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M'Kyuun

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Everything posted by M'Kyuun

  1. M'Kyuun
    I've no interest in the Timelines stuff thus far, but for a second, I entertained the thought of getting Armada Nemesis Prime, primarily for the articulated minicons, but $90 is far too steep a price for what you're getting. The way prices are rising on these things, I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue collecting, at least at my current level, which has already tapered over the last couple of years. I'm in for SS86 Starscream and Skywarp and for figs like Mirage that are in need of a good G1 mainline or SS figure, and any remaining minibots, but thanks to the main lines over the last few years, I have a pretty solid G1 collection with only a few holes to fill. Once those are filled, I may just reluctantly and regrettably retire from collecting. It's just getting too expensive. Too, I'm out of room for these things, so I also need to find some more storage/display solutions. Funny, when we moved from our two BR apartment, which itself seemed large to us initially, into our house, it felt like we had so much room. Our house is about 1600 sq ft, not huge by any stretch, but not small either, relative to many of the houses here in town. It took less than 20 years to fill much of that space, a great deal of it with my toy collections. So much plastic.
  2. M'Kyuun
    POs are up on Pulse!!!!
  3. M'Kyuun
    I share your affliction! I lament my near lack of display space, as the toys keep coming and I find I need be ever more judicious with my purchases, taking both quantity and size into account. Toys are the nexus of my life, and it stings a bit to have to scale back b/c I'm running out of room in my house for them all.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Of the three Batmobiles, the BvS is my favorite design and, IMHO, the worst execution among the three sets. I think the designers did a far better job capturing the B&R and The Batman Batmobiles. I'll still get the BvS and The Batman sets, but I think I prefer the original BvS Batmobile set (76045) they released in 2016. This new set has a lot more sculpting, but after consulting my BvS Tech Manual which discusses the development of the movie's various props, with all the parts at their disposal, being a collector of the Speed Champions line, and having looked at a few MOCs, I just don't feel like they captured the car very well, or at least not as well as I would have expected, especially given what they've accomplished with the SC line. Too, in an interview, the designers discussed eschewing the OG two-part canopy elements in preference of just using the regular one piece curved windshield. Personally, I'd have rather they used the two-piece canopy which was more authentic and designed specifically for this Batmobile. Obviously, the old set is simplified, but I think it captures the shaping better than the new set. YMMV. Since they seem to be cranking out more and more media related Batmobiles, I'm hoping there's an Arkham Asylum Batmobile in the works and that they make it every bit as excellent as 2021's Tumbler set (76239). Furthermore, I hope they put every ounce of effort into imbuing it with all of its functions and details. That would make for an extraordinarily fun model to build and play with. I never cared for the Clooneymobile, and honestly, this set isn't selling it to me, either. OTOH, it might make for a good parts set. FWIW, I think the designers did a good capture of the overall look. The car itself was just never to my taste.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I really wish they were purposely emphatic and unambiguous about announcing PO times; it would make life easier for everyone and give members, like me, some validation for purchasing said membership. I don't understand why, as in the past, they don't initiate POs for stuff shown that day, future product notwithstanding, following the stream instead of piecemealing the POs out over multiple days, which not only becomes confusing but also may pose a hindrance if you have plans. I rarely have plans, but it just so happens we're taking my mother-in-law out to lunch tomorrow and I'm hoping we'll be done eating before POs come up. Actually, I'm hoping to be home, as I hate trying to make purchases on my phone- much easier on my desktop. Anyway, huge thanks for the info, Mike. You're awesome.
  6. M'Kyuun
    While it has its flaws, it's still a pretty decent toy and if your preference is to display in battroid, the DX makes for a superior display model over the old skinny-legged, wobbly-hipped Yamato, IMHO. Congrats on the find, on a great price, and on being the owner of an unblemished copy. I hope you enjoy it! 👍
  7. M'Kyuun
    I still have all my Binaltech/Alternator figs. I didn't have a complete collection, but I had the majority of the main characters. Out of all of them, the Mazda RX8, Suburu Impreza, and Ford Mustang molds were, IMHO, the best, the Mazda being my favorite. In spite of liking it, I never did get the Shockwave version, and I do believe I had opportunities to pick it up. I was good with Jazz, so I didn't bother double dipping even though I did double dip on some of the other molds. The vast majority of my collection is packed away and I've not seen them in some time, but I remember their being some impressive toys for all the working features and details in their licensed car modes. The bot modes often suffered, however, from lackluster articulation and generally a fair bit of cumbersome kibble. Still, these things approached then MP levels of engineering and retailed for about $20 (for the all-plastic American Alternators) and about $50 IIRC, for the Japanese Binaltech versions which had a fair bit of die-cast, which gave them a heftier, more premium feel. Ah, the good old days when toys were reasonably priced and widely available, for the most part.
