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M'Kyuun

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About M'Kyuun

  • Birthday 07/05/1971

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    Male
  • Location
    Spokane, Wa
  • Interests
    Robots, especially those that transform; LEGO; sci-fi; well-engineered toys

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Very interesting news. I've never heard of this company, but I'm guessing I've seen their stuff while perusing the toy isles. Very curious to see how they approach M.A.S.K. As little room as I have for much of anything anymore, I have a feeling I'm going to be sorely tempted to pick a couple of these up. The Ramen Toys stuff looks amazing thus far, but I've not invested. But if the TLS' stuff is right there on the shelf in front of me, all bets are off. I never owned a single M.A.S.K. toy as a kid, despite seeing them in stores and watching the show. I thought they were amazing, but my budget was severely limited so I stuck to the occasional Transformer or LEGO set. Lack of space is my main detractor now, but if I find one or two that really pique my interest, I may just have to snag 'em.
  2. M'Kyuun
    You've pretty much summed up my feelings about third party. My days on this Earth are ever receding, and with the license holders of these properties sitting on those licenses when there's an audience for stuff to be made, unofficial options become the only options, or in the case of many Transformers, interesting, unique, or superior options compared to, or in the absence of, official releases. I look no further than XTransbots' Omnibots, which haven't had toys since their original American releases in 1985, and of course their earlier Diaclone toys. As the only option for toys I've long wanted and waited for, I'm all in for the three G1 variants that XTransbots are releasing. They're not the best toys, as some of the design decisions are questionable, but in the absence of any other Omnibot toys official or non, I happily parted with my money for them. Likewise, my newest acquisition, Newage's Romulus, a well-done CHUG scaled G1 Megatron that turns into a Walther P38ish pistol, a toy we shall never again get officially, unless Takara makes it for the Asian market. That was a huge want, and I'm pleased to finally have a figure to fill that hole in my collection. No guilt, no regret. Much joy.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Good point about the licensing; I wasn't thinking about that aspect but focusing more on the creativity side of the topic. However, that's definitely an obstacle which the Chinese seem to contend with on a much looser basis without as many legal repercussions. I don't agree with stealing IPs, but at the same time, my hypocritical self has bought numerous third-party Transformers over the last decade or so, and quite honestly, I think they're smartly cornering parts of the market that Hasbro and Takara aren't really operating in, like the legends scale market, and doing it brilliantly. Moreover, I think they approach toy design, much like Takara does or used to, by trying to make the best toy and then assigning a price instead of working within a set budget and making adjustments to the toy until it fits, which often means the toy is far more limited in parts, features, paint etc. It's a shame that everything is so much more expensive here in the States, but that's the reality of our times, and the situation will likely never improve alas. There's obviously passion at both Hasbro and Takara, and I'm exceedingly glad that they've put the designers out in the public space to talk about what goes into the toys. They're obviously working under constraints, and by talking about that, if only tangentially at times, I appreciate the candid perspective and I hope it quells some of the bitching and moaning among the fandom. We're still going to complain, because humanity, but for those of us with a modicum of empathy, seeing the bigger picture regarding the circumstances in which they labor to try and make good toys allows for a bit of forgiveness if a toy comes up a little short in our minds. Even third-party toys come up short from time to time, but man, what a wonderful time to be a fan of 80s stuff with folks like Ramen Toys , 3P Transformers makers, etc, realizing our childhood dreams through passion, skill, talent, and drive to create the toys we wished we'd had when we were kids. We're spoiled, and I'm loving it.