M'Kyuun
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Windblade is a mixed bag: it's extremely cool of Hasbro to solicit ideas from the fandom and produce a toy based on those inputs. It's similar in concept to LEGO's Cuusoo/Ideas. Aside from Windblade's odd Samurai styled head (why, for any reason, would a Cybertronian warrior have that?), the base fighter and bot modes showed promise. The toy, though, leaves somewhat to be desired. It's fidgety, the hip ball joints are pretty loose, the swing bars to which the shoulders mount don't lock into the chest very well, the head can barely turn due to the high 'Elvis' collars, the main gears jutting out the backs of her thighs look terrible, and for pete's sake, why the hell didn't they make the feet fold down in fighter mode, similar to Prime Arcee's? Seeing those feet jutting up just pisses me off (lazy design), so in bot mode she stays. But then, the sheath falls off if the gentlest of breezes caresses her frail form. I love the overall design-minus the Samurai head- but I think the toy could have been much better. I love Sarah Stone's Animated look she gives this character in the comics, and Iron Factory captured that look really well in their Legends sized Maiden. Adorable! My hope is that a better version will be released down the road, or that a third party will take a stab at making a better deluxe or voyager sized rendition that fixes a number of the current toy's flaws. -
Well, I 've been hoping for an update in this thread, esp those of the battroid reveal variety, but even my own perusals have turned up nothing new. However, I was paging through my Macross Design Works, and happened to notice that a couple of Kawamori's early sketches for what would become the VF-11 MAXL resembled the Draken. But then, they also look like they're taking inspiration from the YF-21, too. Interestingly, it also looks like he was thinking of giving the MAXL a large intake scoop on the bottom, and in some sketches, top and bottom of the fighter mode. It would have been interesting if Mylene's ride had more in common with Boeing's YF-32, if only for variety's sake. The -32 is an eyesore, IMHO.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Got my Tracks and CW Ultra Magnus yesterday. Tracks has a nice satisfying transformation...the G1 toy was probably one of the simplest in that respect. Giving him an opening hood and simulated engine is a nice detail. The only issue I had with mine was trying to peg one of the arms in flying car mode. It just did not want to peg. The other went in just fine. I'll have to look at it again to see if there's some flash or other blockage. Anyway, being a bot guy, I shrugged it off for later and put him in his robot mode. The range of motion in the shoulders is impressive, due to a double hinge for transformation. While not one of my favorite characters from the cartoon, a transforming 80s Corvette is a tough thing to pass up, and overall Takara did a nice job. I do have to echo the 'too small eyes' sentiment, though. They just don't look right. CW UM is awesome. I'm not a fan of UM's character per se, but after looking at pics and vids for this guy, the transforming mecha lover in me had to have him, and I've nary a regret. While the all-in-one transformation may bother those who prefer the 2 part UM, I'm more a fan of this (and MP UM's design) simply b/c of the engineering required to pull it off, and also b/c it echoes what was onscreen. I really wish they'd taken a similar approach to CW Motormaster, although for scale reasons and moldmilking, I understand why they didn't. But anyway, this is a really solid offering from Takara, and the paint apps on the Taka-Tomy version look really nice. My only two complaints would be lack of concealing storage for the guns in truck mode, and I wish the head was on a ball joint rather than the limited side to side hinge they employed. One very minor nitpick would be that the shin panels/loading ramps do not go flush to the ground due to the knee mold (necessitating Speed Racer Mach 5 type jumping mechanisms to get up on the ramps), and the forearms covering the hands also do not flush with the trailer bed, once again requiring the Mach 5 jumpers. Minor, but does kinda spoil the playability a little. -
The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Thanks for the review, Veef. Hoping I'll get mine in a day or two, along with the Takara CW Ultra Magnus. I'd also like to see them make Trailbreaker, and the eventual Hoist. Like Ironhide, a MP version will require a bit more engineering to streamline his bot mode so he doesn't look like he has a big pot belly. I always liked his character, though, so I do hope they make him eventually, along with the rest of the '84 line, including the Omnibots Camshaft, Overdrive, and Downshift. Along with the full sized cars and Bumblebee, I hope the rest of smaller bots like Cliffjumper, Brawn, Gears, and Huffer also get the MP treatment. I know 3rd parties have put out their versions, but I'd like to have official versions of these guys, since many of them featured quite often in the cartoon. If they ever do make Brawn, I hope he comes with a section of wall with a cutout to reenact the scene on Cybertron where he says,"I'll get the door!" and runs right through the wall as he and a couple other Autobots are making their escape. I forget which episode that was, but that scene has always stayed with me, and still brings a smile thinking of it. -
I haven't transformed mine in awhile (I have the FAST Packs on, and one of the wing boosters falls off very easily), but other than the grey parts attached to the backs of the legs and boosters, the transformation was pretty straightforward to me. The hip joints are tight, and there's always that fear of snappage, but I felt it was easier than many of the Bayformer toys. I watched a vid before I got mine, and my copy's instructions remain sealed in their bag. I've transformed mine about three times..with packs, it's a pain, but without, pretty easy, similar to Arcadia's. Just take it slow and steady. The transformation is a huge part of owning these toys...if you're someone who just likes one mode over the other, I'd think a nice model would be a better investment for the money.
