David Hingtgen

Uh oh---anyone who got an Encore Metroplex from anyone other than HLJ I'd guess, better check theirs carefully: http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers...ource-fake.html

Sure you used the right neck piece?

I'd bet they come with red-molded parts for Alto, and anything else requires painting. Note that they say they'll FIT all the other valks, not that they'll match.

As has been mentioned--the chest and back plates on each VF-25 is different to accomodate the different shapes of the heads. Or at least, they SHOULD be. They are on the 1/72 kit, but don't seem to be on the 1/60 DX. IMHO this is part of the reason's Ozma's looks how it does---it has an Alto-style collar/chest piece, and lacks the "cut-out" that an Ozma-style should. Anyone who has both an Alto and Ozma kit can compare chest pieces and note that the upper edge near the neck is different. I mean, they even transform differently there---Alto's head does a 180, Ozma's does not. The surrounding structures should be altered to accomodate that difference, but only the 1/72 does.

Dark Knight has severe edge enhancement? Damn it. Seriously, instead of "pan and scan" and "widescreen", nowadays they should offer "normal" and "we went crazy with the unsharp mask option".

You're mixing modes. The legs are too high in battroid, but too low in fighter. It has "leg placement problems" in both modes, in different ways. (I.E. they're really screwed up)

I can offer plenty of Grace reference pics. (Even a composite I made of the infamous pan-up despair and nightmares shot)

I have no problem waiting (in fact, I'd prefer to wait and get my own console back, than a refurb). But it's not really an option this time. MS wants 94 bucks to fix. (which is their generic price for all issues---from a mis-aligned drive track to needing the entire motherboard replaced--they don't price based on what the actual repair costs). Hmmn. Pay 94 bucks to fix an old one, or sell the old one for 100 bucks (hopefully) then pay 99 bucks to Best Buy for a brand new one... Yeah, I think I'll go with option 2.

More than the last I heard ($50). That's just pathetic. I could probably sell a BROKEN one for more...

I couldn't care less about the SYSTEM--but there's enough exclusive GAMES out there that multiple systems are a requirement. If there were no exclusives, or some uber-system that played everything, then I'd happily own just one system. Either way, despite the new one being #4, it'll be the first time it's actually cost me money. (assuming they don't fix it for free---which is possible but I'm not holding out much hope)

F-22 Xmas card: http://www.f22-raptor.com/media/ecard08/ecard08.html Very neat, it's basically the demo done in flash--which is a pretty good way to "understand" it, as you don't have to worry about the camera losing position or ground reference much.

You got MP TC from Los? Darn, mine didn't show up today (really thought it would). Won't get it until Mon now...

So when will you be making a 1/72 "Grace in flightsuit" for the inevitable Bandai VF-27 repaint? (and I'll take a 1/6 one, too)

Anyone know the current trade-in value for a 360 (console/cables only, I want to keep my HD and controller) at Gamestop, EB etc? Mine's disc drive is really acting up lately, and I'd rather sell it and get a new one than to spend 2 hours on the phone to India just to have them say "it's normal". Or if anyone wants to buy a "working, but I'm not happy with the noises its making" 360 let me know...

Not AFAIK. Hasbro doesn't seem able to copyright paint schemes--otherwise you wouldn't have seen the zillion "rich golden yellow with black stripes" Camaro toys the past year...

God I hate it when HG starts acting up again---mainly because we mods have to read through all the name-calling and flaming on the boards...

Anyone got links to more places with custom parts for 25th ann Joes? (I already know of Broken Arrow, but had never heard of Trigate--though they actually seem to have more of what I want)

Just FYI, apparently she finished recording her lines for the movie Dec 4th.

I've just gotta ask--so did you not look at the instructions at all? There's like an entire chapter devoted to the removable fuselage gimmick...

Quick Matt Trakker review: Everything's great except the color. Has "Starscream syndrome", in that instead of being distinctly light GREY, he's off-white. The card-art is perfect---light grey. But the actual figure is "Yamato valk-white". Ends up looking even more like Ace than the mold already does. If he was actually GREY, he'd look more unique, more accurate to the original, overall better, and the red accents wouldn't make him look so "medical". Here's a great pic of the original Matt Trakker fig: http://www.albertpenello.com/mask/trakker_thunderhawk.jpg

Yes, I'm aware of that---I'm just responding to all the people (not just this board) who think that the 360 only ever scratches when it's "moved roughly". The lawsuit is only mentioning the "guaranteed to scratch" situation, but that's not the only issue with the 360 and scratches.

Today was a good day--saw a Rattler (3rd one ever), saw 2 Airbornes (but I have no interest in them), found 2 Trakkers and bought one, found 4 Paravipers and bought one. Found a pilot Scarlett with a good jaw (first ever) but her nose had paint chipped off. My Paraviper's right elbow had a severe case of "excess rubbery plastic all over the joint". Spent a while slicing it off. Still can't figure out what the problem is, I've only seen it about 3 times. It's like the plastic is still liquid while the figure's being assembled, and it "bleeds out" over the joint. (that, or the plastic is too loose, and it's supposed to form like a second skin over the joint for the parts to slide over--hard to tell)

Ventral fins. Not finlets or winglets. (how could they be winglets? They're not on the wings...)

Sigh, yet again--- MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE DISCS SCRATCH WHILE THE 360 DIDN'T MOVE AT ALL. Nada. Frozen. Rock-solid. I think one guy even filmed it and put it up on youtube---took a pristine disc, put it in his horizontal 360, closed the tray, stared at it for 30 secs, ejected disc--and it was all scratched up. Yes, moving it while a disc is in it is stupid and your own fault. But a decent number of 360's are so bad, they will scratch the disc no matter what---THAT is unacceptable. (though not mentioned in the lawsuit it seems)

Superion would be cool but no way--making decent limbs and storage for hands/feet would be very difficult, especially on Skydive and Slingshot. Mainly because gestalt members are also triple-changers in a way (some more than others). Devastator's the only one famous enough to do it, but with the movie and all---unlikely until like 2012... Frankly, all the gestalts have the "separate parts" issue---I doubt we'll ever again see a combiner that comes with a bag of head/foot/hand parts. They are NOT going to do a masterpiece version that requires that, and it'd be VERY hard to incorporate some parts. If any could be done, I think Menasor, due to Motormaster's trailer providing lots of space etc, and the cars could pretty easily hide feet/hands in their hoods etc, without compromising robot mode. Hot Rod---G1 was pretty good/accurate, though definitely unarticulated. Fairly pointless IMHO, like Grimlock. Rodimus Prime---no challenge. His vehicle mode is robot mode with arms and head folded in, with the trailer covering up his legs. Galvatron sure could use a masterpiece. And Cyclonus.