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Likewise, both space and money. M.A.S.K. is another notable toy series from the 80s that had some really standout toys, and honestly, if Hasbro wanted to, they could just dust off the old molds, perhaps add a few new ones to complete the roster, put a little publicity behind it, perhaps hire a studio to give the show a modern makeover, and just let the money roll in, as I think the toys and the concept as a whole still have the power to captivate and intrigue. Since it shares the transformation gimmick with their other huge franchise, I'm surprised that Hasbro hasn't at least tested the waters by reviving M.A.S.K. for a new generation, if only in a limited fashion. Perhaps they could produce some video shorts to create publicity and gauge interest before committing to new toys. But I think it still has strong appeal that kids and adults alike would respond to. As to Ramen Toys, the passion and effort they put into these toys is obvious and remarkable. I'm constantly amazed by the abilities and commitment of fans to create today the toys we wished we'd had as kids. Chinese fans, notably, are killing it as they form toy companies dedicated to making modern interpretations of 80s and 90s toys; it's shame we don't see that same level of dedication or craftsmanship on our own shores, since these properties all originated here.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Obviously, it's going to try to look like a VF-19 Fire Valkyrie, so we can expect the majority of it to be red with yellow accents. As someone above mentioned, the entire forward fuselage is hanging off the back and will just rotate 180 degrees to cover the head. The shoulders are shaped like the VF-19's pauldrons and will likely fill that same role on this in fighter mode with the forearms recessing, much like the VF-14, into the backs of the legs. The wings wrap around the lower legs, which will likely compress over the thighs to foreshorten them and present as the rounded aft fuselage of the VF-19, while the wings unfurl into their proper positions. The compression of the legs , IMHO, will be the most complex part of the transformation, and the resulting fighter will be a mix of blockiness due to the OP chest and smoothness due to the forward fuselage and lower legs sharing the VF-19's design characteristics. It's a bit of a Frankenstein's monster due to sharing opposing characteristics being taken from two very different designs that, IMHO, don't marry well, especially as they relate to an aircraft, and even more especially, an aircraft design as sleek and aerodynamic as the VF-19. Personally, I would have been more excited if they'd taken a similar direction as they did with Maverick, which takes notable cues from the VF-1 without copying it directly (we have Jetfire for that), albeit taking cues from the VF-19 while hewing close to that design and transformation schema without copying it entirely. I think this thing is going to be a travesty writ large, but I'm profoundly biased towards Macross for its realistic and sleek valkyrie designs. Takara, and Hasbro by extension, have abysmal track records for creating jetformers that are anywhere near approaching aerodynamic or realistic. More often than not, they are partial aircraft sitting on the backs of blocky folded robots that often don't even integrate the arms into the jet mode. Fighters are big machines (I know, as I worked around them during my AF career), far bigger than cars, and yet Takara always manages to tuck the arms somewhere even in the smallest of car modes, or motorcycles for cryin' out loud! There's far more real estate in a jet fighter, and yet they often waste large chunks of a fighter that could be used to integrate arms. It boggles the mind the lack of creativity or the reluctance to try to find better solutions. All I can say is that in twenty years of working around military aircraft, I never saw a single one with arms hanging off the sides or big blocky underbellies. Macross is proof that a realistic aircraft mode is possible for a transforming robot; I just wish the folks at Takara and Hasbro would take a few notes.
  6. M'Kyuun
    I've expressed many times over the years how much I wish some third party would give us a CHUG scaled G1 Megatron with a proper pistol mode that at least fairly resembles the Walther P38. I was quite surprised, pleasantly so, when Newage stepped up to the plate with just such an offering. I already had their legends scaled Megs, and to be quite honest, it wasn't the best offering at that scale (ahem, Magic Square's Doomsday takes that honor, IMHO). Thus I was a bit concerned until pics of their grayscale model surfaced, and at that point I breathed a sigh of relief. It looked good, and while I didn't care for the trigger guard forming the insides of the thighs, in all other aspects it exceeded expectations. My copy arrived today, and I haven't been this excited for a fig in some time. I'm not the best reviewer, but I did take a few comparison shots for those curious as to how it'll scale with other figs. A note of caution to anyone out there getting this: I nearly broke my copy following the included instructions. I highly suggest watching PrimevsPrime's review, as he offers a clear and concise methodology for transforming this figure that will keep you from breaking stuff. Gun mode: By this point in time, it's a foregone conclusion that most G1 Megatron toys that become guns, regardless of scale, are going to be replete with panels. All things considered, this comes together very well, and while there are a lot of panel lines, I think it still presents well. I believe I saw it mentioned somewhere that he's missing his safety, but beyond that, he's fairly accurate. For those wondering, the trigger is not spring-loaded- you have to adjust its position manually. I have kid hands, so it's a pretty good fit for me. NGL, I had some fun with him in this mode. My wife was all 🙄. 