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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    I'm in the same boat, esp as I get older, I find I tend more towards more fun transformations. But the aesthetics are definitely the selling point. I currently own no Maketoys figures, but they make a number of them that do appeal to me, and I may just add a few to my collection. Been eyeballing Meteor and his variants pretty hard. Also like Gundog. I have MMC's Phoenix, and in hand, I think he scales well against official figures. He has some heft, transformation makes sense, lots of articulation, and a lovely alt mode. If I have gripes, I'm not crazy about the ball peg that forms his neck- kinda limited, and the linkages for his front wheels are a little looser than I'd like. Beyond that, he's as good a Mirage as you could hope for. Jaguar is such a nice toy; as a long-time fan of the cassette-bots, Ravage in particular, I sat on the fence for about a year before picking him up. No regrets whatsoever. The neck/head articulation is limited, and that's about the only weakness of the figure, beyond not fitting in MP Soundwave (if that's a requisite). It makes a believable, if nondescript, full sized cassette out of the box- but let's face it, who's going to keep this guy in cassette mode? Toyhax/Repro make a really nice label sheet for him that gives him his full G1 cassette livery. It looks sharp. Gets a 'recommend' from me, especially if you like the cassettes. Prices are high on all this stuff- it's the concession for hopes and dreams made manifest, at least in theory. As in, 'Man, for what I paid, I hope this thing is as least as good as how I've pictured it in my mind for the last 34 years'. That's kinda my view on all this stuff, official included. I wish it was more affordable; I'd definitely have way more 3P figures. Budgeting realities at the fore, I sit on the fence, watch and read plenty of reviews, look at pics, consider the possibility of official versions, and make my decisions. Nothing wrong with keeping your money safe in your wallet; I can enjoy these things vicariously. It's not as much fun as in-hand, obviously, but still kinda enjoyable. I liken it to folks who watch extreme sports- most people will never participate in such activities, but they still get a certain rush from watching others do it. That's the world of poor toy collectors.
  2. M'Kyuun
    I'm tots holding my breath! No, not really. Reserving judgement , first and foremost, to see what approach they took for Bee's design. If he has more in common with the CHUG/MP aesthetic over Bay's skeleton with shards approach, then my interest is piqued. I hope so, as I want to actually like the TF films, and the Bayformer aesthetic will kill it for me right off the top. Bee's looks aside, I hope they actually wrote an engaging film, gave Bee a personality more like his G1 self and less like the mascot sidekick that he's been in all the Bay films- more like an older brother/mentor kind of character to Hailee's. After all, Bee's much older and far more experienced than she is, so why he should cowtow and follow her lead makes little sense. His obsequiousness to Sam bugged the crap out of me in the first Bay film. That and the terrible mute , speak through the radio, thing. Give the character a voice, for Pete's sake. Cuz, y'know, he's only the main character. That has to be one of Kurtzman and Orci's worst ideas, and I wasn't a fan when it translated over to Prime, which in all other respects was a pretty good show. Bit of a rant; didn't intend to be quite so negative. Anyway, from top to bottom, I hope this is truly a new start for the franchise on the big screen. As I said, I really want to enjoy seeing transforming bots in the theatre. Moreover, I want to see films made by folks that have a built-in passion for these characters, for the history, and for telling good stories around them.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Just discovered this thread yesterday, did some reading throughout and watched the video. Not only is the fruit of your two years an amazing bit of work, but learning the CAD, the processes of getting the parts made, and all the in-between stuff are all impressive accomplishments in and of themselves. You're doing what many of us only dream of doing, and my hat is humbly off to you, sir. I struggle to do simple stuff with vector graphics, so something like this seems as far off to me as taking a leisurely stroll around the Sea of Tranquility. It's a fine accomplishment, Tage. The engineering on this is rather complex, and it's not just the obvious stuff, like linkages, swivel points, etc, but stuff like the bits in the wing gloves to keep the wings in place in battroid- the stuff you don't see, but is necessary. I've built a few transforming mecha with LEGO, so I understand the importance of that sort of thing. Impressive work, certainly on par with what we see in many of the official toys/models. If you're looking for new subject, one that's never been attempted by anyone thus far, at least in a fully transformable format, I'd suggest the Variable Glaug. It's one of my personal Holy Grail Macross designs that I'd love to have on my shelf as an official toy, but I'd be content just to see someone produce a working model of the thing.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Question to all the various folks graciously doing translations for the kanji impaired: Do you know of any existing translations of the interviews within Shoji Kawamori's Macross Design Works? I've done searches, to no avail, and wondered if any of you have either done translations, or know where they can be found. I've had this book for over a decade, and have long desired to read those interviews, as it's always nice to learn the insights of the folks behind the stuff we love. Anyway, I appreciate any help you guys can offer.