  8. M'Kyuun
    I was just notified that my copy of Mixmaster shipped so by this time next week, I should be able to assemble my first official Devastator. Something to look forward to.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Well, honestly, the pic with the leg bent forward along with the white leg within also bent forward elucidated the 'how' of the thing. My question remains how far can it bend? Can it go full 90 degrees relative to the waist, does the pic indicate the limit of movement, or is it somewhere in between? I'm not getting the figure, but my general curiosity beggars an answer. To that end, if anyone here gets ML Magnus, I hope you'll share your thoughts and perhaps a pic or two showing off the engineering. For my part, I thought this G1 toy a particularly challenging one to imbue with the ML treatment; I remain impressed at the execution and the Takara designers' ingenuity.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Regarding MPG Soundwave, I'm surprised that they're only repainting MP-13. While I still consider it a good take and a good figure, it's a bit dated and a new figure is in order. That said, I continue to use my MP-13 in my display and I bought FT's Soundblaster repaint, mostly for their Ratbat, but the figure itself surprised me with just how excellent it is. I daresay it's the best Soundwave, color and name changes notwithsatanding, in my collection. Perhaps Takara just didn't feel like competing with it and leaned on the nostalgia instead, what with MP-13's heavy G1 toy styling. I love Evangelion, but much like their VF-19 take, way too much is sacrificed to create an unholy amalgamation with Prime such that I'd just rather have non-crossover versions of the VF-19 or Eva Unit 01. I'm sure there's an audience for these crossovers, but I'm not part of it.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I'll say this; the show is entertaining, but it's as much to see where they're going with the story as it is for the extraordinary comedy of errors and obscene buffoonery by, more often than not, trained professionals disregarding said training and paying heavily for their negligence. This show is positively rife with improper actions and poor decisions that are just blatantly made to serve the story. Every time somebody makes a huge oopsy, they should just give a wink or a nod at the camera b/c it's like having sex in an 80s slasher film- it's all a gratuitous precursor to the ensuing chaos and death.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Man, you said it. I'm also working on a mostly white MOC and could use those in white as well. The Countach is an impressive set and I'm still tempted to pick it up, too. I kinda wish they'd done it in red, but I think they wanted it as a counterpoint to the Speed Champions version, which was also white. OR, perhaps, Ferrari took issue with making a Lambo in red. IDK- just spitballing, but some of these car companies can be rather fussy and demanding. I would have preferred it in black, too, over the white.
  13. M'Kyuun
    @Chronocidal, food for thought! I picked this up at our local LEGO Store this weekend after some hmmming and hawing over various options. I believe the last one of these I built was the Mustang, actually, since you mentioned it, and I considered the Countach, as it looked amazing. But I love dark blue and I love the look of the Cobra, so I made an executive decision! No regrets; as usual with these premium car models, there are plenty of interesting techniques, a few new parts which will come in handy for MOCs, and just an overall excellent capture of the real car's details and design, not to mention working steering, opening doors, hood, and trunk. This is a very curvy car, and the new 4x1 complex curved slope piece (7206 left and its analog, 7205 right) really allowed the designer(s) to execute them in an accurate manner. The model is stunning in-hand and I'm glad I chose it over some of the Marvel sets I was considering. The sticker sheet was small with only three or four stickers that weren't difficult to apply. The striped parts are all printed, as well as a 1x1 round tile with the Cobra emblem, and a few generic 1x1 round tiles with the gauge pattern. The build was smooth, as too are the functions of the final model; the doors have a satisfying little 'thoop' to them when they close and the hood/trunk open on double hinges that allow for them to close flushly like buttah. Overall, I give it a solid recommend. BTW, they had the Black Pearl at the LEGO Store and it is a large and impressive beastie to be sure. It's not really my jam, but for those who've hoped for a set of this magnitude, if they can spare the ducats, I'm sure they'll treasure the experience. Arrrr! From what I've read, the Pearl was designed by Mike Psiaki, Senior Designer extraordinaire, who has been responsible for any number of notable sets, especially the Icons Cars and the 10497 Galaxy Explorer. He has demonstrated time and again, a penchant for devising techniques and ingenious solutions to achieving very challenging shapes, functions, and features posed by the subject matter of the sets he works on. He was a brilliant MOC builder before working for LEGO, and we're all the richer for his having joined the company.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Your talent, creativity, and skills are remarkable in the truest sense. I don't know about the other fellas here, but I'd love for more toys and animation that's similar to Macross, in the same vein anyways, but perhaps with a different narrative or justification for the need of variable planes and other vehicles. This is obviously an ambitious and downright impressive feat of design and engineering and I'm glad you've shared it with us here. I very much hope you get your wish and meet Kawamori-san at one of the Fests. He's not getting any younger and if Macross is to continue beyond his lifetime, there'll be a need for a protege who designs in a similar fashion. I'd say this makes for one jawdropping resume if in fact you wanted to pursue that. I've enjoyed seeing and reading your posts on both the process and the progress leading up to the finished product and it's both astounding and inspiring. Thanks and every success to you!
