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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    I understand TT/Hasbro want to do Headmasters, and that's cool for the characters who were Headmaster figs, but I wish they'd drop the gimmick for those non-Headmaster characters. The upcoming Hot Rod and Perceptor look really well done, but I wish their heads were part of the transformation. At least with the vehicle figs, the head can become a driver; with Perceptor, there's really nowhere for the head bot to go, so they lay him on the stage, as if he were a specimen. I'll be glad when they retire the Titan Master line and just make regular TFs with non-detachable body parts. Complaint aside, I'm loving all these homages to the 80's figures and how well they are capturing the look of those toys while modernizing them for articulation and complexity. I never really noticed Triggerhappy before, but taking a look at NYCC and official product pics as well as G1 toy pics, they did an excellent job with the design. I'm anxious for Kickback(finally), Perceptor, Brawn, and Hot Rod- and now Triggerhappy, too. I'd like to get excited about the upcoming Broadside, as his carrier mode looks great, but then I see that atrocious jet mode and wonder WTF, Takara. All the upcoming triple changers favor one particular alt mode to the remarkable detriment of the other. With all their experience designing transforming toys, I'd expect them to come up more refined designs, but some of these things make me think they got one alt down and just gave up on the other. I wish Has/Tak would have put out a few Animated figures this year to mark the 10 year anniversary of the show. I've been paging through my copy of the Complete Allspark Almanac looking at various designs and concepts never realized into toy form- lots of potential there. I still lament not getting a fourth season.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Not much love in this thread. Well, Blackbird and Mixer came today, and my first impression is that neither seems as refined as the previous wave. I apologize for lack of pics (I was hoping by now that individually focused reviews would be up. The closest I found to a review thus far were the Knerdout guys https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-004&hsimp=yhs-004&hspart=mozilla&p=machine+robo+blackbird#id=2&vid=9a165e6d53babbdd9610925a9923d724&action=click They're easier to take with the sound muted). Blackbird is the more solid of the two; his SR-71 mode comes together nicely, although the entire forward fuselage is very thin especially in side profile. Getting the nose section up and over the head for jet mode is a bit scary for the tight tolerance. Articulation is par for the course: ball joints for head, shoulders, hips, and feet; bicep and thigh rotation on mushroom joints; the knees and elbows are pin joints. The nose has a retracting gear, but the aft fuselage just sits on rounded molded parts of the leg where the engine rotation joints mate to the legs. Blackbird also comes with two weapons that snap over the hands. In jet mode, they peg into the legs near the aforementioned engine joint, but they extend below those rounded parts effectively lifting the entire jet off the ground, rendering the nose gear pointless. Compared to how well Eagle was designed, with fully retractable gear and weapons that conform to the jet mode, these feel very tacked-on and out of place on a reconnaissance jet. I'm not complaining that they gave him weapons, I just wish they'd been designed to conform a little more seamlessly with his alt mode. Still, like Bike Robo's handlebar pieces, they can remain in the box without affecting either mode. I wish they'd scaled him to Eagle, as they'd look more accurate beside each other, and perhaps retracting gear would have been feasible. As it is, though, it's a passable SR-71 without a bunch of robot kibble hanging off the bottom. The head and wide red chest are clearly seen though- no attempts to hide them. Aside from Eagle, this guy was my most anticipated figure since all the protos were shown last year. While not as well crafted as Eagle, I still like him a lot. Both modes are solid, and I can forgive the disparate proportions in jet mode. He swooshes well. On to Mixer. Initially I hadn't much interest in this figure, until I started looking at various pics and noticed that his transformation looked unique and interesting. I wasn't wrong. However, while his truck mode snaps together very solidly, the same can't be said for his bot mode, unless I'm missing something. I even consulted the directions, which I seldom ever do for any transforming toy , but the the waist area, which hinges to both the panel forming the truck's windshield and grill, and to the armature to which the drum mounts, does not seem to solidly lock into anything, so friction keeps it in place. Again, I may not be doing something right, and I'll have to spend more time messing with him. Articulation-wise, his head is mounted within the aft section of drum, which itself rotates 90 deg to peg into the cab section. Neat