  5. M'Kyuun
    It's a shame that Toro utilizes a fake chest, and that apparently the majority of his car accordians into that backpack, rather than just letting his torso be the aft section of car, like the G1 toy. Toy World nailed the bot look, but that backpack is a sizeable concession. Waiting for someone to come along and marry the bot look of Toro with the car mode of Hellion; I think that'd be the ideal, or as close as you can come, to replicating the G1 toy as an update. Fortunately, for those who dislike the idea of a chibi car mode, Toro seems the perfect CJ for you.
  6. M'Kyuun
    There's some pretty impressive origami going on with his arms to form the interior of his car mode. Reminds me of Gundog's arms, only more complex. The backs of his fists form the seat cushions. Anyway, found some various pics. Scroll down a bit on the link. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/ocular-max-hellion-cliffjumper.1123991/page-35
  7. M'Kyuun
    I also like the chibi look of Hellion, even if it's not a perfect fit with the rest of the MP figures. My only gripe is that his arms look a little on the small side proportionally. With only pics to go by, his engineering looks to be impressive as well, esp in a smaller figure. And he cleans up really well. Waiting for video reviews to see how he stacks up, as the more I see of him, the more he appeals. If real world car mode and toon accurate bot are what you're after, though, it looks like XTransbots are the ones to beat, backpack notwithstanding. Looks lovely in pics. Honestly, it wouldn't have really bothered me if TT had gone with a more chibi look for their Bumblebee, as that's how both the toy and his cartoon incarnations looked. I'm guessing Bee had to be a realistic looking Beetle due to licensing; however, the rest of the minis are nondescript enough that TT could likely go the more toon accurate route with the rest of them, if they ever decide to make any more. In the meantime, the third party guys are doing a nice job filling in the gaps, and the fact that they all seem to take different approaches provides options, depending on one's sensibilities.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Impressive collection; mine envy runneth over. Somehow, I missed Constructor on the top shelf there on my first look; you're brave putting such a top heavy , and just plain heavy, figure up there. Unfortunately, I have nowhere to display mine combined, so they remain in my ad-hoc display case (china cabinet) until I can get a Detolf or two. Of the three 3P MP scaled Cliffjumpers out there, I'd say XTransbots are closest to home on the bot mode, and their car mode is good. MMC did good capturing the chibi car look, but their bot is chubby with arms that are proportionally too small. Kudos to them for giving the car mode a realistic interior, though. I like engineering like that. If his arms were bigger, he'd be my first choice, if I were considering buying one of these guys. Tumbler's a nice looking figure, too. It has some really impressive articulation. The face is a bit too wide, but otherwise, his bot and car modes both look good. All of them offer something cool, depending on what you're looking for. And who knows, TT may surprise us someday with an official version. Wouldn't hold my breath, though.
  9. M'Kyuun
    I was never a fan of G1 Omega Supreme, but as such things go, Gabriel looks pretty good. Respectable collection; nice mix of 3P and official. Looks like you just need Cliffjumper to finish off the original '84 cast. So what's your Decepticon shelf look like?