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Gundam Show Thread - MSG thru Witch from Mercury
M'Kyuun replied to Black Valkyrie's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
I've never watched any of the Gundam series, but based on the mecha designs alone, I'm not too crazy about the Thunderbolt designs, although I can see how they might appeal to longtime fans (nostalgic feel from early designs). I prefer stuff like the variable Unicorn Mobile Suits, the Sazabi, the Arios, the F-91, Zeta, and a number of others whose names I don't know and am too lazy to look up at the moment. The early Suits just never grabbed me. For someone who loves Macross Plus, Evangelion, Full Metal Panic, and mecha shows in general, what would be a good Gundam series to start with? I wouldn't mind getting my feet wet in the Gundam Universe. -
It really looks like an extrapolation of the VF-4, esp with that color scheme. That they're totally unrelated, and yet share so many similarities is interesting. It's definitely an interesting design to work into a variable aircraft.
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Great work, and high praise for accomplishing such accuracy at that scale. I've seen the nano-blocks at TRU, but I've never committed to buying a set. I will say, they remind me of a similar series of larger scale, non-LEGO compatible brick system called Brik-Bloks that I had as a kid. I loved those things, and built with them more than I did with my paltry collection of LEGO. These days, I have a LEGO room, and there's something LEGO related in just about every room of my house. I have a lot of it. But anyway, I was curious if the nano-block system have joints...I'm inclined to think so looking at your models. That YF-21 and Monster are particularly awesome.
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Your version two of the Tomahawk is a nice improvement, good progression towards capturing the look more faithfully at a pretty small scale. To add hip articulation, I'd remove the current slopes, use technic 1x2 bricks with the hole in the center along with technic pins to allow for a bit of walking motion. A 1x2 slope in tan would allow for the same basic slope at the hip. The new ball joint parts would work well at this scale, but they're more difficult to hide, as there's always a gap where the two parts join. Anyway, it's instantly recognizable, even without the reference toy, which is a victory in and of itself.
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Since Variable Glaug is a bit of a Macross Grail toy, it wouldn't hurt my feelings any if this shared some attributes. But, I doubt it, since the transformation is already quite different...I'm also in the YF-21ish look camp, or possibly SV-51. Or a mix of both. I wonder how long they're going to keep the other two modes under wraps? You know somebody at Bandai is dying to bust out some pics. If I was a designer, it'd be tough to sit on a new valk design, esp if it really is that different from its predecessors, and the toy turned out really well. But then again, maybe it didn't...and they're buying time for redesigns.
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Thanks, Mommar. Last year at BrickCon, there was a guy with his family just making his way around the tables, and he recognized my VF-4 for what it was (not many folks familiar with Macross beyond the VF-1) so I was pleasantly surprised. After talking to him for a moment, he mentioned that GERWALK is his favorite mode; at the time, I had my LEGO version in battroid for display. Well, there was quite a crowd, quite a lot yet to see, and he moved on. I went ahead and transformed my VF-4 into GERWALK, and after several minutes of searching, I found him and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around and saw it in all its GERWALK-y goodness, 20 years melted off him and he was just a happy kid again in that moment. It was one of the most rewarding moments I've ever had, just a great experience.
