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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Honestly, having owned the original Galvatron toy, whose inconsistencies between toy and toon were vast, I thought the TR version was fairly well done. It's not without its flaws: the right arm can barely move due to the enormity of the cannon and its single peg hole on the bicep where it renders the elbow nigh pointless( another peg hole on the side, or an additional rotation joint here, would have ameliorated the pose-ability quite a bit, methinks); the shoulder pauldron also needs to be rotated almost 90 degrees (pointing straight up, which looks odd) in order to rotate the right arm at the shoulder with the cannon attached; unlike the G1 toy whose orange cannon barrel separated from the arm mount, the TR version's cannon and mount are one piece, but the mount is hinged at the center allowing the back half to fold 180 degrees, and it just looks odd hanging out under the orange barrel in space cannon mode; there's an orange canopy on the lower handle, a concession for the additional space jet mode that Takara added in there. Personally, I like the space jet mode, but YMMV. There are dark grey panels which fill out the inner lower legs in bot mode, but they hinge out 180 degrees and stick out past the legs in space cannon mode- it just looks tacky. And finally, as Tekering said above, the flimsy partial flip-up helmet piece, and headmaster gimmicks suck. I would rather they'd just given him a solid flip out head, and eschewed the headmaster gimmick for this fig, but it does make sense for the jet mode. Overall, though, for a retail figure to which they added an additional mode, the concessions aren't too bad; it looks enough like Galvatron in bot and space cannon modes to suit me. When I look at him in his space cannon mode, I can almost hear him say, "Here's a hint!"
  2. M'Kyuun
    For years, I've been wanting a good version of the Legioss to replace my crappy Toynami, and this version by Sentinel looks beautiful. Looking through their portfolio, I recognize a number of figs from Kuma's photos, so my assumption is that this will be high quality. Opinions?
  3. M'Kyuun
    This AFOL prefers sets built to minifig scale, and though I like minifigs and all the variety of decos and accessories we've gotten with them over the years, I'm not a die-hard minifig fan akin to the folks who become deeply entrenched in customization. I'm not an army builder, either. My preference for LEGO, if a new mold is concerned, is for elements that will expand the utility of System building. In particular, as a mecha builder, I'm always craving new joints that improve upon the capabilities of what's already available. But beyond that, as large as the current palette is, there's always room for more wedge shapes, rounded bricks/plates, etc. Moreover, there are a lot of parts that have yet to be made in common colors, and that's always a point of frustration with LEGO. My friend Luke, also an AFOL, and I agree that every non-color-locked part should be made in red, yellow, blue, black, white, light grey, and dark grey as a bare minimum, and if LEGO doesn't want to put them in sets, then make them available either on Pick-a-Brick or create their own store on Bricklink to provide that option to LEGO fans. It'd make a lot of people happy, methinks. Coming back to the minifig, as a fan of articulation, I find the minifig to be a bit of an anachronism; it's adorable and fun, but also very limited by today's standards in terms of articulation, and I wish LEGO would make a midi-fig that shares the head and basic torso shape, but has fully articulated shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and possibly ankles, and stands about 2-2.5 inches tall, with more natural proportions than the minifig. It's something I've been wanting for years, but I imagine I'm in the minority, as the minifig has become sacrosanct among LEGO fans, and the company itself. But having bought a few of the MegaBloks Collector series sets, the figs they put in those are fantastic, as they're just a hair taller than the minifig, but other than ankles, fully articulated, including waist rotation. Those guys are a blast to pose, and it just makes the ache for something better than the minifig greater.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Looks like a lot of accessory parts-forming, a la Siege Shockwave, to accomplish his alts. His design is not really to my taste, but I am curious what it's from.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I embarrassed to say that I hadn't realized the logo had changed. Too, I've never heard it called "The Worm" before, and I've read a number of books about NASA related topics. In fact, I'm reading Last Man on the Moon by Gene Cernan currently. Anyway, good to see America's return to launching people and resources into space without having to rely on the Russians. I appreciate the bonds that have been forged by that arrangement, but pride in my country and its heritage makes me glad to see that symbol emblazoned loud and proud on the side of that rocket.