  15. M'Kyuun
    In case anyone else, like me, was wondering, Typho does transform into an Ankylosaur. Compared to the G1 Dinobots, his dino mode is a bit messy and lacks the refinement of the originals, but since the primary intention is for him to form the torso, right arm, and leg skeletons for NA's Dinobots to attach and form Volcanicus, the fact that he can transform at all is a bit of icing on the proverbial cake. I have NA's Dinobots, but I have no real desire to combine them. That said, it's cool that NA is providing that option for those who do. I have the toy deco versions and I wonder if they're going to make up their own toy deco version of Typho. I'd be curious to see what it looks like even if I don't plan to get it.
  16. M'Kyuun
    It looks ok, although I'm not crazy about the plainness or lack of paint apps to replicate the toy's sticker details. And yeah, the cassettes have some notable flaws. I'm feeling the opposite the more I compare the two. I like SS86's proportions, with his meatier arms and overall bulk, as well as the lack of superfluous arm kibble that unfortunately bled over from the terrible Siege Soundwave to his Netflix version. However, I don't care for his thinner feet or their visible hinges; they look better on the Netflix figure, IMHO. Too, as I mentioned above, toon-slavish plainness is not my preferred look; I want details on my robot toys, especially when they're retailing for $60. Finally, they just can't seem to make very good cassettes at this smaller scale. I wish they'd never moved away from the OG real micro-cassette scale, as then they'd have more real estate to work with and they'd all be compatible across CHUG and MP toys. For my money, the OG cassettes, flatness notwithstanding, just did a better job of realizing both cassette and bot modes than these smaller scaled ones. At least the animal modes were better captured. KFC proved, too, with his latest Ramhorn and Steeljaw cassetttes that more realistic, non-flat animal modes that actually look like the animals they're supposed to be is possible. Kudos, too, to FansToys for their Ravage, which IMHO, Ravage being my favorite of the cassette minions, is the best executed version of him in the OG scale right after the one that came with Universe Hound and then the OG. The best Ravage overall goes to MMC, but of course, he's upscaled to a regular cassette which gave them a lot more real estate to work with.
