Graham

I have Entertainment Bible # 27 and unfortuantely, there are no details or extra pictures of the cover valk inside. Graham

The toy in those photos still looks like the same old sculpt they've been showing all along, so either the toy is still being modified and the revised sculpt is not yet ready, hence the continued delays and no new photos, or worst case scenario, Yamato is going to foist this steaming pile of crap on us in this condition Graham

Err........because their webmaster is incompetent? Graham

I'm a huge fan of the VF-17 (see my avatar). I Actually love Bandai's 1/65 scale DX VF-17S and VF-17D toys. I own something like 10 of them IMO, they're actually very good toys. Despite having no metal parts, they are probably the sturdiest Macross toy ever made. You would have to try really hard to break a Bandai VF-17. They also transform easily and smoothly and are actually very detailed. Although you can't tell from most online photos, Bandai's sculptors actually added all the 'detail-up' panel lines, which they didn't do on the 1/144 model kit. The VF-17D/S toys have far more detail and panel lines than Bandai's VF-19 Macross 7 toys. Actually a Bandai VF-17 is probably the Macross toy I most often take out and transform and play with due to it's ruggedness and ease of transformation. Most of my Yamatos are actually shelf queens that get very little play time these days, except the VF-11B FP version which gets a lot of hands-on time as well. The only downsides to the Bandai VF-17 is that it looks a bit to chunky when viewed side-on in fighter mode, it can't do a spread leg stance in battroid mode and the knees don't bend backward (only forward for Gerwalk mode), so no kneeling poses in battroid mode. Oh and also the landing gear sucks. Despite all the other detail on the toy, the landing gear is a joke, basically folding plastic tabs with molded on wheels with no detail If you are a 17 fan I recommend this toy, but don't wait too long, as even the VF-17S reissues are starting to get a bit scarce. Oh and I'd also love Yamato to make a 1/60 or 1/48 VF-17 toy with better landing gear and the FAST Packs first seen in Nightmarish Invasion. Oh and a Milia version as well. And while they are at it, they should throw in the optional radome and a fold booster Graham

Macross Compendium, the only English language source of Macross information officially sanctioned by Big West. It's a great site, basically llike an encyclopedia for macross fans. the only bad thing about it is the lack of pictures (it is mostly text based). I'm at work now so can't check, but IIRC there are lots of shots of the tan VF-0A in both episode # 1 and 2. Only the standard version of the delta wing VF-0D is grey. Graham

Excalibur is a great movie, not quite as good a King Arthur movie as Holy Grail, but close Reading this thread has made me want to go out and buy Excalibur on DVD, I've been thinking of doing that for a while anyway. As for First Knight, how could Connery stoop so low? And why were the knights wearing blue spandex? Graham

The link to Carl Hoff's Tread toy is on the MW main page. Open it and click on the link for Gakken Tread. Macrossworld, more than just the forums...cough, cough. Graham

IIRC, the VF-22S was the limited kit, not the VF-19A. Graham

Yeah, that's basically what I mean. I know from my old contacts at Yamato that Kawamori is constantly refining the Macross Zero mecha designs even as the anime is ongoing, which is evident by 3 different and destinct versions of VF-0 lineart published in various hobby mags from 2002 to 2004, each with distinct differences and changes in wing, nose and cockpit shape (and other areas as well), eg. first lineart didn't have a tail hook and had a very different wing shape. Also, the official specs both in Japanese and on the Compendium have been modified at least once that I know of since the anime started. So basically, I think that in the begining, Kawamori decided to call both the 2-seat and single-seat standard wing, single head-laser version 'VF-0A', but now he has decided to rename the 2-seat version as VF-0B. That's my theory. Graham

Nice, but I'm still waiting for the DYRL Shower Scene Minmay custom! Graham

No disrespect to the guys at MAHQ, but their Macross section does feature a number of errors or omissions, so It's generally better to use the Compendium (which is official) and the official Big West & Bandai Visual sites for accurate mecha info. While it's true that even the Macross Compendium yet doesn't list the VF-0B, I believe that soon the listing for 2-seat VF-0A will be changed to VF-0B. We'll just have to wait and see The gallery section on the Big West Macross Zero site clearly shows the tan color VF-0 as being the VF-0A, not a VF-0S. As there were only an estimated 4 units of commander type VF-0S manufactured, it's unlikely that the tan color cannon fodder versions being shot down in episodes 1 & 2 were VF-0S. Also, the compendium list the bulk of the VF-0 manufactured as being VF-0A (30 units made). Graham