  10. M'Kyuun
    Do it like Hardcore Henry- the entire movie shot from Boba's POV. If they could keep the action moving like they did in HH, it could be entertaining. Just as well, I'm not really feeling a need for a movie about BF. Like others have said, the more you give away, the mystique wears off and he's just another villain in a cool suit. I like the salvager idea- nice twist on the character. What's more, the suit could change hands as various wearers sell it, trade it, or are killed off. The secret fact that many people are Boba Fett increases his legendary status as a badass, unkillable bounty hunter of few words, with some inexplicable personality quirks along the way. I'm down for more offshoot SW stories, with unknown characters, doing their thing for whatever side they're on. The SW Universe is large enough that many different stories can be told from various points of view. I think that was at the core of Rogue One's appeal.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Found this on Flickr and thought I'd share it: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kuyaaids/with/27411731917/
  12. M'Kyuun
    Great review on Phoenix, Mike. I can forgive some of the limitations on articulation, as the character wasn't exactly a ninja in the show, even making a quip in one ep about how he was too darn big to be sneaking around (first season ep 'Fire on the Mountain'). As to the character, I think FT absolutely nailed it, toon inconsistencies be damned. As for paint, I think they did a judicious job of applying the silver paint to mechanical details on the chest and ankles- it breaks up the white a bit and looks appropriate, and the red paint follows the toon look well. Thus far, he and the Dibots(with Perfect Fusion Cesium as my Slag) are my only FT figures, and I can recommend any of them sincerely and happily. Excellent, FUN, toys, all around. Phoenix, as I've mentioned before, is a Holy Grail figure for me; that it's as good as it is: aesthetics, great transformation (that integrates the arms beautifully), presence, sculpt, paint, etc, made him a dream toy that I had to have. His price tag is steep, but if you like Skyfire as depicted in the show, I'll opine that this is the figure to beat. As for the FT devotion, it's something I'm aware of peripherally. I haven't personally dealt with any cult members thus far, but I know there are folks who are somewhat fanatical about their every release, as if they were made of Divine ABS. That said, I'm happy with my 6 FT figures, but I'm not going to blindly buy all their stuff, or choose them arbitrarily. I choose everything I buy for its individual merits- does it do what I want it to do, and is the transformation reasonable? Other than Eligos and Aplloyon, whose transformations I find a bit arduous (both happen to be XTransbots, but I don't know that all their stuff is like that, having no experience beyond the aforementioned figures), I'd say that most of my other third party figures are fun to transform. As I get older, and my patience threshold diminishes, I find I'm liking 'intuitive' transformations, with good clearances, logical progression, no bending parts, and a decent complexity without becoming over-excessive. These things should be fun- if it's a dread to transform, then a lot of what's fun about these toys in particular, becomes muted with frustration and anger. I like transforming them to be a stress reliever, not an inducer.
  13. M'Kyuun
  14. M'Kyuun
    'Bout time. I hope the next iteration is better; it'd be easy to say it couldn't get worse than Bay's, but sure it could. Need someone like Marty Isenberg to flesh out the reboot. Marty 'got it', which is why, love or hate the animation style, Animated was a good Transformers show. It paid homage to what came before, while establishing its own storyline. Hope the art direction slews more towards an E. J. Su look. Always liked his industrial approach to the designs, even while maintaining a G1 aesthetic. That's what I want- Transformers that are recognizable as Transformers, not all broken up into a zillion tiny bits and glued to a CG skeleton, but more in keeping with the general toy aesthetic, where the transformation is absolutely feasible because it's based on something that actually transforms. I'd be happy if they turned out like upgraded Alternators- just with better articulation.
  15. M'Kyuun
    I sat on the fence for a year before finally picking up MP-10 b/c I didn't like the way the wheel wells projected out with those chintzy covers, and his ape-arms. After seeing pic after pic of him, though, his appeal began to grow, and I got him. No regrets; he's still a really nice Optimus figure, and his truck mode is a great improvement over MP-01, whose design most certainly prioritized bot mode, and for that reason still holds a place near and dear. That said, I'm open to an update, especially if they work on proportion, hiding those leg wheels and streamlining his legs, and giving him an articulation upgrade. Granted, given TT's devotion to the animation models, a lot fine detail will likely be lost (rivets around panels, panel lines themselves, etc), but I'm still curious to see what they can pull off, especially in light of all the complex engineering in Sunstreaker and Megatron. I just hope they maintain a good balance between his truck and bot mode, as a lot of Prime toys tend to fudge the former, and by this stage of the game, with all the 3P guys bringing some deft engineering to the fore, TT need to demonstrate why buying official product has its payoff. Gotta agree that the aesthetics between Despotron and MP-10 are a far better match. Chunky, but good. Despotron is just a fantastic looking Megatron.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Well, the rumor among the various LEGO blogs is that at least some of the movie is set in space, so that bodes well for all of us Classic Space geeks- I'm hoping we get more than just one obligatory set this time around. On a tangent, I own a copy of Brickjournal magazine where they interviewed Mark Stafford, former AFOL turned Lead Designer at LEGO, concerning his involvement in designing the Space Police III sets. In that interview, he mentions building a variety of different designs, including some very Classic Spacey designs to present to their test kids to get their impressions. He said they really weren't that interested in the ships so much as the alien minifigs. Personally, I thought Space Police III was brilliant, one of the absolute best space themes they've done since the 80's and 90's. In so many ways, it was the updated 80's CS theme that many of us LEGO Space Geeks had been waiting for-it ended much too soon, IMHO. I hope The LEGO Movie 2 gives us more of that goodness.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I recognized Skybite, but I couldn't remember his name, and I figured the figure in the foreground was a repaint or a custom job. I really have no familiarity with Skybite's character (IIRC, he came out in the 90's as part of the extended Beast Wars, or Beast machines line, as I remember buying one back in the day). Never heard of Brave of Gold Goldran. Google knows all. So I'm guessing the character was brought over to the BW Universe from Goldran, as both shows came out in '95. Anything to sell more toys. I just wanna say robutt again. You need a copyright on that JBO.
