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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Bonecrusher, Scrapper, and ultimately Devastator, do not disappoint, especially following the lackluster Combiner Wars version. Evan and Hasui-san did a great job on these figs. I'll admit that I wish the limb bots were voyager scaled so that their construction vehicle alts looked more proportionate next to a car or a regular truck, but also so that Devastator would have greater stature next to the Dinobots. I wish they'd thrown in a Dinobot for comparison, as obviously that's who he faced off against in the '86 film. Next to Menasor, the Dinobots come up to his waist, and Devy looks to be about a head taller than Menasor, so the size is a bit small compared to how he was depicted in the Movie and the toon. Disappointed that they didn't show all six Constructicons, but I guess it keeps excitement piqued by doing revelations over time. I'm glad they didn't go fully toon, as Scrapper still had his wheels on his shoulders like the G1 toy instead of the silly simplified green wheel bumps from the animation. I prefer this approach- good mix of toon, especially for overall look and proportions, but bringing over a bit of the toy's design and details as well. I like seeing bits of the alt mode in bot mode, just like the OG toys and most TFs since. I'm really pleased with what I'm seeing so far and will definitely be getting these guys. Looking at that big combiner joint on Bonecrusher's back, it does look like they're incorporating some of the CW design into these guys. I just hope those joints ultimately prove sturdier than the wobbly old CW joints. Relying greatly on partsforming, I'm curious to see how the rest of the bots come along and how those combiner-specific accessories are integrated or otherwise realized. Evan gave a little hint with his Hasui anecdote concerning turning some part into a trailer, so that should be interesting to see. Third parties have taken similar approaches in the past, and I'm all for more transforming stuff with my Transformers, but also practical uses of accessories, esp with combiners, to make them make better sense with or otherwise complement the alt modes. Kudos to the marketing dude for addressing the availability issues with past figs. I was able to get all my Stunticons through Pulse, but for those who missed the PO windows and had to deal with store exclusivity, short-packing, and other factors making these things hard to acquire, it's reassuring that Marketing took note of that and are actively trying to prevent future occurrences. It sucks for regular figs, but for any team, it's especially disheartening to fall short a fig b/c of marketing decisions leading to extreme scarcity.
  2. M'Kyuun
    That's an extremely crappy situation. With prices what they are for stuff, one wonders how they're not staying well above water financially and keeping their folks employed. Warden has been with them for years and has worked in a number of departments, so there's a guy with breadth of experience that one would think would keep him safe as well. I guess nobody's safe except the executives, who will probably get bonuses. 😒
  3. M'Kyuun
    Phenomenal suggestion; ordered one for myself, given I've got years of TF and other toy collecting ahead and there are sure to be times when disassembling a toy will be necessary. Thanks, Mike. As to Prime, I guess I'm in an odd place as a fan, as I don't adhere to a singular version of the character, but as I mentioned, I like an amalgamation of details from various sources: I like the toy's silver, or chrome, waist and thighs. I like his G1 trailer's blue-bordered stripe. I prefer his toony blue eyes over his OG toy's yellow. I like the yellow stripes and arrows on his forearms (which may have originated with MP-01). I prefer his vents are both molded to look like louvres and painted silver, which may have also started with MP-01. I'm not too plussed about a lot of the G1 toy's trailer's interior decals (many of which, IMHO, just look cheap and cheesy and do little to enhance a more sophisticated modern toy). That last bit sounds ridiculous after reading it for myself, but collectors will understand. I think having those details be molded and painted are far preferable. We already mentioned the round fuel tanks vs the square ones; personally, I'd rather the truck have the round ones and by virtue of good engineering, they become the squarish nubs that appear in his animated bot mode. I'd prefer his repair drone be blue and Roller to be silver. TBH, as little as I engage with any of my OP's trailers, I generally focus more of my efforts on getting Prime himself how I want him. Thus far, Earthrise is the only OP toy where I expended a bit of time and effort on the trailer and I didn't even go as far as you did, Mike. However, I'm satisfied with the changes I made. I'm not sure yet what all I'm going to do with SS86's trailer. Toyhax has their sticker set out already, but most of the time, I only want or use a fraction of the stickers, and they're not exactly cheap. Not sure I want to start painting my Prime, either, b/c as soon as I do, Hasbro will announce a version with most or all the apps I want, only applied much better than my hand painting can accomplish. I'd love a variant like that without the trailer at like $55 (leader pricepoint). That'd be downright cool.