Heh, so I guess I'm gonna have trouble playing this on my PIII 600MHz, 128MB RAM desktop then "Upgrade, what upgrade? We don't need no stinken upgrade"! Guess I'll wait for a PS2 verion then. Graham

Just how many times is somebody gonna post those pics thinking they are new? This is the third thread we have had on this movie in as many weeks. See: original topic and second topic. Please post in the original topic if you want to discuss this movie. Graham

And just to prove it's the man not the machine that matters the most, in episode # 7 of Macross 7 "Summer Accident", Gamlin commandeers a VF-11C and proceeds to kick some serious Varauta ass. There is nothing wrong with the VF-11 in the hands of a competent pilot like Gamlin or Isamu and I still think that the bulk of the pilots in the Macross 7 fleet were unblooded greenhorns (rookies) with no combat experience and/or had grown complacent from 7 years travelling in space with no previous threat. As the series progresses, we do start to see the VF-11C pilots scoring some victories against the Varauta forces as they gain combat experience. Graham

Err.....have you even watched Macross Zero? Several tan color VF-0A are seen during the dogfight in episode # 1. Graham

ROFLMAO. Sebastian, the caption on the photo nearly made me pee myself laughing. I have to show that to my wife tonight. Graham

The VF-0A is shown on the gallery section of the Big West Official Macross Zero site. Graham

LOL, read this after I made my post. Keith, get out from under that damn rock Graham

A live action Transformers movie is either gonna be increadibly silly or err.............increadibly silly. I'm not saying that just because I dislike transfomers, but I just honestly can't see how the heck the concept could work in the live-action format without having a huge 'giggle factor' attached. Sorry, I just think it would be impossible to watch with a straight face. (Edit in) Just to add, I'm not trying to bash Transformers (honestly). I can understand people's attraction to the cartoon, toys and comics, even if I don't like them myself, but I just can't see any director beeing able to pull off a live-action version. I will admit to not being a total Tf hater. I did watch the Tf movie at the cinema in the 80s and enjoyed it and even own it on bootleg DVD (the only peice of Tf merchandise I've ever owned). Graham

Considering that this is a 13 year old movie that every serious mecha fan and his dog has already seen, unless you have been living under a rock for the past 13 years, I don't see what the big deal is. [yawn]F91[/yawn] Graham

Yep, the SV-51's wings fold for stowage in the Auerstadt Submarine Aircraft Carrier. According to the Macross Compendium The SV-51 is stored and launched vertically from the submarine in pressure-resistant capsules from underwater. The Compendium also mentions that the Auerstadt only rises to the surface to recover the SV-51s. Although the length of the Auerstatd is not listed, I would presume it is probably not long enough to feature a runway on the deck. I would guess that the SV-51s land back on the sub in Gerwalk or Battroid mode. However, landing in fighter mode could also be a possibility as the SV-51 is the only VF that is capable of VTOL in fighter mode according to the Compendium due to it's lift fans. Graham

Yamato makes a huge range of figures from many different animes. Graham

IIRC, the cockpit internals on the Max Q-Rau are a different color, beige I think. Graham

It's the VF-0S with the VF-0B head. Incorrect, the VF-0A head is different form the B/D head. Basically, the VF-0A is a single seat VF-0 (same wings, body and nose as the VF-0S), just a different head. Graham

So far everything looks good from the pictures. The only negative in my book is the clown feet. I can live with them, but I'm not sure why they made them so big. The only reason I can think of is for stability in Armo-Diver and perhaps Armo-Soldier modes. Of course pictures don't tell the whole story and what looks to be a promising toy, could still be ruined by loose joints, conecting pegs which don't hold together and parts which constantly fall off (hands?). Hopefully Toynami have done their homework and will deliver us a kick-ass toy. Graham