  6. M'Kyuun
    PrimevsPrime put up a video review for the upcoming commander class Sky Lynx. Up front, I've never been a big Sky Lynx fan, but this figure really caught my attention from New York Toy Fair coverage back in February. The articulation is really well done throughout, although, at least on the reviewer's copy, lacking in adequate strength in certain areas. Of note are the wing linkages, which have nice ratchets at the base, but friction joints on a knuckle that were very loose on PvP's. Hopefully, HasTak will get some feedback about that before they go into full scale production and that joint gets fixed. Given how much mass is on the end of that linkage, it should have a ratchet, too. The bird mode's legs didn't appear to have the best load strength, either, although more attention was paid to the wings. The Lynx mode is excellent, and my only suggestion to HasTak would be to improve the lateral range of head movement. Shuttle and to a lesser degree, carrier modes, are pretty well done, although the orbiter, with its rich detailing and NASA livery, stands out. The Lynx's carrier mode would be better served if the leg could somehow collapse, placing the faux treads in a more centered position under the legs, but it's more of a nitpick than a deal breaker. The orbiter is by far more important to me, and in that respect, I'm really pleased. It really shines a glaring light on what's wrong with Astrotrain's orbiter mode. Moving on, the the base mode is so-so- I'll likely put it in that mode once, and the rest of the time my copy will be in it's combined Sky Lynx pseudo-robo-apatosaurus mode, which , IMHO, is where this figure really shines. He's big and has just enough menace to be taken seriously, while packing a lot of articulation throughout, so the posing potential looks to offer a lot of range, which is rare, and fantastic on a figure this size. I've had mine Po'd for a few weeks, and what I see in this review only increases my anticipation.
  7. M'Kyuun
    And I keep wondering why some fourth party doesn't glom onto these designs and pump out some voyager scaled versions to go with the rest of my Siege/Earthrise figures. The official Earthrise figure is disappointing, especially after handling the superior Siege figure, insofar as articulation goes. The Earthrise toy only exacerbates some of the less desirable traits of the Classics toy it emulates, especially the ugly chest band, the giant hole between the intakes, and the awkward placement of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers at the feet. It's sad when a legends scaled figure so completely outclasses a voyager scaled toy, but New Age did a great job.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Well stated. We're exceptionally fortunate that this franchise has continued to thrive 30+ years after its inception, with so much merchandising support from many companies, official and non, ongoing cartoons, comics, and statuary, tee shirts, etc ad nauseum. Having been in it from the very beginning, it's really an amazing thing, as out of the majority of other properties from my 80's childhood, and there were many, most are now defunct, but my favorite of them all has survived and continues to bring me joy through the various toy offerings available. I believe the same is true for Kuma, who likes beautiful representations of these characters without the compromises that arise from including the transformation mechanics. I can appreciate that, even if it's not my personal preference. I see it as comparable to a high end statue or a even a professionally drawn bit of 2D artwork depicting these characters. Neither of them can transform, either, but I consider both on their artistic merits. Transformers from Metal Earth, Revoltech, Flame Toys, and Takara, to name a few, offer 3D representations of varying levels of quality and capability for the discerning collector, and I think having that range of product is fantastic, as it provides something for everyone, dependent only on preference and how deep your pockets are. Regardless of what anyone's Transformer preferences are, I just celebrate the fact that Transformers as a brand is still going strong, that there's a fervent dedicated fanbase supporting it, and that Hasbro, Takara, third parties, and other licensed companies are pumping out Transformer stuff the likes of which I could only dream of at thirteen when these characters burst onto my tv screen for the first time and filled me with awe and wonder that still resonates to this day. Whatever Transformers means to you, just be glad that it's still available. I thank Primus everyday.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Except for transformation. And that's kinda the sticking point for me- they're beautiful figures, but a high grade non-transforming Transformer is like a Lamborghini with the wheels removed and the wheel wells paneled over seamlessly. It's pretty, but the intrinsic point of the thing has been removed. Alas, to each his own. I'll keep my eye on Pulse, as I hope, like a lot of the NYTF stuff and some other exclusive stuff, it gets put on there as well. Pulse has turned out to be a pretty good resource, so I'm glad Hasbro created it. I still have to turn to other sources from time to time, but on the whole, I've filled out my Siege, and now Earthrise collection from Pulse. And yeah, I hear ya about the other two Seekers- whoever in marketing at Hasbro thinks limiting the sales of major character figures to a single retailer needs to be fired. I was lucky to finally find Ratchet at one of our Walgreens; I think I'd checked twice before with no luck. Fortunately, we have numerous Walgreens down town, but for those who lived in areas where there isn't one, and you really wanted Ratchet, you were almost certainly a sacrificial lamb for the fleecing online, and that's an artificial situation that could be mitigated by making these things widely available. This exclusivity stuff just encourages scalpers. I've never attended a TF con yet, but I wish the folks who do would bring this up at Hasbro's panels- it's just a crappy practice.