design. Alas, due to the very confined area in the aft drum, his head has very minimal rotation left and right, and that's it. There are two points of articulation to the shoulders: swivels connected to ball joints for the fender & wheel well parts, which allow fore and aft movement as well as rotation, and also a joint in the upper arm/shoulder that allows the arms to swing out away from the body. I'm not crazy about how it looks, as the ball joints sit a little too low, but it is what it is and it gets the job done. The hips, elbows, and feet are on ball joints. The knees are pin joints and the thigh swivels on a mushroom joint. The rear wheel assembly is also mounted to a spring-loaded rotation joint, requiring the assembly be pulled out away from the leg to be rotated 90 deg for transformation. I'll also mention that both the rear wheel assemblies and the concrete drum are both die cast, giving him a bit of heft. For those who are color sticklers, the red paint on the wheel assemblies does not perfectly match the red plastic-neither in hue nor shine. I'll add here that Blackbird's engines, which are also die-cast, have a shiny coat of black paint that does not match the duller black plastic. It doesn't bother me, but YMMV. The transformation is what really sold me on getting this guy, and in that regard, it's a simple but clever design. I won't give it away here, but I'm sure reviews will be available soon to show how it works. Weapons-wise, Mixer comes with two Bowie knives, which are ok for bot mode, but look unsightly pegged to his forearms forming the aft section of his truck cab. Again, I'm glad they gave him weapons; I just wish they blended with his vehicle mode so as not to be so blatant. I own all of the new MR figs except Rod Drill, and of those five, Mixer is the weakest design IMO. The shoulders mount too low, his head movement is the most limited (even more than Bike's or Battle's), and the waist has a lot of play. The latter is an issue that may be my fault, though, and I hope I'm just doing something wrong. His cement truck mode is nice, and the drum rotates, although his face can be seen clearly as the drum spins. The aft section can't be held from rotating, as it's attached by an offset rotation joint for transformation. For what it's worth, it's true to the original toy. IMHO, neither of these figs feel as refined as the first wave figs. However, I do like them, and I'm looking forward to the next releases, most likely Turbo and Space. I hope eventually they'll get around to making Harrier Robo.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Good Lord, almost $500 for that Omega Supreme. I was never fond of the G1 toy, so, price aside, easy pass. But, for what he is, they did a remarkable job on him. I wonder if the little tank is motorized like the original? Personally, I'd like a well designed Animated Omega Supreme that transforms into the Ark. Love that design; it was a glaring omission from the official toyline that I'd be happy to see a third party tackle. It'd be even cooler if they made a cockpit big enough to fit one or two of the deluxe sized figs, specifically Ratchet and Arcee, with an extra open head and leads for uploading to Omega . Dreaming, yeah, but wouldn't it be cool?
  4. M'Kyuun
    +1
  5. M'Kyuun
    When a good idea works.... Although I haven't bought any of the third party dinos, I don't mind their copying that particular bit of innovation, as it lends itself to a cleaner looking bot. Could they do something else with the tail? Probably, but would it tuck away as nicely? I guess that remains to be seen.
  6. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    That CF looks pretty sharp...if the availability and price are decent, I may have to snag one.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Well, if it follows the various anime (I've never read the manga), hard action there will be, and hopefully some sort of mecha tank to contend with. GitS generally has a bit of philosophy thrown in, and I hope at least an iota of that makes it into the film. Edit: Unexpectedly well done homage to the the movie- the "shelling" has remained one of my favorite sequences in anime, and seeing how faithful they are to this gives me hope for the rest of the film.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for that side-by-side, Mike. I have this preordered, and overall, I think XTB did a great job, esp with bot mode. However, the criticisms regarding his chunkiness, esp toward the rear of the plane and the short wings are valid. I can live with both, but I do really wish they'd made the wings a tad longer- it would have been more accurate to toy and animation, as well as mitigating the thickness of the aft fuselage. But, after watching the review, the pros far outweigh the cons, IMHO, and he's immediately recognizable as Cyclonus. All the additional touches, like retractable gear, the full cockpit, mini-Galvatron, and the very poseable Targetmaster figure, along with what so far looks to be a well designed core figure make him a desirable toy. I can't wait to get him in my grubbies.
