing Blaster with Eject, Ramhorn & Steeljaw
Buzzsaw was sold in the west with Soundwave during 1984 & 1985.
Buzzsaw does not have an individual Japanese release: his first appearance is in VSZ, a boxset released in 1985 also containing the Cybertrons (Autobots) Skids and Sunstreaker, two other toys that didn't receive an individual Japanese release. In this and all his other Japanese releases he comes packed with a clear plastic tape case not included with the western versions. Personally I feel that it's a little unfair on Buzzsaw positioning him against two much larger Autobots but ....
Buzzsaw returns in Japan in 1987 where he's packed with D-106 Soundblaster. Buzzsaw has a New sticker on him which shows weak points on Fortress Maximus, who was the Cybertron (Autobot) leader that year. A similar gimmick is employed on the Steeljaw who's sold with Twincast a likewise dual tape holding recolour of Blaster. This variant Buzzsaw was reissued with Soundblaster and a similarly altered Ravage in 2005 as Transformers Collection release #18. The original Buzzsaw is the re-released in Japan as part of 2008's Encore #15: Cassette Big Mission 1 with Ravage, Eject & Rewind.
Buzzsaw's sole western re-release is part of 2009's Universe Soundwave San Diego Comicon exclusive set. The set also contains Ravage, Laserbeak and Ratbat.
Garboil is packed with Howlback, a Ravage repaint who also has the Fortress Maximus weakness sticker and is likewise based on a Microchange colour variation. This set, known as the Cobalt Sentries, was released in 2005 as an e-Hobby exclusive set at the same time as the Transformers Collection #18 Soundblaster. Both tapes come with clear plastic cases.
Sundor is part of the 2006 Cassettron Set Kiss Players Position released through e-Hobby where he was packed with Glit, another Ravage Ravage repaint and Rosanna, a repaint of Eject/Rewind. All three toys each come with a clear plastic case and there's also a CD in the set.