  10. M'Kyuun
    God damn you Hasbro for exclusive shenanigans like this! I want those clones, but making them exclusive always opens the door to f#cking scalpers buying up the lot and then selling them at exorbitant prices, which I refuse to indulge on principle. A pox on scalpers, bunch of F-ing low-life greedy sons of bitches. Taking a breath-- I wonder if Hasbro is going to make these simultaneously available on Pulse? If we're at the mercy of Target-only sales, it's gonna be a messy crapshoot to try and get a copy of these guys at MSRP. I so vehemently despise exclusives. I appreciate the news, Mike, but it's bittersweet, as I'll likely never see them in stores, and who knows how availability will be online. It may as well be vapor.
  11. M'Kyuun
    OK, I see what you're saying. What I see in my head, as opposed to what's physically possible in order to arrive at the same shot, are mutually exclusive things, and I'm probably thinking more in line with compositing a shot. I dunno; I've very little experience with photo-editing myself. I know, to make it look good, takes time and knowledge of editing programs beyond my rudimentary skills. Carry on as if I'd said nothing at all, sir. That Drift is lovely.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Rock Lords were the American Gobot branding for Machine Robo characters. I'm not sure how they fit into the MR storyline, but here in the States Tonka marketed them as a spinoff line following the movie Gobots: battle of the Rock Lords in 1986. Thanks Wiki. I don't think there were any transforming rocks in the Convertors line, but I could be wrong. It's happened before. I had several Convertors, but very few Gobots, and no Rock Lords that I can recall. Like many, I was more interested in the Transformers, both toy and cartoon. There was definitely a more mature style to the TF toon, at least initially, than Gobots, and that appealed to me, and I loved the detail and sticker work of the TF toys over their smaller Gobot counterparts. But I liked just about anything that transformed (little has changed over the last few decades), so stuff like Convertors, or Bandai's Egg Planes, commanded my attention. My funds were abysmally low as a kid, so I picked and chose carefully, as I was also into LEGO and Brik Blox , so I learned early to budget and balance my spending. It's a lesson that has served me well.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I enjoy going to the theater, although, I find there are less and less movies that interest me enough to go anymore. It saddens me, b/c I want to support my local theater. When I do go, I often buy a drink and some nachos, both b/c yum, and b/c it helps pay the wages for the staff, hence the jacked up prices on theater food/drink. But I do agree that Hollywood seems to have run out of ideas, at least original ones, and tv , especially the pay per views and streaming networks, have really upped the ante so far as telling good stories and producing shows worthy of merit. TV certainly has the advantage of time to develop both story and characters over a greater arc, and for many a director and actors, that has to be very alluring over making a 1.5 - 3 hour film, where everything has to be condensed. But films like the Marvel films, or Godzilla, are made to be seen on the big screen, and I definitely love that format- I just don't get that same sense of spectacle watching it on my 55" flat screen with no sound system in my little living room. Even with a sound system, it still wouldn't be the same. So, the toll this pandemic is having on the film industry, and by extension, theaters, is a little worrisome, as a lot of theaters are just breaking even, and I don't want to lose ours. I'm a sci-fi nerd who grew up in the 80's with very unimaginative and country-minded parents who had no interest in going to the movies, and so the few movies I actually saw in the theater as a kid were usually with friends. Out on my own, catching a movie at the theater was something I looked forward to, and still do, if less frequently. Looking back at the 70's into the 90's at the amazing library of films, and all that creativity that informed them, it was such a great era to be a movie buff. Into the millennium, that gusher of creativity and imagination turned into a dripping faucet, and I have to wonder why. People are still creative, but it seems like Hollywood isn't interested in originality, so recycling seems to permeate the business. I get that films are an investment, and retreading old ground is, in their eyes, a safe bet, but one need only look at how many gambles paid off throughout the 80's, as they're still recycling many of those properties today. I wish some of that 80's spirit would return, so far as attitudes towards forging new film properties and franchises.