  18. M'Kyuun
    I don't mind robutts ( the crap we talk about on this forum) mooning through the windshield, or arms, heads, etc as long as the glass is tinted or painted. If the glass is clear, then, yea, it looks much better if the bot parts aren't visible. Of course, like most things, I'll make exceptions. I thought the Alternators/Binaltech were quite brilliant for preserving most of the interior cabin- the bot modes often suffered for it, though. The Mazda RX-8, the Mustang, and the Suburu WRX molds were all really well done though- my three faves from that line. Gotta agree with you on the door wings- always really liked that look, and so long as they're not obtrusive, other vehicle parts clearly visible in bot mode. I think that was a huge part of the appeal of Transformers when they first came out- that you could make out what they turned into even in bot mode, but most of the bot stuff was pretty well hidden in alt mode. The other part of that was that the alts were real world vehicles, which upped the toys' appeal even more. Probably why to this day I have a bias against most Cybertronian alts- I've seen too many that looked like a folded up robot, or the alt didn't look like anything relatable. That shark dude is rocking some super-robot colors.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Which makes for a sad future in this country when people imbued with these negative values take leadership roles. Current president doesn't exactly make for a good role model, either. But, you've got a point- the cruder or more mocking the shows, the greater the viewership, it seems. Like giving your ice cream to a fat bully.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Kinda figured I'd be in the minority for preferring Coolsville over Downbeat. I like the toy touches, like the silver part under his chest with the mechanical details and vents, and the markings on his knees which homage stickers on the G1 figure. The shin-ankles, I can live with. This is why options are great. I also keep the vast majority of my TFs, and valks for that matter, in bot mode. They take up less room on the shelf, and generally that's the mode I prefer anyway, so win-win. Although, in the case of Dinos, and yea, sometimes Insecticons, and my BW figs, the beastie modes make an appearance from time to time.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Concur with everything you said, especially his shield emitter stowing into his camper in truck mode- it seems a given to me, so why TT didn't do that is anybody's guess. As you said, questionable engineering decisions. I don't think I ever noticed the light-piping, TBH. I never noticed how many ports he has all over his body, either, especially when he didn't come with a handheld weapon (unless you count the unwieldy shieldguns, which I tab onto his forearm Megatron style) Anyway, I found the mold to be interesting and visually appealing, and the transformation scheme is complex enough to make him interesting without frustration, and he indeed cleans up well in both modes. In short, a fun TF toy that does just about everything right. As an IDW representation, I think TT did a good job capturing the new look as well, and I find it suitably fitting for the character. I was impressed enough by the figure to get his mold brother, Hoist, as well. Generally I skip repaints, unless they add something significant. Too, at the time, TF's were still around $10 for deluxes, so buying repaints didn't make as much of a dent. I've been really happy with the majority of the CHUG line, my top favorites being Mirage, Hound (of whom one or the other used to accompany me on my deployments before I retired) RTS Jazz, Wheeljack/Tracks (another fairly complex figure that yields a clean bot and vehicle mode, and IMHO, works for both characters), deluxe Warpath, Classics Bumblebee, and of late, many of the TR heavily G1 inspired figures. I'll throw in Arcee, too; despite her shellformery nature, TT dun good in capturing her likeness overall. She's not an easy figure to make, as evidenced by the recent less-than-stellar 3P attempts, so I give leeway to TT for making her as good as she is at the deluxe scale. Plus, we waited over 30 years for an official version, and it could have been much worse (see Toy World's Leia-) Yep- my local Wally has a few of the Studio Series deluxes, a few pegs of RID figures, a couple pegs with legends class PotP figures and any number of the PotP Powermasters. No PotP deluxes, voyagers, or leaders to speak of for at least a couple weeks. I was actually pretty pleased towards the end of last year, beginning of this, as the TF shelves were being stocked regularly, and it was starting to become easier to find these things again. Now the old trend of little to no stock is happening again. I hope it's a temporary issue. Waiting patiently for the rest of PotP Terrorcons to start showing up. Also waiting for Studio Series Brawl.