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Valid point about those tanks just pushing in easily. They need a "thoop" as EmGo would say, to keep them secured in place. I just try not to touch them when I put him in truck mode. I don't blame HasTak for SS86's tanks, as like you said, that's how they appear in the show and they're just capturing that look for the fig. Too bad they couldn't engineer round tanks for truck and the square ones for bot. Pretty good figure, overall, certainly the most toon-accurate version we've ever gotten in the main line. I wish his elbows had more bend, his backpack was reduced to what we see in the toon/Movie, and that his ankles had some fore and aft rotation, but the engineering is solid, the truck mode impressive, especially the rear chassis, and with all the additional accessories, especially the requisite properly scaled trailer, SS86 is one fine Optimus Prime. I'll admit, though, I still have a huge soft spot for Earthrise Prime who deservedly held the Autobot leader's top spot in my CHUG+ collection for a few years now. Additionally, I put in a lot of time painting him and trying to bring him closer to the "ideal" version of OP in my head, so I'm sure that colors my bias a bit. Boiled down to the essentials, though, I just think he's a damned good OP figure regardless of his warts and I doubt I'll ever relinquish my attachment. With SS86 finally in hand, my biggest (first world) worry now is whether or not HasTak will release a toy-colored and comic-rendered amalgamation where the cab has its stripe, the trailer has its blue borders on the stripe, his legs and pelvis are silver, his forearms have the yellow stripes and arrows, his shin vents are silver, and his heels are properly assembled. This is the ideal OP toy I want, although with time, paint, and some help from Toyhax, I could achieve most of these wants with my current SS86. I attempted to swap the heels on my copy; I only tried one foot, and I could only get the pin to pop out about a millimeter or two. It's in a somewhat inaccessible spot with that exterior leg panel blocking access, so the ankle needs to be bent a fair bit to get to it. Anyway, I pounded on that sucker for a while and a couple mms is all I could get it to budge; alas, I just resignedly beat it back into place. I don't have a vice or even a workbench, so it doesn't help that I have no way of securing the foot while I try to pound out the pin. It'll continue to bug me b/c I know its's wrong. As misassemblages go, though, it could've been far worse.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I prefer round tanks, too, and it's one of a couple nitpicks I have with SS86 Prime. Earthrise Prime tucks his round tanks into the backs of his thighs and it's a perfect kibble-less solution for the bot mode while giving the truck proper looking tanks that don't jut way out and look weird, or like some odd form of intake like SS86's. I can't understand, either, why on a commander class budget they couldn't give him double-jointed elbows or single-jointed that still allow an elbow bend beyond 90 degrees. IMHO, that should, along with opening hands, be requisite standards of articulation on anything at least leader class and above. SS86 at least has the poseable hands, as he should. I'm also not the biggest fan of MP-44's wrapping-the-cab-around-the-robot approach to transformation, but I think it was actually done more effectively on SS86, which has a better proportioned bot mode (with a big inaccurate backpack as a result) and a much cleaner, more realistic looking truck mode, weird fuel tanks notwithstanding. The new Legacy United deluxe Prime is pretty much Hasbro's bargain version of Missing Link, but I'm not complaining, as I prefer its slightly tweaked proportions, i.e. beefier, over the original toy's. Too, ML is pricey and this way I get a similar toy for a much lower pricetag without yet another trailer to have to stash away. It's a win-win solution, methinks, and I wonder if Hasbro is going to take a similar approach with other ML figs. Of course, with Prime being a deluxe, scale is already skewed. Never was much of a fan of G1 Omega Supreme's design, but when Hasbro first revealed this fig, I was impressed. That said, I've chosen to enjoy it vicariously through vids and such as I just don't really have the room for another titan fig (Unless they do a spot-on Animated Omega Supreme-- I'll find a way for that particular grail!). I still think Has/Tak did a bang-up job on OS- all the details, the features, colors, everything; in every way except motorization/electronics, it's a right proper update of the OG toy and I think it'll be one of those stand-out toys that we'll still be talking about in our graying years (some of us may already be getting there).😉
  6. M'Kyuun
    @mikeszekely, I enjoyed your reviews of these figs, and after years of buying figs that have varied in complexity, often to the detriment of enjoyment of transformation and thus the toy on the whole, it's refreshing to see a company take a step back in that area to simplify things to a more enjoyable level. A decade or two ago, I wished for more complexity and judged toys my that metric, but I find as I'm getting older, my frustration level with some of these things grows due to what often seems over-complexity for its own sake. Anyway, I appreciate a transforming toy that's actually fun to transform and I agree that that's an ingredient that has been increasingly missing over the years with a lot of these toys, even, admittedly, my own LEGO designs. I also give props to Mecha Invasion (or whoever they really are) for taking a leap and doing their own thing with such iconic characters. They could've played it safe and kept to the G1 likenesses, transformations, and Devy makeup, but they took a great deal of creative license and put their own stamp on these characters. In this age of heightened "Sunbow accuracy", the epitome of oxymoron, taking this design direction is certainly a far greater gamble than it would have been a couple decades ago, but I hope they find an audience. For my part, I have ToyWorld's Devy as my MP stand-in, and with little room for more toys of that scale, I'm content. I do, however, have a couple of Dream Star Toys' Aerialbots (Slingshot and Skydive) which are also departures from the slavish G1 direction allowing for more accurate jet modes, and while they're not the most fun things to transform, I laud the decision to be creative while still embracing the essence of the characters. As Mecha Invasion continues to release these revised Constructicons, I look forward to your reviews. Hopefully, the entire line of figs is consistently creative and enjoyable, as well as their take on Devastator. Also, kudos are always a must for any company attempting to do integrated non-parts-forming combiners, so my hat's off to MI for going that extra mile. Always a plus in my opinion.
