Renato

Let me know if you find it! Remember... apparently they don't all come with the card (it ain't that easy!).

Damn! I never watched Eastenders, but if I'd known that 6 years ago when I lived in London, I would've raided the set in search of that machine! Good to hear it's still there. Great find! Aside from MAME (which doesn't count, and still has no sound emulation anyway) I've only ever played it in an Akihabara game centre once in 2001, and it's long gone now.

Really? That's surprising actually, because I'm sure this forum is where I first heard it. That was many years ago, though.

Yeah, they all look basically like only-slightly-modified YF-19's, which is totally wrong. The main body of the VF-19kai/F/S should look more streamlined in many ways. The "Ravens" scheme VF-19A should and does look just like a YF-19, though, so that one is correct in the game.

Damn, it seems you're right about it being included only with the PS edition. Why did I think it was the other way around? Probably because I had the PS version and assumed it wasn't included with it.... Argh. Regarding the black hole "rumour", though, even the Japanese wikipedia seems to state it as fact. This is from the "Lynn Minmay" page: 後日談 [編集] 「マクロスシリーズ」の公式年表では「2016年、メガロード-01とともに銀河系中心部で消息を絶った」と設定されている。プレイステーション用ゲーム『超時空要塞マクロス 愛・おぼえていますか』の特典「リン・ミンメイのさよならメッセージカード」には、2016年7月7日付けで「ブラックホールから聞こえる謎の歌声を追って、メガロードは未知の宇宙へと旅立ちます」と記されている。なお、この情報を政府が非公開にしたため、公にはメガロード-01 は宇宙を航行中と信じられている。その後、2031年公開の映画『超時空要塞マクロス愛・おぼえていますか』が大ヒットし、ミンメイブームが再燃。主題歌「愛・おぼえていますか」を含む往年のヒットナンバーも愛唱歌（懐メロ）として定着する。ミンメイは宇宙大戦を終結に導いた伝説の歌姫として歴史に名を残し、「マクロスシリーズ」の作品に度々その名が登場することになる。 Part of the message, dated July 7th, 2016, reads "The Megaroad is embarking on a journey towards an unknown [part of] space, to follow a mysterious singing voice audible from a black hole." Yeah, I know many of you heard of this before. I've been reading about it for ten years, but I've never seen even a photo of this text. Up until recently I realised I was looking in the wrong place, I thought it was some text within the instruction booklet of the Saturn game. When I asked for scans many years ago I looked through them and couldn't find it. Then I realised it was a "farewell card" which was packaged with the game, but separate from the booklet. Now thanks to LoneWolf, I realize that it was the PS, not the Saturn edition that it was packaged with. Can anybody provide a scan once and for all?? I'm freaking out here!!

Regarding the green exclusive VF-27, it appears it will include a sticker sheet to slap on your own custom numbers onto it. The official label of the valk is "Grace O'Connor/general type" which as we all know means "Grace/Cannon Fodder type" (the "general" is not the capitalized 'rank' meaning, rather, it is the 'normal' meaning of the word). Thus I do not think they are planning on making a different head, regardless of what the "real" differences between the beta and gamma versions may be, and are ignoring whatever the model kit designated theirs to be. I also doubt they will go as far as to include alternate head types and whatnot. Personally, I'm not bothered, as I find the CF head that the kit featured looks silly.

Is that a typo..? The web-exclusive, green VF-27 will include the Super Fold Booster, at the price of 16,000yen? Interesting. http://p-bandai.jp/tamashiiwebshouten/chog...tem-1000004910/

Yamato, what's the deal?? They're not answering my phone calls to the customer service department. Rather, I get a ringing tone, then a beep, then nothing. I'm still being charged for the call, of course. It's like an answering machine with no outgoing message. I can sense them, they're in their office going "dammit, not this guy again!!" I don't know what the hell is going on in that office, but this is the second time I've not been able to speak to anyone. Check out the SV-51 thread for my "hilarious" conversation with the janitor, or whoever it was, when he picked up the phone and explained that no-one was in. On a Monday. And no, I'm not calling outside office hours, it says 10am-12:30, 1:30pm-5pm on the box and it's 10:20 now. Reeeeeeaally testing my patience, Yamato.