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Sorry Kuma, not even your skills with the camera can make this look better than Toy World's Coolsville's car mode, which cleans up better than Downbeat, and even from underneath, betrays little of its transforming nature. As far as Downbeat goes, usually, it's the visible bot mode fender parts showing that I remember; I'd forgotten how chunky the rear end of their car mode is. Not much ground clearance anywhere on this guy. It's really a shame they couldn't clean it up more, as they really crafted a beautiful Jazz in bot mode. That face sculpt is amazing. Alas, the toy homages of Coolsville/Jazzy have won me over, and I think he also has a better car mode with less bot stuff showing. Moreover, his paint job with racing livery just looks sharp. I wish he had a better face, that he had blue paint on his hip skirts, and that the flap behind his head could fold away, but for everything the figure does right, IMHO, these are concessions I'm willing to live with if I commit. As always, Kuma, thanks for the lovely pics.
  23. M'Kyuun
    I have Bike Robo, and at this point, I'm more into the smaller figures, but I agree with everything both positive and negative. The detachable handlebars I can live with, but the one element that irks me to no end is the head mold and how it barely allows the head to rotate. This was a completely preventable bit of under-engineering- pretty lazy, most likely to cut costs by eliminating the need for one or two additional parts. They fixed this on the DX, as they should for its size and price, but c,mon, the same fix could have been applied here, too. Oh well, it is what it is, and I still think it's a neat little figure. And yeah, the axe, like a number of weapon choices in the line, is odd, and the storage thereof in vehicle mode is crappy. I also dislike the obvious Bowie knives mounted to the sides of Concrete- just terrible. Imay change my stance once I get a look at DX Eagle- I love the small version, but if they improve on him even more, I'll be tempted.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Pass on this iteration. I don't understand the trend of crudeness, both in the content and artistic style, in much of American animation. Cartoon Network loves this sort of thing, so shows like Squidbillies enjoys longevity, while a well produced, voiced, written, and drawn show like 2011 Thundercats gets the axe after only about a season and a half. They blamed it on poor toy sales, but what toys were selling for Squidbillies? Would definitely love to see a continuation of the 2011 Thundercats; they were starting to hit their stride, and then got cancelled. I've also heard it was due to LEGO's Chima cartoon, which neither my wife nor I could get into (we both love Ninjago).
  25. M'Kyuun
    So, I'm seriously thinking about getting Maketoys Meteor, or their Skywarp (b/c I his color scheme), but beyond the hollow wings, the one other feature I find bothersome about the toy is the lack of shin vents. In an otherwise nigh perfect representation of the character, those always seemed iconic to the Seekers. I get that flat shins is toon accurate, but this is an instance where toon be damned- I want my shin vents. I vehemently wish Maketoys had made a removable set that just snap on, for those of us who prefer that look. So, I'm curious if anyone knows if there are any aftermarket shin vents for this figure (I'm thinking along the lines of Shapeway). Regardless, this figure is so on point with what I want in a MP Seeker- kinda curious why they didn't make a couple extra panels to fill in the bottoms of the wings- it's really the only thing that makes it feel unfinished, well, that and the all important shin vents. In all other respects, just a great toy from what I've seen in vids and stills, not to mention a number of reviewers' comments. Edit: I answered my own question after some further searching. For anyone else interested in shin vents for Meteor and the upcoming not-Skywarp and not-Thundercracker releases, jream on the TFW boards makes painted resin versions that look good and match the toy's aesthetic. He's also planning to make them for the upcoming releases. He charges about $9 for a set- little steep for a couple of small parts, though, and there's no built in attachment method- you glue or blue tack them on at your own risk. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/pd-23-maketoys-meteor-shin-thruster-vents.1136473/
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