  7. M'Kyuun
    Coming to the party just a little late, but fortunately, I didn't really miss out on anything I really wanted. The Mandalorian N-1 is interesting, although, as much as I adore the N-1's design, execution here leaves a little to be desired. To be fair, however, it's a very sleek and slim ship with not much available fuselage from which to craft a robot. I wish they'd chosen either clear or a nigh opaque dark transparent plastic for the windscreens and I'm not feeling the red accents on his legs; silver or gunmetal would have been more apropos and would have complemented the ship mode better as well. Odd choices. I'm kinda surprised they made him a leader class fig, but then, they're all over the place with scale for these exclusives. I missed the PO on Pulse, as usual, and with this being a lukewarm want for now, I'll probably just wait to see if it shows up at my local Wally in a few months. I still remember Hasbro's Star Wars crossover figs from nigh twenty years ago, and for the most part, the majority were a bit lackluster utilizing a lot of shellforming to achieve the ship modes. The ship modes, however, were obviously the focus, and admittedly, were pretty well-done. The bot modes suffered the majority of concessions, but at the time, it was something fairly unique in Transformers and I still have a number of them tucked away in storage. However, unlike the new Mando's N-1, the original crossover toys all had working features like moving s-foils, rotating wings, retractable landing gear, etc. and all featured an opening cockpit that could accommodate a small pilot fig, generally well-painted, that came with the toy. Kinda sucks that they didn't include a Mando and Grogu figs to pilot the N-1. In retrospect, back in 2006ish we were paying about $10 for a deluxe, and I think I paid about $50 for the Millenium Falcon which broke into two halves that became a Han-bot and a Chewy-bot. That thing was pretty good-sized, about what we'd consider commander class today (it was considered a Mega vehicle back then 😄). Additionally, it came with little Han and Chewy pilot figs that could fit in the Falcon's cockpit as well as in each of their respective mechs, had spring-loaded projectiles and featured lights and sounds. My, how things have changed.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I hadn't thought much past the '89 or Tumbler Batmobiles, but I wouldn't mind The Animated Series or the 1966 Batman Futura Batmobiles as Transformers. Despite growing up in the 70s and 80s, I wasn't familiar with the Kenner Batmobile (beyond the '66 show, I wasn't a very big Batman fan as a kid). It reminds me a little of the Mach 5 from Speed Racer (Mach GoGoGo) of which I'd love to have a crossover fig. I'd take one of the '97 Mach 5 design as well, especially if they could integrate most or all of its gadgets. I wouldn't mind a Future GPX Cyber Formula Asurada crossover, either, if they're going to do manga/anime related crossovers. I have Wonderful Trans' beautiful take on Drift which becomes an Asurada though the transformation isn't the most fun hence my desire for an official easier-to-transform figure. I'd still like Airwolf and Blue Thunder Transformers, too, while we're wishing. I also wouldn't mind some fictional planes like the MiG-31 from Firefox or the Testor's F-19 Stealth Jet concept created by the late John Andrews.
