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technoblue

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Everything posted by technoblue

  1. technoblue
    Yeah. The odd lens effects and camera angles seem intentional at this point. I'm going to hold final judgement until we see the official product shots. The leaks were fun and informative at first but now they appear to be getting silly.
  2. technoblue
    Here's the page for it on the LEGO e-shop: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/nasa-space-shuttle-discovery-10283 I've been focusing so much on Creator Expert builds, that I missed the rumors around this set. Was it meant to have the tank and boosters? Whatever the case, I like how this set focuses on a specific scale build of the shuttle itself. The hinges don't bother me, even though it doesn't look as flush as the brick-built Creator set of old. I am happy to see that LEGO made unique pieces for things like the bay doors. I also like the nifty gimmicks that were showcased, as well as the shiny and deployable Hubble Space Telescope. It does have the usual UCS-style price tag. I agree with @Dobber. This is a good reason to bust out some VIP points.
  3. technoblue
    A new LEGO Space Shuttle set to celebrate the 40th anniversary:
  4. technoblue
    That is one cool photo. I dig how the camera angle is at or close to Galvatron’s eye level this time. The creative lighting is casting a fun shadow too and that is picking up a few details that I missed in the face sculpt. I would describe it more stern or severe than neutral and that works for me. Of course, I still have my nitpicks, but no more than I had with Siege Megatron. The paint splatter is the most visual downer now that Galvy’s shoulders are in the right place. With any luck, Isopropyl will clean those light purple marks right up. I do like how close Hasbro matched Galvatron’s base color palette. There are some fine details missing that I would have given up the splatter for (like a red belt buckle), but these should be easy to fix.
  5. technoblue
    Thank you for the mini-review, @Convectuoso! Darius does look like a stubby space cannon in alt mode, and I wish Newage had figured out a better way to stow Galvatron’s feet in that mode, but I’m hoping that I’m too fussed by these compromises when my copy arrives.
  6. technoblue
    Absolutely. I too wish Hasbro would budget more useful paint apps instead of the flake/glitter mix and swirly plastic. I understand they are working under design constraints, but the swirly plastic even showed up on BW MP Megatron and that didn't turn out so well for some fans. Anyway, I like shiny bots when they're done well. Speaking of shiny, I just saw the new leaks of Kingdom Galvatron's alt mode cannon. Now that's what I'm talking about! The cannon mode looks like a real upgrade compared to what we had before. I'm saying this just as I went further down the Legends rabbit hole too.
  7. technoblue
    AMD's buy direct site continues to be a big tease. And now it's toast.
  8. technoblue
    Maybe it is a design limitation or a callback to the original toy. I do still see a hint of the telltale crescent in your toon image, though, which in my head canon I always thought was a nifty stylistic link between G1 Galvatron and Unicron. It’s even more evident in the following image from the Netflix series. And it’s interesting how the Netflix redesign made Galvatron look younger than Megs.
  9. technoblue
    I don't know. Titans Return was already kind of doing that with Galvatron's headmaster, Nucleon. I think the Kingdom sculpt could have been improved by doing something different with his face. Maybe a sneer or a piercing look? I was hoping this would rank among HasTak's better bot-mode faces, but for me it's just about average. I also miss the crescent that usually sits at the crest of Galvatron's head/helmet. The new Kingdom figure appears to have removed that detail in favor of something that looks like a crown with multiple points. It reminds me of Starscream's crown.
  10. technoblue
    I have more questions with the bot mode reveal. What is going on with Galvatron's shoulder pylons? Why are they folded down? For that matter, what is up with that look? I was expecting Galvatron's face to emote a more dastardly look than Megatron's, but he's coming across as completely neutral. He doesn't even look smug like he did when he revealed himself in the Netflix series. I guess it's neither here nor there, but for me it seems like a missed opportunity to give the toy added dimension and character. The weathering effects...I guess they could be worse...yeah, I'm not a fan either. Mm. I'm still not convinced on this one. The alt mode could win me over. Then again, I may just wait for the Selects repaint.