  9. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    Especially when you're throwing down $200+ on it. I guess it's good as an investment, but I can think of plenty of things that I do like to throw money at. No regrets on my end- I'm pretty happy with my other Bandai valks, and look forward getting this one.
  10. M'Kyuun

    Bandai Sv-262 DX valk

    M'Kyuun replied to seti88's topic in Toys

    Got one! Can't believe the PO is still open this late, but I'm not complaining. Hope they have extended windows like this for Messer's bird.
  11. M'Kyuun
    https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVvZuSStYJFcAlcEnnIlQ?p=xtransbots+eligos&fr=yhs-mozilla-004&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-004#id=12&vid=2af986439be6354732271c9289ed3c4e&action=view Looking forward to finally getting this figure, due out next month. Cyclonus is one of very few TFs with a Cybertronian alt mode that I really like, and IMHO, Xtransbots nailed it.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Kinda wish I'd waited for some of these other sites, but I didn't think we'd see the price drop that much. Usually I'm patient about this stuff- the one time I'm not, it bites me. Live and learn.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Enjoyed it a lot- true there was drama, but it served the greater story. I liked how practically the situation was portrayed; like most good speculative sci-fi, it leaves you thinking, 'what if...'
  14. M'Kyuun
    I have the G1 toy in front of me, and one thing is immediately apparent: serious liberties were taken translating him to his onscreen appearance, for the better. Back in my mid teens, I was fascinated with helicopters, so any Transformer with a heli alt was pure gold to me. His car mode was pretty much an afterthought, in my mind. Anyway, he was in every way improved in his animated appearance, his car mode still the weakest of his 3, IMHO. That said, I'll tip my cap to all these 3P guys tackling the character, and say I'm glad they all seem to be going for screen accuracy rather than toy, as his toy has not aged well. For those who want a nice looking modern G1 Springer, it's good that there are options. Yay capitalism. Personally, I favor the updated Generations take on the character, as I like his alt modes much better, and though his bot mode isn't exactly like the G1 look, it's close enough for me. It would have been cool had TT figured out a way to get those yellow panels behind his shoulders to rotate forward, closer to the G1 animated look, but, eh, can't have everything.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Not bad- I like that they addressed the differences in the size of the canopy for the two alts; it's subtle but adds a nice detail.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Ah, I wasn't aware that extensions were granted incrementally like that, but that 10,000 was the mark, as each project has a year to reach 10K. Well, that's good to know, and hopefully he'll get the necessary votes to stay in the race. He has mine.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I was reading the forums over on TFW2005, where a number of folks are basically considering the MP timeline as Hasui and post-Hasui, the Hasui stuff considered by many to be better due to a better mix of toon and toy detail. While both camps have their supporters and detractors, my own preference is for the Hasui stuff. I'm glad he was the one who designed the Fairlady mold, as I shutter to think how bland he may have turned out under the current designer(s). While I believe that the build quality will be good with Inferno, this figure, even more than Ironhide, just seems bland due to all the smooth monochromatic surfaces. Contrarily, when I look at some of the 3P figs, they treat the eye with detail throughout, not to mention the use of die-cast and rubber tires, which still speak to me as hallmarks of a higher grade toy. I want to support TT, because I do like a lot of their official products, but the current design trend seems a step backwards on what should be their premium line, esp when the Generations and RiD toys are getting more detail than Inferno (both modes) and Ironhide(in his bot mode). Megatron is continuing the trend with dull grey coloring rather than the traditional silver, along with the omission of red inner arms and legs, which have become iconic coloration for the character. It seems a misstep to me when 3P entities are producing more faithful representations than the parent company, and yet sales must be good, b/c the trend continues in light of all the competition. I suppose, to that end, I'm part of the problem, as I like official stuff and ultimately support them even though I disagree with some of their design choices. I'm curious if this move is what the Japanese fandom wants, if it's a money saving effort, or just personal preferences by the TT designers themselves?