😁 Comparisons: I figured I'd show how his alt mode compares to other bots' alts. First up, Netflix WFC Soundwave. WFC Siege Megatron WFC Earthrise Skywarp WFC Earthrise Optimus Prime and SS86 Optimus Bot mode comparisons: Overall, I'm really impressed with this fig. The articulation far exceeds what we can expect in a mainline toy, the transformation, when done properly, is relatively intuitive although I'd suggest guidance on the first time, paint and sculpt are very well done (most of the figure is painted), and of course, he transforms into his original pistol form which isn't feasible with official toys. Very happy that this exists, I hope more like it are coming, and I'm supremely happy to finally fill a vacancy in my mainline collection that I thought would remain forever empty. edit: The box indicates that this is the first of a series, so hopefully Newage will indeed make more figs at the mainline scale. They've not even done triple-changers at the legends scale yet, that I'm aware of, but I'd love to see what they'd come up with for both Blitzwing and Astrotrain, as well as upscaling their really-well done seeker mold. Hopefully, good things to come. The more I handle Romulus, the more I appreciate it- just a well-done fig.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I have just a single copy of the new Renegade (for now) and I've only built the main model, as I'm not all that plussed about the inspired Alienator model. I watched JANG's review, and I agree with his thoughts on the Alienator build: it looks better as a ship if you remove the leg assembly. After building the 10355 Renegade, I'm rather impressed by the integration of the large trapezoidal flag at the nose as a creative solution in lieu of the non-existence of an analogous wedge brick. That's been a point of contention, and while there are certainly other ways the designer could have realized the nose that would appear more 'brickish', I thought it a simple but elegant solution. YMMV, of course. I also agree with Huw Gilliam's opinion that there is far too much yellow used, especially around the cockpit. The original Blacktron sets used the yellow accents far more sparingly, and I wish the designer had followed suit with this set. As an update, it's just ok to me. Mike Psiaki, the designer of 10497 Galaxy Explorer, essentially upsized and improved on every aspect of the original. Jae Won Lee, the designer of the Renegade, exercised far more liberties in his interpretation which removed a certain salient aspect of the original and just didn't quite deliver on the same level as the new Galaxy Explorer. I still prefer my original Renegade to this, and I feel sad saying that, as I vehemently want these homages to both continue and to improve on their originals. Well, here's hoping that they take the feedback to heart and the next update will be more 10497 and less 10355.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Likewise, although I'm torn on whether I want it to be crowdfunded or just a nice titan class fig at retail. It'd likely be cheaper as a retail toy, but to really capture the complexity of the design, Haslab might be the better way to go. Either way, I'm in for a copy if they make it.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Every success in your tinkering.
  10. M'Kyuun
    I had a copy of the Alienator as a kid, and I have two of them at present. It's a cool model and, similarly to the new Renegade, this 'B' model misses the mark a bit compared to the original. Like the OG Renegade, the Alienator has a large cargo box that makes up a significant portion of its bulk and it's completely missing on this reimagined version. Too, the shimmying legs and feet of the original, which still look much better to me than the reimagined version, are a bit of an anachronism on a modern take. I understand the intention, but when so many liberties were taken with the rest of the model, it seems moot. Too, I don't particularly care for the look of the legs or feet on the 'B' model. Unlike 10497's 'B' models, which maintained the updated aesthetic of the new Galaxy Explorer applied to its smaller sister ships, this stands starkly independent from its original inspiration for all the wrong reasons, IMHO. Unlike the reimagined Alienator, I like the smaller mech which is its own thing divorced from any previous set. Having built the new Renegade, it just doesn't fill me with the same sense of awe that 10497 did, and still does, I wish they'd had Mike Psiaki design this new Renegade too, keeping the design language he established with 10497, but hewing closer to the original ship's design while making improvements. Alas, it wasn't to be and this is now official, for better or worse. Fortunately, LEGO lends itself to modding for those so inclined. I think the greatest point of discontentment comes from having seen any number of the Renegade and other Blacktron sets reimagined as really well-done MOCs over the decades, which inspired hope for any future official set. For me, the new set doesn't quite reach the bar that's been established by fans, and so its enjoyment factor is eroded by disappointment.