jenius

at *least* could have made them 1/6 scale? I would still buy it if it were 1/6 scale but I'm happy they went smaller than that. I don't collect 1/6 figures.

Rightstuf emailed me and said they're expecting to get more on 2/19 so it looks like all might not be lost just yet.

Real world logistics aside, I think the diver mode *looks* great in the MPC form. You don't have the visual issues with the landing gears or the slightly arched back from fighter mode and the MPC has enough points of articulation where you can pick some very nice static poses. MPC Diver mode also helps hide the weak shoulder joint since the diver looks silly with an arm completely out-strecthed (something MPC's have a problem doing), it looks much more natural with the arm bent at the elbow (something the MPC does well). The modified diver mode with the arms back and the wings out also looks very nice on the MPC. Basically, the MPC looks (again, just looks, not talking true functionality) great in all modes except fighter... and if you're lucky even the fighter mode can look pretty good. Eh, we all know I'm biased to like any Alpha/Legioss toy though.

Armo-Diver mode could have a few reasons for existence. With the Beta in space you would gain more points of propulsion than fighter mode and have a smaller target area than battroid mode. Honestly though, if my memory serves "diver" mode is pretty much just for take-off and landing whereas a modified diver mode (arm back, wings out) is used for the equivalent of the VF-1's Gerwalk.

I just replaced a VF-1J Hikaru's BP8 with one from a Focker VF-1S and there is absolutely no difference in color, looks dead stock. Some people have sworn though that their VF-1S is different from their VF-1Js so my only guess there would be that different reissues might have slightly different color to them.

Multi-mode transformation was popular in lots of series and helped sell toys. It may have been Macross inspired, it may have been inspired by shows previous or contemporary but I think it's best summed up as just being the thing to do at the time. Just for the record, Mospeada modes are Armo-Soldier, Armo-Diver, and Armo-Fighter IIRC.

I haven't been checking eBay but Graham told us it was retailing for about $100US in the greater Asia area, shipping should be about $20 from what I understand via EMS so $129 seems to be about MSRP.

$129 shipped is pretty much MSRP. I wouldn't call it a deal but it's not being marked up.

OOh, I smell "Special Edition" DVD in the making!

Oh no.. Mega, get thee to the newb thread at once! Don't take offense to the Newb title either but ya gotta clear up the terminology to participate functionally here (some people are a bit sensitive).

I knew someone would misinterpret that comment. The point was only that the style of the two is radically different... It just seems like it'd look very funny having them fly off into combat together. Edited - my post sounded a bit pissy.

May I suggest... my review? Clicky you likey.

What the heck was the VF-1S doing in Prelude?? Please tell me it was a flashback or something. I have this ultra hokey image of all these Alphas launching with one VF-1 in tow... yikes. Don't' get me wrong, I love the VF-1 but man, that would be horrible.

I think Toynami's "morpher" alphas are practically 1/100 scale. For the record, for little morpher toys the Alphas are kinda cool (much better than the VF-1 morphers)! Better than Gakken's 1/72 series even. Now, if Toynami made an Alpha jokemachine... that'd be the lick. Me and like 2 other people would totally buy Alpha jokemachines... I wonder why they won't make 'em...

I watch as little anime as humanly possible. Honestly, 90% of it just strikes me as bad but if it makes it into Adult Swim I'll watch it occasionally. So, being an anime avoider (save Robotech and the original series, Orguss, and a few other (usually old school) exceptions), I can state that the animation was clearly not up to the standards of today (especially movie standards!). I think RT fans are just thrilled to see the series going somewhere... anywhere... they're less hung up on how pretty it looks or the character designs. It's still very early so many RT fans are still in that childish euphoria stage of "Oh look Scott's back... YIPPEE!"

Ooh hey, it also hints at a Vince MPC Cyclone... sweet. Limiting production to 10K also seems like a good idea.

Agreed, if the neck pitches it does so at the base of the neck where it meets the chest (parallel with the shoulders). That's the area i was refering to in pic26. I think that would work well enough... but if that were in conjunction with a ball-joint head that'd be much better (clearly not the case).

OOOoh I didn't realize this thread had devolved into a good ol' fashion hate fest. Lemme go grab my pitch fork and torch.... Okay guys, I'm back, where's that Yamato... Let's get 'em!!! Every now-and-then, when the hate really starts festering, I kinda wonder if it isn't just all the people who are realizing they spend way too much money on toys (and don't think I'm passing judgment, I'd be included in this group) projecting their anger of their inability to stop onto the company providing the goods. I mean really, if everyone was so incensed about Yamato's prices or Yamato's quality we wouldn't sit on boards and snivel and try to convince people that sniveling is the right thing to do. We'd actually just say "Meh, I'm over it." If you've said in one thread "I'm not going to buy Yamato products any more because they keep letting me down." That's a fair statement, good for you. When you continually post that sentiment you're just posturing or trying to get people to join you to make you feel better about your decision. Anyway, that's my musing today on the self-conscious... and again, it's directed at myself as much as anyone else.

Interesting notes from this picture: 1) The action figure can "hunch" at the waist (lean forward or back) 2) The arms move independant of the shoulder armor so it seems possible that, while the Cyclone's shoulders won't move more than a slight pitch, you still may be able to have the arms posed out-stretched. 3) Is it an optical illusion or does the head seem someone leaned back ever-so-slightly in this pic? If it is then that would bode well... if it's just my exhausted eyes playing tricks on me then the wait continues. Pic 26 is more from above and it definitely looks like there's room for a joint there to make the head lean back. 4) That helmet definitely doesn't come off of the head... what are the odds they'll include un-helmeted heads that we can swap out??

Seems $79.99 is a pretty good bet at this point.

No neck joint would be an utter shame... I'm not going to write it off as not existing until we see a final version though.

Amenbo seems to be sold out (of a preorder?) and HLJ seems to have them listed for April now.

I don't tend to buy any toys at MSRP but I think if they marked their MPC line down $20 that'd make the people who did spend that much a lot more satisfied than they are with the $79.99 price point. I think the average Alpha I purchased cost me $55 shipped. As I said, I felt the $39.99 price was perfect... but I wouldn't dream they'd ever release the new toys at that price point.

That RT.com $39.99 special on the Alphas was perfect. If these toys had MSRPs of $59.99 I think we'd all be a lot happier with them. Same goes for Yamato, as the prices skyrocket so do the expectations.

Well it certainly seems like suicide by plunge from window is the most likely scenario.