  11. technoblue
    The leaked shots of Kingdom Galvatron do look interesting, but I think the third-party legends in the other thread have won me over.
  12. technoblue
    Mm. Gatchaman Crowds is a slow starter and Hajime's aloof (often contrarian) personality felt grating and off key. That said, the audience gets a nice pay off in the show's final acts. I thought it was a decent enough reboot overall, albeit not a true classic. Easily overshadowed by other anime that also debuted in 2013 (Kill la Kill and Attack on Titan to name two). If you are expecting something like classic Gatchaman, and don't want to bother with a modern interpretation of those themes, then it will probably be a disappointment.
  13. technoblue
    I was charged the full amount for the '19, but some members were charged for only the down payment when ordering the VF-4A.
  14. technoblue
    Both...
  15. technoblue
    Wotafa's review has a good comparison too. The Robo-Duo stands head and shoulders above the Metal Build Eva-01.
  16. technoblue
    Great review, Mike. The Super Megatron homage was something I missed, even though I've had my own copy of Tyrantron for some time now (oops). Tyrantron is definitealy one of my top Megtraon figures too. Added to which, looking at the improved articulation of Optus Pexus, I'm amazed by how much MMC keeps improving the Reformatted line. It will be very interesting to see what comes next.
  17. technoblue
    The NewAge render of Devy looks a little thin in comparison to MS, yeah. But I am curious to see how the individual bots will compare.
  18. technoblue
    Yeah. Digital distribution is still a mess. It will be nice when there's a system that everyone has access to, that is convenient, and that doesn't sacrifice quality.
  19. technoblue
    Well I'm convinced. That prototype looks good to go with my old eyes.
  20. technoblue
    Just check the shipping using another similar sized item that's in stock. HLJ does indeed have lower shipping, it's just mitigated by that high asking price. For my part, if I'm already paying 9070yen over Arcadia's suggested price, then adding another 3500yen for HLJ's cheaper FedEX/DHL shipping puts me at or around the same price that FromJapan will want to ship the same Valkyrie by DHL in its oversized box. It ends up being a wash in that case. I do think HLJ is worth it if one can't pay up front and wants to play the waiting game with the exchange rate. It's also easy to cancel at HLJ, so that's another benefit.
  21. technoblue
    Sweet news. I'm going to cross my fingers that there are fewer hiccups this time.
  22. technoblue
    Oof. That is significant. I was hoping for a 4500-5000 yen markup at hlj. At that price, I'm going to stick with FJ and, if the shipping situation is still stuck in limbo at release, opt for surface this time to avoid the impatient tax.
  23. technoblue
    Thanks for the Grimlock review, Mike! This new Studio Series Grimlock and the 3P Planet-X version create a cool contrast when standing side-by-side. The missing screw covers is a bit of a puzzle. I mean, I understand cost savings but looking at your photos, the new toy shares the same screw hole layout as the old MP. Hasbro really only needed to include the two tiny fillers in the dino head to go the distance. It's too bad those didn't make the cut. A good 3P add-on set will definitely iron out these visible wrinkles. Hopefully, one will come our way soon.
  24. technoblue
    I wouldn't be surprised if they do end up selling it separately, or making it something you can trade for VIP points later in the year. One thing that would be really cool to see is the LEGO Group going back to releasing minfig sized props. I would be totally in for a a larger scale version of Earhart's Lockheed Vega 5b. I'm also down for her modified Model 10-E Electra in brick form, but I also understand why LEGO might hesitate turning that airliner into an official set.
  25. technoblue
    I've been on the site since early days too. The free upgrade to premium really was a nice perk. I'm going to miss it. Now Hasbro wants $50 for the year. That comes to about $4.17 a month which will be worth it if I find myself buying as much as I did last year. I'm also hoping we get some good convention exclusives and access to cool "Selects" style exclusives again. The D&D Drizzt release from last year, albeit not Transformers related, was one of my favorites.
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