By coincidence I stumbled upon a second hand copy of the Saturn DYRL and as it was 504 yen I decided to pick it up, for two reasons. 1) You guys and your nitpicky-ness. I now have an urge to see just how "superior" this version is. 2) The Lynn Minmay Farewell Card, or whatever it was. Basically there was (supposedly) this insert that told the fate of the Megaroad -- this is where the whole thing about Misa sending the ship into a black hole came from. This was never included with the PS version. As it turns out.... 1) I... don't have a Saturn. I decided to run the game on an emulator, but the one I downloaded (called SSF or something) doesn't start up for some reason or another, and I'm not in the mood to check a million different variables to see why. I would rather wait until next time I go to Aichi prefecture in a few months and ask if I can borrow my brother-in-law's console for a while. 2) It wasn't in the box. Not that I'm surprised, I imagined it to be as difficult as finding a copy of The Who Live at Leeds with all those inserts that it originally came with, such as the copy of the letter from the venue to the band's manager asking for a cancellation 'cos they're a bunch of louts, basically, and all the invoices, etc. Would've been cool to have, but, alas, you gotta wonder how many of those items have been lost to the sands of time now.

Dude, I'm not even imagining it. I actually spend time pretty much every day reminiscing of my younger, simpler, scifi-anime-inspired days when the year 2010 would have flying cars and Mars bases. Instead I wake up to a world where my homeland of Peru is still a third-world country (worse now since the Machu Picchu disaster must've crippled the tourism industry), global warming is "all the rage" and yet they want us to buy stupid digital TVs before they phase out analogues, and now the manned space program is over. I'm glad I have a roof over my head, a job and a family, but seriously, this planet and the people in charge of it are shooting down my dreams one by one. And what's left when you've killed your sparkly-eyed inner child? sigh....

If any of you guys interested in Japanese pop culture and otaku debates are in Tokyo on March 18th, 2010, you can do worse than to check out this event. It's pretty self-explanatory: Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies at Temple University, Japan Campus presents: “GLOBALIZING OTAKU” Abstract Otaku, and their virtual communities and subculture networks, have become a source of artistic inspiration and a ready market for the cultural byproducts of anime and manga. As “Cool Japan” attempts to define itself against the backdrop of political concern and economic marginalization, these obsessive consumers of pop culture have also become a symbol of social alienation and social withdrawal from mainstream obligations. This symposium examines the cross cultural flows of popular culture into and out of Japan, and considers the social significance of the otaku population in the contemporary political context, where social control of youth is often associated with this unique population. In addition to discussing the export of otaku as a cultural commodity, and its role in raising the profile of Japanese culture abroad, this symposium will address the controversial topic of Japanese otaku culture in the age of globalization. “Globalizing Otaku” will bring a multidisciplinary panel of authorities on Japanese pop culture together to consider questions such as how the Japanese media responds to an increasingly insular domestic market and growing foreign demand, and how the rise of creators in South Korea and China impact this response. Time March 18 (Thursday) at 19:30 (doors open at 19:00) Place Temple University Japan Campus Azabu Hall Room 212 http://www.tuj.ac.jp/about/access/index.html Speakers* Matt Alt runs a AltJapan Co., Ltd., a Tokyo-based company that specializes in producing the English versions of Japanese video games, comic books and literature. Along with Hiroko Yoda he is the co-author of Hello, Please! Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters from Japan, an on-the-street expose of Japanese cute character culture, and Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, a guidebook to creatures from Japanese folklore. Renato Rivera Rusca is a researcher at Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters who has written on manga and ukiyo-e and the globalization of Japanese popular culture. Has also made several documentary films on themes such as foreign otaku living in Japan, cultural identity of migrants and Japanese food. Current projects include promotion of interdisciplinary uses of “academic films,” hosting symposia and teaching “Manga English” at the Manga Faculty of Kyoto Seika University. Patrick W. Galbraith is a cultural anthropologist whose research focuses on the impact of material conditions on fantasy, specifically how shifts in modes of capitalism and consumption impact otaku culture in Japan. He has worked as a freelance journalist specializing in Japanese popular culture since 2004, which culminated in writing The Otaku Encyclopedia and co-founding Otaku2.com. He also offers a professional weekly guided tour of Akihabara. Roland Kelts is the half-Japanese American author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US. He has taught at New York University, The University of Tokyo and Sophia University, and has delivered speeches on contemporary Japanese culture at numerous institutions across the US, Japan, Australia and the UK. He is the Editor in Chief of the Anime Masterpieces screening and discussion series and a frequent contributor to National Public Radio. *In order of presentation. Presentations are 15 minutes each, with question after each.