  9. M'Kyuun
    That would be cool. I'd take a Tumbler, too. Love the retro packaging, but I already own both figs and don't feel the need to double dip just for a cardboard backing. Kinda wish they'd go back to packaging like this for the smaller bots, though. Funny they gave Gears his toy face but not Bee. bee's also missing the old toy's sticker detail, which one would expect as a nice tampo. Anyone know if optional retro stickers are coming with these? Well, if not, Toyhax will likely fill void. So, was this actually in one of the comics or just a stand-alone piece for commentary? As much as I want my mainline Megs to turn into a pistol, I really, really hope they don't kludge something like this out of SS86 Megs. It's just weird. If he's going to be a tank, I hope at least that he's a believable tank unlike the most recent Megatron figs where the fusion cannon, which looks obviously like a scope, bifurcates the turret. If they end up making SS86 Megatron a commander class fig, it better have rolling treads and a pretty damned realistic tank mode for $90, as they can put all that budget into engineering in lieu of SS86 Prime's trailer and accessories. Just don't waste effort and money giving him a half-tank-half-pistol hybrid mode.🤢 Anyway, for now, Newage has me covered on the G1 Megatron with pistol alt mode front. I vehemently hope that Magic Square will seize on the opportunity and upscale their excellent legends class Megatron to actual SS86 scale (I imagine Newage thought SS86 would scale with Earthrise, but HasTak kinda thwarted them with a slightly larger figure). That would be awesome. What would be moreso is if they also upscaled their legends class Optimus (Light of Victory) to SS86 scale, as it's, IMHO, superior to SS86 Prime. IMHO, their MP scaled fig of that design, Light of Peace, is currently the pinnacle of OP toys- just an absolutely brilliant figure that every TF fan should own. IMHO. Dammit, don't jinx us, David!!!! 😄
  10. M'Kyuun
    It boggles the mind that with their zeal for tampo, Bandai didn't tampo that control console. On an aircraft, landing gear are kinda important and should figure into the totality of the design (Unless you're Hasbro/Takara, then pretty much everything that defines good aircraft design goes out the window). Yamato and Arcadia understand that and have done a pretty decent job with their various valks over the years. TBH, I haven't had too many issues with my Bandai valks, but the YF-21 is a unique beast within the managerie, mostly due to its shellformery design as opposed to Kawamori's general use of the legs to form the entire powerplant from intake to exhaust, making up a fair portion of the jet's fuselage. It's one of the things I love about Kawamori's designs as opposed to just about every other company's takes on jetformers. Special mention to Touch Toys who've taken a different approach to creating a streamlined and realistic jet mode while still managing to forge a good bot mode out of it. I digress. Taking into account the requisite ground clearance with packs and guns affixed and designing gear that literally fall short of their purpose is just pure negligence on Bandai's part. Too, I concur with the critique of their misunderstanding of how those gear are intended to be stored. Yamato got it, but as @Chronocidal pointed out, Bandai just doesn't care. They do it their way regardless of whether it's right, proper, or acceptable which is a shame b/c they definitely have the talent and resources to make an exquisite toy. The DX YF-21 is a mixed bag of good and bad; I love it for it's better proportioned battroid mode, my preferred mode for display. I don't think the fighter is too bad considering the concessions to battroid, but stuff like the too-short gear, lack of printed controls, partsforming seat (was it really that hard to put a pivot on that thing? Yamato already showed it could be done), need for two different gun molds that still don't fix the ground clearance issue, huge gap between battroid's back and the backpack, and the necessity for a partsforming bracket to keep it in place lest the whole thing droop all constitute poor design decisions that Bandai should have fixed before this thing ever went to production. It looks nice and makes for a nice placeholder, but it really does make one wonder what an updated Arcadia YF-21 would bring to the table in terms of improvements. They've already got a pretty good foundation to build on that still in many ways rises superior to the DX.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Not familiar. What is this this guy from? Looks like a D&D crossover to me.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Very comprehensive and enjoyable review, Mike. As to your prognostication skills, pretty much right on the money with this guy. I love the Earthrise fig, and while I didn't invest as much in decoing my copy, I did apply some paint and an upgrade to the trailer to bring it a tad closer to true and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. That said, as close as this is to an ideal mainline Prime (def the best G1 incarnation since, well, G1), it's not quite perfect. And thanks to SS86, no longer the most accurate. That said, there are still things it does that I like better than SS86- the silver painted and molded shin vents, the painted wipers, I prefer the way its feet taper down in truck mode (purely subjective, but I think it looks better), the cab's silver stripe, and the bot's smaller backpack minus the butt wheels. Despite my nitpicks, SS86 is absolutely a leap forward, and honestly, a bit of paint or some stickers will remedy most. I do wish they would have condensed the backpack down to the size and shape we see in the movie and toon. Magic Square did it perfectly with both their recent legends and MP scaled Primes, both of which I consider the pinnacles of Optimus Prime toys in their respective size classes. As you said, I don't think Hasbro or Takara want to create an absolute perfect representation as that will preclude the need for future toys, so a few flaws are acceptable. In my mind, the 90- degree limited elbow bend at this scale and price point as well as his chonky backpack bring this down from a perfect 10 to a solid 9, but in all other considerations this is certainly the most well-designed and accurate G1 toon-inspired official Optimus Prime toy outside of MP-44. How I wish the technology and mindset had been present forty years ago to put this on shelves instead of the Diaclone toys we got. Outside of the core fig, I'm glad to see as much attention given to the trailer, as it's an intrinsic part of his alt mode, even if it will eventually be chucked aside as a dust collector along with ER Prime's, Volvo Prime's and Rodimus' trailers. My biggest fear is that after dropping $90 on this version Hasbro will release a toy version with all the apropos paint, stickers, and perhaps retooled shins with molded vents. I really don't want to drop another $90 on a fig I already have, but to have it with all those additional details would be sorely tempting, as that's really the version I crave. I guess we'll see. I'm still waiting on BBTS to get their shipment in- I think they exist in a slower timestream than the rest of us, so excruciatingly slow is their receipt of items to fill orders. My anticipation is pretty high for this guy so I hope it ships soon.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Yep, I caught both of those references, too. 😄 Guessing the writers Barrer and Ferrari are fans given all the references, knowledge of the lore, and characters across the franchise. It's a really well-done Transformers film, and I think more fans owe it to themselves to check it out. It's unhampered by human antics, focused purely on Cybertronians and Cybertron, and serves as a prequel to all that came after, at least in one corner of the multiverse. Speaking presciently, I think it'll be looked upon kindlier over time, just like the '86 film.