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for the clarification. BBTS still had the Neca 1/10 scale, and after watching several reviews, I went ahead and ordered a copy. It's not perfect, but at that price, it's a pretty nice piece, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Having scouted a bit on the interwebs, my impression is that this is a re-release of the 2014 Neca toy. The original release went for $80, but the scale is the same, so I'm not sure. If this is indeed a re-release, then it's going for half the original price, for a decent toy. If I'm right about the re-release, then I almost wish that Neca had done improvements to the original toy to add some features, even if it raised the price to $100 or so, it 'd be worth it, if the improvements were indeed just so. At the very least, a moving armature to position the missile launcher accurately would be great. Hot Toys also released an improved version of their ED-209 in 2014, and that thing is glorious, but that heady amount of goodness came at a $400+ price tag. Not sure how I missed that release, but I probably still would have passed on it for that price- just a little much. I'm still wondering how I missed the 2014 Neca release. Anyway, ED-209 is one of my all-time favorite robot designs, so I'm very curious about this release, as, if this is the Neca toy, at $80 it was a good toy, but at $40 it's a great toy.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Great action shot, Kuma. Not a criticism, but an honest question: have you ever given thought to editing any of your shots to eradicate stands and insert a background conducive to the action in the fore? Your photography is beautiful, and your staging of the figures evocative, so much so that I can't help but wonder how it'd look with some photo-edting. Regardless, thanks for sharing.
  17. M'Kyuun
    The Collings Foundation needs some serious oversight, and a reorganization under leadership who insist on good maintenance practices IAW FAA standards. I don't know how it was back in the day when these planes and their pilots were young, but in the modern Air Force, pilots are in no way involved in maintenance activities, which is performed by various trained enlisted entities across a multitude of specialties. Crew chiefs are the front line, and thus it's imperative that they know their stuff, as they're involved in, or have peripheral knowledge of most maintenance activities that occur, whether or not they're actually performing the maintenance. The sense I get from reading the quick and dirty details of the FAA's findings is that these B-17 pilots were just that and, with no formal maintenance training, tinkered with the aircraft over the years, learning enough to be 'dangerous' but neither proficient nor thorough, and who took on an inexperienced crew chief who they probably used more as an errand boy than a true maintainer. The elderly pilots were probably very protective of their baby and wanted no other hands in the pot, so to speak. Old planes need a lot of maintenance- I worked on our aging fleet of KC-135s, most of which are over 50 years old and flying regularly, with constant care and upkeep to keep them in the air. Even while I was active duty, there was beginning to be a relaxation of certain inspection criteria on those planes to milk out their longevity. As I watch them fly over my house day after day, I sometimes wonder when our good fortune will fail us tragically. I digress. Hopefully the FAA will step up and exercise their authority to either influence the maintenance culture at Collings, or shut them down if they balk. This was a tragedy that could have been avoided.
  18. M'Kyuun
    For quicker reading concerning the FAA's B-17 crash outcome
  19. M'Kyuun
    The painted bits are what really stand out to me- the blue on the repair droid and the on the trailer's undercarriage, both of which should have been molded in blue , but weren't (kinda like Prime's inner legs). The stickers do enhance an otherwise nondescript trailer, though, especially the roof/repair bay sides. Odd that they didn't mold some detail into those areas, too, but it is what it is, and the stickers alleviate that blankness.
  20. M'Kyuun
    In today's dollars, and given the the costs of materials, equipment, and other resources, $10 mil is low cost, especially for govt/military projects. A little out of my budget, though. What's really disturbing to me is that that drone was developed to be a stealth target drone intended to be shot down by the AF, and that $10m is considered low cost for that purpose. I was watching the new season of Mega Machines last night, and they featured a 'flying car' concept in development by a British startup called Vertical Aerospace. More akin to a human-sized drone than the Spinner from Blade Runner, it's nonetheless a rather interesting aircraft that could prove revolutionary if they can bring it to a mass production stage. Anyway, the guy who started the company worked on F-1 racing cars, and applied those technologies to this project. He also recruited people from all over in the aviation industry to work for him. While it may not have the glitz of fighter aircraft, tech heads would probably be interested, as they're bringing a lot of cool technologies together to make it work. One aspect I thought was really cool was that all 12 props on their newest project are produced by a company in England that makes wooden props for older aircraft. They CAD milled the props due to their complex shape. It was pretty neat.