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Not only will the legs make a big hole in the wing area, but the shoulders as well, if they rotate out of their fighter position. In my mind's eye, it looks wonky. Glad I'm not a G-mode fan. I just hope the battroid is cool. A Q-Rau influence would be alright, but I hope this thing is for the most-part unique among the previous valk designs. Lots of trial and error, a complete rebuild of the upper body, and at least two revisions. Unfortunately, I never built the whole thing in LDD, or it would be possible to provide building instructions. As it is, it's a one of a kind, and if it ever falls on the floor and shatters, I'd have to rebuild it from memory....dicey chance at best of putting it back together the way it was. My memory sucks.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Sorry for the misunderstanding; I absolutely didn't get the sarcasm as I've no idea what the Char Custom is. Got my shipping notice this afternoon for CW UM and MP Tracks. I think I'm more excited for UM than Tracks...neat transformation, and aggressive looking truck mode. As for MP ratchet, the white hip panels jump out at me more than Ironhide's red ones, and not in a pleasing way. I really wish they'd have found a way to incorporate them better so as not to be so conspicuous. Still, I'm just glad that this mold is pretty faithful to the G1 animated bot design...I had G1 Ratchet, and that thing was full of WTF. The Classics Ironhide/Ratchet mold was plastic origami that really affected the look of his alt mode- very seam-y. Moreover, the back window was his chest rather than the windshield; it was a compromise that worked, but just wasn't 'right'. So, I'm looking forward to adding MP Ironhide and Ratchet to the Crew. -
The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread
M'Kyuun replied to slaginpit's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Good on the 3rd parties for at least trying to provide little quality touches like that in their product, when Takara simply went the cheap route. I look at my Binaltechs, and those things are what I think of when I hear Masterpiece. If my BT Silverstreak fell off the shelf and hit me in the head, I'd probably receive a concussion. I can understand not using die-cast due to weight, wear on joints, costs, etc, but rubber tires should be a minimal given on anything labeled Masterpiece. At least, I think so. -
Thanks! With sweet-talkin' like that, perhaps I will. Kidding aside, I sincerely appreciate the compliment, ArchieNov. I consider myself a very mediocre talent at best compared to folks like Peter Morris, Tyler Clites, Brian Cooper, Mark Stafford, rong_Yiren, Sean and Steph Mayo, Alice Finch, and on and on. There's a LEGO convention held in Seattle every year called BrickCon where AFOLs like me bring their creations for a 2 day public display. Every year, I'm blown away by the sheer creativity that people are capable of. Oh, I forgot to mention a fellow named Erik Hagsved- check out his huge LEGO transforming Optimus Prime; I've seen it in person, and it's extremely impressive. https://www.flickr.com/photos/epsilon-eta Wmkjr, thanks for the vote of confidence. As with all of Kawamori-san's designs, I take a lot of inspiration and ideas, and I'm hoping the -262 will be unique and interesting in its transformation scheme, as I may find something there that I can translate into brick.
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Thanks for the nice comments, guys. Mazinger, there is a LEGO thread somewhere around here, but nobody's posted in it for quite some time. There's a dedicated LEGO Macross Flickr group, as well( some neat stuff, none of it mine ). My Classic Space Konig was a labor of love most of last year, and unfortunately, the final product couldn't handle the weight of the backpack, and just went ass over tea-kettle without a stand, which means I need to redesign the entire waist and upper leg area, or minimize the backpack area. Still not sure what I'm going to do with it. It's a big blue and gray paperweight right now, but I'm glad you like it. I'm thinking about building a Classic Space ship in two parts, a la the Legioss and Tread, fully variable. Taking some inspiration from Steel Battalion designs. I haven't gotten far with it yet, but I'm still testing ideas. Back to the 262, I was thinking, if the arms are indeed centrally located (like I hope they are) with the stab and gunpod, Bandai may have 'borrowed' Yamato's & Arcadia's VF/YF-19 sliding arm solution to enable the arms to be positioned so far from where we believe the shoulders to be. I wish they'd just show us the battroid already...I'm not getting any younger, and I need more battroid in my life...
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Yeah, if I squint, I can see that. My avatar is a custom LEGO VF-4...my version is light gray with dark blue and dark gray accents, b/c I like those colors, and b/c I didn't have enough white parts when I built it. Pics, if you're interested. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and pg 2. https://www.flickr.com/photos/95379588@N08/page1 Concerning the 262's transformation, while the thought that the arms may store along or inside the leg is practical, I really hope they form the upper and lower central fuselage with the gunpod and vertical stab. It would make the engineering that much more impressive, and I love it in any transforming design when every major part of the robot forms part of the alt mode seamlessly. This is already a beautiful and interesting valk; I hope Kawamori-san brought his engineering A-game to the table when hammering out this design.