Thanks for the link. I only have a passing interest in gaming, and most of it is retro scroll-shooter stuff, but it seems you cover a lot of topics (including stuff about "life in Japan", which sounds interesting) so I will take a listen later. And there's a Metal Gear arcade game now?? Huh.

Not just agree. I actually recall him doing exactly that, way back in the day.

I know, I've never heard of most of the typos the RT fandom comes up with, either. Who says nothing creative comes out of Robotech? "900 lessoners!"

Glad I'm doing my part as "human shield", as it were. I think I'm not gonna buy any more for a while, though, which may put you guys straight in the firing range. So, apologies in advance.

The left leg keeps falling out. And the ball joint itself is extremely loose. I tried to take it apart and fix it, but after unscrewing the hip connector part, the two halves of the block still do not come apart, so I'm guessing they're glued on. I guess it's time to update the old list in my sig. I think I've had my patience tested long enough.

This one is just to show that the right leg is just fine. Good thing I have Yamato customer service on speed dial. Literally, every single release, I've had to phone them. I'd rather this wasn't an exception, the timing couldn't possibly be worse since I'm about to move house. CIMG2206.MOV

My "Christmas present" finally arrived today..... yada yada yada, and what a piece of crap. CIMG2205.MOV

I wouldn't say "a lot" of it was re-used, you do see some familiar shots here and there, but for the most part the footage for each of the respective works is exclusive. Here is a link to a post I made a while back with some still caps of the "Burning Fire" opening footage: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...mp;#entry799658

Graham, I think they tricked you. See, the problem is that Bandai is probably reading this now going, "Whoa, check this out! Our sloppy paint jobs are actually doubling our sales!! And from Yamato insiders, no less! I think we're onto a winner..!"

Argh, that green one is the one I wanted, too. Stupid, pink, girly-boy planes taking all the retail shelf space. Never mind. After the whole Michael 25G fiasco, I had pretty much rested in the assurance that Bandai made awful DX valks and that I wouldn't be missing out if I didn't buy any more. So I actually feel 16,000 yen richer. Kind of.

Having heard that she's performing in Hong Kong, he wants her to do a full-fledged Japan tour, and perform in Kagawa prefecture (and in Sunport Hall Takamatsu, of all places: http://www.sunport-hall.jp/shisetu/index.htm), because "in these tough economic times, people cannot go all the way to Tokyo".

As I recall, you just dodge his "Great Balls of Fire" and keep shooting his face. I was under the impression he was the easiest boss in the game. The Meltrandi boss on the Protoculture ruins stage is much harder.

Denden Town is full of dedicated used video game shops, it's no wonder the used sections of places like Sofmap are shrinking -- the sellers are taking all their stuff to the specialized shops. Off the top of my head, there's "Super Potato" and "A-Too" (or something like that, can't remember), along the main road. The latter is where I saw PS1 DYRL for 1000 yen just a couple of months ago, maybe it's still there (I paid over 3000yen in Tokyo way back in 2001! Don't regret it, though).

Hopefully the valk itself will be out by then, too.