  14. M'Kyuun
    I had no interest in the Amazon two-pack, but wow, that Ruckus is a pretty impressive retool from the standpoint that one could be forgiven for not recognizing it as such. I wish more retools were that extensive. Welcome to my world where I consistently miss deals and sales and generally always pay full price. The ouch is ouchier when you multiply it by four, though. Sorry, Mike.
  15. M'Kyuun
    My wife and I went to see it today and I enjoyed it. I'm sure I probably missed a few, but I enjoyed the peppering of references and use of characters from other continuities beyond G1. There were certainly liberties taken with the lore, but ultimately it was an easy story to follow, and it made sense. I think it had greater impact beginning as a buddy film and showing the rift grow as D16 becomes Megatron. It was full of tropes, but ultimately, I thought it was a fun enjoyable film which I can't say about any of the Bay films. I can see where a lot of G1 fans might not like it, but it's not meant to be G1. It nods to G1 a fair bit, but it's its own tale, and I thought it was told well enough. The actors all did a good job with their parts, and I think it comes through that they were having a good time as well. I enjoyed the visual language of the film- I couldn't help but think it a precarious technology to have the train track form only feet in front of the train while it's in motion. I'm with @TangledThorns in the hopes that there'll be another film or possibly a series. I thought it a fun visit to one universe in the multiverse of Transformers and both my wife and I would like to extend our stay.
  16. M'Kyuun
    I hope Silverbolt and the Aerialbots are done better than in the past and that their plane modes are an improvement over the usual box o'bot with plane bits attached, but I have little faith. I wish they'd done Animated Omega Supreme, but let's face it, any version of Prime is a money maker. The Japanese cartoon toys aren't really my cuppa, but I'm happy for those who've been wanting a Star Convoy for their collections. I had to look him up as I have no familiarity. Easy pass on my part. I wish they were doing FOC Optimus. Between the two games, the FOC version really struck a chord with me. I still play with my little deluxe, but like the upgraded Legacy WFC fig, FOC Prime needs his due. Seaspray is the only other thing mentioned that holds any interest for me. As Mike said, hopefully he won't be another short packed fiasco like Cosmos. I get that these store exclusives are money in Hasbro's pocket, but I really wish they'd find another avenue or leave the exclusives for the redecos or less popular characters.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Been reading through these posts and felt I should probably chime in. First and foremost, a magnitude of thanks to both @Test_Pilot_2 and @ChristopherB for your generous compliments on my behalf. You're far too kind and I appreciate it immensely. Too, from one old retired MSgt (USAF) to two fellow vets, an enormity of gratitude for your service and all the sacrifices and high points that a career in the military entails. @ChristopherB, your work is nothing short of excellent. For my part as a Macross fan, I humbly admit that I wasn't even aware that a GERWALK armor even existed. Moreover, I wasn't aware that a little unsung design company named Matsushiro was behind many of the amazing 80s transforming toys sold through Takatoku. I had to employ my Google-fu, but it was an interesting read (Toybox DX to my rescue). Anyway, for the knowledge of both tidbits to expand my own useless Macross knowledge, I'm ever thankful. As to the Variable Glaug, a unique valk that absolutely deserves a toy, should you ever feel compelled to take it up as a project, I humbly request that you keep me in the loop, as I may have some small interest in such a thing. My thanks and again, brilliant work on your GERWALK armor. I hope you find a home here on MW. I've been roaming these halls for probably close to twenty years now, and I've found it an inviting and helpful refuge when some others have become cesspools of invective and negativity. We've managed to maintain our civility in no small part due to @Shawn, @Graham, and the many mods over the years who've cleaned up after us and put those in need into time-out, as it were. Welcome to our little corner of fan(atacism) and I do hope you'll prop up your legs and stay awhile. Cheers! -Bill (M'Kyuun)
  18. M'Kyuun