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A perfect transformation Motoslave and Highway Star would both be awesome. I recently picked up the Yamato Linna Motoslave set on Ebay for abt $50...good deal, considering Priss goes for over $400. But yeah, it's an ok toy, but certainly not perfect , and the Linna fig's arms fall off if you sneeze in her general direction. There's certainly room for improvement. Galaxy Rangers...now that takes me back. Good show featuring some really good animation for the time. I wouldn't mind having that series on dvd. Goose was the best animated Clint Eastwood representation ever. The episodes focused on him were always my favorites.
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That is, unless they have some sort of bond to their machines, so that damage to the valk is felt by the pilot, and if enough damage is sustained, it can literally kill the pilot through psychosomatic shock, or drive the pilot insane. I like that idea actually. I think it'd be cool if they enter these suspension tanks full of Evangelion-like LCL, suspended in this sensory gel that transmits their commands and feedback. It'd be a first for Macross, and a neat new bit of tech to add to the series. And, there's still peril to the pilots, so the danger to them is unmitigated, even if they're not in the valk. As for the SV-51 GERWALK, I'll be the first to say I think GERWALK is lame. Throw your virtual stones and pitchforks, but I've always thought it rather dumb and pointless; it's mid transformation, not really a 'mode', IMHO. BUT, the SV-51 sways me, and I like it's GERWALK b/c it was inspired by and intended to resemble a bird, and I think Kawamori pulled it off well in this design. The -51 and the VF-9 Cutlass both have groovy GERWALK modes that appeal to me..along with the VB-6 and Variable Glaug. The rest of the valks' G modes..meh.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
With red leggings, you mean. I'm not feelin' it either. The red torso with blue legs have become iconic to Prime, to the point that anytime I see any vertical object with red above and blue below, the association with Prime is instantaneous and subconcious. I guess it's cool that they're producing all these colorations for collectors, and milking a good mold in the process, but I'll take my MP-10 in the standard Optimus colors. I'm surprised Takara haven't rolled out at least a resin test shot of their MP Optimus Primal at this point...there've been several large venues since the original announcement. I was curious to see what they came up with, and how accurate they could make the beast mode while hiding most of the bot parts. I'd be blown away if they actually used some kind of faux fur rather than just molded plastic...not sure how well that would hold up through the years. It's gimmicks like that that really boost collectibility and value over time, though. Hoping Tracks will release on Saturday, as I've had the Takara CW Ultra Magnus sitting in Private Warehouse for over 40 days now, and I'm hoping to bundle them for shipping from HLJ. -
So much vitriol for the lovely VF-4 (it's in my avatar, if you haven't noticed). It's one of my favorite battroid designs, but to each his own; if we all liked the same stuff, it'd be a really boring world without much variety or progress. I think the B and G modes are being withheld for suspense, at least that's my hope. I doubt anything can be worse than the extraordinarily fugly VA-3. I have a feeling the legs might be reminiscent of the VB-6, but beyond that, I'm not speculating too much. Even if it turns out not to be as pretty as most valks, I think it'll be interesting. If the nose becomes the lower torso like the SV-51, I won't mind that either...the 51 is another of my favorite designs. That may also explain the opaque canopy. Or the 262s are all unmanned drones, controlled by their respective pilots through their hair-diamond things. Even though Macross has always been about the excitement of having pilots fighting from the cockpits of their valks, real world tech is edging ever closer to unmanned fighting machines doing the fighting with their operators afar and safe. Considering Macross takes place in our future, it's only practical that Kawamori incorporate the current direction in warfighting tech to the Macross series. The Ghost X-9 was a prescient piece of tech that's becoming our reality.
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Def one of Kawamori's sleekest designs. Love the blue, but hate the gold (I have an aversion to gold and yellow coloration), so I'll likely wait for a different color scheme.
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The idea of another space race is romantic, and competition does certainly motivate and incite inventiveness, but of all human endeavors, I wish space was a truly Human Endeavor...all the nations, tribes, and peoples of the world, regardless of ideologies, ethnicities, religions-regardless of the differences that have served to divide us throughout history- would come together in this single pursuit: to create a global space agency dedicated solely to research, exploration, science, and technology to the benefit, and hopefully betterment, of man as a species, and to ultimately remove our sole reliance on this one planet for the survival of our species and culture. But in the meantime, yeah, it'd be good to see the UK involved in the space venture. Grigolosi, thanks for your service. I was a bubble chaser for 15 yrs, and worked in the MOC for 5. Fun while it lasted, but I'm glad I'm done. No more hydro stains to wash out.
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Me three.