  21. M'Kyuun
  22. M'Kyuun
    Looks really nice, Mike, especially the trailer. I didn't realize just how blah that thing looked until I saw it next to your 'after' pic. What a difference. Still waiting for Sure Thing to ship my copy, but seeing the possibilities makes me think about, at the very least, painting some of the same areas on mine. I gotta wonder what HasTak were thinking putting all that grey plastic into Prime's legs. I'm not crazy about putting that many stickers on the trailer, so I may forgo the stickers, but I may have to paint a few things. Now all you need is Roller.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Oh man, I forgot about Device Jaguar when I was writing my earlier post. I wanted one of those, as it was so perfect an evolution from the cassette, and it was Ravage! But I wasn't as savvy with online buying at that time, and never managed to get one. I'm glad you posted that, as it's still a relevant device, and it'd be neat to see if some of the other cassette characters could be made into data sticks, especially ones that are actually functional. A laptop seems the perfect update for Soundwave, although the sweet gimmick of carrying around his storage device minions internally would no longer apply, except, perhaps, as a bot-only feature. Not quite the same, but halfway is better than not at all. Edit: Found some pics of the Ocular Max Autobot cassettes, courtesy of Planet Steel Express. Hopefully these will be released this year.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Oh yes, I have them- I didn't pick up Frenzy, but I have the rest. Their condors weren't as well done as I would have expected, but Jaguar and Furor are just excellent-really well done. I, too, wouldn't mind Ratbat, or any of the other cassettes, especially the dino cassettes, at that scale and to that degree of engineering. Like you, I don't mind the scale of MP Laserbeak or Ratbat as mini-cassettes. I think it works, as relative to real-world size, they fit. Jaguar and Furor, ie. Ravage and Rumble, look much better scale-wise in their bot modes next to the rest of the MP figs. I think Ratbat would be cool at full sized cassette scale just due to the potential engineering that could be brought to bear. I'm rather surprised that they didn't go ahead with more cassettes; IIRC, they showed off protos for the Autobot cassettes- Ramhorn, Steeljaw, Eject, and Rewind at some convention, but there's been little ado about them since. I would have welcomed them with open arms and wallet. All the others, too. It does suck that they have no compatibility in their cassette modes, but unless they made a grotesquely oversized Soundwave, the feasibility just isn't there. But, mine are displayed in their bot modes, as I'm sure most are- cassettes aren't the most exciting of alt modes, but the gimmick remains one of my favorite 80's anachronisms in the toyline, and shall forever be cherished. I find it somewhat sad that a similar analog doesn't really exist today, with the advancement of electronics, to continue the tradition with a modern take on Soundwave. I liked the drone with a drone idea for Prime, but it still wasn't quite the same, was it? There just isn't much that functions the same way as the cassette player/cassette relationship post-nineties, at least in a form that can be turned into a decent robot. Maybe, with extraordinary advancements in micro-joint tech, we'll see CDs/ DVDs that can transform, but I don't think we're there yet. And by the time that tech arrives, CD and DVD tech will likely be obsolete in lieu of something even smaller, thus the quandary persists. Poor Soundwave.
  25. M'Kyuun
    I never had either of these guys as a kid, as I found them, even then, to be utterly terrible. But I think they are perfect illustrations of how a bad design can be updated brilliantly in the modern mainline. I have both of the TR figures, and I think they're great. Topspin is my favorite, too, as I like his flight mode as opposed to the other's drill tank. I never was a big drill tank enthusiast, but in the context of his being an update, it works. Finally saw Earthrise deluxes at my local Wally today. As I already have them (Thanks Hasbro Pulse), I took note and carried on. But I'm glad to see them starting to make their way into stores; my Walmart, in particular, gets Transformers Generations figs in very infrequently and sporadically, and they seldom carry anything bigger than deluxes, although occasionally they get voyagers in, and on very rare occasions, leader class toys. It never used to be like that, especially back in the mid-2000's when the Bayformer figs were out and then the Prime cartoon stuff- they carried everything plentifully. Not sure what happened between then and now, but over the last 5-6 years they just don't seem to order much Generations stuff. It's a Super Walmart, too, and the only store of its size within 15 miles of Spokane, so one would think they'd try to keep it stocked, but for whatever reason, the TF section is almost always empty.
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