    I'm guessing you missed out on the Yammie 1/60 VF-11B, a pretty solid toy and a definite upgrade from their breakage-prone 1/72 toy. Speaking of which, my girlfriend at the time, who's since upgraded to spousal unit for the last 21 years, was present when I first received my 1/72 VF-11 and proceeded to have its right leg, IIRC, snap off in my hand while simply attempting to rotate the leg. This was probably within minutes of removing it from its plastic shell. I was able to disassemble it and affect a lasting repair using a screw and some glue, but that was definitely one of those heart-sinking moments. Another was the day the right arm of my Yamato V2 YF-19 (the one with all the moaning over its gullet) just fell off with no provocation save for gravity. Fortunately, I haven't had any issues like that with any of my other Yammie, Arcadia, or Bandai valks, but I'm always leery to handle them, especially the older Yamato stuff. My wife still mentions the leg coming off my VF-11 from time to time. I wasn't aware of an upcoming VF-19 Kai; I still have my Yamato 1/60 VF-19S posed prominently on my desk next to Yamato's V3 YF-19, and they look fantastic. Two of Yamato's best toys, IMHO. Not a big fan of the Kai, personally; I didn't care for Basara as a protagonist, or the concept of "song energy", or the use of musical instruments as controls, or the face on the Kai, or the red color, -- well, the list of what I don't like about it is much longer than that of what I do. I love the VF-19's design; however, I prefer it devoid of all the musical nonsense and in better color schemes. I have Bandai's VF-19 advance, and I think it's a really well-done fig. It certainly manifests more ingenuity and care than their YF-21, but I digress. Anyway, if Bandai applies all the nifty solutions they employed with the YF-19/VF-19 Advance to a VF-19 Kai and variants, I'm thinking, cautiously, that they'll probably be pretty good toys.
  19. M'Kyuun
    I just learned of your projects, ImChris5115, and I'll echo the sentiments of the other members: truly incredible and inspiring work. Of course, being a Macross fan on a Macross forum, the inevitable comparison to Kawamori-san's prolific variable fighter designs is both expected and offered as high praise for what you've accomplished with your Types 1, 2, and 3 designs. However, it needs to be said that your battroid styling is a departure from Kawamori's usual designs giving it a uniqueness visually, as well as a complexity and innovative quality that's as intriguing as it is brilliant. Looking forward to these and future projects. Please keep sharing your vision and talent with us.
  20. M'Kyuun
    After waiting a few weeks for other items in my pile of loot to arrive for consolidated shipping, my YF-21 showed up today, and what a beauty. I even like the fighter mode, though I know other members have their reservations in that regard. As a battroid fan, I'm willing to suffer the few indignities visited upon the fighter mode in order to have this: What an improvement over the old Yammie! Proportionate legs, tight joints throughout the legs, and throughout the entire battroid on the whole. 👍 Note that my head laser is straight; I was purty anxious about that, but as I slid it out of the box and saw that, much of my anxiety about the fig melted away. I also checked my canopies to see if they had cracks, but nope: everything was intact and in good working order. Like others' copies, the wingtip bits on mine pop off fairly easily, but fortunately they just peg, a little too loosely, back into place. I probably won't handle it a great deal, but if I do get the urge, I may have to wrap a little tape around those pegs to increase the friction a tad without resorting to any permanent modifications. The only negatives I have thus far are the inexcusably too-short main landing gear (there's room for at least a few more mms of gear or they could have made an extending mechanism that allowed for proper ground clearance with or without FAST packs and guns installed); the ugly elbow joints, even if they do offer excellent range of motion; the crappy poseable hands that can barely hold the gunpod (C'mon Bandai, you do much better on your Gundam kits, but you can't do better on a $300+ high-end toy?); the backpack design, with its huge gap and need for a partsforming bracket that could and should have been engineered into the toy itself- it's an extreme low point, again, for a high-end toy that should never have been remotely in consideration let alone employed. Oh yeah, and the need to remove and reposition the pilot and seat in order to affect the proper positions between battroid and fighter modes. Why they couldn't engineer a rotating seat is anyone's guess, as that's a minor issue compared to what they came up with for the foot stowage. Go figure. Gripes aside, though, I love the overall look of it: the blue hue they used looks great, paint apps are sharp, I love all the tampo ( the lack thereof on most of Yamato's and Arcadia's valks still vexes me), the ability to hold a pose unassisted despite that backpack and its distance from the battroid's back (no favors for the thing's center of gravity), all the included accessories to achieve just about any look you desire from the YF-21 (even if there's some heavy partsforming involved, especially for delimiter); and, though it may be controversial, even heretical to some, the truncated belly panels. I never cared for the largely shellformery aspect of the YF-21 