  18. M'Kyuun
    Sorry to burst your bubble, but the project requires 10,000 votes to meet the requirement for consideration. As much as I would have enjoyed having this as an actual set (certainly better than the Yellow Submarine ), the reality is that with only 856 votes and only 18 days left, it likely won't get the necessary votes. However, it's likely that the builder may graciously release instructions for these. One might also consider approaching him for a commission; I know a number of builders who do commissions.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I've already PO'd mine, but, sheesh, not even an attempt to put some tail lights on him. While I appreciate the extras, quite honestly, I wish they'd concentrate more on raising the quality of the core toy. This guy is so plain he could be Amish- at least a little detail would have been nice to break up the unbroken sea of red.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Far better than I ever thought it would be, but then again they're basically making a live action version of the '95 film with an extra here or there, judging from the teasers. That's a good start. Looks like the anime's opening cyborg creation sequence is going to be realized for this...it's still one of my favorite scenes in cinema, lovely. I'm hoping they'll sneak some of Kenji Kawai's original music in there somewhere, just to give it that atmosphere.
  21. M'Kyuun
    I've been scrutinizing pics of MP-36 in gun and bot modes, as I like to try and figure out transformations before the toys are reviewed. One thing's for certain, this guy is anything but conventional. Even the "bell bottom" parts of his legs get folded up somewhere, and only half of each shin is visible in gun mode. His head sits ahead of the trigger guard. The inner parts of his knees fold back to form the back of the pistol below the hammer (the same part formed by Megs' head on the G1 toy). I like this enough to pay the asking price, but I do find myself wishing that the transformation had been, like most of the third party and MP-05, mostly in keeping with the G1 toy. For some reason, I've always like that transformation scheme, and wish TT had kept it here. I have to agree with the observation that the upper torso just doesn't look good with all the folded bits clearly visible. Megs' chest and upper torso are quite iconic, and this fig lacks that clean look, with all the folded bits seen clearly instead. Fortunately, my Apollyon alleviates both criticisms. I am foremost a fan of transforming toys, regardless of brand, and this figure presents a new puzzle to solve, and some very clever engineering, and on those grounds, as well as finally having an official Megatron, I look forward to having him in hand.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I'd settle for the big tank. Or even mechanized armored suits. In hindsight, I don't think the Tachis would go over once they started speaking, if they mirrored SAC. A little too silly/cheesy. And they wouldn't be right, either, if they went with any other kind of voice modulation...too much fan outcry. For what it's worth, as annoying as I find their voices, it wouldn't be right any other way, unless they hired Mary McGlynn to voice them. I could live with that.
  23. M'Kyuun
    I can see that, but I thought they struck the right tone with his character- he is an a-hole, but the wit and sarcasm he employs was done with the right amount of subtlety. I imagine they didn't want him to be a Tony Stark clone, so they ratcheted up the arrogance to 11, making him an even more self-absorbed jerk than Stark. But I guess if I was a gifted neurosurgeon, with all the pride and lucre that follows, and had it taken from me, I'd have some anger and resentment, too. Cumberbatch did a good job portraying that- good actor, that guy. Overall, another great Marvel film with an interesting and evolving character at its heart. The special effects guys earned their money on this film- makes Inception seem tame by comparison. Looking forward to the next installment.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I had my doubts, but my interest is piqued after seeing all the trailers. I like that they just give a snapshot, rather than showing the whole movie- this is how trailers should be. Geisha shot and the camouflage suit . Noticed the complete lack of mecha thus far, though, which is staple of GiTS. I hope they at least have Tachikomas in there somewhere.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Looks better with every new trailer. I'm anticipating the new sets, esp the Scuttler : https://www.flickr.com/photos/brothers-brick/30144414684/in/photostream/
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