  17. M'Kyuun
    Agree. As good as CG has become, there's still an uncanniness when they render real people's faces as digital constructs. It's a tough hurdle to clear for CG artists, as we're innately attuned to faces and tend to notice when even the slightest thing is off.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Thanks! I appreciate it, but as I stated in my previous post, I have nitpicks with the ER mold and given Hasbro's penchant for milking Seeker molds, I think I'll just wait for the eventual SS86 Seeker to get the Conehead treatment, b/c you know they're coming. How they come however, i.e. pesky exclusives and cumbersome box sets, is another story. I'm patient, though, so I'll wait. The coneheads were always more of a bonus to me anyway; I'm always more concerned with attaining Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp; any Seeker outside of that core three is just fluff for the shelf.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Man, my copy of Thrust was unceremoniously cancelled and I missed the window to reorder him, so he's the only one of the six main Seekers I don't have, and he also just so happens to be my favorite of the Conehead designs. However, with the SS86 Seeker on the horizon, it's not unrealistic to think that they'll milk that mold for all it's worth, and from what I've seen, while it's still not a completely accurate F-15, it' does appear to be somewhat better than the ER Seeker mold, partsforming stabs notwithstanding. I've lived without ER Thrust this long; I'm thinking I may just hold out for the inevitable SS86 variants. If I didn't know that the one on the right is the Studio Series figure, I'd swear it was one of their lesser toys for younger collectors. Compared to all the surface detail and greater number of paint apps to represent both OG toy and toon, the SS86 figure looks drab, the milky white plastic looks cheap, I'm not too crazy about how the feet and their hinges look, and the overall toonish plainness doesn't appeal. I missed the PO on Pulse, and maybe that was for the best, as right now I'm liking how my Netflix Soundwave looks better, crappy holdover arm kibble notwithstanding. For $60, I want something better. Once again, I wish Magic Square or New Age would release more of their figures in CHUG scale, as one or the other often creates a nigh perfect version of a character and I'd love to them available as options for my CHUG shelves. @mikeszekely I appreciate your writeup of Micronus Prime. I'm neither a UT fan nor an ardent fan of the greater TF lore as it has been presented in comics and other media, but there's just something creatively charming about this guy and the armor they cooked up for him. I concur that it's a cool play pattern and it elevates what could have been a relatively simplistic figure into something greater. My interest in the Primes has been tepid at best, as Alchemist is, to wit, the only one I've bought thus far, and I got him more for his resemblance to Prime Bulkhead than out of any interest in the character himself, mostly. He does have a neat look about him with his goofy steampunk goggles. I'm digressing, but, yeah, Micronus struck a chord with me when they revealed him in the fanstream. I wish there was just a pinch more complexity to the bike mode's transformation but given that the bike was a totally made-up thing to accentuate the principal figure, and at a deluxe price point no less, I shan't criticize too harshly. Kudos to Takara for thinking outside of the box, or three-dimensional disc as it were.
  20. M'Kyuun
    I'm old enough to have seen Tron in the theater, one of only a few films I saw in the theater growing up, and it was impressive. Visually and narratively, it was absolutely unique. All the smart-ass comments landed, the characters were likeable, especially Flynn, who, much like Han Solo, outshone the eponymous main hero of the story. Even the CG was extraordinary, as it imparted an uncannily realistic look to the scenes in which it featured, and with CG being a relatively new phenomenon in film, it stood out as something special. We take it for granted now, but back then my 11-year-old self was left wondering what did I just see? There was truly an otherworldly, magical quality to it that was fresh and unique and cool. It's a shame we haven't really felt that about movie effects since '93's Jurassic Park, which amazed me all over again with its incredibly realistic CG effects. So much of Tron has become iconic today, but one must remember that it was all one big experiment dreamed up by Steven Lisberger and it didn't really gain traction with fans until years after its initial release. But thank goodness it attained a cult following which kept it relevant, as it's one of those landmark films that pushed boundaries and laid the groundwork for further innovation in visual effects. Incidentally, the Tron producers were cheated out of an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects b/c the Academy felt that CG was cheating, despite all the intense work that went into creating those effects on rather primitive super computers. In my mind, they won it deservedly. Next to the original Tron, IMHO, the animated Tron: Uprising is the second-best entry in the franchise, if only b/c it builds on what came before. It was an excellent show, well-written with well-fleshed out characters, a handful of good baddies (Lance Henriksen always delivers), and cranky old Tron himself, reprised by Bruce Boxleitner, added a bit of grit and a tinge of darkness to the character. Disney, in its infinite wisdom, cancelled it after only one season, of course. I would have loved to have seen at least one or two more- it exemplified what I want to see in a Tron show or movie. That said, I'm lukewarm for Tron: Ares. I'm not the biggest Jared Leto fan either, and I'm not sure how I feel about the digital world coming into the real, as I think there are far more interesting things that can be done visually and narratively in the digital, and that was sort of the point with the first two films. Nearly anything is possible in the digital realm, and I think that's a far more interesting world to explore than our own with its many limitations. I'll very likely go see it, but with tempered enthusiasm. If nothing else, judging by the trailers, it'll at least be pretty. And Gillian Andersen, speaking in her native British accent, is in it. To quote Frohike, "Scully's hot". 😛
  21. M'Kyuun
    I never had any of the OG Deluxe Insecticons (I only had Kickback and Shrapnel), but I do have a downscaled Convertors version of Barrage and I always thought it was a cool figure. I wish Takara/Hasbro had gone all-in on making new molds for Ransack, Barrage and Chop Shop to match their OG toys as well. Regarding Venom, I know there's some complaint about the wing attachments, but it follows the OG toy quite faithfully and IMHO that's a strength, mostly. It would have been nice had those attachments swiveled to his back to get them out of the way, but overall, I'm extremely happy with how he turned out. Still waiting for my copy. Since they've demonstrated the willingness and ability to back-engineer Venom, I hope they'll do the same eventually not only with Ransack, Barrage and Chop Shop, but also Whirl and Roadbuster. I really want a proper Mugen Calibur as my Roadbuster. Missed the preorder today so I didn't get SS86 Soundwave. Got a little sticker shock from that $60 price tag. Just not seeing $60 worth of stuff there, and being a fan of the cassette-bots, the new molds with him aren't exactly inspiring. I'll likely get him eventually, but man these prices are becoming a bit off-putting, especially when 3P legends makers are, IMHO, crafting superior versions of these characters for around the same price and they're much more space-friendly, an appealing factor when I'm just about out of space for Hasbro's mainline/SS stuff.