and I've long disliked those long panels hanging off the legs. I think the short ones look better and allow the legs to be manipulated without getting in the way. Honestly, like all his other valks, I wish the legs had been visibly incorporated as part of the jet instead of being hidden inside those panels. IMHO, it's one of the weakest aspects of the design beyond Kawamori's liberal use of artistic license to shrink and enlarge proportions between modes to favor each mode without regard to practical realization. It's the bane of toy and model makers, but I'm happy with the balance Bandai struck with this figure. I'm probably in the lower percentile of fans who display their valks exclusively in battroid, but Bandai made this thing for me and my ilk who grew dissatisfied with the gangly skinny legs and instability of the Yamato. I'm glad they decided to release it despite its few shortcomings. I can now fill the void in my Detolf: And b/c I'm not a big GERWALK fan, this pic represents the first and last time I'll likely ever put it into this mode, but I will say, it pulls it off well. I even managed to get the poseable hand to hold the gunpod. I wish they'd put a slight bend joint in the butt of the rifle so it didn't hit the arm when being held by the poseable hands. Would've made a slight difference for the better, though those fingers really beggar a second joint to allow them to curl around the grip. All I think of when I see it like this is the scene where Guld's errant thought to push down on Isamu's VF-11 actualizes causing Isamu to crash. A VF-11 to reenact that scene would've made a nice accessory. 😜
  21. M'Kyuun
    My Linna fig is way too fragile to handle, as her arms fall off at the merest provocation, including gravity. There's just not enough friction generated by the little nubs onto which her arms attach, and I wish they'd mushroom pegged them or found some other more permanent means of attaching them. As for the Motoslave, it's a bit of a fiddly toy, although without Linna inside, it's more fun to handle. I keep Linna inside it for display purposes, so I try not to touch it lest her arms detach themselves. I'd love for Sentinel to do a slightly upscaled version with better joints in the Knight Saber figs. The Motoslave is one of my absolute favorite transforming motorcycle designs, even if, practically, it requires some partsforming. As a motorcycle-cum-mecha-cum exosuit, it's just an elegant, beautiful design and I'd love to have a robust definitive toy or model of it, preferably toy. Digressed a bit, but back OT, at least generally Mospeada, I'm still loving my Arcadia Proto-Garland, which I got a couple years ago. It was a long-time grail finally procured and I remain enamored with it. I wish they'd been able to realize it without resorting to the truncated Shogo fig like the original Yamato's managed to do, but the Proto-Garland itself is a thing of sheer beauty. As much as I like transforming motorcycles, I've never cared for the Ride Armor design from Mospeada. I think I'd like it better if, like the Motoslave, it was a fully realized and complete exosuit or better, mech, but it's essentially gauntlets and a big backpack for the rider and it just doesn't grab me the same way the Garland or the Motoslave do. As to the upcoming Tread, looking forward to it and all the intricacies and engineering touches Sentinel brings to the fore, as they did with their incredible Legioss design. I'm still in awe of that figure, as the Legioss was way overdue for an update, but they went beyond mere update and innovated some great solutions resulting in what is easily the best transformable representation of that design. I hope for, and kinda expect at this point, the same in their Tread. So far, just from the marketing pics, it looks to outdo all previous attempts. After showing off their prowess at making incredible transforming toys, I'd love to see them take on Dorvack and BGC designs at some point. Mugen's Calibur and Ovelon's Gazette helicopter are two great designs that beggar for innovative updates, and even if Takara does them as future Roadbuster and Whirl figs, I fear they just won't be faithful to the OG designs with too many liberties taken. I'd really love to see what Sentinel would do with G1 Starscream, but that'll never happen so I can only try to imagine how they'd attempt it if they tried to make his F-15 mode more accurate to the actual aircraft, unlike the obnoxiously atrocious MP-52.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Oh, wow, I did not remember that at all! The only KS I remember having a MotoSlave was Priss, probably b/c she was most featured with it. Actually, she had two different models if memory serves; the second one had a sentient A.I. IIRC which surprised Priss but proved pretty useful in battle. Been probably 5 or 6 years since I last watched it, and I have trouble remembering what I did ten minutes ago, so thanks for setting me straight and forgive my semi-senility.