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. I only own one copy at present, and while it's not bad, I do wish the designer had skewed more towards maintaining all the salient features of the original ship, especially the cargo box.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I'm in agreement. Along with the '89 Batmobile and Tumbler, I'd love to see them do the Mach 5, Kaneda's bike, a Lightcycle, the original Spinner from Blade Runner, the dropship and APC from Aliens, the Oblivion Bubbleship (admittedly, not much to work with given its skeletal frame), Airwolf, and Blue Thunder. Trypticon would have been ideal for a Godzilla crossover, as the scaling between him and the majority of normal sized bots works out much better. I'd really be stoked if they brought back M.A.S.K. as part of the Transformers line, but I think the optimal time for them to have approached such complex toys would have been in the early Bayformers era, when deluxe figs cost $10 and some of the Bayformer toys were nigh-MP levels of complexity. Where both prices and complexity levels are now, I don't think they'd be able to do the toys justice, quite frankly. I think 3Ps would do a better job at this point, and I'd welcome it.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Likewise. I quit collecting them after Dinobot; the retail offerings sufficiently meet my need for BW figs, and they're more space-friendly in my ever-shrinking house. as you say, it's great for the BW collectors who want to finish off the core cast. Funny, I love the Dinobots, but I've never been much into the Predacons, which really should have been the proper antagonists for the Dinobots, both with their robo-beast alts. Easy pass on that set, which ostensibly looks good from the pic. If Takara & Hasbro get around to doing a set in Legacy, I'll consider getting them if I like how they turn out. I have yet to own a set of Predacons/Predaking, so that would be my first. Yeah, this thing looks tragic. I've already posted my rant, but looking closer, there couldn't be two more diametrically opposed designs between OP and the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie. So what's this thing going to turn into: a truck with weird plane bits hanging off of it, or another extremely boxy jet that's more robot cargo hanging under jet facade than a proper jet? Like I said above, they should have just asked Kawamori to help them design a bargain version of the VF-19 maintaining its salient features and transformation and maybe given the bot mode Basara's turtle shell shades as a nod. I would hate the head, but if everything else was truly VF-19, I could live with it as a crossover.
  14. M'Kyuun
    The point of "Basara Prime" is lost on me. Elevating the most worthless and ineffectual protagonist within the entire series to Prime status is laughable on the surface. However, my real concern is with the eventual abysmally reimagined VF-19 that they're going to attempt to make him become, and the terrible non-canonical bot mode that they've created for him b/c they are so very bad at designing transforming jets. The real tragedy of this is that the VF-19, one of Kawamori's most beautiful and iconic designs, exists. They could simply ask Kawamori to work with them designing a Transformers toy that captures the VF-19 in both modes, albeit at their budget limitation. I would rather have a slightly lesser quality VF-19 that looks and transforms like the VF-19 than some crappy remake that pretends to be a VF-19. Obviously Big West and likely Kawamori gave the ok to TT for this, but if I was Kawamori, I'd want to supervise the design to keep it close to source. That faded pic says otherwise. This saddens me; how amazing would it be if we could get the Macross pantheon of valks as Transformers characters, maintaining the og designs?!! It would be revolutionary, and we'd finally have some TF jets worth a damn at a more affordable price point than most of Bandai's and Arcadia's offerings. Even if they did them all at commander class price points, if those budgets went into the mecha and not into peripherals, i.e. a lot of useless accessories and effects parts, to keep them as close to source as possible, that would be excellent and would offer a fantastic crossover element to the line. The glimpse of what's coming dashes all hopes of any further Macross crossovers living up to the potential. Well, at least we got Maverick and Jetfire.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I feel more badly for the folks who were working on the game than actually not getting the game itself. All that incalculable investment of time and effort by those people was just shelved; I can only imagine the emotional and mental toll something like that must take. It's unfortunate and dismaying.
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