  22. M'Kyuun
    I concur. I just put together the second of the Speed Champions Lamborghini two-pack (the blue one) and applying the decals was a pain. Moreover, there are, TBF, a fair number of printed parts included in the set as well, but as it turns out, one must exercise diligence in applying the stickers so that they match up with corresponding printed parts. I didn't realize until after I'd already applied the ones on the slopes of the hood and they misaligned with the printed complex slopes forming the edges of the front end. Thus I had to pull the one off and reapply it so that it lined up. The other one was close enough so I didn't bother, but it's stuff like that that sticks in the craw. I get why LEGO maintains the sticker option, but on livery or detail heavy sets like the SC line, I kinda wish they'd just print everything for a smoother frustration-free build process. I'm looking at that Mattel Honda set and thinking how useful any number of those parts would be if LEGO made them too. I like that Mega Skystriker/H.I.S.S. Tank set.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Speaking of Soundwave, while I applaud the LEGO designers for making their version as good as it is, I was disappointed that the hips couldn't bend fore or aft and the forearms were rather skinny, proportionally, and the hands couldn't retract into the arms. So I fixed mine.
  24. M'Kyuun
    Agree. SS86 Soundwave shares a fair bit of the Netflix's engineering/transformation. The cassettes aren't much better than what's come before, either. I'm thinking Ravage's jet packs and tail are on a separate piece that has to be parts-formed onto him after he's transformed, much like Steeljaw. At least the G1 cassettes had complete robot/creature modes- only the accessories were parts-formed. The Condors' wings aren't the right shape, and while Ravage's legs are an improvement over the previous release, his No-Neck Ed head and block-o-accessory sticking up on his butt just detract from what should be a svelte cat-like form. Again, his flatness notwithstanding, the G1 toy still looks better. Ravage here makes for a better Steeljaw, IMHO, as that wide neck would make for a good mane. A little cassettte deco would go a long way towards selling the alt modes, too. Funny that they still put out stock shots with mistransformation errors. It gives the impression they don't understand how to use their own products. So, not really the "Wow" factor I was hoping for, but it does make some improvements over the Netflix version, which suffered the additional kibble from its WFC crappy spaceship alt mode. I'll get him, but I can't help but feel a bit letdown over some of the execution, especially, as usual, with the cassettes.
  25. M'Kyuun
    I'll add my kudos for your customary extensive writeup and pics. I've made a few poor efforts towards doing minimal reviews, so I appreciate all the work you put into your elaborate efforts. As to the thing itself, I think we the fandom at large recognize that both the individual bots and the final gestalt are good, but certainly not perfect by any stretch, and as always, it leaves one hoping that the next installment, b/c there's always another installment, will be further improved. I skipped the CW team entirely b/c they left far too much to be desired. On this go round, the figs were markedly better, and I bit to my general satisfaction. Of course, I have the same complaints as everyone else, mostly, but on the whole I think it's a much better collection of figs. I'm still waiting on Mixmaster to complete my team and assemble Devastator, but thanks to this and other reviews, I'm well informed on what to expect and what to do, so a sincere thank you, Mike. I do have to say that, with all the extra effort and higher price points for these guys, I'm a bit disappointed that Devy's elbows don't even achieve the standard 90 degrees. C'mon Takara, you can do better. One more thing for third party add-on kit makers to fix, I guess.
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