  23. M'Kyuun
    The Tread-Legioss connection is cool, but it seems odd, at least to me, that more of the rear of the Legioss isn't subsumed by the Tread for a more homogenized craft overall. That's my take as a LEGO mecha builder and just as a longtime mecha fan. Regardless, that's not what the original designers did and the result, a jet perched somewhat precariously on a thin stick in front of a much larger, oddly proportioned, but cool nonetheless, spaceplane is what we have instead. I'm looking forward to both potential Legioss rereleases (I wasn't aware of the first rerelease) and the release of the blue Tread to go with my lone Sentinel Legioss. My Legioss is a first release, and the shoulders are still incredibly stiff; I wouldn't mind adding the green one to my collection, hopefully with looser shoulder joints. I'd be content with a single Tread, as I've never owned one, I'm super impressed with Sentinel's take on the Legioss, and I feel that their take on the Tread will be no less impressive. Not sure where I'll put the big SOB, but I'll make room somewhere for it. 😁 Gonna have to keep posted to this thread for when POs go up- definitely want to score one of these. Referring to the MoShow ride armors, let me preface by saying I've never been a fan of the design; I far prefer a bike that becomes a mech like the Garland or the MotoSlave over a fragmenting bike that becomes armor for the rider. That said, for what it is, I think the new takes look pretty good. Still not my cuppa, but from an aesthetics POV, I think they look cool. I'd love to see Sentinel take a crack at the MotoSlave. I have Linna and her green MotoSlave (which she never had in the anime, but whatever😄). I missed the boat on initial release; Priss would've been my obvious first choice, but Linna's was within the realm of affordability, so I got her just to have a copy of the Yammie MotoSlave. It's a fickle toy and Linna's arm's pop off at the merest touch. I'd love to see Sentinel do a slightly upscaled, better articulated, and more robust version with far more solid Knight Saber figs. Digits crossed.
  24. M'Kyuun
    POs are up on Pulse for the TF One figs. Bee's already sold out, but Alpha Trion and Elita-1 are still available. I POed Elita. One. I notied that Pulse doesn't have the usual range of toy pics for these as they usually do. You get one pic of each mode and that's it, just repeated to fill all the slots usually reserved for action shots and such. Kinda would've liked to see Elita's bike mode from a higher angle, but I generally dig TFs with bike modes, so I plunged.
  25. M'Kyuun
    There's no contest that a large contingent of Macross fans prioritize the fighter mode. I'm not one of those, as I display all my valks in battroid. It's bit of an irony considering my interest in planes, but no less true. That said, I love the satisfaction of transforming a valk and having a realistic looking jet in my hand with retractable gear, an opening canopy, and sometimes even moving wings or flight controls. It's a feeling I seldom get from transforming a Transformers jet. I'm in the minority of Macross collectors to be sure, but I doubt I'm the only one who enjoys that aspect of collecting the high-end Macross toys. As to articulation, the only real limitation that most valks have is with hip abduction, or "the Van Damme" as Skullface likes to call it. Still, the valks I own can do a decent spread for a suitable A-stance for posing. I can't do the splits myself, and I've never put any of my Transformers capable of it in such a pose so it's less important to me than having a full range in the arms, a feature the majority of my Macross collection enjoys. Most valks, too, have limited or no waist swivel due to how they transform. Again, it's never really bothered me. I appreciate it when they can, but before waist swivel and then ab crunch became popular wants among Transformers fans, neither seemed that important to me personally. I also eschew partsforming, a necessity among many of the High Metal toys, which is one of the reasons I don't collect that line. Although some valks have swappable accessories and weapons, none of the valks in my collection require partsforming to achieve any of the three modes. That'll change soon, however, when I receive my copy of Bandai's DX YF-21, and believe me, I'm not at all happy about the partsforming aspects of the toy, especially for the price. But, I prefer the battroid proportions over the Yamato's and that was the deciding factor. As a Transformers fan since the beginning, I differ from the crowd who want absolute 'Sunbow accuracy', an oxymoron if ever there was one. I was a fan of the Hasui approach, marrying aspects of both toon and toy into the best amalgamation to represent the character. I like details, textures, greebles and mechanical bits; after all, these are robots so those things are apropos. I think Has/Tak are doing a good job in this vein with the current mainline and SS86 figs, although sometimes they lean one way or the other and I find myself wishing they'd taken a different approach but overall, I'm pretty pleased. Magic Square and Newage have certainly leaned hard into the Sunbow look, although they still manage to throw some G1 toy details in here and there. So far as taking an alt mode like a fighter or a ground vehicle, I can attest from my own experience designing transforming mecha with LEGO that I always start with the alt mode and work towards the bot mode. I'm inclined to think, however, that Takara may take a different approach, at least where jetformers are concerned, as they so rarely even incorporate the arms into the jet and generally, the jet bits, especially forward fuselages, are undersized or otherwise disproportionate. Whatever their approach, more often than not I'm left with a feeling of frustration and disenchantment, especially when so much more care is taken with hiding bot bits in ground vehicle modes. After forty years of collecting Transformers with mostly crappy jet modes, Macross has become my refuge for beautiful transforming jets; it's my primary draw to the franchise although Macross Plus owns me for numerous reasons. It's just a damned excellent anime.
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